Sep 25, 2012 by whitehouse
In remarks to the UN General Assembly, President Obama discusses a vision of leadership that protects our people and promotes our values around the world, and makes a powerful case for the world to come together to reject extremism and advance our common interests. September 25, 2012.
If you think your $5 isn’t enough to make a difference in this campaign, take a minute to read the letter below — it’s officially gone viral among campaign staff (with the sender’s permission).
The most powerful thing about making a donation is that you’re joining more than 3 million other Americans who believe ordinary people should decide this election.
It adds up. And it depends on each of us doing our part:
https://donate.barackobama.com/Sandy
Thanks,
Jeremy
Jeremy Bird
National Field Director
Obama for America
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Dear President Obama,
I’m writing to tell you about the $15 my family just donated to your 2012 campaign.
It was $15. That’s really all we could give.
My husband Steve is currently a student at Temple University. Since starting his degree, three years ago, we’ve been living considerably below the poverty level (I keep forgetting which percent … does it matter?). But we aren’t complaining. Two healthy daughters; dusty, well-travelled backpacks in the basement; a house full of memories — a future full of hope. We’re the lucky ones.
So — we’re currently “poor on money — rich in life” (as we like to say). It hasn’t always been like this. My husband spent most of his life doing what he loved — playing or coaching basketball. Born in SE Iowa, he was an Academic All-American and once-upon-two-good-knees-ago, the “local town hero” of his small town — after bringing home the State Championship during high school, followed by NJCAA National Championship years later as a coach. He’s a big a fan of yours by the way … as a player, father and president … not necessarily in that order.
But this really wasn’t supposed to be a letter about him.
It’s about this year’s campaign. It’s about wanting to say that $15 means something these days and deserves a moment of pause (and some words on paper) for this girl and her family of Obama fans.
— $15 is a special pizza dinner at our local pizza stop (Poppi’s in Wynnewood).
— It’s 1 1/2 tickets to see the newest film at the old-school cinema we walk our daughters to.
— It’s getting fresh fruit, instead of frozen; fresh veg, instead of canned.
— It’s tickets to the Franklin Institute in the heart of Philly. (We’ve never been.)
It’s all these things to a family like ours.
I’ve listened with curiosity, mostly frustration, as the nation debates Citizens’ United and the string of new laws that now allow the bellowing voices of private interest to drown out the sounds of tiny voices (like ours/mine). Our pebble-in-the-ocean support feels almost pointless. “Leave the campaigns to the rich,” I think to myself, “Get your daughters a pizza instead.”
But I refuse to allow new laws to stop us/me from being A PART of this campaign. After all, I will never be a “player” (in the political sense), but I still want to believe I can play a part.
Then, out of the blue, there you are — shooting a jumpshot on my (Facebook) wall — and asking for “players” to join you on your home court. I had to smile, and then I couldn’t resist. And so, I have relinquished those $15.
Please know that they count. To us. Please stay in Washington. Do, in this second term, what you were not assisted/supported to do during your first term. Get this country moving/working/hoping again.
Please continue being a champion for the middle class — I’m hoping the next pizza will be on you.
Wishes to your brave wife and beautiful daughters from another brave wife with two beautiful daughters.
All good things,
Sandy & Family, PA
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More than 3 million people like you power this campaign. If you can, please donate today.
Thanks,
Jeremy
Jeremy Bird
National Field Director
Obama for America
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The flood of corporate and special interest money pouring into our elections is corrupting American democracy to the breaking point, but we have a powerful opportunity to begin to take our democracy back if we act in the next 48 hours.
Since the Supreme Court’s radical 2010 Citizens United ruling gutted most legal limits on what billionaires and corporations can spend on influencing our elections, so-called “SuperPACs” have raised more than $300 million from a tiny group of super wealthy donors. With this money, Big Oil can block efforts to fight climate change, Wall Street can block fair taxation and defense lobbyists can rev up the war machine — even when the public is opposed. The threat to good government is existential — yet the candidates are barely talking about it. We can change that by making sure big money in politics and the need for a Constitutional Amendment to fix the problem is a central topic in the first presidential debate.
PBS’s Jim Lehrer will moderate the debate — and his staff told Avaaz that if we petition for him to ask a question on this issue, they’ll present it to him this Friday, along with how many people signed. So let’s build a massive call — sign below and share with everyone you know:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/us_election_debate_i_full_us_list/?biEWLbb&v=18232
Just one man, Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, has already vowed to spend more than $100 million dollars supporting Mitt Romney’s candidacy. Adelson is a savvy investor — a new analysis shows he stands to win back more than $2 billion in tax breaks if Romney ends up in the White House. But the problem affects both parties. The system is broken and most Americans know it: in poll after poll, a supermajority of Americans of all political persuasions say they want common sense limits put on what the super-rich can spend on our elections.
Centuries ago, America’s founders designed a way for us to put this genie back in the bottle, a way for us to amend what’s broken: by reversing the Supreme Court decisions that created this mess with a Constitutional Amendment. Some argue that an amendment is too hard to achieve, but organizing for an Amendment is a powerful tool in itself which forces candidates to stake out a position on this issue for voters to judge and can serve as leverage for other reforms like transparency and public financing, which are also needed. That’s why calls for an Amendment are gaining steam – several versions have already been introduced in Congress and President Obama recently offered support for the idea.
Jim Lehrer is no dummy: he knows that few issues are more worthy of debate than big money and corruption in government. But the campaigns will be pushing for softball questions, so it’s our job to remind Lehrer that the purpose of these debates is to force candidates to address the issues that matter to us, on the record and unscripted. Sign now and forward this to others:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/us_election_debate_i_full_us_list/?biEWLbb&v=18232
Around the world Avaaz members have come together by the millions to challenge government corruption and pay to play politics. With our fragile democracy in the US now at risk of being taken over completely by the 1%, it’s time to fight back. That’s why we’re launching Elections not Auctions, an Avaaz project to stem the flow of unlimited money into our democracy. They have the money, but we have the power.
With hope and determination and fighting spirit,
Ian, Joseph, Morgan, Dalia, David and the entire Avaaz team
SOURCES
Poll: Americans largely in favor of campaign spending limitations (LA Times / AP)
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-poll-citizens-united-20120916,0,7468934.story
Right-Wing Billionaires Behind Mitt Romney (Rolling Stone)
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/right-wing-billionaires-behind-mitt-romney-20120524
Obama Grows More Reliant on Big-Money Contributors (NYT)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/us/politics/obama-grows-more-reliant-on-big-money-contributors.html?pagewanted=all
Jim Lehrer to moderate DU presidential debate Oct. 3 (The Denver Post)
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_21301449/jim-lehrer-moderate-du-presidential-debate-oct-3
Obama, on Reddit, proposed overturning Citizens United (LA Times)
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-president-obama-reddit-ama-20120829,0,7159605.story
National Survey: Super PACs, Corruption, and Democracy (Brennan Center)
http://www.brennancenter.org/content/resource/national_survey_super_pacs_corruption_and_democracy/
How One Mega-Donor Could Save $2.3 Billion Under Romney’s Tax Plan (Think Progress)
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/09/11/825851/romney-adelson-taxes-billionaire
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