D Tree's Blog

Barack & Michelle: Soccer Mom and Dad :-)

D. Tree — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:17:41 EDT

I normally wouldn't post something so "cutesy" but I watched this video today and couldn't help but smile.... so I thought why not share it.

If you haven't seen this nifty little video of Barack and Michelle attending their child's soccer game, click the picture below to check it out.

Viewing this video reminded me of that fateful speech, in which Michelle talked about how proud she was to be an American (you know, the one where people twisted her words to make it sound like she was saying she'd never been proud before?)

Well, in that speech what moved me was hearing her talk about how committed and involved Barack is a a father. She talked about how despite the grueling campaign, Barack had *never* missed a parent-teacher conference or a birthday for one of his daughters.

Seeing Barack and Michelle enjoy some time together as a family, watching the soccer game, and playfully joking with each other, really brought a smile to my face.

I like seeing how much they enjoy each other's company, how comfortable they are with each other, how they smile at each other, and how much they genuinely love each other.

This is possibly the next first family of the United States, and I couldn't think of a finer example. It's a far cry from the family life I had growing up, but in many ways they represent the kind of family I always wished I had.

Please click the picture to check out the video, and enjoy!

Friday Forums Update (pls. rate since PM is down)

D. Tree — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:30:29 EDT

Dear Fellow Partybuilders,

By now I hope most of you are aware of the new PB discussion group started by someonewhocares and a few other like-minded posters. The goal is to discuss a wide range of topics in a fair and focused way. If you haven't heard about it, please consider joining the group and participating.

Click Here to Join Friday Forums

Since PM is still down, I'm publishing this to the main blog to get the word out about the group, send an update to the moderators, and to dispel some confusion about the group's purpose.

Click "Read More" for the full update.

Why Does McCain Have a Problem with "Straight Talk?"

D. Tree — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:04:40 EDT

In case you missed my post earlier today noting how John McCain's new "Truth Squad" has a member of Swiftboat Veteran's For Truth on it, it looks like John McCain's relationship to the "truth" is growing more strained by the minute.

As Thinkprogress reports today, McCain's new "Straight Talk Express" campaign plane will have a "special" area for a group of reporters to interview him. The only requirement to get access to this "special area?" Write nice things about John McCain:

John McCain is now traveling in a new "Straight Talk Express" campaign airplane.

It "features a special area" with "a couch and two captain's chairs" where "McCain will conduct group interviews with the press."

But not all reporters covering McCain can enjoy this new lap of luxury. Top McCain aide Mark Salter said "only the good reporters' would get to sit in the specially-configured section for interviews."

"You'll have to earn it," he said. So how can these reporters "earn" a seat? Never challenge the Senator, as McCain biographer Matt Welch explained in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times:
[McCain is] very open to people. You can come on the bus, everything is great but if he knows or if his team knows that you have a hostile line of questioning or you have a long and well documented critique, they're not going to talk to you.

As a human, he's haunted by the notion of honesty and about honor and truth. He wishes that he could speak the truth all the time. He doesn't. I don't think he speaks the truth any more than any other politician really, no more, no less .

True to form, John McCain is following in the footsteps of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

Want more "free speech zones?" How about audiences in town hall meetings picked for their loyalty?

Want more politicization of our government like DOJ hiring only "loyal bushies?" How about firing US Attorneys who aren't being partisan enough?

My friends, with John McCain we can expect more of the Same.

McCain's "Truth Squad" Has Swiftboater as Member

D. Tree — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:56:16 EDT

Thinkprogress reports today that John McCain's new "Truth Squad" has a former Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as a Member:

One of the members of McCain's new Truth Squad - Bud Day - was a member of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and appeared in an attack ad for the group in 2004. Day said of John Kerry’s military service: "My view is he basically will go down in history sometime as the Benedict Arnold of 1971."

So far John McCain is following in Bush & Cheney's footsteps true to form by using terms like "truth" in the name of a group whose purpose may after all be set up to disseminate lies.

