I am sick and tired of hearing about some people thinkiong Barack Obama is the AntiChrist. I was reading the local news today and my favorite editorialist was talking to some woman who said she's voting for Obama, but he's the AntiChrist.

Didn't a while back people considered Martin Luther King to be the antiChrist? It's silly. And all it does by saying that is offer fear.

Barack Obama is a human being. I don't consider him to be a messiah like figure, or whatever the conservative Republican biased media plays up on it. Those who think he is are just afraid that an African American man can assume such power in their lifetime they are willing to do anything to cut him down. Therefore, we have the New Yorker cover, FOX News's racist shenanigans, and whatever the right wing Republican election voting machine can throw at them. And what better way to channel fear than to use a sacred text that has been misused that way to score votes for the status quo party.

Isn't it time we stop letting fear get the best of us? All Barack Obama has offered us is the chance to do better than we have been doing for the past 8 years. And I think he can do it, he can actually do it. I watched his foreign policy speech today through email, and he is a step in the right direction for this country and this world. Why is hope a bad thing?

I don't like to be afraid. The only thing I try to be afraid of is fear. FDR said: "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Isn't it time we let the fear that has controlled out lives for the past 8 years go? It's a wasteful feeling. Fear is exactly what the terrorists want, and we are better than to give into it. I don't like people talking about something that is just wasteful to talk about. They may quote the Bible, and not saying there isn't spiritual worth in the book, but, the Earth didn't end on 06/06/06, the Y2K thing was a hoax, sure, we have global warming, but with Obama, we can strive to fix it.

I think Obama inspirational words are true as his charisma. You cannot build a team back up without inspiring them to do so. Barack Obama is doing exactly that: inspiring America to build itself back up to where we need to be in order to feel good about ourselves and the world around us.

Thanks.

I am so shocked that the New Yorker would go that far and call it "funny." I am disappointed that the cartoonist would play on the simple fears of people who don't know Barack Obama or Michelle Obama well enough to know that they aren't what was depicted.

How long must we play on fear in this country? Because we were made afraid and kept afraid by the Republican Party, we have signed away our Constitutional freedoms right under our noses and did not realize it because Bush has done his best to keep us stupid.

Also, give or take a couple terms of the next President in office, why the Islamophobia? I mean, a few uneducated people think Islam is a terrorist religion mostly because they are afraid to look in the mirror about their own and realize their faith has that equal potential and reality as well. If Barack Obama is Muslim, he would have said so. The whole "secret Muslim" thing is flat out bullshit. He is an honest guy, if he is Christian, then he is Christian. Besides, if he was Muslim, I would still vote for him. Especially because I'm sick of WASPs running and ruining this country( give or take a couple good presidents and JFK). It is a time we live out our principles.

Thank you.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/08/us/08vets.html?th&emc=th

The New York Times restarted their War Torn series, and I am glad they are. So much of life after a soldier's return is never told, and the New York Times is bold and courageous to tell it, especially now.

I know with my previous posts, I have been reiterating the need for universal health care for our troops and that the government should recognize that just because a soldier is home doesn't mean they shouldn't be forgotten. And, I still believe that.

I think the government should have a Welcome Back program to help our troops and their families that will help the families during the soldier's tour of duty economically and psychologically as well as after when the soldier comes home. For the soldier, this program would offer the best of care upon her/his return from their tour of duty, complete with physical and psychological care.

I believe our current system of handling veterans is disgraceful to our troops and negligent to their families. The system is so bad in that regard, it just ends up being the bottle or the bullet for our brave women and men who sacrifice so much so we can continue practicing democracy as we please right now. The bottle connotates alcohol, which the article is about, but it can also mean the painkillers that a soldier can become addicted to and can't get better treatment because her/his health care plan doesn't cover it, even though she/he is currently without a limb. It could also mean other psychiatric medications that the soldier could need along with psychological treatment that she/he cannot get because her/his health care plan doesn't cover it or only covers it to the least extent. One thing I would like to change is the perception that just because we throw a paper-taper parade when a soldier returns, doesn't mean we should be done with that soldier yet in reaping praise for the soldier. It is that perception that is hurting our troops, even now more than ever.

