Voters in New Jersey can find their polling location here.

Voters in New York's 23rd District can find their polling location here.

Voters in Virginia can find their polling location here.

No matter where you are, you can help get out the vote in these key states by making phone calls from home using our online tools. Turnout is key in off-year races, and just a few minutes on the phone can make a huge difference in a tight race. 

Click here to call voters in New Jersey.

Click here to call voters in New York's 23rd District.

Click here to call voters in Virginia.

One year ago, we saw firsthand the impact that these phone calls and conversations can have. It's election day, and you know what to do.

Bob McDonnell says this election is all about the economy and creating jobs. He says his ideas about social issues won’t affect the way he handles Virginia’s economy.

But he’s wrong. His far right-wing views would directly threaten Virginians ability to get a job and make a living.

From 1996 to 2004 McDonnell served on the Board of Trustees of Regent University, which has a long-held practice of giving hiring preferences to men over women. In effect, the school’s policy says distinctions based on sex are sometimes legally permissible and regularly denies otherwise qualified women jobs – a hiring policy McDonnell repeatedly approved of during his decade-long tenure on the Board.

McDonnell has also promised to revoke a Virginia law – an executive order signed by Virginia’s last two governors – that prohibits discrimination against LGBT Virginians in hiring decisions.

McDonnell’s thesis wasn’t the result of misguided youth (he was 34 years old when he wrote the thesis), and it’s clear his far right wing ideas haven't stayed in academia (he also pursued a socially conservative agenda during his 14 years in the Virginia Assembly).

Denying otherwise qualified women jobs and denying LGBT Virginians protection from discrimination in the workplace (a law that’s been on the books for 8 years) can be directly traced back to the radical ideas laid out in his blueprint for governing thesis. McDonnell isn't only denying Virginians basic civil rights – he’s also denying them basic economic security.

Here are few of this week’s Recovery Act success stories. At this point, about 40 percent of Recovery Act funds have already been deployed (right on track) and is scheduled to ramp up over the fall. Visit the new Recovery.gov – updated features make it easier to look up projects in your own community and act as a “watchdog” for fraud and abuse.

Virginia

Recovery Act funds will help the Culpeper County Public Schools save 46 existing positions and add 14 new jobs. Those funds are also helping the county integrate technology – like SMART boards – into the classrooms and purchase other essential school supplies. So far, the Department of Education has disbursed about $18 billion, with $67.5 billion in Recovery Act funds remaining to spend.

Arizona

Thanks to Recovery Act funds at least a hundred unemployed people in Arizona will go back to school to get new job training at a local community college. Here’s an excerpt from the article in the Arizona Republic: “'It's an opportunity for our colleges and faculty and staff to help rebuild our community,' said Mary Vanis, director of the colleges' Center for Workforce Development, which will provide the classes in partnership with the workforce-development arms of Maricopa County and Phoenix. The stimulus money will pay for tuition, materials, and licensure and certification testing.” The community college network regularly sees people looking for help finding new jobs – they provide one-on-one counseling, resume building and give job-seekers access to computers to search for jobs.

North Carolina

The Department of Energy awarded North Carolina $20.9 million in Recovery Act funds for energy efficiency and conservation projects. The state is planning to use the funds to ramp up energy efficiency in buildings and invest in technology that will help to recapture methane – a climate change causing greenhouse gas – to generate electricity. Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, which has already proven itself a leader when it comes to renewable energy, will receive approximately $200,000 of the funds to invest in solar thermal systems – technology that could help the public school save on utility costs. Appalachian State just completed a project that will save the university more than $600,000 annually in energy costs.

New Hampshire
New Hampshire has seen 700 full time jobs created through funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. New Hampshire's Department of Transportation is creating these jobs for transportation projects across the state.

Virginia
Funds from the Recovery Act are going towards hybrid bus purchases in Arlington, Virginia. The grants are one of 43 projects across the country funding green projects. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood commented "Arlington Transit is showing how investing in green transportation not only helps the planet and strengthens our economy, but also creates jobs."

Florida
A local cosmetics company is working with Palm Beach county officials to build a new product development plant through funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The new plant will initially employee 350-400 new workers and expand to a total of 800 new jobs.

Washington
The Tulalip Tribe of Washington is receiving funds from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for restoration work to the Qwuloolt Estuary. The funds, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create at least 25 new green jobs and restore habitat for fish and wildlife that is valuable to the region.

The devastating piece delved into McDonnell’s graduate thesis (authored at the age of 34) and unveiled a personal political philosophy that has left a lot of people wondering just exactly who Bob McDonnell is.

The thesis outlined a blueprint for governing that would stigmatize women for working outside the home, all but ban access to contraception, deny equal pay for equal work, criminalize the medical decisions of women and their doctors and deny medical recourse to victims of rape and incest.

