There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there. – Barack Obama 11-04-08
11/6/12 President Obama receives 332 Electoral Votes
“I want you to know that this wasn’t fate, and it wasn’t an accident. You made this happen.
You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn’t easy, you pressed forward.
I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started.
But I want you to take real pride, as I do, in how we got the chance in the first place.
Today is the clearest proof yet that, against the odds, ordinary Americans can overcome powerful interests.
“I believe that the free enterprise system is the greatest engine of prosperity the world has ever known. I believe in self-reliance and individual initiative and risk-takers being rewarded. But I also believe that everybody should have a fair shot and everybody should do their fair share and everybody should play by the same rules. Because that’s how our economy is grown. That’s how we built the world’s greatest middle class. And that is part of what’s at stake in this election.
“There’s a fundamentally different vision about how we move our country forward. I believe Governor Romney is a good man—loves his family, cares about his faith. But I also believe that when he said behind closed doors that 47% of the country considered themselves victims, who refused personal responsibility, think about who he was talking about: folks on Social Security who have worked all their lives, veterans who have sacrificed for this country, students who are out there trying to hopefully advance their own dreams but also this country’s dreams, soldiers who are overseas fighting for us right now. People who are working hard every day, paying payroll tax, gas taxes, but don’t make enough income, and I want to fight for them. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last four years—because if they succeed, I believe the country succeeds.”
President Obama – 10/16/12
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“Let’s be very clear, while we’re tuning out and staying home on Election Day, other folks are tuning in. Other folks are taking politics very seriously. And they’re engaged on every level. They’re raising money. They’re making their voices heard –- and their issues known –- from City Hall to Washington, DC. And I know that in the face of all of that money and influence, it can start to feel like ordinary citizens just can’t get a seat at the table. And that can make you feel helpless and hopeless. It can make you feel or think that you’re powerless.
But I’m here today because that’s simply not true. We are not helpless or hopeless. Time and again, history has shown us that there is nothing –- nothing -– more powerful than ordinary citizens coming together for a just cause.”
” I’m talking about the tireless, the thankless, relentless work of making change — you know, the phone-calling, letter-writing, door-knocking, meeting-planning kind of work. That is the real work of democracy –- what happens during those quiet moments between the marches. “
“That is how we carry on that precious legacy we’ve inherited — by recommitting ourselves to that day-to-day, vitally important work that has always paved the way for change in this country.
What does that mean? That means being informed. It means following the news, and learning about who’s representing us, and how our governments work. It means showing up to vote — and not just every four years, but every year in every election. It means engaging with the folks we elect, following how they vote and how they spend our hard-earned tax dollars. And if you don’t like what you see, then let them know, or better yet, run for a seat at the table yourself. ”
mike luckovich cartoon – atlantic journal[/caption]
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Don’t be tricked by the GOP candidates!
Give America a treat …
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Obama campaign buys reporters cookies that Romney trashed
7/6/12 12:33 PM EDT By REID J. EPSTEIN |POLITICO44
ABOARD THE OBAMA PRESS POOL BUS – Cookiegate lives!
As President Obama’s motorcade rolled across the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, his campaign informed reporters that in Pittsburgh they would be treated to cookies from Bethel Bakery in Bethel Park, Pa., a locally-famous establishment whose 15 minutes of campaign fame followed an unfortunate description of them by Obama¹s GOP rival, Mitt Romney.
“I’m not sure about these cookies,” Romney said in April upon being presented the sugary delights. “They don¹t look like you made them. No, no. They came from the local 7-Eleven, bakery, or whatever.”
Offended, the Bethel Bakery proprietor ran a Cookiegate special: six free with the purchase of a dozen. After she initially protested to the press, she told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette she meant no offense.
“I was a little shocked,” Julie Lytle, the store’s marketing assistant told the paper. “I didn’t think too much of it at the time, and I didn’t think it would blow up like it has. We decided to have fun with it and not to get offended.”
Obama’s campaign aides rubbed in Romney¹s snub Friday.
“Waiting for the press in Pittsburgh… Cookies from Bethel Bakery,” campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki wrote on Twitter. “Another difference with Romney. We love their cookies.”
