Yes, Obama Was Involved

The New York Times goes a long way to answer the questions we have on how involved President-Elect Barack Obama was in IL Gov. Rod Blagojevich's "Pay to Play" scandal. Here's a good example of how Obama was a part of the action.

Mr. Obama used leverage that he had seldom employed - publicly, anyway - and strongly urged Mr. Jones to bypass Mr. Blagojevich and approve the ethics bill, banning the so-called pay-for-play system of influence peddling in Illinois. When asked at the time how Mr. Obama had come to be involved, Mr. Jones replied, "He's a friend."

When the Illinois Senate passed the measure by 55 to 0 on Sept. 22, with Mr. Jones reversing his position, Mr. Obama praised the move as one creating "a tougher ethics law that will reduce the influence of money over our state's political process." Mr. Obama's intervention deepened a rift between him and Mr. Blagojevich that had been growing for some time.

So does this now explain why Blagojevich called Obama a "motherf*cker" for not paying to play Blago's game? It does for me. Obama actually took a little time off the campaign trail in late September to line up the votes to pass the historic ethics legislation that proved to be Blago's downfall.

So will the Republicans stop telling lies about "Barky Hussein Soetoro's trail of corruption"? Obama actually worked to stop the corruption! If anything, we should thank the President-Elect for putting an end to this mess in Illinois & hope that he can do the same in DC!

"You are lying" and "Clinton is too hawkish"...

This is merely my opinion regarding Clinton as SOS and therefore I cannot speak for everyone who did not support her in the primary (I did not support her, I was first an Edwards supporter then moved to Obama rather quickly despite some of my reservations). From some comments (by others) in various threads there are some very interesting themes emerging.

One... many at Kos hated Clinton, so that anyone that now supports her appointment as SOS was lying then or lying now.

Secondly... Clinton is so damn hawkish because of her support and vote for the war she is completely unfit to serve in Obama’s administration.

So, here I must refute these ideas...

Clinton fought hard during the primary and said some things that really pissed me off, just as many here were pissed. Some chose to express that anger in ways that might not seem as productive as other means but things were said during the primary, we all know that.

But when Clinton conceded and endorsed Obama, I was a bit shocked. I did believe she might keep fighting until the convention and even challenge his nomination at the roll call. But as history now shows us, Clinton not only endorsed Obama, she campaigned for him and urged her supporters to vote for him.

How much clearer could she have been, No McCain, no way, no how? She was very clear that McCain was not an alternative to Obama and by Republicans picking Sarah Palin as the VP choice (Sure, we all know McCain did not get his way) they gave Clinton an even bigger bat to hit that point home ; McCain/Palin were not an alternative to Clinton either.

I teared up when Clinton stopped the roll call and spoke those words that ended it as clearly as anyone could have, she will forever have a huge part in history for many different reasons and I think one of the most important was the grit and class she showed after she had lost the primary. It turned my head and it gave me the ability to forgive and forget. Yes, it can happen in politics as well, some things are just not worth hanging on to.



Is it possible that I might be the only one whose opinion of Clinton was drastically changed? I highly doubt it and I’m hoping that is the case, that many allowed themselves to be won over by her ardent support of Obama and her ability to be a “team player”.

Obama is also playing the game and he has given her a great opportunity to be a tremendous Secretary of State to put forth HIS agenda on Foreign Policy not her own. That’s where her perceived hawkishness is irrelevant to me, ultimately Clinton was chosen for her standing in the international community and relationships between world leaders that already exist. It is also a nod to her competency as a Senator and an opponent. It was a brilliant move by Obama in my opinion and a deserving position for Clinton as well, in my opinion.

But do you really think that Clinton would have enough sway over Obama to start another useless and illegal war? Really?

I know many here admired the fact that Obama stood up and spoke out against the Iraq war when it was not the politically expedient thing to do. I was also one of the many who never supported this war and I still feel betrayed by all that allowed themselves to be swayed by the bullshit meme put forth by the Bush Administration, either you are for us or against us. Clinton is not politically un-savvy, she knew she had to support the war, at least in her mind and at the time it was what she felt was necessary.

