Posts with the tag barack

BULLETS SENT TO THE PRESIDENT via WHITE HOUSE WEB SITE (14Nov2009)

Toasty in Tennessee — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:24:25 EST

Get out of Afghanistan, pass meaningful healthcare and if it fails, move on.

Regulate financial industries. Jobs, Jobs, and Jobs.

Stop building unwanted bridges and schools in Afghanistan. We need them at home.

The terrorist are not warriors. They have no army to blow up. We give them creditability calling their gang an army.

The FBI and CIA can chase them. Use the law to prosecute them, jails to hold them and the electric chair to kill them.

Stop spending our precious resources outside of the country and spend it at home.

Don't become "Bushed!"

Stand by the progressives, discipline the blue dogs and bring bills to the floor. If they don't pass it is OUR job (not yours alone) to fix it.

Oh, most important to you. You're not only slipping in the polls, you are losing your base. I love ya, but sometimes action is better than wimpy results!!

Stop enjoying yourself soo.... much. We are living hard lives and are trying to get through tough times.

Where is the "OLD" Barack? Bring him back and if bills go up or down, we will at least have a great time trying.

Good Luck, I am still in your camp for now. I don't think I can afford to give any more money. At least not until things change.

I am black, arabian, and poor.

I am black, arabian, and poor. — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:40:32 EST

I am black, arabian, and poor.

The White House and to President Barack Obama You will also disciver a gigantic plan for a new american saga shown at the White House and to President Barack Obama and mrs Nancy pelosi, the president of the United States House of Representatives à Washington DC.

In this new saga, you will discover a science-fiction movie dealing with the disappearance of Dinosaurs and with worldwide nuclear power.

The movie is entitled Jurassic Oort MN4 will be a combination of palaeontology and astronomy with great action scenes.

To listen to the trailer, surf on my site : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEttx9D2j7E

SITE OFICIELLE : WWW.RMISTE.COM

Click For Obama

Click For Obama — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:24:53 EDT

Click For Obama is asking all Obama supporters to help us raise funds by clicking on our website sponsors. Just click, visit the site, and click out. We can raise $100,000 dollars for the month of November 09.

Times are tough and money is tight, but if you Click For Obama we can generate funds without having to pay one penny.

Click here then click around the sites links. Tell your friends and make this link viral.

Thank you,

Click For Obama Team

What A Shame

nothing but news — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 23:01:20 EDT

As you all probably know,

Barack Obama and family have recently joined the competition to host the 2016 summer Olympics. Sadly we are disappointed that we have been eliminated from the competition. The presidential family was planning on hosting this big event in Chicago, Illinois. Michelle Obama says "Chicago is such a great place with wonderful people". Now we will watch the Olympics of 2016 take place in either Madrid, or Rio DeGinario!

Your Friend,

Erin

School

nothing but news — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:11:24 EDT

At my school we have a few people who refuse to support you. I always confuse them by asking them why that don't supprt and I make them give me a reason why they don't support and then I give them a bunch of facts and stuff about the war or the recession and then they might just ignore me or look confused, or just say whatever. I have changed the mind of many and my goal isn't a number like 5 per week, it is EVERYONE.

Have a Great Patriotic Day,

Your Friend

Erin

The Time To Say Thank You

Khaidji — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:56:12 EDT

The following Acrostic Poem, though fictional, is base on the lost of a close friend and having the chance to say Thank You. Too often we lose love ones and do not have the opportunity to have those last words with then. Senator Ted Kennedy held on to life long enough to give us all the opportunity to say good-bye, unlike his other brothers whose deaths came so tragically. President Barack Obama said we were given this amazing man, who because of his accomplishments, can easily be considered the most critical person to our progress in immigration, civil rights, education, health and so much more. His most recent pursuit was for Universal Health care and for this he passed the proverbial torch

The Time To Say Thank You

The dream shall never die

He clench my hand, I started to cry

Edward said I’m passing the torch to you

Then he smiled and I knew

It was soon going to be that time

My friend was saying good-bye, but I’m

Emotional with tears and could hardly say

The one thing that mattered most today

Over and over I rehearsed what I would do

Such words I would say, with appreciation too

And though we all knew this time would come

Yet, it’s here and my lips are dumb

The hours of preparation make no sense to me

Hours wasted rehearsing what should come naturally

And then in a prayer I asked for the Lord’s hand

Not just for guidance but that I’ll on His command

Keep my friend’s request and that the torch never goes out

You are ready, the Lord said, there mustn’t be a doubt

Occasions have come before with no time to say adieu

Use this time to say farewell friend and a special thank you

The Lion Of The Senate

Khaidji — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:17:24 EDT

We can’t possibly outline the numerous, 300 or more, bills that Senator Edward Moors “Ted” Kennedy wrote and made into law. Most people may not fully appreciate the difficulty in getting legislation passed. Well, if you can’t, think about the trouble the Obama’s Government seems to be having with the Heath care Bill now

The Lion Of The Senate

This death, although we tried to prepare

Has grabbed tightly, people everywhere

Every political figure and every constituent

Lost this iconic figure and his needed involvement

I watched closely and read how he

Organized bipartisanship and caused both sides to agree

No other senator served in this way

Only he made crossing sides seem okay

Forty seven year he worked hard to enact legislation

The Cancer, Disabilities, Civil Rights Acts. Nationality and Immigration

Health Insurance, Children’s Health program, Mental Health Parity

Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, most recently

Senator Kennedy worked with President Bush, the two parties combined

Enacted in 2002 an educational Act, No Children Left Behind

Numerous other bills, over 300, in his political odyssey

Are now part of the Lion’s great legacy

Ted passed the torch to Barack before he passed away

Expecting Americans will enjoy Universal Health Care soon, one day

Tribute to Senator Ted Kennedy

Khaidji — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:11:08 EDT

The Kennedy family has been riddled with tragedies. The history books are crowded with the many tragic incidences that described this family. Yet with all this, their contribution has been enormous. They never stopped trying to help, to change. Only one of the brothers lived to have grey hair, yet these boys will always be remembered for their grandeur. Ted Kennedy died Aug 25 before midnight. On his dying bed he was living one of his passions. He was trying to get changes in legislation passed that would see his prompt replacement. My deepest sympathy goes out to all the Kennedy Family and friends

Senator Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy

Shook their hands and reached across the isle

Edward “Ted” Kennedy was versatile

November 7 in 1962

Assigned to the Senate and from there this icon grew

Tragedy came to his brothers very early

Oswald shot and killed JFK then Sirhan shot and killed Bobby

Remorse clouded Ted’s good judgment they say, over these 5 years

Emotions overcame Ted and little could dry his tears

Driving from a party in ‘69 his car broke a bridge

When it overturned in the water, he escaped and fled to a ridge

Abandoning the accident where his passenger had drown

Reported his guilt of fleeing and accepted the mandate of the crown

Darkness plagued Ted and he needed great light

Mounded himself into work and there shone bright

Over the next four decades his records would show

One man who became an icon that both sides will know

Reached out first as a friend to all in the House

Encouraged all other Senators to dispel political grouse

Then get to the root of the problems before they decide

Even chose to stand in the way before them, if tempers will collide

Decades of work, he wrote over 300 bills

Kept busy, they called him “The Lion Of The Senate,” for his skills

Enormous contributions he made to affect all Americans’ lives

No other Senator has done more, I hope his legacy survives

Not through his name alone but the differences he laid

Equality, Civil Rights, universal health care and immigration aid

Dogs were his passion, sailing, fishing and saying “You tried!”

Yesterday, before midnight, Senator Edward Moore “Ted” Kennedy, died

VIVA SONIA SOTOMAYOR

"NERVIE" — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:04:56 EDT

Picture from voanews.com

Thursday August 6, 2009

After a grueling three weeks of questioning, it is confirmed today that the 111th Justice of the distinguished Supreme Court of the United States of America, nominated by Barack Obama (the 44th President of the United States and the 1st African American) is Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor is the first Hispanic, the third woman, and the youngest member at 55 years of age . . .

The count was 68-31 with most Republicans voting no!

This is indeed the change we can believe in!

Congratulations Lady!

May our hispanic brothers and sisters remember this when they go to the polls. Yes, after she served our country, with seventeen years on the bench, Sessions and his ilk of conservative right-wing friends in the Republican Party, didn’t believe she was “good enough”.

Nine Republicans and two Independents considered her a moderate and cast their votes for her. She will replace retiring Justice David Souter, a liberal named by former President George H. W. Bush. Sotomayor is not expected to alter the court’s ideological split.

May our sista’s and brotha’s in the Hispanic political family remember . . . always . . . Cesar Chavez must be smiling down at us.

Best wishes to her and her family members . . .

"YES WE CAN", "YES WE CAN"

Minerva Leah Williams & Todd L. Hoover, Santa Clarita Valley, 37th Assembly District Representatives, Los Angeles County Democratic Party’s Central Committee

LET THE SUN SHINE IN

Claire Fernanda Morris Dobie — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:45:22 EDT

Aloooooha! August 4 is Barack Obama’s birthday, as recorded on his certificate of live birth and as recognized by the State of Hawaii. For those who haven’t seen a map lately, Hawaii has been a State in the United States of America since 1959. I lived there for 17 years and I can say unequivocally that the locals actually speak English and trade in U.S. currency. All right, they also speak Pidgin but only when they don’t want you "fereigners" to know that they’re talking about you! It's a mild distraction. You learn to assimilate or live with the fact that you need to aloha-up!

Speaking of distractions, since the Obama birther conspiracy continues to trump real news, how about something that might prove disconcerting to the doubting Thomases--Repubs, Dems and Independents alike--who roll their eyes at the mere mention of the phrase, “What’s your sign?”

I’ve been a follower of president-ology since the ‘60s, searching for an astrological pattern of characteristics and wondering what stellar force would compel any of them to seek the highest job in the land. So far, no connection. However, as an astro-agnostic, neither believing nor disbelieving in the study of the stars, it’s safe to say that astrology, as unscientific as it is popular, ranks right up there with the irrational rumors of Kenya as Barack’s true birthplace.

So here goes--a brief astrological portrait of President Obama for all who love and hate the mere notion of astrological attributes. Relax and just let go for a moment. Try to be more universally Aquarian about this nonsense.

His August 4 birth date makes Obama a Leo, a fire sign associated with courage, leadership, confidence and nobility. Only three other U.S. presidents were Leos—Herbert Hoover, Bill Clinton and Benjamin Harrison.

Ruled by the Sun, Leos are said to be frank, authoritative, outspoken, and dignified and they excel in positions of responsibility and management. Hmmm, sounds like Barry so far. To quote astrologers Sakoian and Acker from their Astrologer’s Handbook, “Leos are practical, philosophical, and spiritual..which…along with their enthusiasm and inspiration, help them to mold public opinion.”

“In victory,” the authors write, “they (Leos) remain magnanimous and in defeat, stand unconquered.”

All right, so much for the Sun sign. Practiced astrologers know that astrology is more than the sum of its parts. Let’s consider, for example, Barack’s rising sign of Pisces, also known as a Pisces overlay.

The rising sign, or ascendant, generally relates to the person’s outer self or personality, that is, what he shows you compared to what he knows himself to be as determined by the Sun sign or inner self. A Pisces rising confers sympathy, sensitivity, insight and visionary qualities. Even the words psychic, martyr and mystical might apply. They tend to absorb what others are feeling. On the negative side, they can be indecisive at times, preferring to weigh the elements of a situation before making a decision. Sooo, yeah, that doesn’t always work. To wit, the off-script statement by the President about the Cambridge police. But then, maybe that was the Leo talking.

Just as a footnote, according to the ancient astrologers—they said it; I didn’t—there is no way Jesus was born on December 25th. That date was determined by the money changers and marketers of the time. Noooo, they say, Jesus was a Pisces. Martyr, mystic, visionary. Sounds about right. For the record, I am NOT saying Obama is the modern day Jesus. Don’t even go there.

Finally, let’s examine Barack’s moon sign of Gemini. Yes, I know the moon is not a planet but remember, this is an unscientific science. His Gemini moon denotes a quick wit, oratory skill and a certain je ne sais quoi charm and sense of humor. Those who insist that Obama tries to move too quickly and do too much will love what Acker and Sakoian note about Gemini moon people. “There is a tendency to spread oneself too thin,” they say, but they add that this moon position, given other favorable aspects in the chart, can also “indicate practical ability…and resourcefulness in thinking up solutions to practical problems.”

Oh sure, there are those other planets. If you must know more, here’s an abridged version of their placements in Barry’s chart.

Mercury in Leo—dramatic, strives for the spotlight but can be narcissistic.
Mars in Virgo--detailed, perfectionist, sexy, but can be fussy—the type that notices that little tiny piece of spinach in your teeth.
Jupiter in Aquarius--tolerant, wholly cognizant and accepting of different strokes for different folks but may scatter his energy.
Saturn in Capricorn-strong sense of family pride and honor, reliable, professional, helps others to help themselves but may acquire a rigid attitude later in life.

Forget about Uranus. It’s subject to the butt of jokes. As for Pluto, I’m sure you remember its demise.Not worth the size of the print.

There’s always a flip side to astrology, which is why it gets so little cred, but then, who are we to judge? Don’t tell me you’re one hundred percent consistent, always in the same mood every minute of every day. You’re human after all. And in the words of Cassius, via Billy Shakespeare, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings."
Julius Caesar (I, ii, 140-141)

Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Happy Birthday Mr. President

Khaidji — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:55:17 EDT

I am a mere pauper with a grand wish. I wish President Barack Obama a very Happy Birthday. He deserves the best and if it were in my power then it would be so.

This president had a campaign built of hope and believing. These two things when used together will guarantee the intercession of our Lord and the delivery of our desires.

Ramans 15
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Happy Birthday Mr. President

How can I say, Happy Birthday?

And how can I in a day, his troubles allay?

Paupers like me never get to see

People like he, with such pedigree

Yes we can was his cry, but how can I

Bring happiness to a President, how ever hard I try

I’ve seen the joy one man can bring

Realized that if you believe, you can do anything

The audacity of hope is within my reach

He taught me to believe and then each

Dream can be made into a reality

And so I’ll believe and with audacity

Yes I can give the President what I desire

May this day be as my dream, and as I require

Real happiness amidst his busy schedule

Peace from the haters, backstabbers, and all things cruel

Resolve of the problems of immediacy

Enemies no longer a threat to our country

Soft answers to carry away people’s rage

Integrity to know the time to turn a new page

Devoted colleagues that will always have your back

Economy, Health Care and Immigration put back on track

Nothing can stop my dreams and my earnest pray

To wish President Barack Obama a Happy Birthday!

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

I voted for a President, not a celebrity.

EWANGLEE — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:05:08 EDT

Dear Mr. President: I am one of your loyal volunteers. I never thought I would be complaining about you but I have to say, the fact that I am compelled to do it justifies this letter to you. Bill Maher said it right on his show Friday (June 12 on HBO). Please assert yourself and follow-up with the promises you made during the campaign. I know that things look different from inside the white house fishbowl. And I also understand that you have to choose your battles. I also understand that you may have a staged response to certain issues. But there are fundamentals that you should not be compromising on. Namely- 1) protecting our constitution and making right what had damaged our constitutional rights. 2) Universal healthcare- it is an inalienable right. 3) Cleaning up the financial system and regulating it so that banks and brokers can no longer cheat and double dip. This is very important because it affects the core moral attitude towards treating people fairly. Also it is the core moral issue of how one conducts themselves as citizens of the world. Greed is not good. Greed is evil. And you have always understood that moral sense of duty. No one else does. 4) Environment- we need to wake up America and the world that again, greed only destroys. Don't settle for lesser reforms and changes to our industry. 5) Education is the way to help people understand others and care. And it should be open education, as in bringing in all manner of POV's. We see how limited and no education help shape prejudice and hate. As demonstrated by those who take rights and freedoms from others. One note though- I am very proud to have helped get you elected as you have already changed the world's perception of the presidency, the United States and its people. That is a huge step towards greater understanding and the education of others on global issues. Please- we all love you. You don't need to spend so much time showing that you're cool and one of the people. Please be strong and don't waiver under nay sayers and cynics. You're the president because you are strong. and you have the support of your voters. Sincerely, Ewanglee

The Police Acted Stupidly

Khaidji — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:02:41 EDT

Imagine the conversation in the USA was about Health Care and suddenly twisted to race because a Black Professor from Harvard who lectures about race is arrested in his own home by Sergeant Crowley because a neighbor saw him breaking into his own home. If the neighbor was close enough to see the incident, why doesn’t the neighbor also know that the professor is a disabled Black man who walks with a cane and therefore recognized him? Given it was dark and they couldn’t see properly, why doesn’t the police quietly knock on the door to establish contact? Why the, “Step Out” routine. If they can’t go in then why would they expect a burglar to come out?

The Police Acted Stupidly

The President dared to say what he can

He described actions and not the character of the policeman

Even with his measured and careful word

People attacked what they think they heard

On that night when the arrest was made

Lawman, who trains other acted stupidly, I’m afraid

Invading ones own home, how could this be?

Could a man jimmying his own lock be described as guilty?

Even when he says to the police he’s the lawful owner

Are there no checks that would verify this, is there no procedure?

Can I expect that had this man been a White

That he would’ve been meted out that same treatment, that night?

Ever considered the mood you would have been in

Disgusted from your circumstance now the police, outside, beckoning?

Sir! Get out the house! And you asked, Why? Cause I’m Black?

This is no reason for the police to get out of whack

Using a cane, standing 5’5”, with proof of ID

Police surely could’ve walked away, even without an apology

I agree with the President and think our trained policemen

Diffuse many more volatile incidents, so why not then

Locked emotions, Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley

Years of racial mending being broken because the police acted stupidly.

Transparency

wboyd58 — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:05:10 EDT

Whatever happened to that transparency promise that Obama made while on his campaign trail? Is this promise just going to be one of the 514 other promises that he made and seems to have slipped his mind? He promised to place each bill that was coming up for a vote to place on a website for five days so that the people would have time to read it and get in touch with their congressmen and tell them how they wanted them to vote. This was going to be the most transparent government in history. What happened to this promise and what else do we not expect to get?

It was never made clear that we were going to be stock holders in the car industry, insurance industry or the banking industry either. This is why Obama will not place these bills online for us to see. The people would not have allowed such tom foolery for one this goes entirely against the Constitution. Everything that this man has done since his first day in office is to shread the Constitution of the United States of America.

The cap and trade bill that the congress passed and will go to the senate in August, does anyone remember seeing it posted anywhere for the American public to reveue? No, you didn't because this in reality is the largest tax increase in the history of this country. And guess what? Our representatives did not read this bill either!

Did You Cry To See That Fly Die

Khaidji — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:25:16 EDT

There was a bug in the White House but President Barack Obama destroyed it with his own hands. This is one time that bug would have preferred to have just been a fly on the wall.

