State & National Election News

RNC Chairman Statement on Minnesota Recount

2009-02-26T20:04:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele released the following statement today in response to Senator Harry Reid's comments on the Minnesota recount:

"The people of Minnesota expect and deserve a fair election process that ensures every valid vote is counted and counted only once. As it stands now, there are thousands of absentee ballots that have not been counted and potentially hundreds more that have been counted twice. Instead of attempting to short circuit election law, the Senate Majority Leader should focus on the out of control spending going on in Washington. Once the recount is completed, I fully expect Senator Coleman to be where he was on election night: in the lead. When that happens, we will welcome back a senator who values fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and will not vote to saddle future generations with unprecedented debt. I join my fellow Republicans in standing firmly behind Norm Coleman and his pursuit to ensure no Minnesota voter is disenfranchised."

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RNC Statement on Minnesota Senate Recount

2008-12-30T19:12:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan announced the following statement tonight.

"Al Franken's declarations of victory are as inaccurate as they are premature. This recount has taken some time and we won't know a winner for weeks to come. And, when a winner finally does emerge, we are confident it will be Norm Coleman.

"During this process, Minnesotans have shown a great amount of patience and respect; Al Franken and Washington Democrats should follow their lead and do the same."

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RNC Launches New Web Video: 'Questions Remain'

2008-12-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new Web video, titled "Questions Remain." The video highlights the evolving explanations delivered by President-elect Obama and his advisors concerning their contact with the embattled and scandal-plagued Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich despite Obama's promises to instill greater transparency and confidence in government.

Click here to see the video.

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New Blog Added!

2008-12-12T08:27:00.003-05:00

Now that the election furor has died down we realized we didn't have a good blog for posting "non" ELECTION news. We have Republican Candidates, Republican News Sweep, JMac Politics (commentary), Political Pitstop (commentary) and a few others but nothing for plain old interesting political news stories and articles.

Now we do!

We kicked off State and National Politics yesterday and it's already chocked full of interesting stories. We invited you to go check it out: http://statenationalpolitics.blogspot.com/

We'll make it prettier for you over the next few days.

New Poll Warns Daschle, Obama: Mandatory Health Insurance Big Loser With Public; Voters Want Return on Stem Cell Research

2008-12-11T12:34:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Less than 15% of U.S. voters support, and 53% oppose, a proposal pushed by health insurers requiring every American to provide proof of private health insurance or face tax penalties or other fines, according to a new poll. The poll, conducted by Consumer Watchdog, also found that by just under a two-to-one margin voters favor requiring a return on taxpayer-funded research that leads to new medical treatments or prescription drugs.

Download the poll here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/healthcarepollmemo.pdf. The poll is based on 840 interviews among registered voters in the United States conducted on December 4 thru December 7, 2008. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence.

President-elect Obama opposed policies requiring all Americans to buy private health insurance coverage, the so-called "individual mandate," as a candidate. Senator Tom Daschle left open the possibility of his support for the approach in his book, "Critical," under the pretense that he is "not willing to sacrifice worthy improvements on the altar of perfection." Unlike plans pushed by health insurers, Daschle's proposal importantly would give Americans access to a public insurance program "modeled after Medicare."

Overall, 40% of voters say they are "strongly" opposed to mandating that "every American show proof that they have health insurance coverage or face tax penalties." Less than 15% say they would support it. Another 31% are undecided. Opposition is also strongest in the West (61% oppose; 16% favor), North Central states (54% oppose; 16% favor), the South (51% oppose; 13% favor) and in the Northeast (45% oppose; 18% favor). Download a detailed breakdown of the poll returns here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/healthcarepolltabs.pdf

"With the cost of health insurance coverage for a family topping $12,500 a year its no wonder Americans overwhelmingly oppose a plan that requires them to buy coverage or face penalties. When voters are told they will have to reach into their own pocket to pay for health insurance they quickly turn against proposals requiring them to buy from insurance companies that are unrestrained in how much they can charge," said Jerry Flanagan, Health Care Policy Director for Consumer Watchdog.

Read a recent letter Consumer Watchdog sent to President-elect Obama detailing the policy concerns with the individual mandate: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/patients/articles/?storyId=24046

California's debate over health care reform collapsed based on popular opposition to mandatory insurance. A January 2008 poll by Consumer Watchdog's campaign affiliate, the Campaign for Consumer Rights, found that only 16% of California voters support such a plan. Download the January 2008 California poll here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/hcpoll.pdf. The California legislature refused to pass a measure supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders which would have required middle-class Californians to buy insurance regardless of its cost without regulating what insurers can charge for coverage, and with no guarantee that essential services would be covered. According to a recent poll by the Harvard School of Public Health, only 37% of those impacted by the individual mandate in Massachusetts -- the only state with such a requirement in place -- support it.

Voters Favor Providing a Return on Taxpayers' Investment for Any New Treatments or Prescription Drugs Developed By Taxpayer-Funded Research

By just under a two-to-one margin Americans favor requiring a return on taxpayer-funded research that leads to new medical treatments or prescription drugs. The issue is particularly important as President-elect Obama is proposing doubling research funding from the National Institutes of Health. He is also expected to end the Bush Administration's ban on federal fund of most embryonic stem cell research.

"California's $6 billion stem cell research program which provides for a payback to taxpayers should serve as a model for federally funded research," said John M. Simpson, Stem Cell Project Director. "When taxpayers fund research they deserve affordable access to what they've paid for. California's stem cell program demonstrates this works."

37% of voters approve of this proposal, while only 21% are opposed. In addition, those who "strongly" favor the proposal outpace "strong" opposition by 12 points (28% strong favor; 16% strong oppose). 42% remain undecided. Support passes the 40% mark among a number of critical subgroups including voters who earn over $75K a year (48%), voters ages 55 to 64 (45%), voters in the West (44%), Northeasterners (42%) and college graduates (42%).

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National Leaders Say Need for Health Care Reform 'Urgent'

2008-12-11T10:37:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Reforming America's health system is critical to any efforts to rebuild the nation's economy, leaders from the business, health, and policymaking communities declared at a forum in Washington, D.C. today. Participants in "Rhetoric to Reality: The Urgency of Health Reform" also said effective health reform would help stem costs that are overwhelming the health care system by addressing the rise in chronic diseases that are currently driving 75 percent of health spending.

The event brought together business and health care leaders, members of the media, and key Congressional staff for one of the most wide-ranging public discussions of health reform since the November election. It was sponsored by the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, Partnership for Prevention, Divided We Fail and the Emory Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions.

"President-elect Obama has signaled that he would like to make health care a key priority, but with so many pressing domestic issues as well as a war in Iraq, how do we move health reform from the realm of rhetoric to a tangible reality?" said Kenneth E. Thorpe, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and the Emory Institute for Advanced Policy Solutions, in his keynote address to open the half-day event.

"For many of us, the answer is clear: We must draw upon the overwhelming support from all those with a stake in Americans' health - interests from the public and non-profit sector, as well as private industry - and look for areas of true consensus in health care. At the top of the list is the need for better public and private policies to promote prevention and management of chronic illness."

The first panel of the day brought together leaders from some of the most influential groups in the health care debate, including representatives of the pharmaceutical industry, health insurance industry, labor and business, to talk about what their expectations are for health reform in 2009, and how they are contributing to finding consensus. Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President of AARP, participated in the panel on behalf of Divided We Fail.

"We cannot afford to keep our broken health care system," said Davis. "Divided We Fail has brought together employers, workers and consumers because we understand that the status quo isn't working for anyone. Preventive care is an important part of moving the focus of the system to how we get and stay healthy. In short, preventive care is a necessity in order to transform the patchwork of health care services we currently use into a functioning health system."

Corinne Husten, M.D., Interim President for Partnership for Prevention, participated in a panel focusing on prevention. She unveiled legislative recommendations from Partnership for Prevention that she said would give a higher priority to disease prevention and health promotion. The recommendations include requiring federally funded insurance programs to provide recommended clinical preventive services, and providing incentives to states and health providers to deliver such services. They also call for identifying a discrete revenue source to fund core state and local public health prevention activities, and for the establishment of a Public Health Advisory Commission to recommend how that funding should be allocated. The full recommendations are available online at: www.prevent.org/HealthReform.

"Changing the way we pay for health care reform without addressing the chronic diseases that are driving health costs is not real health reform," said Husten. "Real health reform starts with prevention."

More than two-thirds of all deaths in the U.S. are caused by one or more of five chronic diseases: heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic disease accounts for about 75 percent of the nation's aggregate health care spending - or about $5,300 per person in the U.S. each year.

"Unfortunately, the current health care delivery system focuses much more on treatment and reaction than it does on prevention and predictive action," said Fred Sanfilippo, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University. "This is largely the result of a payment system that's more interested in reducing short-term expenses than in improving long-term outcome and patient satisfaction."

In his remarks, PFCD Executive Director Ken Thorpe noted the importance the Obama Administration and leaders in the 111th Congress have placed on moving forward a comprehensive health reform bill to address cost, quality, and coverage early in 2009.

"Senate leaders like Senators Max Baucus and Ted Kennedy have been very active in anticipation of the new Administration and have already begun to lay the framework for legislation. By developing comprehensive proposals at the outset of the 111th Congress, these efforts signal that this is going to be a very high priority in the next session and will move quickly."

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The GOP Has Some Fight Left

2008-12-11T07:47:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is an excerpt from an article by Robert M. "Mike" Duncan from Townhall, and was released December 10 by the Republican National Committee:

The 2008 election was certainly historic and unique as Republicans faced an extremely challenging -- almost unprecedented -- political environment. Despite experiencing one of the most difficult political cycles in modern times, our successes in Louisiana and Georgia show that with strong, conservative candidates coupled with an effective grassroots program, the Republican Party can win at every level.

With the election of Joseph Cao (LA-02) and John Fleming (LA-04), the voters of Louisiana embraced the conservative values of fiscal responsibility, strengthened national security and increased domestic energy production. Dr. Fleming, a Navy veteran and doctor, will strongly support the needs of veterans and their families and will work hard to reform our nation's healthcare system.

Voters in the Second District rejected greed and corruption by embracing Mr. Cao's commitment to preserve the dignity of public office by championing comprehensive ethics reform, keeping taxes low, and providing greater accountability for Congressional spending.

Senator Saxby Chambliss' reelection was not only a victory for the people of Georgia; it also denied Democrats any argument concerning a liberal mandate and unchecked power by way of a filibuster-proof Senate. Georgians voted against Jim Martin, a rubber stamp for President-elect Obama and instead reelected Chambliss, a proven leader who best represents the principles and values of working families in Georgia.

Despite strong support from President-elect Obama and Democrat organizations in Louisiana and Georgia, Republicans were victorious because we combined principled candidates with an aggressive ground game that enabled us to contact and turn out voters. Over the past two years, the RNC has concentrated on refining the basic fundamentals of winning elections. By investing in programs and technology, and training staff and volunteers across the country, we are giving candidates the necessary tools to get their message out and mobilize supporters.

In Louisiana, Republicans were victorious thanks to the efforts of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), Louisiana Republican Party (LAGOP), Cao and Fleming Campaigns, and the RNC. Our investment in technology allowed our team to maximize every volunteer and contribution. Through sophisticated online advertising techniques we targeted and reached Republicans who requested absentee ballots and we pushed them to the polls.

In Georgia, the seamless collaboration of the Chambliss Campaign, Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP), National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), and the RNC enabled us to execute a statewide Victory plan that included nearly a dozen regional Victory offices, as well as paid staff and volunteers on the ground. Those Victory centers served as staging locations for the get-out-the-vote (GOTV) program with thousands of volunteers, reaching nearly a half-million Georgians in the last five days alone.

In both Louisiana and Georgia, we provided volunteers the tools to make phone calls and send emails that resulted in Republicans turning out in greater numbers than what the much-vaunted Obama grassroots operation was able to produce.

While November was certainly a challenging time for our party, we have been reminded in December that we know how to win races. As a party - we continue to improve our mastery of the blocking and tackling of politics - and remain committed to learning and passing on what we learn to operatives and officials in the states. We will continue to harness new technologies and leverage operative strategies that allow us to refine our approach, and improve upon our efficiency and effectiveness. For all those who were counting out the Grand Old Party, keep counting because we still have a lot of fight left in us, and both Georgia and Louisiana serve as reminders of what we can accomplish when we work together and remain committed to our principles.

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Leading State Officials Urge Reforms to Voting System

2008-12-10T19:00:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leading state election officials, policymakers and experts meeting here this week called on state and federal governments to improve voter registration, expand early voting and better serve military and overseas voters. Their recommendations came at a major national conference, "Voting in America," sponsored by the Pew Center on the States' Make Voting Work initiative, in partnership with the JEHT Foundation.

Held at the Newseum, the conference, which concludes today, highlighted the growing momentum by state and local officials to:

-- Improve voter registration procedures. Participants agreed on the need
for changes in the current system and discussed reforms such as
automatic voter registration, integrating state registration systems,
and making registration more convenient.

"We need a new approach to voter registration that matches the reality of voters' lives in the 21st Century," said Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. "Instead of relying on the piecemeal system we have today, government has an opportunity to innovate and act affirmatively to ensure voter rolls are integrated and accurate."

-- Provide more opportunities for voting prior to Election Day.
Participants agreed that states and localities should expand
opportunities for early voting and improve absentee voting or other
alternative voting systems. In Florida, for example, voters had 15
days prior to Election Day to cast their votes.

"In Florida we operated from the assumption that the whole idea of having to vote within one 12-hour period on one particular day is antiquated," said Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning. "Now we need to take the next step and work with the legislature to create more flexibility in the selection of sites, and in the hours available for election supervisors during early voting."

-- Improve the voting system for military and overseas voters.
Participants discussed the difficulty of registering military and
overseas voters, and the complications of ensuring ballots are sent
and returned so that they can be counted. There was a consensus that
the system for military and overseas voters is broken and that
long-term and sustained improvements are needed.

"Our history of trying to fix military and overseas voting is one of the classic examples of band-aid upon band-aid upon band-aid," said Oregon State Election Director John Lindback. "We need to change the system so these voters have a fighting chance of getting their ballots back on time."

Representatives from both the Obama and McCain presidential campaigns agreed on the need to improve elections. Robert F. Bauer, who served as general counsel to the Obama campaign, recommended steps to measure the success of the election system by ranking the performance of states and localities and encouraging competition as a means for improvement. Bauer cited a forthcoming book, The Democracy Index; Why Our Election System is Failing, and How to Fix It (Heather K. Gerken; Princeton University Press) as a primer on how to improve the election process. Building on a model supported by PCS and the Pew Government Performance Project, the book highlights measures for ranking the performance of election systems with hard data and verified outcomes. Attendees also cited practices called for in Being Online, Data for Democracy, a Pew report issued through the Make Voting Work project that compares state performance.

Trevor Potter, who was counsel to the McCain campaign, spoke to the importance of reforming the system of voter registration. "It is clear that the current system of voter registration which relies on actions of individuals and private groups to put names on the registration rolls is flawed," said Mr. Potter. "Why isn't it a fundamental obligation of government to ensure comprehensive and accurate voter registration? Why don't we publish the voter registration rolls in advance of the election as many countries do so that voters can ensure the accuracy and integrity of the list?"

Make Voting Work, a project of the Pew Center on the States, seeks to foster an election system that achieves the highest standards of accuracy, accessibility, efficiency and security. The initiative examines the most pressing election problems, and undertakes and evaluates pilot projects and experiments designed to address them. This research will inform our efforts to identify effective solutions through changes in policies, practices and technology. Further information is available at pewcenteronthestates.org

The JEHT Foundation was established in April 2000. Its name stands for the core values that underlie the Foundation's mission: Justice, Equality, Human dignity and Tolerance. The Foundation focuses on criminal and juvenile justice, international justice, and fair and participatory elections. Working directly with states, in some cases in-depth, is a key part of the Foundation strategy to implement practical change related to its mission.

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Libertarian Party Calls Logic Behind Auto Bailout 'Insanity'

2008-12-10T17:09:00.001-05:00

The nation's largest third-party is calling for Congress to strike down a measure backed by the White House that would risk at least $15 billion of taxpayer dollars to bailout the American automotive industry.

"It's insanity," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis. "It's insane that we keep going back to the taxpayers to bailout struggling corporations who, for lack of good management and sound business practices, have become unprofitable. Who in Congress is standing up for the taxpayers? Where are the Republicans, who claim they stand for the free market? Where are the Democrats, who claim they oppose corporate welfare?"

The current plan seeks to initially give Detroit automakers a $15 billion, taxpayer-backed loan with a deadline of March 31 to develop a plan for profitability. If, by the deadline, automakers fail to reach what the White House has established as "viability," the loans would be recalled—something Davis says is "already written in the stars."

"We all know what's going to happen, and it's not going to be the outcome proponents of the bailout want us all to believe," says Davis. "Automakers will get $15 billion of taxpayer money, and when April rolls around, they'll be asking for more time and more money. There are absolutely no provisions in the bailout bill that require any type of change to management, union contracts or company structure before receiving taxpayer money. All taxpayers have is a promise that the same CEOs who put their companies in this mess will get it right the second time."

"Or, the third time, if you're talking about Chrysler," Davis adds.

"The end goal of any restructuring should be removing the management that led companies into this pitfall," says Davis. "This should be done by the companies—not the government. The Libertarian Party favors letting these companies file Chapter 11, instead of risking taxpayer dollars for promises of reform. It will be tough in the short-term, but better for the long-term stability of our economy."

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Ethics Group Says Obama Cannot Distance Himself From Blagojevich

2008-12-10T16:32:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement was released December 9 by Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center:

"The Blagojevich arrest is a problem for Barack Obama for two reasons. First, Blagojevich's bagman Tony Rezko was Obama's political sponsor.

"Second, Blagojevich's intercepted comments speak volumes about the way political business is conducted in Illinois. Blagojevich certainly expected Obama to be a willing participant in the dealings over Obama's Senate seat. Of course, Obama is pleading ignorance, but he is either part of the political culture that produced Blagojevich or he is not. I doubt Rezko had one set of ethical standards when Obama was in the room, and another when he was with Blagojevich.

"The 76-page FBI affidavit alleging Blagojevich sought to silence critics at the Chicago Tribune and sell Barack Obama's Senate seat is shocking but not surprising. Corruption is endemic in Chicago and in Illinois state government. We may soon see two Illinois Governors in prison at the same time -- one Democrat and one Republican.

"I believe that the US Attorney acted now not only for the reasons he specified in his press conference, but also in the expectation that Obama might fire all U.S. Attorneys when he is inaugurated, like Bill Clinton did. Obama would be poorly advised to replace U.S. Attorneys who are conducting ongoing political corruption investigations.

"The cautionary tale here is that more government intervention in the economy guarantees increased corruption. Obama's plan to saturate state and local governments with stimulus funds will empower corrupt politicians and union bosses. Transactional politicians of the Blagojevich ilk will be the big beneficiaries. As we have documented in our newsletter Union Corruption Update, corrupt politicians and corrupt union bosses have a symbiotic relationship."

NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Organized Labor Accountability Project and the Corporate Integrity Project.

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Did The Obama Campaign Use The SEIU To Keep Blagojevich At Arms Length?

2008-12-10T13:05:00.003-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

The Service Employees International Union Acted As The Intermediary Between Blagojevich And The Obama Camp:

An SEIU Official Acted As "An Apparent Intermediary Between The Governor And Barack Obama's Camp." "Among the revelations contained in the complaint brought against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday was the description of an official with the Service Employees International Union acting as an apparent intermediary between the governor and Barack Obama's camp in discussions over Obama's Senate seat." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

Negotiations Were Underway To Appoint Obama's Close Confidante Valerie Jarrett To His Vacant Senate Seat. "Blagojevich and his chief of staff wondered aloud about a 'three-way deal' in which he would appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, a Chicago businesswoman believed to be the woman identified in the complaint as 'Candidate 1,' to Obama's Senate seat..." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

Blagojevich Believed That The SEIU Official Was An Emissary From Obama To Discuss Jarrett For The Senate Seat. "The complaint also states that on Nov. 12, Blagojevich spoke by phone with an "SEIU official" who was in Washington and with whom Blagojevich had met a week before on the understanding that the official was an emissary to discuss Jarrett's interest in the Senate seat." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

The SEIU Has Become A Powerful Force In Democratic Politics And Hopes To Play A Major Role In The Obama Administration:

Labor Has Become So Strong That A Sitting Governor Was Willing To Trade A U.S. Senate Seat For A Position As Executive Director Of A Labor Coalition. "[B]lagojevich in return would become Change to Win's executive director; and Obama would reward Change to Win with pro-labor policies." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

SEIU Has Become "An Omnipresent Force In Democratic Politics." "But on another level, the SEIU's apparent involvement is an indication of the extent to which it has, under the leadership of its ambitious and controversial president, Andrew L. Stern, become an omnipresent force in Democratic politics." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

Organized Labor Has "High Expectations For The Obama Administration." "With organized labor holding such high expectations for the Obama administration -- notably, hopes for legislation fiercely opposed by business leaders that would make it easier to form unions -- officials of other unions were hoping yesterday that the SEIU's apparent involvement in the Illinois scandal would not undermine their cause in Washington." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

Obama Picked A Former SEIU Official To Be His Political Director And Has Close Ties to SEIU Officials In Illinois:

"A Former SEIU Official, Patrick Gaspard, Was Named Obama's Political Director." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

In 2004, Patrick Gaspard Served As National Field Director For 527 Organization America Coming Together. "The Kerry effort will be aided by America Coming Together, an independent group working to get out the Democratic vote. The group plans to stage marches before Election Day to polling stations that open early in key states to put 'peer and community pressure' on low-propensity voters, said Patrick Gaspard, the group's national field director." (Jo Becker, "Voters May Have Their Say Before Election Day," The Washington Post, 8/26/04)

The SEIU Helped To Coordinate America Coming Together, With SEIU Members And Staff Doing Much Of The Management Of The GOTV Effort. "Despite Stern's criticism of labor's relationship with the Democratic Party, he does understand the importance of political work. Last fall, SEIU generously lent its clout, helping to coordinate America Coming Together and America Votes, an alliance of Democratic interest groups that included the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and women's organizations. Much of the management of this joint get-out-the-vote effort was done by SEIU members and staff (like me) in a massive union campaign effort without recent precedent." (Clayton Nall, "Gompers's Ghost And Labor's New Look," The Washington Post, 9/4/05)

Tom Balanoff, Head Of SEIU In Illinois, Is Obama's Closest Tie To SEIU. "But the SEIU official with the closest ties to the Obama team is Tom Balanoff, head of SEIU's Illinois chapter." (Alec MacGillis, "Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team," The Washington Post, 12/10/08)

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Endorsed Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign :

"Sen. Barack Obama Won The Support ... Of The 1.9-Million Member Service Employees International Union..." (Jesse J. Holland, "SEIU Endorses Obama," The Associated Press, 2/15/08)

"SEIU Will Mobilize Thousands To Go Door-To-Door, Work The Phones, And Will Send Mail About Their Support For Obama." "SEIU members are supporting Obama with an aggressive political effort. With more than 150,000 members in the upcoming primary states, including Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Texas, SEIU will mobilize thousands to go door-to-door, work the phones, and will send mail about their support for Obama. SEIU also will have a substantial presence on television and radio in every critical state." (Service Employees International Union, "SEIU Members Endorse Sen. Barack Obama," Press Release, 2/15/08)

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RNC Chairman Calls on President-Elect Obama to Disclose Communication Concerning Governor Blagojevich

2008-12-10T11:53:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Robert M. "Mike" Duncan released the following statement today.

"President-elect Barack Obama's carefully parsed and vague statements regarding his own contact and that of his team with Governor Rod Blagojevich are unacceptable. Considering the severity of the allegations against Governor Blagojevich, the President-elect should immediately disclose any and all communications his transition team has had with the governor's office along with any Service Employees International Union (SEIU) officials involved in the matter. Obama's promise of transparency to the American people is now being tested."

Paid for by the Republican National Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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Obama Will Allow Fortune 500 Firms to Receive Federal Small Business Contracts

2008-12-10T10:17:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- President-elect Barack Obama has dropped a campaign promise to end Bush Administration policies that have allowed Fortune 500 firms to receive federal small business contracts.

