Howard Dean, "Democrats are not tough enough" NO SHIT. (Video)

One of the worst decisions was not keeping Howard Dean around. Coakley's loss is her fault and that of the DNC, which is run by Tim Kaine. Again, Democrats did not show up to vote in a solid blue Democratic State. This says volume.



Home Page

Howard Dean, "A Fly in Barack Obama's Ointment"

Former Vermont Governor, Dr. Howard Dean is the man who showed Democrats how to win across the board. This is the formula that Barack Obama's campaign used and expanded on, which allowed Barack Obama to win 9 Bush States, including Indiana and Virginia, two states that have not been won by Democrats in over 40 years.

Now the chickens have come home to ROOST for Barack Obama and his White House, including Rahm Emanuel. We all worked our asses off for Barack Obama and the Democrats. We gave them a mandate, landslide, a healthy number of members of congress. Yes, we did that, because these politicians surely DID NOT. We donated money, blogged, knocked on doors, made phone calls, went to states on "our dime" to volunteer, we did it all because we were fucking fed up!!! Yes, fed up after the 8 years of the Bush Administration and their continuous lies to us, yes we kicked the bums OUT.

Now the chickens are coming home....

When President Obama took office he had a bold agenda and health care was on top. This handling of health care by this president and his White House has been atrocious and if you want to grade anything he gets an "F". It is time to look at this the way it is. We all want President Obama to do well, we want him to be historic down the road, but if this health care insurance reform is one for the books, the historians will also give him a C- to a F. His handling or non-handling has been the most confusing piece in all of this. The continued question of WHY he did practically NOTHING over the summer of the crazed right winged fringe will go down in history and will also be remembered as the "chickens who started to march".

People in this country look to Presidents for leadership, being in-charge, for this issue Barack Obama has been missing in action. There is a reason that he is falling in the polls, it is not just for health care, but for this issue he never conclusively said, "There must be a government run public option. This is the only way to keep your premiums down. This is the only way for real competition." He never said that. And for all his nuance speak, he is paying a price. If President Obama can not say what he means and mean what he says, what good is his words? That is something we all need to think about because we did not vote for this.

Barack Obama campaigned for 2 years saying, "the American Public deserves health care like congress." Wow, what words. Words that resonated with the public. But the fact is that the minute he got into office those words were immediately tossed aside. We watched and found out that this White House made deals in the heat of the night with the pharmaceutical companies and then tried to LIE ABOUT IT, but had to admit it. Barack Obama is doing what George W. Bush did in this instance, that this country is not allowed to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. This point is one Barack Obama campaigned on and chastised George W. Bush on.

Barack Obama's polling numbers are under 50%, you can cherry pick polls but only go to pollster.com, a non partisan polling site that adds all the polling numbers together and you will get that Obama has been under 50 for a while. The new NBC/WSJ poll, confirms it as the ABC/WAPO poll which came out yesterday, also confirms it.

Now, Howard Dean is out saying, "Kill the Bill". I agree, but not on board totally. Why? Because it will be disastrous to the Democratic Party, but if this bill currently in place goes forward, the party will be disastrous anyway.

People are angry with Barack Obama and they have every right to be. He spent all his political capital on this and got nothing out of it. We wanted this to be his spectacular moment, one remembered, but it will be remembered as the most craptacular bill that was ever sold!! Mr. Obama did this to himself. We can argue about "the people around him", but who put "the people around him". Barack Obama got to take this one and own it.

Pissing your base off has proven in these current poll numbers. Some are saying the left is the netroots, but polling agencies don't have my phone number and that argument is silly. What is happening is that the Democratic Base is angry at Barack Obama for doing a 180 on practically everything he campaigned on. Bailing out banks and not helping Main Street gets you an immediate F. Not showing you care and understand people losing jobs but still chummy with bank CEOs gets you an F. Pretending you wanted a public option but waited for the Baucus Bill and standing behind this bill because you must since you cut those DEALS prior, really gets you an F. Stating that this bill brings costs cuts, when in fact the cost cuts are by the American Public purchasing on MANDATE health insurance by these bogus companies, an F. And losing the Democratic base in a record number, F, please.