With great precision the President was able to take it out even with his less dominant right hand. Since then there was much talk, especially from PETA who have been very critical of what they consider a very inhumane show of the previously undisclosed side of the President.

Did You Cry To See That Fly Die

Dastardly act PETA say

Immoral show of humane decay

Destroying any life, how could he

You saw it, they showed it on TV

Outrageous and shameful

Uncaring and disgraceful

Catching the fly could’ve been done humanely

Rush! He could have shouted to his security

You didn’t have to see the cruelness

They could’ve stopped to get rid of the pest

Oops! Did I say pest when I should have said fly

Some didn’t think this harmless insect should die

Even though he tried to chase it away

Even though we all could hear him say

Things like, get of here! before he raise his hand

Hit it with precision like he was always in command

And with respect he took a tissue to remove the bug

Took it up before it dirtied the rug

Flying Little Insect Exterminated Swiftly

Like this President does all things accurately

Yet PETA finds something to say, why

Did You Cry To See That Fly Die

I wonder what if it were a tick, mosquito, a louse or a flea

Even these are animals too, so would PETA have screamed cruelty?

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

Message from the President: "This is why"

Samuel from Heath, MA — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:36:43 EDT

This morning, President Obama sent the following email to supporters:
Last year, millions of Americans came together for a great purpose.

Folks like you assembled a grassroots movement that shocked the political establishment and changed the course of our nation. When Washington insiders counted us out, we put it all on the line and changed our democracy from the bottom up. But that's not why we did it.

The pundits told us it was impossible -- that the donations working people could afford and the hours volunteers could give would never loosen the vise grip of big money and powerful special interests. We proved them wrong. But as important as that was, that's not why we did it.

Today, spiraling health care costs are pushing our families and businesses to the brink of ruin, while millions of Americans go without the care they desperately need. Fixing this broken system will be enormously difficult. But we can succeed. The chance to make fundamental change like this in people's daily lives -- that is why we did it.

The campaign to pass real health care reform in 2009 is the biggest test of our movement since the election. Once again, victory is far from certain. Our opposition will be fierce, and they have been down this road before. To prevail, we must once more build a coast-to-coast operation ready to knock on doors, deploy volunteers, get out the facts, and show the world how real change happens in America.

And just like before, I cannot do it without your support.

So I'm asking you to remember all that you gave over the last two years to get us here -- all the time, resources, and faith you invested as a down payment to earn us our place at this crossroads in history. All that you've done has led up to this -- and whether or not our country takes the next crucial step depends on what you do right now.

Will you donate whatever you can afford to support the campaign for real health care reform in 2009?

It doesn't matter how much you can give, as long as you give what you can. Millions of families on the brink are counting on us to do just that. I know we can deliver.

Thank you, so much, for getting us this far. And thank you for standing up once again to take us the rest of the way.

Sincerely,

President Barack Obam

Renegade

Khaidji — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:47:40 EDT

We should start calling our leaders name every time they make a decision that we object to. I learnt this lesson early in life. We don’t know the way out of the problem and most of us are not prepared to take on the role of leader but yet we stay at a comfortable distance criticizing every step.

Renegade

Romantic trip on the Jet and they were criticized

Engaged in multilingual talks and he was ostracized

Noticeable hand shake and a smile with Hugo Chavez

Erupted in disapproval now distrust for all he does or says

Going to the Muslim world to speak where he’d never done before

And nominating his Supreme Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Delivering a commensurate speech at a military parade

Every thing President Barack Obama does makes him the Renegade

Get an easy Download or a Hardcopy of
” Path To The White House”
Acrostic Poetry on Barack Obama
By Khaidji
The Bajan Poetry Society

Obama's Soaring RED STATE Credibility

2morrowKnight — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:34:49 EDT

Naysayers and detractors continue to scratch their heads in amazement at President Obama's ability to pull significant Republican support. But if they looked at the president's 13 plus years as a politician, they would see that he's always worked closely and substantively with them. Remember his friendship with Illinois State Senator Kirk Dillard? Though a conservative, he so admired Obama's pragmatic, bi-partisan approach to politics, and his standing as an action-oriented visionary. That admiration landed him an appearance in an Obama TV ad in early 2007.

That is but one example of Obama's clear outreach to Republicans. We can look at his selection of Republicans like Ray LaHood as Secretary of Transportation or Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense for his administration. We can also look at his incredible 50 State Strategy, which had him campaigning in and/or setting up offices in states like Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota, and Nebraska. A more recent and dramatic example, however, is his naming of Gov. Jon Huntsman as the new Ambassador to China.

This one is awesome. Why? Well, Huntsman has a very impressive record on international affairs, and, he speaks mandarin Chinese from his days as a missionary, so he's perfect. Also, by most accounts, Huntsman has been a very good Governor of Utah, which is literally America's Reddest State. Utah resident and progressive blogger Bryan Young wrote a piece in the Huffington Post that all but confirms this. He described him as "level-headed, even-handed, well read, and well respected". He continued:

"...[Gov. Huntsman's] not afraid to veto the idiotic bills brought to him by a legislature that by and large has only a tenuous grip on reality. He's even worked hard to liberalize the liquor laws that have strangled tourism (as well as my social life) in the state, against the will of his party and a majority of his supporters, simply because it's the right thing to do. He's vetoed a lot of legislation that's come across his desk and has one of the most progressive records on the environment in the west... He's even come out in support of civil unions for same sex couples... Add to that, the fact that he's actually kept Utah's head largely above water through the economic crisis and you'll agree that he's actually a pretty good Governor... It's no wonder he was tapped by the Obama team for any job and he deserves our support and encouragement... He really is a stand-up act."

Being associated with yet another moderate, centrist Republican allows President Obama to continue occupying 65%-70% of the country in poll after poll. These types of approval ratings give President Obama a powerful consensus for most of his policies. Huntsman only helps to solidify his numbers.

Huntsman's appointment may not play well with self-styled "true progressives", but for most Americans, he is fulfilling his role as "President of the United States", not "President of particular Democratic constituencies". President Obama is the man: BLUE STATE credentials, for sure, but also...RED STATE credibility!

2morrowknight is an internet strategist and community organizer who blogs at 2morrowknight.blogspot.com, and is author of a forthcoming children's book. You can follow him at Twitter.com/2morrowknight and friend him at Myspace.com/2morrowknight.

Lukashenko explained why Belarus is developing relations with the West

Unknown user — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:49:12 EDT

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that now the benefits of integration with Russia is doubtful, therefore, accounted for Belarus to develop relations with the West and to participate in the European program for the Eastern Partnership.

In the breakdown of the agreements reached within the framework of the Union State, Alexander Lukashenko, accused the Russian government. According to him, "everything we agree on the highest level, is blocked, is not executed."

Also, Lukashenko criticized the Russian leadership for the reluctance to "put us on their market, but did not specify what specific prohibitions meant.

Note, May 28, should be a meeting of Ministers of the Union State, which is expected to be attended by the head of the Russian government Vladimir Putin. Perhaps, during this meeting, the parties will be able to discuss problems that have accumulated in the bilateral relations.

Recall the fall of 2008, Russia agreed to grant Belarus stabilization loan of $ 2 billion of that money to $ 1 billion in Minsk have already received.

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Change Course on Detainee Photos & Tribunals

Asterios from Los Angeles, CA — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:19:48 EDT

Dear Mr. President,

Please release the most recent batch of photos of detainee torture. I understand that your commanders on the ground have told you that such a release will endanger US troops, but terrorists and their allies require no excuse to incite or perform acts of violence against our forces. Furthermore, you endanger the credibility of your administration overseas if it looks like you are actively trying to keep evidence of US war crimes a secret. Finally, seeing as your administration knows that the photos will likely emerge anyway, you are creating the appearance of playing politics with evidence of systemic neglect of prisoners of war.

Why not simply release all the photos and say, "Never again?" Why not release the photos, then assure the international community that you will work your hardest to make sure such atrocities never again occur? To hide the truth about detainee treatment to avoid a theoretical post-release spike in violence continues to create a world where our people and our forces are seen as oppressors. Creating such an impression only increases the likelihood of violence against us.

Additionally, please make good on your promise to treat prisoners of war as such under the Geneva Conventions instead of judging them in secret military tribunals. If we are going to abhor the crimes the military claims Guantanamo prisoners have committed, surely the best way to punish those crimes in in a transparent and public forum. Justice performed in secret is no justice at all. Such tribunals are yet another signal to the world that we do not care for their opinion.

If we are to build lasting relationships to combat international terror, human rights abuses and the threat of global warming, we need to present an honest face. By working in the dark, we give the international community an all to easy excuse to not do business with us - a course of action that puts us all at peril.

Sincerely,
Asterios Kokkinos
US Citizen & Voter

Obama's Shakin' Off Those Haters Baby!

2morrowKnight — Thu, 07 May 2009 08:20:16 EDT

After his sweeping, historic win in last year's election, President Obama promised to be a bridge builder, not a partisan bomb thrower. And he has kept his word. He has Republicans in his administration, and, early in his term, he met with Congressional Republicans to hear their views and ideas. This approach has endeared him to moderate, independent voters who believe in President Obama's strategy: to continue to woo the the small business owner in California and union member in Connecticut who likely supported him, while aggressively reaching out to the evangelical farmer in Montana and supply-side economist in Mississippi who probably didn't.

Yet, on more than one occasion, he's had to shake off the haters. Conservative talk show host Tammy Bruce referred to the Obamas as "trash in the White House"; a Republican Los Alamitos Mayor quits after sending a racist e-mail showing watermelons on the White House Lawn"; and last but not least, Rush Limbaugh insults the President literally every day with his racially irresponsible rants. Interestingly, by not responding to these slights and staying on message with the economy and his agenda, it keeps his poll numbers up sky high, which gives him enormous political capital to pursue health care legislation and other matters. To the average engaged voter, President Obama looks busy, and his detractors look, well, petty and feeble-minded. Who knew that all of this hate would have a reverse effect for Republican officials and give unintended support to President Obama?

So as the hate continues to be directed at him and his family, President Obama presses on and finds a way to make the purveyors of that hate look even more foolish. Watching our president shake off the haters has become thoroughly enjoyable.

Burger Tips From Barack

Khaidji — Wed, 06 May 2009 09:17:51 EDT

Read the news of President Barack Obama’s stop over at Ray's Hell Burger and you will be surprised at the range of opinions. The first thing I thought about was the insecurity of eating at a public place like this. I have always been a little paranoid about eating out but now with all the talk of Swine Flu, how did he managed to get Joe Biden to come along with him. But our President speaks volumes in these little gestures and whether we see them or not they are working at healing the Economy and the mood of the American. Those who dislike the President seem to be more concern of the idea that he is President than the man he really is.

Burger Tips From Barack

Barack and Biden had a touch of “burgermania”

Used a motorcade and arrived in Arlington, Virginia

Ray's Hell Burger was their host

Got it all from off a neuter Blog post

Early this morning I saw a video

Realized it was a photo op, another political show

Then something else dawned on me

I wanted for the whole world to see

President Obama left more than his $5.00 tip

Showed more than was portrayed on the video clip

For getting in line he showed that we

Regardless to position in society

Our behavior should remain the same

Manners to wait, humbleness, patience and with no shame

Barack thought of the importance of spending money

At any small man’s store, the neighborhood grocery

Reminded us that even the workers behind a Burger counter

Are equally opportune to meet nobles in social demeanor

Careful whether behind or in front a counter to do this

Keep working and your demeanor To Insure Proper Service

Is it just ME?

Steve Severson — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:16:19 EDT

Or is "Facebook" The MOST annoying, DIFFICULT (AND I just noticed, you can't spell "DIFFICULT" when speaking of "Facebook" only! ) without the word "CULT"...What ARE we getting OURSELVES Into? Ever been there?

One finds oneself in hopeless concentric circles that twist your mind into a wet rag! Once you answer ANY question and commit to following along, YOU ARE STUCK! MY ADVICE?

Don't let it happen to you! When "Invited" Let the moment pass! Unless you LIKE MASSIVE headaches! That WILL burn into your very soul, like a hot coal of MALEVOLENT WILL (UNLESS that is your kind of "Thing"!

That's my advice to Y'all!

Your Humble Servant and Friend, Steven Severson =) Bless Y'all!

Obama's First 100 Days: A Smashing Success!

2morrowKnight — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:49:31 EDT

CNBC's John Harwood made a great analogy on the show Meet the Press recently: he likened President Obama's performance to a star quarterback driving the ball down the field getting first down after first down. To put it another way, imagine a game where Lebron James and the Cavaliers or Kobe Bryant and the Lakers hit 3-pointers and slam ducks at will and never ever turned the ball over. That explains President Obama's overwhelming success thus far.

Indeed, President Obama's First 100 Days in office is going down in the history books. Someone might be able to say that they disagree with his policies, but no one can say he hasn't done anything. Most of the of the national polls put him in the mid to high 60% range. A healthy number of respondents in a recent New York Times/CBS News Poll say they have strong confidence in Obama's leadership, and, that they see small signs that the economy is getting better (ever so slightly) with his initiatives.

And yes, OMG!, just last week, President Obama announced that the Recovery Act is "starting to work" and that 2,000 transportation projects are under way around the country: Red States and Blue States. In fact, last week, on The White House Blog, there was a compilation of articles from publications around the country hailing the job-generating success of the Recovery Act. Yes baby...its working.

President Obama has been inspiring, substantive, engaging, unconventional, and downright transformational. He has signed 7 pieces of major legislation so far, which include: Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, DTV Delay Act, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and The National Service Bill. He has cracked down on mortgage fraud, worked with the Federal Reserve Bank to lower mortgage rates, and created a very resourceful website (makinghomeaffordable.gov) that comes highly recommended by consumers and mortgage professionals alike.

Furthermore, he has ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay Prison in 2010; reversed horrendous Executive Orders by President Bush on reproductive rights for women, stem cell research, and environmental protection; and, already, opened up The White House for parties, bi-partisan cocktails, and well-publicized cultural events with community children. Plus, he made groundbreaking appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ESPN's" "March Madness/Bracketology" segment, and Univision's popular music show “Premio Lo Nuestro" to raise his profile with millions of viewers who were not tuned into the debate over the Recovery Act and his budget - and it worked beautifully.

But he has been the most compelling in the following areas:

(1) Foreign Policy - Yes, he has taken some lumps on defending some Bush Administration views on warrantless wiretaps, and, yes, Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea (and Palestine) are still evolving toward a solution, but don't tell me that any of that dampens the awe-inspiring impact of his trip to Europe and Asia, where he was the toast of every country he visited. His town hall meeting with Turkish students was the stuff of legends. Need I mention his outreach to Cuba - which most Americans support? And don't get me started over his involvement with the effort to rescue Captain Richard Phillips. Obama rocked it!

(2) Diversity - Simply put, President Obama has stacked his administration with action-oriented thinkers and visionaries (young and old) who care for America, believe in America, and, look like America. Asian-Americans, Latinos, Native-Americans, African-Americans, Arab-Americans, Whites, women, and gays make up the most experienced, pragmatic, and diverse administration in history. Obama refuses to believe there is a contradiction between "outreach" and "achievement". His cosmopolitan hiring is certainly putting pressure on employers in this country who believe they don't have to embrace diversity and can cling to antiquated thinking.

April 29th will mark President Obama's 100th day in office. And so far, he has proven himself to be a thoroughly innovative and pioneering individual, who is complimented by his unflappable and dazzling wife and life partner, First Lady Michelle Obama, and by his phenomenal, social media savvy staff. I wait anxiously for what the next 100 days will yield.

iainea

Unknown user — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:37:18 EDT

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I am SO proud of my Obama "peeps"!

Steve Severson — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:31:52 EDT

ANOTHER TWO of you have signed up for "my art show!

I cannot believe YOUR LEVEL OF RESPONSE! I BELIEVE it is a total of 6of you, Which is "roughly six more than I could have hoped for.

I have been bragging BIG TIME at my other Blog ABOUT you guys and your level of commitment!

This is REALLY all I have for time for now!

See ya tonight! God bless you! Love you all!

Steven

Let's talk about OUR First Lady!

Steve Severson — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 23:32:16 EDT

Ain't she SWEET? We all know the tune...sing along! (see her walkin' down the (now heavily guarded) street/ the kind of girl I'd like to meet/ Ain't she sweet!)

I never before really cared about "First Laidies" until Michelle burst upon the scene. All of the recent ones, with the exception of Hillary, seemed to be either NUTS (witness Barbara!) or hoplessly shallow (you'd have to be to put up with "43"...a number to which he couldn't count; which has been scientifically proven; and we ALL know how much they held science close to their hearts!)

I, of course, cannot bring any of the First Ladies from Jackie-O back into the fray, as THEY all had class and even inluence!

Terrorizing the Terrorists

Don — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:34:58 EDT

How do you deter an enemy who is willing to kill himself in order to kill you? You strike at something more important to him than his own life. Defining that will be easy for me. The next question is can America be as ruthless as our enemies?

The time has come to end the fruitless and unsustainable effort to search and destroy every cave in Afghanistan and bomb every campground in bordering Pakistan. It’s counterproductive anyway.

What will put the fear of America into terrorist masterminds and those who would follow their orders is simple and radical revenge. Masterminds have families: Cousins, brothers and fathers. Eliminate them. All at once, or one at a time, it works just as well. The ones who survive an initial “hunt” will go into hiding. Having some adult male relatives killed and the rest hiding out in caves will demoralize masterminds and their loved ones. You cannot work and support your women like that. You can’t make more baby masterminds that way. You cannot continue the blood line. The women and children will pressure them to stop their plotting and bombing.

People want to leave a familial legacy, and they can’t do that under those circumstances over the long term.

Should America do that? Yes. Do we have the “intestinal fortitude” and sustainable motivation? I don’t think so. But we should, and it shouldn’t take another terrorist attack to get us there.

For the last seven years the CIA has been kidnapping people from other nations and torturing them. Why not just go in there and quietly shoot them to death?

Frankly, by not killing women or children the way those terrorists routinely do, we can even claim the moral high ground.

Barack and AIG

Larry from Cedaredge, CO — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:07:11 EDT

Mr. Geithners credability is seriously challenged; he can overcome this by taking a stand right now on the AIG bonuses. And he must. Tha american public will have the taste of bitter gall in their mouths if these bonuses are paid out of our taxpayer money.. this will last a long, long time.

Barack, if you want my love, my respect, and my suport you must take a stand!

An Open Letter To Pres.Barack Obama

Jeffrey Carter — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:37:12 EDT

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

WEBMASTER — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 12:16:23 EDT

Imagination Joined to Common Purpose

Message from The White House
http://www.whitehouse.gov

Dear David:

Thank you for your recent note, and for sharing your thoughts with me. Your kind words echo the messages of millions of Americans who have welcomed me and my family to the White House with an outpouring of goodwill.

