Look at that crowd... 75,000? The stadium is full!!!
McCain could never do that!!!!
Soooo much love... so diverse.... all the myths dispelled....
YES WE CAN!!!

peace,
marsha

what ya think????

So there is the surprise of Barack showing up...which, of course is great!
But just look at all the people along with him....
As he shook hands and hugged Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, Sen. Biden, as the camera panned around the room to Bill, Hillary, John Kerry and Michele Obama, I thought, what a party... what great people.
I am proud of the Democratic Party.
God Bless us all and grant us Peace,
marsha

Is anyone else having trouble loading the BO site???
Safari is crashing every time... Havent't had any trouble before..
Can't get to the blogs or my dash or the phone bank...
Any help would be appreciated...
I have cleared the cache/ dumped all cookies/ and restarted/
Nothing helped.. starts to load and then quits everytime.

peace,
marsha

This will be quick...
I have been working... how about a friendly challenge...
I registered 14 people last week and 5 today...
26 phonecalls this week...
Let's have a PB competition...
Just keep track and post your results once a week....
Maybe it will encourage some of us (me too) to do more...
We can congratulate each other and do good work too...
Obama '08
Peace to you all,
marsha

I found this article with a pdf of the party platform draft.... here is a link and a few choice pieces of the pie.... What a scoop....

Getting our country back!!!
peace,
marsha


http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0808/Draft_platform_honors_Clinton.html#comments


To renew American leadership in the world, we must first bring the Iraq war to a responsible end.   Read More »

Happy Birthday, Barack!

My gift is my service.
Until you are elected president, I will do all I can to make it happen.

Why?
I am tired of our economy and our young soldiers bleeding to death.
War=deficit=recession or depression
The Earth cannot take 4 more years of abusive and avoidant environmental policies.
We need to care for our children and elderly in a humane and respectful manner.
The equal opportunity of ALL people and the discrimination of none.
The world community does not need us to police it....
it needs us to lead.. there's a difference.
Greed and Hate are not "family values".
The Golden Rule is my most important "family value".

Because of your campaign, I have hope that these things will change.
WE CAN have a real energy policy which weans us from oil dependence.
WE CAN stop fighting endless wars which fill the pockets of defense contractors.
WE CAN use diplomacy to mend the bridges which have been destroyed during the last 8 years.
WE CAN have clean electricity in 10 years and decrease our carbon emissions.
WE CAN have universal healthcare.
WE CAN save social security.
WE CAN have educational equality for all students, and guarantee equal opportunity for advancement.
WE CAN promote tolerance and peace.

Happy Birthday Barack, and many more.

peace,
marsha

How about some Federal guidelines demanding hate crime laws?
How does your state show itself?
http://www.adl.org/learn/hate_crimes_laws/map_frameset.html

Poorest or no protective laws.. even against race and religion offenses.
SC/GA/AR/WY/UT/IN
In Indiana we only protect institutional property....???????
We should be ashamed. Sen. Bayh????

Most protective laws.
LA/MN/IA/CT/CA

Peace,
marsha

I would like to thank Senator Obama for the platform meetings which are being conducted this month.
We, as a nation, are in his debt already, and he hasn't even been truly nominated. The opportunity to make our opinions known and have them sent on to the platform committee is an honor which I truly appreciate.

My husband and I went to a lovely meeting at the home of an active supporter last night. The company was stellar. Very active, knowledgeable, and concerned citizens.
After we introduced ourselves and announced our topics of concern... most of us had many... Someone asked that the "Bill of Rights" be read. One of the attenders had it on his laptop.
The depth of the attacks on our Constitution and Civil Rights was brought to the forefront and the gravity of our work was felt by all.

It was one of the most profoundly important and amazingly empowering things I have done in my life.... I left feeling as though I had truly had my say.
Topics were brilliant... full of depth and thought, with a wide range of concerns under the headings.

