WA 45th LD for Obama

Washington.CAN - The Next Step - Join Today

Wayne — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:57:26 EST

Hello Wonderfully Active People:It's time to move forward as one. We made it through the election and inauguration - and now we must bring our Washington together and work towards organizing county .CAN groups to work at all levels of government to achieve the Change we voted for.

You're invited to join a group on My.BarackObama.com:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/WashingtonCAN

We are writing to invite everyone to please come out and join the President's Grassroots Team to support Barack as we roll out Government 2.0.
In his recent video (http://my.barackobama.com/page/invite/thefuture) Barack Announces Organizing For America.  He mentioned that in a few days you would get instructions by email.  These are the instructions.

1.  We need you to find your State.CAN group in MyBO and join these two groups:

USA.CAN

Washington.CAN

2.  Each of you must update your Personal profile on MyBO with real contact information so we can interact accordingly.

3.  This is our team building nationwide project...to form ranks.  To give you a heads up, February 7th is when the call has been put out for all CAN groups to have their first meetings across the country.  We are asking all MyBO members who want to participate in Government 2.0 to reach out to all their MyBO groups and have them join their State.CAN group as well.  At your face to face meetings across your state and in each county you will elect officers, assign issue teams by individual interests, and make plans to work across CAN groups with all others who might share that issue focus in order to join forces and see solutions implemented.   This is the plan we make in support of President Barack Obama's upcoming legislation and programs.  All issues that we are focusing on to begin with are posted at www.whitehouse.gov.

4.  Overall mandate on what we are to do:

• Organize support for legislation at all levels of government.  This includes supporting President Obama's agenda as well as organizing around state and local laws/initiatives.
• Build grassroots electoral strength at all levels by training and developing grassroots leaders to organize and serve in their communities.
• Be an organ of two-way communication between the White House and the grassroots, so that each knows and responds to the priorities of the other.
• Launch a national, grassroots-driven renewal of civic engagement, again at both the local and national levels.

Lisa Lindo
National USA.CAN Group Administrator (Community Action Networks)
Associate Producer Vote For Change Campaign
Internet Community Organizer
Economic URL: IfTheBuckStopsHereShootIt.com
Vote For Change: http://obeygiant.com/voteforchange/

Making calls - One Week

Steven Shults — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:37:47 EDT

One Week.

I've been making calls. It's easy. Easier than you think.

One Week.

If you're reading this between 9am and 8pm, stop reading this and start making calls via n2n. Now.

One Week.

If you're feeling complacent, here are four reasons not to.

One Week.

If McCain pulls off an upset, you'll be kicking yourself for not doing more. So do more.

One Week.

NYT Editorial Board Endorses Barack Obama for President, NYT-Editorial

Edie "Hussein" M. Ph.D. — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 23:39:53 EDT

The New York Times

Editorial: Barack Obama for President

Excerpt:

Mr. Obama has withstood some of the toughest campaign attacks ever mounted against a candidate. He’s been called un-American and accused of hiding a secret Islamic faith. The Republicans have linked him to domestic terrorists and questioned his wife’s love of her country. Ms. Palin has also questioned millions of Americans’ patriotism, calling Republican-leaning states “pro-America.”

This politics of fear, division and character assassination helped Mr. Bush drive Mr. McCain from the 2000 Republican primaries and defeat Senator John Kerry in 2004. It has been the dominant theme of his failed presidency.

The nation’s problems are simply too grave to be reduced to slashing “robo-calls” and negative ads. This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities.

Read the full article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/24/opinion/24fri1.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Getting Nervous - Turning up the Heat - Who are we?

March for Obama — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:18:26 EDT

Is anyone else getting nervous? I am. I can't sleep at night thinking that Palin/McCain could actually make it to the White House. And yes, I meant Palin/McCain. She has quickly over shadowed John McCain. Why are people more enthused about the second in charge? Doesn't that say a lot about John McCain? Sarah Palin is just another GW Bush. She is able to enthusiastically bluff her way through the issues but with only a narrow and shallow understanding of the basics. She would make a good drinking buddy!

Why aren't we addressing the fact that she is more of the same? She is just George with lipstick. Come on folks? If 80% of Americans do not like GWB then they shouldn't like Sarah Palin or John McCain. Reason? Americas want change in Washington. Have we already forgotten GWB's eight years? We need a hard slap in the face if we think that Palin and McCain will be any different from Bush. Half of the 80% understand that. It is becoming more and more apparent that the other half don't. Would someone please remind everyone that all the same supporting cast of characters are now being hired by McCain and will eventually be running Washington, as usual. Carl Rove already works for McCain. No one in the McCain campaign has mentioned that the supporting crew will change. It will include Cheney, Rice, and all those guys you saw at the GOP convention. Turn up the heat!!!!!

I am ready to march to Washington DC from Washington state in an effort to remind everyone along the way that we need real change in Washington. Sarah Palin is just Bush with lipstick. That's not change we can believe in! Voters who are looking seriously at the McCain/Palin ticket don't read blogs or the New York Times. We need to get their attention in a different way. Try a new media like marching for change!!!!

Anyone want to march with me? I honestly believe that the American people need to stand up for change in a way that is separate from the campaigns. The manipulative, twisted methods of the GOP make it difficult for the Dems to address. Rove is aggressive in a very passive way. The American people need to do some talking and convince the other half of the 80% that a GOP ticket just means more of same. The GOP do not pick the best candidates, they pick the best vote getters. That does not mean that they are qualified or serving the best interest of the American people.

And finally, we 'liberals' need to let the other half of the country know who we really are. We are not some radical crazed group of revolutionaries. We are soccer Moms; we are hard working middle class Americans that go to work five days a week; some of us go to church on Sunday and believe in God; some of us have other beliefs and appreciate that we live in a country that allows that freedom. But we believe that separation of church and state is what this country was founded on and that premise has worked successfully for over 200 years. That one premise alone has brought brilliant strong people to our country and has allowed us to succeed in ways no other country has been able to. We don't want to change that formula or our constitution. It has been working and will continue to work. We are patriots. We have children in the military and they have died too. We are not so different from those who think being liberal is such a bad thing. We are even your sisters or brothers (first family)!

But thanks to Carl Rove and the rest of Bush's cronies, our nation is divided. Carl uses this division to get votes. Carl wants us to hate each other. The deeper the divide, the more likely you are to vote one way or the other. Very few of us are in the middle. I believe, if we understood each other better, then we might see that we are more alike then we are different. As a result, we might work together and for the same outcome.

Help change this country. March with me to Washington DC.

The Emperor has no clothes

Abbott — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:34:02 EDT

For some time I've been searching for a single image that simultaneous encapsulates and gelds the Neo Con approach to politics. This morning watching Oberman's Special Comment on FISA, I came up with a possible solution. I realized that in simple terms, the Emperor has no clothes.

The Neo Con approach is all about deception and misdirection. It capitalizes on our cultural desire for the quick, Cliff Notes summary. Some examples:

1. Want to pass legislation that will aid and abet corporations who use practices that taint the atmosphere? Simple, call it the "Clean Air Act". You can then simultaneously serve your corporate masters while touting your environmental record. After all, the average voter won't look into the actual legislation or its impact.

2. Your candidate has become a career politician who's position on issues changes with the vagaries of the political breeze the moment he seeks to become President? Paint your opponent as the epitome of these vices. It doesn't matter which candidate actually has the vices, only who the public perceives to possess them.

3. A freshman Senator from the opposition succeeds in putting together a package of Veterans benefits you worked to defeat? No problem, claim credit for spearheading the bipartisan effort.

4. Your candidate has policies that maintain the unpopular status quo? Make a commercial that claims that his presidency will result in all of the goals of a progressive agenda that would appeal to moderates without actually having any policies that will accomplish those goals.

The Neo Con strategy is based on the understanding that much of politics is governing through perception. Control the perception and you can control the populace. We need a sharp pin to help break the bubbles. A shorthand image that cuts through the spin and exposes it quickly with the truth. The Emperor has no clothes.

The Bush/Cheney/McCain doctrine doesn't accomplish what it claims. Because service was never it's goal. It's goal was to survive politically while achieving wealth and power. It preys on the people it purports to serve. So how do we cut to to the heart of the matter when our culture won't listen to a detailed rebuttal? Whenever the Neo Cons start spewing bubbles, get out a pin and point out that the Emperor has no clothes.

Abbott Smith

Redmond, WA

I've got some swampland...

Char from Carnation. WA — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:01:35 EDT

You, [insert name], are who we have been looking for! Your name was randomly selected as our 1st place $10,000 winner!

An email I received this weekend depicts a dreary aspect of both the internet and some people's extraordinary gullibility. I anticipate many more to come.

The gem I received this weekend, titled "Bill Cosby on Rev. Wright", is the proverbial "true statement" by "the well respected expert". These are particularly nasty little things because they are often hard to prove and sound very legit.

In this case, it is a comment supposedly written by Bill Cosby with an opinion of Barack Obama and the infamous Reverend Wright. It is attributed to have come from the Wall Street Journal.

The problem with these little ditties is that rarely do individuals receiving them ever bother to check them out. If they did, they would find that it was gathered, not from the Wall Street Journal, but by a blog comment posted by someone who called themselves Bill Cosby.

