Richmond for Obama

From the battleground of VA...

BobVADemHawk — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:10:19 EST

Barack Obama and Joe Biden 1,313,103 49.56%

John McCain and Sarah Palin 1,308,123 49.37%

Precincts Reporting:
1,997 of 2,496 (80.00%)

Voter Turnout:
2,649,181 of 4,912,971 active voters (53.92%)
2,649,181 of 5,034,660 total voters (52.61%) Votes by County/City

https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2008/07261AFC-9ED3-410F-B07D-84D014AB2C6B/Unofficial/1_s.shtml

How's that for close. We're still waiting to hear from Richmond, Roanoke, and part of northern VA. VA will be close!

Congratulations to Senator-Elect Mark Warner!

The News from the battleground of VA.

BobVADemHawk — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:24:18 EST

VA is going to be closer than it looks. The weather forecast is for rain in the SE quadrant of the state. This is a big area for the Republicans due to the military population of Hampton Roads however, we're relying on heavy African-American turnout in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Newport News.

Along the I-95 corridor, where we Democrats enjoy the advantage, the forecast is for intermittent rain. While none of the projected precipitation for Election Day is expected to be severe, it may have an impact on voter turnout.

So where does that leave us? I stand by my original predicition from last week.

Obama 49%
McCain 47%
Nader 2%
Barr 1%
All others 1%

Senate:
Former Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA) 62%
Former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R-VA) 35%

House:
Dems +1

How far we've come

BobVADemHawk — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:00:33 EDT

I witnessed something today that made me incredibly proud. Something that gives me hope for a better tomorrow. Those events are few and far between these days.

My mother is seventy-nine years old and is from the coal camps of the great state of WV. She was still in diapers when the Great Depression started in 1929 and, needless to say,
her childhood consisted of a dirt-poor existence during the depression and World War Two. How these people made it through that is beyond me but it speaks volumes as to
the noble and enduring spirit of this generation of Americans. It is that spirit and perservernace that we should all aspire to.

My mother was an ardent supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) during the Democratic primary. She proudly casted her ballot for Sen. Clinton on 12FEB08 here in VA. When Sen. Clinton conceded, my mother was crushed and took her disappointment out on our nominee, Sen. Obama (D-IL). Furthermore, my mother is from a different
time. She had the old prejudices from a time that should be long forgotten but isn’t. It was the same reservations that Sen. Obama expressed about his ailing grandmother having. In fact, at the behest of my now decease father, she voted for Gov. George
Wallace (I-AL) in the 1968 election.

At first, she stated that she was going to vote for Sen. McCain (R-AZ) out of anger for the way she perceived that Sen. Clinton was treated. For all intents and purposes, she was a de facto PUMA without even knowing what a PUMA was. Slowly, she realized the error
of doing that. After all, people of her generation from WV believe in God, guns, coal, and Robert C. Byrd Democrats. She then thought of casting a write-in ballot for Sen. Clinton. Then she realized the futility of that.

Today, her absentee ballot came in the mail that we requested from VA Board of Elections. Her heart condition and athritis would not her stand in line for hours on Election Day. She stated she would miss the sense of community one feels when they’re standing in line with their neighbors to perform their second most important civic duty as Americans. The most important, of course, is to defend this nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. But today, I am proud to report that after much soul searching, and a bit campaigning from her only child, namely me, that my mother proudly cast her VA
Absentee Ballot for Senator Barack H. Obama, hopefully to be our forty-fourth President of the United States. And now all I can think about are the words of the great Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), “The hope still lives and the dream shall never die.”

What a tangled web she weaved...

BobVADemHawk — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:55:26 EDT

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Police say a campaign volunteer confessed to making up a story that a mugger attacked her and cut the letter B in her face after seeing her McCain bumper sticker; now she's facing charges.

At a news conference this afternoon, officials said they believe that Ashley Todd's injuries were self-inflicted.

Todd, 20, of Texas, is now facing charges for filing a false report to police.

Todd initially told police that she was robbed at an ATM in Bloomfield and that the suspect began beating her after seeing her GOP sticker on her car.

Police investigating the alleged attack, however, began to notice some inconsistencies in her story and administered a polygraph test.

Investigators asked Todd to return to the police station today for more questioning and to help them release a composite sketch of the suspect.