Of course, the other alternative given our current system regarding our troops and their return is the bullet. The series of articles I have been posting dealt with veterans committing violent crimes because no one would help them, isn't it time they were helped? Also, there is the "option" of going to Iraq or Afghanistan and just dying there. I mean no ill will by pointing out this reality that has become more probable than just "possible."

America needs a Welcome Back program for our troops and their families so this continual Bottle vs. Bullet thing ends. I'm hoping that if by chance someone from the Obama campaign reads this, or even the office staff of good Democrats who speak out for the health care of our troops will read this. If anyone does, please contact me, I would love to help out in achieving what needs to be achieved.

I will be very busy tomorrow, which is why I am writing this tonight, the eve of the 4th of July.

As we celebrate the 4th of July, what with our bbqs, hot dogs, hamburgers, flag cakes, and fireworks, it is time we reflect on the 232nd anniversary of our nation's birth.

We have spent the past 232 years trying to live up to our goals and ideals outlined in our Declaration Of Independence and in our Constitution. Yes, time will bring about change, which our foremothers and forefathers predicted and our Constitution has changed to the times in which they lived. But, we live in a time where the average American doesn't know the Constitution from their own, where we let the leader of the free world distract us with celebrity addictions and war while gradually taking away our freedoms one by one. The freedoms we never got from Great Britain. Is it time now to say " give me liberty or give me death!?" And that is just the frosting on the layer cake of our nation's problems.

We are dependent on so many of other countries resources that we are barely independent as an economic power anymore. We are dependent on a biased media that seeks to quell those brave and courageous enough to challenge the status quo to call them on it and actually be a journalist. There is a reason why independent press is silenced and not taken seriously in this country. We are dependent on technology to get things done for us so we can sit back with our iPods and DVD players rather than make simple natural human contact. We are dependent on the people we elect to do what we ask them, even though those we easily elect are easily bought by corporations who are dependent on the elect dumping their constituency for the sake of big business and the corporation's demands.

Well, no more.

I am an American citizen who believes the Constitution should be followed judiciously as if our forefathers and foremothers would have wanted it followed. I believe that I have the right to say whatever I want to say without restriction, to believe in whatever metaphysical higher being I may or may not believe in as religious choice and that the government should have no say in regards to that freedom, to assemble with and associate with whomever I please, to have the right to a fair trial if put on court, and to bare arms( so long as they are safety locked and I know I am psychologically healthy enough to own a gun). I know I am forgetting a couple of the Bill Of Rights, but you get my picture. I believe that we have three branches in this democracy and that each branch should check and balance each other always, no matter who leads.

Because I believe in these freedoms, I officially declare my independence from foreign and domestic oil companies who do nothing but pollute the air I breathe and hurt my economy with high prices for my modes of transportation. In doing so, I will do my own thing and will only buy and drive a car that is completely environmentally friendly. I officially declare my independence from mainstream news media sources, and only get my news from newspapers and independent, unbiased press. I officially declare my independence from technology as an addiction, as today's technology is, and will conserve my resources respectively, use the computer and it's makings as tools only and that every time I no longer am in use of it, to put it in a mode that will not emit dangerous gases into my atmosphere. I declare my independence from dependency that just because I voted for someone, they will get it done mentality and actually take part in the doing so so that it DOES get done. I can only hope that the people I elect with declare their own independence from corporations that seek to dismiss the constituent.

I believe a change is coming. A positive change, something that will better our country and our world, but, I will no longer wait for this change to happen nor depend on others for that change to happen while I lay back and do nothing. I am going to take part in it as much as I can to make this positive change happen.

Happy Fourth Of July!

Okay, everybody I need your help. I am going to formally write an online petition regarding gas prices and developing alternative fuels, and I plan to email and follow up by calling up key Democratic leaders, but in order to do so I need your help on a couple things.

