Hello Bloggers:
I spend more time on FACEBOOK now.
Drop by if you have a chance.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1555085923
The MyBarackobama website bloggers and supporters will convening in Alexandria, VA to meet and celebrate the Inaugural.
The event will feature two comedians, speakers, raffle, meet-up and more!
The event falls on the National Day of Service, (Martin Luther King's Day). Our new president has encouraged us to bring people together to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and how we can commit to becoming more engaged citizens. To rise to Barack Obama's challenge we will be raising funds on behalf of wounded soldiers and veterans.
The Fisher House (http://www.fisherhouse.org/) The Fisher House™ program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. Fisher House Foundation has received an A+ rating from Charity Watch.
Fisher House™ Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.
Time: Monday, January 19 from 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Location: Murphy's Grand Irish Pub 713 King St Old Town Alexandria, VA
RSVP for the event: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gsxyq2 | RSVP as space is very limited, overflow on first floor may be required.
Metro riders: Take the King Street exit...pub is located 7 blocks from the metro.
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This event is also part of the General Colin Powell Formally Unveils Renew America Together Initiative at the following URL: http://www.usaservice.org/page/event/detail/4jqt3
Booyah JFK Fan - I got Nothing but BIG PROPS for you tonight!!! You did an Excellent Job on the show speaking about the heart and dedication of VOB's & other Long-Time Obama Bloggers. Wish I could post a picture of an award for you right here__________! Shiva - help me out.Loved JamKing's expressive voice (especially when he said what Bush should have done to the man that threw the shoes - LOL), and your honest detailed knowledge of what we do here and in the world of politics. Your honesty and respect for those who've served our country is Outstandingly Cool - good job!KUDOS to you JFK FAN, you are earning it big time - Thank you for all you are doing!
My.BarackObama.com Bloggers will Converge on Washington DC during the Inaugural Celebration.
Come celebrate the Obama-Biden victory with MYBO and learn how you as an Obama blogger can help in the future of the administration. Please read more on the Obama Blog Fest.
RSVP: Obama Blog Fest
19 Jan 2009 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Obama Blog Fest Location -
Murphy's Grand Irish Pub713 King StreetAlexandria Virginia
Registration begins at 11:30 am
This is a reminder that the application process for media credentials for the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, controlled by the Senate media galleries, will end on Monday, December 15, 2008. Credentialing information for official inaugural events such as the parade, the balls, and other events leading up to and following the swearing-in ceremony that are organized by our committee, the Presidential Inaugural Committee, will be announced later this month.
Below is the advisory released last month by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies that provides information about the process for requesting credentials for the swearing-in ceremony.
For Immediate ReleaseThursday, November 14, 2008Media Credentialing Information:2009 Presidential Inaugural CeremoniesWASHINGTON, DC - The application process for media credentials for the 2009 Inaugural Ceremonies has begun, and will run until December 15, 2008.All requests for media credentials for the inaugural ceremonies will be handled by the Senate media galleries. Media wishing to obtain credentials for the swearing-in ceremonies must apply for credentials through an on-line application process. The cut-off date to apply is December 15. Instructions and the online application are featured on each of the gallery websites.Senate Radio/TV Gallery
Senate Daily Press Gallery
Senate Periodical Press Gallery
Senate Press Photographers' Gallery
The number of media credentials issued for the swearing-in ceremonies will be limited by space constraints. Completion of an application does not guarantee that credentials will be issued.Media credentials for other inaugural events (parade, balls, and any other inaugural events) will be handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) once it is formed. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies expects that the PIC will be up and running by next week, and will post a link to its website as soon as it becomes available.
