Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
President Obama in Bowie (Updated)
President Obama is appearing with Maryland's elected leaders in Bowie on Thursday afternoon. Here are the details.
What: Rally with President Barack Obama, Governor Martin O'Malley, Senator Barbara Mikulski, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, and Congressman Chris Van Hollen
Where: Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, Maryland 20715
When: Thursday, October 7th, Doors open: 1:00 p.m.
http://md.barackobama.com/BowieRally
The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Carpooling and use of public transportation is encouraged -- the MARC Bowie stop is just steps from the rally. For security reasons, please avoid bringing bags to the rally if at all possible -- you should expect airport-like security. No signs, banners, or laptops are permitted.
Update: Following is the transportation and parking info.
TRANSPORTATION
It is strongly advised that visitors take the MARC train or WMATA (Metro) buses to the rally. The MARC Penn line and MetroBus lines B21, B22 and B27 go directly to the Bowie State campus. Click here for more information on bus and train transportation to the rally
There will be parking at the Bowie Race Track. Please note this will be the ONLY off-site event parking. There will be NO PARKING AVAILABLE ON THE BOWIE STATE CAMPUS
SCHEDULE
Parking lot will open at 10:00 am
Shuttle buses to the venue will begin at 10:30 am
Gates will open at 12:30 pm
Program begins approximately 2:00 pm
DIRECTIONS
From route 50 east or west
Take exit 11 to Route 197 north
Turn right on Old Chapel Road and follow to the end
Turn left on Race Track Rd.
Follow signs to parking lot
Shuttle buses will take you to the event
From 295 (Baltimore Washington Pkwy)
Take exit 11 Route 197 south
Pass Bowie state university
Go left on Old Chapel Road and follow to the end
Turn left on Race Track Rd.
Follow signs to parking lot
Shuttle busses will take you to the event
THE ONLY PARKING WILL BE AT THIS LOT THERE IS NO PARKING AVAILABLE ON CAMPUS
No banners. No large bags. No sticks. No liquids. No metal bottles.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Barack Obama's Email in Support of Martin O'Malley
President Obama sent the following email to his list in support of Governor O'Malley.
[Name] --
Since being elected Governor in 2006, Martin O'Malley has been a true champion for the people of Maryland.
He has restored a sense of fiscal responsibility and helped the state grow sustainably, expanding access to health care coverage and continuing to improve Maryland's schools, while also restoring the Chesapeake Bay. His four-year freeze on college tuition brought the cost of higher education within reach of middle-class families.
Governor O'Malley has a lot more to contribute to your state -- and I hope you will do your part to ensure he has four more years to continue his work.
Please sign up to help out his campaign for re-election.
These next few years will be tough, and there is much we need to accomplish together.
And that job will be much easier if there are bold leaders like Governor O'Malley working with us to achieve the same goals.
But his path to re-election will not be easy. His opponent will have lots of support from corporate PACs and lobbyists.
That is why Governor O'Malley needs your support -- knocking on doors, making calls to your neighbors, and working to get the word out about his campaign for Maryland.
Can Governor O'Malley count on your help?
Get started here:
http://md.barackobama.com/OMalley2010
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Rushern Republican is a Birther
Let's be fair: Prince George's County Executive candidate Rushern Baker may not have much control over his GOP contributor Eric Wargotz, but this tidbit is too wild to ignore. Courtesy of blogger Mike Stark and the Examiner, here is video of Wargotz saying that he does not believe Barack Obama was born in the United States. Those remarks come in the first two minutes of the video.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
New Poll: O'Malley Leads Ehrlich by Nine
A new Gonzales poll shows Governor Martin O'Malley leading former Governor Bob Ehrlich by nine points in a hypothetical rematch. But that is not all it says.
1. The economy remains the dominant issue, with 54% of poll respondents picking it as their top priority. The next leading issues are health care (11%), taxes (10%), the budget deficit (8%) and education (7%).