I can do a good sum of considerable research, but I would like to make the facts appear as objective as possible regarding gas prices from the 13 colonies across America to the West Coast. Gas is in between $3.50 - $4.00 around where I live, but I don't know where or not that is the average price for Ohio or not. How much does gas cost where you live?

Also, I would like to hear how rising gas prices have affected your daily lives. For me, growing up with rising gas prices prevented me from learning how to drive because I didn't want to pay for gas or pollute the environment any longer. Also, because of gas being $4.00, I have been socializing less, and I need to socialize as every human being needs to do for the sake of our health. That is just one example. How has rising gas prices impacted your daily lives?

Also, another plan I have on research on my part is to investigate the state of alternative fuel development in this country compared to other countries where alternative fuels are prominent in the country's bloodline. But, any objective facts given to me as well as their sources( same thing goes for gas prices regarding sources) would be greatly appreciated.

One more thing, I plan on contacting and communicating with a few members of Congress that I know can help, but again, any suggestions you can give me to help us in the long run would be greatly appreciated.

The goal I have in mind is to actually get something done regarding lowering gas prices and strongly developing alternative fuels. I am very well aware that the oil companies will try to provide roadblocks for this effort to happen strongly and successfully. But, it will be worth the effort if enough people sign on and sign the eventual petition.

I know that gas companies as slick as an oil spill run off on a seal when it comes to any progress in the area of developing alternative fuel so they could keep us oil-addicted dependents. Well, the gas prices are too high and we as citizens of this great country can no longer take it anymore, but, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, it's the American way.

I also know that Bush thinks we can lower gas prices by un-banning offshore oil drilling. Anyone with a brain can see that that will make matters worse since we have a heavy export market regarding oil from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other areas of the Middle East, gas can only increase because the more oil, the more price influx. Our offshore oil drilling will only make the Middle East providers more competitive in their efforts. And we all know Bush would rather give in to the oil companies than give in to his own constituency, so that's another failed plan to go on the Bush legacy list.

All in all, I would really appreciate your help on the matter because I think if we get enough people, we can lower gas prices and begin our strong development of alternative fuels.

Okay, everybody I need your help. I am going to formally write an online petition regarding gas prices and developing alternative fuels, and I plan to email and follow up by calling up key Democratic leaders, but in order to do so I need your help on a couple things.

I can do a good sum of considerable research, but I would like to make the facts appear as objective as possible regarding gas prices from the 13 colonies across America to the West Coast. Gas is in between $3.50 - $4.00 around where I live, but I don't know where or not that is the average price for Ohio or not. How much does gas cost where you live?

Also, I would like to hear how rising gas prices have affected your daily lives. For me, growing up with rising gas prices prevented me from learning how to drive because I didn't want to pay for gas or pollute the environment any longer. Also, because of gas being $4.00, I have been socializing less, and I need to socialize as every human being needs to do for the sake of our health. That is just one example. How has rising gas prices impacted your daily lives?

Also, another plan I have on research on my part is to investigate the state of alternative fuel development in this country compared to other countries where alternative fuels are prominent in the country's bloodline. But, any objective facts given to me as well as their sources( same thing goes for gas prices regarding sources) would be greatly appreciated.

One more thing, I plan on contacting and communicating with a few members of Congress that I know can help, but again, any suggestions you can give me to help us in the long run would be greatly appreciated.

The goal I have in mind is to actually get something done regarding lowering gas prices and strongly developing alternative fuels. I am very well aware that the oil companies will try to provide roadblocks for this effort to happen strongly and successfully. But, it will be worth the effort if enough people sign on and sign the eventual petition.

I know that gas companies as slick as an oil spill run off on a seal when it comes to any progress in the area of developing alternative fuel so they could keep us oil-addicted dependents. Well, the gas prices are too high and we as citizens of this great country can no longer take it anymore, but, WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, it's the American way.

