West Philadelphia for Obama

The Cast of 'HAIR' on 'Late Nite'

Bob Bethany — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:56:31 EDT

Excellent performance by the 'Broadway Cast' of 'HAIR'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n4bSTvsWvM

The City of Philadelphia, PA stole my identity

Ms. J — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:09:15 EDT

After being forced into homelessness and joblessness for three years now and counting, I was informed by an prospective employer that did a background check using information viewed at www.criminalsearches.com (a free national site) that I had a criminal background. Apparently, I'm told, the City of Brotherly Llove changed computer systems in 2006 and took court ordered expunged arrest records and not only keep it alive in their police computer system but also placed in online where it has been copied to potentially 32,000,000,000 background/criminal sites. This same court stuck a lien, also ordered by a judge to listed as satisfied as unsatisfied on all my credit reports. When I told the police department and the district attorney's office of their error, I was told that it was a mistake that has happened many times. In this case, I'm listed for the world to see as an arrestee for violence, drugs, terrortist threats, and other charges - even though I was found not guilty so that I could seek legal redress against the real criminals. City and State officials state that the damages to my reputation and economics mean nothing to them and it is not important that other Philadelphians be made aware of the magitude of their computer errors. I was dismissed with a letter from the Public Defenders to attach to my resumes and/or present to prospective employers.

In this horrible economy with so many out of work and everyone requesting background checks, they claim zero liability and refuse to act to make me whole. So I am labled for life since no one in authority claims to know how to remove this garbage from the many internet sites that copied or cloned this misinformation. Of course, I'm told the lien will drop off automatically in 2014 reducing my ability to acquire an fair credit evaluation and any other financial service. In the meantime, when I apply for decent housing, I am refused and other than that one prospective employer, all of the more than 5,000 applications I have signed allowing them to do a background check, have either sent me a letter stating they chose to give the position to a better candidate without notifying me of the source of their information used for background/criminal checks. I'm told that Pennyslvania a full disclosure law that would notify anyone of who does the background check and where they found their information so that these errors could be prevented or corrected.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and City Council members Vincent Hughes and Louise Williams-Bishop(a church woman) hide behind a "sunshine law" allowing them to freely publish court records, whether they areexpunged or correct. Am I living in America! I was forced to return to Philadelphia after relocating to Florida to deal with this because court personnel don't have to deal with non-residents (I was born and raised in Philly) and I have had no success. Meantime, wages are not accumulating and my social security benefits will suffer. I am forced to seek housing with slumlords who charge me hundreds extra based on background informaion. Even my car insurance was raised $1,000 after a background check. And the big heads and little brained politicans won't answer my calls or visits and I'm told that I have to find and spend thousands on an attorney to clear my name and reputation.

This stinks!!! What happened to justice in the city where the constitution was drafted. Have we really become that naive that we are to believe the government can say or do anything without recourse to the innocent while true criminals walk free. Something is very wrong with this picture, yet the public laugh and point fingers at me protesting because most don't know that something as simple as a traffic ticket will put them on this same site. I'm embrassed to be considered a resident of this city and state and feel that all the state and city politicans should do their job and protect all innocent citizens. Unfortunately, they're still getting paid from my tax dollars of an excellent work history of 40 years and like the police have a wall of silence that theirfront desk staff members are the only ones to benefit from. I can only hope for God's blessing of strength while I am tramatized over and over. City of brotherly love, pay to play, and injustice.

If you had no idea that county, city, and state governments online databases may have leaked your personal information and disregarded your privacy as an American citizen under the constitution 4th and 14th Amendments, I strongly urge you to start researching at www.criminalsearches.com which is a 50 state dump for all such public records. I hope you will not find yourself on a website but if you do, you will have to repeat whatever process your local government has and hope that they do their job right, the second time.

I have also started a petition at www.change.org/criminal justice requesting a law for full consumer disclosure so that when someone does a background/criminal check, you are notified of who they are, the purpose of the check and what and where the information they used is. This way, you would have the opportunity to review and correct misinformation before it impacts your reputation and economics. Please take a moment to add your name to send letters to these politicals to let them know of the urgency of this matter. Thank you for your support.

'Stand By Me' - International Performance

Bob Bethany — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:35:58 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

'Soweto Blues' Mariam Makeba

Bob Bethany — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:47:48 EDT

Mariam Makeba - Soweto Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTj4qjC4akM

Killing Me Softly (original 1972) Lori Lieberman

Bob Bethany — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:11:30 EST

Press to watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2eHqctEPJE

'How Sweet The Sound'

Bob Bethany — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:14:58 EST

ACME Missionary Baptist Church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BttL4iY_V0M

Nina Simone - Why (The King of Love is Dead)

Bob Bethany — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:01:37 EST

This performance is a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mx-pfZDVm0Y

Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song

Bob Bethany — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:18:56 EST

I heard he sang a good song, I heard he had a style, and so I came to see him & listen for a while..and there he was this young boy, a stranger to my eye. Strumming my pain with his fingers, singing my life with his words... Roberta Flack

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

Dionne Warwick

Bob Bethany — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:05:12 EST

Dionne Warwick music video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnbA_vjCR8w

Nina Simone - Four Women

Bob Bethany — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:48:03 EST

Nina Simone - Four Women

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCwME6Jpn3s

Rescue Me - Fontella Bass

Bob Bethany — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 16:26:33 EST

This song fits the times we're in. Originally performed by -Fontella Bass-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXSocE_M1G4

Curtis Mayfield-We Got To Have PEACE

Bob Bethany — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 09:38:02 EST

Curtis Mayfield - We Got to Have PEACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QglEbgON9o

THE LIVING TREE 'live'

Bob Bethany — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:49:20 EST

THE LIVING TREE 'LIVE' Shirley Bassey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7zLYpE1_2A

Shirley Bassey - THE LIVING TREE -

Bob Bethany — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 12:19:06 EST

Shirley Bassey - THE LIVING TREE -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9c_qOpiPSk

Tracy Chapman - New Beginning

Bob Bethany — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:49:58 EST

Tracy Chapman - New Beginning

click to view http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fNYEQYNjtg

Fired Up, Ready to Go---OBAMA---music video

Bob Bethany — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:58:45 EST

The time is now, join everyone.

'Fired Up, Ready to Go.' To meet the world head on. To leave the WAR behind.

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

Free Thanksgiving dinner to those in need

Peninnah — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:52:50 EST

I am forwarding this post to those in the Philadelphia area who may know of someone in need on Thanksgiving Day.

Subject: Thanksgiving Dinner
>
> Pass it along. This is wonderful information.
>
> Maybe you know some family that need a place to eat on Thanksgiving
> Day!! Be a blessing!!!!!!
>
> Pass it on!!
>
> On Thursday, November 27th from noon to 4pm The Manayunk Brewery and
> Restaurant will be hosting a Thanksgiving meal for any families or
> singles in need. There is no cost and the meal will be a traditional
> Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and all the fixings as well as live jazz
> music to enjoy. We are able to accommodate approximately 300 people.
>
> We are having some trouble finding people to actually come out and dine
> with us on that day. We were wondering if you might have anyone that
> would be interested or if you can refer us to anyone that could help us
> out with this. Any assistance you can provide is greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Nicole Healy
> Marketing Director
> Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant
> 4120 Main Street, Philadelphia , PA 19127
> P: 215.482.8220 ext. 22
> F: 215.483.0266
> E: _nicole@manayunkbrewery.com_ <mailto:nicole@manayunkbrewery.com>
> W: _www.manayunkbrewery.com_ <http://www.manayunkbrewery.com/>
>

Remember, We are the Change - Help G.O.T.V. in GA

Peninnah — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 08:46:53 EST

Good Morning Change Agents,

I just wanted to remind you that help is needed in GA to GOTV for the Dec 2 runoff. barackobama.com is still up and running. Please login to your personal page and print out a call list to contact Georgia voters. There is also a training video online if this is your first time phonebanking.

Also, if you live in GA or are able to travel to GA, volunteers are needed to canvass and other GOTV activities.

I am so happy that BO.com will remain active. This is a great resource to organize community events in your own neighborhood.

We are going to be active in our communities to effect change.

Thank you for your continued support of the Obama Administration.

Peninnah

Change Agent 002

'HAIR' the movie FREE

Bob Bethany — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:41:11 EST

'HAIR' the movie is being shown for free at IMDB Internet Movie Data Base. Full legnth movie with commercials. Just click to view http://www.imdb.com/rg/watch-it/summary/video/hulu/vi20709401

North Carolina Inauguration Bus Trip

Peninnah — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 09:26:03 EST

Hello Change Agents;

Many of you who have worked so hard to get President Elect Barack Obama into the White House have been asking about inagural tickets. Please see the trip below being sponsored by the MLK association, I sent my deposit over a month ago, and I know many others have too. I don't know if they have any seats left, but contact them, it's worth a try.

Also, contact your local state representatives and get on any waiting list they have.

Lastly, go online a google "inauguration" to see if anything come up.

YAY!!!!! Yes, we did!!!

Peninnah

Change Agent 002

MONDAY, JANUARY 19

1:00 PM NORTH CAROLINA OBAMA INAUGURATION BUS TRIP
Charlotte NC
From Various Points In North Carolina
COST: FREE

North Carolina Presidential Inauguration Trip To Washington, D.C. - - January 20, 2009

Various Martin Luther King Committees from throughout North Carolina are sponsoring a bus trip to Washington D.C. on January 19-20, 2009 to commemorate the Inauguration of Senator Barack Obama as President of the United States. Come join us for this historic occasion to celebrate both the King Holiday and the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony. We have room for a limited number citizens. Please make your reservation now. We expect great interest in this trip. Please contact one of the representives shown below.

