Obama HQ Feature

Election Day GOTV Calling Begins Now

Christopher Hass — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:09:12 EST

Across the country, thousands of volunteers are preparing to canvass, block by block, to help get voters to the polls. We have an incredible field organization on the ground, but they need your help. No matter where you are, you can help out by making calls to voters in key states from your own home, right now.

For the last three consecutive days, our grassroots phonebankers have set new records for the amount of calls made. But in order to help our field operation on the ground, we need to make an additional 1,000,000 calls to voters in battleground states before the close of polls tonight.

These calls play a crucial role, providing our supporters with information about when, where and how to vote today. They also help identify which of our supporters have already early voted, dramatically reducing the number of doors our volunteers on the ground will have to knock.

Thousands of you have already helped make calls over the last three days, and many of you have been calling voters for almost a year now. We need you today more than ever.

Even if you've never made calls before, this is your chance to participate -- a chance to be part of an historic grassroots field operation.

We'll provide you with an easy to read script and a list of targeted voters. It only takes a minute to get started, but there's no time to waste. In many states, polls are open now and voting has already begun. Select a state from the map below and get started calling now:

Polls Now Open

Christopher Hass — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:01:36 EST

At 6:00 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Virginia, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Kentucky.

At 6:30 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina.

At 7:00 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Michigan.

At 8:00am AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma.

At 8:30 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Arkansas.

At 9:00 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

At 10:00 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

At 11:00 AM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Alaska.

At 12:00 PM Eastern this morning, polls opened in Hawaii.

No matter where you live, you can find your polling location now.

For state specific information or for any issues you may have with voting visit our Voter Information Center or call 1-877-US-4-OBAMA (877-874-6226).

Now Go Vote

Amanda Scott — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:34:22 EST

We started this campaign in February 2007. Twenty-one months later the day we have all been waiting for is upon us.

We will wake up tomorrow with a chance to make history. A chance to elect Barack Obama president.

This is what we've all been working for. This is what we've sacrificed dinners out for, why we spent our summer organizing, why we stayed up late to call, why spent our weekends volunteering.

One day to change the world.

Our supporters have put their heart and soul into this campaign. And there is no way that we would be where we are without you. You made this campaign what it is today. We reached this point because of you.

Now is the time to do what we've been working for: vote for Barack Obama for president.

Go to VoteforChange.com right now and find your polling location. Invite all of your friends and family to find their polling location. Decide when you are going to vote; on the way to work, at lunch or on the way home. Remind your co-workers to vote.

Go vote and make history.

Field Update from Jon Carson

Amy Hamblin — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:16:35 EST

This weekend we shattered all previous call records, making a staggering one million calls using our online call tool and another three million calls at Last Call for Change phonebanks across the country. Thank you to everyone who helped put us over the top.

Jon Carson, our National Field Director, just recorded a message for all of you who helped us achieve these record-breaking numbers:

For all of you making countless calls and those considering picking up the phone, Jon explained where these calls fit into our Get Out The Vote operation:

Every one of these calls being made are doing two things: First, they are allowing our supporters out there – so many first time voters, new registrants – to know exactly what they need to do on Tuesday to vote for Barack Obama; where their polling location is, what information and identification they need to bring with them, the hours they’re open. Critical information to get these new voters that are going to win this election for us to the polls.
The other thing that all these calls have done coming into these battleground states is to allow literally hundreds of thousands of volunteers in battlegrounds to focus on knocking doors.

As Jon mentions, we’re only going to be ratcheting up our efforts from here. On Monday we're going to have to repeat the work we did this weekend and do twice as much on Tuesday. This is it. This is the final push. Let's give this everything we got.

For everyone out there making phone calls to voters in a battleground state, let us know what you're hearing on the phones today, how it's going, and any tips you may have for fellow callers...

GOTV Calling: What it means

Christopher Hass — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 10:30:09 EST

Yesterday, on the first full day of Get Out The Vote, we set an all-time record for phone calls made using our online voter contact tool: 431,645 calls in a single day. While volunteers in key battleground states canvassed neighborhoods by foot and crowded into offices to phonebank, grassroots phonebankers from across the country pitched in by making phone calls from home and talking to voters, one at a time.

Our goal for online calling today: reach one million phone calls for the weekend by 9:00 PM Pacific tonight.

We've broken countless records over the course of this campaign, but we've rarely had the time to reflect on just what that means. What it means is that something is happening that's never happened before, ever. What it means is that this election, this campaign for the presidency, this moment, is different from all the others.

Whether you've been helping out for months or have never made a call before, you can get started in minutes making calls to any of the battleground states. Once you log in, we'll provide you with a detailed script and a targeted list of voters to call. You'll be talking to supporters and likely supporters, providing them with information on when, where and how to vote, as well as reminding them of what's at stake in this election and the importance of their vote.

Call time starts at 10:00 AM local time today, which means you can get started calling Virginia, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana and New Hampshire right now:

For everyone out there making phone calls to voters in a battleground state, let us know what you're hearing on the phones today, how it's going, and any tips you may have for fellow callers...

Democratic Radio Address: Senator Obama Gives His Closing Argument

Amanda Scott — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 19:38:56 EDT

Senator Barack Obama used this week’s Democratic radio address to present his closing argument to the American people. Throughout almost two years of campaigning across the country, Obama has laid out how he will fix our economy and how he will bring the change we need to Washington.

Read the text of the radio address.

Announcing the start of GOTV Calling

Keith Goodman — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:36:05 EDT

My name is Keith Goodman, and I work on the Neighbor to Neighbor voter contact team here in Chicago. With the help of your feedback, we've added a number of new features to our calling program in the last few weeks. I'm writing you now because today marks a major moment in this campaign ‑‑ the start of GOTV, a four day period where we lay the ground work for Election Day.

This change in focus means we have an entirely new set of calling campaigns to use, replacing the previous ones. These new Get Out The Vote calling campaigns are designed to provide our supporters with key voting information: location of polling place, hours of voting, and the motivation to cast a ballot. You'll also be able to record which supporters have already early voted, which will help our team on the ground narrow the universe of voters they have to contact. To get started, just select the state you'd like to help impact on our national call map.

You'll have access to all the key battleground states. These calls are targeted to our supporters, so they are easy and fun to make ‑‑ they're also an incredibly important part of our field plan. Of course, sometimes you'll encounter non‑supporters on your lists, but don't worry ‑‑ no list is perfect, and every conversation is an opportunity to win over a new supporter.

These new Get Out The Vote campaigns will continue through Monday (more on Election Day operations later.) The key thing to remember is that the more calls you make, the more voters you'll reach and the bigger difference you'll have in the outcome of this election.

We've been waiting (and preparing) for this moment for a long time, and now it's here. Thank you again for all you do.

30 Minute Program: American Stories, American Solutions

Christopher Hass — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:10:25 EDT

Tonight, the campaign aired a special 30 minute program in which Barack addressed the nation about his plan for the country and the issues that are at stake in this election. In case you missed any part of it, or if you want to watch it again or share with your friends, you can watch the full program below:

The election ends in six days, and we need your help to get out the vote across the country. You can find a volunteer opportunity near you right now.

How You Can Help

Amanda Scott — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:50:52 EDT

This is the most important election of our lifetime. We cannot sit on the sidelines: we’ve got to keep making our case for change; we’ve got to keep fighting for every vote. Here are four things that you can do to help Barack win between now and Election Day...

1. Early Vote

Do you live in a state that has early voting? Find your voting location today and vote. Then make sure that all of your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors know about early voting as well. Early voting is crucial for our Get Out The Vote effort in battleground states.

2. Volunteer

We need volunteers more than ever as we near election day. Click here and enter your zip code and we'll tell you exactly where we need your help. Bring your friends, family, coworkers, neighbors and other supporters to be part of this moment.
You can also contact voters from home, help with voter protection efforts, or take a road trip to a battleground state.
Find the nearest volunteer opportunity now.

3. Fight the Smears, Spread the Truth

John McCain and his allies are waging an increasingly negative campaign. In addition, right-wing 527 and smear artists are launching non-stop attacks on Barack. You can help us fight back by visiting Fight The Smears to get the truth about Barack. And if you come across any anti-Obama email messages, forward them to watchdog@barackobama.com. Get the facts and take action.

4. Donate

We are in a tough fight and our opponent is going all out with lies and smears to win. We have to push back. The only way that we can continue to spread Barack's message and fight back is with your help. This is only possible because of you. Our campaign has never taken money from PACs or lobbyists because we want to be held accountable to the American people, not special interests. This is your campaign and by donating today you can help ensure that we have the resources to compete in as many states as possible.

Seven Days Out

Christopher Hass — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:59:58 EDT

"We're coming around the turn. America recognizes that at this time in history, with so much at stake, with the economy nose-diving, with two wars and the threat of terrorism, the threat of climate change, we need to do something fundamentally different. And all of you are the shock troops." - Barack Obama

This election won't be decided by TV ads, news cycles, or the polls. It will be decided on the ground, by people talking to voters one at a time about Barack and the issues that matter.

All summer long, grassroots organizers and volunteers across the country helped conduct one of the largest voter registration drives ever. In state after state, there are now record numbers of registered voters. But that's just the beginning.

For months now you've organized in large cities and small towns across America, competing for votes and voters everywhere, and as a result the electoral map is now wider than ever, with nearly a two dozen states that are too close to call. But that's just the beginning.

Now, in the final week, we need to fill 845,252 volunteer shifts to get out the vote in battleground states.

If you live in or near one of the many battleground states, you can find an office or staging area near you and commit to filling one, two or more shifts between now and Election Day. Even if you aren't in one of the targeted states, consider driving to a nearby state. If you can't travel, you can still help by making phone calls, either from home or at an organized phonebanking event near you.

Earlier in the month, speaking to an assembled group of organizers in Ohio, Barack explained:

We've been designing and we've been engineering and we've been at the drawing board and we've been tinkering -- now it's time to just take it for a drive. Let's see how this baby runs.

Polls close in seven days.

Senator Obama's Closing Argument: "One Week"

Amanda Scott — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:49:16 EDT

Senator Obama spoke to residents of Canton, Ohio today as he made his case for change during his closing argument.

In his speech, Senator Obama told voters that after twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he’d do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy. He asked Americans to help him change this country, and said that in just one week, they can choose an economy that rewards work and creates new jobs and fuels prosperity from the bottom-up, they can choose to invest in health care for our families and education for our kids and renewable energy for our future, and they can choose hope over fear, unity over division and the promise of change over the power of the status quo.

In one week, you can turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street.

In one week, you can choose policies that invest in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy from the bottom-up so that everyone has a chance to succeed; from the CEO to the secretary and the janitor; from the factory owner to the men and women who work on its floor.

In one week, you can put an end to the politics that would divide a nation just to win an election; that tries to pit region against region, city against town, Republican against Democrat; that asks us to fear at a time when we need hope.

In one week, at this defining moment in history, you can give this country the change we need.

...At a moment like this, the last thing we can afford is four more years of the tired, old theory that says we should give more to billionaires and big corporations and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. The last thing we can afford is four more years where no one in Washington is watching anyone on Wall Street because politicians and lobbyists killed common-sense regulations. Those are the theories that got us into this mess. They haven’t worked, and it’s time for change. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

Now, Senator McCain has served this country honorably. And he can point to a few moments over the past eight years where he has broken from George Bush – on torture, for example. He deserves credit for that. But when it comes to the economy – when it comes to the central issue of this election – the plain truth is that John McCain has stood with this President every step of the way. Voting for the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy that he once opposed. Voting for the Bush budgets that spent us into debt. Calling for less regulation twenty-one times just this year. Those are the facts.

And now, after twenty-one months and three debates, Senator McCain still has not been able to tell the American people a single major thing he’d do differently from George Bush when it comes to the economy. Senator McCain says that we can’t spend the next four years waiting for our luck to change, but you understand that the biggest gamble we can take is embracing the same old Bush-McCain policies that have failed us for the last eight years.

It’s not change when John McCain wants to give a $700,000 tax cut to the average Fortune 500 CEO. It’s not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies or $300 billion to the same Wall Street banks that got us into this mess. It’s not change when he comes up with a tax plan that doesn’t give a penny of relief to more than 100 million middle-class Americans. That’s not change.

...The question in this election is not “Are you better off than you were four years ago?” We know the answer to that. The real question is, “Will this country be better off four years from now?”

Read Barack's full remarks, as prepared for delivery...

Read Senator Obama's Blueprint for Change to get detailed information on his plans and policies for an Obama-Biden administration.

Nine Days Out

Christopher Hass — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:05:29 EDT

"What I like about this campaign is that the Obama people aren't afraid to go straight at the Republicans here and compete for votes. They have no fear." - Clermont County Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Dave Lane

Four years ago, President Bush won Ohio by 118,601 votes out of the over 4.5 million cast, an average of only nine votes per precinct. But the truth is Bush won by thousands of votes in counties where his campaign was virtually uncontested, in rural areas and Republican strongholds.

Over the past five months, we've built a network of nearly 800 offices across the country, including 89 in Ohio alone.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that as of today:

Every voter in Ohio ... lives no more than 38 miles from one of the offices.
"We're using the Ted Strickland-Sherrod Brown model of winning in Ohio," said Tom Reynolds, a spokesman for the Ohio Obama campaign, referring to the Democratic governor and senator who won over many GOP voters in 2006. "We're not conceding any part of the state. We're running in 88 counties. That's how we win."

The groundwork has been laid, but the work is just beginning. Already this weekend, grassroots phonebankers have made over 350,000 calls to battleground states, while volunteers on the ground knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors.

If you live in or near one of the many battleground states, you can connect with a local office and commit to filling one, two or more shifts between now and Election Day. Even if you aren't in one of the targeted states, consider driving to a nearby state to help out or making phonecalls, either from home or at an organized phonebanking event near you.

No experience is necessary, and campaign staff and volunteers will give you everything you need to be part of this historic effort.

This race will be won or lost in these battleground states, but it's fight we're prepared for.

Polls close in nine days.

Ten Days Out

Christopher Hass — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 01:01:09 EDT

From the beginning of the general election, strategically, we tried to have as wide of a map as possible. Our belief was we wanted to, on the morning of Nov. 4th, have as many possible avenues to as many electoral votes as possible. And we think we've been able to create that dynamic and have a lot of competitive states in play here. - David Plouffe

With only ten days left, it's become apparent just how wide the election map is. But as the number of competitive states grows larger, so to does the universe of voters that we have to identify, persuade and get to the polls.

national polling averages as of 10/25/08 via pollster.com

Now more than ever, we are relying on volunteers in every corner of the country to help execute the field plan we've built over the last 20 months.

Jen O'Malley-Dillon, the battleground states director, explained:

We have expected all along that this race is going to tighten up, especially in the battlegrounds states. So we have spent a lot of time building our organizational strengths, building capacity and really focusing on our voter contact and our neighborhood organizations. We really feel that in a number of these states, this election is going to come down to our ground organization and what happens in the final days of the campaign.

In almost two dozen key states, the outcome is very much still up in the air. Over the next ten days, you have an unprecedented opportunity to be part of this effort and to contribute directly to the outcome of this election.

If you live in or near one of the many battleground states, you can connect with a local office and help our field operation on the ground. Face-to-face contact is the most powerful way to get out the vote or persuade undecided voters in battleground states. Sign up today -- state staff are waiting for your help.

This weekend, we're counting on our grassroots phonebankers to make an additional 300,000 calls to voters in key states. As of 7:00 PM Central tonight, you've already made 113,762 calls. Right from your own home, on your own schedule, you can do your part in just an hour or two by calling voters in one of these crucial states. We'll give you the phone numbers and the talking points. It couldn't be easier. You can get your list of targeted voters to call right now.