McDonnell’s spent the last two days scrambling, trying to explain his views – authored as a married man just two years before he was first elected to public office – but no one’s buying it.

Ruth Markus writing in the Washington Post, “The Macaca Thesis: What Bob McDonnell Can’t Explain Away”:

”...In a 90-minute conference call explaining -- or, more precisely, explaining away -- the thesis, McDonnell described himself as ‘simply doing an academic analysis.' In my experience, academic analyses do not generally feature 15-point action plans for a particular political party. McDonnell's thesis is a 93-page, 170-footnote ‘macaca’ moment -- and, like that moment, self-inflicted.”

An editorial in the Virginia Pilot, “Divining the Relevance of McDonnell’s Thesis”:

”...The conservative social agenda outlined in a graduate thesis two decades ago by Republican Bob McDonnell is no surprise to those who know the gubernatorial candidate and have followed his career. More troubling is the document's hostile tone toward those who do not share his beliefs and those who have struggled with life challenges far removed from McDonnell's experiences.”

An editorial in the Washington Post, “Bob McDonnell, Culture Warrior”:

”…The Bob McDonnell who wrote that thesis would make a divisive, disruptive and partisan governor -- a sharp departure from the tradition of generally pragmatic executives who have helped make Virginia one of the better-managed states in the union. Virginians deserve specific answers about where the thinking of his early middle age has shifted, and where it remains consistent.”

The DNC just released a web video "Yikes" underscoring the bad press McDonnell's been receiving since voters became aware of his real political philosophy. Watch it below.

Here's an excerpt from the President's remarks:

“…The GI Bill was approved just weeks after D-Day, and carried with it a simple promise to all who had served: You pick the school, we'll help pick up the bill. And what followed was not simply an opportunity for our veterans -- it was a transformation for our country. By 1947, half of all Americans enrolled in college were veterans.

“Ultimately, this would lead to three Presidents, three Supreme Court justices, 14 Nobel Prize winners, and two dozen Pulitzer Prize winners. But more importantly, it produced hundreds of thousands of scientists and engineers, doctors and nurses -- the backbone of the largest middle class in history. All told, nearly 8 million Americans were educated under the original GI Bill, including my grandfather.

”No number can sum up this sea change in our society. Reginald Wilson, a fighter pilot from Detroit, said, "I didn't know anyone who went to college. I never would have gone to college had it not been for the GI Bill." H.G. Jones, a Navy man from North Carolina, said, "What happened in my rural Caswell County community happened all over the country ¼ going to college was no longer a novelty." Indeed, one of the men who went to college on the GI Bill, as I mentioned, was my grandfather, and I would not be standing here today if that opportunity had not led him West in search of opportunity.

”So we owe the same obligations to this generation of servicemen and women, as was afforded that previous generation. That is the promise of the post-1911 [sic] GI Bill. It's driven by the same simple logic that drove the first GI Bill -- you pick the school, we'll help pick up the bill. And looking out at the audience today, I'm proud to see so many veterans who will be able to pursue their education with this new support from the American people.

”And this is even more important than it was in 1944. The first GI Bill helped build a post-war economy that has been transformed by revolutions in communications and technology. And that's why the post-1911 -- 9/11 GI Bill must give today's veterans the skills and training they need to fill the jobs of tomorrow. Education is the currency that can purchase success in the 21st century, and this is the opportunity that our troops have earned.”

Slamming stimulus package but happy to take its money, Virginia Republican Eric Cantor and his allies are anti-worker, and he's a hypocrite

Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor may be a GOP rising star, but he sure is a hypocrite.

How else to describe someone who is a leading critic of President Obama's Recovery Act and yet also joins his congressional colleagues to urge Virginia's Department of Transportation to apply for stimulus money for high-speed rail? If that isn't two-faced, what is?

He's also a demagogue: "Millions of jobs will be crushed by the administration's policies."

Say what? The stimulus may have been too small and overemphasized tax cuts, but it has helped states, including his own, with longer unemployment benefits, expanded food stamps, and subsidies for people who have lost jobs to extend their health insurance. It has also kept teachers in classrooms and cops on the streets, and gotten workers rehired.

Hours after Cantor recently delivered the GOP's weekly radio address blasting the stimulus, Vice President Biden announced that $ 1.5 million of the bill's money would go to the Richmond Police Department to retain officers. And $20 million is going to Chesterfield County - the suburbs of Richmond - to keep 275 teachers from being fired. Virginia's working men and women should remember that Cantor fought hard to cut a provision in the stimulus bill that was designed to help low-income workers…

The President answered questions from the audience, as well as from people who had submitted their queries via Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. He made a strong case for reform, by reminding folks in the room of his three principles -- lowering costs, preserving patient choice and expanding access to quality, affordable care – and reiterated his commitment to a public option, a health insurance exchange and a fiscally responsible, deficit neutral plan. He said he wouldn’t accept the status quo and is dedicated to enacting health care reform this year.

