Archive for July, 2010:
David Plouffe Visits OFA Volunteers: “My money is on you guys”
With OFA’s Vote 2010 strategy underway all across the country, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe stopped by two of Organizing for America’s California offices to fire up volunteers and lay out OFA’s plan for this year’s elections.
Plouffe told volunteers that they are the most effective messengers in making the case to friends and neighbors about the importance of November’s elections. OFA California shared more from Plouffe’s visits to OFA in Oakland and Los Angeles:
"The most important thing in 2010 is you talking to these voters, human being to human being, and getting them to say, ‘Alright, I’ll vote,’" Plouffe told volunteers in the Northern and Southern California OFA offices.
Plouffe explained that the President needs you to reach out to first-time ‘08 voters and tell them in your own words why this election matters.
Plouffe’s honest and candid speech to the Oakland office on the magnitude of the 2010 midterm election spoke volumes about his belief in OFA volunteers’ ability to affect lasting positive change. Plouffe made it clear to those in the room in Los Angeles and Oakland that by turning out the same first-time voters who carried President Obama to a historic 2008 victory, and turning out new first-time voters for 2010, OFA can once again make history in the upcoming midterm elections.
"It was those 15 million first-time voters that allowed us to win in 2008. We have to go out there and tell them that this election matters," Plouffe passionately implored the Oakland group to a round of applause. "We have to go out there and make sure that all those first-time voters go to the polls in 2010."
Plouffe was excited about Cheap Cialis the growth that OFA has seen ever since the 2008 elections. He pointed our that the organization's ability to affect policy in the last two years is remarkable, and is breaking new ground in citizens’ ability to access their government....
Plouffe pointed out that although no one has ever tried to rely so heavily on volunteers and grassroots organizing for a midterm election before, no one else has the level of grassroots support and dedication that OFA does. After letting those words sink and pausing to survey the crowd of volunteers hanging on his every word, Plouffe said frankly, "This year, my money is on you guys."
President Obama on the Republican Economic Agenda: “The same policies that led us into this recession”
Last week the Republican leader in the House offered his own jobs plan—a plan Talking Points Memo described as "Do Nothing":
House Minority Leader John Boehner outlined the top three measures he'd pursue if he becomes Speaker of the House next Congress to create new jobs. But, those who thought he'd outline specific programs and how they would create jobs were disappointed with a familiar litany of wish-list items: repeal health care reform, eschew climate legislation, and renew the Bush tax cuts.
In other words, repeal a program that largely hasn't yet taken effect; prevent new legislation that is also not in effect; and keep a current tax structure in place.
In this week's address, President Obama challenged Republicans to embrace new ideas to create jobs instead of bringing back the failed policies of the past:
“These are not new ideas. They are the same policies that led us into this recession. They will not create jobs, they will kill them. They will not reduce our deficit, they will add $1 trillion to our deficit. They will take us backward at a time when we need to keep America moving forward.
“I know times are tough. I know that the progress we’ve made isn’t good enough for the millions of Americans who are still out of work or struggling to Provigil online No prescription pay the bills. But I also know the character of this nation. I know that in times of great challenge and difficulty, we don’t fear the future – we shape the future. We harness the skills and ingenuity of the most dynamic country on Earth to reach a better day. We do it with optimism, and we do it with confidence. That’s the spirit we need right now, and that’s the future I know we can build together.”
President Obama to Netroots: “Change is hard. But we’ve shown that change is possible.”
As a presidential candidate in 2007, Barack Obama first spoke to the gathering of bloggers, organizers, and grassroots activists known as Netroots Nation during their annual conference in Chicago. Over the weekend, the President again addressed this year’s Netroots Nation in Las Vegas, this time with a video message. Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed the crowd first and then introduced the President's video:
The President emphasized that while for many—himself included—change hasn’t come fast enough, we have made great progress amidst challenging times. From passing health reform and Wall Street reform to working to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and wind down the war in Iraq, these are changes that are making our country into the kind of place we want it to be.
And with November’s elections only a few months away, the President asked everyone to keep up the fight so that we can continue to move forward:
“We’ve begun to deliver on the change you fought for — and we’re not done....
We’re moving America forward, and when Provigil pharmacy we’ve come so far, we can’t afford to slide backward. That’s the choice America faces this November. Going back to failed policies that got us into this mess, or moving forward with policies that are leading us out....“Keep making your voices heard, keep holding me accountable, keep up the fight. Change is hard. But if we’ve learned anything these past eighteen months, change is possible.”
