Tag Archives: President of the United States

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

the 2012 election: our grassroots fundraising program…Julianna Smoot, BarackObama.com


Today we’re launching something that could change the 2012 election: our grassroots fundraising program.

Because you’re one of this campaign’s earliest supporters, we’re counting on you to be a part of it.

Other campaigns rely on powerful special interests to grow, but we’ve rejected that top-down model from the very beginning.

Grassroots fundraising opens up the process of building this campaign to anyone who wants to take the reins, putting the power in the hands of supporters like you who have already chipped in to own a piece of it.

All you have to do to get started is to sign up for your own personal page. You can get creative and customize it however you’d like — from setting a goal for yourself to uploading a photo and telling the story of why you’re getting involved. Then you’re all set to start inspiring people in your networks to step up and support the President.

By the end of the day today, thousands of people will join the first class of 2012 grassroots fundraisers, and I think you should be one of them.

www.barackobama.com

As a 2012 grassroots fundraiser, you can recruit five new supporters or 500. Either way, the people you bring into this campaign will continue to grow it themselves, and wouldn’t be taking that step without you.

If it sounds familiar to you, it’s because that’s the basis of all of our organizing — one supporter reaching out to the next, who reaches out to two more. Before you know it, you’re no longer just a handful of people doing their best to re-elect the President. You’ve helped build a movement.

The people on the other side of the aisle have shown they believe in a very different kind of politics. So much of their strategies involve taking advantage of new ways to get around campaign finance restrictions — even allowing special interests to pool unlimited sums of money from corporations to try to influence the election for Republicans.

We’re better than that. We’re empowering everyday supporters to build this campaign themselves.

In one month, we’ll close the books on this fundraising quarter — and we’ll show that our grassroots network can go toe to toe with anyone.

But that starts with you. Sign up today:

www.barackobama.com

can’t wait to see what you can do.

Thanks,

Julianna

Julianna Smoot
Deputy Campaign Manager
Obama for America

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell UW: Cut the contract with human rights abuser


Can you imagine handing millions of dollars to a corporation charged with everything from racial discrimination and poverty wage rates to union busting and price gouging?

Neither can the students of the University of Washington.

That’s why they started a campaign to urge UW President Phyllis Wise to cut the university’s contract with food service provider Sodexo, an international human rights abuser. Click here to sign their petition.

http://www.change.org/petitions/stand-with-40-uwashington-students-who-were-arrested?utm_source=action_alert&utm_medium=email&alert_id=iJpiuKFvCW_TyRIWBJMSA

The world’s 22nd largest employer, Sodexo has a record of human rights violations that has been condemned by the National Labor Relations Board and Human Rights Watch. In the last decade alone, they’ve been accused of:

•Failing to provide safety equipment required by Colombian law, such as hardhats, to workers at their Carbones de la Jagua coal mine.

•Segregating Guinean employees, including managers, from European and other non-Guinean staff during meals at an iron mine in Simandou.

•Paying U.S. workers such low wages that they qualify for federal anti-poverty programs and denying requests for overtime.

•Intimidating—and retaliating against—workers in the U.S., Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Morocco in response to attempts to unionize.

What’s more, Sodexo has a nasty habit of cheating clients. One Sodexo scheme to squeeze extra cash from New York’s public institutions resulted in a lawsuit and a $20 million settlement.

Yet President Wise isn’t budging.

Over the past seven months, UW students have led protests, delivered letters, and met with administration officials in an effort to prevent their tuition dollars from flowing into Sodexo’s deep pockets.

Rather than engaging with students, UW officials are throwing up barriers to dialogue.

In fact, UW officials chose to arrest 40 students attending sit-ins rather than talk to them.

UW students need public support to break the gridlock.

To stand with Washington students and pressure President Wise to cut UW’s contract with Sodexo, sign here:

~ my 2cents ...

Monday mashup … &some News


It’s Monday, cold and though it feels like autumn, again last week was a damn good week not only for the President but also for We the People; nothing even remotely feels like Armageddon as suggested by that old man I refuse to name here. The President is in Ireland and not only visiting his ancestry town like “the media” would like the viewers to believe but to make sure the people of Ireland and Europe know that he and Americans definitely are partners in Peace. The President will also be in the UK and will visit the Queen as well as affirm the partnership there too.

