Organizing for America | Posts with the tag politics

By Nick - Dec 1st, 2009 at 9:47 pm EST

Hello everyone who plans on reading this blog post. I am Nicholas Ahern and I live in southern Rhode Island. I am only 15 years old and I am currently a straight A, sophmore student. I decided that I will join this great family of Obama volunteers and supporters because I wish to go to school to be a politician. This is merely my initial "hello" speech to everyone and I just wanted to say that I will be regularly maintaining a blog on my opinions on the government, the presidents actions, my experiences with volunteer work, etc. And once again, hello to everyone!

Sincerly,

Nick

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Info 101: Political parties

By Pat from Pittsburgh, PA - Nov 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 pm EST

Most of the American political debate centers on the two major parties – Democrats and Republicans. It’s easy to think that we should eliminate political parties altogether, but it would never work. Aristotle noted that humans are political animals and will always form associations based on common beliefs and experiences. Or more succinctly, we spend our time with people who see life the same way that we do. Contrary to common belief, the US Constitution does not require a two-party system, or any parties at all. They’re not even mentioned.

A brief description of the most common political parties in the US.

CONTINUE . . . .http://www.examiner.com/x-14931-Pittsburgh-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009m11d22-Info-101--Political-parties

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Random thoughts, volume two

By Pat from Pittsburgh, PA - Nov 18th, 2009 at 5:04 pm EST

Some things I think I think.

http://www.examiner.com/x-14931-Pittsburgh-Public-Policy-Examiner~y2009m11d18-Random-thoughts-volume-two

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Assault on women's reproductive rights continues with a vengeance

By Connie from Gainesville, FL - Nov 9th, 2009 at 5:25 pm EST

Also listed in: Florida Women for Obama - Campaign for Change | Gators for Obama

The assault on women's reproductive rights continues with a vengeance. As Congress struggled to pass health care reform to improve the lives of America's families, anti-choice forces took advantage of the situation to mount yet another assault on abortion. They were willing to sacrifice health care reform -- even though millions of people would now be able to receive coverage, even though the bill would finally begin to lower health care costs, even though lives would be saved -- to enact anti-abortion provisions to take away reproductive rights from millions of women.

The effect of the Stupak/Pitts Amendment would be to deny the millions of women who get covered through the exchanges access to comprehensive reproductive health care that includes abortion services. These women would be denied coverage available today in private health plans. The Amendment effectively bans private insurance companies that participate in insurance exchanges from providing coverage of abortion. It tries to camouflage the impact by providing an "abortion rider" that women could choose to pay extra for to cover costs if they have an abortion.

How gullible do they think we are? Women don't expect to have an unintended pregnancy or a dangerous pregnancy that jeopardizes their health. And few if any insurance plans would actually choose to provide such a rider. Five states now have provisions to provide abortion riders. But folks have been trying to find a plan that actually provides one -- and they're still looking.

Make no mistake about it: the Stupak Amendment will deny millions of women access to safe, affordable reproductive health care. It puts an expensive price tag on women's ability to act on their reproductive rights. This outrageous provision must be stricken from the legislation before health care reform becomes law.

In 2008 the country elected a pro-choice Congress and a pro-choice President. The President has repeatedly told the country that health care reform would not take away benefits from those who currently have insurance. Now it's up to the President and the Congress to make certain that women do not lose their benefits or rights as a result of health care reform. There's no point in passing a health care reform bill that makes women less healthy, less safe and less able to exercise their constitutional rights

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WiseGuyEddie On Joining Organizing for America

By WiseGuyEddie - Oct 15th, 2009 at 1:30 pm EDT

Also listed in: Atheist, Agnostic, and Non-Religious for Barack Obama

I have always viewed politics and politicians with a skeptical eye. Do not misunderstand, I have always been interested in the American political process but had never been so interested that participation in the process encouraged anything more in me than voting. I remain instinctively skeptical of anyone who spends tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars to get elected for a job paying a salary in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. There is something wrong with that math indeed. I suppose I can equate my skepticism to my feelings toward something like…multi-level marketing where someone may spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and is guaranteed to earn absolutely nothing except: sequestered family members and friends in hiding to avoid hearing yet another sales pitch about a fantastic “business opportunity”...