On January 20th, Americans spoke with one voice, choosing hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. Our Nation faces serious challenges, but we will overcome them if our imagination is joined to common purpose.

Now is our time to work together, reaffirm our enduring spirit, and choose our better history. With your help, we will renew our Nation's promise to carry forth the great gift of freedom to future generations, as our forebears have delivered it to us.

Sincerely,
Barack Obama

see http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=58917909520

The Real Abominations Against God and Jesus

Don — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:04:47 EDT

The fact that Americans vote in favoring of paying our farmers to produce LESS milk in order to keep the gallon price of milk HIGHER than a gallon of gasoline while millions of American babies' parents can't afford milk is an abomination against God.People who, in the name of Jesus, vote to DENY medicine and treatment for babies in nations where it is otherwise not available suffering from AIDS because adults delivering help condone use of condoms to staunch the spread of AIDS are committing an abomination against God.People who vote against public sponsored healthcare for babies and children who cannot otherwise obtain it are committing an abomination against God.People who allow others to go hungry, homeless and sick, thus disobeying Jesus AND God himself, find the energy to rail against adults who behind closed doors have sex with other consenting adults are committing an abomination against God. They spend money, cast votes and change constitutions to deny those people rights to get divorced like 50% of the self-righteous people do every day.People who blatantly ignore the commands of Jesus and stated in all the gospels to care for the sick, the hungry and the homeless, and “judge not lest you be judged” while trumpeting an obscure sentence fragment from the Old Testament taken out of context while calling themselves Christians are an abomination against God and Jesus. Theirs is the greatest of blasphemy imaginable.When the mere idea that a person would not CHOOSE to be reviled, persecuted, fired from the military, and in some cases savagely beaten to death -- in other words, be gay -- is met by 'conservative Republicans' with such rabid, savage hostility, then one could reasonably believe that their position and their associated rage is intended merely as a distraction from their own actions which are immoral, inhumane and even criminal (refer to first five paragraphs).

are you LISTENING????

i am rasa — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:01:33 EDT

My top priority in life is LISTENING to my son Makiah Miller and acting accordingly.

Sometimes, hearing him, getting outside the box of my own perceptions...to listen to what HE is teaching me...is difficult.

Go HERE, inside the box labeled Nate Hutcheson...inside that box is THE ISSUE, click on it ...see if you can hear what lessons HE has to teach...

May your day be perfect and may you act on it accordingly...or....." Be the love. Share the love." as Makiah tells me.....

--
rasa
Robert Allan Schueler Artist
Peace City, Utopia.

The George W Bush Recession and Depression

Don — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 02:13:08 EST

We need to give credit where credit is deserved: NAME this economic crisis after the man most responsible for it's creation.

$10 trillion deficit is what we had at the end of the Bush administration. In eight years, Bush more than DOUBLED all the indebtedness America had accrued in more than 200 years.

This is more than a talking point, this is a necessary reminder that should be made every day, so that the notoriously SHORT memories of Americans shall be stimulated on a regular basis.

Obama St. Patricks Day t-shirts, Updates, and Nobody Messing With Joe

Homeboy — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:25:07 EST

It's been quite a while since I updated this blog, but felt like enough has happened recently that an update is due. I've been busy following all the recent events with the economy and of course I watch Obama's speeches when they happen. This past one inspired me to not only create some stuff around the whole "nobody messes with Joe" slogan, but also made me start a new blog devoted to all the products that end up being created when events like that happen.

My most recent blog is about another seemingly popular topic that comes around this time of year. I remember last year, Irish Obama stuff was all over the place during St. Patrick's Day. I don't see things slowing down in regards to this love of both green beer and Obama, so I wrote an article on Barack Obama's St. patrick's Day t-shirts. It's interesting that on the site I use for all my designs, "Obama Irish t-shirts" are the very first thing you see on their St Patricks Day t-shirts page. He's got to be poplular if he's getting that much attention. It makes me with I had designed some shamrock'ed out designs myself. Maybe next year :/

In other news, I think Obama's first 4 days of being in office were sensational. There were so many reversals of Bush's laws that happened in such a short period of time that it was amazing to witness. The fact that he jumped in and changed things right off the bat makes me think more and more that he's got an idea of the direction he wants to take things toward. I think Bush not only lacked direction, but with what direction he had, he was poorly misguided.

Obama's Change.gov is also another major shift in the way of government. There's something truly beneficial to having all the expenses of government in the close scrutiny of the eyes of its citizens. My only hope is that not only do they keep the information public, but that they also make a way to comment and/or submit feedback on various expenses. I have a feeling the large US population will be able to spot waste more efficiently than a handful of people in the whitehouse.

I'm going to try to update this more often as I get the time, but until then, I wish everyone who reads this the best in these crazy times.

Joke

TheNye — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:08:18 EST

When Barack Obama pays for something, he deliberately pays more than he needs to.

Beacause he always wants CHANGE.

Thank you for your time.

Barack, the vehicle not the destination

thepeople — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:53:47 EST

Obama and the birth of New America,

Barack 's emotional calibration: 475

I have recently read a few articles on the heavy republican currents that Barack is facing. I have one message for the champ, Barack, you’re standing tall and the people are your wings.

Sometimes action speaks louder than words, and the people are tuning to you Barack, at your door steps or from afar, you have echoed the soul of the people, and you continue to ride the waves of your promise, rest assured that the people will be there in 2013.

Spread the love for the people, care for the people, the people will always be there in times of needs, don’t let Juvanile pettiness get in the way of your mission. The people know, the people watch, only the people will hear your voice. In 2013 you will shine once again majestically like an eagle in the skies of new America.

As Ryunosuke Satoro once said: “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” You have sailed the current of change and you’ve risen to the skies. Champ, continue and I have faith , you will rise again.

As a voice from the north, I feel I belong, because you touched us all. Thank you. You spoke our hearts and you reflected our minds, your strategy spoke the truth, this is the commodity of all times, the future isn’t about America, it isn’t about Russia, France or Iran, the future is about a perspective. Get the world on your side and make America once again the role model , a role model is never known for negativity. The world needs you to show them, there is another way. You’re the inspiration the American children, all children young and old, all as one child.

Today and tomorrow is about returning to basics, the basics where it all began, the future will never be about luxury, we’re entering an era of value reassessment, We’re entering a new landscape of trust, the driving force to a brand. Barack, Be that brand, be the ethics that we all long to see, be the truth that we all lost be the hope that is eroded in us, be the voice of the truth be everyone neutral Television not Fox or CNN.

You will be the vehicle of the New America not just its destination. You will shine through the prism
of the people.

James

...a world without Islam...

The Ranting Dream — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:57:46 EST

…quoting Graham Fuller’s thought provoking article which asserts that the ’terrorism’ that our corrupt goons in politics so desperately want us to believe as being at the ‘root’ of Islam, isn’t about Islam at all - it is about Western imperialism and oppression, and had Islam never existed, the world would look about the same as it does today…

Bankers CAN be heroes -- No 'vetting' required

Don — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 03:01:53 EST

Senator Dodd went rogue and inserted some crazy stuff into the new law, so the President will need to be creative. Perhaps we are looking for HEROES to run our troubled banks. A lot of wealthy patriots have made great financial sacrifices to serve in the Obama Administration. Like-minded people who don’t want to go through the vetting process and insane pubic humiliation of being outed on every little tax related or other embarrassment can now serve their country without becoming federal employees but while still consenting to be paid wages not all that far above that.

Gregg: Is This Petty Partisan Politics

Don — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:47:23 EST

I see nothing different Obama has said or done since 2004 and today -- perhaps Gregg's understanding of it morphed overnight between the time he was begging for the job and yesterday, when it came time to vote on the stimulus plan. Gregg seems to claim otherwise.

Obama should have known Gregg either hasn't the courage of his convictions or , far more likely, hasn't got any deeply held beliefs other than politics. We demand omniscience! How DARE the President not realize a man like Gregg would say anything to further his own personal ambitions?

There's something wrong with a vetting process that cannot discern that a politically savvy adult who somehow got himself repeatedly elected to the US Senate would claim to have turned his back on Petty Partisan Politics but actually lack the moral fortitude to stand by his decision.

Obama's Our Man !!

Nick Clayton, cssc — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:42:47 EST

I am a 59 year old African American male. I am a native of Houston, TX. I am a Minister of the Gospels and I am also President/CEO of a Settlement Consulting firm.

Although, I am an African American, and Barack Obama is African American, that is not the reason that I supported Barack Obama for President of the United States.

I supported Obama for President because as he spoke on the various issues that confront America, and as I watched him again and again address the American public, I saw something that I hadn't seen since President John Kennedy. I saw a man who didn't just desire to be President OF America, instead, I saw a man who desired to be President FOR America.

STANDING IN THE COLD FOR THE WARMTH

GREG KLINE — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:08:36 EST

Hi There Family,

Well, it’s no secret the last two years of my life have been working to support Barack's vision this election cycle. Actually, it started with the simple act of including an excerpt from his DNC keynote speech in our 2004 home-made holiday card. Since then, I've run myself ragged, and broke. Projects, visibility events, and networking, to the point of serious burnout. But, hey! Yes we did. It was all worth it. Laura & I met him in person during the primaries, and again during the general election, which really helped keep us revitalized. So anyway, you could have guessed there’d be a NEED to make the pilgrimage to the Inauguration.

My friend Ruthie and I drove to Baltimore, and took the first MARC train at 5:29 am to Union Station, a couple blocks from the Capitol. While we could see the Capitol in front of us, getting there was a huge case of "Can’t get there from here". Security herded all cattle through a circuitous and convoluted path, though tunnels, and down streets devoid of visible landmarks, to the back end of Independence Mall, which took about 90 minutes.

We didn’t have tickets, and we wound up about 20 people deep from the beginning railing of the ticketless part of the Mall, in the media area between MSNBC’s broadcast booth, and a bleecher full of camera crews and photographers. Many in our area passed the time going wild for MSNBC’s panning boom camera, cheering for Rachel Maddow, Keith Olberman, and Chris Matthews, and being interviewed by various news anchors in the field. CBS interviewed us.

The cold was significant, but not sobering or intollerable. The wait for Barack, on the other hand, was a bit trying. Yes, it was all beautiful, but the pomp and circumstance of announced grand entrances, the likes of the Seaside Ladies Auxillary, and the janitor’s wife’s second cousin of Mahlia Obama’s school, kinda had people groaning. Speaking of such, yes, one could expect boos at the mention of George Bush, but HOLY COW! It was an ocean of boos, which segued into a mighty contagious roar of the Steam hit "Na Na Hey Hey, Kiss Him Goodbye".

Barack’s address, was characteristically moving and touching. Once again putting ideas back on the table, vision back on the shelves, and making reason the special of the day. Once again the message was one of community, dignity, empowerment, "better angels", and transparency. But this speech went further into the territory of healing division, taking the charge out of the illusions of difference, and emphasizing the common threads that run through all people. Unity was in the air. The ever so faint ineffible tensions due to race seemed palpably eased.

When the event ended, Ruthie & I split to indulge personal walkabouts. I gradually worked my way past multiple barricades and inconsistent security, to the foot of Barack’s podium on the Capitol steps. I wanted to see and absorb the detail that I couldn’t from far out in the Mall. It was definately effecting. So were the apparent safety measures. Barack’s podium was surrounded by bulletproof glass, with a steel camera platform between the podium and the direct line of sight from the Mall. It was when I moved to take a picture leaning against the podium, when some very serious camouflaged guards and Secret Service personnel intervened, instructing me with volume that the area was "locked down".

Earlier, those who attended the Inauguration in the Mall, were informed they would not be allowed street access to attend the Inaugural Parade, that the route was full to capacity. However, from my vantage point on the Capitol steps, I was able to casually circumvent the security, and wound up 2nd person deep near the beginning of the parade route. Security around Barack’s limo was intense. His car was flanked on all sides by "dummy" limos, and open vehicles piled with Secret Service personnel, tensely scanning and peering piercingly into the crowd. Through the tinted windows, I could see Michelle Obama and the girls waving. Barack was not to be seen.

All in all, I must say, that while security was stern and inflexible, they were also professional and occasionally friendly. I did not observe a single "incident" all day. When you consider there were roughly two million people present, that really says something, something positive, about a very positive event.

As night fell, we had no invitations to any of the Inaugural Balls, and really, we didn’t need any. Ruthie and I met up in the Smithsonian for a light dinner, and headed home around 8:15 pm. Talking on the train, we decided that the whole contentious movie of the election process is over, and we’re now ready to actually get down to accomplishing good things. Barack seems, more than ever, an organic conduit of a progressive movement who’s time has finally come. Let’s get to it. Better days are at hand. Wishing you All Good Things.

All Fired Up & Ready To Go,

Greg

The OBAMA Generation

Monika — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:58:34 EST

Generation "O" Main Blog & Unique "O" Wear/Gear @ Generation O on Zazzle

Hi, I'm new here...wish I had found this site sooner, but better late than never.

Looking for possible ways to get more involved in the process of making our world a better place alongside people in my community...ya know, to get in where I fit in.

Still learning my way around this site...

Read y'all later,

Monika

HELP ME WIN A SCHOLARSHIP just by reading this

Marcella from Point Pleasant Beach, NJ — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 13:26:53 EST

Obama: An American Savior

The next four years won’t be all sugarplums and lollipops for America (or the world, for that matter). A regime change alone – even one as stark as President Obama’s – cannot restructure the direction of a nation. After all, the President is only one man. However, America has begun to weave a sustainable pattern in the fabric of real change. With the beloved, optimistic Barack Obama coming in on the heels of a tarred-and-feathered administration, the communication, unity, and will of the people have aligned in a constellation of transformation that will usher in a new era of American Federal Government.

Barack Obama’s presidency will be the dawn of a new relationship between the federal government and the American people. The beginning of change will come as communication improves between the American public and governmental leadership. Americans can expect President Obama to come out from behind his desk in the Oval Office not just to address them, but invite them in, listen, and interact with them. President Obama will use technology, including the Internet, cell phones, PDAs, and even MP3 players, to keep in touch with the American public and to keep the American public involved with the federal government. The Obama Administration will regularly meet with the press and keep the media abreast of governmental goings-on. The propaganda and rhetoric of late will be replaced with progressive conversation and bipartisan dialogue. Starting with his own administration, President Obama will permeate transparency through Washington like bleach through dirty water.

Never before has America been so prepared for a decontamination of D.C., a Congressional cleansing, and a purification of power. If there’s one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that the federal government is so tainted with sullied politics that the trust of the people it represents is in real jeopardy, if not already lost. The unity and will of the American people are as commanding now as they have been in times of great historical change. It has taken years of political misconduct to generate the atmosphere of mistrust that defines the nation's capitol at present. In this politically aggravated climate, Americans can be sure that President Obama will rise to the occasion and quench their thirst for change with the nectar of ethical and responsible ideology. Political recklessness and irresponsibility will not be tolerated in the Obama Administration. Expect a purge of problematic party politics, patronage, and pandering to special interests and a reach for reasonable, responsive, and accountable representation in Washington.

With D.C. under an Obama-brand broom and mop, the President will work to accomplish all he has promised in preceding months. Within (his first) four years, President Obama will address the most pressing issues facing America. This, of course, includes a resolution to the economic crisis, but many issues, including America’s dependence on foreign oil and weakening job market, must be resolved in order to solve the economic dilemma. He will create an environment conducive to energy independence and the proliferation of renewable energy sources that will create new industries for employment and liberate the country from dependence on foreign oil. He will cultivate infrastructure and the American auto industry to bolster the job market and reduce unemployment. Scientific investigation, including promising stem cell research, will increase under the Obama Administration to keep America up to speed with the international scientific community and expand job opportunities. He will also invest in America’s greatest asset – education – by increasing tax credits for higher education students, improving public education school systems, and either funding or eliminating the No Child Left Behind Act. He will increase the availability and affordability of quality healthcare coverage by offering a federal plan option to all Americans and cracking down on excess pharmaceutical charges. He will create a more balanced tax system that will begin to restore the federal budget and ensure the continuity of essential federal programs. He will close Guantanamo Bay detention camp, repeal the Patriot Act, and turn over power to Iraqi security forces to begin the removal of U.S. troops. President Obama will work to improve our international rapport and diplomatic relations, particularly in the Middle Eastern region, through open conversation with alliesand enemies. Change is what America expects and change is what she will get.

This change will not come immediately (C’mon, its politics!), but it will come in the next four years. Americans have spoken; we want change, we need change, and we’re ready for it. Now we look to President Barack Obama to make it happen.

If you like what you read, please vote for it on Brickfish.com! You'll help me win a scholarship.

URL:

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/Blogs/BlogView.aspx?bid=35954&=HP_all_PPIMEMAIL&isep=1&pbapi=1898218&pbvi=57390710

Thanks! Be well.

Cella

Day 10 - Proud American

A Powerhouse — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:38:41 EST

I've been counting the days on my facebook status and 10 days into it ... I feel extremely excited about what's to come in the next 4 years (possibly 8) with Obama as president. It appears that Obama has worked harder and has been more active then GWB's last 8... but I'm so partial toward Obama, that I've already deemed him GOAT (Greatest of All Time) not even 1 month in office yet ... LOL.

I do find it very interesting that I'd even say that.

My reasoning would have to be because of the intelligence and composure of the whole presidential campaign. if I were to ever run for President, which I'm not, but if I were to ever run for President, I now have blue print of how to do it.

His focus to stay on the RELEVANT topics, the way his team passed information to the masses from the simple grassroot gatherings to the highest forms of technology (Did any of you happen to download the Obama iPhone app? AWESOME), the orchestrating and publishing of the his book, the debates were spectacular vs Hilary & McCain and the combo of his personality and intellect were far above any candidate that I've ever met/heard/seen.

I related with Obama, as did nearly 70 million voters...

And what's really weird is that it feels as if I could actually call Obama and talk with him like a friend? I'm talking about the having a President who I feel can understand me and my point of view so much so we'd could have a conversation. Wow!

As an Black American/Native Indian mix and ex Army soldier... I finally feel included.

Spread Love!

- Alonzo -

www.apowerhouse.com

BEST OBAMA SONG EVER-Change Is On The Way

Jason from Pittsburgh, PA — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:17:22 EST

This is my way of congratulating our new President, his staff, First Family, and our nation. Please watch, enjoy, and leave comments if you wish. click or paste this link to watch the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWsXbXTQHj4&fmt=18

A appeal,a request to the US presidant Barak Obama,Please Restore our innocent Brother Canadian Prisoner Khalid Awan who is facing a special modified,false,fabricated case in us since 9/11.