So, let's have another little reality check here. At most blog sites you have the ability to create any username you wish. If I wanted to call myself Mata Hari or Britney Spears or the Queen of Sheba, I could do so with the web site's blessings.

Just for grins and giggles, who might this particular Bill Cosby be?

Perhaps...he is the infamous William J Cosby, head honcho of the Clay County Klu Klux Klan. Or, maybe...he is Wilhelm V Cosby, eldest son of the dock worker in Brindlesmire, Scotland. Does either of these individuals exist? Not to my knowledge. Is there a Brindlesmire, Scotland? I doubt it...I just made it all up.

Perhaps...it is even the illustrious current President, George Bush, giggling in that demented little way he has, as he sets up an account under the name of Bill Cosby to wreak havoc on the election. Could it be? I don't know. And that's my point. You just don't know. Could it be true? Yes. Is it true? I doubt it.

As Snopes points out, it is unlike Bill Cosby to make political and opinionated statements via blog comments, rather than in his speaking engagements. This type of thing is also one of the reason's all my emails have a little statement at the end: "Before you pass on that rumor, check it out on Snopes.com" That's where I found out about this supposed Bill Cosby comment.

The sad thing is...most people really don't care and don't bother to find out. They read something that fits their own personal little opinion profile and just hit that forward button trying to influence other people to be just as gullible as they have been.

So, for all of you who buy into and believe these types of emails and a host of others...you have been randomly selected as the grand prize winner of $10,000! All you have to do in order to receive this is to send me the following personal information...just so I can verify it is really you, of course...

Then, there is that bridge and some swampland you may be interested in...

~Later...

No more violent rhetoric please

Steven Shults — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:45:04 EDT

I just sent this through the contact form on the site. I urge you to send your own thoughts on the matter as well:

Dear Barack,

"If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun” (source)

Violent rhetoric is unacceptable to me. Our nation has enough violence. Having a presidential candidate use the rhetoric of violence during a campaign enforces the violence.

We need you to speak out against and work to reduce our culture of violence, not to enforce it with poorly chosen analogies.

The violent rhetoric is not change and is not a new kind of politics. It is one of the very things we need you to change.

Please retract and apologize for your remarks and find a better analogy. Card games, sports... anything but violence.

Peace,
~Steven

The Hope We Represent

Abbott — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:02:47 EDT

On May 17th, I was one of ~80 men who stood as candidates to become delegates to the National Convention from the 1st CD. Even though I came from one of the smaller delegations, I was honored to be one of the four finalists. I was not selected, but throughout the day and the weeks that have followed, I have received a number of comments thanking me for what I said. Here is the transcript of my one minute speech.

The Hope We Represent

My name is Abbott Smith and I'm from Redmond. Like many of you, I've spent months now working on my first campaign. But today isn’t about me. It isn’t about any of us as individuals. The delegates that we elect today will represent 700,000 Washington voters; their hopes, their dreams and their future. Not our individual pasts. Today isn’t about who gets to go to Denver because of what they’ve done for the campaign or the Democratic Party. Denver isn’t the prize. Our delegates need to help Senator Obama secure the nomination and heal the party.

Our hope lies in ordinary Americans embracing the challenges of changing how we govern. Those challenges require a commitment that transcends the campaign. The commitment Barack Obama inspires.

Our delegates must help others see our future beyond Denver; the work, the personal involvement and the rewards. I would be honored to serve as a delegate. But that honor pales in comparison to the hope we represent. My name is Abbott Smith and I’m in this for the long haul. Our future is the reason we are here today.

John McCain: The Empty Suit

Jim Ennes — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:51:44 EDT

Seventeen Tired White People In a Room: John McCain Gives the Single Worst Speech In the History of American Politics

First of all, John, you weren't in New Orleans.

You were in Kenner, Louisiana. I have spent a fair amount of time in both Kenner and New Orleans, and believe me, the people who live there are acutely aware of the difference. The competition in CYO basketball alone runs at fratricidal levels. So your very first words were stunningly dumb.

And not only wrong, not only dumb, but wrong, dumb, and mis-pronounced: it's not New Or-lee-eyens, as any resident of New Orleans (or Kenner) will insist on telling you: it's New Or-lins. Down there in New Orleans -- sorry, I mean Kenner -- these are life-and-death issues.

So: one sentence into the single worst speech in the history of American politics, in front of what looked like seventeen tired white people in a room, John McCain -- comb-over plastered down, grinning inanely, with his strange collection of jowls and wattles a-quiver at various tempos (a separate flopping-rhythm to every fleshy sac, in a display of trembling facial-jelly unmatched since the heyday of Jesse Helms) -- had:

a) proved he didn't know where he was,

b) showed he was too lazy to even ask a random passer-by the name of the city he wrongly believed himself to be in, and

c) beamed out to America -- for the first but unmercifully not the last time on a crucial night of political theater--that bizarre frozen rectus of a grin that he quite wrongly thinks is charming and down-home.

Mere seconds into an address that gladdened Obama supporters everywhere and drove giant ripples of buyer's-remorse down the gut of every Obama-hating white Clinton supporter, John McCain had proudly displayed his Wooden Soldier persona to the world.

It was a miscalculation of stunning proportions -- not just by McCain, but by the once-fearsome Republican strategists who'd propped him up in front of that eye-torturing green backdrop. How the mighty have fallen: last night, we witnessed the arrival of the Anti-Reagan, the pitiful obverse of the Great Communicator. Here, instead, was the Grating Obfuscator, mangling an already-terrible speech like some mildewed Howdy Doody with Alzheimer's Disease.

His ideas were puerile -- and his ideas were the best part of the speech. He turned instantly-forgettable phrases into unforgettable moments of black comedy, at one point so garbling the phrase "change in strategy" that it almost came out as "strange in tragedy" -- which would have been a far better description of his support for the war than any he gave in his remarks.

For the love of God, you should pardon the expression, is nobody coaching this man? At several points he actually spoke the phrase "heh-heh-heh" as if reading it from a Teleprompter. He paused after what he believed to be winning lines, blatantly milking applause from those seventeen tired white people (and here's a Note to John: when the applause is so sparse that you can actually hear and identify the separate clapping-patterns of individual clappers, dispense with the dramatic pauses.)

Worst of all was The Blinking. It should be against the law to hustle John McCain in a poker-game, because his "tell" is so freaking obvious: whenever he's spoken a lie that he knows flat-out is a lie, he stops dead in his tracks and suddenly performs a nightmarish combo of The Rictus and The Blink, a rapid eye-flutter that reads like a Bettie Boop parody and should not be attempted by anyone even vaguely male.

Do I focus more on theater than on substance? Well, so did McCain. And so did Ronald Reagan, for that matter, but according to popular opinion -- one I have always been unable to share, since my loathing for the man put the whammy on objective judgment -- Reagan played his games of political three-card-monte with skill and charm. The fact that the Republican Party has fallen on such hard times that it can only offer a John McCain as their presidential candidate means that not only have they lost their Reagans, but they have lost their Michael Deavers, Lee Atwaters, and (vintage) Karl Roves as well. And that loss is the truly critical one.

Case in point: Republican strategists knew that Obama would be taking the stage an hour later to deliver a typically hypnotic speech in front of an SRO house of ecstatic devotees. So the fact that they threw McCain into the gladiator-pit of American TV armed only with his own charisma -- which, of course, is to say without any weapons at all -- is further proof that it's now Amateur Hour at the GOP. To which -- John Hagee and Jeremiah Wright aside -- one can only say: thank God.

At Large and PLEO delegates

Abbott — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:55:25 EDT

The process of selecting the delegation to attend the National Convention has one more tier. On Sunday of the State convention, 3 additional groups of delegates will be selected. The State Chairman will nominate 2 unpledged delegates. Then the Election Committee will elect 17 At Large delegates and 10 PLEO delegates. (The Elections Committee is comprised of the delegates to the National Convention who were elected at the CD caucuses.)

At Large delegates are used to round out the delegation and fill holes in representation. There are set demographic targets that need to be met. These include African American, Hispanic American, Asian/Pacific Island American, Native American, LGBT American, Disabled American and Youth (under 25) demographics. Once these demographics are met then the positions are open to all.

PLEO (Party leaders and Elected Officials) are positions that are open to elected officials down to the level of PCO who are not superdelegates.

As with the CD delegates, At Large and PLEO candidates must file the appropriate paperwork with the State Democratic Party prior to the State Convention. The deadline is 5:00 PM, Tuesday, June 10th. Additional information and links to forms can be found at

http://wa-democrats.org/index.php?page=display&id=283

Also note that the At Large and PLEO delegates are also apportioned by candidate. The latest numbers that I have seen indicate that Senator Obama will get

6 PLEO delegates

13 At Large Delegates

2 At Large Alternates

Abbott Smith

Redmond, WA

Eldest woman in Crow Nation wants changes she can believe in

Rodney of Woodinville — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:25:17 EDT

From DailyKos:

Myrtle Strong Enemy, 101, waits for US Democratic presidential candidate and US Senator Barack Obama, (D-IL), to speak in Crow Agency, Montana May 19, 2008. Strong Enemy is the oldest woman in the Crow Nation. REUTERS/Rick Wilking

The 1st CD Obama Delegates

Abbott — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:08:06 EDT

On Saturday, the following delegates to the National Convention were elected from the 1st CD.