Peace and Diplomacy
Sustainable Environmental Policy
Truth and Reconciliation
Human Rights
Constitutional Abuses
International Relations


To me the platform is very important.
I know people say they "vote for the person".
I vote person in the primary, if there is a choice, and the party in the GE.
In the past, when we had reasonable media coverage, or knew, or had knowledge, personally, of the candidate... voting for a "good person" was fine.
Now, we have the problem of multiple local television news stations being owned by the same companies. Local papers are gone, absorbed by large corporations, little local news or politics. The state governance news is really nonexistant.
Thank goodness for the internet, without it we would know little about the actions of our government. (Unless you have cable/sattelite.)
IMHO, even if the candidate is a good person, know their stand on the issues... Nice, honest people can have different views on issues. I want someone who aligns with my view. This does not mean I will not vote for one who does not agree with me on everything... I have, many times. I want to know why they differ... I could be wrong.
The "best" to me, is the "best" for me.
That is why I'm a democrat... That is why I vote straight ticket. Without the strength of numbers, nothing gets done. I welcome bipartisanship, but in it's absence... and it has been absent for some time, we need numbers.
I will be voting for peace,
marsha

Iraqi nationalism is making it harder for the administration to keep our troops in Iraq past Dec.'08.

Please urge your senators to require congressional approval for any agreement... We can't hamstring Sen. Obama before he is even sworn in as president... Our senate can't be allowed to leave any more of a mess for Barack.
God knows he will have enough to do.

Thanks to anyone who sent an email.
I read today that some of our representatives are rethinking the sanctions/blockade strategy.

We have a voice... if we use it for good, we help our country and ourselves.

peace to you,
marsha

Is Barack doomed to be a war president?
Bad enough he will be going in with the problem of Iraq and Afghanistan hanging over his head like a chandelier after an earthquake... but now Iran too.
Remember Diplomacy????
Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, James Baker III, Madeleine Albright, and Warren Christopher have all called for diplomacy.

Barack will use diplomacy.
I want diplomacy. I have taught my children. If you have to fight, it is because you don't have the intelligence to resolve the problem without violence. Civilized people work out their differences. Are we so intellectually stunted that we cannot work around our opposition and thereby avoid the bankruptcy of our country, the death of our young people and decline of our civilization?

More than 200 congressional representatives support a blockade of Iran.
Forgive me... but isn't that how we got Pearl Harbor?

I may be wrong but I thought a blockade by anyone other than the full UN was an act of war..
So.... check with your legislators... are they helping Barack?
Are they helping us??? Are they helping you???? OR are they helping the defense industry?
Barack will need us to keep our representatives in line... otherwise he will be playing catch-up his entire presidency.

Peace to you all,
marsha

A virtual get well card.
God's Light and Peace,
marsha

Well, I saw Barney Franks on PBS news tonight.
I can't email him because I don't live in his district, so......
Anyone who lives in his district... You are so lucky. He rocks..
I wish all our Representatives could handle the lies of the Republicans like he did tonight, he was awesome.
Cheers to you Representative Franks....
Keep up the good work.

Peace is coming....
marsha

FARTHER ALONG
Farther Along

Tested and tried, we're oft made to wonder,
Why it should be thus, all the day long.
Why there are others living among us,
never molested, tho in the wrong.

Farther along we'll know all about it.
Farther along we'll understand why.
Cheer up, my brother, walk in the sunshine.
We'll understand it all bye and bye.

http://www.democrats.org/page/community/post/Martys+Blog/Chx5

Peace is coming!!!!!!!!!!!
marsha

This won't be long but just to fill everybody in...

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage
(Jefferson?Jackson speaches on video.)

It was great. I couldn't believe how great the seats were. 4th table back from the stage, directly in front of the stage. I heard speeches by Max Kennedy, Joe Andrews, Hillary Clinton, Howard Dean and Barrack, along with all our Indiana politicians, nominees for governor, Sen. Evan Bayh and such. I met my Rep. Brad Ellsworth and found that he is just as nice as I expected.
The company was wonderful, the food was good and the energy, electric.
I won't go into who was best or anything.... I am obiously biased.

Gov. Dean called on everyone to go to their neighbors 3 times befor the GE. Personal recomendation is key. We can't depend on the media. We need real people taking our message out to the average person.
I agreed with him and I think the party will come together before the convention. He said only we could lose the GE, by lack of work.

