Hi everyone,
Nine people came together this afternoon to discuss the recovery plan, share our stories, and plan how to continue our local activities in support of the President. Thanks to everyone who attended, and for those who had to miss it...
The Obama organization is asking everyone to share their stories on how the economic crisis is affecting us. Here's how they describe this effort:
"Invite your guests to share their personal stories, particularly how they pertain to the current economic situation.
• How has the current economy affected your life?
• How is the recession affecting our community?
• What aspects of the current economic climate do we feel need to be addressed immediately?
• Why is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan important to you?
Then share your stories with us. You could create a video, write your stories, share pictures that tell your stories or call 1-888-64-CHANGE (1-888-642-4264) to tell your stories. We're counting on you to collect the real stories of how the economic crisis is affecting Americans. We'll make sure your stories are heard in order to continue to build support for the economic recovery plan."
As to local activities, we decided to do the following:
- spread the word about the need for the President's economic recovery plan
- support the philosophy to "buy local"
- expand our email communications, if we can get one or two volunteers to work on this
- implement a phone tree (Jay will set this up)
- coordinate with the local Democratic Committee (Ellen, chair)
- encourage the Selectboard to get a "shovel ready" stimulus plan project to the voters in March
Please see the economic recovery plan info below:
http://obama.3cdn.net/86c5d4c0f72393c505_bom6i22st.pdf
http://obama.3cdn.net/a75ff126a917fa6ae0_i8m6ibe4x.pdf
For those of you with high speed internet, here are the links to short videos by President Obama
http://obama.3cdn.net/7a0842be3ccc109b59_uom62r7nw.mov
and Governor Tim Kaine
http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/econmeetingvideo/
Talent Lineup for Neighborhood Inaugural Ball and Kids' Inaugural Concert
Tuesday January 20Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder to perform, Nick Cannon to DJ at Neighborhood Inaugural Ball Airing Exclusively on ABC
Monday, January 19Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow to perform with Billy Ray Cyrus, Keke Palmer, Usher and Shaquille O'Neal scheduled to appear during Kids' Inaugural Concert Airing Exclusively on Disney Channe
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today the producers and initial talent lineup for "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration," which will air live on ABC (8:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, Tuesday, January 20), and the "Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future," a concert honoring military families airing on Disney Channel (8:00 - 9:30 p.m. ET/PT, Monday, January 19).
Musical performers scheduled for the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Faith Hill, JAY-Z, Alicia Keys, Shakira and Stevie Wonder. Nick Cannon will DJ the event. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed.
Musical performances for the Kids' Inaugural event include the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and Bow Wow. Billy Ray Cyrus, Keke Palmer, and Usher Raymond IV are also scheduled to appear. 13-year-old Perry Rubin, daughter of entertainment reporter Sam Rubin, will be the special backstage correspondent. Additional performers and guests will be announced as they are confirmed.
Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss/White Cherry Entertainment are Executive Producers of the Neighborhood Inaugural ball, with Glenn Weiss directing. White Cherry Entertainment is also executive producing the 2009 Super Bowl Halftime Show and the 2009 Tony Awards, with Weiss also serving as Director.
The Kids' Inaugural concert special is executive produced by Greg Sills. Sills previously produced The Concert for New York (post-9/11), the Kids Choice Awards, and the VH1 Rock Honors. Louis J. Horvitz is the director.
"We are honored and excited to have such top level talent performing and producing these events," said Emmett S. Beliveau, Executive Director of the PIC. "Working with ABC and Disney, we are bringing these exciting performances into the homes of millions of Americans to make this the most open and accessible inauguration celebration ever."
The PIC today also announced Ricky Kirshner is the Executive Producer for all PIC TV events and Lisa Geers is the Excecutive in charge of production for all PIC TV events.
