Posts with the tag donations

Dem Gov Assoc. Obama Raffle

cyclejim — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:53:30 EDT

Just got an invite from "Gov. Brian Schweitzer" <info@dga.net> to have lunch with the President on Oct. 1...if I'm one of the raffle winners. But just try to enter without a contribution. It kicks you back to the donation screen and will not let the entry through without a credit card and contribution. C'mon.

Donations to do your job???

Sandy — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 09:56:30 EDT

I find it almost offensive to be asked to make a donation to President Obama's efforts at this point. It is interesting to me that we raised money for his campaign and helped get him elected and now when we need his strength and energy to keep his promises, he needs more money in order to deliver. Health care reform with a public option is being auctioned?

I don't have any more money for you Mr. Obama. I am 62 years old, own my own small business and cannot qualify for health insurance. I need every dime to pay for health care. Because of a pre-existing condition I cannot get affordable coverage. BCBS of NC was very kind to me though. They offered to provide an individual policy for only $3600 A MONTH! But, you want me to send you money to do the job for which you were elected - - - create change that would result in people like me being able to get health care. Don't you see the public option is all that will make that possible?

President Obama, respectfully, you are failing in this area. Miserably. Unnecessarily. You need to do what the strength of your convictions tell you (affordable health care is essential to the well being of all) and STOP LISTENING to Mr. Emanuel. He has the next election on his mind, not my well being or the well being of the citizens. He is business as usual, not new and creative and able to effect change. Please do the right thing, not the politically expedient thing.

You are looking weak and ineffectual. That is not becoming on someone once thought to be strong and confident and powerful enough to get what is best for the people on the table. Were you devious enough to have planned this? Did you put the public option out there as a bargaining chip from the beginning? Are you naive enough to believe that you must have a consensus to get anything passed that looks remotely like health care reform, even if your supporters remain uninsured? Talk and charm are easy President Obama. You are good at both. But, there are a lot of us out here pragmatic enough to no longer be swayed.

Are you willing to sacrifice me as a supporter in order to appease people who dislike you (maybe even hate you) and will never support you in anything? If so, that tells me everything I need to know about your character.

This is an Emergency need for funds Immediately Urgently this is not a joke please help now‏

Tom Rodgers — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:16:38 EDT

Hello Everyone,

This is for real this is not a joke.

I received a decision letter from The Social Security Administration tonight that as of July 23, 2009 coincidently that was my birthday that I was no longer entitled to social security disability benefits.

Those of you that personally know me know what I have been going through since they stopped my benefits earlier and how my health got worse. You that know me, know how much my work means to me and how hard I work to provide the service that I perform for you guys even though I am Impaired with my disability, I am not able to obtain a normal job due to my disabilities.

Again those of you that personally know me,know that I am not able to obtain a regular salaried or hourly job due to my medical disablities and therefore I am asking for immediate and Extremely Urgent help tonight. You all know me to be an honest person.

Therefore I am in great need for immediate donations. Here is my problem again let me explain this email is really from me. Tom Rodgers, As I sit here at my office in Cusseta tonight am I wondering where do I go from here. I have worked so hard to continue to provide services to all of you at the lowest possible prices.. As most of you are aware of I use my disability Income to provide this services to you which I enjoy doing very much it is my life and I Love being able to provide assistance and services to all of you. There is a great need for me in the local area and also a great need for me to be able to operate the website. Not to mention a personal need for me to be able to survive as a human being and to be able to live.

T&C Services is what I live for. Well tonight I do not even know if I will receive my Monthly Social Security Deposit Monday August 3, 2009. Therefore I am asking you First to pray for me when you see this email. Second if you have any amount that you can donate please click the PayPal link I will provide in this email or go to my website http://tomrodgers723.community.officelive.com and click the donate button found on the first 6 or so pages under mission statement.

I am of course going to file an appeal with Social Security immediately but here's the deal, bills are due now. Please remember that I am serious and not joking I would not send this type of email to you.

I have accomplised a great deal this past seven months by turning T&C Services into a Charitable Community Services with being approved by The State of Georgia Secretary of State as a Registered Charitable Organization, while continually to work on achieving Federal 501(C)(3) Tax Exempt Status. This is in doubt at this moment but I do have Faith and Hope and I will not give up on this as long as I have a last breath. I again would not post this as a joke I am praying that if anyone who reads this and is able to help please do so now by clicking the email link or go to http://tomrodgers723.community.officelive.com. God bless all of you and I will Greatly Appreciate any assistance that you may be able to give.

Thank you for reading this and if you can please make a donation now.

Click the link below to make an immediate emergency donation now.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7193218

Thanks,

Tom Rodgers

Please visit our Website

http://tomrodgers723.community.officelive.com

Join the Light The Night Walk to battle Cancer

Craig Rutledge — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:09:59 EDT

Louisville for Obama Members -

My company is a corporate sponsor of this year's Light The Night Walk to battle cancer and support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). This year's walk is taking place on October 3, 2009 and the Walk in Louisville is going to be held at Waterfront Park.

I'm asking all of you in Louisville for Obama to join our walk team and raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or if you are unable to walk in this year's fundraiser tell others about the event or if possible make a donation to our team.

To join our team go to My Team's Light The Night Walk Home Page and then go to the "Walk With Us" link at the top of the page. To make a donation follow the same link and the process is self-explanatory.

I encourage you to go to the website and read about the great work that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is doing to battle cancer and support families in their battle with the disease.

I hope to see you at the Light The Night Walk on October 3rd down at Waterfront Park. If you are unable to make the walk a donation of any amount is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Craig

We are now registered with Secretary of the State of Georgia!

Tom Rodgers — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:23:59 EDT

T&C Services, Tom Rodgers is now registered with the State of Georgia Secretary of State Charitable Organization. We are in compliance with the state of Georgia Charitable Solicitations Act of 2008.

You can be assured any donations will be used to support our mission to provide services to the needy citizens of The Chattahoochee Valley.

Please visit our website for more information, http://tomrodgers723.community.officelive.com

Thanks,

Tom Rodgers

$1 At a Time Will Help!

Tom Rodgers — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:19:00 EDT

I am asking you all to spread the word that everyone can do their part in your local communities by making a donation of $1 at a time.

I would like to ask all of you to make a donation of $1 each month to help me with my non-profit community services agency.

Please send $1 each month to Tom Rodgers,T&C Services PO Box 968 Cusseta, GA 31805-0968 706-464-6546 email me at TomRodgers723@hotmail.com.

Please visit my Website at http://tomrodgers723.community.officelive.com

Hello Everyone We need your Help!!!!!!

I believe "We The People" can make a difference! — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:13:38 EST

I am writing for a very special reason. "A Boy Needs Our Help America" and I know we can do something!!!

Please read this boys mother's journal and find a way to help them. I work with a family member and this touched my heart and an authorization number should not be a reason this boy should not be getting the treatment he needs.

I have emailed the president's team and now I am putting it out for America. Here is Kyle's website.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kylewahl

Now lets do what we can for them.

Melissa Langridge

hometracker@comcast.net

Cell Phone Recycling Program

Bob Tilden — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:55:41 EST

We may all have issues with the reasons we're involved in a Middle East war, but I think most agree that our soldiers are doing the best that they can and that they and their families are bearing the heaviest burden. President Obama will do everything he can to expedite the return of our troops, but for those who are still serving away from home, there's something we can all do to help connect them with their families.

You can provide these soldiers with a calling card so that so that every military member in Iraq can make a free 20-minute phone call home. If you have an old cell phone kicking around the house or office, you can recycle it in exchange for a calling card for soldiers serving away from home.

Donations

Gary from Salt Lake City, UT — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 01:29:24 EST

The Obama campaign raised prodigious amounts of cash from millions of small donors, like me, a little at a time. Those $25 and $50 requests, submitted through the internet and available almost immediately, collectively provided immense clout to ultimately elect President-elect Obama.

The amount of money spent for this purpose is obscene, but as shocking as it was, it is the expectation of our times.

What if the same machinery were used to provide a collective assault on such things as relief for starving Sudanese children? Or to drop a "cash-bomb" on the American Red Cross for a disaster like Katrina? And so many other worthy charities.

Yes We Can & Yes We Should

sUSAn — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:26:36 EST

Congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama and Vice President Elect Joe Biden!

What drove him to stand up for us is a combination of some good in his life along with some bad, resulting in one remarkable man - because he tells us that we are remarkable too. We all came together because we are in this together.

I look forward to everyone speaking up for their causes - Yes We Can all help each other and Yes We Should.

My cause? - Newborn Screening

Just as the campaign tried to confuse us with words so too does Newborn Screening due to several types offered. What's the difference in the types offered? Well it depends on where you live. Each State has their own guidelines and "small print" - http://genes-r-us.uthscsa.edu/nbsdisorders.pdf - "Which disorders are screened in my State" should not even exist - all babies, everywhere should be tested as soon as a condition can be tested for. If you are pregnant or know anyone who is PLEASE urge them to visit the site above and do whatever is necessary to have EVERY test done that we know about. We are the caretakers of all future children and we will benefit from the good we do for them.

I know Brack Obama can relate to early screening after losing his Mom at such an early age. We can start the screening earlier and prevent so much pain, hardship and unnecessary cost to families. Obama had the most incredibly easy site to donate money so I would suggest a government web site to handle donations for causes.

My own personal experience is my beautiful grand daughter Mc Kenna who was diagnosed with MCAD which is a Fatty Oxidation Disorder. http://www.fodsupport.org Her condition required her to be fed a low fat diet every four hours at birth. Had we not known of the condition and what to do we could have made bad choices for her by simply feeding her the wrong foods. In the following you will read of a child who could become retarded or die by simply drinking milk.

Newborn Screening is the process of testing and screening newborn babies for certain potentially dangerous conditions. If these conditions are caught at birth, the child in question can be saved from potentially disasterous consequences. For example, a lab may discover that 1 in 40,000 babies tested has an inability to break down sugars within milk. Such a child can potentially die or become retarted should they be given milk in regular quantities. By screening children for this condition at birth, one can easily avoid this consequence by changing the diet of the child. This is one of many conditions which are tested for.

Newborn Screening is still a relatively young science. In the state of Ohio, all children are screened at birth and their blood samples are sent to a central state lab. The cost appears as a nominal charge on the parent's hospital bill (20 to 30 dollars) and few would dispute it's worth. In contrast, developing countries are often hard pressed to screen a sizable portion of their newborn children. For the sake of simplicity, let us assume that for a given lab, 1 in 3000 children have a condition which will lead to retardation if left undiscovered and the cost of the test is $10 per child. This means that preventing a particular child from retardation is $30,000. While few would dispute the worthiness of this expenditure, the practicality of obtaining such funding in some developing countries means that many such children are not screened.

The above example is very simplistic, but helps to illustrate the economics behind this discipline. In reality, each lab tests for different conditions as different ethnic groups have varying incidence rates. Some conditions are more serious and some are harder to identify. Methods and instrumentation vary as do the costs involved and the process of collecting samples. It is hoped that sharing common experiences through this site will help improve the overall science, as well as promote the science to those not already involved.

I voted early - again!

bh316 — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:31:38 EDT

I cast my election ballot six days ago. But I just donated again to the campaign -- one more time, to tell them that I want my voice heard through my selected spokesman, Barack Obama.

Here's the note I sent along with my donation:

The Village Hopes Blog

Candida — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:58:05 EDT

We are close to the wire and McCain continues to stump and fabricate untruths (lies!). Barack and Joe have to be able to continue to push back with our positive messages that will carry us into the future as a united country. That is why even on this Saturday before election day Tuesday, I will opt to send a donation and cook in tonight or do my own pedicure/manicure (or maybe I will just consider it a self imposed luxury matching fund donation). If we all continue to do whatever we can between now and Tuesday, a lot will get done!

Where the Money Came From: the People

WendyG — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:34:46 EDT

Surely you heard McCain spend precious time complaining about Obama's decision not to take public financing during one of the final debates. This marks the first time in like forever that the Republicans have not been the presidential campaign swimming in cash while the Democratic ticket ran out of money. And boy is the RNC cranky about this right now!

