Senator Obama’s Letter to the LGBT Community

The inclusion of LGBT rights has been an important cause of Barack Obama’s since before his days in the Illinois Senate. The attached .pdf file (HERE) is Barack’s letter on LGBT issues.

It just goes to show you how Senator Obama recognizes that there are divisions in our country, but that we should all be striving toward a day when we can work past those divisions and be united as one America.

If you know anyone in the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered community who is still on the fence about which candidate they will be supporting, present them with this letter from Senator Obama, maybe it will help them make-up their mind.

Texas Two-Step Items

For all Texas voters, here’s some information on the two-step voting process.

To find your polling location check online - http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/where.shtml

Here you will find two .pdf files with more information about the Texas Two-Step. There is a black and white and a color version, if you’re running into people who are confused about how the process works and what exactly it means for the candidates.

Thanks go to JJ Hopkins for providing these for everyone.

Texas Two-Step Explanation - Black and White

Texas Two-Step Explanation - Color

March 4th is nearly here and it is more important than ever to keep our grassroots coalition strong and united in the cause of winning Texas for Barack. So keep making those phone calls and make preparations to volunteer at early voting locations and at your polling location come election day. Let’s stay positive and visible and help remind people that change is real and we are all apart of it.

YES WE CAN! OBAMA ‘08!

Obama versus Clinton on Experience

It is not a new tactic by the Clinton campaign to claim that Senator Clinton has a plethura of experience versus Senator Obama. In addition to this, many of us have heard the reports of various news organizations and Clinton campaign workers who have launched “man on the street” interviews wherein they question Obama supporters and try to put them on the spot to name an achievement of Senator Obama or a firm reason as to why they are supporting him other than the “feeling” he invokes in them.

And so below you will find a listing of Senator Obama’s various accomplishments in the Senate versus Senator Clinton’s accomplishments. It deserves to be mentioned that in the Senate both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have been allies, co-sponsoring bills with one another on numerous occasions. What is more interesting is that some of Senator Clinton’s key legislation that she refers to in her campaign has no co-sponsors in the Senate whatsoever. I find this odd because one of her key issues is and has always been health-care, a key issue for most Democrats. How legislation relating to health-care cannot garner a single Democratic ally as a co-sponsor speaks either to it being poor legislation or to her inability to gain support on what has become her solitary issue of contest with Senator Obama.

In contrast you will see that Senator Obama’s legislation typically has multiple co-sponsors (including Republicans) and his legislation usually has a much more focused and effective resolution than many of Senator Clinton’s bills on similar topics. This demonstrates how Obama works to create legislation with actual end results, whether or not it creates enemies within corporate America or not.

So here are a few pieces of legislation you can familiarize yourself with to show that Obama supporters are well-informed on the accomplishments, goals and work ethic of our candidate :

On Foreclosures :
Senator Clinton’s bill - S.2114 which is “A bill to amend the Truth in Lending Act, to provide for enhanced disclosures to consumers and enhanced regulation of mortgage brokers, and for other purposes.” This bill had no co-sponsors.

Senator Obama’s bill - S.1222 which is “”A bill to stop mortgage transactions which operate to promote fraud, risk, abuse, and under-development, and for other purposes.” Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 4/25/2007), co-sponsored by Dick Durbin.

Senator Obama’s legislation is clearly doing more to prevent situations like adjustable rate mortgages being written into unsuspecting home buyers’ contracts, wherein Senator Clinton’s legislation is only working for enhanced disclosures and regulation of an industry that has already proven it cannot be trusted to follow standards of ethics.

On Energy and the Environment

Senator Clinton’s negative campaign has made accusations in one of their direct mail pieces distributed in early February that Senator Obama has helped to pass legislation that put “voted for Dick Cheney’s energy bill that gives huge tax breaks to oil companies”

In actuality, the bill President Bush signed into law in 2005 actually raised taxes on the oil industry overall. The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service said that the Energy Policy Act “included several oil and gas tax incentives, providing about $2.6 billion of tax cuts for the oil and gas industry. In addition, [the act] provided for $2.9 billion of tax increases on the oil and gas industry, for a net tax increase on the industry of nearly $300 million over 11 years.”