Finally, supporters will be coming together on Wednesday, October 29th, to watch Barack's national TV appearance and call voters in battleground states. Talking one-on-one with potential fellow voters is one of the easiest and most effective ways for you to make an impact in this election. Find a Last Call for Change house party near you or sign up to host one.

As National Field Director Jon Carson said in an email sent out to supporters tonight, each passing day is an opportunity we'll never have again to change America. You hold this election in your hands.

Polls close in 10 days.

This weekend, we're relying on our grassroots phonebankers to help out our field organization by making 300,000 phone calls to key battleground states. No matter where you are, you can get started making calls in just a few minutes. And if you are making calls, let us know what you're hearing on the phones today.

UPDATED: As of Sunday at 5:00 PM Central, we're at 240,947 calls with a few hours left of call time tonight. If you have even a half hour to help, you can join supporters across the country by making calls now.

Calling Battleground States: "A huge, huge help"

Amy Hamblin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:31:33 EDT

After 20 months of campaigning, it all comes down to these final days. What we do now will decide this election.

In over a dozen battleground states, we need help reaching voters who are still on the fence, as well as help mobilizing our existing supporters. Turnout is crucial -- even if someone supports Barack, we still need to make sure they get out to the polls.

Recently the New Mexico General Election Manager Matt Kasdan, New Mexico State Field Director Brent Messenger and New Mexico Political Director John Blair all spoke on a special Get Out The Vote Strategy Conference Call with some of our grassroots phonebankers who have been making out state calls to New Mexico. Matt explained:

What you allow us to do by being on the phones is to put all of our troops and volunteers here in state at the doors, which is the most important - the face to face communication… By allowing us to focus on the doors, we've been able to collect thousands and thousands of vote-by-mail applications and now we're able to push everyone out to the polls. Election Day has already started for us [with Early Vote]. You've allowed us to amplify our efforts with what we're doing here on the ground. It's just been a huge, huge help.

You can listen to highlights from the call below:

We're going to have to go full force from now through Election Day. If you've never made calls before, now's the time. Pick up the phone and start reaching out to voters. If you're a veteran caller, consider hosting a phonebank house party.

Barack has said from the beginning that change will not come easily. But there's nothing more rewarding than working hard to change this country we love, one conversation at a time.

Senator Obama in Lake Worth, FL: "I believe in the American people"

Amanda Scott — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:56:10 EDT

Senator Obama sat down with Governors Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, Bill Richardson of New Mexico, Bill Ritter of Colorado and Ted Strickland of Ohio will join Senator Obama, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volker this morning at a Growing America's Jobs Summit to discuss the economic challenges facing the country and his Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class.

Victoria Villalba, President and owner of Victoria and Associates Career Services, Inc. a Miami-based staffing/ recruitment company, also participated in the summit to discuss the challenges facing small businesses.

Before opening up the Summit for discussions, Obama made some opening remarks...

I know these are difficult times. But I believe that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis, because I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. And I believe in the leaders here at this table and across America who understand what families are going through, and have been on the frontlines, meeting our challenges head on – helping small businesses take off, harnessing renewable energy and information technology to create 21st century jobs, reforming schools and training workers to succeed in the global economy.

That’s why we’re here today – because a crisis like this calls for the best ideas, the brightest minds, the most innovative solutions from every corner of this country. These leaders need and deserve a partner in the White House – a President who understands that our prosperity doesn’t come from Wall Street or Washington, but from the hard work and ingenuity of our people. So we should be investing in their productivity and working to create the high-wage, high skill jobs that support our families and strengthen our economy. And that is exactly what I’ll do if I’m elected President.
I’ll start by creating a new American Jobs tax credit for each new employee that companies hire here in the United States over the next two years. I’ll stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas and invest in companies that create good jobs right here in Florida. And I’ll help small businesses get back on their feet by eliminating capital gains taxes and giving them emergency loans to keep their doors open and hire workers.

These are a few of the steps we must take right now to start getting our economy back on track. But we also need a new set of priorities to create jobs and grow our economy over the long term.

That means investing in renewable energy. I’ve proposed $15 billion a year to create five million new green jobs over the next decade – jobs that pay well and can’t be outsourced; jobs building solar panels and wind turbines and fuel-efficient cars; jobs that will help us end our dependence on oil from Middle East dictators.

I also plan to put two million more Americans to work fixing our crumbling roads, schools and bridges, because it’s time to build an American infrastructure for the twenty-first century. If we can spend $10 billion a month rebuilding Iraq, we can certainly spend some money to rebuild America.
Read Obama's full remarks as prepared for delivery...

Read the Obama-Biden full Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class and the Small Business Emergency Rescue Plan.

New to the site or still undecided? Learn more about Barack Obama and his position on important issues. If you're already a supporter, find out what you can do to help between now and Election Day, and please consider making a donation to strengthen our field operation and help Get Out The Vote.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell: "I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:44:21 EDT

This morning on NBC's "Meet the Press," former Secretary of State Colin Powell crossed party lines to endorse Barack Obama for president. Powell specifically cited Senator Obama's handling of the current financial crisis as one of the reasons for his endorsement, and commended Obama for providing "a more inclusive, broader reach into the needs and aspirations of our people."

From the transcript:

So when I look at all of this and I think back to my Army career. We’ve got two individuals, either one of them could be a good president. But which is the president that we need now? Which is the individual that serves the needs of the nation for the next period of time? And I come to the conclusion that because of his ability to inspire, because of the inclusive nature of his campaign, because he is reaching out all across America, because of who he is and his rhetorical abilities – and we have to take that into account – as well as his substance. He has both style and substance. He has met the standard of being a successful president, being an exceptional president. I think he is a transformational figure. He is a new generation coming in to the world, on to the world stage, on to the American stage. And for that reason, I’ll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.

UPDATED: Here's the video from this morning's edition of Meet the Press, in which Colin Powell first announced his endorsement:

100,000 in St. Louis; Early Vote Begins in Nevada

Christopher Hass — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 16:28:14 EDT

Earlier today, Barack spoke in front of a record crowd of over 100,000 people underneath the Gatway Arch in St. Louis. "All I can say is, wow," Barack said as he took the stage.

We need new priorities in Washington. I think it’s time to give a tax cut to the teachers and janitors who work in our schools; to the cops and firefighters who keep us safe; to the waitresses working double shifts, the nurses in the ER, and the plumbers fighting for their American Dream. These workers are the backbone of our country. They are the ones that Washington has forgotten. They’re the ones I’ll fight for. And while Senator McCain ignores the payroll taxes you pay to score a few political points, I’ll put a tax cut into the pockets of working people so you can pay the bills, put away some savings, and pass on a brighter future to your children.

So Senator McCain can keep trying to attack me and distract you – but it’s not going to work. Not this time – not now. Because while my opponent thinks this campaign is all about me – the truth is, this campaign is about you. Your jobs. Your health care. Your retirement. Your children’s future. That’s what this election is about. That’s what I’m fighting for. Because I can take two more weeks of these attacks from John McCain, but the American people can’t take four more years of the same failed policies and the same divisive politics. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

Read the full remarks of Barack's speech in St. Louis, as prepared for delivery . . .

Starting today, any registered voter in Nevada can early vote for Barack Obama. It's quick, easy, and you can vote at any Early Vote location in your county.

In all, 36 of the 50 states will allow some form of early voting this year. Nationwide, about a third of the electorate is expected to cast their vote before November 4th.

Vote early and tell your friends. It's one of the most important things you can do to help with our efforts on the ground. Visit VoteForChange.com to find out more about Early Voting in your state.

100,000 in St. Louis, MO: "All I can say is, wow."

Christopher Hass — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:09:59 EDT

Barack just concluded his speech underneath the Gatway Arch in St. Louis, in front of a record crowd of over 100,000 people. "All I can say is, wow," Barack said as he took the stage.

We need new priorities in Washington. I think it’s time to give a tax cut to the teachers and janitors who work in our schools; to the cops and firefighters who keep us safe; to the waitresses working double shifts, the nurses in the ER, and the plumbers fighting for their American Dream. These workers are the backbone of our country. They are the ones that Washington has forgotten. They’re the ones I’ll fight for. And while Senator McCain ignores the payroll taxes you pay to score a few political points, I’ll put a tax cut into the pockets of working people so you can pay the bills, put away some savings, and pass on a brighter future to your children.

So Senator McCain can keep trying to attack me and distract you – but it’s not going to work. Not this time – not now. Because while my opponent thinks this campaign is all about me – the truth is, this campaign is about you. Your jobs. Your health care. Your retirement. Your children’s future. That’s what this election is about. That’s what I’m fighting for. Because I can take two more weeks of these attacks from John McCain, but the American people can’t take four more years of the same failed policies and the same divisive politics. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States.

Read the full remarks of Barack's speech in St. Louis, as prepared for delivery . . .

North Carolina: Vote For Barack Today

Amanda Scott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:32:21 EDT

Starting today residents of North Carolina can begin early voting for Barack. Between now and November 1st you can register to vote and vote in just one stop.

According to The Star, "hundreds of voters stood in line to cast ballots Thursday as the first day of early voting began in North Carolina...."

In Raleigh, over 600 people had voted by noon in Wake County. The Board of Elections expected 1,000 to vote by the end of the day. With over 6.1 million people registered in the Tar Heel State, voters who have already made up their mind don't have to wait until November 4th.

And if you're not registered, you have until November 1st to take advantage of One-Stop Early Vote. You can register to vote and cast your ballot at the same time. Simple, easy and fast. Barack and Joe explain why you should vote today in North Carolina in the video below...

Voting now can help win North Carolina for Obama. Supporters who vote now can spend the next few weeks helping the campaign Get-Out-The-Vote. Find your early vote location today. Then spend the next 19 days making sure everyone you know is registered and votes.

From the debate hall

Amanda Scott — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:59:03 EDT

Barack just sent out this email...

Amanda --

I just finished the last debate before the election.

Now the outcome of this campaign is up to you. I need your help to get our message out -- and to get out the vote.

I wouldn't ask for your support if this campaign didn't urgently need it.

Your donation is essential to our unprecedented get out the vote operation in these final days.

The most dangerous thing you can do right now is nothing. Your support and hard work are exactly what we need between now and Election Day.

While he didn't mention the middle class, John McCain chose to repeat the false, negative attacks that make up 100% of his advertising these days.

The truth is that his choices say more about his campaign than they do about me.

But John McCain and his allies are not going to stop fighting -- or attacking -- until the very end.

We're doing this a different way. Tonight I talked about the real problems ordinary people face during this economic crisis and concrete ways that I will create jobs, cut health care costs, build a new energy policy, and get our economy moving.

But time is running out. Our strength and our success in these last 20 days depends on you:

https://donate.barackobama.com/finaldebate

Thank you for all you do,

Barack

Uncommitted Voters: "Obama Wins"

Amanda Scott — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:01:00 EDT

CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won Final Debate

As in the previous debates, CBS News and Knowledge Networks have conducted a nationally representative poll of uncommitted voters to get their immediate reaction to tonight's presidential debate.
In the first presidential debate, second presidential debate and vice presidential debate, more uncommitted voters said the Democratic candidate was the victor.

And it looks like tonight's results will make it a clean sweep. These numbers are preliminary, and will change slightly as more respondents are added, but here's where things stand with most of the results in:

Fifty-three percent of the uncommitted voters surveyed identified Democratic nominee Barack Obama as the winner of tonight's debate.
...More uncommitted voters trusted Obama than McCain to make the right decisions about health care. Before the debate, 61 percent of uncommitted voters said that they trust Obama on that; after, 69 percent said that.
...Before the debate, 54 percent thought Obama shared their values. That percentage rose to 63 percent after the debate.

Fox News: Focus Group of undecided independent voters conducted by Frank Luntz for Fox News

Frank Luntz:"…none had made a decision to support Sen. Obama before the debate, but more than half supported after the debate. It was a good night for Barack Obama."

CNN POLL: Who spent more time attacking during the debate?

McCain – 80%
Obama – 7%

TNR: Stan Greenberg's Focus Group: "Decisive" for Obama

...Stan Greenberg ..said the respondents felt Obama "won" and that the results were "more decisive than either of the last two." That's a reference to Greenberg's previous focus groups, which also came away preferring Obama.

The most striking result came on the favorability ratings. Although the focus group was officially undecided, it leaned towards McCain. Here were the favorability-unfavorability ratings for each candidate at the start:

Obama: 42 favorable / 42 unfavorable

Here's what the ratings looked like after the debate:

Obama: 72 favorable / 22 unfavorable

Interestingly, Obama's most popular answer was about education. The focus group seemed particularly pleased about his riff on asking parents to take more responsibility for their children. According to Greenberg, this is likely part of the reason the focus group felt that, overall, Obama shares their values.

Tax Calculator: How much will your family save?

Christopher Hass — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:32:48 EDT

Today the Obama-Biden campaign launched an official Tax Calculator, a simple online application that lets you compare the differences between the Obama tax plan and John McCain's tax plan in seconds ...

American families are in desperate need of economic relief.

Barack's plan will cut taxes for 95% of families. John McCain will provide billions in tax breaks for big oil companies and giant corporations with no relief for millions of middle-class Americans.

Barack is calling for three times the tax cuts for middle-class families.

Find out what this means for you and your family -- use our new tax calculator:

With our country facing the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression -- over 760,000 jobs lost this year, unemployment skyrocketing, and retirement losses exceeding $2 trillion -- we need to take immediate steps to recover.

Yesterday, Barack unveiled his Economic Rescue Plan for The Middle Class, including special measures for job creation, a moratorium on foreclosures, and increased tax relief for families.

As president, Barack will provide a new $1,000 tax cut for workers and new tax benefits to help families pay for college, childcare, and save for retirement.

Visit taxcut.barackobama.com to find out how these plans would affect you and your family -- and then share the URL with friends and family so that they can see the diffrence for themselves.

Senator Obama's Economic Rescue Plan for the Middle Class

Amanda Scott — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:48:55 EDT

Senator Obama delivered a major economic policy address to lay out his economic rescue plan for the middle class in Toledo, Ohio this afternoon.

He unveiled his Economic Rescue Plan for The Middle Class. This is a comprehensive four-part plan to deal with the immediate crisis that builds on proposals he has previously announced and includes several major new ideas.

We can’t wait to help workers and families and communities who are struggling right now – who don’t know if their job or their retirement will be there tomorrow; who don’t know if next week’s paycheck will cover this month’s bills. We need to pass an economic rescue plan for the middle-class and we need to do it now. Today I’m proposing a number of steps that we should take immediately to stabilize our financial system, provide relief to families and communities, and help struggling homeowners. It’s a plan that begins with one word that’s on everyone’s mind, and it’s spelled J-O-B-S.

We’ve already lost three-quarters of a million jobs this year, and some experts say that unemployment may rise to 8% by the end of next year. We can’t wait until then to start creating new jobs. That’s why I’m proposing to give our businesses a new American jobs tax credit for each new employee they hire here in the United States over the next two years.

We will also save one million jobs by creating a Jobs and Growth Fund that will provide money to states and local communities so that they can move forward with projects to rebuild and repair our roads, our bridges, and our schools. A lot of these projects and these jobs are at risk right now because of budget shortfalls, but this fund will make sure they continue.

...At a time when the ups and downs of the stock market have rarely been so unpredictable and dramatic, we also need to give families and retirees more flexibility and security when it comes to their retirement savings. ...Since so many Americans will be struggling to pay the bills over the next year, I propose that we allow every family to withdraw up to 15% from their IRA or 401(k) – up to a maximum of $10,000 – without any fine or penalty throughout 2009. This will help families get through this crisis without being forced to make painful choices like selling their homes or not sending their kids to college.