I also know that Bush thinks we can lower gas prices by un-banning offshore oil drilling. Anyone with a brain can see that that will make matters worse since we have a heavy export market regarding oil from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and other areas of the Middle East, gas can only increase because the more oil, the more price influx. Our offshore oil drilling will only make the Middle East providers more competitive in their efforts. And we all know Bush would rather give in to the oil companies than give in to his own constituency, so that's another failed plan to go on the Bush legacy list.

All in all, I would really appreciate your help on the matter because I think if we get enough people, we can lower gas prices and begin our strong development of alternative fuels.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/17/opinion/17herbert.html?th&emc=th


Reading this op-ed article in the NYTimes today, I couldn't help but think why this issue is avoided, especially in the election cycle.

Our troops do this country a great service by volunteering for the military, and since they give the best of themselves to protect our freedoms while we practice those freedoms, when they come back from their tours of duty, shouldn't they get the best of care?

Not saying that our troops don't deserve universal health care more than we do, because it should be equal for both the civilian and the soldier. But, the gratitude shouldn't stop after the paper-taper parade, it should continue.

What perplexes me is how the mass media and some of the politicians try so hard to avoid this issue, as well as other important issues, like people with the 9/11 illness.

I hope that with new leadership and this election, that we can acknowledge these issues and do everything we can to fix it for the betterment of our troops.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/opinion/15rich.html?th&emc=th



So, I'm reading this Frank Rich op-ed piece about why Hillary Clinton supporters who are disappointed at the nomination results culminating from the last primary are going for McCain. And, though Rich offers insights, I can't help but ask.

Why McCain? Seriously, why McCain?

We know as Democrats why McCain isn't the best option because he is as status-quo as country music when faced with a progressive innovation. We know that he would just prolong our nation's suffering rather than fix the problems we know we have to face.

I knew when the nomination was reached I would have difficulty adjusting to Obama, and I am still not 100% adjusted, but I do know that when November rolls around, it'll be Barack Obama and John McCain on the ballot and given the choice, I would not choose McCain. I'd rather have Barack Obama as president just to keep McCain from getting the office. And, if McCain gets the office, I'll be left with three options : 1) Kill myself( which I never plan to do) 2) Emigrate along with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins or 3) Get used to it while my nation that I love sinks further down into this depressing spiral.

So, why McCain?

I hate to ask this question, mostly because I know how black-and-white it is, but, is it because he is white? G-d, I'd never thought I'd seriously ask myself that question without biting my tongue first. Because if that's the case, then , people, you might as well just camp out at a local country club filled with social regressives who don't allow anyone of any particular diversity into and onto the premises. This country's problems won't be solved by a guy who says yes to everything Bush has said and done.

Of course, maybe the root of this jump has nothing to do with McCain and just plain disappointment that our preferred candidate didn't get the nomination, which is fair and valid feeling to have. Trust me, it's hard to get over, especially when you were rooting for the underdog( who Clinton was). Like I said, it is a difficult transition. I know your feelings are hurt, I know your passions been put out, but do we really want to stab ourselves in the back by voting for McCain? Seriously!

So, by all means, why McCain?

I wasn't an avid watcher of Meet The Press, but, when my older sister used to live with us, and if I got up early enough, I would watch Meet The Press with her and have early morning political discussions together. It was nice that Russert didn't hold anything back in asking the questions he asked, that is a sign of a true journalist in a nation of sensational over just the facts news media.

Then, being at the CSU Debate, I saw a side of him that I didn't like. I didn't exactly favor his preferential treatment of Senator Obama while he bulldogged Senator Clinton. I didn't like his approach.
But, he is passed away and he needs to be respected just for living the life he did. He had a successful news show for 19 years which innovated television. My parents own Big Russ and Me and have a great respect for him. Newscasters will fondly remember him as a true journalist in the waning days of integrity and focus in news.
As for the viewer like me, I will best remember him for doing his job well. Rest in peace, Tim.

