Wednesday, October 29, 2008

President Bill Clinton campaigns with Obama


"Barack Obama represents America's future, and you've got to
be there for him next Tuesday,"
President Bill Clinton


I had a wonderful opportunity to see President Clinton up close when he was in Dallas a couple weeks ago. He was campaigning for our Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega. Right now I am watching the Obama rally with President Clinton on MSNBC and Clinton is making a great case for Obama. I am so glad to see them together and working hard to win back the White House.

President Clinton was incredible when he was in Dallas rallying the crowd for Rep. Noriega. He had the audience in the palm of his hand. You could tell he was enjoying the opportunity and his visit was certainly a boost to the local Democratic Party and the Noriega campaign.

Back in the winter of 1991, I had an opportunity to meet Gov. Clinton when he visited Southern Illinois for an event in preparation of his presidential primary run. I was in the College Democrats at the time at Southern Illinois University. Our organization was somewhat of a joke because it seemed like everyone at SIU was a democrat.

The Southern Illinois area, the home of former U.S. Senator Paul Simon, was Clinton country (Sen. Simon would be so proud of Obama right now). When Clinton came to visit for the 1991 event, I got a last minute call along with a few other College Democrats to help drive staff and press to the event and the airport. Before Hillary and Gov. Clinton left to fly back to Arkansas, they spent time to meet with us. They were so cool and I will never forget that moment. I always will regret that I didn't get a picture with the Clintons. Instead I got up close pictures of them and pictures with them and other members of the College Democrats.

This past year during the Texas presidential primary I got a call from a member of President Clinton's staff. They needed drivers for his campaign swing for Hillary through Dallas and East Texas. Somehow they got my name and called late at night the day before his visit to help drive staff and other officials. It was funny to get the same type of request but 17 years later! Unfortunately, I was in Florida at the time and could not help out.

I thought you might be interested in taking a look at then Gov. Clinton's October 1991 announcement speech for his presidential campaign by clicking here. This part could be applied today:

"I believe with all my heart that together, we can make this happen. We can usher in a new era of progress, prosperity and renewal. We can – we must. This is not just a campaign for the Presidency – it is a campaign for the future, for the forgotten hard-working middle class families of America who deserve a government that fights for them. A campaign to keep America strong at home and around the world. Join with us. I ask for your prayers, your help, your hands, and your hearts. Together we can make America great again, and build a community of hope that will inspire the world.
"

Here are some initial news stories about tonight's Obama rally with President Clinton:

From the Boston Globe
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/10/obama_clinton_t_2.html
L.A. Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-bc-obama13thld-writethru,1,6258502.story
Wall Street Journal blog
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/10/30/in-late-night-rally-bill-clinton-sings-obamas-praises/?mod=googlenews_wsj Sphere: Related Content

Clintons crisscross country in final stretch


Thanks to my friends at DemConWatch I had the information to post the following on their site:

Clintons to crisscross country in final stretch
http://www.demconwatchblog.com/2008/10/clintons-to-crisscross-country-in-final.html Sphere: Related Content

Saturday, October 25, 2008

From the weekly Hillary Dispatch

I get an email update each week of Hillary's campaign efforts. Included below is the content from this week:

Hillary Dispatch: Hillary on the Trail

On the Trail: On the heels of her trip to Ohio last weekend, Hillary Clinton continued barnstorming the battlegrounds this week for Obama-Biden and Democratic candidates with stops in Florida, Nebraska, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Next week, Hillary heads to New Hampshire among other states to be announced soon.

Check out headlines from Hillary on the trail:

Columbus Dispatch: Clinton exhorts faithful not to get complacent Read here.

Orlando Sentinel: 40,000 Cheer Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton In Orlando Read here.

Hibbing Daily Tribune: “Clinton rallies the Range: Sen. Hillary Clinton told a roaring crowd of nearly 5,000 people last night that ‘hard-working folks” of the Iron Range want a government that works as hard as they have their entire lives.”

President Bill Clinton has also been crisscrossing the country for Obama-Biden and other Democrats, making stops this week in Nevada, Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia and Arkansas. Read about “Clinton Mak[ing] the Case for Obama” here.

