Faith-Action-Change Iowa

"Boosting the Stimulus" Meeting February 7th 2009

Cheryl L. Fasano — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:16:44 EST

I set up an Economic Stimulus Meeting at the North Side Library in Des Moines Iowa on February 7th from 2:00 -4:00 P.M. We watched the video provided by Organizing for America and then opened it up for questions. There were 48 people in attendance. We had a panel of 5 people to answer questions from the audience. The panel consisted of Tom Henderson Polk County Chair of the Democratic Party, Frank Cownie Mayor of Des Moines,Tom Miller Iowa Attorney General, William Boal Professor of Economics at Drake University and Marc Wallace Assistant County Attorney of Marion County,he was also the State Chair for Veterans for Obama. The audience asked lots of questions and I think everyone went away with a better understanding of the Economic Recovery Plan and how urgent it is to get it passed. Tamyra Harrison the Executive Director of the Polk County Dems hosted this event with me.

We Are One

Josh "Professor Q" — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:16:00 EDT

I pray we, all children of the earth, no mater our path to enlightenment, come to realize that we are one. We may walk our own paths, but we are not alone, for we walk at the same time, toward the same end. From our individual perspectives, be we Episcopal, Catholic, Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddist, Taoist, or Hindu, are the same. I pray that we all feel the love of our Creator(s) and by example learn to see each other as brothers and sisters, allowing the boundary lines of religion to fade away. May the Lord bless your path. May you always have enough, and may you give enough in return.

Gods speed, blessed be.

A True Leader!

FAITH in GOD — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 16:15:08 EDT

Here is a wonderfully inspiring video. This video should open even blind eyes. Watch and Share!

http://www.vimeo.com/1742831#success

OBAMA CONVENTION BUMP is NEAR!!!

FAITH in GOD — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:46:22 EDT

Have Joy Prayer Warriors! GOD is still on the Throne!! We pray hard. We seek the Lord diligently. We persevere in prayer. Join us as and log on to our Obama Convention Bump event.

We're giving $28 on August 28th, the night of Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention, to give him an uproariously overwhelming show of support on line - as well as in the stadium.

With GOD's help, our brother will win. Take nothing for granted. Keep Praying! America Needs Obama as President! Let's show America and the world our enthusiastic support for Senator Obama. The whole world will be watching on August 28th. Let's show everyone we're with him all the way! Faith without works is dead. Keep praying and give a little financial help, too . He needs both. Thanks so Much! Here's the Link. Pass it on!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44g9tHi

CHRISTIANS CALLED TO ACT - OBAMA CONVENTION BUMP

FAITH in GOD — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:54:01 EDT

Have Joy Prayerful People. GOD is still on the Throne!! We pray hard. We seek the Lord diligently. We persevere in prayer. Join us and log on to our Obama Convention Bump event. We're giving $28 on August 28th, the night of Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention to give an uproariously overwhelming show of support on line - as well as in the stadium.

With GOD's help, our brother will win. Take nothing for granted. Keep Praying! America Needs Obama as President! Let's show America and the world our enthusiastic support for Senator Obama. The whole world will be watching on August 28th. Let's show everyone we're with him all the way! Faith without works is dead. Keep praying and give a little financial help, too . He needs both. Thanks so Much! Here's the Link. Pass it on!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/44g9tHi

The Wright Answer: Obama embraces Rev Wright

Mason Dixon — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:20:23 EDT

Chicago isn't a city; it's a family. Reverend Wright is a member of that family, and like every member of our family, he has a voice. And like every voice in our family, chorus Revrend Wright speaks only for himself. We embrace Reverend Wright as I embrace all the members of our family. I listen to their story and strive to understand their struggle. However, as with every family, our ultimate direction is decided collectively, as one nation and one human race, each with a voice.

Thank you Doug

Rhonda Barnes — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:00:49 EDT

Rhonda,

Thank you for setting up the Diversity Group. I have enjoyed being part of a smaller national group that is committed to both making diversity work, and getting Senator Obama elected as President. I have enjoyed having the group as a resource for useful information. There are plenty of chat and blog sites on the internet, very few are actually useful to getting much done. For much of the past year, the Diversity4Obama group was one of those happy exceptions.

I have worked on diversity issues for many years, and have found that one of the most important rules for dealing with sensitive issues is both a respect for all parties, and a responsibility by all to treat each other respectfully. If a member is not willing to conduct themselves in a respectful manner towards others, they cannot e part of a group that builds solutions. It is in this area that I have seen the Diversity4Obama group break down.

Over the past few weeks, I have seen the Diversity4Obama group devolve into a bickering, abusive, unproductive and email clogging mess. The group posts are being clogged by constant back and forth bickering and personal attacks.

The center of this activity has been with two posters. These two have abused their privileges, been involved in multiple arguments with multiple members, and basically clogged the system with petty comments and attacks. The group has attempted self policing with repeated requests that we stay on the issues of how to help the Senator, and to not make the group a place for rumor mongering. Each of these posters has responded with venom and anger to such requests for civility.

These two posters have each talked about leaving other groups because of complaints by other users. I completely believe this, and see a pattern. I would expect that they were blocked from other groups, and do not expect them to change. I strongly encourage you to block these users, and urge the rest of the group to treat each other respectfully.

I do not know if you are following the group, but I believe that this would make a massive improvement to the group, and help return it to being a product asset for the campaign.

I sincerely look forward to your response.

Be well,

Doug Williams

Atlanta GA

Stephannie L. Lewis reminded us

Rhonda Barnes — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:45:10 EDT

'For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.' --Phil. 2:13

Happy Thursday

Rev Bry — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:36:28 EDT

I'm wishing all my friends a very happy holy week observance that begins tonight with a Maundy Thursday service, followed by a Good friday service and of course easter Sunday!!

Green Matters! (One-Day, Mass-Donation Event on Earth Day, 4-22-08)

Rye — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:23:30 EST

PURPOSE:
The "Green Matters" event is a grassroots, one-day mass-donation event with the purpose of bringing the ENVIRONMENT into the forefront of the 2008 Presidential race.

HOW IT WORKS:
A massive one-day donation event on a nationally celebrated day of environmental awareness (Earth Day), and on the same day as the Pennsylvania primary, will penetrate the national dialogue, once again moving the environment to the forefront of Presidential politics. Our idea is to combine concern for the environment with Barack Obama's wide appeal and extensive grassroots support by recruiting people to make an official campaign donation in support of Barack Obama and the environment, on Earth Day - April 22, 2008.

The success of this endeavor will show that the environment is a strong viable issue in the 2008 campaign, that Barack Obama is the right candidate to tackle the issue, and that Green Matters to many Americans.

WHY?:

Why do we feel it is so important to send this message now, more than ever?

* The health of the environment is a health care issue

* Environmental insecurity is an issue of national security

* A poor environment disproportionately affects the poor

* The environment is an issue that affects everyone

WHAT TO DO:
1. Go to www.envirobama.com/greenmatters to sign up and be a part of making history this Earth Day.

2. Sign up for the MYBO Environmentalists for Obama group at my.barackobama.com/page/group/EnvironmentalistsforObama

3. RSVP for the Green Matters! event at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4r89v

4. Go to www.envirobama.com to learn more about Barack Obama's strong environmental positions.

5. Pass all of this info on to as many people as possible, spread word across the internet, and help us get word out to powerful people and media outlets.

6. JOIN US BY PARTICIPATING ON APRIL 22 IN A ONE-DAY, MASS-DONATION EVENT TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT GREEN MATTERS!