2. O'Malley's job approval rating is 46%, virtually unchanged since September 2008. O'Malley's trough came in March 2008, right after the tax-hiking special session. The Governor owns that tax hike since he traveled across the state stumping for it. O'Malley's approval rating among men (42%) is tied with his disapproval rating among men (42%). Women approve of O'Malley by a 50-30% margin. Twenty-one percent of Democrats disapprove of the Governor and could provide fertile ground for Ehrlich.
3. O'Malley leads Ehrlich by 48-39%, not much different than his 49-38% lead in September 2009. Gonzales points out that Ehrlich's current percentage of Democrats (16%) is much lower than his Democratic support in 2002, when he carried 30% of them. If the economy is the top worry of voters and O'Malley's weakest point was right after the 2007 tax hikes, could Ehrlich approach his 2002 level by linking those tax hikes to the recession?
4. President Obama's approval rating is in free fall though it is still over 50%. Among whites, he is only plus seven (46% approve and 39% disapprove), a statistically insignificant difference from zero. This is bad news for Congressman Frank Kratovil.
O'Malley's nine-point lead should not be overly comforting to the Democrats. Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend held a 15-point lead over Congressman Bob Ehrlich in January 2002 but still lost. O'Malley and Ehrlich both have more name recognition than either of the 2002 candidates since each has now served one term as Governor, so it may be harder to move their numbers than it was for two lesser-knowns. But 2002 did not have an overwhelming state-level issue like the economy and tonight's special election in Massachusetts creates real worry that President Obama's performance may not be helpful to O'Malley in November.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Roger Berliner Joins Obama Ticket
Well, maybe not, but it sure seems that way from the District 1 incumbent's latest fund-raising solicitation. Berliner's links of his policy positions to Obama might be smart strategy considering that Obama won District 1 by a 44-point margin in the 2008 general election. Besides the ubiquitous Doug Gansler and other electeds, Berliner's host committee includes Choice Hotels Chairman Stewart Bainum, Leggett-connected lobbyist Barbara Goldberg-Goldman, developer and former Republican Josh Rales and former District 19 Delegate candidate Alec Stone, who does not live in county District 1. The presence of the first three showcases the incumbent's ability to raise money. We print Berliner's solicitation below.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Organizing for Healthcare, Part Two
By Marc Korman.
Last time, we discussed the Organizing for America healthcare event that took place earlier this month to build up grassroots support for healthcare reform. This time we will talk a bit more about some of the discontent at the meeting.
President Obama may have three priorities for healthcare (costs, choice, and coverage), but many of the grassroots supporters at the OFA event had just one: single payer. Sharon Dooley gave a preview of the desire by many progressives for a single payer system, instead of tinkering with the current marketplace of competing insurance companies. That same desire was expressed at the OFA event.
There was always a bit of unrest among progressives over some of candidate Obama’s positions, such as a troop increase in Afghanistan or his failure to support gay marriage. But people were willing to shove that aside in order to get a progressive Democrat elected. But with healthcare, many attendees expressed a willingness to let healthcare reform die entirely instead of allowing a system resembling the current mix of public plans like Medicare and private insurance exist.
Delegate Barve spoke about the importance of securing 60 votes and Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office conceded that the final product would not be perfect. But those reality checks did little to settle down anxious activists. I have heard that many of the earlier house parties had a similar vibe.
One way to calm the base might be to provide a little more information. Costs, choice, and coverage make nice talking points, but many of those in the room wanted more information. A few were even honest enough to admit to not knowing the difference between a public option (where a government run plan would compete against the private insurers) and single payer (where all health coverage would flow through one entity). The idea of the public option is something of a “single payer lite.” A robust, government run program could use its bargaining power to negotiate low prices and provide comprehensive services, theoretically requiring its public sector competitors to do the same. One of the downsides of the current cooperative compromise put forth by Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) is that they would likely be local cooperatives, total lacking in the bargaining power that makes a federal public option appealing.
