Sen. Barack Obama is the most inspiring public leader in America. He has a bold vision to help the middle class and restore America's prestige in the world. Join this grassroots effort to support Sen. Obama's historic and uplifting campaign for president. Keep hope alive! Obama '08!
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- Make a Secure Contribution Directly to the Campaign. Show some Texas-sized love!
President Obama unveiled today a bold new plan to increase auto fuel efficiency. This will reduce our dependency on foreign oil and help our environment. Obama's delivering real results and creating change we can believe in!
Today's news is welcome after eight long years of the Bush/Cheney era, but we must keep pressing forward. In order to pass Obama's full agenda, we need to elect more Democratic Senators who won't filibuster Obama's call for change.
Here in our own backyard, Texas Democrats have a unique opportunity to win the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Houston Mayor Bill White is a nationally recognized leader on alternative energy, and he's announced his candidacy as a Democrat for this Senate seat. Tonight, he'll be at Scholz Garten to answer your questions about his policy proposals. This is an important race with national implications, so we look forward to seeing you at Scholz Garten.
Texans for Obama May Meetup Featuring Mayor Bill White
Tuesday, May 19
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
Free Admission
RSVP on Facebook
Thanks for everything you did to help elect Barack Obama. Now let's continue the momentum and elect a Texas Senator who will support Obama's agenda.
Our next monthly meetup is scheduled for June 16. The special guest will be John Sharp, another great Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. Fired up and ready to go!
It's exciting that Organzing for America is investing real resources into Texas. We worked hard in 2007 and 2008 to build a strong grassroots network, and now it's time to keep the momentum going.
Join us tonight to learn more about the future of the Obama movement and offer your suggestions. Fired up and ready go!
Meet Luke Hayes Texas Director of OFA
Tuesday, May 5
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Victory Grill
1104 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78702
RSVP on Facebook
A dozen years ago, a little-known schoolteacher shocked the state's political establishment by winning the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination while driving the state in a little white pickup truck.
Luke Hayes isn't running for office. But like Victor Morales before him, he has been driving around Texas lately in a white pickup as part of a national effort to keep Democrats energized after last year's presidential race.
Hayes, 25, is the recently arrived state director of Organizing for America, a political committee overseen by the Democratic National Committee. He's among directors placed by the DNC in 20 states, ranging from Democrat-leaning bastions such as California to GOP strongholds such as Alaska and Texas, which probably hasn't had anything close to a national political operative assigned to fanning grass-roots support for a Democratic president's policies since at least Lyndon Johnson's era.
The directors have been holding "listening tour" events focused on fueling grass-roots support for the Obama administration. And Hayes is penciled in to host his second Austin stop at 6 p.m. today at the Victory Grill.
Natalie Wyeth, the committee's spokeswoman, said: "We're also asking supporters and people new to the effort for their ideas on how we can best organize around the president's agenda in their community. The 'bottom up' philosophy served us quite well during the campaign."
President Obama has encouraged us to get involved on the local level and make a difference in our communities. On that note, early voting begins this week in the Austin City Council races. The deadline to vote early is Tuesday, May 5.
Texans for Obama does not make endorsements in local races, but we're happy to share relevant information from other local organizations. Please do your homework and make your voice heard!
(Attention campaigns: If there are any needed additions or edits to this list, please contact us at texansforobama@gmail.com.)