Arifmuhammad — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:24:54 EST

The U.S. terror war as seen through the eyes of a prisoner

When we first began corresponding with Khalid Awan in 2007, we had no idea why he was serving time in U.S. federal prison. We soon discovered Awan was one of the first of thousands of Muslims taken prisoner in the post-9/11 U.S. "terror war." As the story began unfolding in our letters, we began to realize that this honest, humble and sincere man was not only innocent, but the ongoing injustice being done to him provides critical insight into the mindless, meanspirited, bureaucratic-yes-men idiocy fueling the illegal U.S. "war on terror" (and just about everything else that is going wrong in this country). At our insistence, Awan wrote his story and supplied us with whatever documents we requested. And now, after three months of cooperative efforts, the story of Khalid Awan can be told. We have come to know Awan as a peaceful man engaged in peaceful work who has been wrongfully accused, detained and repeatedly convicted of crimes he did not commit because he was a Muslim with international connections and an office in New York on 9/11. We present this to you in faith that you will realize a deeper understanding of the levels of complicity necessary for the "land of the free" to tolerate the phony war on terror year after year and in hope that Awan—and all the other million or more political prisoners being held by this country—will one day be reunited with their families.
By Khalid Awan

My name is Khalid Qayyam Awan. My rights have been eroded in the name of "national security." Since I am a Muslim, my story has been written, produced, directed, choreographed and staged by U.S. government officials.

The Department of Justice and the FBI have been under pressure by the Bush administration to find "terrorists" in this country and to preemptively convict them before they can strike at the U.S. Although there is good evidence that there are few, if any, potential terrorists in the Muslim communities of the United States, U.S. attorneys who are not able to find any real "terrorists," target, prosecute and convict innocent Muslims on phony or inflated criminal charges to show they are politically "loyal to the president," and to avoid being fired for political reasons, as recent news revelations strongly suggest. These prosecutions have destroyed families in a country that is renowned for its human rights activities around the world.

Background

I am a 46-year old Canadian citizen and native of Pakistan. Throughout my life I studied in Catholic Christian schools and read the Bible every morning. I received my Masters Degree in Political Science at the University of Karachi in Pakistan and I am one of the founding members of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission. As a result of my belief in humanity and equality, I moved to Canada in 1993, becoming a Canadian citizen in 1996. In Canada I worked as an immigration consultant and was a member of the Canadian Bar Association. As part of my business, I also had an office in New York, which is where I was on Sept 11, 2001.

October 2001

On October 25, 2001, U.S. government agents entered my house in Garden City, NY, without knocking and yelled at me to drop everything or they would shoot me. They forced me to lie on the ground while they handcuffed me and placed me under arrest.

They claimed they had received an anonymous tip that I was a material witness for the 9/11 World Trade Center terrorist attack. After my arrest, I was taken in front of New York Judge Michael Mukasey (current U.S. attorney general known for his Israeli sympathies). After a detailed investigation by the FBI and U.S. Naval Intelligence, I was put in front of a Grand Jury. The case was dismissed on November 6, 2001.

Charge #2

Before I was released from custody, on November 5, 2001, the U.S. government imposed new charges: "Conspiracy to Commit Fraud and Money Laundering." They alleged that I stole/misused the identity profiles of my clients, people who come to me seeking to obtain Canadian visas and citizenship in the U.S., although there was not a single complaint from any of my clients or any banks.

(Note: Journalist Dr. Paul Craig Roberts stated in his 12/11/06 column, America’s Injustice System is Criminal: "The criminal justice system today consists of a process whereby a defendant is coerced into admitting to a crime in order to escape more severe punishment for maintaining his innocence. Many of the crimes for which people are imprisoned never occurred").

Every defense attorney knows that today prosecutors can purchase testimony against a defendant by paying "witnesses" with money, dropping charges against them or reducing prison sentences to testify against defendants. Jurors tend to trust government prosecutors and are generally unaware that they will withhold exculpatory evidence and suborn perjury and bear false witness to obtain convictions.

Months went by. Then a year had passed and I was still "detained" without a trial for crimes I did not commit. My lawyer advised me to plead guilty. He said it was in my own best interests as I would be "facing 10 years on the money laundering charge" due to the current climate in New York courts and my being a Muslim and a native of Pakistan. By this time I had served 17 months in detention, so I pled guilty to $95,000 of fraud conspiracy, which carried a maximum sentence of 15 to 24 months. The plea agreement—release for time served—was not even honored and I was sentenced to five years, the sentence for approximately $2,400,000 in credit card fraud.

Appeal to Canada

In January, 2005, when I was finally able to apply for a "treaty transfer" to Canada. I learned from my case manager that my citizenship was listed in the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) computer as "Pakistani" instead of "Canadian." All my Canadian documentation—passport, citizenship card, social insurance and health cards and Canadian drivers license—were in the possession of the FBI. I wrote the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo, NY, to request that they fix this problem so I could be transferred back to Canada. On March 30, 2005, the Canadian Consulate sent a letter to the jail to correct my citizenship status, but the FBOP ignored the request and did not correct the computer.

I realize now that the BOP intentionally left my citizenship as "Pakistani" to make me administratively ineligible for transfer to Canada and keep me in the U.S. while the U.S. government prepared new charges against me.

A year later, six weeks before my scheduled release date, I was transferred from Allenwood FCI to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY, supposedly in preparation for my deportation back to Canada. I signed the immigration deportation papers, which incidentally, contained my correct citizenship status. Later I learned the Allenwood FCI warden had been given a summons from Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Lawrence Ferazani in January, 2006, requesting for me to appear in federal court in Brooklyn, NY, on February 15, 2006.

Family threatened

Once in Brooklyn, on January 31, 2006, I phoned my family in Montreal. I learned that Officer Buttazzoni from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) had contacted my sister regarding the whereabouts of my wife. He was told that she had returned to Pakistan. Buttazzoni left his phone number with my brother-in-law, telling him to please tell my wife to call him back immediately. She called Buttazzoni several times and left messages on his voice mail, after which Buttazzoni told my brother-in-law to tell her not to call him again.

Then on February 17, 2006, I was brought by AUSA Ferazani to an office in New York to be interrogated by the FBI without an attorney present. I was told by AUSA Farazani that if I did not talk they would arrest my sisters in Montreal and my wife, who had returned to Pakistan. He said, "We just have to make a call."

I was surprised and scared that he knew where my family lived. He stated, "If you don’t tell me [what I want to know] I can recommend lethal injection to the court and call the press and tomorrow morning you will be in every newspaper as a big terrorist."

Another federal agent told me that if I did not cooperate, they would turn me over to the Indian government, an enemy of Pakistan, which would treat me as an enemy.

At this time I was certain that my family was in danger because they were living in countries that work closely with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. After seeing my liberty evaporate when I was cleared of being a material witness in the World Trade Center tragedy, I had every reason to believe that the overarching power of the government would secure my family members’ arrests and inflict severe punishment on them. I strongly believed the RCMP was working in collaboration with the FBI to harass me to admit to charges of crimes that I did not commit. I thought about how the RCMP officials had played a role in other discrimination cases that included the interrogation and torture of Canadian citizens Mahrar Arar, Abdullah Almalki and Ahmed EI Matti, whose only "crimes" were being Canadian Muslims.

Because I felt I had no other choice, I signed the Miranda Rights waiver forms the agent gave me, waiving my right to an attorney’s presence during questioning and spoke with agents of the U.S. government on Feb. 17 and 20, 2006.

February 17, 2006: Interrogation…and bribe

I was pushed to the edge during this interrogation. Even though I could not answer all of their questions, I was determined to provide anything they wanted, even if the questions made no sense. I tried to give answers so they would be pleased and not give me the death penalty or harm my family.

During this interrogation, the agents offered me the opportunity to work for them in an "under cover capacity" abroad in Pakistan and Canada. They wanted me to testify against a group of Sikh people, on fabricated statements, based on my association with them from when I lived in Pakistan. I refused. So they told me to keep in mind that they wanted me to testify against people who are of the Sikh religion from India, an enemy of Pakistan and, because I am a Muslim, I should not have any concern for them.

I said, "But they are human beings! If they did something wrong and I knew about it, I would be more than happy to help the law, but you are asking me about something which I know nothing about."

The agents waited a couple weeks and then started asking me again, this time through my attorney. Upon my continued refusal, Officer Buttazzoni in Montreal again approached my family. I told them to get an attorney and not to go to his office without a legal written notice from him. They followed my advice and the RCMP stopped calling them—but not before the FBI was able to create a self-incriminating statement based on "evidence" they secured during their interrogation of me without the presence of my attorney. As a result of this, prosecutors were able to go in front of a Grand Jury and indict me, based on my own (fabricated) statements, prepared by federal agents without my signature.

Third charge March 16, 2006

On March 15, 2006, I completed the term of my imprisonment and was to be deported back to Canada. Before I could even go out onto the street I was arrested a third time and charged with "Providing Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist," and "Money Laundering to Support Terrorism," for supposedly providing support to the Sikh organization Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), through a man of the Sikh religion, Mr. Paramjit Singh Panjwar (PMJ), whom I met once when visiting Pakistan.

These charges emerged while I was still in prison and had no capability to provide KCF with any kind of support. It was difficult for me to get enough finances together to pay my legal fees while I was in prison for five years and I could not launder any money because I did not have any. In the plea agreement I signed for my previous "money laundering" charge, it is mentioned that no further money laundering charges would be brought against me, so this was double jeopardy and a violation of the 5th Amendment of the Constitution.

August to December, 2006: administrative detention

I appeared in court and pled "not-guilty" for my second "superseding indictment" on August 2, 2006. Upon my unwavering refusal to work for the government on their fabricated statements against the Sikh people, FBOP officials placed me into the Segregation Housing Unit (SHU), for 210 days of segregation and isolation despite the fact that I was rated as needing low security on the government’s "Male Custody Classification Form."

Segregation was continuous torture as we were not given basic amenities or respect and the building was cold and leaky. I went on a hunger strike for four days and after that I filed various complaints with the FBOP higher authorities, but no action was taken.

October 2006

After my refusal to work for the government on their case against "two individuals" they had identified as "potentially to be joined in this matter, but at this stage we don’t have enough evidence to charge," the government went to them and indicted them and, giving them a lot of benefits, prepared them to testify against me.

During my pre-trial hearing, the first two counts of my indictment were dismissed due to lack of facts and figures. Within two weeks, AUSA indicted me again, probably to cover up for their huge embarrassment. This hastily drawn up indictment was also full of factual errors and creative legal theories.

This time, in the bill of particulars/indictment, AUSA Farazani included the names of the following participants as co-conspirators in this "conspiracy."

1) Khalid Awan—me
2) Paramjit Singh Panjwar—Leader of Sikh Khalisto Commando Force (KFC), residing in Pakistan (not indicted).
3) Gurbax Singh—Indicted as co-conspirator #1
4) Baljinder Singh—Indicted as co-conspirator #2
5) Jatinder Singh—Residing in Texas (not indicted).
6) Dr. Pritpal Singh—Residing in California (not indicted).

Except for me, all the "co-conspirators" are elected leaders of the Sikh religion, a group of people known in Pakistani history books as the worst killers and rapists of the Pakistani nation, having killed, raped, burned and cut into pieces a hundred thousand Pakistani Muslim men, women, girls and infants during the world’s largest migration from India to Pakistan in 1947.

Sikh Background (a little history)

To better understand the game the U.S. government was playing with me and the Sikh people, a brief history is necessary. The mid-1980s to the mid-1990s was a decade of violent political opposition in Punjab, an area divided between India and Pakistan. The pattern of unlawful and indiscriminate arrests and killings during that time has left a lasting legacy of "catch and kill" police practices in the state. In the early 1980s, the Indian army attacked the Sikh Holy place called the Golden Temple in the Punjab State of India. About 10,000 civilian lives were lost while hundreds of people were detained without charge or trial and thousands of "disappearances" and extrajudicial executions were carried out by the police.

As a result, thousands of Sikhs fled to various countries for asylum. Many of the Sikhs who were living near Pakistan took refuge inside Pakistan, having the advantage of speaking the same language and the area being home to established holy places where Sikhs from all over the world came annually to perform their pilgrimage to the Pakistan side of the Punjab state. Pakistan is like a Vatican for the Sikhs, because the Sikh religion was started there and is the birthplace of their holy guru.

Paramjit Singh Panjwar (PMJ)

Among these Sikhs, PMJ also took refuge after members of his family were arrested and killed by the Indian police. In Pakistan he started producing videos about the attacks and killings of Sikhs by the Indian police, and started printing and distributing literature on the Sikh problems at the hand of the Indian government. He also started broadcasting a daily radio program and running various charities for Sikh families in India and Pakistan whose bread-winning family members had been killed by the Indian government.

I met PMJ during a visit to Pakistan when he was living next to my brother-in-law and I invited him to a wedding. He wrote his phone number down for me on a piece of paper. He also wrote down the number for Baljinder Singh, his friend in New York, because he was a community advocate for the Sikh people who might refer clients to me for immigration purposes. I kept the number, but did not call him.

The FBI had been after Baljinder Singh ever since he delivered a speech in front of the White House at the "Sikh Million March" on Washington in 2000. The FBI had called him for interrogation from 2000 to 2006, but was unable to arrest him. When they interrogated me on February 17, 2006, they told me they needed me to testify in court that the Pakistani government was taking care of terrorists in Pakistan and New York. It was Baljinder Singh, and Gurbax Singh, a close relative of PMJ, that they wanted me to testify against, and since they found his and PMJ’s phone numbers during their search of my office in New York after my arrest in 2001, they deputized their paid Sikh informant, Harjeet Singh, into my unit at MDC in 2006.

Harjeet told me he would be released from federal custody in the next six months and he wished to visit Pakistan for the annual Sikh pilgrimage there. He asked me if I knew some Sikhs in Pakistan who might take care of him during his visit. I replied that I did know Paramjit Singh Panjwar, who was there on asylum and introduced them over the phone.

The FBI then went to Baljinder and Gurbax Singh and convinced them to testify that I had transferred $4000 (two $2,000 transactions allegedly conducted between 1998 and 2002) from them to Pakistan on behalf of PMJ. In exchange for this, they dropped the charges they had against them and promised amnesty from the Indian government (for armed attack on Indian police) and U.S. green cards for them and their families.

PMJ has not been indicted by the U.S. nor convicted by the Indian courts of anything. No effort has been spent for his extradition by U.S. "terror war" ally, Pakistan, though the Pakistani government has, according to AI, handed over 700 Muslim citizens to the U.S. government.

According to my attorneys, no American citizen of the Christian faith nor of the Sikh faith has ever been arrested for providing material support to the KCF, even though the KCF is a Sikh organization that draws its support from members of the Sikh community.

I, on the other hand, a Canadian citizen of Pakistan origin and Muslim faith, on Sept 12, 2007, am the only person in the U.S. to be convicted of terrorism, on fake, fabricated and government purchased testimonies of the Sikh’s religious people, for transferring $4000. I was convicted and sentenced on three counts:

1) Conspiracy to provide material support (14 years)
2) Providing material support to foreign terrorists (10 years)
3) Money laundering to support terrorism (14 years)
Total: 38 years to run concurrently (14 more years in prison).
Jail

The government sent me to FCI Terre Haute Prison in Indiana, a "medium" prison with the exception of one isolated unit, called the "Guantanamo Bay on American Soil,"—Unit D, the "dog unit."

According to the history of this jail, this unit was built in the 1930s for Cuban people, after which it was used for convicted members of the Ku Klux Klan. Then it was used for death row inmates until its "permanent closure." It was re-opened with minor repairs for Muslim inmates because they are worse than death-row inmates—not because of their "crimes" but because of their religious beliefs.

We are denied many privileges according to BOP policy because we are Muslims. Visits must be through glass and phone calls and outgoing mail are routed through Washington D.C. The buildings are old and leaking so it’s cold in the winter, flying insects in the summer and air circulation is poor year round. Lead is seeping out of the walls and many inmates suffer chronic joint pain.

The government is trying to goad us to act violently so they can justify their claim that we are dangerous, but they have failed. According to the jail guards this Muslim unit is the most peaceful they have ever seen in any prison anywhere and they ask to be allowed to work here.

I agree that those guilty of terrorism should be prosecuted, but innocent people should not be targeted. Locking us down in this dirty, old, cold, leaking building and prohibiting us from hugging our children and restricting our calls to them will never bring peace to this country or make this nation safer.

To the American people:

I have been singled out, isolated and discriminated against because of my race and religion. I am being held here in detention against my will for crimes that I never committed. I am not a terrorist and I should not be treated like one.

The AUSA succeeded in getting a verdict against me from the jurors in December, 2006, with the help of the media glamorization of the "war on terror." I have been convicted of guilt by association; of making the FBI angry and vengeful by refusing both to work for them abroad in an undercover capacity and to testify against members of the Sikh religion using their fabricated statements; and of being a Muslim and native of Pakistan.

Isn’t it time that all humans are equal? Isn’t it time that everyone is free to choose his faith? Are human rights protected by law? We hear this, but we would like to see it – especially in this country called the United States of America that claims itself across the world as a champion of human rights.

This article was edited for publication in the hardcopy edition of The IO. The full-length version is posted online at The IO website under the Nov., 2008 update. You can correspond with Awan by writing to:

Khalid Awan, #50959-054, Federal Correctional Inst., PO Box 33, Terre Haute, IN 47808

(With thanks to Anne Wilder Chamberlain for her dedication and persistence in helping to tell Awan’s important story).

http://khalidawancanadian.today.com/ http://www.awankhalid.com/

FDR was our radio president, JFK was our television president and Barack Obama will be our Internet President.

Alphonso from Pinetop, AZ — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:30:31 EST

Quietly at noon yesterday, as the world was fixated on the televised inauguration of Barack Obama, some obscure IT managers flipped a switch (metaphorically) and transferred Change.gov to Whitehouse.gov... While the inauguration spectacle was inspiring and the speech lived up to its promise, Whitehouse.gov is the herald of bigger changes. Government is entering the Internet age and Barack Obama is our first Internet president.

What does that mean?

Each medium has a unique signature (McCluhan would say it’s “message”); a set of characteristics that have a more profound influence on society than the content that flows through it. Television, for example is a capital-intensive broadcast medium requiring a passive viewer. These “pacifying” characteristics are one reason why Al Gore spent time during the Web 2.0 Summit to decry television’s corrosive effect on the democratic process.

Our democracy was constructed well before television (much less the Internet) in an era when the dominant technologies were the printing press and the horse-drawn carriage (Placement of district courts was based on a half-day’s horse and buggy ride to provide each citizen access to court services and the interregnum between presidential transitions took months in order to allow distant presidents to prepare and make the journey to Washington). These technologies invested themselves into every construct of our government.

