Putting Obama in office was just the beginning. We’ve won a major battle but not the whole war. Now we have the equally daunting and critical challenge of making sure that Obama is able to fulfill the promise that he represents. We need to keep working to take back our democracy and advance Obama’s progressive agenda.
That’s why I’m working with a network of progressive people throughout Maryland to get communities across the state organized and mobilized to in support of building a new clean green, inclusive energy economy and bold federal climate action – two major priorities for president Obama. We’ve teamed up with an amazing national grassroots climate campaign called 1Sky whose goal is to build volunteer climate action teams in every community that will push our congressional leaders to be champions of bold federal climate and clean energy policy. For more info go to http://local.1sky.org/en/.
As you may know, Maryland Congresspeople including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen, and John Sarbanes are extremely influential and will have a big impact on the type of climate policy that congress passes. By influencing them we can have a huge influence on the climate fight, but we need to act now because Congress is working on climate legislation as we speak.
2009 is going to be the pivotal year for climate action! If you care about the issue this is the year to act. You can make a difference in just a few hours a month. Help us make history. Please contact me today to let me know if your interested in joining our local 1Sky climate precinct team!
Keith Harrington
MD 1Sky Field Organizer
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
240-396-1985
keith@chesapeakeclimate.org
This is my first entry in my brand-new blog located on Barack Obama's site. I've done blogs before but this is the first one associated with a presidential campaign.
I have been following Obama in the news since he gave that inspirational speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention. I held off on actively working for his campaign during the primary season because I was so torn between two Democratic candidates. (I also liked John Edwards as well.) By the time the primary campaign reached Maryland, John Edwards had dropped out and I thought that Hilary Clinton had run a pretty mediocre campaign so I ended up voting for Obama.
Obama isn't the first African-American I've ever voted for. In 1988 I voted for Jesse Jackson in the Democratic primary but Michael Dukakis got the nomination and, well we all know what happened that year so I won't go there.
Last week I attended my first-ever Obama event. I went to an ice cream social at the Prince George's County (Maryland) office of Barack Obama's campaign. I ate some ice cream, met some friendly people and I purchased a few buttons as well.
Tomorrow night I'm going to a meeting of the Prince George's Committee Work Session. There will be information on how to get involved in a voter registration drive and a discussion on reaching out to other local groups (such as hobby and civic groups).
Prince George's County students can attend U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's Oct. 10 presidential campaign rally in Largo free of cost.
After talks between student leaders, including county school board student member Haywood Perry III, and Obama campaign officials, every student at public and private Prince George's schools can forgo the $15 student cover charge. The rally is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at Prince George's Community College in Largo.
Sign-up sheets have been placed at county schools, said Perry, a senior at Oxon Hill High School. Students can also RSVP by e-mailing studentpower08@gmail.com. Messages must include the student's full name, student identification number, school name, city of residence and e-mail address.
Perry said he expects more than 2,000 county students to attend the rally.
Getting students in for free is the first action by Prince Georgians Against Student Apathy (PGASA), a group of more than two dozen student government leaders who united last month to inform students of political happenings and serve as a go-between for students and leaders. Perry, a PGASA founder, said the atmosphere of a presidential campaign would be invaluable to students who would otherwise pay little attention to political contests.
"My goal is to mobilize students and let them know they have as much say in our county and our country as anyone else," he said. Students' reaction to the free offer, Perry said, has been encouraging.
"There's excitement on their face because they're finally being recognized as an integral part of our system," he said.
