YOUNG PEOPLE, VOTE AND PROVE THE OLD FOGIES WRONG

TRUE COLORS ARE SHOWING ~ SAYING STUDENTS SHOULDN'T VOTE IN THEIR COLLEGE'S STATE ~ EVEN THOUGH IT IS LEGAL

From the Iowa's Secretary of State website:

‘If you are from another state (i.e. Illinois) and are attending college in Iowa (i.e. Iowa State University), you may register to vote in:
• your Iowa college town or
• your home state (hometown) and vote absentee - subject to the laws of your home state.’

* "To tell students that they can only vote in the town that they came from, rather than in the town where they live, is a clear effort to disenfranchise student voters. Attempts on the part of campaigns to deter eligible voters from voting should be forcefully and immediately denounced.

"These statements are even more disturbing given the unprecedented levels of engagement we’re seeing from today’s young voters – both in participating in the 2008 campaigns, organizing their peers to register and vote in the caucuses and primaries, and in their recent historic turnout levels in the 2004 and 2006 elections. Young adults’ growing political participation should be encouraged, not deterred.

"Rock the Vote urges every campaign and candidate to issue a statement that validates students’ right to vote in Iowa and lauds young Americans for their increased engagement in the political process. We also encourage all media outlets to make clear in their reporting leading up to January 3rd that college students have rights equal to any Iowa resident to vote in the Iowa caucuses.

"Students go to a college or university for 4 or 5 years and many stay on in those communities afterwards. They pay sales tax, many work full or part-time jobs and pay income tax, and they are subject to the laws of the community in which they live – they have every right to vote in that community, legally and morally.

"It is important to note that this is an issue larger than the Iowa caucuses. Legally, students have the right to vote where they go to school in virtually every state across the country. Despite this, we see challenges to student voters year after year. As we have in the past, Rock the Vote will make sure all students know their rights in 2008, and will work to ensure all eligible voters are allowed to register and vote in the 2008 elections.

"Rock the Vote’s Iowa program Rock the Caucus aims to mobilize high school and college students to caucus on January 3rd. As always, Rock the Vote will aggressively ensure young people know that if they live in Iowa, they can vote in Iowa, and let them know where candidates stand on important issues like student voting rights.

"Again, Rock the Vote urges every candidate to issue a statement that clearly validates students’ right to vote in Iowa and lauds young Americans for their increased engagement in the political process.

Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/11/16022/544/240/420792

...............................................................

...............................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=673wU4ghchQ
...............................................................

...............................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9RLt8uljXI&feature=related
"18 in '08" Bio on David Burstein
A behind the scenes look on the young man behind the Documentary Film "18 in '08". He explains his passion for politics and his drive to get other young people involved in our nation's government.

* Over the weekend, Biden and Richardson announced that they do not support the right of Iowa students from out of state to caucus. Dodd has had four different positions in the span of as many days. The Clinton campaign seemed to retract her earlier comments and then not somuch.

What is so shocking is that so few in the Democratic Party establishment and no one else in the Democratic primary field has weighed in on behalf of the utterly unproblematic, long-held progressive position that students have every right, and should be strongly encouraged, to register to vote. How hard can this be?

• psericks's diary
  

This has nothing to do with the horse race, this has everything to do with potential Democratic Party nominees abandoning principle and throwing young people under the bus to spin a loss in Iowa. This is no longer isolated to the foibles of individual candidates, this is turning out to be a broad failure of the Democratic primary field as a whole.

Here's Biden:

Following reports that Gov. Richardson is "asking governmental appointees and other state employees to volunteer to help his campaign by traveling to Iowa before the Jan. 3 leadoff presidential contest," and that Sen. Obama☼ is encouraging out of state college students to "come back and caucus," the Biden for President campaign today called on Richardson and Obama to join the rest of the Democratic field in pledging to refrain from shipping in supporters to affect the outcome of the caucuses. [Associated Press, 12/6/07], [Associated Press, 12/5/07]

Here's Richardson:

In addition, Reynolds said Richardson's Iowa staff has not and will not encourage out-of-state students to return to Iowa early to caucus, saying the campaign is ‘going to abide to the letter and the spirit of the law. I think the spirit of the law is what's most important,’ Reynolds said. [Des Moines Register, 12/1/07]

