BARACK OBAMA IS NOW THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Source: The Obama Campaign Website

Senator Hillary Clinton Addresses the Democratic National Convention

Senator Hillary Clinton Addresses the Democratic National ConventionWednesday, August 27, 2008 at 12:24 AM

"Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our President." - Hillary Clinton

Senator Hillary Clinton took to the podium tonight and delivered a resounding speech to the assembled delegates and to Americans across the nation. As one of the most groundbreaking candidates ever to run for the Presidency, Senator Clinton has inspired millions of women and men with her unyielding commitment to the causes that we all care so deeply about. And tonight, she left no doubt about what we all must do to face the challenges ahead of us: unite behind Barack Obama and present a fully unified Democratic Party to the country and the world.

Senator Clinton's speech was a stirring reminder that presidential campaigns are not about a single person, but about the power of what people can do when they come together to unite for change:

I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?

It really was an incredible moment for our party and for America. If you missed it, check out this video of her address:

Barack believes that if we come together, and work together, we can build the world as it should be.

In the world as it should be:

We work together to repeal laws like DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell, and we oppose divisive constitutional amendments that would strip civil rights and benefits away from LGBT Americans--because discrimination has no place in a nation founded on the promise of equality.

Anyone willing to put in an honest day's work can make a good living and support their family--and employers are held accountable for discrimination against LGBT Americans.

The federal government fully protects all of us--including LGBT Americans--against hate crimes.

In the world as it should be, we recognize that equality in relationship, family, and adoption rights isn't an abstract principle, but goes directly to whether all Americans can lead lives of dignity and freedom.

Joe Biden made his first campaign appearance as the Democratic vice presidential nominee earlier today, joining Michelle Obama, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire, and Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner at an Economic Roundtable. Biden talked directly and bluntly about issues like the Supreme Court, taxes and health care, explaining:

My dad used to have an expression. He'd say 'Don't tell me what you value, show me your budget and I will tell you what you value.' ... This is not something that is beyond our reach. It's all about what your priorities are.

You know, I spent 20 years in business. If you ran a company whose only strategy was to tear down the competition, it wouldn't last long. So why is this wisdom so hard to find in Washington? I know we're at the Democratic Convention, but if an idea works, it really doesn't matter if it has an "R" or "D" next to it. Because this election isn't about liberal versus conservative. It's not about left versus right. It's about the future versus the past.

Mark Warner, the former governor of Virginia and 2008 Democratic nominee for the United States Senate, delivered the keynote address tonight, the second night of the Democratic National Convention.

Warner knows a thing or two about change. As he shared in his speech, during his tenure as governor of Virginia, Warner inherited a dire state budget shortfall. Warner worked with the heavily Republican legislature to close the budget gap. Under his leadership, Virginia was named the best-managed states in the nation. The state made record investments in education, innovation, and job training and got 98 percent of Virginia children who were eligible enrolled in the children's health care program.

Warner shares Barack's vision for change and commitment to working together to solve the problems we face. Check out pictures from Warner's speech below:

Crossposted From MyBo Daily FOS

Are you satisfied with paying $100.00 a week to fill up your gas tank  ?

Are you complacent in the uncertainty of your future and that of your children?

Are you proud of the job our nations lobbyists and special interests are doing in Washington DC?

Do you enjoy playing Russian Roulette with your health by staying uninsured  ?

Do you enjoy walking past homeless Iraq and Afghanistan War Vets on the street ?

Do you enjoy choosing between filling a drug prescription and eating a decent meal ?

Are you happy with the way FEMA responds to natural disasters here in America ?

Are you happy with the poor Education your children are getting ?

Are you happy that your Social Security Benefits are at risk ?

Then , this November  , show your pride in incompetency and vote for the one true candidate that has promised to keep your life running exactly as it is.

John Mc Cain : Putting Incompetence First

Crossposted From MyBo Daily F.O.S.

