Posts from — April 2008

Bloomington residents and Indiana University students, staff, and faculty flooded the IU Assembly Hall tonight to listen to Barack speak about the "fierce urgency of now."

After being introduced by Indiana Congressman Baron Hill, Barack told the 12,000 plus guests:

The average Hoosier has seen an 8% decline in wages. Less money is coming in at the same time that the cost of everything is going up. The cost of milk is going up, the cost of healthcare is going up, the cost of gas is going sky-high. There are families that are making decisions about buying food or paying rent. These are serious problems that need serious answers.

We can’t afford to wait. We cannot wait to fix our schools, to fix our health system, to end global warming, to bring the war in a Iraq to a close — we cannot wait.

He told the crowd that through his travels across this nation, are saying that want something new, that they want a new chapter in Washington. And even more than that, they want a politician who does use political spin, but is honest with them about the issues. Barack reminded everyone that this election is about them, and every vote matters.

Cathy from Bloomington brought her daughter Lena to see Barack speak. Both are Obama supporters and are excited to vote on Tuesday. Cathy said:

He is an honest and truthful candidate. And I believe that he can repair the damage that has been made internationally because of his international background. I believe in hope and change. And I want to leave this place a better place for the next generation.

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This afternoon, Barack visited the CMW Factory in Indianapolis, IN, and met with Mark Gramelspacher, the owner of CMW Factory.

After touring the factory, Barack spoke to employees about his energy policy, making science a priority to develop new technology, and educating Americans.

Check out these pictures and video from his time at CMW:

Sign up for a volunteer shift this weekend to help us Get Out The Vote!

All eyes are on Indiana and North Carolina as we close in on next Tuesday’s primaries, but the next contest is actually this Saturday, some 5000 miles off the coast of California on the island of Guam.

Four delegates are at stake in the Guam caucuses on May 3rd, and we’ve had an office up and running for weeks now. Early on, we made a commitment to campaign everywhere, for every vote, and Guam is no different.

In Guam as in every other contest so far, we’re running an ambitious Get Out The Vote program, and you can help. The online calling campaigns for Indiana and North Carolina have closed down for the night, but there is still time to call Guam. 

Right now, you can help reach out to voters in Guam and encourage them to caucus for Barack. The Guam calling campaign runs until midnight Pacific Time. It’s Thursday afternoon in Guam right now, which means we we only have two more days to contact voters before Saturday’s caucuses. 

You can view Barack’s positions on many of the issues facing Guam, and then log on to our online phonebanking system and begin making calls.

(Please note that some phone companies consider Guam an International Call and some do not, so you might want to check on the details on your own personal service plan before making calls.)

Time and again, your phone calls have made the difference in critical contest across the country. Now it’s time to call Guam.

Watch a clip of Barack explaining how he is going to change the country through the work of his campaign once he gets into the White House:

Find your polling location to vote for Barack tomorrow!

The April fundraising deadline is tonight at Midnight, Eastern Standard Time.

If you make a donation of $15 or more before midnight tonight, we’ll send you your choice of limited edition Vote For Change merchandise. 

You can choose from:

• A limited edition Vote For Change button
• A limited edition Vote For Change car magnet
• A limited edition Vote For Change bumper sticker

And if you make a donation of $30 or more, you can choose from:

• A DVD and limited edition print of Barack’s "A More Perfect Union" speech on race in America
• A limited edition Vote For Change poster
• A limited edition Vote For Change t-shirt

Many will judge us by the money we raise, but we know our strength comes from a different number: nearly 1.5 million grassroots donors who are funding this movement, and voting for change.

“[The DNC's ad] is disingenuous from start to finish, the inevitable attack ad version of what Charles Krauthammer earlier called the ‘100 year lie.’ … But if the DNC wants to use isolationism to win votes, let’s take their rhetoric to its logical conclusion. Why not pull all of our troops out of South Korea and Japan – the two peaceful countries McCain spoke of in his original comment?” – The New Republic

John McCain will deliver the following remarks as prepared for delivery in Cleveland, Ohio, today at 10:10 a.m. EDT:

We’ve got to do a lot of things, but first of all, Judge, I’m sure you’ve noticed when we proposed this little break for Americans – particularly, as you know, low-income Americans drive further and generally drive older cars, so their gasoline bill is higher – you’d have thought it was the end of Western civilization as we know it. ‘Oh, no. you can’t do this.’ Think of all the bridges and pork barrel projects, think of that bridge in Alaska to an island with 50 people on it. It’s amazing to me, just give the American people a little break for the summer. Maybe they can go a little further, maybe they can buy a better meal.