In the Senate Senator Obama introduced S.115 : A bill to suspend royalty relief, to repeal certain provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal certain tax incentives for the oil and gas industry.

Senator Clinton introduced S.701 : A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to impose a temporary oil profit fee and to use the proceeds of the fee collected to provide a Strategic Energy Fund and expand certain energy tax incentives, and for other purposes.

Obama wants to “repeal certain tax incentives for the oil and gas industry”. Clinton’s bill claims the answer is a “temporary oil profit fee” and to “expand certain energy tax incentives” for alternative energy.

On alternative energy Senator Obama sponsored S.133 : A bill to promote the national security and stability of the economy of the United States by reducing the dependence of the United States on oil through the use of alternative fuels and new technology, and for other purposes. This bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO), and Richard Lugar (R-IN).

Here are a few other accomplishments of Senator Obama’s in the Senate :

Iran S.J.RES.23 : A joint resolution clarifying that the use of force against Iran is not authorized by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, any resolution previously adopted, or any other provision of law.

Global Poverty S.2433 : A bill to require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

Veterans Affairs S.1084 : A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans

Global Warming S.1324 : A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuel sold in the United States;S.1389 : A bill to authorize the National Science Foundation to establish a Climate Change Education Program; S.AMDT.599 to S.CON.RES.21 To add $200 million for Function 270 (Energy) for the demonstration and monitoring of carbon capture and sequestration technology by the Department of Energy.

Campaign Finance Reform S.2030 : A bill to amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require reporting relating to bundled contributions made by persons other than registered lobbyists; and S.AMDT.41 to S.1 To require lobbyists to disclose the candidates, leadership PACs, or political parties for whom they collect or arrange contributions, and the aggregate amount of the contributions collected or arranged.

Nuclear Proliferation S.1977 : A bill to provide for sustained United States leadership in a cooperative global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related material and technology, and support the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear technology.

So go out into the world Obama supporters armed with this knowledge and rest assured that when you are questioned about naming definitive accomplishments of Senator Obama, you can name them without effort and prove that our candidate is not all “flash” but he’s a lot of well thought-out policy and substance.

Houston for Obama Rally Pictures - Feb. 19th 2008

Here are some photos I took at the Houston for Obama rally at the Toyota Center on Tuesday, February 19th, 2008. Enjoy!

OP-ED : Disappointing Behavior

When I decided to put together a blog about the current race for the Presidency I wanted to try to keep my personal opinions about certain things to a minimum. I wanted to include news about Senator Obama’s campaign and it’s accomplishments, I wanted to include information to interested individuals on grassroot movements, I wanted to include resources so people who were interested in getting involved in this amazing political process could have tools to use in their own rallying efforts - I didn’t want to address negative items.

I still don’t.

But I do feel moved to express a few opinions.

Before the primary season really started, before many of the candidates had decided to come forward and declare their desire for the Presidency, I was a ready and willing supporter of Hillary Clinton. I had joke about wanting a Clinton yardsign in my front yard the last time George W. Bush won. I was hungry for a change, and ready for an opportunity to help put someone in the White House who could put our country back on a true course.

Then the candidates began to step forward, centering on Senator Clinton, Senator Obama and Senator Edwards. Their ideas were all founded on basic principles of helping those who need help, in creating legislation that could provide much needed lines of support to the struggling masses of American’s who can barely pay their bills or afford to put food on their tables.

Slowly, I began to become a supporter of Senator Obama. We all know he’s an inspirational speaker. He energizes the air around him with an almost palpable sense of hope, he makes it seem so real you’d think you could reach out and just grab a big heaping handful of it from the sky. He makes you believe that the dream of our country is an attainable one.

