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!
Contribute to Obama
- Make a Secure Contribution Directly to the Campaign. Show some Texas-sized love!
Don't be intimidated people! Here in Austin, my wife almost came to blows with a supposed "Nurse against ObamaCare" who was screaming at us and our 6 month old as she marched past what was a pretty peaceful pro-reform rally.
Its getting ugly, but we can't give up. Remember the "Brooks Brother Riots" which shut down the Florida recount and helped hand the presidency to W?
That cannothappen again.
The Democratic Party
There's been a lot of media coverage about organized mobs intimidating lawmakers, disrupting town halls, and silencing real discussion about the need for real health insurance reform.
The truth is, it's a sham. These "grassroots protests" are being organized and largely paid for by Washington special interests and insurance companies who are desperate to block reform. They're trying to use lies and fear to break the President and his agenda for change.
Health insurance reform is about our lives, our jobs, and our families -- we can't let distortions and intimidation get in the way. We need to expose these outrageous tactics, and we're counting on you to help. Can you read these "5 facts about the anti-reform mobs," then pass them along to your friends and family?
5 facts about the anti-reform mobs
1. These disruptions are being funded and organized by out-of-district special-interest groups and insurance companies who fear that health insurance reform could help Americans, but hurt their bottom line. A group run by the same folks who made the "Swiftboat" ads against John Kerry is compiling a list of congressional events in August to disrupt. An insurance company coalition has stationed employees in 30 states to track where local lawmakers hold town-hall meetings.
2. People are scared because they are being fed frightening lies. These crowds are being riled up by anti-reform lies being spread by industry front groups that invent smears to tarnish the President's plan and scare voters. But as the President has repeatedly said, health insurance reform will create more health care choices for the American people, not reduce them. If you like your insurance or your doctor, you can keep them, and there is no "government takeover" in any part of any plan supported by the President or Congress.
3. Their actions are getting more extreme. Texas protesters brought signs displaying a tombstone for Rep. Lloyd Doggett and using the "SS" symbol to compare President Obama's policies to Nazism. Maryland Rep. Frank Kratovil was hanged in effigy outside his district office. Rep. Tim Bishop of New York had to be escorted to his car by police after an angry few disrupted his town hall meeting -- and more examples like this come in every day. And they have gone beyond just trying to derail the President's health insurance reform plans, they are trying to "break" the President himself and ruin his Presidency.
4. Their goal is to disrupt and shut down legitimate conversation. Protesters have routinely shouted down representatives trying to engage in constructive dialogue with voters, and done everything they can to intimidate and silence regular people who just want more information. One attack group has even published a manual instructing protesters to "stand up and shout" and try to "rattle" lawmakers to prevent them from talking peacefully with their constituents.
5. Republican leadership is irresponsibly cheering on the thuggish crowds. Republican House Minority Leader John Boehner issued a statement applauding and promoting a video of the disruptions and looking forward to "a long, hot August for Democrats in Congress."
It's time to expose this charade, before it gets more dangerous. Please send these facts to everyone you know. You can also post them on your website, blog, or Facebook page.
Now, more than ever, we need to stand strong together and defend the truth.
Thanks,
Jen
Jen O'Malley Dillon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee
thanks to jamie for sending this in -- and congrats to the new parents!
The Obama Baby Boom began in Austin, TX.
Inside the Beltway
By Jennifer Harper INSIDE THE BELTWAY | Monday, July 27, 2009
'Generation O'
Cara and Jamie Vernon have begun the "Obama baby boom " - a phenomenon the press predicted would begin nine months after President Obama was elected.
It's a girl.
Mia Nicole Vernon was born eight weeks premature June 6 in Austin, Texas, weighing 3 pounds and 4 ounces. She is in fine fettle these days, home and happy. Mia's arrival gave her parents more than a pregnant pause.
"We did not choose to be a part of the 'Obama Baby Boom'. Shortly after her birth, I began to wonder if Mia would still be considered a part of the Obama baby boom, and it hit me: She may have started the 'Obama Baby Boom' - perhaps Mia is the first 'Obama Baby Boom' baby. We can leave the official determination to others, but until it is shown otherwise, Mia is the first, to us," Mr. Vernon told Inside the Beltway.
As part of the National Day of Service, Texans for Obama in Austin is running a canned food drive. Simply swing by to pick up a bag, or 3 or more to fill with canned food, then deliver them to the Texans for Obama booth at the end of the MLK day Parade, on the Huston-Tillotson campus.
You can fill them yourself, or, ideally, hit the houses on your street with an Obama yardsign, or bumper stickers. Ask them to be part of the Day of Service by helping fill the bag, or by taking a whole bag of their own.