Hillary people.. stop reading... this is the bias part.

There was a rally outside before the dinner. That was where Kennedy and Andrews spoke. Their speeches were great. Max choked me up, said Barrack's campaign was much like his father's.
Andrew's outlined his reasons for supporting Barrack. Too much to remember, I won't even try to repeat what he said.
Barrack was introduced by Lee Hamilton and it was a moving introduction.
I thought his speech was great, he started a little slow but I was told later he is ill. (flu bug, I was told)
He talked about his being in this position because people before him had stood up for the rights of those who came before him. One, then another, and another, and then hundreds and thousands stood up for us.
By the end, I think nearly the whole room was standing.
It was a real rallying cry for our party, and my state.

Peace to you all,
Straight Ticket 2008
marsha

I was just going to send this to my friends but I can't get my dashboard to work so....
Found out today that I, along with several other volunteers, get to go to the Jefferson/Jackson Dinner in Indy.
Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton are going to be there and Howard Dean is guest speaker. Needless to say I am thrilled. Thank-you Barrack!!!!!
WOW.
peace to you all,
marsha

Last night in Bloomington, Indiana Barrack Obama showed a stadium full of supporters just how much he cares about the american people and his fellow human beings.
A huge crowd of screaming, enthusiastic, supporters filled the Assembly Hall at Indiana University, which is the basketball venue for the school. The crowd was as diverse as the crowd in Terre Haute, but much larger this time. I heard the building holds 17,000 and it was nearly capacity.
Barrack's speech was much the same as in Terre Haute.
The loudest response was to ending the war, no surprise.
2nd, was making college more affordable.
He talked about lowering taxes for the middle and lower classes and ending taxes for the elderly under $50,000 a year. Rolling back the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and giving tax breaks only to companies who are engaged in investing in America.
He took the high road. Said his campaign was not perfect, that they had fallen into criticizing his opponent, but that the Democratic Party was at it's best when it held to it's values and that what separates he and Hillary is nothing compared to what separates them from McCain. He declared that no matter who wins the nomination, we should not worry about the strength of the party going into the GE.
That not matter what happened, there would be change because G.W. Bush's name will not be on the ballot.
He talked about working for the American people, that it was patriotism to him. That no where else in the world could he and Michelle rise to the possibility of residing in the White House. Now anyone can say that. It's like kissing babies, every politician does it.
It was his actions that caused me to choke up.

Someone on the floor nearly fainted.
He stopped speaking in mid sentence... asked if someone was faint.
Someone in the crowd said the person needed water.
He said, "I have water" as he threw a bottle, "but I need paramedics to check this person." He waved to the EMT's to respond. He waited to see that whoever it was, received aid and then resumed his speech.
HE responded immediately to the needs of another. There were aides everywhere, security people, all he had to do was point, but he didn't.
HE stopped, HE assisted. HE took charge of the situation and responded calmly, and with authority.
I know that kind of dedication, I have seen it in the EMT's, Paramedics, Fire and Police people I have worked with over the years. It is an instinct, a reaction which is not given a conscious thought.
It comes from truly caring............. Putting the public first.
Not everyone does it, not everyone can do it.
This man is the real deal. He is a true public servant. He cares.

That is the kind of civil servant I want, and we need, in the White House.
His actions are worth a thousand words.
peace to you,
marsha

We do not believe as Repubs do on a basic level.
See for yourself.
http://www.ontheissues.org/2004_GOP_Platform.htm

Check out their past platforms.
Ant-Gay, Anti-Union, Anti-Civil Rights, Anti-Domestic Programs, Anti-Women's Rights, Anti, Anti, Anti.
Pro-War, Pro-Corporate ethics, Pro-Imperialism.
Their policies and goals do not agree with my vision of The United States of America. They are to me UNAMERICAN.
Forget WHO is runninng, remember why we care who is running.

I don't always agree or even like the Democrats who run in my state. I write them, I complain, I lobby for peace and justice because it is my right and my responsibility. If I speak out, I can sleep at night knowing I tried.
People aren't perfect. Candidates aren't perfect. Perfect is not an option.