Barack Obama, wake up. You have the wrong people around you shilling you bullshit. Wake up. People out here are mad at you for their hurt, wake up. You wasted time, energy on a bogus bill that will drag you and the party down further, wake up. If you don't November 2010 will be bloodied and it will all be blamed on you.

WAKE UP.

Dr. Howard Dean on Hardball with that Senator from Louisiana Mary Landrieu:



Dr. Howard Dean on Good Morning America



And Dr. Howard Dean's op-ed in the Washington Post, Health-care bill wouldn't bring real reform

Home Page

Howard Dean, fight for reform but vote NO on Senate health care bill (Video)

This says it all. The current senate bill is one that could have been written by the insurance industry itself. No public option. No Medicare buy in at 55. But everyone in this country MUST buy insurance, something Barack Obama campaigned against. My thing, again, where are the cost cuts? How will my premiums go down with this garbage? Continued, *crickets*.

From Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Lawrence O'Donnell stands in



Home Page

With the economy the way it is, spending over 80K on golf outings??? Minority Leader John Boehner does without no regards (Video)

Spending 30K on a single golf course?? From morning joe:

Don't talk about, put fear mongering into your speak about JOBS, JOBS, JOBS when you are golfing like a D.C. elitist. OK???

Home Page

No one likes the Baucus Insurance Welfare Bill

It is welfare for the insurance companies, who are currently pushing the Baucus plan. For them, no public option (no competition), mandates (Americans MUST purchase insurance, just like car insurance), the middle class will get hit HARD with the premiums. Now, if you are an executive for any health care insurance company, how would you feel about this? Over the moon with glee.

On the surface, it appears that no one is happy with Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) -- and that may be the best news President Obama has had in months.

Within minutes of the release of the Senate Finance Committee chairman's long-awaited health-care reform bill Wednesday, the attacks started flying. Liberal Democrats and allies, particularly labor unions, fumed. Republicans, after being courted for months, denounced the work as pure partisanship.

Baucus actually had a presser and guess who showed up from his Senate Finance Committee? NO ONE. And that bipartisanship courtship, a big ol' bust.

Is this good for the Obama White House? Yes, since they have seen the revelation that the Republicans are not voting on squat and that Baucus is a compromised politician who did not write this bill, but had his good old buddies from the insurance lobby to do so.

Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman, minced no words about Sen. Max Baucus's healthcare proposal, unveiled to the public this morning. "The Baucus bill is the worst piece of healthcare legislation I've seen in 30 years," Dean said last night at a healthcare town hall and book signing in Washington. "In fact, it's a $60 billion giveaway to the health insurance industry every year," he said. "It was written by healthcare lobbyists, so that's not a surprise. It's an outrage."

Senator Max Baucus is not a Democrat, but a Blue Dog corporatist. Health care reform or insurance reform will be the 21st Century biggest change legislation since the 1960s.

Seems to me, that many politicians that go to Washington, D.C., go there for very little change or increments and that is supposed to be ok. Unless you are wealthy, don't have to worry about health insurance, why should you care? Why should politicians care about their voters who have no insurance? They have the best that any money can buy and they know it.

It is time for many Americans to look these politicians over and say ENOUGH. Just enough of THEM. We have people dying that could be saved because some bean counter from an insurance company, who gets bonuses for denying claims, says so, overriding what an insurer's doctor's prognosis and diagnosis states. Every single American should be outraged.

And if you think that you are OK, even if you are not wealthy, think again, most Americans are NOT OKAY. Many are one job from NO HEALTH INSURANCE. That is only not fair but straight up wrong.