But President Obama may not really be that interested in what the OFA attendees know or support. He may be using a disgruntled base for Machiavellian purposes. The assumption has been that the purpose of the healthcare house parties is to encourage grassroots supporters to contact their legislators and educate their neighbors about healthcare reform. But a slightly unhappy progressive base could allow President Obama to tell moderates in both parties he cannot compromise any further. That could lead to him getting more of what he wants in a final plan.
Maybe the Obama faithful will fall in line once a plan starts moving through Congress, but as of today they do not appear sold, at least not in Montgomery County. But with a vast network of Congressional liaisons and a high approval rating, perhaps President Obama can bring them around.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Organizing for Healthcare, Part One
By Marc Korman.
Harking back to his community organizer roots, President Obama has transitioned his presidential campaign, Obama for America, into an activist group, Organizing for America. Their work is just getting started in Montgomery County.
Organizing for America exists under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee. Jason Waskey, who served as Campaign Director of Obama’s Maryland operation, is moving over to the DNC where he will serve as State Director for DNC-OFA. Every Congressional district in the country will have a volunteer liaison working with DNC-OFA. In Montgomery County, the 8th Congressional District liaison is Jon Randall, who worked tirelessly at the Bethesda Obama Office. Curtis Valentine is the liaison for the 4th Congressional District. He was an Obama fellow who worked in Prince George’s County during the general election.
A little outreach bye OFA began earlier in the year in support of President Obama’s budget proposal. But their real debut came in early June when house parties were held all around the country in support of healthcare reform, one of the Obama Administration’s top domestic priorities. After a weekend of house parties around Montgomery County, OFA held an event at the new Montgomery County Education Association headquarters.
The event had over sixty people in attendance, including State Senator Jennie Forehand, Delegate Kumar Barve, and State Senate candidate Cheryl Kagan. The purpose of the event was to build excitement for healthcare reform, including preparing for a day of healthcare service on June 27th, and presumably to activate a grassroots army of supporters to promote reform.
At the event, attendees heard about President Obama’s vision for healthcare reform, including his three priorities of lower costs, freedom to choose doctors and healthcare plans, and full coverage for all Americans. Karen McManus from Congressman Van Hollen’s office also spoke, encouraging people to contact his office with thoughts or ideas on the plan.
Following the speeches, the room broke into four smaller groups. Each group had two purposes. First, participants shared personal stories from their lives that demonstrated to them that healthcare reform was needed. Second, attendees brainstormed ideas for a healthcare service activity. Some ideas in the group I sat in were to hold a healthy barbecue, bring health professionals to a specific community to provide services, offer educational services, or conduct activities to lobby for healthcare reform. OFA is still finalizing its plans for the service day, but when they become available we will post them here.
That tells you the who, what, when, where and why of the event. Next time, we will take a look at some of the underlying tension at the meeting.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
The Work Goes On
By Marc Korman.
“For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” –Ted Kennedy, 1980 Democratic National Convention
Those words, on my mind after reading the Washington Post’s review of the latest Kennedy bio, marked the end of Ted Kennedy’s presidential aspirations. The words have also been a stirring message of hope to Democrats and progressives as they struggled against the Reagan Revolution in the 1980s, the Gingrich-led Republican Revolution in the 1990s, and the Bush II years. The opening months of the Obama presidency mark a definitive new chapter for progressives in America. But Kennedy’s words about the work and dreams carrying on maintain their relevance regardless of how many seats in Congress Democrats win or how great it is to have elected Barack Obama.
On Sunday, I spent a few hours with a group of people who are the living embodiment of the idea that elections alone are not enough. I attended a house party with a group called Grow The Hope. Grow The Hope is an offshoot of the Bethesda Obama Office, which many readers of MPW probably spent time in making phone calls, picking up canvass materials, or finding other ways to help out. The office was the product of the hard work of many people, but one we can safely single out is David Hart. Hart started out in Maryland as an Obama Fellow but stayed on when the program ended and put together the Bethesda office. It began as a volunteer driven effort, though eventually it became an official campaign office.
