Safe Arrival: The World's Biggest Little City

I left Berkeley, CA this afternoon (from the East Bay Headquarters) and picked up my fabulous carpooler Ella.

Ella and I both grew up in cities on the East Coast, and so nether of us had experienced many State Fairs and we were both so excited to check it out!

Before I left on this trip, I had lunch with my dear friend Sarah and she was laughing at me because I was gushing about how exotic and amazing the state fair sounds to me ("They have championship wiener dog races, Sarah--actual statewide CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!" I exclaimed). She was amazed at how little I had been exposed to this culture which was quite "boring" and familiar to her and how truly fascinated I was by the very things she thought were totally lame....

Me: "What exactly is a tractor pull, anyway?"

Sarah (whipping out her trusty blackberry): "You know, that's something I've always avoided since it sounded so boring; but you're excited and now I'm curious-- Let's look it up"
(this is one reason I love Sarah--one reason among many)

Sarah (quoting wikipedia): "A competition using tractors and large trucks to pull a heavy drag along a 'track': tractor pulling is very popular in rural areas. Usually the drag offers progressively greater resistance as it is pulled. It can be a great spectacle, and although the vehicle produces a great deal of noise and smoke and throws dirt everywhere, it doesn't actually travel very far."

Then Sarah and I cracked up laughing and I nearly had corn chowder come out of my nose--not pretty!

So now I am seriously fired up and ready for tractors!

We made it to Reno after about 4 hours of driving and went straight to the Obama office. It was a nice space, with lots of little offices and a larger meeting area. They were running a training which looked very interesting and was quite well-attended, but we rushed off excitedly to the Nevada State Fair.

So Ella and I arrived at the fair and we didn't see any tractors, but we did see a bunch of horses and cows and sheep and snakes and cool rides and guys in cowboy hats and Republicans and corn dogs and even some vegetables! We took a short stroll around to get oriented and had a snack (OK, truth be told: Ella had the veggies and I had a hot dog--a guilty pleasure but perfect at the fair).

We registered voters at the booth shared by the Obama folks and the Washoe County Democrats. The women staffing the booth were so kind to us and spent time talking us through the Nevada voter reg process and pointed out some important things that are different from California. For example, in CA when a felon finishes his parole, s/he is automatically eligible to register to vote, but in Nevada people have to request something allowing them to reregister to vote after a felony conviction and it takes several months to be approved. Another example of a difference is that in Nevada there is "Early Voting" which starts October 18th, which we don't have in California. And they have slightly different forms here...

Anyway, tons of fun!! and more to come. Just wanted to let you all know I'm safe and sound, sleeping in a family home in Sparks (outside Reno, kind of a suburb I guess--very nice neighborhood with beautiful houses and yards). My host family is so nice and gracious--they are Obama supporters and they actually volunteered at a recent event that Obama had for invited guests (250 people I think) from the labor/union community). One of my favorite things about the Obama campaign is the opportunity to meet such amazing and excellent human beings--no one joins this movement for the glory or to feed their ego--we do it because we are moved to do so. We are all just doing our part of the work that we all know needs to be done. Tonight I will fall asleep feeling profoundly grateful and proud to be part of this positive change.

Denver or BUST!

I'm volunteering at the DNC Convention in Denver this year!!

I'm super-excited, and I decided to spend time before and after the convention campaigning for Obama in some fabulous "red" (purple!) states.

I'll be driving from Berkeley, CA through Nevada and Utah and Wyoming, door-knocking and registering voters along the way. Here's my itinerary (click on the points to see the details):


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If this looks like fun to you... there's good news! I have room in my car for a couple solid Obama fans. I can pick you up if you live near my route, and we can rock the northwest US for Obama together. Click here to learn more about how to sign up to travel with me.

I'm hoping that local Obama supporters will help me to make this campaign trip a great success. I've asked for help with housing and local orientation. If you think you might be able to help, please click here to learn more about how we can help each other to get Obama into the White House!

My first stop will be the Nevada State Fair in Reno!!! Voter registration, wiener-dog races, and Republicans for Obama, oh my!