There's increasing chatter in the media about the historic fundraising success of the Obama Campaign but the campaign's ongoing approach is to avoid getting sucked into diversionary conversations. And this surely would be one of those conversations. The campaign's mission is razor-sharp focus on Americans' top priorities: the economy, healthcare and Iraq.

The media has not been footnoting where the money came from and what the Obama Campaign contribution rules are. I think this information is noteworthy, especially for people who are not aware of the no-money-from-special-interests commitment that has been a pillar of the grassroots movement to elect Senator Obama from the get go:

1. Obama is adamant about not being beholden to special interests. He holds the vision of an Obama presidency, put in the White House by the American people, working for the American people. Period.

2. Of the $600+ million raised to elect Senator Obama, the average donation is $86 [CNN 10/27]. This means that the overwhelming amount of this money came from ordinary Americans contributing their $10, $25 or $50+. This is money few of us could afford but we bought "a piece of this campaign" knowing that we can ill afford to not have Obama leading us come January. Additional funds (only second to the groundswell of response from ordinary Americans) have come from countless fundraisers such as those hosted by Bill Clinton, Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck, and countless more concerned Americans who could afford to do so.

3. When you donate online (mybarackobma.com), as have most donors, these are the rules:

This contribution is not made from the general treasury funds of a corporation, labor organization or national bank.
This contribution is not made from the funds of a political action committee. [PAC, e.g. "Swiftboat Verterans"]
This contribution is not made from the treasury of an entity or person who is a federal contractor.
This contribution is not made from the funds of an individual registered as a federal lobbyist or a foreign agent, or an entity that is a federally registered lobbying firm or foreign agent.
The funds I am donating are not being provided to me by another person or entity for the purpose of making this contribution.

Here's to electing Senator Barack Obama to the Presidency of the United States of America so that, at long last, our "government of the people, by the people, for the people" be returned to its rightful owners.

Limited Edition T-Shirt! (or get a Special Magnet!)

Danny Daemonic — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:47:34 EDT

As I'm sure you have heard over and over, tonight's the deadline for donations to be factored into the campaign budget for the last week and a half. That doesn't mean this is the last day you can give, but if you were waiting for the last minute to throw in a couple more bucks, this is the best time for it so your donation can be worked into the closing strategy and budget. Also there are two three new freebies you can get by donating now.

Please donate to Barack today

Liz — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:14:57 EDT

Last week I sent out an email entitled,"Obama Leads in KY Donations." The article referred to how Barack is beating "that one" in donations received. We have fifteen days left before election day, but money is still needed because there will more ads and campaign stops. In fact, Bill Clinton is scheduled to come to Kentucky to campaign for Barack.

If you have not already donated to the campaign this month, please do so today on my fundraising page: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/preview/main/Lizforobama

Let's make sure we do all we can to guarantee that Barack will be our next President. Thanks for all you've done so far.

matching donation fund raising event

Ian — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:11:08 EDT

Obama's campaign has snowballed into a force that the opposing campaign has a hard time reckoning with. But don't let apparent victory lull us into complacency. We need the financial resources to secure our victory in the battleground states of North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Florida. It's not just about getting the numbers to win. The more votes that we garner the bigger the mandate for Obama to implement the policies that will bring about the change he has promised.

I hereby pledge to match the first $5 of every donation up to a total of $50 from the first 10 donors who contribute to this effort. You are, of course, free to donate as much as you like up to the limit allowed by federal law which is $2300. Please donate and thank you for your support!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/donate4victory

McCain's thinks we're donating too much!

Ivan Richmond — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 16:26:22 EDT

Have you heard the latest smear? Now, McCain's criticizing us for having raised "too much" money. See here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081019/ap_on_el_pr/mccain

Can you believe that guy? I mean, in the past few elections, it's always been the Republicans who have raised way more money. I seem to recall that Bush raised $300,000 in 2000, 3 times what Gore raised, all because he had some of the wealthiest voters imaginable. Now, we have this grassroots effort to raise money. If you're like me you've been donating $20, maybe as little as $5 at a time, when you can afford it, and it's not been easy in this economy. But, I for one keep donating because I really care about these elections. I'm really tired of seeing Bush tear down this country, rip up our Constitution and attempt rape on Lady Liberty. I'm livid! I want a president who will respect our Constitutionand actually do what's best for the people for once. What does McCain think we should do, just not donate? I'm sure he'd like that.

But, what's going on here is framing at it's nastiest. Most Americans vote based on character, rather than on policies. McCain's frame is that Obama is dishonest. We need to reframe this. For more on framing, see framing guru and UC Berkeley linguist George Lakoff's article here:

All that Money.

smashcommunications — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:55:56 EDT

My wife, a staunch Democrat, mentioned tonight how much Obama is spending in his campaign. "Do you know how much he spends every day?" she asked.

"I don't know, 10 million?" I said.

"4 million dollars." she answered.

"Advertising's expensive."

"But think of all those people who could use the money." she added. "It's a little hypocritical to be 'for the middle class' when you're spending millions of dollars every day on advertising."

"But that's the Bush model. Obama just outspent what Bush spent" I said, referring to the record Obama just broke in media spending. "How else do you explain how he got elected, and then re-elected? He owned the media. But instead of getting money from big companies, Obama is getting his from -"

"From us," she interjected. "And do you know how much he earned last month?" She didn't wait for a reply, "150 million. One-Hun-dred-and-fif-ty-million Jim!"

"But it's from us. We're the special interest this time around. Not big oil, or the NRA or whoever else backed Bush." I said. "Do you want him to suspend his campaign today and say he's giving all of his money to the poor and middle class? It won't help much at all in the scope of things. And - he'll likely not get elected, if Bush's media policy has any truth to it."

"Yeah, well it's still a lot of money that could be used in other ways." She was frustrated. She wants to like Obama, and even shook his hand a few weeks ago at a rally in Charlotte. But she's surrounded by the Right all day at work - and I think they're getting to her.Her armor is cracking a little. She says she agrees with a lot of what McCain supports. And it's not like he's a really bad guy, I mean, he's a hero and a great American. But I can't bring myself to vote for another Republican - and I sincerely believe Obama has the wisdom and decision making skills necessary to run the country, and the communication skills to help change how we interact with one another both here at home, and with people and nations all over the globe.

But 4 bills a day is a lot. "What about the leftover?" I asked my wife who had now worked herself into some stress thinking about the whole thing.

"What leftover?" she said.

"Ok, let's say he has 200 million banked. Do you think he's going to try to spend all of it? Even if he has a huge lead? Even if it's just wasted media buying? If so, that would not be good. Not good for people like you who see tons of money being thrown away on advertising, to normal people everywhere who donated to his campaign. What about if they tried to salvage some of it? What if they said, We will end our successful campaign with a healthy surplus. But instead of trying to return a portion of it to the millions who invested in their country by donating to our campaign, we're setting up 100 4-year scholarships per year for 10 years so these students get a full-ride.'"

"Now that would be something," she replied - a little less stressed about it. "It would prove Obama can walk the talk."

Now let's ask the Obama camp about how they intend to manage any surplus?

Just made a $25 donation

Russell from Los Angeles, CA — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:12:46 EDT

But where is my receipt?

Go Obama! I've got 2 of your tee-shirts and have made 2 donations from what my disability income can afford.

The thought of the Republican ticket winning this race is scarier than the W/Cheney marriage.

HRC + LCR = GOP, Not GLBT

Vanessa Edwards from Houston, TX — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:11:32 EDT

http://transpolitical.blogspot.com/2008/09/hrc-lcr-gop-not-glbt.html

reprint from TransPolitical blog: 9/9/08

“I don't know about the rest of you, but I am absolutely furious about this. Not only is this inequitable, it's fuckin dismissive and disrespectful.” — Steven Driscoll, National Stonewall Democrats Board Co-Chair

Can anybody tell me why HRC had such prominence with the Obama Campaign once Hillary was officially out of the race? They even proffered their own handpicked trans person, a relative unknown to the trans community itself that they brought onto the business council, to be the campaign’s transgender steering committee member. And this for what support they’ve shown?

As Andrew Sullivan noted at the time Hillary dropped out, HRC’s own board of directors had given to the following presidential candidates’ campaigns:

That’s right, zero to Barack Obama’s campaign by the time Hillary Clinton had suspended her campaign. Immediately after, Obama graciously allowed HRC’s current and former executive director, and one of their board doing the speaking on a campaign conference call to the LGBT community (including, though rarely mentioning, the plethora of trans leaders who long worked the campaign). HRC even played petulant, suggesting it would take time for their ranks to come around and pleading for “patience” from the campaign until they decided to engage.

I Am Back.

sirshannon — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:48:52 EDT

I just made another small donation to the Barack Obama campaign.

Because I so publicly withdrew my support, I feel that I should make this announcement in the same place I made my previous announcement.

This election is too important to me; I must do what I can to save our country from the people running the current McCain campaign (and our current administration).

For a longer statement, please see this post on my person blog (WARNING: contains some language not suitable for posting here or viewing at work):

http://sirshannon.com/2008/10/05/vote-early-vote-often/

Depletion of Middle Class is NO Accident

Mary — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:50:55 EDT

Today I felt compelled to answer a letter in wich I was asked to donate to Rep. Robert Wexler's cause. (To bring Karl Rove and others to justice.) Multiple times a day I am asked to donate to very good causes. I can no longer donate. I planned my retirement responsibly, I just did not forsee how rapidly prices will rise. Thanks to the Bush years I joined the ranks of the poor. I imagine a whole layer of the Middle Class has done the same. As I was writing, it dawned on me that the Neocons agenda is much easier to realize if they encounter no opposition. A strong Middle Class is an obstacle for them. For all we know, today's financial and economic crisis may well be engineered by the Neocons. Here is the letter that I wrote:

McCampaign Desperate

Henry M — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:04:41 EDT

When they can't win the race, they try to change the rules or have the game called early in their favor:

RNC to File FEC Complaint on Obama Fundraising Practices

By Matthew Mosk
A lawyer for the Republican National Committee today said the party will ask the Federal Election Commission to look into the source of thousands of small-dollar contributions to the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama.

The RNC is alleging that the Obama campaign was so hungry for donations it "looked the other way" as contributions piled up from suspicious, and possibly even illegal foreign donors.
"We believe that the American people should know first and foremost if foreign money is pouring into a presidential election," said RNC Chief Counsel Sean Cairncross.

Cairncross alleged there was mounting evidence of this, and cited a report in the current issue of Newsweek magazine that documents a handful of instances where donors made repeated small donations using fake names, such as "Good Will" and "Doodad Pro."

The Newsweek report says that earlier this year the Obama campaign returned $33,000 to two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip who had bought T-shirts in bulk from the campaign's online store -- purchases that count as campaign contributions. The brothers had listed their address as "Ga.," which the campaign took to mean Georgia rather than Gaza.

"While no organization is completely protected from Internet fraud, we will continue to review our fundraising procedures," Obama spokesman Ben LaBolt told the magazine.
At the heart of the RNC complaint is a federal fundraising rule that lets campaigns accept donations under $200 without itemizing the names and addresses of the donors on its campaign finance reports. The rule was intended as a matter of practicality -- it did not seem reasonable to ask a campaign to gather that information from every five-dollar donor.

But the Obama campaign has raised more than $200 million this way, a staggering sum for donations that will not be subjected to outside scrutiny.

Obama campaign aides said today that a number of steps have been taken to safeguard against foreign or illegal contributions coming in in smaller increments. The measures include: requiring donors to present a passport at fundraising events held for Americans overseas, ending contributions to the Obama Store from contributors with addresses outside the U.S. or its territories, and requiring donors to enter a U.S. passport number when contributing via the Americans Abroad page.

"When we were made aware of an ad for a Nigerians for Obama fundraiser in a Nigerian paper, our attorneys sent a letter to the paper making it clear the event had nothing to do with our campaign, and that we would not accept contributions from the event," one Obama aide said.