“A Tide That Doesn’t Just Lift the Yachts:” Hillary also held a conference call with reporters and voters in New Hampshire previewing her upcoming trip and continuing to make the case for Obama-Biden and other Democrats. The Boston Globe reports:

"I think you know you're on the front lines of the election," Clinton told Obama field offices in a conference call also opened up to reporters. "New Hampshire is going to be critical to our victory." The last eight years have been "very good" to the wealthy, she said, and Obama would only return income tax rates back to what they were under the administration of her husband.

"We want a tide that doesn't just lift the yachts," she said. "We want to lift everyone up." Read more.

Monday on Nightline: In a joint interview with Hillary airing Monday on Nightline, Barack Obama thanked Hillary for her efforts campaigning for him:

When asked about Hillary’s efforts in Florida, Obama responded: “For her to take the time to come down - and she's been consistent in campaigning down here in Florida for us - I think it's part of the reason why we're doing better than a little more than we were just a month ago….She's doing great -- and I told her I can't thank her enough and in places like Florida where she's got so much popularity, she can be a more effective person for us than just about anybody.” Watch here.

“Something I Know:” President Bill Clinton sent the following message to HillPAC supporters today:

Reaching the filibuster-proof 60 votes isn't going to be easy. There are a lot of races that are just about as close as they come. Let me tell you about three must-win races where you can help put Democrats over the top.

In Minnesota, Al Franken has faced some of the worst negative attack ads we've seen this cycle, but he's got a great shot of picking up this seat for Democrats.

In Kentucky, Bruce Lunsford has the chance to kick the Republican's Senate leader out of office - and you'd better believe the GOP is putting everything they've got into this one.

And, Jim Martin is running a race in Georgia that everyone thought was a long shot, but recent polls show the race neck and neck. If you help him keep his momentum going, we can add this one to the Democratic column too.

In Case You Missed It: The Washington Post reports that ‘Democrats Have Reason to Celebrate: Hill PAC Is Back’ Read here.

FYI…

Hillary and HillPAC have organized over 200 events, fundraisers, and emails for over 75 great Democratic candidates in over 30 states across the country.

HillPAC has given almost $500,000 to date from direct and online contributions to House and Senate candidates in races across the country.

Campaigning in Minnesota: In addition to her event for Barack Obama, Hillary also campaigned for Senate candidate Al Franken in Minneapolis, MN and also filmed an ad for him. Watch here.

Hillary Sent Me: In the last month, Hillary Sent Me! has had great success sending volunteers to NH, OH, PA, FL and VA. This weekend, we’re mobilizing volunteers heading west and making calls on behalf of women in tough Senate races around the country. Sign up here.

Sphere: Related Content

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Hillary's PAC: 4 Months, 75 Candidates, 30 States


The following was distributed by Hillary's campaign office along with the Washington Post article "Democrats Have Reason to Celebrate: Hill PAC Is Back". Click here to check it out.

Here are some interesting tidbits:
* Since becoming active again in July 2008, Hillary Clinton’s political action committee, HillPAC, has supported Democratic candidates in races across the country, especially Obama-Biden.

*Hillary and HillPAC have organized over 200 events, fundraisers, and emails for over 75 great Democratic candidates in over 30 states across the country.

* Hillary has raised over $10 million for Obama-Biden.

* HillPAC has given almost $500,000 to date from direct and online contributions to House and Senate candidates in races across the country.

* Hillary and HillPAC have organized over 60 fundraisers for Obama-Biden and House and Senate candidates in New York and around the country.

* HillPAC’s website, http://mail.google.com/mail/www.hillpac.com, raises funds for congressional candidates through "Spotlight E-mails" and mobilizes Hillary supporters to volunteer for candidates up and down the ticket through the "Hillary Sent Me!" program. The "On the Trail" page and "BlogHillary" also features video, photos, and updates from the campaign trail. The site will soon debut an innovative organizing application through Facebook - stay tuned for more.