In Asheville contact: Orleane Simmons (828) 281-1624 E-Mail Orleane
In Durham contact: Elouise Watson (919) 949-4249 E-Mail Elouise
In Charlotte contact: Delores Reid-Smith (704)335-9380 E-Mail Delores
In Charlotte contact: Ahmad Daniels (704)537-1533 E-Mail Ahmad
In Fayetteville contact: Lula Gray Crenshaw (910) 488-5549 E-Mail Lula
In Greensboro contact: Earl Jones (336) 941-5199 E-Mail Earl
In Kinston contact: Theresa Bethea (252) 520-0225 E-Mail Theresa
In Raleigh contact: David Prince (919) 368-5767 E-Mail David
In Wilmington contact; Monika Daniels (910) 233-5998 E-Mail Monika
In Shallotte contact: Fonstena Peck (910) 200-2957 E-Mail Fonstena
In Winston-Salem contact: Mutter Evans (336) 971-7852 E-Mail Mutter
Statewide contact: Bruce Lightner (919) 834-6264 E-Mail Bruce

DEPARTURE LOCATIONS, DATES & TIMES Asheville Bus Departs From _________________ 1/19/09 12:00 PM
Durham Bus Departs From: Northgate Mall, behind Sears 1/19/09 2:30 PM
Charlotte Bus Departs From: _______________ 1/19/09 1:00 PM
Fayetteville Bus Departs From: _____________ 1/19/09 2:00 PM
Greensboro Bus Departs From: _______________ 1/19/09 2:30 PM
Kinston Bus Departs From: 402 E. Shine Street 1/19/09 3:00 PM
Raleigh Bus Departs From: Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, 1/19/09 2:30 PM
Shallotte/Wilmington Bus Departs From ____________ 1/19/09 12:00 PM
Winston-Salem Bus Departs From ______________ 1/19/09 2:00 PM
Various Trip Packages Costs From Asheville
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $185.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $195.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $225.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $285.00 per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Durham
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $160.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $170.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $200.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $250.00 per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Charlotte
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $180.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $190.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $220.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $275.00 per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Fayetteville
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $165.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $175.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $205.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $255.00 per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Greensboro
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $_______ TBD per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $______ TBD per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $______ TBD per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $______ TBD per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Kinston or Greenville
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $160.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $170.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $200.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $250.00 Per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From New Bern
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $_______ TBD per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $______ TBD per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $______ TBD per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $______ TBD per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Raleigh
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $140.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $150.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $160.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $210.00 per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Wilmington
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $180.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $190.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $215.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $275.00 TBD per person
Various Trip Packages Costs From Winston-Salem
Quad Package (4 people to a room) $160.00 per person
Triple Package (3 people to a room) $170.00 per person
Double Package (2 people to a room) $200.00 per person
Single Package (1 person to a room) $250.00 per person
ONCE IN A LIFETIME JOURNEY .... GET ON THE BUS ....
A $25 check will hold your seat. Final payment is due anytime before December 1, 2008. Trip package includes luxury bus transportation, hotel room @ the Comfort Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Bowie, Maryland, The Gala North Carolina Obama Reception and tickets to President Obama's Swearing In Ceremony and Inaugural Parade.
Refund Disclaimer
The $25.00 deposit is required to secure and hold our hotel rooms and is non refundable. It will be extremely difficult to obtain rooms in the Metro D.C. area during Inauguration Week. Sending the hotels a deposit assures that we will have rooms. If, for whatever reason, we cancel the hotels will not refund the deposit. Please look at it as an investment for a spectacular opportunity.
Trip Sponsored & Coordinated By:
The North Carolina Martin Luther King Association
The North Carolina Black Leadership Caucus
The North Carolina Alliance of Black Elected Officials
N.C. Obama " From The Dream To The Promise " Gala Reception
Hosted and organized by BTA & Associates Public Relations
(919) 833-6394 or toll free 1-888 833-5003
E-Mail BTA & Associates
Obama Inauguration Registration Form
Departure City ____________________
Name: _____________________________________
Phone: ____________________________________
Address: _________________________________
City/Town _________________________________
E-Mail Address: _________________________________________
# Seats Needed _____
# Rooms Needed ____ Non-Smoking ____ Smoking ____
Names Of Guests In Room # 1
______________________________ ________________________
______________________________ _________________________
Names Of Guests In Room # 2
______________________________ ________________________
______________________________ _________________________
Depost Sent: $_________ Date: _______________________

RETURN TO LIST OF EVENTS

Carole King-Where You Lead

Bob Bethany — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:18:59 EST

President Elect Barack Obama...Where You Lead, I Will Follow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGW1fxoWDrU

Merci mucho!

Melissa from 4800 Baltimore Avenue — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 22:32:32 EST

Dear 4800 Baltimore Avenue alumni,

It's only slightly embarrassing that I am a writer and I wait until after the election to write something, and that the something is as pedestrian as: thank you.

THANK YOU.

Being a Canvass Coordinator at 4800 Baltimore Avenue was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Nutty, yes. Exhausting. And a little sweaty and kind of smelly. (What was that funk?) But never have I been prouder to be a Philadelphian, and a West Philadelphian.

THANK YOU.

It's not just that we won. It's how we won. We were all, each of us, community organizers. Together, we changed our city, our state, our country and our world. Together, we championed democracy, and the responsibility to vote. Together, we rejected the politics of fear. Perhaps our own Berlin Wall has toppled.

THANK YOU.

The support of the neighborhood kept us going. Ours is a tasty little melting pot of a neighborhood, and I was honored to meet so many people of such different ethnic backgrounds. Being Caucasian has never been so boring.

THANK YOU.

To the Ashtons who came from Ithaca, Rita from Brooklyn, the enthusiastic gang of Manhattanites who showed up on Saturday night and the three who came on Tuesday. To the Baltimorians and Virginians and, what the heck, the Jerseyans. To the people who enthusiastically went to 63 & NotSoGood. To David and Will who drove them. To the church choir who gave us the recording of the Obama song. To Michael, Olivia and Emily who pinch hit with the Canvass Coordinator team. To those who volunteered to poll watch or line manage. To the crazy band of lunatics who ran through the streets at 7:15PM on November 4. To everyone who came into 4800 and contributed to the energy and enthusiasm.

THANK YOU.

Many thanks and much love,

Melissa Jacobs

Free Printable Obama “Vote” Signs

Dan — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:40:04 EST

I though I’d start posting some vote signs as election day is just around the corner and early voting is already underway in many states. If you can vote early, find your polling place and go do so!

I’ve provided these signs as ready-to-print PDFs in both standard letter paper (8½ by 11 inches) and larger tabloid paper (17 by 11 inches) sized versions. Every home printer can handle the standard paper size and most copy shops can print the larger tabloid size. See my How to Create Your Own Signs post for tips on how to make your own.

Letter (8½ by 11 inches) size…

Tabloid (17 by 11 inches) size…

How to Create Your Own Signs

Dan — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:37:48 EST

I get many comments from people that want Obama signs, but have not been able to get one - either the order is taking a while to get processed and shipped, or they are unable to get to a campaign headquarters to get a sign, or their local headquarters are all out. This post walks you through the steps to create your own Obama signs.

First, you will need a version of the sign that you can download and print out. I’ve got several versions available for free download - some of the more popular ones are below…

20 Free Printable Obama Biden Signs - these PDFs are letter size (8½ by 11 inches) but can typically be sized up as large as you like.
Free Printable Obama Biden Signs (Larger) - these PDFs are tabloid size (17 by 11 inches), a great size for yard signs.
See all posts in our signs category - mostly letter size, but can typically be scaled up.

The letter size signs can be printed out on just about any personal printer. Some consumer printers are capable of printing the larger tabloid size, though probably not most. If your printer cannot print the larger size don’t worry - almost all print/copy shops can print tabloid size.

I used FedEx Office (formerly Kinkos) to print out my signs, as they had a simple to use online printing site that let me upload the PDFs (I went with the larger tabloid size) directly to the website and pick them up at my local FedEx Office. Their online tool allowed me to pick out the type of paper - for signs I’d recommend a thicker cardstock paper (I opted for a glossy cardstock). The cost of the tabloid size printout was about $3.

Here’s the sign as it was printed…

If you want to put the sign outside, I’d strongly recommend laminating it. To make sure it is weather proof you will want to make sure that the laminate overlaps the edges of the sign making a water tight seal. To do this, I trimmed off the white edges from the printout and did the lamination myself (again I did mine at FedEx Office for about $4, though most copy shops can do lamination).

Below is my laminated version of the sign…

I opted to put my sign out in my front yard. Since I didn’t have anything to hang it from, I decided to stake it into the ground. I happened to have an old sign that I was able to use, though I think these go for about $3 at home improvement stores (maybe less if you can just get the metal posts)…

I use a wide transparent packing tape to adhere the metal posts to the back of the sign (I didn’t use the original “open house” part of the sign). Below is the attached sign, ready to go…

All that is left is to put the completed sign out in the yard…

If you have any comments, tips or suggestions for other supports feel free to leave a comment below.

Free Printable Posters at “Design for Obama”

Dan — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:34:05 EST

I wanted to take a moment and point out the great work being done over at designforobama.org. They have quite the collection of Obama posters. Like the signs here, they too are free, downloadable and ready to print.

They have many great designs, below is just a small sampling of some of my favorites…

Go check them out! To all the designers that have contributed - very nice work!

Absentee Ballot Information for Philadelphia

Sheldon from Doylestown — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:53:02 EDT

For Pennsylvania And Particularly Philadelphia:

I received an email saying that some people have not received their Absentee Ballots in the mail.

Anyone who is going to be out of town on Election Day can go to Room 142 in City Hall and submit his/her absentee ballot on the spot. They don't have to go through the process of waiting for the ballot to come back in the mail. (County Board of Elections: 215-686-3469 or 215-686-3943) Bring acceptable I.D.
Acceptable I.D. from http://votespa.com/HowtoVote/GuideforFirstTimeVoters/tabid/77/language/en-US/Default.aspx:

Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card
ID issued by any Commonwealth agency
ID issued by the U.S. Government
U.S. passport
U.S. Armed Forces ID
Student ID
Employee ID

If you do not have a photo ID, you can use a non-photo identification that includes your name and address. Approved forms of non-photo identification include:
Confirmation issued by the County Voter Registration Office
Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth
Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
Firearm permit
Current utility bill
Current bank statement
Current paycheck
Government check

There are special provisions for people who miss the deadlines as well as military personnel.

(Reference: http://votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingbyAbsenteeBallot/tabid/78/language/en-US/Default.aspx)

Absentee Ballot Applications must be received by the Board of Elections by 5 p.m. on October 28th. Absentee Ballots must be received by the Board of Elections by 5:00 PM on October 31st. Postmarks are NOT honored; applications must be in the office before the deadline. (See: http://www.phillyelection.com/abeng.htm)

The mailing address for Philadelphia County on the state's two websites is incorrect. The correct address, which is printed on the Absentee Ballot forms from the Philadelphia Board of Elections is:

Philadelphia County Board of Elections
Room 142 City Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3211

For additional help, please see this website: https://www.myfamilyvotes.com/Absentee_Ballot.html. Further instructions at https://www.myfamilyvotes.com/Ab.html. (Thank you, Emma Tramble.)

First-time voters and those who have moved should confirm that they are registered to vote by searching Pennsylvania's voter registration database. You also can confirm your registration by contacting your County Board of Elections (County Board of Elections: 215-686-3469 or 215-686-3943) or by calling 1-877-VOTESPA.

Print out an Absentee Ballot Application here:

https://www.myfamilyvotes.com/uploads/absentee_ballot_application_for_PA.pdf

(Reference: http://votespa.com/HowtoVote/VotingbyAbsenteeBallot/tabid/78/language/en-US/Default.aspx)

Philadelphia Election Commissioner Scoffs. Lawsuit Filed.