Why else would he hire a former Swift Boat Veterns for Truth member as part of his own "Truth" group? Might at well call McCain's "Truth Squad" by a more accurate name: how about "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Part II?"

Lastly, and true to form, John McCain seems to lack any sense of the irony that he formed this group to respond to those who might call into question his military career... by retaining the services of someone who ran one of the most famous and widely condemned attacks on military service we've seen in modern political history.

Forum on Race: Affirmative Acts, by June Jordan

D. Tree — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:40:13 EDT

My contribution to this Friday's Forum on Race will be mostly be in the form of book recommendations. Click here to see my first recommendation, The Hip-hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African Amerian Culture, and Click Here to see my second recommendation, 2 Great Books by 2 Great Rappers.

In this next recommendation, I would like to suggest a book that incorporates contemporary feminism and ethnic studies into a coherent single vision - celebrated author June Jordan's Affirmative Acts:

In this collection of short essays, June Jordan reflects on the connections between gender and ethnicity, and posits questions that deal with topics as varied as politics, race relations, the intersections between activism and passion, women's health care, and affirmative-action debates.

I highly recommend this book if you are interested in reading about these many issues and how they connect with each other. This book is really for people who are not uncomfortable discussing gay rights, sexuality, race, and religion all at the same time. Jordan's writing will swing from subjects like Mike Tyson and OJ Simpson, to passionate, sometimes unexpected, and often irreverent debates on gay rights. Above all else, this book is most certainly informative on the topic of race and I guarantee you will be surprised at how she connects race with gender and sexuality.

Forum on Race: 2 Great Books by 2 Great Rappers

D. Tree — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:39:52 EDT

My contribution to this Friday's Forum on Race will be mostly be in the form of book recommendations. Click here to see my first recommendation, The Hip-hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture

In this next set of books, I would like to recommend to completely different books with wildly different perspectives. What makes me pair them together? They are written by two of the most prolific and seminal rappers of our time: Fight the Power, Rap, Race and Reality, by Chuck D from Public Enemy - and Ruminations by KRS-One.

Each book goes into the very personal and interesting background stories of each of these artists, but while their individual experiences may be similar in ways, their prescriptions for the future could not be more different.

For example, Chuck D devotes a chapter to the notion of reparations and comes out in favor of the idea (and even provides some math to illustrate how much such a thing might cost), while KRS-One also devotes a chapter to reparations but speaks out against the idea - and you might be surprised at the reasons why.... (but I can't give that part away, you have to read it yourself to see why).

I highly recommend both these books for anyone interested in the topic of race, politics, and our cultural landscape in america. I especially recommend reading these two books as a way of informing yourselves about the very different perspectives, and the debate on the issue of reparations from within the black community.

Forum on Race: The Hip-Hop Generation

D. Tree — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:05:01 EDT

My primary contribution to this Friday's Forum on Race will be in the form of book recommendations.

Like the saying goes, never discuss politics at the dinner table, the same could be said of discussing race in politics.

But today is about breaking those taboos and - I hope - creating a safe environment where people can express their views frankly, and in a spirit of unity. We need to be sure that we are on the same page when discussing these issues.

That said, the books I am going to recommend I have read myself and found both illuminating and surprising. If the topic of race and politics in America is interesting to you - for negative OR positive reasons - then I believe you owe it to yourself and to the people you engage with to be informed in as many ways as you can about the topic.

The first book I would like to recommend is The Hip-hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture, by Bakari Kitwana.

In recent debates here on Partybuilder, I have often seen references to "young blacks" and "hip-hoppers." This book delves into the public policies and cultural psychologies of those born between 1965 and 1985.

In this book, author Bakari Kitwana does a brilliant job of laying out compelling and well-researched evidence of racially biased laws, as well as looking frankly at cultural issues like misogyny and self-perception.

Kitwana has also done extensive research on underground economies, and generational differences between those who grew up under the banner of Civil Rights, and those people who grew up in a post civil rights generation.