Thank you,
Environmentalists for Obama
Envirobama.com

Obama drawing record crowds

Mason Dixon — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 17:04:46 EST

Clinton’s audiences – of impressive size, certainly drawing more than Republican presidential candidates – are nonetheless dwarfed by Obama’s. And that trend is continuing in Ohio and Texas this week, with an even more disparate ratio.
Obama drew 6,000 people in Cleveland, yesterday. And the Plain Dealer put him on the front page, above the fold, with the headline: “Obama says he’s humbled by response to his candidacy.”
Clinton, in contrast, drew less than half that sized crowd in Cleveland – 2,500 – a day before.
The same thing is happening in Texas, to an even more staggering degree.Last night, Clinton drew 600 (plus “a few hundred” more) to an event scheduled in Houston, a city where Obama packed 19,000 into the his event last Tuesday night.(These are closer to Michelle Obama sized crowds, who drew 700 in Columbus last week, and 600 in Cleveland.)
And Clinton drew just 1,000 in Dallas on Friday, where Obama had drawn 17,000 two days prior.
Selected quotes from: http://ruralvotes.com/thefield/?p=741

Why media manipulation matters?

Mason Dixon — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:00:22 EST

Three media manipulations from the last two days; these are strong; there were several others; they air on national television. This type of active mis-information will have a strong effect in the national election.

Here are just a few things Fox hosts and guests said in the last two days:

Sullivan denies having made comparison between Obama and Hitler
Thursday, February 14, 2008

Fox News Radio's Tom Sullivan aired "side-by-side comparison" of speeches by Hitler and Obama
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Fox News host Banderas called Obama a "Halfrican"
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Fox allowed Ralph Reed to repeat Bush's false claim that "Obama has said that he will embrace Ahmadinejad"
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

From http://mediamatters.org/
The message here is that as much as we "hope" for democracy and good faith; often the "facts" dont matter nearly as much as the media strategy. Fox news and the neo-con media machine is ramping up for four more years of "attach mode".
Internally we should be incubating and preparing media messages that can be widely distributed through pro-obama networks and out to friendly press agencies which will change the debate on the level of perception; and the scale of the nation.

Scary Stuff about Hillary & DNC Delegate Credentials

Sue 'Hussein' — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 07:43:49 EST

http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/editorblog/036

is it slander to say that bush intentionally mislead the country?

Mason Dixon — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:19:18 EST

is it illegal to say on national television that you think they he knew there was no connection between 9/11 and iraq - that he knew there way no weapons of mass destruction - that he INTENTIONALLY mislead the nation - tricked us into a war that advances the industries that support his campaign and his dynasty.
now that is just my opinion - but i believe in this country it is still legal to do so.

Liberation Theology, Feminism, and Barack Obama

IA for Obama ☮ — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:46:26 EST

    As a professor of Religion and Women’s Studies, one of the subjects I most enjoy introducing to students is Liberation Theology. This is a branch of Christian theology that can be said to have begun in the 1960s, although its roots go much deeper than that. Indeed, some would say that Jesus himself was the first liberation theologian in Christian history, as liberation was the cornerstone of his ministry: liberation from sin, from death, from ignorance, from oppression in all its forms. But in a more precise historical sense, Liberation Theology emerged in Latin America in the 1960s, a response to the staggering poverty and suffering rife there. In the face of starvation, sickness, exploitation, and a pervasive sense of hopelessness and powerlessness, Liberation Theology boldly declared that God had a “preferential option for the poor,” which affirms "both the universality of God’s love and God’s predilection for" the weakest and most oppressed. The poor deserve preference not because they are inherently superior, “but because God is God, in whose eyes ‘the last are first’” (Gutiérrez, A Theology of Liberation, xxvi, xxviii; see also Lk 9:48). The poor are not to be idealized nor romanticized, Liberation Theology insists, but to be identified with as human beings, treated with equality and respect; moreover, the poor should have the greatest voice in the battle against poverty, because they can best articulate their experience and create solutions to the unjust systems that help perpetuate their oppression.
    Liberation Theology intertwined with the civil rights movement in America heavily influenced other forms of theology emerging at this time, including Feminist Theology and Black Theology. Each group maintained that God, who stood with slaves against Pharaoh and came as a lowly peasant to stand against the dominant powers of the world, radically identified with the oppressed, and each pointed to one form of oppression as the primary impediment to justice. For Latin American Liberation Theology, it was poverty. For Black Theology, it was racism. And for Feminist Theology, it was sexism. Each group might recognize that the other branches of Liberation Theology also had cause for complaint, but their own experience of a particular form of oppression initially caused them to diminish the realities articulated by others, and even to perpetuate those injustices to an extent. Some theologians, frustrated by the racism in Feminist Theology and the sexism in Black Theology, developed Womanist Theology, which approaches theology through the lens of Black female experience. This process has been repeated many times, and today there are countless forms of Liberation Theology, each focusing on a particular group identity and its experiences.
    As women theologians worked to eradicate injustice in the 1970s and 1980s, many of them realized that the various forms of oppression are often inextricably intertwined. Sexism, however, is among the most pervasive, the most insidious, and often the most ignored. For example, in the fifteenth anniversary edition of his Theology of Liberation, widely regarded as the foundational text of the movement, Gutiérrez notes that injustice against women is difficult to detect because of “its hiddenness, for it has become something habitual, part of everyday life and cultural tradition. So true is this that when we point it out we sound a bit like foreigners bent on causing trouble” (xxii). This comment characterizing challenges to sexism as foreign interference hints at how deeply ingrained sexism is in the cultures Gutiérrez is discussing; so does the fact that he writes of “the new presence of women . . . among the poor”(xx). The presence of women among the poor is of course nothing new; the fact that it could seem such to someone working among and in solidarity with the poor for decades, however, speaks volumes about how insidious that oppression is, as does the fact that these two passages constitute the only references to women quae women in his book.
    Female theologians working within the broader context of Liberation Theology challenged such assumptions, and came to realize that in order to abolish sexism, all other forms of oppression must also be eradicated. In general, such theologians have been the most explicitly committed to ending oppression in all its forms, rather than focusing on one or two particular issues. Their work has had great impact on Liberation Theologies across the spectrum, with more and more theologians from differing backgrounds recognizing the complex web of oppression and injustice, and of the great need to challenge all forms of oppression in order to effectively address any. For example, one cannot point to a single cause of the oppression of an indigenous, multiracial, single mother who has been forced into prostitution by poverty and has consequently contracted HIV/AIDS; each aspect of her oppression compounds another. For justice to be achieved, a total transformation of society is required, and it is to this end that many feminist and other liberation theologians are committed, with a mutual commitment between God and humanity providing the inspiration and ability to do so. As Rosemary Radford Ruether writes, "I see God, the divine ground of being, as the ground of our hope in this struggle for transformation, but this is not a God who is “in charge” and will intervene to save us despite ourselves and bring in a reign of God from [on high]. Rather the deep ontological structures that dictate biophilic mutuality as the only way to generate well-being give us the potential for making a new future, but one we could miss through our greed, hatred, and delusions" (Women and Redemption, 224).