And aides note that Sen. John McCain had his own foreign fundraising issues, having been forced to refund about $50,000 in donations solicited by Jordanian Mustafa Abu Naba'a, who was raising money on behalf of one of McCain's top Florida bundlers.

If you liked this message, then please have a look at the rest of my blog, http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/henrymu and please consider donating to the campaign: http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/PListe4Obama

Henry M

Women of Steel...Michelle and Jill

MAR — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:43:21 EDT

HEY FAMILY:

I was honored to be able to see this remarkable and down to earth women at the Meyers Recreation Center, 58th and Kingsesing Ave on Wednesday, September 24, 2008. They both look good and spoke with confidence, hope and integrity. They believe in the CHANGE and support it 100%. It was beautiful day and everyone was PROUD to take part in this historical event in Philadelphia! Supporters from all walks of life gathered from EVERY section of our City of Brotherly Love that desperately need a "CHANGE"....and we ALL KNOW.....that is a HOPE FOR FACT!!! The young volunteers gave their views on what CHANGE meant to them....RIGHT NOW!

I took lots of pictures from this event and will share them with you....SOON!

We're you there? Want to get involved where you live? Let me know....WE NEED VOLUNTEERS EVERYWHERE IN PHILLY....NOW....TODAY!

Thanks for your support and donations. Much Love

Mar

Please Make a Donation in Honor of Sarah Palin

Louisa Rigali — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:50:22 EDT

Instead of sending around e-mails about how horrible Sarah Palin is, let's all make donations to Planned Parenthood in her name! The best part: PP will send her a card telling her that a donation has been made in her honor!!

Thanks D&D!

Karen — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:03:59 EDT

I want to give thanks to the first contributors to my online fundraising! Who else, family. So now you are part of getting the change we need! *hugs! We are seperated by lots of 1000 miles but linked in heart and our desire for the Democratic ticket to win!

My goal is whatever I can raise to help the campaign win battleground states, there are many. Barack Obama is not taking public funding, so, it is each individual donation, no matter the size, that will bring him and Joe Biden to the White house. That is WE will make it happen.

I myself can only give small amounts but do not feel diminished in that. If you have reached my page please try to make a donation if you can but if not, still leave me a note if you wish, especially if you are local and have campaign ideas. In our unity , we are strong. Peace out!

Comments: Grassroots Finance Committee

C Jean — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:03:08 EDT

I wasn't able to attend the Grassroots Finance Committee conference call because I hadn't as yet reached the $250 mark to be in the conference call. I have only sent the letter to a few people, since I have very few friends and only a little family. The people I did send letters to have not donated. Two people told me they donated already. One person said she donated over $300 and then later over $100. The other perosn emailed me that he and his wife had already contributed.

So I have a few questions if there is anyone out there who would like to answer the questions.

1) If I have already sent a second notice, should I send a third?

2) Should I be more personal in my message and not use the message provided?

3) Should I send a third message to the ones who said they already donated and ask for another donation due to the urgency of the campaign with only a few weeks left and all the negative lies, slander, and distortions put out by the McCain campaign.

4) If we don't know what party a person belongs to or how they are planning to vote - for Barack or McCain is it okay to send them a letter asking for a donation? Or should we email them first to see how they are involved in the election? I was thinking of emailing my college alumni but don't know their affiliations. However I would expect most would be Obama supporters.

5) If I met people through the campaign should I email them requesting a donation?

I hope there is someone out there who can answer my questions, since I would sincerely like to be successful at raising money for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Obama Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is

James Andre — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:43:05 EDT

Democratic nominee for the Presidency, Barack Obama, vowed to monitor the situation and support recovery efforts however he could, pledging to tap his extensive digital network for money. Today what may be only the first message went out, asking supporters to donate five dollars to the Red Cross by texting a reply, or to visit the Red Cross web site to donate more.

Read entire article.

McCain's Campaign Finance Loophole: No Donation Limits After All!

jude jones — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:34:18 EDT

So, in order to keep tabs on the right, I get email from TownHall.com. Last week, they sent a vile, lying email about Obama attacking Christianity, just because he questioned how one would pick and choose biblical verses to turn into legislative action (the problem the right faces). Leaving that insanity behind, let's look at the startling topic for today:

Today, they sent an email letter from JohnMcCain, asking for donations. Wait, I said. Donations? Isn't he only allowed public financing as of last night?

APPARENTLY NOT!!

The link in the email leads to a donation page that says the following:

McCain-Palin Victory 2008 is a joint fundraising committee by the McCain-Palin Compliance Fund, Republican National Committee, and Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania Republican Parties. Because the McCain-Palin Campaign is participating in the presidential public funding system, it may not receive contributions for the any candidate's election. However, federal law allows the McCain-Palin Campaign's Compliance Fund to defray legal and accounting compliance costs and preserve the Campaign's public grant for media, mail, phones, and get-out-the-vote programs. Contributions to McCain-Palin Victory 2008 will go to the Compliance Fund, and to participating party committees for Victory 2008 programs.

Aside from not even proofreading their own donation page ("for the any candidate's election"), this statement is an obvious example of the kind of loophole exploitation that is sure to typify McCain governance. It has certainly typified the governance of Sarah ("I don't want your earmarks but I'll keep the money, thnx!") Palin and McCain's (still) economic advisor Phil Gramm (of the Enron Loophole fame).

So how much of the "campaign" is actually run under this "Compliance Fund"? It turns out it is kind of hard to say. For a brief tutorial on how this "Compliance Fund" works, see:

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/04/qa-the-cost-of-compliance.html

To see how McCain has already figured out a way around the campaign limits he has allegedly wrapped himself in like a flag, see the following, from McCain's own website:

Contributions to McCain-Palin Victory 2008 ("Victory 2008") are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Victory 2008 allocates contributions to the Republican National Committee ("RNC"), the state parties’ federal accounts, and McCain- Palin Compliance Fund ("Compliance Fund") in conformity with federal limits. Unless a contribution would exceed federal limits or a contributor designates otherwise, Victory 2008 will divide contributions as follows:
For Individuals - The first $28,500 will go to the RNC, the next portion will be divided evenly between the Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania state parties’ federal accounts up to a maximum of $9,250 for each Committee, and the final $2,300 will go to the Compliance Fund.
For Federal Multicandidate PACs - The first $15,000 will go to the RNC, the next portion will be divided evenly between the Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania state parties’ federal accounts up to a maximum of $5,000 for each Committee, and the final $5,000 will go to the Compliance Fund.
Contributions to the Compliance Fund will be used solely for legal and accounting services to ensure compliance with federal law and not for campaign activities. Compliance funds may defray a portion of broadcast advertising, national and state office "overhead", and computer/website expenses. Contributions from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors, and foreign nationals without permanent residency status to Victory 2008 are prohibited. *Federal law requires us to report the name, address, occupation, and employer of any contributor who gives more than $200 in an election cycle (for Compliance Fund contributions) or more than $200 in a calendar year (for RNC and state-party contributions).

And diary in yesteday's DailyKos (where the above is also reprinted:http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/3/121153/4361) asks, like I am asking: what on earth do giving limits mean, when in fact this allocation system shows that the campaign is funnelling donations into avenues that are in fact campaign channels, including television ads?

JOHN MCCAIN IS NOT IN FACT LIMITED TO HIS ALLEGED 83 MILLION, period. Giving limits mean nothing.

Obama Donors: GIVE ALL YOU CAN POSSIBLY GIVE, now that the fundamentalist coffers have opened for Mr. McCain, who has sold his soul to the fundamentalists he once decried.

GIVE GIVE GIVE GIVE GIVE!!!! If this post inspired you, why not use MY donation page?

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/dashboard/main/

THE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD URGE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SUPPORT BARACK OBAMA PETITION

Dan from California City, CA — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:08:28 EDT

I started an Online Petition were I´m asking non American Citizens as well as American Citizens to join and support Barack Obama sending a strong message to the American people to vote for him, please sign the Petition and distribute it over the web, the more people the more impact it will have.

URL:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/SupObama/petition.html Help us be a huge voice Dan Fleitman

They wouldn't take my last dollar!?

defeatism — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:22:22 EDT

After I evacuated New Orleans to Birmingham, Alabama, my temporary ATM card was lost/stolen and I'm waiting on the bank to overnight me a new one (should be here in the morning or I'm going to learn some real lessons about starvation)! In addition to some cash, I had just over $1 in another bank account and I figured I'd give it to Obama/Biden - they need it more than I need it just sitting in the bank's vault. But when I tried to donate it, OOPS! They can only accept donations between $5 and $2300. Oh well. I guess I can buy...absolutely nothing with it in today's economy after four year of Bush/McCain policies, and I'll be lucky if my bank doesn't foreclose on my house just for having a positive number balance (zing)! (Okay, not funny to the millions of Americans with economic problems, my parents included. It took several weeks of specially-prepared charts, PowerPoint presentations, YouTube, television and common sense to convince those hardcore Republicans that it's time for change in Washington and America.

More after the jump...

FACTS , NOT MONEY OR SIGNS!

Joel Taylor the freaky fisherman — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:43:18 EDT

I WILL NOT DONATE MONEY UNTIL I SEE OBAMA AND BIDEN FIGHT BACK ON KEY ISSUES THAT ARE CRITICAL ON HOW REPUBLICANS GOT US IN THIS MESS FROM 9/11, OUR FAILING ECONOMY, AND LACK OF MORAL AUTHORITY TO PROTECT OUR ALLIES ALLOWING US TO PEACEFULLY SPREAD FREEDOM!

1. RONALD REAGAN (AND MCCAINE) TRAINED OSAMA BIN LADEN AND PUT THE TALIBAN IN POWER WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS. (WHAT COMES AROUND GOES AROUND). DO THE REPUBLICANS DESERVE ALL THE CREDIT FOR THE FALL OF THE USSR AND NONE FOR BRINGING US OSAMA AND 9/11?

2. DADDY BUSH ARMED AND FUNDED SADDAM HUSSEIN WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS WHEN SADDAM WAS GASSING HIS OWN PEOPLE (AS LONG AS SADDAM WAS KILLING HIS NEIGHBORS IN IRAN FOR US WE DIDN'T CARE WHAT ELSE HE WAS DOING BACK THEN WHY NOW)!

3. BABY BUSH INVADES IRAQ WITH THE ORIGINAL PREMISE THEY HAD WMD'S. WE FUNDED AND ARMED IRAQ WHEN THEY WERE USING WMD'S ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE!
NOW WITH THE MILITARY SUCCESS OF OUR TROOPS THEY HAVE CALLED THE WAR A SUCCESS WHILE IT HAS KILLED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS AND WEAKENED OUR STANCE WITH IRAN AND THE REST OF THE WORLD!

4. REAGAN, BUSH SR, AND BABY BUSH HAVE ALL BURIED US IN DEBT, SOLD OUT OUR UNION WORKERS, HELPED RICH BUSINESS OWNERS TRANSFER GOOD PAYING JOBS TO ASIA TO AVOID AMERICAN LABOR AND INSURANCE COSTS. (GET UP AND SHOW A DAMN CHART OF THEIR MASSIVE DEFICIT SPENDING COMPARED TO CLINTON AND EVEN CARTER)

5. ATTACK THESE DAMN TAX CUT STATEMENTS WITH THE TRUTH THAT WE NEED TO PAY FOR WHAT WE USE OR CONSUME, SERVICES LIKE AID FOR CHILDREN HAVING CHILDREN WITH NO MEANS OF FINANCIALY SUPPORTING A BABY! NO FREE RIDE!!!!!!! IF WE WANT SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE WE MUST PAY FOR IT NOT OUR GRANDCHILDRENS' GRANDCHILDREN!

I SPEEK FOR MYSELF AND MANY OTHERS I KNOW HERE IN WISCONSIN WHEN I SAY WE NEED TO FIGHT THE REAL CAUSE OF OUR PROBLEMS! GET UP AND SWING DAMMIT!

NO MONEY UNTIL I HERE THE FACTS BELTED OUT THROUGH THE MIC, FIGHT TO WIN!