Source: USA Today

SNIP:

1. True believers: 30% of the electorate

Nearly one-third of those surveyed could be called the true believers of this campaign.

They're excited about the election, sure of their choice and unfavorably inclined toward the other guy. They see the stakes as high: Two-thirds say the election will make a great deal of difference to them and their families, the most of any voter group. Eight of 10 feel more enthusiastic than usual about voting this year.

John McCain has some support among this group of the year's most intense voters, but Barack Obama has more. By 2-1, such voters back the Democrat.

This group includes the highest percentage of women, African Americans and liberals — the sort of voters who fueled record turnout in a string of Democratic primaries this year. They express the most concern that McCain will pursue policies similar to those of President Bush, and they give the former Navy fighter pilot the lowest rating as a potential commander in chief.

"I know who I'm going to vote for," Renee Prigmore-Onwu, an Obama supporter from Nashville, says firmly. She works as a child care provider. Her biggest issue is the struggle to make ends meet for her and her three children, ages 16, 11 and 9. "Gas prices plus the cost of food — everything's going up except wages," she says.

Prigmore-Onwu, 46, has watched the campaign closely, supporting New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton during the Democratic primaries but now loyal to Obama.

"A black man running for president — this has been a long time coming," she says.

"Then of course Hillary Clinton being a woman as well — it made history."

2. Fired up & favorable: 14% of the electorate

Like the "true believers," voters in the second group are overwhelmingly more enthusiastic than usual about voting. Unlike the first group, though, nearly all of them view McCain and Obama favorably.

Members of this group have been the face of Obama's primary campaign: They have the lowest average age — a third are younger than 35 — and the highest average income. More of them have a college education than any other group.

They're confident in the ability of either candidate to handle the Oval Office — the least likely to worry about whether Obama has enough experience to be president, for instance, and the most likely to rate both Obama and McCain as capable of serving as commander in chief.

That would seem to make them a swing group, but voters in this category say their minds are settled. By nearly 2-1, they support Obama.

Daniel Seagull, 33, a middle-school science teacher from South Glastonbury, Conn., admires McCain for his days as a Republican maverick.

"You knew where he stood and if you didn't like it, too bad," he says. He's solidly for Obama, though, drawn by a message during the primaries that Seagull shorthands as " 'change, change, change' and 'yes we can.' "

In recent weeks, he's been disappointed in each candidate. "It's become the same old story that you see in every election, with the candidates attacking each other and 'blah, blah, blah,' " he says, fretting Obama has become a "play-it-safe" candidate.

Even so, Seagull has a suggestion if Obama becomes president. "Idealistically, if we took one day's worth of spending on the Iraq war and put it toward a Manhattan Project for alternative energy, I would think we could get pretty far," he says.

3. Firmly decided: 12% of the electorate

In a year when many Democrats are keyed up and Republicans discouraged, this group isn't the norm. Nearly eight in 10 say their level of enthusiasm about voting is "about the same as usual." A small fraction of any other group reports seeing this year's campaign as business as usual.

These voters tend to have higher incomes and be older than the average, and they include the highest percentage of registered voters. More than a third hold post-graduate degrees.

Although they are closely divided — 50% for McCain, 48% for Obama — few swing voters are in this group. Almost all of them say they have made up their minds about their vote.

Diana Sparklin's choice is McCain, though she's not convinced he'll succeed enough to win a second term, assuming he manages to win a first. "I feel safer" with the Arizona senator, she says. "I feel he's older and more experienced, and he has some war experience background."

Sparklin, 69, retired to Lady Lake in central Florida 3½ years ago after working as a specialist on foreign patent applications for a law firm in Wilmington, Del. For her, global issues such as climate change, turmoil in Africa and conflict in the Middle East are major concerns.

Obama's relative lack of experience and his association with Jeremiah Wright, whose sermons blasting the United States for racism caused controversy, give her pause. "You just don't separate on a verbal basis" from a longtime pastor, she says of Obama. "I'm afraid he has taken (Wright's views) in his mind."