“I believe the key to real reform is to restore control over our health-care system to the patients themselves. To that end, my reforms are built on the pursuit of three goals: paying only for quality medical care, having insurance choices that are diverse and responsive to individual needs, and restoring our sense of personal responsibility.” – John McCain

John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced that John McCain will conclude his “Call to Action Tour” in Colorado on Friday, May 2nd. The previously announced media availability in Denver, Colorado, has been cancelled due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts.

John McCain today made the following statement regarding the National Day of Prayer:

Admission of corporation owing $70,000 in back taxes and penalties in 17 states threatens his campaign.

Aides have stopped rolling eyes at their own campaign bluster, even if evidence of her comeback is less than assured.

Hillary Clinton is living in a fantasy world where she makes the rules.

In response to the Clinton campaign’s recent misleading attack ad, the Obama campaign launched a new ad today entitled "Truth":

The Clinton ad misrepresents Obama’s plans to stimulate the economy while advocating a gas tax holiday gimmick as a solution to high gas prices, even though economists have widely panned the plan as ineffective.

Help us spread the truth in Indiana and North Carolina:     

Before their town hall at Greenfield Park, Barack and Michelle had lunch in the home of Mike and Cheryl Fischer in Beech Grove, IN.

Mike, 53, is a machinist at Amtrak’s Beech Grove shop. Cheryl, 52, is a technician at a local hospital. Their children and grandchildren also came for a lunch of Subway and potato chips.

During the lunch, Barack and Mike talked about Amtrak and a possible layoff that Mike is facing. Barack said:

The irony is with the gas prices what they are, we should be expanding rail service. One of the things I have been talking bout for awhile is high speed rail connecting all of these Midwest cities – Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, St. Louis. They are not that far away from each other. Because of how big of a hassle airlines are now. It takes you just about as much time if you had high speed rail to go the airport, park, take your shoes off.

This is something that we should be talking about a lot more. We are going to be having a lot of conversations this summer about gas prices. And it is a perfect time to start talk about why we don’t have better rail service. We are the only advanced country in the world that doesn’t have high speed rail. We just don’t have it. And it works on the Northeast corridor. They would rather go from New York to Washington by train than they would by plane. It is a lot more reliable and it is a good way for us to start reducing how much gas we are using. It is a good story to tell.

Check out these pictures from the lunch:

Stop by your local office to help volunteer or call undecided Indiana residents!  

We have just under a week left to reach our goal of one million phone calls to voters by the close of polls on May 6th. Anyone who’s ever made calls will agree that the first one is the hardest, but in the last few days we’ve heard from a number of people who, inspired by the importance of this moment, decided to pick up a phone and make that first call.

From Karen:

I just finished my 25 calls for today. This is my first time and believe me, it was a very scary experience at first but the more you do it, the better I became … Overall, it was truly a great experience. I can’t wait to call tomorrow. Let’s keep the calls going!!!!

From a supporter in New England:

OK - I’m WAY out of my comfort zone with these calls, but I just did 25 to NC. Lots of people enjoying the good weather because I left a lot of messages, but hey… Like I tell my very cynical husband … a little bit plus a little bit equals a lot. When you find that supporter who is for Obama all the way, it makes the answering machines/voice mail and hang-ups worth it! I will try to do another 25 soon…

From Vicki:

Ok guys I made my first 20 calls to Indiana today, as much as I was dreading it, I forced myself. Here’s the results:

Left a bunch of messages, a couple busy signals, two undecided, one absolutely not, and SIX for Obama, several of which had already voted. One older lady in particular sounded very excited. It wasn’t that bad. Will force myself to do more later. By the way, no Clinton supporters.

From Kristen:

I had a very hard time making calls at first too. But I just kept thinking… WE ARE THE CHANGE WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR! Senator Obama is not going to owe his presidency to any special interest groups - he will owe it to you, to me and to everyone else who participated in this historic grassroots campaign!