It is time to look beyond personality.
In the democratic party we have a party platform.
Politics is bigger than particular leaders.

The ideology of the democratic party, historically, is the reason I am a democrat. I am a democrat because I believe what the party promotes.
I believe in the protection of the environment.
I believe in the need to stop Global Warming.
I believe in Peace and an end to this war.
I believe in Healthcare for all of us.
I believe our economy is trashed due to republican economic policies.
I believe corporations have gone unregulated for long enough.
I believe the government has a responsibility to protect us from danger.
I belive that protection is not limited to the defense dept. but includes the FDA, FCC and all the other agencies which have been either under funded or hobbled by regulation and coruption.
I believe in the Civil Rights of ALL U.S. Citizens, including minorities, GLBT and non-christians.
I believe we are a country ruled by laws, not men.
I believe those who corrupt the interpretation of these laws to increase their own power should be prosecuted.
I believe in the right of all workers to organize.

Do you believe in these things?
Do the Republicans believe in these things? NO.

Vote straight ticket Democrat in 2008.
I will, first and formost be voting for peace.
peace,
marsha

Here we go again.... dissecting speeches.
We are democrats here. We do not need to tear each other apart, the repubs will be at it all too soon.
Hillary Clinton is NOT on this bandwagon. She would agree with me... she remembers the old days too.
This is a non issue.

Now let's see..... One a scale of 1 to 10 where would I put this issue......
Will this issue:
STOP THE WAR?
HELP THE ECONOMY?
STOP CLIMATE CHANGE?
FIX THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM?

Bottom line....IT'S NOT YOUR BUSINESS, IT IS THE WOMAN'S.

Find a real issue and give this one back to the republicans.
We have bigger fish to fry....

I have seen girls PUNISHED by pregnancy. I will say it. YES, women have been punished by pregnancies for centuries. Having babies they could not feed, by men who did not care. Rape, incest, and just plain lies. The men walk away and the girls suffer the financial, social burdens alone. It is only recently that men have been forced to pay their child support. My first husband paid NOTHING. Got that NOTHING.

Sure, the mothers have lovely children they cherish.....but it is a punishment if you are poor, make no mistake. Watching your child go hungry....I'd call that punishment.
Yes, there are girls punished by pregnancy and if you don't know that.... you don't remember when there was no birth control. They used to die during and after illegal abortions, was that a punishment...ya think?

Women are able to think, feel and decide what is best for them and their families. That is what Obama thinks...thank God.
NO ONE IS PRO ABORTION.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING.
THAT IS REPUBLICAN PROPAGANDA!
Women can make decisions just as well as men, can't they?
Only God has the right to judge.

Peace,
marsha

I am asking all of you on PB to consider your fellow Democrats.
Soon one of our candidates will win the nomination. That means one will not.
As our numbers get closer, things can get really heated.

There are people on this site and around the country who will feel profoundly sad when this ends. Post campaign depression is a real thing. The comedown can be a crash. That is true for winners and losers. At some point, win or lose, the race will end. I know how I hope it will go, but lots of things can happen.

This continues to be a hard fought race. Passions have run high. People believe strongly in their choice for president. As the Community of the Democratic Party, we should be sensitive to the feeling of our brothers and sisters. How can we ask our leaders to care about us, if we don't care for each other.

Please, at this stage, remember that some of the people here have worked very hard to promote the candidate of their choice. They are patriotic Americans who love their country and the party. They have made calls, answered phones, knocked on doors, raised money....... Whether you agree with them or not, is irrelevant.


We owe them the respect and honor they deserve for their service to our country.
It is not only the soldiers who serve democracy.
They may not have served our candidate but they have served our party and our nation.
Without them our candidates would not be able to run.
Without them we would not have choices.
WITHOUT THEM WE ARE NOT A PARTY.

Please, remember in your posts that we are all here because our beliefs are very much the same. Only our choice was different.
Remember to soften the grief of your neighbors after the nomination.
You will, to one degree or another feel the same after the general election.
It is just the right thing to do.

peace,
marsha