The McCain campaign’s latest attempt to portray the press as liberal puppets of Barack Obama — by painting the Los Angeles Times’s refusal to release a videotape of the senator at a farewell dinner in 2003 for Rashid Khalidi, the Palestinian scholar and advocate, as part of a vast left-wing conspiracy — is much ado about nothing.McCain’s previously-discredited spokesman, Michael Goldfarb, accused the Times of “intentionally suppressing information that could provide a clearer link between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi.” Goldfarb went on to mention a potentially vote-altering moment wherein the tape could have possibly captured Obama’s reaction to a “hate speech”-filled poem recited at the dinner.This “intentional suppression” has caused plenty of consternation in the blogosphere. Many writers saw the Times’ refusal as evidence of liberal bias; others were just confused by the paper’s intransigence.Yesterday, the Times published an article explaining its decision to withhold the video. Editor Russ Stanton said, “The Los Angeles Times did not publish the videotape because it was provided by a confidential source who did so on the condition that we not release it. The Times keeps its promises to its sources.”Stanton’s explanation is more than plausible; in fact, such deals with sources are quite common in journalism. At one time or another, nearly every reporter has access to a document, allowed to take notes on the document and write a story based on the notes but not allowed to publish or otherwise distribute the document. So unless we’re prepared to call Stanton a liar, there shouldn’t be any problem taking him at his word.
Even Fox News Agrees!As Bill Sammon, deputy managing editor of FOX News’s Washington bureau – of all people – put it, had LA Times reporter Peter Wallsten who wrote story based on the tape, buckled under the demands of the McCain campaign, sources would have good reason to question his trustworthiness in the future. Sammon went on to add, “A deal is a deal, even if it’s a dumb deal. Besides, there may be a perfectly legitimate reason for withholding the tape, such as the possibility that it contains footage that would compromise an unnamed source’s identity.”Furthermore, it’s not clear that the Times even still has the tape but if it does, and it chose to break its promise, what exactly do the McCain folks expect to find? They talk of wanting to see Obama’s reaction to the poem, but do they really think the camera was just zeroed in on the senator all night long, waiting for him to do something suspicious? A terrorist fist-bump, perhaps? Watching with bated breath for a glimpse of the senator as he reacts to a controversial banquet speech is the essence of deliberate oversimplification.What we do wish the Times had done is be as transparent as possible about how the story came about. Tell us what they can about the source’s motivations and why the editors agreed to grant anonymity and to the restrictions on the use of the tape. This would go a long way toward reassuring the rational public that there is no conspiracy here. For everyone else, it doesn’t matter what the Times does or says.
1. That Barack and Michelle stayed in the Town Hall and visited with attendees for a LONG time after the end, whereas the McCain's left shortly after.
2. That afterwards, John McCain did not shake Barack Obama's hand!
I'm not sure if you guys have heard this story, but it is certainly worth repeating. And all of it is true.
A couple weeks ago, I received a mysterious Omail that went something like this:
Sender: MaryanneAZ
Subject: URGENT message re. Trip to Convention
I have just been contacted by the DCCC that I have won an all-expense paid trip to the Denver Convention. I am unable to attend due to health issues and I immediately thought to ask if I could transfer my win to another supporter. The DCCC only does this in cases such as mine where I cannot go because of health reasons. The reason I am contacting you is that I am hoping to transfer my trip to you, or if you are already scheduled to attend, to another die-hard supporter. You don't know me beyond my posts on the blog, but I have noted your valuable contributions and I think it would be appropriate to pass on my good fortune to another die-hard supporter who has made a difference. Anyhow, I need to contact the DCCC immediately so please contact me.....
Maryanne
Can you believe that?
I almost had a heart attack. I almost fell down. I grew weak at the knees, I started to sweat and my hear rate increased.
Had I read that right? My name wasn't even in the message - surely this was some accident or mistake. I re-read the message a dozen times. Without consulting my wife or the Joe Ruwe Fundraising Team, I immediately replied that YES! I WOULD DEFINITELY GO!
So, when I finally spoke to sweet Maryanne in Arizona, later that day, it was all true. It was me she was talking about and yes - the DCCC would let her transfer her trip to me. It was all a dream. A whirling, unbelievable fantasy....
And so I went.
And it truly was extraordinary. And as soon as I can find the time, I will start posting the epic story of my week in Denver. Epic is the only word for it.
