Jul 6, 2012 by whitehouse
Welcome to the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that’s happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, the President traveled to Colorado Springs to survey fire damage and honor responders, he also celebrated Independence day with a Naturalization Ceremony at the White House and a picnic for military families on the South Lawn. That’s June 29th to July 5th or “The Freedom Everybody is Looking for.”
Five years ago today, a few thousand of us gathered in Springfield, Illinois, to launch an improbable campaign for President.
The task was to build a grassroots movement capable of making the kind of change we believe in.
You’ve got to see this video about that journey — it will make you smile:
From the very start this has been an experiment in our political process, testing whether ordinary people really can still come together to change this country.
We proved that it’s possible. But we’ve also learned that entrenched interests adapt and claw back even harder, which means this election will be even more of a challenge.
I can’t wait to see what you can do.
Barack
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More than 1 million people like you power this campaign. If you can, please donate today.
Four years ago today, I joined my Uncle Teddy and thousands of excited students at American University to endorse Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.
Barack Obama had stirred something in young people and the young at heart. I saw the passion in my own teenage children, and I heard it from a different generation of people who said they felt like they did when my father ran for president.
We felt strongly that we needed to elect a president who urged us to believe in ourselves, who could tie that belief to our highest ideals, and who understood that together we can do great things.
Four years later, as I think about what first inspired me to support Barack Obama, I’m proud we have a president who has fought hard for the values Teddy held dear, and stood up on issues that matter.
Will you join me by saying what first inspired you to stand with Barack Obama?
http://my.barackobama.com/Teddy
Teddy understood that the challenges of health care aren’t political — they are personal. That’s why he fought for 40 years to make health care a right and not a privilege for American families.
How proud he would have been to see his candidate sign the Affordable Care Act into law as president, giving all Americans the security of knowing that their health care will be there when they need it most.
In his speech four years ago today, Teddy reminded us all of that bright light of hope and possibility that shines even in the darkest hours. He knew that with Barack Obama as president, America would shine again. I don’t think he would be surprised to know that four years later, this president would have ended the war in Iraq, repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and guaranteed women the right to equal pay for equal work.
The 2012 election will be harder than the last. As you think about what role you can play this time, I want you to remember that when Teddy joined this campaign, it wasn’t just Barack Obama who drew him in.
It was you.
The possibility of a campaign run by ordinary people determined to change our country for the better and willing to work as hard as necessary inspired him then, and it’s what inspires me today.
Thanks for all you do.
I’ll see you out there,
P.S. — If you’d like to take some time to watch that speech, it’s here.
We’ve talked a lot about super PACs, other outside groups, and the hundreds of millions of dollars they’re going to spend attacking us.
It’s started.
Right now, the outside group Americans for Prosperity is pouring millions of dollars into a false ad trying to tear down President Obama’s record.
We’re not going to react every single time an unaccountable outside group decides to trash the President on TV. But this one gave us the opportunity to show exactly how much the President has done for energy in this country: increasing domestic production — including renewable energy sources — across the board, saving consumers money, and decreasing our dependence on foreign oil.
See both ads for yourself. Then, if you can, chip in $5 or more to help us fight back.
It wasn’t part of our plan to run a big ad in January of 2012, but this is the new reality we’re operating in.
They’re relying on a handful of millionaires — we’re relying on you.
Please pitch in to help us fight back today:
Thanks,
Messina
Jim Messina Campaign Manager Obama for America
Be a Seed for Change 
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