When she did, police say she admitted that she made the whole thing up and that it snowballed out of control.

Todd told investigators today that she "just wanted to tell the truth" â€" adding that she was neither robbed, nor attacked.

Todd told police that while she did not remember how the backward "B" got on her face, she may have done it herself since she was the only one in the car when she saw it.

According to police, Todd said she thought of Barack Obama when she saw the "B" in her rearview mirror.

Officials say they do not believe any other people were involved; and Todd's friends believed the story about the attack â€" encouraging her to call police.

Three More Weeks...

BobVADemHawk — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:36:07 EDT

Three weeks from now the first results from the east coast will be coming in. It'll still be early but, we should have a good sense as to what the night shall bring. We will either experience a win that'll give this great nation of ours a fighting chance or a crushing defeat that very well may doom our very existence.

Why do I bring up the spectre of defeat? One, I'm a Democrat; I'm used to it. Two, with all the polls showing we are pulling away we run the risk of voter apathy. If we get soft now, we run the risk of letting Sen. McCain making an epic comeback. He's already done it once in his party's primaries. Do not underestimate this man or his followers.

We must keep knocking on doors. We must keep manning the phone banks and making donations to the Obama campaign as well as all of the down ticket races. This is our last chance. Treat it as such.

Three more weeks, my fellow Democrats, three more weeks...

Four more weeks

BobVADemHawk — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:31:53 EDT

My fellow Democrats, like you, I am quite encouraged by all of the polling data we've seen in the past few weeks. Click on the "Read More" link for current polling data from ElecotralVote.com. I firmly believe that if the election were held today we'd clear 300 electoral votes easily. But the election is not today. It is four weeks from today. There are two more debates and, of course, the proverbial October Surprise to get through. And we all know that four weeks is a long time in the world of politics.

Please do not become complacent. Keep working at your local campaign offices. Keep making donations if and when you can. Sen. McCain (R-AZ) has not given up yet and we will not let up. This election is too important and we've come to far to do anything less. Our very future is at stake.

In closing, we have all come a long way here. We should take some solace in what we've accomplished but not let up one single iota. The party is as unified as it's going to get. We are on the cusp of beginning to recover from the worst presidential administration in American history. The best way to accomplish that is to elect Senator Barack Hussein Obama our forty-fourth POTUS and to elect sixty Democratic Senators for a filibuster proof majority. Four more weeks, my fellow Democrats, four more weeks...

The Soros Plan

BobVADemHawk — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:13:38 EDT

Soros floats alternative bailout plan with Dems

By Alexander Bolton
Posted: 09/30/08 11:19 PM [ET]

The billionaire financier George Soros, a major Democratic financial backer, is floating his own rescue plan among Democratic lawmakers who are uncertain what to do in the wake of a surprise defeat of a proposed $700 billion rescue package proposed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Soros has outlined his plan in an opinion editorial in the Financial Times and circulated a concept paper among decision-makers.

Specifically, the liberal philanthropist has proposed that government funds should be used to recapitalize the American banking system by purchasing equity in banks and investment firms.

Democratic Rep. Jim Moran (Va.) scheduled a meeting Tuesday afternoon with Robert Johnson, a former manager of the Soros Fund Management, to discuss the proposal.

Moran compared the proposal to Warren Buffet’s $5 billion investment in the investment firm Goldman Sachs Group in return for preferred stock and warrants to buy common stock at a discount.

Soros has also contacted Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) presidential campaign to share his views on the financial crisis and the best way to solve it.

Soros described the plan he outlined in his concept paper in an opinion editorial that appeared in the Financial Times early Wednesday morning, Greenwich Meridian Time.

“Instead of purchasing troubled assets, the bulk of the funds ought to be used to recapitalize the banking system,” Soros wrote.

“The Treasury secretary would rely on bank examiners rather than delegate implementation of [the Troubled Asset Relief Program] to Wall Street firms,” he wrote in reference to the plan first crafted by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. “The bank examiners would establish how much additional equity capital each bank needs in order to be properly capitalized according to existing capital requirements.”

“The recapitalized banks would be allowed to increase their leverage, so they would resume lending,” he wrote.

Soros has emerged as a harsh critic of the Treasury Department, especially of Paulson’s proposal for the government to buy $700 billion of distressed mortgage-backed securities to restore the flow of credit in the financial markets.