The book concludes with an eye-opening discussion on the changing forms of activism in a post-civil rights era, and devotes the final chapter to showcasing Hip-hop generation activists and the novel approaches they are using to help our culture progress.

This is en eye-opening book, and may change the way you look at everything from republicans to crack cocaine. It is a must-read for anyone interested in how youth culture - and hip-hop culture in particular - factor into larger cultural issues of economics, class, gender, and race.

Welfare to Work: Myths

D. Tree — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:57:44 EDT

My fellow Democrats,

Since social justice is an integral part of our party platform, and in the interest of making sure we are all armed with accurate information about public safety net programs like welfare, I thought I'd post this reference sheet from the American Psychological Association:

Myth: Poverty Results From a Lack of Responsibility

Fact: Poverty Results From Low Wages

Myth: A Huge Chunk of My Tax Dollars Supports Welfare Recipients

Fact: Welfare Costs 1 Percent of the Federal Budget

Myth: People on Welfare Become Permanently Dependent on the Support

Fact: Movement off Welfare Rolls Is Frequent

Myth: Most Welfare Recipients Are African American Women

Fact: Most Welfare Recipients Are Children-Most Women on Welfare Are White

Myth: Welfare Encourages Out-of- Wedlock Births and Large Families

Fact: The Average Welfare Family Is No Bigger Than the Average Nonwelfare Family

Myth: Welfare Families Use Their Benefits to Fund Extravagance

Fact: Welfare Families Live Far Below the Poverty Line

Finally, the APA goes further to suggest some recommendations for making the family safety net called "welfare" a more successful program:

1. Federal and state agencies should provide newspapers and other media with accurate information about welfare recipients and programs, including information on welfare reform.

2. Jobs need to pay better than welfare. Rather than focusing on welfare time limits, policy action at the state and federal levels must address reforming the low-wage labor market by raising wages and increasing the ability of low-wage workers to join unions and bargain collectively.

3. Public and private agencies should collaborate more effectively to promote and increase employment opportunities for women, especially of hard-to-place women.

4. States should provide training for case managers and other appropriate personnel to advocate for, support, and follow up with clients in ways that are not adversarial or punitive during their job search process.

5. States and federal agencies should fund and conduct research on the impact of the transition of mothers to work on the mother and the family and on what strategies best promote most positive outcomes for the mothers and their families.

6. States should require and fund formative and summative evaluations of proposed programs.

Thank you for your time and for all that you are doing to help us win in November!

Best,
D. Tree

re: Upcoming Discussion on Race & Politics

D. Tree — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:33:24 EDT

Dear fellow Democrats (and likeminded Independents and Republicans):

I don't usually write posts like this on the front page, but I understand PB members plan to hold a forum on race and politics this Friday night.

For those who will be participating, I applaud your effort and willingness to participate in this forum, and I wish you all the best for a productive discussion.

I would like to suggest that anyone interested in these issues post their blogs to the Ending Racism group on Partybuilder.

This group is a moderated group with the goal of becoming a repository of on-topic information on racism, and to some extent sexism (because the two are connected).

For those interested in learning more about the group, here is the mission statement:

Racism is alive and well in our great land. It is vitally important for us to face the reality of racism in America if we are to succeed as a nation. Many citizens feel uncomfortable discussing this issue, and most prefer to ignore it. But we cannot continue to run from slavery and the Civil War and their echoes in our present. Post blogs that deal with the issue of racism and how to overcome it here.

Thanks again to all - both Hillary supporters and Barack supporters (and everyone in between) - for your hard work in getting us all on the same page when it comes to these issues.

We have along fight ahead of us, and no doubt the GOP will use very trick in the book against us. If we are not on the same page about what certain terms mean, and why they are used, we will be too busy fighting with each other to notice John McCain sneaking into the Whitehouse through the back door.

Again, thanks for all that you do and best wishes.