Living on the left coast does not protect us from mother nature but what has been happening in the mid, east and gulf coast is hard to watch even giving to the Red Cross just does not seem like enough. I have to say anyone living there has to think about what your Republican Governors wanted to do for the last 3.5yrs and that is to get rid of FEMA, Tornado, and Volcano alert systems. I say this among other poor if not bad policies needs to be taken seriously when as we all know is the worse tornado season ever. I want you all to think about what your neighborhoods would look like and what you personally would be going through without help from the government unless you can pay for the services or if you are able to take care of yourself like ron paul offers up as the way things should be. Yes, the weather here is odd and while it has been raining the wind blowing our weather has not been as unpredictable as the east coast and that is Mother Nature, different regions have different types of weather we accept that unlike the Republican Tea Party. The Political Party of NO is also unpredictable and not in a good way. I say our government on both sides of the aisle should work for all Americans no matter what race, creed religion etc. but they have done anything but act for We the People. It has taken some way too long to find out they had a plan, that Pledge to America was in my opinion a document of lies by crooks who intend to privatize everything that is not nailed down by the rule of law or that Congress can deal with. The Republican Party continues to do everything they can to stop change. They continue to stop All Americans trying to move into the 21st Century with an opportunity for good health, to stop being denied or be discriminated against, to have relief because your student will be covered under your insurance until the age of 26; the right has said this is a welfare program… College is not cheap; people lose everything in some cases from having to pay out of the nose because of the lack of good health care coverage or no coverage at all; small businesses will be able to get tax credits for hiring and maybe afford to provide health care too.

Oh yeah, to the Republican Tea Party equality, health care and respect for all are bad ideas even novel … wonder why no one else thought about or tried to improve the lives of Americans … oh wait; Presidents in the past have tried but no one was able to until now. The HCR bill is not perfect but can and will be adjusted over the next few years.

It’s time re-enforce the ideology of the Democratic Party. The new law of the land is just a beginning of change we can all believe in. It’s change that is also the beginning of what 53% heard, listened and voted for. We not only will expect it to continue We The People must participate in keeping this change happening by calling when we need to push Democrats to push forward into the 21st Century, sign Petitions to show the numbers that continue to support climate change, stop out-sourcing, education, energy and green jobs for all projects.

The change we voted for will not come easy and President cannot do it alone. It is a moment in which we in the Democratic Party need to rise up, voice our opinion, and shut down the negative noise of Republican members of Congress. Remind Republican Governors that they have definitely made a mistake that will result in a big come back for the Democratic Party who will govern for all Americans not just a select few.

Other News …

90 Dead in Joplin Missouri After Deadliest American Tornado in 60 Years

Five ways Moneygall is welcoming Obama ‘home’ to Ireland

Justices Order California to Shed 30000 Prisoners

Iceland Set to Reopen Airports

Scott Brown won’t back GOP Medicare overhaul

Gingrich: I’m not a ‘Washington figure’

 

Dollar hits 2-month high against euro

Some Dentists Reluctant to Treat Kids on Medicaid: Study

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF &some News …


Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Chanllenger Space Shuttle tradgedy with thoughts of the families of our 7 Astronauts.

It has been a couple of days, The President and his SOTU address is all over the air-waves and as talking heads debate, interpret and beat down the ” WintheFuture. “ plan. It was odd to hear that the President’s “WintheFuture” plan was leaked but can imagine that the numerous right of center reporters were excited and ready to write their articles to disapprove of the President’s plan way before he gave the SOTU address let alone “WintheFuture and while Sarah Palin took a swipe at it she also made herself look less than Presidential material.

The Plan, “WintheFuture” did not stray too far away from his original statements in 2009 in my opinion but it did include an obvious roadmap at what needs to get done and how to get it done. The reports are that polls taken after the SOTU were great with Cnn reports 84% felt the SOTU was positive, 52% were very positive and CBS reported that 91% agreed to and liked the President’s proposals.  We the People need to push shove and the most important would be to call our Congress to move “WintheFuture” through so issues like abortion can be dealt with and the Dream Act, education, energy, and climate change can be more than just possible laws but realities. However, the Republican Tea Party managed to waste time for 2 years and continues to in hope for enough negative outcomes, negative responses by tea partiers, comrades and voters trying to make Obama fail in 2012. 

It is entirely possible that Republicans are not reading or listening to the news and or Polls because they definitely are not giving credit and or respect to the American people’s ability to ferret out the slight of hand these folks are engaging in. It is encouraging to see that more and more Americans like the new Health Care Law though if you spoke to Republicans they seem stuck in their midterm election win and not the change of attitude by even their own constituents. It is obvious the HoneyMoon is over but will the Republican Tea Party is it and accept they have gone to far right of center.

 I still feel the house of Bush and Republicans are completely responsible for the state of our economy. Apparently, people like Glenn beck got it; some Conservatives seem to be avoiding or walking away from Bush, stating that big spending big government happened, but if we get back into office, we will not do it again but the fact is they keep saying they want to go back to 2006 so the lesson was obviously not learned. 

 I have been listening to both sides since the midterm election and have heard nothing-different coming out of the mouths of Republicans, Conservatives and or the tea party movement that sounds anything different from the Bush Administration. We the People need to call our Members of Congress and ask; whose side are you on because 53% voted this President in and knew exactly what we were doing but the Republican Tea Party definitely are not listening because it would interupt their move to PRIVATIZE everything. Americans, over half voted for change we can believe in. I for one would love it if the Republican Tea Party stopped holding up our President’s ability to govern, stop being Obstructionists that have now defined who and what Republicans stand for. 