Obama Cart: From Divide to Unity

From Divide to Unity for Obama is raising money for the campaign and raising awareness by pulling an Obama Cart through small towns in battleground states. The journey started in Divide, Montana and the destination is Unity, New Hampshire!

The Cart has already attracted a lot of attention and has been featured by local media. Click here for local coverage in Butte Montana.

‘Pullers’ wanted By Erin Nicholes - 08/01/2008

ANACONDA — Bill Johnson was trolling a Barack Obama campaign Web site when he spotted a trade opportunity.

Obama fan Cheryl Souza, of Boston, was selling bookmarks to raise money for the presumed Democratic nominee’s presidential campaign. And Johnson, of Anaconda, was selling Obama signs from the ends of old cable spools.

“I agreed to trade her,” he said Friday.

But when the costs of shipping the sign to the East proved steep, the two brainstormed for a creative solution.

“I said, ‘You should really just wheel it cross-country,’” Souza said Friday in a phone interview. “He said, ‘OK.’ He just took it and ran with it.” On Friday, a cart Johnson made of three Obama signs will begin a long journey towards Souza from Montana to New Hampshire. Specifically, it will head from Divide to Unity, N.H., a route chosen to illustrate Obama supporters’ hopes for the country’s political future.

“This is such an ‘Obamanation’ thing going on,” Souza laughed. “We just get in over our heads.” The journey starts Friday at 5 p.m. at Divide — also Johnson’s hometown. From there, it will head to Butte, traveling down Iron and Montana to Interstate 90 at about 6:30 p.m. It will then journey on to Bozeman, Billings, North Dakota and ultimately New Hampshire.

“He found a way to connect Divide with New Hampshire, going through swing states,” Souza said.

Obama supporters along the route are sought to pull the cart, even for short legs. It has a hitch, and can travel about 20 miles an hour.

“We’re getting people slowly,” Johnson said, adding Obama campaign staff is helping find pullers. “Montana and North Dakota are the biggest problems because we have 100 miles between towns. Once we get it to Minnesota, then there are towns along the way.” Johnson, a local school board member, said he became an Obama supporter after hearing the candidate speak at the Democratic Convention four years ago.

“When Obama made his speech to the Democratic Convention I thought, ‘Oh boy, there’s a guy who’s saying what I’m saying,’” he said. “We need a rational and intelligent person; someone who’s familiar with the Constitution.” Souza, an ichthyology faculty assistant at Harvard University, is a longtime Obama fan as well. She frequents the candidate’s official campaign site and comes up with projects, such as bookmarks, to raise money for his presidential bid.

The Obama cart, she said, will be prominently displayed in her area.

“It might end up in the garden at my home,” she said. “But if I can find a taker in Unity, N.H., it would be really nice if I could find a permanent resting spot there.” Meanwhile, anyone interested in volunteering to pull the cart along the route can e-mail Bill Johnson at dividemt@aol.com.

“Even short 10-mile pulls” are welcome, he said.

Here is what Obama Cart recipient Cheryl Souza posted about the event:

We need folks from: Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Mostly battleground states.

For You to bring Obama Cart from Divide, Montana to Unity, NH! With Publicity

Bill Johnson is regularly updating his blog with the progress of the cart as it makes its way from his home in Divide, Montana to its new home in Unity, New Hampshire.

We started in Butte and ran the cart down Montana Street past the TV station (KXLF) and had what I thought was a great interview. Discussed why I am supporting Senator Obama and also some school board issues (I serve on the school board in Anaconda). I did not get to see any newscasts, so I am unsure of how the editing went. If anyone wants to go to the station and look, they usually post all of their video on the web site. They may not have used the interview last night, so check back tonight if it isn't there yet.

While my daughter and I were pulling the cart down Montana street, a middle aged man in a pickup yelled at us. He then pulled into a parking lot across the street and continued yelling. After a few seconds of that he gave us the finger and, while he continued his rage, drove away. It is the first time in my life of almost 58 years that I had that kind of hate directed against me. "Kind of stupid," was my first thought. That a simple sign could set off such a rage is pretty sad. What is sadder is the fact that some Americans have to put up with that kind of nonsense every day. I got a chuckle out of it, but later realized that he could have posed a danger to my daughter and myself. TV cameras came out just seconds after he left, so that may have encouraged him to leave. I have to say, though, I am proud to be on the side I am when it comes to such people. Now, let me add, McCain and his campaign do not support such bigotry either.