It is unclear whether his entry onto the debris-strewn field of the debate will help lawmakers reach agreement on an alternative proposal or further anger House Republicans, who blew up a compromise plan on the House floor Monday...

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/soros-floats-alternative-bailout-plan-with-dems-2008-09-30.html

The current polling...

BobVADemHawk — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:18:34 EDT

src="http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Icons/evmap.png"
alt="Click for www.electoral-vote.com" width="150" height="180" />

Meanwhile, in Libya...

BobVADemHawk — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:03 EDT

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says she's excited about a landmark trip she will make to Libya on Friday, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the North African country in more than a half-century.

"I am very much looking forward to it," she said here before leaving for Tripoli, where she will meet and shake hands with Moammar Gadhafi and close a nearly three-decade era of bitter animosity between the United States and Libya.

"It is a historic moment and it is one that has come after a lot of difficulty, the suffering of many people that will never be forgotten or assuaged, Americans in particular for whom I am very concerned," Rice told a news conference in Lisbon.

"It is also the case that this comes out of a historic decision that Libya made to give up weapons of mass destruction and renounce terrorism," she said. "Libya," she added, "is a place that is changing and I want to discuss how that change is taking place."...

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080905/D930HSA00.html

Now what the hell is Secretary Rice doing in Libya when the Russians are invading Georgia, Iraq is still a mess, Afghanistan is neglected, and so on? Then I read on...

...As the first secretary of state to visit the former pariah, oil-rich country in more than a half-century, Rice's visit will represent a foreign policy success for a Bush administration badly in need of one in its final months...

It's all about the oil, again. COL Ghaddafi should feel fortunate in one respect. We didn't send the Marines in to "negotiate" as we did in Iraq.

OK, now that the "dog and pony shows" are over...

BobVADemHawk — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:39:08 EDT

Two months from yesterday, we will elect the United States' forty-fourth POTUS. This POTUS will be responsible for cleaning up the affairs of the Bush Administration, the most incompetent since the days of Herbert Hoover and to restore America's standing in the world. It is a daunting task.

Some have argued that this election will pit young against old, black versus white, religious against secularist. They are correct. And they have been correct since the inception of American elections over two centuries ago.

So how do we win?

(REPOST) Let's meet Sen. Joesph R. Biden (D-DE)

BobVADemHawk — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:34:17 EDT

Location: Wilmington, DE

My Story: Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings in an Irish-Catholic family. The family later moved to a middle-class neighborhood in Delaware. At age 29, he became one of the youngest people ever elected to the United States Senate. Right after being elected, his first wife and daughter were killed in a car accident. People rallied around him, and for the next five years, he raised his two sons as a single parent, never forgetting family comes first. He never forgot where he came from. While most Senators live in Washington, he commutes home every night using public transportation to be with his wife of almost 30 years, Jill, a school teacher, and his now 89-year-old mother. They have three children - Beau, Hunter, and Ashley - and five grandchildren.

Birth Date: November 20th Issues: Civil Liberties; Civil Rights; Economic Growth; Education; Election Reform; Energy Policy; Environment; Good Government; Healthcare; Military Issues; National Security; Retirement Security

Registered to Vote: Yes

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Political Identification: Progressive

"History says, Don't hope on this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme." - Seamus Heaney's "The Cure at Troy"

http://www.democrats.org/page/dashboard/public/gHskf

Also, here are some more links regarding Sen. Biden's service and career:

http://biden.senate.gov/senator/

http://biden.senate.gov/senator/timeline/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26010055/

Let's meet Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE)

BobVADemHawk — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:53:02 EDT

Location: Wilmington, DE

Birth Date: November 20th

Issues: Civil Liberties; Civil Rights; Economic Growth; Education; Election Reform; Energy Policy; Environment; Good Government; Healthcare; Military Issues; National Security; Retirement Security

Registered to Vote: Yes

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Political Identification: Progressive

"History says, Don't hope on this side of the grave. But then, once in a lifetime the longed for tidal wave of justice can rise up, and hope and history rhyme." - Seamus Heaney's "The Cure at Troy"

http://www.democrats.org/page/dashboard/public/gHskf

Could it be?