The Democratic Political Party needs to come together… negotiate, support and pass the issues our President campaigned on. We pay Congress to create, make and pass laws. There were a lot of folks left of center who seemed at odds with President Obama before the midterms and threatened to hold their votes hostage if he did not do as they wanted whiched seemed awfully childish to me and the other push was for President Obama to use his pen of power to get things done. In my opinion the push toward getting the President to use Executive Order to get things done is not in our best interest because it would make the law subject to being repealed way too easily. I also feel that having Congress do what we all pay them for is just plain ole common sense.

my take

Other News …

**Tea Parties first caucus recruits about 4 people …those who called themselves tea party members did not show up …hmmmm interesting for constituents to think about

**25th Anniversary ceremony at Kennedy Space Center

**Egyptians defy police and protest

**Rahm’s Mayorial campaign continues

**GDP growth up 3.2% falls short in 4th qtr tho it still is an indication of economic growth

**Nelson Mandela is released from Hospital

**Funeral for Ugandan gay activist,David Kato was held:and FYI: Uganda’s Rolling Stone is reported as having published names of several people saying they were gay with the headline “Hang them”

** Egypt: Nobel Peace Winner is under house arrest

**Seattle, City Officials have backed off from raising parking rates up to 4dollars an hr due to substantial complaints-though free parking is still after 8pm instead of the old 6pm time

**Arizona: a bid to block citizenship for illegal immigrants “anchor babies” -Lawmakers in AZ and some other States are challenging the 14th Amendment … AGAIN

CSPAN …

Press Secretary Robert Gibbs conducts a daily briefing at the White Houss:  http://c-span.com/Events/White-House-Briefing-with-Press-Secretary-Robert-Gibbs/10737419201/

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Philip Crowley conducts a daily briefing at the State Department. http://c-span.com/Events/State-Department-Press-Briefing/10737419203/

A number of Senators debated Senate Resolution 10, which would change Senate rules on considering legislation. It would change how filibusters are conducted and require a Senator’s name to be made public if they put a hold on a bill. It would also change rules for offering amendments. http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-Floor-Debate-on-Procedural-Changes/10737419227/

Commander Charles Benson, U.S. Marine Corps psychiatrist, deputy surgeon and director of the Concussion Restoration Care Center at Camp Leatherneck conducted a briefing at the Pentagon on combat stress and concussion care of troops in Afghanistan. http://c-span.com/Events/Defense-Department-Briefing-on-Combat-Stress-amp-Concussion-Care/10737419202/

This morning, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission (FCIC) released a report on the causes of the 2008 financial and economic crisis. At the event, the Commission is delivering the results of its inquiry and its conclusions as to the causes of the crisis based on this inquiry. http://c-span.com/Events/FCIC39s-Report-on-Causes-of-2008-Economic-Crisis/10737419171/

CBO:2011-2021 forecast: The agency charged with reviewing congressional budgets unveiled it’s annual economic forecast for the federal government’s 2011 fiscal year. The new estimate predicts the federal deficit will reach almost $1.5 trillion in 2011. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Doug Elmendorf appeared before The Senate Budget Committee today to detail the latest CBO report and participated in a question and answer session with lawmakers.  http://c-span.com/Events/CBO39s-2011-2021-Forecast-Detailed-in-Hearing/10737419170/   

The Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing to investigate how Boeing and EADS received sensitive information about each other through an Air Force clerical error. Both companies are competing for a $50 billion contract to replace the Air Force’s aging refueling airplanes. The error gave both companies access to each other’s intellectual property which could have serious consequences for the bidding competition. A contract announcement could come as early as February. http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-Armed-Services-Cmte-Hearing-on-KC-X-Competition/10737419204/

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, French President Nicolas Sarkozy defended the euro and said France and Germany would never let the currency fail. He also outlined the economic and financial priorities of the G20. France will chair both the G8 and G20 summits this year.  http://c-span.com/Events/French-Pres-Nicolas-Sarkozy-Remarks-at-World-Economic-Forum/10737419205/

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

CARE was able to provide food assistance and poverty relief, empowerment and dignity to millions of people last year.


 

Thanks to our supporters, CARE was able to provide food assistance and poverty relief, empowerment and dignity to millions of people last year. This outpouring of support helped women and girls go to school, survive pregnancy and childbirth, build small businesses to increase their household income — and so much more.

When women get the tools, training and resources they need, they are empowered to improve their lives, their families and their communities. That’s why I’m grateful that so many people support CARE.

Families and communities have urgent needs that go far beyond the challenges of today, this week or this month. I’d like to ask if you will help provide the ongoing resources we need to carry out our work around the world by making a regular monthly donation of $15. It’s easy to sign up and you can change the amount of your gift at any time.

Yes, I can make a regular monthly gift of $15 to CARE’s work with poor women and girls around the world.

No, I can’t at this time.

With your monthly donation, you’ll become a Partner for Change, a special group of CARE supporters who help sustain our community-based efforts to create a better future for all. You truly become a partner in our work, as you provide the steady funding that’s needed to implement and expand CARE’s innovative and effective solutions.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH

President and CEO, CARE