Sheldon from Doylestown — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:41:24 EDT

Earlier this week, American News Project (http://americannewsproject.com/) reported that, come November, Pennsylvania voters could face substantial delays at the polls. We spoke with the man running the election in Philadelphia, who scoffed at long lines and tales of lost votes. Now, voters are suing the state of Pennsylvania. With the help of Voter Action and the NAACP, they filed a complaint this morning in Philadelphia federal court, specifically citing an interview between the American News Project and Philadelphia Deputy City Commissioner Fred Voigt. Here's an update and more of our interview with Philly's deputy commissioner, Fred Voigt.

Watch video here: http://americannewsproject.com/node/155

10/23/08 Today's Voter Action Press Release "COALITION OF VOTERS AND CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS FILE FEDERAL LAWSUIT IN PENNSYLVANIA SEEKING EMERGENCY PAPER BALLOTS" here: http://www.voteraction.org/press-release/2008/coalition-of-voters-and-civil-rights-groups-file-federal-lawsuit-in-pennsylvania-

Oct 23 2008 | PLAINTIFFS CLAIM VOTING MACHINE BREAKDOWNS AND LONG LINES WILL DISENFRANCHISE VOTERS 'A PERFECT STORM' IMPACTING THE RIGHT TO VOTE PHILADELPHIA, PA – A coalition of Pennsylvania voters and civil rights groups, led by the NAACP State Conference of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit today in federal court in Philadelphia seeking to ensure that voters receive emergency paper ballots on Election Day when 50% or more voting machines become inoperable at any polling site in the state. The lawsuit, filed against Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth Pedro A. Cortés, alleges that voters will be disenfranchised when they face the burden of having to wait hours in line, due to voting machine breakdowns, in order to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

"Pennsylvania's Secretary of the Commonwealth has issued a directive to all Pennsylvania counties requiring that emergency paper ballots be distributed only when 100% of voting machines malfunction on Election Day," says Jonathan Abady, a partner at the New York-based law firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady, and co-counsel for the plaintiffs. "If left unchanged, this standard will place an undue burden on voters across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

In his declaration filed with the lawsuit, J. Whyatt Mondesire, the president of the NAACP State Conference of Pennsylvania, states: "One of the major impediments to members exercising their right to vote is the long lines frequently encountered on election day…Thousands of members have faced serious delays in voting when machines have broken down in the past and this problem will be much more severe this year when unprecedented numbers of voters will be coming to the polls."

In addition to the NAACP State Conference of Pennsylvania, the plaintiffs include individual voters who reported long lines and voting machine breakdowns during the state's primary election in April, as well as the Election Reform Network, a local election integrity organization. The plaintiffs are represented by Voter Action, a national voting rights organization, the law firm of Emery Cell Brinckerhoff & Abady, and the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia.

View complaint here:
http://www.voteraction.org/files/PA%202008%20%20Complaint%20(00016006).pdf

View Plainfiff's Memorandum here: http://www.voteraction.org/files/Final%20MOL%20in%20support%20of%20PI%20(00016007).pdf

Music for Victory Night!

John from WillObamaWin.com — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:19:48 EDT

Hi, Friends,

I would love you to pass this on for me...

WillObamaWin.com has existed since way back in the Spring! The only site on the whole Worldwide Web where there are FIVE songs for Barack Obama, all written & composed by myself, (artist name) John Lord.

Look at these great titles:-

Change We Can Believe In.
This Is Our Moment.
Will Obama Win?
ObamaRamaLamaLammaLoo. (!!!)
Hey, Yes We Can! (Radio Mix).
Hey, Yes We Can! (Barack Mix).

Go to http://willobamawin.com/getmp3s.htm and you can download the MP3s or even the audio files to make your own CD for Victory Night! Don't forget - just imagine playing my song "This Is Our Moment" as the winning votes come in. WOW!

This is exclusive, the only site to let you make your own audio CDs so easily. Nothing in it for me, simply saving America with Barack.

And I'm not even American...

P.S. If you're having a watch party for Barack's half-hour TV show on Wednesday (CBS and NBC, 8.00 pm Eastern), you'll need Obama music! You'll *love* these songs, and they're FREE...

The Solidification of Hope

Tunisia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:36:11 EDT

During the spring primary season, I wrote three blogs called The Exploration of Hope. Over the course of these past few weeks, I have been able to come full circle with this exploration of hope by having hard core, tangible reasons why I support Barack Obama. It is not all about the hopeful rhetoric of change. Although, inspiration is extremely important when mobilizing a large group of people towards the positive, it will not mean much without some real plans to back it up.

He has been providing specifics throughout his campaign in town hall meetings but for some reason, the media was still stuck on this question of who he is and how he will provide this elusive change. I did scribble these specifics in my mental notebook but sometimes, the words were smeared or so sloppily written that I couldn’t understand them myself so I was pretty lost like these “journalists”.

It was only recently where I finally was able to see the light, in sorts, through these national conventions of the Democrats and the Republicans. The stark difference between the two parties was highlighted. As a result, it made me fully aware of Obama’s plans clearly and concisely. Joe Biden also provided these ideas with a straightforward, simple way without all the political nonsense.

Someone asked me today why I support Barack Obama and for the first time, I was confident with my answer to this question. I have concrete reasons why he should be the commander in chief.

Reason #1: Integrity. Obama has shown his integrity time and again during the tough battle of the primaries. He maintained a level of respect for his opponent even when the kitchen sink was being thrown his way by his fellow Democrat. He, along with his campaign, was able to have a seamless Democratic National Convention by soothing the tensions that was caused during the primaries, showing the differences between their campaign and McCain’s without personal attacks and providing specific plans for the country. Currently, he continues to have this important leadership quality by focusing on the issues, even through the RNC debacle that happened. He didn’t attack Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin about her family issues. He said family should be off limits, defending his opponent because he knows that it is not right to intrude into one’s personal family life and won’t let politics stand in the way of his morals.

Reason #2: Honesty. Okay so this may be a little touchy for some of you since politics is known for lack of honesty. Granted, I will even allude that Obama is probably not 100% honest about everything because this is politics and it is hard to be all the way honest in this field. It is just the nature of politics. However, I will say that overall, I trust his judgment. I trust that he will think of us first. I trust that he will admit his mistakes. I trust that he can make intelligent decisions without falling into the stereotypical political traps. For instance, when the whole Reverend Jeremiah Wright fiasco was at its peak, he could have easily said nothing about it and hoped it will die down or simply disowned him right then and there for the sake of his potential presidential candidacy. However, he did not do that. He, in fact, wrote a speech that touched the core issue behind all the media hoopla—race. It was risky but he did it with honesty that reached to everyone, Black and White. That speech solidified my pick for president during the primaries. In addition, he is ready to admit that he will not be the perfect president. Most presidential candidates try to prove that they will be perfect presidents through fake smiles and fake words.

Reason #3: Common Sense and Judgment. It seems it would be common sense to vote for a president who has common sense but I guess many Americans do not put that as a qualifier to lead this country. Barack Obama has shown common sense and good judgment by not following the crowd of supporters for the Iraq war. He said, in an eloquent, passionate speech, his disapproval of the war.

I don’t oppose all wars. My grandfather signed up for a war the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed, fought in Patton’s army. He fought in the name of a larger freedom, part of that arsenal of democracy that triumphed over evil.
I don’t oppose all wars. After September 11, after witnessing the carnage and destruction, the dust and the tears, I supported this administration’s pledge to hunt down and root out those who would slaughter innocents in the name of intolerance, and I would willingly take up arms myself to prevent such tragedy from happening again.
I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz and other armchair, weekend warriors in this administration to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

He even predicted the outcomes of the war.

I know that even a successful war against Iraq will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.
I know that an invasion of Iraq without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.
I am not opposed to all wars. I’m opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message to the president.”

At the end of this speech, he offered solutions and challenged the Bush administration to do the right thing.

You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s finish the fight with Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, through effective, coordinated intelligence, and a shutting down of the financial networks that support terrorism, and a homeland security program that involves more than color-coded warnings.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure that…we vigorously enforce a nonproliferation treaty, and that former enemies and current allies like Russia safeguard and ultimately eliminate their stores of nuclear material, and that nations like Pakistan and India never use the terrible weapons already in their possession, and that the arms merchants in our own country stop feeding the countless wars that rage across the globe.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.
You want a fight, President Bush? Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.
Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.

If this doesn’t show that he has the intuitive reason to handle foreign relations problems, then I do not know what would. His words speak for themselves. You can read the full speech here. He also said this speech during a senate race, which most candidates would have overlooked and not commented on for the sake of their political agenda. Again, Obama went against conventional wisdom to make a strong statement that still resonates six years later.

Obama also has shown common sense through his policy positions. It is common sense to not give tax breaks to the wealthiest of Americans. They don’t need it. They didn’t ask for it. It is common sense to tax them a bit more than the average American who is making less than $250,000 to level the economy. It is logical to use that money to invest in public education where the disparities in America really show and invest in our children’s future by promising a $4,000 tuition credit to students who are willing to help out America whether through community service or military service. It is logical to use that money to invest in the faulty health care system and the falling infrastructure. It is only fair to generate billions of dollars through corporate loopholes to offer proper care of our veterans physically and psychologically. It is only fair to help those who made some juvenile mistakes by implementing a bill that help them transition from their old criminal lifestyle to a successful one. It will help not only the individuals but the community as a whole. Obama’s common sense allows him to notice the inequalities in the criminal justice system. Therefore, he decided to take action by sponsoring a bill where police interrogations are videotaped and a bill that would initiate a study of the race of people stopped for traffic violations.

Reason #4: Humility. He was a community organizer after graduating from Columbia University because he has humility. He did not forget where he came from. He did not forget about his mother’s greatest characteristic. When he graduated from Harvard Law School, Obama could’ve easily been a big shot lawyer, making tons of money but he decided to go back to the South Side of Chicago to become a civil rights lawyer. He actually decided to get into politics once he realized how much power politicians have at changing crucial issues in the community. After all the frustration of trying to get things done as an organizer and civil rights lawyer, he pursue his career in politics.

Reason #5: Patience. Barack Obama showed patience quite a bit by not automatically picking Hillary Clinton as vice president even though that was the popular choice. He had a team to help him pick the right vice presidential candidate. He was able to wait awhile before picking Joe Biden because there is a vetting process that should be taken seriously. The whimsicalness of McCain’s pick shows his hastiness which can be a bad trait to have while running the country. Obama showed the maturity to not let the media dictate his pick. He also shows maturity by his foreign relations policies. Obama won’t use war as the first option. If anything, it will be a last resort. He is willing to be patient and actually talk to our enemies to try to resolve it in a peaceful way. Unlike Bush and McCain, Obama does not want to go to war unless it is absolutely necessary. This is the safer choice between the two. Instead of making jokes about bombing Iran and challenging Russia to try something, Obama thinks democratic reasoning may help the unresolved tensions. He is willing to use force if it is needed but he does not want to bully other countries, touting America’s power.