* In the last week, Hillary has campaigned in Florida, Nebraska, Minnesota, New York and she’s heading to Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Texas and New Hampshire in the days to come!
Sphere: Related Content

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Some news tid bits


Salon.com reports that Indiana could go blue. The state has not been on the radar for presidential campaigns in years and in 2004 had the lowest voter turn out rate in 2004 than any other state. Click here for story.

Colorado is definitely in the spotlight as a battleground state. The Denver Post explains in the article "Intense Courting of Colorado. Click here.


According to the
Huffington Post, Obama may be on the last episode of SNL before the election. Click here.

Looks like McCain is becoming a liability to down ballot republican races. CNN reports "GOP House Candidates Struggle against McCain drag". Click here.


Sphere: Related Content

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Hillary update

I thought I would share the "Hillary Dispatch" email I get from her campaign. The dispatched highlights Hillary's campaign activities for Sen. Obama and other Democratic candidates.

Hillary Dispatch: Barnstorming the Battlegrounds

* Hillary, Bill, Joe and Jill: The Clintons joined the Bidens for a rally in Scranton, PA Sunday afternoon. Greeted by a crowd of thousands, the Clintons continued making the case for Obama-Biden. Here are excerpts from Senator Clinton’s remarks:

This is an all-hands-on-deck moment for America. We’ve got to work hard and we’ve got to work together. This is a fight for the future and it is a fight we must win…

“It took a Democratic President to clean up after the last President Bush. It’s going to take a Democratic President to clean up after this President…

“Make no mistake about it - we’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. America will once again rise from the ashes of the Bushes…

“That’s why there is only one choice in this election. Wherever I go around the country campaigning for Barack and Joe - I hear people asking each other: Well, who are you for? That’s not the right question. More importantly, the question is: Who is for you?“

Watch the video and read the transcript.

* Barnstorming the Battlegrounds: After the energizing Scranton rally, Senator Clinton continued campaigning in PA while President Clinton traveled to VA for rallies in Roanoke and Richmond. The President then traveled to OH for a Cleveland rally Thursday while Senator Clinton held rallies in Youngstown, OH and Delaware, OH today. This weekend, Senator Clinton heads to Florida followed by events in Nebraska and Minnesota. The Clintons also campaigned for congressional candidates this week including Allyson Schwartz in PA and Texas Senate candidate Rick Noriega.

* “Jobs, Baby, Jobs:” At a “Change We Need” rally near Philadelphia, PA, Hillary answered the familiar Republican slogan “Drill, baby, drill” with one of her own: JOBS, BABY, JOBS.” The crowd responded with roaring applause and adopted the chant in kind.

“What we will create in Pennsylvania, if you give the Democrats a chance to lead and serve you, and what we will create across America with a Democratic President and a bigger Democratic majority in the House and Senate, comes down to this: jobs, baby, jobs. All across America - new jobs across America! So, jobs, baby, jobs; that is our answer to the Republicans.”

* At the Debate: Hillary attended the third and final presidential debate Wednesday night at Hoffstra University, after which she praised Senator Obama on NBC, CNN, CBS, and FOX. Watch her NBC interview here.

"Barack Obama is closing the deal in this election and America is closing the door on the last eight years of failed Republican policies.

"The American people have now seen what both tickets are offering four times, and the choice could not be more clear: Barack Obama offers the steady leadership we need.

"This was John McCain's last chance to present clear, detailed solutions to address this economic crisis we're in and we only saw more of the same.

* In Case You Missed It: U.S. News and World Report calls Hillary “A Vigorous Obama Booster on Campaign Trail.” Read more.

* Closing the Chapter on Republican Misrule: On a call Thursday night with leading progressive bloggers, Hillary Clinton reiterated that “there is still so much to do before election day, which not only includes getting Barack and Joe Biden elected, but making sure we get as close to a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate as possible.” Read Taylor Marsh’s post-call post here.

* “On the Trail:” This week, HillPAC unveiled a new “On the Trail” page to keep supporters updated on Hillary’s whereabouts. Visit the site here.

* Women Who Dare To Compete: HillPAC sent an email to supporters today from Hillary:

“I want to tell you about three remarkable women running for Congress. Let me start by telling you what they all have in common.