In February, President-elect Obama released the following statement, "Over half of all Americans work for a small business. Small businesses are the backbone of our nation's economy and we must protect this great resource. It is time to end the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants." (http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/26/the_american_small_business_le.php)

Just two days after the election, the Obama-Biden Transition Team launched its transition website, Change.gov. Any mention of President-elect Obama's campaign promise to stop Fortune 500 firms from hijacking government small business contracts had vanished without explanation. (http://www.asbl.com/documents/Economy_Change.pdf)

Since 2003, more than a dozen federal investigations have found widespread fraud and abuse in virtually every federal small business contracting program under the Bush Administration. (http://www.asbl.com/documentlibrary.html) Several investigations found Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other large businesses had received billions of dollars in federal small business contracts. Two separate investigations found large businesses had received federal small business contracts illegally through "vendor deception" and "false certifications". (http://www.sba.gov/IG/05-16.pdf)

In July, the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General found the agency had awarded millions of dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms such as, Xerox, John Deere, Sherwin Williams, Dell, World Wide Technology, Home Depot, McGraw-Hill, Ricoh, Starwood Hotels and Weyerhaeuser. (http://www.doioig.gov/upload/2008-G-0024.pdf)

In October, the Washington Post released an independent study, which found approximately 40 percent of all federal prime small business contracts had actually gone to Fortune 500 firms. Based on the sample used by the Washington Post, as much as 80 percent of government small business contracts could be going to Fortune 500 firms and thousands of other large businesses. (http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1179)

The diversion of billions of dollars in government small business contracts to Fortune 500 firms has been reported by most of the nation's largest newspapers, over two hundred radio stations and by ABC, CBS and CNN. (ABC, http://www.asbl.com/abc_evening_news.wmv; CBS, http://www.asbl.com/cbs.wmv; CNN, http://www.asbl.com/showmedia.php?id=1170)

Considering the current state of the U.S. economy, Obama's decision to drop his campaign promise to rescue millions of middle class firms and end the diversion of federal small business contracts to "corporate giants" is seen by small business owners and advocates as a clear indication that the Obama Administration will not be pro-American small business.

The American Small Business League (ASBL) predicts that President-elect Obama will enact legislation and policies that will hurt American small businesses and even create more loopholes that will allow some of the nation's wealthiest investors to take federal contracts earmarked for legitimate small businesses.

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Richard Viguerie on Rod Blagojevich: 'There's Still Time to Save America From Becoming One Big Chicago'

2008-12-09T19:34:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The corruption uncovered in the investigation of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is just a tiny part of the criminality that runs throughout the country's politics, Richard A. Viguerie, the Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com, said.

"Before we turn over the car companies, the financial sector, the health care system, and much of the rest of the American economy to these guys, we need to realize: We are opening doors to a level of corruption like we have never seen before," he said.

"The American Way is not supposed to be 'the Chicago Way,'" said Viguerie. "And it doesn't have to be. There's still time to save America from becoming one big Chicago."

Blagojevich is alleged to have, in effect, put his state's open U.S. Senate seat up for bid. He is also alleged to have made support for a bailout of the Chicago Tribune contingent on the firing of certain members of the newspaper's editorial board.

"First, this should mean that, whatever else happens in terms of bailouts, media organizations should be excluded absolutely. People should simply assume that any media bailout comes with political conditions, and that any media organization that receives taxpayers' money is working for the politicians who give them that money.

"Second, we should look at all bailouts and infrastructure spending, with an eye on the connections between the politicians who spend taxpayers' money and the special interests who benefit from the projects."

Corporations that spend inordinate amounts of money on lobbying, hiring former politicians, or hiring relatives of politicians, or making large Political Action Committee contributions to politicians should be barred absolutely from receiving bailouts, Viguerie said. Forensic accountants should closely examine all "infrastructure" money that goes to such corporations, he added.

Said Viguerie, "Almost daily, we read of another politician at the federal, state, or local level being forced to resign because of a scandal or a crime. Americans are sick and tired of corrupt and immoral leaders - not just in politics, but in business, in the law, in the media, and in nonprofit organizations. Across the board, America's leaders have let the people down.

"How are the people supposed to have faith in our government, when the people in charge of investigating the financial crisis are the same ones who forced lenders to give mortgage money to people who couldn't repay their loans? That includes Chris Dodd, who got a sweetheart deal from mortgage lenders, and Barney Frank, who was censured by the House."

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Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and His Chief of Staff John Harris Arrested on Federal Corruption Charges

2008-12-09T11:01:00.006-05:00

Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested today by FBI agents on federal corruption charges alleging that they and others are engaging in ongoing criminal activity: conspiring to obtain personal financial benefits for Blagojevich by leveraging his sole authority to appoint a United States Senator; threatening to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to induce the firing of Chicago Tribune editorial board members sharply critical of Blagojevich; and to obtain campaign contributions in exchange for official actions – both historically and now in a push before a new state ethics law takes effect January 1, 2009.

Blagojevich, 51, and Harris, 46, both of Chicago, were each charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and solicitation of bribery. They were charged in a two-count criminal complaint that was sworn out on Sunday and unsealed today following their arrests, which occurred without incident, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Both men were expected to appear later today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

A 76-page FBI affidavit alleges that Blagojevich was intercepted on court-authorized wiretaps during the last month conspiring to sell or trade Illinois’ U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama for financial and other personal benefits for himself and his wife. At various times, in exchange for the Senate appointment, Blagojevich discussed obtaining:

* A substantial salary for himself at a either a non-profit foundation or an organization affiliated with labor unions;
* Placing his wife on paid corporate boards where he speculated she might garner as much as $150,000 a year;
* Promises of campaign funds – including cash up front; and
* A cabinet post or ambassadorship for himself.

Just last week, on December 4, Blagojevich allegedly told an advisor that he might “get some (money) up front, maybe” from Senate Candidate 5, if he named Senate Candidate 5 to the Senate seat, to insure that Senate Candidate 5 kept a promise about raising money for Blagojevich if he ran for re-election. In a recorded conversation on October 31, Blagojevich described an earlier approach by an associate of Senate Candidate 5 as follows: “We were approached ‘pay to play.’ That, you know, he’d raise 500 grand. An emissary came. Then the other guy would raise a million, if I made him (Senate Candidate 5) a Senator.”

On November 7, Blagojevich said he needed to consider his family and that he is “financially” hurting while talking on the phone about the Senate seat with Harris and an advisor, the affidavit states. Harris allegedly said that they were considering what would help the “financial security” of the Blagojevich family and what will keep Blagojevich “politically viable.” Blagojevich stated, “I want to make money,” adding later that he is interested in making $250,000 to $300,000 a year, the complaint alleges.

On November 10, in a lengthy telephone call with numerous advisors that included discussion about Blagojevich obtaining a lucrative job with a union-affiliated organization in exchange for appointing a particular Senate Candidate whom he believed was favored by the President-elect and which is described in more detail below, Blagojevich and others discussed various ways Blagojevich could “monetize” the relationships he has made as governor to make money after leaving that office.

“The breadth of corruption laid out in these charges is staggering,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “They allege that Blagojevich put a ‘for sale’ sign on the naming of a United States Senator; involved himself personally in pay-to-play schemes with the urgency of a salesman meeting his annual sales target; and corruptly used his office in an effort to trample editorial voices of criticism. The citizens of Illinois deserve public officials who act solely in the public’s interest, without putting a price tag on government appointments, contracts and decisions,” he added.

Mr. Grant said: “Many, including myself, thought that the recent conviction of former governor would usher in a new era of honesty and reform in Illinois politics. Clearly, the charges announced today reveal that the office of the Governor has become nothing more than a vehicle for self-enrichment, unrestricted by party affiliation and taking Illinois politics to a new low.”

Mr. Fitzgerald and Mr. Grant thanked the Chicago offices of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for assisting in the ongoing investigation. The probe is part of Operation Board Games, a five-year-old public corruption investigation of pay-to-play schemes, including insider-dealing, influence-peddling and kickbacks involving private interests and public duties.

Federal agents today also executed search warrants at the offices of Friends of Blagojevich located at 4147 North Ravenswood, Suite 300, and at the Thompson Center office of Deputy Governor A.

Pay-to-Play Schemes

The charges include historical allegations that Blagojevich and Harris schemed with others – including previously convicted defendants Antoin Rezko, Stuart Levine, Ali Ata and others – since becoming governor in 2002 to obtain and attempt to obtain financial benefits for himself, his family and third parties, including his campaign committee, Friends of Blagojevich, in exchange for appointments to state boards and commissions, state employment, state contracts and access to state funds. A portion of the affidavit recounts the testimony of various witnesses at Rezko’s trial earlier this year.

The charges focus, however, on events since October when the Government obtained information that Blagojevich and Fundraiser A, who is chairman of Friends of Blagojevich, were accelerating Blagojevich’s allegedly corrupt fund-raising activities to accumulate as much money as possible this year before a new state ethics law would severely curtail Blagojevich’s ability to raise money from individuals and entities that have existing contracts worth more than $50,000 with the State of Illinois. Agents learned that Blagojevich was seeking approximately $2.5 million in campaign contributions by the end of the year, principally from or through individuals or entities – many of which have received state contacts or appointments – identified on a list maintained by Friends of Blagojevich, which the FBI has obtained.

The affidavit details multiple incidents involving efforts by Blagojevich to obtain campaign contributions in connection with official actions as governor, including these three in early October:

* After an October 6 meeting with Harris and Individuals A and B, during which Individual B sought state help with a business venture, Blagojevich told Individual A to approach Individual B about raising $100,000 for Friends of Blagojevich this year. Individual A said he later learned that Blagojevich reached out directly to Individual B to ask about holding a fund-raiser;
* Also on October 6, Blagojevich told Individual A that he expected Highway Contractor 1 to raise $500,000 in contributions and that he was willing to commit additional state money to a Tollway project – beyond $1.8 billion that Blagojevich announced on October15 – but was waiting to see how much money the contractor raised for Friends of Blagojevich; and
* On October 8, Blagojevich told Individual A that he wanted to obtain a $50,000 contribution from Hospital Executive 1, the chief executive officer of Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago, which had recently received a commitment of $8 million in state funds. When the contribution was not forthcoming, Blagojevich discussed with Deputy Governor A the feasibility of rescinding the funding.

On October 21, the Government obtained a court order authorizing the interception of conversations in both a personal office and a conference room used by Blagojevich at the offices of Friends of Blagojevich. The FBI began intercepting conversations in those rooms on the morning of October 22. A second court order was obtained last month allowing those interceptions to continue. On October 29, a court order was signed authorizing the interception of conversations on a hardline telephone used by Blagojevich at his home. That wiretap was extended for 30 days on November 26, according to the affidavit.

Another alleged example of a pay-to-play scheme was captured in separate telephone conversations that Blagojevich had with Fundraiser A on November 13 and Lobbyist 1 on December 3. Lobbyist 1 was reporting to Blagojevich about his efforts to collect a contribution from Contributor 1 and related that he “got in his face” to make it clear to Contributor 1 that a commitment to make a campaign contribution had to be done now, before there could be some skittishness over the timing of the contribution and Blagojevich signing a bill that would benefit Contributor 1. Blagojevich commented to Lobbyist 1 “good” and “good job.” The bill in question, which is awaiting Blagojevich ’s signature, is believed to be legislation that directs a percentage of casino revenue to the horse racing industry.

Sale of U.S. Senate Appointment

Regarding the Senate seat, the charges allege that Blagojevich, Harris and others have engaged and are engaging in efforts to obtain personal gain, including financial gain, to benefit Blagojevich and his family through corruptly using Blagojevich’s sole authority to appoint a successor to the unexpired term of the President-elect’s former Senate seat, which he resigned effective November 16. The affidavit details numerous conversations about the Senate seat between November 3 and December 5. In these conversations, Blagojevich repeatedly discussed the attributes of potential candidates, including their abilities to benefit the people of Illinois, and the financial and political benefits he and his wife could receive if he appointed various of the possible candidates.

Throughout the intercepted conversations, Blagojevich also allegedly spent significant time weighing the option of appointing himself to the open Senate seat and expressed a variety of reasons for doing so, including: frustration at being “stuck” as governor; a belief that he will be able to obtain greater resources if he is indicted as a sitting Senator as opposed to a sitting governor; a desire to remake his image in consideration of a possible run for President in 2016; avoiding impeachment by the Illinois legislature; making corporate contacts that would be of value to him after leaving public office; facilitating his wife’s employment as a lobbyist; and generating speaking fees should he decide to leave public office.

In the earliest intercepted conversation about the Senate seat described in the affidavit, Blagojevich told Deputy Governor A on November 3 that if he is not going to get anything of value for the open seat, then he will take it for himself: “if . . . they’re not going to offer anything of any value, then I might just take it.” Later that day, speaking to Advisor A, Blagojevich said: “I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain.” He added later that the seat “is a [expletive] valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

Over the next couple of days – Election Day and the day after – Blagojevich was captured discussing with Deputy Governor A whether he could obtain a cabinet position, such as Secretary of Health and Human Services or the Department of Energy or various ambassadorships. In a conversation with Harris on November 4, Blagojevich analogized his situation to that of a sports agent shopping a potential free agent to the highest bidder. The day after the election, Harris allegedly suggested to Blagojevich that the President-elect could make him the head of a private foundation.

Later on November 5, Blagojevich said to Advisor A, “I’ve got this thing and it’s [expletive] golden, and, uh, uh, I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not gonna do it. And, and I can always use it. I can parachute me there,” the affidavit states.

Two days later, in a three-way call with Harris and Advisor B, a consultant in Washington, Blagojevich and the others allegedly discussed the prospect of a three-way deal for the Senate appointment involving an organization called “Change to Win,” which is affiliated with various unions including the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

On November 10, Blagojevich, his wife, Harris, Governor General Counsel, Advisor B and other Washington-based advisors participated at different times in a two-hour phone call in which they allegedly discussed, among other things, a deal involving the SEIU. Harris said they could work out a deal with the union and the President-elect where SEIU could help the President-elect with Blagojevich’s appointment of Senate Candidate 1, while Blagojevich would obtain a position as the National Director of the Change to Win campaign and SEIU would get something favorable from the President-elect in the future. Also during that call, Blagojevich agreed it was unlikely that the President-elect would name him Secretary of Health and Human Services or give him an ambassadorship because of all of the negative publicity surrounding him.

In a conversation with Harris on November 11, the charges state, Blagojevich said he knew that the President-elect wanted Senate Candidate 1 for the open seat but “they’re not willing to give me anything except appreciation. [Expletive] them.” Earlier in that conversation, Blagojevich suggested starting a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, which he could head and engage in political activity and lobbying. In that conversation with Harris and other discussions with him and others over the next couple of days, Blagojevich suggested by name several well-known, wealthy individuals who could be prevailed upon to seed such an organization with $10-$15 million, and suggesting that he could take the organization’s reins when he is no longer governor, according to the affidavit.

On November 12, Blagojevich spoke with SEIU Official who was in Washington. This conversation occurred about a week after Blagojevich had met with SEIU Official to discuss the Senate seat, with the understanding that the union official was an emissary to discuss Senate Candidate 1's interest in the Senate seat. During the November 12 conversation, Blagojevich allegedly explained the non-profit organization idea to SEIU Official and said that it could help Senate Candidate 1. The union official agreed to “put that flag up and see where it goes,” although the official also had said he wasn’t certain if Senate Candidate 1 wanted the official to keep pushing her candidacy. Senate Candidate 1 eventually removed herself from consideration for the open seat.

Also on November 12, in a conversation with Harris, the complaint affidavit states, Blagojevich said his decision about the open Senate seat will be based on three criteria in the following order of importance: “our legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation. This decision, like every other one, needs to be based upon that. Legal. Personal. Political.” Harris said: “legal is the hardest one to satisfy.” Blagojevich said that his legal problems could be solved by naming himself to the Senate seat.

As recently as December 4, in separate conversations with Advisor B and Fundraiser A, Blagojevich said that he was “elevating” Senate Candidate 5 on the list of candidates because, among other reasons, if Blagojevich ran for re-election, Senate Candidate 5 would “raise [] money” for him. Blagojevich said that he might be able to cut a deal with Senate Candidate 5 that provided Blagojevich with something “tangible up front.” Noting that he was going to meet with Senate Candidate 5 in the next few days, Blagojevich told Fundraiser A to reach out to an intermediary (Individual D), from whom Blagojevich is attempting to obtain campaign contributions and who Blagojevich believes is close to Senate Candidate 5. Blagojevich told Fundraiser A to tell Individual D that Senate Candidate 5 was a very realistic candidate but Blagojevich was getting a lot of pressure not to appoint Senate Candidate 5, according to the affidavit.

Blagojevich allegedly told Fundraiser A to tell Individual D that if Senate Candidate 5 is going to be chosen, “some of this stuff’s gotta start happening now . . . right now . . . and we gotta see it.” Blagojevich continued, “You gotta be careful how you express that and assume everybody’s listening, the whole world is listening. You hear me?” Blagojevich further directed Fundraiser A to talk to Individual D in person, not by phone, and to communicate the “urgency” of the situation.

Blagojevich spoke to Fundraiser A again the next day, December 5, and discussed that day’s Chicago Tribune front page article stating that Blagojevich had recently been surreptitiously recorded as part of the ongoing criminal investigation. Blagojevich instructed Fundraiser A to “undo your [Individual D] thing,” and Fundraiser A confirmed it would be undone, the complaint alleges.

Also on December 5, Blagojevich and three others allegedly discussed whether to move money out of the Friends of Blagojevich campaign fund to avoid having the money frozen by federal authorities and also considered the possibility of prepaying the money to Blagojevich’s criminal defense attorney with an understanding that the attorney would donate the money back at a later time if it was not needed. They also discussed opening a new fund raising account named Citizens for Blagojevich with new contributions.

Misuse of State Funding To Induce Firing of Chicago Tribune Editorial Writers

According to the affidavit, intercepted phone calls revealed that the Tribune Company, which owns the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs, has explored the possibility of obtaining assistance from the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA) relating to the Tribune Company’s efforts to sell the Cubs and the financing or sale of Wrigley Field. In a November 6 phone call, Harris explained to Blagojevich that the deal the Tribune Company was trying to get through the IFA was basically a tax mitigation scheme in which the IFA would own title to Wrigley Field and the Tribune would not have to pay capital gains tax, which Harris estimated would save the company approximately $100 million.

Intercepted calls allegedly show that Blagojevich directed Harris to inform Tribune Owner and an associate, identified as Tribune Financial Advisor, that state financial assistance would be withheld unless members of the Chicago Tribune’s editorial board were fired, primarily because Blagojevich viewed them as driving discussion of his possible impeachment. In a November 4 phone call, Blagojevich allegedly told Harris that he should say to Tribune Financial Advisor, Cubs Chairman and Tribune Owner, “our recommendation is fire all those [expletive] people, get ‘em the [expletive] out of there and get us some editorial support.”

On November 6, the day of a Tribune editorial critical of Blagojevich, Harris told Blagojevich that he told Tribune Financial Advisor the previous day that things “look like they could move ahead fine but, you know, there is a risk that all of this is going to get derailed by your own editorial page.” Harris also told Blagojevich that he was meeting with Tribune Financial Advisor on November 10.

In a November 11 intercepted call, Harris allegedly told Blagojevich that Tribune Financial Advisor talked to Tribune Owner and Tribune Owner “got the message and is very sensitive to the issue.” Harris told Blagojevich that according to Tribune Financial Advisor, there would be “certain corporate reorganizations and budget cuts coming and, reading between the lines, he’s going after that section.” Blagojevich allegedly responded. “Oh. That’s fantastic.” After further discussion, Blagojevich said, “Wow. Okay, keep our fingers crossed. You’re the man. Good job, John.”

In a further conversation on November 21, Harris told Blagojevich that he had singled out to Tribune Financial Advisor the Tribune’s deputy editorial page editor, John McCormick, “as somebody who was the most biased and unfair.” After hearing that Tribune Financial Advisor had assured Harris that the Tribune would be making changes affecting the editorial board, Blagojevich allegedly had a series of conversations with Chicago Cubs representatives regarding efforts to provide state financing for Wrigley Field. On November 30, Blagojevich spoke with the president of a Chicago-area sports consulting firm, who indicated that he was working with the Cubs on matters involving Wrigley Field. Blagojevich and Sports Consultant discussed the importance of getting the IFA transaction approved at the agency’s December or January meeting because Blagojevich was contemplating leaving office in early January and his IFA appointees would still be in place to approve the deal, the charges allege.

The Government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reid Schar, Carrie Hamilton, and Christopher Niewoehner.

If convicted, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, while solicitation of bribery carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, and each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. The Court, however, would determine the appropriate sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The public is reminded that a complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Statement by the Bipartisan Policy Center's (BPC) National Transportation Policy Project Regarding Economic Stimulus Bill

2008-12-09T09:53:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In response to the growing debate about a stimulus bill, the BPC's National Transportation Policy Project (NTPP) urges Congress to put Americans to work immediately on transportation investments that protect the nation's economic prosperity and competitiveness.

The likelihood that a major stimulus bill will be enacted early next year creates a unique opportunity to undertake a transportation infrastructure investment program that generates good secure jobs for American workers immediately and produces long-term growth for the nation's businesses. Transportation is essential in enabling economic activity and enhancing the productivity of businesses and workers. However, simply following historical funding approaches runs the risk of failing to use taxpayer funds wisely. Reform should accompany the stimulus effort because not all transportation investments are created equal. NTPP proposes the following guidelines for transportation stimulus funds:

-- Emphasize ready-to-go projects. Our surface transportation network
and facilities are in poor physical condition and suffer from poor
performance. With limited funds we must prioritize construction that
can be undertaken without delays and can put people to work as
promptly as possible. Experience has shown that projects that focus
on improving the operations of the existing transportation system are
often those that can be undertaken most quickly and can bring the
greatest returns, in terms of creating immediate construction and
other transportation jobs, and promoting longer-term economic growth.
-- Provide spending flexibility across all modes of transportation.
States and local authorities should have the flexibility and
discretion to invest in the transportation projects that bring the
greatest economic, environmental, and energy security returns in the
shortest possible time. Federal stimulus dollars should not be
constrained by current funding formulas that limit spending to one
form of transportation over another.
-- Hold states accountable for meeting stimulus goals. With flexibility
comes responsibility. States and localities that receive these
stimulus investments should use them to maximize near-term jobs and
long-term economic benefits. After the funds have been spent,
recipients should evaluate and report on how well the projects they
selected have achieved these goals. If the stimulus program is
extended to become part of a longer-term transportation funding
program, additional and more comprehensive performance and
accountability measures should be introduced.

The NTPP is a broad coalition of policy experts, business and civic leaders chaired by former Mayor of Detroit Dennis Archer, former New York Congressman Sherwood Boehlert, former Washington Senator Slade Gorton, and former Minnesota Congressman Martin Sabo. Its members are currently developing a long-term vision for the federal role in transportation policy, with a report due out early next year. NTPP is a project of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

About the Bipartisan Policy Center:

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leaders Baker, Daschle, Dole, and Mitchell formed the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) to develop and promote solutions that can attract the public support and political momentum to achieve real progress. The BPC acts as an incubator for policy efforts that engage top political figures, advocates, academics, and business leaders in the art of principled compromise. For more information please visit our website: http://www.bipartisanpolicy.org/

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What Gun Owners Really Want to Hear From Mr. Obama

2008-12-08T13:08:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is the text of a statement released today by ISRA Political Victory Fund (ISRA-PVF) Interim Chairman, Richard Pearson:

During a weekend press conference, President-Elect Barack Obama responded to reports of a large, nation-wide run-up in gun sales by reiterating his well-traveled campaign rhetoric about how he supports the Second Amendment and how lawful firearm owners have nothing to fear from him.

With all due respect to the President-Elect, his stump speeches on gun rights really did not resonate with the nations law-abiding firearm owners. That is why good citizens are flocking to firearms dealers in record numbers. That is why Illinois firearm owners -- the people who know Mr. Obama best -- purchased at least 38% more firearms in November 2008 than they did in November 2007. Mr. Obama's campaign promises notwithstanding, citizens look to his past record on gun rights, and they look to his recent cabinet selections, and are now understandably convinced that he's about to pull a fast one on them.

What the nation's law-abiding firearm owners really want to hear from the President Elect is that, should the congress send him a bill even remotely resembling the 1994 'Assault Weapons Ban,' he'll veto it immediately.

What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will veto any attempt to institute a nation-wide ban on concealed carry.

What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will direct his Treasury Secretary to refrain from imposing burdensome new regulations on firearm dealers.

What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will not try to muscle state legislatures into passing gun control laws under the threat of federal funds withholding.

What gun owners really want to hear from him is that he will veto any punitive taxes levied on firearms, ammunition, and shooting supplies.

Those are the sorts of things that gun owners want, and expect to hear from President-Elect Obama. Hearing that he respects the Second Amendment offers lawful gun owners no comfort. It does not make Obama unique. Everyone is supposed to respect our Constitution, right?

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Research Finds Large Increase in Turnout with Vote-by-Mail System

2008-12-05T10:43:00.002-05:00

With the crowded lines for advance voting making news in the 2008 presidential election, it’s evident that voters are enthusiastic about reforms that make civic participation more convenient.

In 2000, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to hold elections exclusively by mail. According to research conducted by Georgia State political science Assistant Professor Sean Richey, Oregon’s vote-by-mail reform has led to a 10 percentage point increase in turnout for both midterm and presidential elections.

“That’s a fairly large increase,” he said. “When you think that even in the most exciting elections, such as the one we just had, turnout only increased by 8 percentage points, that’s a pretty massive effect.”

In Oregon, every registered voter is mailed a ballot, which he or she then completes and mails back or turns in at a ballot drop-off location. In addition to being convenient for voters, the move has also saved the state about $3 million per election.