Reason #6: Intelligence. It is quite funny and ironic to think that someone who is intelligent can be considered “elitist” by people who make millions of dollars. It also shows their ignorance. As I said before, Obama has the common sense to make intelligent decisions. He also has the book smarts to back up his ideas. He graduated from prominent American schools, Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he earned magna cum laude. He has self-taught himself by reading many books. He became knowledgeable about history, law (he taught constitutional law), sociology, theology, religion and geography due to his traditional and nontraditional education. His intelligence shows in his speeches. His intelligence shows in his debates. His intelligence definitely shows in his books. This man is smarter than a lot of Americans and that is alright with me.

Reason #7: Broad worldview. In order to be highly effective in foreign relations, a leader must have a broad worldview with a sensibility to others’ cultures. Through Obama’s personal and professional travels, he explored the world with an open mind and has been exposed to the unique problems that surround these countries. When he was younger, he had the great opportunity to live in Indonesia for a short period of time, which is a big adjustment from his Midwestern childhood. He also lived in Hawaii during his adolescent years. He went to New York and California during his college years and settled in Chicago. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. So, he does have a broad worldview by being open-minded about these places and their specific cultural issues, partly thanks to his mother who exposed him to different cultures as a child and his own curiosity of the United States and the world.

Reason #8: Experience. I do not think experience is the only important assess to being a president, hence why this is the last reason. The other words I listed above should also be brought up to the American people because those qualities are just as important as this key word ‘experience’. Barack Obama may not have had the traditional Washington experience but that doesn’t negate the résumé he has built over the years.

He was a community organizer and director of Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale) on Chicago’s far South Side. He also directed Project Vote, from April to October 1992, which is a voter registration drive with a staff of 10 and 700 volunteers that achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, leading Crain’s Chicago Business to name Obama to its 1993 list of “40 under Forty” powers to be. Obama taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years, as a Lecturer for four years (1992–1996), and as a Senior Lecturer for eight years (1996–2004). (Wikipedia.org)

He was a civil rights lawyer. He worked in the state senate where he sponsored more than 800 bills. Some of them he reached out to Republican counterparts to help sponsor, co-author, and pass. In 2002, he became the chairman of Illinois Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee.

He spoke out against the invasion of Iraq before the congressional authorization in 2002 at anti-war rally, and then again before the actual invasion in 2003.

In 2005, he was sworn in as the fifth-ever African-American U.S. senator. He worked with Republican Senator Lugar to author and implement a program to locate and dismantle stray Russian WMD’s. He was designated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as the party’s point man on ethics. He worked with Russ Feingold to pass a major ethics/lobbying reform bill. He cosponsored, with John McCain, the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act. He called for increased fuel efficiency standards (3 percent every year for 15 years). He had assignments on the Senate Committees for Foreign Relations, Veterans’ Affairs, and Homeland Security. He was the chairman of the Senate’s subcommittee on European Affairs.

He waged a tremendous battle to become the Democratic presidential nominee. Currently manages 2,500 campaign employees and a budget of $40-$50 million/month.

So yeah, he has some experience. It may not be “executive” but it coincides with the skills needed to be a great leader. And I know Senator Barack Obama will be a great president of the United States of America for all the reasons above and then some.

Continuum of Exploration

Tunisia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:32:45 EDT

It has been awhile since I have written on this man. I studied this man for months, trying to listen to as many speeches as possible, read as many books about him as I can, learn more about his amazing wife, and gain knowledge about his policy positions. During this exploration, I’ve also wondered where I fall in this whole equation.

Part of my exploration is a need to know what this man is all about. I do not mean the Fox News reasons to see if this Black guy is legit. I want to observe the humanity in him. Before, I equated politics to the opposite of humility and humanity. I didn’t trust anyone in politics. And honestly, some remnants of that are still there even with Obama running.

However, Barack has been able to put a focus on people, “regular” folks like no other politician I have seen in my lifetime. It’s not about a whole bunch of plans that mean shit to us or a bunch of promises that we know are impossible to keep. I do think he may not be able to deliver on all his plans (and some people unfairly view him as a saint when in reality he is a politician with a extraordinary gift to speak to the masses with eloquence and intimacy that gets right to you) but I think he’ll work as hard as he can to lay the foundation of tremendous change in the future beyond his eight year term.

I also believe that he has already made history by being in the position he is in right now. He has the ability to move people towards a positive direction by pronouncing the personal responsibility within us in order for this to truly work. It starts with his grassroots campaign and it will soon grow into him being the President of the United States (yes, I am that sure of myself to declare this now) and then once he is there, he is still going to need us to push his plans forward. I like that push to pay attention. A lot of us have been walking blindly, ignoring the government because we really just didn’t care nor trust. We stopped believing in America for she kept allowing a man to abuse her over and over again. Maybe, Barack is just the kind of man she needs in her life.

I am still exploring this moment in more ways than one. I have been taking a break from his speeches. After awhile, I knew where he was going to go with his speeches and the little personal stories he was going to insert so it started to become redundant to me. However, I am definitely looking forward to his Democratic Convention speech in Denver, CO. I know it is going to be amazing. I will be doing as much as I can to help him out in the meantime, whether it is with donating, registering new voters or canvassing in my neighborhood. I intend to support him fully. I also intend to support myself through this whole process, meaning not give all the credit to Obama for this sudden change within myself.

See, the word change rings many bells for me at this time in my life. And perhaps, Obama drew this attention because that word was so desperately needed not only on a national level but a personal one as well. I guess I’ll see throughout my personal exploration that will never end. And maybe I’ll write a blog or two about it.

Written on July 20, 2008

Inspiration in Change and Hope

Tunisia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:30:54 EDT

On this exploration, I have found myself bombarded with the constant message from Barack Obama’s campaign of “change” and “hope”—two words that the American people have been dying to hear during the grueling years of the Bush Administration. Personally, I have heard those words explicit and/or implied all my life before from politicians, civil rights leaders, teachers, preachers, writers, poets and even musicians. Usually, when they say these words or words that convey the images of change and hope, I oftentimes don’t believe them. When Barack Obama says them, I believe them. Now how can this be? How can a man that I barely know affect me this much in comparison to someone who is a few inches from me speaking the same thing?

One reason could be the way he speaks about change and hope. The eloquence of this man’s speeches is remarkable. He typically starts out from a general standpoint then quickly dives into his personal life and then segues seamlessly into the issues of fellow Americans. After that, he quietly pronounces the key message to his belief in change and hope with a strong and powerful finish towards the end of his speech. He stirs the hearts and spirits of Americans because he touches us in one way or another with his broad view of many issues facing us today.

Typically, when I see other people trying to convey this message, it is steeped in cynicism, bitterness, anger and/or resentment. The change and the hope get buried under the critical view of reality. Not to say these feelings are not warranted. They are definitely justifiable, considering all the problems that face Americans and more personally, African Americans that I see every day, walking like zombies due to depression and hopelessness. However, the lack of optimism creates an environment of complacency and confinement. And how can real change come about if we aren’t moving towards anything better in our thoughts, which ultimately control our actions? Which brings me back to Obama, he is not naïve in his view of reality. The grim details of the issues that face America are noted in his speeches; however, he takes those grim details and turns them on their heads by bringing a sense of confidence and positivity that often lacks in current day politics. And I gravitate towards that like a moth towards a flame except I do not get burn in my pursuit; I see the light of the red and the orange as a symbol to some peace and oneness in America.

See, I was not alive when Frederick Douglass made his speech about July 4th. I was not alive when Martin Luther King said his dream. I was not alive when leaders like Malcolm X, Huey P Newton and Marcus Garvey created their movements for change and hope. I was not around when John F. Kennedy was president. I was not in the black and white footage of the 60s demanding for equal rights only to be beaten down by a police man.

I was not there so I feel guilty for my lack of service. I feel sort of selfish in my attempt to find that change and hope within myself. I feel like I could do more for my community that surrounds me every day as an awful reminder of how far we got to go in order to obtain true equality. I feel complacent in my position as a young African American college graduate from Philadelphia, looking to pursue the American Dream. However, when I went to the Obama Headquarters earlier this spring, I began to feel that sense of guilt slowly fading away. By being involved in his campaign, I finally felt like I was a part of history and that my little deeds will, in fact, create little ripples of change. However, the guilt is not in a state of oblivion. I still feel like I can do more. Barack Obama’s tone, thoughtfulness and compassion resonates an innate want to help others. And I have a gut feeling that this is what Douglass did and King did and those other leaders did during a time before me.

He has inspired me to change and I can’t ask for anything more from a future leader of the free and hopeful world.

Written on May 26, 2008

Introduction to Exploration of Hope

Tunisia — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:29:40 EDT

When people ask me why I support Barack Obama, I always feel slightly tongue-tied. I lose a little bit of confidence even though I do have some clear beliefs why he should win office. However, they always end up sounding cliché. For instance, I usually think of the word ‘change’ but how many times have you heard that from an Obama supporter? It’s an abstract truth but not a concrete reason that holds weight with candidates like Hillary Clinton, whose political experience outweighs his or John McCain who has been in politics since I’ve been born. So with this in mind, I’ve been searching for better reasons why I support the Black man with the “funny name”.

Over the last few months, I have been immersed in Obama’s campaign. I’ve read both of his books, the autobiography Dreams from My Father and the more politically driven, The Audacity of Hope, which gives me a more personal and specific look into the man’s upbringing, beliefs and political views. I have also been reading some articles from various sources about his campaign and how he’s been stacking up against his relentless, unflinching opponent, Hillary Clinton. In the evenings, after I come home from work, I sometimes watch Youtube clips from his page, hoping to gain a firmer stance on my position on the issues. I’ve also, sometimes reluctantly, watch CNN, MSNBC and even FOX News (all thanks to my brother whose sudden interest in politics may be all due to Mr. Obama himself). I’ve even volunteered on his behalf, making donations, going to rallies, making a few calls to voters, sending out postcards and agreeing to a random interview with a university as a young supporter.

Now, I will say that prior to this election, I was not into politics that much at all. I’ve never been to a rally for a candidate nor read a political book in my life. I was even a Hillary supporter at first, thinking that Obama really didn’t have a chance at winning the presidency. So I wonder, “What is it about him that makes me believe so much? Why do I feel so driven to be involved and to learn as much as I can about the issues and the candidate himself?”