A thought occurred to me the other day while I was on a Facebook blog, this PAC came on to a blog I belonged to and asked many of us if we'd sign a petiton asking the Democratic Party and Barack Obama to address the maltreatment of Senator Clinton during this primary season. I thought to myself that they are valid to address and ask that the subject be addressed by Howard Dean and Barack Obama. In fact, the other day I read a NYTimes op-ed piece on how Obama should talk about sexism's scars on this country, and I think he should. I think Dean should address the issue also.

Because, when i look at it, the Democratic Party is unlike the Republican Party because it stands up for the basic freedoms of everybody, male and female, and that no party has fought this hard for the equal human rights of women in the past century than the Democrats, especially in the 60s and 70s. To disregard this issue is to play Iago to Othello in regards to our stance on the equal human rights that women have and fought for. We cannot brush this off.

Also, it would be a good opportunity to get any leftover Hillary for President supporters reeled in if this matter is addressed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/11/opinion/11dowd.html?th&emc=th I was reading the NYTimes this morning, and actually came across something I hadn't seen in a while: a well-written op-ed by Maureen Dowd entitled " Mincing Up Michelle" about how since the presidential candidates are finalized, the Republican machine will start mincing her up, or, as I like to call it, getting the Hillary Clinton treatment. Now, we all know how strong the Republican machine is, mostly because it runs on the demeaning of people and their associates. But, this machine that has been running for the past 17 years comes from the Republican fear of women in power. Both Senator Clinton and Michelle Obama, are intelligent, experienced, passionately assertive individuals who have a lot to offer this country both as a Senator and as future First Lady. Hillary had her innovative run as First Lady during Bill's administration, and she did a good job being anything but a lawn ornament, as Laura Bush clearly demonstrates with Bush II being one herself. I can see Michelle making more of a headway into innovating the First Lady where Hillary left off. Anyway, how can we combat this machine? Of course, we faltered in that we let the machine rip Hillary Clinton to shreds this primary season, but we can recognize that mistake and do it better for Michelle Obama. Already the machine is building up, and, I think it is important that we maintain our famous tagline of putting issues above Murdoch- induced political catfights. We need to practice the rhetoric we preach by avoiding falling into traps like these and focus on the main thing, winning the White House and helping America raise itself up with its own two hands. Senator Obama, please refrain from saying " stay away from my wife," she's a human being, not your property.

Our economy is defintely in recession when a college student like me can't get a temp job for the summer around my parents' place. Yep, in a world of opportunity, I can't get any work just to pay for books come fall. I read this article by Bob Herbert in the New York Times today that really addresses the national condition. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10herbert.html?th&emc=th I hope Obama can do what he can to fix this before January 2009.

In regards to my previous post, I would like to apologize for the confusion caused by the transfer of Senator Clinton's letter to me and to her supporters that I had hoped to share her inspiring words to you with. I wish Partybuilder recognized commas, apostrophes, and (-) these things. Anyway, I thought I'd share this link with you, brought to you by Connie Schultz, Pulitizer-Rpize winning journalist for the Plain Dealer, my local newspaper and author: http://www.cleveland.com/plaindealer/stories/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1212913893215320.xml&coll=2 I agree with her on everything she says regarding the difficult transition from Hillary to Obama. And yes, though we established pride in both candidates, it is time to transfer our campaign energy to Senator Obama. I'll admit that it is difficult thing for me as well. I was doing a GLBT conference call with the Obama campaign and all I got in gist was: " I know the transition is hard, but Obama's the nominee so get used to it" and I really didn't like that approach. This is a hard transition to accomplish, but it needs to be done nonetheless. Now, with my last few posts I have been encouraging people to think about the big picture. Though valid, stubborn pride won't make our country better if we write in Clinton on our ballots, petition her to run Independently, vote for John McCain, or stay at home. To paraphrase Senator Clinton, too much is at stake for us to let stubborn pride get in the way. America's issues come first, and to toss the importance of those issues aside for some petty pity pride party, well, all I can say is, THERE IS NO GAIN WITH MCCAIN. Voting for him is like voting for a smarter version of Bush, by 2 IQ points. And, like Clinton said, the glass ceiling may not be broken for a woman to lead this country, but it has 18 million cracks in it, and that's a start. Maybe if Obama is elected, a woman might have it easier. There's a thought to remember 4-8 years from now.