Now is the Time!

Patrick Walters — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:57:22 EDT

People;

Now is the time to really make the big push and get Obama and Biden elected, so let us all get out there and pull in those votes and get that money rolling in:

Senator Obama's request that we help the folks in Gustav's wake

Mark Ungemach (Democratic Committee Person, Franklin Township, Landenberg, PA) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:24:58 EDT

Today, the thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with those in the path of Hurricane Gustav -- and many of you are asking what you can do to help.

We do not yet know what the impact of Hurricane Gustav will be, and we hope with all our hearts that the damage will not be as great as it was three years ago.

But we know there will be damage, and there is something you can do right now.

Your financial support will strengthen organizations like the American Red Cross that are evacuating Gulf Coast residents and planning to help communities get back on their feet.

Make a donation to support the American Red Cross today.

At times like this, it is our compassion and resilience that define who we are as a nation.

Please give whatever you can afford, even $10, to make sure the American Red Cross has the resources to help those in the path of this storm:

https://donate.barackobama.com/redcross

Thank you for your generosity, and I hope you will join Michelle and me in praying for the safety of those in the path of the storm and the first responders who are doing all they can to ensure the safety of their communities.

Barack

Third Party Donations.

slack3r — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:44:59 EDT

From a WaPo discussion about using earthquake models to predict elections:

Seattle, Wash.: I did a similar (much less official) study on when voters pick upheaval over stability. The thing that I stumbled across was third party vote. You mentioned that one of the criteria was the absense of a third party candidate.
I came to the opposite conclusion. In the last 17 elections, there have been 5 elections where the incumbent's popularity was less than 45% and 5 elections where a third party got more than 5%. Four elections showed up on both lists. My hypothesis was that this was not a coincidence.
People can't quite picture themselves voting for the other party even where their own party has left them severely disenchanted. A third party candidate gives them a middle option.
I've discussed this with some people and they seem to think that it was racism and not disenchantment with Democrats that created the 1948 and 1968 third party challenges. However, one has to question why no racist candidacies gained serious vote totals in the other elections of the era. Racism was certainly present throughout the era. My theory is that it was only when southern democrats were disenchanted with the party in general and not quite ready to defect to the Republicans (still associated with Hoover) that they gave into their racist third party urges.
The non-racist 1980 Anderson and 1992 Perot elections also fall into this category.
If my theory is correct, Bob Barr will get far more votes than any one anticipates. Republicans won't quite be able to defect the whole way to Obama, but they'll be more than happy to expreess their dissatisfaction with the Bush administration.
Of course this all relies upon whether or not McCain is able to effectively distance himself from Bush. 1952 was the only time a pres or VP wasn't on the ticket and also the only time a less than 45 percent incumbent didn't lead to a significant third party challenge.
Allan Lichtman: I agree that third party campaigns are usually detrimental to the party holding the White House. As you indicate, they are a sign of discontent with the party in power and the thrid party candidate usually goes after the candidate of the incumbent party -- e.g., Perot in 1992. I do not believe Barr will get enough votes to reach the 5 percent criterion. However, like Nader in 2000 he might influence the outcome in individual states.

I think that this year strongly favors a third-party candidate, namely Bob Barr, causing a lot of problem for John McCain. If he gets even 3% in Florida or Ohio, that's enough to turn the election to Barack's favor. This may sound silly to you, but it would be in our best interest for Barr to do as well as possible, so in that spirit I urge you to donate to his campaign.

Now, however you may feel about liberterians, or about barr specifically. I ask you to put those concerns aside for the greater good. We owe it to our country and to future generations to do everything we can to get Barack elected, and if that means donating $25 to a third party candidate, then so be it.

So please donate: http://www.bobbarr2008.com/

U.S. Soldiers Give More To Obama Than To McCain

Mark Ungemach (Democratic Committee Person, Franklin Township, Landenberg, PA) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:53:43 EDT

Friday, August 15, 2008

Military donations seen favoring ObamaAssociated Press

U.S. soldiers have donated more presidential campaign money to Democratic Sen. Barack Obama than to Republican Sen. John McCain, a reversal of previous campaigns in which military donations tended to favor Republican White House hopefuls, a nonpartisan group reported Thursday.

Troops serving abroad have given nearly six times as much money to Mr. Obama's presidential campaign as they have to Mr. McCain's, the Center for Responsive Politics said.

A Very Clinton Convention

Aaron G — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:53:00 EDT

When I heard of the prominent role to be played by both Hillary and Bill Clinton at the upcoming convention, I got a bit anxious. Can they be trusted to not try to hijack the convention with a lot of wistful "what ifs", with winks and nods to Hillary holdouts to divide the party in the hopes of a 2012 return? Did Obama give in too easily, offer too much to Sen. Clinton and the former president, who many think have been quite ungracious in their primary defeat?

Today I was thinking, perhaps Obama's decision to give the Clinton's such a prominant role in the convention is not so foolish after all. Risky, perhaps, but not foolish.

How Obama can Double his donations!

Matthew from Irvine, CA — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:07:45 EDT

Look, you all have seen the commercials on TV were they ask you to text "music" to "66454" right? And then you get billed on you cell phone bill. Now Obama's campaign can team up with the cell phone companies, and all somebody has to do is to text "donate $1($10)" to "626211" or what ever number you set up, this is very convenient to young guys in college, or if sombody is in a good mood to donate Barack $1 here and there! Let me know what you think.

Deployed Troops Donate to Obama over McCain

Deborah Simmel — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:46:57 EDT

If you've donated to Senator Obama's campaign, consider yourself in good company. Patriotic, flag-waving, self-sacrificing to duty and honor, company, in fact. According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, analysis of records required by law, reveal that political campaign donations from U.S. troops deployed abroad, favor Obama six to one over McCain.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/08/troops-deployed-abroad-give-61.html

From another Black President....

Unknown user — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:49:41 EDT

...just a Golf Club President - but nevertheless, the one and only in Europe. As such, I empathise with Barack Obama and support him wholeheartedly in his greater calling. It can be a struggle; with many opposing conservative forces holding back change and frightened of the new, but we will prevail, as change must come!

As a member of both the Paris and London Support Groups, I have made available my Club facilities in Vichy, France to any fellow travellers of the cause.

I am a Brit, but my partner is an anglophile New Yorker, self-exiled in London for two decades who has never voted - at least I have contributed one sure vote for the bag, as she is now an active member too. Now for some of the other 7 million Americans said to live abroad....

I have also tried, without success,to introduce to the Campaign team some cutting edge mobile (cellphone)technology which is interactive, and produces TV quality pictures for the first time. Imagine the impact (and the potential revenue from small subscriptions) of the Berlin speech for instance, if people could have seen it live on their cellphones/mobiles. If anybody has a way to introduce this to the right person within the campaign team, please let me know.

Support costs Signs and Donations

Dave from Springvale — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:36:43 EDT

I was a little taken aback at having my Democratic office tell me thy had no signs because Obama was charging them. I then came home to buy my own sign and it did not connect with my fundraising page even though it counts as a donation towards Federal limits. Not impressed. I can also say that the animosity between the two sides was palpable at the Democratic office. This does not bode well....

Update from April

VoteYourRebate in TX = Chrystal Hays — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:39:35 EDT

Some of you here on the Obama blog contributed to help save 11 horses in April. I thought I'd post a picture of 2 of them so you can see the improvements. I am now working hands-on with 4 of the 11. We had to disperse them to different foster homes and rescues. For more pictures, go to

www.neverenuffacres.org

Thank you for your support! And thanks for helping to build a better world for everyone. I could not have found these if I had not been so inspired by the campaign!

This is the dun colt & filly. Look how healthy they are! They surely haven't missed any meals since being rescued!

They were taken last night as they were out grazing in the yard at sunset.

This is an older pic of the two roan colts, Sebastian and Flame. It was taken back the first part of June, so they have gained a lot of weight since then.

None of them had any ground manners or wanted to be messed with. But all are learning. It's slow going with so many to try to teach. All seem to have very curious personalities vs fearful. Nothing really scares them. They are just skeptical until they figure it out.
The filly we ended up with has a beautiful side pass move naturally that I hope she can translate when started under saddle. The colts like to walk over, on, through, into just about anything. So I think they will make good ranch working horses or trail horses.

Back on the donor wagon

SkyMarshal — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:06:02 EDT

Obama's Iraq speech is exactly the type of considered statesmanship the American executive desperately needs to return to. He's good. I'm back on the donor wagon.

5 things America needs to change in its presidential elections

Ms CYPRAH — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:09:00 EDT

Thanks to Newsvine, I have been able to watch the American elections from close quarters, to see the progress or fall of the leading candidates and to even have my two cents worth from the hustings through my favoured candidate, Barack Obama. i have to admit that if Obama were not in the race, I would have favoured Hillary Clinton. It just so happens that there are two history-making candidates with different advantages in the frame this year and that has presented a difficult choice to their supporters who would like to see either of them win. For years, there appeared to be no other choices but white males for the public to elect and then, like busses in a row, two other choices pull up at the same time. No wonder the nation seems to be heavily divided and confused, not because Clinton or Obama is so different from each other, or better than the other, but because the election has become unpredictable and exciting for the very first time, particularly for the Democrats. For women and minorities, it is really hard to know which way to go.

However, from across the Pond, a few things haven't made sense in the selection process and I think they need to change for fairness to be seen to be done when the dust has settled.

Obama HQ - Put $100 Million Dollar Counter Up on Home Page Please

Edmund Dantes Hamilton — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:17:34 EDT

HQ you guys have lost touch with the Obama campaign fundraising base over the last 2 months since the primaries ended.

First, you stop putting up the counter which generated the most excitement - people want to see the counter "adding up" the donations.

The Hillary "pay off" also did not help you but that is another story I won't even get into because it's a touchy issue, still is crippling fundraising efforts overall.

Second, you have to come up with a BIG NUMBER. Don't do some 150,000 by July 4th deal (that number should be 1,000,000 donors not 150,000). DO A HUGE NUMBER - $100 Million!

At the average rate of $90, 1,000,000 donors would add $90 Million. We need a big score and this can happen. It doesn't matter WHEN it happens it just needs to happen. So what if it takes more than one reporting cycle, more than 30 days, who cares? We need to make this number.

Stop thinking SMALL HQ.

What happened to the Obama Mojo??? (i.e. "Yes We Can" ??? - where did that go?)

I can't believe HQ has let this happen. What are you guys thinking? Get Real and get back to the roots of what has been proven to work - THE COUNTER.

Every since you hid it donations have plummeted substantially.

Doing these "high dollar" fundraisers will make the core online contributor feel left out and is you don't need "our money" especially since most of us will never ever attend these events.

And PLEASE lay off the trickster donation crap (send in $5 to get a chance to be 1 of 10 for the Arena in Denver). This is below our intelligence here. Sure we would like to attend this and would give $5. But don't talk down to us and use trickery to entice a donation. We are not stupid.

Get back to your roots.

Come up with a HUGE NUMBER, put the counter back up. Go back to what has worked and GET REAL. Come down a notch from the "corporate" mindset, please.

Do this and you will see more donations come in.

Weekly Meeting/Discussion Groups and $$$$

Brian & Tiffany — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:03:30 EDT

Hello Lee County for Obama. Hoepfully we met at the pre-4th of July meeting or at the RW&B festival on the 4th itself. If we haven't met already my name is Brian, and my fiance is Tiffany. We are a relatively young couple (25 and 24 respectively) that are diving head first into the 2008 campaign season, obviously in support of Barack Obama. Now that we have that out of the waaaaaaay....

I have a few things I'd like to discuss.