...For those Americans in danger of losing their homes, today I’m also proposing a three-month moratorium on foreclosures. If you are a bank or lender that is getting money from the rescue plan that passed Congress, and your customers are making a good-faith effort to make their mortgage payments and re-negotiate their mortgages, you will not be able to foreclose on their home for three months. We need to give people the breathing room they need to get back on their feet.

...It also means promoting a new ethic of responsibility. Part of the reason this crisis occurred is that everyone was living beyond their means – from Wall Street to Washington to even some on Main Street. CEOs got greedy. Politicians spent money they didn’t have. Lenders tricked people into buying home they couldn’t afford and some folks knew they couldn’t afford them and bought them anyway.

We’ve lived through an era of easy money, in which we were allowed and even encouraged to spend without limits; to borrow instead of save.

Now, I know that in an age of declining wages and skyrocketing costs, for many folks this was not a choice but a necessity. People have been forced to turn to credit cards and home equity loans to keep up, just like our government has borrowed from China and other creditors to help pay its bills.

But we now know how dangerous that can be. Once we get past the present emergency, which requires immediate new investments, we have to break that cycle of debt. Our long-term future requires that we do what’s necessary to scale down our deficits, grow wages and encourage personal savings again.

It’s a serious challenge. But we can do it if we act now, and if we act as one nation. We can bring a new era of responsibility and accountability to Wall Street and to Washington. We can put in place common-sense regulations to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again. We can make investments in the technology and innovation that will restore prosperity and lead to new jobs and a new economy for the 21st century. We can restore a sense of fairness and balance that will give ever American a fair shot at the American dream. And above all, we can restore confidence – confidence in America, confidence in our economy, and confidence in ourselves.

Read Barack's full remarks, as prepared for delivery...

Obama's plan includes four new major ideas about job creation, relief to families, relief to homeowners and responding to the financial crisis:

Job Creation: A New American Jobs Tax Credit. Obama is calling for a temporary tax credit for firms that create new jobs in the United States over the next two years.

Relief to Families: Penalty-Free Withdrawals from IRAs and 401(k)s in 2008 and 2009. Obama is calling for new legislation to allow families to withdraw 15% of their retirement savings – up to a maximum of $10,000 – without facing a tax-penalty this year (including retroactively) and next year.

Relief to Homeowners: 90 day foreclosure moratorium for homeowners that are acting in good faith. Financial institutions that participate in the Treasury’s financial rescue plan should be required to adhere to a homeowners code of conduct, including a 90-day foreclosure moratorium for any homeowners living in their homes that are making good faith efforts pay their mortgages.

Responding to the Financial Crisis: A Lending Facility to Address the Credit Crisis for States and Localities. Obama is calling on the Federal Reserve and the Treasury to work to establish a facility to lend to state and municipal governments, similar to the steps the Fed recently took to provide liquidity to the commercial paper market.

Obama’s plan also calls for temporarily eliminating taxes on unemployment insurance benefits; keeping all options on the table to help our automakers weather the financial crisis; having the Fed and Treasury prepare for guaranteeing a broader range of liabilities of the banking system; and instructing Treasury to help unfreeze markets for individual mortgages, student loans, car loans, loans for multi-family dwellings and credit card loans.

Read Obama's full Economic Rescue Plan.

Vote Now

Christopher Hass — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:40:04 EDT

From yesterday's Washington Post blog, The Trail:

Barack Obama wrapped up two days of campaigning here in Ohio with something you don't often hear at a pre-election rally: Go vote. Right now. "Right across the street," Obama told a crowd of thousands in a downtown park along the river.

In Ohio, and over a dozen other states, early voting is underway right now. In all, 36 of the 50 states will allow some form of early voting this year, in addition to absentee voting.

The Associated Press reports:

Nationwide, about a third of the electorate is expected to vote early this year, thanks to expanded early voting provisions and fewer restrictions on absentee voting, researchers project. In all, more than 30 states allow any registered voter to cast an early ballot, some in person and others by mail.

... Across the nation, election officials are reporting high demand for absentee ballots. Ballots already are available in a few states, and they will be ready in about 20 more this week. By the first week of October, absentee voting will have started in all but a handful of states. In most states, all registered voters will be eligible to vote absentee, and a growing number will take advantage.

Now matter where you live, you can find out the early vote options available to you at VoteForChange.com.

At recent campaign stop, Barack took a moment backstage to record a message for supporters in North Carolina, where early voting begins next Thursday, October 16th:

Barack in Chillicothe, OH: "We can meet this moment"

Amanda Scott — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:38:06 EDT

Barack continued his American Jobs Tour in Ohio today with a rally in Chillicothe. He spoke to the attendees about the economic crisis and encouraged them that if we work together we can get through this tough time.

I know these are difficult times. I know folks are worried. But I believe that we can steer ourselves out of this crisis because I believe in this country. Because this is the United States of America. This is a nation that has faced down war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we have risen to meet these challenges – not as Democrats, not as Republicans, but as Americans. With resolve. With courage.

We have seen our share of hard times. The American story has never been about things coming easy – it’s been about rising to the moment when the moment is hard; about rejecting panicked division for purposeful unity; about seeing a mountaintop from the deepest valley. That’s why we remember that some of the most famous words ever spoken by an American came from a President who took office in a time of turmoil – “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Now is not the time for fear. Now is not the time for panic. Now is the time for resolve and steady leadership. We can meet this moment. We can come together to restore confidence in the American economy. We can renew that fundamental belief – that in America, our destiny is not written for us, but by us. That’s who we are, and that’s the country we need to be right now.

America still has the most talented, most productive workers of any country on Earth. You know this, Ohio. We’re home to the workers who have built the largest middle class in history. We’re home to workers who work two jobs or three jobs and take the last bus home at night because they want something more for their children. We’re home to innovation and technology, colleges and universities that are the envy of the world. Some of the biggest ideas in history have come from our small businesses and our research facilities. It won’t be easy, but there’s no reason we can’t make this century another American century. Yes we can.

Read Barack's full remarks, as prepared for delivery...

Focus on the Issues: Health Care

Molly Claflin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:21:04 EDT

In this week's debates, the candidates spent a lot of time talking about health care. Health care is on a lot of people’s minds this election, as health insurance rates keep rising and leave many families unable to afford much-needed health care.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden have a health care plan that will make quality health care affordable and accessible for every American. It builds on the existing health care plan. So if you like you’re health insurance – you can keep it, and will pay up to $2,500 less annually than you do now.

If you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of quality, affordable health care options.

The Obama-Biden plan doesn’t leave the burden on small businesses, either. Barack’s plan will create a new Small Business Health Tax Credit to help small businesses provide affordable health insurance to their employees.

Barack has said: “I … believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right. … And I believe that no amount of industry profiteering and lobbying should stand in the way of that right any longer.”

In contrast, John McCain’s plan will tax health care benefits -- imposing a $3.6 trillion tax on working families. This would represent the first time in our nation’s history that health care benefits would be taxed. And McCain’s plan doesn’t protect Americans with pre-existing conditions -- leaving those who need it most without health insurance.

You can learn more about Barack’s health insurance plan here. And visit JohnMcCainrecord.com to learn more about John McCain’s record on health care. You can also checkk and see what each of the candidates said about health care last night at therecord.barackobama.com.

Drive for Change

Christopher Hass — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 20:23:40 EDT

Election Day is still 27 days away, but in many places voting is already underway. In all, 36 states have some form of Early Voting, including over half of the battleground states. By some estimates, as many as one-third of all voters are expected to vote before November 4th. No matter how you look at it, this election has begun.

Recently, Campaign Manager David Plouffe recorded a short video message for supporters, asking them to participate in our Drive for Change program to volunteer in key battleground states:

As Plouffe explained:

We believe in the grassroots. We believe a contact between a human being and another human being is the best political contact there is.

If you can make the trip, working on the ground in a battleground state is the single most effective way for you to help the campaign in these final weeks. Whether you can commit to a day trip, a weekend trip or a longer stay, we're counting on out of state volunteers to help support our grassroots volunteers on the ground in key states.

You can choose for yourself where you want to travel to, or you can enter your address and we'll let you know where you are needed most. Sign up now to volunteer in a battleground state:

Missouri: Registration Deadline Today

Christopher Hass — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:32:40 EDT

You may already be registered to vote, but you probably know several people who are not. If they live in Missouri and not registered by 5:00 p.m. today, they can't vote in this historic election.

This election is going to hinge on unprecedented voter turnout -- especially in Missouri.

Visit VoteForChange.com, our one-stop voter registration website, and register before the Missouri deadline. Then encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the same.

Message from Barack: "What did you think?"

Christopher Hass — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:58:47 EDT

Shortly after the conclusion of tonight's debate in Tennessee, Barack sent out the following email to supporters:

I think the differences between John McCain and me were pretty clear tonight.

I will fight for the middle class every day, and -- once again -- Senator McCain didn't mention the middle class a single time.

If you agree that we need to cut taxes for 95% of working families, reduce health care costs, and end the war in Iraq responsibly, then I need your help right now.

And if you heard John McCain push more of the same discredited policies, including tax cuts for the wealthy and giant corporations, tax increases on health care, and continuing to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, then now is the time to act.

Four weeks from tonight, we'll know which of us will be the next president.

The time to make a difference in this election is running out -- will you make a donation right now?

https://donate.barackobama.com/townhall

Thank you,

Barack

Early Reviews: "Clear, even decisive win for Obama tonight."

Amanda Scott — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 00:04:42 EDT

TIME: Mark Halperin’s grades:
Obama: B+
McCain: B

NBC (Shrum) 9:43 PM: "I think he won a win tonight, Barack Obama. Because I think the big headline of this debate is that people across the country more and more comfortable with the idea of President Obama. He projects a sense of calmness and strength that kind of grace under pressure that people prize in a president."

MSNBC (Fineman) 11:10 PM: "Another good moment for Obama was when Obama basically took control of the foreign policy debate toward the end there."

FOX News (Luntz)10:43 PM: “We seem to be getting winners out of this. Obama did better overall."

CNN (Hillary Rosen): I am fixated on the dial line at the bottom of the screen on CNN. Women are responding very enthusiastically to Obama. And women have been the larger part of the undecided vote in the battleground states. They like his specificity on tax cuts, the budget, education and energy. And now the environment has just sent both men and women to the top line. McCain only gets to the top line with either men or women when he is positive. Each time he criticizes Obama, the line flattens.

Washington Post (Eugene Robinson): I think most viewers will decide that Obama won the debate, if only because he seemed more presidential and he represents a party other than George W. Bush’s. These encounters, I believe, are fundamentally unkind to John McCain.

Talking Points Memo: “Clear, even decisive win for Obama tonight.” The debate's relatively low-key tone, combined with a series of exchanges that Obama won by at minimum a marginal amount, translate into a clear, even decisive win for Obama tonight. There's no point in mincing words: Time is running out for McCain. As multiple observers have pointed out, McCain needed to jar the electorate into seeing this race in a new way. It isn't even clear if McCain even tried to do this tonight -- there was no moment where he appeared to make an aggressive bid to take down Obama or grab the initiative.

Plouffe: Resounding Victory for Obama Making the Case for Change

Amanda Scott — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:46:57 EDT

Immediately following the conclusion of tonight's debate, Campaign Manager David Plouffe released the following statement...

Barack Obama won a resounding victory in John McCain’s favorite debate format because he made the case for change that will rebuild the middle class. The American people asked tough questions tonight, and only Barack Obama was in touch with their struggles and offered clear and passionate answers about creating jobs, reducing health care costs, cutting taxes for 95% of working families, and responsibly ending the war in Iraq. John McCain was all over the map on the issues, and he is so angry about the state of his campaign that he referred to Barack Obama as "that one" – last time he couldn’t look at Senator Obama, this time he couldn’t say his name. The McCain campaign said, "if we keep talking about the economy, we’re going to lose."

Message from David Plouffe: "Strategy update and tonight's debate"

Christopher Hass — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:09:24 EDT

Campaign Manager David Plouffe just sent out this email to supporters, with a special message about tonight's debate and an inside look at the current state of the race . . .

I was in North Carolina with Barack yesterday -- getting ready for tonight's debate -- and I took a break to record a short strategy update for you.

Yesterday, millions of Americans learned the details about John McCain, his political patron Charles Keating, and their role in the last major financial crisis and taxpayer-financed bailout of our time.

The truth makes it even clearer why a senior McCain adviser admitted to a reporter, "If we keep talking about the economic crisis, we're going to lose."

But it's not enough to merely inform voters -- we've got to turn them out to vote.

You live in a key battleground state where the race is neck-and-neck, so you can make a huge difference right in your own community.

Watch our latest strategy update video and consider giving a day of your time to help turn out the vote in the crucial four days leading up to the election:

While we're focused on persuading and turning out voters, John McCain has given up talking about the issues that are central to this election -- especially the economy. Instead, he's running the most negative presidential campaign in modern history.

In the past few days, we've seen the beginning of a major offensive that McCain is about to launch, filled with distortions, personal attacks, and flat-out lies about Barack.

But you can help fight back by getting involved at the grassroots level -- knocking on doors, making phone calls, and talking to undecided voters about what really matters in this election.

Commit at least one day to make sure Barack gets the votes we need to win:

http://my.barackobama.com/giveadayvid

Thanks for everything you're doing,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

P.S. -- Don't forget to tune in to the debate tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. And make sure your friends and family watch Barack talk about the change we need in this country.

Finally, if you're willing to travel to help out in a key battleground state between now and November 4th, you can sign up now for our Drive For Change program.

Message from David Plouffe: What they don't want to talk about

Christopher Hass — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:20:37 EDT

Late last night, Campaign Manager David Plouffe sent out the following email...

Over the weekend, John McCain's top adviser announced their plan to stop engaging in a debate over the economy and "turn the page" to more direct, personal attacks on Barack Obama.

In the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election. Perhaps because the policies McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend.

But it's not just McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time.

During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country. More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion.

Sound familiar?

In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. The McCain campaign has tried to avoid talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain.

So at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with background information that every voter should know.

Watch a preview right now and share it with your friends.

The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain still hasn't learned his lesson.

And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

Watch the video to see why John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis:

http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo

It's no wonder John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the top priority issue for voters.

But if we work together, we can make sure the focus stays on the economy -- and how to fix it.

Please forward this email to everyone you know.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Below is a special preview of the 13-minute documentary will be live at noon Eastern today at www.KeatingEconomics.com:

Message from Michelle: "Our best shot in Ohio"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 13:32:27 EDT

This morning, Michelle Obama sent out an important message to all of our supporters who have signed up to help make phone calls to voters using our new Neighbor to Neighbor voter contact program . .

We're right in the middle of a very narrow voting window that could make the difference in this election. And we have to act fast.

Ohio voters have until this Monday, October 6th, to register and vote early... all in one step. This is an extraordinary opportunity to get the votes we need to win Ohio.

And since Ohio is a key battleground state -- and played a pivotal role in the last presidential contest -- winning in Ohio could help us secure a national victory.

So what can you do to help Barack win in Ohio? You can help us Get Out The Vote -- and tip the balance in this election -- right from your own living room.

Get a list of potential Ohio supporters and their phone numbers right now. Give them a call and make sure they vote early for Barack.

Republican officials in Ohio didn't want voters to have this opportunity. In fact, they challenged One-Stop Early Vote in court. They tried to prevent new people from entering the political process. But we fought back, and we won.