D. Tree

Obama Leads in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania

D. Tree — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:42:40 EDT

Good day fellow Democrats, I thought I would share this encouraging Quinnipiac University poll data that shows Barack Obama leading John McCain in three battleground states:

I encourage you to check out the article because there are some surprising trends in the statistics they present. For example in Pennsylvania,

Sen. Obama a solid lead of 52% to 40%. The Democrat dominates among women, 57% to 34%, but Sen. McCain leads among men. Among white voters, Sen. Obama leads by a narrow margin, 47% to 44%.

It's still early to predict how any of these trends will play out - and we all know how polls can be skewed in so many different ways they should not be thought of as the only indicators in an election.

But if trends continue the way they have been, things are looking good for the Democratic Party. By most accounts, the new electoral map indicates a strong likelihood of a landslide for the winning candidate. Let's all work together to make sure that winning candidate is a Democrat!

Thanks for all that you do,
D. Tree

U.S. Major General: Bush Admin "Committed War Crimes"

D. Tree — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:03:27 EDT

As if it wasn't bad enough that Bush & Cheney have committed multiple crimes against our constitution, a new report released by Physicians for Human Rights found "clear" evidence of torture on terrorism suspects:

Former terrorist suspects detained by the United States were tortured, according to medical examinations detailed in a report released Wednesday by a human rights group.
...

The detainees were never charged with crimes.

In a 121-page report, the doctors' group said that it uncovered medical evidence of torture, including beatings, electric shock, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, sodomy and scores of other abuses.

The report is prefaced by retired U.S. Major Gen. Antonio Taguba, who led the Army's investigation into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in 2003.

"There is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes," Taguba says. "The only question is whether those who ordered torture will be held to account."

George Bush and Dick Cheney have perverted our constitution, and have soiled America's reputation as a beacon for liberty and human rights.

Today, I mourn for my country.

How dare you Mr. Bush. How dare you take these innocent people and torture them for years on end without charging them with a crime.

You have made our country less safe with your irresponsible and reprehensible actions. It will take us years to undo the damage you have caused to our nation; but even if it takes years to convict you of the crimes you are surely guilty of, Mr. President, rest assured justice WILL find you.

That these men were released without ever being charged with a crime is perhaps the most condemning thing of all, Mr. Bush. You are a disgrace to the office of the president.

I am speechless, except to say this to you Mr. President. In the words of Bob Dylan:

But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

(Click "Read More" for the complete lyrics)

Obama Delivers Powerful Father's Day Message

D. Tree — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 18:19:16 EDT

The Obama family celebrated Father's Day together, attending services at Chicago's Apostolic Church of God.

Obama delivered a speech on fatherhood from the pulpit, and he didn't shy away from confronting difficult issues

"Too many fathers are also missing. Too many fathers are MIA. Too many fathers are AWOL. Missing from too many lives and too many homes. They've abandoned their responsibilities, they're acting like boys instead of men, and the foundations of our family have suffered because of it. You know and I know this is true everywhere, but nowhere is it more true than in the African American community," he said, delivering his straight-talking message to the African American congregation.

Obama continued, showing his commitment to confronting problems directly with honest solutions

"We can't simply write these problems off to past injustices. Those injustices are real. There's a reason why our families are just in disrepair, and some of it has to do with a tragic history, but we can't keep on using that as an excuse."

We need to be honest with ourselves if we are to rally together around the common causes of our time. Showing himself as the unconventional democrat that he is, Obama said it's not just government that we need to look toward to solve our problems, we must also look to ourselves

He recognized that the government has to change in order to improve the economy and schools, which is why he's running for president. But, he added, "The change we need is not just gonna come from government. It's not just gonna come from a president. It's gonna come from us. It's gonna come from each and every one of us. We need families to raise our children. We need fathers to recognize that responsibility just doesn't end at conception. That doesn't just make you a father. What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."

A powerful Father's Day message indeed.