So I say thank you Maryanne, for this most extraordinary gift you have given me. When I saw Barack's speech from my incredible seat at Mile-High Stadium, I thought of you and what you had done for me. When I saw Bill and Hillary Clinton unite the party in historic and dramatic fashion, I thought of you. When I shook the hand of my hero in the Senate, Patrick Leahy, I thought of you and I told him about how I happened to be there. When I shook hands with the legendary Congressman John Conyers, I thought of you and how incredibly lucky I was and how unbelievably generous and inspiring you are in my book.
Being in Denver was truly historic. Beyond historic. And as I begin to tell my epic 5-day tale, you will understand why.
Thank you Maryanne. Thanks for thinking of me. I know many people who have done more for this campaign than I have, but I could never question why and how you chose me. I just went with it and made the most of it, like I told you I would.
I agree with you about many things, and our politics sound almost exactly alike! I also agree with you that nothing happens by accident, and I thought about that every day that I was there.
Your story, and mine, was quite legendary in Denver and within the DCCC, and now within the Obama/Biden community. You have inspired a lot of people, the least of which is obviously me, my wife and the JRFT.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I will never, ever forget last week or you - the person who made it all possible.
Now, I know in my heart, more than ever.......
Y E S W E C A N ! ! ! ! ! !
Your grateful friend in Santa Cruz,
joe ruwe
“An electronic mail message, Usenet posting or other (electronic) communication which is intentionally incorrect, but not overtly controversial (compare flame bait), or the act of sending such a message. Aims to elicit an emotional reaction from those with a hair-trigger on the reply key. A really subtle (one)makes some people lose their minds.”
Yes folks, I’m talking about those who live under the bridge and desire that we follow them there.
“I believe that most trolls are sad people, living their lonely lives vicariously through those they see as strong and successful.
Disrupting a stable newsgroup gives the illusion of power, just as for a few, stalking a strong person allows them to think they are strong, too.
For trolls, any response is 'recognition'; they are unable to distinguish between irritation and admiration; their ego grows directly in proportion to the response, regardless of the form or content of that response.
This is my regular blog: Kopper's Korner
I blog about all kinds of stuff... music, culture, politics, podcasting, my other managed sites such as GaragePunk.com (I run the GaragePunk Podcast Network) and St. Louis Area Mopars, life in general, etc.
If you're a local blogger, let me know so we can exchange links.
Thanks!
Over the past several days, I have noticed an interesting trend among many of the blogs that I normally read. Most of these blogs are progressive/liberal by nature and they happen to share one other thing: a preponderance of admonitions about what Senator Obama should do "not to lose the election." This seemed curious to me, as "playing not to lose" certainly isn't the same as "playing to win."
What I believe this, and other posts, in particular many that come from breathless bloggers who implore the Obama campaign to not "flip-flop" is a general sense of fear that they can have everything taken away from them in one fell swoop. To me, this is the losing strategy--whether the campaign actually loses or wins.
Templates — Our collection of templates will get you started with an attractive site right away without you having to learn any HTML, though Blogger also allows you to edit your blog's HTML code whenever you want.
Custom colors and fonts — When you're ready to take the next step, you can further customize our templates to create a design that perfectly reflects you and your blog.
What will happen then? Who knows. It might be fun, though.
This year the Democratic National Convention will grant unprecedented access to bloggers. Tondee's Tavern has been named as the Georgia blog.
http://www.tondeestavern.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=2245DD1E433BFBC935348835865FE9C7?diaryId=1571
1. From Jen: John Edwards spoke repeatedly about alleviating suffering and poverty for the poorest among us. With 46 million people living in poverty and tens of thousands of homeless people in most major cities in our nation, what will be your response in addressing the lack of affordable housing in our nation?
OBAMA: Rising poverty is one of the most serious issues facing America today, and I believe that inserting simplistic tag lines or one-dimensional goals are unlikely to be helpful in meeting this challenge. As president, I will build off of my life experiences of fighting poverty and hopelessness as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer and elected official to make poverty eradication a top goal of my administration.
As President, I will increase the supply of affordable housing. In too many communities, low-income families are priced out of the housing market. Between 1993 and 2003, the number of units of affordable to low-income households fell by 1.2 million. I believe we should create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund would use a small percentage of the profits of two government-sponsored housing agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to create thousands of new units of affordable housing every year. I will also restore cuts to public housing operating subsidies, and ensure that all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs are restored to their original purpose.