“They're all running for office for the very first time. They're all running in rural districts against entrenched Republican incumbents who have been some of George Bush's best friends in Congress.

“And all of them can win their incredibly close races if you help them today.”

Support them here.

* Hillary Sent Me! Heads to FL and VA: In the last three weekends, Hillary Sent Me! has had great success sending volunteers to NH, OH, and PA. This weekend, we’re mobilizing volunteers heading to FL and VA. Sign up here.

* Can’t Travel to Miami? BYOC in Ballston: HillPAC is hosting Bring Your Own Cell Phone parties October 21, 22 and 23. Participants will be making calls for Kay Hagan, Sen. Mary Landrieu, and Gov. Jeanne Shaheen. RSVP here.

* Lay of the Land: Here’s an update on down-ticket candidates supported by Hillary and HillPAC. Go team! See more polls here.

NH: Gov. Jeanne Shaheen is +9% v. Sen. John Sununu (51-42)

AL: Mayor Mark Begich is +4% v. Sen. Ted Stevens (49-45)

NC: Kay Hagan is +5% v. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (49-44)

CO: The NRSC has pulled out of CO, essentially ceding the race to Rep. Mark Udall who is +11% v. Rep. Bob Schaeffer (45-34). Read more.

NM: Rep. Tom Udall is +20% vs. Rep. Steve Pearce (57-37)

GA: “Upstart Democratic Senate challenger Jim Martin raised more money than Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss in the most recent three-month period.” Read more.

Sphere: Related Content

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Hillary Clinton headlines more than 50 events for Sen. Obama

Here is an interesting tidbit from the Hillary Hotline email sent last Friday:

"As of this week, Hillary has headlined more than 50 events and has raised more than $10 million dollars for Obama-Biden."

“Hillary Hotline” summarizes Hillary’s work on behalf candidates and the Obama-Biden ticket:


HILLARY HOTLINE


What’s Hot?

Barnstorming the Keystone State: Hillary Clinton kicks off a two-day swing through Pennsylvania this Sunday, October 12. First stop: “Obama for America” rally in Scranton, PA with President Clinton and Senator Joe and Jill Biden. Monday, Hillary hosts a “Conversation with Working Families” with congressional candidate Allyson Schwartz followed by another rally for Obama-Biden in Philadelphia.

As of this week, Hillary has headlined more than 50 events and has raised more than $10 million dollars for Obama-Biden.

On a call today with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and NY Assemblywoman Ro Ann Destito, Hillary invited her supporters to sign up for

Hillary Sent Me! (HSM) in the Keystone State this weekend.

For those interested in joining HSM in Pennsylvania this weekend, email hillarysentme@paforchange.com.

To learn more about HSM in the coming weeks, please go to: www.hillpac.com.

Honoring the Legacy of Eleanor Roosevelt: On Monday, Hillary spoke at the 8th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Luncheon:

"I am absolutely positive with every fiber of my being that we must elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden to be our President and Vice President on November 4…The biggest risk for America is four more years of the last eight years. The last thing I want - and I hope you agree - is to put mavericks in charge of the United States economy at this moment of need. Mavericks in Washington and on Wall Street got us into this mess. Let’s have some adult supervision again and pull ourselves out of it.” Watch and read excerpts.

The Economic Rescue Package Was the First Step; We Have to Do More: At a press conference on Monday, Hillary told reporters:

“The rescue package passed last week was a crucial first step to prevent the economic troubles from deepening, but now we need to focus on helping Americans who are feeling the crunch of this economic crisis and get our economy back on the right track.”

This week, Hillary continued promoting specific initiatives to ease the credit crunch and prevent additional job losses and other economic challenges from hitting Main Street:

* An E-Trust program protecting taxpayers by making transactions transparent along with other initiatives like the Homeowners Mortgage Enterprise,

* Homeowners Mortgage Enterprise (HOME), modeled after the Great Depression-era Homeowners Loan Corporation (HOLC), to rewrite mortgages and reset terms so that creditworthy families would be able to keep their homes and make affordable payments

* The Emergency Stabilization Fund to make emergency loans and establish temporary lines of credit for small businesses, schools, and to help stabilize municipal bonds.