Whether you’re about to make your first call or your one thousandth call, it only takes a minute to get started. The Indiana and North Carolina calling campaigns run until 9:00 PM EST tonight.

This afternoon, Barack and Michelle Obama held a discussion with 30 working class families at Greenfield Park in Indianapolis, IN, to talk about the economic hardships that they are facing.

Barack talked about his and Michelle’s modest upbringing and how they understand that it’s hard for people to even make ends meet. He told the group that in order to change the policies that are making everyone frustrated, you not only have to change the political party, but you have to change how Washington is run.

When asked about gas prices and what Barack plans to do to provide relief to the people who can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks to get to work in the morning, Barack said:

I understand what it’s like for folks — and it’s tough. This issue is really pressing on people and especially low income people. The gas tax holiday that people are talking about is not a real solution, but a gimmick to get you through an election. My plan is to pass a middle class tax cut, which will help not only gas, but groceries and healthcare. We will roll back the Bush tax cuts and provide every family that is making less than $75,000 an offset on their payroll tax. Short term — this puts money in people’s pockets.

But long term, we need to prepare for the fact that gas prices are going to keep rising. And we need to counter that. We need to invest in alternative energies and fuel efficiency standards in cars. This is something we should have been doing 20 years ago. We need to get serious about our energy policy for the future.

The Indiana primary is only six days away — sign up for to help us Get Out The Vote in Indiana! And don’t forget that you can early vote until next Monday!

In response to Senator Clinton and Senator McCain’s recent calls for a gas tax "holiday," former Clinton Energy Secretary Federico Peña released the following statement today:

Today we’re seeing another example of Washington politics at its worst. Senator Clinton is running TV ads and launching repeated attacks on Barack Obama for not supporting the gas tax holiday she’s supporting, but today her own aides told the Washington Post that they know that this is a questionable plan and that they are using it to make it appear they’re against big oil. The Clinton gas tax gimmick does little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and will actually increase oil prices. It is the kind of pandering that insults people’s intelligence. With energy prices skyrocketing, we’re looking for real solutions—not political posturing to get elected.

Barack Obama knows that a gas tax holiday would save the average family only about 30 cents a day. It’s designed to win elections, not fix our energy problems. Here’s Barack speaking about the issue at a Town Hall meeting in North Carolina:

To really solve our energy problems, Barack believes we have to stand up to oil companies and end oil market manipulations, and we must invest more in long-term solutions like alternative energy and increasing mileage standards for cars and trucks. And Obama is the only candidate who has a plan to provide real and permanent tax relief including a broad-based tax cut for the middle class — saving the average family one thousand dollars a year.

John McCain today made the following statement at a media availability in Allentown, Pennsylvania regarding the conditions of barracks at Fort Bragg:

Calif. congresswoman with long ties to Clintons will endorse Barack Obama today, says campaign source.

Representative Lois Capps (D-CA) has endorsed Barack Obama for President, bringing the total number of delegates Obama needs to secure the nomination down to 285.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and Chair of the Democratic Women’s Working Group, released the following statement regarding her endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President:

"Today, I am announcing my endorsement of Barack Obama for President.

"This wasn’t an easy decision for me.   Democrats were blessed this year with many talented and capable candidates, and I believe both Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama would make fine presidents.  But Sen. Obama’s proven judgment, his hopeful vision for America, and his unmatched ability to motivate millions of Americans eager for change made the choice for me.

"I have enormous respect for Sen. Clinton.  She is smart, dedicated and a champion of those often underserved and forgotten.  She has a remarkable record of achievement that inspires us all.  And her election would fulfill a life long dream for so many of us who have been fighting for women’s rights.  She would make a great president.

"But for me, Barack Obama is the best choice.

"There are a number of reasons I could cite.  He has promoted smart policies to address our nation’s greatest challenges.  He was right on Iraq when so many were wrong.  He speaks with an eloquence that most public officials can only dream of and is inspiring millions of Americans to reconnect with politics or connect for the first time.  And he can win in November.