Finish this Blog Post at http://wiseguyeddie.blogspot.com/

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The defining of RC Syndrome as a condition of clergy abuse. When Syndrome becomes Culture

By JohnB - Oct 11th, 2009 at 10:22 pm EDT

RC Syndrome

Religious Compartmentalization Syndrome

"When Syndrome becomes Culture"

A THEORY PROPOSED BY SURVIVORS & RESEARCHERS
OF THE
GLOBAL CLERGY ABUSE CRISIS (GCAC)

OCTOBER, 2009

A call for supporting research, documentation, anecdotal, statistical or other evidence; contributing and collaborative authors.

[INITIAL DRAFT STAGE]

The notion is simple. We as human beings are able under a wide range of circumstances to compartmentalise aspects of our current or past experiences. This compartmentalisation process is carried out at any time the sufferer encounters a need or has become so conditioned that the syndrome is automated (ref: Pavlov) as they are simply at a point in an endless loop or cycle of the syndrome.

When a child is raised in an environment such as (USA, ref: Clergy abuse disclosures, legal precedents, depositions, findings & deterrents, Native American Indian populations experiencing large scale fraud and deception through to murder and theft of lands. Ireland. ref: Clergy abuse widespread through the population. Italy ref: Clergy abuse potential in the vast majority of the population. Canada ref: Genocide. School systems. Alaska ref: Innuit and Native American Indian populations.Breakdown of social order and structures creating widespread social disorder, drug and alcohol problems, breakdown of family and traditional support structures. Common to almost all Indigenous populations affected.) there is an innate requirement to survive.

Children who enter such schools or systems are most likely to come from a religious home where the process would have already been well set in place (the child is entirely compliant and will often have developed the ability to compartmentalise as their environment dictates [reason why a number of individuals in a class where a number of children have been identified as victims of a wide range of abuses - this segment often has no recall of these events or no recall of others experiencing abuse. On the contrary many see this period of their lives as 'blissful' and wonderful and they extol the virtues of those found to have committed abuses. This segment holds the greatest number of sufferers of the RC Syndrome.). This briefly describes the environment and initial development of what we encounter in a full blown stage of the syndrome where we find compartmentalisation to an extent beyond the bounds of rational thought processes which at times can place the individual in a mental situation where they are unable to process their own memories and recollections correctly.

Well documented examples of this are abundant and can be readily found in the depositions of bishops, priests, nuns, rabbis, Imams as well as in educationalists, administrators and office holders both within and without the organisational or management structure of institutions which has been comprehensively affected by the syndrome.

An understanding of the above and a review of the spread and the extent of the influence throughout society that this syndrome can reach immediately begins to answer and resolve an immense proportion of the difficulties reporting abuse victims encounter in their interactions with survivor groups, authorities, health and other support mechanisms.

The results and outcomes can be seen in all areas of life. ....

Statistics
When attempting to measure the degree of the syndrome we encounter a well developed set of regulations and systems which simply do not permit us to see the real figures. While we are entirely reliant on the Catholic church (a body identified as being in a full blown, cyclic state of RC syndrome) for figures as the gathering and processing of this type of data has been stifled and obfuscated throughout legal and governmental structures over many generations and subsequently little is really know of the relationship to crime of the various sectors classified under a heading such as that found in a census form under the title "Religion".

Profiling and identifying potential criminal activity in a RC syndrome sufferer
Profiling of community, policing, military, management and political candidates cannot be undertaken by the general population due to the lack of factual data and the inclusion into te equation of the educational experience of those experiencing the syndrome. Other aspect requiring inclusion are found when a child have without knowledge or consent been introduced into such an environment by parents who are usually at a mature stage of the syndrome in that they have achieved full cycle status.