Then my wife and I took the cart to Bozeman...

Now, I believe this is the finest idea I have ever had. This cart attracts attention from everyone who passes and the media love it. Small town news-people love to have some contact with the national campaigns, just as us folks do. The press response is unbelievable. The cart provides a good positive visual image for the campaign (except of course for the above gentleman) and it is a real hoot to pull and talk to all the curious people.

Straight Talk Indeed

Apparently John McCain has a crush on Obama too! (see more)

The "Straight Talk Express" was seen sporting an Obama endorsement

To order your own Barack Obama '08 Bumper Sticker so your vehicle can look as good as John McCain's bus, click here.

10 Posts in 10 Weeks

I've invited bloggers to commit to writing at least one positive and honest post per week about Obama for the next 10 weeks.

The blogging starts now, and it will continue through the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

We've already got 65+ bloggers in 30 states with more signing up every day!!

Our bloggers come from the North, East, South, West and MidWest. We even have one blogger from CANADA!!

In the US, we are writing from Idaho, Alaska, Utah, California, Louisiana, North Dakota, Ohio, Kansas, Michigan, Montana, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Virginia, Alabama, New Mexico and elsewhere. We are Republicans, Independents, Democrats, Greens, and every shade of purple (there are no red and blue states--WE ARE the United States).

Our readers live all over the United States, as well as Canada, Italy, Japan, Austria, Israel, India, the Phillipines, and all over the world!

We are united by a vision of the future that is better than our past, and our great faith in Barack Obama to be the leader who takes us there.

Our voices join with fellow Americans in all 50 states across this great nation, as these three words ring out from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea:

"YES WE CAN!"

View Larger Map

If you would like to join with us
in spreading Barack Obama's message of hope,
CLICK HERE

Check out the Bloggers who will be posting for the next 10 weeks!

Bob Aagard: "The World, According to Me" blog from Salt Lake City, Utah
Jacky Anderson: A positive and prolific Obama Blogger
Richard & Rebecca Anderson: Missouri Obama Organizers
Brenda Babjak: Chicago Blogger whose posts call for unity
David Bartlett: (link coming soon!)
Bren Hussein Bell: Southern California Blogger
Darlene Bimbai: Maryland blogger on Obama and life as she knows it
Cliff Bowlin: North Carolina Obama Blogger
Travis Brooks: (link coming soon!)
Christopher Carlson: Precinct Co-Captain from Fort Worth, Texas
Melissa Clymer: Colorado Momma supports Barack Obama
CorpusMama: "Barack Rocks Corpus" blog -- Corpus Christi, Texas
Allan Cronin: Personal observations and musings on the election.
Denise Cyr: Oregon Obama organizer
Christina Czuhajewski: CA/Michigan (link to profile)
Deb Daniels: Disheartened Educator blog
Battle Dew: (link coming soon!)
Charlene Dixon: Obama activist blogger from Virginia
Julie Fanselow: "Red State Rebel" Blog from Idaho
Marie Goodwin: United Democrats Blog
Danielle Guillou: (Link coming soon!)
Liba Hardkopf: Proud Albuquerque Obama fan from the Czech Republic
Robbie Henderson: (link coming soon!)
Suzan Holten: An Independent Obama supporter interested in policy
Pamela Hood: San Jose, CA Obama Blogger (link to profile)
Reverend Treneater-Nur Horton: Faithful Colorado Obama supporter
Blake Johnson: (link to profile, no blog posts yet)
Nathan Kosted: Active and hopeful Montana blogger
Chuck Lasker: "What Would Obama Do?" blog
Elstun Lauesen: "BarAK" blog features Alaskan and national issues
Robert Lynch: Inspired Obama fan: "We must keep saying, YES WE CAN!"
Mona Marlow: Washington State Progressive Blogger
Mikiboop: A hopeful and positive Californian Obama Blogger
Edie "Hussein" Moore PhD: Seattle blogger for Obama
Mary Nickum: Arizona Obama supporter
Anthony O'Con: South San Francisco Green Party Obama Supporter
Frederick Paine: A new blogger from New Jersey
Ashley Penney: Kansas (link to profile, no blog posts yet)
Dianne Perea: Committed Colorado Obama blogger
Ailene Randolph: Great posts on FISA, "Operation Chaos" & more
Rebecca Raskin: "Waving Watches" keep democracy ticking (also poll)
Kristin Reed: 17-yr-old Minnesota Twins + Obama fan, see also myspace
Marcia Riggan: "Friendly Blog" from Indiana
Mary Ritter: An active and thoughtful Illinois Obama supporter
Glenda Rhode-Pausina: Obama fan blogging from New Orleans
Brandy Sanders: A Central California Obama blogger
AnnMarie Satchell: New Jersey blogger on "The Audacity of Obama"
Beverly Scott: North Carolina Obama Blogger
Michael Shay: Progressive Wyoming "Hummingbirdminds" Blogger
Eulis Simien: Baton Rouge, Louisiana Obama supporter
Joseph Spencer: (link coming soon!)
Niki Staehle: "Push.to.Talk" Environmental blogger from North Carolina
Richard Sternegal: Honest and positive Ohio Obama blogger
Michael Stickings: Toronto, Ontario (Canada) founder of The Reaction
Kit Sturtevant-Stuart: "Kit Loves Nuance" from Berkeley, CA
Joshua Swanson: Common Sense no-bull Obama fan from North Dakota
Marla Turner: Thoughtful Las Vegas blogger
Martin Weinberg: "The Progressive Electorate" Blog from Alabama
Marie Zeller: Nebraska blogger has a "Liberal Take on a Conservative State"

