A holiday Message From The Obamas

OK, this message is from last year but it's so sweet...there you go!

Kids For Change-- Priceless! (Photos)

A friend sent me these pictures via email. This is a cute change in action, right there!

Below are some comments posted on MoveOn.org "Hope Wall". I agree with those thoughts and I hope voters realize that the new President is human. He needs our support, goodwill and our faith in action to make the changes the world so badly needs:

"Keep pushing forward, don't look back, start our promising future today."—Fred C., Redwood City, CA

"We need to continue the same level of involvement and commitment to whatever this Presidency needs of us to accomplish all that we believe can be done. Yes we can, Yes we did, and Yes we will!"—Judith C., Salem, MA

"Let's make sure we stay on track! If we can keep this energy up and care about what's going on instead of just saying 'it's all just politics,' we can truly enjoy the benefits of living in a democracy!" —Courtney H. Boulder, CO

"We have to be prepared to go through with whatever we need to—even if that means some sacrifice. Obama will lead the way!"—Sarah A., Greer. SC

"Keep the dream alive. People need to realize that change MUST begin with us, the people!!!"—Tamra W., Woodward, OK

"Mobilize to volunteer for our communities- we can continue to forward our agenda and demonstrate our strength in our numbers and in our commitment to what is needed and what is right."—Emilee A. Portland, OR

"Let Barack know that we stand ready to go to work. Take advantage of our energy and enthusiasm for the common good, put us to work."—Jeff R., Boulder, CO

"Stay connected and continue to volunteer where needed in your community to bring about the progress we desperately need; remembering that love is the most powerful force of all!"—Wendy, Aventura. FL

"Be willing to work with him and make personal sacrifice for the good of our country and our children's future."—Stephanie L., Laguna Niguel, CA

US Presidential Election 2008: Obama-McCain Skin Switched

Let The Issues Be The Issue: Thanks To Voters For Listening!

(November 4, 2008)

The Grey New York advertising agency released this poster on Monday November 3, 2008 depicting Barack Obama and John McCain with their skin color and hair switched. The agency said it created the image to remind voters to "let the issues be the issue."

Photo courtesy of The Chicago Tribune

Obama's Historic Victory: News Front Page

UPDATE: To view more Front pages from around the world, visit: http://obama2008.s3.amazonaws.com/headlines.html

Message From President-Elect Barack Obama: "How this happened"

Before his Election Night speech last night, Barack sent out this message to suppporters:

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign. We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

Obama Campaign: Thank You!

Thank you.

You did it. You showed America -- and the world -- that change can happen.

Thank you for the miles you walked, the doors you knocked, the phones you rang, the hard-earned dollars you gave, the spirit you committed to this campaign. Thank you for never wavering, even when the days were dark, the clouds grayed the skies, and the rain poured. Thank you for tuning out the static of the cynics and believing in your power to change this country.

Thank you for all the late nights and all the far too early mornings, for trudging through the bitter cold of winter and wading through the oppressive heat of summer to canvass in your communities. Thank you for the rain-soaked jeans, the mud-caked sneakers, the sweat-drenched t-shirts, and the snow-covered scarves and hats. Thank you for your patience; thank you for your perseverance. Read more>

Obama's Grant Park Party In Chicago (Photos)

Unforgettable...Well done everyone!!!

Congrats Mr President :-))))

Obama Victory Speech!

Barack Obama Wins US Presidency In landslide Victory

UPDATE 20 Nov:
John McCain won Missouri. It was close. His margin of victory was only 3632 votes out of 2.9 million cast. This means the final electoral vote tally is 365 to 173, more than 2 to 1 for Obama. For Missourians, the downside of going for McCain is the state loses its much-heralded bellwether status--it has voted with the winner every time since 1956--except 2008. (report by Electoral-vote.com)

UPDATE 8 Nov:
Unlike other states, Nebraska and Maine use a tiered system for awarding electoral votes, in which a single elector is awarded based on votes within each Congressional district and two electors are awarded to the winner of the statewide popular vote. Yesterday, the Omaha World-Herald announced:

For the first time ever, a blue circle will appear in Nebraska on national electoral maps.

Democrat Barack Obama won the Omaha-based 2nd Congressional District on Friday, scooping up one of the state's five electoral votes.

... "We always knew we could do it, but it would be an uphill climb. It's great to see a little corner of Nebraska turn blue," said John Berge, state director for the Obama campaign.