So how do we re-imagine democracy in the age of networks, where the dominant metaphor is the hyperlink, and the printing press has yielded to the blog; where productivity (open source and crowdsourcing) and decision-making (idea exchanges, prediction markets, online voting etc.) has marked a shift in power from the core to the edge? We are at least a decade away from the answers. Here are a few general principles for democratic government to better serve us in the age of networks.

"Enormous and Frightful" but HOPEFUL

"NERVIE" — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:24:38 EST

BLOG January 23, 2009. Day Three. President Barack Obama is assessing the obvious; the leftovers of the Bush Administration are enormous and frightful. Conversation in the community say that Obama must work around the perceived messianic titles and challenges given by his staunch supporters and Obama will have to dig in deep to fulfill the potential and strength that will be required to receive continuous cooperation and assistance of his immediate staff and all of us who were part of his Support team when he was a candidate. In other words, the campaigning and honeymoon is over but phase three of the battle has just begun.

The world view hopefully will change as he is compared to the 43rd Presidential individuals before him. The symbolic figures of children of color in the White House, though they may be astounding to some, are reflective of the young, invigorating, impactful and change Obama spoke of that enormous energy, new judgment, great courage, deep understanding and concise execution America needs to be “grand” and a model of Democracy again.

The world will be watching what policies and risks Obama commands and will be the measure of his success. The concerns about economic and political choices are still under scrutiny. Yesterday Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State is finally approved. Yes, there were concerns over Bill’s fundraising and world donations as to whether or not they would effect the decisions that she will or will not make. However, I believe Hillary gave an eloquent response to those concerns. Geithner after serious rebuttals is officially Treasury Secretary. We can only hope that Geithner immediately finds another accountant or tax attorney so his “embarrassing moment never occurs again”. But I believe that experience will also allow him some humility when working with the masses over their tax responsibilities.

Obama brings a great deal of excitement locally. Last night our Democratic Alliance for Action met and we all discussed that we also must assist Obama by being vigilant servants where we live. Yes, politics is local right here in Santa Clarita Valley. Strides will be made to do all that we can to be vital entities of the “all red community” we currently reside in by turning it “purple”. Democrats were asked to be more ardent in participation in various 501c3’s locally; contributing our time, finding financial vehicles for the 501c3’s, informing our neighbors that their services, which receive little or no media coverage, as well as supporting them physically. We will also seek through our churches and synagogues to share in the generosity we have been blessed with so that others, whose paths have been rocky, are not excluded as we become more accountable to everyday folks and our families. We will no longer watch; we will be engaged and more active.

Meantime, we hear that it will take a minimum two years for us to feel the positive impact of Obama’s changes even though people will be putting him on a tightrope expecting signs of the smaller issues being solved. Others will be hindering change. Those who never voted for him will be critically combative to every move he makes. Is this behavior new to any of us? No, but as supporters of America’s future, we may have to address those bigots, neoconservatives and ardent naysayers who were complicit and complacent towards Bush’s policies. We all agreed it doesn’t matter what the party affiliation is of these negative folks but that our purpose is to seek a higher spiritual cause knowing the path will not be easy.

Today we learn that Obama is exploring the closing of the Guatanamo facility and efforts towards other accommodations for the “detainees” are being sought. Why did Bush round up people in the first place still amazes me? One day I welcome an opportunity of meeting George W. Bush. I only hope I could find the empathy to understand the chaos he caused Americans.

Hope on a Tightrope by Cornell West is also recommended reading at this time that explores many of these points of view.

Peace Out, Minerva

brazilian contemporary classic music

WHAT IS THE MAN? — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:12:51 EST

It is like a movie (film) soundtrack the new contemporary classic music made in the world by Robson dos Santos brazilian composer.

Please, listen to my music to female voice, flute, oboe, viola, cello and piano, named: PICTURE OF DEATH?!

a. Dead?!
b. Gravitating
c. Valley of the Souls
d. Encounter with the Creator
e. Return

http://www.myspace.com/braziliancontemporaryclassicmusic

Barack Obama has won!

Heather — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:02:06 EST

I am so happy Barack Obama has won the 2008 election! I hope I can meet him. he is amazing.

We Have A New President!!

Ani — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:53:48 EST

Barack Obama transformed himself from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a President putting the nation in our hands, as his partners. I muse today just how I may transform my self from a believer that a new day will come to an informed citizen dedicated in loving service to my neighbors, country and world in this new day that has come.

Barak Obama: Takes oath as US President

Peter from Detroit, MI — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:32:37 EST

At last the historic moment has come. Barack Obama took oath as 44th US President at Washington on January 20, 2009. He is the first Afro-American President of USA.

Barack Obama is a good speaker and he has proved himself to be a good politician through his speeches.

While taking oath, Barack Obama placed his right hand on Abraham Lincoln's Bible on Tuesday and stirringly affirmed: "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will execute the office President of the United States faithfully".

In front of millions of people and former Presidents, Barack Hussein Obama promised to free America from the grip of its profound economic troubles and steer away from wars in two distant lands.

Joe Biden was sworn in the 47th Vice-President. He took his oath of office from Associate Justice John Paul Stevens.
In his first address to the nation as its new leader, Barack Obama said, "Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met".

Speaking to a massive crowd, Barack Obama recalled the words of George Washington, America’s first President, enjoining Americans against faint-heartedness "in this winter of our hardship".

New President

Austin W — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:50:34 EST

Today, I watched the inauguration several times. I was so excited to see that Barack had finally become the President of the United States. I watched the big parade afterwards and even took notes on his speech so I could remember it forever.

We finally have a Democrat for President and we need to do something that will help others in the economy we have today. People are losing jobs, stock values, and most of all money. They need our help so try to raise as much money as you can to donate to our newest President. Today, I sent several more invitations and I want to raise at least $50.

Barack Our 44th President ... Yes !

Vince from Boston, MA — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:12:10 EST

Barack's Inaugural Speech was both sobering and inspirational ....

Its urgent that we participate in offering both solutions and support for our new government.

Its time to dream again .... Big Dreams .... not of what is .... but a bright new future for America and the world.

Carpe Diem !

-Vince ;-}

"This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in."

-Theodore Roosevelt

The Color of Authority

P.G. Rose — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:27:11 EST

American Politics has managed to reach a new low in World History. We have been shamed as a Nation, and diminished as a people before the World under the reckless guidance and administration of the 109th and 110th Congress, and the Bush Administration. We have endured through two questionable elections that went unchallenged which led us into a historic financial World Crisis, and an awakening.

Our Trusted News Media abandoned us, spinning confusion and deception which divided us and pitted neighbor against neighbor, State against State. They eliminated the purity of the White which has ever-bound the Red and the Blue together as one, raising walls between Republican and Democrat neighbors that must now be torn down.

The world couldn’t see that we Americans lived under a shadow of fear and neglect through the Media’s caustic webs. The world couldn’t know that we were under a Domestic Assault by corporate interests, until the world’s populations discovered we were all victims of a government sanctioned unbridled greed.

But the corporate interests that disrupted the world’s Global Economy got too reckless. Wall Street executives and Bankers rushed too quickly to cash in on the people’s suffering, and boldly entered into a Contract with an angry Nation. Then they promised “transparency” and reneged on the agreement only months into the transaction.

When our Federal Government failed us, our State and local Government Officials and Boards of Directors failed to protect us too. They ignored the pleas of the people and the Experts that didn’t agree with their own personal Experts. They demonstrated a consistency of putting their own personal prosperity above their own people’s welfare, our fearless leaders fearlessly hiding behind the Privilege of their elected offices.

Out of the gloom came Barack Obama, who had the audacity to speak of Hope in the face of the growing despair. And the prominent Politicians and the News personalities laughed at him. But the whispers of hope would not be drowned out by the laughter.

We saw the hope in a mother’s eyes, in our First Lady Michelle Obama, the image of strength, intelligence and grace. We witnessed the resurrection of a dream in the eyes of our people, and saw the light of hope cast back the shadow of fear hanging over us.

We were told if we dared to believe in Change, Barack could take us all the way to the White House, and hope flourished into new-found friendships and a new awareness of unity, determination and civic duty. Against all the odds, in the face of this enormous crisis, we won the election and took our Country back. Now President Barack Obama is in Washington, and with him is the good will of the American People.

We have our President and Team Obama but, there is so much work to be done. The last eight years have been traumatic, and cries for Justice against the transgressions by the Rogue Bush Administration and their pals are growing. We need not worry, there is nowhere for them to go.

We told President Obama that we would trust him, and at the first difficult decision he was faced with, in regards to the Bush investigations, he has already been criticized. We all feel the anger, we all feel betrayed but, we have to give the Obama Administration the ability to make those decisions if they are to have a chance to succeed.

We need to stay focused on the Change, on restoring the damage our Country has suffered. Team Obama cannot stand alone against our corrupted Congress. We must use the Call to Service to work swiftly and challenge any obstacles who try to keep us from moving forward.

We need to continue organizing and get to those who have yet to get involved. Our President needs us to stand by him, and behind those Public Servants who are standing with us. All across this Country there are many Public Servants who have been blocked by partisanship who need our help too. We have more friends in Government than it appears.

We can’t lose sight that there are many Americans still suffering at the hands of corporate interests. There are homeless families that need us, and our precious World War II generation has been tragically abandoned. Thousands are barely hanging on to their homes while the Mortgage companies are refusing to help them.

We are involved in two wars, and our Soldiers and their Commanders have been disastrously neglected. Our wounded Soldiers continue to be neglected as well by an antiquated system. It’s long past time to Show them that their Country is behind them.

We Americans have been through times like this before. These are indeed bad times but, we have endured through the misery of the Status Quo until it shattered itself and exposed the big Conspiracy to be nothing more than a self-perceived Ruling Class, and their utter contempt for their own people. Well, they don’t need to love us. They just need to serve us.

We have also seen from the World’s reaction to the election of President Obama, that it wasn’t America that the world hated. Our global friends and neighbors remember who we are and want Americans to succeed. And from the world we have learned that what makes our Country great isn’t uniquely an American thing. It is a shared human quest that lives among all people. A quest that believes there must be a place in the world where hope and dreams and prosperity can be the birthright of all people, and that one day, that birthright can belong to them and exist within their Home Countries.

We now find ourselves in a new age of technologies that is initiating a New World Culture, in which the world’s populations have a shared interaction and a voice. There is a free exchange of ideas and culture that is redefining the established Media bias of distrust between Nations. With the new technologies we are organizing, and we are also re-establishing Journalism in a new tradition, one that can be trusted by the people, a New Age interactive Journalism that can be easily sourced and verified.

The Global Markets have also opened up opportunities that have yet to be explored in developing new Industries and re-establishing the old. The middle executives have been discarded by the top executives into the melting pot. New networks of entrepreneurs from around the world are free to spawn a new era of growth, while the old Icons of Business blunder their way to ruin. And the corporations who take care of their workers will be favored above the rest by consumers.

The Chronicles of History are no longer the providence of conquering powers or Media historians. In this age, the Chronicles of History are the providence of technology, owned by none and belonging to all. It is continually being recorded by the witnesses of our time by the most unprecedented intercommunication in human history. The story of our time is being recorded every minute of every day, amidst the multitudes of posts on Web Forums and Feature sites, in text messages and in personal Blogs. History is being recorded by you.

The Representatives of Government may write their hundreds of books to shape their own Legacies. And the world will respond with their hundreds of millions of unique perspectives for the future Historians to study in retrospect.

P. G. Rose

Bring the Inauguration to Your Community

Jacques Macaire — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 10:28:53 EST

Bring the Inauguration to Your Community You don't have to be in Washington, D.C. to be part of this historic inauguration. There are plenty of ways to get involved in your own community, from joining the January 19th National Day of Service, to hosting your own Neighborhood Ball.

Watch the video and sign up to get involved.

http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUnTTwrxmc

BARACK OBAMA INAUGURATION

WEBMASTER — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:42:16 EST

President-Elect Obama Discusses an Inauguration for All Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, with record crowds expected in the nation's capital for the 56th Presidential Inauguration, President-elect Barack Obama discussed his plans for open and accessible inaugural events designed to allow the participation of Americans across the country.

"Unprecedented numbers of Americans are planning to join us in Washington," said President-elect Obama. "That will mean long lines, a tough time getting around, and most of all, a lot of walking on what could be a very cold winter day. Fortunately, you don't have to brave the crowds and commotion in order to participate in this celebration, because we've made this Inauguration open and accessible to communities across our nation."

President-elect Obama also announced that anyone can text the word "open" to 56333 to receive official Inauguration news updates, transportation notices, and opportunities to participate, both in Washington and in communities across America.

The text of the address, as delivered, is below:

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday, with a simple oath that's marked the renewal of our nation's democracy for more than two centuries; I will take office as the forty-fourth President of the United States.

But this Inauguration isn't about me. It's about all of us. At this defining moment in our history, it serves as our opportunity to come together in common purpose, united in our resolve to renew the promise of this nation and meet the challenges of our time.

Now, you've probably heard the reports that unprecedented numbers of Americans are planning to join us in Washington. That will mean long lines, a tough time getting around, and most of all, a lot of walking on what could be a very cold winter day.

Fortunately, you don't have to brave the crowds and commotion in order to participate in this celebration - because we've made this Inauguration open and accessible to communities across our nation.

Just text the word "open" to 56333 for news, transportation updates, and ways you can participate.

We're kicking off inaugural week events on Sunday afternoon with a free celebration at the Lincoln Memorial that's open to the public. And to allow Americans across the country to join us, HBO will broadcast the event for free that evening.

Monday night, Michelle and Jill Biden are hosting a free Kids' Inaugural concert to honor the children of military families, which the Disney Channel will broadcast live on television and their radio network.

On the evening of the Inauguration, Michelle and I will attend the first-ever Neighborhood Inaugural Ball, and we want you to be right there with us - wherever your neighborhood is.

ABC will broadcast it on television, we'll webcast it on the Internet and post updates from the ballroom, and if you visit pic2009.org, you can even sign up to host your own neighborhood ball at home.

But that's just the beginning when it comes to ways you can get involved. I'm also asking for your active participation.

Next Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And to honor the legacy of a man who lived his life as a servant to others, I will ask all Americans to make a renewed commitment to serving their communities and their country.

Dr. King once said, "Everybody can be great because anybody can serve." You don't have to wear a uniform. You don't have to be a community organizer. You don't even have to run for President. At a time when there is so much need, we are blessed with endless ways to contribute something to the life of this nation.

On Monday, my family and the Biden family will spend time volunteering in neighborhoods around Washington. I am asking you to join us in that same spirit of service to others - no matter where you live.

And we've unveiled a new tool to make it easy.

Just visit USAservice.org to find service projects in your community, or even organize your own around the causes you care about.

Log on and you'll see that thousands of events involving millions of Americans have already been set up across the country next Monday and beyond.

Because I'm not just asking you to take part in one day of service. I am asking you to make a lasting commitment to make better the lives of your fellow Americans - a commitment that must endure beyond one day, or even one presidency.

At this moment of great challenge and great change, I am asking you to play your part; to roll up your sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation. And if you do, then I truly believe a new and better day is within our reach.

Thank you.

Barack Obama

source: http://women.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbBh

Democrats Lose Senate Majority (circa 2010)

Don — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:38:40 EST

(Can I say 'circa' if it's in the future?)

Democrats won't be controlling the Senate after 2010.

They rushed like lemmings to declare they'd never accept Blago's appointee.

A little time and forethought should have enabled them to reason that in order to create the illusion of innocence Blagojevich would be likely to find someone eminently qualified, of stellar reputation and far removed from the (alleged) illegal activities.

That would only be in his own best interests. And if there is one thing we have learned about Blago, it is that his own best interests are his first and last consideration in decision-making.

Senate Democrats have now pitted themselves against the Chicago Democratic Machine. Despite that Dick Durbin has lost touch with reality and thrown in with them, this is a battle Senate Democrats cannot and will not win. In this, there is no winning, only degrees of losing.

Should he be denied, Burris can run against any Illinois Democrat, including Durbin, and win.

As for that silly mausoleum? All politicians are narcissists. He's just 'concrete' about it.

Remember Republican Senator Ted Stevens who actually looked jurors in the eyes and told them he didn't notice people stuffing hundreds of thousands of dollars into his pockets. I dare say Bill Gates would notice if you stuffed a few hundred thousand dollars into his pockets. Ted Stevens,... now THAT'S a big ego!

It is also necessary to remember that this is the same US Senate that gave a seven-time convicted federal felon -- Ted Stevens -- a two-minute standing ovation, and two hours of praise-filled testimonials. And they are claiming to be observing their PRINCIPLES???

Republican and Democratic Senators must think we are stupid, stupid, stupid.

GOP needs America to fail (Democrats helping them)

Don — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:51:49 EST

Imagine what would happen if the immediate and long-term success, and even viability, of the Republican Party depended on Barack Obama failing to pull America back into PROSPERITY. Oh, wait, we don't have to IMAGINE that because it happens to be the current condition.

While refusing to offer any better ideas, Republicans stand in adamant opposition to everything the President-Elect suggests, even without knowing any details. I have to admit, he's been somewhat vague.

History suggests that America's realization of a sense of success by spring of 2012 will mean the GOP will be broadly out of power for one to two generations.

Every month that another 600,000 Americans lose their jobs is the direct result of Republicans acting on what they see is their own best political interests. While one of their many changing SLOGANS last year was "America First", in truth it is plain that they hold the Republican Party's interests above those of America and our people.

Every day that our children continue to suffer from a declining educational system in which mediocrity is celebrated; every day that more taxpayers lose high wage jobs only to go on welfare food stamps and unemployment; every day that more and more Americans are forced to sign up to work at the country's largest employer WalMart whose own accidentally leaked internally study said 43% of their full-time employees are on welfare and food stamps; every day that we lose what little remains of our manufacturing base so that when we next need to really go to war like in WW2 we won't have car factories to swiftly convert to making fighter jets and tanks so we'll have to order them from CHINA which the most likely enemy in a real war; remember that Republicans see that as MERELY another day closer to the time when they regain power over the White House, Senate and House -- which if not for the horrendous disaster they have created over the last eight years might not be so terrifying.

America stopped keeping up with the demands for maintenance of our infrastructure with the Reagan administration. We were told that things like that "the free market" would take care of things like that, but tell that now to New Orleans and their crumbling levees, or Minnesota with their collapsed interstate bridge, or Kentucky with their billion gallons of toxic sludge that spilled out of a mine containment area.

America's best defense against precisely the current financial system collapse, the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933, enacted not coincidentally in the wake of the financial collapse of 1929, was REPEALED on the demands of deregulating Republicans -- with help from Bill Clinton in 1999. That law alone prevented financial institutions from becoming "too big to fail". That is, it kept each of the insurance, banking and real estate conglomerates within their own area. They could still become behemoths, but it's when they get into all three of those industries and start making up new ones that are totally unregulated like 'derivatives' that the failure of one company can bring down the American economy, even the world economic system.