After I started listening to him speak, I did everything I could to find out more about him as far as his legislative experience was concerned. What I found impressed me. What I read in Senator Obama’s “Blueprint for Change” impressed me. Senator Obama’s passion for change and hope impressed me.

As the field has begun to narrow, I have begun volunteering for the campaign in anyway I can find the time for. It is the first presidental campaign I have ever given money to in my life. And I make a monthly contribution now, sometimes more if I can afford it. I will happily sacrifice a dinner out if it means I can help the candidate I believe in.

What I have become more and more unimpressed with…is the rapidly devolving moral character of the Clinton camp.

From the beginning of this race, I (like many, many Obama supporters) have always said that whoever got the nomination would get my vote. We are all able to recognize that the Democratic candidates (whoever they are) offer the most hope of setting our country back on a course and saving us from the horrible years of the Bush misadministration.

But I’ve been seeing negative attack, after negative attack from the Clinton camp. I’ve been seeing twisted words and misleading information in their mailers, and marginalizing of specific racial groups. We won’t even discuss what Bill Clinton said about South Carolina.

As a lifelong resident of Texas, I find it increasingly more offensive that the Clinton campaign is focussing primarily on the Latino population. I’ve grown-up with Latino friends and family and appreciate and love them all. I just find it so offensive that the Clinton camp is considering them as “Hispanic” as opposed to just considering them as “Americans”.

And as Senator Obama’s numbers have continued to rise in the polls and his pledged delegates have increased and he’s taken now 11 straight wins in a row, it seems as though the Clinton campaign is more and more willing to throw away it’s morality.

The recent argument over reseating delegates from Florida and Michigan for example. All candidates signed paperwork agreeing to the terms set forth by the DNC. And now, with her numbers low, the Clinton team is working to try to reinstate those delegates where she won. She is essentially saying ‘I give you my word’ and then turning immediately around after the numbers come in in her favor and saying ‘I take it back, gimme!’

Talk about flip-flopping.

And I’m seeing attacks on Senator Obama’s experience versus Senator Clinton’s experience.

Someone once said, “You don’t need experience to be a great leader.”

But despite that, Senator Obama does have a great deal of experience. More than that, the “experience” he brings to the table is the experience of working to get legislation passed. In his first year in the US Senate he’s authored more than 100 bills, and co-sponsored more than 400. Change isn’t just something he talks about, it’s something he has clearly been fighting to achieve.

And I could list the various bills and accomplishments, but I’d like to highlight the one massive accomplishment that Senator Obama has achieved over Senator Clinton.

People like you and people like me.

He’s organized a grassroots network across this nation. He’s brought more and more people into a political process that has made them feel shut-out for far too long. He’s mobilized people who, a year ago, would have rather been sitting at home watching television as opposed to sitting by a phone calling potential voters and informing them of their right to vote for change.

And he’s done it all without casting a negative attack. He’s maintained his moral integrity. He’s avoided taking the cheap shots (even though there are PLENTY that could be taken), he’s kept his head held high against overwhelming odds and he’s made us all believe that politics can be something other than the ugly back-and-forth bickering.

Another Obama Victory!

This is from CNN :

February 21, 2008
Obama wins Democrats Abroad contest
Posted: 11:53 AM ET

(CNN) — Barack Obama has won the Democrats Abroad Global Primary, according to the International Chair for the Democrats Abroad, Christine Marques.

Marques tells CNN the results of the week-long vote were:

Barack Obama – 65 percent, Hillary Clinton – 32 percent, with the rest of the candidates pulling in less than 1 percent of the vote each.

Democrats Abroad will send 22 delegates to the Democratic Convention, with half a vote each, carrying a total of 11 votes.

According to Democrats Abroad UK Chairman Bill Barnard, eight of the 22 will be superdelegates: two of those have said they will support Clinton, two have said they will support Obama, and four are undecided. Fourteen of the 22 will be pledged delegates.