I’m still in search for that answer. I’ve had some discoveries over the last few months that I will share with you and I know I will have quite a few more during the general election. In consequence, I will share my journey with you on this quest to find out the answer to this very question. I will call it, for now, “The Exploration of Hope”. Cheesy maybe but I kinda like it.

Written on May 19, 2008

URGENT!!!! Congressional Hearings On Wall Street Meltdown/Treason Now On CSPAN

{:{:{:{Quantum Being}:}:}:} {:{VOB}:} {:{http://obamablogger.org/}:} — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:40:29 EDT

Tune in to CSPAN right now and do your civic duty in having a full and real understanding of the single greatest rape of the American Dream and public trust since the lies leading to the war in Iraq.

Join with me in calling for the mass imprisonment of all fraudulent CEO's and the seizing of their assets to help pay for the outrageous "bailout" fraud on top of the original treasonous one now destabilizing financial markets across the globe and threatening to make debt slaves of an entire planet.

Please join with me in calling for a Constitutional Amendment banning all legalized corporate lobbyist bribery of our elected officials especially and including lobbyist's writing of most legislation, especially the rampant deregulation which most directly contributed to our current total financial disaster.

As reported on Sixty Minutes last night... the 800 plus billion dollar$ already stolen from the national treasury is but a handful of bandaids to cover over a massive hemorrhage totaling from 50 to 60 TRILLION DOLLARS IN FRAUDULENTLY SOLD CREDIT INSURANCE ( as a false smoke and mirrors hedge against the bad mortgage stock products).

THAT IS FULLY FIVE TO SEVEN TIMES OUR CURRENT TOTAL ACCUMULATED NATIONAL DEBT!!!!

THE FACT THAT THE AMOUNT CAN ONLY BE ESTIMATED TO WITHIN TEN TRILLION DOLLARS EXPOSES JUST HOW CORRUPT AND TOTAL THIS THEFT ACTUALLY IS.

What this has done and will do to American as well as global markets, hence prosperity, HENCE THE ABILITY OF HUMBLE MIDDLE CLASS CITIZENS TO LIVE IN MODEST COMFORT HAS NOW BEEN CRITICALLY DAMAGED MAKING THE CORRUPT EXCESSES OF CEO'S, CORP. LOBBYISTS, AND ELECTED OFFICIALS CLEARLY IN THE ORDER OF MAGNITUDE OF CRIMINAL FRAUD, NEGLECT AND A TREASONOUS ABUSE OF THE PUBLIC TRUST.

BANNING ALL SUCH INCESTUOUS CORRUPTION OF OUR ELECTED (SUPPOSEDLY) LAWMAKING OFFICIALS COMINGLED WITH $$$$$ FROM THE VERY ABUSIVE FINANCIAL OFFICERS AND INSTITUTIONS AT THE SICK HEART OF OUR CURRENT CRISIS MAKES PLAIN THAT IF WE THE PEOPLE ARE TO REGAIN OUR NATIONAL INTEGRITY, EQUILIBRIUM AND HENCE, PROSPERITY... WE MUST AS A PREREQUISITE BAN ALL SUCH LOBBYIST STRINGS/CORRUPTION OF THE LAWMAKING/REGULATORY FUNCTION OF GOVERNMENT OR NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

GO TO CSPAN'S WEBSITE AND DEMAND OF YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT THE "NO BRIBES ALLOWED AMENDMENT" BE PASSED INTO LAW NOW.

ANYTHING LESS WOULD SIMPLY BE A FURTHER CONTINUATION OF THE CURRENT CORRUPT CO-OPTION OF OUR ESSENTIAL REPRESENTATIVE LAWMAKING BODY AND A FULL BLOWN CYNICAL REBUKE OF OUR FOUNDERS MOST BASIC PRINCIPLES AND PROMISE AS EXPRESSED BY THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND CONSTITUTION TO FIRST, FOREMOST AND ALWAYS BE A NATION FOR AND BY WE THE PEOPLE... NOT A NATION BY AND FOR THE CYNICAL ABUSE OF CORRUPT RAPISTS OF THE NATIONAL TRUST.

YES WE CAN!!!

YES WE WILL!!!

YES WE MUST!!!

Biden Delivers

{:{:{:{Quantum Being}:}:}:} {:{VOB}:} {:{http://obamablogger.org/}:} — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:40:21 EDT

Strong, focused, on message.

Gwen deserves a medal for exposing Palin's Chenyesque leanings in one of the final questions whereby Palin embraced Cheney's disgusting power grab style of vice presidency in stark contrast to Biden's true grasp of the constitutional limits of the vp's traditional role.

That one question drove McCain Palin away from every clear thinking independent and progressive voter in the country.

Big kudos to both Biden and Iffel.

Joe stuck to distinguishing Obama from McCain, while Palin thought she was running for president.

Way to go Joe!

Bruce Springsteen Rally -CHANGE ROCKS! -Saturday, Oct. 4, 2008

Jill 4 Obama — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:59:10 EDT

PA Women for Obama Invite You to

CHANGE ROCKS
A Very Special Acoustic Appearance By:
Bruce Springsteen

Saturday October 4th, 2008

Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and 22nd Streets
Philadelphia, PA

Gates open: 2:00 p.m.
Program starts: 3:30 p.m.

FREE AND OPEN TO PENNSYLVANIA RESIDENTS & STUDENTS

For ticket info, visit:

http://PA.barackobama.com/Springsteen

Free Printable Obama Signs

Dan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:21:51 EDT

Here are updated versions of the signs, now featuring the Obama Biden text with the "O" logo. All of these signs are ready-to-print PDFs and currently sized for standard letter paper (8½ by 11 inches). The contents are all vector based and should scale up nicely if you wish to print at larger sizes.

Print some out and tape them up in your car, in your house, give them to other supporters or use them as signs! Email your friends and family asking them to do the same!

If you find these signs useful, then please consider helping Barack & Joe by making a donation to Obama for America and help me reach my personal fundraising goal (all donations are directly to the campaign).

It's secure, very easy and takes just a minute. Every dollar helps Barack and Joe get out their message especially in tight battleground states.

Click on any of the thumbnails below to go to the download site.

Landscape on a white background...

Landscape on a blue background...

Portrait on a white background...

Portrait on a blue background...

Perfect Debate Response on "The Surge"

{:{:{:{Quantum Being}:}:}:} {:{VOB}:} {:{http://obamablogger.org/}:} — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 15:50:26 EDT

When asked about The Surge... Barack can deliver the finishing blow by responding...

"Which surge are we talking about? The surge necessary to protect our troops after being lied into Iraq in the first place?... or the surge of nearly one trillion dollars to pay for the Iraq blunder... the same surge which has helped to contribute to the very same debt crisis now crippling the American economy?"

Make this the campaigns main mantra and McCain is finished.

Check and mate.

Obama iPhone Wallpaper - Yes We Can

Dan — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 20:12:41 EDT

Here is an adapted version of the "Yes We Can" wallpaper from the barackobama.com downloads section adapted for the 480x320 size used by the iPhone (and some other mobile devices)...

Grab it here!

While you're at it check out our growing collection of signs, posters, wallpapers, etc. at obamamedia.wordpress.com.

Obama WallPapers at mybad28’s Obama Flickr Collection

Dan — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:59:07 EDT

The wallpapers keep on coming! Check out mybad28’s collection of Obama wallpapers at Flickr - he currently has 8 Obama wallpapers available for download. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorites...

Check out my post at obamamedia.wordpress.com for a link to the site and while you're there check out our growing collection of signs, posters, images, wallpapers, and more!

Top Ten Recommendations for the Obama Campaign

Stephen Fox, Contributing Editor New Mexico Sun News — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:50:27 EDT

by Jdories

As i have watched the Obama campaign over the past two years, time and again i have been blown away by the exact precision from which he has run his campaign. Every time I underestimate him, he pulls a rope-a-dope move that proves me wrong. That is why, today, I humbly present to the Obama campaign my wish list for adjustments to be made for the last 50 days of this campaign (As a complete amateur, Monday evening quarterback that I am):

Emphasize how you will utilize your 2 million volunteers to do volunteer work after the election! We are here, use us!!
Make us visible Now!!! - We don't need an 80,000 person rally - instead organize a Food drive in every Obama office across the nation! For every food donation and contact info receive a free sticker or campaign pin. Getting together millions of pounds of food for the needy would make every news broadcast from coast to coast and show what real change looks like! Also, I am sure that a volunteer at each headquarters would contact a Food bank to make the arrangements.

Jdories's diary :: ::
Reframe the Debate on the Windfall Profit Tax:
I am sick of hearing Republicans call the windfall profit tax socialism, wealth redistribution, etc. We need to push back and push back hard!! Reframe the debate and hammer it home! Here is the message we should be pushing on commercial after commercial:

Over the past 8 years Oil Companies have taken _ (10, 20, 30?) billions of dollars of our tax money - IT IS TIME WE TAKE IT BACK!! Every other argument is mute. We are taking back our money and will not accept any less!

Reframe the Debate on The Iraq War:
I have to admit that Republicans are right on this one in one respect: Americans want to win! I know, I know, this is not the standard Liberal talking point, but do we want to hold our ground or do we want to win this election??? All I know is that every moderate or Republican I know wants out of Iraq, but wants to win, so here is the message we should be pounding away at:

We have a plan to win the Iraq war for Good: We will increase diplomacy with the countries surrounding Iraq, Ask Nato and UN for Help (so it has less of a US face), we will ask for the support of every possible relief agency and support them in any way possible, and we will begin to slowly and carefully remove troops to put the political pressure on the Iraqis. We can and will Win!

I know, I know, but swallow hard and put out commercials with this and I guarantee a five point swing in the polls. A responsible strategy for victory and removing the troops.

Attack McCain on his Strength: The Troops
The best segment that I have seen on Keith Olbermann in a long time was when he listed all of McCain's votes against the troops. This needs to be a campaign commercial that is pounded on every chance we get! Here is the Keith Segment:

A Campaign version of this segment needs to run on a constant loop on as many tv stations as possible.

Message Discipline, Message Discipline, Message Discipline!!
The one thing that frustrates me the most about listening to McCain spokespeople on television is that they just repeat talking points, but they get their message across! While I don't think we should have a bunch of automatons as spokespeople, each week give your people 2-3 talking points that you want to emphasize and get someone on every station!! One week education, Foreign Policy, Health Care, etc. Make sure they do not get derailed and that they reach enough outlets. Why has Senator Kerry, Clinton, etc. not been on every possible show? Maybe they are holding off, but at least put some other spokespeople that can stay on message on at every possible moment.

The Best Answers are Sometimes the Shortest (Especially in the Debates):
Remember Biden's one word answer in the debate? Throughout the debates and throughout past debates the most memorable points are often the wittiest and shortest.