2012 Publisher’s Endorsements for President Obama’s Re-Election
“Our choice is Obama, who has been a highly competent president” The Daily Astorian – Oregon
“Barack Obama has shown cautious, yet steady leadership during the slow emergence from an extraordinary recession. He did so despite the most divisive, obstructionist opposition in memory. We support President Obama for a second term.” Daily Camera - Colorado
“Obama’s record of accomplishment under trying circumstances and his blueprint for a second term make him the best pick to move the nation forward.” Denver Post - Colorado
“U.S. president Our choice: Barack Obama” La Cruces Sun-News – New Mexico
“Obama has capably steered the nation through an incredibly difficult period at home and abroad, often with little help from Congress. The next four years will not be easy for whoever occupies the Oval Office, but Obama has been tested by harsh circumstance and proven himself worthy of a second term.” Tampa Bay Times - Florida
“Best for the Middle Class” “Obama has been tested and found equal to the task of being president. We think the country is in better shape than it was four years ago, and we think it will be in even better shape if he wins another term in office. ” Lincoln Journal Star - Nebraska
“Americans have a clear choice between two presidential candidates with starkly different ideas for spurring the economy, providing for the health of our people, defending our interests abroad, educating our children and protecting our environment. We believe that President Barack Obama’s progress on these issues merits him a second term in the White House.” Winston-Salem Journal – North Carolina
“We wholeheartedly endorse Barack Obama and Joe Biden for a second term so that they can move forward with reforms this country needs. A president’s second term is an opportunity to implement his legacy agenda. Nothing we have seen suggests that Barack Obama will be content to rest on his laurels in the next four years.“ San Francisco Examiner - California
“President Obama needs our help. After all he’s done for us, we owe him the opportunity to transform from a very good president into a truly great one in his second term.” The Stranger – Washington
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“If it’s true that united we stand and divided we fall, America will come crashing down should Mitt Romney be elected president. He’s already declared half the citizenry worthless, and said that as president, he’ll concern himself only with the others. All those deemed unworthy of Romney’s attention are low- and middle-income Americans, people who, unlike Romney himself, had no rich father’s shoulders to stand on. These are the people who most need a friend in the White House. Romney promises the back of his hand.
President Barack Obama has, to the contrary, shown compassion for the lower and middle classes, to a degree that his Republican critics find unmanly. The great achievement of the first Obama administration, comparable to the creation of Social Security under President Franklin Roosevelt and Medicare under President Lyndon Johnson, is the Affordable Care Act, a boon to Americans who can’t pay for expensive medical care without help. (Romney would abolish or weaken all three of those great programs, for being the work of Democrats and for disproving the political and economic theories of the extremists who support him.)”
“Americans are divided already; Obama at least wants to try to bring them together. The gap would widen under the elitist Romney, and even if he ever felt inclined to cease the class warfare and gender warfare his party wages, the party wouldn’t let him. The choice this year is between a level-headed, well-intentioned, middle-of-the-roader and a political adventurer dominated by really nasty reactionaries. An easy choice, we believe.” Arkansas Times – Arkansas
“Whether the issue is gay rights, the fate of millions of illegal immigrants, job creation, foreign relations, empowerment of women or how best to make it so we can all afford to get to work and back, Obama has laid out a practical, detailed and sensible route to move us into a future where we call the shots.” Aurora Sentinal – Colorado
“President Barack Obama is the best choice” The Flint Journal - Michigan
“Barack Obama for President. We endorse Barack Obama as his policies show greater promise for the interests of college students, institutions of higher education, and the American university system.” Columbia Daily Spectator – Columbia University - New York
The re-election of Barack Obama is a matter of great urgency. The New Yorker – New York
“Four More Years for President Obama.” Washington Post - Washington D.C.
“Barack Obama for Re-Election” New York Times – New York
Birth Control – Pro-Choice; believes in women’s right to choose.
China – Opposes citing China as a currency manipulator, which could lead to broad trade sanctions, instead pressing the matter through diplomacy and aggressively burnt unfair-trade cases to the WTO.
Debt – Promises to cut deficits by $4 trillion over 10 years, a goal that will require Congress to raise the capital gains tax, boost a taxes on households earning more than $250,000 a year, impose a minimum 30 percent tax on incomes above $1million.
Economy – Term marked by high unemployment, a deep recession that began in the previous administration and gradual recovery; responded to recession with a roughly $800 billion stimulus plan, expanded auto bailout begun under Bush; inherited and carried forward Wall Street bailout.
Education – Has approved waivers freeing states from the most onerous requirements of the Bush – era ‘No Child Left Behind‘ law; “ Race to the Top’ competition has rewarded winning states with billions of dollars for pursing education policies Obama supports.
Energy – Ordered temporary moratorium on deep-water drilling after the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf Mexico but has pushed for more oil and gas drilling overall; achieved historic increases in fuel economy standards expect to save money at the pump while raising the code of new vehicles.