4. Up for grabs: 18% of the electorate

These voters are squarely in the middle. They tend to have favorable views of both candidates and are the most likely to say either would make a good president, but they aren't yet settled in their choice. They aren't paying as much attention to the campaign as the most engaged voters in the first two groups, but they're also not as disenchanted as those in the last two groups.

One in four of those in this group say they're undecided about whom to support, and the rest say they might change their mind before Election Day.

This battleground group has a GOP tilt. It includes the highest percentage of whites of any group and more of those who attend church every week. McCain needs to make major inroads with them to offset Obama's edge among other voters.

Stephanie Clemens cast her first presidential vote for Bush in 2004. This year, the 23-year-old student from Chico, Calif., sees a lot to like in both contenders. McCain "has strong leadership and he seems like an approachable person," she says. She admires Obama's idea of "a change, something different." She can't think of anything she doesn't like about either one.

She does have definite views about which issues matter most to her. She's studying at California State University-Chico and considering a career in human resources management or event planning. "College tuition, health care, the economy, gas prices," she says, ticking them off. "These are things that affect my life."

5. Skeptical & downbeat: 12% of the electorate

The election's most downbeat voters are the least enthusiastic about voting and skeptical about whether the election will make a difference for them and their families. They give Bush his lowest approval rating of any group.

They aren't excited about the contenders to succeed the president, either. Four in 10 haven't decided whom to support, by far the largest of any group, and the rest are open to changing their minds.

Voters in this group are older than average and the least likely to have a college education. It includes the highest percentage of those who live in small towns and rural areas.

They favor McCain over Obama by 11 percentage points, but can he persuade more of them to support him — and then turn out to vote?

Joe Heiser, 49, a steelworker from Pittsburgh and an independent, has qualms about both candidates. McCain "might be a little bit too old" for the job, he worries. Obama "has more passion as to what he's trying to achieve," but Heiser wonders whether he'll be able to deliver on his promises. Most politicians don't, he says.

Heiser's biggest concerns are economic, "health care for the elderly and the way things are rising in costs." He's concerned about securing U.S. borders and resolving the Iraq war. His expectations that anything will change are low, however, one reason he questions whether it really matters who wins.

"I'm not too excited about it," he says. "It turns out to be the same, no matter who is in there."

6. Decided but dissatisfied: 16% of the electorate

Don't tell voters in this group that elections matter: Not one of them says the campaign outcome will make much difference to them or their families. By 2-1, they are less enthusiastic than usual about voting. Still, in contrast to the previous "skeptical and downbeat" group, all of these voters say their minds are firmly made up.

They include the highest percentage of conservatives and Republicans of any group, and they give Bush his highest job-approval rating, albeit still just 37%. This group is the least likely to see the Iraq war as a mistake, although 51% say that it was.

That underscores a quandary for McCain. The groups that clearly favor the Arizona senator are the two final ones. One gives Bush his highest rating, the other his lowest. One group has the fewest members who say invading Iraq was a mistake; the other has the most. Bridging that divide and building support from both groups could be a challenge, especially when it comes to calibrating how closely to embrace Bush.

National security concerns drive the "decided but dissatisfied" voters. It is the only group in which a majority favors a candidate whose strength is protecting the country from terrorism rather than fixing the economy, and the only group in which a majority doubts Obama can handle the responsibilities of commander in chief. This group is McCain's base, the only one in which his support tops 50%.

David McLen, 53, from a town north of Houston called Spring, admires McCain's military service but worries that he's not really a conservative. Obama, though, is "to the left of me on just about everything," says McLen, who works in the oil business, verifying land and mineral claims before drilling begins.

He supports more domestic exploration of oil, is concerned about the economy and illegal immigration and calls security issues "very important," though he's come to question the war. "What are we doing there, and when will we leave?" he asks.

In the Republican primaries, McLen preferred nearly every GOP presidential contender over McCain. He voted for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the Texas primary, liked former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and was intrigued by some of what Texas Rep. Ron Paul had to say.