1) Weekly Meetings/Discussion Groups - We had the pre-4th meeting last Thursday and we had what I thought was a decent turnout. Although we were there primarily to discuss the festivities on the 4th, we also were able to get into a little discussion about CHANGE. CHANGE is obviously what we all want/seek and it is something that has become a little cliche with Mr. Obama's campaign. Putting that aside I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for us to meet weekly to not only discuss CHANGE in our nation, but CHANGE in our communities, CHANGE in our schools, CHANGE in our local government and CHANGE in our homes. I think we could rotate the location so that people in S. Fort Myers wouldn't have to travel to N. Cape Coral and vice versa. Also, we could have a different host each week and/or bring in a keynote speaker, anything to spark discussion/conversation on the campaign and local reform. Do you guys think this is a good idea? I honestly think we really need to be proactive and if we aren't meeting regularly it's going to be tough to make that happen. I'm anxious to hear your feedback.

2. $$$$ from Red, White & Boom - Tiffany and myself were actually able to collect about $18 dollars from 6 different people on the 4th. I'd like to know what you guys want me to do with the money. Is Wilson still the go to guy or are we going to have a board like system with a Treasurer, President, Secretary.. etc. Please let me know what way to go with that issue.

3. Future Events & Fundraising - I don't know what our group plans are for future events & fundraising. I think we should be doing at least 2 fundraising events a month to support the group and we should also find some creative things to do to support Barack's campaign. I mean we can go from as basic as sitting outside Publix to more complex things.. but the goal should remain the same - To support the campaign and register new voters as well as raising money for our group. I'd like to hear people's feedback on this as well.

Anything that Tiffany and I can do to help any of you individually please let us know. We are 110% behind the group and can't wait to meet each and every one of you. Please stay active on this board and active in the community. CHANGE starts from the ground up..

-Brian & Tiff

A good post at the Bard's blog

Duane Kuehn — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 08:50:51 EDT

Hi All,

Please enjoy this post from The Bard of Wilmette, it is quite interesting and informative, even hilarious in its revelation of McCain's use of scare tactics.
I especially like the Obama as most liberal tie-in.
As I follower of Christ, myself, I easily recognize that this man they call "Jesus" was the most liberal person of his time.
Speaking out against the very church, which at the time and place, was the government. Speaking freely even within the synagogues of things so "liberal" that the government/church would seek to quiet him by execution.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/georgemartin/gG55qg

Loveya,
Duane Kuehn

A wonderful post lost to the ether

Andi — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:18:21 EDT

I had this, in all modesty, fantastic post that I'd written about the significance of each and every person involved with the campaign and the ways that we can contribute to the effort to make Barack Obama the next president of the United States. It's gone. It took me too long to write it and my log-in timed out. The post, and all my brilliant insight, is lost forever. At almost 1 am, I'm too tired to try to reconstruct it. Instead, I'll post the most important part of what I was trying to get out there, a list of items needed by the Dayton, Ohio campaign office. The bulk of this list consists of things that are needed in any office environment, including the campaign offices nearest you. Check with your local campaign office to find out what is on their list of needed items. See below:

Campaign Finance

Alan from Cleveland, OH — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:42:06 EDT

I almost abandoned Barak out of ignorance of funding law when he chose to refuse "public" money (Government money supposedly funded by our $3 "donation" via tax return.) Now, having been helped to understand by several bloggers, I am again in his corner. The law states that if a candidate accepts the money, no money above the amount given ($84.1 Million in 2008) can be used for campaign purposes. This does not mean that "527" organizations (PAC's etc) are limited in any way except they cannot "expressly advocate" for the election or defeat of a candidate. Only speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate can be regulated.

Given this wiggle room, "Big Money" can significantly affect the election. Seems smart to not accept the "one-sided" limit and to depend on us, the real public, to support our candidate.

AMP
.

As the Senator moves to the center for the general election ...

Judith from Berkeley, CA — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:16:58 EDT

As the Senator moves to the center for the general election, the best thing his progressive supporters can do is keep in touch with his campaign to let him know where we stand. He is acting - sometimes rightly - on the proposition that adopting certain less-than-progressive positions is necessary to get him into office. Our job as progressives is to let him know where he stands with us: we do not have to support his every move, just as he does not have to support ours.

Then he will be obliged to (and able to) weigh us in as he calculates the cost of each of his moves. Sometimes this process will result in him leaving us behind on particular issues. But the more vocal and numerous we are, the more difficult that will be for him to do. He's not a saint; he's a politician. Like all politicians, he'll do what he's told to do by those who, as they say in the mafia, make him offers he can't refuse. If we're numerous and vocal enough, we're among those people. If not, we lose, and he'll go where he thinks he has to go.

UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL DONATIONS

♥Lynn♥ who is now seeing CHANGE in Politics and USA — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:53:28 EDT

As many of you know, both Barack and now the Democratic National Committee announced they are not accepting contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs. What does this mean? It’s up to you and I to fund this campaign and take back the White House. Republicans already have a fundraising advantage so donate what ever amount you can to either the Barack Obama site or the DNC site.

I put this blog up to help you understand the limits of donations as many BO supporters have maxed out on donations but can now contribute to the DNC.

CONTRIBUTION LIMITS 2007-2008

As of right now the DNC needs our help. DNC has 4.4 million vs RNC 53.6 million

Update 7/18/08 DNC has 22 million vs RNC 68 million

FEC website

BREAKDOWN:

- An individual can give up to $2,300 to a single politician (Barack Obama in this case).

You can also sign up to give a recurring monthly donation at http://my.barackobama.com/acmdonate.

While the website is encrypted and your information will be safe, you can also donate through the mail. Simply print the contribution form at https://donate.barackobama.com/page/-/documents/Contribution%20Form%20Revised.pdf and send it with your contribution check to:

   Obama for America
   P.O. Box 802798
   Chicago, IL 60680

Under federal election law, Obama for America cannot spend funds designated for the General Election until after the Democratic National Convention in August, so we are continuing to raise and spend Primary funds until then.

Please note that only U.S. citizens and lawfully-admitted permanent residents age 16 or older can donate to federal campaigns, and that Senator Obama does not accept contributions from corporations, PACs, children under the age of 16, or federal lobbyists. Please also note that an individual may donate up to $2300 for the primary election and $2300 for the general, for a maximum allowable donation of $4600 for individuals and $9200 for couples. You can donate in your own name only and you may only use personal funds. Also know that we appreciate reports of unauthorized solicitations and take them seriously.

Senator Obama and his family have been touched by the outpouring and your generosity is essential to our success.

- An individual can give up to $28,500 to a national party (DNC).

All donations going to the DNC will be used for the following:

A significant amount will go to help the Democratic Nominee (Barack Obama in this case)

Support any Democrat running (we need more Senators and Representatives to help BO when he is president so he can get laws passed)

The Democratic Convention

50 State Strategy - 50,000 people on the ground

Mass Media - mostly TV ads (against McCain)

DNC Democracy Bonds:

http://www.democrats.org/democracybonds.html

35,579 Bondholders Nationwide and counting

Your Democracy Bond is a commitment to make a monthly contribution

- National Party Committee may give up to $5,000 to a politician but no limit to the amount given to a political party.

- State, district or a local party may give up to $5,000 to a politician, no limit on the amount to the national party.

- PAC for a multi-candidate can give up to $5,000 to each candidate, and $15,000 to the national party. NOTE: A multi-candidate committee is a political committee with more than 50 contributors which has been registered for at least 6 months and, with the exception of state party committees, has made contributions to 5 or more candidates for federal office.

- PAC, not a multi-candidate committee can give to each candidate $2,300 and to the national party $28,500.

Here are my fundraising pages for anyone who would like to donate:

BO FR Page:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/LBHeart

Here's an event I created called "Monthly Donation to the DNC"

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4l8j

As of right now the DNC needs our help. DNC has 22 million vs RNC 68 million

DNC FR Page

http://www.democrats.org/page/outreach/preview/total/lbheart

Pick your pin! Make your first donation to my DNC fundraising page and you will receive an Obama bottle cap pin (while they last).

This will show you Obama vs. McCain Funding

Banking on becoming President

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/index.php?cycle=2008

This blog may be updated from time to time to assure accurate information.

Donations for Obama, FISA, and matching McCain

BigSean — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:57:13 EDT

I agree that it's important to not only match, but exceed McCain in fundraising.

However, like many others, I am withholding donations until Senator Obama votes against the FISA bill or has the immunity provision removed. I am bitterly disappointed with his support of FISA despite an earlier pledge to support a filibuster.

Like many others, I have been pressing my Congresspersons to vote against immunity each time this has come up in the House and the Senate. So far those of us working against immunity have been successful.

Simply put, I will not support a candidate who votes for a FISA bill which includes immunity or who fails to vote on the bill. My constitutional rights and accountability for those who have violated them are not negotiable.

As Senator Obama has said, "I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours." As a citizen it's my duty to tell my leaders when I believe they are wrong. Senator Obama is wrong to support this FISA bill with immunity.

I hope that he will bring about change - starting with changing his decision to support FISA.

In Hope,

BigSean

THE STREAK - 3rd update.

joe ruwe — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:29:38 EDT

The great Streak is truly becoming legendary. Today, June 27th, we hit 41 days in a row of donations. That's 41 consecutive days of donations to my fundraising page. Truly remarkable yet just the beginning...

I am trying my best to log on and keep it alive every day, nomatter where I am or what I am doing. Amazingly, I am having such a busy day today, I thought I wouldn't even be able to log on to keep the Streak going - and wouldn't you know it? My grandmother had kept it going for me! Whew! Thanks, Gram!!!

The Joe Ruwe Obama fundraising team is attempting the impossible - collecting at least one donation to the Obama campaign every single day until he wins the election in November. That will bring it close to 222 days in a row!!!

Think I'm crazy? Well, you're probably right, but so far so good. 41 days today.

I try to post a link to my fundraiser as often as possible, or you can simply click on my name to go to the fundraising Streak. I also post a daily update on the Streak's status daily.

If in doubt, make a small donation to keep the Streak alive!!!!!!!!

Also, now that I have reached my fundraising goal, I have started to raise money for my fellow Obama supporters. We have helped 2 people reach their goals in 2 days. We are working on a 3rd person today on this third day and she is almost there!!!!

Keep the Streak alive, then sit back as watch other fundraising thermometers shatter all over the Obamablogosphere!!!

Yes We Can.

Obama '08

KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE!

Obama, Oh Obama, Say it isn't so!

Evan from Homer, AK — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 04:31:19 EDT

Obama, Oh Obama, say it isn’t so! You are our hero, our guiding light. The one and only one to show us the green pastures of Hope. You, who we believe will still the troubled waters of democracy and show us the true, new, shining democracy of Democratic Principles and Decency. The one who will leadeth us away from the shadow of the George W. Bush and his evil. Today to my dismay I learned that you are studying “triangulation” under your new mentor William Jefferson Clinton and also he is to hopefully impart a bit of his technique in the art of swaying women, namely Hilliary’s followers but not limited to. Did this check out okay with Michelle? Isn’t “triangulation” somewhat synonymous with “strangulation”? I mean ‘The network of triangles so laid out’ or “depending on the meaning of IS” is in a manner of speaking and “to compress or constrict, so as to prevent circulation or suppress function” can be construed in a clintonistical way to mean ‘if ya can’t beat ‘em, then join ‘em’. When Hilliary was in her prime and she decided to use Bill’s technique of ‘triangulation’ I wrote her a letter which I’m sure she never read but the gist of it was beseeching her to, “No, no, no, don’t do it, Hilliary. Moving one inch to the RIGHT is undemocratic or un-Democratic (either applies)! Now our messiah has decided that the path through the GOP like swamp is the true path to righteousness. Again I say, “No, no, no, don’t do it, Obama. Moving one inch to the RIGHT is undemocratic or un-Democratic (either applies)!

Additional Funding Raising

rwordplay — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:17:53 EDT

My wife and I will neither make a new donation to Obama's campaign, nor will we seek to raise additional money from friends and colleagues until we receive assurances that none of the money we raise goes towards paying off or reducing Hillary's debts. The Senators claims the support of 18 million enthusiasts, good, let each one send her a dollar. Should Obama find it expedient to pay off the debt of the multimillionaire Clintons,we will feel greatly disappointed, even betrayed. Buying off one's opponent does not represent the new kind of politics I expect of Obama, rather it reeks of politics as usual.