Luis Moscoso 1st LD

Ronald Oshima 21st LD

Kendall Hamilton 21st LD

Jessica Beckett 23rd LD

Alternate: Marsha Scutvick 44th LD

Congratulations to all of the delegates who participated and to those who were chosen. Thank you for representing all of us and helping to insure that Senator Obama secures the nomination.

Abbott Smith

Redmond, WA

Larry Colmes - Thu, 2008-May-15, George W Bush Speaks Before the Israeli Knesset

Donald — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:59:36 EDT

This e-mail was sent to various correspondents on Fox News and CNN in response to the Thursday, 2008-May-15 Hannity & Colmes show interviewing Newt Gingrich about George W Bush's comments before the Israeli Knesset.

Information for this Saturday's 1st CD Caucus

Abbott — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:45:30 EDT

Important information for 1st CD Delegates and Alternates

Dear fellow delegates & alternates,

As you know, the time for the 1st Congressional District Caucus is rapidly approaching. As a delegate or
alternate, this is your chance to make history.

Caucus Information
Saturday, May 17th at 10am (doors open at 9am)
Edmonds Community College, Triton Union Building,
20000 68th Ave W., Lynnwood, WA

As a delegate or alternate in the 1st CD, it is extremely important for you to attend so that you and your LD’s
historic vote for Senator Obama will be counted. We need all of our delegates and alternates to attend!

A Google group has been established for the 1st CD delegates and alternates. You can join by visiting this link:
http://groups.google.com/group/wa1stcdobamadelegates.

If you cannot attend please contact your LD Obama Organizer, or respond to this email, and we will forward
to your LD contact organizer. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call an LD captain listed below.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where and when?
Saturday, May 17th at Edmonds Community College,
Triton Union Building Conference Room
20000 68th Ave W., Lynnwood, WA, 98036
Sign-in begins at 9:00 am; caucus is called to order at 10:00 am.
Directions (for driving or transit)

Parking?
Yes, near the Triton Union building. Since it is Saturday, you can park in staff parking. Please do not park in
spaces reserved for the Lynwood golf course (they will be marked.)

Handicapped parking?
Yes, near the building; see link for parking map.

Who can attend?
The event is open to all Democrats in the 1st CD, however the room capacity is small; maybe not the best
place for families! There will be 240 delegates and 120 alternates attending the 1st CD caucus.

How long will this take?
Plan for the better portion of the day. We have around 100 declared candidates for Denver, and we have to
get through 1 minute speeches of each person, plus balloting, and that’s just in our Sub-Caucus. We also have
to get through electing our Judicial Review Board members, and our Electors.

But I’ll get hungry!
Lucky for you, we have some great volunteers who will be staffing a refreshment table. We’re not rich
though, so bring a few dollars to help us off-set the cost. Please email seashelllz@gmail.com if you can help
bring some refreshments.

What if I can't attend?
Please let us know, ASAP. If nobody is seated as your replacement, Obama loses that delegate. If you have
an emergency on the day of the caucus, please call one of the LD leaders listed below so we can make sure we
have an alternate to be seated in your place.

How do I get to Denver?
Start by posting your campaign flyer on one or both of these two sites:
1. Our 1st CD Google Group
2. Website for all WA Obama Delegates: This is a website created by Obama supporters in the 7th CD as a
means of networking and sharing our Delegate information. This is not a website in any “official” capacity,
other than serving as a way to get to know each other.

On caucus day, bring an 8.5x11 sheet of paper with a short essay and photos for the Obama National Delegate
Candidate Wall. Over 100 people have declared their candidacy for National Delegate. Use this opportunity
to promote yourself & give others a chance to read about what you’ve done for the campaign.

After you sign in for the caucus, visit our Obama Delegate table to sign up for speeches. You will draw a
number out of a hat which determines the order of delegate speechs.

You will have the opportunity to give a one minute speech about yourself, and why you should be elected to
National Delegate. One minute isn’t a lot of time, so be sure to time yourself before Saturday!

Finally, even if you are not elected a National Delegate, you can still go to Denver! There will be plenty of
things to keep you busy, and who knows? Maybe you’ll get on the floor for a few minutes!

How do I help select a National Delegate for Obama?
Before caucus day, read profiles on our Google Group and this website.

On caucus day, peruse the Obama Wall candidate flyers and listen to speeches, then make an informed vote
for the candidates to send to Denver. We need to select delegates who are absolutely committed to Senator
Obama and are absolutely committed to going to Denver if selected.

Delegates must be elected by a majority of the sub-caucus. Because of this rule, it is likely that there will be
several ballots. If needed, a 2nd ballot will be run consisting of the top 4 vote getters. Ties are decided by lot.

Should I attend even if I am an alternate?
Yes! Yes! We need you to fill seats of our delegates in the event that they cannot attend!

Can Hillary delegates change their votes to Obama?
Yes! Yes! Yes! If you have good persuasion skills, you are encouraged to talk respectfully to them. Only a few
more Obama delegates are needed in our CD to elect another National delegate. Be polite and understand
how they must be feeling at this moment – and remember that we are all on the same team for November.

What else should I bring?
Stop Hunger and Caucus for Barack Obama all in one! For all those that are Obama Delegates or Alternates in
the 1st CD, we will be providing boxes adorned with the Obama Logo for people to make a non-perishable
food donation. These donations will be delivered to Northwest Harvest in boxes that indicate that they have
come from Obama Supporters who are stepping up to their call for action.

Fired up!
Your 1st CD Obama Delegate Coordinators

LD Obama Captains

1st Nicholas Carlson 425-488-8054 nicholascarls39@hotmail.com
21st Marsha Scutvick 425-385-2827 ms503@comcast.net
23rd Patrick Sheldon 206-842-0596 patrick@fsav.com
32nd Chris Roberts 518-364-0426 32forobama@gmail.com
Katie Rohs 206-695-2432 katie@twintasticmom.com
35th Patrick Sheldon 206-842-0596 patrick@fsav.com
38th Marsha Scutvick 425-385-2827 ms503@comcast.net
39th Marsha Scutvick 425-385-2827 ms503@comcast.net
44th Marsha Scutvick 425-385-2827 ms503@comcast.net
45th Abbott Smith 425-883-1326 abbottasmith@yahoo.com
46th Nick Provo 206-365-0596 slightlytipsy@hotmail.com
48th Emilie or George Rankin 425-885-9063 gerankin@msn.com

Jimmy Carter will vote for Pledged Delegate Leader!

Rodney of Woodinville — Sat, 03 May 2008 18:39:46 EDT

Former President Jimmy Carter said in an interview today that he will vote for the Pledged Delegate leader. This, of course, will be a vote for Barack Obama.

"It would be undemocratic if the super-delegates blatantly went against the decision of Democratic voters across the nation. And I think that many super-delegates who have not yet declared their preference have the same feeling that I do, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. She's said over and over that whoever gets the most [pledged] delegates by June 3rd ought to be the nominee."
-- Former President Jimmy Carter

This makes 9 super delegates in the Pelosi Club.

4 Reasons Why Hoosiers Should Pass the Ball to Obama

Rodney of Woodinville — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:31:08 EDT

This is an excellent message by Mike Bonifer, who grew up in Indiana, to his fellow Hoosiers back home. Read it here and pass it along.

Preparing for the 1st CD Caucus

Abbott — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:29:48 EDT

There will be two training sessions in preparation for the May 17th 1st CD caucus. One session will be held in Bothell this Sunday, and one will be held in Poulsbo next Saturday. These sessions are for Delegates and Alternates to the 1st CD caucus and anyone else who is considering running to be a national delegate.

The Bothell training session is from 1-3 at the American Legion Hall
on May 4. The address is 19213 Bothell Way N.E.. in Bothell. We will
have transportation from the Kingston Ferry to the Legion.

The Poulsbo training session is from 12-1 at Hern Hall at Olympic
College on May 10. The address is 1000 Olympic College Place NW Poulsbo. After
the event, we are going to conduct a voter registration drive.

We look forward to seeing you there.

It's generation, not race: Re-frame change for the over 60 set

Samm319 — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:53:38 EDT

Why isn't Barack winning the blue collar white vote? I submit that it's generational and not race or gender. I haven't done a deep analysis, but it just makes sense that as you get older, "change" is not what you want. I think if Barack re-framed the "change" for the older generation into something like a return to the belief that you will retire well, have social security, and see your kids and grandkids prosper, then he will tap into the right vein. It's a subtle shift from the change message of today which is geared more towards the younger generation and is about Washington process, etc. For the older set, this ain't about John Stewart politics, it's about the fear of having to call the number on the screen for a reverse mortgage that Pat Boone just told you about. I don't think these messages clash, in fact they are one in the same. Just freshen up the script Barack and reach across the generation divide...