The only thing the President-Elect can do to get us out of this disaster is to go back the way we came in, by resurrecting modern-day Glass-Steagall style regulations and stimulating the middle class segment of the system while taking back the giveaway tax cuts from the wealthiest 1% that over the last eight years gave money to people who already had more money than they knew how to spend. They squirreled it away someplace, or bought yachts built in Greece. Republicans love to claim that tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy leads to the creation of small businesses. In reality, it's Steve Jobs and Bill Gates when they had nothing who created small businesses that became leading world companies. Billionaires DON'T start small businesses, they BUY huge corporations then fire 50,000 or 100,000 employees to increase productivity and thus profits for themselves and large bonuses for the three to five top executives of each company. Oh, and they CUT wages of the few employees they do have to keep on.

That doesn't grow anything but unemployment and declining wages. Less taxpayers and more people surviving on public assistance.

If we don't stand up to these self-serving Republicans very few of us will have jobs in 2012, and they will be at WalMart. There won't be any real taxpayers to support the public assistance people need to get back into good paying jobs.

I'll get to the CRAZY DEMOCRATS on another post. I'll give you a hint that after 2012 Democrats will no longer be in control of the Senate.

Happy to Get My Engraved Invitation to Presidential Inauguration

Devans00 — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:16:32 EST

Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal

Earlier this week, I got a very official looking invitation to the Presidential Inauguration coming up in 11 days (YaY!). It includes a fancy embossed metallic seal on cardstock. You can tell it's the real deal because the back is pressed in.

Back of Embossed Metallic Engraved Seal

I wish I could be there, but no way could I hang in a crowd of an estimated 1 million to 5 million people with only a few port-a-potties sprinkled around. In the snowy cold no less. True, watching the first African American being sworn in person is a once in a lifetime, never to be repeated again event, is worth the hassles to plenty of people, but I'm not one of them. Although some of the goings on look really good and I hope they show the events on TV.

Envelope for Presidential Inauguration Invitation

Embossed Cardstock Presidential Inauguration Invitation

Monday and Tuesday Events related to the Inauguration.

Hazen designed artwork inspired by Barack Obama’s presidential campaign for the Manifest Change competition and exhibit.

Lance Wyman designed art piece inspired by Barack Obama’s campaign.

...the 'German's point of view on Islam' rant...

The Ranting Dream — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:54:03 EST

I’ve also posted this blog entry on my blog: http://www.theparadigmshiftshere.com

...we all need to dig much deeper - in unity, compassion, tolerance, forbearance, understanding, generosity, and respect - to first understand one another and then to realize and accept that we are essentially from the same 'mold' - if we are divided today, it isn't because of anything other than our own ignorance and choosing...

...it's very easy to point fingers and lay blame, but extremely difficult to take ownership...

...I am very tempted to rant on this in my trademark 'tongue-in-cheek' style, but in re-reading Barack Obama's 'Audacity of Hope', I'm beginning to resonate with his wise choice of speaking the language of inclusion, of conversation rather than confrontation...so, here's my humble attempt...

...as The Aga Khan eloquently pointed out in an interview: "...Rather than shouting at each other, we should be learning to listen to each other..."

INAUGURATION DRESS REHEARSAL

WEBMASTER — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:02:58 EST

DRESS REHEARSAL FOR 2009 INAUGURAL CEREMONIES AND INAUGURAL PARADE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the Presidential Inaugural Committee and the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee will hold a dress rehearsal for the 2009 Inaugural Ceremonies on Sun, Jan. 11, 2009. The rehearsal will include run-throughs of the swearing-in ceremony on the West Front, the departure ceremony and Presidential Review of troops on the East Front of the Capitol, and the Inaugural Parade along Pennsylvania Avenue.

Please Be Advised That Media Must RSVP For The Swearing-In and Parade Rehearsals Separately.

DRESS REHEARSAL FOR INAUGURAL CEREMONIES

6:45 AM Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (military participants only)

8:00 AM Committee of Inaugural Ceremonies and Armed Forces Inaugural Committee

9:00 AM East Front Ceremonies

Media wishing to attend the DoD West Front Rehearsal should check in at the South Screening Trailer, located on the South Lawn of the Capitol, off Independence Avenue no later than 6:15 AM.

Media wishing to attend the JCCIC and DoD Combined West Front Rehearsal should check in at the South Screening Trailer, located on the South Lawn of the Capitol, off Independence Avenue at 7:30 AM.

At the conclusion of the West Front rehearsal, those media wishing to cover the East Front rehearsal will be escorted as a group to the East Front media platforms.

Media planning to attend only the East Front rehearsal should arrive at the South Screening Trailer no later than 8:30 AM to be escorted to the East Front.

Following the East Front rehearsal, Howard Gantman, staff director for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies will be available to talk to the media, as will Armed Forces Inaugural Committee Spokespersons with the military stand-ins for the President-elect, Vice President-elect, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden.

DRESS REHEARSAL FOR THE 2009 PARADE

Following the rehearsal for the swearing-in, more than 3,000 people, including stand-ins for the president- and vice president-elect will march in the Inaugural Parade rehearsal. The participants will consist largely of the military personnel who will march in the Inaugural Parade.

PIC and Armed Forces Inaugural Committee spokespeople will be on hand at the parade rehearsal to answer questions.

Media wishing to attend the parade rehearsal should check in at Freedom Plaza at 13th and E Streets NW at 8:15 a.m.

RSVP INFORMATION

Media who plan to attend the swearing-in ceremony rehearsal must RSVP to the appropriate credentialing authority by 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 8:

DOD Media contact AFIC: 202.691.2059

Senate Daily Press Gallery: 202.224.0241.

Senate Periodicals Gallery: periodicals@saa.senate.gov

Senate Radio/TV Gallery: 202.224.6421

Senate Press Photographers Gallery: Press_Photo@saa.senate.gov

Members of the media who plan to attend the Inaugural Parade rehearsal should RSVP by 6 p.m., Thursday, January 8 to:

Adam Elkington at aelkington@pic2009.org, or Timothy Skoczek at tskoczek@pic2009.org

Source: David Apperson, LIFECLOUD.ORG

Have you commited Obamacide?

Jesus Disciple — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:01:00 EST

Watch these videos to find out. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8_QZ6lQOfI
Obamacide Defined

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlex6Qe2xjk
Obamacide Trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNIrFUX5iuY
Obamacide Snippet

3 Moves In 3 Weeks -- Way to Relocate

Don — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:26:33 EST

“A President must be able to do more than one thing at a time,” said then-candidate and now President-Elect Barack Obama, a few months ago when McCain was trying to weasel out of the big debate.

Evidently, President-Elect Obama CAN do far more than one thing at a time. He and his family are MOVING three times in three weeks! This, the weekend of 4 January 2009, he moves from his Chicago home to DC’s Hay-Adams Hotel. On the 15th, they move to Blair House, then on the 20th, they move into the White House. Yes he can! For most of us, the dreaded process of a single relocation is more stressful than death and taxes. But Superman is tripling-down on it.

At the same time, the President-Elect Obama is interviewing and hiring a government, from cabinet members, agency administrators, secretaries and ambassadors. He’s working feverishly on the economic crisis, the transition and inauguration, as well as homeland security and two wars. Throw in taxes, healthcare, unemployment, social security, Medicare and the crisis of the Big 3 automakers, plus Iran, Cuba, Russia, China, the Palestinians and Israel, plus all those special interest groups here at home, such as the disabled, veterans, senior citizens and gays, and you’ve got an enormous inbox.

After those daily national security briefings in which the President-Elect Obama is beginning to learn just how badly Bush has screwed things up for us around the world, it’s a wonder the President-Elect Obama can sleep at night. He needs all the rest he can get.

Enjoy your vacation, sir, you need all the recharging your batteries can get.

Breakthrough

Robert from Buford, GA — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:50:58 EST

Breakthrough

Robert Ferrell

A little over four hundred years ago in a hot cotton field an already drained tired old woman dropped a seed of blood from her dried hard hands into the soiled dirt of mother Earth. No tears, no fears. The blood like the old woman refused to cry and die in the blistering sun. Instead it soaked and steadily rolled deep into its mother never to stop never to wait for death was not a fate.

Somewhere on the same plain under another owners name was another slave, feeling the burn from the crack of the whip being ripped from his back. And if that isn’t enough pain the word nigger replacing his African name by a man of another complexion. No shock here that a tear or two full of hopes and dreams rolled off his hot salty face and drill themselves into the calm sands. As he prays that his children somewhere in this unknown land don’t feel the same affliction.

Not calm for long is this unfertile dirt as the tears and the red seed that moved constantly finally meet in the underneath. Never a fight between mother and father, as they began to composite with one another deep down in their mother. After some time in the dirt’s clutches a root of Will broke through. It seems that through all the infinite numbers of tears. Tears of hope, and fight from above began to find ways to seep through the significantly thick pavement being poured on top layer after layer.

Through all the turmoil above the rapes, beatings, lynching, mutilations, bombings, and assassinations, was a loud thought that echoed deep into the grains causing the root to feed rapidly. In time the root replied to this thought but not by sound. Not by the speeches not by the violence. The root was never judgmental of the two. For they never out weighed each other in their time of struggle. The root heard the calling from the two. The root heard the songs being sung while marching, and felt the pressure from the hoses, and the teeth of the protected German Shepherds break through the skin of the young men and women. The root felt the tremble of the body that fell in the Audubon auditorium for bringing meaning to the phrase “by any means necessary”.

As the root began to feed on these acts and ideals it grew a stem that started to push itself through the cracks of the controversial pavement. The bottom from which the root came softened from the resurrection of the tears of hopes and dreams and the Will carried by the seed.

Yet after overcoming all those obstacles the seed still toils to get through the gravel. The sharp edges of laughter pointed at a young black man who has the audacity to think he can become a senator let alone the idiocy to dream of being a presidential nominee.

The summer of two thousand and eight is just about over and the stem inched its way above the blistering pavement. Now the sun that harassed the seed so long ago finds itself supporting the seeds beliefs. The senators’ peers no longer laugh, but cast a ballot under his name on their behalf.

A little over four hundred years ago a fearless seed was planted and hopes and dreams nourished it. The dreams became a belief and the hopes were raised to a promise. On a cold night in November two thousand and eight something unspoken had taken place. The stem grew a leaf when it was expected to freeze. That young senator now a little older stands center stage on a cold night in Chicago. That little stem flexed its roots and broadened its stance.

All these roots, all the martyrs, and all this pain endured by so many others, hint a grin to one another of the sacrifice put forth along the way. Now today is a breakthrough that is our honor to speak his name by stating first “the forty-fourth president of the United States of America”. A country shouted the word “change!” and now the world speaks his new name. President Barack Hussein Obama, the man who has challenged a planet of many to think about the single leaf growing on a very young tree in need of company.

Barack is a Lifetime Experience , Not Reason or Season

Terry Allen — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:43:37 EST

Reason, Season, or Lifetime What are you??? Are you a Reason a Season or a Lifetime? Pay attention to what you read. After you read this, you will know the reason it was sent to you! People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person. When someone is in your life for a REASON. . . It is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on. Then people come into your life for a SEASON. Because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Obama is lifetime for me.

Barack is a Lifetime Experience , Not Reason or Season

Terry Allen — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:43:37 EST

Now the challenge is getting to work. Where do we go from here?

ObamaMama's Hero — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:49:05 EST

As jubilant as I am, my one fear is that Americans will be content to celebrate this victory, and to wait for change to come to them. But we cannot rest. A cornerstone of this campaign is responsibility for our country. As Barack Obama has routinely stated, government cannot fix our problems for us:

"Because loving your country shouldn't just mean watching fireworks on the 4th of July; loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it. And if you do stand up, I promise you that your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger.

We need your service, right now, in this moment - our moment - in history. I'm not going to tell you what your role should be; that's for you to discover. But I am going to ask you to play your part; ask you to stand up; ask you to put your foot firmly into the current of history. I am asking you to change history's course."

Many Americans have already answered this call. If you actively serve in your community, now is the time to redouble your efforts. Find a friend or family member, and encourage them to do the volunteer with you.

With the Inauguration of Barack Obama, I wanted to play a role in documenting the historic election and Presidenacy of Barack Obama. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to design quality President Obama Inauguration products that will be treasured for generations to come.Obama Inauguration at : www.zazzle.com/obma_inauguration

What Page of The Bible?

Don — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 00:07:57 EST

There are only two reasonable choices.

To evoke the vision of the world economy rising from the ashes of the torched-earth strategy of the Bush-Cheney-Rove administration, BHO should open the Bible to the gospel account of Jesus’ rising from death. Not only will it give us hope, but it will reinforce our knowledge of BHO’s Christianity, helping put aside the invocation guy.

Times are so serious that BHO should keep the Bible closed and put his hand on the whole thing – we’re gonna need ALL of it right now, and it underscores BHO’s whole ‘inclusiveness’ thing.

PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURAL HOODIE

WEBMASTER — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:46:30 EST

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PRESIDENT LINCOLN BIBLE

WEBMASTER — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:05:55 EST

President-Elect Obama to be Sworn in Using the Lincoln Bible
Bible Available for Press Viewing from 11:00 AM to Noon TODAY

Washington, D.C. - On January 20th, President-elect Barack Obama will take the oath of office using the same Bible upon which President Lincoln was sworn in at his first inauguration. The Bible is currently part of the collections of the Library of Congress. Though there is no constitutional requirement for the use of a Bible during the swearing-in, Presidents have traditionally used Bibles for the ceremony, choosing a volume with personal or historical significance. President-elect Obama will be the first President sworn in using the Lincoln Bible since its initial use in 1861.

"President-elect Obama is deeply honored that the Library of Congress has made the Lincoln Bible available for use during his swearing-in," said Presidential Inaugural Committee Executive Director Emmett Beliveau. "The President-elect is committed to holding an Inauguration that celebrates America's unity, and the use of this historic Bible will provide a powerful connection to our common past and common heritage."

The Lincoln Bible will be available for a press viewing between 11:00 AM and Noon today in the Members' Room on the first floor of the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building at 10 First St. S.E. in Washington, D.C.

Video and still cameras are permitted. Media should allow 10-15 minutes to clear security at the First Street entrance to the Jefferson Building. Clark Evans, who heads the Reference Services Section of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division of the Library of Congress, will also be available at that time to answer questions about the Lincoln Bible and the Library. High-resolution photographs of the Bible are also available upon request. RSVP is not required. Please contact the PIC Communications Office with questions.

The Bible was originally purchased by William Thomas Carroll, Clerk of the Supreme Court, for use during Lincoln's swearing-in ceremony on March 4, 1861. The Lincoln family Bible, which is also in the Library of Congress's collection, was unavailable for the ceremony because it was packed away with the First Family's belongings, still en route from Springfield, IL, to their new home at the White House.

The Bible itself is bound in burgundy velvet with a gold-washed white metal rim around the three outside edges of both covers. All its edges are heavily gilded. In the center of the top cover is a shield of gold wash over white metal with the words "Holy Bible" chased into it. The book is 15 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 4.5 cm deep when closed. The 1,280-page Bible was published in 1853 by the Oxford University Press.

Annotated in the back of the volume, along with the Seal of the Supreme Court, is the following: "I, William Thomas Carroll, clerk of the said court do hereby certify that the preceding copy of the Holy Bible is that upon which the Honble. R. B. Taney, Chief Justice of the said Court, administered to His Excellency, Abraham Lincoln, the oath of office as President of the United States ..."

The Lincoln Inaugural Bible will be on display at the Library of Congress February 12th to May 9th, 2009, as part of an exhibition titled "With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition." The exhibit will then travel to five other American cities. The Library is planning several other events and programming in commemoration of the bicentennial of the birth of the nation's 16th president, who was born on February 12th, 1809.

On March 4, 2009, the 147th anniversary of Lincoln's first inauguration, the Library of Congress will also be convening an all-day symposium with several renowned Lincoln scholars. For more information see the Library of Congress Web site at www.loc.gov.

For more information and to view photographs of the Lincoln Bible, please visit www.pic2009.org/bible.

For the latest information on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, please visit www.pic2009.org.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

WEBMASTER — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:00:07 EST

Presidential Inaugural Committee Invites Special Olympics to March in 56th Inaugural Parade
Talent From Across America To March In Parade From Capitol To White House

WASHINGTON - Today, in keeping with its commitment to hold inaugural events that celebrate our common values and reflect the diversity and history of our great nation, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden's Inaugural Committee officially extended an offer to Special Olympics to march in the 56th Inaugural Parade. Special Olympics athletes, volunteers and supporters will join representatives from across the country and our Armed Forces in the historic parade down Pennsylvania Avenue following President-elect Obama's swearing-in ceremony on the steps of the Capitol.

"I am honored to invite these talented groups and individuals to participate in the Inaugural Parade," said President-elect Obama. "These organizations embody the best of our nation's history, diversity and commitment to service. Vice President-elect Biden and I are proud to have them join us in the parade."

Organizations wishing to participate in the parade submitted an application to the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee (AFIC), which then assisted the Presidential Inaugural Committee in reviewing all of the groups' applications. All told, 1,382 organizations applied to participate, setting a new standard for interest in marching in the parade.

Upon hearing its selection, Special Olympics made the Inaugural Parade part of its Global Law Enforcement Torch Run(r) and the parade participants, a team of Special Olympics athletes, law enforcement officials who serve as guardians of the flame, and other supporters will carry the Flame of Hope for all to see.

Since November 24, 2008, the Flame of Hope has traveled more than 30,000 miles around the world stopping on each continent to deliver a message of spirit and hope to communities where people with intellectual disabilities continue to fight for acceptance and a chance to excel without barriers.

After the Inaugural Parade, the Flame of Hope will continue across America until it reaches Boise, Idaho, where it will be used to ignite the cauldron at the Opening Ceremonies for the Special Olympics World Winter Games that will take place from February 7-13, 2009.

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization and global movement dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers year-round training and competition in 30 Olympic-type summer and winter sports to more than 2.8 million individuals with intellectual disabilities worldwide.

All participants in the Inaugural Parade are responsible for paying for their own lodging and transportation to and from Washington, D.C. The Committee has been working closely with area governments and civic organizations to facilitate access to affordable accommodations and would like to encourage citizens from across the country to reach out and help Special Olympics raise the necessary resources to participate in this historic event.

If you are interested in finding out more about supporting the Special Olympics and their participation in the 56th Inaugural Parade, please contact Cary McPartlin at 202.459.7561. Visit specialolympics.org to learn more.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee was assisted in its selection process by a group of experienced military musicians, who utilized their expertise to help assess the presentation skills of marching bands, musical acts and drill teams.