“Polling places are actually quite expensive. People don’t think of the administration of elections, but it’s quite costly to hire workers and monitoring and that kind of thing,” Richey said.

“This is a much more efficient system, and what you really hear about is obviously that it improves turnout and democratic participation, but a nice sub-effect is that it’s actually inexpensive.”

Another reason voters find the vote-by-mail system attractive is the added time it gives to research the issues. In a state such as Oregon, which typically features many ballot initiatives, this is especially important to voters, Richey said.

“In the polling place, it’s difficult to give 25 questions a lot of detailed consideration,” he said. “But if you’re mailed a ballot, you can go on the Internet, you can discuss it with friends and family, you can ask knowledgeable people that you know. This allows you to have much more deliberative, reasoned choices for the questions. And that’s one of the things people find most positive.”

With Oregon’s increased voter turnout and the popularity of vote-by-mail among the state’s residents, other states could turn to a similar voting system, Richey said.

“If a neighboring state has tried an innovative new reform and they try it for 10 or 15 years and it is successful, it’s much easier for you to adopt it,” he said.

“Oregon has about 2 million voters and they’ve done three presidential elections, two midterm elections and all the sub and county elections in between by this vote-by-mail system, so there’s lots of data on it. There’s very little fraud, there’s been no reports of abuse of the system, and so it makes it much easier for a state like Washington or even Colorado, two of the states considering it, to choose it.”

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Barr Condemns Government Plans for Domestic Troop Deployment

2008-12-04T17:10:00.002-05:00

Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr says government plans to deploy 20,000 uniformed soldiers inside the United States "ignores all the tragic lessons we have learned from using the U.S. military in domestic crises."

"When combat troops are used for domestic law enforcement, rights are inevitably violated and tragedies occur, such as when the military was improperly activated to assist in the tragedy at Waco, Texas in 1993. This domestic use of the military resulted in the loss of some 80 men, women and children," says Barr, the Libertarian Party's 2008 presidential nominee. "The government's plan to deploy initially 20,000 uniformed military personnel inside the United States goes against everything we have learned about using soldiers as police officers. Not only do these plans appear to be a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act—which forbids the use of the military in law enforcement on non-federal property—but it also opens up the American public to dangerous Constitutional violations."

Barr says his concerns are greatly heightened by the conclusion reached by the current Bush Administration in a classified 2001 Department of Justice memo. The memo stated that the Fourth Amendment, which protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures, does not apply to the U.S. military when it engages in “domestic” operations.

"When the military operates in the United States, as the federal government now intends it to do, it does so without respect or deference to the Constitution," says Barr. "The federal government plans to render every American citizen defenseless against government abuse during any crisis situation—be it a flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster—where U.S. military personnel will be used to supplement local law enforcement."

"We do not need to militarize Mayberry," says Barr.

"I fought against this type of gross expansion of government authority while I was in Congress," says Barr. "I called for a full investigation of the Waco Siege when it became clear that government used excessive force in their raid, which cost the lives of many innocent Americans. The 'culture of militarism' in the federal government turned Waco into an American tragedy. Should this trend of militarism be allowed to continue, it will only be a matter of time before we have another avoidable tragedy on our hands."

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FRC Action PAC Applauds Re-election of Saxby Chambliss

2008-12-03T18:29:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- FRC Action PAC applauded the re-election of Senator Saxby Chambliss to represent the state of Georgia in the United States Congress. The PAC ran radio ads across Georgia in support of Senator Chambliss.

"Georgia voters recognize Senator Chambliss' record in Congress as one that is representative of Georgia values," said David Nammo, Executive Director of FRC Action PAC. "The Senator has consistently been a vocal advocate for families."

"He has worked to defend traditional marriage and religious liberty while protecting our national security. His tireless efforts on behalf of the unborn speak of his respect for all human life. FRC Action PAC is pleased to congratulate Senator Chambliss on his re-election and urge him to continue his fight for families."

To hear FRC Action PAC's ad in support of Senator Chambliss, go to www.frcactionpac.org.

FRC Action PAC is the political action committee connected to FRC Action, a 501(c)(4) membership organization. FRC Action is the legislative advocacy arm of the Family Research Council, a 501(c)(3) organization.

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Republican National Committee: Back for More? Nothing Says Change Like Scandal Prone Washington Insider Bill Richardson Back In The Cabinet

2008-12-03T11:53:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:

Richardson Has Nearly 20 Years Experience As A Washington Insider:

Richardson Was A Congressman In Washington For 14 Years (1983-1997). (Biographical Directory Of The United States Congress Website, congress.gov, Accessed 9/28/02)

Richardson Was Clinton's U.S. Ambassador To The U.N. For Two Years (1997-1998). (Biographical Directory Of The United States Congress Website, congress.gov, Accessed 9/28/02)

Richardson Was Clinton's Energy Secretary For Three Years (1998-2001). (Biographical Directory Of The United States Congress Website, congress.gov, Accessed 9/28/02)

Richardson Has Been Described As A "Washington Insider." (Steve Terrell, "Roundhouse Roundup," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 6/23/05)

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough Called Richardson A "Former Clinton Insider." (MSNBC's "Scarborough Country," 3/22/04)

Richardson In 2001: "You know, I've always been in the Congress, at the UN. I've been Energy Secretary. I've never had, as they say, a real job." (CNN's "Spin Room," 3/8/01)

Click Here To Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSzbh0Y8UOQ

RICHARDSON'S CAREER HAS BEEN FILLED WITH SCANDAL AND ETHICAL PROBLEMS

During Richardson's Tenure As Director, Peregrine Systems Engaged In An Accounting Scheme Which Allowed Executives To Take Millions While Investors Were Defrauded:

Richardson Served As A Board Member Of Peregrine Systems From February 2001 To June 2002. "New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was a member of Peregrine's board of directors from February 2001 until he resigned after winning the Democratic nomination for governor in the June 2002 primary." (Elliot Spagat, "Former Peregrine CFO Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy, Fraud," The Associated Press, 4/13/03)

Peregrine Engaged In Accounting "Scheme To Prematurely Recognize Revenue, An Effort To Boost The Company's Share Price And Mislead Investors." "The former chief financial officer at Peregrine Systems Inc. pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy and securities fraud after agreeing to cooperate with prosecutors who are investigating accounting irregularities at the software company. Matthew C. Gless, Peregrine's chief financial officer from November 2000 to May 2002, admitted taking part in a scheme to prematurely recognize revenue, an effort to boost the company's share price and mislead investors." (Elliot Spagat, "Former Peregrine CFO Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy, Fraud," The Associated Press, 4/13/03)

-- Peregrine Executives "Spent Millions Of Dollars On Bonuses And Golf-Club Memberships" As Investors, Including Pension And School Funds "Suffered Losses Totaling Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars." "Public reports filed by Peregrine Systems while Bill Richardson was a director showed the company was headed toward possible failure at a time it spent millions of dollars on bonuses and golf-club memberships for executives. Investors in the San Diego-based software company, including pension and school funds in New Mexico, have suffered losses totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and the company has filed for bankruptcy protection." (Thomas J. Cole, "Tenure At Peregrine Haunts Richardson," The Albuquerque Journal, 10/27/02)

Richardson Claimed He Was An "Outside" Director, Had "No Involvement" With The Company's Accounting Behavior, And Attended Just Five Board Meetings. "'Really, I had no involvement because I was what was called an outside director,' Richardson said in an interview Friday. 'I had no stock or made no stock purchases, and I was unaware of some of the accounting disputes.' Richardson said he attended about five meetings of the board of directors during the 16 months he was with Peregrine. He said he learned about the accounting problems and the ensuing SEC investigation from newspaper articles." (Gilbert Gallegos, "SEC Probes Tech Company Once Linked To Richardson," The Albuquerque Tribune, 7/9/02)

-- "But Corporate Governance Experts Say He Should Have Known Better. 'It's The Job Of The Board Of Directors To Know What's Going On,' Said Nell Minow Of The Corporate Executive Board, A Longtime Governance Gadfly. 'When You're A Director, It's No Better To Be A Schnook Than A Crook.'" (Justin Rood and Robert Lewis, "'A Schnook Is No Better Than A Crook,'" ABC News' "The Blotter" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 7/9/07)

-- "Records Show That Richardson Attended, In Person Or By Phone, 15 Board Meetings. In Those Meetings, Directors Were Hearing That The Company Might Get Caught Cooking The Books." (Don Bauder, "Feeble Alibis," The San Diego Reader, www.sandiegoreader.com, 3/22/07)

Richardson Was Named As A Defendant In A Class Action Law Suit Filed By Shareholders Against Peregrine. "Some shareholders have joined in class-action lawsuits against Peregrine, and Richardson is a defendant in some of those suits." (Thomas J. Cole, "Tenure At Peregrine Haunts Richardson," The Albuquerque Journal, 10/27/02)

Lawmakers And Media Called For Richardson's Resignation Over Security Breach At Laboratory In Los Alamos, NM:

Richardson's Department Of Energy Showed Extreme Carelessness In Securing Our National Secrets. "The whereabouts of two computer hard drives at the center of a Los Alamos National Laboratory security breach investigation may have been unknown for as long as six months - not the six weeks originally reported ..." ("Timeline On Missing Los Alamos Hard Drives in Question: Their Whereabouts May Have Been Unknown For Months, Not Weeks," CNN.com, 6/20/00)

-- Richardson Faced Scrutiny Because Scientist Was Under Investigation For Three Years And Allowed To Keep Job. "Under Republican attack over security at federal nuclear weapons labs, the Clinton administration fired a Chinese-American computer scientist who has been the subject of a three-year espionage investigation." (H. Josef Hebert, "Chinese-American Scientist Fired At Weapons Lab Amid Spy Probe," The Associated Press, 3/9/99)

In Aftermath, Senate Intel Chairman Called For Richardson's Resignation. "Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., called on Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to step down in light of security lapses at the Los Alamos nuclear labs." ("Senate Leader Calls On Richardson To Step Down," United Press International, 6/18/00)

Even Democrats Were Upset With Richardson Over Handling Of Security Breach. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV): "You have shown an extreme contempt ... of this Congress." (H. Josef Hebert, "Richardson At The Center Of Security, Gas Prices Firestorm," The Associated Press, 6/22/00)

-- Sen. Byrd: "You've had a bright and brilliant career. But you will never again receive the support of the Senate of the United States for any office to which you might be appointed. It's gone. You've squandered your treasure." (H. Josef Hebert, "Richardson At The Center Of Security, Gas Prices Firestorm," The Associated Press, 6/22/00)

-- Click Here To Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpANBymakjM

-- Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) Also Criticized Richardson. Sen. Kerry: "In my judgment the damage to U.S. interests is very real and what has leaked out is a very serious issue." (Andrew Miga, "Kerry Warns Of More Cases Of Alleged Chinese Spying," The Boston Herald, 3/22/99)

As Governor, Richardson Used Tobacco Company's Jet For Five Trips Worth More Than $40,000:

Richardson Took Tens Of Thousands Of Dollars In Free Flights From Largest Smokeless Tobacco Firm. "Gov. Bill Richardson has taken tens of thousands of dollars worth of free corporate jet flights from the world's largest smokeless-tobacco company in his role as head of the Democratic Governors Association." (Jeff Jones, "Smokeless On These Flights," Albuquerque Journal, 5/14/06)

-- "The Company, UST, Is The Parent Corporation Of The Firm That Makes Skoal And Copenhagen, Among Other Brands." ("Tobacco Company Provides Travel To Richardson," The Associated Press, 5/15/06)

-- "The Five Free Flights Provided To Richardson Through The Association, Which He Chairs, In 2005 And Early 2006 Were Worth More Than $40,000 ..." ("Tobacco Company Provides Travel To Richardson," The Associated Press, 5/15/06)

UST Lobbied New Mexico Legislature For Beneficial Legislation. "That company - UST, the parent corporation of the firm that makes Skoal, Copenhagen and other brands - lobbied hard at the New Mexico Legislature earlier this year for a tobacco-tax change that critics said would have exclusively benefited UST." (Jeff Jones, "Smokeless On These Flights," Albuquerque Journal, 5/14/06)

-- The Bill Was Sponsored By Richardson's Chief Ally. "The bill, sponsored by Richardson's chief legislative ally, House Speaker Ben Lujan, passed the House after a state financial impact report to lawmakers was drastically changed using UST's numbers. The measure ran out of steam in the Senate, where it died." (Jeff Jones, "Smokeless On These Flights," Albuquerque Journal, 5/14/06)

Gov. Richardson Invented Portion Of Biography:

Richardson Falsely Claimed To Have Been Drafted By The Kansas City A's. "The Albuquerque Journal reported last month that it had found no record of Richardson being drafted by the Kansas City Athletics in the 1960s as Richardson had claimed in a biography when he ran for Congress in 1982. The governor acknowledged the error." (Barry Massey, "GOP Airs Ad Criticizing Governor As 'King Bill,'" The Associated Press, 12/6/05)

As Governor, Richardson Used State Helicopter To Go Horseback Riding At A Ranch:

"The New Mexican's Mitote Column Of Sept. 21 Reported The Governor Had Taken A State Helicopter To Go Horseback Riding At The Chama Ranch Of Santa Fe Art And Real-Estate Investor Gerald Peters." (Tom Sharpe, "Helicopter Flight Raises Questions," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 10/10/03)

-- Use Of Helicopter Cost Taxpayers $2,500. "According to the report, a high-tech Blackhawk helicopter scheduled for a training trip from Santa Fe to Carlsbad on Sept. 6 [2003] was diverted to Chama at Richardson's request -- a cost to taxpayers of $2,500 -- on a day when a state police helicopter often used by Richardson was grounded for maintenance." (Tom Sharpe, "Helicopter Flight Raises Questions," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 10/10/03)

As Governor, Richardson Used Taxpayer Money For Private Needs:

Richardson Uses Taxpayer Money To Buy Starbucks, Cigars, Newspaper, A Mattress And Meals While Traveling. "Cigars. Starbucks coffee. Copies of The New York Times. A $960 mattress. Meals in Switzerland, Mexico City and Washington and hotel rooms in Phoenix. They are among the items taxpayers have bought for Gov. Bill Richardson or his staff in recent months by virtue of a little-known state fund - an unaudited expense account that the Democratic-controlled Legislature quietly boosted by $60,000 shortly after the governor took office." (Barry Massey, "Richardson Uses State 'Contingency' Fund For Cigars, Starbucks, Overseas Meals," The Associated Press, 10/31/03)

-- Richardson Refused To Say How Expensive Meals Were. "[T]he governor refuses to elaborate on some of the fund's expenditures - including costs of meals and lodging that were charged on state credit cards by state police officers who serve as his security agents." (Barry Massey, "Richardson Uses State 'Contingency' Fund For Cigars, Starbucks, Overseas Meals," The Associated Press, 10/3130/03)

As Governor, Richardson Hired Lavish New Chef On Taxpayer's Dime:

Richardson Hired New Chef On Taxpayer Dollars. "All that wining and dining legislators have been raving about at the governor's mansion comes with a price [of] nearly $60,000 a year for a new chef." (David Miles, "Governor's Entertaining Runs Up Salary Costs," Albuquerque Journal, 4/2/03)

-- Richardson Spent Thousands More On Mansion Personnel Than His Republican Predecessor. "Based on a 40-hour workweek, the salaries of four employees at the mansion will total about $167,100 a year under Richardson, according to state Department of Finance and Administration records obtained by the Journal. The combined salaries of four mansion workers in the [Gov. Gary] Johnson [(R-NM)] era added up to roughly $93,900 as of last July." (David Miles, "Governor's Entertaining Runs Up Salary Costs," Albuquerque Journal, 4/2/03)

As Governor, Richardson's Administration Bought Land From Major Contributor And Then Received Large Donation From Contractor:

"Gov. Bill Richardson's Administration Bought 12 Acres Of Vacant Santa Fe Land From A Major Campaign Contributor And His Family, Paying $3.2 Million More Than The Family Had Paid For The Property 28 Months Before." ("Richardson Donor Sold 12 Acres To Administration," The Associated Press, 6/19/06)

-- "Contractor Sonny Otero Then Made A $50,000 Donation To Richardson's Re-Election Campaign About Two Months After The Sale Was Finalized ..." ("Richardson Donor Sold 12 Acres To Administration," The Associated Press, 6/19/06)

-- "Several Of Richardson's Largest Campaign Donors Have Contracts Or Other Business With His Administration. The Governor Has Said He Makes Decisions Based On What Is Best For The State, Not For His Contributors." ("Richardson Donor Sold 12 Acres To Administration," The Associated Press, 6/19/06)

As Governor, Richardson Created Jobs "Out Of Thin Air" To Please Friends And Relatives In Need Of Work:

Richardson Allegedly Bypassed Paper Trail To Invent Jobs For Supporters. "What do you do when you're the governor and you've already filled the executive branch's 647 exempt positions, but you've still got friends, political supporters and their relatives who need work? According to a report by KRQE Channel 13 investigative reporter Larry Barker, when you're Gov. Bill Richardson, you just create new jobs 'out of thin air.'" (Steve Terrell, "Governor's 'Gifts' Under Scrutiny," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 3/2/06)

-- KRQE [Albuquerque, NM] Channel 13 Investigative Reporter Larry Barker: "The practice is so common that state agencies have coined a name for it ... When the governor sends a new hire down to claim a job that doesn't exist, they call it 'a gift from the North.'" (Steve Terrell, "Governor's 'Gifts' Under Scrutiny," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 3/2/06)

In 2004, Richardson Gave 122 State Jobs To Campaign Contributors And Family Members:

"Gov. Bill Richardson Has Doled Out At Least 122 State Jobs To Campaign Contributors Or Family Members Of Financial Supporters, Many Of Them Getting High-Paying Positions." ("Richardson Gives Jobs To Campaign Donors; Says Workers Are Qualified," The Associated Press, 6/13/04)

-- "Contributors Or Their Family Members Hired By Richardson Gave At Least $245,500 To The Governor's Campaign In 2002. One Appointee Gave More Than $22,000." (Thomas J. Cole, "Governor's Contributors Rake In Jobs," Albuquerque Journal, 6/13/04)

-- "The Top 25 Individual Contributors To Richardson Who Were Appointed To Jobs Earn An Average Of Just Under $76,000 A Year On The State Payroll." (Thomas J. Cole, "Governor's Contributors Rake In Jobs," Albuquerque Journal, 6/13/04)

-- The Median Household Income In New Mexico As Of 2006 Was $40,126. (U.S. Census Bureau Website, www.census.gov, Accessed 12/3/08)

Richardson Almost Doubled The Number Of Positions That Serve At The Pleasure Of The Governor. "Richardson has expanded the number of exempt positions, which stood at 292 within 23 executive agencies as of April 30 ... There were 167 under Johnson [the previous governor]." ("Richardson Gives Jobs To Campaign Donors; Says Workers Are Qualified," The Associated Press, 6/13/04)

As Governor, Richardson Appointed Man Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide To Commission On Higher Education:

"Gov. Bill Richardson Has Appointed [Paul Donisthorpe, Partner Of Spectrum Financial Group, An Albuquerque Investment Banking Firm] ... To The 15-Member Commission On Higher Education." (Olivier Uyttebrouck, "Gov. Names Pick To Head Higher Ed," Albuquerque Journal, 6/10/03)

-- "Paul Donisthorpe Pleaded No Contest And Was Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For The 1990 Alcohol-Related Crash That Killed Albuquerque Sixth-Grade Teacher Jillian A. Howard." ("New Commissioner Once Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide," The Associated Press, 6/14/03)

Richardson Defended The Appointment. "Gov. Bill Richardson defended the appointment, saying Paul Donisthorpe is 'sufficiently rehabilitated to warrant the public trust,' a spokesman said." (Olivier Uyttebrouck, "Convicted Banker Seated On Board," Albuquerque Journal, 6/14/03)

-- Richardson's Spokesman, Gilbert Gallegos: "The governor was aware of Mr. Donisthorpe's history and, while it was troubling, after careful consideration the governor decided he was fit to serve on the Commission on Higher Education." (Olivier Uyttebrouck, "Convicted Banker Seated On Board," Albuquerque Journal, 6/14/03)

Donisthorpe Had Also Contributed Thousands To Richardson's Campaign. "Donisthorpe, a partner in the Albuquerque investment firm Spectrum Financial Group, contributed $7,700 to Richardson's gubernatorial campaign last year, according to campaign contribution reports." ("State Official Once Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide Resigns," The Associated Press, 6/16/03)

Donisthorpe Resigned Less Than A Week After He Was Sworn In. "A member of the state Commission on Higher Education resigned Monday because his vehicular homicide conviction from more than a decade ago was drawing too much negative attention, he said." ("State Official Once Convicted Of Vehicular Homicide Resigns," The Associated Press, 6/16/03)

As Governor, Richardson Hired Motor Vehicle Division Director Who Had Prior Drunk Driving Charge:

Richardson Removed Motor Vehicle Division Director After It Was Released That He Was Arrested For Drunk Driving. "Gov. Bill Richardson ... on Tuesday removed Julian Luna as Motor Vehicle Division director after it was revealed that he was arrested for drunken driving in a state car 10 years ago." ("Richardson Removes New MVD Chief," The Associated Press, 1/29/03)

-- "Luna Was Arrested On A Driving-While-Intoxicated Charge In August 1993 Near Belen After Police Said He Nearly Hit An Ambulance." ("Richardson Removes New MVD Chief," The Associated Press, 1/29/03)

As Governor, Richardson's Choice For Director Of Adult Probation And Parole Division Had A Domestic Abuse Restraining Order Against Him:

"Charles Countee, Richardson's Pick As Director Of The Adult Probation And Parole Division, Who Lost His Job In January After His Domestic Abuse Restraining Order Came To Light." (David Miles, "Gov.'s Hiring Hit, Defended," Albuquerque Journal, 5/25/03)

-- Countee Said He Was Hired But Governor's Aide Said He Was Never Hired. "A juvenile probation officer who is under a domestic abuse restraining order said he was fired after one day as director of the state Adult Probation and Parole Division, but a governor's aide said he was never hired." ("Man Contends He Was Hired, Fired As State Probation Head," The Associated Press, 1/8/03)

RICHARDSON HAS BEEN A RELENTLESS SELF PROMOTER

A Billboard In Times Square Featured A Picture Of Richardson:

"The 70-Foot-Long Billboard Beams Down From The Northwest Corner Of 48th Street And 7th Avenue, Showing Blue Skies, Snow-Capped Mountains, A Desert Mesa And A Grinning Richardson." ("Richardson Dominates N.M. Big Apple Billboard," The Associated Press, 3/1/03)

-- "The Billboard In Times Square Inviting People To Visit The Land Of Enchantment Will Feature An Image Of The Governor In Western Wear." (Steve Terrell, "Pitchman Or Ambitious Self-Promoter?," Santa Fe New Mexican, 2/22/03)

Richardson Hired More Press Aides To Help With His Image Than Any Other Governor:

"To Trumpet His Accomplishments, Richardson-- Who Long Has Been Tagged As A Publicity Hound-- Has Created A Public-Relations Machine, With More Press Aides That Any Previous Governor." (Thomas J. Cole, "Govzilla 24/7," Albuquerque Journal, 2/11/07)

-- "He Hired More Than Two Dozen Print, TV And Radio Reporters, Many Of Them Filling Newly Created PR Jobs In State Agencies." (Thomas J. Cole, "Govzilla 24/7," Albuquerque Journal, 2/11/07)

Richardson Used "Goodie Bags" At 2004 Democratic National Convention To Promote Himself:

Richardson's Gift To Convention Delegates Had His Picture And Name On It. "Richardson's gift seems to have won out for pure self-promotion. The salsa is manufactured for the Albuquerque restaurant Garduno's, but labeled as if the governor diced the tomatoes himself somewhere in Santa Fe. The jar bears his picture, and its most prominent words are 'Governor Bill Richardson,' appearing atop a pile of chili peppers and other salsa ingredients." (John Dyer, Herb Jackson, and Josh Gohlke, "Lautenberg's View: Kerry Offers Strong Voice For Israel," The [Bergen County, NJ] Record, 7/29/04)

-- The New York Times' Reporters Gave Richardson The "Most Relentless Self-Promotion" Award For The Gift. "Most Relentless Self-Promotion: Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, for bringing bottles of his own brand of salsa into the hall to give to delegates, despite security regulations barring glass containers. He got special Secret Service approval." (Sheryl Gay Stolberg and John Tierney, "The Democrats; The Convention In Boston," The New York Times, 7/30/04)

Richardson Rode On New Mexico's Float In The Tournament Of Roses Parade:

"New Mexico's Float In The Tournament Of Roses Parade Will Feature ... Gov. Bill Richardson." (Deborah Baker, "New Mexico Governor To Be On Rose Parade Float," The Associated Press, 11/11/05)

"With Publicity-Conscious Richardson Considered A Likely Contender For The Democratic Presidential Nomination In 2008, One Critic Expressed Mock Relief At The Float Design Announced This Week." (Deborah Baker, "New Mexico Governor To Be On Rose Parade Float," The Associated Press, 11/11/05)

-- Dan Foley, A Republican Lawmaker From Roswell, New Mexico: "I figured (the float) was going to be a big bobble-head of the governor." (Deborah Baker, "New Mexico Governor To Be On Rose Parade Float," The Associated Press, 11/11/05)

Richardson Spent Time Away From Energy Department To Pursue Vice Presidency In 2000:

"Richardson Has Made No Secret Of His Interest In Becoming Vice President Gore's Running Mate." (Laurence McQuillan, "Political Light Fading For Energy Secretary," USA Today, 6/19/00)

-- He Was Behind Al Gore All The Way. "Few of Mr. Richardson's rivals could have failed to notice him beaming behind Mr. Gore's confetti-caked shoulder last week as the vice president gave his victory speech after sweeping the Super Tuesday primaries." (Philip Shenon, "Public Lives; The Magic Blue Blazer Vs. An Oily Patch Of Bad Luck," The New York Times, 3/13/00)

He Attended Fundraisers For Al Gore. "Gore had been scheduled to appear ... at the Hollywood home of Florida Attorney General Bob Butterworth for a cocktail reception fund-raiser and then attend a gala honoring the 25th anniversary of Century Village in Deerfield Beach. Karenna Gore Schiff, the vice president's 26-year-old daughter, and Richardson, who is rumored to be a possible Gore running mate, are now expected in his place." (Steve Friess, "Gore Breaks S. Florida Date To Campaign in N.H., Iowa; His Daughter, Energy Chief To Be Fill-Ins," Sun-Sentinel [Fort Lauderdale, FL], 1/13/00)

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

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Congressman Ron Paul Endorses Young Americans for Liberty

2008-12-03T08:44:00.002-05:00

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Texas Congressman and former presidential candidate Ron Paul announced today his endorsement of a new youth organization, Young Americans for Liberty (YAL).