Organizing for the 1st CD Caucus

Kerry - Taking long deep tokes off the Hope Bong! — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:16:36 EDT

On April 5, all or portions of 11 Legislative Districts - the 1st, 21st, 23rd, 32nd, 35th, 38th, 39th, 44th, 45th, 46th, and 48th, elected 240 delegates to the 1st CD caucus. Of those 240, 178 (or 74.2% are Obama delegates). From stories across the CD, we gained several (up to 5-6) delegates at the LDs as projected by the results of the precinct caucuses. At this point, it appears that we will elect 4 delegates (2 men and 2 women) to go to the National Convention, as well as one female alternate, to support Senator Obama.

Looking forward to May 17th, the chair of the 1st CD is Kent Hanson (425.337.4419). He is currently putting together his team to run the caucus, so we should expect to learn more about the specific rules and agenda later this week or early next week.

For communication with and among delegates, the Google group is http://groups.google.com/group/WA1stCDObamadelegates.

Volunteers – We are working on finding volunteers to help with the organization and running of the 1st CD caucus. Volunteers will be needed with setup, credentialing, cleanup, the tally committee, etc. These volunteers need not be delegates.

Food/Food Drive – Kerry Lee has volunteered to coordinate food for those attending the caucus (and perhaps the training sessions – see below) and lead a food drive for Northwest Harvest at the caucus. Her post on the delegate group on google gives more info on the food drive.

TRAINING SESSIONS

We are planning two training sessions - one in Poulsbo the weekend of May 3-4 and a larger training session in Edmonds on May 10-11. The location of these events are not set. What was agreed upon was that in each location we would have a training session - what to expect, how to organize, etc. In both cases, the training session would be followed by a meet and greet - but in the case of the Edmonds event, it is envisioned that a larger social gathering might occur.

Finally, please remember to contact the delegates in your area and give them the address to our Google group list http://groups.google.com/group/WA1stCDObamadelegates. We hope that every delegate joins.

One other general resource for posting information and events will be our group on the Obama website. When you contact delegates, please have them join the group. Here is the direct link

http://my.barackobama.com/page/group/Washington1stCDforObama

Sean Hannity - An Elitist Candidate?

Donald — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:31:20 EDT

This is an e-mail sent to Sean Hannity and other Fox news mail addresses as well as CNN Thursday, 2008-Apr-17, after Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich discussed the Pennsylvania Democratic debate the evening of Thursday, April 18, 2008.

I have generally ceased to waste my time watching the Hannity & Colmes show because it quite obviously does not live up to Fox standards of “Fair and Balanced” reporting. If we want to see a picture of ‘elitism’ we can watch the expressions and comments of Newt Gingrich diminishing the parentage of Barack Obama while elevating his own upbringing in Pennsylvania and conveniently ignoring Barack Obama’s childhood and service on the south side of Chicago and to this country.

Voices

Abbott — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:24:16 EDT

On Saturday, 12 APR 08, I was asked to speak at the Western Washington "One Voice for Change Across America" rally in Kirkland, WA. This rally was organized in just 3 days and had roughly 200 attendees. I originally expected to be a set up speaker, but discovered when I arrived that I had been promoted to the keynote. Here is a video of the speech and a transcript of the speech as prepared for delivery.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Oze9mpHJ4HI

Voices

Good morning Kirkland. My name is Abbott Smith and I'm a hopemonger from Redmond. Are there any other hopemongers here this morning?

It's Saturday morning in America and we are gathered on the village green. We are gathered to talk about the desperate need to change the course of our country. But before we continue that conversation, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the implications of this gathering. Our government was created to allow and encourage this. America was designed so that its citizens can gather and plot openly to change the course of our nation. That is still an amazing and revolutionary idea. America is a nation where the voices of its citizens not only have power. Those voices have authority.

Barack Obama hasn't just asked us to believe in his ability to change our nation. He's reminded us to believe in our own. He has reminded us to use the authority of our voices.

Our history is filled with amazing voices. Thomas Jefferson's voice established our authority when he declared that we are endowed with inalienable rights. Lincoln reminded us that it is for us the living to be dedicated to the idea that government of the people, by the people and for the people, should not perish. FDR challenged us to face our fears. JFK asked us to serve and Martin Luther King shared his dreams. Sometimes our deeds give voice to ideas in ways that words alone cannot express. Amelia Earhart climbed aboard an Electra and then climbed into the clouds and reminded us all of the human capacity to soar.

But it isn't only the national voices that matter. Each of us has followed unique paths on our journey to this village green. Those paths have been guided by voices big and small. The encouraging voices of friends. The mentoring voices of teachers & spiritual leaders. The wonder of a child's laughter. The calming voice of a parent in the dark. Think back on the voices that have brought you to this place, this time. How will you choose to honor those voices?

Barack Obama has said that one voice can change a room. That one voice can lead us all to use the authority of our voices. For years now, profiteers like Dick Cheney, have driven wedges into our society to keep us divided. They have preyed upon our emotions and our apathy. They have fostered our cynicism. They sow dissension in pursuit of their own agendas.

But our founders didn't leave us unarmed. They designed a country where our voices combat fear & greed. A nation where our voice is the tool that creates change. Look around you this morning. We are the government in America. This is our village green. But we must remember that our voices create change only when they rise in chorus. Partisanship dilutes our voices into babble. If we fight with each other all that anyone will hear is noise.

Across the nation, right now, men and women just like us have gathered to raise their voices in chorus. To add the weight of their voices to ours. We are here to show the world that we can unite behind an idea. To show that our nation is built upon ideas. To show that it is built upon our voices. We are gathered to raise up our voices in hope and to say with one voice, Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

Abbott SmithRedmond, WA

Idealist

Abbott — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:15:35 EDT

Got an interesting comment regarding my speech on April 5th. Someone tried to write me off with a single word: Idealist. Thought you might be interested in my response.

Thank you. Yes, I am an idealist. For me it's all about perspective. An idealist never gets everything they hope for and a cynic never gets everything they expect. But what a cynic does get is the full measure of everything bad that happens to them, because that is what they are focused on. While an idealist gets the full measure of all of the good things that happen. As the band Rush noted, all of us spend time in the gutter. But some of us spend that time looking at the stars.

Abbott Smith

Redmond, WA

To Set Aside Our Differences

Abbott — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:44:13 EDT

On Saturday, 05 APR 08, I was asked to speak on behalf of the Obama supporters at the 45th Legislative District caucus in Kirkland, WA. This LD caucus was one of many taking place across Washington state. They serve as the second tier of Washington's three tier caucus system. I followed a surrogate for Senator Clinton who had been flown into Washington from New York specifically to speak at the event. It was an excellent demonstration of the differences in how the two campaigns are being run. The Clinton campaign chose a top down strategy while the Obama supporters chose me, a local delegate to the caucus from Redmond, WA.

Here is the transcript as prepared for delivery and a link to the video of the speech. I apologize for the sound cutting out. I was given a faulty directional microphone that appeared to have a short in its wiring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxZjBv4Csdo

To Set Aside Our Differences

Hello. My name is Abbott Smith and I’m a delegate from Redmond.

Will Rogers used to say that he didn’t belong to an organized political party. He was a Democrat. Yet here we are, over 1,000 organized Democrats, men and women who have chosen to take an active role in our democracy. For most of us, our opportunities to be active are rare. We vote. We may serve on a jury or a community board. Some of us are veterans. Yet here we are, the living embodiment that ours is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. Look around you. This is what our society looks like when we are active. Now, imagine what we can do if we are unified. How fast could this room full of people clean a park? How many at risk children could we help? What can we accomplish if we work together?

That is the central idea of our nation. That no matter what our differences, we can set them aside and govern ourselves. Consensus building is so important that our founders made it the first purpose of the Constitution. We the People, in order to form a more perfect union…

And it is a pillar of Senator Obama’s candidacy. E pluribus Unum. Out of many, one.

This is a campaign of the people. Senator Obama has brought millions of new voices to the conversation. He has given average Americans a seat at the table. This is a campaign run by the people. Senator Obama gave us the tools we needed to organize, asked us to be civil and rallied us to heal this nation. This is a campaign for the people. We’ve funded it. Not the lobbyists, corporations or special interest groups. Senator Obama isn’t beholden to them. He’s beholden to us. And when faced with crisis, Senator Obama has calmly sought to be honest and transparent with us. He hasn’t pandered to our fears. He’s challenged us to live up to our ideals. He trusts us to think for ourselves. I am thrilled to have a candidate who treats me like an adult.

For too long, our politics and government have been viewed as a game: a blood sport of sound bites, partisanship, corporate sponsors and smear tactics. Candidates have been judged by how well they throw things. They have been judged by how well they fight. But any parent can tell you that you don’t solve problems by throwing things. Fighting won’t solve our problems because our lives are not a game. The mortgage crisis, global warming, gas prices, healthcare costs and the Iraq war are not games. They are American and global problems. In order to solve them, we need to stop bickering and work with the rest of the world.

It all comes back to the central idea of our nation. We solve problems from the bottom up by working together. This is how our government is designed to work. It is designed for us to find common ground and build consensus. And it works best when we choose leaders, like Barack Obama, who foster cooperation and transparency.