In an effort to make this inaugural celebration open and accessible to all Americans, President-elect Barack Obama will host the first-ever "Neighborhood Inaugural Ball," the premier event of inauguration evening, on January 20th. To help bring this unique event to neighborhoods across the nation, ABC will broadcast "The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration." The event will air live from the Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C.,TUESDAY, JANUARY 20 (8:00-10:00 p.m. ET).
On MONDAY, JANUARY 19 (8:00 - 9:30 p.m. ET) Disney Channel will present "Kids' Inaugural: We Are The Future," a concert celebration from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. honoring military families. This inaugural concert celebration will be hosted by Mrs. Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and their families. The event will be simulcast on Radio Disney, and will be streamed on Disney.com immediately following the culmination of the telecast on Disney Channel.
Beginning January 16, Disney.com guests are invited to join the celebration on the Kids Inaugural pagewww.Disney.com/USA which will feature polls, games and videos on the concert performers and a component which allows guests to chat with friends and send "shout outs" by texting USA, their first name and message to DISNEY (347639). Standard carrier fees apply and a parent's permission is required if users are under age 18.
source: http://kids.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFXf
THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIALKICK OFF INAUGURAL OPENING FESTIVITIES PRESENTED BY HBO JAN. 18
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) is pleased to announce the producers and initial talent lineup for WE ARE ONE: THE OBAMA INAUGURAL CELEBRATION AT THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL, the Opening Celebration for the 56th Presidential Inaugural, to be presented exclusively by HBO on Sunday, January 18 (7:00-9:00 p.m. ET/PT). The event will be free and open to the public, kicking off the most open and accessible Inauguration in history.The special will be executive produced by George Stevens, Jr. (The Kennedy Center Honors), and produced by Don Mischer (Olympic Ceremonies) who will also direct the special, and Michael Stevens (The American Film Institute Salutes) who is also writing the special, and will be a production of The Stevens Company in association with Don Mischer Productions.Musical performers scheduled for the event include Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Sheryl Crow, Renee Fleming, Josh Groban, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley, John Legend, Jennifer Nettles, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, will.i.am, and Stevie Wonder. Among those reading historical passages will be Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III, Queen Latifah and Denzel Washington. The Rt. Reverend V. Gene Robinson will give the invocation. Rob Mathes will be the music director and arranger for the backing band, which will support all of the artists. Additional performers will be announced as they are confirmed."Our intention is to root the event in history, celebrating the moments when our nation has united to face great challenges and prevail," observed George Stevens, Jr. "We will combine historical readings by prominent actors with music from an array of the greatest stars of today.""This is a great opportunity to capture an historic event in a very meaningful setting," noted Don Mischer. "We will have the statue of Abraham Lincoln looking down on our stage and a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people lining the mall -- a tableau any director would relish.""We have found that the great artists are eager to take part and each one is working with us to find music that expresses the optimism and hope that people bring to the Obama inauguration," said Michael Stevens.Televised to the nation, the Opening Celebration will be a declaration of common purpose and new beginnings. The Sunday afternoon performance will be grounded in history and brought to life with entertainment that relates to the themes that shaped Barack Obama and which will be the hallmarks of his administration.HBO will televise the event on an open signal, working with all of its distributors to allow Americans across the country with access to cable, telcos or satellite television to join in the Opening Celebration for free.The 56th Inauguration promises to be the most inclusive in history, and the Opening Celebration is one of a series of inaugural events that reflect that commitment. On Saturday, the President-elect, Vice President-elect and their families will journey to the nation's capital via train, holding events that are free and open to the public along the way. They will be joined by a group of everyday Americans they met along their road to the White House. On January 19th, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President-elect Obama will call on all Americans to make an ongoing commitment to serve their communities and their country. A new website, USAservice.org, makes it easy for Americans to organize service events or find existing events to participate in. To date, nearly 5,000 events have been organized across the country. That evening, Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden, and their families will host a free "Kids' Inaugural" concert to honor military families, broadcast live on the Disney Channel and Radio Disney.This spirit of openness will continue on Inauguration Day, when, for the first time in history, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public for the swearing in ceremony. Local D.C. students have also been given the chance to receive tickets in front of the White House for the Inaugural Parade for themselves and their family members based on the submission of essays answering the question, "How can I contribute to my neighborhood through community service?"On the evening of Inauguration Day, the first ball that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will attend will be the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball. The ball will be broadcast live on ABC and over the Internet, bringing together neighborhoods across the country in the spirit of unity and celebration.The sum of these public events is an Inauguration that allows more Americans than ever before to come together as one nation and one people, united in our resolve to tackle our greatest common challenges and move this country forward together.source: http://tribes.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxFQs
I understand right now that President - Elect Obama is not in office, we need to see some ground work for Transparency into government. I would also like to see a move that would investigate and examine against corruption in washington, which in my humble opinion, transparency would help us see.