As Mike Connery wrote today:

Seriously how hard is it to understand that both the letter and spirit of the law encourage participation by Iowa students. This whole episode is really revealing the opportunistic, sleazy side of Democratic politics. That it should be this difficult to get Democratic candidates to say that young people can and should vote.
Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/11/16022/544/240/420792

"It's time to raise a stink about this.
Candidates for president have been advocating
disenfranchising student voters, just to spin a
potential loss against Obama.  Now, Rock the Vote
and a coalition of Iowa student leaders are
speaking out.  It's our time to join with
them and raise some hell." DAILY KOS

...............................................................

...............................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknPM_6rtt4

Young voters in USA ~ Prove these ne'ersayers wrong in this clip!

RHODE ISLAND TO PUT BARACK OBAMA ON THE BALLOT FOR PRESIDENT

DECEMBER 8, 2007 BARACK OBAMA GRASS ROOTS SUPPORTERS PUT OUT THE EFFORT BIG TIME

Here are pictures of our Petition-Drive-to-Gather-Rhode Island-Registered-Voters Party Saturday Night in Providence, RI, USA

William Pierce, Sandra Hammel and Marshala Lee in Providence, Rhode Island ~ Obama Supporters and "New Friends" after tonight!

Marshala Lee, ?, William Pierce (wpierce@electpierce.org) and Sandra Hammel

Joe Fernandez

Craig Robinson and Sandra Hammel
Craig Robinson coaches Brown University basketball and is Michelle Obama's brother

William Pierce and Matt (I forgot his last name ~ sorry Matt!)

Talking around the table of petition notarizing

Craig and Kelly Robinson

The blue papers are the signature petitions that will officially put
Barack Obama on Rhode Island's ballot for March 4

Craig Robinson and Marchala Lee, Med student at Brown University

Craig Robinson and Sandra Hammel

Coach Robinson and William Pierce ~ who is running for RI House of Representatives

Coach Robinson and Marshala


Filling out the petitions

Joe Fernandez
checking the picture ID

AT LEAST TWICE AS MANY REQUIRED SIGNATURES WERE GATHERED IN ONE DAY IN THE GREAT LITTLE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND DECEMBER 8, 2007.

INSPIRATION TRUMPS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oprah Winfrey Hits Campaign Trail for ObamaU.S. Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama greetsOprah Winfrey as his wife Michelle looks on at a rally in Des Moines.

By JEFF ZELENY

Published: December 9, 2007

DES MOINES, Dec. 8 — When she begins a typical show, seldom does Oprah Winfrey question the power of her brand or wonder aloud about the influence that accompanies her golden seal of approval.

But when Ms. Winfrey strode onto a stage here Saturday, imploring Iowa voters to support the presidential candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, she acknowledged not knowing whether her endorsement would matter. And as she waded into American politics deeper than ever before, she declared: “It feels like I’m out of my pew.”

Still, Ms. Winfrey’s arrival on the campaign trail and her irrefutable appeal was threatening enough for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York to invite a famous guest of her own, daughter Chelsea Clinton, to appear with her on the political circuit in Iowa.

It was, perhaps, the best way Mrs. Clinton could be assured attention on a political day devoted to Ms. Winfrey, who drew more than 15,000 people here and a second audience of about 7,000 in Cedar Rapids. In a state awash in presidential politics, with a competitive fight on both sides of the ticket, it was the largest spectacle of the campaign cycle.

“Oh my goodness,” Ms. Winfrey said. “At last, I’m here.”

The intersection of politics and celebrity began the moment that Mr. Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, declared, “It is my honor to introduce to you the first lady of television, Oprah Winfrey.” A wave of camera flashes illuminated a downtown convention center here as Ms. Winfrey entered to a thunderous roar.

Ms. Winfrey, of course, is hardly a stranger to speaking before large crowds. But as she explained her rationale for supporting Mr. Obama, of Illinois, she stood behind a lectern, reading from prepared remarks. She paused for a moment, saying: “Backstage, somebody said, ‘Are you nervous?’ I said, ‘Damn right I’m nervous.’”