Clinton also knew (yes, all supposition on my part, I admit it) that she could not fully repudiate her stance on the war, it would mean admitting she did not do her homework and that she was possibly like every other Democrat (according to the right wing) soft on national security, etc. Clinton was in it to win and she made a calculated decision (just as John Edwards did, by the way, but he had nothing to lose in saying he was sorry, I wonder even now if he ever meant to see it through Super Tuesday).

Obama has proven that you can be for America and be against stupid wars. He’s held his own in showing that inexperience doesn’t mean dumb and that his intellect far outweighs the experience of the many people who supported this war in the first place. Clinton in his Cabinet will not overpower Obama nor will her “hawkishness”. Obama will not allow that to be the driving force of his Foreign Policy.

It is possible for former Clintons skeptics to support her appointment as Secretary of State without it meaning that we all lied just a few months ago. And by her full throated support of Obama during the general election she’s also proven that his agenda can be her agenda if it means improving our standing in the world and helping America be a better place for all of us.

Just call me a pragmatic optimist, I would much rather give people the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best once Obama is sworn in rather than mope about something that is completely out of my control in the first place. (Yes, the left has every right to speak out against the perceived move to the center, which is still more left than McCain would have ever been if he had won).

Feeling Better While I'm Sick

Sounds downright paradoxical, right? Actually, no. I'm sick with a nasty cold and a sore throat. I've had a hard time getting out of bed today.

So am I feeling miserable? Not quite. President-Elect Barack Obama looked awfully good on the teevee today. Indications from his economic team suggest that he might take Paul Krugman's (and Chris Matthews', for that matter) advice in taking bold and progressive steps to rehabilitate our gravely ill economy. And closer to home, I heard some new news on the Prop 8 Lawsuit in California while the House races in CA-44 & CA-04 remain too close to call.

So tonight, I'm not feeling so bad. Even though I'm super sick, I'm feeling better about the future well-being of this nation. And even though the California election results have really depressed me, maybe there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.

OK, I should probably get slip back under the covers. I can feel the cold from outside. Still, it's nice to be warmed from inside by a strong feeling of hope for a better America.

BHO = FDR?

Perhaps. Paul Krugman just hopes President-Elect Obama doesn't make the same mistakes President F. Roosevelt made in assuming he "went to far" in pushing for The New Deal & taking "budget balancing" to the extreme that it prolonged The Great Depression. You know, "fiscal conservatism" is good for nothing when our economy needs more money injected into it to be stimulated!

Hopefully, Obama's learned the lessons of the past & he will do something that will get our economy going again.

A Popular President... REALLY??!!

Are we ready for this? Will Rasmussen be able to handle this?

Obama's Job as President-Elect:

58% Approve
38% Disapprove

Can we handle a popular President Obama? I say YES WE CAN! ;-)

Where We Stand Now

Hey, everyone! I justed wanted to update you on where we stand electorally. I don't think you'll want to miss this! :-D

- Barack Obama looks to win the popular vote 52.4% to 46.1% and the electoral vote 365-173. Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District, North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, and New Mexico have all flipped from red to blue. No state went from blue to red. Missouri currently looks to be going VERY narrowly for McCain, but as provisional votes are still being counted and a recount quite likely to happen, there's still a possibility Obama may win here as well.

- Democrats look to pick up at least six more Senate seats with three more seats still too close to call. Graduated All-Star Mark Udall won in Colorado while All-Stars Jeff Merkley in Oregon, Jeanne Shaheen in New Hampshire, and Kay Hagan in North Carolina all won & are headed to the Senate. Meanwhile, C4O All-Star Jim Martin in Georgia is going to a run-off election next month as C4O Rising Star Al Franken in Minnesota may still win as provisional votes are being counted and a mandatory recount looms ahead.

- In the House, Democrats have so far gained a net twenty seats with six seats still too close to call. C4O All-Stars Dina Titus (NV-03), Martin Heinrich (NM-01), Betsy Markey (CO-04), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01), John Boccieri (OH-16), Debbie Halvorson (IL-11), Gary Peters (MI-09), and Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) have all won & are on their way to Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, C4O Rising Stars Glenn Nye (VA-02) and Eric Massa (NY-29) have also won and are both on their way to Congress. So far, it's still too close to call for C4O All-Stars Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15) & Charlie Brown (CA-04) as provisional ballots and likely recounts may still change the outcome.