Best,
D. Tree

(and in case you missed my morning post about Barack Obama being named "Father of the Year" click here to check it out).

Barack Obama, Father of the Year

D. Tree — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:23:36 EDT

As a Democrat who grew up without a father, I usually spend Father's Day giving a second tribute to my mom - who raised me, my two brothers and my sister by herself.

At the same time, being raised in a single parent family, helps me identify with Barack Obama, who was also raised by a single mother.

But throughout my life I have still sought out male role-models and father figures; to learn from, and to rely on when I needed some "fatherly" advice.

It could be teachers, bosses, or friend's fathers. So even as being raised by a single mother gave me the strongest regard for the strength and equality of women, I was still able to find male role models - even of my own father was not one of them.

But this Father's Day is a little different. While walking through my neighborhood, I picked up the current copy of Rolling Out magazine, which gave this tribute to Barack Obama, "Father of the Year":

The junior senator form Illinois is now head of the Democratic house, and thereby shoulders the burdens, responsibilities, and aspirations for the entire political family - And for a large segment of the American populace.

Like a good and competent father, Obama exemplifies leadership and positive paternal attributes by giving Americans a reason to hope and a promise that things will change for the better.

As he continues to traverse the nation, receiving rock-star treatment wherever he goes, Obama has given stern lectures about a wayward government and what he plans to do to turn it around.

He has admonished his contemporaries and adversaries to eschew the politics of divisiveness in place of the spirit of cooperation and inclusiveness. He has implored his fellow citizens to actively participate in the country's campaign to reverse its perilous course. And, as we have seen thus far, the country has responded with unadulterated enthusiasm.

So on this Father's Day I will for the first time in my life give tribute to a father: our Democrat nominee for president Barack Obama, who throughout the tortuous primary never missed a single birthday or parent-teacher conference for his two daughters.

Wish I had a dad like you Barack! But through your example, may we see more good dads in the future. I hope you enjoy this day with your 2 wonderful children.

Best,
D. Tree

Obama's Plan Would Create 5 Million New Green Energy Jobs

D. Tree — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:51:43 EDT

Before helping to fill sandbags in a part of Illinois hit by flooding, Barack Obama travelled to Wayne, Pennsylvania where he layed out his energy and tax plans:

According to his campaign, Obama wants to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to establish a green energy sector; create a national low-carbon fuel standard to ensure that the fuel is more efficient, and invest in clean energies like solar, wind and biodiesel.

That, according to the campaign, would create up to 5 million new green energy jobs.

Barack Obama's economic plans will also make taxes more fair, so CEO's aren't paying less than working families and seniors.

And on taxes, Obama blasted the McCain campaign for painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal.
...
Obama said his tax plan would give "every middle-class family a $1,000 tax cut." In addition, his plan aims to eliminate income taxes for seniors who make less than $50,000 a year.

Barack Obama plans to reinvest in America by putting our resources into new green energy industries. In doing so we'll help break our addiction to foreign oil, *and* we'll create millions of new jobs right here in America.

We have an opportunity to become leaders in this new industry. Starting a new green economy in America has the potential to reverse the threat of everything from terrorism to job outsourcing and trade deficits - and if we make this modest start now, we can eventually achieve so much!

And remember, when someone says we are trying to raise taxes, you might consider saying no, we want to make them fair again. CEO's should not pay less taxes than their secretaries. If you love America, you'll agree we must all contribute, not just the working class.

McCain: "Hell, yeah" Cheney would be good in my administration

D. Tree — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:12:26 EDT

John McCain digs himself deeper into third Bush/Cheney term.

This was reported a few days ago, but it keeps echoing in my mind as I see John McCain try to present himself as an independent Republican.

Thinkprogress reported that John McCain would've considered Dick Cheney for a post in his administration:

Asked whether he’d be interested in Cheney had the vice president not already have served under Bush for two terms, McCain said: "I don’t know if I would want him as vice president. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah."

