If you had survived The Great Depression, which campaign would you volunteer for?

You tell me.

I'm with Charles.

more about "If you had survived The Great Depression...", posted with vodpod

When they own the information they can bend it how they want

"Me and all my friends," says John Mayer, "We’re all misunderstood.They say we stand for nothing and there’s no way we ever could." That sort of cynicism needs debunking, as Mayer knows. There's nothing false about hope, and what the future brings us depends largely on what we dare to believe - and do - in the present.

Barack Obama inspires that hope.

Here's a new video tribute, set to Mayer's music.

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Dave Stewart's American Prayer: You know they're yearning to breathe free

Give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses…

"If you get to the top of the mountain, will you tell me what you see?
If you get to the top of the mountain, remember me."

From Minneapolis in the upper midwest to New Orleans where the mighty Mississippi empties into the gulf, from Portland in the north west to Greenville, South Carolina, Hope is alive and well in America, and Obama's candidacy has tapped into it. Now Dave Stewart's chronicled our hope.

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A BACKSTAGE PASS to see OBAMA accept the nomination in Denver?

All you have to do is donate at least $5 this month via special links provided at the Obamesque blog and you're in the running to meet Senator Barack Obama BACKSTAGE and see him accept the Democratic nomination in front of 75,000 people. Can you imagine seeing the convention from this perspective, and meeting the man who will probably be the next President of the United States?

If you're one of the ones selected you also get to bring a guest. Let's spend a few nights in Denver, shall we?

History in the making, and you can be there with the crew from Zennie's Zeitgeist (we're covering the whole convention.)

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U.S. Sen G. Smith (R-OR) cites work w/ Obama in campaign ad

I think you have to call this endorsing Obama, myself. Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon has a campaign ad out that touts his success working "across the aisle" with Senator Barack Obama.

Talk about the new wave of bi-partisanship... this guy is making a bold statement. Senator Smith wants to be seen as a Republican who can bridge the bi-partisan gridlock in Washington, and one with a track record of working with the Democrat's presumptive nominee - what's that suggest about Smith's estimates of McCain's odds in November?

What's that say about his desire not to be seen as too closely aligned with President George W. Bush?

Go watch his ad, but here's some more on Gordon Smith from late 2006 on CNN. He's a maverick west coast Republican Senator who is defying "traditional wisdom" about labels. He's letting it all hang out, and it makes you realize that he thinks there's more power in this stand than in towing the RNC line to get their financial support for his re-election.

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AP: OBAMA CLINCHES DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION!

After over a year of working and fund-raising, the Associated Press has reported that Senator Barack Obama has reached the targeted number of delegates -- 2,118 -- needed to clinch the Democratic Nomination.

It's over. We -- the new America of a diverse collection of people who really love this country and want to bring everyone together -- won! Obama for America!

Congratulations to everyone on the Obama staff both nationally and locally in the San Francisco Bay Area, and other states and cities.

Mayhill Fowler Was To Be Banned From "Bittergate" Fund-Raiser

Earlier this May 30th evening I had the pleasure of attending a fund-raiser for the Obama for America campaign featuring the appearance of possible Obama VP running mate Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius at the home of Wendy Holcombe and Carl Kawaja in San Francisco's Pacific Heights. It was by far not my first Obama money-party or event. I've lost count of the number of times I've attended these things.

But this one was such that I did not bring my trusty camcorder and it was out of respect for the campaign and for the feeling that after Huffington Post contributor Mayhill Fowler's "Bittergate" performance where she recorded Senator Obama's advice to volunteers on working in the rural areas of Pennsylvania, the campaign may be a bit paranoid and "under attack" in feeling.

While such was not the case, I did think to ask if I could bring the camcorder before I did it. But the main party Obama host told me that it wasn't necessary to do as it was not wanted. The campaign felt kind of "burned" by Mayhill Fowler and that's not the last we will hear of the matter.

What makes things more interesting is to learn that Mayhill wasn't even supposed to be allowed into the very event where the "Bittergate" comments occured. First, such events are closed to the press, but second, Mayhill had already developed a reputation for being hostile to the campaign, and so wasn't welcome on top of the standard restriction.

I got this news from a campaign official who I will not name and does not want to be identified. The point is that what the campaign would have preferred was a photo of Mayhill posted at the check-in table with the words "Do Not Admit This Person." Such did not exist, so Mayhill kind of "slipped in through the cracks," one could say.

I am way not kidding.

I can't think of a time when one media person has so upset so many people connected with an elected official either during a campaign run or in office. Mayhill's constant attempts at discrediting Obama for America's events and actions in the San Francisco Bay Area were the stuff of office gossip between Northern California Obama staffers and volunteers, more specifically people like me. As I've written before, Mayhill started off by just talking to people and not taking notes, then having to deal with reports that she misquoted someone in the process of trashing some aspect of campaign activity, and that was frequently and never under a consistent tune. And those charges were often considering the number of negative or at least not favorable articles she wrote and about every nit-picky thing one could think of.

Well, it's all over now, and for the future. Mayhill's been officially excluded from attending any Obama for America fundraising function on the scale of a house party and saying she's part of the media and is under the freedom of information act gives few any real comfort. It's not that Mayhill has the information, it's her diabolical media practices seemingly targeted to consistently harm Barack Obama's campaign that bother Obama for America.

Clinton RFK Comments: Samantha Power Must Be Smiling

Clinton RFK Assassination: Samantha Power Must Be Smiling

In the wake of Senator Clinton's amazingly shocking and hurtful statements regarding her reasons why she should remain in the campaign we have to go back and reconsider the supposed-to-be off-the-record comment by now former Obama for America Foreign Policy advisor Samantha Power, who famously said that Senator Clinton "Was a Monster."

Even though she apologized for that statement, you've got to believe Professor Power's smiling whereever she is in the World.

Obama Camp: Problematic if or how to help w/ Hillary's debt

Will Obama pay Hillary's debt?

Many of Obama's grassroots and netroots backers appear to be somewhere between concerned and irate at the thought that the Obama for America campaign might step in to lend a hand to get Clinton out of a financial hole -- and out of the race...And further outraged that skunk Mark Penn would be standing in line with his hand out, as Clinton reportedly owes Penn a very large sum.

From the FEC:

According to an associate of mine who decided to call the FEC for the straight scoop asked their opinion of the situation. Here are the relevant facts, quote from the email I got earlier today:

"I just called the FEC to get some clarification. (Nothing like going to the source.)

• Obama can only donate $2300 to Hillary's campaign. [Ed: Michelle Obama could, also, bringing the total to $4600 obviously]
• He can donate money to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and they can donate money; that is limited to $5000.
• The DNC can pay for a variety of things, such as commercials, out of hand expenses, but that is limited to the general election.

If Obama wants to help Hillary with her debts, he has to do it with a separate funding program."

Now I'll be the first to admit it's not carved in stone since it was a verbal exchange, but it seems to suggest there are some real limits to just how magnanimous Obama can be financially regardless of his willingness to make gestures in the pursuit of party unity.

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