Message to President Obama and the DNC

Please!

Will the Democrats and all the other causes which bombard us, the faithful, daily with emails (primarily from the DNC) begging for money that we the people are sick and tired of receiving, lay off for a while, already? Really!

How much cash do you think we have anyway? Who do you think reads all those e-mails? Lately, I don’t even open yours, Mr. President.

Please go hammer the doors of the rich! We the people, the grunters, the gofers who do all the down and dirty work: the canvassing, the phone calling, the baking, the making, the driving, the lit drops, the sign installations, the sign pick-ups, the sign recycling, the manning of the polls on E-Day from dark to dark distributing the sample ballots, the reporting, are worn out, and your constant solicitation is aggravating. You don’t believe me? Take a gander at last week.

Please (in case my message is not clear): Lay off for a change. Go lay on the wealthy. Thank you. This word is brought to you from We The People.

And by the way: Please get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately.

From: President Barack Obama [mailto:info@barackobama.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 1:23 AM
To: Patricia
Subject: Making history

Patricia --

This evening, at 11:15 p.m., the House of Representatives voted to pass their health insurance reform bill. Despite countless attempts over nearly a century, no chamber of Congress has ever before passed comprehensive health reform. This is history.

But you and millions of your fellow Organizing for America supporters didn't just witness history tonight -- you helped make it. Each "yes" vote was a brave stand, backed up by countless hours of knocking on doors, outreach in town halls and town squares, millions of signatures, and hundreds of thousands of calls. You stood up. You spoke up. And you were heard.

So this is a night to celebrate -- but not to rest. Those who voted for reform deserve our thanks, and the next phase of this fight has already begun.

The final Senate bill hasn't even been released yet, but the insurance companies are already pressing hard for a filibuster to bury it. OFA has built a massive neighborhood-by-neighborhood operation to bring people's voices to Congress, and tonight we saw the results. But the coming days will put our efforts to the ultimate test. Winning will require each of us to give everything we can, starting right now.

Please donate $5 or whatever you can afford so we can finish this fight.

Tonight's vote brought every American closer to the secure, affordable care we need. But it was also a watershed moment in how change is made.

Even after last year's election, many insider lobbyists and partisan operatives really thought that the old formula of scare tactics, D.C. back-scratching and special-interest money would still be enough to block any idea they didn't like. Now, they're desperate. Because, tonight, you made it crystal clear: the old rules are changing -- and the people will not be ignored.

In the final phases of last year's election, I often reminded folks, "Don't think for a minute that power concedes without a fight," and it's especially true today. But that's okay -- we're not afraid of a fight. And as you continue to prove, when all of us work together, we have what it takes to win.

Please donate to OFA's campaign to win this fight and ensure that real health reform reaches my desk by the end of this year:

https://donate.barackobama.com/History

Let's keep making history,

President Barack Obama



Paid for by Organizing for America, a project of the Democratic National Committee -- 430 South Capitol Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Monetary contributions to the Democratic National Committee are not tax-deductible.

NYT abandons American troop casualties in Afghanistan

Usually, when a news alert arrives from either the New York Times or the Washington Post, another arrives from the competitor within minutes.

Not so yesterday.

At 10:28 a.m. the Post sent an alert: Bombings kill 8 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan

When did the alert arrive from the NYT? Five and a half hours later when the Times put it in its lead in the 4 p.m. online edition.

Importance?

Obama's Afghan policy affects Virginia governor's race

Why should we, the former impassioned, bother? After all we did last year to elect Barack Obama? When he continues the Bush policies in another country? Our vigor is gone, our enthusiasm, dimmed, by the wishy-washy administration policy of no change after all.

For what? To "defeat" the Taliban? Al-Qaeda? Cockroaches are infinite; they cannot be extinguished.

We continue pouring blood and money into a foreign nation a la Bush.

What change?

What next?

Pakistan?

India?

Mr. Deeds: Here is where many of your Northern Virginia voters are: misled, fed up, and disillusioned anew.

Letter from Sen. Mark Warner re: Afghanistan

What does this say other than he's taken a trip to Afghanistan? Absolutely nothing. A great example for p.r. classes in how to write meaningless letters with content of empty words.


Dear Ms. ____________,



Thank you for contacting me regarding additional troops in Afghanistan. I share your concerns about the need to resolve the conflicts throughout Afghanistan and improve the lives of those living in that region of the world.



This is a very complicated and important issue. Last spring, I traveled to Afghanistan to get a first-hand look at operations on the ground. While in Afghanistan, I received several briefings from our top military and diplomatic leadership. I also conducted a site visit at the Kabul Military Training Center where our U.S. forces are working hard to train the Afghan troops. In addition, I traveled to Kandahar and met with Virginia troops and the US and Allied Commanders to get an accurate assessment of the situation.



In the coming weeks our military and civilian leadership will review our strategy and consider the resources required to ensure we have the most effective policies for Afghanistan, and the right equipment and training to protect our troops. I will continue to keep your thoughts in mind as the situation unfolds.



Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me with your views. As we move forward with the 111th Congress, please continue to be in touch with your opinions and concerns.




Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator

Why bother, Washington Post?

Buried in the left corner at the bottom of page A10 in Saturday's (September 26, 2009) paper in the section "World Digest" under Afghanistan, are four paragraphs with a heading (not big enough for a headline):

5 U.S. Troops Killed in Attacks in South

Why bother, Washington Post? They were only five. Five soldiers who don't matter. Why even bother to put them in at all? The huge stories you have on Indian defense and mandatory flu shots are surely more important, but what? One hundred paragraphs on them was not enough and you had to squeeze the deaths? You supporting the Defense Department's order for more troops and you're trying to minimize more losses? Or maybe it's the green crew you've got in now, which can't exactly pinpoint Afghanistan's location nor does it know anything about our troops there or the past. Maybe Washington Post, you better get in some people with some history who know a thing or two about world events, more than the crew you've got now which relies on wire service stories and can't tell a dead soldier from a fighter jet.

The news is all the same

Do you flip back and forth between the networks and wonder how and why they place their stories in the same order? And devote more or less the same amount of time to each?

The front pages of Friday's Washington Post and New York Times are almost the same above the fold. They must have been made up by the same editor!

In the left single column in both papers is the SEC story charging the Countrywide leader with fraud. The headlines are similar; not exact, but similar. Well, you say, it's the same story!

Then splashed across the rest of the top fold of both papers is the Obama Mideast speech with several color pictures of individuals and groups from the Mideast and Asia watching the speech. The only difference is that all the NYT pictures show males only. A family picture in the Post has some females.

Wouldn't you think one or two of the photos would be of Obama? Or some of the other leaders? Or the locale of the speech?

Is the main stream media now under the same ownership and direction and the announcements have not been made? Do they collaborate? Do the networks collaborate? Are the editors out of the same school? Of thought? Just wondering.

Timeline of Sotomayor announcement

As received via e-mail:

The Supreme Court nominee announcement is coming! NYTimes 8:25 a.m.

The Supreme Court nominee announcement is coming! Washington Post 8:34 a.m.

The Supreme Court nominee is Sonia Sotomayor! NYTimes 8:39 a.m.
(Interesting that the story in this link shows a time posted as 8:15 a.m.)

The Supreme Court nominee is Sonia Sotomayor! Washington Post 8:51 a.m.

But I understand MSNBC and the AP beat them both.