That is our purpose today, to help choose the next leader of our nation. We have two candidates who excel at creating policy. But this isn’t a choice about creating policy. It is a choice about how we accomplish policy. Do we want to continue to fight with each other or do we want a government where we seek consensus and actually solve problems? Do we want to continue to have a stubbornly partisan country where only the profiteers win? Or do we want an America that strives for balance and shared prosperity? Consensus isn’t easy. But it is effective. It solves problems and it benefits us all.

We are Democrats faced with a choice. We can continue to bicker and squabble. You can pass this hard decision to other people, in other districts and other states. Or we can decide that unity has to begin somewhere. We can accept our responsibility to find common ground. The change we seek is possible, but to achieve it we must let go of our anger.

I believe in the American people. I believe that we can overcome our fears and govern ourselves. I believe that if we work together, there isn’t a problem we cannot solve. I am asking you to take a stand. I am asking you to believe in the United States of America. I am asking you to vote for Senator Obama.

Yes, we can.

Thank you.

Abbott Smith

Redmond, WA

Change the Caucus System

Mark from Redmond, WA — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 13:09:17 EDT

What is the best way to determine the party's Presidential nominee?

The solution is simple. Add the votes.

We don't need to have representatives of our votes (a.k.a. "delegates").

Instead of Selecting, let's be democratic about it and simply ELECT.

PLEASE SUPPORT CHANGE in the way the Democratic Party elects it's nominee. If you believe we are mature enough to elect the best candidate by popular vote, even within a caucus setting, please sign this petition.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Changethecaucussystem

Last chance to donate in March

Rodney of Woodinville — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:44:52 EDT

If you've been meaning to donate (again), now would be a good time. March is coming to a close, and it would be great to have a giant number to report next week. We need to show the "fat cats" what a couple million small donors can do!

Yes we can!

Gallop Daily: Obama Now at 52% to Clinton’s 42%

Rodney of Woodinville — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:19:41 EDT

More good news!

Barack Obama has extended his lead over Hillary Clinton among Democrats nationally to 52% to 42%, the third consecutive Gallup Poll Daily tracking report in which he has held a statistically significant lead, and Obama's largest lead of the year so far.

This marks the first time either candidate has held a double-digit lead over the other since Feb. 4-6, at which point Clinton led Obama by 11 percentage points.

More details can be found here!

DCW creates Pelosi Club Super Delegates

Rodney of Woodinville — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 15:06:15 EDT

After Senator Cantwell announced last week that she intends to vote for the pledged delegate winner, I suggested that the Democratic Convention Watch should track these super delegates, as that would more accurately reflect voting intentions. For example, once Obama wins the most pledged delegates, Senator Cantwell will vote for Obama in spite of her continued endorsement of Clinton.

It turns out that my suggestion had been discussed before (in the context of uncommitted super delegates like Rep. Pelosi who intend to vote for the pledged delegate winner) but it wasn't implemented. With renewed discussion, the DWC decide to adopt the idea by creating what they call the Pelosi Club.

The Pelosi Club draws attention to the fact that just counting conventional candidate endorsements doesn't tell the whole story; today it under-reports Obama by 5 votes, and over-reports Clinton by 1.

Super delegate candidate endorsements: Clinton 246 Obama 212
When Obama has most pledged delegates: Clinton 245 (-1) Obama 217 (+5)

Over time, the Pelosi Club membership will grow. There will simply be too much pressure on super delegates to resist announcing their intent to support the pledged delegate winner. Eventually, the DCW will need to reflect the Pelosi Club numbers in their mainline delegate summaries.

Yes We Can!

MoveOn.org petition to Nancy Pelosi

Rodney of Woodinville — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:23:04 EDT

Petition: "The Democratic nomination should be decided by the voters--not by superdelegates or party high-rollers. We've given money--and time--to progressive candidates and causes, and we'll support Speaker Pelosi and others who stand up for Democracy in the Democratic Party."

We need to send a strong signal that we, the small donors, will back Democratic leaders with the courage to stand up for Democracy in the Democratic party. Please join me and sign this statement today. http://pol.moveon.org/democracy/?r_by=-5240019-c3aKTP&rc=paste

Tell Maria Cantwell she can't have it both ways!

Rodney of Woodinville — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:24:50 EDT

I called Senator Cantwell's office (1-888-648-7328) to tell her how deeply disappointed I am in her continued endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Yes, it is good that she has announced her intent to vote for the candidate with the most pledged delegates. But let's get real. We all know that really means - Cantwell plans to vote for Obama.

So why doesn't she just say it? It's clear to me -- Senator Cantwell is trying to have it both ways; remain loyal to Clinton while signaling to the Obama supporters that she'll end up voting for him.

Cantwell's "fence sitting" has real consequences, and they are all negative. Clinton's campaign is hurting Obama, the Democratic Party, and our chances of winning in November. My opinion of Clinton drops with each passing day and with it my opinion of those that encourage her selfish and destructive quest.

The bottom line is - I view Cantwell's continued support of Clinton's candidacy as an implicit endorsement of the politics of personal destruction. I ask, is that the real Maria Cantwell?

Attacking Rev. Wright is Wrong

Brian C. — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:14:05 EDT

I had hoped that Senator Obama's landmark speech on race would have quieted the irrational attacks against Rev. Wright. Since, as Jon Stewart quipped, "...a major politician spoke to Americans as adults," I believed that rational people would appreciate the fact that people and issues are not as single-facetted as popular media like to portray. I would also have hoped that a little introspection would show us that we all have contradictions in our personae. Likewise, we often have well-founded, complex opinions that, if taken out of context, could be misunderstood or misconstrued.

Nevertheless, it appears that since Sen. Clinton is getting bad press for her misstatements (things she ACTUALLY said) about her trip to the Balkans, she has decided to once again attack Senator Obama, not for anything he said but for not leaving his congregation for things someone else said. This sort of political tactic to deflect attention from her is exactly the sort of cynical response Senator Obama denounced in his speech - a denouncement that was widely applauded at the time but seems to have been forgotten in the pursuit of politics and media ratings.

I feel the need to express my opinions on this matter. It is not that I feel that Senator Obama has not already addressed this properly. On the contrary, this should never have been an issue and once it was, the Senator addressed not only the news item itself but used it as a chance to reach into the core of race issues in America to start a long overdue and constructive dialog. Rather, I hope to add a small voice to the dialog to express to anyone who reads this that no matter how loudly the cynics shout, people can and will tune them out in favor of real, constructive change. (continued)

But I am a typical white person in this regard...

Robin Barnes — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:16:10 EDT

I thought for a while about whether or not to post about this -- as my own experience is probably less interesting to others than it is to me. After the crazy events of these past couple of weeks, though, I really want to share.

I've been concerned about what swiftboaters are going to do with Michelle's Princeton thesis for some time, and have wondered what I could do to help. You see, I lived on Princeton Univeristy's campus for eight years -- beginning fully ten years after Michelle graduated. I did not work for PU (I worked at that nearby university -- the one that Don Imus picked on), but I did experience it from an insiders perspective.

My peers were academic and my community was cosmopolitan -- I was surrounded by people from all over the world, and they mixed well with one another. Palestinian children played with Israeli children, and their parents were friends. I had Iraqi neighbors. I had a close colleague and friend who was Serbian, and we remained friends even while the US bombed Belgrade. All of the Americans I knew were progressive, and it would have been easy to think that racism was a thing of the past in that world.

It would have been easy, except that I had a pair of eyes. Driving past construction sites I saw crews made up of white men operating backhoes and black men operating shovels. Walking past employee boards revealed a trend toward black janitors who worked for white supervisors. I had one black colleague. The bias toward finding blacks in unmistakably servile positions seemed apparent to me.

I loved to make satire out of this lack of parity, and I thought I was pretty cool. Once there was a bank robbery in town, and the university issued a ridiculously racist bulletin which was posted all over campus. I made a parody bulletin that replaced "Bank Robbery" with "Rank Snobbery", "Suspect was last seen on Nassau Street -- dark skin, fat belly, big lips" with "Suspect was last seen in Nassau Hall -- silk suit, big butt, no rhythm". Stuff like that.

One day, I rented the movie Malcom X. It had been some years since it had been released at the theater, and I still hadn't seen it. I owned a copy of Malcom X's autobiography, though, and was familiar with the stories inside. I picked up the movie because I was on a Spike Lee kick. My experience with this film was one that I'll never forget, though. Somehow, it pushed a button inside of me, and a few minutes into the film, I was furious. Furious at being blamed. Furious for being called the devil. Every racist idea I had ever heard as a child or had been taught by my culture boiled up, and I wanted to yell, "Oh just stop your damned whining!"

There it was. I, too, am a racist.

The important difference between Spike Lee's film and Malcom X's autobiography is the perspective. The book was Malcom X's reflections after the fact, and those reflections were free of the raw anger he felt as the events in his life took place. He was, in fact, apologetic for the racism he practiced for most of his life. The movie gave us a perspective that was more like Malcom X's feelings in real time as the events played. A time when white supremacists killed his father. When the local government split up his family. When his experience was white people burning down black people's houses.

My point here is this: I am troubled by the fact that white people are comparing Jeremiah Wright to David Duke. It is a safe assumption that Trinity United Church of Christ has not deliberately killed a single white person, ever. It is also safe to assume that TUCC has never deprived a white person of his home, his livelihood, or his loved ones. Let me suggest that any white person who tolerates this meme does so by comparing apples to oranges -- and does so out of ignorance. And let me ask that all white people resist the urge to justify their anger by pointing out someone else's.