Although i dread saying this because it sickens me that our population cannot handle critical thinking, nuance, evaluation, and original thought - the fact is - many can't! A majority of our citizenry has become very comfortable with quick, pat, slogan-like answers no matter how ridiculous they are instead of long-detailed thoughtful responses. This is sad, but true.

For example, my parents, are life-long Republicans who have not liked a lot of what the Republicans have stood for, but felt chained to them because of their views on abortion. Then, with the Rise of Rush, Fox News, and others, they became so isolated from what I would term reality, that they began to believe a lot of the things that they never would have believed before. As their pay went down, health care went down, and prices went up (as well as house taxes), it was easy to blame illegal immigrants, affirmative action, feminism, and liberal ideology for their plight rather than see the reality. They were the easy scapegoats and they were working their 2-3 jobs each so it was easier to listen to the Conservatives one-word answers than the Dems nuanced ones. Now they support Obama, but they like McCain better in debates because his answers are shorter and more "to the point".

We need to take each issue and boil them down to the shortest possible answers and practice them over and over for the debates. Trust me, we like the nuances, but 75 percent of the public does not.

Pound away on McCain's ties to Big Oil with Specifics:
I do not have time to pull up specifics here right now, but McCain's votes with Big Oil, Cindy's involvement with oil, and Palin's. (will update later if I have more time)

Repetition from Supporters:
I listen to a lot of conservative talk radio because I think it is important to size up the competition and one thing that I have noticed is that the reason they are able to force through their points productively to the point that the MSM covers it is that repeat things continuously until it sticks. That is why their listeners call themselves "Ditto Heads" and a recent advertisement for the King Ditto Head said "You don't have to think, We do that For you! All you need to do is listen!". Or that another such show needs to repeat continuously the phrase "You are a great American" - they repeat it until people begin to believe the most inane ideas. We have to use Daily Kos in a more organized way - not quite ditto heads, but we need to focus on a few issues and pound away on them. One easy example would be e-mail campaigns to News outlets. While we have each separately e-mailed many different news organizations, we have been doing it sporadically on numerous issues, not to a great affect. One possible example:

On Monday, we all e-mail every MSNBC person with something along the lines of "Stop covering gossip and innuendo and FOCUS on the ISSUES." While it is easy to ignore our thousands of different messages, getting a few thousand e-mails that all say similar things will at least mean that they talking heads got our message!

It might not make any difference, but who knows, maybe they will budge. Another example on this could be that we have one day each week where we all focus on one major issue: Health Care, Foreign Policy, etc. Of course there will be breaking news or people that are not on board, but if you have thousands of us all focused on health care for one day (or week), we could really refine our message and get it out to every press organization possible.

Organization, Pinpointing important targets, and ground game:
The Obama campaign were ingenious experts with this in the primaries. I am not even going to pretend to give advice to them hear; instead, merely root them on and encourage them to continue the smart microtargeting that got them through the primaries.

More gimmicks to increase fundraising:
Dinner with the candidate, dinner with Michelle, appear in a commercial, spend the day with the candidate, etc. We need something every 2-3 weeks, to give us that little extra encouragement to donate!

Update: 11. [From Escapade] Stop thinking that what Joe Klein, Andrew Sullivan, the NYTimes, AP, HuffPo etc. think and say has any impact on how the average voter thinks and behaves.

Sound of Silence

Bob Bethany — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:11:06 EDT

WE WILL NEVER FORGET THEM...NUNCA LOS OLVIDAREMOS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kd8xp86reY

Nina Simone-'I've Got Life'

Bob Bethany — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:38:49 EDT

Nina Simone-I've Got Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUcXI2BIUOQ

Mayor Palin Proposed Banning Library Books

Fatirah from Philly — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:08:31 EDT

By Rindi White
McClatchy Newspapers

Posted: Saturday, Sep. 06, 2008

WASILLA, Alaska In 1996, when she became mayor, Sarah Palin asked the Wasilla librarian if she would be OK censoring library books should she be asked to do so.
According to news coverage at the time, the librarian said she definitely would not be all right with it. A few months later, the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, received a letter from Palin telling her she was going to be fired. The censorship issue was not mentioned as a reason. The letter just said the new mayor thought Emmons didn't fully support her and had to go.
Emmons had been city librarian for seven years and was well liked. After a wave of public support for her, Palin relented and let Emmons keep her job.
The 12-year-old issue has returned to dog Palin, who is under intense national scrutiny. It has been mentioned in news stories in Time magazine and The New York Times and is spreading across the blogosphere.
In December 1996, Emmons told her hometown newspaper, the Frontiersman, that Palin three times asked her about possibly removing objectionable books from the library if the need arose.
Emmons said she refused to consider any kind of censorship. Emmons, now Mary Ellen Baker, is on vacation from her current job in Fairbanks and did not return messages left for her Wednesday.
When the matter came up again in October 1996, during a City Council meeting, Anne Kilkenny, a Wasilla resident who often attends council meetings, was there.
"Sarah said to Mary Ellen, 'What would your response be if I asked you to remove some books from the collection?'" Kilkenny said.
"I was shocked. Mary Ellen sat up straight and said something along the line of, 'The books in the Wasilla Library collection were selected on the basis of national selection criteria for libraries of this size, and I would absolutely resist all efforts to ban books.'"
Palin didn't mention specific books at that meeting, Kilkenny said.
Palin herself, questioned at the time, called her inquiries rhetorical and simply part of a policy discussion with a department head "about understanding and following administration agendas," according to the Frontiersman article.
Were any books censored? June Pinell-Stephens, chairwoman of the Alaska Library Association's Intellectual Freedom Committee since 1984, checked her files Wednesday and came up empty-handed.
Emmons received a letter from Palin asking for her resignation. Similar letters went to police Chief Irl Stambaugh, public works director Jack Felton and finance director Duane Dvorak. John Cooper, a fifth director, resigned after Palin eliminated his job overseeing the city museum.
Palin told the Anchorage Daily News then that the letters were just a test of loyalty as she took on the mayor's job, which she'd won from three-term mayor John Stein in a hard-fought election. Stein had hired many of the department heads. Both Emmons and Stambaugh had publicly supported him against Palin.
Emmons resigned in August 1999, two months before Palin was voted in for a second term

Aretha Franklin

Bob Bethany — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 11:49:55 EDT

In Respone to McCain, Palin and Bush (The Missing Link)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAa8vwmeewU

Theta75’s Obama Wallpaper Collection

Dan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:38:16 EDT

I wanted to point out another great Obama wallpaper collection. Flickr user Theta75 has two really nice Obama wide screen wallpapers...

Check out my post at obamamedia.wordpress.com for a link to the site and while you're there check out our growing collection of signs, posters, images, wallpapers, and more!

Obama iPhone Wallpaper - Night

Dan — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:08:01 EDT

Here is a version of the "Obama Night" wallpaper in the 480×320 size used by the iPhone (and some other mobile devices)...

Grab it here!

While you're at it check out our growing collection of signs, posters, wallpapers, etc. at obamamedia.wordpress.com.

West Philly, Hanna Prep (Drains To River)

Brenda S. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:16:32 EDT

We live in West Philly, not Miami or New Orleans, so we do not spend a lot of time thinking of flood prevention, and keeping flood debris out of our waterways, but, as a native Floridian, when a storm approaches, I worry a little, then I think and act.

Some areas of West Philly and U City have underground creeks and streams. An example is 43 and Locust, which tends to flood. If you live on one of these corners, you probably already clear out your corner storm drains. The City of Philadelphia will not do this for you, it's up to the neighbors.

The "Drains to River " medallions seen all over our area mean just that. In storm conditions, all flows to the river. Untreated. Anything clogging the drain may cause a flood in your street. Any trash or object pushed down the storm drain by the force of water will empty into the Schuylkill River.

This is easy to look out for. A pair of rubber gloves, an old broom, a garbage bag , and the willingness to do about 15 min. of icky work is all you need to help keep your block dry and the rivers clean.

BARACK: STOP TAKING THE URBAN MINORITY VOTE FOR GRANTED!

Darryl "Hussein" — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:06:16 EDT

I was happy to see Barack nail John McSame to the cross last night and I was even happier to see that McSame bungled his VP pick! But, we cannot take anything for granted in this election and that is why I am urging you to begin an email campaign to Barack Obama. You see, I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (large black & hispanic population), a key battleground state, and Barack has only spoke in my city once (Democratic Primaries) and even then he never came into any minority communities. In fact, Barack is in Pennsylvania at this very minute and he has once again bypassed Philadelphia. It has already been mentioned that Barack will have to garner 1/2 million votes in Philadelphia to counter the strong Republican vote in Central and Western Pennsylvania! If Barack expects blacks and hispanics to automatically fall in line and cast their vote for him because he is a minority, then he is sadly mistaken. IN ANY ELECTION, POTENTIAL VOTERS MUST FEEL APPRECIATED!!!!! Barack Obama is dropping the ball with respect to urban minority populations in key battleground states and it may cost him dearly. It is not enough to send representatives to the inner city ghettos or open field offices, Barack himself must visit the people. Bill Clinton had no problem with visiting one of the worst areas of Philadelphia when he was running for president; why can't Barack?

MCSAME LEADING OBAMA BY 5% IN POLL

Darryl "Hussein" — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:49:38 EDT

I just viewed a poll that had McCain leading Obama by 5% points of likely voters! What kind of nonsense is this!? Do they really expect us to believe that Americans are dumb enough to elect a man who is going to follow the same failed policies of George W. Bush? I really hate it when people insult my intelligence!!!!!!!

51 MILLION REASONS TO SHOUT!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:07:37 EDT

Way to go OBAMA NATION!!! We helped Barack raise $51 million, nearly doubling that of John McSame.

IRAQIS DEMAND TIMELINE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:22:56 EDT

Yes, today the Iraqis demanded a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal! This only proves that Obama was right on point with his decision to impose a timeline all along. In your face John McSame, the Republican Party, and all political pundits who criticized Obama's timeline.