BobVADemHawk — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:22:14 EDT

LENEXA, Kan. -- After weeks of speculation and days of intense rumors, the answer to who Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama would name as his running mate may have come down to a bumper sticker printed in Lenexa.

KMBC's Micheal Mahoney reported that the company, which specializes in political literature, has been printing Obama-Bayh material. That's Bayh as in U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Word leaked out about the material as it was being printed up by Gill Studios of Lenexa. The Obama campaign had said it would make the announcement by text message on Friday.

Gill Studios, would not confirm information about the material. They would not deny it either. The company president would not comment when asked by Mahoney about the reports. But at least three sources close to the plant's operations reported the Obama-Bayh material was being produced.

Bayh has a reputation as a fiscally conservative Democrat. Bayh endorsed Hillary Clinton and it is believed that he could help the Obama ticket by delivering a key battleground state.

Obama has arranged a joint appearance for Saturday with his running mate at the state capitol in Springfield, Ill...

http://www.kmbc.com/politics/17267009/detail.html

Meet Michelle Obama

BobVADemHawk — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 07:31:47 EDT

Michelle was born on January 17, 1964, to Marian and Fraser Robinson on Chicago's South Side and graduated from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago's West Loop. After high school Michelle went on to Princeton University where in 1985 she graduated with a B.A. in sociology and a minor in African American studies. After college, Michelle continued her education at Harvard Law School, where she earned her degree in 1988. For three years after law school, Michelle worked as an associate in the area of marketing and intellectual property at Chicago law firm Sidley and Austin, where she met Barack Obama. She left the corporate law world in 1991 to pursue a career in public service, serving as an assistant to the mayor and then as the assistant commissioner of planning and development for the City of Chicago. In 1993, she became the founding executive director of Public Allies - Chicago, a leadership training program that received AmeriCorps National Service funding and helped young adults develop skills for future careers in the public sector. Michelle began her involvement with the University of Chicago in 1996. As associate dean of student services, she developed the University's first community service program. Michelle also served as executive director of community and external affairs until 2005, when she was appointed vice president of community and external affairs at the University of Chicago Medical Center. She also managed the business diversity program. Michelle has fostered the University of Chicago's relationship with the surrounding community and developed the diversity program, making them both integral parts of the Medical Center's mission. Barack, Michelle and their two daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, live on the South Side of Chicago.

http://www.barackobama.com/learn/meet.php#michelle

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid474445759?KeepThis=true&

Border security first.

BobVADemHawk — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:37:22 EDT

Just west of El Paso, near where Spanish conquistador Juan de Onate crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico in 1598, construction crews have completed a steel fence authorities say is a new model for border security. The five-meter (18-foot) tall fence has a mesh woven so tightly that feet and fingers cannot grab hold, but it still allows people to see through. Steel pylons are set close enough to stop a truck from bursting through, and two meters of reinforced concrete underground deters any tunneling. The structure is designed to push would-be illegal immigrants and drug smugglers out into the desert where they are more easily caught, said Border Patrol Agent Martin Hernandez. "Will it completely stop them from coming across? Of course not," Hernandez said. "Rest assured, there will eventually be holes in parts of the wall made by people trying to get in. But it buys us valuable time." The US Department of Homeland Security is racing to meet a December 31 deadline to raise 670 miles of steel fences and vehicle barriers along the 3,200 kilometer (2,000 mile) long southern border. About half has been completed, including this six kilometer (four mile) segment at New Mexico's Santa Teresa Port of Entry. But DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff faces a flurry of lawsuits by environmentalists and border communities that could stop construction cold... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080805132655.d1bc5iw6&show_article=1

Reposted but worth repeating, IMHO

BobVADemHawk — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:35:01 EDT

Fellow Democrats, I ask this question for a very good reason. Exactly, who is reading this post? Those of us who post here on a regular or semi-regular basis know there are about a hundred, or so, of us that fall into one category or the other. We average anywhere between five and twenty posts per day. Most are fairly innocuous. We’ll give our take on the news of the day, bash the Republicans as they bash us on their web sites, and forge relatively strong professional respect and bonds with our fellow bloggers. Of course, we do not agree all the time. Someone once said politics is like ordering pizza for a large group of people. While you’ll agree that your proverbial pizza will have a crust and cheese, all the other toppings are open for debate and you’ll never be able to make everyone happy.