Environment – Achieved regulations on – heat-tapping gases blamed for global warming and on mercury pollution from power plants; spent heavily on green energy and has embraced nuclear power as a clean source; failed to persuade a Democratic congress tin 2009 to pass limits he promised on carbon emissions.
Gay Rights- Supports legal recognition of same- sex marriage; achieved repeal of the military ban on openly gay members; has not achieved repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
Guns – Has not pushed for stricter gun laws as president; signed laws letting people carry concealed weapons in national parks and in checked bags on Amtrak trains; voices support for renewed ban on assault-type weapons; previously backed stronger gun controls.
Health Care – Achieved landmark overhaul with the Affordable Care Act
including a Medicaid expansion and a mandate for almost everyone to obtain insurance; under the law, insurers may not deny coverage to people with pre-existing illness, tax credits will subsidize premiums, people can seek insurance in new marks and young adults can stay on their parent’s health care plan until age 26.
Immigration – Issued directive that immigrants brought illegally to the US as children be exempted from deportation and granted work permits if they apply; has failed to deliver on promised immigration overhaul but says he is still committed to it.
Mideast – Opposes near-term military strike on Iran except as last resort to stop it from getting nuclear weapons,; seeks international pressure against Syrian government rather then military aid for oppositions.
Social Security – Has not proposed a comprehensive plan to address Social Security’s long-term financial problems; proposed a new way of measuring inflation that would reduce annual increase in Social Security’s benefits, which would reduce the long-term shortfall be a bout 25 percent.
Taxes – Would raise taxes on the wealthy and ensure they pay at least 30 percent of their income; would extend Bush-era tax cuts for those making under ›200,000 ($250,000 for couples), let top two tax rates go back up on 396 percent and 36 percent, raise rates on capital gains and dividends for the wealthy.
Terrorism – Approved the raid that killed Osama bin Laden ; set policy that the US would no longer use harsh interrogation techniques; expanded use of drone strikes against terrorist targets abroad.
* President Obama has a long-term economic plan to invest in education, small businesses, clean energy, infrastructure, and tax cuts for companies that bring jobs back to the U.S.
* Under President Obama, we’ve seen 31 straight months of job growth, adding 5.2 million private sector jobs, including nearly 500,000 manufacturing jobs – the most growth since 1997
* Cut taxes by $3,600 for the typical middle class family making $50,000 a year over his first term – find out how his plan impacts your taxes
* “All of the above” strategy to develop every available source of American made energy—including oil, gas, clean coal, wind, solar, biofuels, nuclear – and taking steps to protect our climate
* Set a goal to cut tuition growth in half over the next decade with a plan to double campus based student aid and incentives for schools that are successful at keeping tuition growth down
* Responsibly ended the war in Iraq , is bringing our troops home from Afghanistan, and will use half the savings to reduce the deficit and the rest to engage in nation-building here at home
* 100 million Americans saw lifetime caps on coverage lifted, so that families have the security of knowing that their insurance will cover them when they need it most
* Believes a woman’s health care choices are personal decisions, best made with her doctor—without interference from politicians
* Improved Medicare by adding free preventive care, closing the “doughnut hole” saving seniors an average of $600 last year, and extended the life of Medicare by 8 years by eliminating $716 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse
* Is lifting the shadow of deportation from young, hardworking immigrants who were brought here as children, and is committed to comprehensive immigration reform
In Iowa, a state whose judicial system has been praised for its fairness and impartiality, the political and religious Right ousted three justices in 2010 over marriage equality, and is now trying to take down a fourth over the same issue. Iowa’s merit selection and retention process keeps politics and campaign money out of our courts, safeguarding its fairness and impartiality. To keep it that way, Iowans from all political spectrums should resist efforts by out-of-state extremist groups who are funding efforts to politicize our courts. If politics and campaign money are allowed into the courts, justice will be for sale.
Groups from across the state are working together to counter the effort of extremists from hijacking Iowa’s courts. Justice Not Politics is a broad based, nonpartisan coalition of organizations and Iowans across the political spectrum —- progressive to conservative; Republicans, Independents and Democrats —- all who are committed to protecting Iowa’s courts and our system of merit selection and retention.
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Appeals court rules against Defense of Marriage Act
10/18/12 By Terry Baynes – Reuters
NEW YORK (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court in New York on Thursday ruled that a U.S. law defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman unconstitutionally denies federal benefits to lawfully married same-sex couples.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is now the second federal appeals court to reject part of the Defense of Marriage Act. It upheld a lower court ruling that had found a central part of the law unconstitutional.