Here is a link to all my posts for the "10 Post Pledge."

Our guidelines are to remain positive and honest, and to do what we can to spread Obama's message of hope and change.

Click here if you would like to join us!

Also, here are some great Obama groups with blogs you might like:
Barack's Bloggers
Bloggers for Obama
Bloggers for Darfur for Obama
Barack's Black Bloggers Brigade
Oregon Actors/Musicians/Artists blog
Party Builder Bloggers: Obama supporters on DNC Party Builder Blog
Americana Blog: Paramendra Dot Com

Got Hope?

This will be on MTV and elsewhere; it is the winner of MoveOn's "funniest Obama ad" contest.

Service: The Core of Change

One important branch of Obama's campaign is HOPE IN ACTION. This part of the movement (which will continue after he is elected in November and takes office in January) is all about community service. The idea is that we need more than political action to create the changes that this country desperately needs.

We need to roll up our sleeves and work for the change we need!

On Saturday, the local Hope in Action campaign kicked off with a clean-up of Lake Merritt. Over 30 Obama supporters picked up garbage, cleaned up goose poop, raked leaves, and generally beautified Lake Merritt.

We worked with Noel Gallo from Keep Oakland Beautiful (Oakland Public Works) & James Robinson from the Lake Merritt Institute, who organize weekly clean-up projects at Lake Merritt every Saturday & Tuesday (to get involved click here).

We also spoke with folks who were out enjoying the day at the lake about Obama, gave out Obama '08 stickers, told people about the grand opening of the East Bay office, and even registered several voters. People were really grateful for the work that we did to make their experience at Lake Merritt more enjoyable, and I think it is really important to demonstrate with actions (not only words in dramatic speeches) that change is something we can not only believe in, but change is something we will work hard to create.

The success of this event shows how important the HOPE IN ACTION and community service aspects of the campaign are. Barack Obama believes in service to one's community, local organizing for collective benefit, and working towards empowerment together within and among neighborhoods.

“Your own story and the American story are not separate — they are shared. And they will both be enriched if we stand up together, and answer a new call to service to meet the challenges of our new century … I won't just ask for your vote as a candidate; I will ask for your service and your active citizenship when I am president of the United States. This will not be a call issued in one speech or program; this will be a cause of my presidency.” --Barack Obama

A Call to Service: Colorado Springs, Colorado


Obama's policies focus on the role of service in the enactment of "change" that is echoed throughout his campaign speeches. You can read more about Obama's policies on service by clicking here. This is excerpted from an AP article after the Colorado speech above reflecting on Obama's service initiatives (more click here).