The cycle is clearly described in the following text. The steps are broadly defined as:

Problem identification
Resolution to act
Identify outcome goal
Required actions
Actions taken
Outcome achieved
Celebration

Applied to circumstance of reference text
Problem identification       Sexually abusive priests
Resolution to act              Bring into play the full force of available resources to counter the problem
Identify outcome goal      Someone must suffer for these crimes
Required actions             Approved activities
Actions taken                  Co-ordination of actions, spread of activity to others affected
Outcome achieved         Suffering achieved
Celebration                     Cup of tea and a meal, other religious celebrations
Re-shock and re-compartmentalisation when situation is re-encountered due to the syndromes effect which caused the sufferer to conclude that the problem had been solved - return to step one for repeat of the cycle.

When applied in the general population in daily experiences this process answers the questions as to why victims self describe as being 'the crack in society which we repeatedly fall through' as well as the much lamented 'Why must we be filtered through every religious mind in the process and only after each has given their full approval will our case or documentation move further up the line only to encounter the same process once again at the next step on its fruitless and futile journey towards inevitable failure.'. Victims consistently report this encounter throughout the full extent of their healing journey and identify this as the main stumbling block in the progress of their claims, encounters with authorities, health and community providers through to victim and survivor networks (although they are quick to point out that there are those among this segment who have countered many of these issues through the benefit of their level of experience).

Areas victims highlight where they are most likely to encounter the syndrome is in policing and health areas (unfortunately these are the major areas governments provide support for victims through). Some available figures show that these areas have a recidivism rate as high as 60% in policing with an almost 95% in specialist areas of health. Psychiatry practitioners are identified by victims as having a figure above the 95% generally ascribed to health professionals. Better research in this area is urgently needed to identify the true extent of the problem identified here. Victims indicate that the number encountered in the political arena is less than the 95% although it is strongly confined to camps, factions or individuals within in party and is most often found in women; particularly those who have been marginalised, silenced or bullied.

Reported experiences strongly indicate that when a victim encounters multiple sufferers of the syndrome in one or more of the above then a 98-99% failure rate is expected. This is when syndrome becomes culture.

One of the most difficult to overcome aspects is the difficulty survivors encounter when describing their abuse as their basic instinctive response is to kill their adversary or to see them suffer an equivalent degree of harm and pain as that experienced by the victim of a sufferer of the Syndrome. Maintaining a socially acceptable behavior is extremely difficult as basic primitive instinctive notions of justice (ref: research Chimpanzee and other primates re justice and reward) are breached. The victim has little recourse but to express their anger and frustration at not being able to get at their attacker or abuser to mete out their instinctive response. This hurdle can be overcome via a variety of means including suitable psychology, (possibly brain plasticity as a result of recent research in psychiatry), low dosage medications in combination with psychology when required. Medications should be aimed at stabilising adrenalin (ref: primitive instinctive notions of justice) runaway when victims encounter self triggering as well as external triggering events. Often an understanding of these circumstance and how they affect each individual personally is sufficient for them to understand their perceived need to escalate when they perceive that someone or something is standing between them and those they identify as the perpetrator of their experience or those who impede their progress to overcome the results of the lifelong deceptions they have overcome previously and have an expectation that they are encountering or about to encounter obfuscation, delaying tactics, compartmentalisation by affected individuals of RC Syndrome.

Those well advanced through their journey or process describe the need to re-introduce basic parental instincts which have been repressed through the experience of both victim and sufferer of RCS as well as what we currently refer to as basic human rights. Once the focus of the victim is on their genetic heritage as found through their biological connection to their off-spring and they find others working towards a common goal of implementing a solution the need to take up an individual battle can be resolved and better directed towards the implementation of a social solution which is the next evolutionary step in the recovery process.