So are you excited about the change that's coming to Washington? I know I am! So congrats, everyone! WE WON! :-D

-

Yes, We Did!

Yes, I'm back home now. And yes, I wanted to congratulate all of us for all we did to make victory happen. Thank you so much!

We've lived through a whole lot in these last five months. We've seen all the ups and downs of the campaign. And now, we WON! Thanks to us, we have a Democratic President & a better & stronger Democratic Congress.

So can we all just take a break now? NO! OK, I guess we can take it easy tonight. But starting tomorrow, we have work to do. We have a President-elect to support, a party to continue building, and yes... We have errors to fix. Our victory could have been bigger & better in places like California & Arizona that lacked needed support & infrastructure, but the GOP caught a lucky break when "The Big Blue Wave" forgot to wash ashore when it left Nevada.

So what next? Honestly, we're still figuring out the details. Mainly, I'm thinking we need to remember what we stand for as Democrats, how to fight for our values, and how to keep winning. So please, please stay tuned. We have more to do & more to win!

The Closer

There's a reason why Michelle Obama is called "The Closer". I found it out yesterday in North Las Vegas. She knows how to seal the deal!

I was amazed yesterday as I heard from Michelle Obama herself on her own story, Barack's story, their family's common story, and our common story as Americans. Because both she and Barack actually remember where they came from what struggles they endured, they understand the economic problems that all of us are facing. I got that, and so did everyone else in North Las Vegas. We were all fired up & ready to go!

When Michelle Obama finished rallying us up, I quickly moved to the campaign office near the airport to see if I can be a "closer" as well. I was assigned a neighborhood in Silverado Ranch, a fairly Republican suburban area. I was up to the challenge, so I took it!

So I hit the pavement. I took notes from those who already voted early for Barack Obama & Dina Titus. I reminded those that haven't yet voted to vote today. All in all, I was able to reach out to some last-minute voters and remind them just how important today is.

Upon returning to the office, I made a few more calls to Henderson. And after that, I visited my family there. Oh yes, and I did remind them to vote for Obama & Titus today!

Here in Nevada, polls will be open today from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM PDT. If you can, please make the calls and help me turn out the vote! Now's the time for all of us to be closers. Let's seal the deal and make victory happen today! :-D

Baracking the Vote in Nevada

In case you forgot, I'm busy this week helping Barack Obama's campaign here in Nevada. And of course, this also means I'm working hard for the Dina Titus for Congress campaign in Nevada's 3rd District. And as I get ready for another hard day of campaigning today in Las Vegas, I want to share with you my experience on the ground yesterday.





First off, the rally yesterday morning was fantastic! We filled up the entire football field AND the whole set of open bleachers at Coronado High School in Henderson to see Barack Obama lay out his vision for a stronger America. It's just amazing to witness how Obama has grown as a candidate. Not that long ago, I wondered where all the specifics were amidst all the talk of hope and change and unity. But now, he can inspire while also fleshing out concrete plans for change on Iraq, the economy, health care, energy, and so much more. Obama has really found his inner Clinton, and I think he's all the better for it.

After the rally, I headed over to Obama & Titus office near McCarran Airport to pick up my assignment. And guess what? They gave me a neighborhood in Henderson's Green Valley community, arguably the most Republican heavy area in the Vegas Valley! I suddenly wondered how much success I'd have with even finding Democrats, let alone Democrats who will vote on Tuesday.

But ultimately, my fears were misplaced as usual. For one, there were as many Obama yard signs as McCain signs up in the neighborhood. Oh yes, and I ran into quite a few Democrats who already voters! Of the many Obama supporters I found at home, only two had not voted yet. And remember, this is supposed to be a "Republican stronghold"! Not bad, eh?

So really, we have good reason to feel good about Tuesday. But still, this election is NOT a done deal for us! Remember that my friends and I here in Nevada still need to turn out the last-minute Obama-Titus voters and persuade those still undecided voters to vote for Obama & Titus! So if you can, please keep up the good work by volunteering and making calls from wherever you're at!

If you work as hard as you can in these next three days, we will win and WIN BIG! So what are you waiting for? Let's go out and win this election, baby!