Lastly, all these teabaggers or whatever, mostly older Americans covered under the bosom of MEDICARE and at these protest rallies, what if the shoe was on the other foot? What about your kids or your grandkids? Health care in this country is not a privilege it is a DAMN RIGHT. And the Max Baucus' need to be defeated and removed from office, ASAP.

These type of politicians are the obstructionists, not the visionaries that is needed in this country to move forward. Blue Dogs, you are on notice.

Home Page

Crazy Azzed Right Wingers at Town Hall with Rep. Moran (D-VA) and Governor Howard Dean (Video)

I saw this LIVE on C-Span yesterday and just shook my head. You will too....especially with the crazy azz right winger, Randall Terry, just classic....



Home Page

Howard Dean may be right on how Obama will get the public option (Video)

After watching this, Dean may be right. Now a lot of political talk is going on about dumping the public option and going with co-ops. Finally, maybe, Obama is realizing that the Republicans won't vote for ANYTHING and the Democrats must go it alone. Again, why were we wasting time with them????? Whatever happens, if Obama does not have a public option in the bill, the Democrats are IN MAJOR TROUBLE in 2010. From morning joe....



Transcript @ Daily Kos

Home Page

From Countdown: Howard Dean tells it like it is on bipartisanship, "COUNTER PRODUCTIVE" (Video)

You got that Democrats, President Obama? From Keith Olbermann's Countdown

Home Page

Sunday Talking Heads on Health Care Reform and Town Hall Meetings (Video)

This Week With George Stephanopolous, with Howard Dean and Newt Gingrich







CNN's State of the Union with Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)



CNN's Reliable Sources



MSNBC

Home Page

Republicans all about KILLING any health care reform (Video)

From Rachel Maddow....the Republicans are all about themselves while offering NOTHING to the public for any health care plan.....33 states, 1M dollars, will blanket television with anti-health care reform....people WAKE UP....

Home Page

From ABCs "This Week": Lindsey Graham plays the FEAR CARD on the public option plan (Video)

Did you get all that? Do you understand how the Republicans are going to play this?

Are the Democrats going to allow this to be torpedoed?

Americans overwhelmingly support substantial changes to the health care system and are strongly behind one of the most contentious proposals Congress is considering, a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll.

The poll found that most Americans would be willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance and that they said the government could do a better job of holding down health-care costs than the private sector.

Again, the insurance companies, PHARMA, HMOs should be very worried.

The public does want the government public option and many DO GET IT. With the public option, insurance companies must be more competitive on their services and offer and PAY folks claims. Everyone has had a run in with their health insurance plans and folks understand that insurance companies are in it for themselves, not for what is best for the U.S. customer. The health insurance in this country is so bad that many doctors are fighting with insurance companies THEMSELVES. People do understand that if the insurance companies, PHARMA, HMOs are so against the public option, it must offer the public something that they want, SERVICE.

Folks, if you are a member in congress, especially the senate, the lobbyists are sleeping at your doorstep!!! The lobbyists are waiting to get into your senator's office for a meeting with the checkbook open and willing to write any amount necessary to secure your senator's vote AGAINST any public option.

Folks, our congress is so corrupt that they are willing to NOT LISTEN TO US, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC all for the greater good of themselves.

That weak argument by Lindsay Graham is ridiculous. The insurance companies are all about driving costs up and denying coverage, period. If this was not so, we would not have almost 50 million Americans walking around here with no insurance. Nor would we have 50% of bankruptices in this country DUE to health care costs, and we are talking about most Americans having coverage but the insurance companies DID NOT PAY. And we would not have 14,000 American individuals losing health care insurance DAILY, not weekly or monthly, but DAILY. These numbers are staggering and something needs to be done.

What we see unfolding in Washington, D.C. is straight up beltway insider's rule. Damn the public, the senators are going to do what THEY WANT TO DO, not what WE DEMAND.

I can not argue or state enough that if we do not stand up against these senators, lobbyists, insurance companies and with the President's fight for the public option plan, we will not get another chance for decades to come.