But who else is reading this post? The DNC, to the best of my knowledge, does not post statistics relative to the amount of visitors to this website. I do not see a counter of any sort. Therefore, we bloggers don’t know exactly. And that bothers me.

If we knew that this was a private access blog, that no one could read this without an access code(s) that would be one thing. We wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, have to worry about what we said under those circumstances because, it would only be us here or it would have little or no bearing in the real world just like the conversations you have with your friends or loved ones. But that is not the case.

Before I go any farther, let me state for the record that I, or any of the rest of us bloggers, to the best of my knowledge, are not fully sanctioned members of the DNC. We are simply here to express our views and support the Democratic Party and or its ideals. We created our accounts and, to date, the moderators have not sent us away into the vast depths of cyberspace. Having said that, we are posting on the web log of the Democratic National Committee and that should carry some responsibility.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, perception is everything. In a nation where over half of the electorate does not know their two U.S. senators and over 75% do not know their House Representative, is the average person who comes here really going to distinguish us bloggers from the DNC? I think not. For those that disagree, go watch a segment of “Jaywalking” on the Tonight Show or listen to Glenn Beck’s Moron Trivia. Granted, they air the worse case scenarios however, I would point out that these people displayed have the same right to vote in the United States that you and I do. It’s darn scary, isn’t it?

Therefore, I would ask my fellow, regular DNC bloggers to be mindful of what you post over the course of the three months, or so. The primaries are over. We have our presumptive nominee. And while the General Election is not scheduled until November, every vote counts. Before you click that Post button you should ask yourself two questions. Could this post get any potential votes? How many potential votes will this post lose? Like it or not, agree with it or not, we DNC bloggers are the de facto faces of the DNC to the lurkers who do not comprehend that we are ordinary citizens like them posting on one of millions of web logs. It is my recommendation that, when we get fed up with President Bush’s latest assault on reason or Vice-President Cheney’s latest attempt to subjugate the planet, we vent our anger on a partisan blog such as DailyKOS or Atrios. I have an account at the Politico. They are more fitting places to call an a**hole an a**hole. Here at the DNC blog, we should try to take the same tact that our elected leaders do. We can respect the offices without respecting the office holder. We should show some civility to our fellow Americans, when deserved. Trolls deserve no civility because they do not give such.

In the four years that I have posted here, I have found that most of my fellow Democratic bloggers are thoughtful, intelligent people who want more than anything else, a better America to leave to their progeny. That is the goal of every decent American citizen. It would appear that half of us have one way to accomplish that and half have another. Such is the nature of politics. We settle our disagreements on strategy in the voting booths across this great nation of ours. And because we settle those agreements in the voting booth, every vote counts.

Today, I challenge my colleagues to take their political commentary to a new level. Let’s leave behind the cheap shots and name-calling and replace it with the thoughtful, insightful dialogue we are capable of. Let’s give new bloggers the benefit of the doubt and engage them in a respectful manner until they actually say something that is not respectful. And let’s kick the snot out of the GOP in 2008! After all, the world is watching…

Excerpts from Sen. Clinton's 9JUN08 speech

BobVADemHawk — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:20:03 EDT

...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 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...

...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...

...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...

...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.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=7904

Sen. Clinton, thank you for all you do in service of this great nation. You are the epitomy of what it means to be a Democrat. We should all aspire to your dedication and service.

It would appear that not all of her followers are as dedicated to the Democratic Party as she is. So be it. They had their chance.

Sen. McCain flip-flop talking points.

BobVADemHawk — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 10:52:45 EDT

Pass it along. Don't take any crap from anti-Democratic Obama haters. Sen. McCain is the real enemy in this election cycle.

National Security Policy

1. McCain thought Bush’s warrantless-wiretap program circumvented the law; now he believes the opposite.

2. McCain insisted that everyone, even “terrible killers,” “the worst kind of scum of humanity,” and detainees at Guantanamo Bay, “deserve to have some adjudication of their cases,” even if that means “releasing some of them.” McCain now believes the opposite.

3. He opposed indefinite detention of terrorist suspects. When the Supreme Court reached the same conclusion, he called it “one of the worst decisions in the history of this country.”