The example text

Source: http://www.thebostonpilot.com/articleprint.asp?id=10937

Laypeople invited to fast for priests Oct. 24

By Jim Lockwood
Posted: 10/9/2009

ATTLEBORO -- Anna Rae-Kelly saw the Catholic priesthood becoming embattled as a result of the clergy abuse scandal that rocked the Church beginning in 2001.

Suffering from a decline in prestige and reputation among the general public, the priesthood frequently became the butt of jokes and the center of calls for change in longstanding traditions and practices including celibacy and an unmarried clergy.

That is why Rae-Kelly felt a call to action.

“If they are under attack, we don’t receive the Eucharist and the sacrament of reconciliation,” Rae-Kelly said. “After the abuse scandal, they were weakened and we were weakened as a result.”

She organized what has since come to be an international phenomenon called the Lay Fast for Priests.

“For some time, I had felt called to pray for the priests in America and all over the world,” Rae-Kelly said.

This year, the Lay Fast for Priests will be held on Oct. 24. The fast is to be observed until 3 p.m. that day, the hour when Christ died on the cross. Participants refrain not only from food but from anything else that is “significant” to them. For example, Rae-Kelly has known of people fasting from talking, television, or other aspects of everyday life.

At 3 p.m., the fast is broken with prayer. Past fasters have prayed in their own homes or held services in their parishes.

Some people who have expressed interest in fasting have told her they will pray a Divine Mercy Office in honor of priests. At the National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette in Attleboro, there will be a 3 p.m. closing service that will include the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, an international rosary in five languages representing the different continents in the world, and benediction.

“Then we go home and have something to eat,” she said.

International unity, for Rae-Kelly, illustrates the fast’s impact.

“All the people of God -- the Body of Christ -- are all fasting at the same time and praying for the same intention,” Rae-Kelly said. “That’s what gives it such power.”

When Rae-Kelly introduced this concept four years ago, she encountered her share of cynics who said it would not work; nonetheless the idea gained credence.

After obtaining permission from Bishop George Coleman, bishop of her home diocese of Fall River, she announced the fast at the La Salette shrine.

“I did a two-minute talk,” she recalled. “201 people signed up.”

At the closing service that year, she remembers a man arriving in his bare feet. The man had walked the nearly 8-mile trek from Pawtucket, R.I. as a sacrifice for priests.

“It was just moving and inspiring,” Rae-Kelly said.

Since that time, people have taken Rae-Kelly’s idea and brought it to their own parishes. It has won the blessing and approval of many, including Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley.

It has also gone global.

Last year, Rae-Kelly said, a lady arrived at the shrine dressed in traditional Korean clothing and is now organizing a fast in her native land. Last week, Rae-Kelly received an email from a woman in South Africa who translated the sign-up sheets into Zulu to bring the fast to her village.

Over the coming weeks, laity will be speaking at their parishes to promote the fast and enroll the parishioners. However, Rae-Kelly said, Catholics should not expect to hear about this from their parish priests.

“It shouldn’t be a priest who promotes the fast,” Rae-Kelly said. “This is our gift to them. If they promote the fast it’s like me asking a friend to take me out to dinner.”

For more information on the Lay Fast for Priests, visit Rae-Kelly’s website, www.annaprae.com

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Politics and marketing

By Rdelarosa - Sep 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm EDT

I read an interesting question and answer earlier today from a relatively famous graphic designer and wanted to post it here.

Stefan Sagmeister's website has a pretty unique interface and has posted several questions that were sent to him from students. Here's the one I found intriguing:

Q:Do you think you could defeat a politic campaign trough a design campaign? Can a design campaign decide an election? Is a politic campaign a design campaign?

A: No I actually think not. Now I know that Saatchi always claimed he put Margret Thatcher into office and he is full of shit. We have the annoying habit to constantly overestimate our power.