Money is a bitch. It is the greed of all things. Along with money comes power. The money and power is influencing congress right now. How? With the CBS/NYT poll out that Americans want public option, these senators, most Republicans but with many Democrats are staunchly stating that they will not vote for any public option plan, even though WE WANT IT.

Time to do an IRAN on D.C. and take it to the streets. It starts June 25, 2009. A major health care rally is being formulated and planned, all the information is here. Also, please call your senator tomorrow and give each one of them an EARFUL.

If you care about this issue, we all need to make an effort to be there. While the lobbyists have a checkbook, we have NUMBERS as in PEOPLE WHO VOTE.

WORD.

And h/t bumblebums for this clip of Howard Dean telling it like it is on the public option plan:


Sign the petition, Stand with Dr. Dean. Now.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos

Home Page

Howard Dean on Obama's Poll Numbers (Video)

NBC, MSNBC all over the down poll numbers, while CBS/NYT poll numbers came out yesterday, and had him at 63%. And George W. Bush starting to bash Obama? Please. He has no credibility at all.

Home Page

Big donors pull out of DNC fundraiser

It is all about the language of the DOMA ( Defense of Marriage Act) brief filed by the Department of Justice. Frankly, I don't blame the Gay and LGBT communities being angry about a lot of things, especially the wording of that hideous brief. This is a community that has supported Barack Obama through some tough times and took it from him. This brief was a HUGE MISTAKE and may cost the DNC down the road. Obama Administration needs to not only clean it up but FIX it and make it RIGHT with the LBGT community.

Two prominent gay figures, activist David Mixner and widely read blogger Andy Towle, have pulled out of a Democratic National Committee fundraiser later this month amid growing calls to confront the administration at what was supposed to be its first large scale opportunity to bring in gay cash.

"I will not attend a fundraiser for the National Democratic Party in Washington next week when the current administration is responsible for these kind of actions," Mixner wrote of a motion to dismiss a challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act that drew a parallel between same-sex marriage to incestuous marriage. "How will they ever take us seriously if we keep forking out money while they harm us. For now on, my money is going to battles within the community such as the fight in Maine or the March on Washington! I am so tired of being told by Democratic operatives to 'suck it up' because so many other profound issues are at stake," Mixner wrote.

"I've had concerns about the lack of movement from the administration on LGBT issues for some time now but I wasn't comfortable attending after that DOMA brief came out," Towle, who writes the widely read Towle Road blog, said in an e-mail.

This is a party of the big tent philosophy, what happened here?

From Howard Dean from Rachel Maddow, last night:

Source

Home Page

The Politics of Health Care from Countdown w/Keith Olbermann (video)

With Dr. Howard Dean

From the Ed Show, Ryan Grim from Huffington Post

Home Page

Howard Dean to CNBC

Former DNC Chair to CNBC. We will see how this works out, but CNBC has been under heavy criticism since Jon Stewart unveiled the network as being hacks, which it is. Anyway, Dean is an attempt to clean that image up, we will see how it works out.

Former DNC Chair Howard Dean will become a regular contributor for the business news network CNBC, a source close to the former Vermont Governor confirms. Dean started his new gig on Monday morning with a guest-hosting appearance on the station.

The move comes at a time when CNBC is under intense pressure to change its format and criticism for its failures to report or foresee much of today's economic crisis. In this regard, Dean -- who worked Wall Street after graduating college, has family ties to the financial sector, but was nevertheless been an early critic of the business practices that contributed to the current recession -- should be a refreshing presence, particularly for progressive economists.

Source

Home Page

Howard Dean on Keith Olbermann talking about the Republicans (Video)

Home Page

Evening Wrap Up with Obama, McCain, Polls, Ads and Howard Dean

michelle greeted by the first lady of colorado jeannie ritter

::


hardball take on the new national polls

::

Obama ramping up in Virginia

As Obama is sending hundreds of field workers to Missouri, he is opening up 20 offices for the general election in Virginia.