Regularly updated information will be provided to the public and the media on our website, pic2009.org.

To the left, to the left: The Love Affair is over...

Jethro — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:53:29 EST

I was an ardent supporter of Barack Obama - I was chosen as precinct captain during the campaign, donated money, changed minds that were set against him, personally purchased and dispensed bumper stickers, and got out the vote. His pick of Rick Warren for the inauguration is disheartening.

When this is written about in the history books - it will record that the first person of color to be elected American president did not stand up, instead he exulted people, like Rick Warren, who sought to take another group's civil rights - we may not all see it now, but it'll be a blemish on his presidency.

To paraphrase Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

I'm glad we aren't entering another republican term, but I've lost trust in the change I was so hoping for in Barack Obama.

Welcoming the Ministry of Hatred and Scapegoating

Don — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:08:01 EST

There are always those who make their fortunes playing to the fears and insecurities of people frustrated with their own lives who need someone to blame, someone to hate, and it's easy for them to agree on certain groups to focus on.

Obama is moving America toward the point where those people will realize that if they don't have a good job, they have too little money, too much debt, their kids are in and out of jail and/or on drugs, or failing in school, it's not the fault of some group of "OTHERS". Not the gays, the jews, the blacks, or even those pesky illegal aliens, to name just a few.

It's time for a new era of Personal Responsibility in which we all take charge of our own lives while working together for all of us to achieve the American dream while making government do what it can to enable us.

Rick Warren is just an updated version of the same old Ministry Of Hatred represented by Falwell and Robertson (and so many others).

The coming of that new era is a direct threat to Rick Warren, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and all the other leaders of the Ministry of Hate. Just like the Republicans did during the long two year campaign, they will go down kicking and screaming all the way.

HAPPY HANUKKAH

WEBMASTER — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:44:25 EST

bs'd

December 21 - 29, 2008
Happy Chanukah 5769

May the Festival of Lights, known to some as the Festival of Dedication, and most as Hanukkah, bring enlightenment to all people, nations and tongues who are waiting for a better day.

Jewish believer's worldwide will light the first candle on their Hanukkah menorahs tonight, adding candles seven straight nights. This Jewish ritual recalls when, in the second century B.C.E, the Maccabees wrested the Temple in Jerusalem from Greeks who had defiled it.

Although the victors had only one night's worth of oil for the sanctuary's eternal lamp, they lit the flame. The Jewish people believe the Creator of All rewarded their faithfulness with a miracle: The oil lasted eight days, until additional oil was prepared.

See the following links for the historical significance of the 'Hanukkah' holiday season.

Happy Hanukkah, David

INAUGURAL KICK OFF

WEBMASTER — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:04:01 EST

Inaugural Kick Off to be Held on the Steps of the Lincoln Memorial
Inaugural Eve to Feature Concert for America's Children

Washington, D.C. -- The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) will host a welcome event to kick off the 56th Presidential Inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, January 18th.

The PIC also plans to hold a youth concert on the evening of Monday, January 19th, at the Verizon Center in downtown Washington.

Sunday's welcome event and Monday's concert will continue President-elect Obama and Vice President-elect Biden's commitment to hold an Inauguration that is open, accessible and reflects a spirit of unity for Americans of all ages.

The afternoon welcome event, to be held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the west end of the National Mall, will be free and open to the public.

Dedicated to the memory of America's 16th President, the Lincoln Memorial has been the site of many Presidential Inauguration activities in recent years.

President Clinton held a free concert on the grounds in 1993 that included performances by Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and Bob Dylan. In 2001, President-elect Bush kicked off his inaugural festivities at the site with performances by Ricky Martin, Charlotte Church, and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The PIC is also pleased to announce that a concert for America's children will be held the night before the Inauguration, Monday, January 19th.

The concert will be free, but tickets will be required. Further details of the welcome event, concert and other inaugural activities will be made available in the coming weeks.

For the latest information on the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, please visit www.pic2009.org.

Non-partisan Presidential Inaugural hoodies available through LIFE CLOUD.

I think Barack Obama is the best

Matilda — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:47:15 EST

It is about time that we have someone in the big seat with common sense. I truly think that he is the right person for the job. There is no other person out there that can fill his shoes right now with the conditions the way they are here in the US. I'm proud of him and I think he will make all of us proud to be Americans again. Let's face it, it's been a little rough. It's also refreshing to see new blood in Washington. For to long the counties attitude have been, i'll get mine, and i'll get yours too. An attitude of not caring for others. An attitude of the republicans rule and nothing but games being played. Games with the war, games with the economy, and games with the American people. No one have stood up and talked about race like Barack. Like I said before, it's just refreshing. Thanks for being here. We'll talk again... By the way, for you ladies that have Bad Hair Days from time to time, here is something new for you. Visit my website HatWigs

A POLL THAT NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

Sweetwater Station — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:45:10 EST

AOL ran a poll on Dec. 4th asking "Do you think there is any merit to the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's citizenship?"

Apparently the radical rightwingers flooded this poll with votes and manipulated the outcome in their favor. Please go vote and turn this thing around! Thanks!

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/12/05/hot-seat-obamas-birth-certificate/

A POLL THAT NEEDS YOUR VOTE

Sweetwater Station — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:20:27 EST

AOL ran a poll on Dec. 4th asking "Do you think there is any merit to the controversy surrounding Barack Obama's citizenship?"

Apparently the radical rightwingers flooded this poll with votes and manipulated the outcome in their favor. Please go vote and turn this thing around! Thanks!

http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/12/05/hot-seat-obamas-birth-certificate/

Crisis Briefings: Lies Like Iraq War Pretenses: Bushiness

Don — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:18:41 EST

The President who told at least a dozen lies to get us to go to war in Iraq has conjured up more than a dozen lies to set up President Obama for failure? The most miserable failure of an excuse for a President is leaving directions for the next President?

If it weren’t so serious, it would be funny! If your memory is longer than that of 99% of Americans you know that’s not a line I made up, and you may even know who did. Details.

I’m just saying, George Bush should be planning out where he’s going to hide to keep from being arrested and delivered to the Hague for trial in the World Court for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.

We didn’t let Hitler’s assistants off the hook, and neither can we afford to let Bush’s (the New Hitler’s) people go Scot-free.

We all know that all these recent attempts by Bush to rewrite history are mere hopes that America doesn’t do what’s right. If we intend to restore any sense of moral authority or regain any worldwide respect, we must follow our own laws and those international laws we largely wrote and have been demanding everyone else follow for decades until “W” took office.

If we don’t want our soldiers tortured when they in the future are captured, we must deliver to justice George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, their generals and other high officers who ordered torture and passed on those illegal and immoral orders.

America is a chief signatory to the Geneva Conventions. In fact, before 2001, we liked to claim we largely WROTE it. What good is international law if those who claim to have written it are the worst violators?

America has long had laws against torture of prisoners of war. We cannot allow one power-mad egomaniac (or moron, depending on who is providing the facts, and there are plenty on both sides) to cause us to abandon our Constitution, or it won’t be worth anything, ever.

To put it simply, we cannot defeat terrorism by becoming the worst terrorists on earth. Long before we got to that point, any real President would have caught himself and found a better way. Why? Because Bush’s route could be seen even by people as unworldly as me to be a fool’s plot.

It started with Bush’s WAR-PRAYER-MEETING, right after 9/11. That was disturbing to me THEN, because, as a Christian and an American I wondered if Jesus would say that we should “turn the other cheek”.

What? “Turn the other cheek”. I know. I certainly wasn’t in the mood for that. But that’s what Jesus would have us do – according to the Bible. Those so-called religious Republicans have still never mentioned that, and they would castrate me for mentioning it if they could. (They don’t have the balls for it, so they’ll try to get you to do it, just like the Romans, according to the Bible, were forced to murder Jesus. Just reading it objectively and making no assumptions. NO benefit to me which side you take).

Strange, but when you think about the things that really were surprises, you can’t find any that Bush created that much cohesion to in that short a time. Can you? I can’t.

Almost makes you wonder WHEN Rumsfeld, Cheney and Bush KNEW 9/11 was going to happen, doesn’t it? Naaaaaaah. Certainly not. I don’t really know. Do I???

It WAS amazing that five seconds after the first jet crashed into the World Trade Center, Bush’s officials declared they knew it was Osama Bin Laden! Before the first tower collapsed, the Bush administration told us who to blame. I wondered why they didn’t PREVENT it since they obviously knew so much about it in advance.

Worse yet is the fact that for all of 2000, Bush campaigned claiming “America’s military is not ready!” Yet, during all of 2001, he did NOTHING to get our military ready. Why would you TELL our enemies that our military isn’t ready? Then, once in power, why would you fail to GET it ready/ Bush should spend the rest of his days in Guantanamo for that alone.

I always think you can know who caused something to happen by figuring out who BENEFITTED from whatever happened.

But I’ve already gone LONG, so I’ll have to finish the facts later. In the meantime, don’t read into what I’ve typed, anything you imagine I said. You may end up looking foolish by the time I tie it all together.

What To Do About It

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:07:18 EST

Previously, I argued the likely consequences of the collapse of the Detroit automakers. And already my predictions are beginning to bear out in facts. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported, “Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market.” What could we do about preventing it?Rather than pumping cash into them over the long term, what we COULD do is just take over something like 60% of the healthcare burden of only the pre-2007 retirees of the Detroit automakers.What? That would fundamentally lower the per-car cost while requiring them to bear their own burden of current and future labor costs. They will still have to make reasonable pay agreements going forward, but they won’t have to fire tens of thousands of workers who actually are cranking out cars that are of competitive quality. We CAN and should require that they immediately begin moving at an accelerated pace to make their entire fleet of cars meet California’s progressive fuel-economy standards.Why? Because that’s a smaller hit to the national economy than letting those people go on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and disability insurance. It helps keep those people paying taxes based on good wages. If those companies collapse, Medicare and Medicaid WILL be forced to take on 100% of all of those retirees from every decade. The few of us who still have jobs or own businesses will pay for that.Remember, according to THEIR OWN study, 43% of full-time WalMart workers are on food stamps and welfare. 43%. They are the largest employer in America. We cannot afford to doom another class of workers to that, because it’s costing us dearly.I don’t know if “60%” is exactly the right percentage, or if “pre-2007” is exactly the right year, but that can be worked out soon and by more knowledgeable people. What I do believe is that we can find a way to take on a much smaller share of the burden than the 100% we will inherit if those companies go down. What I know is that the rest of us will be better off with those people working and paying taxes alongside the rest of us than not.Rather than stirring up jealousy among people about UAW wages and demanding they take pay cuts, Republican conservatives ought to be working to get the pay other OTHER Americans increased so that more of us will be paying taxes at that higher rate, thus decreasing the burden on each taxpayer.Walmart workers, who continue to work full-time while having to also collect food stamps and welfare, are a major burden to all American Taxpayers. We need more high-wage jobs, not less. All that money spent at Walmart goes on a long trip, making a brief stopover in Bentonville Arkansas before flying directly to China to create more factory jobs – in China. If they have their way, conservative Republicans will have all Americans working seven days a week in 12 hour shifts making 90 cents a month like the Chinese.

How We Save America By Saving American Autoworker Jobs

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:53:57 EST

Previously, I argued why all Americans, of all political persuasions, will suffer from the collapse the Detroit automakers. What can we do about the problem?I am far from being an apologist for the UAW or Detroit. There have to be consequences for this mess. But right now, we face bigger problems than that.American Taxpayers should consider carefully the consequences of letting another huge block of Taxpayers be forced to become dependent on welfare, food stamps and unemployment. It’s a double-whammy heaped upon the rest of us. Not only will they no longer be bearing their fair share by paying taxes and Social Security alongside those of us who still have jobs, but they also will be draining vast amounts of Taxpayer-funded money and other resources. What other resources? It takes more government employees, thus money, to hand out and track all those handouts. Can you guess who gets to pay for that?I am scared to death at the prospect of both taking on the burden of another half-million or so workers who will lose their jobs every month – like last month – but also paying much less in taxes myself due to the fact that I won’t be making nearly as much money once most of my customers are out of work. Come hell or high water, those people need to keep paying federal taxes just like me, and they can only do that if we keep them working.If you look at recently published studies on Appalachia – basically W. Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and northeastern Mississippi – the only place those unemployed people who will be living primarily on government assistance will be spending money is at WalMart* . All that money goes straight to China to create more jobs – in China. (Although it does pass through Bentonville Arkansas on the way.)As a direct consequence, many more jobs will be lost, though probably in northern states among people who tend to vote for Democrats. At least, that must be what Senator Shelby and the other conservative Republicans and southerners who subsidize those Japanese auto-plants down there must be thinking. But there are a lot of Republicans up here too. I voted straight GOP all my life, until November when I had to take an Independent stand. My non-auto-related small business will be killed, as will many others, and lots of individuals. Plus, many of those “plumbers” and others who work for small and large businesses that are not directly linked to Detroit will be financially killed. During the campaign Republicans swore they cared about them more than anything.People like that don’t go out and replace our Lexus or Toyota or other Japanese car or truck with next year’s model no matter where it’s built – even in the south. Moreover, people like that don’t switch parties and start voting with the GOP. People like that, including myself, don’t return to the Republican Party. People like that might not even REMAIN in the GOP. Republicans always campaign about being for plumbers and other workers and small businesses. Once the votes are all counted, the GOP kicks us right in our ‘bleepin’ behinds.From what I have seen, once out of work, those high-dollar hourly workers don’t take lower-paying jobs flipping burgers. Unemployed autoworkers sit at home and live off the Taxpayers, even by resorting to disability payments by making claims, not all of which are legitimate**. Those payments cost money, as do the investigators required to catch some unknown percentage of those making bogus claims. It costs more money to house them in jail, plus they never seem to get caught holding enough money to reimburse the Taxpayers for what they fleeced us out of.The bottom line is that we have to work hard to keep people working – especially those making good wages, thus paying more in taxes than those working at WalMart and McDonalds. We have to CREATE more high-paying jobs like that rather than focus on cutting their pay until they make the 9 cents a month they pay in China. To underline a point I’ve been arguing for quite a while, the Wall Street Journal reported today that “Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market.” *To be fair, the studies show, the Appalachians also spend a great of money on liquor and guns. Those are available at WalMart too, but mostly not made in China. They also tend to spend a lot of time and money in church. These observations are in no way offered as commentary on lifestyles. This is all about where our money goes.**This is a concern based on studies which were not based on large sample groups, so they in no way can be asserted to reflect a majority of the group. Yet, any substantial percentage of this group engaged in this behavior would have a significant effect on an already severely depressed economy. Moreover, autoworkers were only a subset of the skilled workers discussed in the studies in general. No lifestyle judgments are implied.

Keep UAW workers paying taxes, not on welfare

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:17:53 EST

Wall Street Journal: Toyota will delay production at its new $300 million plant in Mississippi, citing a steep decline in the auto market. The company says jobs in the state are "secure."

This is the beginning of proof of what I've been saying all along.

The most important detail not understood by southern voters and conservative Republicans is that they, too, will suffer by causing the collapse of the Detroit auto industry.

It's not only northerners whose non-auto industry jobs will be lost in the fallout. Those millions of former taxpayers on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and those around the country, including even the south, who will be dragged down with them, WILL NOT be buying those Japanese cars and trucks being manufactured in those taxpayer-subsidized southern plants.

People won't have the money, won't be able to obtain credit, and won't have the consumer confidence that enable such major purchases.

So all those high-paid UAW people Republican conservatives want to destroy will be merely the BEGINNING of the calamity.

We cannot afford at this time to have high-wage people lose taxpaying jobs while America’s largest employer, Walmart, according to their own internal report, pays wages so low that 43% of their full-time workers are on welfare and food stamps.

Blagojevich? Emanuel? Is that anything?

Don — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:42:47 EST

Blagojevich? Emanuel? Is that anything?

The FBI tapes may end up proving that Emanuel’s talks with Blagojevich only related that the President-Elect would offer the governor nothing more than “appreciation” for nominating one of then-Senator Obama’s “acceptable” candidates. Unless Emanuel “went rogue”. All stay together, and all hang together -- that's how they play it in the big leagues. Over the weekend, Mr. Emanuel apparently sent out his personal operatives – his ‘emissaries' – to put out his own SPIN on his alleged contacts with governor Rod. That would seem to point out that he’s the “weak link” – the person who screws up, then tries to protect himself at the expense of the team. His refusal to go to work last week was suspicious enough.

Innocent people don’t have to BREAK RANKS with their fellow patriots, shun the office so they don’t have to look into the eyes of their colleagues, or hide from the press, rather than just smile at the cameras and say “the Team will have something to say at the appropriate time”.

In addition to that, I do not understand why – if news reports and his statements are true – Mr. Emanuel would be getting threatened, or by whom. Regardless whether he is honest or dishonest, I don’t understand that at all – it seems illogical. Was he lying when he said that? Was the reporter lying about him having said that? I’d like some information on that.

You may not appreciate my questions, especially regarding the alleged claim of alleged threats, but I am someone who has been paying attention. Also, I have a very long memory, especially of politics.

I was just a kid more or less during the 80’s, but right then I was asking why we were crazy enough to be capitulating to the Japanese automakers. I seemed to be the only one in the 80’s who articulated that it was absurd for American automakers to keep making rounds of layoffs of tens of thousands of American autoworkers and then wonder WHY their sales continued to fall. “Who do they think are buying their cars?”, I asked. “The workers who build the cars are their best customers” I argued, “With their wages, they are the ones best able to afford them.”

More than twenty years ago, I could see that you can’t keep putting tens of thousands of your best customers out of work and then wondering why your sales keep declining. If a mere kid could see that over twenty years ago, why can’t beyond-middle-aged voters understand that now? American voters in general have very short memories.

There’s a reason they used to say “what’s good for GM is good for America!” Those workers made good wages. They paid equally large TAXES. They bought only American cars. They spent money only at American businesses that sold only American-made goods and services. One dollar spent on an American-made car meant eight-teen dollars (give or take a dollar) spent in America, to other Americans who paid TAXES in America. It pumped up the economy and created jobs for many AMERICANS.

Right now, we are at best buying cars made at plants in the south owned by Japanese companies that pay LOW wages, sending ALL the money we spend to Japan. Those low-wage workers spend all their meager income at WalMart. That money goes straight to China, where it creates more jobs – in China. Those workers reportedly make 9 cents a month. Do we want to “catch up” with them?

WORSE, when all those high-paid Detroit autoworkers lose their jobs, they will go right onto welfare, unemployment and food stamps. The rest of us will be paying ALL the taxes to support them.

I am terrified at the prospects of MY income decreasing due to the lack of customers directly and indrirectly linked to the Detroit autoworker economy. I am horrified that I will make LESS money but have to PAY MORE to support the government assistance to those people who should have been able to keep their jobs and PAY TAXES alongside the rest of us.