Appeals in several cases are currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, which could choose to take up the issue in its current term.
Two members of a three-judge panel ruled in favor of Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old woman who argued that the law discriminates against gay couples in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
They found that gays and lesbians are entitled to heightened protection from the courts, based on the history of discrimination the group has suffered.
“Homosexuals are not in a position to adequately protect themselves from the discriminatory wishes of the majoritarian public,” Judge Dennis Jacobs wrote for the majority.
Six states have legalized same-sex marriage, including New York in 2011. Because of the Defense of Marriage Act, which was passed in 1996, federal law and government programs do not recognize those marriages.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Windsor by the American Civil Liberties Union in federal court in New York. Windsor is a former IBM computer programmer who married Thea Clara Spyer in Toronto, Canada, in 2007. The two were engaged in 1967.
Spyer died in 2009 after a decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis, leaving all of her property to Windsor. Because the marriage was not recognized under federal law, Windsor had to pay more than $363,000 in federal estate taxes, according to her lawsuit.
Windsor’s attorneys argued that the act violates the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law.
The Obama administration said last year it considered the law unconstitutional and would no longer defend it. Instead, a group appointed by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives is defending the law in courts across the country.
Obama Administration Policy, Legislative and Other Advancements on behalf of LGBT Americans
Over the last four years, President Obama has led the way on significant advancements in equality for the LGBT community. From his historic endorsement of marriage equality, to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to hospital visitation for same-sex partners and numerous other administrative changes throughout the government, President Obama has done more to improve the lives of LGBT people than any president in our nation’s history. Learn more about all of the advancements we’ve made during the Obama administration, and read the op-ed from then-HRC President Joe Solmonese explaining why were proud to endorse President Obama for reelection.
The Obama administration has directed officials to recognize same-sex partners as family members
“The UNHCR recommended that the U.S. consider family unity principles in exercising the public interest exception, including “de facto” family members, family members without pending legal status and same-sex partners.64″
“With regard to using the public interest exception to recognize common-law or same-sex partnerships without other relevant public interest considerations, U.S. federal law precludes the use of the term “spouse” to refer to same-sex partnerships 67. “
Laws may be initiated in either chamber of Congress, the House of Representatives or the Senate. For this example, we will track a bill introduced in the House of Representatives. For more information, try How Our Laws Are Made (Senate Document 105-14) Text (166k) PDF (327k).
1. When a Representative has an idea for a new law, s/he becomes the sponsor of that bill and introduces it by giving it to the clerk of the House or by placing it in a box, called the hopper. The clerk assigns a legislative number to the bill, with H.R. for bills introduced in the House of Representatives and S. for bills introduced in the Senate. The Government Printing Office (GPO) then prints the bill and distributes copies to each representative. .
2. Next, the bill is assigned to a committee (the House has 22 standing committees, each with jurisdiction over bills in certain areas) by the Speaker of the House so that it can be studied.The standing committee (or often a subcommittee) studies the bill and hears testimony from experts and people interested in the bill. The committee then may release the bill with a recommendation to pass it, or revise the bill and release it, or lay it aside so that the House cannot vote on it. Releasing the bill is called reporting it out, while laying it aside is called tabling. .
3. If the bill is released, it then goes on a calendar(a list of bills awaiting action). Here the House Rules Committee may call for the bill to be voted on quickly, limit the debate, or limit or prohibit amendments. Undisputed bills may be passed by unanimous consent, or by a two-thirds vote if members agree to suspend the rules. .
4. The bill now goes to the floor of the House for consideration and begins with a complete reading of the bill (sometimes this is the only complete reading). A third reading (title only) occurs after any amendments have been added. If the bill passes by simple majority (218 of 435), the bill moves to the Senate. .
5. In order to be introduced in the Senate, a senator must be recognized as the presiding officer and announce the introduction of the bill. Sometimes, when a bill has passed in one house, it becomes known as an act; however, this term usually means a bill that has been passed by both houses and becomes law. .
6. Just as in the House, the bill then is assigned to a committee. It is assigned to one of the Senate’s 16 standing committees by the presiding officer. The Senate committee studies and either releases or tables the bill just like the House standing committee. .