A lot of things are hidden in the name of National Security and I believe they are falsely classified as a means to hide illegal activity. As much as I would love to have job of being in charge and exposing all the corruption, coverups and mismanagement in our federal government, I know I do not have the surgical knowledge needed to do this quickly and efficiently. But I am sure there many out there that do, and that there are many people like me that would enjoy the job of bringing to light many if not all government activities.
One major step towards transparency, is to eliminate corrections to federal records. Many probably do not know this, but when our Representatives speak on the floor they are allowed to go in afterwards and change the Federal Record. In other words change what is recorded what they said. If they want to say this is what I meant, then they can add an amendment after the context of their speech. Showing us what they meant to say. But I and I'm sure you too, what to know what they actually said.
Second we need and easily searchable way to look at each and every bill the government has voted on. We need to see each and every ruling done by the supreme court in the same manner, and everything the executive office signs off on.
Thirdly, no government agency, should have the right to hide everything indefinitely. I think the most the government should be to keep something top secret is 20 years. FISA would be admended to allow this. By doing this we are keeping the US Goverment accountable for it's actions. We do not need to show the world our plans on how to build a nuclear weapon, but we need to show when the decesions was made and by whom to make them.
Anything that would need top secret clearance longer than that would need to be approved by a committee, that is made up of one person from the executive office, one from the judiciary, and at least 20 from the house, 10 reps and 10 senate. They would meat once every year and vote on each item that requires to maintain top secret clearance that is already 20 years or older in that status. This would require the government to report each item that requires top secret. If it isn't reported to this committee than it is offically not a secret and therefore open for public review.
By Shailagh Murray and Matthew MoskWashington Post Staff WritersMonday, November 10, 2008; A02
CHICAGO -- Armed with millions of e-mail addresses and a political operation that harnessed the Internet like no campaign before it, Barack Obama will enter the White House with the opportunity to create the first truly "wired" presidency.
Obama aides and allies are preparing a major expansion of the White House communications operation, enabling them to reach out directly to the supporters they have collected over 21 months without having to go through the mainstream media.
Just as John F. Kennedy mastered television as a medium for taking his message to the public, Obama is poised to transform the art of political communication once again, said Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who first helped integrate the Internet into campaigning four years ago.
"He's going to be the first president to be connected in this way, directly, with millions of Americans," Trippi said.
The nucleus of that effort is an e-mail database of more than 10 million supporters. The list is considered so valuable that the Obama camp briefly offered it as collateral during a cash-flow crunch late in the campaign, though it wound up never needing the loan, senior aides said. At least 3.1 million people on the list donated money to Obama.
Millions more made up the volunteer corps that organized his enormous rallies, registered millions of voters and held countless gatherings to plug the senator to friends and neighbors. On Election Day, they served as the backbone of Obama's get-out-the-vote operation, reaching voters by phone and at the front door, serving coffee at polling stations and babysitting so parents could stand in line at voting precincts.
After Obama declared victory, his campaign sent a text message announcing that his supporters hadn't heard the last from the president-elect. Obama conveyed a similar message to his staff in a campaignwide conference call Wednesday, signaling that his election was the beginning, and not the culmination, of a political movement.