(Note: For those that want, there will be a few streets of turf cut, as some volunteers have expressed desire for a a more blockwalking approach.)
WHAT: National Day of Service, TFO Canned Food Drive
WHEN:
Start: Sat, Jan 17, 1pm Pick up your bag(s). Fill them across the weekend!
End: Mon Feb 19, 12-4pm. Bring your filled Bags to the Texans for Obama Booth on the Huston-Tillotson Campus, at the end of the MLK Day parade.
A brilliant speech capping a brilliant campaign, here is President-Elect Barack Obama's Victory Speech!
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
ELECTION PROTECTION - Please spread the word widely.
We are running election protection efforts in several counties throughout the state. If you are in one of the
following counties, contact information for your ?rst line of protection is below.
Cameron County
melissa@martinezybarrera.com
(956) 544-1014
Dallas County
obamavoterprotection@gmail.com
(214) 525-3790
Harris County
houstonobamalawyers@gmail.com
(713) 218-6020 (Bay Area)
(281) 462-7523 (Crosby)
(713) 926-1334 (East End)
(713) 524-1338 (Midtown)
(713) 697-8898 (North Side)
(713) 802-0085 (Pinemont)
(281) 998-3366 (South East Harris County)
(713)733-2583 (Sunnyside)
(281) 496-3366 (West Side)
Travis County and Texas HQ
travisobamavoterprotection@gmail.com
(512) 465-2608
Greater Corpus Christi
ariverajr@swbell.net
(361) 816-0605
If and only if you have exhausted the remedies above or live outside one of those ?ve counties and cannot
get assistance from local authorities you can report incidents do so directly at:
The party at the Driskill is open to everyone and is free!
We are phonebanking at HQ until 9pm into NV, CO, NM, then getting the party started.
one more day!
The Travis County Democratic Party invites you to celebrate election night in the place where LBJ watched election returns in 1960 and 1964- the Driskill Hotel. 5 huge screens showing election returns.
Election Night Victory Party
Today, Tuesday, November 4
7:00pm - midnight
Driskill Hotel
604 Brazos, 78701
Free Admission
Join Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Senator Kirk Watson, Woodie Jones, Representatives Donna Howard & Valinda Bolton, Commissioner Candidate Karen Huber, Jim Coronado, Commissioner Ron Davis, County Chair Andy Brown, Annie's List, Tejano Democrats and more.
Come for the celebration of this historic election in this historic building!
Join Us For West Coast Calls and Volunteer Appreciation Party - Election Day
Make calls to Western swing voters on Election Day! Polls close in Texas at 7pm, but voting is still going on in New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, so let's reach out to our western friends and make sure they VOTE!!! We're celebrating all your hard work at the same time - so join the party, make calls, and let's bring this election home.
Democratic Power Hour
Wednesday, October 29 7:00 p.m. - Obama Watch Party
7:30 p.m. - Volunteer Phone Bank
Obama Volunteer HQ
1107 North I-35
Austin, TX 78702
(11th and I-35, eastside, next to CVS)
With just 8 days left until the election, every day is critical. If you have any time to spare, stop by the headquarters at 1107 N. I-35, 7 days a week between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
WHO: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
James McMurtry
Brownout
WHAT: Red State Blues - A Concert For Change
A one night concert event that fuses the temperature of our historic political times with modern music for all to celebrate!
WHEN: Monday, November 3rd
Doors Open at 7:00 pm
WHERE: La Zona Rosa 612 W. 4th Street
Austin, TX 78701
HOW: General Admission $25.00
Purchase tickets online RSVP on Facebook
VIP RECEPTION 5:30pm-7:00pm
Musical Performance by Paris 49 with Special Guest Chrysta-Bell
Complimentary hor d'oeuvres and cocktails
VIP Reception tickets are $75.00
Tickets can be purchased online
BENEFITTING:
Travis County Democratic Party
SIMS Foundation
By way of the Houston Chronicle and with a big h/t to libbyshaw's post at burntorangereport.com, comes some good news about Harris county and Houston: "Obama and Noriega up by Seven Points in Harris County."
Ken Flippin, a texansforobama.com co-founder and statewide-director-on-a-non-rest-sabbatical was tapped months ago by the DNC/Obama efforts to help coordinate efforts in Houston, or as as we call it, the swing state of Texas.
For months, teams of dedicated folks have been wrangling America's most sprawling city into shape. One big issue has always been that, other than the Mayor, no one really runs city-wide and so cross-town strategic allegiances, heck friendships, are rare. So there are few seasoned activists to manage the GOTV efforts for a city which is larger than several states!