Design and advertising has a huge impact where the consumer cannot possible see a difference between products or services (say: Vodka) but is surprisingly less powerful when the average person does see that difference (say: cars or politics).

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Have we become so partisan that the President of The United States can't tell kids to stay in school

By GLC3 - Sep 5th, 2009 at 11:18 am EDT

Also listed in: New Jersey for Barack Obama | Union County for Obama, NJ for Obama

Have we become so partisan that the President of the United States can't address students about staying in school?
By George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

Hi my name is George L. Cook III the owner of www.letstalkhonestly.com. I felt the need to chime in on this whole made up controversy about President Obama addressing the nations students on September 8.

First in the interest of full disclosure I must let you know that I personally support Barack Obama on this and my daughter will be in school to see the speech. I hope others read up and not "listen up" before making any decisions on sending their child to school on Sept 8.

To gain some perspective we all must first know that in 1988 Ronald Reagan did the same thing as did President Bush 9 ( 41 ) in 1991. They both delivered a message of staying in school and doing your best much like President Obama will. There is nothing wrong with that message no matter what your political perspective

President Reagan even managed to slip in some information about tax cuts to the nations students who can't even vote.

While there were some grumblings from the left there was nothing like what is going on now. Have we become so partisan that the President of the United States can't address students about staying in school?

Now President Obama will be giving a 15-20 minute speech to school students on Sept 8. The speech is abut setting goals and doing well in school. For some that is a problem. They are claiming that the lesson plans which have been revised are the issue.

These SUGGESTED lesson plans for teachers and students were provided for lessons after the speech. Now many on the right are rising up and saying that this is some type of indoctrination or brainwashing of America's students. Some are saying that this is an introduction to President Obama's "Socialist Agenda". Some talking heads are even suggesting that parents keep their kids at home on Sept. 8.

While that is a parents choice I believe it should be made on actual information devoid of political idealogy and not the far rights hatred of President Obama or liberals. Don't late talk radio make this decision for you. Use the links below to read the actual lesson plans and then decide whether or not you want to send your kids to school on Sept 8.

George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

Lesson Plan Pre-k to 6th grade

Lesson Plan 7-12 grade

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On Missing Senator Kennedy

By kanna - Aug 28th, 2009 at 9:49 am EDT

As time goes on in the various coverages, I find or hear more interesting takes and stories about the Senator.

One of the folks who lined the route to the Library said something about her father telling her they would be safe as long as Sen. Kennedy was around.

I think many of us felt that for quite a while now.

His death is a great loss to the country; especially to those who have the least.

His political excellence will be greatly missed for so many reasons.

http://kannasthoughts.blogspot.com/

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Americans will Respond...JUST WAITING

By Citizens for Change in America! - Aug 17th, 2009 at 3:59 pm EDT

Also listed in: Missouri Action Team | Washington, DC Action Team

America is waiting...
only a few have the COURAGE to stand for the AMERICAN citizen!
Citizens will respond...
many will be replaced as Americans see what politicians they elected
DID NOT do to help the citizen they were supposed to represent...

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Tell the Gang of 6: Give back your dirty insurance money

By MaryPickford - Jul 30th, 2009 at 6:58 am EDT

Tell the Gang of 6: Give back your dirty insurance money

Have you heard about the six senators who are out to kill health care reform? Of course, that's not how they'd phrase it. Sens. Baucus, Bingaman, Conrad, Enzi, Grassley and Snowe say they're striving for "bi-partisan compromise." But what they're actually doing is working to make sure reform won't include a public option or mandatory employer-based insurance - two key policies needed for effective reform.

There are 100 members of the Senate, but these six, inexplicably, seem to be holding all the cards when it comes to health care. So you probably won't be surprised to learn that all six have taken a huge amount of money from the health insurance industry and pharma - more than $3 million between them.

These six senators -- who, by the way, represent only 2.74% of Americans between them -- are writing bad policy, and they're doing it while they take money from the very companies who stand to benefit the most.