Accordingly, the president-elect's http://www.change.gov transition Web site features a blog and a suggestion form, signaling the kinds of direct and instantaneous interaction that the Obama administration will encourage, perhaps with an eye toward turning its following into the biggest special-interest group in Washington.
Once Obama is sworn in, those backers may be summoned to push reluctant members of Congress to support legislation, to offer feedback on initiatives and to enlist in administration-supported causes in local communities. Obama would also be positioned to ask his supporters to back his favored candidates with fundraising and turnout support in the 2010 midterm elections.
"There's this network of people now," said Martha Page, a neighborhood leader in Warren County, outside Cincinnati, where Obama managed to reduce a traditionally large Republican vote margin. Page received six calls Wednesday from volunteers looking for new assignments. "It's a sea change," she said.
People in technology circles have been musing for months about how Obama would use his list, said Peter Daou, who oversaw Internet operations for the Senate campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). "Once you have people connected through a network, you can't disconnect. It's like unbreaking an egg. People all across the country have formed these groups to support Obama. They've worked together for a successful purpose," Daou said. "You don't let go of that easily."
But Daou noted that the initiative could have a downside. Obama faced an intense backlash when he broke from the left on the issue of immunity for telecommunications companies that took part in the warrantless wiretapping program. "People who have helped you reach this historic goal by self-organizing can also organize in opposition to your policies," he said.
As part of the presidential transition, Obama officials are looking to add a significant "new media" component to the White House communications operation. The campaign employed 95 people in its Internet operation, building a user-friendly Web site that served as a platform for grass-roots activities and distributed statements, policy positions and footage of Obama events. The White House Web operation will follow a similar but probably more ambitious path, transition officials said.
The process is just beginning, and many questions remain unanswered. The simplest approach might be to convert the campaign organization into an incarnation aimed at 2012 and an anticipated run for reelection, but some inside the Obama team are concerned about appearing too overtly political. Another course could be to create a nonprofit organization. Obama officials said all options would be examined over the coming weeks.
Over the course of the campaign, Obama's e-mail list gathered not only names and contact information, but also details about issues important to those supporters.
In past years, such lists were considered useful tools for political campaigns but not particularly helpful for governing. But Peter Greenberger, manager of political advertising for Google, said such information could be a boon for Obama in building public support for policy proposals.
The White House could "geo-target" ads so they appear online in congressional districts where members remain undecided. Obama could use Internet ads to solicit signatures for petitions, or he could place display and video ads contextually -- so they would appear on the screen next to news coverage of his proposals.
"If there's an article in the New York Times or The Washington Post about health-care legislation," Greenberger said, "the administration or a pro-Obama advocacy organization could run an ad right alongside it."
Republicans have also seen the potential value in organizing online. In recent days, a small group of prominent young Republicans launched a Web site, http://www.rebuildtheparty.com, calling on their party's next chairman to use the Internet to organize and galvanize their grass roots.
"Online organizing is by far the most efficient way to transform our party structures to be able to compete against what is likely to be a $1 billion Obama re-election campaign in 2012," the Web site says.
Staff writer Alec MacGillis in Washington contributed to this report.
I am writing a book on Obama volunteers’ experiences. This text will focus on meaningful and inspiring stories from your phonebanking, canvassing or other campaign journeys. If you have pictures or stories of volunteering that were significant to you and you think would have meaning for others, please send submissions to:
AdeleNicols@yahoo.com orP.O.Box 494, Waitsfield, VT 05673
I have a particular interest in the "phonebankers". Making cold calls throughtout the United States was a unique opportunity to get to know the diverse pockets of individuals and communities that exist within our nation. I personally had some amazing discussions that I know must have been echoed by other volunteers. I am better off from the experience...and am eager to showcase your personal experiences.Chosen submissions will be notified by January 10, 2008 and full acknowledgement will be given in the publication.