"These are all true and good reasons, but I also believe Barack Obama is the better choice because of something larger and perhaps more important.  Simply put, he has made a call to the better angels of our nature.  He is challenging us to lift ourselves out of the ugliness that increasingly consumes Washington, where the heat of your argument counts for more than the light it should bring.  He is asking us to stand together as Americans and transcend the traditional lines that have so often divided us by party affiliation, economic status, gender, or race.  He is calling on us to rethink our approach to problem solving in the face of the enormous challenges facing our country, like Iraq, economic recession, global warming, record energy prices, and 47 million Americans without health insurance, to name just a few.  I believe in his effort to put our country on a new path and want to help him make that happen.

"I came to Washington 10 years ago after winning the seat my husband Walter held.  In office for a mere 10 months before he died, he had lost none of the idealism and faith in American democracy that propelled his life.  Quite frankly, I don’t believe he ever would have and I know that I have tried to keep that fire burning.  But I’ll admit it’s hard, when so much of what’s going on around you is less about meeting our country’s challenges and more about demonizing your political opponents.

"Walter once said that "we are strongest as people when we are directed by that which unites us, rather than giving into the fears, suspicions, innuendos and paranoias that divide."  For years I have been waiting for a President that speaks to that vision.  I believe Barack Obama may very well be that rare leader."

Indianapolis, IN — Indiana Congressman Baron Hill endorsed Barack Obama for President today, citing his strength of character and ability to change the tone of Washington:

If we are going to develop real solutions for Hoosier families, for America’s families, we have to move past the partisan gridlock. I believe both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama want to do that and I believe both are formidable candidates.  But, I also believe that only one of them truly can.

I am proud of Senator Obama’s call for change in Washington – change I have been advocating since I first sought public office. I am truly hopeful that his campaign and election will help unify our nation and ultimately change our politics. I am pleased that Senator Obama clearly and unequivocally denounced Reverend Wright’s remarks.  Hoosiers don’t feel that way about our country, I don’t feel that way about our country and Senator Obama made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t feel that way either.

His comments regarding statements made by Reverend Wright showed me another aspect of Senator Obama’s leadership – a strength of character and commitment to our nation that transcends the personal.  One of the tests of a true leader is his ability and willingness to come to a new conclusion based on new events.  Senator Obama did just that yesterday. 

I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with both Senators Clinton and Obama.  Choosing between two worthy candidates was very difficult, but in the end, after much discussion with people in Southern Indiana, as well as mentors of mine such as Lee Hamilton, I have decided to support Senator Obama.

I believe Senator Obama has the capability to change the tone and tenor of politics in Washington. I believe that he can and will work with both parties and elevate the level of public discourse. Hoosiers are independent people who want to see civility and common-sense solutions implemented in Washington.  Like us, Senator Obama strives to put the good of the country before the good of a particular political party. “

As someone who has always worked in a bipartisan manner to achieve results, I know that we need a president who can bring people together and build consensus to move this country in a new and exciting direction.  And that person is Senator Barack Obama.”

Said Obama: "I am grateful to have the support of Congressman Baron Hill. He has been a tireless advocate for southern Indiana, working to improve our children’s education, strengthen our military, and create jobs and achieve energy independence. I look forward to working with him to fix our economy, lift up hardworking families, and make America more secure — and to shooting hoops every once in a while."

Congressman Baron Hill, a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, represents Indiana’s 9th district and is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Hill is Senator Obama’s 246th Superdelegate endorsement. Senator Obama is now 286 delegates away from winning the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

From the Boston Globe:

Barack Obama didn’t back down yesterday in his opposition to a so-called gas tax holiday this summer, becoming more vocal in calling it political pandering [from] John McCain and Hillary Clinton for proposing it.

He told voters in Winston-Salem, N.C., that suspending the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day would save them only about $25 to $30. Some economists, he said, believe the proposal could backfire and actually raise prices by increasing demand. "We don’t know that the oil companies will actually pass on the savings," he added.

And by taking revenue away from the Highway Trust Fund, which finances road and bridge repairs, the gas tax holiday could delay badly needed improvements and cost thousands of construction jobs, including 7,000 in North Carolina, he told voters.

"This is the problem with Washington," Obama declared. "We’re arguing over a gimmick that will save you half a tank of gas. It’s not an idea to get you through the summer. It’s an idea to get them through an election."

From the Rocky Mount Telegram:

With his jacket off and his shirt sleeves rolled up, Barack Obama asked a crowd of about 1,500 somewhat-soggy Eastern North Carolinians on Monday to believe in the potential of the middle class …

Despite heavy afternoon rains, most of those in attendance waited more than two hours outside Beddingfield High School to hear the Democratic presidential hopeful.