Barack Afternoon Buzz - 8-9-08

Barack Daily Buzz - Victory2008.net — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:22:38 EDT

Barack Afternoon Buzz - 8-9-08
On to Victory in November

(1) Ohm-bama Time in Denver-Quest for Seats to Hear Obama's Speech
Dyana Z. Furmansky-Special to Lynn Sweet Blog-Chicago Sun-Times
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2008/08/dyan.html

(2) Obama Will Court Celebrity Vote at the Convention
Tim Shipman and Philip Sherwell-Telegraph-UK
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/uselection2008/barackobama/2529000/Barack-Obama-to-continue-to-court-celebrity-vote.html

(3) Party Platform Seeks to Please Obama and Clinton
Calvin Woodward-Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jCJokRL-4bIUMbN5goV0WMHUsJJAD92EQFD00

(4) Clinton Urges Her Fans to Support Obama
Associated Press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pr1YdxkEkvU

(5) Clinton Tells Cheering Nevada Crowd to Support Obama
Kathleen Hennessey and Devlin Barrett-Associated Press
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/09/AR2008080900347.html

(6) Hillary Says I'm Backing Obama
The Press Association-UK
http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hYgyAX-0x0tBeNyiX13wMuW2WPIA

(7) Comparing Obama and McCain Energy Plans
Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gGj1oIfYmFMaIMlkarP4RqJksKtgD92EQ1SO0

(8) Men of Action-Obama Sinks 3 Pointers as McCain Hits the Ballpark
Michael S. James-ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=5542324&page=1

(9) Obama-The International President
Eric Walker-Jakarta Post
http://old.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20080809.F04&irec=3

(10) McCain Mocks Obama Oratory
Mike Allen-Politico
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12408.html

(11) No Vacation from McCain's Attacks
Jonathan Weisman and Michael D. Shear-Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/08/AR2008080803242.html?hpid=topnews

(12) No Olympic Holiday for McCain's Presidential Bid
Beth Fouhy-Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iE2JCSH5p9r2GBkQWS9TWAMzmuvQD92ER9M00

Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar) for Obama

Bob Bethany — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:22:37 EDT

Kal Penn (Harold & Kumar)...volunteer for Barack Obama...video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJvw1-oZCNM

West Philly 52nd Street...

Bob Bethany — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:11:47 EDT

52nd Street and Spruce, West Philly...VOLUNTEER for Barack Obama...

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

Bridge Over Troubled Water-Simon & Garfunkel

Bob Bethany — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:06:48 EDT

Bridge Over Troubled Water...music video......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFruKvAq8PQ

A LITTLE BARACK HUMOR IS O.K.

Darryl "Hussein" — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:31:17 EDT

Let's stop being serious once in a while. It is Saturday, so I decided to infuse a little light-hearted humor into my blog. Follow the link to catch a parody of Barack set to the Shaft theme.

http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/barack-theme-parody-by-brett-eidman/10684307/

Peace Train

Bob Bethany — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:13:19 EDT

Peace Train music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16T35yx3nY

Peace Brother

Bob Bethany — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:21:59 EDT

Peace Brother Music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl58QbpVLHw

We are the 'Peace makers'

Bob Bethany — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:36:25 EDT

Peace Makers Stop War music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkQ2zi-t3tg

She fought for 'PEACE' in a troubled nation

Bob Bethany — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 12:16:49 EDT

She fought for 'PEACE' in a troubled nation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MO3zvo0VjM

Smothers Brothers present the Anti-War musical 'HAIR'

Bob Bethany — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:50:16 EDT

'Hair' The musical presented on the Smothers Brothers 40+ years ago.

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

The Moment of Peace

Bob Bethany — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:36:37 EDT

The Moment of Peace music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL89st1UqMo

'Peace Love and Happiness'

Bob Bethany — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 08:17:18 EDT

Peace Love and Hapiness music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtdrK44M8n0

anti-warFARE 'HAIR'

Bob Bethany — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:41:42 EDT

'HAIR' is Anti-Republican, Anti-war WATCH IT NOW

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

Peace Nina

Bob Bethany — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:19:09 EDT

Obama will bringe Change to the Nation. He is loved throughout the world. Things can only get better. music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUcXI2BIUOQ

'HAIR' the Anti-War musical / movie

Bob Bethany — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:44:37 EDT

The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, New York City, is now showing the Anti-War Musical 'HAIR'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klObyJY1W_I

Bless the Peace Makers

Bob Bethany — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:45:07 EDT

We must stop our constant state of WAR. music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkQ2zi-t3tg

HAIR = Anti-WarFARE = PEACE

Bob Bethany — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:10:38 EDT

Notice the sign behind John Lennon 'HAIR' The musical and movie is very Anti-War. It's a must see for every PEACE LOVER. The message is VERY VERY strong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NRriHlLUk

The Economy and the War

Bob Bethany — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:05:25 EDT

We can and should do something about the war. Take a stand and help end the war. music video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl58QbpVLHw

The Economy and the War

Bob Bethany — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:58:04 EDT

The two main issues of the election is the Economy and the War. We actually can and should do something about the War and show it to the world. McCain might win ,we are only talking about a few percentage points lead. Visibly protesting the war, making a big deal out of it, will get us the voters we need, and stop the war. AT WHAT POINT DO WE START TO PROTEST ? 4 YEARS FROM NOW ? 8 YEARS FROM NOW ? How many Lives is that ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl58QbpVLHw

Our Party is for Peace

Bob Bethany — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:01:37 EDT

History repeating itself...was nothing learned 40 years ago ? World War II modernized engineering but modern thinking of society, environment and peace started in the 60's. The society and environment are still hot topics, what happened to Peace? Was nothing learned ? Are people that isolated from what's going on in the world ? Back then, there were only three channels on the T.V. Everyone knew what was happening. Fighting in the war was not usually a spur of the moment decision, they were drafted to fight. People had two points of view to pick from. Who did you stand with? War mungers or Peace Lovers. People were actively promoting both sides. The Republicans used fear of the Communist scurge. They'll take Vietnam and then U.S. The people who fought for Peace told it like it is. We don't want to go to some God forsaken, unknown nothing of a country and DIE to keep one nations ideology from being imposed on them. 52,000 Americans DIED because of an ideology that was destine to fail, and Communism did fail. Now we again have our military in an unpopular war. As a nation we have not done enough to stop it. The Republicans don't have a threat like Russia to scare us with...yet we're at war. There's no active Peace Movement...and we're at war. GET THE CONNECTION ? I hope Obama is elected president and gets us out of this mess. It will be a very long 4 years if McWar wins, and he might. If he does win, and we remain at war, it will be the fault of the people who did nothing to stop it. I don't want that weight on my shoulders. That's why I'm a Peace Loving Democrat. Bob

Don't let the Republicans rain on our Parade...and they will try

Bob Bethany — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:37:11 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klObyJY1W_I

EVEN BUSH AGREES ON A TIMELINE

Darryl "Hussein" — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:13:47 EDT

It seems as though Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki supports Barack's 16 month withdrawal from his country. John McSame still does not seem to realize that Iraq is a soveriegn nation and America cannot enforce its will upon another country. If the Iraqi's want us out, then we must leave. Heck, even George Bush has agreed to a timeline, only he calls it a time horizon (lol). Open your eyes and get with the program McSame!

The XPN Festival

Brenda S. — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:33:34 EDT

It was another hot weekend, my husband was doing sound at the River Stage, Wiggins Park for the XPoNential Festival. 4 days, 3 stages and lots of opportunity to register voters, sign up volunteers and give out stickers.

I had help on Sunday from 2 great volunteers, Hassan and Angela. Most of the crew are supporters and wore Vote for Change stickers on their laminated passes. On Sunday evening, just 3 hours before the festival end, the stage manager (Amy) ,also an Obama supporter, got a call on her radio. There was a complaint from a republican, who felt we were getting special treatment (Crew passes for Obama volunteers) and I had to call the registration off. I got back the clipboards and was sorting through all the sheets of paper when I noticed one of the Artists looking at me.

I explained that the Voters Registration was called off. She asked if I had more stickers. She called her band members over. "Here honey, put this on ", she said. And they did.( The artist was the beautiful Shelby Lynn, from Alabama. )Then they took the stage to play a blistering set, all in their Vote for Change stickers.

Friday's headliner, Beth Orton also mentioned the election and voter's registration in her onstage patter, and Saturday's headliner, Michael Franti and Spearhead also spoke in Obama's support and urged the crowd to register, volunteer their time and vote.

It was a great gig , but it was also the end of the easy time I've had at big shows. From now on, I'll have to be in touch with the band's management, the promoters and the venue management in advance with special permissions. I will still be able to do our campaign work at shows, but it will just be a little more complicated. As usual we have photos.

The musical 'Hair' is very Anti-War

Bob Bethany — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:13:22 EDT

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

Hippies in the 60's were very Anti-War. I'm sure they're still out there. With this war and the elections in November we need to do something now. What will this country be like in 4 years if McCain wins? There are too many movies and other outlets promoting voilence and war. As volunteers for OBAMA, we are part of a large Peace Movement. This video is a tribute to the Hippies who Protested for Peace 40 years ago.

The movie 'HAIR' is Anti-War

Bob Bethany — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:46:53 EDT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj4vfrPdfdo Cheryl Barnes sings 'Easy to Be Hard' about 2 minutes into the video. The Anti-War film 'HAIR' has no equal. A completely non-violent way to get the point across, WAR IS BAD. Great movie with great music. It's sure to make you nostalgic. Thanks Bob

McSame gets a little respect from me

Darryl "Hussein" — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:40:45 EDT

Although I do not agree with most of what John McSame says and would NEVER vote for him, I must give him respect for speaking at the NAACP Annual Convention. McSame is well aware that 90% or more of African Americans are going to vote for Barack Obama on November 4, 2008. Yet he, unlike George Bush, still tried to reach out to the Black community. Senator McSame, I do not agree with you on most issues, but I do give you respect for making an attempt to reach out.

GEORGE BUSH IS LOST IN SPACE

Darryl "Hussein" — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:32:26 EDT

Today, George Bush declared the nation's financial system to be "basically sound." Would someone please tell me what planet does this guy live on? Our President is so out of touch with the rest of the country it is not funny. This is the same person who earlier this year commented that he had not heard of $4.00 gasoline, eventhough California (one of the largest states in America) was already at that point. When it comes to the welfare of working class Americans, George Bush is missing in action and a vote for John McSame in November is a vote of support for Bush's failed policies, both domestic and foreign.

JESSE JACKSON'S

Darryl "Hussein" — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:52:55 EDT

What is up with Jesse Jackson making such an idiotic remark about Barack Obama? Sure, there are more important issues in the African American community, but the issue of irresponsible fathers should not be down played either. I work in an urban school district and I can vouch for Barack when he says the abscence of fathers in their children's lives is taking a tremendous toll on our impressionable youth, more especially Black boys. More often than not, I see poor, ill-educated, young Black woman trying to take on the role of mother and father and more often than not, they are not successful. Personally, I believe most Black men do the right thing when it comes to raising their children, but the fact still remains that there are plenty of Black men who are failing their children miserably.