I am looking for stories that will exemplify the broad scope of voters that were either for or against Obama. My primary interest is to showcase the heart of the Obama campaign by revealing personal and transformational stories and images that were at the core of this successful campaign.
Thank you in advance for your participation. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have.
Sincerely,We did it!Adele
YES, WE DID! We want to THANK ALL OF YOU, especially the LGBT & Allies, who we had the pleasure of directly working with over the past several weeks for your volunteerism and commitment to the Obama campaign in NH and around the country. Because of your efforts, WE have advanced the cause of equality in our country by accomplishing what some considered as impossible. WE have elected Barack Obama, as President of the United States.
OUR BEST,
Tom Malone & Sheila Healy,
NH LGBT & Allies Outreach Volunteer Co-Coordinators
About 30 of us townspeople helped count the paper ballots tonight. Here are the results:
Obama 680 63%
McCain 406 37%
Total ballots 1114
Total registered voters about 1300
Total new voters today about 70
Total absentee ballots about 140
Turnout about 86%
These numbers are amazing! And this is in a town where, before today, there were 250 registered Democrats and 256 registered Republicans. Thanks to the volunteers and staffers for all your work! And thanks to the people of Westmoreland!
From Rob Kall at Op-Ed News:Don't go to work today. Don't stay home. Work as a volunteer in the early AM, then vote between 10 and 3 when the polls are least busy, then work some more.When the polls close where you live, start making calls for other states, other candidates. Keep going until you drop. You will be a part of history either way. Make sure you know you've done all you can, not just for your presidential candidate, whoever he or she is, but also for congressional legislators all over the nation. Share your experience of the day with other OEN folks. Use this Diary:Voting Day Open Thread-- Post reports, observations, Thoughts Links Let us know what you're feeling, seeing, doing. Me, I was up at 3:30 AM, unable to sleep, thinking about vote theft. I found my other half had been up with the election on her mind since 2:30. I leave in five minutes to work the early shift at the polls.I spoke to my "ex" last night. She's a born-again who votes strictly on abortion (she wasn't when we met and married) and even she said she and her church people are saying prayers for whoever wins. I guess, if McCain wins, the world needs the US to go down the tubes, because it surely will, strangled, blinded, gelded, starved and tortured by right wing extremist traitors to democracy. But I am fearfully hopeful today. We'll see how it goes, right? It's all we can do, besides work our asses off today. And, BTW, there were plenty of people in their seventies and eighties out canvassing, knocking on doors and phone banking over the weekend, and people in wheel-chairs. What's your excuse for not doing MORE today?Laying the guilt on heavy today,rob kall -- Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.Have a great day,Tommy
Arizona voted NO in 2006
Now we have to vote NO again in 2008.Help us make it loud and clear —VOTE NO on Proposition 102 on November 4th
The state has more important issues to address.
Arkansas Families First is organizing and working to defeat Initiated Act 1—and we need your help! Please contribute to our campaign, sign up for email alerts, find opportunities to volunteer.
The following information will be included in the November ballot materials.
Ballot Title and Summary
Proposition 8:
ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.
Fiscal Impact: Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.
On August 8, 2008 Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled that the Attorney General's Title and Summary of Proposition 8 is accurate.