I have tried to say a good chunk of these words, but, the candidate whom I have supported stated them better and more eloquently and I would like to share them with you: Thank you so much. Thank you all. Well, this isn’t exactly the party I’d planned, but I sure like the company. I want to start today by saying how grateful I am to all of you – to everyone who poured your hearts and your hopes into this campaign, who drove for miles and lined the streets waving homemade signs, who scrimped and saved to raise money, who knocked on doors and made calls, who talked and sometimes argued with your friends and neighbors, who emailed and contributed online, who invested so much in our common enterprise, to the moms and dads who came to our events, who lifted their little girls and little boys on their shoulders and whispered in their ears, “See, you can be anything you want to be.†To the young people like 13 year-old Ann Riddle from Mayfield, Ohio who had been saving for two years to go to Disney World, and decided to use her savings instead to travel to Pennsylvania with her Mom and volunteer there as well. To the veterans and the childhood friends, to New Yorkers and Arkansans who traveled across the country and telling anyone who would listen why you supported me. To all those women in their 80s and their 90s born before women could vote who cast their votes for our campaign. I’ve told you before about Florence Steen of South Dakota, who was 88 years old, and insisted that her daughter bring an absentee ballot to her hospice bedside. Her daughter and a friend put an American flag behind her bed and helped her fill out the ballot. She passed away soon after, and under state law, her ballot didn’t count. But her daughter later told a reporter, “My dad’s an ornery old cowboy, and he didn’t like it when he heard mom’s vote wouldn’t be counted. I don’t think he had voted in 20 years. But he voted in place of my mom.†To all those who voted for me, and to whom I pledged my utmost, my commitment to you and to the progress we seek is unyielding. You have inspired and touched me with the stories of the joys and sorrows that make up the fabric of our lives and you have humbled me with your commitment to our country. 18 million of you from all walks of life – women and men, young and old, Latino and Asian, African-American and Caucasian, rich, poor and middle class, gay and straight – you have stood strong with me. And I will continue to stand strong with you, every time, every place, and every way that I can. The dreams we share are worth fighting for. Remember - we fought for the single mom with a young daughter, juggling work and school, who told me, “I’m doing it all to better myself for her.†We fought for the woman who grabbed my hand, and asked me, “What are you going to do to make sure I have health care?†and began to cry because even though she works three jobs, she can’t afford insurance. We fought for the young man in the Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said, “Take care of my buddies over there and then, will you please help take care of me?†We fought for all those who’ve lost jobs and health care, who can’t afford gas or groceries or college, who have felt invisible to their president these last seven years. I entered this race because I have an old-fashioned conviction: that public service is about helping people solve their problems and live their dreams. I’ve had every opportunity and blessing in my own life – and I want the same for all Americans. Until that day comes, you will always find me on the front lines of democracy – fighting for the future. The way to continue our fight now – to accomplish the goals for which we stand – is to take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States. Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me. I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I have had a front row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit. In his own life, Barack Obama has lived the American Dream. As a community organizer, in the state senate, as a United States Senator - he has dedicated himself to ensuring the dream is realized. And in this campaign, he has inspired so many to become involved in the democratic process and invested in our common future. Now when I started this race, I intended to win back the White House, and make sure we have a president who puts our country back on the path to peace, prosperity, and progress. And that's exactly what we're going to do by ensuring that Barack Obama walks through the doors of the Oval Office on January 20, 2009. I understand that we all know this has been a tough fight. The Democratic Party is a family, and it’s now time to restore the ties that bind us together and to come together around the ideals we share, the values we cherish, and the country we love. We may have started on separate journeys – but today, our paths have merged. And we are all heading toward the same destination, united and more ready than ever to win in November and to turn our country around because so much is at stake. We all want an economy that sustains the American Dream, the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford that gas and those groceries and still have a little left over at the end of the month. An economy that lifts all of our people and ensures that our prosperity is broadly distributed and shared. We all want a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance. This isn’t just an issue for me – it is a passion and a cause – and it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured – no exceptions, no excuses. We all want an America defined by deep and meaningful equality – from civil rights to labor rights, from women’s rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionization to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. We all want to restore America’s standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq and once again lead by the power of our values, and to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming. You know, I’ve been involved in politics and public life in one way or another for four decades. During those forty years, our country has voted ten times for President. Democrats won only three of those times. And the man who won two of those elections is with us today. We made tremendous progress during the 90s under a Democratic President, with a flourishing economy, and our leadership for peace and security respected around the world. Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we had a Democratic president. Think about the lost opportunities of these past seven years – on the environment and the economy, on health care and civil rights, on education, foreign policy and the Supreme Court. Imagine how far we could’ve come, how much we could’ve achieved if we had just had a Democrat in the White House. We cannot let this moment slip away. We have come too far and accomplished too much. Now the journey ahead will not be easy. Some will say we can’t do it. That it’s too hard. That we’re just not up to the task. But for as long as America has existed, it has been the American way to reject “can’t do†claims, and to choose instead to stretch the boundaries of the possible through hard work, determination, and a pioneering spirit. It is this belief, this optimism, that Senator Obama and I share, and that has inspired so many millions of our supporters to make their voices heard. So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can. Together we will work. We’ll have to work hard to get universal health care. But on the day we live in an America where no child, no man, and no woman is without health insurance, we will live in a stronger America. That’s why we need to help elect Barack Obama our President. We’ll have to work hard to get back to fiscal responsibility and a strong middle class. But on the day we live in an America whose middle class is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no matter where they live or where their ancestors came from, can earn a decent living, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we must elect Barack Obama our President. We’ll have to work hard to foster the innovation that makes us energy independent and lift the threat of global warming from our children’s future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by renewable energy, we will live in a stronger America. That’s why we have to help elect Barack Obama our President. We’ll have to work hard to bring our troops home from Iraq, and get them the support they’ve earned by their service. But on the day we live in an America that’s as loyal to our troops as they have been to us, we will live in a stronger America and that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our President. This election is a turning point election and it is critical that we all understand what our choice really is. Will we go forward together or will we stall and slip backwards. Think how much progress we have already made. When we first started, people everywhere asked the same questions: Could a woman really serve as Commander-in-Chief? Well, I think we answered that one. And could an African American really be our President? Senator Obama has answered that one. Together Senator Obama and I achieved milestones essential to our progress as a nation, part of our perpetual duty to form a more perfect union. Now, on a personal note – when I was asked what it means to be a woman running for President, I always gave the same answer: that I was proud to be running as a woman but I was running because I thought I’d be the best President. But I am a woman, and like millions of women, I know there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious. I want to build an America that respects and embraces the potential of every last one of us. I ran as a daughter who benefited from opportunities my mother never dreamed of. I ran as a mother who worries about my daughter’s future and a mother who wants to lead all children to brighter tomorrows. To build that future I see, we must make sure that women and men alike understand the struggles of their grandmothers and mothers, and that women enjoy equal opportunities, equal pay, and equal respect. Let us resolve and work toward achieving some very simple propositions: There are no acceptable limits and there are no acceptable prejudices in the twenty-first century. You can be so proud that, from now on, it will be unremarkable for a woman to win primary state victories, unremarkable to have a woman in a close race to be our nominee, unremarkable to think that a woman can be the President of the United States. And that is truly remarkable. To those who are disappointed that we couldn’t go all the way – especially the young people who put so much into this campaign – it would break my heart if, in falling short of my goal, I in any way discouraged any of you from pursuing yours. Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you’re knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on. As we gather here today in this historic magnificent building, the 50th woman to leave this Earth is orbiting overhead. If we can blast 50 women into space, we will someday launch a woman into the White House. Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and the sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America. Think of the suffragists who gathered at Seneca Falls in 1848 and those who kept fighting until women could cast their votes. Think of the abolitionists who struggled and died to see the end of slavery. Think of the civil rights heroes and foot-soldiers who marched, protested and risked their lives to bring about the end to segregation and Jim Crow. Because of them, I grew up taking for granted that women could vote. Because of them, my daughter grew up taking for granted that children of all colors could go to school together. Because of them, Barack Obama and I could wage a hard fought campaign for the Democratic nomination. Because of them, and because of you, children today will grow up taking for granted that an African American or a woman can yes, become President of the United States. When that day arrives and a woman takes the oath of office as our President, we will all stand taller, proud of the values of our nation, proud that every little girl can dream and that her dreams can come true in America. And all of you will know that because of your passion and hard work you helped pave the way for that day. So I want to say to my supporters, when you hear people saying – or think to yourself – “if only†or “what if,†I say, “please don’t go there.†Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward. Life is too short, time is too precious, and the stakes are too high to dwell on what might have been. We have to work together for what still can be. And that is why I will work my heart out to make sure that Senator Obama is our next President and I hope and pray that all of you will join me in that effort. To my supporters and colleagues in Congress, to the governors and mayors, elected officials who stood with me, in good times and in bad, thank you for your strength and leadership. To my friends in our labor unions who stood strong every step of the way – I thank you and pledge my support to you. To my friends, from every stage of my life – your love and ongoing commitments sustain me every single day. To my family – especially Bill and Chelsea and my mother, you mean the world to me and I thank you for all you have done. And to my extraordinary staff, volunteers and supporters, thank you for working those long, hard hours. Thank you for dropping everything – leaving work or school – traveling to places you’d never been, sometimes for months on end. And thanks to your families as well because your sacrifice was theirs too. All of you were there for me every step of the way. Being human, we are imperfect. That’s why we need each other. To catch each other when we falter. To encourage each other when we lose heart. Some may lead; others may follow; but none of us can go it alone. The changes we’re working for are changes that we can only accomplish together. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights that belong to each of us as individuals. But our lives, our freedom, our happiness, are best enjoyed, best protected, and best advanced when we do work together. That is what we will do now as we join forces with Senator Obama and his campaign. We will make history together as we write the next chapter in America’s story. We will stand united for the values we hold dear, for the vision of progress we share, and for the country we love. There is nothing more American than that. And looking out at you today, I have never felt so blessed. The challenges that I have faced in this campaign are nothing compared to those that millions of Americans face every day in their own lives. So today, I’m going to count my blessings and keep on going. I’m going to keep doing what I was doing long before the cameras ever showed up and what I’ll be doing long after they’re gone: Working to give every American the same opportunities I had, and working to ensure that every child has the chance to grow up and achieve his or her God-given potential. I will do it with a heart filled with gratitude, with a deep and abiding love for our country– and with nothing but optimism and confidence for the days ahead. This is now our time to do all that we can to make sure that in this election we add another Democratic president to that very small list of the last 40 years and that we take back our country and once again move with progress and commitment to the future. Thank you all and God bless you and God bless America.

I know exactly where you come from and where you are now because i have been there three times. Once in 2000 with Al Gore, in 2004 with John Kerry, and now with Hillary Clinton's nomination loss. It is hard to stay within the same support system when our preferred choice didn't get what she and we all fought for, but we must press on as she is doing. America's issues are too important for us to back out and support someone who will offer the same shit we have been getting from Bush for the past 8 years. The issues come first and we should at least be glad that we have someone representing our side, the side of many rather than the Republican side of the few. I am very aware of how heated these in-party debates have become, and how passionate people came when it came to the candidate of individual personal preference, but, we need to channel that energy into constructive bridge-building and party unifying. America needs this. And since we are Americans, we need it all the more.