    This is a rather lengthy preamble to why I regard Barack Obama as the strongest feminist candidate running for president. To many, this claim may seem ridiculous, if not downright offensive, as we have a strong female candidate, one who has the support of some of the staunchest feminist organizations in America, including NOW and EMILY’s List, which have actively (and often with deliberate distortions) campaigned against Senator Obama. One of the more extreme views has been articulated by Marcia Pappas, President of NY NOW, who yesterday wrote: “Women have just experienced the ultimate betrayal. Senator Kennedy’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton’s opponent in the Democratic presidential primary campaign has really hit women hard. . . . He’s joined the list of progressive white men who can’t or won’t handle the prospect of a woman president” (http://www.nownys.org/pr_2008/pr_012808.html ). The list to which she refers connects with her earlier press release, in which she characterized male politicians’ support of candidates other than Senator Clinton as a “psychological gang bang” (http://www.nownys.org/pr_2008/pr_011108.html ). In this statement, she also declares, “Let us remember what we as women’s rights supporters, are charged to do: SUPPORT WOMEN!” Ms. Pappas’ belittling and cynical appropriation of the very real brutalization of women and girls is deeply disturbing and serves largely to discredit the merits of her argument. But her claim that women must at all costs support women has been echoed by many throughout this campaign, with some so-called feminists maintaining that a woman who supports any candidate other than Senator Clinton is a traitor to her sex.
   I am sensitive to this argument. Indeed, some women whom I respect are voting for Senator Clinton primarily due to her sex. However, such an argument is equally as sexist as arguing that we should not support someone because of their sex (which is, in essence, what such advocates are claiming vis-à-vis John Edwards and Barack Obama), and I find sexism objectionable no matter which sex it disadvantages. Furthermore, solid arguments can be and have been made as to why Senator Clinton is far from a paragon for feminists, whose potential presidency may very well serve to further disempower women (e.g, http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/01/10/kissling_clinton/ , http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200711/flanagan-hillary , http://visiblevote08.logoonline.com/2008/01/14/gloria-steinem-the-faux-feminism-of-hillary-clinton/ , http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/01/10/6288/ ). I will not repeat such arguments here, but, building upon my discussion of Liberation Theology, I will consider a few reasons why I firmly believe that Barack Obama is the strongest feminist in the race.
   In making this argument, one could easily point to his outstanding legislative record and progressive policies on matters critical to women (e.g., http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/womenissues , http://factcheck.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/22/obamas_strong_record_on_protec.php , http://www.barackobama.com/factcheck/2008/01/08/fact_check_obamas_strong_proch.php), or to the fact that he was the sole Senator to help overturn South Dakota’s criminalization of abortion, despite all other pro-choice Senators being asked to do so (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVLzbBcs8A ), or that women play some of the most critical roles in his campaign, including Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Cassandra Butts, and Judith Gold. But to be fair, a strong argument could be made for other candidates on similar grounds. Barack’s compelling life story, however, clearly sets him apart from the rest. He was raised by a single mother, a biracial boy who was at times ostracized by the dominant white culture in America and could also be considered the “other” among blacks, and an American who spent several years living among the people in Indonesia; these factors helped shape Barack and gave him great perspective and understanding of diverse views. This is reflected in his approach to politics and government, in which he seeks to include rather than exclude, and refuses to demonize his opponents, though our society all too often rewards those who do; rather, he truly listens to diverse viewpoints and reflects upon them. In a country which has long been divided by bitter partisanship and oppression of diverse groups, his approach and personal narrative signify a healing of some of our country’s deepest wounds, in which we have the potential to come together and work together for the betterment of our society.
   His life experiences also shape his understanding of power. In Dreams from My Father, he tells of his mother’s witness of an emaciated woman being scorned by men as she desperately but determinedly begged for a few coins in Indonesia: “Power. The word fixed in my mother’s mind like a curse. In America, it had generally remained hidden from view until you dug beneath the surface of things; until you visited an Indian reservation or spoke to a black person whose trust you had earned. But here power was undisguised, indiscriminate, naked, always fresh in the memory” (45). As a member of multiple oppressed groups, as well as of multiple privileged ones, Barack has extensive understanding of the different ways in which power both oppresses and empowers. He is fully committed to lessening the former use of power and in expanding the latter.
   His commitment to equality and justice for all, which is the true goal of feminism, is further made manifest in his life choices. After college, he rejected a lucrative corporate career path in order to become a community organizer on the streets of Chicago, earning a paltry $10,000 a year. As liberation theologians had before him, he stood with the poor, studying the structures of oppression from the perspective of those victimized by it and listening to their own insights as to the nature of oppression and how best to address it. It was not his Christianity that inspired him to do this; rather it was his independent commitment to social justice that inspired him to choose this path and ultimately led him to embrace the Christian faith. His struggles to help give jobs to the jobless and hope to the hopeless further impelled him to become a lawyer, a constitutional scholar, and a voting rights activist. This led him to the Illinois Senate, where he consistently remained a champion of the oppressed and the marginalized, including women and girls. It was towards the end of his time there that I first met Barack, and I was genuinely inspired by his commitment to social justice, his recognition that we are all our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, that we are all diminished when any of us endure injustice, and that we all can and must be the change we wish to see in the world. I strongly supported his candidacy for the United States Senate and in fact wished that he would run for the presidency. In the years that have followed, my conviction that he would serve as the president we so desperately need has only intensified, and I am committed to doing all that I can to ensure that he becomes that president.
    Barack Obama solidly stands with those who maintain that in order to eradicate any form of oppression, we must address them all, and that the way to do so is by standing with the people and empowering them to fight the oppression themselves, while simultaneously remaking the institutional and societal structures that perpetuate oppression. He shares a similar understanding of the dynamics of oppression developed among feminist and other liberation theologians through decades of grappling with the issue; to me, his is by far the strongest feminist stance. The feminism espoused by Ms. Pappas and others like her represents a narrower, far less effective approach, which is too focused on one form of oppression to adequately address any. Furthermore, Senator Clinton’s approach to change, as exemplified by her claim that “Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act. It took a president to get it done” (http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Clinton_and_Obama_Johnson_and_King.html ) signifies a decidedly un-feminist approach to power and the fight for justice, claiming that it occurs from the top down, rather than from the bottom up. This is the result of her standing primarily in a privileged class, including as the wife of a governor and a president, and suggests that she is more accustomed to looking down upon the oppressed than to standing with them.
    I implore those who want true change, who genuinely seek to transform our society to bring it closer into conformance with its stated goals of liberty and justice for all, which will result in an empowerment of people across the spectrum and thus in women among other disadvantaged groups having greater access to and greater representation in positions of power, to consider the candidacy of Barack Obama. Given “the fierce urgency of now,” in the words of Martin Luther King, with Super Tuesday a mere week away, please, please take some time to get to know Barack, the greatness he has accomplished, and the greatness that together we can achieve. I ask this as a solid feminist who is committed to the advancement of women, but not at the expense of others, who fiercely believes that in order to effectively combat any injustice, most especially including sexism, we need to unite against them all.

Join your voice with mine

IA for Obama ☮ — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:53:21 EST

What follows is an email composed in collaboration with other supporters. It draws heavily from the outstanding speech Senator Obama gave yesterday in Atlanta, and was inspired as a response to the despicable emails making the rounds about Barack, spreading horrible lies about his faith and his patriotism. I encourage you all to send this to your contacts, or to draw from his speech and create your own email in honor of the day. The speech speaks to all of us, and different passages will have particular meaning for different groups and individuals. The email also contains a link to the full text of Barack’s speech, as well as the video of it. I think everyone can benefit from reflecting upon this speech, especially “on this day of all days.”

Some inspiring thoughts in honor of Martin Luther King Day:

Unity is the great need of the hour is what King said. Unity is how we shall overcome. Unity is the great need of the hour - the great need of this hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country.

I'm talking about a moral deficit. I'm talking about an empathy deficit. I'm taking about an inability to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we are our brother's keeper; we are our sister's keeper; that, in the words of Dr. King, we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny.

We have an empathy deficit when we're still sending our children down corridors of shame - schools in the forgotten corners of America where the color of your skin still affects the content of your education. We have a deficit when homeless veterans sleep on the streets of our cities; when innocents are slaughtered in the deserts of Darfur; when young Americans serve tour after tour of duty in a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged.

We are told that those who differ from us on a few things are different from us on all things; that our problems are the fault of those who don't think like us or look like us or come from where we do. Every day, our politics fuels and exploits this kind of division across all races and regions; across gender and party. It is played out on television. It is sensationalized by the media.

On this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face – war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.

It is not enough to bemoan the plight of poor children in this country and remain unwilling to push our elected officials to provide the resources to fix our schools. It is not enough to decry the disparities of health care and yet allow the insurance companies and the drug companies to block much-needed reforms. It is not enough for us to abhor the costs of a misguided war, and yet allow ourselves to be driven by a politics of fear that sees the threat of attack as way to scare up votes instead of a call to come together around a common effort.

If we are to truly bring about the unity that is so crucial in this time, we must find it within ourselves to act on what we know; to understand that living up to this country’s ideals and its possibilities will require great effort and resources; sacrifice and stamina. All of us will be called upon to make some sacrifice. None of us will be exempt from responsibility. Dr. King understood that unity cannot be won on the cheap; that we would have to earn it through great effort and determination.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for peace and justice, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle for opportunity and equality, we cannot walk alone. In the struggle to heal this nation and repair this world, we cannot walk alone.