Ballot Argument
OUR CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION -- the law of our land -- SHOULD GUARANTEE THE SAME FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS TO EVERYONE -- NO ONE group SHOULD be singled out to BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY. In fact, our nation was founded on the principle that all people should be treated equally. EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW IS THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.That's what this election is about -- equality, freedom and fairness, for all. Marriage is the institution that conveys dignity and respect to the lifetime commitment of any couple. PROPOSITION 8 WOULD DENY LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES that same DIGNITY AND RESPECT.That's why Proposition 8 is wrong for California.Regardless of how you feel about this issue, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society, just like the freedoms of religion and speech. PROPOSITION 8 MANDATES ONE SET OF RULES FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES AND ANOTHER SET FOR EVERYONE ELSE. That's just not fair. OUR LAWS SHOULD TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY.In fact, the government has no business telling people who can and cannot get married. Just like government has no business telling us what to read, watch on TV or do in our private lives. We don't need Prop 8; WE DON'T NEED MORE GOVERNMENT IN OUR LIVES.REGARDLESS OF HOW ANYONE FEELS ABOUT MARRIAGE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SINGLED OUT FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT UNDER THE LAWS OF OUR STATE. Those committed and loving couples who want to accept the responsibility that comes with marriage should be treated like everyone else. DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS are NOT MARRIAGE.When you're married and your spouse is sick or hurt, there is no confusion: you get into the ambulance or hospital room with no questions asked. IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. Only marriage provides the certainty and the security that people know they can count on in their times of greatest need.EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW IS A FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE. Prop 8 separates one group of Californians from another and excludes them from enjoying the same rights as other loving couples. Forty-six years ago I married my college sweetheart, Julia. We raised three children -- two boys and one girl. The boys are married, with children of their own. Our daughter, Liz, a lesbian, can now also be married -- if she so chooses. All we have ever wanted for our daughter is that she be treated with the same dignity and respect as her brothers – with the same freedoms and responsibilities as every other Californian.My wife and I never treated our children differently, we never loved them any differently and now the law doesn't treat them differently, either. Each of our children now has the same rights as the others, to choose the person to love, commit to and to marry. Don't take away the equality, freedom and fairness that everyone in California -- straight, gay or lesbian -- deserves.Please join us in voting NO on Prop 8.
"Proposition 8… would eliminate the fundamental right to same-sex marriage. The very act of denying gay and lesbian couples the right to marry – traditionally the highest legal and societal recognition of a loving commitment – by definition relegates them and their relationship to second class status."Los Angeles Times Editorial, August 8, 2008
Regardless of how you feel about this issue, we should guarantee the same fundamental rights to every Californian. Vote No on 8.
Let's remember that gay and lesbian people are our neighbors, our friends, our coworkers and our family members. They are nurses, firefighters and small business owners. Same-sex couples are loving and committed couples who want to get married. They care for each other, they pay taxes and they want to protect each other and take responsibility for each other, just like other couples. We should not hurt same-sex couples in California by eliminating their right to marry.
It's not the government's place to tell couples who have been together for years whether or not they are allowed to marry. In California, we let people decide what is best for themselves – without government interference. Eliminating fundamental rights for same-sex couples treats them differently under the law – AND THAT'S WRONG. Vote No on 8.
Domestic Partnerships are NOT the same as marriage. Domestic partnerships are just legal documents. They don't provide the same dignity, respect, and commitment as a marriage. In a marriage, a paramedic doesn't tell you that you cannot get into an ambulance with your spouse. Married couples can automatically make life or death decisions for each other in these crisis situations, no questions asked. Vote No on 8.
Regardless of how you feel about this issue, it's wrong to eliminate the fundamental rights of fellow Californians – and hurt our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members. THAT'S WRONG.
Here's what's fiction and what's fact:
Fiction: Teaching children about same-sex marriage will happen here unless we pass Prop 8.Fact: Not one word in Prop 8 mentions education, and no child can be forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. California law prohibits it, and the Yes on 8 campaign knows they are lying. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley has already ruled that this claim by Prop 8 proponents is "false and misleading."
Fiction: Churches could lose their tax-exemption status.Fact: Nothing in Prop 8 would force churches to do anything. In fact, the court decision regarding marriage specifically says "no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs."
Fiction: A Massachusetts case about a parent's objection to the school curriculum will happen here.
Fact: Unlike Massachusetts, California gives parents an absolute right to remove their kids and opt-out of teaching on health and family instruction they don't agree with. The opponents know that California law already covers this and Prop 8 won't affect it, so they bring up an irrelevant case in Massachusetts.