In other words, when John McCain says "He and I have the same strengths," we should understand that to mean electing John McCain president would be like electing Dick Cheney president

Just. Like. Cheney.

Can America handle a Dick Cheney as president, after nearly 8 years of misery under this one? My fellow Democrats, we must do everything we can to keep this man from winning the Whitehouse in November.

We need to unite around this common cause: defeating the Republicans and electing a Democrat president.

McCain is tricky, he tries to show independence from his Republican masters. But he voted with Bush 100% of the time, and now that he's the GOP nominee we can expect him to tow the party line - no matter how much he makes America suffer in the process.

Our country cannot afford 4 more years of Bush/Cheney policies, in the guise of John McCain.

This year the American people have presented us with an unprecedented mandate for change. Let us take this gift and use it together to win our government back for the American people, so we can enact our progressive vision for the future.

Thank you,
D. Tree

Barack Obama: Stronger Foreign Policy

D. Tree — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:23:36 EDT

As several major news organizations have reported today, the policies of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama inspire more confidence around the world than those of Republican John McCain.

Thinkprogress even published this handy graph comparing approval ratings from the U.S. and 23 of our major allies:

The Pew Report also noted there is "a widespread belief that U.S. foreign policy 'will change for the better' after the inauguration of a new American president next year"

After almost 8 years of disastrous foreign policy from neoconservative Republicans, it is time for us to repair our broken alliances around the world. Clearly, the global community trusts a Democrat more than a Republican.

Do we want more of the same failed Bush/Cheney policies, or do we want to return to the intelligent policies of Democrats - policies that reduced international terrorism and increased prosperity both in the U.S. and around the world?

This November, our choices will be distinctly clear: Vote for John McCain if you want more of the same; however, if you are tired of the dishonesty and failures of the Republican party, Barack Obama is ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter in American and international prosperity.

LA Times: Obama Leads Latino Vote

D. Tree — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 10:49:46 EDT

The LA Times reports that Barack Obama is favored by up to 62% of Latino voters:

...there are signs that Obama begins the general election battle for Latinos with significant advantages.

A new Gallup Poll summary of surveys taken in May shows Obama winning 62% of Latino registered voters nationwide, compared with just 29% for McCain. Others have found a wide gap as well. The pro-Democratic group Democracy Corps compiled surveys from March through May that showed Obama with a 19-point lead among Latinos. And a Times poll published last month showed Obama leading McCain among California Latinos by 14 points.

Obama's early strength among the latino electorate is troubling to GOP officials. With John McCain's name recognition, and the fact that Obama is still relatively unknown, republicans thought the Latino vote might be a way for them to gain some leverage in an election they already feared losing.

Republicans say McCain's numbers among Latinos at the moment are disappointing -- far below the goals set by a campaign that has long believed McCain could challenge the traditional Democratic dominance of the Latino electorate.
...
"If the McCain people don't realize they need to beef up that operation, then clearly he's not going to be president," said Robert de Posada, a Republican consultant on Latino politics.

It looks like that avenue is not going to work out for the Republicans after all. Especially now that John McCain has flip-flopped on his position regarding comprehensive immigration reform.

As the general election gets into full swing, John McCain will be forced to flip-flop even more in his effort to pander to right-wing voters. At the same time, he will attempt to position himself as a "moderate" in order to appeal to disaffected Democrats and independents.

But there is a problem for McCain with that strategy: the more he tries to cast himself as a "centrist," the more he loses the base he desperately needs if he is going to stand a chance at all - and the more he panders to that base with goals like overturning Row v. Wade, the more he shows himself to be a characterless political opportunist, who will say and do anything his advisers ask of him.

Just who is this guy John McCain anyway, and why has he flip-flopped on so many long-held positions? Authenticity is the key to winning elections, and John McCain is in short supply this time around.

Simply put: trying to pander to the right-wing and appear as a political "moderate" at the same time puts John McCain is in a lose/lose situation, and there is really nothing he can to do win this one. It is a good day indeed to be a Democrat.