Voting in the Democrats Abroad Global Primary began on Super Tuesday, February 5 and continued through February 12. Voting centers were set up in 33 countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and new chapters in Istanbul, Ukraine, Russia and Indonesia — the highest number of voting centers in the primary’s history.

This was the first cycle that Democrats Abroad enabled those who live in countries without voting centers to vote by mail, fax or Internet.

Democrats Abroad will not release its membership numbers, but the largest communities of U.S. expatriates live in Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom.

Texas Voting Locations

Early voting has begun here in Houston and runs until Feb. 29th.

We want all Obama supporters to get out and early vote as soon as possible. But, with our Texas Two-Step process it is VERY VERY important that you have your voter registration card stamped when you vote. You will need your stamped voter registration card with you when you return to YOUR polling location on March 4th at 7:00pm to caucus for Barack.

If you don’t have your voter registration card, you need to request a voting receipt from the poll workers at your early voting location. You can also use this to participate in the caucus on March 4th at 7:00pm.

To find your voting locations in Texas visit : http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/links.shtml#County

If everyone early votes, then try to use your free time to go to your precinct voting location and promote Obama to incoming voters! Take homemade signs, or print out anything here on this blog that you might want to use. There are still undecided voters here in Texas and polling proves that people’s decisions can be made simply by seeing printed materials at their voting locations for a particular candidate. Make a good show!

And then get the people out on March 4th! There are more than 60 delegates to be decided JUST in the Caucus portion of the process. That’s a huge number in a race that is this tight.

REMEMBER :
Have your voter registration card stamped.
If you don’t have the card, then ASK for a receipt! I’ve heard some people who have early voted already saying that they’ve had problems getting receipts from workers. INSIST on it! It’s your right to participate in the Caucus portion of the vote. GET THAT RECEIPT.
Promote Barack to other voters!
Go to YOUR precinct polling location on March 4th at 7pm and Caucus for Barack!

Let’s wrap this campaign up for our guy here in Texas!

Obama Rally in Houston - Feb 19, 2008

Last night I, like many, was fortunate enough to attend the Obama Rally at the Toyota Center here in Houston.

As expected the excitement and energy in the air was palpable. I spoke with many people last night who, for the first time in their lives, feel like they are a part of something greater than themselves. It’s an incredible time to be an American if you really stop to appreciate it - and I think we all need to just take a breath and allow this moment in time to set in.

Our country is at a pivotal and remarkable turning point in the course of the nation and the history of the world. This movement proves that people, ordinary people like you and me, have the power in this democracy to help make real change.

I know there were a lot of people who waited patiently on stand-by hoping to get in last night to see Senator Obama’s speech and I know that many weren’t able to get in. And while the line stretched longer than I was able to see, people continued to show up and wait just hoping on hope that they might be lucky enough to get in. I doubt any other candidate has supporters willing to do the same.

Those of us there last night were lucky enough to see the victory speech for Senator Obama’s Wisconsin win as well! And imagine our delight to see 10 in a row this morning with the results of Hawaii.

It was certainly one of those moments in my life I will never forget.

Below is some video from the rally and I will post photos later today.

Obama Precinct Captain Training

Today the Obama Campaign in Houston hosted Precinct Captain training in preparation for the March 4th primary here in Texas.

Like many people (and I do mean MANY) in the city myself and a friend headed out to see if we could lend our support to the campaign in anyway possible. Imagine our surprise when we arrived only to see the line stretching out of the main office door, around the corner and down the street. Then, across the street was another line, stretching nearly as far down the street.

So many showed up, in fact, that the volunteers were overwhelmed in the most wonderful way. I spoke with several volunteers who were so amazed and moved at the amount of support that showed up for Senator Obama’s campaign.

We were asked by the volunteers if we might be able to come back at 7pm (we initially showed up for the 4pm training) since the building was at capacity. Of course, I was more than happy to kill an hour or two and return later.