Looking for 'donate to Hillary' on Obama site

Barbara H from Amherst, MA — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:12:19 EDT

This is my first blog -- I'm new to the blogging on my.BarackObama -- maybe my question/suggestion is already under discussion, but let me throw it out anyway.
Now that the nomination is settled, I'm ready to express my appreciation for Hillary and her often-great campaign. And it seems to me that it would be awfully nice if the Obama website featured not only an invitation to Hillary supporters to come join the Obama campaign, but also an invitation to all-along-Obama supporters to show their appreciation to Hillary by donating online to her campaign to help retire the debt. I'd be happy to put in my $25 and I'll bet lots of us would, and small donations from lots of Obama supporters to Hillary should help generate goodwill all around.
I don't just want to go to Hillary's site and donate -- I'd like it to be clear that it's coming from an Obama supporter with the campaign's blessing.
Is there anything like that in the works? Do others agree that it would be nice?

I am starting to worry

SITALCES — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:00:26 EDT

Hillary Clinton and her husband have pledged support for Obama, but after four weeks I have not seen it yet. It is rumoured that the Clintons want the Obama campaign to pay the bill for Hillary's debt incurred during her campaign against Obama. I believe that the Clintons are wealthy enough to pay their own debt. I wish I could say the same for the millions of Americans who are stripped of every single dollar they had saved for retirement by the four years of corrupt Republican rule, Republicans who were put in power partly because Bill was procrastinating in supporting Al Gore's candidacy for the presidency. The Obama campaign must make one thing clear to its supporters and that thing is that no money will flow from them to Hillary's pockets. Let those who prolonged the primaries by voting for Hillary share the burden of her debt.

Another thing that amazes me is the talk about the possible attack of Israel against Iran just before the election. John McCain is counting on such an event because only a third world war will scare the voters enough to give him the presidency. I say it amazes me because people are talking high treason in public. A foreign nation deciding about who is going to govern the USA and with a threat of a nuclear holocaust no less?

Meanwhile some people are preoccupied with the head scarf of Muslim women and whether Obama is a Christian or a Muslim. We have come to such sad state as to not remember the principles of our own constitution; separation of church and state, for example. And this bring us to the Evangelist Dr. J.C. Dobson. Is there anybody in Barack's corner to put this man to his place? If not I am starting to worry.

Yes! Obama to Refusing the $84 Million

Jackie4Obama — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:59:01 EDT

I am glad that Obama refused the government's public financing of $84 million. I've watched all of the broadcasts and not ONE has mentioned what would happen to the money I and others contributed to the campaign (&274 mil or so). I want Obama to use my money to combat all of the commercials and mailings that will go out by other organizations dead set against having Obama as President. Thanks, Obama. You're showing great judgment and I would have been mad as all out if you didn't use my money I gave to inform the public on what I know. :)

McCain Praises Internet Campaign Contributions

Deborah Simmel — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:33:21 EDT

In 2004.

It's been really hard to listen to all the harsh criticisms coming from Republicans, and some Democrats, over the last few days about Senator Obama's decision to opt out of public financing. The truth is his campaign is publically financed, just in a different way. And pardon my naked ambition, but I WANT THIS MAN TO WIN. There's nothing illegal or unethical about him doing his own fundraising. That's why he's allowed to "opt out." It's an "option." It's a legal choice. Just because no one else ever has, only speaks to how different his campaign is.

I realize most of the fuss has been about the change in his position, but what he said was that if he became the nominee, he "would aggressively pursue an agreement" to preserve public financing with the Republican nominee. He did not promise to commit political suicide to keep from changing his mind.

And speaking of changing his mind, here's Senator McCain in 2004 on the positives of internet campaign contributions:

http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/06/8763_mccain_hypocris.html

Why can help to realize the idea of fund raising in europe?

Unknown user — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 06:20:34 EDT

Who is interested in organising an european donation platform?

Who knows people from the Obama-Campaign-Team, who can help us form this idea?

Millions of europeans are willing to support Obama. How we can help them to contribute?

We are talking of millions of donation dollars.

Who ever is interested, please contact me!

FISA and Faith

Bruce Wilder — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:59:12 EDT

The FISA thing bothers me. It undermines my belief in my ability to bring about real change in Washington, as well as about my belief in Barack's genuine committment.

FISA is both about a fundamental principle, and a willingness to fight for fundamental principle against a Washington establishment that really does not want democracy to prevail.

Right now, I don't think I will be donating any more money to the Obama campaign. I will be directing my paltry dollars to the Congressional campaigns of people, who seem to be willing to stand up for principle.

I'd be interested in what others think. Please feel free to talk me out of my disappointment.

Public Finance - a donor's perspective

Michele — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:37:17 EDT

So far this year, my husband and I have donated a $150 to the Obama campaign. In the grand scheme of things, that is not a lot of money, but for my husband and I, a school teacher and a secretary respectively, it is a significant contribution and one that was made with hope and with love of this country.

We want Sen. Obama to use our gift.

Every year, we click that box on our tax return - and in practice, its a good thing for politicians to use that money and all things would be even-steven. Well, something happened this year that cannot be ignored.

The little people. The oridinary people. The caretakers and the caregivers, the truck drivers and the auto mechanics happened. Our little gifts started to amount to something, and for the first time in a national campaign, our power was realized. We finally have a say. Together, all of the regular, normal, hardworking, paycheck-receiving Americans can ride alongside the big boys - and have an equal say, perhaps a larger say, in how our government is run and how our tax dollars are spent.

Because of budget cuts, my husband may not have a job come September. They have laid off five people where I work. The future looks uncertain. We are not sure what we are going to do. But I tell you what we will do - scrounge up some more money to donate to the Obama campaign.

We consider it a smart investment! And we want the Obama campaign to invest it wisely. By using the money we have all donated - he honors us and preserves our voice of hope.

GOLIATH PROTESTS DAVID'S ROCK SOURCE

Miz Susan — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 09:31:25 EDT

I'M BY NO MEANS A SCHOLAR OR THINK TANK ALLSTAR BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY THE McCAIN CAMP IS CRYING ABOUT BARACK'S DECISION TO RETURN THE POWER OF THE ELECTORAL PROCESS TO THE PEOPLE. THE FINANCING OF A CAMPAIGN BY THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE GIVES LIFE TO THE OLD SAYING "PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS". NOW, McCAINERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT BARACK'S SOURCE OF CAMPAIGN FUNDING. HOW DARE THEY QUESTION HIM ABOUT THE MOST HONORABLE CHANGE I HAVE EVER SEEN. OBAMA COULD HAVE STOOD STILL AND ROTTED IN BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH FEDERAL FUNDS AND AVOIDED THE ATTACK HE IS ENDURING NOW. INSTEAD, HE SAW A BETTER WAY OF DEFEATING THE GIANT MACHINE OF REPUBLICAN FINANCING. WHAT I HEAR BARACK SAYING IS "SUSAN, I'M COUNTING ON YOU TO HELP ME WIN THE 2008 ELECTION". OBAMA NEEDS ME MORE THAN EVER TO GIVE MY $20, $50 OR $100+. MY CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE THE ROCK THAT DAVID USED TO SLAY THE GOLIATH REPUBLICAN MONEY MACHINE. JOHN McCAIN IS FINALLY SHOWING US THAT HE IS NOT ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL AMERICAN HAVING A LARGER VOICE.

Public Financing Buzz

Barbara — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:55:58 EDT

I've already pointed out that Barack's decision to not use public financing is a wonderful idea and that he is, in fact, using public financing in the purest form. Receiving small contributions from folks like us. In this way, he keeps his campaign free from the lobby group influences.

I think it's so silly that he's getting so much heat over this. Bottom line, if by chance, Barack suddenly looses support from all of us (which I can't imagine that happening) but if - then his campaign dollars would dry up. He wouldn't have that 'public fund' to go back to in order to recover.

No one is talking about this potential risk.

The GOP (the gas and oil party) has, for eons, manipulated this system to such a degree that it is in fact a broken system. Yes, the cap of $85 mil is there, but that doesn't mean money doesn't get to these politicians in other ways. These 'side' groups that support the GOP's philosophies have always spent ungodly amounts and in doing so, have effectively out maneurverd the democrates. Remember what they did to Kerry?

So again, kudoos to Obama for being smart enough to level the playing field fairly. McCain would do the same if he thought he wouldn't need the 85 mil.

Instead of lip service telling all of us that things need to change, we have a candidate that is courageous enough to 'be' the change.

Public Financing

Barbara — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:35:01 EDT

Another excellent decision by Obama! He is running his campaign with public financing - in the purest sense of the word. 'We the People..." I don't have much, but I gave what I had and was thrilled to do so. First time I've ever donated to a politician.

McCain, during the primary, opted out of the 'public financing', then opted back in when it appeared that his republican well-oiled machine might give more than the limits, and then when that didn't happen, opted back in - with great legal implications having already taken $49 million.

Read this article written on a legal blog: http://www.lmu.edu/Page43740.aspx

How Social Networking has CHANGEd everything

sharon — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:06:48 EDT

The company I work for, XPLANE, is a visual communication company that typically works with Fortune 500 companies to explain their complex processes with visuals. We thought it would be interesting to create a graphic to show how Barack Obama, a virtal unknown a couple of years ago, was able to tap into the power of social networking to support his campaign for change. <img>http://www.xplane.com/obama/

Potentially HUGE impact on donations--PLEASE READ!

Heather — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:46:20 EDT

(This is a copy of a post I recently made on the main Obama blog)

This evening I made a 'declare your independence' donation, matching that of a first-time Obama contributor. I then took the site up on the offer to send a note to the first-timer I matched. Please see below...this can and WILL work if you help spread the word!! And it's applicable to and can be used to promote any and all matching donation requests, not just this particular 'declaration'. Until now I've not connected into any of the Obama sites (other than giving $), blogs, listservs, local/state/national groups etc., so most of you are probably way more familiar than I with the many places and people this can and should be passed on to, and how and where to quickly and easily do so. This CAN work! It **WILL** work if we make it happen!!! Many thanks and much gratitude for your help.

========================
Great to have you on board Jay. Now that you've made your first donation to the campaign I encourage you to turn right back around if possible and make another donation of whatever amount you can afford as a "no-longer-first-time" contributor. Specifically, do this at https://donate.barackobama.com/promise and you'll then get to have the same amazing experience I just did: as a repeat donor, literally seeing--and feeling the excitement of watching--this movement grow right before your eyes as the name of the first-time contributor whose donation you just matched appears on your screen! Then ask them to do the same, and to ask the next person down the line to do the same, and on and on and on...

Hmm, this doubling-up idea isn't one I'd thought of before, it's simply what flowed from my fingers as I typed this response to you. What an example of the different kind and absolute depth of chain-reaction inspiration Obama has triggered. And it now leaves me sitting here completely blown away by just how enormous an impact it could have if we can get it to catch on. Please do everything you can to help spread the word!

peace,
H (mojolounge@bellsouth.net)
========================

First Donation

Luigi from St John, VI — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 20:24:43 EDT

I have given my first donation of $100 and was matched by a registered republican. It does not get much better than that! I knew 4 years ago when Barack gave the keynote HE should of been the nominee, not kerry. The long wait is over and it is crucial he is elected, as mostly all of you know.

I will continue to donate and urge others to do so even though I disagree with this whole process of any type of fundraising. I would like to see a ban on ALL donations to even the playing field and have the networks donate airtime to debate and interviews and completly outlaw the 527 groups. Why should he who has the most $$$ get an advantage? Seems to be the over all problen at large in society and we carbon copy it in our elections.

I am old enough to remember the summer of 68, being born in 56 and that summer shaped my view dramatically and am hoping another major change occurs this summer and fall.

See you at the victory party in November!

By the People, For the People

Renee — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:11:12 EDT

I love the message at the top of Obama's donate page right now:

"15,854 people have declared their independence from a broken system by supporting the first presidential campaign truly funded by the people."

Way to Go, Barack!

Has Anyone else been getting phone calls from Paid Obama Fundraisers?