The demographics favor Dems, but the turnouts do not, held down in part by Republican Paul Bettencourt, the Tax-Assessor-Collector, and his imaginary voter fraud bogeymen -- even the republican atty gen couldnt substantiate his claims of any voter fraud. I think it is fair to say, his office is or should be the number one target for those interested in systemic fixes to low voter participation.
A strong Harris county turnout frightens Republicans, and they work to keep it low. Bow, imagine that office held by someone who instead worked to make it easier for qualified folks to be part of the process.
It looks like Harris might go our way his time, so peoples of Harris, my old hometown, please, take your friends, volunteer, vote early, and let's shock the nation.
Passing this along from Texas Director, Juan Sepulveda.
Dirty tricks designed to mislead Texas voters have been spreading across the state, and many Obama supporters are getting incorrect information about the voting process.
Bogus claims about voting machines are spreading via email chains -- and in one reported case, even broadcast on a Houston radio station -- that could have a huge impact on voter turn out on Election Day.
Here is the truth that every Texan should know: If you vote a straight Democratic Ticket you will cast your ballot for Barack.
Gen. Colin Powell, on this morning's Meet The Press gave a long and reasoned analysis of the candidates, and came out clearly for Obama.
While giving respect to McCain, Powell called out McCain's bad judgment in choosing Palin, "who is not qualified to be President," his bad judgement and erratic behaviour with a daily changing set of tactics on addressing the economic crisis, and more.
Powell also flat out said the "more right" response to the inaccurate 'Obama is a muslim' assertions, should be "does that matter? A 7yr old muslim american should be able to dream of being president."
So, we dont write too much about the polls, national or state, the electoral count projections and the battleground state swings and shifts, but it doesnt mean we dont follow them. In part, because we have to act like we are ten points behind, even if Obama nationally is a few points ahead, because here in Texas, we probably ARE still 10 points behind, but also because we have such a focus on actions.
As Obama warned New Hampshire yesterday, we can't get cocky, we have to put in the work. As you know, Obama needs Rick Noriega to take out Cornyn, to make us one more senate seat closer to a filibuster-proof majority, a majority big enough to pass the healthcare and energy policies we need to Change this country, to end the war in Iraq in a reasonable and sane manner, and, to make sure the Wall Street CEOs no longer run wild over our economy.
but still, a tip of the hat to kath25 for leading the travis county vote for change efforts, and tip of the hat to Bruce Curtis for this note:
"In case you haven't seen it, http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/ mentions
the Travis Cty. Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign: "When the Travis
County, Texas Democratic Party Coordinated Campaign registers 30,869 new
voters in a cycle when Texas isn't supposed to be on the map at the
presidential level, something seismic is happening."
Toward the end of the "Battlegrounds as of Mid-October" post: fivethirtyeight.com
The Austin Chronicle reader's results are in, and Texans for Obama is proud to be named the Best Grassroots Movement!
We have such a great group, partly online, so much offline, helping channel and steer the energy of so many new activists. Here in austin at least, 500, 600, 800 people regularly packing into Scholtz's to watch the Debates and 50-100 volunteers a day at our coordinated campaign HQ. So many starting with Texans for Obama, and now helping out great down-ballot folks like Rick Noriega, and Valinda Bolton.
And while I have been part of a number of political organizations, truly this is the first where i would have to agree it IS a movement -- diverse in geography, age, experiences, united in building and being the Change we need, and just plain old going out and getting things done.
Best Grassroots Movement: Texans for Obama
Where were you on Feb. 23, 2007? If you were with 20,000 other Austinites on Auditorium Shores, watching Barack Obama before he was even a serious front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, thank Texans for Obama. These determined activists saw the hunger for change and have fought tirelessly to keep that campaign energy high. www.texansforobama.com
Give yourselves a big round of applause, and then get back to work - barely two weeks to go!
PFAW (People for the American Way) is looking for formerly undecided voters who are now decided, and support Obama.
THE MIDDLE FOR OBAMA
Background It's clear that this year's election isn't going to be decided by the far left or the far
right. It's going to be decided by the "middle ground". Everyday Americans who
aren't 100% Republican or 100% Democrat, but who see the issues on both
sides, and who believe that one way or another, change is needed.
As the election draws nearer, there's an incredible phenomenon happening
among these people "in the middle". They're realizing how important this election
is, and how important their role is in its outcome. They're evaluating the issues
and the candidates more closely than they have in previous elections. And in
amazing numbers, they're coming to the conclusion that Barack Obama is the
candidate they're going to vote for.