Our broken health care system is something I’ve had to face every single day as the Governor of Virginia. We’ve been able to do some great things, but families and businesses in Virginia struggle with the high costs of care as much as anyone in this nation. Think about this: 1 in 7 Virginians doesn’t have health insurance; and since 2000, average family premiums have increased by 99 percent.

As powerful as those numbers are, I think the most powerful case for reform are real stories – stories of people who can’t afford insurance, are denied care because of a pre-existing condition, lose insurance coverage when they lose their job, or have been forced into bankruptcy to take care of a sick child or elderly parent. Over the past several weeks, we’ve collected hundreds of thousands of these stories. Have you read them? You can, here. Have you seen them? Here are five web videos we’ve released over the past couple of weeks: Kristine, Cesar, Cathy, Lisa and Russell.

Reforming our health care system will be hard; and, as the President has said so many times before, if it were easy we would’ve done it already. Sure, the details need to be worked out, and yes, we will have to work hard to get reform that lowers costs, preserves choice and expands access. But the Obama administration has already had success in lining up support from groups that have opposed reform in the past -- pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers, insurance companies and doctors associations. If you consider that millions of people are calling for reform because they won’t accept our broken system for any longer, and if you remember that President Obama has demonstrated incredible leadership and commitment to this issue – you will believe, as I do, that we can pass health care reform this year.

Here's how to get involved and do your part to enact comprehensive reform.

Organizing for America has collected hundreds of thousands of personal health care stories. The grassroots effort is building support in communities across the country for a plan that adheres to President Obamas three principles for reform: lowering costs, preserving patient choice and increasing access to quality care.

Take action over at Organizing for America's site.

“Today, we were fortunate to have had three excellent candidates who waged hard-fought campaigns. Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe, and Brian Moran each made phenomenal efforts in their quest to represent the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia . However, in this race, as in every election, only one person can claim victory. Tonight is Creigh Deeds’ night.

“The election of Senator Deeds tonight as the 2009 Democratic nominee for governor is an incredible victory for Virginia—and its citizens. Senator Deeds’ victory is a clear signal Virginians want to keep our state moving forward, and I am pleased to extend my congratulations to my friend and colleague on this critical accomplishment.

“As Virginia continues to weather the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, we need elected leaders with the savvy and the courage to make the tough decisions to get our economy back on track. With his years of dedicated public service and real-world experience, Creigh is the ideal leader to keep Virginia the Best State for Business, the Best-Managed State , and the Place Where a Child is Most Likely to Succeed in Life. I’ve worked closely with Senator Deeds over the years and I am confident he will do what’s right for our communities and our Commonwealth.

“I know from experience that Virginia is a place where Democrats have won—and will continue to win—because we take a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to politics and governing, instead of an ideological one. We’re known for being problem-solvers and unifiers and we pursue policies that work for Virginia families.

“Creigh Deeds has always been able to bring people together, build consensus, and deliver results. That’s exactly the approach that Virginians have supported over the past eight years, and I have no doubt that Creigh will work in a bipartisan way to keep building on the progress we’ve made.

“In the coming months, Virginians will have the chance to decide who we want to be the chief steward of our resources and the kind of leader we feel will ensure the best opportunities for our families and our future.

“The choice is clear: Creigh Deeds is the best candidate to continue the work begun by my administration — and the Warner administration before ours — while positioning us for future achievements.”

Deputy Assistant Secretary George Skibine said in March that "there are rare circumstances when Congress should intervene and recognize a tribal group, and the case of the Lumbee Indians is one such rare case."

The Lumbee tribe in particular has generated significant support for their cause and passage of this legislation;

The Lumbees are recognized by the state and were partially recognized by the federal government in 1956, but at the same time Congress denied the Lumbee benefits given to other American Indians.

"What Congress started Congress should finish, that's why we are back here today," said Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., the bill's sponsor. "It's time for discrimination to end and for recognition to begin."

Here's some news: even before money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is available to start stimulating the economy, the President’s signature on the act may itself be able to start saving jobs.

Though it could be a matter of weeks or months before funds from the act actually reach businesses and local governments, the Chairman and CEO of Caterpillar said today that if ARRA passes, his company would be able to rehire some of the 20,000 employees it has laid off in the last few weeks.

Creating millions of jobs and investing in our nation's future with a 21st century economy. Fired up and ready to go.

Watch the video, and head over to the Obama campaign blog for the full text of remarks.

Warner, who is running for Senate, carried the rural area for the Democrats when he ran for governor in 2001. And Warner persuaded CGI and Northrop Grumman Inc. in 2005 to locate in the coal-mining region.

The two companies moved to the region as a less expensive way to do business without sending jobs overseas. Amid the rolling farmland, Northrop Grumman operates a call center and backup data center for Virginia's state government across from Canada's CGI Group center, which employs software developers, analysts and consultants.