Here's another real sign that the Obama campaign is dead serious about making a real play for Virginia.

The Obama campaign plans to open 20 new field offices in the state -- and at least five of them are in very red areas where Dems have traditionally feared to tread, Obama's Virginia director of communications, Kevin Griffis, confirms to me.

The Obama team is setting up shop in Winchester and Bristol, both of which are in areas that voted for Bush in 2004 by at least 25 points. Camp Obama is also adding an office in Harrisonburg, which went for Bush by 13 and is in the reliably-red Shenandoah Valley. continue

::


new moveon.org ad, "timeline"

::

Unity is a word that is still hard to swallow

Some of the Hillraisers, turned PUMAs, turned ugly heads just can not swallow or fathom a "Barack Obama".

When you look at the positions of Obama and Clinton, the difference is sparse. They look and mirror the same, on paper with exception of Clinton's disastrous Iraq (AUMF) Vote, which in the end really did do her in.

So why the hate?

Look, we saw racism raise its ugly head in this primary season. We have democrats, some that are bigots and racists that will not vote for Barack. Even though, the Democratic Party is the big tent, we have some running around the tent that feel that way. That is a fact. What we don't need is Hillary Clinton's name introduced on the floor for POTUS in Denver and all hell breaking loose.

There are still many out there who believe they can change the minds of these super delegates and Clinton clinches the nomination. But in this backwards and unrealistic thought is that this is the most disastrous thing that could possibly happen.

Read it, here.

::

BELOW IS SATIRE.

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

::

Obama Campaign goes after New York Times

Basically the article states Obama is not closing the racial divide with white americans. The point is this, no democrat has won the white vote since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. Carter did not win it, nor Bill Clinton. How they won is by having strong African-American block with a coalition of other groups to win.

Why is it that John McCain addressed the NAACP Convention in Cincinnati today? Because he need to improve his numbers for the African-American vote. Right now by polling he is barely getting 5%, when Bush in 2004 got 11% of the African-American vote. Now you understand how Bush won in 2004.

Barack Obama will win by heavy African-American vote, new voters, the Hispanic vote must come his way, and just enough of the moderate and independent to win this in November.

Here is the rebuttal on the NYT article. And the NYT admitting the title was misleading, here. Below is the McCain address to the NAACP today and here is Barack's from July 14th, here.



::

and naming an aids bill after JESSE HELMS??? Ah, Hell to the Naw, on that one...

new vets for freedom, a pro war group, ad stating the surge is working, view here...

fbi investigating indymac for fraud...good luck on that one...

management secrets of barack obama....two words from me, it works...

planned parenthood hits mccain hard, view it here.

obama is the third term of george w. bush? are we kidding here? this is too stupid to respond.

::



second national security ad

and howard dean.....




So, did you get your groove on today?

Home Page

This Week With Barack Obama, The Presumptive Democratic Nominee, June 16-21, 2008

cross-posted @ Daily Kos


barack and al, detroit, michigan

::


al gore's endorsement for barack obama, detroit, michigan

"When a disaster strikes — a Katrina, a shooting, or a six-alarm blaze — its city hall we lean on, its city hall we call first, and city hall we depend on to get us through tough times. Because whether its a small town or a big city, the government that people count on most is the one thats closest to the people." — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama

This was part of a statement that Barack Obama made to the United States Conference of Mayors in Miami, Florida.

It was ironic that John McCain chose to visit Iowa, when the Governor of Iowa asked him not to.

But what was more ironic is that as the folks in the ravaged midwest come to terms of what happened, it will be this that will anger many:

"I know that Sen. McCain felt as strongly as I did," Obama said, "feeling enormous sympathy for the victims of the recent flooding. I'm sure they appreciated the sentiment, but they probably would have appreciated it even more if Sen. McCain hadn't opposed legislation to fund levees and flood control programs, which he considers pork."