We're looking to capture the stories of these people on film so we can share
them with others who haven't yet fully decided who they're going to vote for.
Ultimately, we see this being a celebration of smart, independent-thinking,
everyday Americans who are taking this election into their own hands.
Who we're looking for
We are looking for formerly undecided male and female voters, of any age, who
sit in the ideological "middle" of American politics, and have decided to vote for
Obama. They may be Republicans, Democrats, or Independents - but they are
neither far Left, nor far Right. They represent the non-partisan, non-ideological,
common-sense middle ground. They can be of any race, any religion, come from
any state, and represent any socio-economic background.
We're looking for a cross section of "people in the middle" - veterans, soccer
moms, retirees, small business owners, factory workers, etc. People who are
articulate and credible and can tell the story of how they weighed all the issues
and why in the end they've decided to vote for Obama.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, and you'd be willing to share your
story - please email
MiddleForObama@gmail.com and ask for the form.
There are three ways that Texans can help elect Barack Obama this week! Join us on the Road Trip to Change, make calls to voters in battleground states, or join us at a Generation Obama fundraiser on Tuesday. With only 24 days to go, we need all hands on deck to make sure Barack Obama wins!
15 Seats Left For Road Trip to Change!
It's not too late to join Texans for Obama on a Road Trip to Change! There are only 15 seats left on the two buses headed to New Mexico this weekend. Early voting starts this Saturday in New Mexico. Help get out the early vote for Obama and make a difference in this election! Join us!
Details: Depart: Friday Oct. 17th, 7:00 p.m. from 1107 N I-35
Drive: Ride overnight to New Mexico.
Arrive: Arrive in New Mexico on Saturday morning.
Saturday/Sunday: Go door-to-door identifying and turning out voters for Barack Obama.
Free supporter housing and discount hotel rooms available.
Depart: Sunday, October 19th, 6 p.m. from Obama HQ in NM
Drive: Ride overnight back to Austin. Sleep the whole way home.
Arrive: Monday, October 20th, 7:00 a.m. at 1107 N I-35.
Can't make it to a battleground state in person? Join volunteers every day calling targeted voters in key precincts. Identify the voters that will make a difference for Barack Obama in Virginia, North Carolina, Missouri, and Ohio! Each shift will focus on that day's highest-priority voters. Send your voice to a battleground state to get out the vote for Barack Obama.
Call From Home! Can't make it to the office? Host a calling party in your home or at a local coffee shop. Sign up at http://tinyurl.com/call4change to Call for Change!
Generation Obama Happy Hour Tuesday!
Generation Obama is hosting a Happy Hour with Paul Tewes this Tuesday. Paul Tewes is a Democratic strategist specializing in national political organizing. Tewes was the Iowa state director for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, and continued to lead Obama's field operations in key states such as Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. According to the Huffington Post, Tewes "is widely regarded among the very most talented of political organizers in the nation," and was "largely responsible for Obama's surprise win in Iowa. Meet him here in Austin this Tuesday!
Generation Obama Happy Hour With Paul Tewes Date: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Sky Lounge
Address: 416 Congress Ave, Austin TX
Admission: $20 General // $10 Students
Join Us:RSVP Here
Editor & Publisher reports that Obama nearly swept the weekend's big endorsement announcements 16-2,"including six in swing states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina and Missouri. John McCain, as far as we know, gained just two."
There were some choice words, including "the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called Obama's opponent, John McCain, 'the incredible shrinking man' who had made a horrific [emphasis added] pick for his running mate."
SACRAMENTO BEE
For voters pondering the presidential election, there is one key question: Is John McCain or Barack Obama better suited to lead this country in a time of great uncertainty?
The terms of the question help reveal the answer. In this election, Americans are picking a future, not a past. That makes Barack Obama the better choice for president of the United States.
By electing Obama, voters will make a clear break from the policies of the past eight years.
DAYTON DAILY NEWS
Sen. McCain's campaign has been as disappointing as his move toward party orthodoxy. More than his opponent, he has run a relentless stream of commercials that have been discredited by nonpartisan fact-checkers. (Last week, all his ads were negative.)
He has articulated no vision for the country other than to suggest that it should believe in him as an individual, as a war hero of independent judgment.
His selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was stunning. She is shockingly lacking in presidential qualifications. Some of Sen. McCain's most enthusiastic supporters have been forced to admit this. Her defenders say her resume compares well with Sen. Obama's, but it does not.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License. Some Rights Reserved. TexansForObama.com 2007 Paid for by TexansForObama & not Authorized by any Candidate or Candidate's Committee. [ADDRESS] Austin, Texas 78768. blog@texansforobama.com