* Pressure on the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to approve a grant to allow New York State to assess the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on jobs in the region and plan a strategic response.

In recent days, McCain has “inaccurately compar[ed] his mortgage buy-up plan to the one proposed earlier this year by” HRC: "It's wrong to suggest the new McCain plan is what Senator Clinton proposed ," said Clinton spokesperson Kathleen Strand. "She and Senator Obama are focused on helping struggling homeowners and holding bank lenders responsible. . . Senator McCain's new plan calls for bailing out and rewarding irresponsible bank and mortgage lenders, while sticking taxpayers with the bill."

“Clinton Urges Women Not To Vote For Palin:” Clinton responds directly to a Westchester Journal News’ inquiry about Governor Sarah Palin as VP. Read more.

"I think that there are people who are excited by the fact that the Republicans have a woman on the ticket. I think that's a legitimate reason to be excited…The Democrats did it in 1984, Republicans got around to doing it in 2008. And there's reason for people to see that as a real milestone.

"But that's not a reason to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. You have to ask yourself, who is going to be better for you and your family? And in New York it's not even close. We will have such a better future if we have Democratic leadership back in the White House."

HRC at HRC: Filling in for Senator Biden Saturday, Hillary spoke at the Human Rights Campaign dinner where she “called McCain a 'mimic' of Bush, not a maverick.” Read the AP story.

USA Today Must Read: Clinton goes to bat for Obama and party. Read more.

Hitting the Battleground Airwaves: On Thursday, Hillary hit the airwaves for a round of early vote interviews for Senator Obama and U.S. Senate candidate Kay Hagan in the battleground state North Carolina.

Mark Woodson (WECU, Greenville, NC): Senator Clinton, I know you have been crisscrossing the country campaigning for Senator Obama and other Democrats. Why is this election so important?

Hillary Clinton: This is such a turning point election. It is historic, unprecedented, it would have been in any event – but the recent downturn in the economy has brought it home to everyone.

You can’t turn away and ignore what is happening to jobs and incomes and home ownership and your bank accounts and your retirement accounts. It’s so important that we elect leadership that will be able to solve these problems. And that’s why I’m working so hard for Senator Obama – because he will bring the kind of leadership of competence and confidence and optimism that we desperately desperately need in our country. Full transcript here.

In the HillPAC spotlight this week: “Valuable Allies” - Eric Massa, Rick Noriega and John Boccieri

HillPAC released an email today from Hillary:

“John, Eric, and Rick aren't just great friends -- they're great leaders. They are honored veterans who will be valuable allies to Barack Obama and Joe Biden in Congress.”

Visit www.hillpac.com for more information

West Virginia & Arkansas: Today, Hillary traveled to Charleston, WV where she endorsed Anne Barth at a rally. Later in the afternoon, Hillary held a rally for Obama-Biden and the Arkansas Democratic Party on the Capitol Steps in Little Rock.

Terry Unplugged…in Virginia: This Monday, over 300 students, activists, and organizers gathered in HillPAC's Virginia headquarters to join Terry McAuliffe, Maria Cardona and Minyon Moore for "Terry Unplugged: A Campaign 2008 Update." Read more and see photos here. Sphere: Related Content

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Rally for U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega with President Bill Clinton


Tonight I attended public rally in Dallas for Texas U.S. Senate Candidate Rick Noriega. Last month, Hillary came to Texas to endorse and hold a fundraiser for Representative Noriega.

Pres. Clinton was at his finest getting the standing room only crowd pumped up for the upcoming election. Click here for the article in the Dallas Morning News.

Click here for an article in the Ft. Worth Star Telegram.

Included above is a picture I took from the audience and below is a slide show.

Sphere: Related Content

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Hillary on the road campaigning for Obama Biden


I got this today from Hillary's press office:

HILLARY CLINTON SCHEDULE: OCTOBER 10 13, 2008

Continuing to criss-cross the country for Obama-Biden and other congressional candidate
s, Senator Hillary Clinton will travel to West Virginia and Arkansas on Friday, October 10 followed by a two-day swing through Pennsylvania on Sunday, October 12 and Monday, October 13.