But for 17 minutes, Ms. Winfrey delivered a testimonial for Mr. Obama arguing the nation was at a critical moment in its history that required a candidate who could heal divisions and chart a new direction. She did not mention Mrs. Clinton or any of their rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, but dismissed suggestions that voters should choose a candidate with the most Washington experience.

“If we continue to do the same things over and over again, I believe we get the same results,” Ms. Winfrey said. Later, she added: “When you listen to Barack Obama, when you really hear him, you witness a very rare thing. You witness a politician who has an ear for eloquence and a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth.”

In his quest to win the party’s nomination and to become the first black president, Mr. Obama is working to expand his reach beyond the traditional set of Democratic primary voters. The campaign hoped to use Ms. Winfrey’s visit to Iowa on Saturday, followed by New Hampshire and South Carolina on Sunday, to expose his candidacy to a new audience of prospective supporters.

“There are those who say that Barack Obama should wait his turn. There are those who say that he should take a gradual approach to presidential leadership. But none of us is God,” Ms. Winfrey said. “We don’t know what the future holds, so we must respond to the pressures and the fortunes of history when the moment strikes. And Iowa, I believe that moment is now.”

Ms. Winfrey ticked through a list of Mr. Obama’s accomplishments. When she hailed his opposition to the Iraq war, “long before it was the popular thing to do,” the crowd responded with a roar of approval.

The Obama campaign captured the names and addresses of thousands of those who attended the rallies. Those who agreed to volunteer for at least four hours over the past two weeks received premium tickets.

“I think Oprah is John the Baptist, leading the way for Obama to win,” said Dale Cobb, 40, of Des Moines, who has never participated in the Iowa caucuses before. Yet, she added, “I’m still kind of in between Hillary and Obama.”

Cate Doty contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/us/politics/09oprah.html?hp

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From The Sunday Times

December 9, 2007

Hillary Clinton wobbles as her backers turn to Barack Obama

Sarah Baxter, Washington
The presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, the Democrat frontrunner, is facing a wave of defections by supporters to Barack Obama, as an aura of “inevitability” about her nomination fades.

With Oprah Winfrey, the talk show host and Obama enthusiast, challenging former president Bill Clinton for star power on the campaign trail, the coronation of Hillary has been put on hold.

A few days ago, Helen Quarles peeled off the Hillary for President bumper stickers from her car and replaced them with Obama ’08.

“I didn’t think anybody could turn me away from Hillary,” said Quarles, who worked as a volunteer for Clinton’s first Senate election campaign in New York. “I liked her and was very fond of Bill.”

Quarles now lives in South Carolina, which holds its primary election next month. “In the South, a lot of people don’t like Hillary, so I felt it was up to me to turn things around for her. I really wanted her to win, but there’s something about Obama,” she said. “To me, he is the one who is going to make a difference.”

Quarles, 69, has a “golden” centre row ticket to see Winfrey in action with Obama and his wife Michelle today at the University of South Carolina’s 80,000-seat football stadium.

“I think Oprah can change anybody’s mind. I really do. She can draw people in and get them to listen to him,” Quarles said.

The decisive factor for her was hearing Michelle Obama talk on television recently about her husband’s family background and values: “I didn’t really know who Obama was. She touched my heart.”

Former “Friends of Bill”, who served in the White House in 1990s but defected early on to Obama’s campaign, are not surprised by the drift away from Hillary.

Betsy Myers, a White House adviser on women’s issues - and sister of Dee-Dee Myers, Bill Clinton’s former press secretary - is now chief operating officer for Obama’s campaign and responsible for much of its organ-isational prowess.

Read more http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3022206.ece

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oprah Winfrey Presents: Barack Obama http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=3965092&page=1

....................................................

....................................................
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4tkxa2o2Ocg
Time For A Change

>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:>:

Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
next week
and ask your U.S. Representative to pass the funding fully
for the UN Peacekeepers for Darfur

President Bush's Comment Phone Line
202-456-1111
He needs a push to do something right.

Thank You!

www.savedarfur.org