* Austin Board of Realtors
* Building Owners & Managers Association
* ChangeAustin.org
* Hilltop Views, St. Edwards University Student Paper
* NOKOA The Observer
* Small Business Group
* Villager Newspaper
* Austin Chronicle
* Austin Firefighters Association
* Austin Lesbian / Gay Political Caucus
* Austin Neighborhoods Council
* Austin Police Association
* Austin Progressive Coalition
* Austin Sierra Club
* Austin Tejano Democrats
* Austin Women's Political Caucus
* Austin / Travis County EMS Employees Association
* Better Austin Today PAC
* Black Austin Democrats
* Burnt Orange Report
* Capital Area Asian American Democrats
* Capital Area Progressive Democrats
* Capital City Young Democrats
* Central Austin Democrats
* Central Labor Council
* Circle C Area Democrats
* Clean Water Action / Texas Vote Environment
* College Democrats of St. Edward's University
* Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
* Daily Texan
* League of Bicycle Voters
* Mexican American Democrats
* Northeast Travis County Democrats
* South Austin Democrats
* Southwest Austin Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association
* Travis County Sheriff's Officers Association
* University Democrats
* West Austin Democrats
* Austin American-Statesman
* Austin Apartment Association
* Austin Board of Realtors
* Austin Chronicle
* Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus
* Austin Police Association
* Austin Progressive Coalition
* Austin/Travis Co. EMS Employee Association
* Burnt Orange Report
* Capital Area Asian American Democrats
* Capital City Young Democrats
* Central Austin Democrats
* Circle C Area Democrats
* Daily Texan
* Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association
* League of Bicycling Voters
* NOKOA The Observer
* North by Northwest Democrats
* Northeast Travis County Democrats
* Sierra Club
* Small Business Group of Central Texas
* St. Edward's Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* University Democrats
* Villager Newspaper
* West Austin Democrats
* Austin Firefighters Association
* Austin Neighborhoods Council
* Austin Women's Political Caucus
* Better Austin Today
* Black Austin Democrats
* Capital Area Progressive Democrats
* Central Labor Council
* Mexican American Democrats
* North by Northwest Democrats
* PODER Pac
* South Austin Democrats
* South West Austin Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Tejano Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* Texas Hispanic Police Officer's Association
Mike Martinez:
* Austin Board of Realtors
* Building Owners & Managers Association
* Austin Chronicle
* Austin Firefighters Association
* Austin Lesbian / Gay Political Caucus
* Austin Neighborhoods Council
* Austin Police Association
* Austin Progressive Coalition
* Austin Sierra Club
* Austin Tejano Democrats
* Austin Women's Political Caucus
* Austin / Travis County EMS Employees Association
* Better Austin Today PAC
* Black Austin Democrats
* Burnt Orange Report
* Capital Area Asian American Democrats
* Capital Area Progressive Democrats
* Capital City Young Democrats
* Central Austin Democrats
* Central Labor Council
* ChangeAustin.org
* Circle C Area Democrats
* Clean Water Action / Texas Vote Environment
* College Democrats of St. Edward's University
* Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
* Daily Texan
* League of Bicycle Voters
* Northeast Travis County Democrats
* Small Business Group
* South Austin Democrats
* Southwest Austin Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association
* Travis County Sheriff's Officers Association
* University Democrats
* West Austin Democrats
* Austin American Statesman
* Austin Apartment Association
* Austin Board of Realtors
* Austin Chronicle
* Austin Firefighters Association
* Austin Lesbian/Gay Political Caucus
* Austin Neighborhoods Council
* Austin Police Association
* Austin Progressive Coalition
* Austin Tejano Democrats
* Austin/Travis Co. EMS Employees Association
* Austin Women's Political Caucus
* Better Austin Today PAC
* Black Austin Democrats
* Building Owners and Managers Association
* Burnt Orange Report
* Capital City Young Democrats
* Capital Area Progressive Democrats
* Central Austin Democrats
* Central Labor Council of Austin
* ChangeAustin.org
* Circle C Area Democrats
* Daily Texan
* League of Bicycling Voters
* Mexican American Democrats of Austin
* North by Northwest Democrats
* Sierra Club
* South Austin Democrats
* Southwest Austin Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* University Democrats
* West Austin Democrats
* Mexican American Democrats
* Southwest Austin Democrats
* Small Business Group
* ChangeAustin.Org
* Travis County Republican Liberty Caucus
* Texans For Accountable Government
* Austin Board of Realtors
* Building Owners & Managers Association
* Austin Chronicle
* Austin Firefighters Association
* Austin Lesbian / Gay Political Caucus
* Austin Police Association
* Austin Progressive Coalition
* Austin Sierra Club
* Austin Women's Political Caucus
* Austin / Travis County EMS Employees Association
* Black Austin Democrats
* Burnt Orange Report
* Capital Area Asian American Democrats
* Capital Area Progressive Democrats
* Capital City Young Democrats
* Central Austin Democrats
* Central Labor Council
* Circle C Area Democrats
* Clean Water Action / Texas Vote Environment
* College Democrats of St. Edward's University
* Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas
* Daily Texan
* League of Bicycle Voters
* Mexican American Democrats
* NOKOA The Observer
* Northeast Travis County Democrats
* South Austin Democrats
* Stonewall Democrats
* Texas Environmental Democrats
* Travis County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Association
* Travis County Sheriff's Officers Association
* Villager Newspaper
* West Austin Democrats
It's been a busy spring, and President Obama continues to fulfill his campaign promises.