YAL is a youth-based activist organization that will continue the work of its predecessor, Students for Ron Paul. During the presidential campaign, Students for Ron Paul established over 500 college and high school chapters across all 50 states and recruited more than 26,000 students.

Paul recalled the thousands of young people attracted to the college rallies during his 2008 presidential campaign, saying, "It is these young men and women who will become tomorrow's champions of liberty. That's why I am giving my enthusiastic endorsement to Young Americans for Liberty."

YAL intends to launch this youth campaign next semester and re-energize the youth movement inspired by Paul. Paul compared YAL to the youth organization Young Americans for Freedom which started around another anti-establishment presidential candidate, Barry Goldwater, and helped fuel the rise of Ronald Reagan.

"The importance of YAL to the future of liberty cannot be overstated," said Paul.

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Statement from President Bill Clinton on the Nomination of Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State

2008-12-02T12:18:00.001-05:00

As an American, I am thankful that President-elect Barack Obama has asked Hillary to be Secretary of State and that she has accepted. As her husband, I am deeply proud.

She is the right person for the job of helping to restore America's image abroad, end the war in Iraq, advance peace and increase our security, by building a future for our children with more partners and fewer adversaries, one of shared responsibilities and opportunities.

She has already earned the respect of foreign leaders and diplomats through her work to promote human rights and the empowerment of women through access to education, healthcare and economic opportunity. And Americans know, from her leadership in the Senate on national security, that she will always put the security, values and the interests of our people first.

In her service to the people of New York and our nation, Hillary has demonstrated the knowledge, passion, resilience, and capacity to learn that our country needs at this critical time. She loves being a Senator from New York, but as she has in all the thirty-seven years I've known her, she answered the call to serve. I commend President-Elect Obama for asking her to be a part of a great national security team. America will be well-served.

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Mantl: "Hillary Clinton's Outstanding Personality is a Good Prospect for a New American Foreign Policy"

2008-12-01T13:46:00.001-05:00

"Hillary Clinton is an outstanding personality in the political landscape. As Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President Barack Obama, she can achieve her ambitious international goals: to restore the reputation of the United States in the world, to fight climate change and global warming, and to withdraw the troops from Iraq," said Josef Mantl, spokesperson of the international initiative "The World for Hillary - Platform of the international community in support of Hillary Clinton."

The Austrian communications-entrepreneur Josef Mantl spent two years at Emerson College of Communications in Boston as a Fulbright scholar, where he supported Hillary in her primaries, especially in New Hampshire und Massachusetts, and started the international initiative "The World for Hillary - Platform of the international community in support of Hillary Clinton" (http://www.theworldforhillary.com) as a "grassroots platform" in 2007.

"Countless times throughout the campaign, I heard her say: "No more cowboy-diplomacy". This is now her chance to put this pledge into action immediately. In our interconnected and globalized world, no country operates in autonomy. The values and vision of United States' elected officials have great impact on the rest of the world. Far across the borders of America, countless people yearn to support her goals."

"The nomination of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State endorses the guideline of our initiative: "It's not only a choice for America, it's a choice for the world," Mantl closes.

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Pelosi: Talented Obama Economic Team Will Help Lead Our Nation During Serious Economic Crisis

2008-11-24T14:16:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on President-elect Obama's announcement of his economic team:

"President-elect Barack Obama has assembled an exceptionally talented and diverse economic team to help him lead our nation during the most serious economic crisis in generations. Congress stands ready to work with the new President on his bold plan to restore confidence to our economy, create and save 2.5 million good-paying jobs here at home, and make us more competitive in the 21st century global economy.

"Having crafted recovery proposals that have been debated and passed the House, Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey is already working to draft legislation that will help create new jobs by investing in a cleaner energy future, build a high-tech infrastructure that brings the power of renewable energy and broadband to communities across America, rebuild our bridges and modernize our schools. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel is working with the new Administration on a tax cut proposal that will make the tax code more fair for the middle class. We will work with the President-elect and his team so that 111th Congress can immediately act upon this New Direction for our economy.

"But Americans cannot wait until January for concrete action to restore our economic strength, which is why Democrats again urge President Bush and Senate Republicans to work with us to enact the economic recovery package the House passed in September. Enacting this legislation would provide a down payment on new job-creating infrastructure investments, help states avoid deep cuts to health care and other essential services, and provide nutrition assistance to struggling families.

"President Bush and Treasury Secretary Paulson can also strengthen our economy immediately by acting on FDIC Chair Sheila Bair's plan to help as many as 2 million Americans avoid foreclosure. Helping Americans avoid foreclosure is at the heart of solving our economic crisis, and will help millions of families and communities around the nation.

"In this time of economic crisis, bipartisan action is not only in order, it is essential. I urge President Bush to use his remaining days in office to work cooperatively with Congress and President-elect Obama to stabilize the economy, help struggling families, and prepare us for economic recovery in the new year."

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Businessmen are Bad for Capitalism, Says Libertarian Party

2008-11-14T14:39:00.002-05:00

"CEOs and government 'altruism' are standing in the way of effective economic turnaround," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis.

"Businessmen are bad for capitalism when they use the government as life support for failing ventures," explains Davis. "Instead of letting other companies absorb these failing businesses, CEOs and government bailouts have distorted the natural forces of capitalism and prevented the necessary—and effective—economic turnaround that only comes through an unfettered free market. These bailouts do nothing but prolong the inevitable collapse of companies suffering from extreme mismanagement and poor investments."

"The Libertarian Party is adamantly opposed to any sort of bailout of American corporations who, through their own mismanagement, find themselves at the brink of failure," says Davis. "This includes Detroit auto manufacturers who have failed to keep up with trends in the automotive industry, locked themselves into destructive union contracts and have demonstrated a complete lack of initiative in automotive innovations that make their products enticing to consumers."

"Should the government bail-out Detroit, it will essentially create a white-collar soup kitchen for American corporations looking for a handout," Davis observes.

"There is no incentive for managerial reform when government provides a safety net for crooked CEOs," says Davis. "And taxpayers end up paying their million-dollar bonuses."

Davis says the solution is not more bailouts and more regulation, but "giving the natural forces of capitalism the time it takes to correct the mistakes of the past by letting failing companies be absorbed and reformed by bigger and stronger entities."

"This, of course, is not without its share of hardships," Davis explains, "but it will be the most effective plan for long-term economic stability. There are countless examples in American history where big corporations have faltered and failed, and were replaced by new businesses that became bigger and better. Had government stepped in at the time, it would have only prolonged the misery."

"We must not mistake this type of pro-government regulation as true capitalism," says Davis. "President Bush and members of Congress from both sides of the aisle have created a new economic vision of loss-free capitalism, which simply does not exist in reality. The so-called fiscal conservatives have adopted a new philosophy of economic altruism that is based on corporate welfare and market regulation."

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Secretary of State Karen Handel Certifies General Election Results

2008-11-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today certified the results for the November 4 General Election. The certified results of state and federal races can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: http://sos.georgia.gov/elections

In certifying the results, the Secretary of State affirmed that all 159 counties have provided to the state the total votes tabulated for each federal and state candidate, as well as all state Constitutional Amendments. Further, the Secretary of State affirms that the statewide consolidated returns for federal and state offices, as well as the proposed Constitutional Amendments, are a true and correct tabulation of the certified returns received by this office from each county.

Additionally, with the certification, the time period for a candidate for state office to request a recount begins, and the run-off election for United States Senate, Georgia State Appeals Court, and Public Service Commission-District 4 are officially set for December 2, 2008. Certification does not preclude the state from continuing any current investigations related to the General Election or from pursuing any future allegations that may arise from the election.

Counties should be prepared to begin early voting on Monday, November 17 and no later than Wednesday, November 19. Advance voting week will be held Monday, November 24 through Wednesday, November 26, 2008. To find early and advance voting locations in your county, please contact your county registrar’s office. Contact information can be found on the Secretary of State’s website: http://www.sos.ga.gov/elections/. On Election Day December 2, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Voters can request a mail-in/absentee ballot from their county registrar’s office through the close of business on Wednesday, November 26, 2008. All absentee ballots must be received by the county registrar by close of polls on Election Day, December 2, 2008. Photo identification is not required when voting by mail. Mail-in/absentee ballots must be received by the appropriate county registrars’ office by close of business on December 2. Given the short timeline leading to the deadline, voters choosing to vote by mail are urged to submit their application as soon as possible and, upon receipt of the ballot, to return the ballot immediately in order to ensure its receipt by the deadline.

Voters will be required to show photo identification when voting in person. For more information on the requirements for photo ID, please call 1-877-725-9797 or visit www.GaPhotoID.com.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.

Message from Senator John McCain re: Saxby Chambliss

2008-11-12T08:08:00.000-05:00

My Friends,

I sincerely appreciate your hard work on our presidential campaign. Although we fell short of our ultimate goal, we were victorious in Georgia due to your tireless efforts. Now I am asking you to go on one more mission with me. Please join me in helping re-elect my good friend Saxby Chambliss to the United States Senate.

Saxby has a runoff election on Tuesday, December 2nd. We must get our fellow Republicans back to the polls and send Saxby back to Washington. We need Senator Chambliss there to protect your Georgia values and the Georgia taxpayers.

I want to start our effort by inviting you to my campaign rally for Saxby this Thursday, November 13, 2008 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway in Atlanta, Georgia. I will be joined by Senator Chambliss and Senator Johnny Isakson along with many federal, state, and local officials. This event is free of charge, and the doors open at 4:00 p.m.

If you cannot make the political rally, please visit www.saxby.org to volunteer your help for the campaign. Also, please request and return your absentee ballot as soon as possible! Remember you do not need an excuse to vote absentee.

Again, thank you so much for all you've done. Let's turn out the vote in Georgia one more time.

Sincerely,

John McCain

Financial Advisers Lack Confidence in Obama's Ability to Heal U.S. Economy, According to InvestmentNews Survey

2008-11-10T15:30:00.001-05:00

PRNewswire/ -- The majority of financial advisers have little confidence in President-elect Barack Obama's ability to put the U.S. back on sound economic footing, according to a new online survey by InvestmentNews, the leading news source for financial advisers. Of the 968 financial advisers surveyed on November 6 and 7, 61% said they lack confidence in the new commander-in-chief's ability to resolve the country's economic woes.

Besides restoring economic stability, 39% of 997 advisers said the development of a workable energy policy was the most important issue facing the country, the survey found. Terrorism, the war in Iraq and health care were picked as the No. 1 issue by 23%, 21% and 17% of respondents, respectively.

"Despite Obama's historic election last week, our survey reveals that financial advisers are still unsure about his ability to resolve our nation's most pressing economic issues," said Jim Pavia, editor of InvestmentNews. "This just goes to show that the President-elect has his work cut out for him in the months ahead - not just in creating a path to prosperity but in proving himself with the financial community."

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Georgia Secretary of State Handel Issues Preliminary General Election Statement

2008-11-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today released the following statement regarding the 2008 General Election:

“An estimated 3.9 million Georgia voters cast ballots in the 2008 General Election, roughly 74.1 percent of active voters. Additionally, over 2 million voters cast ballots during early voting, over 53 percent of total votes cast. Ninety-three percent of voters cast ballots in person using an approved form of photo identification – without incident.”

In 2004, roughly 3.3 million voters cast ballots, comprising 77 percent of active voters. Voters cast 422,485 ballots during early voting.

“On Election Day across the state, voters experienced minimal lines and wait times thanks to the preparation and hard work of our county election officials and poll workers. The work of these individuals makes democracy possible and I am grateful for their dedication.”

Ballots from military and overseas voters will be received and counted by county election officials through Friday, November 7. County election officials and voters must resolve any issues regarding provisional ballots and add them to election totals by Thursday, November 6. Further, county elections officials cannot certify the election until issues regarding challenged ballots have been resolved.

Once counties complete their certifications, the Secretary of State will certify the statewide results. Any run-offs will be announced upon certification, which should occur sometime next week.
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Statement by John Oxendine - Candidate for Governor of Georgia 2010 on the election of President-elect Obama:

2008-11-05T08:46:00.002-05:00

Tonight, America spoke.

While millions of Americans are disappointed, even concerned, we remain a united America. Our country is blessed to be guided by a Constitution which has ensured a peaceful transition of
power longer than any other nation in the history of man. Tonight, our nation is at peace and our nation remains the single best hope for mankind.

America is in transition. However, America remains strong, free, and united. I congratulate President-elect Obama and hope that he will govern with a humble heart and inclusive manner and respect the Judeo-Christian values which have built America. Like so many conservatives, I am determined to stand as the loyal opposition, to fight for those conservative values that I consider vital to Georgia families. But, that is for another day. Tonight, I wish my friends Senator John McCain and Governor Sarah Palin Godspeed and say thank you for your campaign
and I keep President-elect Obama and Vice-President-elect Biden in my prayers.

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In Wake of Virginia Lawsuit, Blunt Presses Congress to Address Military Voting

2008-11-04T18:05:00.001-05:00

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of a lawsuit in Virginia to extend the deadline for the state's acceptance of military absentee ballots by ten days, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today released the following statement urging Congress to do more to ensure that the ballots of the nation's armed forces are counted:

"Our soldiers stationed over seas should not be disenfranchised from voting. For many of our servicemen and women, this election is not only their first but also one of the most important, and they should have every opportunity to have their vote counted and their voice heard.

"Given the situation in Virginia and elsewhere across the country, it's clear that military voting remains a major problem and ballots should have been mailed out sooner to ensure that members of our armed forces could participate in this historic election.

"Congress had the opportunity to safeguard the votes of our military this year, but regrettably chose instead to do too little, too late. Given their sacrifice for our nation, I urge Democrat leadership to do more in the next Congress to make sure that military participation in our democratic process is vastly improved in the future."

NOTE: Blunt authored a congressional resolution, H. Con. Res. 388, that passed the House in September expressing the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense and the Federal Voting Assistance Program take additional steps to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their families have ample information on registering to vote and voting in the 2008 election. Similar legislation, authored by Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), was never considered by the Senate.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) released a report last September citing that less than 17 percent of the 6 million citizens eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act chose to participate in the 2006 general election. The EAC further found that of the 48,600 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots that were not counted by States and local jurisdictions in the November 2006 elections, 70 percent were not counted due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses and that more than 10 percent of all uncounted military and overseas absentee ballots were rejected because they were received past the required deadline.

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Amendment Vote Linked to Georgia Environment

2008-10-30T10:21:00.003-04:00

Georgia voters will make an important decision regarding forest land and the environment on Tuesday, November 4. Georgians will cast ballots on Amendment #1, the “Georgia Forest Land Protection Act of 2008,” which asks voters whether the state Constitution should be amended to allow timberland taxation on the basis of its actual value as a forest, rather than its potential or speculative future use.

“As land values have increased, property taxes have risen to the point where many landowners are forced to decide whether it makes economic sense to keep their land in forests or sell it for development,” explained Lauren Bush, Public Affairs Staff Forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission. “Amendment #1 encourages landowners to keep their land in forests rather than sell it to developers.”

Georgia boasts approximately 24 million acres of forest land, 92% of which is privately owned. The forest industry contributes $28.5 billion to our state’s economy, and provides invaluable nature services to Georgia, including clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The Georgia Forestry Commission provides leadership, service, and education in the protection and conservation of the state’s forest resources.

“Forest management is a long-term commitment for landowners,” said Bush. “They may not receive a return on their investment for 20 or more years, but their property taxes are due every year. Amendment #1 can help encourage property owners to keep their land in forests, which enhance the life of every Georgian.”

To receive the forest value assessment, Amendment #1 requires forest land owners to leave their land in tree production for at least 15 years. If a county’s total tax digest of revenue is reduced by more than three percent, the money will be reimbursed by the State of Georgia. If it is affected by three percent or less, the county will be reimbursed 50%.

If ratified by Georgia voters on the November 4 General Election ballot, the Forest Land Protection Act will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

For more information, visit GaTrees.org, www.forourforests.com or www.keepgeorgiagreen.org.

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Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Office Announce Contacts to Handle Election-Related Complaints

2008-10-29T15:59:00.004-04:00

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias announced today that William R. Toliver, an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) in Atlanta, will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 4, 2008 general elections. AUSA Toliver has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Northern District of Georgia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District's handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

United States Attorney Nahmias said, "We are committed to assuring an honest and fair election, and to assuring that every lawful vote is counted. Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute and preclude honest votes. They strike at the very heart of our rights as citizens and corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. As such, we will address credible reports of election fraud and voting rights violations promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to the FBI, my Office, or the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division."

On October 8, 2002, Attorney General John Ashcroft established a Department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department's ability to deter voter intimidation, suppression, discrimination and election fraud and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur--to make voting easier and cheating harder. Both goals are equally important. It is imperative that in pursuing voter integrity, ballot access is not in any way diminished or harmed. The Department's long-standing Election Day Program furthers the goals of the Initiative. The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day. The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it, while those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 4, 2008, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Nahmias stated that AUSA Toliver will be on duty while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 404-581-6000.

The FBI will also have Special Agents available in the Atlanta Field Office and each resident agency in this District to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 404-679-9000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to the Civil Rights Division's Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767. Where voter intimidation or suppression tactics target voters on the basis of race, color, religion, or national origin, the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section may be contacted at 202-514-3204.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

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National Right to Life PAC Announces Endorsement of Saxby Chambliss for Re-election to the U.S. Senate

2008-10-29T12:05:00.001-04:00

The political-action arm of the nation's largest right-to-life organization today announced its strong endorsement of the re-election of Saxby Chambliss to the U.S. Senate.

In a letter to Chambliss, the National Right to Life PAC (NRL-PAC) commended Senator Chambliss for his "exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate."

NRL-PAC Political Director Karen Cross said, "Senator Chambliss has a perfect, 100 percent pro-life voting record for his entire six-year term, but Democrat Jim Martin favors continuation of the current policy of allowing abortion for any reason."

The entire text of the NRL-PAC letter to Chambliss appears below. For further information, contact National Right to Life PAC at 202-626-8825, or by e-mail to Legfederal@aol.com.

October 28, 2008

Senator Saxby Chambliss
Chambliss for Senate
Atlanta, Georgia 30355

Dear Senator Chambliss:

The National Right to Life Political Action Committee (NRL-PAC) is pleased to endorse you for re-election to the United States Senate.

NRL-PAC is the political arm of the nation’s major right-to-life organization, representing right-to-life affiliates throughout the nation.

We commend you for your exemplary 100 percent pro-life voting record throughout your entire six-year term in the U.S. Senate. This record includes support for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (enacted in 2003) and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (enacted in 2004). It also includes your consistent votes against federal funding of abortion and of organizations that promote abortion.

We are also grateful for your cosponsorship of other important pro-life bills that have not yet been enacted, including parental notification legislation and a bill to ban the practice of human cloning.

In addition, we applaud your consistent support for the confirmation of federal judicial nominees who believe that the proper judicial role is to interpret and apply the written law, not to engage in legislating from the bench.

Your extraordinary pro-life record should earn you the support of every voter who is committed to preservation of the fundamental right to life and to the protection of the most vulnerable members of the human family.

Sincerely,

David N. O'Steen, Ph.D.
Executive Director

Karen Cross
Political Director

Douglas Johnson
Legislative Director

The National Right to Life Committee is the nation's largest pro-life group with affiliates in all 50 states and over 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
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Macon Telegraph Endorses Saxby Chambliss

2008-10-24T10:50:00.001-04:00

It's funny how time and circumstances beyond the control of candidates change campaigns. Eight months ago Democratic challenger Jim Martin wasn't in the primary picture. Party leaders had to twist his arm to jump into the race. Martin obviously had the most state-wide name recognition among the five challengers who included Vernon Jones, DeKalb County's CEO, Dale Cardwell, a former TV journalist, Rand Knight, an ecosystem scientist and Josh Lanier, a former Senate aide and Washington lobbyist. Martin won in a runoff against Jones.

While the Democrats were fighting it out, the incumbent first-term senator, Saxby Chambliss, was deemed invulnerable. He had a huge war chest, all the name recognition a candidate would need after serving in the House and now Senate. But even Superman can be brought to his knees by Kryptonite. Chambliss' weakness can be spelled in three simple examples. Along with Georgia's other senator, Johnny Isakson, Chambliss barnstormed the state in favor of an immigration plan that blew up in their faces. They got the message and turned tail and ran from the issue.

The two senators were also instrumental in forming the Gang of 10 that pushed an energy plan that many saw as giving too much sway to the Democratic point of view. And there's the wild card named Sen. Barack Obama and the electorate he's managed to inspire. All those factors have made the race between Chambliss and Martin a dead heat.

We have no qualms with Martin; he has been an exemplary public servant from his days in Vietnam to the Georgia Legislature to state commissioner for the Department of Human Resources under governors Roy Barnes and Sonny Perdue. That said, we are not ready to kick Chambliss to the curb just yet. Chambliss' knowledge of Middle Georgia interests, particularly agriculture and Robins Air Force Base, make him a vital component in the economic future of the mid-state. Chambliss has not forgotten what part of the state he comes from, and he must be given credit for his courageous vote for the $700 billion bailout bill. For those reasons and more, we choose Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Charles E. Richardson/for the Editorial Board
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Absentee Ballots Being Reprinted - Gwinnett County

2008-10-23T17:57:00.001-04:00

Gwinnett County elections officials have discovered a problem with 19,000 absentee ballots that have been sent to voters. The ovals where voters mark their choices are too thick for the optical scanning machines to read.

Elections Director Lynn Ledford said routine equipment testing two weeks prior to the election revealed the problem. State law requires such testing no later than three days before Election Day. “We want to assure everyone who has used an absentee ballot that every vote will count,” Ledford said.

The absentee ballots have been reprinted and new requests are being filled with correct ones that will scan properly, according to Ledford. She also emphasized that voters who are holding absentee ballots have the option of voting the absentee ballot or surrendering it and voting on Election Day.

Votes on incorrect forms will be counted using a manual process observed by a representative of each political party and a monitor from the Secretary of State’s office. Non-partisan candidates will also be allowed a monitor. State law requires that all participants be sequestered with no outside contact to prevent information leaks.

Unreadable ballots will be duplicated in accordance with state law so that they can be scanned and the copy will then be stored with the original in case a recount is necessary.

Voters submit absentee ballots in two envelopes, so the identity of any individual voter will not be known once the outer envelope is removed. Election workers will tabulate and post the votes as usual after the polls have closed on Election Day. No delayed results are expected.

“The problem is not apparent to the naked eye but the machine can’t read the ovals,” said Ledford. “And we can’t reprogram the scanner after it has been certified by state officials.”
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Isakson, Chambliss Express Concern over Proposed Expansion of Bulldog Military Operating Area in East-Central Georgia

2008-10-22T17:12:00.001-04:00

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Michael Donley, Secretary of the Air Force, and Bobby Sturgell, Acting Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, expressing their concern over the proposed expansion of the Bulldog Military Operating Area in East-Central Georgia and the negative impact it could have on operations at civilian airports in that region.

The text of the letter is below:

Dear Secretary Donley and Administrator Sturgell:

Today our
staffs met to discuss the proposed expansion of the Bulldog Military Operating
Area (MOA) over East-Central Georgia. We had previously written to you
regarding this issue, and appreciate you making your staffs available to
meet.