"I don't think either of these candidates are evil," McLen says of McCain and Obama, "but to use the cliché, I'm choosing the lesser of two evils."

 Register to vote, and send Voltage to play at the Democratic National Convention.  We have songs that are perfect for the event already written, and I am already the number one democrat at the DNC.

"OKAY, RALLY ROUND CHILRENS , RALLY ROUND AND LISSEN"

Source: Huffington Post

Snip: ** UPDATE BELOW: OBAMA CAMPAIGN REJECTS AP REPORT **

UPDATE: An Obama campaign official told the Huffington Post that the AP's claims about Obama allowing hiring or firing based on faith are false. From a portion of Obama's speech today:

"Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don't believe this partnership will endanger that idea - so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we'll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work."

The Politico, meanwhile, describes Obama's new plan not as an expansion of Bush's Faith-Based Initiative, but as an effort to tear down what Bush created and establish a new program with a new set of goals:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) slammed President Bush's faith-based program as "a photo-op" and a failure on Tuesday, and said he will scrap the office and create a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that would be a "critical" part of his administration.

Obama, unveiling a plan to overhaul and expand Bush's faith-based program during remarks at a community ministry in Zanesville, Ohio, said the White House Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives - which Bush founded during his second week in office - "never fulfilled its promise." [...]

Reaching out to evangelicals who are non-plussed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Obama declared: "I still believe it's a good idea to have a partnership between the White House and grassroots groups, both faith-based and secular. But it has to be a real partnership - not a photo-op. That's what it will be when I'm President. I'll establish a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships."

"The new name will reflect a new commitment," he continued. "This Council will not just be another name on the White House organization chart - it will be a critical part of my administration."

"OKAY, RALLY ROUND CHILRENS , RALLY ROUND AND LISSEN"

Source: Huffington Post

Snip: ** UPDATE BELOW: OBAMA CAMPAIGN REJECTS AP REPORT **

UPDATE: An Obama campaign official told the Huffington Post that the AP's claims about Obama allowing hiring or firing based on faith are false. From a portion of Obama's speech today:

"Now, make no mistake, as someone who used to teach constitutional law, I believe deeply in the separation of church and state, but I don't believe this partnership will endanger that idea - so long as we follow a few basic principles. First, if you get a federal grant, you can't use that grant money to proselytize to the people you help and you can't discriminate against them - or against the people you hire - on the basis of their religion. Second, federal dollars that go directly to churches, temples, and mosques can only be used on secular programs. And we'll also ensure that taxpayer dollars only go to those programs that actually work."

The Politico, meanwhile, describes Obama's new plan not as an expansion of Bush's Faith-Based Initiative, but as an effort to tear down what Bush created and establish a new program with a new set of goals:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) slammed President Bush's faith-based program as "a photo-op" and a failure on Tuesday, and said he will scrap the office and create a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that would be a "critical" part of his administration.

Obama, unveiling a plan to overhaul and expand Bush's faith-based program during remarks at a community ministry in Zanesville, Ohio, said the White House Office of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives - which Bush founded during his second week in office - "never fulfilled its promise." [...]

Reaching out to evangelicals who are non-plussed by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Obama declared: "I still believe it's a good idea to have a partnership between the White House and grassroots groups, both faith-based and secular. But it has to be a real partnership - not a photo-op. That's what it will be when I'm President. I'll establish a new Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships."

"The new name will reflect a new commitment," he continued. "This Council will not just be another name on the White House organization chart - it will be a critical part of my administration."

SOURCE: Associated Press

SNIP:

The presumed Democratic nominee, who was in Washington to speak to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, slipped into the facility shortly after 9 a.m. without stopping to speak to the small group of reporters who follow him. The visit wasn't on his public schedule.

Obama has criticized the Bush administration for its treatment of veterans returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and has suggested Republican rival John McCain would continue Bush policies if elected.