Morning News: Vote 2010 Going Strong in Pennsylvania
For several months now, OFA Order Generic Accutane Online without Prescription volunteers have been making calls, going door to door, and registering voters to gear up for this November’s elections.
OFA Pennsylvania held more than 30 events across the state as part of the recent national Vote 2010 Day of Action. As we wrote last week, Congressional candidate Dr. Manan Trivedi joined OFA volunteers at a canvass in Phoenixville, and state Representative Bryan Lentz stopped by an event in Upper Darby to talk with volunteers as they registered voters in the area.
Organizing for America — Pennsylvania (OFA-PA) volunteers held voter registration drives across Pennsylvania on Saturday as part of the Democratic Party's 'VOTE 2010' campaign for the elections this fall. OFA-PA supporters registered voters at more than 30 events on Saturday, which included phone banks, door-to-door canvasses and tables set up at high traffic festivals and farmers markets.
The voter registration drives were part of the ongoing grassroots organizing efforts by OFA to engage new voters and reconnect with 2008 first time voters, Independents, and the core of the Democratic Party. They were held in conjunction with OFA's national voter registration "Day of Action," with more than 600 events nationally. In Pennsylvania, Dr. Manan Trivedi and State Representative Bryan Lentz joined OFA volunteers at the Phoenixville and Upper Darby events respectively.
"This November the American people face a clear choice. It is a choice between President Obama and Democrats in Congress who have worked tirelessly to create jobs and pull our economy back from the brink of disaster, or the Republicans who have decided to sit on the sidelines and play politics with peoples' lives," said OFA-PA Communications Director Kerri Axelrod. "This weekend's events highlight the grassroots work OFA volunteers are doing on a daily basis to make sure voters understand how important the elections are this fall."
100 Days
Today marks the 100 day point for the 2010 midterm elections. On November 2nd, every seat in the House of Representatives will be on the ballot, along with dozens of senate seats. President Obama Buy Cialis may not be on the ballot, but the stakes this year are just as high and the choice is just as stark -- a choice between moving forward with solutions to the problems our country faces, or going back to the politics that created those same problems.
As President Obama recently said in a message to OFA supporters, following the passage of Wall Street reform:
"We did not come together to pass one single piece of legislation. We are fighting for nothing less than a new foundation for our country -- and that work is not complete."
In 2008, grassroots supporters helped build the largest volunteer field organization in American politics, and in key states across the country, they defied the odds and helped make history. Two years later, the challenge is just a great.
For many volunteers and organizers, the work never stopped. First there was the long fight for health reform, then the shorter but just as important campaign for Wall Street reform. Now supporters are back at work registering new voters, reconnecting with 2008's voters, and building volunteer teams for the fall.
This year, the work of volunteers on the ground could be the difference in dozens of close races, and the outcome of those races could determine whether we continue moving forward, or begin to slip backward.
There are 100 days left before the November elections -- 100 days to make calls, to canvass, to talk to voters, to organize. One hundred days to make a difference.
100 Days
Today marks the 100 day point for the 2010 midterm elections. On November 2nd, every seat in the House of Representatives will be on the ballot, along with dozens of Senate seats. President Obama may not be on the ballot, but the stakes this year are just as high and the choice is just as stark—a choice between moving forward with solutions to the problems our country faces, or going back to the politics that created those same problems.
As President Obama recently said in a message to OFA supporters, following the passage of Wall Street reform:
"We did not come together to pass one single piece of legislation. We are fighting for nothing less than a new foundation for our country—and that work is not complete."
In 2008, grassroots supporters helped build the Order Generic Cialis Online without Prescription >largest volunteer field organization in American politics, and in key states across the country, they defied the odds and helped make history. Two years later, the challenge is just as great.
For many volunteers and organizers, the work never stopped. First there was the long fight for health reform, then the shorter but just as important campaign for Wall Street reform. Now supporters are back at work registering new voters, reconnecting with 2008's voters, and building volunteer teams for the fall.
This year, the work of volunteers on the ground could be the difference in dozens of close races, and the outcome of those races could determine whether we continue moving forward, or begin to slip backward.
There are 100 days left before the November elections—100 days to make calls, to canvass, to talk to voters, to organize. One hundred days to make a difference.
Student Loan Reform and You
The Act, which took effect on July 1, increases Pell Grants, limits student-loan repayments by income, and much more. Learn more about student loan reform at the Buy Accutane title="Huffington Post">Huffington Post.