Berge said the victory was a tribute to all the work done by staffers and the hundreds of Obama volunteers who manned telephones and walked neighborhoods in the Omaha metropolitan area.

Tuesday's election is the first time since 1964 that Nebraska has awarded an electoral vote to a Democrat.

The Nebraska results give Obama 365 electoral votes to John McCain's 162. Only Missouri and its 11 electoral votes remain undecided.

UPDATE 6 Nov: We all know by now that Barack is the President-elect :-)
However, some ballots are still being counted in North Carolina and Missouri. Today, The Associated Press declared Obama the winner in North Carolina after canvassing counties to determine the number of outstanding provisional ballots. This win adds 15 electoral votes to his already wide victory. Obama's win was the first for a Democratic presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter won the state in 1976.

North Carolina's 15 electoral votes brings Obama's total to 364 nearly 100 more than necessary to win the White House. Missouri is the only state that remains too close to call.

Electoral College votes Winning post 270

BARACK OBAMA Democratic Party candidate 53% ECV: 365

JOHN MCCAIN Republican Party candidate 46% ECV: 173

Electoral precincts reporting: 96%

UPDATE:

CELEBRATION FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY (Chicago)



Obama Celebration in Berkeley (California)




New York City, East Village, St. Marks



University of Illinois


___________________
Source: Al Jazeera http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/uselections2008/2008/10/20081078262489582.html
BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/americas/2008/vote_usa_2008/default.stm

PRESIDENT ELECTED BARACK OBAMA-- YES WE DID!

BARACK OBAMA IS OFFICIALLY THE 44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

VOTE FOR CHANGE!

Obama's Grandmother Dies of Cancer in Hawaii

Sen. Barack Obama's grandmother died Sunday night, just hours before the presidential election.

"It is with great sadness that we announce that our grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has died peacefully after a battle with cancer," Sen. Obama and his half-sister Maya Soetoro-Ng said in a joint statement Monday.

In Charlotte, N.C., Sen. Obama, looking upset, paid tribute during a campaign rally. "Some of you heard that my grandmother who helped raise me passed away early this morning," he said. "I'm not going to talk about it too long because it's hard for me to talk about."

He went on saying "No matter what happens tomorrow, I'm going to feel good about how it has turned out because all of you have created this remarkable campaign. She is gone home. And she died peacefully in her sleep, with my sister at her side. And so, there is great joy as well as tears. I'm not going to talk about it too long because it is hard, a little, to talk about.

I want everybody to know though a little bit about her. Her name was Madelyn Dunham. And she was born in Kansas in a small town in 1922. Which means she lived through the Great Depression, she lived through two world wars, she watched her husband go off to war, while she looked after her baby and worked on a bomber assembly line. When her husband came back they benefited from the GI bill, they moved west and eventually ended up in Hawaii.

She was somebody who was a very humble person, a very plainspoken person. She is one of those quiet heroes we have all across America, who are not famous, their names are not in the newspapers, but each and every day they work hard. They look after their families. They sacrifice for their children, and their grandchildren. They aren't seeking the limelight. All they try to do is do the right thing. And in this crowd, there are a lot of quiet heroes like that, people like that, mothers and fathers and grandparents who have worked hard and sacrificed all their lives and the satisfaction that they get is in seeing their children or maybe their grandchildren or their great-grandchildren live a better life than they did. That is what America is about. That is what we are fighting for."

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barack, Michelle, Malia, Sacha Obama and Madelyn Dunham.

_____________________

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122575547493495003.html?mod=googlenews_wsj http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/03/obama-on-grandmother-and_n_140698.html

McCain Congratulates Obama

Well, not for the general election...McCain congratulates Obama for his Democratic nomination...Let's hope that on Wednesday, he will be congratulating Obama for yet another historic and sweet victory!