So I ask you to walk with me, and march with me, and join your voice with mine, and together we will sing the song that tears down the walls that divide us, and lift up an America that is truly indivisible, with liberty, and justice, for all.
--Barack Obama, "The Great Need of the Hour," Ebenezer Baptist Church
Atlanta, GA, January 20,2008 (for the full speech, see http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/01/the-ebenezer-se.html; for the video see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris )

If you long for unity in our nation and in our communities, please send this to 10 friends. I can't promise you good luck as chain mails might, but you just might help tear down the walls of Washington and reach the promised land of a country restored to its people.

P.S . I don't know if you've received an email saying some pretty shocking things about Barack Obama and his background, but if you have, you're not the only one. Newsweek magazine investigated it and found out that those emails have completely false information and are political tricks designed to help Obama's opponents. If you've gotten any of those emails, you should click http://www.newsweek.com/id/91424 to read about the tricks the political operatives are trying to play on people.

DOING ALL YOU CAN

Gab — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:39:11 EST

Since i was elected as a delegate to go to he county convention to represent MR. Obama i have been doing more to get him out there and be known such as calling all of my other relatives taht live in other states and telling them about obama, to get him out there. i want obama to get to be president and i am going to do everything in my power to make it happen.

BUT THE QUESTION IS NOT WHAT CAN I DO FOR HIM BUT ASK YUORSELF WAHT CAN YOU DO.

stand tall and never give up

Gab — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:44:42 EST

Despite what people may say about Barrack Obama, he is not giving up and will not drop out like other want him to. in my personal opinion i am going to stick with him till the end of the campign or until he is no longer president. for the sole fact that he is the only presidential candidate that is ready to impliment the change he isn't lying to us about what he is and wants to do with this country. so please everyone stand with us , and do not focus on the bad parts of this election,but the good stuff that will come out of Obama being President.

Obama is still #1 to me!

Cheryl L. Fasano — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:08:55 EST

Well Obama supporters either we can cry in our soup or get Fired Up & Ready to GO!! I still believe 100% in Barrack & I know that all of you do to. We can just let N.H. give us a new boost to reenergize & be more determined. We need to realize also that( I can't make myself write her name but you know) the Phony & Obama both got 3 statewide delegates & 6 district level delegates each & of the superdelegates pledges in 2 support her & 3 support Obama & 3 undeclared as of yet so looking at it that way is MUCH BETTER. WE WILL STILL DO THIS! OBAMA 08

Fired up in the Freezing Cold! Happy 2008

Stephanie — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:26:48 EST

Happy New Year! I'm so glad it's finally 2008--the year we will elect Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States of America.

We were fired up in Waukee's 3rd precinct today and working hard to bring in the caucus for Barack. I don't know what the temperature or wind chill factor was--it was damn cold! But every time my canvassing buddy and I talked to a once-undecided voter--who is now firmly in Barack's corner--we were fired up again! We're not taking anything for granted and will continue to work hard until the caucassing begins on Thursday night. I can't wait! Wish us luck and then get ready to do the hard work where you live. OBAMA '08

A Wish and a Prayer (For 1/3/2008)

Jim "Hussein" — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:36:03 EST

A Wish and a Prayer (For 1/3/2008)

We humbly

Ask for the prayers

Of the Saints,

And ALL good people (everywhere),

The favor of the Almighty,

And the Powers Round the Throne,

The work of the people,

Efficient Organization,

Good Communications,

And Iowa Voters

To MAKEChange

Happen.

DSM Register endorses candidates who will stay the course.

Stephanie — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 15:48:37 EST

Obviously, the DSM Register doesn't have it's finger on the pulse of America! With an overwhelming majority of the population believes America needs to chart a new course, it chooses to endorse two old-guard candidates. That anybody can expect to move this country forward by continuing to do the same-old whatever is just plain... well, you know.

Des Moines Register Loses Subscribers

swimmer — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 08:22:11 EST

Caucus goers need to ignore the recent endorsement of Hillary by the Des Moines Register. I know for a fact that the paper will be losing the subscription of my family that lives in Des Moines. That is 4 family households. Not a huge impact, but they will drop that paper for sure! Experience? I guess if sitting down over a cup of tea with foreign dignitaries wives gives her experience then I guess she has it.
Barack Obama is the only candidate who can not only unite America but also restore our relations with other countries. He has more down to earth experience than any other candidate.
Washington had tons of experience with Don Rumsfeld and Dick Chaney. Look where that got us!! Right into war and the worst foreign policy we have ever had!
So DMRegister.....take your endorsement and put it right in the trash!

Mixed Emotions about January 3rd

Cheryl L. Fasano — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:36:54 EST

I find myself having mixed emotions about January 3rd because on one hand I am anxious about the outcome. Knowing that we have done our best & hoping its good enough to win Iowa . Yes we will win Iowa, what am I thinking!! The thing that causes me to have mixed emotions is knowing that we will be losing our wonderful Obama staff! I will miss them all so much. I always look forward to going into the office. The first person I usually see is the cute, smiling face of Brett to welcome me! I know that I will always get hugs from the field organizers that have grown use to seeing me there. When we rally or anything that we do is always so much fun & they are always so full of enthusiasum! They are what keeps me FIRED UP & READY TO GO!! I'm sure that Senator Obama realizes what an awesome staff he has here in the Des Moines Iowa office. If not I would like to tell him!! Yohannes puts up with all my questions & babbling & when he gets tired of it he passes it off to Clarissa Bless her,!She is terriffic & I don't think Yo could do it with out her!! Francis, he's my big teddy bear, always there with a smile & hug! Aaron he thinks I'm really strange. Adam what can I say about such a sweetheart! Alli always has such an infectious smile! I don't mean to leave anyone out. I Love you all. You are like "MY KIDS". And last but not least Chelsea,.. I was so unsure of her at first but she deserves so much praise for the great job she has done here!So hats off to you Chels You are totally amazing!! I hope all the parents of this great group of dedicated young people are as proud of them as I am and always know that you have a home here in Des Moines with Ken & me! So as I write this I do indeed have mixed feelings about January 3rd. In one way I will be so happy to know we DID IT and in another so sad to lose "MY KIDS". Thanks To All Of You!

Fire and Ice

Stephanie — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 21:21:18 EST

Barack-awesome party on Thursday night in Waukee's 3rd precinct! The cold and ice couldn't keep Obama supporters from participating in the event which featured a conference call with the Senator. It was great to finally put faces with familiar voices and get acquainted with new supporters. We're definitely FIRED UP and READY TO GO in Waukee 3!

Stay Away from the Mud!

Stephanie — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:31:07 EST

I've heard it from a reliable source that we will be on the receiving end of negative jabs and much mudslinging in the coming days. But if we want to finish first in Iowa we need to stay above the fray. We can't get pulled into the negative, divisive tactics that other candidates are now engaged in. KEEP YOUR MESSAGE POSITIVE! Obama '08

We Can & We Will

Cheryl L. Fasano — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:18:19 EST

Today is December 11th,2007 and yes I'm still Fired Up & Ready to Go!! The OO event was awesome! I think every time I hear Obama speak that he gets better & better! He is Ready to lead and we are Ready to get him there. Ken & I started volunteering on this campaign on April 12th & thought we will do whatever we can to help out! We are now Proud Precinct Captains for district 68 Polk County Ia. precinct 4. We totally believe in Obama and his ability to lead this country to the best its ever been. For the first time in a long time we have Hope in a better tommorrow. We want to live in the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA not the Divided States of America! WE CAN & WE WILL do whatever it takes to hear "THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BARACK OBAMA"!! So Come on People we need all the great support we've seen so far to get everone out to caucus for Obama on Jan.3rd. If we have the crowds like we've had for the Harkin Steak Fry,the JJ, and the Double O event we will blow them away!! WE CAN & WE WILL!!!

The O-O-O Event

swimmer — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:54:02 EST

On a very cold and frozen December night in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, when cars were sliding into ditches, people were trying to stay on their feet instead of their behinds, as rainy mist filled the air and then become frozen upon the windshield, there was HEAT, I mean thawing HEAT within the halls of the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
10,000 people fought the nasty mid-december whether of the mid-west to see and hear the triple O! Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Barack Obama!! There was music, and attempts to do the wave, which appeared successful for a minute or so. There was chatter, there was laughter. There were young, old, adult, child, black, white, Asian, Catholic, Jew, Lutheran, gay, straight, transgender, there were supporters and those who wanted to learn. And then there were the 3 speeches, short yet powerful. The rafters rang with clapping and cheering for many of the remarks made by each of the speakers.
And at the end, after an hour of listening, came the handshaking and greeting of those who surrounded the gated area. As I was increasingly becoming smashed against the gated silver of the metal enclosure there was Oprah, there was Gayle, there was Michelle, and there was Barack! As he reached out to shake a hand near me and my dear friend, fellow volunteer, Karen, his eyes met ours. He recognized once again. The words graciously spilled from the lips of our next President of the United States, "Thank you ladies for all that you continue to do for my campaign." To relate or try to relate the evening to others is impossible. You had to be there to feel the sensation and the rhythm of the night, but believe me the freezing rain melted as it hit the windshield on the return home. It was so hot inside our car from the momentum felt from the event!
Iowa, are you ready to caucus for Obama so he can leave your state with a HUGE victory on 01-04-08? I hope so. He is READY to lead this country NOW!!!!

Eloquent Words and the Unvarnished Truth

Stephanie — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:42:53 EST

Those brave enough to trek to Hy-Vee hall on Saturday were treated to both.

I was probably the only woman in central Iowa to attend yesterday’s event who didn’t really care what Oprah Winfrey had to say about Barack Obama.

Don’t get me wrong. There was a time when I considered myself a tried and true Oprah fan. She was the girlfriend who sat down for a chat five days a week, while my babies were napping. I was one of the faithful who listened to her words and valued her opinion. But, somewhere along the line, maybe it was after going through a personal trial-by-fire experience; maybe it was finally getting past the sleep-deprivation stage of parenthood, I began to think for myself again. Oprah’s opinion on what books were worth reading and what should be considered as “favorite things”, were just that. Her opinion, nothing more.

In the end, I did listen to Oprah’s eloquent endorsement of the candidate and was surprised by her words. She and I know that we, the American people, have not lost our greatness. The fine reputation of America has, however, been squandered and tarnished in the world’s eye by the current administration. We both want a leader with the courage to tell the truth, minus the varnish and spin, about the tough issues facing our nation. She urged Iowa voters—and America—to think! Think.!

RSVP and attend the Caucus For Change houseparty in Waukee 3 on December 13th.

Caucus for Obama on Thursday, January 3, 2008.

Barack is back and he's brought a friend...

Stephanie — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 09:39:33 EST

Who cares about the snow and cold and the fact that holiday (and sons birthdays) shopping remains to be done? Barack and Michelle are back in town and they've brought a friend along! OPRAH! This event has been all the talk for over a week. The energy in the field office has intensified with the swell of new supporters who have been volunteering in order to get tickets to the event. I predict the December 13th houseparites will fill up after Oprah, Michelle and Barack ignite the crowd today. We're FIRED UP/READY TO GO in Iowa!!!

Sometimes people just need to be asked...

Stephanie — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:49:20 EST

... to attend a house party, to sign a supporter card, to volunteer...to caucus! Three people who attended my houseparty signed supporter cards. One person has already spent some time volunteering on the phones. One person is a life-long Republican and is going to caucus for Barack. One person put a HOPE sign in the front yard! They were just waiting to be asked... : )

Video: Reverend Joseph Lowery in Des Moines, Iowa

Michael Blake — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:55:48 EST

Michael Blake is the Obama campaign's Iowa Director of Faith Outreach

Yesterday Reverend Joseph Lowery, one of the cofounders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and The Coalition for the People’s Agenda, and a close friend of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, spoke at Corinthian Baptist Church in Des Moines.

Reverend Lowery also heads up the Lowery Institute. He has been honored by the NAACP, the National Conference of Black Mayors, the Progressive National Baptist Convention and many other organizations for his role in the civil rights movement.

Hearing one of the leaders of the civil rights movement talk about why he supports Barack Obama and what his candidacy means for our country was an incredibly moving experience. Check out this video Greg put together:

Why I Support Barack Obama

Jim "Hussein" — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:19:48 EST

Why I Support Barack Obama

Like most of you, I was very impressed by Senator Barack Obama's Keynote Speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. The speech was uplifting, noble, exalted; it was stirring! I was inspired and motivated. Senator Obama spoke my thoughts, my ideals, and my vision for this country. He was not partisan; he was inclusive. He did not see Americans as "Red-Staters" or "Blue-Staters." Rightfully, he saw us all as Americans. Barack also expressed my noble and tolerant views about religion, and the religious. He voiced my hopes and dreams of uniting all Americans of good will in the struggle to build a free, democratic, and prosperous America, with liberty and justice for all. Barack is a true "uniter;" not a divider. He expressed it clearly at the Democratic National Convention of 2004. I have heard him express it before the convention; and whenever he speaks, this sense of inclusiveness (being a "uniter") comes through. Barack demonstrates real wisdom and maturity in his various policy positions, in his speech, and through his courageous actions. For example, he opposed starting the Iraq War in 2002! He DID NOT vote to label Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a "Terrorist" entity, as did Hillary Clinton. Now, I want a courageous, wise, and mature future for America. I want the future that ONLY Barack can deliver: a future of hope, vision, righteousness, and goodness for America! I want Barack Obama as the next President of the United States!

Why I Choose Barack, and Not Hillary

Jim "Hussein" — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 09:00:32 EST

Why I Choose Barack, and Not Hillary

Hillary represents the past. Barack represents our hopes and dreams for the future.

Hillary is associated with many of the failed policies, initiatives, excesses, or actions of the past:

NAFTA
Health Care
Child Adoption and Foster Care Policy
Policy toward Iraq in the 90’s; The Iraq War
Past and current policy toward Iran
Economic policy; the out-sourcing of jobs
Runaway unemployment; and disenfranchised (hopeless) citizens in urban areas
Failures in Education; Inadequate Education Policy
The Cultural Wars of the 90’s
Bill Clinton’s personal and Foreign Policy issues
The creation of bigger, and more intrusive government

Briefly:

The implementation of NAFTA has not served the best interests of American citizens and workers. Ross Perot was right about NAFTA. The “swooshing” sound we heard was the sound of our jobs leaving the country.
Hillary’s Health Care initiative of the 90’s was a failure, highlighting her failure as a leader.
I personally opposed Hillary Clinton’s past position and initiatives regarding Child Adoption and Foster Care. Parents must “man-up” to their obligations and responsibilities. It takes a parent to raise a child! Let’s keep the “village” out of peoples’ private lives! Government (village) intrusion, no! Personal initiative, yes!
Hillary overcompensates for her weaknesses. Just like George Bush, she would be a dangerous, overly-militant, and warlike Commander-in-Chief.

Bill Clinton bombed Iraq throughout his presidency, sowing the seeds of hatred and animosity toward the United States. He decimated the Iraqi people with trade restrictions, embargoes, the dismemberment of the country into “Kurdistan,” the middle, and the south. He “teed-up” the country for George W. Bush, with his advocacy of “Regime Change,” meddling in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation.

The decimated and stricken children and infants bear witness!

Hillary gets vast support and contributions from Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups who have agendas and programs detrimental to the real interests of the United States. She is THEIR CANDIDATE!

When Hillary voted to label the Quds Force a “Terrorist Organization,” she crossed the line, and did something which is TOTALLY unforgivable!

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!” She was “burned” by George W. Bush, with her vote for The Iraq War! So, what does she do? She does the very SAME thing again!!!