Barack Obama has given us a tremendous opportunity in these recent days. It is an opportunity not only to bridge the gap between white and black in our society, but an opportunity wrestle free of these issues within ourselves. Maybe it will only be a baby step, but our lives will be better.

And if we are going to help Obama deflect swiftboats and whisper campaigns, we need to get an honest handle on our feelings about race in America.

Rush Limbaugh urging voter fraud?

Jim Ennes — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:55:22 EDT

Here is a clip from Dan Abram's MSNBC VERDICT of Rush Limbaugh urging voters to commit voter fraud:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23785966#23785966

Sean Hannity/Newt Gingrich - Discuss Speech 'A More Perfect Union'

Donald — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:49:15 EDT

This is an e-mail sent to Sean Hannity and other Fox news mail addresses as well as our 45th legislative district congressional representative and our Washington state senators Thursday, 2008-Mar-20, after Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich discussed Barack Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' speech the evening of Tuesday, March 18, 2008. Click Read More to view the entire content.

Hi Sean, A few comments relating to the show Tuesday, March 18, and the interview with Newt Gingrich. I was struck by the focus you and Newt had on what I can only call the minutia of what Barack Obama had to say in his speech that morning and missing the point even on your discussion of that minutia. I was further struck by the callous reference by Dick to the sort of politician we need in this country as the sort of politician who is willing to throw their best friend overboard...

The Honorable Al Gore

Stephen from Redmond, WA — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:22:14 EDT

I personally look to Al Gore to provide some leadership for the party. Howard Dean is constrained by his role in the DNC. Gore is a SuperDelegate and considered to be one of the wise elders of the party. You might want to appeal to Al for his leadership in mitigating further damage to our party which is resulting in this mud-slinging fight beween the two democratic candidates. I did, anyway...

   Honorable Al Gore
   2100 West End Ave.
   Suite 620
   Nashville, TN 37203

Gallup Daily: Obama Edges Ahead of Clinton

Rodney of Woodinville — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:10:01 EDT

Latest Gallop Poll: Democratic nomination preference: Obama 48%, Clinton 45% ... Obama has now edged back ahead of Clinton due to a strong showing for him in Friday night's polling, perhaps in response to the endorsement he received from well-respected New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson.

Wright Flap was Created by FOX NEWS

Jim Ennes — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 16:22:28 EDT

If you follow the links below, you see that Wright's controversial remarks were originally made by Ambassador Edward Peck a few days after the 911/WTC attack.

Bottom line: The Obama/Wright controversy appears to have been a creation of FOX NEWS:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/21/9599/74572/652/481424

http://www.dailykos.com/

For more about Ambassador Peck:

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

FOX Lies!! The real sermon given by Pastor Wright

Rodney of Woodinville — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:00:49 EDT

This is a must watch! Thanks to a new youtube.com posting we now have Reverend Wright's words in their original context. Here is the real sermon!

As the video poster explains: This is the full version of Pastor Wright's sermon that was distorted by FOX. I ask that you view this, empower yourselves and become enlightened to the truth that was completely distorted by FOX news and the mass media. ... Pastor Wright refers to a guest on FOX news (Ambassador Ed Peck) who took fire from FOX for stating his beliefs that America had brought the 911 attacks upon itself due to our failed middle east policies... hence, "The Chicken's have come home to roost" quote... a quote taken from Ambassador Peck.

Who to write to!

Stephen from Redmond, WA — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:11:03 EDT

Now is the time -- sitting around is not helping. If you live in Washington State, please write to your senators (SuperDelegates) who currently support Hillary Clinton and let them know that you want that vote to go to Obama. The state went for Obama at 68% after all. You can write to them at:

People for Patty Murray
PO Box 3662
Seattle, Wa. 98124

Friends of Maria Cantwell
PO Box 12740
Seattle, Wa. 98111

Another local SuperDelegate for Hillary Clinton to write to on this matter is Ron Sims:

King County Executive Office
Ron Sims, King County Executive
701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210
Seattle, WA 98104

Express yourself to these folks; they need to know how we feel.

Media reactions to "the speech"

Sandra Lee — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:32:45 EDT

I've been reading many of the media analyses of the Senator's "race speech". I'm pleased to note that many of these articles recognize the speech for what it was: an historical milestone, transcending the narrow politics of the moment.

Still, it saddens me to note how many of these seem to miss the forest for the trees, harping on whether Obama "did enough" to disavow Reverend Wright's statements. It seems as though they are parsing the text of the speech, looking for some obscurely-defined "magic formula" of words that "proves" that he does not share Wright's views.

To those pundits, all I can say is, "Grow the he** up!" Every word of that speech, the understanding of the different sides of the racial equation which he demonstrated, the call for unity, and the maturity and grasp of nuance he demonstrated yesterday said more about what Sen. Obama does and does not believe than any hackneyed political formula. How any reasonable person could listen to that speech and still think that Barack Obama hates America is beyond me.

Oh sure, he could be lying through his teeth with every word (even though every word rang true to the vast majority of his audience) as some cynics have suggested. In that case, if he was going to lie, wouldn't it have been easier to just completely disown the Reverend Wright and have done with it? It would certainly have gotten the whole thing out of the news more quickly, which is usually the goal with these types of speeches. Instead, he chose to transcend the narrow question of his relationship with his pastor (while not avoiding the issue in any way) and risk everything to get people to continue to discuss the entire racial issue on a deeper level.

This is exactly the kind of bravery and leadership that we have not seen in the White House in decades, and it's exactly what this country needs right now.

For once, I agree with Cheney

Robin Barnes — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 10:09:46 EDT

This one speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YENbElb5-xY

Write to your super delegates

Rodney of Woodinville — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:08:44 EDT

I sent the following to my super delegates that continue to support Hillary Clinton. I encourage you to contact yours too.

-----

Senator Maria Cantwell
Senator Patty Murray
Honorable Jay Inslee

Please take action now to put an end to what has become a pointless and destructive nomination process! Voice your intent to honor the will of the voters and declare your support for Barack Obama.

The delegate math is clear. Obama has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates. Unless the super delegates vote to override the will of the voters the eventual outcome is already determined; Barack Obama will be our Democratic Party nominee for President.

Foreign Policy Revisited

Brian C. — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:35:49 EDT

Senator Clinton has recently claimed that she has "extensive" foreign policy background from her time in President Clinton's administration. She has pointed to her role in such conflicts as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Macedonia. Some of these claims have been scrutinized by the media. There are questions about her actual role and impact (such as the question of refuges in Rep. of Macedonia being admitted before she arrived to meet with officials and her role in Northern Ireland being more a part of protocol than actual negotiation). I will leave it to the press to do the research required to find the who's, what's, and when's of these events - and I will reject those who want to merely dismiss her as the "first tourist" since a first lady at a minimum carries a symbolic meaning no matter the role. (Even a visit to a country by Laura Bush has some sort of meaning above a vist to a country by, say, me.) However, there are a certain issues that her claims do bring into focus. First, the question is, again, if she is claiming the successes of President Clinton's foreign policy then it is fair to examine the foreign policy record of that administration in other areas and question her on the issues. Second, I would like to revisit her role in the votes leading to Iraq to determine if she should have, or could have, known that the WMD and al-Qaeda claims against Iraq were misrepresented. (Continued)

Ferraro's folly

Sandra Lee — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:50:26 EDT

In watching the trainwreck that is Geraldine Ferraro's ongoing foot-in-mouth spectacle, I can't help but think that Ms. Ferraro's comments probably cost Clinton a few extra delegates in Mississippi yesterday.

She honestly does not seem to understand what effect the statement "he only got where he is because he's black" is likely to have upon black voters who have to deal with this kind of attitude on a daily basis (coworkers who believe that so-and-so was hired/promoted over "better" candidates because of affirmative action, scholarship students in similar situations, etc., etc.). It may not have changed anyone's mind (in Mississippi, anyway) about which candidate to support, but I'd be willing to bet that it provided extra incentive for some black voters to drop everything and vote when they might otherwise have skipped it.

By not firing Ferraro, Clinton is showing tacit support for these views, and I think that will continue to hurt her in upcoming primaries, though perhaps not to the same extent as it hurt her yesterday.

Let's face it - white people don't get it. *I* don't get it, because I'm not black and will never truly understand what it is to be black in America. What white people can do is to be aware that we don't "get it", and to at least try to understand how things we say and do may be viewed from the other end of the power imbalance, and why. We can try to put our arrogance on hold long enough to recognize that we, who take so many things for granted, don't know everything and don't necessarily see things as they truly are for other people.

Politicians are expected to be aware of how their statements will be perceived. It's kind of one of the necessary prerequisites for the job; despite Americans' outward belief that they want politicians who just "tell it like it is", politicians who don't take public perceptions and differing viewpoints into account simply do not succeed, and Clinton has never been one to shy away from saying whatever is politically expedient at the time. Ferraro's statements really touched a nerve for an important segment of the voting public, and the Democratic party in particular. The Clinton campaign's apparent ignorance on this issue exposes a giant blind spot - shared by most mainstream politicians and organizations throughout our history.