7. Once released, the bill goes to the Senate floor for consideration. Bills are voted on in the Senate based on the order they come from the committee; however, an urgent bill may be pushed ahead by leaders of the majority party. When the Senate considers the bill, they can vote on it indefinitely. When there is no more debate, the bill is voted on. A simple majority (51 of 100) passes the bill. .
8. The bill now moves onto a conference committee, which is made up of members from each House. The committee works out any differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. The revised bill is sent back to both houses for their final approval. Once approved, the bill is printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office in a process called enrolling. The clerk from the introducing house certifies the final version. .
9. The enrolled bill is now signed by the Speaker of the House and then the vice president. Finally, it is sent for presidential consideration. The president has ten days to sign or veto the enrolled bill. If the president vetoes the bill, it can still become a law if two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House then vote in favor of the bill.Source: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/lawmaking/index.html
This is why we the voters need to vote more Democrats into Congress to help President Obama to push through fair, pro-American worker laws that help the average American.
Romney wants to give tax breaks to the wealthy 1% and to companies who outsource our jobs to countries like China just like how Romney has done in his past.
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Paul Krugman: Romney’s superrich VIP supporters are only self-important
7/14/12 By Paul Krugman
“Is there a VIP entrance? We are VIP.” That remark, by a donor waiting to get in to one of Mitt Romney’s recent fundraisers in the Hamptons, pretty much sums up the attitude of America’s wealthy elite. Romney’s base — never mind the top 1 percent, we’re talking about the top 0.01 percent or higher — is composed of very self-important people.
Specifically, these are people who believe that they are, as another Romney donor put it, “the engine of the economy”; they should be cherished, and the taxes they pay, which are already at an 80-year low, should be cut even further. Unfortunately, said yet another donor, the “common person” — for example, the “nails ladies” — just doesn’t get it.
OK, it’s easy to mock these people, but the joke’s really on us. For the “we are VIP” crowd has fully captured the modern Republican Party, to such an extent that leading Republicans consider Romney’s apparent use of multimillion-dollar offshore accounts to dodge federal taxes not just acceptable but praiseworthy: “It’s really American to avoid paying taxes, legally,” declared Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. And there is, of course, a good chance that Republicans will control both Congress and the White House next year.
If that happens, we’ll see a sharp turn toward economic policies based on the proposition that we need to be especially solicitous toward the superrich — I’m sorry, I mean the “job creators.” So it’s important to understand why that’s wrong.
The first thing you need to know is that America wasn’t always like this. When John F. Kennedy was elected president, the top 0.01 percent was only about a quarter as rich compared with the typical family as it is now — and members of that class paid much higher taxes than they do today. Yet somehow we managed to have a dynamic, innovative economy that was the envy of the world. The superrich may imagine that their wealth makes the world go round, but history says otherwise.
The DCCC’s RedtoBlue program highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support. The program will introduce Democratic supporters to new, competitive candidates in order to help expand the fundraising base for these campaigns. This is the earliest the DCCC’s Red to Blue program has been implemented in an election cycle.
Remember that President Obama needs a Congress who will work with him to make big changes to help average Americans.
How could one respect a candidate who is always opportunistic and an expert in double talking simply to win an election? I can respect a person who has conviction and dignity with a principle that is grounded even if it is different than my ideology but how could anyone truly think Mitt Romney who engage in over the top veiled deceit and absolute deception is a leader material?
Mitt Romney has a truth problem and in fact he has said so many things through out his political career, I don’t think he has any position that can define who he really is which is a reason why I personally feel Mitt Romney is a very untrustworthy man. Not so long ago, his former 2012 presidential rival, Gov. John Hunstman called Romney, a “perfectly lubricated weathervane” accusing him of changing positions depending on which direction the wind blows.
A must see Rachel Maddow program has picked up on Mitt Romney’s misleadership as shown below and I hope the rest of the MSM will catch up with her.
“And make no mistake about it, change absolutely starts at home.”
But while we certainly need to start at home, we all know that we cannot stop there because the fact is that our laws still matter. Much like they did 50 years ago, or 150 years ago, our laws still shape so many aspects of our lives: Whether folks are paying their fair [share of]* taxes, or not; whether we invest in roads and schools, and the jobs that come with them, or not; whether our sons and our daughters who wear our country’s uniform get the support and benefits they’ve earned, or not. You see, those decisions are made by the folks sitting in Congress and in our White House. They’re made by the folks in our state legislatures and city halls. And we all know who’s supposed to select those folks, don’t we? We know who’s supposed to tell those folks what to do, right? We are. That’s our job. That is our most fundamental right and our most solemn obligation –- to cast our ballots and have our say in the laws that shape our lives.
