Without doubt, a range of issues will be discussed tonight… Click here to read Obama’s detailed policy proposals and click here to download the Blueprint for Change policy handbook.
Watch the debate live at CNN.com… Share your thoughts and commentary below!
Margery Kay of Pahrump, Nevada, is one of the million. When a host of candidates from both parties visited her town in January, she says Barack "was the only one I saw who openly answered everyone’s questions."
She’s deeply concerned about restoring habeus corpus and protecting the civil liberties that so many Americans cherish — and she thinks Barack can reverse a lot of the damage Bush has done in these areas.
She’s also hungry for change on health care and she thinks Obama can make health care affordable for all Americans. "I’m diabetic and have been since I was 9. I’m 49 now and I pay 500 a month for a pre-existing condition. That shouldn’t be happening in this country," says Margery Kay.
Magery Kay follows the election closely and she’s read all 64 pages of the Blueprint for Change policy handbook. "Every last thing in that Blueprint for Change I wish could be made into law. This is how I really feel."
ABC News reported that a pro-Clinton group called the "American Leadership Project" is seeking 100 Clinton supporters to each give $100,000 to fund its $10 million effort to promote Senator Clinton and "contrast" her positions with Barack Obama’s.
We don’t think that’s how politics should work. We think politics should be powered by all of us, not a small group of wealthy elites. That’s why we’re asking you to join this movement and help us reach our goal of one million donors. If we hit this goal, it will send a powerful signal that the old politics, dominated by big money and special interests, are coming to an end.
Check out this video from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ trip to Cincinnati yesterday. Governor Sebelius is a native of Cincinnati, and spoke to the crowd about Barack’s "red state" appeal and his unique ability to unite our country.
NEW ORLEANS, LA — ACORN’s Political Action Committee today announced that it has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President.
ACORN PAC’s representatives went through an extensive process of interviewing each of the major Democratic candidates. ACORN is a national anti-poverty organization which has hundreds of thousands of members in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in 104 cities.
“Last night, Sen. Obama received the more than necessary two-thirds of the majority needed from our elected national leadership to secure the endorsement,” said Maude Hurd, ACORN’s National President. “Over the past months, we have worked with the leading candidates; ACORN’s members have deep appreciation and respect for Senators Clinton and Edwards and their work on behalf of our communities. What it came down to was that Senator Obama is the candidate who best understands and can affect change on the issues ACORN cares about like stopping foreclosures, enacting fair and comprehensive immigration reform, and building stronger and safer communities across America.”
Alicia Russell of Arizona, ACORN’s western regional representative, said Obama relates to the issues facing low- and moderate-income people. “I think he will commit himself to providing us the necessary path for the low-income and moderate-income families to improve their lives,” Russell said. “He’s on the same level as we are, and sees our issues as we do.”
In the past three weeks, Sen. Obama has met with ACORN leaders regarding foreclosure prevention solutions, including a roundtable discussion on Tuesday in San Antonio.
“Texas ACORN members are proud to stand with Senator Obama in calling for fundamental change in our economy to protect homeowners and neighborhoods from the scourge of foreclosures that is sweeping communities across Texas,” said Texas ACORN president Toni McElroy.
When Obama met with ACORN leaders in November, he reminded them of his history with ACORN and his beginnings in Illinois as a Project Vote organizer, a nonprofit focused on voter rights and education. Senator Obama said, "I come out of a grassroots organizing background. That’s what I did for three and half years before I went to law school. That’s the reason I moved to Chicago was to organize. So this is something that I know personally, the work you do, the importance of it. I’ve been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drive in Illinois, ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it, and we appreciate your work.”
ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now) is the nation’s largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, with over 350,000 member families organized into 800 neighborhood chapters in 104 cities across the country. Since 1970 ACORN has taken action and won victories on issues of concern to its members, including better housing for first time homebuyers and tenants, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, and better public schools.