4. In February 2008, McCain reversed course on prohibiting waterboarding.

5. McCain was for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay before he was against it.

6. When Barack Obama talked about going after terrorists in Pakistani mountains with predators, McCain criticized him for it. He’s since come to the opposite conclusion.

Foreign Policy

7. McCain was for kicking Russia out of the G8 before he was against it.

8. McCain supported moving “towards normalization of relations” with Cuba. Now he believes the opposite.

9. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Hamas. Now he believes the opposite.

10. McCain believed the U.S. should engage in diplomacy with Syria. Now he believes the opposite.

11. McCain is both for and against a “rogue state rollback” as a focus of his foreign policy vision.

12. McCain used to champion the Law of the Sea convention, even volunteering to testify on the treaty’s behalf before a Senate committee. Now he opposes it.

13. McCain was against divestment from South Africa before he was for it.

Military Policy

14. McCain recently claimed that he was the “greatest critic” of Rumsfeld’s failed Iraq policy. In December 2003, McCain praised the same strategy as “a mission accomplished.” In March 2004, he said, “I’m confident we’re on the right course.” In December 2005, he said, “Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”

15. McCain has changed his mind about a long-term U.S. military presence in Iraq on multiple occasions, concluding, on multiple occasions, that a Korea-like presence is both a good and a bad idea.

16. McCain said before the war in Iraq, “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” Four years later, McCain said he knew all along that the war in Iraq war was “probably going to be long and hard and tough.”

17. McCain has repeatedly said it’s a dangerous mistake to tell the “enemy” when U.S. troops would be out of Iraq. In May, McCain announced that most American troops would be home from Iraq by 2013.

18. McCain was against expanding the GI Bill before he was for it.

Domestic Policy

19. McCain defended “privatizing” Social Security. Now he says he’s against privatization (though he actually still supports it.)

20. McCain wanted to change the Republican Party platform to protect abortion rights in cases of rape and incest. Now he doesn’t.

21. McCain supported storing spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Now he believes the opposite.

22. He argued the NRA should not have a role in the Republican Party’s policy making. Now he believes the opposite.

23. In 1998, he championed raising cigarette taxes to fund programs to cut underage smoking, insisting that it would prevent illnesses and provide resources for public health programs. Now, McCain opposes a $0.61-per-pack tax increase, won’t commit to supporting a regulation bill he’s co-sponsoring, and has hired Philip Morris’ former lobbyist as his senior campaign adviser.

24. McCain is both for and against earmarks for Arizona.

25. McCain’s first mortgage plan was premised on the notion that homeowners facing foreclosure shouldn’t be “rewarded” for acting “irresponsibly.” His second mortgage plan took largely the opposite position.

26. McCain went from saying gay marriage should be allowed, to saying gay marriage shouldn’t be allowed.

27. McCain opposed a holiday to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., before he supported it.

28. McCain was anti-ethanol. Now he’s pro-ethanol.

29. McCain was both for and against state promotion of the Confederate flag.

30. In 2005, McCain endorsed intelligent design creationism, a year later he said the opposite, and a few months after that, he was both for and against creationism at the same time.

Economic Policy

31. McCain was against Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthy before he was for them.

32. John McCain initially argued that economics is not an area of expertise for him, saying, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues; I still need to be educated,” and “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” He now falsely denies ever having made these remarks and insists that he has a “very strong” understanding of economics.

33. McCain vowed, if elected, to balance the federal budget by the end of his first term. Soon after, he decided he would no longer even try to reach that goal. And soon after that, McCain abandoned his second position and went back to his first.

34. McCain said in 2005 that he opposed the tax cuts because they were “too tilted to the wealthy.” By 2007, he denied ever having said this, and falsely argued that he opposed the cuts because of increased government spending.

35. McCain thought the estate tax was perfectly fair. Now he believes the opposite.

36. McCain pledged in February 2008 that he would not, under any circumstances, raise taxes. Specifically, McCain was asked if he is a “‘read my lips’ candidate, no new taxes, no matter what?” referring to George H.W. Bush’s 1988 pledge. “No new taxes,” McCain responded. Two weeks later, McCain said, “I’m not making a ‘read my lips’ statement, in that I will not raise taxes.”