The most interesting thing was when we returned near 7pm, I noticed tons of people who I had been standing in line with hours earlier had returned as well. It’s a truly inspirational feeling to see this many people moved to get involved in the political process for a candidate we all truly believe in.

There will be another precinct captain training session at the Obama HQ at 3710 Travis St. at the corner of Travis and West Alabama on Wednesday evening at 7 also.

If you are able to and are interested in helping the campaign reach voters in your neighborhood then I highly recommend going. It was a great experience to be in a room of people from all walks of life, united behind a candidate we all truly believe can change the course of the nation.

Back when we were sitting around biting our nails over the Iowa Caucus, many pundits and pollsters didn’t think Texas would play much of a role, since we had declined inclusion in Super Tuesday. They thought our primary was too far along to really make much of a difference - but we all know better now.

It is vitally important that we get the vote out for Obama here in the Lone Star State and that we touch as many people as possible with his message of change and inclusion for everyone. Recent polls are showing Senator Obama’s approval rating rises more and more by relation to how often he is seen and heard by voters. Day by day, more and more people are flocking behind the one candidate who is genuinely interested in affecting change in Washington from the bottom-up.

Yes We Can!

The Houston Chronicle Endorse Barack Obama

Today the Houston Chronicle endorsed Senator Barack Obama’s bid for the Democratic nomination. See the attached article below!

For Obama
The Chronicle endorses the senator from Illinois for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle

The presidency of the United States is a powerful bully pulpit. The occupant of the White House must not only issue orders, but also inspire and advocate for all Americans.

Of the two finalists for the Democratic presidential nomination, the Chronicle believes Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois is best-qualified by life experience, skill and temperament to be the standard bearer for his party. In a conference call, Obama told the Chronicle editorial board that “more than any other candidate, I can bridge some of the partisan as well as racial and religious divides that have developed in this country that prevent us from getting things done.”

Those who have viewed the numerous campaign debates know there’s not much to separate Obama from his opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York. Either could ably represent the Democratic Party. Both candidates favor ending the war in Iraq by withdrawing combat troops and initiating regional negotiations to stabilize the country. Both would press for dramatic strides toward providing all Americans with health insurance.

Both support a cap and trade system to begin reducing America’s carbon emissions that contribute to global warming. Each promises to initiate multibillion-dollar efforts to promote conversion of the economy to clean energy technologies. They favor securing our borders, initiating comprehensive immigration reform and creating a path to earned legal status for those already here who are working and contributing to their communities.

However, there is a decisive difference. Obama vows to reach out to independents and Republicans with a message of inclusion and cooperation. He offers a historic opportunity to elevate national political dialogue to a higher ground. Those who insist on vitriol and obstructionism would be marginalized.

On several issues vital to Houstonians, Obama’s positions need elaboration. He recognizes the need to maintain U.S. pre-eminence in space but said he wanted to study the costs and benefits of human space exploration — an exercise that should convince him of the space program’s long history of indispensable contributions.

Obama said he did not expect the leaders of the energy sector to vote for him. He needs to realize that the energy sector must be a large part of a cooperative effort to develop alternative fuels and avoid an energy crunch.

The 46-year-old Obama has expanded his base of support, winning new legions of supporters. The more people see and hear him, the more they like him. As the Hawaiian-born son of a Muslim Kenyan father and an Anglo Midwesterner, the devoutly Christian Obama transcends race and religion. His life has been one of involvement with disadvantaged Chicago residents, excellence at Harvard Law School and eight years as an Illinois state senator. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, only the third African-American to serve there since Reconstruction.

Obama is both the epitome of the American Dream and well-positioned to reach out to an international community alienated by recent U.S. go-it-alone policies.

The passion and excitement that Obama has brought to the race can only stimulate more citizens to participate in the electoral process. The Chronicle urges Texas Democrats to cast what could be decisive ballots for his presidential nomination.