This is yet another reason to support Barack Obama for positive change.

Update: Since I wrote this, Ferraro has resigned from her post with the Clinton Campaign with the following memo:

Dear Hillary –
I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.
The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won't let that happen.
Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.
You have my deep admiration and respect.
Gerry

Hmm - I thought she said the Obama campaign was "attacking her" because she was white. Oh well... Some people love to play the victim, it seems.

Persistence on the Road to Pennsylvania

Brian C. — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 12:35:56 EDT

Senator Obama has won the most delegates and the most popular votes going into the "election hiatus" between the victories in Wyoming and Mississippi and the Pennsylvania primary. Senator Clinton and her advisors appear to have decided to use negative campaign tactics to try to tear down Senator Obama instead of campaigning on policies and having a constructive debate on how best to represent the people of the United States. Negative campaign tactics traditionally have the effect of turning people off of politics and demobilizing the electorate - this way only the "true believers" or the "party faithful" tend to turn out, allowing the campaign to win by pandering to their "base". In this campaign, Clinton's tactics have the side-effect of helping McCain's campaign collect data and polling numbers they can use against Obama and the Democrats in the Presidential race. These next few weeks promise to give us a huge dose of cynicism, bipartisan-style politics-as-usual, and attack ads - the very things that many of us despise about politics. (Obama's rejection of these tactics is one reason why his campaign resonates with so many of us.)

During this time we must keep the movement going. We must stay positive and productive and exemplify the politics we promote. We cannot be dragged into a mud-slinging match with the Clinton campaign. We must not get discouraged on our road to take back Washington for the people of the United States. I am reminded of the words of Thomas Paine from "The American Crisis":
"THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated."
The tyranny we are fighting against is the bipartisan tyranny of Washington politics where "good ideas go to die" and where scoring points against the other party if more important than serving the American people. I call on all of us who support this campaign to rally together to get the campaign through this tough period ahead. I offer a few suggestions to help keep the dream alive and get us safely through to the convention and the White House. (continued)

Sean Hannity - Series 'The Real Barack Obama' on Hannity's America

Donald — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:31:22 EDT

This is an e-mail sent to Sean Hannity, Monday, 2008-Mar-10, regarding the series 'The Real Barack Obama' which began airing on Fox News, Sunday, Mar-02. Click the Read More to view the entire content.

Hi Sean, I generally like your show as you ask good questions that try and get to the point and generally follow up to eliminate wiggle. :) Your recent series, however, on The Real Barack Obama does not seem to me to measure up either to your own standards of balanced reporting or more general standards of just plain good reporting. Interviewing people on the street and inferring from their replies that people who support Barack Obama don't really know who he is is poor technique and biased reporting...

Delegate Counter from Slate.com

Erin66 — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:07:05 EDT

This is very handy, interactive tool to help us visualize the delegate count as it stands, and what it can be. Check it out: You can move the top bar with your mouse to see how it changes.

http://www.slate.com/features/delegatecounter/

Vice President??? Not so fast...

Brian C. — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:59:59 EDT

Clinton’s claim that she would ask Obama to be the Vice President is a most arrogant and cynical strategy. First, it completely ignores the election results and the delegate count. Clinton, after Wyoming, seems to need somewhere around 65% to 70% of the remaining delegates. Even in her “firewall” states where she once enjoyed a 20 point lead and on which she place so much importance, she did not even get 60% of the vote. Obama is the most likely candidate to have a delegate lead by the time of the Convention and HE will be the one selecting a Vice President. Second, in the extremely unlikely event that she were the nominee, she would be under no obligation to offer Obama the vice presidency and he would be under no obligation to accept. This is an empty offer. (Continued)

The Clinton Campaign

Brian C. — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:52:59 EDT

Hope is not found in a desire to relive the past, hope is found in the courage to live in the present and embrace the future.

Clinton’s campaign is calling for a return to the past. She believes that a Clinton nomination will lead to a democratic White House and a return to the “good times” of the 1990s. (This also seems to imply an expectation that America and especially the GOP will forget the not-so-good times in the 90’s and the fact that President Clinton was so discredited by the end of his second term that he was seen as a liability to Gore’s campaign.) Somehow she believes that her election can reverse the rampant globalization that started during President Clinton’s term and continues through the corporation-dominated government of Bush 43. (Continued)

The Hillary Factor

Erin66 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 15:48:09 EST

In response to Gary W's email about Hillary pulling republicans over: FYI - No republicans will ever vote for her - she will only keep "undecided"
folks from voting for Obama. They will either not vote at all, or vote for
McCain if she is the nominee.Like my very republican friend said, without knowing anything about him,
" I can get behind McCain" - little does she know, or want to know!Barack needs to come out and fight, not in a dirty way, but in a TRUTHFUL way,
and call out HRC's campaign for being as nasty as it is. Did anyone listen to andi Rhodes Friday afternoon? She went completey off on Hillary's campaign for lying and spreading rumors!

Grass root, bottom up positive change in our neighborhoods, communities, state and country.

David Lloyd — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:32:53 EST

In the past few days, I've found myself getting overly caught up, intellectually and emotionally, in the stories of pundits as well as the Hillary campaign. I'd found myself distracted from what I believe really matters in this election. I'd become removed from the perspective I believe to be true: Our political system, its tactics (nasty and otherwise), do not represent either myself or who we are as Americans.

When I regained this perspective, the following resulted.

Please, please do not hesitate to contribute, criticize, or comment on these ideas.

yes we can, yes we have, yes we will

The ball has been set in motion, the time, time to get started.

Grass root, bottom up positive change in our neighborhoods, communities, state and country.

Lets stop waiting for something to happen and get started making things happen. Lets prove the skeptics wrong and show that words, ideals, passion and energy not only inspire, but motivate us to make the real, lasting change that is so needed. The bottom up, grass roots, model for change starts with us. If we truly want change, if we believe that the speeches are more than than words, let us get started. The time is now.

I believe we must start with ourselves. We must get motivated to assist in making our Nation and it's government stronger and more positive by forcing it to represent us. All of us. We must stop letting our government and it's systems distort who we are, marginalizing those outside of the 'loop', and over-representing a small minority that in the long view seems to have made us all look childish, petty and selfish.

Our National problems seem daunting but all things real and important in our nation start with our attitudes and contributions. As representatives of Washington's 45th district, I believe that together, we posses all of the skills and resources needed to strengthen and change our communities for the better. I believe we ought to take action now in finding those issues that affect us, our neighbors, and start working towards better, concrete solutions. I believe that we must also reach out to our neighboring districts and fellow Washingtonians to seek their help and in turn offer any assistance we can provide in addressing the issues that are important to them. We must rely less on our 'representatives' to do this and more on our selves. In this manor, we will not only make our lives and communities stronger, we will offer proof of our chosen candidate's argument that indeed, "yes we can".

I've voted in nearly 20 years. I've no experience with organizing folks. I'm sure however that some, or even many of you, do have these skills. If that is you, or if you have any interest in starting to make things happen in real, concrete ways, let's get started. I am certainly willing to donate whatever skills and resources I may have to this end, and I hope that you do as well.

Perhaps the best course of action is to take the initiative on our own, get together, and in what would be an authentic town hall meeting, get to work on finding those issues that affect as individually and collectively, and begin to invest our time efforts accordingly. The issues can be small and large, difficult or easy, but we must get started.

My wife's Step Father had a saying used so often in her childhood home that I believe it is tattooed on her brain. "The proof is in the pudding". Let's get started on the proof. Lets get fired up. Yes we can.

Rise Up, Daylight Breaks - New Song By Bergevin Brothers

Katherine from Kirkland, WA — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 02:57:24 EST

Listen and enjoy. Be part of America, get involved...We Believe in Hope, We Believe in Change, We Believe in Work, We Believe in WE. Go To http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaE3_6uuiM4

difficult loss

David Lloyd — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:06:25 EST

Last night’s results were not all bad news but the sting is real. While final numbers and delegate counts will reduce the impact of yesterday’s results in the coming days, I found last nights returns to be emotionally difficult. As one who would not be satisfied with either candidate come the final vote in August, my disappointment was, and is compounded.

Experience has taught me that passage of time will provide a more balanced and focused perspective of yesterday’s events. My sadness will fade, my optimism will return and my hope will be renewed. Denying setbacks, emotions, and mistakes however does both diminish and cripple lessons learned from experience. The lessons from all experiences are too important to simply cherry pick those that suit our agenda well while discarding and or denying those that do not. This is hope. This is real change.

My work, our work, is just starting. This is a fact that I’ve found at times difficult to keep in sight as the attacks, smears, and criticisms (fair and otherwise), have come rolling in. I must remind myself that this is just the beginning. There will be countless more successes, and indeed setbacks, as Barack’s/ our movement grows and matures along its natural course. I now remind myself that I must not view these setbacks as personal defeats but rather as opportunities to learn and grow. We will come back stronger and wiser.

Yes we can.

:David

May I offer some spin?

Robin Barnes — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:18:51 EST

Although folks are not throwing confetti in the Obama camp, I have to say that the March 4 contests resulted in a positive outcome for our guy. In fact, I am going to paint this as a victory, and I want to suggest that we have even more cause to be excited, fired up, and ready to go.