This is politics folks. Pure and simple. McCain voted against this bill that would have sent federal dollars for restoration of dams and levees. Maybe, McCain forgot that he did not vote to fund this bill, but showed up for the photo-op anyway.

The bill funded hundreds of projects — such as dams, sewage plants and beach restoration — that are important to local communities and their representatives. It also included money for the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast and for Florida Everglades restoration efforts.

I don't know about you, but I am tired of this government not spending the appropriate money for something called, maintenance and repair on the infrastructure of this country. Ask these folks flooded out how they feel about it, or the folks in Minnesota when a bridge just up and collasped on them, or Katrina victims STILL trying to get their lives back in order.

This country sure knows how to send money to Iraq in a snap, but for just the ordinary things like maintenance and repair, the Bush Administration will call it pork barrel spending in a minute, with McCain going right along with Bush.

A shame.


michelle, the dress, on the view

polls

Rasmussen: Obama pulls ahead in Virginia; Nevada Poll; Kansas Poll; Ohio PPP Poll; ABC/Washington Post Poll; SUSA Minnesota Poll; Mason-Dixon Virginia Poll; Rasmussen Oregon Poll; SUSA Kentucky Poll; Pope Institute North Carolina Poll; Reuters National Poll; Quinnipiac OH, FL and PA Poll; Alaska Rasmussen Poll; PPP Virginia Poll; Rasmussen Ohio Poll; ARG Florida Poll; SUSA Wisconsin Poll; Rasmussen Florida Poll; Georgia Insider Advantage Poll; Newsweek National Poll; Rasmussen New Hampshire Poll; Obama best Democratic Candidate in years, per Electorial-Vote.com

Bill, Jim, Caroline? Readers Pick Obama VP
Obama’s Decision Threatens Public Financing System
Obama returns Chicago to center stage
Axelrod Visits Senate Democrats
GOP Recycles Hillary Attacks On Obama Again -- This Time On Campaign Finance
With money, Obama to try to widen the battleground





barack's announcement to forego public financing

Without public funding, sky's the limit for Obama
AP-Ipsos poll: Most say US on wrong track
Obama gets AFSCME endorsement
Obama e-mail list makes Dems salivate
Obama Revives Kennedy-Era Excitement for Democrats Mikva, Minow


obama's economic roundtable with governors

National Push by Obama on Ads and Turnout

Senator Barack Obama is drawing up plans for extensive advertising and voter-turnout drives across the nation, hoping to capitalize on his expected fund-raising advantage over Senator John McCain to force Republicans to compete in states they have not had to defend in decades.

With his decision to give up public financing and the spending limits that go with it, Mr. Obama has added several seasoned hands to his advertising team, a harbinger of a multifaceted television campaign that people inside and outside Obama headquarters said would grow well beyond its already large presence in 18 states.

Future commercials could run on big national showcases like the Olympics in August and smaller cable networks like MTV and Black Entertainment Television that appeal to specific demographic and interest groups.

He is also dispatching paid staff members to all states, an unusual move by the standards of modern presidential campaigns where the fight is often contained to contested territories. New York Times

Ready to Attack Obama, But Geez...NO MONEY by icebergslim
Obama opts out of public financing by kos
Obama Calls Muslim Women Barred from Stage by Valhalla
Obama's First General Election Ad by dansac
Obama & Kerry deal Halliburton major blow; Prez OKs closing KBR tax loophole by beachmom
An Epic Primary Season for Democrats by Maureen


obama at the united states conference of mayors in miami, florida

audio/video

Barack on Jimmy Kimmel; Michelle on The View; Barack at Foreign Policy Summit; Barack with nation's governors for an Economic Conference; Obama on Pop Culture; Obama on Offshore Drilling; Obama Expresses 'Deep Disappointment' in McCain's Silence on Wife Attacks; Polls Try to Frame Ever-Changing Political Landscape; Why the Obama Campaign Has Six Pollsters; Dissecting McCain's Vulnerabilities in the Fall; Obama Pins Hopes on Fundraising Power; Obama Puts Early Focus on Michigan; Week in Review: Campaign Finance, Wiretapping