McCain Rhetoric vs. The Facts

Sekela 'still crying tears of joy' in Pa — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:23:44 EDT

THE MISLEADING MCCAIN RHETORIC:

“We need to keep the IRS from taking more of your
income and making life harder for small business.
If you believe you should pay more taxes, I am the
wrong candidate for you. Senator Obama is your
man. The choice in this election is stark and
simple. Senator Obama will raise your taxes. I
won't. I will cut them where I can. Jobs are the
most important thing our economy creates. When you
raise taxes in a bad economy you eliminate jobs.
I'm not going to let that happen. Senator Obama's
tax increases will hurt the economy even more, and
destroy jobs across this country.” [McCain Speech,
7/7/08]

THE FACTS: OUTSIDE OBSERVERS AGREE THAT CLAIMS
THAT OBAMA WILL RAISE TAXES ARE “WRONG,” “FALSE,”
“MISLEADING”

Washington Post Fact Checker: McCain Campaign
Attacks on Obama Tax Plan “Overblown,” “Wrong,”
and “Greatly Exaggerated.” “The McCain camp is
attempting to persuade Americans that their taxes
will increase dramatically with Barack Obama as
president. The presumptive Republican nominee has
repeatedly said that Obama would enact ‘the
largest tax increase since the Second World War.’
A surrogate, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly
Fiorina, insists that Obama has not proposed ‘a
single tax cut’ and wants to ‘raise every tax in
the book.’ … The claim that Obama will ‘enact’
the largest tax increase since World War II is
also overblown. The Bush tax cuts will expire
automatically at the end of 2010, so it is hardly
a question of ‘enacting’ a new tax increase. ...
Carly Fiorina is wrong to claim that Obama has
proposed no tax cuts and wants to raise ‘every tax
in the book.’” [Washington Post, 6/11/08]

MCSAME IN BED WITH SWIFT BOATERS

Darryl "Hussein" — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:15:22 EDT

I agree with Barack, John McSame's actions as a prisoner of war were heroic. But, McSame is a hypocrite because he is using the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to attack General Wesley Clark, the very same organization he condemned for distorting Senator John Kerry's military record.

McCAIN'S CHIEF STRATEGIST MAKES IDIOTIC REMARK!

Darryl "Hussein" — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 18:58:41 EDT

During an interview, a chief strategist of the McCain campaign made a ludicrous statement. This person essentially said that John McCain's campaign would really benefit from a new terrorist attack on the United States!!! He then went on to mention the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and how that horrific incident helped McCain look Presidential during the New Hampshire Primary. What kind of person would say such a despicable thing? I hope any McCain supporter(s) who may be reading this blog, please think twice before casting a vote for a man who aligns himself with people like Mr. Black.

MORE REPUBLICAN WHINING!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:24:47 EDT

As I watched the Sunday morning political shows today, all I heard was whining from the Republican analyst because Barack decided to opt out of receiving public funding for his campaign. I have to say, I enjoyed it immensely!

ANOTHER OBAMA BOUNCE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:47:07 EDT

A recently released NEWSWEEK poll shows Barack over McCain by 15% points among registered voters nationwide!

NO PUBLIC FINANCING PLEASE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:39:10 EDT

Barack took a slight hit today for turning down public financing after stating at one point that he would accept it were he to be the Democratic nominee. But, having the ability to outspend John McCain in the general election on a 3-1 basis (when have the Democrats ever been in this position) is well worth whatever heat he may get from the media or the Republicans for going back on his word and running a privately financed campaign. Some people within the Democratic Party have speculated that Barack will raise 500 million dollars before everything is said and done. Oh, and by the way, stop your crying McCain you would have done the exact same thing if you were in Senator Obama's position.

OBAMA BOUNCE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 02:22:31 EDT

Barack Obama has received a bounce in three of the biggest battleground states. In Florida, it's Obama 47%, McCain 43%. In Ohio, it's Obama 48%, McCain 42%. And in Pennsylvania, it's Obama 52%, McCain 40%.

Become An Organizer!!!!!

Nedu Nweze — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 23:51:15 EDT

Hellow fellow my philadelphians. I am an organizing fellow for the obama campaign and as you all may know there is a nation wide unite for change event on June 28th. You will have the fun, yet essential task of hosting a house party for the sake of bringing your community together and disscuss a common vision for the future, and recruiting volunteers that will be essential to our campaigns success. I am looking for hosts in the northwest philadelphia area, I have an organizational network in that area so I can help to make your unite for change events very successful. All who are interested should email me at nezera04@yahoo.com or call my cell at 267-257-4942. Thank you, it is your involvment that makes us strong.

REST IN PEACE TIM RUSSERT

Darryl "Hussein" — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:09:39 EDT

My Sunday mornings will forever be empty without Tim Russert moderating MEET THE PRESS. Rest In Peace Tim, you will be sorely missed.

MORE REPUBLICAN LIES AGAINST BARACK AND MICHELLE

Darryl "Hussein" — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 20:29:50 EDT

The Republicans are up to their tired, worn-out tactics once again. Since they have no substantive issues to run on, because McCain is too closely allied with Bush's unpopular policies, various groups attached to the Republican Party have decided to spread lies against Barack and Michelle via the internet. Are the Republicans so blind that they do not see that this is the very same unsavory action that has turned off people (more especially young people) to politics in the first place? There are plenty of Democratic leaning organizations ready to unleash a tirade of negative information regarding both John and Cindy McCain, and believe me there is plenty of it. But, Barack is an honorable man and wants to debate McCain on his policy stance, not on personal issues that will do nothing to help improve our economy or bring our troops home from Iraq. Everytime a Republican leaning group tries to sully Barack and/or Michelle's reputation and John McCain does or says absolutely nothing to stop such unwarranted behavior it shows me and hopefully many others that he is not a man of character and does not deserve to be our President!

OOPS, ANOTHER McCAIN GAFFE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:37:17 EDT

During an interview with Matt Lauer regarding troop levels in Iraq, McCain said it was "not too important" when American forces could come home from Iraq. Would someone please tell me what planet has this man been living on for the past few years? Senator McCain is so far out of touch with the majority of the American citizenry (like most Republicans) it is not funny. Today, John "Foot in the Mouth" McCain showed us that he is not interested in putting an end to this costly and burdensome war, and as a result is not equipped to effectively run our country. ANYONE who votes for McCain/Bush in November needs their head checked!

Roots Picnic Vote for Change June 7th 2008

Brenda S. — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:41:09 EDT

Rene' Spellman organized the event with the help of her friends; The Roots, their management, crew and engineer,(Artless). My husband, Rob, was the systems tech and took some photos.

The event was a massive success with great music, volunteer turnout, and massive voter registration from PA and NJ.

We were helped, and I thank Live Nation's Jerry Market and Jim Sutcliffe for all their cooperation and for letting us have a table in the air conditioned tent for the duration of the event.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3255/2566116877_cf91f357de_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3009/2562075148_4ced0ce758_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2562061168_b0f561c2db_b.jpg

HOW DARE YOU JOHN McCAIN!

Darryl "Hussein" — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:34:48 EDT

Oh my gosh, John McCain had the nerve to disparage Barack's economic policy!! How can a man who blamed home owners for the foreclosure debacle and who supports Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy (and wants to extend them) criticize anyone?!!!! Hell, does McCain even have an economic stimulus plan for our country?

I Would LOVE A Woman V.P.!

Fatirah from Philly — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:03:07 EDT

Wouldn't you?

STOP YOUR WHINING!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:54:18 EDT

I do not understand why some Obama supporters continue to make excuses for Hillary's disgruntled supporters and treat them with kid gloves. Okay, I know she lost a tough fought campaign to represent the Democrats as their Presidential nominee, but we have to move on. We have no time to lick our wounds and talk about what could have or should have been. The Republicans wrapped up their nominating process months ago and as a result John McCain has had plenty of time to present himself to Americans. Unfortunately, because of the length of the Democratic primary season, time is now our worst enemy. As a result, we must quickly put our petty differences behind us and unite as Democrats. It is time for Hillary supporters to open their eyes and realize that she has much more in common with Barack than she does with McCain. It is time for Hillary supporters to fall in line with Barack Obama. It is time for Hillary supporters to realize that they must march to the beat of a different drum if they are truly interested in seeing a Democratic victory in November. Once the Democrats have won back the White House, then and only then can we begin to properly heal our wounds. Until that point is reached, HRC supporters need to get onboard the Obama campaign and stop the whining!

GOOD SPEECH HILLARY, BUT TOO LATE!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:34:33 EDT

Kudos to Senator Clinton for her speech regarding Democratic unity and expressing the need for her supporters to unite behind Barack Obama for President. Unfortunately, because of the extremely divisive campaign she ran during the primaries and her reluctance to endorse Obama once he received the requisite amount of delegates, her speech was severely diminished. Because Hillary waited so long to endorse Barack, her speech seemed forced and as a result disingenuous. What could have been a strong, unifying speech has been reduced in magnitude because of ill timing on behalf of Senator Clinton.

HILLARY ENDORSEMENT TODAY!

Darryl "Hussein" — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 02:20:53 EDT

The day all Obama supporters have anticipated is finally upon us; Hillary will officially endorse Barack! Both senators are now working together to ensure a Democratic victory in November. Now, all Hillary supporters who have not done so already must get over her defeat and join the OBAMA MOVEMENT.

Link To Vote 'NO' to Hillary Clinton for V.P.

Fatirah from Philly — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:13:07 EDT

Please take a moment to sign. You will get an email asking you to verify your signature and that's it. Only takes about 2 minutes!

http://nohillaryforvp.com/

!*BAH!!! HUMBUG!!

Fatirah from Philly — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:12:02 EDT

Expecting Billary Clinton to do the right thing is akin to jumping into an ocean of sharks and expecting not to be bitten!

Don't trust her for a minute; look at her record of past behavior.

She has behaved execrably; and yet at every turn, she's tried to switch the blame to Obama.

She's ruminated about his assassination; She's aligned with McSame in saying they (her and McSame), would make a better president than Barack Obama, a fellow Democrat!

I hope and pray that he wins the nomination, but if he takes her for VP, I would be worried about his safety and life every minute of his administration.

You CAN Tell Barack How You Feel!!!

Fatirah from Philly — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:04:49 EDT

I just did! You can write to him if you don't (or if you do?) want him to take HER as his VP. You can also just send him a message of hope and goodwill or encouragement!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/contact

Most of Us Will Be Distraught!!

Fatirah from Philly — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:47:32 EDT

Okay, I know a lot of you say that if SHE is on the ticket, it won't matter because you support Barack and you believe in his wisdom and you support the Democratic party and we have to unite and all.

BUT!!

I will not know which way to turn if it's true that he takes her on as his vp choice. I know for a true fact that I cannot pull a lever with her name anywhere near it.

What to do? Independent? Just not vote? I have ALWAYS voted, albeit a lot of times without much enthusiasm.

I can't just NOT vote!

But I also can't, won't, will not, vote for HER!

Aaaggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!