Other highlights include: increasing the all-volunteer military, expanding AmeriCorps, doubling the size of the Peace Corps, expanding YouthBuild, in which low-income young people build affordable housing; expanding service programs involving retired people and anyone over 55, and creating a tax credit making the first $4,000 of college tuition free for students who conduct 100 hours of public service a year.

When Barack Obama is president, he will enable all Americans to engage in service to our country. Here are some of his programs and policy initiatives that will build a strong service corps to keep this country functioning well:

• Expand Corporation for National and Community Service: Obama will expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 slots today to 250,000 and he will focus this expansion on addressing the great challenges facing the nation. He will establish a Classroom Corps to help teachers and students, with a priority placed on underserved schools; a Health Corps to improve public health outreach; a Clean Energy Corps to conduct weatherization and renewable energy projects; a Veterans Corps to assist veterans at hospitals, nursing homes and homeless shelters; and a Homeland Security Corps to help communities plan, prepare for and respond to emergencies.
• Engage Retiring Americans in Service on a Large Scale: Older Americans have a wide range of skills and knowledge to contribute. Obama will expand and improve programs that connect individuals over the age of 55 to quality volunteer opportunities.
• Expand the Peace Corps: Obama will double the Peace Corps to 16,000 by 2011. He will work with the leaders of other countries to build an international network of overseas volunteers so that Americans work side-by-side with volunteers from other countries.
• Show the World the Best Face of America: Obama will set up an America's Voice Initiative to send Americans who are fluent speakers of local languages to expand our public diplomacy. He also will extend opportunities for older individuals such as teachers, engineers, and doctors to serve overseas.
  

Obama will integrate service into education in America at all levels:

• Expand Service-Learning in Our Nation's Schools: Obama will set a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year. He will develop national guidelines for service- learning and will give schools better tools both to develop programs and to document student experience.
  
• Expand YouthBuild Program: Obama will expand the YouthBuild program, which gives disadvantaged young people the chance to complete their high school education, learn valuable skills and build affordable housing in their communities. He will grow the program so that 50,000 low-income young people a year a chance to learn construction job skills and complete high school.
• Require 100 Hours of Service in College: Obama will establish a new American Opportunity Tax Credit that is worth $4,000 a year in exchange for 100 hours of public service a year.
• Promote College Serve-Study: Obama will ensure that at least 25 percent of College Work-Study funds are used to support public service opportunities instead of jobs in dining halls and libraries.

This video focuses on Obama's initiative to create a fund that would provide $4,000/year to every American who wishes to go to college in exchange for 100 hours of community service.



Obama gave this speech on a college campus in Iowa in December 2007 (full speech here):

When I was about your age, I decided to become a community organizer.... this small group of churches on the south side of Chicago ... offered me a job to come help neighborhoods devastated by steel-plant closings. My mother and grandparents wanted me to go to law school. My friends were applying to jobs on Wall Street. I didn't know a soul in Chicago, and the salary was about $12,000 a year, plus $2,000 to buy an old, beat-up car.

I still remember a conversation I had with an older man before I left. He looked and said, "Barack, I'll give you a bit of advice. Forget this community organizing business and do something that's gonna make you some money. You can't change the world, and people won't appreciate you trying. You've got a nice voice. What you should do is go into television broadcasting. I'm telling you, you've got a future."

Now, he may have had a point about the TV thing. And to tell you the truth, I didn't have a clear answer about what I was doing. I wanted to step into the currents of history and help people fight for their dreams, but didn't know what my role would be. I was inspired by what people like Harris did in the civil rights movement, but when I got to Chicago, there were no marches, no soaring speeches. In the shadow of an empty steel plant, there were just a lot of folks struggling. Day after day, I heard ‘no' a lot more than I heard ‘yes.' I saw plenty of empty chairs in those meetings we put together.

But even as I discovered that you can't bend history to your will, I found that you could do your part to see that - in the words of Dr. King - it "bends toward justice." In church basements and around kitchen tables, block by block, we brought the community together, registered new voters, fought for new jobs, and helped people live lives with some measure of dignity.