Fiction: Four Activist Judges in San Francisco…Fact: Prop 8 is not about courts and judges, it's about eliminating a fundamental right. Judges didn't grant the right, the constitution guarantees the right. Proponents of Prop 8 use an outdated and stale argument that judges aren't supposed to protect rights and freedoms. This campaign is about whether Californians, right now, in 2008 are willing to amend the constitution for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens.
Fiction: People can be sued over personal beliefs.Fact: California's laws already prohibit discrimination against anyone based on race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. This has nothing to do with marriage.
Fiction: Pepperdine University supports the Yes on 8 campaign.Fact: The university has publicly disassociated itself from Professor Richard Peterson of Pepperdine University, who is featured in the ad, and has asked to not be identified in the Yes on 8 advertisements.
Fiction: Unless Prop 8 passes, CA parents won't have the right to object to what their children are taught in school.Fact: California law clearly gives parents and guardians broad authority to remove their children from any health instruction if it conflicts with their religious beliefs or moral convictions.
Regardless of how you feel about the issue, we should not eliminate fundamental rights for ANY Californians. Please vote NO on Prop 8
http://noonprop8.com/campaign_updates?id=0001
We need your help and we need it now. There are so many ways you can help fund the fight against Prop 8. You can help to raise much-needed funds and educate your friends and family about why it is so important for Californians to vote NO on Prop 8.
Sign up to receive more information on Prop 8
http://eqfed.org/equalityforall/join.tcl
It turns out there are still a lot of people in Washington and our state capitals who are working to discourage Americans from voting.
One of our most important groups working to register and protect voters -- Project Vote -- recently released a study which documented in great detail years of voter suppression all over the country. The result is that hundreds and thousands of minority voters, many of them 'single mothers,' were purged from the rolls and deprived of their right to vote in 2004 and 2006. That is outrageous!
And if it sounds sickeningly familiar, you are right. These are the same anti-American tactics that kept people from voting in the South during the Civil Rights movement. And it has to stop.
Please join is in this monumental battle for our democracy. Step up and say there is nothing more important than the ability to vote in America. Will you fight with us to ensure that every single eligible voter can go to the polls?
Dear MoveOn member,
The 2008 election is in 48 hours. Obama needs your help. And you can make a difference right now, right where you are.
The Obama campaign has put out an urgent request for volunteers in the swing states. It's up to us to recruit them by calling MoveOn members in swing states and helping them volunteer. Our website makes it easy for you to call. And it really, really works: our phone calls have recruited more than 145,000 volunteers in states like Ohio and Florida!
But Obama still needs more, and we're down to the wire. We set an audacious goal of making 175,000 calls this week—but our momentum is so phenomenal, we're raising the bar to 250,000 calls! Come through for Obama when it counts—click here now:
http://pol.moveon.org/obama/teams/index.html?id=14960-10306849-LruGMAx&t=2
To make calls with our tool, all you need is a phone and a computer. Try it for just five minutes, and you'll see how fun and easy it is; many of the MoveOn members you reach will be grateful you called. Here's one:
We can't leave anything to chance in this election. Help us hit our target of 175,000 250,000 calls, and send the reinforcements Obama needs for the final push—click here to sign up now:
http://pol.moveon.org/obama/teams/index.html?id=14960-10306849-LruGMAx&t=3
Thanks for all you do,
–Justin, Adam G., Peter, Aisling, and the rest of the team
This Sunday, November 2nd, please join President Bill Clinton and Jeanne Shaheen in Manchester, where they will talk about Barack's vision for creating the kind of change we need.
Unite for Change Rally with President Bill Clinton and Jeanne Shaheen Manchester Central Highschool Gymnasium 207 Lowell Street Manchester, NH Sunday, November 2nd Doors Open: 4:00 p.m. Program Begins: 4:30 p.m.
RSVP to: http://nh.barackobama.com/UniteManchester
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required; however an RSVP is strongly encouraged. For security reasons, do not bring bags or umbrellas. Please limit personal items. No signs or banners allowed.
Find your polling location: http://nh.voteforchange.com