OBAMA

One America

The American Civil Liberties Union: 5,500 Illegally Purged Voters To Be Returned To The Rolls In Time For Election Day

VOTING RIGHTS

Appeals Court Orders Michigan to Restore 5,500 Voters to Rolls
A federal appeals court cleared the way for 5,500 illegally purged voters to be returned to the rolls in time for Election Day.
> ACLU Launches Voter Empowerment Program
> ACLU Voting Rights Cases
> Blog: Be Prepared to Wait: High Voter Turnout Could Mean Long Lines

ELECTION 2008
Your Voting Rights
Confused about how to register to vote? Don't know what your rights are when
you go to the polls in November? Have a criminal conviction but don't know if you can vote? Want to know if you need id to vote this fall? Find the answer to these questions and many others.
> ACLU Voting Rights Project Litigation

DISENFRANCHISEMENT
ACLU Challenges Alabama Voter Disenfranchisement Laws In Court
The ACLU filed a lawsuit challenging the state's unlawful interpretation of "moral
turpitude," the category of felonies used to disqualify voters.
> NARF AND ACLU Ask Federal Court To Stop Disenfranchisement Of Alaska Natives Who Need Language Assistance
> State Legislative and Policy Reform to Advance the Voting Rights of Formerly Incarcerated Persons

SUPREME COURT
ACLU Disappointed With Supreme Court's Voter ID Decision
In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court today rejected a challenge to Indiana's most-restrictive-in-the-nation voter identification law. The American Civil Liberties Union's case, Crawford v. Marion County Election Board - consolidated with Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita - is an appeal of two lower court decisions that upheld the state's law requiring voters to present government-issued photo IDs in order to vote. The ACLU argued that the Indiana law creates an unconstitutional burden on voting right.

ACLU Launches Voter Empowerment Program
Tue, 28 Oct 2008

ACLU Urges Attorney General To Reject White House Challenge Of 200,000 Registered Voters In Ohio
Tue, 28 Oct 2008

ACLU Sues GOP Members to Protect Voter Privacy
Mon, 27 Oct 2008

Civil Rights Groups and Secretary of State Reach Agreement on Felon Voters
Fri, 24 Oct 2008

ACLU-TN Distributing Voters' Rights Cards, Providing Assistance for Voters on Election Day
Wed, 22 Oct 2008

ACLU Calls for Criminal Investigation of Bernalillo County Clerk's Office, GOP
Wed, 22 Oct 2008

SUPERBARACK

This video is 'a bit' over the top I would say but it's still entertaining...funny!

New York Is No Swing State: Why Vote?

You don't live in Ohio. You don't live in Florida. The chance is pretty small that New York will decide the presidential election. So: Why vote?

Here's why. This list is important—so please read it, and then pass it along. And remember: To find out where to vote, what you need to bring, or when the polls close, click here: www.voteforchange.com.

The Top 6 Reasons To Vote In New York
Or: Why It Still Means A Thing Even If It Ain't Got That Swing

1. Big margin = big mandate. The popular vote doesn't put anyone in the White House, but it affects what presidents can do when they get there. Want Obama to be able to actually do the stuff he's been talking about? Pass universal health care? End the war? Then we need a landslide.
   
   
2. The other things on the ballot matter! For example: Congress. Without more support in the House and Senate, Obama will have a hard time getting progressive laws passed. Plus, there are other important local races and ballot questions in some places.
   
   
3. If you don't vote, everyone can find out. Voting records are public. (Not who you voted for, just whether you voted.) Pretty soon, finding out whether you voted could be as easy as Googling you.
   
   
4. Help make history. You could cast one of the votes that elect the first African-American president. If we win, we'll tell our grandchildren about this election, and they'll tell their grandchildren. Do you really want to have to explain to your great-great-grandchildren that you were just too busy to vote in the most important election in your lifetime?
   
   
5. In New York, you can vote Obama on the Working Families line (Row E). Barack Obama will appear on your ballot twice in New York—first under the Democratic Party, and then again on Row E, the ballot line of New York's growing progressive third party. Voting for Barack Obama on the Working Families Party line counts exactly the same for the presidential race—and it also strengthens one of the most important efforts in the country to push Democrats to be more bold and progressive.
   
   
6. People died so you'd have the right to vote. Self-government—voting to choose our own leaders—is the original American dream. We are heir to a centuries-long struggle for freedom: the American Revolution, and the battles to extend the franchise to those without property, to women, to people of color, and to young people. This year, many will still be denied their right to vote. For those of us who have that right, it's precious. If we waste it, we dishonor those who fought for it and those who fight still.
   
   Live your values. Love your country. Vote.

Click here for information about where to vote, what to bring, and when polls close:

http://www.voteforchange.com

MoveOn To Obama Supporters: Worrying Won't Help Obama Win. But Talking To Voters Will.

Nervous?

We all are. Seems like everyone I know is feeling some mixture of excitement, anxiety and anticipation. We're hoping, praying, we're checking the polls every five minutes—or trying to ignore them.

Here's the thing: Worrying won't help Obama win. But talking to voters will.

There are thousands of people in swing states who will only vote for Obama if someone calls to remind them in the next 24 hours. You have the power to affect the outcome of this election—even if you only have an hour to give.

The Obama campaign has organized a phone bank near you to call voters in swing states. Can you join in?

Yes, I'll join an Obama phone bank!

No, I can't make it

Until now, we've been calling every single MoveOn member in the swing states to get them out volunteering for Obama. That effort blew away our expectations! Together, we've recruited 150,000 new volunteers in Ohio, Florida, Virginia and other key states.

Now, with the time left until the polls close, we're asking everyone in New York to start calling voters directly.

There are millions of voters who still need a reminder about tomorrow. So make some calls today!

Please—for your country, for your family, or even just to stay sane until the polls close—do everything you can during the next hours. Let's win this thing.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_results?source=moveon&country=US&date_end=1225871999&zip_radius[0]=10027&event_type[]=197&zip_radius[1]=40&orderby=zip_radius&date_start=1225699200&radius_unit=miles&limit=20

Why, As A Born Again Christian, I Cannot Morally Vote For John McCain

Some far-Right "Christians" have been preaching to 'their choir' that voting for Obama is a sin... They might have added the Obama sin in their new Bible...Who knows?... :-)

Thankfully, not all Christians are 'extremists'. I've just read a testimony by a sensible Christian, capable of using his mind (intellect) without denying his faith. In this testimony, he explains why a candidate is preferable to another without demonizing the opposition. Excellent! Thank you Anthony Wade!
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As I am sure it will come as no surprise to many who know me, I will be voting for Barack Obama this year. I am doing so as a born-again Christian who believes in the bible as the inerrant word of God. I am doing so because I feel morally compelled to do so. It is my Christianity that compels me to vote for Obama. Allow me to explain.

The organized church has long held the notion and belief that we should be voting for the candidate that most closely represents our values or beliefs. This has been a sham. You must understand that while we believe what we believe in the church, the world is entirely different. The world of politics is inherently corrupt. There is simply no escaping it. The desire for power and money take precedent over values and beliefs. It is a fairy tale to assume that we will elect a Christian who will not be inherently corrupt. In 2000 we elected someone who claimed the mantle of Christianity and eight years later we see the destruction left from the presidency of George W. Bush. If anything, we should learn that merely saying you are for Christ does not mean anything. The bible warns us:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' – Matthew 7:21-23

The bible implores us to look at the fruit, not the words. The country has been impoverished, the educational system and infrastructure are in ruins, there are over 200,000 people dead in wars that have been proven to be based upon pre-meditated lies, our civil liberties have been eroded and torture is now the official policy of this land. I have heard the cries of “it can’t all be his fault.” Yes it can and yes it is. It is time we stopped enabling and avoiding the truth.

Thankfully, Bush cannot run again but we need to take lessons from his presidency. I have heard the cries of the pro-life and anti-gay marriage platform. It is time to be honest about them though. The GOP has no intention of ever overturning Roe versus Wade and even if they did, that would not outlaw abortion. It would only return the issue to the states. They cannot afford to overturn it because it is their greatest weapon every four years. If there was no abortion issue, the only thing they would have left to run on is endless war and tax breaks for the rich – not exactly a winning combination. So, I know it is unsettling for Christians but the reality is what it is. On gay marriage, both candidates have the same position.

More importantly though is you have to understand that Christians are being used. Christians are being co-opted. The people that send you the pro-life emails and anti-Obama emails are the same folks. They are not Christian and do not care about the cause of Christ. They only care about you voting for their person.

I am voting for Obama because I know when someone tries so hard to lie about someone, they must not have any substantive reason for me to vote for them. The McCain campaign and its operatives have spent 90% of their efforts trying to make me afraid of Barack Obama. The Obama lies that have been spread have been varied and insidious. The bible speaks directly against this. God hates lying lips. I know that Obama is not a secret Muslim, refuses to wear a flag pin, wont say the pledge, wants to take God off of the currency, knew someone 10 years ago who was a domestic terrorist 40 years ago, or supports infanticide and partial birth abortions. These are lies. I will not be used by people who wrap Christ around lies while they try to convince me to vote my Christian conscience.

I do not pretend that either candidate represents true Christian values. I have heard some of the theology of Obama and it is wrong. But I also know that McCain is an admitted adulterer, liar and thief (Keating Five). The bottom line is that I have not heard John McCain tell me one good reason, Christian or otherwise, why I should vote for him. The economic policies of the last eight years have been a disaster and have seen the middle class squeezed into the working poor. McCain unashamedly admits to wanting to continue the same failed policies. The number one topic in the bible is taking care of the least in society but we have lost our way. With so many living in poverty and 50 million without healthcare, how can we say that we are a nation of Christian values? The foreign policy of arrogance and unprovoked war over the past eight years has decimated our military and damaged our credibility in the world. McCain could be even worse. He has mocked about dropping a nuclear bomb on Iran. The 200,000 people dead in the Middle East may not mean anything to some folks, but they mattered to God. I am tired of the church turning the Prince of Peace into a war monger. The truth is there is not one pro-war verse in the New Testament; not one.

I am also voting for Obama because John McCain carelessly put political expediency first, not his country when he selected the most unqualified vice presidential candidate in the history of this country. The fact that she is a Christian is absolutely irrelevant. Once again, what is the fruit? She was on video asking a congregation to pray for the 30 billion dollar pipeline deal in Alaska, referring to it as “God’s will.” She has been exposed now as having abused her power to try and ruin the career of someone who had the temerity to divorce her sister. Her answers on everything from the simple to the difficult display her utter emptiness. I also do not need the “shucks” and winks. We have had eight years of a president who couldn’t put a coherent sentence together with two hands and a thesaurus. I do not want another. The days of wanting to have a beer with our president are graciously over. Can you honestly see Sarah Palin negotiating nuclear proliferation treaties? ‘Aww shucks Putin, I can see you from my kitchen window.” Wink wink. No thanks. And enough with the ridiculous notion that she has more experience than Obama. Barack was the first black President of the Harvard Law Review. He spent over a decade as a constitutional law professor (you remember the constitution don’t you?). He then spent over another decade as a State Senator where he represented 750,000 people, which is 100,000 more than Sarah represents as Governor. So save the canned GOP talking points please. She is horribly unqualified and dangerous to this country, period.

So as a Christian I cannot morally vote for someone who will continue the status quo. Someone who will continue to punish the poor for the sake of the rich. My bible tells me I cannot support that. I cannot vote for someone who cares so little for life that he can casually joke and sing a song about nuking another country just because they look different than us. My bible tells me I cannot support that. I just can’t.

I can hear the cries already from the far right. They have been sold the wedge issues for so long now that everything always comes down to abortion and gay marriage. It is as if there is nothing else going on in the world that matters to God. Genocide and famine? Nope, we got to stop abortion and gay marriage. Jesus Christ charged us with bringing the Gospel to a lost world. That was the Great Commission. That does not mean we are to bring our morality to the world but the love of Jesus Christ. Remember what we believe is at stake. We believe in heaven and hell. Eternal life with God and eternal separation from God. I ended a recent debate with a well intended Christian who felt morally compelled to vote McCain this way. Even if you were able to succeed in your plans to stop all abortions in the world and stop all gays from marrying; you have accomplished nothing. The Great Commission replaced by what man feels is more of a moral imperative. We need to stop trying to bring the morality of Christianity to people and get back to the red letters in the bible. Get back to bringing the world the love of Jesus Christ.

Anthony Wade, a contributing writer to opednews.com, is dedicated to educating the populace to the lies and abuses of the government. He is a 41-year-old independent writer from New York with political commentary articles seen on multiple websites. A Christian progressive and professional Rehabilitation Counselor working with the poor and disabled, Mr. Wade believes that you can have faith and hold elected officials accountable for lies and excess.
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Source: http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Christian-Endorsement-fo-by-Anthony-Wade-081030-502.html

Cheney Endorses McCain, Obama Unloads

Dick Cheney 'delighted' to support John McCain? Not surprising...Senator McCain admitted he would have Dick Cheney in his administration should he become President elected.. In addition, according to numerous papers at a July 15 appearance in Michigan, McCain dampened the speculation by calling Cheney “one of the most capable, experienced, intelligent and steady vice presidents this country has ever had.”...So much for the 'change' he claims to bring about...interesting.