I think that Obama did exactly what he needed to do, and it might have been enough to win him the nomination. He made up hugely difficult ground. Hillary had Ohio's party machine at her disposal as well as longtime connections all over Texas to help her organize. She had name recognition and an enormous advantage in the polls just a few short weeks ago. Although there are more bullets next to Clinton's name on all of the headlines this morning, Obama is stronger now as a result of the March 4 contests. In spite of all her advantage, Hillary still has a huge delegate problem.

And, let's take a look at the maps.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#TX

Texas, for example, shows Obama winning all of the big cities except San Antonio. I want to make two points about this: First, those areas are more heavily delegate-weighted than the Clinton districts. Second, anyone with a battleground mentality (like Hillary's camp) has to concede that Texas cannot be won by a democrat in the general election without taking the cities. Obama has quite a margin in the highly populated areas. No matter what HRC's people are saying, they aren't happy with this outcome.

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#OH

Ohio has a similar feeling about a general election, if you look at the distribution.

I'm afraid that HRC's dirty tricks worked to some degree. She pummeled Barack with a bunch of bogus hate/fear stories and ideas (aimed at highly uninformed, undecided voters) , that were timed so that they couldn't be debunked before the bell. She can't dip into that well a second time: there were too many witnesses. And it was the only thing she could do to keep him from pulling ahead and actually winning the popular vote. I'm certain that her tricks cost her some supers, too. She definitely traded in some respect for this win, and I think she exposed herself in a way that makes her look very unpresidential.

Rhode Island was a skunk for Hillary, and Vermont was a skunk for Obama. Not quite a wash, but good.

Yesterday was all about preserving the delegate gap -- and considering the substantial leads she had in Texas and Ohio a couple of weeks ago, I'd say that last night was a huge victory for Barack and everyone in the Obama camp. We should be really proud.

Yes we can!

(Anyone ready to start calling folks in Wyoming and Mississippi?)

A long road...

Char from Carnation. WA — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:29:47 EST

It's been a long road for this campaign. There’s been a coming from behind, with talks of inexperience, insincerity, pipe dreams, to a vision of the future, with more understanding, consistency and possibilities. So many of us headed toward Obama because we believed in something we had not seen for a long time: innovation, diversity and idealism. The idea that no matter the political persuasion, race, gender, age, income level or religion, there is a place at the table, has appealed to so many people, including me.

But, the road is not over by a long shot, and as it draws closer to the day we hope for--Barack Obama named as the democrat candidate for the presidency—it is going to seem even longer and more difficult. We will begin to be pulled in tidal currents toward the old status quo: snipe remarks, divisive comments, fear mongering and wild accusations. I hope we can withstand that. I believe as long as we keep in mind what got us all here in the first place, those possibilities for change that include all of us, we can keep the momentum going.

Each of us, with our own ideals, talents and desires, can stem the former tide of the old Washington, by continuing to have faith that we can do it. We, all of us, can change the corruption, despair and apathy that has pervaded American politics for so long. Alone, we are simply folks ranting about the status quo. Together, we are a force of hope that carries the day.In these long months ahead, I hope we can continue in the same positive, united spirit that got us to where we are now. There’s a lot of nastiness headed our way. Can we remain above it?

Barack Obama has shown us that it is possible to do so. In debate after debate, comment after comment, he has shown us it is possible to stick to your principles, Believe in what is right and good about America and strive for that which is only attainable in a collective spirit of consensus and community. Going for the big picture instead of smaller and more petty goals is the way to continue this promising hopeful spirit of change that will ultimately succeed where politics as usual has failed us miserably.

Keep the faith and believe in your ideals. They are worth it.

Later...
Char

The Silly Season Indeed

Brian C. — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:15:42 EST

In the lead-up to the debate on Tuesday 2/26 in Ohio, I expected the campaigns to the weekend to put their policy differences into sharper relief. Instead, the Clinton campaign started the weekend with accusations of unfair campaigning and restating her viewpoint that Senator Obama and his supporters are somehow "delusional" or are "being duped" by the Obama campaign. Then today I read on the BBC about a photograph of Senator Obama in traditional Kenyan dress that the Drudge Report alleged is being distributed by Clinton staffers as a "fear-mongering" tactic. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7263783.stm) I believe that this is a clear indication that the Clinton campaign is not able to compete on the issues and has resorted to negatives and political "tricks". I would to take a brief look at three items from this weekend, the "flyer issue", the "magic wand" speech, and the "photo issue". (continued)

Health Care

Brian C. — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:58:59 EST

Differences in health care policies are a frequent theme in the Democratic campaigns. In very brief summary, Senator Clinton's plan requires all citizens to acquire health insurance either through employment, entitlement (i.e. Medicare), or by purchasing their own plan. Senator Obama's plan targets the insurance providers by setting standards, lowering premiums, and expanding anti-trust laws to prevent insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and health care providers from overcharging. In most other areas, such as preventing companies for rejecting those with pre-existing conditions and allowing people to move from job to job while maintaining their coverage, the Senators plans are quite similar.

I think this is, in fact, an important difference between the two plans: do you target the citizens or target the insurers? Is the difference substantive or merely and alternate route to the same end? I argue that this is a substantive difference. Furthermore, I argue that these plans will not lead to the same end. I will explain my reasons for supporting Senator Obama's plan and why I believe his plan and not Senator Clinton's will lead to the promised land of universal health care. (Continued)

response to Tom Buffenbarger

Brian C. — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:55:31 EST

MSNBC recently posted a speech by one Tom Buffenbarger given in Youngstown, OH recently. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/23255540#23255540) While they referred to him as a Clinton "serrogate", I think that word may be a bit soft. He tried to attack Sen. Obama on several points but in true politics-as-usual fashion he left out a few facts that were not convenient for his argument. I would like to point a few of these out. (Continued)

The experience question - Foreign Policy

Brian C. — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 11:57:07 EST

We have all heard from Senators Clinton and McCain about their "vast experience" in Washington and how that should scare us into giving up on the hope of changing politics in exchange for more of the same from Washington. However, not only have many of our great Presidents NOT had "experience" (Washington, Lincoln, Kennedy to name a few), having experience is not a guarantee of good leadership either (Bush was governor of Texas, for example).

My argument is that in many areas the world has changed and prior experience is not necessarily applicable. Having fresh ideas and a new vantage point is critical if we are to grow out of politics of the 20th Century and create the politics of the 21st. In particular, I wish to address one area in particular where Sen. Obama has been unfairly attacked: foreign policy. (continued)

Voting troubles in CA

Jeremy — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:07:02 EST

Due to a confusing primary ballot in CA, tens of thousands of voters who are registered as "decline to state" for their party (i.e. independents) are not having their ballots counted.

A progressive group called The Courage Campaign has been working to have this addressed, and has been getting some traction with government officials. Still, at this point, they're merely doing some random sampling of the affected ballots to see just what the mess is, rather than going through and counting them all.

Sign this petition to encourage them to count every vote.

A question of popular support

Brian C. — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 15:01:18 EST

I hear so many statements concerning what Sen. Clinton would be able to do as President that Sen. Obama would not. Most of these statements are mired in the "politics as usual" mindset and a concept of the presidency as a "benevolent dictatorship" where things will happen merely because the president says so. This is a flawed argument that seems to be the last bastion of hope for supporters of Sen. Clinton who can no longer debate on points of policy. (Note, I am ignoring the race and gender arguments explicity because those are, and should be, politically irrelevant. The content of character is all that really matters.)

The Anti-Establishment Vote

Brian C. — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:19:05 EST

This election has been explained by the pundits as an issue of gender or race. I believe that the issue, not only in our party but across the nation, is one of establishment versus anti-establishment candidates. I offer for evidence the expected nomination of Sen. McCain, the tenacity of Rep. Paul's campaign, and the Obama movement. (continued...)

People not Party Elites!

Brian C. — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:51:44 EST

The Democratic voters of America are coming in droves to the Obama movement. I was at my local caucus in Washington State today and large numbers of new caucus goers were coming out, many with their families, to add their voice to the chorus of "Yes We Can" that is crossing this great nation of ours. The number of people who were willing to stand up and speak publicly for the cause of hope made me realize that I was not alone in believing that we are participating in a renewal of American values of historical proportions. I am proud to be an American, proud to be part of the Obama movement, and ready work in the cause of change.

Of course, the question is, even if Senator Obama wins a majority, even a large majority, of the popular deligates, could the party elites try to end our movement through superdelegates and through an unfair seating of the delegates from Florida and Michigan? (continued...)

Where was Hillary?

Brian C. — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:32:49 EST

In 2004 we had the opportunity to right a wrong. We had the opportunity to tell the world that a President exceeded his power but now the people are back in control of our country. We had justice and right on our side. We had two broken countries, one called Iraq and one called the United States, we had soldiers and civilians dying every day calling to us to right this wrong.

In 2004 we had the same problems with health care that we have now. We had the same problems with the education system we have now. We had the same unaddress problems with our bridges, levies, dams, and highways we have now. We had the opportunity to address these things. We had...

I ask now, where was Hillary? (continued...)