My Final Plea for Change

That's the front of my house. Sometimes, I feel so alone. I see McBush-Failin signs all over the neighborhood across the park from mine. I see the Christianists (aka radical right fundamentalists) put up signs in support of the marriage ban all over my neighborhood. Sometimes, I just want to cry because I feel so alone.



But you know what? In the last few weeks of walking my neighborhood and surrounding areas, I found out something quite reassuring. I'm actually not alone! Quite a few of my neighbors are just as disgusted with the radical right as I am. I can tell.

How so? They tell me. They tell me when I knock on their doors. They tell me with their bumper stickers. They tell me with their yard signs. They tell me that I'm not alone in wanting an end to fearmongering, an end to hatemongering, and the dawn of a new day filled with hope and understanding and compassion and love.

For far too long, the Rethuglicans have tried to convince all of us that each of us is alone and isolated. We're alone in not being truly "pro-America". We're alone in not persecuting gay & lesbian couples and blaming them for all our problems. We're alone in thinking that it's wrong to steal from the working class to bestow upon the ultra-wealthy.

But guess what? They're WRONG! We are not alone, and we'll find out on November 4.

That's why it's critical that we stand up now & let ours and! our friends' voices be heard! Whatever you can do, please do it! Give, volunteer, speak up.

I'll be leaving home tomorrow to help elect Democrats (including Barack Obama) to office in Nevada. But if you'll still be in California, please stay & work to defeat the hateful and bigoted Proposition 8 and elect great Democrats like Debbie Cook to office. This is our last call to make real change happen. Please take it.

Change vs. More of the Same

The choice couldn't be any clearer. Really.

My Take on The 30 Minute Ad

I can promise you that I will always tell you what I think and where I stand. I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face.

I will listen to you when we disagree. And most importantly, I will open the door of government and ask you to be involved in your own democracy again.

That was Barack Obama in tonight's 30 Minute Ad. And honestly, I thought the whole ad was BRILLIANT! I never cried during a political ad before. But just an hour ago, I was crying.

Why was I crying? It was real. I related with those people who are suffering under the current Bush-Cheney-McCain regime. I related with Barack Obama's family and what they go through everyday. Basically, I got what Obama was saying & I could tell he felt my pain.

Wait... He felt my pain? Yes, it was utterly CLINTONIAN! Obama is now channeling the same empathy and understanding that President Clinton had. This clearly helped elect Clinton in 1992 and 1996, and I now fully believe this will now help Barack Obama in 2008.

So all in all, this was a great success. Barack Obama used these special 30 minutes as well as he possibly could. He connected in a way that McCain may never be able to do. But still, we must NOT be complacent. We must now join Barack Obama in working as hard as we can to make victory happen.

We only have 5 days left, so let's go out & win this election! :-)

What Can We Expect After Tonight

Obviously, all of us are curious about what may or may not happen after Barack Obama gives the "closing argument" of his life on national teevee tonight. How will "swing voters" react? What will Obama supporters do? How will the McCrazy campaign respond? All these questions and more are swirling in my head, and I'm sure you've been thinking about it all as well.

So what happens? I guess there's no way for us to know until after it happens. Still, let me offer some words of encouragement.

First, the Obama campaign knows what it's doing. For us to think otherwise is needless worrying. If anyone can do something to "seal the deal" in this final week, I'm sure the smart strategists at Chicago HQ have designed this half-hour presentation to do just that.

Second, how the heck can a 30 minute primetime special on Obama's solutions for our troubled economy hurt us? For all the talk among the radical righties about this causing "a massive backlash", they're simply hoping for the nearly impossible. After all, remember how they all bragged about how "McCain will cream Obama in the debates"? Yeah, how did that work out for them? When we talk about the real-life concerns facing real Americans, Democrats win. And with the GOP desperately trying one more time to distract us with "lipstick" and "socialists" and "terrorists", now's the perfect time to redirect the conversation back to what matters.

And finally, let's not forget the facts on the ground. Democrats have been voting early in greater numbers than Republicans, something that's totally unprecedented. Democrats have a better ground game also this year, something that's also unprecedented. So far, we're doing well. But still, why take any risks in the last week? Why not give Democrats one more reason to be "fired up & ready to go"? This 30 minute program may be able to do just that.