Eventually, I realized I wasn't just helping other people. Through service, I found a community that embraced me; a church to belong to; citizenship that was meaningful; the direction I'd been seeking. Through service, I found that my own improbable story fit into a larger American story.

In America, each of us seeks our own dreams, but the sum of those dreams must be greater than ourselves. Because the America we inherited is the legacy of those who struggled, and those who served in so many ways, before us....

It is time to recapture that sense of a common purpose: I am my brother's keeper, I am my sister's keeper. I'm tired of hearing about how America is on the wrong track - I want us to come together to put it on the right track. I'm tired of hearing about red America and blue America - I want to lead a United States of America. I'm tired of talking about what we can't do, or won't do, or won't even try - I want all of us to stand up and to start reaching for what is possible.

That's what history calls us to do. 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. And if I have the fortune to be your President, decades from now - when the memory of this or that policy has faded, and when the words that we will speak in the next few years are long forgotten - I hope you remember this as a moment when your own story and the American story came together, and history bent once more in the direction of justice.

East Bay Field Office OPEN!!

This Saturday--100 days before the Presidential Election--the East Bay Obama Field office officially opened! More than 350 people attended the opening!!

We had an incredible volunteer meeting this week with 125 people wanting to volunteer for the campaign!! People brought all kinds of amazing food to share, and signed up for different volunteer opportunities with the East Bay team. Random folks wandered in off the street and stayed for the meeting. Some people even asked to register to vote, since they were walking by and saw the door was open... It was amazing, and the office is now up and running!!

The Office is open 9-5 weekdays

3225 Adeline in Oakland
(2 blocks from Ashby BART)
click here for more info

ON SUNDAY from 2-8pm, the office will be open for phone-banking.

New Mexico is TOTALLY in play (even Karl Rove is predicting an Obama win in New Mexico by 6%), and the local organizers there need OUR help to identify the most important voters for them to court. We'll call New Mexico undecided voters (to get a sense of who is really on the fence and might be swayed, and who is already on board with Obama and who isn't worth calling again). Folks are invited to drop by and make some calls with us.

(we don't have phones yet so bring your cell phone).

Last Sunday, we made 1000 calls to New Mexico and it was really fun. We have a bell to ring when you reach an Obama supporter--and there are a lot more of them out there than you might expect! Come find out for yourself!!!!

FIRED UP, and READY TO GO!!!

With 100 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION...

The East Bay Field Office for Obama
is FIRED UP & READY TO GO!!!

We had 350+ people at the opening!!!!

People registered to vote, got to know their neighbors, and enjoyed a beautiful afternoon together while expressing support for Barack Obama!

Tons of folks signed up to volunteer for different jobs, such as phone-banking, voter registration, working in the office, and campaigning in other states. Others donated items on the wishlist.

Kids made origami for Obama, read books about Obama (from Rebecca's Books: she's donating 10% of profits from Obama book sales to the campaign!), and made art about Obama at a special kids area. They seemed to have a lot of fun. I wish they could vote--kids all over the place seem to love Obama.

We had amazing speakers:

The Mayor of Berkeley, Jason Varano, spoke to a large and very responsive crowd gathered outside the office.

He invoked Berkeley's spirit of activism and participation in the political process and expressed his great joy that the East Bay Headquarters is located in the heart of this community.

He emphasized the importance of this election and praised Obama as our next President!

Berkeley Council Member Max Anderson spoke eloquently about the local and national need for change.

Throughout the speeches, cars driving by honked in support!!

Other speakers talked about the urgency of NOW!

This moment is so important in our country's history.

We have the opportunity NOW to make a change.

The Richmond Council Member Harpreet Sandhu opened his speech by saying that as a person wearing a turban in America, this is the change we've been waiting for!

Sikhs and other minority groups have endured terrible discrimination and abuse since September 11th (although of course they have NOTHING to do with terrorism etc.).

Obama's Presidency would usher in a new time in America--a time of unity, or understanding and listening, a time when we respond reasonably to realistic threats and seek to replace prejudice with brotherhood.

Margot Reed, a long-time Obama volunteer, organizer, and member of Obama Pride (LGBT Constituent Group) gave a rousing speech that stirred the audience and inspired everyone.