I just signed a petition to tell the "Gang of 6" to give back every dime of their dirty insurance money. I hope you will, too. Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/gang_of_6/?r_by=5220-1983015-GiBIiLx&rc=confemail

Daily action is our apple a day. We can't let up. Lobby money and anti-reform money is pouring into this fight. Republicans have announced a plan to spend at least 1 million dollars to kill reform using ad campaigns during the three week Congressional break. Please take 5-10 minutes for action every day as we battle for our lives on this issue.

Thanks -

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President Barack Obama, God Bless America...MY FOOT!

By Carolyn from Live Oak, FL - Jul 2nd, 2009 at 10:59 am EDT

Mr. President, I worked very hard, spending many hours and had contributed monetarily as much as I could afford on a fixed income, to get you elected. Now, I feel you have let us all down on so many of your promises; especially, concerning affordable health care for all. Please, if you can find the time, go to this link and hear my (and most of the people in our nation's) pleas...

http://thinkingblue.blogspot.com/2009/06/petition-to-pres-obama-god-bless.html

EXCERPT:

"I have been signing petitions such as this one for healthcare reform, for years. Still the problem exists. What I would like to know is... Why? Why does such shameful neglect and uncaring occur in a country like ours? Why are so many of our people left to suffer?

We are no longer a country “of the people, by the people” we are a country of “the big business/big lobbies, by the big business/big lobbies”. They are the true owners of this land and greed will continue to step on and over those who outnumber the greedy few at the top, millions of times over. Even when they flagrantly and arrogantly fail, they succeed and go on conducting their greed in the same manner.

God bless America, MY FOOT!" http://thinkingblue.blogspot.com

Also on: http://www.youtube.com/user/thethinkingblue

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Did I Get Bamboozled By Obama?

By Leo - Jun 16th, 2009 at 2:39 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

Is it just me- or is anyone else starting to feel 'had'?

Covering up and not prosecuting the torture scandal?

Going back on one of the most ringing campaign promises regarding transparency? And I get weekly requests to donate more money from the Obama campaign? Maybe I was just a dumb wide-eyed child.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31373407/ns/politics-white_house/

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OFA is not just for Democrats

By LindaLu Nordling - Jun 12th, 2009 at 11:48 am EDT

Also listed in: 4 groups

Dear ALL:

I would agree with the authors of this letter. As this is a letter seek to clearify what has become quite a fiasco of camps of self interests.

Nothing about this congress is representative of the INTEREST of the People of United States of America other than on issues which have been grossly under-represented.

As far as all "reforms" including the Green Movement, HealthCare, Sustainability, Climate Change... has each been nothing more than self interest for the MONEY people behind the poppets of Politicians. It is obvious NOTHING in each of those TOPICS has anything to do with the reality of people losing and lost their job, room, apartment, house,..
.

It is very disappointing but nothing surprising given Barack H. Obama does not have ALL the GOP kind of influence, power, money behind him when WE started the road to White House.

There's saying: Keep your friends close
Keep your ENEMIES CLOSURE (closer)

so, here's a TOAST to y'll who are continueing to be of SELF interests and NOT for America or Americans.

You know who you are...and so do the rest of the "peeps" which COMPLETELY OUT # YOU...of course, there was/is/has been "UNCLE TOMS" pardon for borrowing a phrase not from my race but i'm sure y'll know exactly AGAIN who you think you might be...get it MIGHT just BE. ... and so do THIS Transparent information TIME. Good luck to all your self-interest committment and to your health.