Obama, Clinton to join forces at fundraiser
'Straight Talk Express' often reverses course
Huckabee Says Demonizing Obama `Fatal Mistake' for Republicans
Obama meets with national security advisers



barack with anna burger, the chairwoman of "change to win," and john sweeney, president of the afl-cio

::

Barack Obama: Lay Off My Family
Obama Campaigns on Capitol Hill
Obama Announces Senior Working Group on National Security
Obama’s Campaign Tightens Control of Image and Access
Obama camp sketches new electoral path
Women voters lining up behind Obama
Why the Christian right fears Obama



barack and chairman howard dean, dnc

shoutouts

Amtrak Has Too Few Usable Train Cars Left by bink; What's for Dinner: the Great Barbecue Edition by Asinus Asinum Fricat; This is a bus... by JeffLieber; What conservative bloggers taught me about flood relief by desmoinesdem; Obama To Opt Out Of Public Financing by slinkerwink; WaPo: General Accuses WH of War Crimes by abundance; How to Transform the US From a Debt to an Equity Economy by bonddad; Obama Responds to McCain Campaign Charge that he has "A September 10th Mindset" by TomP; "McCain Democrat" leader outed as racist by kat68; I got your back Barack! by Deoliver47; You Are Falling for the Right Wing's Trap. by kath25

Obama, McCain see purple in Minnesota
Obama to visit Iraq, Afghanistan
Barack Obama on Economics: 'We're Going Through a Big Shift'
Obama rebukes McCain camp on terrorism criticism
Senator Barack Obama Says He Wants to Make College Affordable
McCain Disses Bush -- But Mac Isn't as Green As He Says
Obama criticizes McCain on offshore drilling




icebergslim’s last word: barack obama

While many are up in arms over FISA, something else happened this week, “Barack Declared Independence.”

Barack Obama opted out of public financing. A first for any major candidate.

This decision is important on many levels. First, there will be grumbling from the other side of flip/flopping and Barack did, but for a good cause, to run a campaign independent of the shackles on your feet with public financing. I don’t expect this to stick because most of the general public is not interested in how campaigns are financed. They just don’t care. Maybe in another year or years to come, but not this year with the economy crumbling and gas prices looking at folks to hit five dollars a gallon, soon, it is a non-issue.

But what this does mean? It means that not only is Barack independent, but the Democratic Party, as a whole, is independent. We are free to raise the amount of money needed to fund all 50 states through November, along with helping to raise money for all the congressional and senate races riding this independent wave, as well.

I hope you fully understand what is at stake here. While some are complaining about FISA, we need to raise massive amounts of money for Barack, the DNC Convention, and the whole Democratic Party. This burden is not only on Barack, but all of us.

Along with this, Barack and Michelle Obama must fundraise, Barack has to go overseas, Barack has to go to Iraq and Afghanistan, Barack has to run the Democratic Convention, Barack has to complete a platform, all in about two months. One word, "Wow."

A good friend told me today that she did not like that Barack only raised 22M for May, for her a huge drop off. That is worrisome to her. I told her it did not bother me, but now I have to sit back and look at all I just wrote above and completely state, “this is a lot of stuff to complete on a promise of ordinary voters to fund.” It is.

So, while you are angry, you need to sit back and look at what we need to do and complete as a party. I will be the first to state that having the primary go to the end did not help us with timing. Many just became tired of it and disconnected, well it is time to reconnect and that starts with donating to the Obama for America Campaign.

See, I understand the current beef about FISA, warranted and duly noted, but the large picture is too big and the stakes too high to stop now. There are many reading this that have a son or daughter or loved one in Iraq; somebody has lost their job; a family is wondering how to save their home; someone may not have gas money to go to work tomorrow; many are skimping on food because of costs; some teenager is crying right now because they cannot go to college, even though they had good grades; folks got the credit card companies calling constantly because they can’t afford the payments and this list is endless. Yes, endless because I know some people who are affected on this list. So, see FISA right now is not an issue, but change and new direction in this country is.