We strongly support the ability of the Air Force to conduct
necessary training and operations in support of its readiness and our nation’s
security, and recognize the requirement it has. We remain concerned,
however, about the potential impact the proposed expansion as outlined in the
letter we received from Colonel Miller on March 10, 2008 may have on operations
at civilian airports in Emanuel County, Georgia, and Millen,
Georgia.

Specifically, the community is concerned that the proposed
expansion may negatively affect arrivals and departures flights into the
Swainsboro / Emanuel County airport and that the recent upgrades to the
Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the airport may be negated by the proposed
expansion. Swainsboro is also concerned about communications issues and
delays as they relate to instrument arrival and departure clearances at the
airport. Both communities are concerned about MOA usage notifications
between the Wing and the airports, and the steps forward with regards to the MOA
should traffic at these airports increase and necessitate new airspace
needs.

We appreciate the reassurances by your staffs that
they will take these, and other concerns raised at tomorrow’s public meeting,
into consideration and that both the Air Force and FAA will work to mitigate
these concerns before implementing changes to the MOA. We hope that the
Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration can agree on a proposal and a
process of closing the MOA to accommodate arrivals and departures into these
airports so as not to negatively affect existing or dissuade future commercial
air traffic and economic development, and we stand ready to assist you in any
way possible in this regard.

We appreciate you keeping us fully
informed as this issue develops, and we intend to carefully follow this issue to
ensure that out national security needs are met without negatively impacting
operations at local, civilian airports in Georgia.

Very
truly yours,

Saxby Chambliss
United States Senator

Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

The community will have an opportunity to engage the Air Force and the FAA and share their comments at a public meeting on October 23, 2008. Isakson and Chambliss encourage all interested residents to attend the meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. at the Augusta Regional Airport, Large Conference Room, 1501 Aviation Way, Augusta, Ga.

The FAA and the Air Force have extended the public comment period to November 24, 2008, and have pledged to Isakson and Chambliss that they will look at ways to mitigate the existing concerns of the community.

State Senator Jack Hill, State Representative Butch Parrish and other elected officials as well as Bill Rogers and the Swainsboro/Emanuel County Chamber of Commerce have worked with Isakson and Chambliss on this important effort.
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Michelle Obama Meets with Members of the Military Community in Pensacola

2008-10-21T15:09:00.000-04:00

Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, met with 14 members of the military community in Pensacola, Florida today, before taking the stage for an Early Vote for Change rally. Among those who met with Mrs. Obama were Wendy Bennett, a military wife and mother whose husband is serving in Iraq and Amanda Allen, a junior attending the University of West Florida, whose husband currently serves in the Navy. Also in attendance were military community members who volunteer for the Obama-Biden campaign and serve as Team Pensacola members and have been heavily involved in the campaign’s grassroots voter registration and early vote for change efforts.

At today’s meeting, Mrs. Obama thanked them for their service to the country, and shared her perspective on the opportunity that military families have in this year’s election to cast their ballot for the only candidate who shares their vision of a military system that does more to support its troops and their families.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned from these roundtables, it’s that when our military goes to war, their families go with them,” said Mrs. Obama. “Barack is the only candidate in this race who wants to create a 21st century VA that offers world-class care and rejects the idea that we should only treat combat injuries, but not those sustained in training or on the deck of an aircraft carrier. And Barack is the only candidate in this election who has put the middle class at the heart of his economic plan. ”

Today’s meeting builds on the series of roundtable discussions that Mrs. Obama has hosted with military families over the last several months to give a voice to the concerns of men and women who are facing the challenges of balancing work and family – particularly in a troubled economy – and to help communicate Obama and Biden’s plans to support America’s families. Mrs. Obama has met with military spouses and families in North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.

Today’s rally is part of the Obama-Biden campaign’s three day barnstorm across the state to mark the beginning of early voting in Florida. Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, will crisscross the state, speaking with Floridians about the importance of early voting and making their voice heard at the polls in advance of Election Day in order to bring the change we need in Florida and across the nation.

This evening, Mrs. Obama will join her husband in Miami for an Early Vote for Change rally. Tomorrow, Mrs. Obama will host similar events in Jacksonville and Gainesville. In Jacksonville, she will be introduced by Command Sergeant Major Michelle Jones, who served as the 9th Command Sergeant Major of the Army Reserve from October 2002 through August 2006, and retired in March 2007 after 25 years of service.

Isakson, Chambliss Urge Treasury, Federal Reserve to Address Needs of Community Banks

2008-10-21T14:58:00.000-04:00

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke asking them to address the needs of community banks in Georgia and across the country.
The text of the letter is below:

Dear Chairman Bernanke & Secretary Paulson:

Given the current financial climate and its challenges, it is imperative that we address the significant needs of both large financial firms and money center banks for the protection of our investments and retirement security. We must also address the needs of our community banks that small businesses and individuals look to for everyday needs such as inventory loans, operating capital and payroll.

As you move forward implementing your new authority established by the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, we urge you to determine how best to use your authority to provide much needed capital and access to credit to community banks in Georgia and across the country.

Sincerely,

Saxby Chambliss
United States Senator

Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

Chambliss Campaign: Jim Martin Won’t Stand Up for Georgia in

2008-10-21T13:47:00.000-04:00

During the WALB debate that aired Monday, October 20, Jim Martin refused to condemn Senator Barack Obama’s promise that he will make Florida’s water resources a priority in the tri-state water war if elected president.[1]

- “As President, I will make protecting Florida's water resources a priority,” Obama continued.[2]

Jim Martin actually tried to deny that this was Obama’s stated position!

- “Saxby people don’t believe you, they know that’s not true. They know that’s not the position Senator Obama has taken, no Presidential candidate would take a position like that.”[3]

REALLY JIM? BECAUSE WHAT, YOU DIDN’T READ THE STATEMENT THAT SENATOR OBAMA PUT OUT FROM HIS CAMPAIGN? AND YOU DIDN’T READ ANY OF THE NEWS COVERAGE? REALLY?

- “…if that is-and its not-if that were by some silly reason Obama’s, President Obama’s position, I’d stand up to him.”

REALLY JIM? YOU’D STAND UP TO BARACK OBAMA TO PROTECT GEORGIA? BECAUSE WHEN HE ISN’T EVEN IN THE ROOM YOU CANNOT FIND THE BACKBONE TO STAND UP TO HIM BUT WE SHOULD BELIEVE THAT IF HE WERE PRESIDENT YOU WOULD STAND UP TO HIM? REALLY?

Jim Martin: Standing Up For
Florida’s Mussels & Sturgeon!

[1] 11Alive News, http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=122516&catid=3
[2] Gainesville Times, October 17, 2008, ”Obama says he’ll protect Florida’s water resources”
[3] Jim Martin, WALB debate, October 20, 2008

MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL: Editorial: Chambliss win vital to curbing liberals' excess

2008-10-21T13:46:00.000-04:00

Published: 10/21/2008

The headlines in recent days have said that incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) is in "the fight of his life." They're right - and that's unfortunate both for him and the people of Georgia.

Chambliss stands a chance of becoming a victim of Obama Barack's expected coattails, which many suspect will be long enough to unseat Republicans who just a month ago were thought to be nearly impregnable. Democratic challenger Jim Martin is running an unexpectedly strong campaign. He is a good man, a diligent worker on behalf of Georgians during the Barnes administration, and though more liberal than most Georgians, he likely would be a capable senator if he were to be elected.

But should a senator so recently seen as secure as Chambliss become one of the victims of the Obama voter surge, it's a virtual lock that the Democrats will wind up with a "filibuster-proof" working majority in the Senate. With the Democrats in control of the White House and the House of Representatives as well, we should then get ready for an onslaught of liberal legislation unseen from Washington since the days of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society."

Our form of government is predicated on built-in "checks and balances," and in this case retaining enough Republicans there to mount a filibuster is looking like the last, best hope of checking an expected flood tide of far-left moves. Otherwise, you can expect a hasty retreat from Iraq, probably two and possibly three stridently left-wing nominees for the Supreme Court, punitive tax hikes on business and so on.

In that light, a vote for Saxby Chambliss seems more important than ever. But even were that not the case, Chambliss has more than earned another term in Washington. He has voted in accordance with the wishes and desires of most Georgians throughout his term, in favor of a strong defense, low taxes and less government.

With neither Obama nor Republican John McCain enamored with the Lockheed Martin-built C-130 Hercules or the F-22 Raptor, Chambliss is strategically situated to help defend them as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, following in the footsteps of legendary Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn. He also has played a vital role as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; and in keeping with what has become a Georgia tradition, sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, where he is the senior Republican.

Saxby Chambliss has represented Georgia well in Washington, and deserves your vote for another term there.

AAUW Hosts Political Forum Tuesday in Valdosta

2008-10-14T09:06:00.001-04:00

The American Association of University Women will host the South Georgia Political Forum from 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center.

Candidates for all national and local offices will participate in free-form roundtables and offer three-minute speeches, which will be moderated by Dr. Sharon Gravett, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs and longtime member of the AAUW. Prior to the addresses, the estimated 20 candidates from state and local races will be available in the meeting room to entertain questions from the public and distribute campaign information.

The Valdosta branch of the AAUW organized the forum, in conjunction with Myrna Ballard of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce, Julie Greenhaw of the Lowndes County Republican Party and Dennis Marks of the Lowndes County Democratic party.

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Statement of Senator Barack Obama on Domestic Violence Awareness Month

2008-10-01T17:59:00.000-04:00

Today, Senator Obama made the following statement acknowledging October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"Today, I join all Americans in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At a time when one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime, it’s more important than ever that we dedicate ourselves to working on behalf of the thousands of women who suffer in silence.

"Too often, victims of domestic violence don’t know where to turn, or have no one to turn to. And too often, a victim could be someone you love. That’s why, as a State Senator, I led the fight in Illinois to pass one of the strongest employment protection laws in the nation, ensuring that victims of domestic violence could seek shelter or treatment without losing their jobs.That’s why I introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate to provide $25 million a year to domestic violence prevention and victim support efforts. That’s why I co-sponsored and helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. And today, I am so proud to have Senator Joe Biden, the man who wrote that groundbreaking legislation that gave so many women a second chance at life, as my running mate in this campaign.

"As President, I’ll make these efforts a national priority. This month, and every month, we must fight to bring domestic violence out of the darkness of isolation and into the light of justice, especially for minority and immigrant women, and women in every community where it goes unreported far too often. We’ll stop treating this as just a woman’s issue, and start recognizing that when a woman is attacked, that abuse scars not only the victim, but her loved ones, sending currents of violence that ripple across our society. We need all hands on deck to address this – neighbors willing to report suspected crimes, families willing to help loved ones seek treatment, and community leaders willing to candidly discuss this issue in public and break the stigma that stops so many women from coming forward. Together, we’ll make it clear that no woman ever struggles alone."

300 Retired Generals and Admirals Endorse John McCain for President

2008-09-26T20:12:00.001-04:00

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that 300 retired generals and admirals from around the country are endorsing John McCain for president. The retired generals and admirals announced their support with the following letter:

"We have had the honor and privilege of serving as career officers in the United States Armed Forces, and of serving shoulder to shoulder with so many of the fine young men and women who are the backbone of America's Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. It is that experience that informs our judgment that John McCain is the presidential candidate best suited to serve as America's Commander-in Chief from the day of his inauguration.

"Our next president will confront national security challenges as significant as those faced by any administration in at least a generation. Success will require a leader with proven tenacity, judgment and courage. It will also require a leader with detailed knowledge of our military and other instruments of national power, and with years of experience dealing seriously with foreign leaders.

"John McCain's entire life has been devoted to the service of America. Throughout a long and distinguished career in the military and in Congress, he has repeatedly displayed the courage and integrity to place America's interests first -- regardless of personal cost. And he has demonstrated the experience and wisdom to lead America -- and, importantly, our allies -- in effectively dealing with complex and vitally important national security challenges around the world.

"We unequivocally endorse him to continue his service to the country as the next President of the United States."

Rear Admiral John W. Adams, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Patrick O. Adams, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Albert B. Akers, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Paul Albritton, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Richard Allen, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James F. Amerault, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Vincent J. Anzilotti, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Charlie Bagnal, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General John "Doc" Bahnsen, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Kenneth P. Barausky, USN (Ret.)
Major General Barry D. Bates, USA (Ret.)
Major General Ron Beckwith, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Martin R. Berndt, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General Charles L. Bishop, USAF (Ret.)
Major General John Blatsos, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ben Blaz, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Harry Blot, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General William A. "Art" Bloomer, USMC (Ret.)
Major General John L. Borling, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Mike Bowman, III, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Roger Box, USN (Ret.)
Major General Patrick Brady, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jerry Breast, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bruce Bremner, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jeremiah Brophy, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas Brown, III, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Richard A. Browning, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Bruner, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Lyle Bull, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral E.A. Burkhalter, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jay Campbell, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jim Carey, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jimmy Cash, USAF (Ret.)
Major General George Cates, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Chadwick, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Clarey, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Albert P. Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Clifton "Tip" Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wes Clark, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward Clexton, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Richard A. Coleman, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Leroy Collins, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John B. Conaway, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ralph Cook, USN (Ret.)
Major General Richard M. Cooke, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Matthew T. "Terry" Cooper, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Mike Coyne, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert C. Crates, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Howard, Jr. Crowell, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Dastin, USAF (Ret.)
General James B. Davis, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Walter J. Davis, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James P. Davidson, USN (Ret.)
Major General Hollis Davidson, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Kevin Delaney, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jerry Denton, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Chip Diehl, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Richard F. Donnelly, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Frank Donovan, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Bill Dougherty, USN (Ret.)
Major General George Douglas, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Walter D. Druen, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Phillip J. Duffy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Richard M. Dunleavy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Robert F. Dunn, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James W. Eastwood, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James E. Eckelberger, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Russ Eggers, USAF (Ret.)
Major General James N. Ellis, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Engel, USN (Ret.)
Major General Bill Eshelman, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Marsha Johnson Evans, USN (Ret.)
Major General Merrill Evans, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James H. Flatley, III, USN (Ret.)
Admiral S. Robert Foley, USN (Ret.)
General John W. Foss, USA (Ret.)
Major General Stuart French, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ronne Froman, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Vance H. Fry, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert Byron Fuller, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Skip Furlong, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Barton Gilbert, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wendell Gilbert, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hank Giffin, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Andrew Giordano, USN (Ret.)
Major General Rick Goddard, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ted Gordon, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Russell W. Gorman, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral H.E. "Rick" Grant, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas N. Griffin, USA (Ret.)
Major General Jeffery R. Grime, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Hall, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Ronald J. Hays, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, USN (Ret.)
Major General Guy Hecker, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Rolland Heiser, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Dick Herr, USCG (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert P. Hickey, USN (Ret.)
Major General Geoffrey Higginbotham, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Don Hilbert, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Virgil Hill, USN (Ret.)
Major General Kent Hillhouse, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward J. "Ned" Hogan, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral A. Byron Holderby, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Grant T. Hollett, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Admiral James L. Holloway, USN (Ret.)
Major General William Hoover, USAF (Ret.)
General Charles A. "Chuck" Horner, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General James Hourin, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Jefferson D. Howell, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John I. Hudson, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral James D. Hull, USN (Ret.)
Major General Evan Hultman, USA (Ret.)
Major General Charles A. Ingram, USA (Ret.)
Admiral Bobby R. Inman, USN (Ret.)
Major General Harry Jenkins, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ronald H. Jesberg, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Gregory G. "Grog" Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Jerome Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral J. Michael "Carlos" Johnson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Steve Kantrowitz, USNR (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Douglas Katz, USN (Ret.)
General P.X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.)
Admiral Robert J. "Barney" Kelly, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John Kerr, USNR (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Claude M. "Mick" Kicklighter, USA (Ret.)
Major General Phillip G. Killey, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral George E.R. "Gus" Kinnear II, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Jack W. Klimp, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hal Koenig, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Alexander J. Krekich, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ed Kristensen, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Derald Lary, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Charles R. "Chuck" Larson, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Rufus C. Lazzell, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ward M. LeHardy, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Tony Less, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Frederick L. Lewis, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Frank Libutti, USMC (Ret.)
Brigadier General William Lindaman, USAF (Ret.)
General James J. Lindsay, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General James E. Livingston, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James W. Lisanby, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Dan Locker, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Stephen Loftus, USN (Ret.)
General John Michael Loh, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Noah H. Long, USNR (Ret.)
Admiral Joseph Lopez, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Mike Luecke, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas C. Lynch, USN (Ret.)
Admiral James A. "Ace" Lyons, Jr., USN (Ret.)
General Robert Magnus, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Michael D. Malone, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Daniel P. March, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward H. Martin, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John J. Mazach, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Dan McCarthy, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral William "Scot" McCauley, USN (Ret.)
Major General James C. McCombs, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Fred McCorkle, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Billy McCoy, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bill McDaniel, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Craig O. McDonald, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral E.S. "Skip" McGinley, II, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Denny McGinn, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Kinnard R. McKee, USN (Ret.)
Major General Ed Mechenbier, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral George Meinig, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert L. Menist, USA (Ret.)
Major General Stuart D. Menist, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William F. Merlin, USCG (Ret.)
Admiral Paul David Miller, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert W. Mixon, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Joseph Mobley, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Patrick D. Moneymaker, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Benjamin Montoya, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Charles J. Moore, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Douglas Moore, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Major General W. Bruce Moore, USA (Ret.)
Major General Warren Moore, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Joseph P. Moorer, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Moses, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul Mulloy, USN (Ret.)
Major General William L. Mundie, USA (Ret.)
General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., USMC (Ret.)
Major General Terry Murray, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Hank Mustin, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Carol Mutter, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jack Natter, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jerry Neff, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mike Neil, USMCR (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Henry Neitz, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Ben Nelson, Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ed Nelson, USCG (Ret.)
Brigadier General Warren "Bud" Nelson, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Eddie Newman, USA (Ret.)
Major General George W. Norwood, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jacqueline "Jackie" O'Meara, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ira C. "Chuck" Owens, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert S. "Rupe" Owens, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Dave Palmer, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert V. Paschon, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ellis D. "Don" Parker, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Ted Parker, USN (Ret.)
Major General Earl G. Peck, USAF (Ret.)
Major General John Peppers, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Maurice Phillips, USA (Ret.)
Major General Paul A. Pochara, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral David Polatty, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Thomas J. Porter, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Noel G. Preston, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.)
Major General Bill Raines, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral William E. Ramsey, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William Retz, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Jon A. Reynolds, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral David C. Richardson, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas M. Rienzi, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Stewart Andrew Ring, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, USAF (Ret.)
Major General James Milnor Roberts, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral David B. Robinson, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Bill Roll, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Wayne Rosenthal, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Pete Rots, USCG (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Ed Rowny, USA (Ret.)
Major General Michael D. Ryan, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John R. Ryan, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Luciano C. Salamone, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jim Schear, USNR (Ret.)
Major General Carl G. Schneider, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Dennis Schulstad, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Hugh Scott, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral James E. Service, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bill Shawcross, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward D. "Ted" Sheafer, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mike Sheridan, USMC (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Robert F. "Dutch" Shoultz, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert H. Shumaker, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bruce Smith, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Norman Smith, USMC (Ret.)
Major General Richard D. Smith, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert (Bob) Smith, III, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Stan Smith, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Roy D. Snyder, USN (Ret.)
Major General J.R. Spalding, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Stanhope S. Spears, Adjutant General, South Carolina
Major General Ralph Spraker, USAF (Ret.)
Brigadier General Bill Spruance, USAF (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Hank Stackpole, USMC (Ret.)
Rear Admiral James Stark, USN (Ret.)
General Carl Stiner, USA (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Edward M. Straw, USN (Ret.)
Major General Ansel M. Stroud, USA (Ret.)
Major General Willam A. Studder, USAF (Ret.)
Major General Leroy N. Suddath, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Gordon Sumner, Jr., USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Paul E. Sutherland, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Bob Sutton, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jeremy Taylor, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Jimmie Taylor, USN (Ret.)
Major General Robert C. Taylor, USAF (Ret.)
Rear Admiral William E. Terry, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Deese Thompson, USCG (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Howie Thorsen, USCG (Ret.)
Major General Harold Timboe, M.D., USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Ernest E. Tissot, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Robert F. Titus, USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral John B. Totushek, USN (Ret.)
Major General Rockly Triantafellu, USAF (Ret.)
Admiral Carlyle A. H. Trost, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Jerry Unruh, USN (Ret.)
Major General Alfred A. Valenzuela, USA (Ret.)
Major General Paul Vallely, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Lloyd "Joe" Vasey, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John Vines, USA (Ret.)
Major General John G. "Jack" Waggener, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Edward K. Walker, Jr., USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John F. Wall, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General W.L. "Bill" Wallace, USA (Ret.)
Admiral James D. Watkins, USN (Ret.)
Major General Gary Wattnem, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Donald Weatherson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Hugh Webster, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Arvid E. West, USA (Ret.)
Major General Drax Williams, USMC (Ret.)
Lieutenant General James A. Williams, USA (Ret.)
Brigadier General Mitchell M. Willoughby, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Dennis Wisely, USN (Ret.)
Major General Herbert E. Wolff, USA (Ret.)
Major General John J. Womack, USA (Ret.)
Major General Dan Wood, USA (Ret.)
Lieutenant General John W. Woodmansee, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral George Worthington, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral Earl P. Yates, USN (Ret.)
Brigadier General Allan R. Zenotwitz, USA (Ret.)

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Cynthia McKinney Calls for New Investigation and Welcomes Stay of Execution in the Case of Troy Anthony Davis

2008-09-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

Green Party Presidential Candidate and former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney shares the concerns of Georgians who are calling for the Attorney General to commission an independent investigation into the handling of the Troy Anthony Davis prosecution by both the Savannah Police Department and the Chattam County Prosecutors Office.

Mr. Davis was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Savannah Police Officer Mark Macphail. His conviction was secured on the basis of eyewitness identification evidence. Since his trial, seven citizens who initially testified that Mr. Davis was the shooter have come forward alleging that their respective trial testimony was false.

These witnesses—most of whom have no connection to Mr. Davis or to each other---describe the employment of improper identification techniques, police intimidation, and other forms of undue influence at the hands of the Savannah Police Department. For years, the Chatham County prosecutor has been aware of these claims that police intimidation and faulty eyewitness identification procedures resulted in the false identification of Troy Davis. Yet, to date, there appears to be no internal investigation into these troubling allegations.

More recently, an alarming report of government subornation of perjury has been brought to my attention. At a recent meeting of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, key government witness who identified Troy Davis as the person who shot Officer Macphail, disclosed that when she advised the prosecutor that her identification of Troy Davis was false, she was told to “stick with the story” and forced to testify consistently with her police report. While McKinney cannot conclusively determine the truth or falsity of these claims, without closer scrutiny, no one can. There can be no other acceptable option than a full and fair investigation of these claims by an independent panel. The failure to conduct such an investigation undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system and could result, as Mr. Davis and his lawyers’ claim, in the execution of an innocent man.

McKinney noted, “The absurdity of rushing to execute this potentially innocent man without first examining these serious accusations of police and prosecutorial misconduct compels a 30 day stay.”

The Supreme Court granted a stay this week.
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Obama-Biden Roll Out Science and Innovation Plan Today

2008-09-25T12:03:00.001-04:00

Today the Obama-Biden campaign will hold a conference call to roll out its science and innovation plan. Three Nobel Laureates, Dr. Harold Varmus, Dr. Bob Horvitz and Dr. Peter Agre will join the call to release a letter signed by 61 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, in the fields of chemistry, physics and medicine, praising Senator Obama's leadership.

During the last eight years of the Bush administration, vital parts of our country's scientific enterprise have been damaged by stagnant or declining federal support and the government's scientific advisory process has been undermined by political considerations. As a result, our once dominant position in the scientific world has been shaken and our prosperity has been placed at risk. And John McCain's promise to freeze funding increases for science next year threatens to continue this dangerous trend.

"Senator Obama has a unique and forward looking perspective on the challenges of the 21st century; energy, health care, education, and national security, and realizes they can only be met with a firm commitment to the advancement of science and technology. Barack is committed to the belief that in today's competitive global economy our nation's industries and government must invest in an R&D renaissance, if America is to remain a beacon to the world," said Dr. Harold Varmus, a 1989 Nobel Laureate

To read the letter praising Senator Obama’s leadership, click HERE.

To read the Obama-Biden plan for science and innovation, click HERE.