President Obama Signs Unemployment Benefits Extension for 2.5 Million Americans
President Obama signed the unemployment benefits extension into law tonight, delivering badly-needed help for Americans who have lost their job in the recession.
Today’s good news comes after weeks of obstruction by Republicans, who decided to put political game playing ahead of doing the right thing to help those in need. President Obama had called on the GOP to put these folks before partisan tactics, and last night the Senate finally overcame the Republican filibuster.
Upon signing the bill the President also called on Congress to take action and pass aid to states and support for small businesses:
"Today, I signed the unemployment insurance extension to restore desperately needed assistance to two and a half million Americans who lost their jobs in the recession. After a partisan minority used procedural tactics to block the authorization of this assistance three separate times over the past weeks, Americans who are fighting to find a good job and support their families will finally get the support they need to get back on their feet Buy cheap online Provigil during these tough economic times. Now it’s time for Congress to act on more proposals that support our economic recovery, including passing critical aid to our states and support to small businesses. Small businesses are the engine of job growth, and measures to cut their taxes and make lending available should not be held hostage to partisan tactics like those that unconscionably held up unemployment insurance."
Today's benefits extension brings relief to folks who had gone without assistance for up to seven weeks, who could begin receiving retroactive assistance as early as next week.
Morning News: ‘South L.A. Obama Activists Target November Mid-terms’
The heart of Organizing for America is our volunteers—some of whom spend around 20 hours a week as community organizers working alongside OFA staff in their states. Sandi Cook is one such OFA community organizer in South Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Wave reported on how folks like Sandi are working to build grassroots momentum for candidates who support President Obama leading up to this year’s elections:
With less than four months to go before the crucial mid-term congressional elections — essentially a half-term report card on the performance of Barack Obama — Democratic activists in South Los Angeles are looking to mobilize the kind of grassroots army that helped elect the nation’s first Black president.
Organizing for America (OFA), the network that succeeded Obama for America, has been engaged in a full-on effort to prove many of the political pundits wrong...
Meanwhile, organizers are hoping that Sandi Cook — a 49-year-old health insurance sales representative born and bred in the Crenshaw District — is the kind of centrifugal force that is being overlooked by purveyors of the conventional wisdom.
An OFA community organizer for Congressional District 33, Cook commits more than 25 volunteer hours a week to the cause.
She leads five active field teams, each consisting of a neighborhood team leader, a data coordinator, a volunteer coordinator and an event coordinator.
On Saturday, Cook set up her table for a voter registration drive at the Cherrywood/Leimert Block Club barbecue, which had a couple of well-known political visitors pass by, including 10th District City Councilman Herb Wesson and L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas.
She was joined later in the afternoon by her de facto boss, Philip H. Gaskin, the regional field director for South Los Angeles, himself a former community organizer.
“OFA is now president Obama’s national volunteer grassroots field team,” he said. “It’s the first-ever grassroots field team for a president. That’s historic and I’m sure it’s a model other presidents will try to duplicate. We’re in all 50 states and have teams in all 435 congressional districts.”
Cook spelled out their task. “The mission of OFA is to support the president and his agenda,” said Cook. “So that’s what we are doing, we know how important it is for people to vote [in this election]. At the beginning of the year, we have been … organizing nationwide, especially in California.
“There’s still a lot of support, but we need to build our capacity and reach out to people. This kind of work is grassroots; it’s neighborhood by neighborhood, door to door.”
Cheap Accutane >Read the full article.
Senate Approves Extension for Unemployment Benefits—Despite GOP Delay
The good news is that the Senate this evening cast its final vote to approve extending unemployment benefits for millions of out-of-work Americans. We’re now one step closer to helping those hit hardest by this recession get the assistance they need to get back on their feet.
But the vote happened despite an extra day of obstruction by the GOP—who had already spent several weeks blocking the benefits extension from moving forward. Republicans stalled throughout the day by filing motions to delay the vote, increasing the amount of time before out-of-work Americans will see their benefits resume.
Ezra Klein called it particularly “cruel” for Republicans to hold up the vote as they did once it became clear yesterday the vote had the support to pass. Not to mention the time it’s taking from accomplishing real business: Buy cheap Accutane Online “The more floor time Republicans can chew up in procedural maneuvers like this one, the less time there is for Democrats to actually accomplish things,” writes Klein.
Next, the extension will go for a vote in the House before heading to President Obama’s desk.