We need to stand together, not apart now. I am hoping this bill is shoved until after November when it can be readdressed, but no matter what happens we need to move forward, together.

Folks, we have a laundry list of items to accomplish and time is not on our side.

It starts here. Donate to Obama for America. Because if we don’t get him elected in November and increase Democrats in congress, there will be more than whining for the next four years, but some serious weeping as well.




well another week has flown by and michelle obama was the star, no doubt. i don't know why the press is giving her a bum rap, but the woman is not only accomplished and lovely but puts her family first. al rodgers got me hooked on the slideshows, but he is numero uno in that department. a true, inspiration. as the summer is coming along, many of us are busy with families, getting ready for vacations, or just coping with LIFE. remember, we came from absolutely nothing and look where we are. keep involved, focus, donate and remember to focus on obama and not the drama...

::

Tip the Obama Jar, Here
Get Involved Here
For Inspiration: Yes.We.Can!!!

::

icebergslim1047 (at) gmail (dot) com

Evening Wrap Up...

barack and dnc chairman howard dean

::

MoveOn.org is ceasing its 527 to follow Obama's lead

MoveOn.org announced today that it is dismantling its 527 group in response to Senator Barack Obama’s candidacy.

The MoveOn Voter Fund, which was able to take in unlimited donations, has been essentially dormant since 2004, when it brought in $20 million of the group’s $50 million-haul. MoveOn will rely instead on its political action committee, MoveOn Political Action which can take in up to $5,000 from an individual.

Mr. Obama, who announced yesterday that he would not take public financing for his general election campaign, has been critical of the influence of outside groups, especially the so-called 527 groups, seen by many as a soft-money loophole.

“The small-donor driven politics that built MoveOn and the progressive movement has helped to drive Barack Obama’s candidacy,” said Eli Pariser, executive director of the liberal advocacy group, in a statement. “We’ve always believed this new kind of politics can change our country and end the gridlock in D.C. And now is the time to let the voices of ordinary Americans be heard in this election.”

::

Obama raised 22M for May.

OK, we need to pony up until the election. Click to donate on the left.

::

Governor's Roundtable in Chicago, Illinois



::

Newsweek Poll, Obama up 15 Points

Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among registered voters nationwide.

My take, an outlier. Is Obama ahead nationally? Yes, I believe so, but not by 15 points. We are just getting started and preparing for the groundgame. This campaign has a long time before the real polls matter which is usually two weeks out.

New poll from New Hampshire: Obama 50, McCain 39.



::

Hagel says he'd consider VP offer from Obama

Personally, I don't think it will happen, but if you are a visionary this is plausible.

Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said Friday he would consider serving as Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's running mate if asked, but he doesn't expect to be on any ticket.

Hagel's vocal criticism of the Bush administration since the 2003 invasion of Iraq has touched off speculation that if Obama were to pick a Republican running mate, it might be Hagel. Hagel said in an interview with The Associated Press that after devoting much of his life to his country — in the Senate and the U.S. Army — he would have to consider any offer.

"If it would occur, I would have to think about it," Hagel said. "I think anybody, anybody would have to consider it. Doesn't mean you'd do it, doesn't mean you'd accept it, could be too many gaps there, but you'd have to consider it, I mean, it's the only thing you could do. Why wouldn't you?"

::


michelle speaks in dc

::

Obama and the Southside of Chicago



::

This Week with Barack Obama will be up on Sunday evening and have a great weekend. If you missed this morning break and that michelle dress, read it here.

The Empire Strikes Barack!!!!

From the Makers of "Baracky the Movie"

The Empire Strikes Barack!!!

Starring: Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson, Howard Dean

Introducing: Barack and Michelle Obama, with special guest star, Abraham Lincoln