This is your chance to make a huge difference in a crucial battleground state. Polls in Ohio are extremely close. You can help push us to victory.

The calls you make today could change the direction of our country for generations. We have to seize this opportunity -- for our children, our country, and our future.

Get your list of potential supporters in Ohio and call them before this narrow three-day window closes.

There are just 30 days left until Election Day.

To win this election, we've got to make sure as many people as possible come out and vote -- and make their voices heard.

It's up to you to make it happen. First in Ohio, then in your state.

Thank you so much for your support of this campaign. We could never have come this far without you. Now, let's work together all the way through Election Day to bring the change our country needs.

Michelle

(*Some voters in key battleground states may not have access to the Ohio calling campaign, but you can still makes calls and knock doors in your own community.)

New TV Ad: "One Word"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:40:01 EDT

Today, the Obama-Biden campaign released a third 30 second TV ad, “One Word,” which highlights that while John McCain promises a healthcare tax credit, but doesn’t tell you that for the first time ever, he will make you pay taxes on your healthcare benefits.

"One Word" will begin airing in key states across the country on Monday.

Read the three things that everyone should know about John McCain's healthcare plan...

Message from Joe: "What they won't say"

Christopher Hass — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:08:16 EDT

Shortly after finishing the debate tonight, Joe Biden sent out the following email:

If you saw tonight's debate, you saw Governor Sarah Palin give a spirited defense of the same disastrous policies that have failed us for the past eight years.

She couldn't identify a single area where she or John McCain would change George W. Bush's economic or foreign policy positions.

If you want something different, Barack and I need your help.

Will you make a donation right now to bring about the change we need?

The change we need is fixing this broken economy from the bottom up -- not tax breaks for the wealthy and huge corporations that ship U.S. jobs overseas. We need to focus on defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban and restoring America's standing in the world -- not an unending commitment in Iraq.

Let's be clear: Governor Palin and Senator McCain are offering nothing but more of the same failed Bush policies at home and abroad, trying to disguise them in the rhetoric of change.

Americans need real solutions and real change.

We're in this together and there's a lot to do before Election Day. Please make a donation of $250 or more right now to support this campaign for change:

https://donate.barackobama.com/changeweneed

This is the most important presidential election you'll be part of in your life.

Thank you for all that you're doing.

Now let's get to work and change this country,

Joe

VP Debate Tonight

Amanda Scott — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:18:03 EDT

Barack just sent out this email

Amanda --

Tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, we'll hear from the two candidates for vice president.

My running mate Joe Biden and the Republican nominee, Governor Sarah Palin, need to be ready to step in as president at a moment's notice, and this is the only time they'll appear side-by-side before Election Day.

This debate is also extremely important because early voting began this week in eight states -- including the crucial battleground state of Ohio.

In fact, the votes cast in Ohio this weekend could ultimately decide who wins this whole election. There are only four days left in the narrow window of opportunity when voters can register and vote early all in one step.

Republican operatives tried to shut down one-stop early vote in court this week, but they failed. And now you can help provide the resources for an intensive four-day Get Out The Vote operation before the window closes.

Make a donation of $5 or more today to help Get Out The Vote in Ohio and other early vote states.

Early voting will play a bigger role this year than ever before.

And after tonight's debate, voters will be motivated to cast their ballots for the change this country needs.

Joe Biden and I share a vision for the future of this country, and it's very different from the vision of our opponents.

I'm sure you'll see that contrast in tonight's debate.

But there's another contrast that you can see in every aspect of this campaign. Joe and I know that real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down. That's why we've always put our faith in supporters like you.

Make a donation of $5 or more right now to help reach Ohio voters and Get Out The Vote in other early vote states.

https://donate.barackobama.com/thevpdebate

You've built an unprecedented grassroots movement, and that's what will make all the difference in the next 32 days.

Thanks for everything you're doing, and make sure you tell everyone you know to watch tonight's debate.

Barack

Deadline: Register to Vote

Christopher Hass — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:10:51 EDT

In less than a week, voter registration will have ended in over two dozen states.

The deadline to register in Mississippi is this Friday.

The deadline to register to vote in Nevada, Utah, Washington, Rhode Island and South Carolina is Saturday.

Monday, October 6th is the deadline to register in 17 additional states.

No matter where you live, if you have three minutes to spare, you can check your registration status, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and find your early voting site or polling location at VoteForChange.com.

In 2004, George Bush won Nevada by less than 2.5% of voters, New Mexico by less than 1% of voters, and Colorado by less than 100,000 votes. In Ohio, Bush won by just over 100,000 votes -- less than 10 votes per precinct.

This time, we can't leave anything to chance.

This is your choice: three minutes spent registering to vote -- or four years spent wishing that you had.

Even if you are registered, you likely know someone who isn't.

If you have friends or family who support Barack but might not be registered to vote, you can use our online form to let them know about VoteForChange.com. A simple message from you could be the difference between them voting and them staying at home on November 4th.

And that could be the difference in this election.

New 2 Minute TV Ad on How Obama Will Steer Us Out of The Current Financial Crisis

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 09:27:19 EDT

Today, the Obama-Biden campaign released a new two minute TV ad, Same Path, which includes Senator Obama telling America he knows we can steer ourselves out of this crisis, but not by driving down the very same path and how that’s what this election’s all about.

In the ad, Obama details how his plan to jump-start our economy, create millions of jobs, and bring back our Main Streets all across America differs with John McCain’s plan to continue the same failed policies. Obama specifically lays out how his tax plan which offers three times as much tax relief to the middle class and cuts taxes for small and startup businesses differs from McCain’s which will continue giving hundreds of billions in new tax breaks to big corporations and oil companies and extends the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest.

Statement of Senator Obama on Moving Financial Legislation Forward

Amanda Scott — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:51:25 EDT

Senator Obama just issued this statement on moving the Financial Legislation forward...

Yesterday, within the course of a few hours, the failure to pass the economic rescue plan in Washington led to the single largest decline of the stock market in two decades.

While I, like others, am outraged that the reign of irresponsibility on Wall Street and in Washington has created the current crisis, I also know that continued inaction in the face of the gathering storm in our financial markets would be catastrophic for our economy and our families.

At this moment, when the jobs, retirement savings, and economic security of all Americans hang in the balance, it is imperative that all of us – Democrats and Republicans alike – come together to meet this crisis.

The bill rejected yesterday was a marked improvement over the original blank check proposed by the Bush Administration. It included restraints on CEO pay, protections for homeowners, strict oversight as to how the money is spent, and an assurance that taxpayers will recover their money once the economy recovers. Given the progress we have made, I believe we are unlikely to succeed if we start from scratch or reopen negotiations about the core elements of the agreement. But in order to pass this plan, we must do more.

One step we could take to potentially broaden support for the legislation and shore up our economy would be to expand federal deposit insurance for families and small businesses across America who have invested their money in our banks.

The majority of American families should rest assured that the deposits they have in our banks are safe. Thanks to measures put in place during the Great Depression, deposits of up to $100,000 are guaranteed by the federal government.

While that guarantee is more than adequate for most families, it is insufficient for many small businesses that maintain bank accounts to meet their payroll, buy their supplies, and invest in expanding and creating jobs. The current insurance limit of $100,000 was set 28 years ago and has not been adjusted for inflation.

That is why today, I am proposing that we also raise the FDIC limit to $250,000 as part of the economic rescue package – a step that would boost small businesses, make our banking system more secure, and help restore public confidence in our financial system.

I will be talking to leaders and members of Congress later today to offer this idea and urge them to act without delay to pass a rescue plan.

Obama Campaign Statement

Sam Graham-Felsen — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:32:12 EDT

Obama-Biden campaign spokesman Bill Burton...

This is a moment of national crisis, and today’s inaction in Congress as well as the angry and hyper-partisan statement released by the McCain campaign are exactly why the American people are disgusted with Washington. Now is the time for Democrats and Republicans to join together and act in a way that prevents an economic catastrophe. Every American should be outraged that an era of greed and irresponsibility on Wall Street and Washington has led us to this point, but now that we are here, the stability of our entire economy depends on us taking immediate action to ease this crisis.

Statement of Senator Obama on Financial Plan Breakthrough

Christopher Hass — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 10:02:40 EDT

After Congressional negotiators reached a tentative deal on the White House's proposed $700 billion bailout of the financial system, Senator Obama released the following statement:

The breakthrough between Congress and the Administration is the culmination of a sorry period in our history, in which reckless speculation and greed on Wall Street and lax oversight from Washington led to a meltdown of our financial markets. But regardless of how we got here, a failure to deal with the current crisis would have devastating consequences for our economy, costing millions of Americans their jobs and retirement security.
To understand how this tentative deal was reached, it's important to remember how this all began. The Bush Administration initially asked for a blank check to respond to this problem, which I strongly opposed. It would have been unconscionable to expect the American people to hand this Administration or any Administration a $700 billion check with no conditions and no oversight when a lack of oversight in Washington and on Wall Street is exactly what got us into this mess. If the American people are being asked to pay for the solution to this crisis, their tax dollars must be protected.
That is why over the past ten days, in conversations with the President, Secretary of Treasury and leaders of Congress, I laid out the four core principles I believed had to guide any solution: oversight by an independent board; protections for taxpayers to ensure that they are treated like investors and that they receive any profits - and recoup any losses - from this plan; measures to help homeowners stay in their homes; and rules to make sure CEOs are not being rewarded at taxpayers' expense. While I look forward to reviewing the language of the legislation, it appears that the tentative deal embraces these principles.
When taxpayers are asked to take such an extraordinary step because of the irresponsibility of a relative few, it is not a cause for celebration. But this step is necessary. Now Washington has to show the same sense of urgency in dealing with the crisis facing Main Street and the middle class by passing an emergency economic stimulus plan that would create jobs by rebuilding our crumbing roads; shore up flagging state budgets to prevent drastic cuts in education and health care; and extend expiring unemployment insurance benefits for those who've lost their jobs in this downturn and cannot find new ones.
One final point. If elected President, I will order a thorough review of this plan to make sure that it fully lives up to the principles I've laid out. And I will also move quickly to upgrade our financial regulations for the 21st century, establishing new rules of the road and tougher oversight to ensure that the American taxpayers are never again forced to put their money and their futures at risk because of bad decisions in Washington and on Wall Street.

Debate Reviews: Barack Obama Wins - "More Presidential," "Knowledgeable and Detailed"

Christopher Hass — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:27:02 EDT

Mark Halperin's Grades for the First Presidential Debate:
Obama : Overall grade: A-
McCain: Overall: B-

CNN Telephone Poll of 524 Adults:
Who did the best job tonight?
BO: 51
JSM: 38
Who would better handle Iraq?
BO: 52
JSM: 47
Who would better handle the economy?
BO: 58
JSM: 37

CBS Poll Results Suggest More Uncommitted Voters Saw Obama As Debate Winner:
Who won tonight's debate?
BO: 39
JSM: 25
Draw: 36
Who got better tonight?
BO: 46
JSM: 31
Who would make the right decisions about the economy?
BO: 66
JSM: 44

9:40pm MSNBC Chris Matthews "Barack Obama, who kept agreeing with McCain over and over again…looked more presidential."

9:43pm MSNBC Buchanan "He did what he had to do in the sense he came off as a tough fellow, a counterpuncher."

9:40pm MSNBC Chris Matthews: "Obama Looked More Presidential"

9:45 PM CBS – Katie Couric: "The issue of meeting with Iranian officials without preconditions and Henry Kissinger's position on that came up during my recent interview with Governor Sarah Palin. Now, after than interview I called Secretary Kissinger to clarify his position – he said he does support face-to-face talks with high-level officials in Iran without preconditions."

10:42 PM ABC - David Wright: "Obama, we saw him do 22 debates or so during the primary. He was much crisper tonight, he was much more on message."

10:45 PM FOX News – Juan Williams: "If we come back to the economic at the top, I'd have to give it to Barack Obama."

10:52 PM CNN- David Gergen: "I think John McCain needed a clear victory tonight. I think a tie was not in his interests. He is behind. This is his best subject night because the last night, they're going to be talking about the economy. I think he needed a clear victory tonight. I think that eluded him, even as strong as he was, I think Bill Bennett is absolutely right… but I don't think he walked out of here with a clear victory of the kind he needed."

CNN (Gloria Borger)- "I think you'd have to watch this debate, Anderson and say Obama held his own. He didn't give an inch to McCain on the issues of talking with Iran."

CBS News (Ambinder) "Knowledge Network Undecideds Give Debate To Obama": According to CBS News / Knowledge Networks' poll of undecided voters: 40% of uncommitted voters who watched the debate tonight thought Barack Obama was the winner. 22% thought John McCain won. 38% saw it as a draw. 68% of these voters think Obama would make the right decision about the economy. 41% think McCain would. 49% of these voters think Obama would make the right decisions about Iraq. 55% think McCain would.

Associated Press (Liz Sidoti) A night of contrasts This debate, primarily focused on foreign policy, was supposed to be McCain's sweet spot; Obama held his own. "You were wrong" on Iraq, Obama repeated three times in succession as he pointedly looked his opponent in the eye. "John, you like to pretend the war began in 2007."

The Atlantic (Marc Ambinder) The Rumble In Oxford: First Thoughts - McCain did not filter himself, letting his frustration and contempt for Obama show; he wouldn't let himself look at the challenger.

NY Daily News – "Final Verdict on Eight Years of Failed Economic Policies." After all those months of buildup, it took exactly 106 seconds for the gloves to come off, when Democrat Obama laid the blame for the current economic mess on Republican leadership in Washington. "This is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush [and] supported by John McCain," Obama said, taking direct aim at his GOP opponent… Obama seemed at ease in the early rounds as McCain struggled to find his feet.

Philly Daily News - Will Bunch blog: McCain "Needs a Knockout" … "Didn't Get It Tonight." I think Obama held his own, which is what he needed to do. He clearly showed he was knowledgeable on foreign affairs, and made kind of silly the argument that Sarah Palin has more experience than he does. McCain was a lot more restrained than I would have expected. …McCain can't afford to win on points. He needs a knockout. He didn't get it tonight.

Denver Post PoliticsWest (John Andrews) Zinger at McCain - Obama landed a good jab with his reference to McCain "threatening extinction to North Korea" and "singing songs about bombing Iran." McCain: "I'm not going to set the White House visitors schedule before I'm president. I don't even have a seal yet." Cute line at the Messiah's expense, but it was wasted in this setting. Obama was impressive, agree with him or not, in his big picture statement near the end when he panned back from Iraq to talk about China, the economy, and the fate of empires in history. McCain for all his courage and honor didn't paint on that kind of global canvas. More points scored into the Dem's column.

Tampa Tribune (Blog) McCain's Final Judgment: "Knowledge And Experience" McCain relied repeatedly on emotional but non-substantive or factually incorrect claims: That Obama "voted against funding the troops," wouldn't declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as terrorists, wants to increase taxes on people who make $42,000. But Obama's vaunted eloquence, somewhat surprisingly, failed to overwhelm the nitpicking. The verdict: Probably a tie, which means McCain will probably hold his advantage on the issue. The future debates will be between the vice presidential contenders, and between McCain and Obama on domestic issues.

TNR Blog- Focus Groups, Undecideds For Obama: For what it's worth: The Frank Luntz and Stanley Greenberg focus groups went overwhelmingly for Obama. And a CBS poll of undecideds went for Obama 40%-22%.

Read more debate reviews . . .

---

Tonight was a big night, made possible by your support over these past 19 months. Tonight we saw a clear choice, a chance for a new direction and the change we need.