Union leaders expressed their support for Obama's Presidency, and the crowd went wild. People were cheering and cars were honking like crazy during these speeches.


The final speaker was Nancy Skinner, who is running for State Assembly in the 14th District. She gave an inspiring speech about how we can do this together. She was so excited about Obama!!!

She mentioned that she turned 18 the year that 18-yr-olds got the right to vote (nobody do the math; she's only 23!). She voted for Shirley Chisholm--and now she is even more excited to vote for Barack Obama, who will be the first African-American President of the United States.

After the speakers, there were some amazing performances--pics coming soon!

Kid Beyond is a singer, songwriter, live looper, beatboxer and one-man-band. An amazing guy and spectacular performer, he is also a proud Obama supporter!

Hello fellow citizens! Kid B here.

If I haven't made it blissfully clear, I'm going to be working my patootie off to make sure Barack Obama gets elected this November. That's why I'm excited to be performing at the opening of Obama's East Bay HQ.

There were yummy refreshments generously donated by local establishments.

There was media coverage by KTVU and CBS, and we were covered on at least three local stations. Several folks came into the office this week to volunteer or get information after they saw the opening event on the news. It was so neat to see how much the first big event in the new space is already growing the movement and engaging more people in the political process.

If you would like to get involved, please stop by the office--we'll be open 10-5 every day--and soon we'll be open weeknights for phone-banking. Click here for more info.

We're located at 3225 Adeline St
2 blocks south of Ashby BART.

We'd love to see you soon!!

YES WE CAN!!!

We have an American Dream

Watch this beautiful music video, with clips from JFK & MLK & Oprah & Maria Shriver & Caroline Kennedy & Michelle Obama:

"Barack Obama: Believe the Dream!"

When I saw this incredible video, I knew that I wanted to share it with a lot of people... so I started an online event where people watch the video and then forward the link to 10 friends!

To email this video to friends, you can use this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGs3Tw-kkKs&feature=related

Ich bin OBAMA!

More than 200,000 people watched Barack Obama's speech today at the Victory Column in Berlin's Tiergarten.

Click here for amazing photos of the historic event.

"People of the world – look at Berlin! Look at Berlin, where Germans and Americans learned to work together and trust each other less than three years after facing each other on the field of battle.

Look at Berlin, where the determination of a people met the generosity of the Marshall Plan and created a German miracle; where a victory over tyranny gave rise to NATO, the greatest alliance ever formed to defend our common security.

Look at Berlin, where the bullet holes in the buildings and the somber stones and pillars near the Brandenburg Gate insist that we never forget our common humanity.

People of the world – look at Berlin, where a wall came down, a continent came together, and history proved that there is no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.

Sixty years after the airlift, we are called upon again. History has led us to a new crossroad, with new promise and new peril. When you, the German people, tore down that wall – a wall that divided East and West; freedom and tyranny; fear and hope – walls came tumbling down around the world. From Kiev to Cape Town, prison camps were closed, and the doors of democracy were opened. Markets opened too, and the spread of information and technology reduced barriers to opportunity and prosperity. While the 20th century taught us that we share a common destiny, the 21st has revealed a world more intertwined than at any time in human history....

Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.

In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has become easy to forget this truth. And if we’re honest with each other, we know that sometimes, on both sides of the Atlantic, we have drifted apart, and forgotten our shared destiny....

People of Berlin – people of the world – this is our moment. This is our time.

I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.

But I also know how much I love America. I know that for more than two centuries, we have strived – at great cost and great sacrifice – to form a more perfect union; to seek, with other nations, a more hopeful world....

People of Berlin – and people of the world – the scale of our challenge is great. The road ahead will be long. But I come before you to say that we are heirs to a struggle for freedom. We are a people of improbable hope. With an eye toward the future, with resolve in our hearts, let us remember this history, and answer our destiny, and remake the world once again."

Watch the amazing speech:

For the complete transcript, click here. For more details on Obama's trip to Germany click here, and here, and here.