Sincerely,

Linda Lu-Nordling

-----Original Message-----

To: San Francisco for Obama <SanFranciscoforObama@groups.barackobama.com>
Sent: Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:38 pm
Subject: [SanFranciscoforObama] FW: [GroupAdministratorsforObama-Collaboratio] OFA/DNC

From: alanhny@aol.com
[mailto:alanhny@aol.com]

Sent: Thursday, June 11, 2009 7:31
PM

To: Group Administrators for Obama
- Collaboration Group

Subject: [GroupAdministratorsforObama-Collaboratio]
OFA/DNC



Dear Kurt, Ben, Brent,
Greg, Jennifer,

I started out replying to
each of your very thoughtful comments but got sort of overwhelmed, so I'm
taking this collective route.

There is no question in
my mind that on all the most important issues we are on the same page. This
dialogue itself, respectful, logical, passionate, is just one more confirmation
for me of the power and beauty of the movement we created over the course of a
long election campaign.

=0 A

Believe me, there is
absolutely no despair here. We are working harder than ever for the President's
agenda, with complete confidence in his leadership, and I believe we continue
to make a modest but valuable contribution to the overall effort.

All of you make a
persuasive case for the grass roots party organizing you are doing. We have a
lot of campaign volunteers here in NYC doing the same. Hopefully there are many
more around the country making similar progress.

But the question under
discussion is the relationship between OFA and the DNC and how it impacts our
work.

If OFA were to say
clearly tomorrow that it wants all of its volunteers and the people we sign up
for various activities under the OF
A banner to throw ourselves into
transforming the Democratic Party into an instrument of people's needs rather
than corporate profits, I would salute and try to figure out how to do that in
our own little piece of the world here.

But there's a good reason
OFA hasn't said that. There is that 30% of the electorate who define themselves
as Independents, there is the unknown but large percentage of the electorate
who vote Democrat while holding their noses, and there is even that 30% of
Republicans who today say they disagree with the policies of their party. In
addition to loyal active Democrats, we will have volunteers from each of these
other three categories participating in our June 27 Health Care Day of Service
event. They will eagerly work with OFA, because th ey see it as something
really new and different from the existing party political system, but they
would tell us to take a hike if we asked them to show up at the next meeting of
our local Democratic club. I guess it's different where you are.


I happen to agree with
them that what came out of the campaign, which took the organizational form of
OFA, is truly something new and different, one of those social/political
movements that come along once every generation or two with tremendous
potential to change the country and the world f
or the better. We see it at work
every day, with the battle for a decent health care system and in so many other
ways in which this President continues to make us proud. That is why OFA
correctly continues to project itself as a movement built on the agenda of a charismatic
political leader, whose politics, fortunately, are fundamentally progressive.

When the decision was made after the
election to fold the campaign base into the DNC, there were advantages and
disadvantages to it. I might have disagreed with the decision at the time, but
I understand why it was made and it has not deterred my participation in OFA,
whose leadership and staff are absolutely doing the best they can with the hand
they've been dealt. But the disadvantages are clearly making themselves
felt.

While very specific and
powerful members of Congress are killing, undermining or going wobbly on key
provisions of the President's agenda, OFA does not target any of them,
presumably because of its DNC relationship, and so organizers and activists are
drawn to groups that are doing that kind of targeting. The same happens with
specific features of the agenda. I don't recall seeing anything, for example,
about the public plan option in the material for the June 4 kick off event. I
understand why this happens, but I think it's a
significant disadvantage.

The OFA/DNC relationship
had this movement/party contradiction built into it at birth, and it needs
to be resolved. It blurs the strategic focus with its generalities and
therefore appears lacking in transparency. Even going by what I think is
Jennifer's accurate characterization of the thinking behind the decision, of it
being a way to hold together the base and keep the buzz going for 2012, I don't
see the numbers telling us that is happening. The numbers I see on the site, the numbers released by OFA, I do not find encouraging--and I doubt that the
hard-headed realists who run OFA do either, despite the obvious need to remain
publicly positive. And what about the 347 other people on this list, who apparently
lack the time or interest to weigh in on a subject we seem to agree is pretty
important? My hunch is their attention a nd energies are otherwise engaged.