Tonight: The First Debate

Christopher Hass — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:00:38 EDT

We learned late this morning that tonight's presidential debate will proceed as planned, with both candidates in attendance. As Barack explained earlier in the week, in the face of the ongoing financial crisis, tonight's debate is more important than ever. In a press conference on Wednesday, Barack stated:

This is exactly the time when the American people need to hear from the person who, in approximately 40 days, will be responsible for dealing with this mess... In my mind, it's more important than ever that we present ourselves to the American people and try to describe where we want to take the country and where we want to take the economy.

Tonight's debate will be broadcast live from the University of Mississippi, starting at 9 PM EDT.

This an important moment, and a great opportunity to bring people together, talk about the issues, and build this movement for change. There are over 5,000 debate watch parties planned in communities across the country tonight. There is still time to find a watch party near you and share in this moment with friends, neighbors, and fellow supporters.

Message from Jon Carson: The debate and what's next

Christopher Hass — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:02:43 EDT

Tonight, National Field Director Jon Carson sent out the following email...

Barack is moving ahead with plans for Friday's debate.

The election is less than 40 days away, and the American people deserve to hear directly from the candidates about how they intend to lead our country.

You're invited to join a Debate Watch Party in your community and discuss the issues that are most important to you and your family, friends, and neighbors.

Find a Debate Watch Party in your area and RSVP today.

These parties will allow you to to get to know folks in your community and continue building this campaign from the bottom up, by reaching out to even more supporters using our Neighbor to Neighbor tool.

If you can't attend a party, you can still use our Neighbor to Neighbor tool to reach out to swing voters who need to hear from you.

It's an extremely powerful way to build support for Barack.

Whether you can attend a Debate Watch Party or not, it's a great way to connect with fellow voters.

Get your list of potential supporters right now and start knocking on doors or making phone calls today.

Neighbor to Neighbor gives you everything you need to get started.

As Barack prepares for the presidential debate, we'll be preparing, too -- by laying the groundwork for victory on Election Day.

Let's get to work.

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America

Obama: Debate is 'More Important Than Ever'

Christopher Hass — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:10:57 EDT

Earlier today, Barack made a brief statement to the press and took questions regarding the ongoing economic crisis, his decision to reach out to John McCain this morning to suggest issuing a joint statement urging Congress and the White House to act in a bipartisan manner, and John McCain's suggestion that Friday night's debate be postponed:

Please take a minute to share this video with your friends . . .

Message from Jon Carson: The people you know

Amanda Scott — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:30:09 EDT

National Field Director Jon Carson just sent out this email...

Amanda --

Think of all the people you know -- your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors. What if every one of them voted on Election Day?

That's a lot of votes.

But odds are, many of them aren't registered -- or aren't sure if they are.

Now there's an easy way to learn your status and get registered. Our new one-stop voter registration site, VoteForChange.com, lets you do it all: check your registration status, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and find your early voting site or polling location.

Take a minute today to check out VoteForChange.com, and encourage your friends and family to do the same:

http://my.barackobama.com/vfc

In just the past few weeks, 200,000 people have used VoteForChange.com to register to vote. That's a remarkable accomplishment, and we're well on our way to our goal -- 1,000,000 people using VoteForChange.com to register to vote before the election.

We're counting on all of our supporters to help reach this goal by forwarding this email to friends and family.

This election is going to be incredibly close, and we need every single vote we can get to win. But almost everywhere in the country, there are only a couple of weeks left before your registration deadline.

VoteForChange.com makes it easier than ever to confirm your registration. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote.

If you're not sure if you're registered or if you have any questions, take a minute to visit the site and make your voice heard on Election Day:

http://my.barackobama.com/vfc

Together, we can turn the tide of the past eight years and bring about the real change this country needs.
But we all need to vote -- and first, we all need to be registered.

Thanks for all that you do,

Jon

Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America

P.S. -- There are lots of ways to get this important information out there. Help spread the word by adding www.VoteForChange.com to your email footer, or share it with friends on online social networks.

Getting as many people as possible registered to vote, and then making sure they go to the polls, is going to take all of us working together. Thanks.

"Now it's our turn."

Christopher Hass — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:24:43 EDT

From the earliest days of the campaign, Barack has closed his speeches not just with an ask for a vote, but with a call to action. From the beginning, this campaign has been built on the belief that ordinary people can make a difference in their lives and in their nation's government, but only if they act.

In his closing remarks in Daytona Beach this morning, Barack made this case as clear as ever:

I hope you'll join me. I hope you'll walk with me, so that we can turn the page on the failed policies of the past. And if you make that commitment, if everybody out here is getting registered, if everybody is out there volunteering, if all of you are doing a little community organizing, if you're making phone calls, sending out emails, knocking on doors, talking to folks at church, if you've decided that you want to roll up your sleeves and join with me and change this country, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, county by county, state by state, then I promise you this -- we will not just win Florida. We will win this general election, and then you and I together are going to change this country and change the world.

In his speech in Wooster, Ohio last Wednesday, Joe Biden referred to this moment as an "inflection point" on the issues of war, global warming, the economy and more.

But it is more than just that. This moment is a leverage point, in which the work you do over the next 45 days will have a greater impact than at perhaps any other point in your life.

Right now, this race is neck-and-neck. In over a dozens states, the margin between winning and losing -- the margin between a government that institutionalizes the policies and mistakes of the last eight years and an administration that brings real change to Washington -- will be the work done on the ground by ordinary people.

Over the course of the evening, we'll be showing you a number of ways in which you can get involved, no matter where you live or what your past political experience is.

This first step is simple:

Democratic Radio Address: Senator Obama on the Current Financial Crisis

Christopher Hass — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:19:54 EDT

This morning, Senator Barack Obama delivered the weekly Democratic Radio Address. Over the past few days, Senator Obama has been working closely with his top economic advisors to discuss how best to protect the well-being and lifesavings of American families and help our financial markets avoid collapse. Senator Obama has offered his support for the proposal put forward by the Fed and the Treasury and presented a sound framework for addressing the economic crisis, protecting homeowners and creating jobs.

In his radio address today, Senator Obama praised the efforts of Chairman Bernanke and Secretary Paulson and urged them to follow basic economic principles to restore prosperity to not just Wall Street, but Main Street as well. Senator Obama called for a bottom up strengthening of the economy to put our financial system on firmer footing. In addition to the current economic crisis, Senator Obama also addressed taxes, healthcare, energy and educations in his second Democratic Radio Address since becoming the Democratic nominee for president.

Listen to Senator Obama's radio address.

Read the full text of the address . . .

Message from Barack: Solving our financial crisis

Amanda Scott — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:02:51 EDT

Barack just sent out this email...

Amanda --

The economy hit a new low this week, and in every part of the country, people like you are feeling it.

The recent financial disasters -- from the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the historic drop in the stock market -- are not just a string of bad luck. They are the result of years of bad decisions made in favor of big corporate special interests instead of America's working families.

More than 600,000 Americans have lost their jobs since January. Home foreclosures are skyrocketing, and home values are plunging. Gas prices are at an all-time high, and we're still spending more than $10 billion every month on a war in Iraq that should never have been waged.

John McCain's campaign is doing everything it can to focus attention on false personal attacks and distractions -- but there's too much at stake for that kind of politics.

I need your help to get the conversation back on track.

I recorded a two-minute TV ad about our economy and my plan to solve this crisis. Please watch the ad and share it with everyone you know:
For eight years, Bush-McCain economic policies have favored reckless deregulation and huge tax loopholes for big corporations. Now, as these corporations crumble, American taxpayers are facing costly bailouts.

More of the same failed ideas are not going to solve our economic problems.

I'm calling for a $1,000 tax break for middle-class families -- not just because they need help dealing with the rising costs of gas, food, and health care, but also because our economy needs to be reinvigorated from the bottom up, not the top down.

I'm proposing a second stimulus package to save over one million jobs and provide immediate relief to struggling families.

And I'll end the "anything goes" culture on Wall Street with real regulation. We can see clearly that our economy is stronger when we protect investments and pensions, and avoid devastating bankruptcies and bailouts.

This is no ordinary time, and it shouldn't be an ordinary election. Help keep the discussion focused on the issues.

Please watch the video and share it with your friends today:

http://my.barackobama.com/economyvideo

Thanks for helping to bring the change this country needs,

Barack

Obama Directly Addresses America in Two-Minute Ad: Plan for Change

Sam Graham-Felsen — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:35:26 EDT

CHICAGO, IL – The Obama campaign today released a two-minute advertisement in which Senator Obama will speak directly to the nation on his view of the state of the economy and what he would do to fix it if he is elected president. The ad will begin today nationally and in battleground states around the country.

Watch the ad...

Visit BarackObama.com/plan to read Obama's plan for the economy now.

Please donate now to help put this ad on the air and help deliver this important message to voters across America.

Continue reading for the script of the ad...

Senator Obama in Golden, CO: Confronting an Economic Crisis

Amanda Scott — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:54:00 EDT

This afternoon in Golden, Colorado, Senator Obama delivered an address on the economic crisis. He outlined his record, his economic plan and how he will bring change when John McCain will bring more of the same. Here are some of his remarks...

Over the last few days, we have seen clearly what’s at stake in this election. The news from Wall Street has shaken the American people’s faith in our economy. The situation with Lehman Brothers and other financial institutions is the latest in a wave of crises that have generated tremendous uncertainty about the future of our financial markets. This is a major threat to our economy and its ability to create good-paying jobs and help working Americans pay their bills, save for their future, and make their mortgage payments.

Since this turmoil began over a year ago, the housing market has collapsed. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had to be effectively taken over by the government. Three of America’s five largest investment banks failed or have been sold off in distress. Yesterday, Wall Street suffered its worst losses since just after 9/11. We are in the most serious financial crisis in generations. Yet Senator McCain stood up yesterday and said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong.

...So let’s be clear: what we’ve seen the last few days is nothing less than the final verdict on an economic philosophy that has completely failed. And I am running for President of the United States because the dreams of the American people must not be endangered any more. It’s time to put an end to a broken system in Washington that is breaking the American economy. It’s time for change that makes a real difference in your lives.

...Make no mistake: my opponent is running for four more years of policies that will throw the economy further out of balance. His outrage at Wall Street would be more convincing if he wasn’t offering them more tax cuts. His call for fiscal responsibility would be believable if he wasn’t for more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and more of a trillion dollar war in Iraq paid for with deficit spending and borrowing from foreign creditors like China. His newfound support for regulation bears no resemblance to his scornful attitude towards oversight and enforcement. John McCain cannot be trusted to reestablish proper oversight of our financial markets for one simple reason: he has shown time and again that he does not believe in it.

What has happened these last eight years is not some historical anomaly, so we know what to expect if we try these policies for another four. When lobbyists run your campaign, the special interests end up gaming the system. When the White House is hostile to any kind of oversight, corporations cut corners and consumers pay the price. When regulators are chosen for their disdain for regulation and we gut their ability to enforce the law, then the interests of the American people are not protected. It’s an ideology that intentionally breeds incompetence in Washington and irresponsibility on Wall Street, and it’s time to turn the page.

Just today, Senator McCain offered up the oldest Washington stunt in the book – you pass the buck to a commission to study the problem. But here’s the thing ... we know how we got into this mess. What we need now is leadership that gets us out. I’ll provide it, John McCain won’t, and that’s the choice for the American people in this election.

Read Barack's full remarks as prepared for delivery...

Barack in Grand Junction, CO: "He doesn't get what's happening"

Amanda Scott — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:20:04 EDT

Barack just finished hosting an event in Grand Junction, Colorado. During his speech, Barack addressed the remark that John McCain made earlier about the 'strong' fundamentals of our economy.

It’s not that I think John McCain doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of most Americans. I just think doesn’t know. He doesn’t get what’s happening between the mountain in Sedona where he lives and the corridors of Washington where he works. Why else would he say that we’ve made great progress economically under George Bush? Why else would he say that the economy isn’t something he understands as well as he should? Why else would he say, today, of all days – just a few hours ago – that the fundamentals of the economy are still strong?

Senator – what economy are you talking about?

What’s more fundamental than the ability to find a job that pays the bills and can raise a family? What’s more fundamental than knowing that your life savings is secure, and that you can retire with dignity? What’s more fundamental than knowing that you’ll have a roof over your head at the end of the day? What’s more fundamental than that?

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great – that promise that America is the place where you can make it if you try – a promise that is the only reason that we are standing here today.

Barack understands what's going on and has a plan to jumpstart the economy, provide middle class Americans tax relief, support small business and create new jobs. He will work to help struggling Americans reclaim the American Dream.

More than Half a Million New Donors in August

Christopher Hass — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 10:24:53 EDT

This morning the campaign announced that more than half a million new donors contributed to the Obama campaign during the month of August, bringing the total number of donors so far to over 2.5 million. In August, these donors helped raise a record $66 million.

Campaign manager David Plouffe said:

John McCain says that he’ll take on the special interests and lobbyists, but McCain can’t fix a problem he’s been part of for three decades. The 500,000 new donors to the Obama campaign demonstrate just how strongly the American people are looking to kick the special interests out and change Washington. We are proud of the millions of volunteers and more than 2.5 million donors to the Obama campaign who are contributing to help us deliver the change we need instead of letting John McCain just continue the same failed Bush policies while middle class Americans struggle.

Two New Ads: 'Real Change' and 'Still'

Sam Graham-Felsen — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:38:08 EDT

Today, the Obama campaign released two new 30-second TV ads, Real Change, which details what "change" is to Senator Obama and Still which details why John McCain would just be another out of touch president offering more of the same.

Watch Real Change...

Watch Still...

Please make a donation now and help share these ads with voters around the country.

Statement of Senator Barack Obama on the Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks

Christopher Hass — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 01:00:01 EDT

In remembrance of the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Senator Obama released the following statement:

Today, we honor the memory of the lives that were lost on September 11, 2001, and grieve with the families and friends who lost someone they loved in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. We will never forget those who died. We will always remember the extraordinary efforts of our firefighters, police and emergency responders, and those who sacrificed their own lives on Flight 93 to protect their fellow Americans. And we give thanks for the Americans defending us every day in our communities at home, and in our military abroad.

On 9/11, Americans across our great country came together to stand with the families of the victims, to donate blood, to give to charity, and to say a prayer for our country. Let us renew that spirit of service and that sense of common purpose. Let us remember that the terrorists responsible for 9/11 are still at large, and must be brought to justice. Let us resolve to defeat terrorist networks, defend the American homeland, stand up for the enduring American values that we cherish, and seek a new birth of freedom at home and around the world.

Barack in Dayton: "A new vision for a 21st century education"

Amanda Scott — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:52:35 EDT

Today, Barack returned to Dayton to deliver a major policy address on reforming and strengthening America's schools for the 21st century. Speaking at Stebbins High School, he detailed his plan to modernize and strengthen our education system for the challenges of the 21st century.

Barack discussed his plan to ensure that our children have the skills to compete in a global economy, and how the Obama-Biden ticket will do what’s right for the next generation even if means breaking with tradition. They’ll demand more reform and accountability, increase resources, and recruit an army of new teachers.

Here's what Barack said...

We need a new vision for a 21st century education – one where we aren’t just supporting existing schools, but spurring innovation; where we’re not just investing more money, but demanding more reform; where parents take responsibility for their children’s success; where our schools and government are accountable for results; where we’re recruiting, retaining, and rewarding an army of new teachers, and students are excited to learn because they’re attending schools of the future; and where we expect all our children not only to graduate high school, but to graduate college and get a good paying job.