The administration was roundly criticized last year after it was revealed that veterans at Walter Reed were housed in rundown accommodations and suffered neglectful care.

Obama has said the country has failed its veterans by allowing such "second-rate conditions," by not giving troops enough time at home and not doing enough to support military families.

Source: Associated Press

"Barack believes that we must fight for the world as it should be, a world where together we work to reverse discriminatory laws," she said at a Manhattan fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council.

Michelle Obama also drew a connection between the struggles for gay rights and civil rights.

"We are all only here because of those who marched and bled and died, from Selma to Stonewall, in the pursuit of a more perfect union," she said at the event, held days before the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots between gays and New York police, and the city's annual gay pride parade.

"The world as it is should be one that rejects discrimination of all kinds," she said.

Touting her husband's record pushing for workplace discrimination legislation as an Illinois state senator and his support of civil unions, Obama noted her husband also had brought a call for equality to conservative groups, telling churchgoers they need to combat homophobia in the black community.

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – Michelle Obama says the country is closer than it's ever been to truly supporting working families, in large part because of her husband's former rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The wife of Sen. Barack Obama is campaigning in New Hampshire Thursday with former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who is running for U.S. Senate. Her visit comes a day before her husband returns to New Hampshire with Clinton for their first joint appearance since he clinched the Democratic presidential nomination.

Michelle Obama said because of Clinton's work the issues important to women and working families are front and center.

She said her husband will work to expand sick time and paid family leave, help parents afford child care and make sure women get equal pay.

SOURCE: CNN's Political Ticker

Cuz You Are Beautiful No Matter What They Say

Words Can't Bring You Down

You Are Beautiful In Every Single Way

Words Can't Bring You Down

Don't Let Them Bring You Down Today

1.5 MILLION STRONG DONORS.....And GROWING

You know, a wize man once said that it was better to stand your ground and take your licks , then cave and whine about it later . Barack Obama was right then and he's right now. I am glad he is not taking Public Financing and I'm glad John Mc Cain and his BBQ Picnic Pals in the Media are falling all over themselves trying to drum up some fake outrage. This just let's me know that they are all poopin bricks right now because we are gonna destroy John Mc Cain and all the down ticket G.O.P Toe Tappin Republicans this Fall.

Please Click On Extended (Read More)

Source: Obama For America HQ

Barack just concluded an economic policy speech in Raleigh, North Carolina. The speech marks the kick-off of a two week tour focusing on the current economic crisis and the need for new economic policy:

You don’t have to read the stock tickers or scan the headlines in the financial section to understand the seriousness of the situation we’re in right now. You just have to go to Pennsylvania and listen to the man who lost his job but can’t even afford the gas to drive around and look for a new one. Or listen to the woman from Iowa who works the night shift after a full day of class and still can’t pay the medical bills for a sister who’s ill. Or talk to the worker I met in Indiana who worked at the same plant his father worked at for thirty years until they moved it to Mexico and made the workers actually pack up the equipment themselves so they could send it to China.

... We did not arrive at the doorstep of our current economic crisis by some accident of history. This was not an inevitable part of the business cycle that was beyond our power to avoid. It was the logical conclusion of a tired and misguided philosophy that has dominated Washington for far too long.

Also on hand for the speech were John and Elizabeth Edwards:

Read the full text of Barack's prepared remarks . . .

SNIP:

More than the last two elections, the religious vote is up for grab between John McCain and Barack Obama. Recent problems from pastoral surrogates notwithstanding, McCain's frigid reception within the evangelical community and Obama's strong religious roots could combine to peel away a sizable number of voters from a presumed wing of the GOP base.

In case you hadn't heard, John McCain isn't exactly the dream candidate of evangelicals. As the general election gets underway, his camp faces the difficult task of courting his conservative base and alienating other voters:

SOURCE: (GREAT READ BTW)

HERE'S THE VIDEO IN CASE SOME OF YOU MISSED IT.