37. McCain has changed his entire economic worldview on multiple occasions.

38. McCain believes Americans are both better and worse off economically than they were before Bush took office.

Energy Policy

39. McCain supported the moratorium on coastal drilling ; now he’s against it.

40. McCain recently announced his strong opposition to a windfall-tax on oil company profits. Three weeks earlier, he was perfectly comfortable with the idea.

41. McCain endorsed a cap-and-trade policy with a mandatory emissions cap. In mid-June, McCain announced he wants the caps to voluntary.

42. McCain explained his belief that a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax would provide an immediate economic stimulus. Shortly thereafter, he argued the exact opposite.

43. McCain supported the Lieberman/Warner legislation to combat global warming. Now he doesn’t.

Immigration Policy

44. McCain was a co-sponsor of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants’ kids who graduate from high school. Now he’s against it.

45. On immigration policy in general, McCain announced in February 2008 that he would vote against his own bill.

46. In April, McCain promised voters that he would secure the borders “before proceeding to other reform measures.” Two months later, he abandoned his public pledge, pretended that he’d never made the promise in the first place, and vowed that a comprehensive immigration reform policy has always been, and would always be, his “top priority.”

Judicial Policy and the Rule of Law

47. McCain said he would “not impose a litmus test on any nominee.” He used to promise the opposite.

48. McCain believes the telecoms should be forced to explain their role in the administration’s warrantless surveillance program as a condition for retroactive immunity. He used to believe the opposite.

49. McCain went from saying he would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade to saying the exact opposite.

Campaign, Ethics, and Lobbying Reform

50. McCain supported his own lobbying-reform legislation from 1997. Now he doesn’t.

51. In 2006, McCain sponsored legislation to require grassroots lobbying coalitions to reveal their financial donors. In 2007, after receiving “feedback” on the proposal, McCain told far-right activist groups that he opposes his own measure.

52. McCain supported a campaign-finance bill, which bore his name, on strengthening the public-financing system. In June 2007, he abandoned his own legislation.

Politics and Associations

53. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist John Hagee. Now he doesn’t. (He also believes his endorsement from Hagee was both a good and bad idea.)

54. McCain wanted political support from radical televangelist Rod Parsley. Now he doesn’t.

55. McCain says he considered and did not consider joining John Kerry’s Democratic ticket in 2004.

56. McCain is both for and against attacking Barack Obama over his former pastor at his former church.

57. McCain criticized TV preacher Jerry Falwell as “an agent of intolerance” in 2002, but then decided to cozy up to the man who said Americans “deserved” the 9/11 attacks.

58. In 2000, McCain accused Texas businessmen Sam and Charles Wyly of being corrupt, spending “dirty money” to help finance Bush’s presidential campaign. McCain not only filed a complaint against the Wylys for allegedly violating campaign finance law, he also lashed out at them publicly. In April, McCain reached out to the Wylys for support.

59. McCain was against presidential candidates campaigning at Bob Jones University before he was for it.

60. McCain decided in 2000 that he didn’t want anything to do with former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, believing he “would taint the image of the ‘Straight Talk Express.’” Kissinger is now the Honorary Co-Chair for his presidential campaign in New York.

The truth about Senator John Sidney McCain III

BobVADemHawk — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:18:22 EDT

If you only forward one email or post this year, make it this one... America needs to know the truth about John Sidney McCain III and the disaster that awaits us if he becomes president. Everything in this email is 100% TRUE and VERIFIABLE! Don't believe it? Check Google or Snopes.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain came back from Vietnam and cheated on his disabled wife before leaving her and his three children and marrying a rich heiress 17 years his junior. McCain obtained a marriage license for his second marriage while he was still married to his first wife.

DID YOU KNOW? The McCains own ten homes, valued at more than $13 million, including TWO swanky beachfront condos in California. The McCains failed to pay taxes on one of those beach homes for the past four years.

DID YOU KNOW? The McCains have been known to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars IN A SINGLE MONTH on their credit cards.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain's chief economic adviser, rich Swiss Bank lobbyist Phil Gramm, recently told the Washington Times that the current economic crisis is a "mental recession" and said that America is a "nation of whiners."

DID YOU KNOW? Earlier this year John McCain said, "I don't believe we're headed into a recession, I believe the fundamentals of this economy are strong and I believe they will remain strong." He also stated that, "The issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should."