On Friday, October 10, Senator Clinton will attend a campaign event for Anne Barth, candidate for West Virginias 2nd congressional district.

Later in the afternoon on Friday, October 10, Senator Clinton will travel to Little Rock, AR for a rally on the Capitol Steps on behalf of Senators Obama and Biden and the Arkansas Democratic Party.

On Sunday, October 12, Senator Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will join Senator Joe Biden for an “Obama for America” rally in Scranton, PA.

President Clinton and Senator Clinton will speak to voters about why Barack Obama and Joe Biden will stand up for middle-class families and make Washington and Wall Street work for Main Street again.

On Monday, October 13, Senator Clinton will attend events in the Philadelphia area including an “Obama for America” Rally.

In addition to her upcoming events in West Virginia, Arkansas, and Pennsylvania, Hillary has already traveled on behalf of Obama-Biden and other congressional candidates to New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, and two trips each to Florida and California.

Additional trips will be announced shortly.

Friday, October 10

Charleston, WV à Little Rock, AR

1:00 p.m. ET

Senator Hillary Clinton Attends Campaign Event for Anne Barth, Candidate for WVs 2nd Congressional District

University of Charleston

2300 MacCorkle Avenue

Charleston, WV

OPEN PRESS

Additional details TBA

Late Afternoon TBA

Senator Hillary Clinton Attends Rally for Senators Obama and Biden and the Arkansas Democratic Party

Capitol Steps

Little Rock, AR

OPEN PRESS

Additional details TBA

Sunday, October 12

Scranton, PA

Early Afternoon TBA

Senator Hillary Clinton Attends “Obama for America” Rally with President Clinton and Senator Biden

Scranton, PA

OPEN PRESS

Additional details TBA

Monday, October 13

Philadelphia Area, PA

Morning TBA

Senator Hillary Clinton Attends "Obama for America" Event

Philadelphia Area, PA

OPEN PRESS

Additional details TBA

Afternoon TBA

Senator Hillary Clinton Attends “Obama for America” Rally

Philadelphia Area, PA

OPEN PRESS

Additional details TBA


Sphere: Related Content

Sunday, October 5, 2008

News round up


Bill Clinton Slam Palin, Shows Fire for Obama
Huffington Post looks at Bill Clinton's speech in Florida
Click here

Palin goes on the attack. Reuters reports that "Palin says Obama friendly with terrorists".
Click here

AP reports that Sen. Clinton calls "McCain a mimick of Bush"
She says
"He's not a maverick. He's a mimic."
Click here

Sphere: Related Content

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Bill Clinton to visit Dallas for Obama fundraiser


I got this in my email today that President Bill Clinton will be coming to Dallas at the Sheraton for a fundraiser:

"Tuesday, October 14th – dinner with President Bill Clinton - $28,500* per couple or $14,250* per person – to benefit the Obama Victory Fund" Sphere: Related Content

Hillary Hotline

Sen. Clinton's campaign staff has been sending out regular updates. Below is the "Hillary Hotline" that I got via email yesterday.


HILLARY HOTLINE

What’s Hot?

* Hillary continued her focus on stabilizing the economy this week, urging action from both sides of the aisle. Watch her remarks on the Senate floor here.

On a call with New York reporters, Hillary said: “You’re not going to find anyone who believes that this bill is perfect…But there is no choice…We cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good, or in this case, the enemy of what’s necessary.” Listen here. Read here.

* In a LIVE radio interview this morning, Hillary praised Senators Obama and Biden after last night’s VP debate. She told Ryan Seacrest: “Last night, like in the first debate, Joe and Barack conveyed the sense of mastery and expertise that we have to have in our next Democratic White House.”

* Hillary traveled to Michigan last weekend to campaign for Senators Obama and Biden. She made stops in Flint, Grand Ledge, and Grand Rapids.

Hillary on the economy in Flint, MI: “We may have to fix this, but boy we need to fire the group of people like the Republicans who got us in this mess…That’s why we need new leadership and that’s why I’m asking you to do everything you can to elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden.”