It’s time to ask ourselves why other countries are outperforming us in education. Because it’s not that their kids are smarter than ours – it’s that they’re being smarter about how to educate their kids. They’re spending less time teaching things that don’t matter and more time teaching things that do. Their students are spending more time in school, and they’re setting higher expectations.

That’s what we need to be doing – because America isn’t a country that accepts second place.

Read Barack's full remarks as prepared for delivery...

Read Barack's education plan below...

"No Maverick"

Christopher Hass — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:05:32 EDT

Today, in response to the McCain ad “Maverick,” the Obama campaign released a new 30-second TV ad, "No Maverick."

Despite calling himself a "maverick," seven of John McCain's top campaign advisors are Washington lobbyists, and he's voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time. Sarah Palin probably touts how she was against the so-called "bridge to nowhere," despite the fact that she originally supported it.

If you are tired of the same cynical approach to politics, you can make a donation now.

"No Maverick" will air in key battleground states across the country beginning today.

Joe Biden: "The silence was deafening"

Christopher Hass — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:27:37 EDT

Yesterday, the following email went out to the Obama Action Wire . . .

If you watched any of the Republican convention this week, you probably noticed that they spent a lot of time attacking Barack and sneering at people who try to improve their communities.

But they hardly spent any time at all telling us how they're going to help people across America who are hurting. That's because they knew they had adopted the most extreme, right-wing platform in their party's recent history.

And they knew the American people don't want any more of the same.

Yesterday in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden gave a blistering response at a rally in a high school gymnasium, and our team was there to capture it on video.

With all the uncritical coverage the Republican speeches are getting this week, we need to make sure everyone who couldn't be at that high school in Pennsylvania gets to see Joe calling out the Republican bully tactics.

Watch the video of Joe's response and make sure everyone you know sees it, too.

By the end of the week, Joe had had enough. And when he got going yesterday, it was really something to see.

The issue isn't so much what we heard from the Republicans. The attacks the Republicans launched were the same tired, old lines we heard in 2000 and 2004.

The issue is what we didn't hear.

We didn't hear about the middle class, or housing, or a concrete plan to keep American jobs here.

It can be tempting to listen to all the jeering and get sucked in, but it's no substitute for a plan. And Joe Biden saw right through it.

Check out Joe tearing apart the Republican distraction tactics and share the video today.

The Obama Action Wire is a grassroots rapid response group for supporters to fight smears, spread the truth, push back on misleading media, and take positive action. You can sign up for the Obama Action Wire now.

Message from David Plouffe: 'What you didn't see this week'

Christopher Hass — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:30:58 EDT

Earlier this afternoon, in response to the final night of the Republican National Convention and this morning's newest unemployment figures, campaign manager David Plouffe sent out the following email:

John McCain and the Republicans had all week to make their case -- and they didn't do it.

The whole Republican convention went by without offering a single idea about how to improve the lives of ordinary Americans.

People noticed. In the last 24 hours, more people donated to this campaign for the first time than ever before. Thank you for responding so strongly.

Barack is making clear what this election should be about. At a campaign stop in Pennsylvania yesterday, he spoke out about exactly what we didn't hear at the Republican convention.

You can help make sure Barack's message of change is heard loud and clear. Will you watch the video and make a donation today?

We learned just this morning that unemployment jumped to its highest rate in five years, and our economy lost 605,000 jobs this year alone -- at a time when John McCain believes that the fundamentals of our economy are "strong."

John McCain can talk all he wants about change, but he has voted with George W. Bush more than 90 percent of the time, and Americans aren't buying it.

Here are a few of the responses we received from voters who watched the Republican convention:

"This is one Republican for Obama that knows 100% now that I made the right choice and will in November vote for Obama-Biden." -- Bev from Georgia

"Republicans like Palin, Giuliani, and Romney can engage in red-meat partisan vitriol all they want, right out of the Karl Rove playbook, but this isn't 2000 or 2004. Americans now have seen the full impact of GOP policies on their pocketbook." -- Rick from Colorado

"What the Republicans displayed ... is more of the same old thing -- unproductive politics. I hope and pray that the American voters will see through this and realize that we need a different mindset and approach if we are ever going to get things done in Washington." -- Patricia from Kansas

Watch Barack's response to the Republican convention, and join these folks in supporting real solutions and making sure Americans far and wide know what's at stake.

Thanks for everything you're doing,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Joe Biden: McCain's Speech

Christopher Hass — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:24:36 EDT

Joe Biden just sent out the following email, in response to John McCain's acceptance speech . . .

John McCain just accepted the Republican nomination and adopted the most conservative platform in the history of his party.

After days of negative attacks -- and no mention of real proposals to fix our economy, get more people health care, or make America safer -- the party that brought you eight years of disastrous policies is asking for four more.

Well, not if we have anything to say about it.

Across this nation, people like you have joined this movement because you believe that we are better than the past eight years. And now that we are entering the final stretch, it's going to take all of us to bring the change we need.

Will you make a donation at this crucial moment to change our country?

After the last eight years, it's up to you to keep America's promise alive.

How can John McCain pull us out of the deep hole we're in when he voted with George Bush more than 90% of the time?

The American people deserve more than a 10% chance at change.

No matter what McCain says, we can't bring about change by relying on the same ideas that have failed us for the last eight years.

Show the McCain campaign that people coming together, giving what they can afford, and working toward a common purpose will transform this country.

Change begins with you. Please make a donation now.

Thanks for everything you're doing,

Joe

Message from David Plouffe: 'What you just saw'

Sam Graham-Felsen — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:33:13 EDT

Campaign manager David Plouffe just sent out this email...

Dear Friend --

I wasn't planning on sending you something tonight. But if you saw what I saw from the Republican convention, you know that it demands a response.

I saw John McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked you for being a part of this campaign.

But worst of all -- and this deserves to be noted -- they insulted the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political process.

You know that despite what John McCain and his attack squad say, everyday people have the power to build something extraordinary when we come together.

Will you make a donation right now to remind them?

Both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack's experience as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago more than two decades ago, where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed.

Let's clarify something for them right now.

Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.

And it's no surprise that, after eight years of George Bush, millions of people have found that by coming together in their local communities they can change the course of history. That promise is what our campaign has been about from the beginning.

Throughout our history, ordinary people have made good on America's promise by organizing for change from the bottom up. Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. And it's happening today in church basements and community centers and living rooms across America.

Meanwhile, we still haven't gotten a single idea during the entire Republican convention about the economy and how to lift a middle class so harmed by the Bush-McCain policies.

It's now clear that John McCain's campaign has decided that desperate lies and personal attacks -- on Barack Obama and on you -- are the only way they can earn a third term for the Bush policies that McCain has supported more than 90 percent of the time.

But you can send a crystal clear message.

Enough is enough. Make your voice heard loud and clear by making a donation right now.
Thank you for joining more than 2 million ordinary Americans who refuse to be silenced.

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Video: Obama on Gustav... "We rise and fall as one nation"

Sam Graham-Felsen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:52:32 EDT

Last night, at the Milwaukee Rally for America's Workers in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Senator Obama spoke about Hurricane Gustav and the mutual responsibility we share as a nation, especially during times of tragedy.

"In times of need, there are no red states and blue states," said Senator Obama.

Yet, Senator Obama explained that this spirit of shared responsibility must also be extended to the "quiet storms" that are taking place in so many struggling households across America...

All across America there are quiet storms taking place. There are lives of quiet desperation. People in need of just a little bit of help. Now, Americans are a self-reliant people, we’re an independent people. We don’t like asking somebody else to do what we can do ourselves, but you know what we understand is that every once in a while somebody’s going to get knocked down. Every once in a while somebody’s going to go through some hard times. When we least expect it tragedy may strike. And what has always made this country great is the understanding that we rise and fall as one nation, that values and family, community and neighborhood, they have to express themselves in our government. Those are national values. Those are values that we all subscribe to. And so, the spirit that we extend today and in the days to come as we monitor what happens on the Gulf, that’s the spirit that we’ve got to carry with us each and every day. That’s the spirit that we need in our own homes and it’s the spirit that we need in the White House. And that’s why I’m running for president of the United States of America.

Watch the video and share it with your friends and family...

And please click here to find out what you can do to help those Gulf Coast residents.

Hurricane Gustav: How You Can Help

Sam Graham-Felsen — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:54:29 EDT

As Hurricane Gustav approaches and Gulf Coast residents evacuate their communities, our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are affected by this situation.

Mayor Ray Nagin has announced a mandatory evacuation for the City of New Orleans today, Sunday, August 31st. If you are in the New Orleans area, please contact the state emergency hotline at 1-866-288-2484 if you need more information or go to the State of Louisiana site for an updated list of evacuations by parish.

If you are a Mississippi resident, please click here for information.

State and local government officials are working hard to ensure the safety and well-being of the people of the region, and many of you have asked how you can help too.

Please find out how you can help by visiting the American Red Cross or Save The Children today.

If disaster strikes, your support will be vital to those organizations that work to help our communities get back to their feet.

Stay tuned for updates and more information on how you can help.

Video: Barack Obama at Mile High -- "The American Promise"

Sam Graham-Felsen — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:42:57 EDT

On a cloudless August night in Denver, before a united party and thousands of grassroots supporters from all across America, Senator Obama accepted the Democratic Party presidential nomination.

Obama made the case for why America cannot afford four more years of the same failed policies and laid out his vision to bring about fundamental change at home and abroad. He reminded us of the extraordinary promise of America at its best and challenged us to continue to fight for that promise, to march ahead, to not turn back...

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours – a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead – people of every creed and color, from every walk of life – is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise – that American promise – and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

To all of our supporters, from those who have been with this remarkable campaign from the beginning to those of you who are just joining this movement for change: if you agree that we cannot turn back now -- that this is our moment to seize -- please make a donation today.

Continue reading for the full remarks as prepared for delivery...

You Made It Happen

Christopher Hass — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:41:04 EDT

From Barack . . .

This night could not have happened 40 years ago -- or even 4 years ago.

And it could not have happened without you.

You believed, against the odds, that change was possible. I felt your passion here tonight, and I know it was shared by millions of Americans who are building this movement all across the country.

Tonight is your night. But tonight is just the beginning.

The general election is going to be faster and tougher than anything we've faced so far. And our opponents will do everything they can to tear us down.

I need your support more than ever.

Make another donation of $25 or more right now.

Our party is united. Our purpose is clear. And our goal is in sight.

Thank you for everything you've done,

Barack

Joe Biden Accepts Vice Presidential Nomination: "This is the time to get back up"

Amanda Scott — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:30:46 EDT

Since I've never been called a man of few words, let me say this as simply as I can: Yes. Yes, I accept your nomination to run and serve with Barack Obama, the next President of the United States of America.

Joe Biden formally accepted the nomination for Vice President for the Democratic Party last night. Joe came onto the stage after a moving introduction by his son Beau. And with his family in the audience, including his mom who taught him that "you are defined by your sense of honor, and you are redeemed by your loyalty," he gave a rousing acceptance speech.

Joe told America about his childhood, about being picked on because of his stutter, about his father teaching him to always get up after you've been knocked down, and about the promise that if you work hard, you can succeed in the world. And he spoke about how that promise is slowing slipping away.

Fortunately, Joe told the audience, in Barack Obama, we have a candidate who can and will restore the American Dream for people across the country.

You know, you can learn a lot about a man campaigning with him, debating him, seeing how he reacts under pressure. You learn about the strength of his mind, but even more importantly, you learn about the quality of his heart. I watched how Barack touched people, how he inspired them, and I realized he had tapped into the oldest belief in America: We don't have to accept a situation we cannot bear. We have the power to change it. And change it―and change it is exactly what Barack Obama will do. That's what he'll do for this country.

Our greatest presidents―from Abraham Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy―they all challenged us to embrace change. Now, it's our responsibility to meet that challenge.

Millions of Americans have been knocked down. And this is the time as Americans, together, we get back up. Back up together. Our debt to our parents and grandparents too great, our obligation to our children is too sacred.

These are extraordinary times. This is an extraordinary election. The American people are ready. I'm ready. Barack is ready. This is his time. This is our time. This is America's time.

Watch Joe accept the vice presidential nomination below.

Behind The Scenes With Joe Biden

Peter Rubi — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:33:19 EDT

As he prepares to make his first major speech as Barack Obama’s running mate tonight, Joe Biden has been mingling with family and friends, and meeting a lot of new people along the way. With his wife Jill, his son, and his grandchildren in tow, Joe Biden knows that his life is about to change.

Joe Biden never has had a problem connecting with the American people, and his time here in Denver at the Democratic National Convention has been no different.

You can watch him here, in both sound and pictures, as he meets folks on the way to a barbecue shack in downtown Denver, as he enters the DNC to watch the convention with his family, or do a walk-through of his speech, in preparation for his big night tonight:

Senator Hillary Clinton Addresses the Democratic National Convention

Bradley Portnoy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:24:43 EDT

"Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President." - Hillary Clinton

Senator Hillary Clinton took to the podium tonight and delivered a resounding speech to the assembled delegates and to Americans across the nation. As one of the most groundbreaking candidates ever to run for the Presidency, Senator Clinton has inspired millions of women and men with her unyielding commitment to the causes that we all care so deeply about. And tonight, she left no doubt about what we all must do to face the challenges ahead of us: unite behind Barack Obama and present a fully unified Democratic Party to the country and the world.

Senator Clinton's speech was a stirring reminder that presidential campaigns are not about a single person, but about the power of what people can do when they come together to unite for change:

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

It really was an incredible moment for our party and for America. If you missed it, check out this video of her address:

Michelle's Monday Night Speech

Amanda Scott — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:45:03 EDT

Barack just sent out this email...

Amanda -
I am so lucky to be married to the woman who delivered that speech last night.

Michelle was electrifying, inspiring, and absolutely magnificent. I get a lot of credit for the speech I gave at the 2004 convention -- but I think she may have me beat.

You have to see it to believe it.

And make sure to forward this email to your friends and family -- they'll want to see it too.
You really don't want to miss this.

And I'm not just saying that because she's my wife -- I truly believe it was the best speech of the campaign so far.

Barack

Joe Biden!

Sam Graham-Felsen — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:45:34 EDT

Breaking news: the text message is out and it's official... Barack Obama has selected Joe Biden to be his running mate!

Please take a minute to share your story with Joe and welcome him into our movement for change. For those of you who are from Delaware and know Joe best, we'd love to hear your experiences as a constituent of Senator Biden's.

We'll make sure to share some of your stories with Senator Biden so he gets a chance to better know the remarkable folks who've built this campaign from the bottom up.

As Senator Obama and Senator Biden head to Denver, your grassroots support is more critical than ever.

Obama-Biden '08!

Friday Fact Check: Another Misleading Attack Ad

Christopher Hass — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 23:15:30 EDT

The Policy Department is back again to debunk another false ad on Obama's tax policy, the third in three weeks. Once again, Deputy economic policy director Brian Deese breaks down the McCain attack ad, step by step:

You can watch the first two response videos here and here.

Check out http://www.barackobama.com/taxes for more on Barack's tax plan.

Barack in Chester, Virginia: "The answer is John McCain has seven homes"

Christopher Hass — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 16:23:08 EDT

Earlier today at a town hall in Chester, Virginia Barack spoke about the real economic challenges facing Americans and the need for a president who has a sense of what ordinary people are going through.

Barack explained:

[John McCain's] top economic advisers said the other day that Americans should stop complaining, that they've become a nation of "whiners." That all of the economic problems that everyone is talking about is just a mental recession.

... Then yesterday, he was asked again, "What do you think about the economy?" And he said "I think the economy is fundamentally strong." Now this puzzled me. I was confused as to what he meant. But then there was another interview .... where somebody asked John McCain "How many houses do you have?" And he said "I'm not sure, I'll have to check with my staff."