Those who have signed on:

Alexei Abrikosov, Physics, 2003
Peter Agre, Chemistry, 2003
Sidney Altman, Chemistry, 1989
Philip W. Anderson, Physics, 1977
Richard Axel, Medicine, 2004
David Baltimore, Medicine, 1975
Baruj Benacerraf, Medicine, 1980
Paul Berg, Chemistry, 1980
J. Michael Bishop, Medicine, 1989
N. Bloembergen, Physics, 1981
Michael S. Brown, Medicine, 1985
Linda B. Buck, Medicine, 2004
Mario R. Capecchi, Medicine, 2007
Stanley Cohen, Medicine, 1986
Leon Cooper, Physics, 1972
James W. Cronin, Physics, 1980
Robert F. Curl, Chemistry, 1996
Johann Diesenhofer, Chemistry, 1988
John B. Fenn, Chemistry, 2002
Edmond H. Fischer, Medicine, 1992
Val Fitch, Physics, 1980
Jerome I. Friedman, Physics, 1990
Riccardo Giacconi, Physics, 2002
Walter Gilbert, Chemistry, 1980
Alfred G. Gilman, Medicine, 1994
Donald A. Glaser, Physics, 1960
Sheldon L. Glashow, Physics, 1979
Joseph Goldstein, Medicine, 1985
Paul Greengard, Medicine, 2000
David Gross, Physics, 2004
Robert H. Grubbs, Chemistry, 2005
Roger Guillemin, Medicine, 1977
John L. Hall, Physics, 2005
Leland H. Hartwell, Medicine, 2001
Dudley Herschbach, Chemistry, 1986
Roald Hoffman, Chemistry, 1981
H. Robert Horvitz, Medicine, 2002
Louis Ignarro, Medicine, 1998
Eric R. Kandel, Medicine, 2000
Walter Kohn, Chemistry, 1998
Roger Kornberg, Chemistry, 2006
Leon M. Lederman, Physics, 1988
Craig C. Mello, Medicine, 2006
Marshall Nirenberg, Medicine, 1968
Douglas D. Osheroff, Physics, 1996
Stanley B. Prusiner, Medicine, 1997
Norman F. Ramsey, Physics, 1989
Robert Richardson, Physics, 1996
Burton Richter, Physics, 1976
Sherwood Rowland, Chemistry, 1995
Oliver Smithies, Medicine, 2007
Richard R. Schrock, Chemistry, 2005
Joseph H. Taylor Jr., Physics, 1993
E. Donnall Thomas, Medicine, 1990
Charles H. Townes, Physics, 1964
Daniel C. Tsui, Physics, 1998
Harold Varmus, Medicine, 1989
Jasmes D. Watson, Medicine, 1962
Eric Wieschaus, Medicine, 1995
Frank Wilczek, Physics, 2004
Robert W. Wilson, Physics, 1978

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McCain: "Obama In The Mud: So Much For Honesty"

2008-09-21T13:59:00.000-04:00

"In the past few weeks, Obama has thrown so many false accusations against John McCain that just keeping track of them has become difficult. And these aren't innocent errors. They are deliberate distortions of the sort Obama has always said he reviles." -- New Hampshire Union Leader

"Obama In The Mud: So Much For Honesty"
Editorial
New Hampshire Union Leader
September 21, 2008

When Barack Obama first began campaigning in New Hampshire in early 2007, many voters swooned. We watched him speak to retirees in Claremont one snowy February day that year. Not a single voter we talked with before he spoke planned to vote for him. Afterwards, many said they would. The word that spontaneously came from the lips of multiple attendees: sincere. They couldn't remember a politician who spoke with such sincerity, they said. And many of them had been voting since World War II.

We wonder what those same voters think of Obama's sincerity now. In the past few weeks, Obama has thrown so many false accusations against John McCain that just keeping track of them has become difficult. And these aren't innocent errors. They are deliberate distortions of the sort Obama has always said he reviles.

On Thursday, Obama said of McCain, "He has consistently opposed the sorts of common-sense regulations that might have lessened the current crisis." That's entirely untrue.

As The Washington Post pointed out in an editorial on Friday, McCain in fact has supported many new regulations of financial institutions, including some that Obama opposed. "In 2006, he pushed for stronger regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- while Mr. Obama was notably silent," The Post wrote.

Obama attacked McCain for having a top financial advisor who supported a deregulation bill a few years ago. Yet two top Obama financial advisors, with whom he met on Friday to help him form his response to the current troubles on Wall Street, supported the same bill, which was signed by President Clinton.

Also last week, Obama released a Spanish-language ad that portrayed McCain as anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic and tried to link him to immigration policies that were not his own as well as some choice Rush Limbaugh quotes that appeared to insult Mexicans.

Anyone who has followed the immigration debate knows that McCain is the most pro-immigration Republican on the national stage and that he is not in the least anti-Hispanic. To pull quotes from Rush Limbaugh, who has completely different immigration views than McCain and who opposed him on that issue for years (and still does) is completely disingenuous. The ad is so bad that even The New York Times called it "misleading."

Obama's campaign also accused McCain of lying when McCain's campaign ran an ad saying that Obama supported sex education for kindergarteners. But the bill in question, which Obama supported in the Illinois state Senate, did indeed change state law to allow sex education for kindergarteners.

Obama has said that he won't attack John McCain's motives, only his policies. But he has repeatedly attacked McCain's motives, suggesting that he has been bought off by oil companies and lobbyists.

Obama's greatest strength as a candidate, aside from his oratorical skill, has long been his apparent sincerity and decency. Voters attracted to him think of him as that rarest of things: an honest politician. He has claimed himself that he would never engage in the sort of deceptive politicking that he says has tainted Washington for so long.

Yet here he is violating his own professed standards. This is not the Barack Obama so many voters in New Hampshire and elsewhere thought they knew. But it is the real Barack Obama. For despite his rhetoric, he is in fact campaigning so dishonestly that even The Washington Post and The New York Times have called him on it. Which means that he is in practice no different from those regular politicians against whom his entire campaign has been built.

Read The Editorial

Georgia Secretary of State Handel Releases Summary of Proposed Constitutional Amendments

2008-09-19T08:38:00.001-04:00

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel has announced the release of the summaries of proposed general amendments to the Constitution of Georgia that will be voted on in the November 4, 2008 General Election. The summaries and Constitutional amendments in their entirety are available at: http://www.sos.ga.gov/Elections/2008_amendments.htm.

A copy of the Constitutional Amendments in their entirety is on file in the office of the judge of the Probate Court and is available for public inspection.

Interested individuals may obtain printed copies of the summaries from their county elections superintendent or the Secretary of State. To obtain a printed copy of the summaries from the Secretary of State, please call 404-656-2871.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.

New York Times Talk at Clayton State… Is it Just in Our Heads?

2008-09-18T20:21:00.000-04:00

Clayton State University’s Political Science Department will be holding its next New York Time Talk, “Is it just in our heads? The presidential candidates and the economy” on Tuesday, Sept. 23 from 11:10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. in room 267 of the James M. Baker University Center.

Facilitated by Assistant Professor of Philosophy Dr. Todd Janke, the discussion is courtesy of the New York Times and the American Democracy Project. A free lunch of pizza and soda is provided.

A unit of the University System of Georgia, Clayton State University is an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.
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Senator John McCain on Democrats Pressuring to Renig on Palin Invitation to Stop Iran Rally

2008-09-18T20:03:00.001-04:00

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the "Stop Iran" rally:

"Throughout my political career, I have sought to rise above partisanship on critical national issues. Nowhere is this more true than on important matters of national security. Earlier this year, Senator Clinton, Senator Obama and I issued a joint statement on the genocide in Darfur and pledged to support efforts to bring it to an end. Earlier this month, Senator Obama and I put the campaign aside to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on our country and talk about the importance of national service.

"Next Monday, the day before Iranian President Ahmadinejad is to speak before the United Nations General Assembly, several organizations will sponsor an event to draw attention to the importance of halting Iran's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. Governor Palin and I share a strong belief that a nuclear armed Iran poses a grave threat to the security of Americans and to our allies. Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism. The risk that Iran would provide terrorists with a nuclear weapon is too great for the world to ignore. Iranian President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust occurred and called Israel a 'stinking corpse.' A nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize the entire region. Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons should be a shared goal of every American, not another occasion for partisan posturing.

"Governor Palin was pleased to accept an invitation to address this rally and show her resolve on this grave national security issue, regrettably that invitation has since been withdrawn under pressure from Democratic partisans. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Republicans, Democrats and independents alike to oppose Ahmadinejad's goal of a nuclear armed Iran. Senator Obama's campaign had the opportunity to join us. Senator Obama chose politics rather than the national interest."
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McCain Campaign: "Our View On Bipartisanship: Who's The Better Uniter?"

2008-09-18T20:01:00.000-04:00

"As McCain points out on the campaign trail, Obama has a much thinner record of bucking his own party. ... As a U.S. senator, he has taken liberal Democratic positions on most issues." -- USA Today

"Our View On Bipartisanship: Who's The Better Uniter?"
Editorial
USA Today
September 18, 2008

McCain has a longer record of bucking his party's orthodoxy.

Presidents who try to push through major policy changes without the opposing party almost always come to grief. George W. Bush's bid to create private accounts for Social Security collapsed in 2005 when Democrats rejected it. A decade earlier, Bill Clinton's health care overhaul died for lack of Republican input and support.

Social Security and health care remain unreformed, and whether the next president is Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama, he'll need help from members of the other party to address these and other pressing issues. So it's reasonable to ask whether either of them -- both self-styled change agents who tout their ability to cross political lines -- have shown they can do this.

McCain, in Congress for 26 years to Obama's four, has the longer record of producing bipartisan alliances on tough issues. He has bucked his party again and again to do just that -- on immigration, federal judges and campaign finance, to name three on which he enraged many Republicans by defying the party position and working with Democrats. McCain-the-maverick has reverted to party orthodoxy on taxes and other issues this year, which will put him in a bind if elected: Would he stick with those new positions, or compromise with the Democratic Congress he'd likely be working with?

As McCain points out on the campaign trail, Obama has a much thinner record of bucking his own party. With the exception of tough fights for ethics reforms in the Illinois Senate and in Washington -- where he angered Democratic colleagues by insisting on the disclosure of lobbyists who bundle campaign donations -- Obama has rarely challenged party dogma on the sort of big, contentious issues he'd face as president. As a U.S. senator, he has taken liberal Democratic positions on most issues. Studies by Congressional Quarterly show Obama has voted with his party almost 97% of the time, vs. about 85% for McCain.

Where Obama has diverged, it has often been rhetorical and reactive: After securing the nomination, he expressed disagreement with a Supreme Court decision that struck down the death penalty in cases of child rape, and he approved a decision that overturned a strict gun control law in Washington, D.C. He has signaled support for a modified form of affirmative action (extending it to poorer whites and denying it to better-off African Americans), and he has supported a key Bush initiative that funnels federal dollars to faith-based groups.

Obama's bipartisan accomplishments in Washington have been on significant, but relatively non-controversial, efforts to secure nuclear weapons and establish a federal-spending database. What he lacks is a record of challenging his own party on divisive, difficult issues -- the deficit, immigration, energy -- that he'd have to reach out to Republicans on if he's elected. Even with a Democratic majority in Congress, it takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass most major measures.
None of this is to say Obama couldn't turn into a consensus-building, party-challenging president. Based on their records so far, though, it takes a greater leap of faith to believe that of him than of McCain.

Read The Editorial
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McCain-Palin Campaign Conference Call On Barack Obama's Failed Economic Leadership

2008-09-18T18:52:00.001-04:00

"And though, the pitch has been strong and its been eloquent, the facts are that he was the number two recipient of the money he has suggested bought off the legislative process in Washington from adopting the types of regulations that Freddie and Fannie needed to oversee the products that didn't exist when the original regulation was structured. ... Not only was it campaign contributions, it was former heads of those companies that were selected to head that vice presidential selection team for Barack Obama." -- Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)

Today, the McCain-Palin campaign held a press conference call with Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Doug Holtz-Eakin, McCain-Palin senior policy adviser, on Barack Obama's failed economic leadership:

Doug Holtz-Eakin: "I want to focus my remarks about Barack Obama's economic capabilities as a leader, on his promise to the middle class Americans for a tax cut and what should they really expect. I think the first thing one should be quite honest about is he has no credibility in his comments. This is the man who voted for higher taxes 94 times in the U.S. Senate -- 94 times he had the opportunity to either keep taxes where they were or lower them for middle class Americans; he did not. He then entered into a presidential campaign where he ran as an advocate for higher taxes in the primary. He, in the primary for example, said we're going to get rid of the cap on the taxing the maximum Social Security and subject all of that to a 12.4% tax. It became apparent after he won the nomination, that that was an agenda that is not possible with Americans. So very quickly he said no, no I didn't mean that, I mean anyone who is making over $250,000 I'll raise tax for that and then he said no, no I didn't mean that, I'm going to tax those people who are making more than $250,000 a 4-5% rate. Oh no I didn't mean that, I'm going to do it in 10 years.

"So he has changed that story from an immediate increase, the largest tax increase in American history, to something that he won't do for 10 years, when he would be out of office if he were so fortunate to be elected. That is absolutely the character of what his tax proposals have been in this campaign. He was going to raise taxes on dividends and capital gains and when the bad impact it would have on small businesses he immediately said no, no I'm going to have a zero tax rate for start ups. Start ups don't have capital gains. They're start ups. He has continually shifted to the point where his economic advice most recently said on CNBC, 'We never meant to raise taxes. We're going to wait a couple years. We've always said that.'

"They have said so many things throughout the campaign It is clear that Barack Obama on taxes will say anything that is politically expedient including I will cut taxes for 95% of Americans. The fact is he has promised so much spending it would be impossible for those tax cuts to take place. He has proposed over $800 billion worth of increases in spending and that excludes a recent independent estimate of his healthcare plan which would cost over $240 billion a year alone. It is an inconceivable matter of arithmetic in modern financial markets that he could cut taxes and follow through on the spending promises he made. So there is no credibility in this package.

"And finally we can take this at face value, that he says, 'I am going to raise the top marginal tax, I'm going to increase taxes on dividends and capital gains and then I'm going to do a variety of other things including tax credit that he's proposed.' What will you have: you will have higher taxes on small businesses at a time when firms under 50 employees have created 330,000 jobs in this economy -- an economy starving for some vitality. He will raise taxes on the one source of economic vitality. In an economy where the capital markets are struggling, he will raise taxes on dividends and capital gains. The reason people hold stocks is the dividends and capital gains. If you raise the taxes on them, they will not want to hold stocks and Barack Obama will take the stock market that has dropped by 900 points in two days this week and drive it further south.

What's the net result? Take it at face value, he's going to say you can have a $500 tax credit, but I don't think Americans are going to be too happy with that when they don't have a job and they don't have a pension. This is a very bad combination. His running mate recently said higher taxes are patriotic. This is an economy that is struggling, higher taxes aren't patriotic. They're bad tax policy."

...

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA): "Obviously, as Doug has said, our capital markets continue to broil unpredictably. I think there's clearly a significant amount of turmoil. And the impact on American families is really unknown and is yet to be felt. But this is the time that the country and the people of America really need to see leadership. And I don't know that we've heard any position articulated by Barack Obama, on the situation surrounding AIG up until last night. And even this morning, I think we are very unclear as to where Barack Obama is on the issue of AIG.
"We don't know where he is. And I think it's clearly demonstrating that Barack Obama trying to vote present while we're in an economic crisis, yet again. It seems that this is a pattern of his behavior in the legislative body in Illinois, certainly in the Senate repeated and now in his candidacy for the presidency. He once again cannot come down on an issue that is going to have such an impact, and it already has, on millions of Americans.

"And I think you have also heard from John McCain that, look this is an extremely upsetting and disappointing situation. That I don't think anyone likes to put taxpayer dollars into a private entity, but the way that this has been done It has been done to protect taxpayer dollars. Frankly, taxpayer dollars will hopefully come back to the federal government ant then the taxpayers. This is a loan to AIG, not a bail out.

"There is control now that has been asserted over the company so that no dividends can be paid to shareholders. So that taxpayers will be paid back first. This is the kind of leadership. This is the kind of behavior that I think people expect from leaders. When you compare what John McCain has said and done on this versus an extremely unclear and vague position -- if there even is a position on the part of Barack Obama -- I think it also indicates a very cloudy leadership on his part."
...
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC): "I think it's safe to say that this is an election that I personally believe will be decided based upon leadership. And I think the American people are looking at everything that happens right now and looking at two individuals trying to decide, 'is this the type of leadership I want, not only in the White House, but as commander-in-chief?' I think that the American people expect a good leader to lead by example.
"And I think, as Eric alluded to, to take no positions on whether intervention in AIG was needed displays a lot to the American people. It doesn't recognize the fact that AIG has 74 million customers, and that they operate in 138 countries, and that they have a trillion dollars worth of assets, and that if you allow that to go away, not only is there an employment hit to the American people, there is a disruption in international marketplace that takes what is ripples today and it creates waves that will capsize other companies that today are in fact not necessarily in trouble.

"From standpoint of setting the example, one needs only to look at the Freddie and Fannie challenges and the government response, and the fact Barack Obama was the second largest recipient of campaign contributions from Freddie and Fannie. It's not good enough to go out and just talk about reform and to talk about change. The American people are going to hold these candidates to their actions. And though, the pitch has been strong and its been eloquent, the facts are that he was the number two recipient of the money he has suggested bought off the legislative process in Washington from adopting the types of regulations that Freddie and Fannie needed to oversee the products that didn't exist when the original regulation was structured. It is absolutely essential that Freddie and Fannie in the new world that they will go into are under a different type of regulation that regulates new products. The question is can you accomplish that with somebody tha t is so indebted to those. Not only was it campaign contributions, it was former heads of those companies that were selected to head that vice presidential selection team for Barack Obama. It was the campaign adviser, Frank Raines, who walked away from that company several years ago, with over $90 million of a golden parachute that Barack Obama has criticized regularly throughout the marketplace, that these things shouldn't exist.

"Clearly this is an election about leadership. It is an understanding that the financial markets continue to change and that we need not only a leader that's willing to surround himself with the right types of experts, but a leader that is willing to make a decision in short order based upon what's in the best interest of the American people."
Setting The Record Straight: Deregulation

Doug Holtz-Eakin: "Let me make the observation that the crucial issue that presents the candidates is the future of financial regulation. And in Larry Summers and Robert Rubin, Barack Obama has the two Treasury Secretaries who sheparded through the Gramm-Leach-Bliley legislation that they are now attacking as the source of all the problems on Wall Street that was signed by then-President Clinton. Obama adviser Gene Sperling was praised for his work on the legislation, so the quality of the advice that he's receiving, we have a track record on that.

"John McCain has a track record as well. He is a man who in 2003 said we need to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, these are threats to the U.S. taxpayer. They are threats to financial markets. They need to have a different regulatory structure, a strong office in the Treasury. It didn't happen. He tried again in 2005, repeated his warnings. What we now have are taxpayers owning an institution with $5.6 trillion in liability and a track record of sorry management performance, manipulation of earnings statements, and CEO's leaving in disgrace."

Listen To The Conference Call
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John McCain Statement on Situation in Financial Markets

2008-09-15T21:35:00.000-04:00

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the situation in the financial markets:

"The crisis in our financial markets has taken an enormous toll on our economy and the American people -- first the decline of our housing markets followed by the collapse of Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and now Lehman Brothers. I am glad to see that the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department have said no to using taxpayer money to bailout Lehman Brothers, a position I have spoken about throughout this campaign. We are carefully monitoring the financial markets, including the duress at Lehman Brothers that is the latest reminder of ineffective regulation and management. Efforts must also be focused on ensuring that the deposits of hardworking Americans are protected.

"It is essential for us to make sure that the U.S. remains the pre-eminent financial market of the world. This will be a highest priority of my Administration. In order to do this, major reform must be made in Washington and on Wall Street. We cannot tolerate a system that handicaps our markets and our banks and places at risk the savings of hard-working Americans and investors. The McCain-Palin Administration will replace the outdated and ineffective patchwork quilt of regulatory oversight in Washington and bring transparency and accountability to Wall Street. We will rebuild confidence in our markets and restore our leadership in the financial world."
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John McCain On Our Economy And The American Worker

2008-09-15T21:16:00.000-04:00

"Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest-working, the best-skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world. That's the American worker. And my opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals -- the American worker and their innovation, their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America, and I think they're strong. But they are being threatened today." -- John McCain

John McCain
Remarks
Orlando, FL
September 15, 2008

John McCain: "I'd like to just mention a couple of things to you, and first of all a little straight talk. As you well know, we are seeing tremendous upheaval on Wall Street. The American economy is in a crisis. It is in a crisis. People tonight will be sitting around the kitchen table, trying to figure out how they're going to stay in their homes, how they're going to keep their jobs, how they're going to put food on the table. And America is in a crisis today. Unemployment is on the rise, and our financial markets are in turmoil. People are concerned about our economic future. But let me say something, the economic crisis is not the fault of the American people.

"Our workers are the most innovative, the hardest-working, the best-skilled, most productive, most competitive in the world. That's the American worker. And my opponents may disagree, but those fundamentals -- the American worker and their innovation, their entrepreneurship, the small business, those are the fundamentals of America, and I think they're strong. But they are being threatened today. Those fundamentals are being threatened today because of the greed and corruption that some engaged in on Wall Street, and we have got to fix it. And we have got to reform the way that they do business. And frankly my friends, our workers have been the strength of our economy, and they remain the strength of our economy today. And those fundamentals are threatened, they are threatened and at risk because some on Wall Street have treated Wall Street like a casino. So, we're going to fix it. And their efforts are not being matched at the top. From Washin gton to Wall Street, the top of our economy is broken.

"We've seen self-interest, greed, irresponsibility, and corruption undermine these hardworking American people. We're going to put an end to the abuses in Washington and on Wall Street that have resulted in a crisis that we are seeing unfold today.

"Enough is enough. Enough is enough. We're going to reform the way that Wall Street does business and put an end to the greed that has driven our markets into chaos. We'll stop multimillion-dollar payouts to CEOs that have broken the public trust.

"And we'll put an end, as I said, to running Wall Street like a casino. We'll make businesses work for the benefit of their shareholders and their employees, and we'll make sure that your savings, IRAs, 401k and pensions are protected."

Watch John McCain
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"Bloomberg Agrees With McCain: Economy 'Fundamentally...Strong'"

2008-09-15T21:12:00.001-04:00

I just now asked the New York mayor, a former Wall Street hand who's been in the mix in the current crisis, whether he agrees with McCain that the fundamentals of the American economy are strong.

"I do agree that fundamentally America has an economy that is strong," he said. "America's great strength is its diversity, its hard work, its good financial statements, its broad capital markets,its enormous natural resources" and its work ethic, he said.

"I'd rather play America's hand than any other country," he said. "Without problems? No."

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John McCain's Weekly Radio Address

2008-09-13T21:56:00.000-04:00

DOWNLOAD THE AUDIO FILE HERE: http://www.johnmccain.com/Downloads/091308_wra.mp3

John McCain's Weekly Radio Address:

Good morning, this is John McCain, and it's been a great week traveling through America on the campaign trail. Since accepting the nomination of my party, I've taken our campaign to Wisconsin, Michigan, Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. At each stop, I put Washington on notice that we're going to shake things up in that city. And I had the pleasure of introducing America to Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska.

I was looking for a fellow maverick in a runningmate, and I sure found one in Sarah Palin. As a chief executive of her state, she took on the special interests and lobbyists who had been in control of her state -- and especially the big oil companies. With major ethics reforms, tax cuts, and a half a billion dollars in spending vetoes, she put government back on the side of the people. Governor Palin doesn't have much patience for what she calls the "good-ol'-boys" network. And the good-ol'-boys in Washington aren't going to like her anymore than the ones in Juneau.

Now that our party conventions are behind us, and both my opponent and I have chosen our running-mates, the choice before America is clearer than ever. For Governor Palin and me, change is more than a slogan, and it's not about party. It's about changing the way business is done, and it's the reason we entered politics to begin with.

What struck me the most about Senator Obama's convention was how much talk we heard about "change" from leaders in Congress who are running the show. Senator Obama has gone out of his way to support his party leadership. But to really fight for change in Washington, you have to know just who you're taking on, and Senator Obama just doesn't get it. The problem in Washington is not Republicans, and the problem is not Democrats. The problem with Washington is that too many people are working for themselves and not working for you.

One of the biggest obstacles to reform today is the Congress itself, where leaders in both parties have sought to raise spending when our country is already nine trillion dollars in debt, to raise the tax burden when our economy is already slowing, and to preserve privileges like earmark spending, which waste your money and keep them in power.

Meanwhile, hard questions are deferred and serious problems are avoided -- the great challenges of energy independence, health care reform, protecting entitlements, education reform, and many others.

This Congress has been in session close to two years and now they have accomplished exactly nothing to meet any of these challenges. Now Senator Obama wants you to believe that things will get better if Democrats control both the Congress and the presidency. But when Americans demand change in Washington, one-party rule where power is an end of itself isn't exactly what they have in mind.

My fellow Americans, if Governor Palin and I are entrusted with four years in the White House, we'll show you what real change looks like. As president, I will veto reckless spending bills, to control the size of government and to let the workers of America keep more of their own earnings. I will put an end to earmark spending, by refusing to sign any bill that contains an earmark. I will lead the cause of health-care reform, by offering every person and family a generous tax credit so they can choose and afford their own health care. I will offer real choice in America's public schools, so that parents, teachers, and principals are in charge instead of union bosses and bureaucrats. And instead of wasting your money on things you never asked for and don't need, we're going to focus on essential priorities like helping American families with tax relief, balancing our federal budget, protecting our people from threats abroad and at home, and regaining control over the cost and supply of energy.