* President Clinton traveled to Florida for Senators Obama and Biden on Wednesday where he told the crowd: "Here's why you ought to be for Barack Obama…He's got better answers -- better answers for the economy, for energy, for healthcare, for education. He knows what it will take to get this country back on track.”

* On Thursday, Hillary endorsed Senate candidate Rick Noriega in McAllen, TX: “We need his leadership and his experience. We need his voice and his commitment…On issue after issue what Rick Noriega stands for, what he has fought for, what his life exemplifies is really a story of Texas and America." Read more.

* With the Latino community critical to the victories of Senators Obama and Biden and Democrats across the country, Hillary is meeting with volunteers and supporters today at the El Paeso Inn in Los Angeles, CA to discuss the importance of the upcoming election and Hillary Sent Me!.

* Earlier this week, Hillary sat down with Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier to talk about Hillary Sent Me!, the first Presidential debate, and everything Hillary is doing to help elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Watch here.

* On the airwaves in Ohio this week, Hillary encouraged voters to get out and vote early during Magic Week (deadline is Monday, Oct. 6). Listen here.

* In the HillPAC spotlight this week: A Special Bond - three women senators we need in the Senate.

HillPAC released an email today from Hillary:

“I hope you'll join me in supporting three great women running for the U.S. Senate this year: Mary Landrieu, running for reelection to the Senate from Louisiana; and Kay Hagan in North Carolina and Jeanne Shaheen in NH, running to join Mary and me in the Senate in January.”

Visit www.hillpac.com for more information.

* Last Saturday, Hillary Sent Me! officially kicked off with hundreds of volunteers gathering in Manchester, NH despite rain and bad weather.

Hillary welcomed volunteers via telephone Saturday afternoon: “I could not be prouder than I am today...I hear it is raining, but I know that that won't deter you from getting out and knocking on doors and making calls for Barack and for Jeanne, for state senators and state representatives.” Full transcript here.

Click here for a blog post from the very first NH volunteer to sign up.

Hillary Sent Me! focuses on Ohio this weekend: Gov. Ted Strickland and congressional candidate Sharen Neuhardt hosted a call with reporters today and encouraged Ohioans to vote early and sign up for Hillary Sent Me! at www.hillpac.com.

October 11th and 12th: Hillary Sent Me! focuses on Pennsylvania. To sign up, visit www.hillpac.com or email hillarysentme@paforchange.com.

* On Tap for Next Week: Hillary speaks at the 8th Annual Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee Luncheon in New York City and travels to Arkansas for events and fundraising. Hillary will also co-host a fundraiser for Eric Massa and campaign with Paul Tonko, both running for NY congressional seats.

* Stay tuned for a big trip to Pennsylvania the weekend of October 12th

Sphere: Related Content

With McCain behind, how negative will the republicans go?


With Obama's increasing poll numbers, I feel a full court swift boat effort on its way from the McCain camp.

We have seen and heard it all before. Voter intimidation, crazy robocalls and nasty ads. The republican's are masters at winning elections and have many tricks up their sleeves.

Remember the congressional campaign of Tammy Duckworth of Illinois? Duckworth, a disabled Iraqi war veteran, lost by just 2%. When the republican knew from polling data they were going to lose this solid republican seat, they attacked her patriotism, sent misquoted mailers and made really strange robo calls. Voters in the district received non stop repeated calls that sounded at first like they were from Duckworth. In fact, they were sent by the Republican National Committee. The intent of the call was to call the voters so many times that they were turned off by Duckworth's candidacy.

Instead of challenging an opponent on issues, the republicans used dirty tricks like the repeated annoying robo call to win the campaign. In a close election like this, I would not be surprised if we see these tactics. Sphere: Related Content

Friday, October 3, 2008

Sen. Clinton's statement regarding the debate. Hillary campaigns in Texas for senate candidate.

I posted the following with Hillary's statement on http://www.demconwatchblog.com/

Click the link for:
Sen. Clinton's statement regarding the debate. Hillary campaigns in Texas for senate candidate. Sphere: Related Content

Debate news round up

Here are some articles worth checking about the debate.