Rather than CUT the wages of union workers, Republican politicians should be RAISING the wages of the rest of American taxpayers, and NOT putting Americans out of work.

Amazing People of the Community

TSpangler — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 17:01:49 EST

I am ever so humbled by the amazing talents we have in our communities. These talents my be retired, unemployed, in career transition... they may be moms, stay at home dads, they are young, they are over 50, they have a variety of passions and they, WE, are all connected by one single, simple thread... the thread of change.

Southerners Don't See They Will Go Down With Us, Eventually

Don — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 13:59:26 EST

What's the most important detail not understood by southern voters and conservative Republicans?
That they, too, will suffer by causing the collapse of the Detroit auto industry.
It's not only northerners whose non-auto industry jobs will be lost in the fallout. Those millions of former taxpayers on welfare, food stamps and unemployment and those around the country, including even the south, who will be dragged down with them, WILL NOT be buying those Japanese cars and trucks being manufactured in those taxpayer-subsidized southern plants.
People won't have the money, won't be able to obtain credit, and won't have the consumer confidence that enable such major purchases.
So all those high-paid UAW people Republican conservatives want to destroy will be merely the BEGINNING of the calamity.
Moreover, those newly unemployed UAW members will have to head south, where, with their experience and new-found openness to accept lower wages, they will be the first to get hired at those soon to open Japanese plants if and when they do open. Even those openings in the works will be substantially delayed by the ongoing economic crisis.
But when those UAW people get down there and get the chance to vote, they won't forget which party is to blame for what they will be continuing to go through.
They will continue to vote for Democrats. That will increase the trend toward Red states turning into Blue states that start in 2008.
That, along with Republican tactics, will further ensure that the GOP becomes, for two generations, the party of Appalachia, Utah and Texas -- completely insignificant within the current Electoral College system.
Having just left the GOP last month to become an Obamican, or Independent in 8 years, that's a chance I'm willing to take.
Rather than trying to cut the pay of people who tend to vote for Democrats, those Republican politicians ought to be working to increase the pay of the rest of us. That's the only way we will BE ABLE to buy those Japanese cars over the next five years -- including two federal election cycles.

Blackberry Problem Solved -- Seriously

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:03:05 EST

The President-Elect's communications are recorded and published, so he can't chat candidly on his own, but he can still keep in touch.

He has a close friend who is his new personal assistant. He can chat privately with his assistant, who can chat on his own personal Blackberry, which is private. What Obama's friends tell his assistant -- who is their mutual friend -- also is private. Use of such a go-between renders all that back and forth as mere gossiping, which, if not done on the President's phone or computer are entirely private.

The President's personal, in-person talks with friends can no more be public than the particulars of the bedtime stories he reads to his children. If some word of that got around "through the grape vine" through private channels, that's not the Peoples' business. Likewise, if information somehow gets back to him through a friend when that person just happens to be in the presence of the President, that, too, is his personal business.

President Obama can even sign a rule making it illegal for White House staff and also administration officials to profit from revealing what they learned during their work.

Federal Agent Insults All Illinois Citizens

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:33:06 EST

99.9% of Illinoisans are law-abiding citizens. People who work hard and pay taxes should not be labeled corrupt by federal law enforcment officials, as was done in the announcement of the charges against the governor. Since that official has such a low opinion of Illinois and such a disdain for the citizens he should RELOCATE. At the very least, he should apologize and be fired.

Republcan Senator Ted Stevens is a seven-time convicted federal felon. Republican Senator Norm Coleman is a common criminal who merely hasn't been charged yet but has committed the crimes Rod has been charged with conspiring to committ. Are Alaska and Minnesota "corrupt" states? Should all their citizens be tarred because they've sent a few bad apples into elected office?

Admittedly, Alaska nearly re-elected Stevens, so virtually half of them actually ARE corrupt, one could argue.

Madigan's Blagojevich Blunder

Don — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:23:31 EST

Too bad Madigan didn't take a little time to think through her "evil plan" before acting.
She and other legislators could have drafted some legislation to be passed upon the Governor's temporary removal, and reach an agreement with the deputy governor on who would be appointed to the Senate once Rod's out of the way. Those could be acted on by the deputy governor immediately upon taking over, since it's likely that an appeal by Blagojevich would quickly see him back in his office holding things up once again.
If this wasn't just about furthering Madigan's chances of being elected governor, she would have done that and more. But like Rod's actions, Madigan isn't putting Illinois first because she's too busy looking out for herself.
Beyond that, even a layman can see that the Illinois Supreme Court would be as crazy as Blagojevich to jump into this mess this early in the game. It might set a precedent so that in the future any unpopular governor could have his tenure ended by his politic opponents filing a lawsuit, which is all Madigan has done.
He's not physically disabled, and though it appears so there is no scientific evidence that he is psychologically unfit. There is an unprecedented but good argument that under the circumstances he can't function because his most important business is appointing a Senator and the Senate is unlikely to seat his appointee, but she should have gotten affidavits from 51 Senators attesting to that -- 41 if you want to consider a filibuster. Because of the other claims in the complaint, his other actions, especially finance related, might be considered to be furthering a "crime spree". The weakness in the "inability to function" argument is that the fool keeps going to the office, apparently completing at least minor functions of his office.
Bottom line: I want him out of office, but even I can see Madigan didn't take time to plan this out. The court is likely to decline to take up the case. If they do hear it, there is a chance they could find in favor of the governor, which would further add to the perception that Illinois is lax on crooks in office.

Partnering with The World Flag Project:

John — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:53:55 EST

-Understanding Our World- www.theworldflag.org While The World Flag aims to inspire unity in matters of global concern, The Flag and related products make excellent tools for basic lessons in geography, world history, and international studies. Flashcards, apparel, flags and the web site make teaching and learning about each other interactive and fun. The World Flag works with organizations focused on global education efforts and outreach. Let us know if your organization needs assistance.

-Events / Fundraising- Flying The World Flag at events exposes your local population to your groups message alongside the message of world unity. The Flags celebration of all cultures makes it a natural flag to fly for global warming, the environment, world healthcare, and other universal interests. Raise The World Flag at your event and spread the word!

-Fundraise for Global Causes-The World Flag provides a great way to engage a wide array of people. As a vehicle in fundraising it complements a myriad of causes while teaching cooperation and cultural diversity. Whether you are raising funds for medical groups or saving for a relief trip, The World Flag’s message applies. The World Flag Project will work with you on a fundraising kit for the non– profit cause of your choice.

-Carry The Flag with You- The world Flag is an amazing conversation piece and makes a great gift for your favorite classroom, world traveler, international group, student, venue, or business. The Project can customize packages for your event, organization, cause or company upon request. Bring the World Flag into your community!

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

WEBMASTER — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:26:14 EST

The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.

Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.

Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when

individuals and organizations understand that alternative energy technology exists and
when people see the economic benefits of using alternative energy technologies

Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.

Alternative Energy
Source: David Apperson

url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy

How to roll back Bush's last minute law changes

Don — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 16:49:59 EST

While President Obama won’t be able to simply undo every one of the midnight hour presidential signings President Bush is using to change American laws, there is a way to render them meaningless. I would suggest that Obama can simply “amend” Bush’s rules by signing new rulings that create laws or rules contradictory to those made by the previous administration.

Example: Bush says agencies can decide for themselves when to consider endangered species in their decisions on construction and other matters. Obama then states that after an agency makes it’s determination it must then submit that finding to the same body it used to have to go through for the same review process as before.

As for the sale of lands and oil drilling rights, it may be true that the federal government would have to buy back those contracts. However, what Obama could do is sign an order rescinding the sales. That way, the process is quicker and the owners don’t get to negotiate a higher price than what they paid.

Congress would have to legislate to overrule Bush’s changes, and right now Republicans can filibuster in the Senate. Yet, the same is true for Obama’s rule changes. The incoming Congress of Democrats won’t overrule changes that render meaningless the rules made by Bush, and even future Republican Senates can be filibustered by Democrats – in fact, there are some Republicans who don’t want oil companies to rape the land.

Senator Vitter the whoremonger claims moral high ground?

Don — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 14:14:19 EST

David Vitter the Republican Senator who confessed to being a regular patron of a whorehouse, is trying to claim he's on the moral highground by taking a stand against the workers. The Republicans have once again campaigned saying they are for working people, only to turn against workers right after the election. Those autoworkers are American taxpayers and it's far better for the country for them to keep working and paying taxes than to be unemployed and on welfare, food stamps and unemployment. Because they tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats (I wonder why) the Republicans are trying to financially kill them -- but this will take the rest of America down along with them. More petty politics. Republicans didn't learn anything from their losses in 2006 and 2008 elections.

INAUGURAL MEDIA CREDENTIALS

WEBMASTER — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:09:53 EST

This is a reminder that the application process for media credentials for the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, controlled by the Senate media galleries, will end on Monday, December 15, 2008.

Credentialing information for official inaugural events such as the parade, the balls, and other events leading up to and following the swearing-in ceremony that are organized by our committee, the Presidential Inaugural Committee, will be announced later this month.

Below is the advisory released last month by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies that provides information about the process for requesting credentials for the swearing-in ceremony.

For Immediate Release
Thursday, November 14, 2008

Media Credentialing Information:
2009 Presidential Inaugural Ceremonies

WASHINGTON, DC - The application process for media credentials for the 2009 Inaugural Ceremonies has begun, and will run until December 15, 2008.

All requests for media credentials for the inaugural ceremonies will be handled by the Senate media galleries. Media wishing to obtain credentials for the swearing-in ceremonies must apply for credentials through an on-line application process. The cut-off date to apply is December 15. Instructions and the online application are featured on each of the gallery websites.

Senate Radio/TV Gallery

Senate Daily Press Gallery

Senate Periodical Press Gallery

Senate Press Photographers' Gallery

The number of media credentials issued for the swearing-in ceremonies will be limited by space constraints. Completion of an application does not guarantee that credentials will be issued.

Media credentials for other inaugural events (parade, balls, and any other inaugural events) will be handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) once it is formed. The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies expects that the PIC will be up and running by next week, and will post a link to its website as soon as it becomes available.

Republicans Play Politics While America Burns!

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:52:51 EST

Or was that "Nero fiddles while Rome burns"? Well, whatever.

So much for "Joe, the Guy Who Works for a Living".

As has been the case all my life, as soon as the election is over the Republican party screws the people it promised to work for during the campaign. That's been no surprise to me for a long time now.

What still confounds me is that there are still tens of millions of people possessing the right to vote in American presidential elections who don't have enough working brain cells to understand that. They fall for it every time.

Fortunately, this time there are enough of us -- people who think for ourselves, rather than rely on Fox Noise to tell us what to believe -- that we overruled the zombies.

Even now, the party in power when the government spent $13 trillion more than it took in now claims that the Detroit automakers don't know how to manage money.

Highest unemployment rate since 1982 -- when Ron Reagan was president!

Even as America is showing them out the door, Republican politicians are nutty enough to be 'warning' the President-Elect about what he should and should not do with respect to the economy.

As they lick their wounds after spending $13 trillion dollars more than they took in, they now are stammering on about being for fiscal responsibility.
It would be funny, if it weren't so serious.

McCain says Bush, Rumsfeld committed war crimes

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:10:46 EST

Senators John McCain and Carl Levin -- after the election -- published a finding cited in a Washington Post article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/11/AR2008121101969.html?hpid=topnews

They stated unequivocably that the orders to tortune prisoners of war were issued from the top of the Bush administration, beginning with an order Bush signed in February 2002.

Next year, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and their chief assistants should be arrested and turned over to the World Court at The Hague, where they should stand trial for crimes against humanity and violations of the Geneva Convention.

Their actions have made it a certainty that American soldiers captured in future conflicts by enemies WILL be tortured. Unless decisive action is taken by the appropriate authorities, the world will ignore our cries of outrage.

Americans cannot afford failing to repudiate the lawlessness of the Bush administration, which according to Republican Senator John McCain, has "strengthened the hand of our enemies".

As I have always said, we cannot succeed in our fight against terrorism by BECOMING terrorists. George Bush's conduct goes directly against everything Americans stand for -- at least "Real Americans".

By issuing those illegal orders to our soldiers, while writing decrees declaring those orders to be legal, Bush has made himself a criminal of unprecedented notoriety around the world. Only by delivering him to justice in an unprecedented manner can America restore claims of being a land where justice prevails.

The minds of American children have been damaged by the impact of Bush's immorality. How can we teach them that America is ruled by the Constitution and that we abide by the international treaties we sign, while tolerating Bush's blatant violations of the Constitution and the Geneva Convention, of which we are a signatory?

Lastly, every officer who obeyed and passed on those illegal and immoral orders must be court-martialed, as required by the United States Code of Military Justice. We didn't excuse the conduct of Nazi officers who claimed they were "just following orders", and neither can we afford to do so with our own.

Mr. Bush's two terms have been sad days for America. He has destroyed our economy. Let us not allow him to destroy our Constitution, our Justice System, and our military as well.

Even Richard Milhouse Nixon didn't believe he was THIS far above the law.

Blagojevich's state of mind

Don — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:02:25 EST

The President--Elect could open his remarks today by saying, "Look,... how was I supposed to know Blagojevich was crazy? And by "crazy" I don't mean mentally ill. I mean CRAZY. Only a crazy man would do what he is alleged to have done."

Then promise to have more to say about the matter tomorrow and leave the room.

Barack Obama has nothing to explain. The governor called him a "motherf@#$er" who "won't give (the govenor) anything but (his) f@#$ing appreciation", then said "f@#$ (him)".

Before Obama enters the room his aides should pass out a copy of that part of the criminal complaint to put his remarks in perspective.

He has absolutely nothing to explain. The guy who apparently did something said on FBI tape that Obama didn't do anything. Until something different happens, he doesn't need to do anything but remind everyone of that fact.

Just like in the last months of the campaign whe Obama kept saying, "McCain said that 'if we keep talking about the economy, we'll lose',... that's why I keep talking about the economy."

3 things he COULD have said about Blagojevich

Don — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:02:49 EST

Why didn't Barack Obama just say something less 'conventional' when asked about the arrested governor?
I wish he had said: "I want to thank the governor for his kind words... not the ones where he called me an unspeakable name, but the ones where he said I didn't participate in his schemes"
Or: "No one has ever been so happy to have been insulted than I am after hearing the governor's words."
Or: "I've never been so glad to NOT know about something."
When they play the soundbites that's funnier and more dismissive of the entire matter. After reading the quotes in the actual complaint -- yes, I read the entire complaint -- that's really all the President-elect needed to do. There was nothing left for him to confirm or deny.

The Fox Noise political operatives who tell the fascists who have hijacked the Republican party what to believe would not be able to so easily twist any of those quotes the way they have what he actually said. For people who don't think for themselves -- the Faux News watching zombies -- it's not what Obama says, but what the political operatives CLAIM he said that counts. He has to think about their likely talking points before making sound bites.

On the other hand, if he'd followed all my advice, he never would have gotten elected. For example, after those remarks by Rev. Wrong (Wright) I thought it was over. After the election, for the first time I viewed Obama's speech on race, on youtube, because I had to see what on earth he possibly could have said to get himself out of a jam like that. Turns out the truth was all it took.

THE CRISIS IN DETROIT

Don — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:50:00 EST

No car czar named by the same man who appointed those who drove our economy into the New Great Depression. When the first Great Depression occurred, America was not in two wars and was not buried beneath $13 trillion dollars in debt (counting the trillion Bush gave to Wall Street). A "Bush-named car czar is a non-starter".

Those who have run the big car companies into the ground deserve to face consequences -- so, too, do those who ran Wall Street into the ground, including the Bush administration and the Republican party deregulators. Bush and those who helped him rape the American economy are not the ones who should decide what those consequences are -- they are only trying to take the spotlight off their own failures and Mr. Obama needs to do what he did during the campaign -- point out their smokescreen.

The big banks we gave all that money to should be strongly asked by President-Elect Barack Obama to go in and try hard to work out a deal to loan the automakers the money they need, at least for three months until Obama is inaugurated and has time to find a long term solution. Obama should suggest that those bankers "will be sorry" if they don't try very hard to work out reasonable terms. Maybe the free market can ease the transition, especially after we gave Goldman Sachs $10 billion and they turned around and passed out $6.5 billion in "bonuses". Bonuses for what? Going bankrupt. After we gave Citigroup $50 billion then they turned around and fired 75,000 workers right before Christmas.

Mr. Obama should publicly excoriate the Republican senators for playing politics with America's future by refusing to bail out the autoworkers for purely political reasons. Republicans campaigned on the false claim that they were all about helping "Joe the Plumber", but now they are working hard to financially ruin "Joe the autoworker because: 1. they are union workers who tend to vote for Democrats (and now we see why), and 2. southern Republicans believe that if Detroit goes out of business Japanese automakers will build more plants down south.

Republicans are again betraying ALL Americans who work for a living, right after rushing to pump nearly $1 trillion directly into the pockets of the wealthiest 1%. They forced us into giving $12 trillion in tax cuts to the wealthiest 1% before that. Now they are killing "Joe the guy who MANUFACTURES things, which America does far too little of already.

Further, it would take the better part of a decade before any cars come out of any new southern auto plants. The Japanese will take two years to THINK before deciding to build more plants here or anywhere in this economy (or any economy, that's how they operate). They will take another two years milking tax abatements and other subsidies from American taxpayers by letting southern states "compete" for the plants, one plant at a time. It takes two to three years to BUILD a plant once that's all agreed to. As much as a year to dry run things, making sure the process works by building test cars before pumping out any cars for sale to the public. That's seven to eight years of absolute misery for all Americans while the southern Republicans get their non-union workers.

Mr. Obama should lobby hard for legislation prohibiting ANY tax abatements or other subsidies by any state or local governments for businesses. Why? Those subsidies directly hurt taxpayers and the overall economy by: 1. Paying corporations to move from one town to another, which is of no benefit to the overall economy. If they want to relocate, they should do it with their own money, then they will only do it if it makes sense to their operations. Taxpayers should not be forking out money to shift existing jobs from one American town to another American town. 2. Foreign comanies who decide to build plants in America should not be subsidized. They want to manufacture their products here because it is of financial benefit to them -- they avoid currency exchange costs. Why PAY them for doing something they already NEED to do? Giving them taxpayer money to entice them to build plants in one American town rather than another is of no benefit to the overall American economy, and it directly takes money out of the pockets of American taxpayers who must make up for the losses in government tax revenue. Don't pay foreign companies to do what's already in their best interests -- let them pay their own way.

Tax abatements to corporations are un-American and they harm local, state and national economies. Rather than subsidize individual companies, LOWER taxes for ALL taxpayers, or keep rates where they are -- isn't lowering taxes what those Republicans claim to be for?