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain regularly plays craps for "a few thousand dollars at a time." He loves to gamble and is extremely superstitious.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain recently called Social Security "an absolute disgrace." McCain was a big supporter of President Bush's unpopular plan to ditch Social Security and replace it with private accounts.

DID YOU KNOW? American taxpayers spend $340 million EVERY SINGLE DAY in Iraq. Yet John McCain thinks it would be okay to keep our brave troops there for up to "one hundred years."

DID YOU KNOW? Disabled American Veterans give John McCain a 20% rating on his voting record for Veterans, the worst score among all 100 senators (tied with Mike Crapo and Larry Craig). The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave him a "D" rating.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain says he wants to save the environment, but the League of Conservation Voters currently ranks him DEAD LAST among all 535 members of Congress, with a 0% rating.

DID YOU KNOW? McCain has failed to vote on the last 19 environmental bills in the Senate, dating back to 2005.

DID YOU KNOW? Every single day for the first four months of this year 1.6 million barrels of U.S. oil were exported to foreign countries - up 33% from last year - while our gas prices continue to go through the roof. The McCain/Bush solution is to give big oil companies even more opportunities to pollute our coastlines and despoil the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

DID YOU KNOW? The Department of Energy estimates that if we start the McCain/Bush offshore drilling plan today, we could lower gas prices by 6 cents - but not until the year 2025.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain, like George W. Bush, supports using the form of torture known as waterboarding.

DID YOU KNOW? John McCain will continue George W. Bush's "rich get richer, poor get poorer" fiscal policies. If you make under $112,000 per year you will pay HIGHER taxes under John McCain than under Barack Obama. One quarter of McCain's tax breaks go to people making more than $2.8 million per year.

Happy Barack Day! Update

Cathi — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:03:41 EDT

You can see the details of this event by going to:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gbrj
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/4gbrj
---

Cathi Erman has sent you an update to 'Happy Barack Day!' -- click here to view the invitation and submit your response:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gbrj
http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/4gbrj

Thank you to all of you who have signed up (680 and counting between the Obama page, the DNC page and the VA DNC page) and for those who have left me comments when signing up, I've thoroughly enjoyed your great enthusiasm and dedication. I've loved reading your comments and have tried to update the event description and emails to reflect ideas from some of you.
This is a one-day only event before the election!

I would STRONGLY encourage you all to take photos of everything you and your family does to celebrate Barack's birthday on Aug. 4th - even if what you're doing happens to be the day before or after - especially birthday card making, fundraising, bake sales, etc. Make sure there are lots of Happy Birthday signs and Obama signs in the photos. Afterwards, you can send the photos here:

Please email all of your photos to photos@barackobama.com.

Also, to actually send birthday cards and photos directly to Barack, here is the info:

To reach the Campaign Headquarters by phone, please call: (866) 675-2008

You can contact us by mail at:
Obama for America
P.O. Box 8102
Chicago, IL 60680

To donate on August 4th, go to www.barackobama.com and on the first page, click on the "Donate Here" button.

Special thanks to Brian Gustafson for holding a local BBQ Fundraiser & Happy Birthday event for which he has confirmed attendance of 150 people! Yay Brian!

Just to let you know, I plan to make donations throughout the day on August 4th and separate ones to memorialize and honor those who have written to me about having the same birthday or having lost a loved one on that date. I also plan on making a donation in memory of Kitty, a young US soldier who died this week from an infection due to wounds inflicted in Iraq. She leaves a husband and two young children.

I have so enjoyed reading your comments and suggestions. And, especially your enthusiasm. It's such a joy. Thank you all so very much.

Finally, as I know you've heard me say (to death, I know) that I personally cannot reach everyone on www.barackobama.com or on the DNC website. I really need your help!! Please just send the event site (one of the two Obama websites at the beginning of this message)to all your friends and Obama and DNC Groups and anyone at all you think might be interested, it would help so much. Some of you belong to hundreds of groups!

Thank you all again. Words cannot express my appreciation. Not just for me, but for Barack and all of us!

Fondly, Cathi

PS - If you already signed up on the DNC link or on the Virginia DNC link, could you please go to one of the posted links on the Obama pages listed and sign up there as well? It would really help me out with keeping an accurate count, plus I can email all the attendees at once as opposed to going to three different sites to do it. Thanks!