Dr. King knew that. That’s why back in 1965, he came to Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma and declared — he said, “When we get the right to vote, we will send to the statehouse not just men who will stand in the doorways of our universities…but men who will uphold the cause of justice.”
“But today, how many folks do we know who act like that right doesn’t even matter? How many of us have asked someone whether they’re going to vote, and tell us, “No, I voted last time,” or “Is there really an election going on? Really?”, or “Nah, nah, it’s not like my vote’s gonna make a difference.” How many times have we heard that? After so many folks sacrificed so much so that we could make our voices heard, so many of us just can’t be bothered.
But let’s be very clear, while we’re tuning out and staying home on Election Day, other folks are tuning in. Other folks are taking politics very seriously. And they’re engaged on every level. They’re raising money. They’re making their voices heard –- and their issues known –- from City Hall to Washington, DC. And I know that in the face of all of that money and influence, it can start to feel like ordinary citizens just can’t get a seat at the table. And that can make you feel helpless and hopeless. It can make you feel or think that you’re powerless.
But I’m here today because that’s simply not true. We are not helpless or hopeless. Time and again, history has shown us that there is nothing –- nothing -– more powerful than ordinary citizens coming together for a just cause.”
” And I’m not just talking about the big speeches and protests that we all remember. I’m talking about everything that happens between the marches, when the speeches are over and the cameras were off. I’m talking about the thousands of hours that folks like Roy Wilkins and Daisy Bates spent strategizing in cramped offices late at night. I’m talking about the folks in Montgomery who organized carpools and gave thousands of rides to perfect strangers. I’m talking about the volunteers who set up drinking fountains and first aid stations on the Washington Mall and made 80,000 bags of lunches for folks who marched on that August day. I’m talking about the tireless, the thankless, relentless work of making change — you know, the phone-calling, letter-writing, door-knocking, meeting-planning kind of work. That is the real work of democracy –- what happens during those quiet moments between the marches. “
“You see, living out our eternal salvation is not a once-a-week kind of deal. And in a more literal sense, neither is citizenship. Democracy is also an everyday activity. And being an engaged citizen should once again be a daily part of our lives. That is how we carry on that precious legacy we’ve inherited — by recommitting ourselves to that day-to-day, vitally important work that has always paved the way for change in this country.
What does that mean?
And I know I am preaching to the choir here. I know that many of you have been active and engaged for decades. And I’m here today to urge you to continue that work and bring others along with you. Because we know that the only way to be heard above all the noise is to lift our voices up together.
So I want you to talk to your friends and your family, your neighbors. Talk to them. Talk to folks in the beauty salons, the barbershops, the parking lot at church. Tell them what’s happening on the city council and out in Washington. Let them know. Find that nephew who has never voted — get him registered. Start an email list or a Facebook group. Send people articles about issues you care about, and then call them to make sure they’ve read them.
And to anyone who says that church is no place to talk about these issues, you tell them there is no place better — no place better. Because ultimately, these are not just political issues — they are moral issues. They’re issues that have to do with human dignity and human potential, and the future we want for our kids and our grandkids. “
“We must work like never before and we must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great county forward, my husband, our president, President Barack Obama”
“…this campaign can’t only be about me. It must be about us — it must be about what we can do together.This campaign must be the occasion, the vehicle, of your hopes, and your dreams. It will take your time, your energy, and your advice — to push us forward when we’re doing right, and to let us know when we’re not. This campaign has to be about reclaiming the meaning of citizenship, restoring our sense of common purpose, and realizing that few obstacles can withstand the power of millions of voices calling for change.
By ourselves, this change will not happen. Divided, we are bound to fail.”
“As Lincoln organized the forces arrayed against slavery, he was heard to say this: “Of strange, discordant, and even hostile elements, we gathered from the four winds, and formed and fought to battle through.”
That is our purpose here today.
That is why I’m in this race.
Not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation.
I want to win that next battle — for justice and opportunity.
I want to win that next battle — for better schools, and better jobs, and better health care for all.
I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America.
And if you will join with me in this improbable quest, if you feel destiny calling, and see as I see, a future of endless possibility stretching before us; if you sense, as I sense, that the time is now to shake off our slumber, and slough off our fear, and make good on the debt we owe past and future generations, then I am ready to take up the cause, and march with you, and work with you.Today, together, we can finish the work that needs to be done, and usher in a new birth of freedom on this Earth. Thank you very much everybody — let’s get to work.”
Posted by CR 