Which reminds me, we all have day jobs and I've gone on much too long.

In conclusion, he said, to deafening applause: I think we face great and unprecedented challenges but they can be met; I think we have an obligation to communicate our concerns to each
other and to OFA leadership because I know they want to hear them and because
this is=2 0our organization and we need to make it thrive.



Best,

Alan Howard

NY 8th CD







Dell
Deals: Don't miss huge summer savings on popular laptops starting at $449.

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Final Push Toward Real Reform Looking Positive

By Jodi - Jun 12th, 2009 at 9:01 am EDT

With Obama taking his message on the road and to the people, and the masses speaking at least as loud as the health insurance industry, there has been a crack in the invinsiblity of the status quo. Even Senator Baucus is now allowing that a national public health plan must be considered. It feels very good to see our efforts paying off. We must keep making waves until a bill is signed.

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Must watch Documentary Flow - For Love of Water Directed by Irena Salina

By Peter from Carrollton, TX - May 31st, 2009 at 7:38 pm EDT

Must watch Documentary Flow - For Love of Water Directed by Irena Salina “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” –W.H.Auden

Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question “CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?”

Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround. (Excerpt from main website)

Please visit the official website for more information:
http://www.flowthefilm.com

Click the Fullscreen Button for a larger version.

http://politicalpete.com/forum/index.php

http://politicalpete.com/

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Media: The Somali pirates have decided to abandon piracy

By Unknown user - May 25th, 2009 at 8:19 pm EDT

About 200 pirates in the north of Somalia have agreed to throw a pirate craft, and the release of the captured hostages.

As a committee, meet the pirates with local community leaders and people from Somalia took place in the autonomous region of Puntland. The representative of the pirates Abshir Abdullah told the BBC that all the ships and hostages, whom they held, will now be released.

Note, for the last day the Canadian patrol frigate Winnipeg detained two pirate ships in the Gulf of Aden.

Previously, it was reported that by early May, the number of pirate attacks on ships in the vicinity of the eastern coast of Somalia more than a similar figure for the whole last year. In connection with such activity, many States in the Gulf of Aden sent their warships to patrol the territory and the protection of merchant ships.

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The U.S. banned the writing on the packs of cigarettes designation "light"

By Htyra from Vallonia, IN - May 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm EDT

The U.S. banned the writing on the packs of cigarettes designation "light"
Today, 22 May, the Federal Court of Appeals in Washington found tobacco companies guilty of misleading consumers because they use cigarettes to the term "light".

According to Themis, cigarettes with this symbol represent the same threat to human health, as usual.

Thus, the Court of Appeal upheld the decision previously rendered by the lower instance court, and ordered tobacco companies to remove the packs of cigarettes denote light or natural.

As reported by AFP, the largest tobacco companies like Philip Morris and Reynolds, likely to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in the Supreme Court of the United States.

Previously, it was reported that in the past year, the percentage of smokers among the adult population in the United States fell to a record low.

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D.C. Awakening--Jen Nedeau, FAB member

By Madama Ambi - May 22nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm EDT

Also listed in: 10 groups

D.C. Awakening--my interview with Jen Nedeau, Women's Rights blogger at Change.org.

Jen Nedeau blogs about Women's Rights at Change.org. She's not a seasoned feminist who has it all figured out; in fact, her feminist awakening began only a year ago. But she understands that women of her generation have grown up with a "dangerous sense of equality" that does not sync with real-world politics. This interview was recorded in March of 2009.

Get it at iTunes.

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Hello everyone,

By winbald - May 19th, 2009 at 8:36 pm EDT

I just create a blog on the site of Barack Obama, hoping that many of you will read me, and especially to correct me, I expect a lot from you! I am a young Senegalese also a citizen of the world, because our borders are only fictitious although in places in the world of the walls are erected, the nature wished that there were no boundaries and this benefits the birds , whales, ... hopefully!
Read More »

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