Best,
D. Tree

Obama's Support Among Women Jumps 13%

D. Tree — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:01:22 EDT

Only one week after presidential contender Hillary Clinton endorsed Barack Obama, support among female voters has jumped 13 points.

Barack Obama has picked up the female vote over likely GOP foe John McCain in the U.S. presidential race, a Gallup poll indicated.
...
Obama's lead among women grew from 5 percentage points to 13, while his deficit among men has shrunk from 6 points to 2.

The poll data is based on Gallup Poll Daily interviews given the week before Obama secured the nomination and in the week following Clinton's endorsement.

The article continues,

Since Clinton suspended her campaign, older women's vote preferences shifted toward Obama, as did support among women ages 18-49 and married women.

So while some may try to scare you with talk of leaving the party, supporting McCain, or simply "doing anything to stop Obama from being elected", early signs are clear: Democrats look set to support Obama.

This is only 1 week after Clinton conceded the nomination. Just wait until November, when most people have forgotten the nasty primary fight and are focused on winning the presidency for Democrats.

In closing, let us recall what Hillary Clinton said as she turned her support to Barack Obama:

Just think how much more progress we could have made over the past 40 years if we'd 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 have come, how much we could have 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.

The time is now, and the American people realize this election is too important to throw away - we will not be divided, nor will we be distracted by those who wish to hurt our chances to win the white house back in November.

Democrats will win, and we will usher in a new era of prosperity and security for the generations to come.

In Unity,
D. Tree

Why Do Women Give McCain a "Zero?"

D. Tree — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:08:41 EDT

John McCain was never a defender of women's rights.

After all, year after year both NARAL and Planned Parenthood have consistently given him a zero rating when it comes to women's rights.

But now that he's is the republican nominee for president, McCain's going a step further and enthusiastically embracing the medieval gender policies of George W. Bush.

For example, McCain has flip-flopped on Roe v. Wade, and now supports the immediate overturning of the landmark women's rights case..

But it doesn't end there. Check out The Real McCain, a new website devoted to exposing the lies and half-truths in John McCain's campaign.

These short videos titled "McCain Women's Clinic" by Brave New Films, imagine how the future might look for women in America, should John McCain be elected president (click the images to watch parts 1, 2, and 3):

On one hand, we have the Democrat nominee, who has received a 100% rating from NARAL. And on the other hand, we have the Republican nominee, who not only received a big fat ZERO, he also wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

One wants us to move forward together in common purpose, while the other wants to divide us and drag us back to the dark ages.

As citizens, the choice is in our hands. In a year when candidates like Hillary Clinton opened so many doors and broke down so many barriers, let us not turn away from this progress. Let us honor Hillary's sacrifices and accomplishments by making sure the doors she opened will never be closed again.

And the way to do that to do that, my friends, is to elect a Democrat for president in November!

Top Republican: McCain will be "Extension" of Bush

D. Tree — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:49:37 EDT

In a widely-ridiculed speech last Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) noted that "you will hear from my opponent's campaign in every speech, every interview, every press release that I'm running for President Bush's third term."

As Thinkprogress reports, those in McCain's inner circle have no confusion that McCain will indeed represent third term of Bush:

Today on ABC's This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated unequivocally that McCain's tax and health care policies were not only an extension of Bush's polices but also an "enhancement":

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me bring Senator Graham back in on this because you brought up two. You said the tax policy and the health care policy were essentially, Senator Graham, John McCain is calling for an extension or maybe enhancement of the Bush policies.

GRAHAM: Yeah, absolutely.

Click Here to watch it.

As the general election campaign begins, it will be increasingly clear that John McCain is the choice for those few Americans who actually thrived under Bush and Cheney, and for Americans who want more of the same failed Republican ideas.

Republicans may tell it differently in order to persuade voters, but amongst themselves, and in their closed door fundraisers, GOP operatives are clear: they want to continue more of the same failed policies.