Just yesterday, he signed legislation that triples the size of the AmeriCorps service program over the next eight years and expands ways for students to earn money for college. While Republicans want Obama to fail and have even criticized this important national service program, it's refreshing to finally have a Democrat in the White House who's willing to fight for change we can believe in.
Here in Texas, we have been inspired by Obama's call to national service. We recently got organized and went door-to-door to collect canned food for the Capital Area Food Bank. Our team collected over 3,000 pounds of food, and we're planning future service opportunities throughout the year.
Yes we can!
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ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA - LISTENING TOUR
Want to learn how to get more involved?
Our next volunteer meetup is scheduled for tomorrow evening, April 23rd. Normally, we meet every 3rd Tuesday, but this month, we're joining up with the official Organizing for America campaign. They've launched a statewide listening tour, and they'll be in Austin tomorrow evening at Scholz Garten.
It's exciting that OFA is investing real resources into Texas, so you're encouraged to come learn more about the future of the Obama movement and offer your suggestions.
OFA Listening Tour Featuring Luke Hayes, Texas Director of OFA
Thursday, April 23
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
RSVP on Facebook
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UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR
Next month, we'll return to our normal volunteer meetup schedule. (Every 3rd Tuesday at Scholz Garten at 6:00 p.m.)
You're invited to meet the two leading Democratic U.S. Senate candidates to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison when she steps down. Both Bill White and John Sharp are excellent candidates, and with your help, we can turn Texas blue!
The election date isn't yet certain, but most people believe that Sen. Hutchison will step down later this year to challenge Rick Perry in the 2010 gubernatorial race. This will present a unique opportunity for Texas Democrats to win a rare open U.S. Senate seat. The election is extremely important because it could provide Obama with the all-important 60th Senate vote to stop future Republican filibusters.
We need to stand up to Republican obstructionism so we can enact progressive legislation that helps improve people's lives. So come join us at one of our upcoming TFO meetups and get involved:
"TFO Meetup: Meet Bill White, Candidate for U.S. Senate" * Mayor of Houston
* 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
* Tuesday, May 19
* Scholz Garten
* RSVP on Facebook
"TFO Meetup: Meet John Sharp, Candidate for U.S. Senate" * Former Texas Comptroller
* 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
* Tuesday, June 16
* Scholz Garten
* RSVP on Facebook
If you'd like to get more involved on the local level and support your Democratic clubs, then please also consider attending these great events below.
"TCDP Reception: President Obama's 100th Day in Office" * Fundraiser for the Travis County Democratic Party
* 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
* Wednesday, April 29
* Speakeasy
* 412 Congress Ave
* $20 Tickets at the Door
* Contact the TCDP Office: (512) 477-7500
* RSVP on Facebook
"Celebrating University Democrats: A History of Change" * Fundraiser for the University Democrats
* 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
* Friday, May 1
* UT-Austin Business School Events Room (CBA 3.304)
* $5 Tickets at the Door
* Contact Jimmy Talarico: (512) 587-8961
Thanks for continuing to work hard and fighting for change we can believe in. Fired up and ready to go!
Best regards,
Texans for Obama
p.s.