So, yet again, her vote will be used by Dick Cheney, George Bush, and the Neocons in any pretext for an Iran War!

Hillary lacks integrity. Or maybe she just lacks good judgment, or wisdom. How could anyone trust the Neocons, and the proponents of this measure?

We must change our economic and trade policies. The falling dollar, huge trade-deficits, sky-rocketing oil prices, rapidly mounting foreclosures, the out-sourcing of jobs; these conditions bode ill for America and American workers. The “Ruff Report” recently said (whether true or false) that the USA has $50 trillion in unfunded liabilities (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid). The Clintons had 8-years to make their contribution to the country, using the Office of the Presidency, beginning in 1993. Hillary has been US Senator, since 2000. So, what have they done to address these issues?
I work in Chicago, and frequently drive over much of the city. I see the effects of the failures in education, employment policy, and economic policy. “Poverty” of culture, mis-education, disinformation, and content “unfit for human consumption,” (in society and the media), is the cause of many of our problems. First, let us require our leaders to have the characteristics of integrity, (a sense of) justice, strength, courage, and intelligence. Then, they could fix the problems.

Hillary Clinton is a magnet for controversy, division, and the issues and conflicts of the past. She galvanizes and mobilizes the right-wingers, and those who advocate and pursue policies detrimental to the interests of America. She draws them to her like road-kill draws flies! And they are likely to re-fight the Cultural Wars of the 90’s, and argue over what she and Bill did, didn’t do, are, and what the meaning of “is” is. The country and the world do not need that. We must move into the present, and plan and prepare for the future.

We do not need bigger government. We need, and must have better government!

My fellow Americans, let us lay the groundwork, and create the blueprint for our future. We must take control and command of our government.

George Washington once said, (concerning our foreign policy), “Beware foreign entanglements.” We must re-examine our domestic and foreign policies, and maintain policies that serve the best interests of what is right, just, and good for the United States.

In conclusion, Senator Hillary Clinton appears to be opportunistic, ambitious, cold and calculating, with very poor judgment.

On the contrary, Senator Barack Obama comes across as measured, moderate, thoughtful, pragmatic, and idealistic.

He is rising! And it’s not just a Presidential Campaign; Obama has created a movement.

So, don’t stand idly by:

Get on board, and

Join this movement:

Keep “hope” alive,

We have to save the children!

So the “Joshua Generation” can lead us

Into the Promised Land.

The opinions above are strictly my own, and not those of any organization, campaign, or political party.

Jim Robinson,

11/23/07

Chicago

Barack in Des Moines

swimmer — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 19:39:53 EST

I cannot believe that I am in Des Moines right now, Barack will be speaking in Des Moines tomorrow at 1:15 at North High and I will be heading back to Illinois after a nice long Thanksgiving break. I will not be able to attend his meeting on Urban Issues. Dang it anyway.....oh well, with the caucus just around the corner I am sure I will have more opportunities to see him again. In fact, I figure when I return to Des Moines for my Winter break with my family here I can also do some volunteer work for Iowa here instead of in the Scott County area.

Diwali: Celebration and Renewal

Prianka Sharma — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:06:46 EST

During this past weekend thousands of Hindus world-wide celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights and New Year. During this important festival, Hindus remember the mythological triumph of good over evil, and pray for success and happiness in the coming year. Being a fellow Hindu, I pray not only for self-renewal and success for my loved ones, but also for a renewal of faith in that which I value: freedom, democracy, the chance to have all voices heard.

As a Hindu, but also as an American, I am proud to live in a country where faith can be openly discussed in the spirit of learning and mutual understanding. It is my hope, that even if this is not your faith, you will be inspired by the sense of renewal that comes with Diwali, and the optimism and hope that it transcends for our country and its people.

JJ

Jaclyn — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:31:18 EST

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LQ4cJpdkByM

Barack's 5 Million Dollar Day

swimmer — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:25:49 EST

This Friday, November 16th, just one day after the next debate, there is a HUGE fundraising event taking place online. It is a nation wide fundraiser to raise $5 million for the grassroots candidate who refuses to accept PAC and lobbyist money for his campaign. Barack is depending on all of us to help him continue this strong momentum that he is gaining, especially after all of the positive press coverage after the Iowa JJ event. Please go online to make a contribution. Even the smallest amount will be beneficial. We want Barack as our next President!

Obama or Clinton (who Cares??) - Listen to THIS!

Marque — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:20:55 EST

Here is an NPR story on 2 real people in IOWA who met the cantidates and share their reactions!!

- the differences are telling

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16099751

40 Days of Faith and Family Redux: Colleton, Dorchester, Sumter, Kershaw & Lancaster Counties

D. Paul Monteiro -Deputy Director of Religious Affairs — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:52:02 EDT

Here are some of our many experiences along the road of our 40 Days of Faith and Family Tour:

Walterboro:
The Faith Forum tour rolled in to Walterboro last night on the campus of the University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie. It’s named after the river that runs through each of the five counties that support the campus. We met in the main building and got to mingle with several members of the community. There's a lot of Obama love in the area; the crowd broke out in a round of applause after seeing a brief biography of the senator on DVD. We had an engaging conversation about the issues facing Walterboro and Colleton County.
Mrs. Taylor spoke of the downturn in business given the high cost of gasoline that hinders tourism in her part of the state. She works as an artist weaving sweetgrass baskets made solely from natural materials indigenous to the Low Country. Bishop Taylor (no relation) expressed his worry over the growing appeal of gangs and drugs to so many young people. Mrs. Callender expressed the anxiety of many over the outsourcing of jobs and diminishing opportunities for employment. But we also spoke of the values of our beliefs that spur us to remain hopeful in spite of the weighty issues we face in our communities and in our country. We made a wish list of qualities we want to see in our next president: honesty, integrity, compassion and a person who lives their values instead of simply talking about them. Next stop: the College of Charleston on Thursday!

College of Charleston
On Thursday we visited the College of Charleston --home of the Cougars and the oldest university in South Carolina. We were blessed by the school’s gospel choir who opened this Faith Forum up with song. Folks from all over the community came together and shared in our discussion. The lack of healthcare again was at the forefront of the conversation. Dee who works on peace initiatives in Charleston spoke of her desire to see a sustained focus on creating a more peaceful community and country and promoting values that lead to less conflict and strife in our society.

Sumter
Somewhere along Route 378 we took a wrong turn and ended up arriving late to our forum in Sumter. We were as anxious as the crowd to begin the dialogue; however, once we did our guests did not disappoint. We heard of the need to ensure safety in our communities. Mrs. Taylor spoke of the increasing gang activity and violence in Sumter that needs to be addressed. Mr. Davis spoke frankly of his pessimism that the president would be able to get anything done without the support of Congress. We all agreed that it's imperative our next president be a uniter in the truest sense of the word. Ms. Bohanon, a veteran, shared her story of working with Tricare -- the military version of Medicare -- and the steep drop off in coverage and benefits once she reached 65.

Camden
Last night were in Camden at the historic Price House. The conversation touched on several of the issues that we’ve been hearing about: healthcare, the war in Iraq, education and the affordability of higher education. Audrey spoke of the need for education to break the cycle of poverty in American families. As a beneficiary of parents who saw the need for higher education she considers it crucial that a college education or some vocational training be made available for all. We also talked about our collective desire to see our country once again viewed by the world as a force for cooperation and international goodwill.

Lancaster
Tonight’s forum was, in a word, unusual. We shared the Lancaster Community Center with the Barr Street Seniors and their “Everybody’s Birthday” program. There was prayer and selections by the Bright Light Choir. Before the keynote speaker of the program began she gave Joshua a few minutes to speak about Senator Obama and what he’s bringing to this campaign. We walked away with a committed group of seniors ready to work to advance this movement for change. The forum was unusual because it was occurring simultaneously in a room connected to the banquet hall. We had a great discussion and new folks were constantly joining the conversation with plates of food in hand. We left Lancaster with some great ideas and full stomachs. Tomorrow morning we’ll be in Rock Hill for a forum at the Freedom Center.