Governor Sarah Palin and I not only promise big change in Washington -- we have records of change to back up our words. We offer not only change you can believe in, but change you can verify. We'll get the job of reform done -- to shake things up in Washington, solve our energy problems, and get the American economy moving again. And whatever your party affiliation, I want every voter in America to know that I am hoping to earn your support in the cause of real reform in Washington.

Thanks for listening.
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Building On His Long Commitment To Expanding National Service, John McCain Is Proposing A Service To America Initiative.

2008-09-11T18:11:00.001-04:00

As President, John McCain will create a Service to America initiative to strengthen the teaching and understanding of American history, culture and core ideas, and to inspire Americans to serve causes greater than their own self interest. Civic participation by citizens over a lifetime, working in neighborhoods and communities, and service of all kinds -- military and civilian; full-time or part-time; and national or international -- can renew America's civic purpose and heal our fractured patriotism.

John McCain's Record Of Supporting Service To Our Nation

· John McCain Was An Original Cosponsor With Sen. Bayh (D-IN) Of The Bipartisan National Call To Service Act That Established A National Service Plan With Incentives To Enlist In The Armed Forces. Under the plan, participants must meet all eligibility requirements for military service and may choose one of the following incentives: $5,000, payable after completing 18 months of active duty; and 18 months of reserve service; repayment of student loans up to $18,000; educational allowance at the Montgomery GI Bill monthly rate for one year; or educational allowance of one-half of the GI Bill monthly rate for three years. The bill also expanded volunteer opportunities in civilian organizations, including AmeriCorps. John McCain reintroduced the civilian components with Sens. Bayh, Kennedy and Mikulski in 2003, after the military service component became law in 2002.

· John McCain Sponsored The Troops-to-Teachers Improvement Act. The Act strengthened and extended the Troops-to-Teachers Program encouraging retired military personnel to become teachers, particularly in schools located in disadvantaged or rural areas facing a shortage of teachers.

John McCain Issues A New Call To Service -- The Service To America Initiative
Highlights

· Bolster volunteerism with an energetic and comprehensive national service initiative designed to increase opportunities for people willing to serve their communities and their country.

· Ensure coordination of all service efforts across the federal government and make certain that all these service programs are effective and on equal footing.

· Convene "Volunteerism Summits" so people can share with others the best ideas and most effective programs currently underway in their own communities.

· Increase focus of our volunteers on urgent situations such as the high school dropout crisis and job retraining.

· Boost opportunities for service overseas to increase understanding and communication among diverse cultures.

· Create opportunities for families to spend service opportunities together at home and abroad.
· Increase service opportunities for the disabled community.

· Coordinate a network of private sector "venture capital" funds matched with government grants to support job retraining or vocational training efforts in high schools and targeted communities where job loss persists.

· Allow faith-based organizations to improve their volunteerism numbers by allowing them to hire consistent with the views of the respective organization without risking federal funding.
Utilize The Wisdom And Experience Of Our Retirees And Veterans

· With Boomers entering the retirement ranks, provide more opportunities to senior Americans by expanding SeniorCorps with a focus on mentoring at risk students, assisting community-based homeland security programs, and overseas teaching of American history to bridge cultural divides.

· Develop opportunities for returning veterans to reintegrate immediately through a civilian service opportunity and continue to serve their country upon returning home.

A Call To Service Is A Call To Educate

· Engage more college students in community service through the Federal Work-Study program; current law only requires seven percent of recipients to perform community service.

· Engage Americans in disaster preparedness and response by providing education and training resources for effective community-based efforts.

· Use AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps volunteers as tutors and mentors to address the high school dropout crisis in America.

· Create a realistic teaching certification requirement for outstanding individuals with years of service and work so they have the opportunity to tutor or teach without jumping through unreasonable bureaucratic hoops.

· Strengthen the teaching of American history and civics education through volunteers in our communities and schools who are able to tutor and teach with a teaching certificate equivalency.

In The United States Senate, John McCain Is An Original Cosponsor Of The Hatch-Kennedy Service Bill That Includes:

· Service Learning: Authorizes new grant program to make direct competitive grants to eligible partnerships to carry out service-learning programs with disengaged youth in secondary schools and authorizes the Corporation for National Service to designate up 20 institutions each year as "Campuses of Service." While the grants authorized under this section come directly from the Corporation to the recipients, state service commissions and departments of education are listed as eligible applicants, allowing state agencies to compete alongside school district partnerships.

· Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Establishes a "Commission on Cross-Sector Solutions to America's Problems," Community Solutions Funds and Innovation Fellowships.

· Service Corps: Directs the Corporation to establish new accounts to fund grant programs including Education Corps, Community Health Access Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Opportunity Corps and Reserve Corps.

· Civic Health Index: The Corporation will establish a "Civic Health Index" and will provide data on the progress and effectiveness of various civic programs and initiatives.

· Serve America And Encore Fellowships: Serve America Fellowships are administered almost entirely at the state level, allowing the states to continue to be laboratories of innovation for volunteer service programs. Eligible organizations also include faith-based organizations. Encore Fellowships provide another incentive to Baby Boomers to utilize their experience in the volunteer sector. Reports indicate that the transferrable education award is a significant incentive for potential participants.

· Volunteer Generation Fund: Directs the Corporation to award competitive 3-5 year grants to support the recruitment, management, and training of volunteers to carry out activities benefitting low-income individuals.VGF will increase the capacity of smaller groups, including churches and faith-based organizations, to engage more Americans in helping their communities.

· International Programs: The bill will improve upon and expand the existing Volunteers for Prosperity Program, providing opportunities for international volunteer service. The bill will expand the Peace Corps, allowing for the improvement of its long-standing mission to provide service in developing countries.
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Mark 9/11 Anniversary by Targeting Terrorists Overseas While Respecting Liberties at Home, Says Bob Barr

2008-09-11T18:10:00.000-04:00

“Seven years have passed since the horrid terrorist attacks of 9/11," says Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party nominee for President. "The U.S. government can best mark the anniversary by continuing to target groups which threaten Americans, but also by respecting the liberties upon which our nation is based."

“The Bush administration deserves credit for having done much to disable al Qaeda as an effective terrorist organization,” Barr says. “However, early on, the administration took its eye off of the ball when it shifted troops from searching for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan to use in the unnecessary war in Iraq. Now, the situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating badly,” adds Barr.

“Moreover, the Bush administration engaged in a sustained attack on the liberty and privacy of Americans in the name of combating terrorism. It drafted the Patriot Act, which provided the federal government with powers well beyond those necessary to confront potential terrorists, and it initiated an illegal surveillance program of telephone calls and emails, ignoring both the Constitution and the law,” Barr explains.

“Obviously, the federal government has a responsibility to protect Americans from terrorist threats,” Barr notes. “However, equally fundamental is the government’s responsibility to respect the liberties which the federal government is tasked to protect. If we sacrifice those basic freedoms, then truly the terrorists have won,” Barr says.

“As president, I will focus U.S. law enforcement and military efforts on terrorists who have targeted Americans. I will not allow my administration to be sidetracked by unnecessary wars and interventions, such as in Iraq,” explains Barr. “As for Iraq, I will quickly withdraw U.S. troops, leaving Iraqis in control of their own destinies.”

“At home, I will restore the Constitution as the guide for U.S. policy,” insists Barr. “The government must combat those who wish Americans ill, but it must act within the law, ensuring accountability for U.S. officials. That means appropriate limits on and oversight of all surveillance, arrests, trials and imprisonment. Never can we forget that the American government is one of laws, not of men,” Barr concludes.

“The attacks of 9/11 leave us with great responsibility for the future. We must defend Americans from those outside who threaten violence. We also must defend Americans from those at home who would sacrifice our liberties,” says Barr.

Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.
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"Coburn On Palin And The Bridge To Nowhere"

2008-09-10T21:00:00.001-04:00

"Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's 'Bridge to Nowhere,' says that he spoke with Gov. Sarah Palin as the controversy was unfolding and she told him 'that she was going to kill it because she thought it was wasteful.' ... Biden and Obama, said Coburn, 'voted for [the bridge earmark] every time it came up because they played the game on earmarks.'" -- Politico

"Coburn On Palin And The Bridge To Nowhere"
Ryan Grim
Politico
September 10, 2008

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), who hollered earliest and loudest about Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," says that he spoke with Gov. Sarah Palin as the controversy was unfolding and she told him "that she was going to kill it because she thought it was wasteful." ...

"And can you imagine a governor telling [Alaska Republican Sen.] Ted Stevens what he will or won't do?" Stevens was a vocal supporter of the earmark. He has since been indicted for not reporting gifts he received. ...

McCain was a cosponsor of an amendment that Coburn tried to push through that would have moved the money from Alaska to Louisiana to repair the I-10 freeway damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Joseph Biden (D-Del.) opposed that amendment. Biden and Obama, said Coburn, "voted for [the bridge earmark] every time it came up because they played the game on earmarks. Remember what the appropriators said: 'If you don't vote for this, your earmarks are next. We'll come after your earmarks.' That was the veiled threat." ...

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McCain-Palin 2008 Conference Call On Personal Attacks Against Governor Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T20:57:00.001-04:00

"If it's not rejected by Senator Obama, if he doesn't speak to this and condemn that statement, then it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side. I hope he will take this opportunity to step out and get this campaign back on track and reject this outrageous, demeaning statement to someone who has accomplished a lot in her life other than not just have an abortion." -- Senator Lindsey Graham

Today, McCain-Palin 2008 held a press conference call with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to discuss South Carolina Democratic Chairwoman Carol Fowler comments today:

Senator Lindsay Graham: "It's very uncharacteristic of Ms. Fowler to say something this out of bounds. I think it has more to do with the fact that our Democratic colleagues and opponents are in a meltdown mode over Governor Palin. She's a talented, reform-minded, conservative female governor who has, I think, thrown our opponents for a loop in terms of how to engage the McCain-Palin ticket. And all I can say is, if this were done the other way there would be a firestorm of monumental proportions if a Republican had used this line of attack against a Democratic female vice presidential nominee.

"Only very blinded partisan people could not appreciate Governor Palin's many accomplishments throughout her life. I would argue that Governor Palin's life and that of her husband's, people can relate to their struggles and their situations probably greater than anyone else on the national tickets, and the reason she's added so much energy and momentum to our ticket is that she's accomplished, she's a reformer at a time when Washington needs one and people can relate to her. These kinds of attacks that are personal, and quite frankly hateful, are going to backfire on our Democratic colleagues and opponents.

"It's a complete outrage. It's an arrogant statement. It's a statement that comes from being in a meltdown mode. It's like when Barack Obama said that rural people only cling to their religion and their guns because they have problems in their lives. I think the American people are going to understand ... that Governor Palin has done things that our opponent has never done regarding their own party. She has taken on big spending, and she's taken on people in her party who have strayed from doing what is best for America. And in Alaska, they will see this statement. If it's not rejected by Senator Obama, if he doesn't speak to this and condemn that statement, then it will speak volumes about where we're at on the Democratic side. I hope he will take this opportunity to step out and get this campaign back on track and reject this outrageous, demeaning statement to someone who has accomplished a lot in her life other than not just have an abortion."

Rep. Marsha Blackburn: "What we are seeing is a pattern that has come into play. We can go back to the remarks that Senator Obama made to a reporter back during the primaries when she was referred to as 'sweetie.' Moving forward, he passed over Senator Clinton and many feel like he also passed over Governor Sebelius both as running mates. And then the lipstick comment that he made yesterday. And now we get to the actions and comments of today. You look at all of this in the context of the campaign -- you know that the American people and especially women are watching this, and first of all they are offended by the lack of respect for Governor Palin being displayed. But secondly, they are offended that the party that has many times said that they were the ones that had cornered the women's market is showing disrespect for all women by choosing to address the woman in the spotlight -- a woman who is a leader with a proven track record -- and trying to diminish her accomplishments, demean the work she has done, and try to demonize her. I think the American women find that to be completely inappropriate."

"The personal attacks, the inappropriate comments -- these are things that conservative women face every day. This is why the truth squad is so willingly and readily coming to defend her. We know that if you don't fit the role model, the stereotype of a feminist, then there are some that do not accept and do not want to talk about your record of accomplishments. Traditionally and generally what you do is you just put your head down and you just plow on through it because at the end of the day you know that fighting for freedom and liberty and making this country great is worth the fight. Now her record -- she has an absolute record. I was recently in Alaska, and it was amazing to me that people there are so proud of their governor and are so happy with the job that she is doing."

Listen To The Full Conference Call
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Join Statement from John McCain and Barack Obama

2008-09-07T22:03:00.001-04:00

Today, John McCain and Barack Obama issued the following statement on coming together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks:

"On September 11, 2008, we will join together to mark the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero.

"All of us came together on 9/11 -- not as Democrats or Republicans -- but as Americans. In smoke-filled corridors and on the steps of the Capitol; at blood banks and at vigils -- we were united as one American family. On Thursday, we will put aside politics and come together to renew that unity, to honor the memory of each and every American who died, and to grieve with the families and friends who lost loved ones. We will also give thanks for the firefighters, police, and emergency responders who set a heroic example of selfless service, and for the men and women who serve today in defense of the freedom and security that came under attack in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania."

John McCain on the US - India Civilian Nuclear Agreement

2008-09-06T22:35:00.003-04:00

Today, U.S. Senator John McCain issued the following statement on the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement and the decision by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG):

"I welcome today's decision by the 45 nation Nuclear Suppliers Group to lift the global ban on civilian nuclear trade with India. This step, which is critical to implementing the U.S.-India civilian nuclear agreement, represents another building block in the partnership between our two countries.

"Because the agreement will further involve India in the global nonproliferation regime, strengthen the ongoing transformation of U.S.-India relations, and reduce India's dependence on carbon-emitting energy sources, I supported it early on and without equivocation. The same cannot be said of my opponent, who supported 'poison pill' amendments on the Senate floor that would have had the effect of killing this important agreement. Now that the NSG has approved it, Congressional leaders should act expeditiously to pass the U.S.-India nuclear agreement here at home."
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Mayor Rudy Giuliani On CBS' "Early Show"

2008-09-03T12:46:00.002-04:00

"Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything. Sarah Palin has been a mayor. She's been a governor. She has a record of reform. She has a record of leadership. She's run a budget." -- Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Mayor Rudy Giuliani
CBS' "Early Show"
September 3, 2008

Mayor Rudy Giuliani: "Barack Obama has never governed a city, never governed a state, never governed an agency, never run a military unit, never run anything. Sarah Palin has been a mayor. She's been a governor. She has a record of reform. She has a record of leadership. She's run a budget. So, why are all these questions for her? Has anybody ever asked Barack Obama, can you bring up your two kids and be president of the United States? They are asking 'can she be vice president and be a mother?' Come on."

CBS' Maggie Rodriguez: "So you're saying you have no doubt and mothers shouldn't either, that she can do it?

Mayor Giuliani: "Where are the feminists? I mean is it just the early feminist groups? Where are they?"

Rodriguez: "I think they are fair questions. It's a lot to judge."

Mayor Giuliani: "They are questions. I don't know if they're fair questions. You can ask any question you want, then to designate it as a fair question. You know, can you be a mother and be a vice president? We've had a lot of fathers run for president and no one has ever asked them, 'can you be a father and be president?' Don't tell me there isn't a difference there."

Watch Mayor Giuliani
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Secretary of State Handel Joins NASS in Declaring September 2008 National Voter Registration Month

2008-08-31T22:07:00.000-04:00

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today joined fellow members of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) in declaring September 2008 National Voter Registration Month. Secretary Handel is working with Georgia’s local election administrators to make the state’s eligible voters aware of registration deadlines and requirements for this year’s General Election.

Secretary Handel serves as Vice-President of the Southern U.S. Region for NASS, which represents chief state election officials in 39 states.

“Citizens across Georgia and the nation are taking a special interest in the upcoming General Election,” Secretary Handel said. “I encourage all eligible Georgia citizens to register to vote and cast a ballot in this important election.”

To register to vote in Georgia, you must be a citizen of the United States, a legal resident of Georgia and of the county in which you plan to vote, and at least 17 ½ years old. You may not register to vote if you are currently serving any sentence imposed by the conviction of a felony or judicially determined to be mentally incompetent.

Citizens who are not registered to vote in the county in which they reside must submit a voter registration application by Monday, October 6, 2008 in order to vote in the General Election. Citizens who are registered to vote at a former address within the county where they reside are encouraged to submit a change of address card to their county registrar. Voters who are currently registered at the correct address do not need to submit a new voter registration application.

Georgia voters can verify their registration status at the Secretary of State’s Election Center website: http://sos.georgia.gov/ElectionCenter.

You can contact your local county registrars’ office, public library, public assistance office, recruitment office, schools, and other government offices for a mail-in registration form. Voter registration is offered when renewing or applying for a driver’s license at any Georgia Department of Driver Services office. College students can obtain Georgia voter registration forms from their school registrar’s office or from the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Secretary Handel encourages any individual or members of an organization conducting a voter registration drive to become deputy registrars. Deputy registrars receive comprehensive training on voter registration procedures, and applicants who return a completed voter registration form to a deputy registrar are considered as having applied on that date. For more information, please contact your county registrars’ office. Contact information is available at the Secretary of State’s Election Center website: http://www.sos.georgia.gov/ElectionCenter.

NASS established National Voter Registration Month to encourage voter participation and to increase awareness of state voter registration requirements and deadlines.
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Obama Campaign and the Campaign for Change Hold 50-State Working for Change Weekend of Action

2008-08-30T13:38:00.000-04:00

This Labor Day weekend, just after Barack Obama officially accepted the Democratic nomination for president, the Obama campaign and the Campaign for Change organized a Working for Change Weekend of Action to mobilize volunteers and voters at the grassroots level in all 50 states.

Across the country, volunteers and staffers will spend part of their Labor Day weekend preparing our grassroots organization for the final two months of the campaign. At house parties, picnics, organizational meetings, and local rallies, grassroots supporters of Senator Obama will register first-time voters and recruit volunteers by talking to people in their community about the Obama plan to change Washington and contrasting it with the McCain plan to extend President Bush’s economic policies for another four years. Participants will be able to organize and find events online at my.barackobama.com.

“Our grassroots supporters and volunteers are the unsung heroes of this campaign. And this Labor Day, they will come together for a massive working weekend to organize our efforts for the final two months,” Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe said. “Our energy and support at the grassroots – among Democrats, Independents and Republicans -- is what is making traditionally red states competitive, and what will put us over the top in November.

”This week the Obama campaign announced a new voter registration tool: VoteforChange.com. Aimed at simplifying the election process for voters as we gear up for a historic general election, VoteforChange.com allows voters across the country to verify their registration status, register to vote for the first time, or get the relevant absentee voting information for their state – all online.

With unprecedented grassroots support and enthusiasm, the Obama campaign has organized in all 50 states. With over 4,000 events planned, this Working for Change Weekend of Action is another manifestation of people working from the bottom up to bring real change to Washington.
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"A Reform Ticket"

2008-08-30T12:19:00.001-04:00

"For starters, we'd say Governor Palin's credentials as an agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's." -- The Wall Street Journal

"A Reform Ticket"
Editorial
The Wall Street Journal
August 30, 2008

If any doubt remained that former fighter pilot John McCain loves to take unconventional risks, he put them to bed Friday by picking Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Introduced in Dayton by Mr. McCain, Governor Palin swung the bat pretty well. We'll now see if she can hit curve balls.

It's a daring pick because Mrs. Palin has never faced national scrutiny and hasn't had to deal with foreign policy. Most VP choices are designed to do no harm, and we tend to agree with the maxim. Democrats are already saying they can't wait for Mrs. Palin's debate against "statesman" Joe Biden. On the other hand, the record shows that Sarah Palin's political career is a case study in taking on the big boys. We suspect her record of fighting the status quo was uppermost in John McCain's decision.

Barack Obama aside, Senator McCain's biggest problem is a Republican brand that has suffered -- both among independents and the GOP base -- from the party's business-as-usual mentality in Washington. The public wants change. This pick could prove Mr. McCain is serious about changing his party.

Sarah Palin's reform resume would be remarkable in any political career. She entered politics at 28, winning a seat on the Wasilla city council as an opponent of tax increases. After she defeated Wasilla's three-term incumbent mayor four years later, she swept the mayor's cronies out of the bureaucracy.

In 2003, Alaska Governor Frank Murkowski appointed her to the state's Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Bear in mind that Mr. Murkowski had already served as junior U.S. Senator from Alaska for 22 years. Mr. Murkowski was junior senator for so long because Senator Ted Stevens (who was recently indicted for corruption) had lifetime tenure in the senior post.
Shortly after joining the oil and gas commission, Mrs. Palin commenced an ethics probe of the state's Republican party chairman, Randy Ruedrich, involving conflicts of interest with oil companies. The probe resulted in a $12,000 fine for the party chair.

She crossed party lines in 2004 to join a Democratic representative's ethics complaint over an international trade deal against the Republican Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who had ties to the Murkowski machine. Mr. Renkes resigned.

In late 2005, Mrs. Palin announced her run for Governor before then-Governor Murkowski had announced his intention to stand for re-election. In a three-way primary, Mrs. Palin got 51% to Mr. Murkowski's 19%. At the center of this campaign was a debate over competing proposals to build a natural gas pipeline across Alaska.

These columns wrote about Gov. Murkowski's smashing defeat by Mrs. Palin, noting that his pipeline proposal had been tainted by reports of sweetheart deals with energy companies. The editorial ended: "If Republicans are run out of Congress in November, one big reason will be that, like Mr. Murkowski, they have become far more comfortable running the government than reforming it." That is what happened, as disgusted GOP voters turned away from their own party and ceded control of Congress to the Democrats.

Against the odds, Mrs. Palin won that 2006 election against the state's former Democratic governor Tony Knowles. Most recently, she promoted the effort of her GOP lieutenant governor to unseat U.S. Congressman Don Young, who with Senator Stevens created the earmark that sank the GOP, the notorious "bridge to nowhere."

Experience?

For starters, we'd say Governor Palin's credentials as an agent of reform exceed Barack Obama's. Mr. Obama rose through the Chicago Democratic machine without a peep of push-back. Alaska's politics are deeply inbred and backed by energy-industry money. Mr. Obama slid past the kind of forces that Mrs. Palin took head on. This is one reason her selection -- despite its campaign risks -- seems to have been so well received by Republicans yesterday. They are looking for a new generation of leaders.

Don't expect this remarkable personal Palin narrative to get an Obama-like break from the national media. Their main focus will be her lack of experience, claiming it undercuts Mr. McCain's criticism of Barack Obama. One mispronounced foreign leader's name, and she's going to be hammered.

If she can survive this gantlet, Governor Palin could help Mr. McCain with some liabilities of his own. The alternative would have been a ticket of two familiar GOP names in a political cycle where the Democrats have seemed to be the party of energy and freshness. A self-described "hockey mom" with a commercial-fisherman husband, Governor Palin will have more credibility with families than a Mitt Romney or Mike Huckabee. With energy supplies and prices one of the top issues, Alaska's Governor also should bring some first-hand realism to the debate over drilling and the environment.

* * *
Senator Obama's acceptance speech made it clear that his campaign strategy is pegged to linking Mr. McCain to the Beltway Republicans and the struggling economy. It's a powerful argument, and John McCain needs an answer to Mr. Obama's list of Democratic bromides. The vulnerability in the Obama plan is there's little in it that is new. He'd mostly replace one status quo with an earlier status quo of government spending schemes. Joe Biden is no help on that.
Mr. McCain's instinct clearly is to offer himself to voters as a reformer. With Sarah Palin, a genuine reformer, Mr. McCain may have found the right idea and the right person to make his run.

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McCain Picks Sarah Palin, Alaska Governor as VP

2008-08-29T11:44:00.001-04:00

U.S. Senator John McCain today announced that he has selected Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate and to serve as his vice president.

Governor Palin is a tough executive who has demonstrated during her time in office that she is ready to be president. She has brought Republicans and Democrats together within her Administration and has a record of delivering on the change and reform that we need in Washington.

Governor Palin has challenged the influence of the big oil companies while fighting for the development of new energy resources. She leads a state that matters to every one of us -- Alaska has significant energy resources and she has been a leader in the fight to make America energy independent.

In Alaska, Governor Palin challenged a corrupt system and passed a landmark ethics reform bill. She has actually used her veto and cut budgetary spending. She put a stop to the "bridge to nowhere" that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars.

As the head of Alaska's National Guard and as the mother of a soldier herself, Governor Palin understands what it takes to lead our nation and she understands the importance of supporting our troops.

Governor Palin has the record of reform and bipartisanship that others can only speak of. Her experience in shaking up the status quo is exactly what is needed in Washington today.

