Iowa Union Members For Obama

America may be learning from its mistakes

Mason Dixon — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:24:56 EDT

Those Wall Street Muckers thought they could do it again, but it seems as though America may be learning from its mistakes. America wants a government it can believe in, despirately. So much that they put their best foot forward through 911 and Iraq, through Abu Grab and Enron. But nobody really for got about Haliburton, they just wanted to believe.
But as Bush Jr. put it so well, "Fool me once... and you aint gonna fool me again." It's time for America to have a reason to trust the presidency.
Btw, The Economy is more than just Wall Street.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: GOP Tactics to Deter Voters - Is it Time to March?

Paulette MacDougall RN BSN — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:22:18 EDT

Has everyone seem the e-mail regarding regarding GOP tactics in Wisconsin to deter voters? A lawsuit filed by their State Attorney General is apparently designed to "slow down" voting lines. Yesterday I heard talk about GOP absentee ballot fraud. Not to mention the incessant slandering. Or watching James Carville defending John McCain and his negative ads.

SO even if we get a gazillion people energized and registered to vote for Obama, the GOP has back-up plans & tactics to make it so difficult they actually hope to deter voter turn-out or that people will discouraged & tired enough to go home.

Is this what the process of voting has become in the United States of America? Or perhaps I should ask if we're simply returning to a previous era where corporiate giants simply beat down marching union workers with clubs or met workers who dared to vote for unions in a back alley somewhere with a club.

Yes we need to register voters. THAT is paramount. But I've heard other suggestions today for protecting the process of voting when it happens. One person suggested writing to the UN now to request "observers" for the election. Someone else suggested protests & picketing.

Perhaps it IS time to start marching (backpacks filled with voter registration forms)! Peacefully of course. Perhaps a little marching & singing is exactly what the Democrats need to boost our spirits back up soaring where they need to be.

I think the GOP underestimates the toughness of Democratic voters. We have a long, long history of walking picket lines, marching and being deterred. That's because we are made up of immigrants and workers and unions and minorities and liberals who long for a better and fairer system in America.

Obama supporters are most certainly strong enough to face down the GOP and quite definitely strong enough to stand in long lines to vote for a man like Barack Obama!!

As Obama says, it's TIME for a change and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Perhaps it's time to gather spirits and our energy together and get some cameras focused on the very shaky process of voting in the USA today. Especially this particular year.

But that's just my humble (& furious) opinion, as I am still angry about 2004. But I'm even angrier today to think the GOP banks on the fact we'll sit back & watch them do it again

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: GOP Tactics to Deter Voters - Is it Time to March?

Paulette MacDougall RN BSN — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:02:24 EDT

Tax plans

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:38:00 EDT

here is a synopsis of the tax plans as retrieved from the American Tax Policy Institute.

drat, it doesn't work quite right, but here is the WHOLE tax plan, as it's supposed to be! anyone who knows how to post a .doc, please let me know or i'll send it to you and you can post it. i printed it off for family yesterday. http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/411693_CandidateTaxPlans.pdf

Here's how the average tax bill could change in 2009 if either John McCain's or Barack Obama's tax proposals were fully in place.

MCCAIN

OBAMA

Income

Avg. tax bill

Over $2.9M

-$269,364

+$701,885

$603K and up

-$45,361

+$115,974

$227K-$603K

-$7,871

+$12

$161K-$227K

-$4,380

-$2,789

$112K-$161K

-$2,614

-$2,204

$66K-$112K

-$1,009

-$1,290

$38K-$66K

-$319

-$1,042

$19K-$38K

-$113

-$892

Under $19K

-$19

-$567

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693

John McCain and Barack Obama have starkly different philosophies about tax policy - how to raise the revenue needed to support government programs, spur growth and ensure economic fairness.

But voters really want to know one thing: How would the presidential candidates' views trickle down to their tax bills? A report released Wednesday by a nonpartisan policy group in Washington, D.C., takes a big first step toward answering that question.

According to the Tax Policy Center's findings, the common assumptions most people make about the plans of McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, and Obama, the Democrats' pick, are not wildly off-base.

McCain: The average taxpayer in every income group would see a lower tax bill, but high-income taxpayers would benefit more than everyone else.

Obama: High-income taxpayers would pay more in taxes, while everyone else's tax bill would be reduced. Those who benefit the most - in terms of reducing their taxes as a percentage of after-tax income - are in the lowest income groups.

Public Financing; Which Candidate Won't Follow the Rules Again???

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:08:49 EDT

the following is taken directly from a newsletter by FAIR; Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting; a watchdog group of the 'watchdog group' called the mainstream media; or better known as the CORPORATE media.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama's June 19 announcement that he would not accept public financing in the presidential race prompted a media furor. Obama's "flip-flop" (Hardball, 6/20/08; USA Today, 6/25/08) was used by many corporate journalists as an opportunity to undermine Obama's reformist image.

"Obama's money move lifts expediency over principle," a USA Today (6/20/08) headline declared. The Associated Press's Liz Sidoti (6/19/08), in an article headlined "Barack Obama Chose Winning Over His Word," wrote that "the first-term Illinois senator tarnished his carefully honed image as a different kind of politician - one who means what he says and says what he means - while undercutting his call for a new kind of politics."

"It was a flip flop of epic proportions," proclaimed Mark Shields on PBS' Newshour (6/20/08). Scott Simon, host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, charged (6/21/08): "Senator Obama's reversal raises fair questions about the sincerity of his campaign promises and even about the decency of spending so much money…at a time when thousands of Americans are losing their homes and the price of food is becoming difficult to afford." David Broder reiterated this sentiment, affirming (Washington Post, 6/26/08) that Obama "was rightly criticized for rigging the system in his favor."

Despite the media outrage over his "broken promise" (Washington Post, 6/20/08), Obama's stance on public financing has actually been much more qualified; he pledged in a 2007 questionnaire only to "aggressively pursue an agreement with the Republican nominee to preserve a publicly financed general election" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 2/18/08). Similarly, Obama stated at a February news conference (New York Times, 2/15/08): "If I am the nominee, I will make sure our people talk to John McCain's people to find out if we are willing to abide by the same rules and regulations with respect to the general election going forward."

As recently as April, Obama told Fox News that (4/27/08):

I have promised that I will sit down with John McCain and talk about can we preserve a public system as long as we are taking into account third-party independent expenditures, because what I don't intend to do ... is to allow huge amounts of money to be spent by the RNC, the Republican National Committee, or by organizations like the Swift Boat organization and just stand there.

Media have long gotten Obama's position on public financing wrong. "Obama has pledged to take public financing for the general election if he is the Democratic nominee and his Republican opponent will do the same," the Washington Post reported last year (8/22/07). Similar misapprehensions were expressed in the Toronto Star (3/4/07), New York Times (4/5/07), Orlando Sentinel (4/10/07) and Philadelphia Inquirer (4/17/07), among others.

Obama justified his decision in a video posted on his website, expressing concern about a system which "as it exists today is broken" and "opponents who have become masters at gaming this broken system." In particular, he referred to his belief that during the presidential race, John McCain will benefit from 527s - independent organizations that run negative ad campaigns, such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who launched a smear campaign against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry in 2004. It was a justification most mainstream media dismissed. A Washington Post (6/20/08) editorial (which did recognize that Obama's "earlier pledge" was "to 'aggressively pursue' an agreement with the Republican nominee to accept public financing") scorned Obama's "effort to cloak his broken promise in the smug mantle of selfless dedication to the public good."

How "aggressively" Obama pursued an agreement with the McCain camp is a legitimate question. Jake Tapper's blog on ABCNews.com (Political Punch, 6/19/08) reported:

Obama campaign counsel Bob Bauer met with McCain campaign counsel Trevor Potter and, according to Obama spox Bill Burton, Potter "immediately made it clear there was no basis for further discussion," that they weren't interested in any sort of agreement. "McCain and the RNC had spent months raising and spending money for the general election, and their basic attitude was 'You'll catch up,'" Burton says, suggesting that the Republicans were also turning a blind eye to the activities of 527s.

Tapper also reported the Republican contention that Obama did not "try to negotiate at all with the McCain campaign." The thrust of the piece appeared to take McCain's side, as it was headlined, "Obama to Break Promise, Opt Out of Public Financing for General Election."

While Obama has been thus disparaged for his "flip-flop," the media have largely ignored McCain's reversal on the same issue--a reversal which may have actually been illegal. Early in his campaign, McCain pledged to accept public financing for the primary elections, but on February 6 he reversed his decision. According to the Washington Post (2/16/08), in November McCain took out a $3 million loan, using his forthcoming public money as collateral.

Under Federal Elections Commission (FEC) regulations, the Post reported, a candidate who uses the promise of public funds as collateral is legally bound to stay within the public financing system. On February 25, the Democratic National Committee filed an FEC complaint against McCain, charging him with violating spending limits (Politico, 2/24/08; Media Matters, 6/26/08)--a move that attracted minimal media interest.

Media Matters (6/26/08) noted that outlets including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, Fox News' Special Report and CNN have omitted mention of McCain's loan when quoting his criticism of Obama's "flip-flop":

This is a big deal. It's a big deal. He has completely reversed himself and gone back not on his word to me, but the commitment that he made to the American people. That's disturbing.

While most mainstream media have paid little attention to McCain's turn-around on public financing in the primaries, more coverage has been given to his "flip-flops" on offshore oil drilling and Bush's tax cuts. But while Obama's campaign finance decision was pronounced "emblematic of his uncanny ability to renege on promises, brush off transgressions as if they were unimportant, and prevaricate with an ease that inspires marvel" (USNews.com, 6/20/08), McCain's "flip-flops" are frequently explained away, or even viewed as evidence of his moral character. The Miami Herald (7/2/08) argued:

John McCain and Barack Obama have been accused of flip-flops recently. However, there is a significant difference: McCain changed his position on drilling off our coasts in order to make a difference in our dependence on foreign oil and as an extra safeguard for our nation. Obama changed his stance and rejected public funding for his presidential campaign to benefit himself.

Contrasting Obama on public finance with McCain on offshore drilling, ABC's Sam Donaldson declared (This Week, 6/22/08):

There's a difference there with John McCain. He can say, circumstances have changed. I mean, if hanging fixes the mind, try $5, $6, $7 a gallon gasoline to fix the mind. And he can say yes, but today we have to do something different. So he flip-flopped on energy but he can say that.

Never mind that offshore drilling will have at best a minimal effect on gas prices (Beat the Press, 6/19/08)--or that Obama can plausibly claim that "circumstances have changed" when his opponent reneged on a signed commitment to accept public financing.

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen (6/24/08) claimed to see evidence of virtue in McCain's lengthy record of policy reversals:

Here is the difference between McCain and Obama -- and Obama had better pay attention. McCain is a known commodity. It's not just that he's been around a long time and staked out positions antithetical to those of his Republican base. It's also -- and more important -- that we know his bottom line. As his North Vietnamese captors found out, there is only so far he will go, and then his pride or his sense of honor takes over. This -- not just his candor and nonstop verbosity on the Straight Talk Express -- is what commends him to so many journalists.

U.S. News & World Report's Gloria Borger (7/7/08), on the other hand, seemed to excuse McCain's shifts not based on a core consistency but on an essential inconsistency:

In a way, McCain may have less to lose because the public already sees him as unpredictable. So when he flips his positions to conform with GOP orthodoxy on tax cuts (he now supports) and immigration (build the fence first), it doesn't seem so odd that he then tacks to the middle on global warming or panders to frustrated motorists on offshore drilling. It's part of the "don't pigeonhole me" trademark, which has its appeal to independent voters. McCain's inconsistency fits the brand, so voters may forgive him.

Voters may or may not forgive him, but it's clear that McCain's cheering section in the corporate media already has.

See the most recent issue of Extra!: "The Press Corps' Unshakeable Crush on McCain: Some Straight Talk About the Media's Favorite 'Maverick'" by Peter Hart (5-6/08).

This article is available at: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3569

Former Clinton Labor Officials Endorse Barack Obama

Seth H. from New Jersey — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:48:33 EST

Please help us spread the word about this letter to your friends, union leaders, union brothers and sisters, other co-workers, and family members:

FORMER CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA

“Barack Obama is the best choice to restore the American Dream for working families.”

February 21, 2008

Dear Friends:

We were privileged to work for President Bill Clinton in senior appointed positions in the U.S. Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission during the 1990s. We have great respect for President Clinton and Senator Clinton.

In 2008, however, we believe that Barack Obama is the best choice to restore the American Dream for working families. We support Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. We urge you to join us in voting or caucusing for Barack Obama.

Hope has been a rare commodity for America’s working families in recent years. The American Dream seems less and less achievable as more and more families face the threat of slipping out of the middle class. Job growth has been anemic throughout George W. Bush’s seven years in office, and it has ground to a halt in recent months. Real wages have stagnated. Forty-seven million people have no health insurance. Reliable, adequate pensions are increasingly rare. The stress of meeting the demands of work and family has grown for many adults who face the challenge of caring for their children and their parents at the same time.

Rather than shoring up the middle class’ crumbling foundations, the Bush Administration has weakened them further. Unions --- critical contributors to a strong and growing middle class --- have faced an unprecedented attack from the White House, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Labor Department. The Bush Administration has presided over irresponsible trade deals and massive tax giveaways that accelerate the export of American jobs. The Bush Labor Department launched an assault on overtime pay and continues to search for ways to weaken the Family and Medical Leave Act. Protections against workplace discrimination have been undermined by shrinking enforcement resources at the EEOC and the Labor Department, as well as anti-worker decisions by Bush’s appointees to the Supreme Court, lower federal courts, and the EEOC. Safety and health protections in workplaces and mines across the country are an afterthought.

In the face of difficult economic times and a hostile federal government, working families have been struggling to secure their place in the middle class and sustain their hope in the face of despair. Barack Obama has a plan to secure and expand the middle class and, perhaps more important, give working families reason to hope again. He plans to:

appoint leaders to the Labor Department, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission who understand the struggles of working families and are fully committed to defending their rights, including the right to organize;
sign a universal health care bill into law by the end of his first term in office that lowers costs by up to $2,500 per family;
stand with workers fighting to organize unions;
create jobs by ending tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas, support new tax incentives for companies to create jobs in the United States, establish a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to create two million jobs fixing road and bridges, invest billions to create a green energy sector with millions of new jobs, and bring additional high-skilled manufacturing jobs to regions with workers and community that have past experience with manufacturing;
fight for fair trade that opens markets for American goods to create high-wage American jobs and negotiate trade agreements that spread progressive labor and environmental standards around the world;
fight to raise the minimum wage and index it to increase every year with the cost of living;
combat employment discrimination by working to overturn Supreme Court rulings that narrowed the Americans with Disabilities Act and curtailed workers’ ability to challenge pay discrimination, passing the Fair Pay Act to assure equal pay for equal work, passing the Genetics Information Nondiscrimination Act, and increasing funding for anti-discrimination enforcement at the EEOC and the Labor Department;
make college affordable for working families with a refundable tax credit up to $4,000 to cover tuition costs in return for a commitment to public service;
invest in workforce development and lifelong learning for workers, including expanding transition assistance for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own;
strengthen Social Security and expand retirement security by automatically enrolling workers in portable retirement accounts and matching half of contributions up to $1,000 by families earning $75,000 or less per year;
help workers navigate work and family by expanding the Family and Medical Leave Act, supporting paid leave plans in every state, requiring employers to provide seven paid sick days to their workers, and protecting family caregivers against discrimination; and
reinvigorate the federal government’s role in ensuring that workplaces are safe and healthy by increasing funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Mine Safety and Health Administration.

We urge you to go to www.BarackObama.com, click on the “Issues” tab, and then click on “Economy” and “Family” to learn more about Barack Obama’s specific plans to strengthen and expand the middle class.

Barack Obama understands the hopes and dreams of working families fighting to secure a better future for themselves and their children. Barack Obama was raised in modest circumstances by a single mother and his grandparents. As he has said many times, all he had growing up was love, hope, and education. He knows what it means to be denied health insurance: his own mother worried about whether her new health insurance policy would deny her coverage as she lay dying from cancer. We are firmly convinced that Barack Obama wants every child in the United States to have the same opportunity to succeed he had. We are equally convinced that Barack Obama’s example will give every child in America reason to hope that they can achieve their dreams.

Barack Obama understands that change will not be easy. He recognizes that we will not be able to improve the lot of working families unless we change our politics in Washington. Lobbyists will not set the agenda and buy up every chair at the table. For the first time in a long time, working families will have a voice in our nation’s policies. As a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, a state legislator, and a U.S. Senator, he has constantly reached beyond what divides us to forge a working majority for hope. He believes our nation’s best days lay ahead of us --- not behind us. He helps us believe in the American Dream. Barack Obama has the experience we must have in the next President of the United States of America.

We hope you will join us in supporting Barack Obama for President of the United States. Thank you very much.

Joseph Dear, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health,U.S. Department of Labor

John Donahue, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Fred Feinstein, Former General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board

Sarah Fox, Former Member, National Labor Relations Board

William Gould, Former Chairman, National Labor Relations Board

Seth Harris, Former Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, and Former Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

Harry Holzer, Former Chief Economist, U.S. Department of Labor

Paul Igasaki, Former Vice-Chair and Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Charles Jeffress, Former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Labor

Paul Steven Miller, Former Commissioner, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Former White House Liaison to the Disability Community

Edward Montgomery, Former Deputy Secretary of Labor, U.S. Department of Labor

Betsy Myers, Former Deputy Assistant to the President, and Former Director of Women’s Initiatives and Outreach, The White House

Shirley J. Wilcher, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Federal Contract Compliance (OFCCP), Employment Standards Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

New NH poll- Obama leading by 10 points

Craig — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 18:41:06 EST

New Hampshire: Obama 37% Clinton 27%Saturday, January 05, 2008Barack Obama, fresh from his victory in Iowa, now holds a ten point lead over Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the race found Obama with 37% of the vote while Clinton earns 27%. John Edwards is the only other candidate in double digits, with 19% support. Bill Richardson is the choice for 8%.In a pre-Christmas poll, Clinton led Obama by three. In the poll before that, Obama led Clinton by three. Clinton still leads nationally in the Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll but Rasmussen Markets data suggests the race for the nomination is essentially even. In New Hampshire, Obama leads Clinton by five points among Democrats and by sixteen points among Independents. The survey indicates that 40% of the voters will be Independents. Eighty percent (80%) of Obama voters say they are certain they will vote for him. Seventy-three percent (73%) of Clinton voters say the same along with 64% of Edwards supporters. Eighty-five percent (85%) of Likely Primary Voters have a favorable opinion of Obama. Seventy-eight percent (78%) say the same about Edwards and 69% offer a positive assessment of Clinton. Just 48% of Obama supporters have a favorable opinion of Clinton. Fifty-one percent (51%) have the opposite opinion including 22% with a Very Unfavorable opinion of the former First Lady. At the same time, 75% of Clinton supporters have a favorable opinion of Obama. Among Edwards voters, 79% have a favorable opinion of Obama and 73% say the same about Clinton. Obama is seen as the most electable Democratic candidate. Eighty-seven percent (87%) believe he would be at least somewhat likely to win if nominated. Seventy-six percent (76%) say the same about Clinton and 75% think Edwards would have a chance. Fifty-one percent (51%) of the Likely Democratic Primary Voters believe Obama would be Very Likely to win. Just 38% have such confidence in Clinton. Seventy-six percent (76%) of Likely Democratic Primary Voters in New Hampshire say that Health Care is a Very Important voting issue. Seventy-three percent (73%) say the same about the economy, 70% attach the same importance to Government Ethics and Corruptions, and 69% say Iraq is a Very Important voting issue. Rasmussen Markets data at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning suggest that Barack Obama has a 65% chance of winning in New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton is given a 37% chance of winning (current numbers: Obama 76.9 %, Clinton 25.9 %. At that same time, Clinton and Obama were each given a 50% chance of ultimately winning the nomination (current numbers: Obama 53.0 %, Clinton 46.0 %. These numbers reflect results from a prediction market, not a poll. RasmussenMarkets.com is a “futures market” that harnesses competitive passions to becomes a reliable leading indicator of upcoming events. Using a trading format where traders "buy and sell" candidates, issues, and news features, the markets correctly projected both Obama and Huckabee as the winners in Iowa. We invite you to participate in the Rasmussen Markets. It costs nothing to join and add your voice to the collective wisdom of the market. Rasmussen Reports will be releasing new polling data on the New Hampshire race each morning until Tuesday.

Amazing Obama column! Not to be missed!

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:49:31 EST

gton Post Bob Cesca| BIO | I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER Barack Obama For President

Posted December 19, 2007 | 03:43 PM (EST)

Read More: 2008 Election, Barack Obama, Obama Endorsement, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Breaking Politics News

From the very beginning -- back when our torture chambers still had that new torture chamber smell; and before our chief executive's incompetence exploded like an M80 inside the clenched-fist of the world -- George W. Bush has been an embarrassment.

We know his disgraceful deeds and policies. But it's his utter lack of quality; his unsubstantial presence; his marble-mouthed oratorical retardation; his inability to inspire greatness; and his empty-suit absence of intellectual curiosity which preordained him to be the worst President of the United States in modern history.

Admittedly, when it comes to the presidency, my personal level of idealism rests somewhere between Frank Capra and Aaron Sorkin. I'm a presidential geek. One of my life goals is to work in the White House for one week. My Dad's old office at the Treasury Department used to look out over the east lawn, and when I was a kid I used to imagine that one day the president would invite me and my Dad for a ride on Marine One.

But after seven years in this Dark Age, I've almost forgotten what it was like to have a real president occupying the White House: a president who, even if I disagreed with his policies and ideology, dignified the office with a stature that symbolized the awesomeness of America.

Emerson wrote, "Every hero becomes a bore at last. Perhaps Voltaire was not bad-hearted, yet he said of the good Jesus, even, 'I pray you, let me never hear that man's name again.'"

We seem to experience this routine with almost every two-term president. But President Bush was never a hero in the first place and only grew more ridiculous with each subsequent crime against the Constitution, against human decency and against democracy itself. If there's any justice left in this nation, history will record that President Bush was an entirely inadequate tool; a bungling villain whose early popularity grew out of a traumatic and patriotic need to support the office regardless of who occupied it.

And when the flood waters literally rose up and washed away the disguise, the slack-jawed poseur was revealed -- the "bore" who had always been there, but who had been previously and cynically costumed in cowboy drag. Some of us recognized the charade from the beginning, but it required a second national tragedy, this time in New Orleans, to alert the media and the rest of America to his criminal incompetence.

American history is inextricably tied to the presidency. It's how we mentally assemble the chronology of our past. For going on eight years, we've endured a chief executive who never should have ascended to this post. Consequently, this decade has been an aberration; a time when Americans somehow championed an illegitimate, Orwellian hooplehead and, naturally, we suffered for our lack of vision. This is how most of the first decade of this century will be remembered.

Yet our generation is being offered another chance here -- an opportunity to set things straight and elect a president who not only illustrates the historical qualities of the office, but who also defines an energetic new approach.

The next president has to be Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Obama's intelligence, passion and quality of character can inspire us to recapture our own potential for greatness. And after all these years of darkness, there is no alternative other than to correct our trajectory with someone who can elevate our common goals -- the American Dream. For the American Dream to survive, this era demands a new president who will include all of us in the debate over our future, whether or not we agree on every issue.

And I'm proud to say that I don't agree with the senator on everything. But it doesn't matter because this campaign is about much more than individuals and their pet issues. This is about the reacquisition of an ideal -- of a benevolent greatness which has been stolen away from us.

I see in Senator Obama an historic character who fits within my persnickety and idealistic template for the presidency -- and this time around, it happens that my idealistic choice has a realistic chance to win. So this isn't necessarily an endorsement based on ideology, but an endorsement based on that which is required from an historical perspective.

The alternatives on either side of this campaign are ultimately redundant to what we have now.

On the Republican side, each frontrunner represents a rage-inducing aspect of the present Bush regime. The Romney Unit represents the Paris Hilton fiscal policy of the Bush administration; Giuliani is the unstable, crazy-ass hubristic gunslinger; and Mike Huckabee is the cross-bearing fundamentalist who floats in the same fantasy world as Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort.

On the Democratic side, John Edwards is a tough call because he has the right idea. But there was a thing with Edwards from 2004 that I can't seem to shake. And I've really, really tried. During one of the primary debates, Howard Dean stood up to answer a question. As was the campaign fashion at the time, Dean rolled up his sleeves. Then, behind him, I spotted John Edwards whose eyes suddenly widened at Dean's sleeve-rolling as if to say, Oh crap, I should roll up my sleeves now or else I won't be awesome like Howard. Then he quickly rolled up his sleeves. It was an awkwardly candid moment which revealed a lack of originality and, for my admittedly nitpicky tastes, a little too much of the staged illusion of it all. But most importantly, I imagined him exhibiting the same derivative behavior when voting with the president on Iraq.

Senator Clinton, meanwhile, is certainly more intelligent and centrist than President Bush, but there's a secretive, calculating DLC side to the senator which drifts too dangerously close to the universe of Dick Cheney than the fresh approach her husband, President Clinton, offered in 1992.

Speaking of which, President Clinton said this week that Senator Clinton would dispatch the first President Bush on a world tour in order to repair America's reputation abroad. First, 'the hell you say?! Second, wouldn't that be just like a Cheney -- to use a Bush as a political tool. Seriously, we can't have this. Not even as a speculative talking point. Not any more.

This is what we're desperately trying to escape, goddamn it. This is why it's imperative that Senator Obama win the nomination and ultimately the White House itself.

Naturally, the day might arrive when President Obama becomes Emerson's bore. One day, years from now, we'll likely be lamenting the traditional media's "Obama Fatigue" narrative. But, by that time, I think we'll be prepared for the next era in American history. Hopefully, after two terms and eight years, President Obama will hand over his legacy to his vice president. But for now he's the historical antidote to the darkness and division we've endured for too many years. He's our best hope to restore the national equilibrium and to fulfill both the expectation of greatness the presidency deserves and, thusly, the greatness of America.

And no. However awesome it'd be, I'm not saying these things in exchange for a flight aboard Marine One. I mean, I wouldn't turn it down, of course... but that's not why.

Amazing Comparison of Hillary & Barack's Healthcare Plans

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 17:05:43 EST

From Robert Reich's Blog:

Monday, December 03, 2007 Why is HRC stooping So Low?

I’m becoming increasingly concerned about the stridency and inaccuracy of charges in Iowa -- especially coming from my old friend. While I’m as hard-boiled as they come about what’s said in campaigns, I just don’t think Dems should stoop to this. First, HRC attacked O's plan for keep Social Security solvent. Social Security doesn’t need a whole lot to keep it going – it’s in far better shape than Medicare – but everyone who’s looked at it agrees it will need bolstering (I was a trustee of the Social Security Trust Fund ten years ago, and I can vouch for this). Obama wants to do it by lifting the cap on the percent of income subject to Social Security payroll taxes, which strikes me as sensible. That cap is now close to $98,000 (it’s indexed), and the result is highly regressive. (Bill Gates satisfies his yearly Social Security obligations a few minutes past midnight on January 1 every year.) The cap doesn’t have to be lifted all that much to keep Social Security solvent – maybe to $115,00. That’s a progressive solution to the problem. HRC wants to refer Social Security to a commission. That's avoiding the issue, and it's irresponsible: A commission will likely call either for raising the retirement age (that’s what Greenspan’s Social Security commission came up with in the 1980s) or increasing the payroll tax on all Americans. So when HRC charges that Obama’s plan would “raise taxes” and her plan wouldn’t, she’s simply not telling the truth . . . ."

Read the rest at: http://robertreich.blogspot.com/

Obama & Oprah South Carolina YouTube Post

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 15:10:23 EST

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

Doubts About My Candidate?!?!?!

Iowa Laborer — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:40:10 EST

As a Union Representative from Iowa my work often takes me to Illinois. So I am proud to have known about Barack and been one of his first supporters from Iowa to sign Dick Durbin's petition to draft Barack to run. After that I was with my family among the thousands to gather in Springfield as he officially announced his candidacy. From there I have served on committees and have been an Iowa Precinct Captian as well and I never had a single doubt ..... until today. You see, today I heard for the first time in person, Michelle Obama speak. And as much as I think of Barack I was left wondering if perhaps I was not supporting the wrong Obama. What an incredible woman that delivered what I can honestly say was the single best stump speech I have EVER heard. Michelle later assured me that I had better stick to my original candidate because he was the only Obama I would get an opportunity to vote for any time soon. And Caucusing for Barack AND Michelle really will be an opportunity that I am looking forward to. What a magnificant first lady we'll have.

Obama is a canidate for change

Mason Dixon — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:33:58 EST

The size of the national expenditure on the military now reaches over one trillion dollars. The US foreign policies have led us to mortgage the future of our country and our children. The war in Iraq has little to do with the 9/11 attack and while many people here in the homeland over look this point- few in the countries we have invaded will. How can fiscal and social responsibility be so overlooked by our current administration? How can we reconcile the indefensible misleading of our soldiers? It takes only one signature. It takes only one mind to make real change towards fairness- towards transparency- towards making the decisions that will keep America strong for generations to come. The only candidate for change in the upcoming election is Obama.

Hillary had Plants in the Crowd

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:41:28 EST

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/13/clinton.planted/index.html

Obama for Veterans

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:36:11 EST

On November 9th, Barack Obama introduced the Veterans Homelessness Prevention Act, which would launch an innovate pilot program to pair housing for at-risk veterans and veteran families with supportive services in an effort to prevent veterans from falling into homelessness. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, over the course of 2006, there were approximately 495,400 homeless veterans. To learn more about Barack's bill go to -- http://obama.senate.gov/press/071109-obama_introduce_21/ African Americans for Obama - LA will be working with the Senator to fight the problem of homelessness. This Saturday, our team will participate in Homewalk LA in Exposition Park (700 Exposition Park Drive) on Saturday, November 17th at 8:00 am. Homewalk is a non-competitive 5K family walk supporting initiatives to address homelessness in Los Angeles. For more information and to join our team, go to http://www.homewalkla.org. If you're interested in getting a little exercise right before Thanksgiving, supporting a great cause, meeting your fellow Obama supporters and signing up new ones, then we hope you will join the African Americans for Obama Homewalk team. The registration fee is $25 for adults and $15 for children (9-15). If you don't have an Obama button to wear, we'll give you one! African Americans for Obama - LA is a group of grassroots activists working with Obama for America to support Barack Obama's candidacy with outreach and educational efforts designed to ensure that a large majority of registered Black voters in the Los Angeles metropolitan area vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. To join our group, sign up at http://my.barackobama.com/page /group/AfricanAmericansforObama -LosAngeles

Obama Nails Speech in Iowa

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:31:44 EST

Barack's Iowa JJ Dinner speech-commentator David Yepsin-Des Moines
Register Political Editor

The leading Democratic presidential candidates showed up for the Iowa Democratic Party's big Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday night.
Five of them gave really good speeches.
Barack Obama's was excellent.
It was one of the best of his campaign. The passion he showed should help him close the gap on Hillary Clinton by tipping some undecided caucus-goers his way. His oratory was moving and he successfully contrasted himself with the others - especially Clinton - without being snide or nasty about it.
Historically, the iowa party's "JJ" dinner is a landmark event in Democratic presidential caucus campaigns. All the key party activists, donors and players from the state are present. This year, about 9,000 of them showed up, most were from Iowa though there was some grumbling that Obama packed the place with people from Illinois. The charge was denied by the Obama people, who were clearly pleased they beat the other candidates in the noise war inside Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
A candidate who does well at a JJ is quickly in the political buzz around Iowa. A candidate who does poorly can be quickly written off by some important players in the party. Candidates also know the event provides them with an opportunity to sound new themes, launch new attacks or mount a defense of their weaknesses. Local and national observers show up to chronicle the changes.
Obama was particularly impressive Saturday night. Should he win the Iowa caucuses, Saturday's dinner will be remembered as one of the turning points in his campaign in here, a point where he laid down the marker and began closing on Clinton, the national frontrunner. For example:
*He said the Iraq war "should have never been authorized and should have never been waged," a shot at the votes Clinton and most of the others cast in favor of it.
*He said the nation has a "moment of great opportunity" and "we have a chance to bring the country together to tackle problems that George Bush made far worse and that festered long before George Bush took office." Translation: Clinton is divisive and there were problems the Clinton era didn't solve.
*He said "the same old Washington textbook campaigns just won't do it in this election." Translation: Democrats can't win running a Bill Clinton campaign again.
*He said "Not answering questions because we're afraid our answers just won't be popular just won't do it." Translation: Clinton doesn't take questions at some of her events. Now she's bogged down in a flap over staffers planting questions for her when she does and this was neat way to remind Democrats of it without tweaking Clinton directly."
*He said "telling Americans what they think they want to hear instead of telling the American people what they need to hear just won't do it." Translation: Obama is often inclined to say things party interest groups don't want to hear - like the need for school reform, merit pay, more efficient cars or money to rebuild the military. She panders or is mushy.
*He said "triangulating and poll-driven positions because we're worried what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do it." He said he offers "change that is not just a slogan" and "change we can believe in." Polls were a hallmark of the Clinton era.
*He said he wanted to "stop talking about the outrage of 47 million Americans without health care and start actually doing something about it." That was a smooth way to remind the audience how Clinton's effort at national health care failed.
*There were also references to not taking money from lobbyists. And he said "I am running for president because I am sick and tired of Democrats thinking the only way to look tough on national security it talking and acting and voting like George Bush Republicans." Ouch.
His coup de grace came with this: "When I am the nominee of this party, the Republican nominee will not be able to say I voted for the war in Iraq, or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran, or that I support Bush-Cheney policies of not talking to leaders that we don't like."
"I don't want to spend the next year or the next four years refighting the same fights that we had in the 1990s," a reference to the polarization of the Clinton years. "I don't want to pit red America against blue America."
The speech was also noteworthy because of the hour it was given. He was the last one to speak and didn't start until after 11 p.m. That's because the Iowa party loaded up the program with a bunch of Iowa politicians, who, well, just aren't in the same league with their presidential candidates but whose egos just couldn't keep them off the big stage.
It was a little like listening to a long Beethoven symphony while having some kid play a Tonette between movements.
And Obama can sometimes be flat or tired when speaks late at night. He can meander or sound wonkish and hesitant. Not Saturday night. (He came fired up and ready to go, to borrow a phrase.) At one point, he invoked Martin Luther King and his cadence even included the uplifting touches and quavering voice of a traditional black preacher's sermon.
While the Democratic candidates all had a good night, Obama clearly had the best. Now we'll have to see if he's got anything left for Tim Russert this morning. Obama faces one of the toughest questioners in the business on NBCs Meet the Press at 8 a.m. Iowa time after only a few hours of sleep.

Wall Street Journal on Obama

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 22:32:10 EST

Barack Obama and the Dream of a Color-Blind America By JONATHAN KAUFMAN
November 10, 2007; Page A1

Portland, Maine

Isaiah Oliver, a 24-year-old white social worker, grew up in this overwhelmingly white city and attended the predominantly white University of Richmond in Virginia. Ask him why he supports Barack Obama and he says it's because of the candidate's race.

"Because he's black it makes me want to believe that he will change things," says Mr. Oliver, leaving an Obama campaign rally here. "It feels like you are part of something that's starting to change American politics. It's the cool factor. He's a rock star."

As he campaigns across the country, Sen. Obama, the son of a black father and a white mother, is both revealing and tapping into a changed racial landscape, especially among younger whites. After decades of often bitter polarization and racial tension on issues ranging from the spread of civil rights to affirmative action, many whites say they are drawn to Sen. Obama precisely because they think his mixed-race background reflects America's increasingly diverse population and projects a more optimistic vision of the country's racial future.

Sen. Obama's candidacy, whether it succeeds or not, appears to mark a turning point in race and politics in America: It is prompting significant numbers of white Americans to consider voting for him not despite his racial background, but because of it.

"Obama is running an emancipating campaign," says Bob Tuke, who is white and is the former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic party. "He is emancipating white voters to vote for a black candidate."

To read on: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119466546698288951.html?mod=home_we_banner_left

Obama on Meet the Press!

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:52:33 EST

5 PM central on MSNBC, Senator Obama will be interviewed!

Nov. 11, Sunday

This Sunday:
Exclusive!
Barack Obama

Our Meet the Candidates series continues as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Meet the Press, Presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) joins us exclusively for the full hour.

Dyson praises Obama in THE NATION

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:35:43 EST

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20071126&s=dyson
or http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071126/dyson

Barack Obama

by MICHAEL ERIC DYSON

[from the November 26, 2007 issue of The Nation]

"Ever since he thundered into our collective consciousness with an electrifying speech before the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama has breathed new life into American politics. He has revived the hope of millions that their elected leaders would dare to dream outside the rigid categories and earthbound aspirations that hold too many politicians captive. Though his written word sings and his spoken word soars on the wings of renewed faith in the democratic process--and how we need such renewal in an ugly age of despotic indifference to freedom's true creed--Obama's eyes are fixed on what we can make together of our national future . . . ."

To read the rest, go to: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071126/dyson

Barack in Chariton, Iowa!

Iowa Laborer — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 13:44:23 EST

Yesterday afternoon I was proud as a county chair to serve as host to Senator Barack Obama at a campaign stop in my home town. With only about 5,000 souls in Chariton it is an incredible sight to see almost 300 people turn out in the middle of the afternoon to see a candidate. That alone made me feel very proud of my community but I would soon have other reasons to feel proud. After listening to Barack speak I was inundated by folks who renounced their affiliations with other candidates (And even other parties!!!) and are now firmly committed to electing Senator Barack Obama as our next president. Finally they got to see what I have been telling them along about this guy; that he is genuine and you will feel that when you look into his eyes. But perhaps most significant was that after the rally there was a stronger sense of community among these neighbors for having been drawn into a political landscape by this man where we are all worthy of respect and political differences are respected values. I genuinely wish that every community in this nation was able to experience what ours did yesterday, not because it would guarantee the election of Barack Obama (which it most certainly would!) but also because of what it would do for us as a nation to come together again and understand that there is far more within us all that binds us together than there are political nuances that seperate us. And I sincerely and genuinely believe that under an Obama presidency we really will all get that opportunity, not to have him in every town and city neccessarily, but to become a nation again where neighbors are neighbors regardless of their beliefs and all of us can share in a mutual sense of community as Americans.

Obama on Writer's Guild Strike

Lucia - Team Coordinator for OBAMAWOOD — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:00:28 EST

Subject: Obama Statement on Writers Guild Strike   Obama Statement on Writers Guild StrikeCHICAGO , IL--U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Writers Guild strike."I stand with the writers. The Guild's demand is a test of whether media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work."###For Immediate Release
Monday, November 5, 2007
Obama Press Office: (312) 819-2423

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Vote for Obama on DFA Pulse Poll....Last Chance!

Elesha — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:38:51 EST

The final DFA Presidential Pulse Poll ends tonight at midnight Eastern Standard Time. That means you only have a few hours left to vote and make sure your voice is heard.

Today is a big day. With over 130,000 votes cast, the poll is already the largest presidential poll of progressive activists this year. Yet this isn't even close to over. Traditionally, tens of thousands of votes come in on the last day.

That means the winner is still very much up for grabs. Cast your vote right now:

http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

Barack Obama has moved from second to fourth and currently back to third. Can Obama finally hit the top spot and repeat his previous DFA Pulse Poll victory from April 2007? You decide.

Today is your last chance to vote:

http://www.DemocracyforAmerica.com/PulsePoll

The count is based on one vote per email. So if one of the candidate's messages swayed you, you can change your vote today and it will override your previous choice.

After you vote, get your friends, family and co-workers to support your candidate. Think of this as Election Day. You have the power to choose the winner. It's up to you to make it happen.

Thank you for everything you do,

Obama Statement on Writer's Strike

Elesha — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:32:55 EST

Obama Statement on Writers Guild Strike CHICAGO , IL--U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the Writers Guild strike.

"I stand with the writers. The Guild's demand is a test of whether media corporations are going to give writers a fair share of the wealth their work creates or continue concentrating profits in the hands of their executives. I urge the producers to work with the writers so that everyone can get back to work."

Help Obama win the DFA poll.

Elesha — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:09:56 EDT

Hey Friends,

I wanted to drop you a short note to ask for your help. DFA is holding a Presidential Primary Pulse Poll to decide which candidate deserves their support. I voted for Senator Barack Obama and I need help to move him from 2nd place in the poll.

Could you take just a minute to vote for Barack Obama right now? Here's the link:

http://DemocracyforAmerica.com/VoteObama

Thanks for your help.

Obama gets support from SEIU in MO and KS

Elesha — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 16:02:14 EDT

SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council Endorses Barack Obama for President The Missouri / Kansas State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has voted unanimously to endorse Senator Barack Obama for President. The Council represents more than 15,000 working families in Missouri and Kansas. Sherwin Carroll, President of the SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council, cited Obama’s commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare and protecting workers’ rights as two of the biggest reasons for the union’s endorsement.In announcing the Council’s endorsement, Carroll called Obama, “a real fighter for working families with a proven track record for getting things done.” Carroll also pointed out Senator Obama’s strong stance with healthcare workers, janitors, and public workers facing unfair treatment and low wages on the job”“Senator Obama has the judgment and vision necessary to lead our country in the right direction,” said Carroll, “and we are proud to endorse his candidacy for President.” Making this announcement today with State Council President Carroll, were SEIU Local 2000 (Missouri) President Barbara Black, SEIU Local 513 (Kansas) President Jim Bishop, and SEIU Local 1 (Missouri Division) Vice President Nancy E. Cross.With today’s announcement, the Missouri / Kansas Council joins the SEIU Illinois State Council and Indian SEIU as other mid-western states to have endorsed Obama’s Candidacy. The SEIU Missouri / Kansas State Council is widely recognized as having one of the most effective political grassroots organizations in both states.

Obama gets support from SEIU in Illinois and Indiana

Elesha — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:16:15 EDT

The Illinois State Council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Indiana SEIU representing more than 170,000 workers has voted unanimously to endorse Barack Obama for President. The union of healthcare workers, security guards, janitors, public workers, home healthcare and childcare workers has a long-standing relationship with Senator Obama and is proud to support his candidacy.

Tom Balanoff, President of the SEIU Illinois State Council, cited Obama’s commitment to expanding access to affordable healthcare and to protecting workers’ rights as among the biggest reasons for his union’s early endorsement.

In announcing the SEIU’s endorsement, President Balanoff called Obama, "a real fighter for working families with a proven track record of getting things done." Balanoff also cited Obama’s early opposition to the Iraq War as proof positive that he has the judgment and vision necessary to serve in the nation’s highest office.

Illinois SEIU is widely recognized as one of the most effective political organizations in the state and is committed to helping organize thousands of its members to volunteer on the Senator’s presidential campaign. Already, hundreds of members are volunteering to phone bank, door knock and to travel to neighboring states to support Obama’s presidential bid.

Obama's Statement on UAW Strike

Elesha — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:42:44 EDT

Obama Statement on UAW Strike CHICAGO, IL—U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on the United Auto Workers Strike. “I stand with the workers who are striking Chrysler. The union’s demands--job security, the health benefits they were promised--are basic guarantees that all workers should expect and that UAW members deserve. Chrysler has a responsibility to work with the UAW so that union members can go back to work.”

Obama's Statement on Dana Corportation Case

Elesha — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 21:33:37 EDT

Obama Statement on Dana Corporation Case
Chicago, IL— Senator Barack Obama issued the following statement in response to the National Labor Relations Board's decision in the Dana Corporation Case. "I strongly oppose and reject the National Labor Relations Board decision in the Dana Corporation case. It is just another part of the Bush Administration's larger effort to block workers' efforts to organize into unions and collectively bargain for fair pay and benefits. The decision discourages employers from working cooperatively with their employees by making it more difficult for employers to voluntarily recognize a union that a majority of employees supports. This decision, like many by this Bush board, is ideological and aims to disenfranchise workers and attack unions. It adds urgency to our efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act to assure that workers get a union when a majority supports that union. As president, I will sign the Employee Free Choice Act into law and appoint leaders to the National Labor Relations Board who understand workers' struggles and support their right to organize."

Obama introduces pro-labor legislation today

Elesha — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:03:14 EDT

The Obama-Durbin Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 (The ICPC ACT of 2007) Issue Overview

Every day, the vast majority of working Americans and their employers get up, go to work, and play by the rules. They pay their taxes and recognize their responsibilities to each other. And they recognize that as employers and employees, they are engaged in a common effort to provide goods and services to customers in a competitive marketplace. And all that they ask for is a fair and level playing field. But today, a tax loophole tilts the playing field against those playing by the rules.

The Section 530 safe harbor in tax law currently encourages some employers to avoid paying their taxes in full and deny their employees basic protections, thereby placing employers who play by the rules at a disadvantage, striping the government of billions in uncollected business taxes, and exposing employees to a loss of overtime, workers compensation, and other protections. The problem is particularly acute in the construction industry, but it also exists in other growing industries, ranging form high-tech, to trucking, to janitorial services, to home care.

We are introducing the Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007 (ICPC) to fix the problem and treat all workers and employers properly and fairly. That should lead to better tax compliance, fair pay and benefits, proper coverage in workers’ compensation, and competition on a level playing field for workers and business.

A 2006 University of Missouri study of employee misclassification in Illinois found that between 2001 and 2005 the percentage of misclassified employees in the state went from 5.5% to 8.5%, a 55% increase. It also estimated that misclassification of workers in 2005 resulted in a $53.7 million loss of unemployment insurance taxes and a $149 million to $250 million loss of income tax, and that $97.9 million in workers’ compensation premiums were not paid properly in 2004. There are other studies out of New York, Massachusetts, and Maine that show similar outcomes.

The way it works is this, an employer can cut its payroll costs by up to 30% if it calls a worker an “independent contractor” instead of an “employee” and issues a Form 1099 instead of Form W-2 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As long as it treats like workers the same, the employer does not have to withhold taxes from the worker’s pay, forcing workers to pay all their own payroll taxes as if he or she were self-employed. And, at the same time, the employers fail to pay their fair share of federal and state payroll taxes. Section 530 bars the IRS from penalizing the employer if he falls under the safe harbor, requiring a change in the treatment of workers even if the IRS concludes that those workers should be treated as employees, and it bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations and guidance on the matter.

Genuine independent contractors make up a small part of the American workforce because, by definition, an independent contractor operates his or her own business. They have specialized skills, they invest capital in the business, and they perform a new service, not just routine services already that other workers already provide. Most workers, especially in labor intensive jobs like construction are not operating a business of their own.

There are legitimate independent contractors in every industry. And it is not our intent to undermine their work. By ensuring that the IRS can require employers to properly classify the people working for them as well as give them guidance on how to do that, we will ensure that both true independent contractors and true employees are treated as such.

This legislation will close the Section 530 loophole. It will allow the government to collect the taxes employers owe and level the playing field for all workers and employers. The legislation will also address the serious need for more enforcement of federal tax and employment laws to identify those employers in major industries that wrongly classify their workers as independent contactors and require greater cooperation between the IRS and the Department of Labor in enforcing the law.

In the end, everyone is a winner. The vast majority of employers who pay their fair share of taxes and recognize their workers as employees will be able to compete on a level playing field against employers who will held accountable for cheating the system. Workers benefit by receiving the basic employment rights of all other employees. And the “tax gap” is narrowed by collecting literally billions of dollars in unpaid federal taxes that are now denied the federal treasury due to misclassification of independent contractors.

Opposition to closing this loophole would favor businesses not complying with their obligations to their workers or complying with their tax obligations over those playing by the rules. Maintaining the status quo would be a disservice to all employers competing in the marketplace and doing the right thing.

The Fixes

The legislation we are introducing will end the practice of allowing employers to continue to misclassify workers for employment tax purposes and eliminate the employer’s defense that misclassification is a common practice in the employer’s industry. Thus, in industries like construction, where especially large numbers of employers misclassify their workers, the safe harbor provision will no longer apply just because it is common practice in the industry to violate federal laws.

Also, our legislation allows the IRS to write rules, regulations, and guidance for employers on how to properly classify their employees for employment tax purposes. Current law bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations, and guidance on this matter. To help beef up enforcement of existing tax laws, the bill also improves on an IRS procedure that allows individual workers to ask the IRS to make a determination whether they are, in fact, wrongly classified as independent contractors by their employers.

Of special significance, the legislation would also require the IRS to communicate with the Department of Labor because employers who misclassify employees for tax purposes, may also be misclassifying workers to avoid compliance with any number of labor laws including minimum wage and overtime pay. It also requires the DOL to start tracking misclassification cases to get a better handle on the true scope of the problem.

Finally, the legislation would require employers to notify independent contractors of their rights, including their right to seek a determination from the IRS about whether they are properly classified as an independent contractor.

The Scope of the Problem

The GAO has reported that at least 10 million workers in the United States are classified as independent contractors, which is an increase of more than two million workers in just six years. Other studies have found that as many as 30% of employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors, especially in problem industries like construction. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Labor still fails to track how many workers are denied minimum wage and overtime pay despite the rampant problem of misclassification of independent contractors.

While many workers are legitimately employed as independent contractors, those who are not are denied worker’s compensation, overtime pay, and the other benefits due them, while their employers fail to pay their payroll taxes. And employers playing by the rules should not have to compete with employers who are not playing by the rules.

The following studies have quantified the problem:

Ø NY: Fiscal Policy Institute, “New York State Workers Compensation: How Big is the Shortfall?” (January 2007), estimated that misclassification of workers amounts to a loss of $500 million to $1 billion annually in evaded workers’ compensation premium; Ø IL: Michael Kelsay, James Sturgeon, Kelly Pinkham, “The Economic Costs of Employee Misclassification in the State of Illinois” (Dept of Economics: University of Missouri-Kansas City: December 2006), estimated that misclassification of workers in 2005 resulted in a $53.7 million loss of unemployment insurance taxes and a $149 million to $250 million loss of income tax, and that $97.9 million in workers’ compensation premiums were not paid properly in 2004; Ø NJ: Dept. of Labor & Workforces’s audit in 2005 found $5 million in lost income taxes and $15 million in underpayments to UI and disability funds; Ø ME: State of Maine, “Annual Report on the Status of the Maine Workers’ Compensation System,” Submitted to the Legislature, February 2005), estimating that for a typical year from 1999-2002, misclassification of workers in the construction industry resulted in a $11,729,009 loss of federal and state tax revenues; Ø MA: Francois Carre, J.W. McCormack, “The Social and Economic Cost of Employee Misclassification in Construction (Labor and Worklife Program, Harvard Law School and Harvard School of Public Health: December 2004), estimating that misclassification of workers from 2001 - 2003 resulted in an annual $3.4 million to $11.7 million loss in unemployment insurance taxes, a $91 million loss of income tax revenue, and up to $91 million of loss in workers compensation premiums; The Loophole: Further Background on the Section 530 Safe Harbor & Limited Federal Enforcement

The Section 530 Safe Harbor requires the IRS to excuse misclassification and allow an employer to continue reporting employees as 1099 independent contractors if the employer (1) has been treating similarly situated workers as independent contractors, (2) has been consistently reporting the workers as independent contractors to the IRS and has been issuing 1099’s to the workers or (3) has a reasonable basis to classify employees as subcontractors. The first two are known as the consistency requirements.

A consistent employer still needs to satisfy the reasonable basis test. The reasonable basis test is satisfied if the employer (a) reasonably relied on a court decision or IRS ruling issued to the employer, (b) was a subject of an IRS employment-classification audit of similarly situated workers and the IRS did not reclassify the workers, and (c) relied on a long-standing practice of a significant segment of the industry.

So an employer can be misclassifying his workers, but as long as he does it consistently and other people in the industry do it too, the IRS can do nothing about it. And the law also bars the IRS from writing rules, regulations, or guidance on compliance with the law on this issue, thereby further discouraging compliance.

Lastly, the U.S. Department of Labor has failed to aggressively enforce the minimum wage and overtime laws to identify and prosecute cases where low-road employers misclassify their workers as independent contractors. Indeed, the agency in charge of enforcing the nation’s wage and hour laws does not even track cases where employers routinely violate the federal law by misclassifying their workers as independent contractors.

“The Independent Contractor Proper Classification Act of 2007” Section-by-Section Summary Section 1: Title

Section 2: Reformation of Safe Harbor to Close its Use as a Tax Loophole

Amends Section 530 to allow the IRS to require employers to reclassify workers that they have misclassified in the past.
Eliminates the ban on the IRS issuing regulations or revenue rulings on employee/independent contractor status.
Eliminates the ability of employers to rely on others in the industry misclassifying employees as a basis for continuing to misclassify their employees.

Section 3: Review of Classification Status

Directs the IRS to develop a process for workers to ask for an evaluation of their proper classification.
It requires safeguards against employer retaliation and payment of attorney’s fees to employees who were misclassified.
Directs the IRS to audit employers if an employee requests an evaluation of their classification and the IRS finds that the employee was misclassified; and
Directs the IRS to inform the Department of Labor of misclassification practices.

Section 4: Enforcement and Compliance

IRS and DOL are required to issue annual reports on misclassification and their efforts to curtail the practice.
Requires the DOL to conduct investigations in industries that IRS data show to have high rates of misclassification for tax purposes and to track cases involving misclassification of independent contractors involving the Wage and Hour Division.

Section 5: Notice to Employees and Independent Contractors of their Rights and Obligations

DOL will provide information on any poster required under the FLSA of the employee right to challenge their status as an independent contractor.
Requires each employer to notify any independent contractor of their federal tax obligations as an independent contractor, the labor and employment law protections that do not apply to independent contractors, and the right of the independent contractor to seek a classification determination from the IRS.
Requires employers to retain for three years a list of the independent contractors they have hired.

Time to take back America

Iowa Laborer — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 14:38:28 EDT

With the Labor Day holiday behind us we now kick off the traditional beginning of the campaign season. While many of us have been active for Barack for months now we must renew our efforts here and now and begin working even harder to get freinds and neighbors interested and involved in the campaign. It is time for the "It's too early" crowd to get off their posteriors and side up with a candidate and it falls upon us as supporters to ensure that these folks side with Senator Obama. So let's hit it gang, the future of America is waiting.

Honoring Workers on Labor Day

Iowa Laborer — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 17:45:27 EDT

Labor Day is about showing our respect for workers both past and present and honoring those workers who have paved the way through blood and sweat so that the rest of us might enjoy the living and working standards we have inherited. So, how do we honor those who have given us so much? By working to elect Barack Obama as the next President of these United States. Today more than ever working people stand to lose most of the gains they have inherited but all of this could change not by strikes or revolts, but rather by simply electing an individual who will continue the fight for working America. That individual IS Barack Obama.

New Union Endorsement - WTF?!?!

Iowa Laborer — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 16:07:30 EDT

I heard that the machinists endorsed both hillary and huckabee today. I know many machinists who are good people and great trade unionists and I would suspect that they too are scratching their heads right now saying WTF?!?!? Perhaps it is a sign of the times with many "business" minded union leaders at the healms in washington these days that such a great organization should be led down such a path. It is no bold statement of idealism to back the front-running democrat and then, to make certain your derrier is adequately covered, to also back a moderate appearing republican. I can only feel sadness in my heart for my brothers and sisters in that union who now must choose between publicly working to support a republican or the wife of the man who brought us NAFTA and yet today tours the nation and the world touting the wonders of globalization.

Strike a blow against washington hypocracy - elect obama

Iowa Laborer — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:58:21 EDT

If you are like me at all, you have grown sick and weary of washington hypocracy. Of republican politicians who campaign on "family values" and vote against extending any rights to gay americans while seeking their own filthy sexual gratification in public restrooms behind the backs of their families and their constituents. And today president bush visited new orleans on the 2nd anniversary of katrina to talk abour hope and promise while few of the original inhabitants were able to attend as they have been forced to flee the area for lack of government support in rebuilding their homes.

Now is the time to put an end to this hypocracy and elect a candidate that means what he says and says what he means. A man who will put the nations resources where our values are, and a man who will restore not only hope but faith in our government both at home and abroad. We have the power to make it all happen without revolution or revolt....we need simply vote......Barack Obama for President.

The Iowa debate

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:18:28 EDT

For all of you who were fortunate enough to view the democratic debate in des moines recently you know that there was a clear winner and that winner was Senator Barack Obama.

I was fortunate enough to have been in the audience that morning and I will tell you that no other candidate drew the audience applause and praise as did Obama. What's more, what you did not see was that when the candidates were all expected to arrive twenty minutes in advance they all did so with one exception....hillary. Her royal heiness instead came at her own leisure just moments before the debate actually began. It was disrespectful to the audience as well as the other candidates who had been there on time.

Making it through the September drudge

Iowa Laborer — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 18:31:26 EDT

For many of you who have never been through an election cycle before as an active part of the campaign you may find this time of year to be a bit of a lull from the excitement that we witnessed earlier in the year. Not a lack of excitement about our candidate, but rather a slow wearing down of activists. This is normal. And generally the frenzy doesn't pick up again until sometime in October. The key is to simply continue working hard for Obama and if you feel yourself lagging with the times to take a week off of politics. I know this sounds like horrible advice, but the reality is that we are going to need you fully charged and ready to run in October so if you feel like you need it take the time now and be ready to run. And remember that while this is the least exciting time in any campaign, it is probably the most important in terms of establishing relationships and building the network of supporters it is going to take to win this thing.

Union Members for Obama

Iowa Laborer — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:34:16 EDT

The title of this post is not union leaders for Obama. Nor is it unions for Obama. It is Union Members for Obama because if you are a union member you need to be supporting Barack Obama for president. Barack is the only candidate out there that understands the struggle of working people because he actually was one of us. He does not have to reach into generations past like so many other candidates to tell stories of humble beginnings. He can share with you his own story. He doesn't have to talk about the struggle of working America because he alone has lived that struggle and fought beside working families as a community organizer. So this year I would ask you each not to wait and see who your international unions endorse. I would ask you not to wait and see who your Local Union President will endorse. I would tell you each to set a course of change in American politics and support Barack Obama because his story is our story.

A different kind of politics

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 21:25:43 EDT

It seems both tragic and funny to me whenever I

hear some people talk about what candidates are

rather than who they are and what they stand for.

Americans are yearning for a new kind of politics

and yet many expect to get that new kind of politics

out of the same old sort of politicians.

The hair stands up on the back of my neck when

I hear someone say they wouldn’t vote for Barack

Obama because he is black, for Hilary Clinton

because she is a woman or for Bill Richardson

because he is hispanic. If we truly desire a new kind

of politics then certainly this will require a new kind

of politician and just as equally, a new kind of voter.

I guess that it requires reminding to each of us that

the current president of our United States was sent

to Washington not because he had any great ideas

or grand ideals, but rather because he was a white

male who claims to be a christian. Indeed, many of

the folks who voted for him were thoroughly

convinced that Christ Almighty Himself snuck into

W’s room at night and whispered inspirations into

his ear, but of course as we have since discovered, it

wasn’t Jesus at all that was pulling his strings, but

Dick Cheney and Haliburton instead.

As a volunteer with the Red Cross in the Gulf Coast

following Hurricane Katrina I was nearly lynched

when I made similar remarks about the president to

a small group of "christians" who were also there

volunteering. They informed me that God had also

told them to come down there and help so it was not

at all a stretch of the imagination to believe that His

divine hand would be guiding little W.

Well, after only a week of the sultry weather and

frustrating conditions God must have told them same

people that it would be okay to quit early and go

home because that is precisely what they did. I have

never spoken to any of those folks again but I often

wonder if they are among the 20% or so of

Americans who still believe that the boob who is in

our Nation’s oval office wakes in the morning with

the words of God still ringing in his ear.

There was a time not so very long ago when this

sort of talk about W would be considered an act of

treason. I am no doubt in some top secret FBI

possible terrorism suspect file for doing so and some

day a flower van is probably going to pull up at my

door and haul me away to parts unknown.

And when that happens and the CIA is driving

wedges under my fingernails it will all have been

worth while if only one voter, just one, will take a

little more time to learn about the issues and the

candidates and vote just once for a president based

upon the individual’s abilities, capabilities, and

policies. Because when that day comes I’ll be looking

to that new president for a pardon and I’ll accept my

freedom from a woman or a man, a black or a

hispanic, a christian or an atheist. Vote Smart!

Obama, Our Last Best Hope

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:43:30 EDT

America's middle class is teetering upon the very edge of extinction. Reports of the daunting numbers are rolling in each day that confirm that most of us are struggling and remind us that we are not alone. The number of the children of working families who are attending universities has plummeted as tuition costs have skyrocketed. With stagnant wages and costs soaring like that of gasoline, combined with the neverending offers from unscrupulous lenders of every variety there to put you further into the hole, Americans are beginning to see the trend of despair in their own homes in record numbers, that is of course, if they still have their own homes.

This could well be the final shot that we have to address the needs of working America politically and dismiss old lines drawn that divide this nation into two political parties. Setting this nation right again is going to take more than experience in Washington. It will require more than the experience of working within the system to try to get things done. This task, more than ever before in our lifetimes, will require Herculean courage and a vision that goes beyond what we have come to think of as politics and government.

I believe that most working Americans are fed up with politics and the government. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to impress the virtues of political activism upon folks who are a paycheck or two away from homelessness. And while the right has always depended upon the destitute not participating in the process, I do not believe they have considered the dire consequences of the middle class giving up on it as well.

The future of this nation experiment of ours may well depend upon our ability to elect the sort of individual who can cast off the spells of parties and beltway insiders and really accomplish something for this nation and her people. I believe that Barack Obama may be the only candidate who can create not only the results that America needs, but the hope that we all have come to yearn for as well.

Obama Campaign Energized!

Iowa Laborer — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:34:52 EDT

If you haven't had a chance to visit the Des Moines headquarters I would encourage everyone to do so. Not only is it in a fantastic location with great working space but most impressive is the flurry of staff and activity inside!

This campaign is already taking things to the next level. When I walked into the office recently the electricity and excitement that filled the air was comparable to winning campaigns I've seen in the past on the night before an election.

Everyone there is working hard, but everyone there is also excited to be working so hard because they believe in this candidate. From Barack himself all the way to the field staff and volunteers there is a real sense of purpose that transcends politics and drives this organization forward.

And spending time in the office you get a real sense that this campaign is not merely about electing Barack Obama, but rather building a coalition of "we the people" to restore this government and this nation to the symbol of hope that it once was for the rest of the world to ascend toward and aspire to become.

Very Exciting New Polling Data!

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:49:15 EDT

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports Senator Obama has finally pulled into the lead ahead of Hillary! It goes to show that the ground game that we are helping to create is working. His opponents are discovering that all of the high profile wealthy freinds in the world cannot purchase or influence the political will of we the people.

The political tide has shifted dramatically in this country and we are ready for Obama. Not because he talks about morals and character, but because he has morals and character! Not because he talks about middle class values, but because he actually possesses them.

Enough gloating, now get back to work and I'll see you at the Obama Inaugural!

Living the Dream!

Iowa Laborer — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:18:55 EDT

Senator Obama is slowly closing the gap in the latest polls to a margin barely large enough to cover the error spread. With no Republican even close it will fall upon the ranks of Democrats to ultimately decide who the next leader of the free world will be. At no time in recent history has such awesome responsibility been granted to such a small portion of the electorate.

Times like these are the reason that many of us got into politics in the first place. It is an opportunity to change the world we live in and elect visionary leadership capable of such change. I would urge everyone out there to muster just a few more dollars each month and contribute them to this campaign. Likewise, I would urge you each to spend just a few more hours helping this campaign achieve victory. But most importantly of all, work to convince those closest to you that this is THE ELECTION and Barack Obama is THE CANDIDATE!

Really want to change the world? Convince five people close to you to support this campaign and call and nag them and make certain they go their caucuses or polls. Convince them to give a few bucks to the campaign. Let them feel your excitement! We can either continue to imagine a world where our leadership had values, intelligence, charisma, and a genuine understanding of His/Her constitutional duties or we can elecet Barack Obama and live that dream.

Selection of MidWest Large Minded or Million Goal Groups including a Midwest Top 150! Join One Million MySpace Friends for Obama'08 here and on MySpace. See URLs below. Thanks!

One Million MySpace Friends for Obama'08 in Iowa — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:30:49 EDT

1.) My.BarackObama.com: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

2.) Official MySpace profile: Link (under construction)

3.) Official Group profile on MySpace: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

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PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN TO ONE MILLION MYSPACE FRIENDS FOR OBAMA'08'S MIDWEST $10,000 CAMPAIGN COFFER DRIVES!

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<A href="Link Dakota!</A>

<A href="Link Dakota!</A>

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MIDWEST'S TOP 150! If you would like your group to be added or deleted from my list please let me know.

Obama Endorses Senator Durbin's Fair Elections Now Act!

One Million MySpace Friends for Obama'08 in Iowa — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 12:21:11 EDT

Presidential Hopefuls on Public Financing and FENA
The three front-runners for the Democratic nomination for
President are on the record in support of public financing of
elections. John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama have
all come out strongly in favor of a change to the system. You
can see Edwards' endorsement here
Link and Clinton's here
Link. See this clip
Link of Obama's recent endorsement
of Senator Richard Durbin's Fair Elections Now Act, and
exhortation for public pressure on the issue here. Republican
presidential hopeful, John McCain, meanwhile has been less
supportive of public financing while on the campaign trail this
year, but has supported it strongly in the past
Link at the state level as well as
for the Presidential race. He has joined Obama in promising to
run under public financing in the general election if his
opponent agrees to do the same. It's encouraging to see
discussion of and support for this policy from the presidential
field; nobody knows better than the candidates racing to raise
the millions they'll need to get to the White House that
campaign financing needs an overhaul.

Speaking of the Fair Elections Now Act, it's been popping up in
the news left and right drawing positive editorials and LOTS of
attention on the letters to editor page
Link thanks to efforts of Public
Campaign Action Fund members. You can write your own letter to
the editor using our tool here
Link />
New Mexico Close to Judicial Public Financing
Great news! New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson plans to turn
his endorsement of public financing for judicial races into
action when he signs the bill recently passed out of the state
legislature in special session that would expand the state's
public financing program to include state Supreme and Appellate
court races: Link. He plans to
line-item veto the "poison pill" provision in the bill that
would require voters to amend the state constitution to
eliminate retention elections (making those judges run in
partisan races) before the public financing system could take
effect. New Mexico already has public financing available to
candidates for the state's Public Regulation Commission, and the
city of Albuquerque approved public financing for municipal
elections by ballot initiative in 2005. Many thanks to New
Mexico Common Cause and Public Campaign Board member Richard
Romero, for their efforts in passing this bill!

Maryland Campaign in Final Days
Thousands of emails, hundreds of calls, and a pair of lobby days
later we are in the last week of the Maryland legislative
session: the moment of truth for a Clean Elections win in the
state this year Link. In fact, the
Senate is schedule to vote today on the bill that would bring
full public financing for legislative elections in Maryland --
the state Assembly is already in support. Though Senate
President Mike Miller (D) is notoriously opposed to Clean
Elections, the gossip in Annapolis is that grassroots organizing
(all those emails, all those calls) and the tireless efforts of
Progressive Maryland, Maryland NAACP, Maryland Common Cause,
Maryland Sierra Club, and The Reform Institute, have really
boosted support among previously ambivalent legislators for
passing Clean Elections. It's going to be quite a showdown -- as
soon as we get the results of the vote we'll let you know!

April Showers?
Did Uncle Sam give you a refund on your federal tax return this
year? How about turning a little bit of that around with an
investment in winning Clean Elections through a gift to Public
Campaign Action Fund Link Your tax
dollars fund the policies of the country, what better way to
ensure they are spent responsibly than by establishing Clean
Elections systems that make elected officials accountable to
you?

VOICEing Support
Public Campaign staffers checked their inboxes a few weeks ago
and found an email from National Field Director Jeannette
Galanis: "I think we need to go to Iowa." Why? Because a
dedicated group of legislators and activists from Iowa Citizens
for Community Improvement and the Clean Elections Coalition had
advanced full public financing legislation, the Voter-Owned Iowa
Clean Elections (VOICE) Act, farther than they ever had in the
state: far enough to make a win this year a real possibility.

A pair of bills, HSB 105 championed by Representative Pam Jochum
(D-Dubuque) and SSB 1173 headed up by Senator Mike Connolly
(D-Dubuque) have passed out of their respective State Government
committees and are moving on to Appropriations, where they look
to face formidable opposition. We are gearing up for a full
court press grassroots field effort; getting calls in to
legislators in support of VOICE, getting the word out through
door-to-door canvassing and phone banking, and ramping up
lobbying efforts in Des Moines to win Clean Elections for Iowa!
You can find out more about the campaign here
Link />
Blog/News Roundup
Have you been reading Paid For By?, Public Campaign Action
Fund?s blog? In case you missed this week, check out the stories
we've been following on?

- New Jersey Governor John Corzine signing the bill continuing
his state's Clean Elections Pilot project
Link />- Presidential candidates raising money any way they can --
ethics? What ethics? Link
- Energy for change: watch Senator Durbin's passionate speech
Link introducing the Fair Elections
Now Act on the floor of the Senate here.

Uncommon Common Sense

Iowa Laborer — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 13:34:56 EDT

Watching the Obama Webcast yesterday reaffirmed why I have supported this man from the very beginning. Not only does he legitimately seek to reaffirm our constitution as the moral directive for the executive branch, he restores a common sense approach to government that America is desperate for. Even as a candidate he does not always say what I would like most to hear, but rather his words remain based in modern realities and he lays out a realistic achievable agenda for America. After the last several years of our current administration, America is ready for someone who is not only articulate and intelligent, but who also has the common sense to approach problems not as a mindless drone bound by an ideology, but as an informed leader with a firm understanding of the law and our nation's founding documents. I believe that with an Obama Administration would come profound change in the way our nation views politics and we would NEVER be content to settle for less again.

Hello World

Joe Hughson — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:58:55 EDT

I'm sure there are plenty of people who think that it is too soon to throw your support behind a candidate, especially with primary season being so far away. I'm an Iowan, so that means that I'll be one of the first to cast my vote for the next president. I'm registered as an independent, but I'm seriously considering changing that to Democrat so I can vote in the caucuses for Sen. Obama. If I recall correctly, independents in Iowa cannot vote in the caucuses.

I'm thoroughly fed up with hard-line Republicans who rattle their sabers and then snuggle up to W like the sycophantic lap dogs that they are. I appreciate the few Republicans that do decide that towing the party line and being responsible politicians aren't one and the same.

I have decided to back Sen. Obama over Sen. Clinton and the other candidates, because I believe in his integrity, and I believe that he will keep his word concerning our involvement in Iraq. The other candidates say they don't approve of the war, but that pulling immediately and unconditionally would be bad for the United States.

The problem with timetables is that too much time elapses between now and the deadline. Every day that we stay there, more American troops die in a conflict that Iraqis should be fighting. How absurd would it have been if, during our Civil War, we also had a foreign occupying force trying to police the nation?

We should stay in the Western Hemisphere and put our troops on the U.S./Mexican border or have them perform other homeland defense missions. We could reallocate all the money we're wasting in the sandbox to domestic programs. Why should we be feeding and teaching Iraqis when red-blooded American children go hungry and high school seniors fail literacy tests?

What about spending some of that war coffer on alternative-fuel cars so we don't have to rely on foreign oil? I can hear the howls of the ExxonMobile & BPAmoco execs even as I write.

I could rant all day about how to better use our resources, but I'd never get any work done, so I'm going to finish my lunch break and come back later.

MILLION GOAL! SELECTION OF IA, IL, IN NATIONAL OR LARGE MINDED GROUPS PLUS A TOP 25 LIST JOIN ONE MILLION MYSPACE FRIENDS FOR OBAMA'08 AND POST YOUR EVENTS AND BLOGS ON OUR PAGES!

blueball3 — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 12:49:58 EDT

JOIN ONE MILLION MYSPACE FRIENDS FOR OBAMA'08 AND POST YOUR EVENTS AND BLOGS ON OUR PAGES!

1.) My.BarackObama.com: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

2.) Official MySpace profile: Link (under construction)

3.) Official Group profile on MySpace: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

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

Following is a SELECTION OF IA, IL, IN GROUPS list INCLUDING A TOP 25 of National OR Large Testimonial Groups that need everyone to join TODAY regardless of their State of residence in most instances. If you would like your group URL(s) to be added or deleted from my list please let me know.

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1.) Relay for Life Obama Team, Cedar Falls, April 13: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

2.) Ragbrai riders for OBAMA: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

3.) Single Parents Support Barack: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

4.) Barack the Vote: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

5.) Diversity4Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

6.) Minorityspacers for Obama '08!: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

7.) Youth for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

8.) America for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

9.) Military for Barack Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

10.) Vietnam Veterans for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

11.) 1,000,000 Americans for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

12.) Caregivers for Barack: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

13.) One Million MySpace Friends for Obama'08!: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

The Official Profile on MySpace: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

The Official Group on Myspace: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

14.) Barack Obama (One Million Strong for Barack): Link (PLACE HOLDER)

The Official profile of the outstanding Facebook group on Myspace: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

15.) Illinois Students for Barack Obama (Official Chapter): Link (PLACE HOLDER)

16.) Iowa Students For Barack Obama (Official State Chapter): Link (PLACE HOLDER)

17.) Mamas for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

18.) Dads for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

19.) Bark for Barack: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

20.) Peace and Justice Voters for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

21.) Organized Labor for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

22.) Moodlers for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

23.) Young Women Voters Support Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

24.) Indiana Obama Backers: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

25.) So. Indiana for Obama: Link (PLACE HOLDER)

"Big Labor" For Obama!

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 17:02:23 EDT

You hear a lot of talk from the other side of the aisle about "Big Labor" as if the organizations that represent hard working Americans can be compared to Enron or oil tycoons. But at the end of the day "Big Labor" is really just a collective group of individuals who work every day to advance the cause of working people. And that is why when the smoke all clears and the dust has settled much of "Big Labor" will utlimately decide to back Barack Obama to be the next president of these United States.

There is no other candidate who understands better the struggle of working America today than does Barack Obama. His success has come as a result not of his inherited name or family lineage. It has been a result of hard work. Unlike our millionaire president who being the son of a millionaire president likes to talk big about pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, Senator Obama knows firsthand what it means not to be able to even afford to buy a pair of boots!

Senator Obama has fought in the same trenches as labor during his time as a community organizer and because of that time he has insight into the problems of everyday Americans that all of the other candidates millions combined will never be able to buy. He knows that political decisions have real world consequences and he knows that the collective spirit of the masses must overcome the political clout of a priviledged few if this national experiment of ours is to ultimately succeed. Labor will rally around Obama because Obama represents what they represent, us.

A Brave New Candidate for A Brave New World

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 18:42:57 EST

This is and will be the most open presidential race of our lifetime. As such it will draw countless new faces into the tired political equation and stands to shift the face of American politics. With such an exciting race at hand so many people who are either new to politics due to youth or previous apathy will be drawn into the fold this cycle.

This is reason enough why we must elect a candidate that will rise to the challenge with a new breed of politics and while there are some formidable challengers out there in the Democratic field, I believe that Senator Obama is the only one who has specifically addressed this issue. Further, he seems to be the only candidate with a plan to alter the political landscape in a positive way that will meet the rising expectations of so many Americans.

If you are not new to politics you know that in the past we have been made to content ourselves with the lesser of two evils when selecting candidates. But today we have an opportunity not only to elect a man who genuinely understands the concerns of middle class America from his own first hand experiences but will offer this Nation visionary leadership of the like that we have not witnessed perhaps since FDR.

Exciting New Polling Data!

Iowa Laborer — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 21:55:02 EST

The Iowa Caucus Website has an on-line unofficial poll on it. According to the results thus far Obama leads Clinton 70.4% to 29.6%!!! Also Obama leads Edwards by 66.1% to 33.9%!!!!

Go today and cast your votes for OBAMA!!! The site is www.theiowacaucus.com , vote as often as you like!!!!

On Meeting Senator Obama

Iowa Laborer — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 20:21:36 EST

I am very delighted to be able to report that I had the incredible opportunity to speak breifly with Senator Obama a few days ago. In case any of you are wondering what I was wondering the answer is a definitive YES! This guy is the genuine article. There is nothing remotely phony or "political" about him. He does not ham for the camera or change his tone or words regardless of who is in earshot. These are both things you will notice about 90% of the time when dealing regularly with politicians. He speaks person to person with the casual familiarity of an old freind or a good neighbor.

Out of a sense of duty have I campaigned for others in the past, but this one is personal. This campaign really is about me and what I want for this country. And what I want for this country most right now is to elect Barack Obama as our next President of These United States. And rather than a chore working to elect this man will truly be a labor of love for family, country and something brighter for tomorrow.

Radical Leftist Dictatorship?

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:00:38 EST

I am a radical leftist. Deep in my heart of hearts I wished that Kucinich and folks just like him would win their races. I have always maintained a secret desire for the far left to come to power and rule by dictatorship.

But as I age and mature so do my political ideologies. We have all witnessed the oppressive rule of the far right in the current administration. I have come to realize that a dictatorship by any name relies upon the suppression of the ideas and beliefs of a large segment of the population. And while we often disagree on many issues we cannot continue to summarily dismiss the ideas, hopes, dreams and beliefs of whatever third of the country is not in power at that moment. That cannot be the America that I wish upon my children.

This is why I was so inspired by reading 'The Audacity of Hope'. Senator Barack Obama does not aim to govern from the far right or the far left or even the center really. His ambition is to hear the best that comes from each party and every individual and to make fair decisions based on what is best for the hard working men and women of this country and their families. He aspires not to rewrite the way we govern, but rather to reaffirm the basic structure of government as it was designed and framed so perfectly in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and our Bill of Rights.

It is tempting to come to power and forego all of the rules that stand in your way, dismissing the seperation of powers as the mere inconvenience of an outdated system. But as President Bush has proven to us time and again, no one can be entrusted to assume so much power as to question the wisdom of the framers of our constitution and summarily dismiss the rules of government as minor inconveniences.

There are a good number of reasons why I support Senator Barack Obama in his bid for President. But perhaps most importantly, I support him because he is the only candidate fielded from either party who recognizes that a "house divided cannot stand". That the way of the future and a better America was spelled out for us in recipe form some 200 years ago and we need only follow its' design to realize our more perfect union.

Let there be honest representation of the people's values in the house. Let there be thoughtful deliberation within the walls of the senate. And let there reside in the white house a man who has not only read the constitution once in college, but knows the document by heart, has studied the intentions of each of her creators, and has the humility to respect its' wisdom. This, not empty partisan rhetoric about flag and country, is patriotism and there is only one individual in the field today who can fill these shoes and his name is Barack Obama.

The Most Important Endorsement For Obama 2008!

Iowa Laborer — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 21:35:16 EST

Today it was announced that the Governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President. This is fantastic news that Barack has so inspired two governors now that they would commit to his campaign this early in the process.

However, there is a more important public endorsement out there and that endorsement is you. Nobody ever votes for someone because another politician has endorsed them. Clearly there can be tremendous boosts to fundraising and interest based upon endorsements like Governor Kaine, but only you hold the power to sway the votes of those closest to you.

Most folks simply do not follow politics that closely and they rely heavily upon the words of people around them. I urge each of you not to miss an opportunity to speak to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers about Barack Obama. I myself have made it a point to reach out to dozens of folks and let them know that I strongly and unequivocably support Senator Obama. Based solely upon my conviction and belief in this man, many of my family members have made donations to this campaign. And once you have convinced someone to write a check they then have a vested interest in the outcome of that campaign whether they are genuinely political or not.

In the evenings and on weekends I make it a point to stop and visit old freinds I have not visited recently and, in the course of the conversation I slowly work into politics, the importance of the the 2008 election, and why I support Barack Obama. I don't speak ill of his opponents, I simply emphasize the strengths of this candidate and what I believe he can do for this nation. Often people are made to feel like they really don't matter in the outcome of a Presidential election. I try to let them know that in this campaign people like us will be the only thing that does matter. Now get to work!

Obama to be in Des Moines this week!

Iowa Laborer — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 22:52:10 EST

Great news to all the Iowa folks. Senator Obama will be in Des Moines this Wednesday, February 21st. The doors will open at 6:45 pm at the Polk County Convention Complex at 5th & Grand downtown. If you are planning to attend you should go to the home page and RSVP for an e-ticket.

If you are an Iowa Union Member please message me about this event!

Look forward to seeing all of you there!!!! Go Obama!!!

Some things aren't simply BLACK and WHITE

Iowa Laborer — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 18:36:39 EST

I know it is early in the game, but I find myself growing impatient with the entire racial issue. Today I heard for the eight hundredth time that someone had asked Senator Obama if he thought a black man could win. Followed in the media by the "is he black enough?" line. You have some white's who are reluctant because he is black and some blacks who are reluctant because he is white!

I understand that race is a very sensitive issue in America but I will begin by answering both charges. Can a black man win? Yes, if we vote for him. Okay, next question. Is Obama black enough? Yes, he is black enough that some folks will hate him based upon the color of his skin. He is black enough to arouse the watchful eye of department store security guards. And yes, he is even black enough to get the cold shoulder from many big city cab drivers.

Next issue. If you are reluctant to support him because is black or white or half black or half white or not white enough or not black enough or too white or too black, and not because of his politics, abilities or beliefs, then you are a racist bigot. But this is America. You have the right to be a racist bigot. But, regardless of your race, if this issue weighs heavily on your mind and you are shaping your decision about the man based upon his race then you need to be aware that you are a racist bigot and admit it to yourself and your friends and loved ones. And also, if at all possible, wear a shirt or something that will identify you to the rest of us so we don't have to waste our time communicating with you about important political issues that matter. We'll just see you and know...."Oh yeah, a racist bigot shirt, well, no since talking about the issues to him."

We have one shot at this folks. One opportunity to elect a president that believes in this country and its' constitution. We have an opportunity to elect, not a black man or a white man, but a man who has the abilities and desire to bring America together by bridging gaps that no one else could, be they racial or political. We have the opportunity to elect a man who is black enough to know firsthand the struggles of black families in urban Chicago and white enough to be invited to sit down and dine with Republican senators. And the really exciting thing is that both of those groups will listen to him and becuase of that he, and he alone holds in his hands the ability to bridge seemingly insurmountable gaps and lead this Nation into a new era of prosperity.

Confessions of an addict

Iowa Laborer — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 20:30:58 EST

Have you ever had to follow a candidate on the campaign trail? If you have you know that the speeches that once gave you excitement become the same tortuous repetition night after night and appearance after appearance. But not our guy. I have never before personally witnessed the ability possessed by Barack Obama not only to deliver fresh ad-lib at each appearance but also to play off of the crowd and bob and weave with the grace of Cassius Clay in the ring. But he's not bobbing and weaving to miss punches, he is moving somehow to the emotional rythm of the crowd. So much so that I find myself actually not wanting to miss his next local appearance just to view the next mesmerizing performance.

And the key to his oratory success? His secret of gentle manipulation through the spoken word? He speaks from his heart. It turns out that he is not a politican at all but rather an idealist whose core beliefs are America and the as of yet unrealized potential of her people. Because he says what he believes without careful political consideration of his every word, he is able to take us on a journey with him though his words and paint a picture that we might all believe in because in this portrait we, all of us, are the subjects. And so for him, it is not a struggle to "shoot from the hip" in his speeches and becuase of this each one is genuinely unique as the orator who is delivering and the crowd who is in receipt of them.

It is this freshness at every turn that will eventually see the cream rise slowly but certainly to the top. It is this same freshness and renewable excitement that has caused me to become addicted to his speeches. I would feel genuinely sorry for my wife and children for having to be dragged along to every event were it not for the fact that I know that each of them will remember vividly their experiences helping to elect a President Obama who will change the course of our history and restore this Nation to her former state of greatness.

A New Reality

Iowa Laborer — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:10:04 EST

I am personally inspired by Senator Obama's reach for the stars "can do" attitude. I believe that his vision combined with an uncanny ability to construct bridges across seemingly insurmountable gaps will take this Nation to a place that few can today imagine is possible. President Obama will most certainly redefine modern politics and our aspirations will become his and his will become the world's.

The only obstacle between aspirations and reality now is we the people. For a President Obama to reach up, we must all first reach out. Reach out to those friends and relatives who do not contribute to politics and shame them into supporting this campaign in a small way. Reach out to those you work with and tell them why you believe in this campaign. Become the "Obama guy or girl" in your office, at your school, and in your neighborhood. And challenge yourself each day to do a little more than you did yesterday.

This campaign is not about Politics and it really even isn't about Barack Obama. This campaign, more than any of them before, is about America and the people who live here. This campaign is about us. And at the end of the day we will not have merely dreams or aspirations, at the end of this day we shall of a new reality of hope. Reach out America!

The Turning Tide

Iowa Laborer — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 21:24:29 EST

After 9/11 our Nation rallied together and an opportunity to unite us all in common brotherhood was wasted by folks who would rather ram through their neoconservative agenda. For five long years the radicial right reigned supreme and shunned an entire demographic of America. For those of us on the left these were very dark years indeed. Not only were our concerns scoffed, but our very political affiliation caused us to be branded as unpatriotic. To merely question the actions or the motives of those in power was practically considered an act of treason that brought to bare the entire right wing machine down upon you.

Today, the dark veil has been lifted and we can all see the light of justice beginning to shine down upon us once again. We have hope that our constitution may once again be allowed to function as it was intended. And the neo-conservatives are whithering on the vine that grew out of the very seeds which they themselves had cultivated. It is tempting not only to tell that arrogant in-law that you were right and they were wrong. It is even more tempting to use our new found powers to suppress those who worked so ruthlessly to cast suppression upon us, our party, and our ideals. But this will not heal our nation. This will not make America great again.

We must remember that conservatism has value in our politics just as does liberalism. Those on the right who have been leading this Nation astray for so long now in no way resemble traditional conservatives as our Nation's economy will sadly reflect. No, those folks weren't idealists of any brand. They sought power for power's sake and when their power was wielded it was only for the maintenance of the same.

Now, as we watch victoriously the turning of the nation's political tides it is important to act, each of us, on a level that is above those who have preceded us. Independents and even some long time Republicans are openly questioning their beliefs and it is ultimately to us and our advantage not only to give quarter as it were, but to show humility where none was shown before. And more, it is to us to welcome these wanderings souls into our fold without reservation or berating for past beliefs.

The democratic party will only strengthen their majority in the elections to come. Barack Obama will be elected the next President of this great Nation of ours and our constitution shall be restored to full working order. Thoughtful deliberation and honest debate may well be the order of the day once again in our Nation's capitol. But beyond these things we will have an opportunity to do that with our power that those before us would not. We, under the visionary leadership of Barack Obama, will have the opportunity to unite the people of this Nation once again. Let us all be prepared to rise to the occasion.

We must fight for passage of H.R. 800.

Craig — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:26:22 EST

This bill would allow working Americans an easier path to joining a union.

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney Feb. 8 officially kicked off the labor federation's campaign to fight for passage of H.R. 800.

Addressing the 88-member AFL-CIO General Board, which was meeting during the dedication of the Lane Kirkland Center at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md., Sweeney said the labor movement must "all join together in a campaign like none we've ever run" to pass the legislation now pending in Congress and restore the "power of working people to come together for a better life."

Who Will Accept My Obama Challenge?

Iowa Laborer — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 19:24:50 EST

I offer a challenge to everyone out there who believes in this campaign. Within the next week I challenge you to raise $100 each. For this challenge the donations must be between $5 and $20 each and from different people.

At this stage in the game the most important contributions are small and from as many folks as humanly possible. Also, getting someone to write a check for even $10 to a candidate makes that person a lot more likely to support that campaign. Hint-My family hates giving money to politics but I know I can shame them each into cutting a check for $20!

To participate in this challenge click on the Donate button then print out 5 or 6 of the printable forms for the folks to fill out. When you're done you can mail them to the campaign. Please inform me when you have completed the challenge and I will post you on my blogs saying what a great guy or gal you are!

Thanks, -Buzz Malone- (Iowa Laborer)

Community Organizer Says It All

Iowa Laborer — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:29:05 EST

For those of us who have worked as union organizers or political organizers we recognize the personal challenges involved in pursuing labors of love and trying to balance idealism with harsh real world realities. It is because of this and our personal desire for such material things as food and clothing that we do not take the real leap of faith to become community organizers.

Obama was a community organizer. That alone speaks volumes about his level of personal commitment to improving the lives of all Americans. Community organizers essentially work for food money with the only real rewards coming with the occasional small victory like restoring heat to a tenant house or pressuring the city to turn a vacant crack house into a community park. There is not another politician in the field today that has demonstrated that level of personal sacrifice for the common good.

Imagine with me, if you will, a world where our elected leadership know firsthand the struggles that the American people face each day. Imagine living in the White House a family that understands from personal experience what it is like to wonder where the rent money is coming from or how the electric bill is going to get paid. It will fall upon each of us in the coming days and weeks to spread the word of this man, of his life, of his personal connections with people just like us. And in 2008, because of our efforts, we will have to imagine no more!

Big jump in polls by Obama

Craig — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 17:09:20 EST

2008 Democratic Presidential Primary Clinton 28% Obama 23% Edwards 13% While Clinton is the frontrunner within the party, Obama and Edwards do a bit better in general election match-ups against leading Republicans. Obama and Edwards both lead John McCain (R) while Clinton is essentially tied with the Arizona Senator. John Edwards is within two points of Rudy Giuliani (R), closer than any other Democrat. See match-ups and favorability ratings for all Democratic candidates.Clinton has in the lead for every Rasmussen Reports Election 2008 survey, but her lead is down slightly from last week and other recent polls. Obama, who formally announced his entry into the race on Saturday, is enjoying a modest bounce in the polls. He has pulled to within five percentage points of the frontrunner. A month ago, at the height of Obama-mania, the man from Illinois had pulled to within a single point of Clinton.

Australia must be stuck in 2004!

Iowa Laborer — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 19:53:11 EST

Australia's Prime Minister John Howard is clearly not up to date in American Politics. He has publicly stated that if Obama and the Democrats get the US Presidency that the terrorists would win. Apparently no one has informed this down under buffoon that this sort of fear mongering has not been effective in America since Bush was re-elected in 2004.

Sometime between 2004 and 2006 a veil was lifted. The American people will no longer be in a blind reactionary state whereby this sort of idiotic talk will be effective. We have come to yearn for genuine intelligent debate on issues and leadership that crafts real solutions to our problems both foriegn and domestic.

Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his supporters in the land down under are free to live in a world of color coded terror levels and drape their homes and offices in duct tape and plastic sheeting but we will seek a different path. We will seek a path of enlightenment and hope for a brighter tomorrow and we will elect Barack Obama to lead us on that journey!

Obama in Springfield, Saturday, February 10, 2006

Iowa Laborer — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 21:02:02 EST

I am old enough now to say that I have been involved in more than a couple of election cycles. Not only am I politically active but living in Iowa, by itself is enough to make any voter "involved". Prior to a caucus we are priveledged to reside in one of the few times and places on earth where the next leader of the free world might be found in an average living room courting a small handful of voters.

But there is something inherently different about Obama. What that something is precisely I cannot put into words, but whatever it is it inspired me to load my family into our van and drive the six or so hours to Springfield, Illinois after an evening meeting. It was that something that found us standing in the freezing cold in front of the steps where Lincoln once stood and with thousands of others wait to hear the words of Barack Obama. I could have waited in Iowa where he would appear mere hours later or caught him at any of the countless Iowa events he is sure to attend in the coming months but something in my heart told me that I wanted to be there that day, that I wanted my children to be there on that day in front of those steps.

What I viewed on this day through the cold breath of perhps five thousand onlookers was not a politician, but rather a man who transcends everything I have come to believe about modern politics. His words are reminiscent of a time and place in America that I have only read and dreamt about. He takes us to an America where neighbors do not despise one another based solely upon their political party affiliations, where first and foremost we are neighbors and Americans with more common issues than not. He stands before us and boldly proclaims that America is a great nation capable of achieving anything that we as a people set our minds to accomplish. And he takes us to a place and time where America was feared for her militarty might, but also respected for her compassion, understanding and willingness to solve problems for the world rather than create them. And in all of this he honestly believes and because he believes he makes us want to believe again.

And there standing in the cold in Springfield, IL with my family beside me I viewed not a politician, but a man standing beside a family of his own and saying that there is hope of something better for America. I believe he is right. There truly is hope.....and his name is Barack Obama!