Christian Science Monitor blog says there were no big gaffes
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/10/03/no-gaffes-in-last-nights-debate-darn-right/

Kansas City Star editorial page says Biden won the debate
http://voices.kansascity.com/node/2300

David Gergen gives Palin an A- and Biden an A+
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/02/gergen-a-winwin-debate/

CNN poll shows that Biden won but Palin did just fine
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/debate.poll/index.html?iref=nextin

The AP says some facts adrift in the VP debate
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEBATE_FACT_CHECK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-10-03-00-23-59

Washington Post says the debate courted the middle class
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100202252.html?hpid=topnews Sphere: Related Content

Hillary on the economy

I have been so busy moving and working the election that I neglected to include these bullet points released last week from Hillary about the economy:

Hillary Clinton’s Principles For Action - Rescuing Wall Street and Main Street
* America deserves leadership that understands the challenges we're facing in the world and leadership that can actually get the results we're looking for. The Democrats inherited a troubled economy in 1993 – we fixed it then and we can fix it again.
* If taxpayers like what's gone on the last eight years and if they are happy about this Wall Street meltdown and having to put $700 billion into trying to rescue these banks so we can keep lending and keep the economy afloat, then they have a ticket on the Republican side with John McCain and Sarah Palin. Hillary Clinton doesn’t believe most Americans want to buy into that and that we need to have checks and balances, not just a blank check.
* The Republicans had their chance to fix the economy and look at where this country is today. Barack Obama and Joe Biden offer the positive solutions and real change we need.
* Taxpayers must have control over the purse strings and cannot just be left holding the bag of this huge bailout. We need to inject some reality-based checks and balances and not just give the Administration a blank check.
* Video of Senator Clinton on today’s morning shows is available at: http://blog.hillaryclinton.com/

Given the extraordinary nature of the government's market intervention proposal, Senator Clinton believes we must:

TAKE BOLD ACTION ON THE MORTGAGE CRISIS
* The next step in the credit crisis should be the creation of a new Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) to launch an effective mortgage modification effort on the scale and scope of the successful Depression-era program.
* Today, 2 million homeowners carry mortgages worth more than their homes, holding $3 trillion in mortgage debt. (And another 1.5 million are carrying mortgages worth another $1 trillion that are set to increase in coming months and years.) Senator Clinton was among the first to propose a modern-day HOLC, which bought mortgages from failed banks and modified terms to keep people in their homes. The original HOLC saved one million homes and returned a profit to the Treasury.
* With the government holding the note on so many of these mortgage securities, Senator Clinton is proposing a temporary moratorium on foreclosures and a temporary freeze on mortgage rate hikes in adjustable rate loans.

REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF TAXPAYERS
* If the Treasury proposal is enacted in its current form, the American government would assume enough financial risk to effectively become the majority shareholder in the companies taxpayers have bailed out.
* Therefore, the American people are bearing the risk and deserve to reap the reward in a shared equity model, giving our country a stake in the profits of the companies they've saved.
* Mortgage securities bought by taxpayers must be valued fairly and accurately at prices disclosed in real time, with checks and reporting requirements to prevent abuse. Senator Clinton is calling for safeguards and oversight to prevent Americans from overpaying at the same time and ensure that taxpayers are not burdened by overvalued debt while companies exploit the bailout program for profit.

REFORM WALL STREET AND CURB CORPORATE ABUSE
* Companies must end the practice of awarding compensation packages to executives irrespective of job performance or shareholder interest.
* Senator Clinton has proposed legislation to give shareholders a greater say in executive pay and to close loopholes designed to conceal executive salaries. Senator Clinton has proposed requiring companies that benefit from the infusion of taxpayer dollars to tie executive pay to long-term economic performance instead of short-term stock performance.
* Senator Clinton believes rescued firms must commit to stricter risk management standards.
* This initiative must be transparent and fully open to the public if it is going to work. Conflicts of interest must be reported and made public so that investors that drive up the price of certain bonds aren't responsible for the government buying those same bonds at the higher price. Sphere: Related Content