Obama Commemorates Women’s Equality Day

2008-08-26T16:27:00.000-04:00

Senator Obama issued a statement today honoring Women’s Equality Day and said:

“Beginning with a meeting in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848, women organized themselves and worked to secure the right to vote so they could make their voices heard through the ballot box. On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment passed and women could no longer be denied that right. As we honor the heroic women who would not accept the world as it was, we are reminded that we can remake the world as it should be. That belief drives me today as I think about the kind of world I want for my daughters and future generations. Now, 88 years later, women are still fighting for change and I intend to lead that fight as President.

“With a struggling economy, a government that serves corporations instead of our middle class, there is so much at stake for women and families in this election. Women voters will decide this election and the direction of our country, and I encourage them to register to vote and exercise this hard fought victory by casting a ballot on November 4th.”

In Denver, Colorado, Michelle Obama marked the day by holding a roundtable discussion on the economy with the nation’s female governors – including Governors Sebelius, Napolitano and Gregoire -- and female delegates from across the country struggling to balance work and family and build good lives in a struggling economyThe campaign released the first Obama-Biden blueprint, “Strengthening Economic Security for Women and Families” which can be found at www.barackobama.com/women.

To commemorate Women’s Equality Day the Obama campaign will host hundreds of house parties nationwide in key battleground states. The campaign will also have a national phone bank with women who support Obama for president calling undecided women in battleground states to discuss the reasons they support Obama and the choice women face November 4th. In addition, there are other Women’s Equality Day activities in states all across the country and a women’s statewide canvass training on Wednesday, August 27th.

In 1971, Congress designated August 26, the anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, as Women’s Equality Day. The Constitutional Amendment grants women full voting rights as a result of the Women’s Suffrage Movement that formally began in 1848 at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York.
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Statement by John McCain on the Situation in Georgia

2008-08-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on the situation in Georgia:

"Russia today took a significant and negative step in recognizing the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two separatist Georgian provinces. In April, I warned that Russia was pursuing a policy of de facto annexation that threatened to undermine security and stability in the region. Today's decision, the culmination of a long effort aimed at splitting these two regions away from Georgia, represents a major step forward in that process. Moscow's action deserves condemnation from the entire international community, and Russia must understand that its violations of international law carry consequences.

"I also remain deeply concerned about Russia's continued refusal to comply with the terms of the ceasefire ending hostilities with Georgia. Reports indicate that Russian troops remain around the port city of Poti, a location that has no connection to South Ossetia or even to the 'buffer zone' Moscow is attempting to establish around it. Russia's deployments around Poti seem aimed at maintaining an economic stranglehold over Georgia's major Black Sea port.

"At a time of high energy prices and instability in global markets, it is important to understand that events in Georgia, part of a strategic energy corridor, affect individual lives far beyond the Caucasus. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which brings oil from the Caspian to points west, traverses Georgia. If that pipeline were destroyed or controlled by Russia, global energy supplies would be even more vulnerable to Moscow's influence, with serious consequences on the world energy market.

"There are some encouraging signs that our allies are responding to these events. I welcome French President Sarkozy's convening of an emergency European Union summit next week to discuss the crisis, as well as German Chancellor Merkel's call for a summit of Caucasus nations to discuss Georgian reconstruction and regional stability. It is critical that these and other discussions are followed by action to chart a path for the reconstruction of Georgia and to ensure its continued independence. Americans have for generations sacrificed for the security of our European partners. Now is the time for the transatlantic community to come together to secure, in concert, the peace for a generation of Americans.

"In addition, I am proud that Cindy is currently visiting Georgia on a humanitarian mission. She has carried out this kind of important work all over the world, and it is clear that the Georgian people are suffering in the aftermath of Russia's invasion. Given the level of need there, I am proud that she has traveled to that war-torn country at this time."

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Day 4 in Denver: Michelle Obama to Kick Off Delegate Service Day

2008-08-26T08:32:00.001-04:00

The Obama campaign today announced that Michelle Obama, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, will kick off the Democratic National Convention’s Delegate Service Day, assembling care packages for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. As co-chair of the Democratic National Convention’s Delegate Service Day, Michelle Obama, along with co-chair and Colorado First Lady Jeannie Ritter, will aim to unite and inspire citizens to take responsibility and pride in a renewed commitment to service and America’s future.

Building on Senator and Mrs. Obama’s lifelong commitment to public service, and the Democratic Party’s efforts to encourage public service, delegates from across the country will participate in service day on Wednesday, completing projects in and around Denver.

Mrs. Obama will also be joined by her family and friends, including her mother Marian Robinson and her two daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.

This service project kicks off a day of activities in which Democrats from across the country will participate. This project, part of the DNCC’s Delegate Service Day Initiative, will be in gratitude to the city of Denver which is hosting the delegates this week.
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Day 3 in Denver : Sen. Joe Biden to Join Michelle Obama for Economic Roundtable with Governors and Working Women Tuesday

2008-08-26T08:30:00.000-04:00

The Obama campaign today announced that Democratic Vice Presidential nominee, Senator Joe Biden, will join Michelle Obama for a roundtable discussion in Denver on Tuesday, for his first major Democratic National Convention Appearance in Denver . Together, they will hear the stories of women from across the country and discuss the economic challenges facing women and families. In this discussion, Senator Biden and Mrs. Obama will share the Obama/Biden plans to strengthen the economy and provide economic security for America ’s families.

Senator Biden and Mrs. Obama will be joined Tuesday by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

“As President, Barack is determined to change Washington so that instead of just talking about family values, we actually have policies that value families. Policies that make it easier for working parents to support, care for, and raise their children. Policies that strengthen the middle class and create new economic opportunities for women and families,” said Mrs. Obama.
"These have been eight tough years for working women and their families. When Barack Obama is President, we’ll have a leader in the White House who won't just repair the damage of the last eight years but will stand with women and help working families on every issue from jobs and wages to health care and retirement savings," said Senator Joe Biden. "The fight for economic fairness is personal to all of us. It's who we are, and this November we have as clear of a choice as I can remember between the status quo and policies that will move us forward together."

Throughout the campaign, Mrs. Obama has hosted roundtable discussions with working women across the country to hear their stories and bring their concerns and questions back her husband and his campaign. Obama has recently shed light on the unique challenges that military spouses face juggling the same pressures their non-military peers endure, while coping as single parents while their loved ones are deployed overseas.

Tomorrow, the campaign will circulate a 12-page Blueprint for America ’s Working Women and Families, detailing the Obama/Biden agenda to help women balance work and family, to keep themselves and their families healthy, and to prosper in a changing economy.

You can read the Blueprint here.
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Michelle Obama’s Prime-Time Speech Details the Obama Family’s Life, Values and

2008-08-26T08:28:00.001-04:00

Sent out prior to Michelle Obama's speech at the Convention last night:

Michelle Obama will deliver the first headline prime-time speech of the Democratic National Convention this evening. Michelle Obama will talk about her husband, Democratic nominee Barack Obama, the values that have driven him as a father, husband and public servant, and why she believes he will be an extraordinary president. As the person who knows him best, there’s no one who can do a better job introducing Barack Obama to the country.

In her speech, Michelle will give the country a personal view of Barack Obama – her husband, and Sasha and Malia’s Dad. She will talk about their life together, and building a family grounded in faith and values. The more America learns about this family, the more they’re going to want to send them to the White House.

Michelle will also talk about her upbringing on the South Side of Chicago. Her story is a great American story: modest means but big dreams—and encouragement from loving parents that she and her brother could accomplish whatever they put their minds to if they worked hard. Like Barack, Michelle was also taught to give back to the community and the country that has given her so much. Now, as a working mother of two young girls, Michelle is continuing to give back to the community and country she loves.

Like many moms, she’s learned to juggle the responsibilities of work and family. She knows what it’s like for millions of women who face the same challenges every day. She’s made a career of bringing people together and finding solutions to seemingly intractable problems in her community and that’s exactly what she’ll do as First Lady.

Over the last 19 months, Mrs. Obama has demonstrated a unique ability to connect with people across the country on the campaign trail and share in their American experience. People have come away from her campaign events knowing that they will have a first lady who truly understands their challenges and is committed to helping women and families.

South Side Girl will preview Michelle Obama’s speech. Narrated by her mother, Marian Robinson, the film describes Mrs. Obama’s family background, highlighting her upbringing and the values that have shaped her as a mother, wife, daughter, sister, mentor and dedicated community service advocate. Craig Robinson will then introduce Michelle, sharing his personal perspective on his little sister, their upbringing and their family.

Below is some brief background on those appearing in South Side Girl the film:

Marian Robinson
Marian Robinson goes by many titles. Malia and Sasha Obama call her Grandma. Barack and Michelle Obama call her Mom. She’s been called “the linchpin of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign”—because when Barack and Michelle are on the campaign trail, she takes care of the most important people in their lives.

“I’m standing here, breathing in and out with any level of calm, because my mother is home with my girls,” Michelle frequently says when she’s on the road. “There’s no one like Grandma.”

Marian Shields was born in Chicago in July 1937. She grew up in Woodlawn on the South Side, and married her husband, Fraser Robinson, in 1960. Fraser worked for the Chicago water department, while Marian stayed home and raised their two children: Craig, who was born in 1962, and Michelle, who came along two years later.

The family was very close, spending long hours talking around the dinner table. “We felt like center of our parents’ universe, because they put us there,” Michelle says.

When Michelle entered high school, Marian went back to work, becoming a secretary in a bank. She retired last year. She still lives in the home that the Robinson family shared on the South Side. Barack, Michelle, Malia and Sasha live just a few miles away, and Mrs. Robinson and her granddaughters see each other almost every day. She is also the proud grandmother to Craig’s two children: Avery, 16, and Leslie, 12.

Craig Robinson
Craig Robinson has had two lifelong loves: his family and basketball. Growing up, Craig was a star player for his high school team. His parents and sister were his biggest fans. “We spent every Saturday on a basketball court somewhere, watching my brother play,” Michelle says. He went to Princeton, where he became one of the best basketball players in the history of the university and the first two-time Ivy League basketball player of the year. Following two seasons of professional basketball in England, Craig returned to the states and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and spent seven years as a vice president for Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

But Craig never gave up his love for the game. In 1999, while he was a managing director at the Chicago investment banking firm Loop Capital Markets, he got a call from one of his coaches from Princeton. Craig’s former coach was now the coach at Northwestern, and he wanted Craig to work for him. After some serious thought, Craig decided to leave the world of finance and get back on the basketball court. Craig spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Northwestern. Then he spent two seasons as the head coach at Brown. This spring, he was named the head basketball coach at Oregon State. His basketball career has come full circle. “Every day, I’m doing something I love,” he says. Craig will be joined this evening by his wife, Kelly, and kids Avery, 16, and Leslie, 12.

Jobi Peterson Cates
Jobi Peterson Cates met Michelle Obama in 1993 at Public Allies, a youth leadership training and Americorps national service program, of which Mrs. Obama started the Chicago chapter. They worked together for two years, and have remained friends since. Jobi Peterson Cates went on to become the Vice President of External Relations at the Heartland Alliance, a service bases human rights organization in Chicago. She also served as the Executive Director of the Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, where she led a restructuring and organizational development process. Peterson Cates is now the Human Rights Watch Director for the Chicago & Midwest Region.

Yvonne Davila
Yvonne Davila first met Michelle Obama twenty years ago when they were young staffers together in the office of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, and they have remained incredibly close. Now, they juggle the day to day balance of work and family together, shuttling their daughters of comparable ages to school, play dates, pizza parties and soccer games. Since the Mayor’s office, for over 15 years, Ms. Davila has been worked as a public relations executive, and is currently a partner at D & T Communications, Inc., a firm specializing in public relations and marketing strategies that include media and community relations, governmental affairs, policy and crisis management. She is the mother of two daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine.

Charles Ogletree
Charles Ogletree, a professor and mentor of Michelle Obama’s at Harvard Law School, is the Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law and Vice Dean for the Clinical Programs. Ogletree began his career at Harvard Law the same year Mrs. Obama arrived as a student.

Travis Rejman
Travis Rejman met Michelle Obama at Public Allies, an Americorps national service program and youth leadership training program in the Chicago community, of which Mrs. Obama was the Founding Director in the early 1990s. Mr. Rejman has since become the founding Executive Director of the Goldin Institute, a global forum dedicated to supporting grassroots partnerships for global change in the areas of poverty alleviation, environmental sustainability, and reconciliation that began in 2002. Prior to creating the Goldin Institute, Travis served as Director for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions, leading the development of the program for the 2004 (Barcelona) and 1999 (Cape Town) Parliaments of the World's Religions. Prior to working in the interreligious field, Travis worked in the environmental movement, focusing on coalition building, grassroots education and civic engagement.
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Obama: Iraq Budget Surplus Highlights Need for Change In Washington

2008-08-26T08:27:00.000-04:00

6/9/08 United States Senator Barack Obama delivered the Democratic Radio Address this week, his first as the presumptive nominee. In his address, Senator Obama discussed the stark contrast between America’s huge budget deficit and Iraq’s budget surplus, pointing out that while this Iraqi money sits in American banks, American taxpayers continue to spend $10 billion a month to defend and rebuild Iraq.

Obama also contrasts his commitment to ending the war in Iraq and offering tax cuts to middle class families with Bush administration policies, like staying in Iraq indefinitely and cutting taxes for the wealthy – policies McCain has embraced and promises to extend.

Click HERE to listen to the address.

Text of Radio Address:

This is Senator Barack Obama. This morning, I’d like to talk to you about why America needs to move in a new direction.

In recent days, we’ve seen two stark examples of exactly what’s wrong with Washington, and what’s at stake in this election.

First, we learned that the federal budget deficit could reach nearly half a trillion dollars next year.

Eight years after we had a record surplus, we’re now faced with record deficits. This mortgaging of our children’s future is a direct result of the Bush Administration’s dangerously failed fiscal policies.

Instead of helping Americans who are struggling, we’ve seen loopholes and lavish giveaways for corporations that ship jobs overseas, and tax cut after tax cut for the wealthiest Americans who don’t need them and didn’t even ask for them.

Now, Senator McCain proposes to continue these costly and unfair Bush tax policies. He would continue to put special interests ahead of Americans who are struggling, while short-changing the investments we need to get our economy moving again.

The second thing we learned this week was that the Iraqi government now has a $79 billion budget surplus thanks to their windfall oil profits. And while this Iraqi money sits in American banks, American taxpayers continue to spend $10 billion a month to defend and rebuild Iraq.
That’s right. America faces a huge budget deficit. Iraq has a surplus.

Now, Senator McCain promises to continue President Bush’s open-ended commitment to the war in Iraq, while refusing to pressure Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country.

Let me be clear: we are well over five years into a war in a country that had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. Our brave men and women in uniform have completed every mission they’ve been given. Our country has spent nearly a trillion dollars in Iraq, even as our schools are underfunded, our roads and bridges are crumbling, and the cost of everything from groceries to a gallon of gas is soaring.

Now think for a moment about what we could have done with the hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars that we’ve spent in Iraq. We could have rebuilt American schools and roads and bridges. We could have made historic investments in alternative energy to create millions of American jobs. We could have headed-off $4 dollar a gallon gas and begun to end the tyranny of oil in our time.

Instead, the President decided to spend our money on tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, and a war in Iraq that has already lasted longer than World War II. And Senator McCain has fully embraced these Bush policies.

So the choice in this election could not be clearer.

The American people are worse off than they were eight years ago. Everywhere I go, I meet people who are working hard for their families – but are still falling behind. Our government has lost touch with the most fundamental American values – the belief that everyone should be able to live the American Dream; the sense that we are all in this together as Americans.

Senator McCain talks about putting our country first, but he is running for a third term of the very same policies that have set our country back. We can’t afford to take that chance. We can’t afford to keep running up record deficits while we favor the few over the many. We can’t prioritize a misguided war in Iraq over the urgent needs of the American people.

I believe that we need to move in a new direction.

It’s time to restore balance and fairness to our economy, and to give working people immediate and meaningful relief.

It’s time to stop giving tax cuts to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and to put a tax cut into the pocket of 95 percent of working Americans and their families.

It’s time to end the war in Iraq responsibly by asking the Iraqis to take responsibility for their future and to invest in their own country.

It’s time to make a historic effort to end our dependence on foreign oil by investing $150 billion over the next decade in alternative energy and more fuel efficient cars, even as we push oil companies to increase production. This will create millions of new green jobs – good jobs that lift up our families and communities.

This is a defining moment in our history. We can either continue down a failed course, or we can choose a better future. With your help, I know that we can come together as Americans to meet the challenges of the 21st century, to renew our common purpose, and to reclaim the American Dream for our children and grandchildren.

Thank you and God bless America.
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Daddy Yankee Endorses John McCain

2008-08-25T15:21:00.000-04:00

"[John McCain] has been a fighter for the Hispanic community." -- Daddy Yankee

John McCain And Daddy Yankee
Remarks
Phoenix, AZ
August 25, 2008

John McCain: "And it's a great legacy and a great responsibility for me to follow in the footsteps of some of those great leaders, both Republican or Democrat. So I hope you'll be involved. But most importantly, I know why you are sitting here, and that is not to listen to me so much, but I brought a special friend along with me today, a great American success story. As you know, he's from Puerto Rico. He's been married for 15 years. He has children aged 14, 12 and 10. One of his most famous songs, I know you're very familiar with, Gasolina. Well, here he is, Daddy Yankee."
...
Daddy Yankee: "Good morning. Good morning. It is a very special honor to be here this beautiful morning with everybody right here. This is very special school. It is a big pleasure to be with you.
...
"It is a big pleasure that you guys invited me, and thanks to Senator McCain. And I am here endorsing Senator McCain because I believe in his ideals and his proposals to lead this nation. And like I said before, he has been a fighter for the Hispanic community, and I know that for me personally, I chose him as the best candidate because he has been a fighter for the immigration issue. So for me he is the best guy to lead this nation. And once again, I want to say thank you to everybody for the support it has given me in my entire career. This is a great honor sharing this beautiful morning with everybody. I am a man of few words but with a lot of action like I always said. Senator McCain, pleasure."

Watch The Endorsement
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John McCain 2008 Launches New TV Ad: "Debra"

2008-08-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released its latest television ad, entitled "Debra." The ad features Debra Bartoshevich, a lifelong Democrat and former Clinton delegate, explaining why she supports John McCain. Because John McCain has the experience and judgment we need at these challenging times, millions of Democrats from across the country are supporting him. The ad will air in key states.

VIEW THE AD HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=597YG23mAWs

Script For "Debra" (TV :30)

DEBRA BARTOSHEVICH: I'm a proud Hillary Clinton Democrat.

She had the experience and judgment to be President.

Now, in a first for me, I'm supporting a Republican, John McCain.

I respect his maverick and independent streak, and now he's the one with the experience and judgment.

A lot of Democrats will vote McCain. It's okay, really!

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approved this message.
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Join Statement on the Presidential Debates

2008-08-24T22:48:00.001-04:00

8/21/08 Today, the McCain and Obama campaigns released the following statement on the Presidential debates:

"The Barack Obama and John McCain campaigns have agreed to hold three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate in September and October sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The campaigns have come to the earliest agreement on presidential debates reached in any general election in recent history. This announcement reflects the presidential campaigns' agreement on dates, locations, and the formats for the fall debates. Campaign-appointed debate negotiators House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said they were pleased to have reached an early agreement to provide the American people with the opportunity to see and hear the candidates debate the critical issues facing the country. The two campaigns have accepted sponsorship of the debates by the Commission on Presidential Debates, subject to the debates being conducted under the terms of their agreement."

Summary Of McCain-Obama Debate Agreement:

The two campaigns agreed today on a framework for four General Election debates, to be sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Key elements of the agreement are:

1. First Presidential Debate:

- Date: September 26 - Site: University of Mississippi - Topic: Foreign Policy & National Security - Moderator: Jim Lehrer - Staging: Podium debate - Answer Format: The debate will be broken into nine, 9-minute segments. The moderator will introduce a topic and allow each candidate 2 minutes to comment. After these initial answers, the moderator will facilitate an open discussion of the topic for the remaining 5 minutes, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment

2. Vice Presidential Debate

- Date: October 2nd - Site: Washington University (St. Louis) - Moderator: Gwen Ifill - Staging/Answer Format: To be resolved after both parties' Vice Presidential nominees are selected.

3. Second Presidential Debate

- Date: October 7 - Site: Belmont University - Moderator: Tom Brokaw - Staging: Town Hall debate - Format: The moderator will call on members of the audience (and draw questions from the internet). Each candidate will have 2 minutes to respond to each question. Following those initial answers, the moderator will invite the candidates to respond to the previous answers, for a total of 1 minute, ensuring that both candidates receive an equal amount of time to comment. In the spirit of the Town Hall, all questions will come from the audience (or internet), and not the moderator.

4. Third Presidential Debate

- Date: October 15 - Site: Hofstra University - Topic: Domestic and Economic policy - Moderator: Bob Schieffer - Staging: Candidates will be seated at a table - Answer Format: Same as First Presidential Debate - Closing Statements: At the end of this debate (only) each candidate shall have the opportunity for a 90 second closing statement.

All four debates will begin at 9pm ET, and last for 90 minutes. Both campaigns also agreed to accept the CPD's participation rules for third-party candidate participation.
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McCain Nightly Memo

2008-08-24T22:27:00.001-04:00

Sunday, 8/24/08
72 Days to the Election of John McCain
McCain Nightly Memo
From: SE Regional Offices, Tallahassee
To: McCain Team Member
Topic: The Obama Record on Foreign Policy
In Case You Didn't Know...The foreign policy divide between John McCain and Senator Barack Obama is immense. John McCain has a lifetime of foreign policy experience, while Barack Obama has consistently demonstrated a complete lack of foreign policy judgement.

Despite the stunning security improvements that the Troop Surge has brought to Iraq, Barack Obama still refuses to admit that the Surge was a success. Meanwhile, Oba ma's new running mate, Senator Joe Biden, has repeatedly praised John McCain's early call for sending more troops to Iraq.

Senator Barack Obama has said that he would meet unconditionally with leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other leaders of state sponsors of terror. The fact that Barack Obama would even consider meeting with Ahmadinejad demonstrates how naive and unknowledgeable Obama is about foreign policy. Both John McCain and Senator Joe Biden have criticized Obama on this matter.

Senator Obama has demonstrated a complete disinterest in foreign policy matters. Barack Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, criticized Obama for being absent from the Iraq War debate. In addition, Senator Obama did not hold a single hearing on Afghanistan while at the helm of the subcommittee on European Affairs on Senate Foreign Relations Committee which overseas NATO.Must ClicksHillary Clinton was passed over for Senator Barack Obama's vice presidential pick, despite winning 18 million votes in the Democratic primary. Why did Obama not pick the most popular Democrat available to be his running mate? Is it because Clinton has stated that Barack Obama is not ready to be President?
Hillary Clinton Passed Over

John McCain makes his weekly radio address:
Listen to McCain's August 23rd Radio Address Here.

Must Reads

Little Rhetoric Riding Hood
By George Will
The Washington Post
August 24, 2008
Obama has also promised that "we will get 1 million 150-mile-per-gallon plug-in hybrids on our roads within six years." What a tranquilizing verb "get" is. This senator, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, is going to get a huge, complex industry to produce, and is going to get a million consumers to buy, these cars. How? Almost certainly by federal financial incentives for both -- billions of dollars of tax subsidies for automakers and billions more to bribe customers to buy cars they otherwise would spurn.

Conservatives are sometimes justly accused of ascribing magic powers to money and markets: Increase the monetary demand for anything, and the supply of it will expand. But it is liberals such as Obama who think that any new technological marvel or other social delight can be summoned into existence by a sufficient appropriation. Once they thought "model cities" could be, too.

Where will the electricity for these million cars come from? Not nuclear power (see above). And not anywhere else, if Obama means this: "I will set a hard cap on all carbon emissions at a level that scientists say is necessary to curb global warming -- an 80 percent reduction by 2050."

To read more, click here: Little Rhetoric Riding Hood

Biden, Obama at Odds Over Lobbyist Donations
By Jennifer Haberkorn & Jerry Seper
Washington TimesAugust 23, 2008

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama has made a pledge not to a ccept money from lobbyists, but his running mate - Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. - has collected over $200,000 from registered lobbyists in this year alone, according to a search of Senate lobbying records.

Mr. Biden's unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign and his still-pending race to be re-elected to the U.S. Senate in Delaware, according to the records, collected another $86,000 from lobbyists this year. The senator's political action committee, Unite Our States, also received $120,500 from lobbyists this year, the records show.

To read more, click here: Biden, Obama at Odds Over Lobbyist Donations

Finally This Evening...

John McCain will be accep ting the Republican nomination just over a week from now at the Republican National Convention. Are you willing to host a Convention Watch Party at your home or business?This is a great way to support John McCain with your family and friends, without even having to leave the comfort of your home. It is very important to have as many Convention Watch Parties as possible in North Carolina. A large number of Convention Watch Parties will demonstrate to the media and voters that momentum is building for our campaign.

The process for creating a Convention Watch Party is very simple. You can sign up on John McCain's website at www.johnmccain.com/conventionparties.
Reform, Prosperity and Peace
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