Lisa Holmes - Obama Precinct Captain #3361 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:08:19 EDT

Earlier this week I gave $50 to the Obama Campaign. I asked my all my friends listed in my cirlcle to donate. Today I get a call from a paid fundraiser for Obama asking me for more money. Now come on now! I have done my part financially and with sweat equity. The campaign needs to get their list scrubbed. You sold my name. No more cash from me, certainly NOT ever over the telephone. Has Anyone else been getting phone calls from Paid Obama Fundraisers? I am shocked!

Donation allocation?

Kaye Clarke — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:50:55 EDT

"An individual may contribute a maximum of $2,300 per election (the primary and general are separate elections). By submitting your contribution, you agree that the first $2,300 is designated for the primary, and any additional amount up to $2,300 is designated for the general election."

I have some questions about the allocation of election contributions. Is the primary election officially now over, or does it end, as I suppose, in August with the convention? If one has not maxed out during the primary, does he/she start over with a clean slate after the convention for the general election? What date would that be? Or, does any amount between what has been given in the primary and $2300 go for past debt or into some sort of fund? What happens to monies that are not spent during a primary election (or has this never happened)? Or, does this simply mean that if one contributes over $2300 during the primary, any amount over that is alotted for the general election?

The obama campaign OR ITS AFFILIATES SHOULD not call people asking for donations and so the campaign needs to make sure this isn't happening and causing people to give their credit info over the phone to scammers. THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD ASK PEOPLE TO CALL A

Danielle Clarke USA Vietnam Vet — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:46:04 EDT

The obama campaign OR ITS AFFILIATES SHOULD not call people asking for donations

and so the campaign needs to make sure this isn't happening and causing people to give their credit info over the phone to scammers.

THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD ASK PEOPLE TO CALL A 1-800- NUMBER FOR PEOPLE WANTING TO DONATE.

IF THIS CONTINUES NEW HILLARY SUPPORTERS WILL GET SCAMMED BY THOSE WHO HAVE THEIR NUMBERS. THIS WILL HURT OUR CAMPAIGN BADLY.

PLEASE MAKE A FIXED POST ON THE OBAMA HOMEPAGE EDUCATING ALL TO THIS NEW PRECEDURE THAT I RECOMMEND YOU TO MAKE ASAP.

Join the Nomination Rally Penny Drive - 3,456 Lincolns for Obama

Ken — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:47:05 EDT

After the historic rally at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday night, June 3, I was so fired up I went home and set up my own personal fundraising page for the campaign. You can view it here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/3456Lincolns

The amount is based on multiplying by one cent ($.01) each of the 3,456 people that responded to the message I posted on the Internet within 48 hours urging them to mobilize for the rally in St. Paul, Minnesota on June 3, 2008 to hear Barack Obama announce that he had won the nomination for President of the United States of America. I figured that if each of us who signed up contributed a mere penny for each of us who signed up, it would add up to $34.56 apiece and result in $119,439.36 from all of us together!

Why not take the time to donate a mere $34.56 to the fund to help us take back the White House in November? You don't have to be a respondent to contribute, nor do you have to be from Minnesota; this is to celebrate Barack Obama securing the nomination, an event all of us will come to appreciate even more over the next 4 1/2 years or more to follow!

http://my.barackobama.com/page/outreach/view/main/3456Lincolns

The DNC asks us for money-Is it for Hillary?

CorpusMama — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:25:35 EDT

I have no problem sending the DNC a few bucks for the convention. However I want it earmarked for the comnvention.

Hillary has very wealthy donors such as the owner of BET, and lots of celebrities who could contribute millions.

Frankly I think Hillary should pay back that little boy who sold his bike and video games for her campaign.

I do have a problem with retiring her $10m debt to William Penn who was notarious for the alarmist 3am phone call ads and the kitchen sink strategy.

Until Hillary fully endores Obama and conceeds the nomination to Barack, I am holding on to my money. I won't release my dollars until after the convention.

If she can use her delegates as bargaining chips than I can use money as mine.

Our Nominee Needs Us!

Zzzzzzzzz — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:41:12 EDT

Cross-posted at Blue America, Green World.

Fellow Kossacks,

Though this is my first diary, like many of you I have been supporting Barack Obama throughout this Presidential campaign.

I am ecstatic that he is finally, officially, our "presumptive" nominee to take on and crush John McCain in November. (Naturally, I had to work last night and didn't get to watch anything. Thank God for TiVo!)

Like many of you, I have contributed what I could to Barack's campaign, as I could afford it, over the course of the last 15 months. Because of me, you, and over 1.5 million Americans just like us, <strong>our nominee</strong> (God, I love saying that!) is in a good financial position to combat John McSame and the GOP in the fall.

Despite that, we have a problem. A potentially BIG problem. But WE can help fix it.

Bush Converts Donating to Obama

Deborah Simmel — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:52:37 EDT

Never underestimate the power of a postive message to change minds. Hope springs anew!

http://www.truthout.org/article/former-bush-donors-now-giving-obama

MONTANA - WHO WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE GO?

Sat, 24 May 2008 22:00:59 EDT

HELLO FELLOW OBAMA SUPPORTERS! I AM ONE OF MANY WHO ARE DESPERATELY LOW INCOME AND WANT TO GO TO MONTANA TO SUPPORT OBAMA. I DO NOT KNOW ANYONE THERE. NO MONEY FOR AIRFAIR, HOTEL OR TRANSPORTATION. I KNOW THERE ARE MILLIONS MORE LIKE ME OUT THERE. WHAT I PROPOSE IS THIS: A DONATION FUND EITHER IN CASH OR SERVICES TO ENABLE THOSE WHO WANT TO GO BUT CANNOT AFFORD IT TO BE ABLE TO GO AND SUPPORT OUR FAVORITE CANDIDATE! MANY HAVE SPECIAL SKILLS THAT CAN HELP THE CAMPAIGN SUCCEED. FOR AN EXAMPLE: I CAN SPEAK FLUENT SPANISH AS WELL AS ENGLISH AND THEREFORE CAN ASSIST IN BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN CULTURES, LANGUAGES AND COMMUNITIES. LETS HELP ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO MORE EFFECTIVELY HELP OBAMA!! I CAN BE CONTACTED AT: JANEANLOPEZ77@YAHOO.COM, ON THIS WEBSITE, THROUGH THIS BLOG AND BY PHONE AT: 707-758-5760. GO OBAMA! TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT! SI SE PUEDE!!!!!!

Don't Drive -Save Gas & Donate Savings to Barack

Charlotte in Newmarket NH — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:06:46 EDT

Hi Everyone

I have parked the Prius today and I am donating the money that I have saved on gas and tolls to Barack's Campaign. Fortunately, I have a bunch of paid vacation days banked so I have the luxury to do this.

Here is a break down of the savings: Gas $9.00 Tolls: $4.00 Total Donation $13.00

Please pass this on to other Obama Supporters- this is a win-win way to conserve gas and at the same time contribute to our cause ..... Barack as #44 in the Oval Office.

See you soon on the Campaign Trail!!!

Peace,

Charlotte

Yes We Can & Yes We Will.

Donation rules are confusing!

Ruth — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:36:40 EDT

Has anyone else found the rules related to donating to campaigns a bit fuzzy? I can donate two total maximums one for the primary and one for the genneral, Right? What happens if Obama has the nomination taken away from him, can I get any of the Genneral election funds back or would they go to the Democratic nominee even if I didn't want them to? What about the Obama store items I bought? It says they are part of my total but it doesn't seem as if the campaign is keeping a running account of my donations from all places. Am I responsable for doing that? Do any of you out there have any answers? I asked the Fundraising office (left a message) but have recieved no information back. They are so busy that it seems we are on our own for now.

A Staggering Figure: 1.475 million!!

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:50:15 EDT

How many people donated to the Obama campaign overall during the month of April?

1.475 million!

Can you imagine what 1.475 million contributors can do?

               "If you have millions of dollars you are not going to get to
                continue doing what you want. You are into a world of commitment
                to that money and all the people that helped you get that money."
                                                                                                   Jonathan Frid

Not so, if you have 1.475 million people contributing to your political campaign.

(How much was contributed in April? Story here).

Carole

Stimulus Checks

Aloha Obama - Lisa Rey — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:51:27 EDT

I'm so happy right now... if I had my stimulus check in my hand, I would donate all of it to Obama's campaign. Do you think George Bush would appreciate that? I want to stick it to Bush....Anyone with me?

P.S. Obama/Dean 08

MOTHERS DAY GIFT

Republican woman over 60 — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:18:42 EDT

Hi, for Mother's Day my Mom asked me to donate $25 to Obama's Campaign. Here it is!

Happy Mother's Day to Everybody!

CorpusMama — Sun, 11 May 2008 02:12:39 EDT

I am a mother. My mother passed away a week before my daughter was born on Valentine's Day 1996.

I am so committed to Barack Obama that I asked my family to forgo the Mother's Day cards and Flowers and make an online donation instead.

I feel that Barack's mom would be so proud of him if she could see him now.

As a mother, I am proud of my daughter but I want her to know that her future is what matters to me and I want to set an example to her that giving is sometimes so much more important than receiving.

I hope some of you will also feel inspired and send a few bucks to my donation page. It would mean a lot to me.

And if you can't donate, maybe you get get your family to donate to your own pages as well.

So Happy Mother's Day to everybody and thanks for being part of my extended family.

Hugs,
Lisa

1,500,000 Donations

Carole@www.Americans-Away-From-Home.com — Tue, 06 May 2008 20:53:02 EDT

Whither the influence of special interest groups if you have 1.5 million people funding a campaign?

1.5 million people! That's an astounding number of people putting their money where their beliefs are. The Obama campaign announced their 1.5 millionth contributor today.

Augurs well for the general election campaign.

Carole

1.500.000

Obamanizer — Fri, 02 May 2008 17:23:50 EDT

Is it just my impression or are the numbers shown at the counter on the 1.5 million people movement somewhat random?

The day after the last primary, it jumped up over 30.000 to then increase by only a few hundred a day in between. Sometimes the number was actually lowered -apparently because of taking of returning donors.

Still, will the Obama campaign release their 1.500.000 donor before the next primary and will there be flowers or a gun. For sure it would be a great photo-opt.

How can a non-American make a donation?

Harry Roes — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:14:42 EDT

I take the liberty of commenting the donation system!

I tried 3 times to make a small donation of $ 25 to Barack like millions of people did, but I didn't succeed. The third time the penny finally dropped.

I am not an USA citizen but an European one and your government does not allow donations of non-USA citizens.

Could anybody help me? Am I wrong informed or is their a way that I dodn't know?

If there is an easy way to anable European citizens to make a donation I could set up a personal fundraising goal for Europeans.

Thank you in advance.

Harry Roes

Money (That's What I Want)

Chris "Moose" Forbes — Thu, 01 May 2008 11:20:51 EDT

Like John Lennon said, "Just give me money, that's what I want."

If you are looking for an Obama Fundraising campaign to receive contributions, please feel free to use mine. Yes, I know, it's a shameless plug. Shame is overrated.

Regardless of your fundraising outlet, I suggest donations in multiples of the amount of $11.34. It has been suggested that this amount is the per capita tax savings from the gas tax holiday.

Don't Let Them Eat Dirt...

Pamela A — Thu, 01 May 2008 01:10:27 EDT

The media has won. The distraction tactics worked. We vented all our energy on the vaporous matters concerning what came out of that preacher's mouth while 140 miles off the coast of Florida, Haitians are making meals from dirt.

MSM details the facts of how the mud cakes are made and how they taste and the obvious reasons accounting for Haiti's ranking as the poorest country in the Americas. Yet with all these facts, why isn't the answer provided to the unasked question, how did it come to this? Like a boil or a cold or the flu, extreme poverty didn't just all of a sudden pop up one day and force people to start eating dirt!