Hi folks!
Ah, we are not as divided as our politics suggest!
Some of us have taken it upon ourselves to bring a bit of sanity to MyDD.com. Below is an exchange that proves that there is Hope for all of us.
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/16/224624/795#60
Re: Debate: ROLLING STONE article cited by Barack (0.75 / 4)
"We are deeply involved in the importing of drugs, the exporting of guns and the training of professional KILLERS. . . . We believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God. . . . We conducted radiation experiments on our own people. . . . We care nothing about human life if the ends justify the means!" The crowd whoops and amens as Wright builds to his climax: "And. And. And! GAWD! Has GOT! To be SICK! OF THIS SHIT!"
ARE you telling me that these are not the same comments that caused the uproar? (RACIST/ ANTI AMERICAN )
ARE YOU THAT BLIND in your following!
ARE you telling me a SENATOR who reads the very comments above is JUSTIFIED! to keep associating and GRANT A POSITION to the REV in his campaign for a presidential run.
YOU GOT BE KIDDING ME!!! LOL
by ATLJay on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 10:57:50 PM EST [ Parent | Reply to This | none0- hide1- troll2- mojo ]
You don't understand. (2.00 / 2) I think it would be really difficult to understand Rev. Wright's anger if you have never been the target of government approved or sponsored discrimination. Until you have been treated like 2/3 person, you really won't understand.
Rev. Wright is not racist and he is not anti-American, and there is a degree of truth to a lot of his controversial statements, even if they were out of line. Take a look at Obama's speech on race relations. Maybe you'll understand this a little bit better. If you don't want to do that, read the diary I wrote on it. Maybe you'll understand this a little bit better.
It takes a Clinton to clean up after a Bush.by psychodrew on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 12:12:02 AM EST [ Parent | Reply to This | none0- hide1- troll2- mojo ]
[new] It's an honor to Mojo a Clinton supporter (none / 0) ...and this from an Obama supporter! ;~)
AltJay, FleaFlicker... these folks cannot be seriously Democratic (or Republican, for that matter) and it's hard to believe they even support basic American ideals.
This whole election cycle is, to me, an encouraging sign of the strength of this country. I've lived in Canada (off and on) half my life. Travelled a decent chunk of the rest of the world, and talked (some would say too much ;) to thousands of people from all walks and all geographies.
Free Speech, Individual Rights and Responsibilities - all of these would be pipe-dreams if people were as stupid and gullible as those like AJ would have us believe.
But we aren't.
For the first time in all of history, millions of people are directly involved in the debate about world leadership. For the first time ever in human history there is more information and opinion being put forth by individuals than by Powers (Monarchies, industrial powers, dictators...) - and It Is Good.
People aren't stupid.
I have had the chance to try to figure out why people support those I oppose, and even some of those foaming at the mouth in honest opposition (I reserve a tiny sliver of possibility that even AJ is one...) often climb down to have informative discussions quite frequently.
I've directly debated with white supremacists and their opposites, Earth Firsters and Pave the Earthers, communists and libertarians. It's amazing what happens when people actually speak to each other - moderation and understanding materialize (and ideological trolls are exposed for what they are).
Thanks, psychodrew! I may hope your candidate loses, but I hope you win. :~)
-cheers!
-chris
Mississippi finalized its vote count earlier today -- March 31 -- and it looked like Obama would have the final delegate count of 19, Clinton 14, as expected. Although his vote total went up, it didn't look like he would pass the 62.5% threshold needed to make it a 20/13 split.
A Texas blogger was following the MS count closely online, and when the final tallies were done, Obama had 62.493% of the vote -- .007% away from the threshold! But he noticed a discrepency in 3 of the counties' reports, and after pulling out his calculator, he found that Obama's total should have reflected 62.512% instead -- which would give Obama one more delegate (and Clinton one fewer delegate). He called the Mississippi DNC, who immediately corrected their error!
Here's the whole story:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/31/22053/1834/214/487948