Early voting in the Austin city council elections starts on April 27th. Our next newsletter will provide helpful information about early voting locations and Democratic club endorsements.
Instead of having our regular monthly meetup tonight at Scholz Garten, we're headed downtown to Fado's Irish Pub to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. O'Bama has Irish roots, so come join the fun!
If you want to wear your St. Patrick's Day Obama buttons tonight, then come visit The Obama Store.
Hope to see you tonight. Remember to wear your green!
Many of you joined us last month for our incredibly successful National Day of Service food drive benefitting the Capital Area Food Bank. We went door-to-door, and our goal was to collect one ton of food.
We're excited to announce that thanks to your help and the support of Council Members Martinez and Leffingwell, we've now raised over 3,000 pounds of food!
Thank you for acting upon President Obama's challenge to get involved in community service. In these these difficult times, food donations are even more important as we try to meet the growing hunger challenge. While Obama's bold economic stimulus plan will make a huge difference in turning things around, it's our responsibility to take action on the local level. So if you still have extra food in your cabinet, please continue to support this food drive and help our neighbors in need.
Going forward, we'd like to harness this collective grassroots Obama energy to tackle additional community service projects. In that spirit, we've connected with a wonderful local environmental group called TreeFolks, and we'll help them plant new trees in our local parks. Over the last 20 years, this group has planted hundreds of thousands of trees in public settings across the area, and we're excited to help with that effort. Council Members Martinez & Leffingwell have generously agreed to buy breakfast tacos for our volunteers, so come out and help improve our local environment. (See below for more information.)
Remember, the 2008 election was not the end of our journey. It was only the beginning. Please join your fellow Texas Obama supporters and let's volunteer to make a difference in our own backyard. Yes we can!
Thanks to everyone who attended our DC meet-up during the Inaugural Weekend! The event was a huge success, with a crowd of well over 150 Texans meeting, greeting, and having a great time. Special thanks to Bobbi K. for bringing the famous Texans for Obama banner to the party. Man, that banner's been everywhere!
Juan Sepulveda, Texas State Director for the Obama for America campaign, spoke about the great work done by Texans during this election. He thanked everyone for their service and reminded them to stay involved locally, keep making a difference. Ken Flippin, who worked for Obama in Houston, spoke about Turn Texas Blue, our movement to return this state to its Democratic roots. He told attendees to stay tuned to www.texansforobama.com and www.turntexasblue.com for updates, as well as Burnt Orange Report.
Enjoy some photos of your fellow Texans in DC! See anyone you know?
The Austin Presidential Inaugural Gala at the Four Seasons was just selected as the official Texas site to participate in the Presidential Inaugural Gala. Austin joins Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago as the cities participating in the first, transcontinental Presidential Inaugural Celebration. This gala will receive streaming 'live' feeds simultaneously from the Corcoran Gallery in D.C.
Austin Presidential Inaugural Celebration & Gala Tuesday, January 20
6:30 p.m. - midnight
Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
Tickets - $80
Click Here to Purchase Tickets (Must be purchased by 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 16)
Remember when we had our first volunteer meetup at Scholz Garten...before Obama had even announced for president?
It's been a long two years, but now it's time to celebrate! You're invited to come watch the inauguration parade and speech at Scholz Garten...where it all started.
Inauguration Speech Watch Party Tuesday, January 20
10:00 a.m. - Noon
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
RSVP on Facebook
Thanks again for all your hard work to elect the next president of the United States. Yes we did!
There are plenty of great events here in Austin to celebrate the inauguration of President Barack Obama! Join us and share in this historic day.
"Inauguration Watch Party" Tuesday, January 20
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
Remember when we had our first meetup at Scholz Garten...before Obama had even announced for president? It's been a long two years since then, but it's been worth it! Now we're coming back to Scholz and watching the inauguration parade and speech.