"Thirty years ago, Haiti had all the rice it needed. Then in 1986, Haiti turned to the IMF for a loan. Now, after cutting tariff protections on local rice, Haiti imports most of its rice from the United States, which in turn remains heavily subsidized. US rice farmers get one billion dollars a year in government subsidies. Meanwhile in Haiti, hungry people are rioting in the streets because they cannot afford to buy rice", states Amy Goodman of Democracy NOW! http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/24/the_us_role_in_haitis_food

“American rice invaded the country,” recalled Charles Suffrard, a leading rice grower in Haiti in an interview with the Washington Post in 2000. By 1987 and 1988, there was so much rice coming into the country that many stopped working the land. Citizens of the USA know very little about the role of their government in helping create the hunger problems in Haiti or other countries http://www.counterpunch.com/quigley04212008.html

And why aren't we outraged about that - after all they are human beings? Did YOU know that they're eating dirt because of American backed policy? Do you think that that fact would be a topic to garner media attention particularly when the exposure would bring substantive issues to the fore at this time of opportunity to learn about the impact on peoples lives due to America's policies and it's support of the IMF and the World Bank policies inducing extreme poverty?

But there is much that individuals can do. Besides donations to feed individual hungry people let's participate with advocacy organizations like Bread for the World or Oxfam to help change the U.S. and global rules which favor the rich countries. This advocacy can help countries have a better chance to feed themselves.

YES WE CAN!

Fundraising

Obamanizer — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 21:46:20 EDT

As we approach May, the campaigns ramp up their fundraising efforts. As can be seen in the statistics as for example at

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/weekly.asp?cycle=2008

especially Senator Obama was able to motivate his supporters on the last day of the month. For this month, both sites remind their visitors about the impact. But Senator Clinton offers something more: She says that today's donations will be matched. This well known procedure used by public radio/TV makes one wonder who will be the one matching today's donations? Will Senator Clinton even invest more private savings into her capaign?

My Book: "The Mourning" (The Awakening)

Sandra Rains DeBusk — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 11:26:33 EDT

My book is available on xlibris.com, barnes&noble.com, target.com, M&W books, borders.com, amazon.com.

I will donate 10% of my sales to Obama's purpose.

My Gram

joe ruwe — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:24:26 EDT

I'm very humbled and thankful that so many people are starting to read my personal blog posts here on this site. I've been getting so many great comments lately, especially on some of my more controversial posts regarding the fraudulent "war on terror", the "war" in Iraq, 9/11, and war crimes by the Bush administration. I am pleased to know that my views are not too radical for the Obama community and I am humbled by the great feedback.

That being said, I would like to use my small soap box to shine the spotlight on one of the most loyal, passionate, scrutinizing and generous Obama supporters I know. My Gram.

That's right, my grandmother, Dorothy B., way out in the great state of Maine - is my true partner in this Obama movement, which has partially taken over our lives. My Gram, like many retired Americans, is on a fixed income, yet makes regular monthly and even weekly donations to the Obama movement. We email each other articles of interest and we call each other for uplifting and optimistic news about the incredible Obama campaign. Though she no longer drives, doesn't own a car, and lives in the coldest state in the country, she travelled to Bangor to see Obama speak there in the middle of the coldest month there. She is fired up.

Moreover, she is my true sidekick when it comes to unearthing the gross and utterly expansive list of misdeeds carried out by the worst President and administration in our country's history. We constantly outdo each other in our patriotic investigation of war crimes, lies, deception, war profiteering, racketeering, corporate chicanery and all other forms of abuse by the Executive branch of our government. While she is much more positive, optimistic and does not spew the venomous bile about Bush & Cheney that I have been known to, she is thoroughly disgusted with the lies and mismanagment that has been the cornerstone of this President. Gotta love her for that.

She loves Keith Olberman and got me into watching him.

She is devout watcher of CSPAN, and got me interested in watching. One of the only non-biased channels left.

She sent me a copy of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Christmas and has encouraged me to keep those great words always in my mind. And I have.

She has seen a lot in her day, and she is more involved in shaping our country's destiny now than ever before.

I love my Gram, that's for sure. She is a true Obama supporter and a fierce patriot.

Just this morning, she was putting a kind spin on Gov. Ed Rendell, who I consider a total weasel) who she feels probably knows deep down that Obama will win his state and the nomination. That's my Gram!

You probably won't see her on the blogs, but she's out there - supporting our guy and sending money.

And she's keeping me inspired, which in turn is helping me fire a few people up, which in turn is helping Obama become President, which will undoubtedly help us fix our ailing country.

Keep up the great work, Gram - we love you here in Obamaland!

Obama bloggers, when you happen to be in Downeast Maine, or passing through my blog, be sure to give a shout out to my Gram!

She's probably reading us right now....... or watching Keith O.

Obama/Gram '08!

A Huge Thank You Note

Obama Radar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:26:05 EDT

I want to to Thank Everyone for this past week.

We had sent out a ton of promotion materials as well as started the online fundraising for the production of citizen Tv Ads to support Obama.

We could hardly believe that within one week donations came in at exactly $ 23,786

Although we only start with five dollar a person [and we received more per person], there was this Senior Citizen that showed up at our door and gave us $ 3.00 - all she could afford on her meager SS.

We are not a large company - just a dedicated one. There is no such thing as impossible and therefore we will succeed to reach at least 500 thousand people on the internet since this project is now considered to run nationwide.

Again - Thank you to all that donated so far. Although even one or five dollars are not much per person but the multiplication is only a matter of math.

And yes - we are drowing in emails :)

But don't let that stop you from spreading the word, we still have a long way to last.

THANK YOU

Let's all watch the victory in november!

Regards,

Michele

$1 million in ONe minute!

Abigail — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:15:59 EDT

Yup, I just read about it on Huffington post!

here's the link!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/04/08/obama-website-hopes-to-ea_n_95574.html

Sen. Obama outraises Sen. Clinton 2-1 in March

Michael Kotyk — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 20:46:15 EDT

Senator Obama successfully raised 40 million dollars in donations compared to Sen. Clinton's 20 million. For the year to date, he has raised 131 million dollars to Sen. Clinton's 70 million. Sen. McCain, running unopposed, has garnered only 23 million dollars to date.

Obama Raises Over 30 million Dollars in March

Candace N. - V.O.B — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:13:40 EDT

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1727120,00.html

FLY OUT TO SUPPORT OBAMA

Zach Crawford — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:19:41 EDT

Your support is needed! I have 18 students from Stanford, CA that are experienced and willing to travel for the last week of the Pennsylvania Primary. We are looking for donations of airline miles or the purchase of tickets for these super stars! Please join this event: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4rd8y And message me with anything you can do to help. Any amount of money can help.

Missing Effective Internet Strategy

Disabled Vet 2000 — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:38:19 EDT

Why isn't the campaign using effective search strategy on the internet?

Today I searched for important political topics, thinking links to the Obama site would appear (you can "buy" high placement in the search engines). McCain is already doing this, his ads are everywhere. I was very concerned when no ad or search result came up for the Obama campaign website on any of the following issues:

1. Economy, US Economy - McCain ads, no Obama or HRC ads

2. Global Warming, Climate Change, Environment - no Obama ads or links

3. Iraq War, Peace - no Obama ads or links

4. Education - no Obama ads or links

5. Veterans, Homeless Veterans - no Obama ads or links

6. Civil Rights, Equality, Gay Rights - no Obama ads or links

7. Politics, Democrat - no Obama ads or links

8. 08 Primaries, elections - McCain ads

9. Hillary Clinton - we should have an ad here but don't

10. Hope, Change - nothing!

11. race, race speech - articles but no campaign link, at least one negative article in the top ten which we would knock off of the first page with an ad!

This would drive quite a few people to the site, those are potential donations and potential votes! This is not an expensive ad buy, but it's very important when a lot of your supporters and potential supporters get much of their news on the internet.

Who missed this? This campaign has built much of it's grassroots support on the internet and I'm very concerned that no one is making it happen!

Please write to the campaign and ask that they buy those search terms. We need all the votes and positive exposure we can get leading up to PA, WV, and NC!

The Democrat fat cats

EspenTheSeamless — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:55:12 EDT

Was reading a story on CNN.com about the so-called democratic fat cats that threatened Nancy Pelosi, when a number that surprised me croped up. 24 million dollars. Thats all the money the twenty donor have given in the last decade. Seriously? Is that all? How can you try to threathen the DCCC when all you have given is that? Just look at what Obama has raised just in the last few months, it completly dwarfs their donations. Don`t brag about your few millions in donations when working class Americans, giving small amounts have put your contributions to shame in this campaign. So dear fat cats if you wish to remain fat cats, you need to increase to about 300 million. Twenty billionares/multi-multi-millionares only giving 24 million is the financial eqivalent of me giving 1$. You can buy the republicans for that perhaps(because their leaders are money grubbing whores), but not the DNC/DCCC(I hope). I live in a small Norwegian County with about 30,000 inhabitants, Just one of our three High Schools cost about 200 million dollars(1 billion Norwegian Kroner) to build. On an American scale 24 million sounds so small, or perhaps the economic downturn in America is greater than I knew. Either way, in my childhood everything American seemed bigger and better than what we had. Now we in the world see the paint chip and flake on the American house. I dreamed of America and all it represented, the best and brightest joined together for mutual profit and security. Hurry up and fix America, because the cracks in the foundation are showing. These people trying to force their will on the DCCC are the reason why the cracks in the foundation came to be, people that belive money should buy you political influence. If you give money to a political party because you belive in their policy, you have done a good thing. If you have given money to a political party to change their view, then you have bribed someone.

Write to Nancy Pelosi

Amylouise in idaho — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:15:55 EDT

Here is a way for us to show our support and our strength. :) Send a note to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi regarding the fat cat letter she was sent from supporters of Senator Clinton.

http://www.speaker.gov/contact/

Here is what I wrote. I am sure it could have been better. Please write to her.

Dear Honorable Ms. Pelosi,

I watched MSNBC tonight and saw the reporting of the letter sent to you by rich Washington insiders who support Senator Clinton. The letter seemed to subtly threaten to with hold funds if this nomination is not "granted" to Senator Clinton against the will of the voters. I am writing to offer that that is not something to worry about.

One Senator relies on a handful of wealthy insiders for funding. Another Senator, the front runner, Senator Obama, is leading a movement where we the people fund those that represent us in Washington. I think that it would be a wonderful trade to make. How nice would it be to trade a few big funders and an apathetic populace for an energetic involved populace that finances it's own representatives. Yes we can and we are here and ready to make that trade.

If that letter was meant as a threat, I would hope that you would embrace it as an opportunity. It's implications highlight exactly what the majority of us feel is wrong with politics today. We the people, all of us "small donors" represent what is possible for a growing Democratic party.

My family of three live on $22,000 a year and we give to Senator Obama in money and in time. I have donated to a campaign and volunteered for a campaign for the first time in my 34 years. My mom, who has a history of being apathetic regarding politics and current events (For example, she didn't know the Vietnam War was happening when she was in high school), is donating and volunteering for Barack Obama. We are also inspired by our candidate to join the local Democratic party here in northern Idaho to be participants and volunteers.

Our story is typical and shows the leadership of Barack Obama. He is bringing regular Americans into this process and shown us that one voice, one action, one small donation at a time can make a real difference.

Thank you for standing up for me, my family and all of the voters who matter just as much (or more?) than a few "fat cats."

Sincerely,

my name,
address,
phone number

On being average....

BRGHTSD1 HOPE & COURAGE — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:22:19 EDT

I just heard on Keith Olbermann that the average Obama supporter gives $109.00....if you aren't average yet, here's a great time to be average. (This was during a piece in which apparently high donors to the party are giving Pelosi and others in the DNC pressure to back the Hillary campaign).

If you are already an over-acheiver, maybe you can make 109 donations on behalf of those who can't. Helping each other while helping this candidacy seems quite appropriate.

My name is Mary Miller, I was born Mary Brown, I live in an average suburb in an average midwestern state. I'm average height, average weight, have an average income and live in an average home. I have two children (which is average) and two grandchildren (also average). There's probably more I could list...but it suffices to say that I'm pretty comfortable with average.

Average is the new AUDACIOUS!

OBAMA 2008...YES WE CAN!