"They're all our kids"

Jaime Mulligan — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:00:10 EDT

On Saturday, at the Amos Issues Conference taking place at Plymouth United Church of Christ in Des Moines, Barack participated with some Iowans in a panel discussion about some of the most pressing concerns facing Americans today. He spoke about the minimum wage, immigration, and healthcare. He also spoke about his community organizing days, and how he learned that listening to people and helping to figure out ways to make their hopes and dreams come to fruition was a hallmark of true leadership.

Barack also outlined his plans for improving education, which includes expanding investment in early childhood education, supporting teachers more, and working on making after-school and summer school programs more available. He also pointed out that even with all these programs, at the end of the day, a lot of our issues come down to individual Americans taking responsibility and said that as President he will be talking to Americans not just about his policies, but about the things they can and should be doing in their everyday life to address the problems we face – like turning off the tv and video games, and making sure kids are doing their homework.

But, he said, the gridlock and conventional thinking in Washington are the true impediments to progress in this and many other policy areas.

We know what to do. The problem is the lack of a sense of urgency. These kids aren't just some other person's problem, they're all our kids. And things won't change until every child is our child.

After the panel, the attendees of the conference broke out into workgroups on the issues discussed. One of the things that Barack has stressed in his campaign is the need for Americans of all faiths to come together, recognize our common values, and enter into dialogues and take action. This is the impetus for our Faith-Action-Change network.

What do you think about education policy, or the role of faith in working for social justice? Talk about it in the comments.

An Iowan My Family Knows - Making Butter for Obama

Marque — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:13:54 EDT

Ok so this "Butter - cow' lady has know my sister and brother-in-law for years - and they like what they see in a farm plan from the Kasas-Kenyan American Cantidate

I just thought you all might be interested in what the butter cow lady has been up to.
Barack rolled out his plan to improve life in rural communities. His plan was developed by listening to people in rural Iowa instead of the power brokers in Washington D.C. Check out his plan and watch a great video featuring longtime farmer and State Fair Butter Cow Lady, Duffy Lyon (she's supporting Obama):

http://iowa.barackobama.com/ruralagenda

Small Towns in Iowa, Where the Action Is

Noah Glusenkamp — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 21:40:34 EDT

As I go door to door in Knoxville and Pella Iowa I am continually impressed with how worldly and aware Iowans really are. I met a man who worked for JFK, another who taught college math in Lebanon for six years, a gentleman who worked in Algeria for years. These folks pay attention and they follow the campaign daily. I think this will help us Barack. He is the most sincere and genuine candidate in the race. Here in Iowa that matters. I had a gentleman sit down with me even though he had just cut is thumb on the router in his workshop. He said he was with Obama on most issues even the lapel pin story. I hardly even knew that story had dropped. But this guy was already all over it: "Just because you wear some damn pin doesn't make you patriotic. You have to live it out and Obama does that"

Barack Obama Wall of Supporters reaches 1000

Eli Rivera — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 17:10:30 EDT

The Barack Obama Wall of Supporters reached 1003 supporters today. Visit the wall at www.obamanh.com and have your name listed. Our next goal is 1500 supporters by the New Hampshire Primary in January 2008.

Reach out to your MYBO friends, family and friends and invited them to join the wall.

Eli Rivera
www.obamanh.com

Jeeping for Barack 1st trip is a success

Eli Rivera — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:48:34 EDT

The great thing about grassroots campaigning is that every little thing each and everyone of us do can make a diference.

On Saturday October 6, I headed out for my first "Jeeping for Barack" in Peterborough, NH. I arrived around 12:00 and started making my rounds through Main Street, downtown and local shopping plazas. At first I was a little hesistant, but after a few waves, thumbs up and honks, I new Barack had a strong showing in Peterborough.

I did this for an hour, finally parking on Main Street for another 30 minutes. People would wave, take pictures of my Jeep and trailer, encouraging my "visibility campaign" for the Senator.

Every little thing we do brings us closer to electing Barack as our President.

Eli Rivera
www.obamanh.com

Jeeping for Barack on POLITICO

Eli Rivera — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:34:11 EDT

You won't believe but my MyBO event "Jeeping for Barack" made it on one of the top political websites: www.politico.com

See here:

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1007/Remainders_Dodd_campaign_sheds_staff.html#comments

You just never know what political websites will pick up.

Eli Rivera
www.obamanh.com

Don't make of yourself your own worries!

Noah Glusenkamp — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:19:06 EDT

When you listen to the words of the current president, George Bush, and you analyze them, not for their insight, not for their sincerity, but for their capacity to function as purely political words, then the system is broken. We have stopped thinking of the real question and rather analyze how well it was evaded. We wonder how effective his words are in the mind of the "average voter."

What we don't understand is that it is exactly this process that makes us the average voter. We, by undergoing this process, give life to that figment of our imagination. It's as if we're day dreaming up a world of day dreamers and this day dream is itself what generates the reality of the dream world.

But here's the thing, it is dependent on our own attitude, our own courage of conviction. If we decide that politics is not about being an at home political strategist, it becomes so much more. I'm not sure if TV or university politics departments have contributed more to the notion that politics is like trying to drive a car by only looking through the rearview mirror and arguing about which angle helps you see the best. Look head on! Realize that you are a socio-economic-political-social activist at all times. Whatever you do generates the reality of it.

Dream for something different. Making something out of the future other than habit.

Barack is someone we can listen to for his insight. We can learn from him.

Is running a campaign like running a church?

Noah Glusenkamp — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:45:42 EDT

I'm a PK a "Pastor's Kid" so growing up I spent a lot of time at church, the time when no one is around except whoever happens to stop by.

Today, I help answer the phones and welcome people inside Obama's Iowa HQ. A lot of what I experience reminds me of being at church with my Dad.

People are hungry to be heard. They want someone who will listen carefully and authentically to their concerns. My favorite figure from the Buddhist tradition is the Bodhisattva Avalokietsvara of listening and compassion. I think deep listening helps lessen people's suffering.

My Dad's conviction to being with people in times of need is courageous. I didn't realize that as a part of this campaign I would be continuing that work. People come in to give us things. They come if they are hungry for food. They come to tell us about their difficulty in finding vital health care.

Being a pastor's kid I know that there is a "business" side to the church. You have to pay your bills and manage internal and organizational politics. You always have to balance this with your higher mission.

The same is true of a campaign. I am here because I want to see a brighter future. I want public life to no longer be about fear. I want it to be about hope. At the same time we have to make a lot of calls. We have to take out the trash and tabulate countless spreadsheets. There is a "business" side to what we do.

What I'm really happy is that, like with my father at our church, I know that the head of this organization, Barack Obama, is truly a good person with a good heart. It is reflected in who we are and what we do.

So while it is sometimes emotionally exhausting to open yourself to other people's hopes and pains, it is something we must do. If politics is going to be about HOPE, we must have the courage to talk with our neighbors about their concerns and actually listen to them. Politics isn't about polls and message strategies, it's about getting together with those near me. Get out and do it!

Faith Forums here in Iowa

Jaime Mulligan — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 13:07:23 EDT

On Thursday night in Des Moines, our campaign held a faith forum. The campaign's national director of religious affairs, Joshua DuBois, started things off by saying that we had gathered to discuss two things you're never supposed to to raise at dinner party or on a date: faith and politics.

He had people throw out values or words they associate with their faith: justice, stewardship, ethics, peace, love, mercy, reconciliation, dignity, kindness, family, healing, community. He then asked people to throw out words that are associated with faith in the public discourse: self-righteous, exploitative, judgmental, fear, ignorance, hypocrite, misinterpretation, ignored completely.

We all kind of stood back after this exercise, and Josh gave voice to what many of us were thinking. "Why the disconnect?" The question then becomes what role we want faith to have in politics in a diverse, multicultural community. The goal of these forums---like everything else in the campaign---is to get us talking to each other. In that spirit, we all found a partner who we didn't know, and talked about three questions:

My Family: Tell us a story about some real, practical ways that the next President of the United State should affect your life?
My Faith: What does your faith tell you about working to change your community?
My President: How should a President approach faith and politics?