Taking several minutes during his speech to focus on issues faced by small towns throughout the eastern part of the state, Obama pledged to restore the U.S. economy by returning order to the job market.

"Unemployment here in Wilson is outpacing the rest of the county," Obama said after referring to a few local plants that moved overseas in recent years. "And folks here in Wilson are making about $11,000 less on average than the rest of the country. Meanwhile, gas costs $3.58."

Part of the problem, Obama said, is with leaders in Washington, D.C., who answer to special interests instead of the average U.S. resident.

… "I’ve got big plans and Sen. Clinton has big plans, too," Obama said. "The question is, what’s it going to take to come through on those plans? And that’s the question you’ll be answering next Tuesday. You have to ask yourself, are you going to change things in Washington or are you going to vote for more of the same? We need a leader who doesn’t answer to special interests."

… Touching on several issues during a 40-minute speech followed by a 30-minute question-and-answer session, Obama said he wants to seek energy independence and enhance the green job market. He said he wants to revamp early childhood education and redo No Child Left Behind so teachers aren’t forced to "teach for a test." And he said he wants to return the U.S. to a position of respect around the globe.

"In such circumstance we cannot afford to wait," Obama said, people in the crowd beginning to rise to their feet. "We can’t wait to fix our schools. We can’t wait to fix out health care systems. We cannot wait to bring back good jobs and good wages. We can’t wait to rebuild our infrastructure. We can’t wait to develop a solid energy policy. We can’t wait to bring the war in Iraq to a close. We cannot wait, and that is why I decided to run for president of the United States of America."

From the Hendersonville Times-News:

Marty Tinkler supports Sen. Barack Obama for president. As an older woman, she fits the demographic of a Hillary Clinton supporter.

"I am a gray-haired old woman, and I am not supposed to support Obama," Tinkler said.

She, along with her husband, Jim, attended the opening of an Obama campaign office in Hendersonville on Monday, Obama’s 34th in North Carolina. The crowd filled the office and flowed out into the parking lot.

Former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus represented Obama at the event. He said Obama’s appeal is the diverse group of people that support him. Mabus said Obama will make the Democratic Party competitive in states like North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi and Georgia, .

"In Barack Obama, we have somebody who is going to break those divides," Mabus said, adding, "Look at the crowd. It is so inclusive."

Gary Pichard heads Henderson County United for Barack Obama. He said the office is important to the campaign, because the location gives Obama a physical presence in the county.

"It provides the opportunity for local people to meet local people who are really concerned about where this country is going," Prichard said.

He said the campaign office will do canvassing and make phone calls. Prichard said Henderson County is changing, and he believes there is a lot of support for Obama.

Hendersonville resident Irene Brinegar said she is excited that North Carolina is playing such an important role in the presidential election.

"I think it is wonderful that we are not at the end," she said. "And what we do will have a big impact on how we move forward."

From the Rapid City Journal:

Former South Dakota Sen. Tom Daschle saw the face of a nation Tuesday in a campaign rally for Barack Obama at the Black Hills State University student union in Spearfish.

There were plenty of fired-up college students, of course. But the 120 to 150 people assembled in support of Obama cut across lines of age, gender and race in a human mix that Daschle - a national co-chairman for Obama’s presidential campaign - has seen time and again across the nation.

"It really looked like America," Daschle said. "And it looked like South Dakota."

South Dakota is a more prominent part of America than usual these days, as Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton slug it out for the Democratic nomination for president. The state’s end-of-the-line June 3 primary, previously expected to be an as-usual afterthought in world of national politics, is enlarged this year by the nearly neck-and-neck campaign.

… Ben Mincks, a 19-year-old BHSU freshman from Rapid City, is looking forward to that with an excitement about politics that he couldn’t have imagined a year or two ago. Mincks represents the wave of newcomers attracted to politics by Obama. Politically disengaged last year, Mincks happened to watch an Obama speech on television. Now, he’s president of the BHSU Democrats who helped organize Tuesday’s rally and plans to continue volunteer work for the Obama campaign.

"It’s definitely because of Obama," Mincks said. "I’ve never been interested in politics. There was just something about Obama that inspired me."