Earlier today in Berlin, wellwishers cheered Obama's motorcade. As he got out of his car, one man yelled out in English, "Yes we can!" (more)

Here is a video about the background of this historic speech in Berlin today:

I couldn't resist posting this...

(I think Jesse Jackson is just jealous that someone else is going to be the first African-American President).

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Obama's International Debut

Obama is the world's candidate! Here is a link to a 5-minute video from ABC news about the world's reaction to Obama's presidential campaign. Here is an LA Times article about Obama's initial reception in Afghanistan and an overview of the destinations on this historic trip to Europe and the Middle East. Here's a Herald Tribune article about the trip.

Check out this great video of Obama on Meet the Press hosted by Tom Brokaw on Sunday (the last day of his trip) in London--or you can read the transcript.

Here's the Itinerary for Obama's busy trip to Europe and the Middle East:

Click here for an interactive version of this map showing Obama's foreign support in various countries (highlighting the countries that he visited). The blue color indicates a higher level of support for Obama in the given country, and the red outlines indicate countries where Obama is visiting this week.


Reuters reported that Germans are very excited about Obama's upcoming trip, but authorities are concerned about logistical problems when possibly hundreds of thousands of people show up to the main event at the Siegessäule in Berlin's Tiergarten. AFP reports that Obama's reception in the Middle East may be more tentative than the excitement that the candidate expects in Europe.

"While Barack Obama can expect to be feted as a hero as "Obamamania" strikes Europe, he faces a more uncertain welcome on the Middle East leg of his international campaign swing this week.

The presumptive Democratic White House nominee is less popular in Israel than his Republican rival John McCain, and his offer of direct talks with Iranian leaders has caused some consternation in the Jewish state.

Obama also crossed swords with the Palestinian leadership, after vowing in June that "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel and it must remain undivided," a comment which seemed to prejudge final status peace talks.... Obama has however hinted at a return to a fully engaged US role in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, which President George W. Bush avoided until late in his second term....

Obama... is expected to arrive in Jordan for talks with King Abdullah II on Monday, after making crucial war zone visits to Afghanistan Sunday, and an expected onward journey to Iraq. Jordanian sources said King Abdullah would take the opportunity to stress the importance of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.....

Obama will then move to Israel for talks with the full spectrum of top officials, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and opposition Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli government officials will be delighted to meet Obama and "exchange ideas" with him, Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said.... In a poll by Israel's Mutagim survey institute in June, Israeli Jews favored McCain over Obama 36 to 27 percent."

Barack Obama attended a ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem today (July 23, 2008).

There is more on Barack and Israel from AP. You may be interested to read how TIME covered Barack's trip to Israel:

Obama's last stop of the day was at the embattled Prime Minister's residence. "I'm very happy that you found the time to come and visit with us in the tradition of all the great friends of the state of Israel and I know how friendly you are and how much you care for us," Ehud Olmert told Obama in the courtyard.

As they say in diplomacy and politics, everyone was right on message.

Video of Obama in Sderot, Israel (July 23, 2008)--for more click here



Barack Obama has also been called upon to revisit his comment that he would meet with world leaders of nations such as Iran, Syria, and other nations with whom American Presidents have recently boycotted meeting (preferring to bully these nations without direct contact). He defended and expanded upon his original statement, and you can read more (CNN coverage) here.

John McCain has complained that the networks are sending their best news anchors and devoting a lot of airtime to Obama's trip, and McCain is arguing for fair time. He's also mad that the NY Times rejected his essay. I was thinking maybe he should do something (or write something) newsworthy rather than complaining, "it's not fair!" Then I heard rumors about a possible VP announcement from the Repubs this week. interesting...

McCain's friends Michelle Malkin (who organized an "Obama World Tour" t-shirt contest poking fun at the Senator's trip-where this Beatles-themed image comes from) and others aren't afraid to stick up for their candidate:

Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post published the article on Tuesday and carried an editorial accusing the New York Times of bias: “The New York Times is showing its true colour again (i.e. cobalt blue): just days after running an essay by Barack Obama slamming John McCain’s Iraq policy proposals, the paper summarily nixed the Arizona senator’s rejoinder.” — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

So that's all the "fair time" John McCain is going to get on my blog...

Back to Obama... the world loves him,
and they're singing about it: