Campaign 2012 …

Friend –

People have been sending around two videos here at headquarters this morning, and I thought you’d want to see them, too.

This first one was posted to YouTube almost exactly four years ago. It’s Barack Obama’s “closing argument” to Iowans the night before the caucuses in 2008.

It’s pretty incredible to see candidate Obama talk about what President Obama ultimately did. He makes four specific promises — on reforming health care, making college more affordable, ending the war in Iraq, and putting us on the path to energy independence — all of which today, four years later, are promises kept.

Check it out here: http://my.barackobama.com/Caucus-Video

Barack Obama's closing argument: Iowa 2008

The second video is from yesterday — posted by the New York Times reporters on the ground in Iowa.

It’s a sneak peek into the “the best-organized presidential campaign in Iowa.” Spoiler alert: It’s not Mitt Romney. Or Ron Paul. Or Rick Santorum.

You can watch that here: http://my.barackobama.com/Caucus-Ground-Game-Video

Both these videos are pretty near and dear to my heart. I was the campaign’s Iowa caucus director in 2008, and I know how hard people are working there right now, opponent or no opponent.

That’s why I want to thank you for opening this email — especially because I know you’ve been pretty bombarded with messages from us lately.

All the work we do here at headquarters or (more importantly) in the field in places like Des Moines and Ankeny and Council Bluffs in Iowa ultimately relies on someone like you deciding to open an email, click on a link on Facebook, or visit BarackObama.com.

Those tiny decisions are what lead to conversations about the campaign, donations that fuel the work we’re all doing, and volunteers turning out at campaign events across the country.

So, thanks for that, and for everything you’ve done.

A new chapter in the story of 2012 starts with what happens in Iowa tonight. Most of us will watch what happens on TV — but as you do, remember that the end of this story is up to you and what you decide to do in the days and weeks ahead.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Battleground States Director
Obama for America

Don’t Put a Coal Mine in Bryce Canyon – Let’s Move to Solar!

care2 petitionsite actionAlert

Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is home to over 100 species of birds, thousands of plant species, and numerous mammals. However, the national park is in danger of being replaced by a coal mine.The city of Los Angeles is set to sap the natural wonder of its biodiversity, but you can help save this natural wonder.»Bryce Canyon has provided a great research area for scientists and a beautiful place for families to visit. Utah tourism is at stake in addition to Bryce Canyon itself.Los Angeles does not need this power. An alternate solution has been proposed – one that wouldn’t require the destruction of a natural haven OR the use and production of dirty energy from coal. People are speaking out about the city of Los Angeles instead creating its own solar energy. Thousands of LA residents have demanded that the city eliminate coal power by 2020, and put LA’s sunny weather to good use.Sign this petition to protect Bryce Canyon National Park, and a brighter, cleaner future for Los Angeles! »

Thanks for taking action!Rachel M.
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

Save Bryce Canyon National Park from Big Coal!

a message from Nancy Pelosi … incredible news

Because of generous and committed supporters like you, we made history.

For the first time ever, we are entering the election year with 500,000 grassroots contributors standing behind us.

It’s clear that Democrats are more united and determined than ever before in our fight to win the House Majority, re-elect President Obama, and respond to House Republicans’ extreme and reckless agenda.

Your generous contributions helped us shatter our year-end $1 million Republican Accountability Fund goal. We will put your dollars to work immediately in our effort to hold Republicans accountable with targeted advertising, rapid response research, and grassroots organizing.

Thank you for your generous, record-breaking support. Onward to more Democratic victories in 2012!

Nancy Pelosi

A note from … ColorOfChange’s founder

Introducing ColorOfChange’s new Executive Director:

Rashad Robinson

Share your thoughts with Rashad and help support the work as we go into 2012.

Just over 6 years ago, Van and I watched with horror at our government’s failure to take care of those left behind in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. But we weren’t just angry at our elected officials and leaders, we felt complicit too. Katrina laid bare years of neglect that preceded the storm, and it made clear the lack of political power we could wield to protect our most vulnerable communities. Van and I thought it was a moment — especially for Black Americans — to take a stand and turn a page in our history.

That was the start of ColorOfChange.Van and I sent an email to everyone we knew, inviting them to take a pledge — that we would do our part to make sure that Black America had a stronger political voice and to help all Americans in the process.

Since then more than 800,000 everyday people like you have joined the effort. You’ve taken down Glenn Beck, freed the Jena 6, prevented Fox News from partnering with the Congressional Black Caucus, helped elect America’s first Black President, and brought attention and energy to a myriad of issues facing our communities.And you’ve fundamentally changed the way Black political power works in DC, with Black politicians and political institutions knowing they’ll be held accountable by their constituents back home and across the country.

As proud as I am of what we’ve accomplished together, I’m aware of where we’ve lost — the execution of Troy Davis and the inability to protect the vote for Katrina survivors — and what still needs urgent attention, the continued over-incarceration of Black people and persistent inequities in many aspects of American life. That’s why we’re still here, because there is work left to do.

My goal when I started ColorOfChange was to lead it for a year or so and then find new leadership. That year turned into 5, working with a small but amazing team, until a year ago when I re-connected with Rashad Robinson. I knew Rashad from his voting rights work and his more recent work in media accountability. Rashad was smart, unafraid, and interested in helping everyday folks achieve the dignity and an empowered political voice that everyone deserves — exactly the kind of leadership ColorOfChange needs.

Rashad has been leading the ColorOfChange team since May. Starting in January of 2012 our transition will be complete, with me remaining on ColorOfChange’s board of directors (and spending more time with my family, who have been waiting for this moment for years). I’m proud to have someone of Rashad’s strength at the helm. But ColorOfChange’s strength isn’t really in its leaders — it’s in you, the members.

So please join me in officially welcoming Rashad. Click below to send him a quick welcome note (he’s promised to read each one) — you can let him know what you’ve liked about ColorOfChange’s work so far, what you’d change, what your hopes are for the future; or you can just say hello.ColorOfChange is powered by you, the members. It’s why getting your thoughts and direction is a key part of the transition. So please, take a moment and let Rashad know your thoughts:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/rashad

Rashad is going to have his hands full going into 2012. He’s hoping to deepen ColorOfChange’s work locally, expand efforts on protecting the vote and increasing media accountability, and more. It’s going to take additional money, and by the end of January, Rashad will have to determine what he can afford and how ambitious he can be. It’s why I’m asking you to help Rashad start the year with strong financial footing by making a contribution, if you’re able.Please give what you can, whether $5, $25, $100 or more — every contribution, whatever the size, counts:

https://act.colorofchange.org/donate/supportrashadr/

Again, thank you for your support, whether you’ve been a member for a week or for these last six years. And thank you for supporting ColorOfChange’s work moving forward.

Thanks, Peace, and Happy New Year,

James Rucker

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

Media Matters for America …Fox Attacks Obama Over Routinely Used Practice Of Executive Orders

Fox Attacks Obama Over Routinely Used Practice Of Executive Orders

http://mediamatters.org/research/201201030005
On Fox News’ Fox & Friends, Peter Johnson Jr. attacked President Obama’s use of executive orders as “an abdication or giving up in terms” trying to reach a consensus. But presidents have routinely issued executive orders; in fact, nearly 8,000 have been issued since 1933.
Fox’sJohnson Attacks Obama’s Use Of Executive Orders

JohnsonAttacks Obama’s Use Of Executive Orders As An “Abdication Or Giving Up In TermsOf This Notion Of Consensus.” During the January 3 broadcast of Fox News’ Fox& Friends, Fox News legal analyst Peter Johnson Jr. claimed that the”subtext” of Obama’s use of executive orders is “an abdication or giving up interms of this notion of consensus.” From the broadcast:
STEVE DOOCY (co-host): Welcome back. We toldyou about the president’s plan to spend 2012 governing without Congress. It’sall part of Barack Obama’s re-election strategy. But presidential candidateNewt Gingrich says that’s not only a bad strategy, it’s unconstitutional.

NEWT GINGRICH (GOP presidential candidate) : As a citizen, I am insulted that apresident of the United States would think that he could pretend to govern fora year without the Congress. And if he intends to try to do that, it would betotally unconstitutional, and I think would represent a fundamental breach inour system.

DOOCY: So can a president really governwithout Congress? Let’s talk to Fox News legal analyst, America’s lawyer, PeterJohnson Jr.

JOHNSON: Hey,Steve. Thank you. Thanks, Steve. No, a president cannot govern withoutCongress, and Newt Gingrich is absolutely right. In fact, he’s gone a stepfurther and said that the president should not take a salary in 2012 if that’swhat he’s going to do.

DOOCY: Right.

JOHNSON: But we’ve heard it from the deputypress secretary of the White House,basically saying, well, you know, if Congress is going to be involved, that’sfine. But we’re going to be putting out two to three executive orders a week.Actions by the president that don’t require congressional approval.

DOOCY: They’re going to go around? An endrun.

JOHNSON: Right. These executive actionsobviously are not going to create, you know — solve an unemployment problem orsolve other issues that we’re facing in this country. But Newt Gingrich isright — absolutely right — on that issue.

DOOCY: But I think to a number of people whovoted for him three years ago, they remember, wait a minute, I thought he wasgoing to go there to change things, and now he’s pretty much thrown up hishands saying, ‘I went to Washington tochange Washington. I can’t. I’m going to go it alone.’

JOHNSON: I think what the subtext is kind ofan abdication or giving up in terms of this notion of consensus. We look toleaders in this country to bring people of disparate beliefs together –Republicans, Democrats, independents, conservatives, liberals — and we say [to] ourpresident, listen, this is a great melting pot. This is a place where all kindsof people come with a diversity of opinion. What can you do to forge consensus?What can you do to bring people to the middle?

And so when you say, I’mgoing to ignore the Congress. I’m not going to deal with the Congress, thenyou’re saying, well, listen, my plans and my promises for the past three yearsabout bringing people together have, in fact, failed. What gets better in 2013,if, in fact, the president is re-elected? Where, then, is there a consensus? If there is not a consensusin 2012 at the beginning, what changes in the year 2013, when we don’t have theexcitement of hope and change that we had almost four years ago? [Fox News, Fox& Friends, 1/3/12]

InFact, Presidents Routinely Issue Executive Orders,Including Nearly 8,000 Since 1933

NationalArchives: Since 1933, Presidents Have Issued 7,793 Executive Orders. According to theNational Archives, presidents have issued 7,793 executive orders since 1933. Inhis eight-year tenure as president, George W. Bush issued 291 executive orders.President Clinton issued 364 executive orders in eight years. During his oneterm, President George H. W. Bush issued 166 executive orders. So far, Obamahas issued 108 executive orders. Obama’s 108 executive orders account for 1.3 percent of all executiveorders issued since 1933.

Below is a list of presidents since 1933, how many executive orders they issued whilein office, and how many years they were in office: Click on the link for the information … Compare and Contrast

http://mediamatters.org/rd?to=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.archives.gov%252Ffederal-register%252Fexecutive-orders%252Fdisposition.html&lid=1188276&rid=65129342

Media Matters for America … Closes out 2011

2011: The Year The Right-Wing Media’s Foreign Policy Argument Fell Apart
Since President Obama took office, right-wing media have argued that his foreign policy is making the United States less safe and is bent on attacking Israel. Those attacks have continued in 2011, even as the Obama administration has overseen the death of Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al-Awlaki, repeatedly supported Israel, and been praised by Israeli leaders. Read More

Right-Wing Media Machine Closes Out 2011 With Attacks On Girl Scouts Of America
The right-wing media closed out 2011 by attacking the Girl Scouts of America for, in the words of Glenn Beck website The Blaze, publishing a book that “refers young readers to Media Matters for America as one of the primary sources for debunking lies and deceit.” Fox News led the charge, devoting more than 15 minutes over two days and three programs to the GSA’s “liberal ideology,” including its purported ties to Planned Parenthood.
Read More

April 22, 2012 – Join us to Mobilize the Earth

Support EDN – We cannot do this without you!

At the recent United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa, world leaders punted once again. Instead of taking meaningful action on climate change today, they put off creation of a global emission treaty until 2020 — a commitment few believe will be honored without massive public intervention. Anticipating this failure, Earth Day Network and our global partners, including Tck Tck Tck, met in Durban to develop a plan for global action in advance of the next major meeting of world leaders at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June.

Our plan calls for using Earth Day as a springboard to pressure world leaders. We will organize a global coalition of environmental, faith based, and human rights groups that together with nascent movement building organizations will take action on Earth Day, April 22nd 2012 and Mobilize the Earth™. Together we will demand immediate action to reverse the damage of climate change and other environmental tragedies. Stay tuned for details to come shortly on how you too can Mobilize the Earth™!

Other News:

Mayors and local elected officials from around the world did make history by joining together to sign the Durban Adaptation Charter for Local Governments, requiring cities to increase their mitigation and adaptation efforts immediately. (Read more about the Charter at the Earth Day Network blog)

On December 5th, Earth Day Network, in partnership with National Religious Coalition of Creation Care (NRCCC), hosted an event in Durban where Ela Ghandi and other prominent women faith leaders spoke about the importance of women’s voices in the environmental movement and the need for simple solutions to address carbon emissions. Together, Earth Day Network and NRCCC will continue to encourage faith communities to implement sustainable initiatives in their everyday lives and places of worship.

Upcoming Event:

April 22, 2012: Plan an Event

Help your community plan an Earth Day event! Using the universal platform of Earth Day, invite your friends and neighbors to voice their concerns for the environment and join us as we call upon governments around the world to protect our planet. If you can, please join us on the National Mall in Washington, DCon April 22, 2012 for the world’s largest Earth Day event, an all-day gathering of the world’s top musical talent and most exciting speakers, uniting our voices in a call for a sustainable future for all.

towrah Tuesday &some News

just another rant … revived

Failed Promises

Like what we are experiencing under the Republican controlled House of Representatives versus change to or a redirection of promises that President Obama has had to make on numerous occasions. It is obvious the two situations are quite different. The first two years of the Obama Admin the Republican Tea Party spent most of their time on the floor of Congress saying no, blocking, making the Democratic Party scale back or run away from legitimate bills that party of NO attached felonious amendments to that no member of Congress could in good conscious vote for. In the weeks and months following these just say no votes, Americans in Public Service began losing jobs and the unemployment rate increased and will continue; Republicans without remorse started calling the unemployed lazy, unmotivated and if all else failed they should ask for charity. We have 2012 candidates running for President that are even less compassionate for those who are unemployed underemployed or in that 99%. Corporations are people too and if you are not rich? Well, that is on you.

The ultimate show of privileged behavior is when Republicans decided to hold the middle class hostage while demanding the bush bonus dollars be made permanent, under the guise of that top 2% being the job creators. The campaign for the midterm elections considered an off year usually gets few voters out to vote though in what definitely is a first of many firsts in the Obama’s Presidency, the midterms were important to all Americans looking back. Yet, folks did the same ole same, some opted out on purpose and even more voted right of center on purpose. That is beyond my understanding but the whole notion of teaching a President a lesson is the one of the worse reasons to vote against your best interest. While most know the outcome of the midterm elections, I think that many people do not understand what truly happened. President Obama said he got shellacked and would try to make a move to be more bipartisan, though senator McConnell said if he wants us to consider compromise he would have to do, say and act like we want him to and on conservative airwaves McConnell said his job was to make Obama a one term President. The midterm elections were bad for everyone and as the months moved along buyer’s remorse set in though it took way too long for me. For the last three years, Americans have been hearing Republicans say that we need to create jobs. Mr. Boehner and his comrades definitely used the jobs, jobs, jobs slogan to win the House of Representatives in 2010. Sadly, these carpetbaggers have been waving one hand in the air while using the other to attack, slash, cut, and burn every effort to get our economy back on track.

Yes, President Obama did promise change and he has kept over half of them, he also stated that he could not make changes alone … we all would have to participate. That comment is a hard reality given the crap that the Republican Tea Party keeps pulling out of somewhere disguised with them saying they are listening to what Americans want. That claim is a proven falsehood, the promises the Republican Tea Party has made repeatedly has or …could put us at risk.

I certainly feel our country is at risk with failed promises, reckless and or provocative rhetoric but contrary to what we hear in the news … it is definitely coming from Teapublican members of Congress and Governors.

I still have the Audacity of hope and change …

Other News …

C-SPAN’s Coverage of Iowa Caucuses Begins at 7pm ET

Rick Perry Ends Campaign Day in Perry, Iowa

Rick Santorum Ends Day Before Caucuses in Altoona, Iowa

Mitt Romney Holds Final Rally on Day Before Caucuses

Ron Paul Tours 5 Cities on Last Day of Iowa Campaign

Newt Gingrich Works for Final Votes in Iowa

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Talks About Military Cuts

DHS Secretary Napolitano Discusses International Partnerships

Mitt Romney Interviewed by Iowa Newspaper

Rick Perry Interviewed by Iowa Newspaper

White House Briefing with Jay Carney

Panel on Obama Is a “Teflon President”

House GOP Discuss Payroll Tax

Rep. Nancy Pelosi News Conference

Repost :: Right to Work for Less :: Repost

By ThinkProgress War Room

Sneak Attack on Unions All About Politics, Not Economics

As we discussed last week, Republicans in Michigan are ramming through so-called “right to work” legislation (along with several other highly controversial bills) during the final days of lame duck session.

A new report out today from our colleagues at the Center for American Progress underscores why right to work for less isn’t just bad for unions, it’s bad for everyone:

The average worker—unionized or not—working in a right-to-work state earns approximately $1,500 less per year than a similar worker in a state without such a law.

Workers in right-to-work states are also significantly less likely to receive employer-provided health insurance and pensions. If benefits coverage in non-right-to-work states were lowered to the levels of states with these laws, 2 million fewer workers would receive health insurance and 3.8 million fewer workers would receive pensions nationwide.

All of the states with the lowest percentage of workers in unions—Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Tennessee, Texas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma—are right-to-work states. They all have a relatively weak middle class, as the share of total state income going to the middle 60 percent of the population is below the national average.

Over the past several decades, unions in Michigan have weakened and the middle class has been hollowed out—a trend that would significantly worsen if right-to-work became law. As Figure 1 shows, Michigan’s middle class earned 53.6 percent of the state’s income in 1979, a year when over 37 percent of the state’s workers were in unions. Today less than 18 percent of Michigan’s workers are unionized, and the middle class receives only 47 percent of the state’s income.

Moreover, right-to-work does not reduce unemployment. Indeed, right-to-work states such as Nevada—which has the nation’s highest unemployment rate—and North Carolina both have higher unemployment rates than Michigan. Not surprisingly, researchers find that right-to-work has “no significant positive impact whatsoever on employment.”

As it happens, President Obama was in Michigan today to celebrate new jobs and investments in a Daimler diesel engine plant. The president came out swinging against this latest right-wing attack on unions and working people. He also explained that middle class consumers are the real engine of economic growth:

Watch it:

President Obama: And by the way, what we shouldn’t do — I just got to say this — what we shouldn’t be doing is trying to take away your rights to bargain for better wages and working conditions. (Applause.) We shouldn’t be doing that. (Applause.) These so-called “right to work” laws, they don’t have to do with economics; they have everything to do with politics. (Applause.) What they’re really talking about is giving you the right to work for less money. (Applause.)

You only have to look to Michigan — where workers were instrumental in reviving the auto industry — to see how unions have helped build not just a stronger middle class but a stronger America. (Applause.) So folks from our state’s capital, all the way to the nation’s capital, they should be focused on the same thing. They should be working to make sure companies like this manufacturer is able to make more great products. That’s what they should be focused on. (Applause.) We don’t want a race to the bottom. We want a race to the top. (Applause.)

America is not going to compete based on low-skill, low-wage, no workers’ rights. That’s not our competitive advantage. There’s always going to be some other country that can treat its workers even worse. Right?

Audience: Right!

The President: What’s going to make us succeed is we got the best workers — well trained, reliable, productive, low turnover, healthy. That’s what makes us strong. And it also is what allows our workers then to buy the products that we make because they got enough money in their pockets. (Applause.)

BOTTOM LINE: Instead of a race to the bottom pushed by right-wing billionaires, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) should focus on building an economy that works for everyone, including workers.