"A Dream Realized" Tuesday, January 20
7:00 p.m. - midnight
Monarch Event Center
Lincoln Village
6406 North I-35
Austin, TX 78752
Come walk on the red carpet at our gala celebrating Barack Obama's inauguration - Texas style. Big screens, food and music. Attire is semi-formal. General admission tickets get you complimentary snacks, cash bar and DJ music. VIP tickets get you complimentary appetizers, champagne and live music. A professional photographer will be on hand to capture the excitement.
Contact Gerry or Tom for more information, (512) 371-1711.
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"All Y'all's Inaugural Ball" Tuesday, January 20
6:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Mercury Hall
614 Cardinal Lane
Austin, TX 78704
The All Y'all's Inaugural Ball is a formal fancypants ball for all y'all that want to celebrate the Inauguration of our 44th president. Tuxes and ball gowns encouraged but if you don't have anything to wear, then put on your boots and come anyway. Children are welcome for free. In order to make this event cheap and affordable, it's BYOB.
"Texas Presidential Inaugural Celebration/Gala" Tuesday, January 20
6:30 p.m. - midnight
Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701
The Texas Presidential Inaugural Celebration/Gala is a celebration of democracy and marks the beginning of a historic journey for the 44th President of the United States, President-Elect Barack Obama. This gala event is presented by 360 Media & Over The Top Events in conjunction with the National Women's Political Caucus-Texas and the Center for Public Policy and Political Studies (ACC). The Mistress of Ceremonies will be Judy Maggio, Anchor/Managing Editor at CBS KEYE-TV (Maggio has covered three presidential inaugurations). Dress is Texas Glam/Black Tie Optional.
Also, the Four Seasons is offering a special discounted room rate of $150 for the evening so come on over and enjoy the hospitality, food and drink. We will have live music so stay late and dance the night away. Wide screens with official inaugural activities will be featured. Also, that evening an original artwork of President Obama will be given away, value over $1,000.
The Host Committee includes:
Ada Anderson, Willie Mae Kirk, The Honorable Mark Strama, The Honorable Bruce Elfant, Fr. Senator Gonzalo Barrientos and Emma Barrientos, John and Charlotte Sharp, Bruce Todd and Elizabeth Christian, Ian Davis and Amy Everhart, Malcomb and Toni Gardner, Peck Young, Brenda Burt, Alicia Del Rio, Bob Cash and Linda Young.
Join other travelers from the Lone Star State in Texas during the Inauguration!
Texans for Obama Meetup Monday, January 19th
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Capitol City Brewing Company
1100 New York Ave NW
Washington D.C. 20005
RSVP on Facebook
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D.C. Travel Options Need an affordable way to travel to D.C.? The good folks at www.TexasObamaTrip.com still have several convenient options for you:
* Airfare packages including two hotel nights, starting at $625.
* Bus trips including six hotel nights, starting at $500.
For more information, call Robert at (866) 444-4476 or (512) 939-8486. Don't let travel be the reason you miss this historic event!
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Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball
The Texas State Society of Washington, D.C., takes great pleasure in extending an invitation to our fellow Texans to celebrate the historic inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, the Honorable Barack Obama. Please join us at the Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball on the evening of Monday, January 19th, 2008, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the banks of the Potomac River.
The internationally renowned Black Tie and Boots gala is one of Washington's most popular events of the quadrennial inaugural calendar. It is scheduled from 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 19th, through 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 20th.
As of January 1, 2009, the individual ticket price for the general public is $300.00 each. There is a four-ticket limit, and tickets can be purchased at www.texasstatesociety.org. Space is limited, and tickets are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. We request you RSVP to the ball by purchasing your tickets online by the close of business on Wednesday, January 14th, 2009 to guarantee your tickets.
2009 dues-paid members of the Texas State Society may purchase tickets for $225.00 each. Individual memberships are limited to purchases of two tickets, while family memberships may purchase up to four tickets.
Artists performing will include:
Neal McCoy, Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, Rick Trevino, Zona Jones, Tracy Byrd, Jack Ingram, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Kevin Fowler, Dale Watson, Asleep at the Wheel, Kelly Willis, Bruce Robison, Emory Quinn, Charlie Robison and Sunny Sweeney.