Check out this new ad running in Texas…
Click here to learn how you can vote early if you’re a Texas resident. And please donate to help us carry Texas on March 4th!
Meet Katherine. She’s one in a million.
That is, one of the nearly one million grassroots donors who have contributed to this campaign already.
Katherine grew up in New Jersey, and after college she moved to Chicago where she was "represented capably in the State Senate by Barack Obama."
I first became aware of Obama during his Senate campaign—I’d seen signs around the neighborhood and read about him in the papers. His progressive record as a legislator impressed me, as did his background as a community organizer and lecturer at the UChicago Law School. I was invited to a house party for him, the first time I’d ever attended a grassroots campaign event. The experience was a lot of fun, and I felt inspired to get involved. I organized a few voter registration drives with friends on Chicago’s West side. It was amazing—people were lining up to register, and they all wanted to vote for Obama.Obama inspired me to get involved, and since then I’ve volunteered for several different candidates across the country. He turned my interest in politics into active participation.
And now Katherine lives in Texas — so in the next two weeks she’ll be participating more actively than ever. Katherine is a busy member of Texans for Obama, an all-grassroots group that started back in February 2007 when Obama held a rally in Austin that drew 22,000 people. She’s also busy blogging for Obama on DailyKos, and did an excellent job liveblogging the huge Austin Obama Office Grand Opening last weekend.
Nearly one million grassroots supporters have donated to this campaign. This is unprecedented.
Please join Katherine and own a piece of this historic campaign:
And be sure to watch the Texas debate, tonight on CNN at 8 p.m. EST
Ryan from Bowling Green, Kentucky is one of the million.
Ryan, who is currently working as a cashier and will soon begin a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, donated $5 and now owns a piece of this campaign.
"I decided to donate because this is the first time I was inspired by a candidate. I think he’s someone who would really do things different," says Ryan.
The main thing that drew Ryan to this campaign was Barack’s early opposition to the war.
"I was against the war from the beginning. I felt that it was going to draw our attention away from Afghanistan, where Al Qaeda actually was, and I thought it would hurt our standing in the world," says Ryan. "Obama’s stand inspired me."
Check out Barack’s 2002 speech against the Iraq war here. And if you’re inspired like Ryan is, donate what you can — even if it’s just $5 — and become one of the million.
We can change our country — and our politics — with your help.
Important Note to all Wyoming Residents:
Although Wyoming normally offers same-day voter registration, in order to participate in the Democratic caucuses you must be registered in advance as a Democrat. Additionally, if you did not vote in the mid-term election in 2006, you must re-register as a Democrat. The deadline for registration is this Friday, February 22nd. If you live in Wyoming, please take a look at the information below to ensure that you are able to participate:
Wyoming deadline to register: February 22
Voters in Wyoming have until this Friday, February 22 to register as Democrats in order to be eligible to participate in the upcoming Wyoming Democratic Caucuses. This includes registered Republicans and Independents who want to caucus for Barack Obama, as well as new voters.
Seventeen-year-olds who will be 18 by November 4, 2008 are eligible to participate in the Democratic Caucuses, but they must register by February 22.
Important Note for all registered Democrats:
If you did not vote in the 2006 general election, or if you have moved to a new address since last registering, you must re-register as a Democrat by February 22 in order to participate in the Wyoming Democratic Caucuses.
Voters can register to vote in the office of the county clerk or town clerk in the county where they live. Click here for a list of Wyoming County Clerk locations and contact information.
The Wyoming Democratic Caucuses are scheduled for March 8 across the state. Find your caucus location and time.
Here’s video from the 17,000 person rally in Dallas yesterday…
And in case you missed it, here’s an excerpt from Obama’s speech before 19,000 in Houston on the night of his Wisconsin victory…
If you’re from Texas, vote early. Folks from around the country, make some calls to Texas voters or donate to become one of the million and help us build momentum heading into March 4th!