... If you don't know how many houses you have, you might think that the economy is fundamentally strong. But if you're like me and you've got one house, or if you're one of the millions of people who are struggling right now to keep up with their mortgage so that they don't lose their home, you might have a different perspective.

By the way, the answer is John McCain has seven homes.

Road Blog: Barack in Martinsville, Virginia

Obama Road Blog — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:51:49 EDT

“I’m going to take my coat off here, I don’t want to look too stiff!” - Barack Obama

A crowd of 350 crunched together in the large machine shop room at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA to attend a town hall meeting with Barack Obama. Today’s theme was about how we can keep good jobs in America. Steel car frames, both classic and NASCAR-themed, stood in the background. It was a particularly fitting setting for former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, who introduced Barack. Warner was an enthusiastic supporter of the Virginia Motorsports Initiative, which tapped into the local passion for automobiles to become a successful program at Patrick Henry. This program worked by putting old machines to work for new ideas. Warner asked, “Can we take what we do best -- this love of industry and racing -- and make it work for Virginians?”

Barack passionately agreed with this concept and said, “Let’s not let somebody else make the cars of the future, let’s make them right here in the United States of America.” He delved further into this theme, pointing out that our old factories can be retooled to make windmill turbines and solar panels, and that abandoned tobacco fields can be replanted with switchgrass to make the fuels of the tomorrow.

Here are Barack’s full remarks from this afternoon’s town hall:

Arun Chaudhary
August 20, 2008
En route to Lynchburg, Virginia

Organize for Change: Last Night for Convention Watch Party Packets

Christopher Hass — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:38:35 EDT

For the third day in a row, our volunteer crew here at the Chicago HQ is hard at work assembling and mailing packets to all of the Organize for Change Convention Watch Party hosts. Thousands of supporters have already signed up to host or attend a watch party on August 28, the night Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination. Earlier today, members of our graphic design team took time out of their day to help out as well, as we ramp up our efforts to meet the demand.

The last batch of packets will be shipping soon, and tonight is the final night to register your event if you want to receive an official watch party packet. Each packet includes a free DVD and "Change" sign, Democratic National Convention stickers, a voter registration guide, a meeting agenda and sign-in forms.

Thursday, August 28th will be the biggest night of the campaign so far, and we're inviting our supporters from all across the country to participate in this historic moment. Sign up to host or attend a Convention Watch Party in your community:

Barack and the Two Millionth Donor

Christopher Hass — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:19:59 EDT

Last week Ed Prouty, a heating and cooling contractor from Atkinson, New Hampshire was the two millionth person to donate money to the campaign. It's a milestone that few believed was possible -- 2,000,000 individual supporters owning a piece of this campaign.

On Friday, Ed received a surprise phone call from Barack himself ...

When Barack asked how business was going, Ed said, "It's the worst we’ve ever seen in 25 years.”

Ed spoke to Barack about a number of other issues important to him and his community, including the foreclosure crisis, health care and the environment.

At the end of their call, Ed promised Barack, “I’ll be out there working with you.”

Thank you to everyone for the work you've done to build this movement. Keep up the momentum by making a donation today.

Visit NH.BarackObama.com for more news and info on campaign events and New Hampshire grassroots supporters like Ed.

Road Blog: Town Hall in Reno, Nevada

Obama Road Blog — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:07:47 EDT

“You can get the government that you deserve.” – Barack Obama

It was a beautiful day in Reno at the town hall at Earl Wooster High School, home of the Colts. Over two-hundred attendees, mostly union members and local activists, sat at picnic tables for the event.

Barack walked among the tables, sharing his observations about what he’s learned on the road. “What you learn traveling America," he said, "is that it’s big and full of lots of different kinds of people, but they all want and need the same things for themselves and their families.”

One of the most interesting things about the long campaign season has been meeting and revisiting many of the same people across the country over the course of several months, or in some cases, an entire year.

Introducing Barack today was one such person – Patty Chastain. Patty was a precinct captain during the primary caucuses. As a real estate agent, Patty moved to Nevada five years ago -- before the housing market collapsed. With the market in its current state, Patty is struggling to make ends meet and living month-to-month. Having health problems and rising medical bills, she is very concerned that she will become a financial liability for her children. This is a familiar story in Nevada, where foreclosure rates rank the highest in the nation, and the subsequent economic fallout affects everyone. Patty is only one member of a generation of parents who are worried about what they are leaving behind for their children.

Here are Barack’s opening remarks from today’s event:

Arun Chaudhary
August 17th, 2008
Reno, Nevada

A Special Invitation to Join the Grassroots Finance Committee

Christopher Hass — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:15:04 EDT

Earlier tonight, Campaign Manager David Plouffe sent out the following special invitation by email ...

Barack will accept the nomination in less than two weeks, and the pace of this campaign will get faster than ever.

Millions of new people will be paying attention, and you can help bring them into our movement at this crucial time.

Join the Grassroots Finance Committee (GFC), a core group of dedicated supporters who are setting a personal goal to raise $1,000 each in small-dollar donations.

Barack is relying on ordinary people giving only what they can afford to support this movement. Join the GFC and reach out to your network of friends, family, and neighbors and encourage them to make a donation and own a piece of this campaign.

Sign up to join the Grassroots Finance Committee today.

You don't need to have any prior political experience. This campaign is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

In a few simple steps, you can create a personal fundraising page on My.BarackObama and start reaching out to the people you know today. You can track your progress on your page, send email invitations, and even see who has responded.

We've made it as easy as possible, and campaign staff will be available to make sure your personal fundraising efforts are a success.

The GFC team put together a video of Michelle, a committee member from the spring who wanted to share her experience:

Watch what she has to say:

More than a thousand people like you have joined the committee and helped power this movement through personal contact with fellow grassroots supporters. That stands in stark contrast to the campaign being run by John McCain and the RNC.

Right now, McCain and the RNC are raking in huge contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs to fund their increasingly negative attacks.

With just 80 days to the election, we need more supporters like you to join the GFC now.

Even if you have never done anything like this before, you can easily get started today.

Click here to learn more about the Grassroots Finance Committee and have a major impact on this campaign.

Thank you for getting involved as we prepare for our final push,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

More than 65,000 New Donors Contributed to the Obama Campaign in July, Bringing July Total to Over $51 Million

Sam Graham-Felsen — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:22:03 EDT

The Obama campaign just released it's fundraising totals for the month of July...

More than 65,000 New Donors Contributed to the Obama Campaign in July, Bringing July Total to Over $51 Million

Obama campaign has $65.8 million on hand
CHICAGO – Senator Barack Obama’s campaign announced today that more than 65,000 new donors contributed to the Obama campaign during the month of July, bringing the total raised for the month to over $51 million. More than 2 million people have now contributed to the campaign.
“The 65,000 new donors to the Obama campaign demonstrate just how strongly the American people are looking to fundamentally change business as usual in Washington. We are proud of the millions of volunteers and more than two million donors to the Obama campaign who will provide the backbone of our campaign to put America back on track and reject the old politics and failed Bush policies, which is all John McCain is offering,” said David Plouffe, campaign manager of Obama for America.

Thanks to all of our grassroots donors who continue to fuel this campaign. More than 2 million of you -- from every state in the country, from all different backgrounds -- have made your voices heard and registered your desire for fundamental change in Washington.

From our 250,000th donor, Angela, to our 1 millionth donor, Zach, so many of you have shared your stories and inspired others to get involved in this grassroots campaign as well. Let's keep making history.

The Big Night

Christopher Hass — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:00:32 EDT

Last night, National Field Director Jon Carson sent out the following email, announcing a nationwide grassroots organizational effort in conjunction with the final night of the 2008 Democratic National Convention...

In less than two weeks, Barack will accept the nomination at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

It will be the biggest night of the campaign so far, and you can share the moment with millions of fellow supporters across the country.

Sign up to attend a Convention Watch Party in your neighborhood on Thursday, August 28th:
At the 2004 convention, Barack spoke about coming together to participate in the politics of hope.

People like you heard that message and now you are making it happen all across the country. Just yesterday we made a remarkable achievement -- 2,000,000 donors owning a piece of this campaign.

At Convention Watch Parties, you can celebrate the commitment and hard work it took to get here. And you can help plan voter registration drives that are being organized in all 50 states on the weekend of August 30th through September 1st.

You've been doing an amazing job of opening up the political process and bringing in as many people as possible.

And there's no better way to reach out to your friends and family than to invite them to be a part of this historic moment.

I hope you'll take this opportunity to continue growing our movement in your community and watch as we make history together.

Thank you for everything you are doing,

Jon

Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America

Two Million and Counting...

Christopher Hass — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:49:02 EDT

Last night, we achieved something amazing: Over 2,000,000 individuals now own a piece of this campaign. Two million donors is a number that was previously unimaginable for presidential campaigns and a goal that few believed was attainable.

And it hasn't stopped there. All day long, ordinary people across the country have continued to step forward to show their support – one donation at a time. People like:

People like:

Shirley, a teacher in Lafayette, GA

Wayne, a paramedic in Philadelphia, PA

Mary, a stay-at-home mom in Port Washington, WI

Williams, an engineer in Richmond Heights, OH

Robert, retired Marine in Colorado Springs, CO

Samuel, a pastor in Mauldin, SC

Joseph, a firefighter in Coventry, RI

Caroline, a teaching assistant in New Freedom, PA

Sharon, a hairdresser in Longview, TX

Barbara, a social worker in Detroit, MI

Ryan, a waiter in Temecula, CA

Mannery, an aircraft mechanic in College Park, GA

Moses, a welder in Shreveport, LA

Nicole, a student in Hope Mills, NC

Earline, a nurse in Glenwood, IL

Robert, a truck driver in Columbia, SC

Ellen, a librarian in Carlsbad, CA

Jacquelyn, a small business owner in Newport, OR

Joshua, an auto glass technician in Derry, NH

Winona, a retired teacher in Richardson, TX

Madie, a child care specialist in Johnston, IA

Vicki, a gift shop manager in Louisville, KY

Francisco, an electrician in San Juan, TX

Gary, a contractor in Conifer, CO

These are just a few of the thousands of people who have donated in the past few hours. These are the people who, along with millions like them, are transforming the way political campaigns are run.

Obama Campaign Releases New TV Ad to Air During Olympics

Laurin Manning — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:01:55 EDT

Obama Campaign Releases New TV Ad to Air During the Olympics 30-Second Spot Highlights Senator Obama's Plan to Stand Up for the Middle Class

CHICAGO - Today, the Obama campaign unveiled a new ad to run during the Olympics. The ad, "Three Bedroom Ranch," discusses Obama's plan to put the middle class first by growing the economy, ending tax cuts for companies that ship jobs overseas, creating new jobs here at home, investing in education and cutting taxes for working families. Barack Obama will ensure the economic security of middle-class families in the short-term, and restore balance and fairness to our economy; to make sure that Americans aren't just getting by, but getting ahead.

"Three Bedroom Ranch" will air on national cable and broadcast in all 50 states beginning Monday.

Watch the ad below:

Senator Obama on the 73rd Anniversary of Social Security

Sam Graham-Felsen — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 09:52:51 EDT

Senator Obama on the 73rd Anniversary of Social Security...

On this anniversary of Social Security, let’s reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that Social Security remains a safety net that seniors can count on today, tomorrow, and always. It is impossible to fully measure Social Security’s value for its recipients, as well as for those who look after and love them. Nearly 13 million seniors depend on it each month to keep from falling into poverty, and millions more depend on survivor and disability benefits to protect their retirement.

As President, I will protect Social Security for today’s seniors and future generations. That means strengthening Social Security’s solvency while protecting middle class families from benefit cuts, tax increases or increases in the retirement age. It means treating Social Security not as a political football or describing it as an “absolute disgrace,” but instead honoring it as the cornerstone of the social compact in this country. And it means opposing efforts to privatize Social Security, as I did when President Bush proposed risky private accounts a few years ago. Privatization is wrong and tears at the fabric of Social Security – the very idea of mutual responsibility – by subjecting a secure, earned retirement to the whims of the market. The Bush privatization plan that Senator McCain now embraces would tell millions of elderly Americans that they’re on their own, putting them at risk of falling into poverty. That’s not what this country is about.

It’s time to reclaim the idea that in this country, we’re all in it together. That is America’s very promise – and Social Security’s very guarantee. And it requires a President who will change the ways of Washington, protect the people’s interests, and bring Americans together to meet the great challenges of our time. That is exactly the sort of leadership I intend to offer.

Read more about Senator Obama's plan to strengthen retirement security.

Message from Barack: A Few Hours From Now

Amanda Scott — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 17:28:48 EDT

Barack just sent out this email...

You can make history in the next few hours.

We're within striking distance of 2 million people owning a piece of this movement.

Supporters like you are transforming the way political campaigns are run -- and you're sending a powerful message that you're ready for real change in Washington.

Meanwhile, John McCain is running the same Karl Rove-style campaign that George W. Bush ran four years ago. He's avoiding issues and attempting to tear down our movement with personal attacks and fear mongering.

Not only has McCain voted with Bush 95% of the time, he's adopted the same political playbook. We've seen it all before, and we can't afford 4 or 8 more years of the same low road tactics and disastrous policies.

Be one of the 2 million determined to defeat Bush-style fear and division by donating to build this movement for change.
It's up to each of us to make sure that this election brings change to America. And none of us can do it alone.

Let's show we really are ready for a change from the Bush-Rove politics that McCain stands for.

I hope you'll make a contribution today to support a new kind of politics and make history with 2,000,000 donors.

We're all counting on each other to bring the change our country needs.

Thanks for everything you are doing,

Barack

Message from David Plouffe: "Two million people like you"

Amanda Scott — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:56:25 EDT

Campaign Manager David Plouffe just sent out the following email...

John McCain and the Republican National Committee are trying to convince you that you've been swept up and tricked into wanting change.

They want you to believe that everything is just fine -- that we need to stay the course and elect someone who's voted with George Bush 95% of the time.

To sell this ridiculous idea, McCain and the RNC are using huge checks from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs to run negative ads attacking Barack Obama and the millions of volunteers and donors who have joined this campaign for change.

While supporters like you are out knocking on doors, registering new voters, and organizing in your local communities, our opponents are not even trying to match your efforts. Instead, they're spending millions to spread the smear that Barack is just a "celebrity" and that our grassroots movement is just a bunch of mindless fans.

So who is John McCain really attacking? Real people like Brandon, a carpenter from McCall, ID. Stephanie, a registered nurse from Phoenix, AZ. And Pamela, a retired teacher from Franklin, WV.

These are actual people who have made donations to our campaign this week.

Join supporters like Brandon, Stephanie, and Pamela in fighting back against McCain's negative attacks. Make a donation today.
Your donation will help this movement reach a goal that few believed was possible -- 2,000,000 individual supporters owning a piece of this campaign.

And if you make a donation right now, a previous donor -- a real person like Brandon, Stephanie, or Pamela -- is standing by to match your gift. They are prepared to give again if you take the next step and make your first donation today.

You can even choose to exchange a personal note with them about why you're supporting this movement.

Double your impact by making a matched donation now.

Two million donors is an incredible number -- a number that was previously unimaginable for presidential campaigns. And it's a number this campaign never dreamed we could reach before the convention.

But because so many supporters have stepped up to own a piece of this movement in the face of McCain's attacks, we are just days away from making history.

And with only 85 days until the election, we can't afford to do any less.

Make a matching donation today and help reach this historic goal.

McCain is trying to undermine your hope, and we can expect even more misleading attack ads in the weeks ahead. His friends in Big Oil and other special interests are more than happy to keep fueling his efforts with huge checks. They want to keep Washington just the way it is.

Today, you can show John McCain that his attacks won't slow us down. In fact, his attacks will make us even more determined to build and strengthen this movement.

Help reach this historic milestone of 2 million donors by matching another supporter's donation today.

Thank you for building this movement for change,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Barack's VP: Be the First to Know

Christopher Hass — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 19:17:44 EDT

Campaign Manager David Plouffe just sent out the following email:

Barack Obama is about to make one of the most important decisions of this campaign -- choosing a running mate.

You have helped build this movement from the bottom up, and Barack wants you to be the first to know his choice.

Sign up today to be the first to know.

You will receive an email the moment Barack makes his decision, or you can text VP to 62262 to receive a text message on your mobile phone.

Once you've signed up, please forward this email to your friends, family, and coworkers to let them know about this special opportunity.

No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment.

Be the first to know who Barack selects as his running mate.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Video: Fact Check on McCain Tax Lies

Christopher Hass — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:24:38 EDT

Please take a minute to check out a new fact-check video we're releasing today to correct the record on Senator McCain's latest false attack ad, "Painful."

Numerous independent organizations have found McCain's claims on taxes to be "false," "misleading" and to represent a "pattern of deceit." In the video, our Deputy Director of Economic Policy, Brian Deese, walks viewers through the ad's laundry list of lies, and provides the truth about Barack Obama's plan to give 95 percent of American families a $1,000 tax cut, eliminate income taxes for seniors making less than $50,000, cut capital gains taxes for small businesses to zero percent-and to ensure that no one making less than $250,000 pays a dime more in taxes.

Senator Obama Delivers The Weekly Democratic Radio Address

Christopher Hass — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 15:35:26 EDT

Senator Barack Obama delivered the Weekly Democratic Radio Address this morning, his first as the presumptive nominee. Senator Obama explained:

Everywhere I go, I meet people who are working hard for their families – but are still falling behind. Our government has lost touch with the most fundamental American values – the belief that everyone should be able to live the American Dream; the sense that we are all in this together as Americans.

Senator McCain talks about putting our country first, but he is running for a third term of the very same policies that have set our country back. We can’t afford to take that chance. We can’t afford to keep running up record deficits while we favor the few over the many. We can’t prioritize a misguided war in Iraq over the urgent needs of the American people.

I believe that we need to move in a new direction.

CLICK HERE to listen to the full address.

Read the text of Barack's remarks . . .

Watch "Hands": TV Ad on Obama's New Energy for America Plan

Sam Graham-Felsen — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 11:43:52 EDT

CHICAGO –Today the Obama Campaign unveiled a new ad that will run during the Olympics. The ad discusses Obama’s plan to invest in a green-energy economy focused on harvesting wind and solar power and building the next generation of fuel efficient cars. Obama’s plan provides immediate relief, invests in a clean energy future, and brings us closer to energy independence.

Hands will air on national cable and broadcast in all 50 states beginning Saturday.

Watch the ad...

Announcing the MyBO Activity Tracker

Chris Hughes — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 10:26:36 EDT

Nearly a full year ago, we unrolled a new points system in My.BarackObama with a pretty simple goal: to make it easier for supporters to measure their impact on the campaign. The more you did on My.BarackObama.com, the more points you would accrue. A phone call got you three points. Hosting an event got you 15.

From the start, the emphasis was on quantifying an activist’s contribution to the campaign – not on encouraging people to rack up points for the sake of racking up points. For some people, that wasn’t always clear.

Today, we’re proud to roll out an updated points system called the Activity Tracker. The basic idea is the same: the Activity Tracker helps Obama supporters measure the work they’re doing on behalf of the campaign. Whereas before, the points system tried to measure lots of different activities down to a “point value,” the new Activity Tracker simply displays up front exactly what activity users have been engaged in.

The second major change is how the system formulates a total number to gauge activity. The previous Points system consolidated all activity into a single cumulative metric, but now, the new Activity Index is time sensitive. The more work you’ve done recently, the higher the number will be.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, the source of a given user’s points is now visible to everyone in the My.BarackObama community. Before, all a user could see when looking at another person’s dashboard was a total point value. Now, the full extent of the person’s campaign-related activity is available for other activists to see.

And that information is not just displayed on individuals’ dashboard pages – it also displays on groups pages. So within a couple clicks, you can check out your favorite My.BarackObama group and immediately know how active the members are.

The new Activity Tracker is just the beginning of some important new additions to the site that are coming up in the next few weeks. We’d love to hear your thoughts on how it works and how it can be improved.

** NOTE: The bug incorrectly calculating activity over the past seven days has been corrected.

Road Blog: Barack in Elkhart, IN

Obama Road Blog — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:19:16 EDT

Barack rolled into Elkhart, Indiana today on the latest leg of his bus tour. Folks jammed into the Concord High School gymnasium (home of the Minutemen) to attend a town hall focused on energy issues. An estimated 1,600 people from all over the region were eager to talk with Barack about the topics that are grabbing today’s headlines – from rising energy costs to the development of alternative fuels and energy sources.

Barack had a question for the folks of Elkhart: “Are you better off than you were four or eight years ago?” People in the crowd paused to think. “Eight years ago gas was $1.50. Do you remember that?” People in the crowd shook their heads, recalling a seemingly distant memory. “You don’t!” Barack exclaimed, cracking a smile.

George Berkeley, a local, asked a question about energy manufacturing and how it relates to our flagging economy. Here is a video of their exchange:

Arun Chaudhary
August 6th, 2008
Elkhart, Indiana

Road Blog: Barack in Youngstown, Ohio

Obama Road Blog — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:15:55 EDT

Our economy is in turmoil. I don't have to tell that to the people of Youngstown, Ohio. - Barack Obama

At a time when Americans are earning less and the cost of gas and food continue to climb, 2,400 people from Youngstown and outlying areas packed into the Austintown Fitch High School gymnasium for today's town hall meeting. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown was also in attendance to hear Barack address many of the key issues at stake in this year's election, focusing in particular on charting a new energy policy.

One of the biggest factors crippling and endangering the stability of our economy as well as our national security is our addiction to foreign oil. "It is one of the most dangerous issues we face," says Barack. His plan calls for investing $150 billion over the next decade "to harness American energy and create five million new American jobs." By investing and leading the way in alternative energy development in here in America, we will be reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

But what about right now?

The Obama plan for the short term includes relief to working families in the form of a $1,000 energy rebate, paid for in part by taxing the record profits of big oil companies. These oil companies have been benefiting greatly from record high gas prices. Barack believes that it doesn't make sense that big oil companies continue to post record profits while the American people keep paying more and more.

We had a chance to catch up with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who was also in attendance. He is thrilled about the prospect of an Obama administration and what it would offer a diverse state like Ohio. Take a look at what he has to say right here:

And here is an excerpt from Barack's remarks...

Arun Chaudhary
August 5th, 2008
Berea, Ohio

New Energy for America

Christopher Hass — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:52:02 EDT

This morning in Michigan, Senator Obama announced a comprehensive New Energy for America plan designed to address the current energy crisis and move America towards a 21st century energy economy. Some of the proposals put forth today include:

Providing short‐term relief to American families facing pain at the pump
Helping create five million new jobs by strategically investing $150 billion over the next ten years to catalyze private efforts to build a clean energy future.
Within 10 years, saving more oil than we currently import from the Middle East and Venezuela combined.
Putting 1 million Plug‐In Hybrid cars – cars that can get up to 150 miles per gallon – on the road by 2015, cars that we will work to make sure are built here in America.
Ensuring 10 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025.
Implementing an economy‐wide cap‐and‐trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050.

You can read the full New Energy for America plan below:

Barack Obama's New Energy Plan For America - Scribd.com/BarackObama

Barack in Lansing, MI: "We must end the age of oil in our time."

Christopher Hass — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 12:24:19 EDT

Senator Obama just concluded a major speech in Lansing, Michigan where he addressed our current energy crisis and described our addiction to foreign oil as "central" to all of the major challenges facing us today.

Without a doubt, this addiction is one of the most dangerous and urgent threats this nation has ever faced - from the gas prices that are wiping out your paychecks and straining businesses to the jobs that are disappearing from this state; from the instability and terror bred in the Middle East to the rising oceans and record drought and spreading famine that could engulf our planet.

In response to these challenges, Obama announced his New Energy for America plan, which includes an immediate energy rebate to Americans struggling with high gas prices, the creation of five million new green jobs, and the elimination of our dependence on Middle Eastern oil in ten years.

In his speech, Senator Obama outlined a number of short terms goals to lower gas prices and help working families struggling to make ends meet, but he also emphasized that:

We simply cannot pretend, as Senator McCain does, that we can drill our way out of this problem. We need a much bolder and much bigger set of solutions. We have to make a serious, nationwide commitment to developing new sources of energy and we have to do it right away.

Read the full remarks, as prepared for delivery . . .

Road Blog: Barack Obama in Titusville, FL

Obama Road Blog — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:10:49 EDT

Good afternoon and welcome to Titusville, Florida or "Space City, USA."

This town in Brevard Country, known for the Kennedy Space Center and NASA, was the site for Senator Obama's town hall meeting. The gym at the local community college was packed with folks eager to talk about economic challenges facing Floridians.

In his opening remarks before the questions, Barack took some time to address the issue of space exploration and scientific research, tying it to the economic challenges that America faces:

This is an administration that has been anti-science, whether on the issues of stem cell research or climate change. I want to promote a science based economy and I want to invest in science, that is what is going to drive our economy in the long term.

You don't have to be an expert (a rocket scientist for instance), to see that America's economy faces serious challenges. One of the surest ways of putting it back on track is by putting an emphasis to the things America excels at, technology and innovation.

Arun Chaudhary
August 2nd, 2008
Titusville Florida

Road Blog: Day in Pictures, Florida

Obama Road Blog — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 22:44:54 EDT

Barack Obama continued his economic tour, visiting Florida today. He held a town hall meeting in St. Petersburg, met voters at a farmers market in Plant City, held a meeting with citizens in Lakeland affected by the mortgage crises and visited with some of his volunteers in Orlando.

Although Barack's bus tour passed through beautiful wetland landscapes unique to the Sunshine State, Floridians are experiencing the same economic hardships as the rest of the country, falling into recession for the first time in 16 years.

Folks all over Florida had the same questions, whether they were attending a town hall, picking up the pieces after devastating foreclosures in their community, or simply out shopping for food. How can the federal government help improve this economy, in the long-term and in the short term?

This morning at his first stop, Barack unveiled plans for a stimulus package aimed at jump-starting the economy. But the foundation of any plan is organization, and at his last stop Senator Obama showed his appreciation for the foundation of change in America: a group of volunteer organizers. They were in the middle of a busy day of phonebanking when a "surprise guest" dropped by to speak with them.

Enjoy the day in pictures.

Arun Chaudhary

August 1st, 2008

Orlando, Florida

Barack Obama's Emergency Economic Plan

Christopher Hass — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 11:57:35 EDT

Senator Obama today unveiled an Emergency Economic Plan, following news of rising unemployment and a struggling economy. The proposed plan would take the excess profits of oil companies to help working families deal with energy costs in the form of new $1,000 rebate checks, and would enact a $50 billion economic stimulus package to jump-start job creation and help local communities that are struggling due to our economic downturn. You can read the full plan below:

Barack Obama's Emergency Economic Plan - Scribd.com/BarackObama

Deadline: Tomorrow

Christopher Hass — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 10:30:18 EDT

Early this morning, Barack sent out the following email . . .

Tomorrow is the financial reporting deadline for July.

Once again, everyone will be sizing up this campaign to see if we can compete with John McCain and the Republican National Committee.

Your hard work and generosity have gotten us this far, but the fact remains, our opponents still have a big fundraising advantage. They are very good at raking in huge donations, especially from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

That's why we need to show the strength of our grassroots movement before tomorrow's deadline. Help prove that a campaign powered by people like you, giving only what they can afford, can go toe-to-toe with the Republican fundraising machine.

Make a donation of $5 or more to support this movement for change:

As you've probably heard, if you make a donation before tomorrow at midnight, you could join me at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

This year, we're opening up the convention the way supporters like you have opened up the political process all across the country. On the last day, more than 75,000 people will come together to be a part of history -- folks like you who have been building this movement from the bottom up.

It will be an incredible event, and if you make a donation in any amount before tomorrow's deadline, you and a guest could travel to Denver, spend a couple of nights at a hotel, and join me backstage before I accept the nomination.

Please make a donation of $5 or more now. I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.

Thanks,

Barack

How It Begins

Christopher Hass — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:30:53 EDT

This morning in Virginia, volunteers, staffers and grassroots supporters met in parks, parking lots and campaign offices to kick-off a weekend of canvassing all across the state.

But it's not just Virginia. This weekend, canvasses are taking place in Nevada, Colorado, New Hampshire, Maine, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina and Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and Alaska.

Just 53 days after the end of one of the longest primaries ever, the general election has begun.

It begins not with a single speech or a giant rally. It begins with thousands of ordinary people waking up early on a Saturday morning, meeting together in public places, and then walking block by block to knock on doors and talking face to face to neighbors in their community.

Campaign Manager David Plouffe described these grassroots volunteers as a "persuasion army," and he explained how:

A human being talking to another human being who is a swing voter trying to figure out what to do in this election is a very powerful thing.

We've seen how effective this can be. From a post by Jamie Mulligan in Iowa, from over one year ago:

One of the fun things about canvassing door-to-door is hearing how much of an impact every person makes just by participating in the process. Lois D., from Fort Dodge said one supporter "just wanted to get me involved right away to talk about Senator Obama with everyone. When you talk to them, the message of Senator Obama comes across. [It] makes you feel like you should get out and do something."

In the end, it was this kind of person to person contact that made the difference in Iowa, and the primaries and caucuses that followed. What was true then is just as true now. This election will not be decided by television ads and radio spots, automated phone calls or direct mail. And it won't be decided by the those who simply sit back and watch the election unfold on television or the internet.

The difference in this election will be ordinary people who wake up early on a Saturday morning and give up their time to talk to friends, family, neighbors and even strangers, to make sure that they know what is at stake in this election and the part that they play. That's the difference; that's the work that needs to be done. And it begins today.

If you attended a canvass today, let us know how it went in the comments below or email blog@barackobama.com.

Remarks of Senator Obama in Berlin, Germany

Obama Road Blog — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:56:37 EDT

Senator Obama delivered the following remarks in Berlin, Germany...

Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany. Let me thank Chancellor Merkel and Foreign Minister Steinmeier for welcoming me earlier today. Thank you Mayor Wowereit, the Berlin Senate, the police, and most of all thank you for this welcome.
I come to Berlin as so many of my countrymen have come before. Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for President, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.
I know that I don’t look like the Americans who’ve previously spoken in this great city. The journey that led me here is improbable. My mother was born in the heartland of America, but my father grew up herding goats in Kenya. His father – my grandfather – was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
At the height of the Cold War, my father decided, like so many others in the forgotten corners of the world, that his yearning – his dream – required the freedom and opportunity promised by the West. And so he wrote letter after letter to universities all across America until somebody, somewhere answered his prayer for a better life.
That is why I’m here. And you are here because you too know that yearning. This city, of all cities, knows the dream of freedom. And you know that the only reason we stand here tonight is because men and women from both of our nations came together to work, and struggle, and sacrifice for that better life.
Ours is a partnership that truly began sixty years ago this summer, on the day when the first American plane touched down at Templehof.

Continue reading for the full remarks (as prepared for delivery)...