So there. We have reason to feel good going into tonight's historic media event. While we shouldn't be cocky and complacent, we do have every reason to trust the campaign's judgment and do all we can in these last days to support our candidate and our party.

ABC Tries to Compete With Obama

No, really! Because ABC waited too long to answer the Obama campaign's request to buy the 8:00-8:30 PM time slot, they're now trying desperately to keep their viewers from switching to the Obama 30 minute ad on the other networks. Haha. So if I had to choose, what would I watch? "Pushing Daisies" or something that's never been done on TV before?

Sorry, ABC, but if I weren't on The Left Coast I'd have to choose "Barack TV". ;-)

GEORGIA??!! YES. WE. CAN!

Seriously... GEORGIA??!! Insider Advantage says it can happen.

President:
Obama (D) 48%
McCain (R) 47%

Senate:
Chambliss (R) 44%
Martin (D) 42%

Yes, these numbers are for real! That's why we can't stop going now. Not since Bill Clinton in 1992 has a Democrat won Georgia's 13 electoral votes. And even better yet, we're extremely close to winning a Senate seat here.

So don't give up... Help Barack Obama & Jim Martin win! :-D

Larry Sabato Hints at "The L Word"

Hardly any political reporter/analyst/pundit has the kind of reputation that Larry Sabato has. So for him to now openly suggest the possibility of a DEMOCRATIC LANDSLIDE is nothing short of breathtaking. Here's what he says will happen.

President:
Obama 318 EVs
McCain 171 EVs
Toss-up 49 EVs

In addition to all the Gore-Kerry states going to Obama, Democrats also have a BIG advantage in Iowa & New Mexico and have the edge in Colorado, Nevada, Virginia (just upgraded from "Toss-up"), and Florida. Only North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, and North Dakota (just upgraded from "Leans Republican") are still "Toss-ups".

Senate:

57 Democrats
41 Republicans
2 Toss-up

Larry Sabato notes that North Carolina & Oregon have now become "Lean Democratic Pick-ups" while Minnesota & Mississippi are the new "Toss-ups" and Georgia only barely "Leans Republican".

Feeling good? You should! Feeling complacent? You should NOT! Remember that the win on November 4 is only as BIG as we make it, so let's go out, work hard, and MAKE THIS WIN A LANDSLIDE!

Tuesday Strategy Session: What We Can Do

In case you've lost track of time, we only have two weeks left to make a difference in this election. So what can we do? Well, let me tell you about what I did last weekend.

In addition to my local walking, I also made phone calls to Nevada. Other than door to door, face to face contact, the best way to reach voters is by way of volunteer phone calls. Yes, that's right. Better than robocalls, better than mailers, better than teevee or radio ads... Calling works! And last weekend, I was able to do just that in calling Nevada. I talked to undecided voters, I reminded Obama supporters to vote early, and I may have been able to convince people that weren't originally planning to vote to vote early.

This is why it's critical for us to keep working right now. And especially now, it's critical for us to reach voters in the swing states and GET THEM OUT TO VOTE! The Obama campaign has made it easy for us to help. All we need to do is visit my.barackobama.com and either sign up to call online and/or sign up for a physical phonebank.

It's simple. It's easy. And best yet, IT WORKS! Please make the calls for Obama and help Democrats win!

What We've Done

Barack Obama has more cash on hand than both the McBush campaign AND the RNC COMBINED! And when we combine Obama's cash on hand with the DNC's cash on hand, Democrats have a $27 million advantage over the Rethuglicans in this final month of the election! Thanks to our donations, for the first time in an eternity Democrats have the advantage.

Yay! ;-)

BREAKING: Obama to Leave Campaign Trail This Week

Because of his very ill grandmother, Barack Obama will be leaving the campaign trail after a scheduled appearance in Indiana on Wednesday to fly to Hawaii to visit her Thursday & Friday. He's scheduled to return to the campaign trail on Saturday.

I'm sure all of us this week wish the best for Obama & his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, & his entire family.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt Endorses...

Barack Obama for President! Wow. I guess the smart business leaders are running away from the GOP as fast as they can.

So who's left to endorse McCrazy? "Joe the Plumber"? Some other fabricated character out of Sarah Palin's mind? Another PUMA McTroll? Another oil company executive?

;-)