Here's some attendees listening to each other's ideas:

We've been having these events all over the state--here's a video of our Iowa City forum:

Barack Obama is very open about his faith and how it informs his values. But he believes there must be a very clear line between religion and government. And our president must let universal values guide his governance of our nation.

What are your thoughts about the questions posed in the faith forums? Feel free to talk in the comments.

Celebrating Rosh Hashanah

D. Paul Monteiro -Deputy Director of Religious Affairs — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:57:04 EDT

Senator Barack Obama issued this statement on Rosh Hashanah today,
sending warm wishes to the Jewish Community for a Shana Tovah:

"As Jews around the world turn the page to a new year that begins on
Rosh Hashanah, I send greetings for a meaningful and joyful celebration.
With families gathering together to mark these high holy days, we
reflect on all the hope that the new year brings, and the responsibility
each one of us has to see it fulfilled. As the shofar sounds, may we
take inspiration from the strong values of Jewish tradition, and heed
the call to make the coming year a year of Tikkun Olam, of repairing the
world. Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I wish you and your family a happy,
healthy and sweet new year."

To view the New Years card from Barack Obama's family to yours, go to
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/shanatovah_la.pdf

Remembering Sept. 11th

Prianka Sharma — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 19:42:41 EDT

On the anniversary of September 11th, we join our fellow Americans in remembering the victims and families of those who passed on this tragic day. In the words of Senator Obama:

We also remember how Americans were stirred to a common purpose. On the lines to donate blood or the candlelight vigils that stretched across our country, there was no red America and there was no blue America. We were united in our grief for our fellow citizens. We were united in our resolve to stand with one another and to stand up to terror. We were united as Americans.

Even in the darkest of times, through unity and faith we find peace. Whether through prayer and meditation or private personal reflection, our faith brings us comfort. We pray for solace now, for those who have lost; for those who remember; and for a nation that still grieves, in strength.

Faith Forum Tour Hits Clinton, IA

D. Paul Monteiro -Deputy Director of Religious Affairs — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:33:14 EDT

Hello folks! My name is Paul Monteiro and I serve as Deputy Director of Religious Affairs for the campaign. I’ll be blogging a bit as our faith forum tour moves across Iowa. We had our first forum on Tuesday evening in Burlington. It was a great success with a packed house and a great conversation. The tour continued with a stop in Clinton, Iowa last night. On the second floor of the Clinton Public Library a group of supporters, undecided voters and campaign staffers came together to discuss the role of faith in politics. Joshua facilitated the program and we heard some insightful comments from those in attendance. Bob spoke of his disappointment with mainline denominations in allowing the dialogue on faith to be dominated by extreme and polarizing voices. He also lamented the tendency of candidates to speak in religious terms and cite the language of faith while acting in a seemingly contradictory manner. During our group discussion Lindra pointed out a common desire for the moral dimension of the many issues we face (the war in Iraq, skyrocketing healthcare costs, unaffordability of higher education) to be addressed. Roberta expressed her desire for her president to possess a personal faith that informs his policy decisions but to have that faith coupled with a healthy respect for those who don’t subscribe to those beliefs. After the forum wrapped up, several of us remained behind to watch a 60 Minutes report on the close relationship between drug industry lobbyists and lawmakers in Congress that led to the passage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, and higher drug costs for many Americans. It was a powerful illustration of the lack of principled leadership cited by those at the forum and the moral implications that exist in the weightiest issues of public policy. Our travels take us next to Dubuque for a forum this evening. We’ll be joined by Father Michael Pfleger of Saint Sabina in Chicago, IL. We’ll be sure to keep on blogging and share our progress with you. Below is a listing of the remaining stops on our journey across the Hawkeye State.

September 7: Iowa City

September 8: Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Davenport, Council Bluffs

September 10: Mason City

September 13: Des Moines

September 14: Waterloo, Cedar Falls

September 17: Waverly

September 18: Fort Dodge, Ames

“If we practice what we preach, we can heal the sicknesses that ail this nation.”

Thomas Zimmerman — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 11:11:46 EDT

Everyone in Sioux City knows the problems our community faces. We've seen the effects of poverty and drugs. We've witnessed the consequences of prejudice and apathy. A few weeks ago, a group of faith and community leaders came together at a round table organized by the Obama campaign, as a part of the faith-action-change program, to discuss the many issues facing the Siouxland community and how to address them.

Each person in attendance came with their own issues that they wanted addressed, but everyone seemed to agree that there was a common question inherent in each challenge: How do we get others involved? "This is a government of the people, but we are prone to blaming others for our problems," one participant said, "We need to practice what we preach. We need to recognize that we are our brother's and sister's keepers."

A local deacon noted that this was probably the first time she had seen everyone in a room together and expressed surprise at the wide array of services provided by local faith communities. There has been a growing wariness of social action among faith leaders rooted in the sense that our nation's politics have cynically exploited our expressions of faith to sow divisions in our communities. There is a frustration over the way politicians from both sides have cherry-picked scripture to support their personal political agendas and the way that has alienated faith communities nationwide.

Despite the wide range of personal and spiritual backgrounds in the room, the one thing that all in attendance could agree upon is that if we ever hope to address poverty in this nation; if we hope to confront the drugs that scourge our communities; if we hope to tackle the issues of affordable housing or over-crowded prisons, we will have to engage every member of the community in the process. One pastor said "We can't solve [everyone's] problems, but people need to know they're engaged with somebody. Hope is what they need."

One theme which rose to the surface is that we, as a community and a nation, are in desperate need of leadership. We are desperate for someone to challenge us to become engaged with those around us in addressing the big challenges we face. "I realize that my potential to have a positive impact on the world is only strengthened when standing side by side with other people of faith," one attendee remarked. "And I share Senator Obama's belief that by leveraging the common values that unite us, we are better equipped to deal with the important issues of the day - like the crisis in Darfur, poverty, health care, and more."

Does this seem familiar to you? If you'd like to participate in conversations like this, please join our Iowa Faith Action Change group. We'd love to hear your ideas.

Announcing the Faith-Action-Change Community

Michael Blake — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:25:18 EDT

Barack’s faith has long informed his values and shaped his public service, as it does for many Iowans and millions of Americans. To better reach out to the faith community, the campaign recently launched a new website: Faith-Action-Change.

On the site, you can read testimonials and guest blog posts from prominent religious leaders, and learn more about Barack's vision for faith in public life.

Even if you've already signed up as supporter, you should specifically join the Faith-Action-Change community to make sure you stay in the loop about related events and speeches.

Here in Iowa we've seen overwhelming support from people in the faith community – ranging from Rev. Katherine Mulhern of Edwards Congregational UCC in Davenport to Rev. Dr. Floyd Brown of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in Sioux City.

Barack recently spoke at Antioch Baptist Church (where Rev. Michael Coleman is pastor) in Waterloo. He raised the idea that it’s time for people of faith to fully realize that we can do remarkable things when we work together.

On Saturday, Barack will be speaking at the UCC Statewide Conference at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge.

The campaign holds weekly faith calls for Iowans to talk about how we can invoke hope and optimism to our fellow congregants. To get more information about these efforts, please feel free to contact me. I’m heading up Barack’s faith outreach here in Iowa and can be reached at mblake (at) barackobama.com or 515-883-2008.

If you're in Des Moines, you can also stop by our office at 323 E. Locust St., in the East Village.

Otherwise, click here to find your local office and stop in. They’d love to have you!

Each day, we're meeting people of faith in America from across the religious spectrum. They all want to join together to meet our common challenges. They know in their hearts that the responsibility we have to one another is greater than the pursuit of any ideological agenda or corporate bottom line.

Faith-Action-Change is a way to help bring folks together around the idea that we’re all connected as one people - that we all have a stake in one another.

Please join, invite your friends and, most importantly, continue to share with us your thoughts, advice, vision, and hope for our country.