Hart is the founder of Grow The Hope as well, though it is also driven by many of the other fabulous Obama supporters who made the Bethesda Obama Office function every day. It is distinct from the broad Organizing for America organization the national Obama campaign has morphed into.
Although I firmly believe Obama’s presidency marks a new era, his presidency itself is not the change we seek. That will come with specific policy changes such as universal healthcare, a turnaround in Afghanistan, a cap and trade system or carbon tax, and an improved economy. It will also come from style changes. Yes, I still believe it is possible to improve the process in Washington. Republicans and Democrats will always want to beat each other in elections, but we may be able to get them to do the jobs they are elected for a little better too. And although I long for the day when these changes come to pass, I know that new challenges will then arise requiring a continued commitment to hard work and change.
From what I saw at Grow The Hope’s recent house party, that continued commitment to change over the long haul is already in effect. The event featured its share of politics, as the featured speaker was the Maryland Democratic Party’s new chair, Susie Turnbull. We also heard from Jon Randall, who did incredible work at the Bethesda Obama Office last year and is now organizing for Democrats in Council District 4. But many of the participants were issue focused. One woman wanted to work to improve mental healthcare. Another speaker pitched her non-profit’s work for child adoption. A young man who may not have even been in high school yet promoted clean energy. Mark Walsh from Air America also previewed a bigger presentation he will be giving at a future Grow The Hope event about the importance of progressive media.
Maybe I should not be so amazed to find such passion in Montgomery County. But it was great to see the heart people poured into the campaign carried passed Election Day, the Inauguration, and even maybe some disappointments people may have with specific aspects of Obama’s young presidency. Obama’s biggest supporters are smarter than political punditry gives them credit for. They knew that Obama’s election alone, important as it was, would not be enough.
David Hart and the other organizers of Grow the Hope understand that change is always ongoing. Electing Democrats in one election is important for progressives, but we also need to ensure that they are following through on their promises. As Hart has said “the task is not his alone – it is ours together.” Grow The Hope is here to make sure we do our share.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Photos from the Equality Ball
I went to my first Inaugural Ball at the Mayflower Hotel. Jeffrey Slavin, the Mayor of Somerset, was the only local political luminary I ran into at the party. Like a true tourist, I brought my camera and here are the pictures.
Thelma Houston still has got it at 65. She choked up when she talked briefly about how she never thought she'd live to see the day when our country had an African-American President.
The crowd came for an Inaugural Ball and stuck around for a Cyndi Lauper concert. Remember when "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was considered racy? Cyndi may think she belongs on the "Island of Misfit Toys" but the crowd just seemed glad she was there.
Sir Ian McKellen
One man spent much of the night waving his American flag in front of the stage. Because it's our country too.
Let's Not Do Lunch
On suggestion for the 2012 Inauguration: cancel the congressional lunch.
While the lunch sounds like a nice opportunity for the new administration and Members of Congress to get off on the right foot, it just doesn't seem real friendly to the ordinary people who already spent hours and hours waiting in the cold for the parade from the Capitol to the White House.
This year, the parade started so late that it didn't finish until after dark. Most of the observers left long before those very cold and very patriotic high school band got a chance to walk down Pennsylvania Ave. I think even Michelle Obama had to leave so she could go get ready for the evening. Barack Obama and Joe Biden were almost the only ones left by the end.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Good Vibrations from the Pre-Inaugural
I dipped my toe into the big Obamarama which began this weekend. Here are some random impressions:
Oddly in the middle of an economic crisis, everyone downtown seems optimistic about the future. Everyone apologizes even when you accidentally bump into them. Even most of the t-shirts and buttons are happy sporting messages like "Hope", "I Was There", and "One Love" (Is Bob Marley getting royalties?) with relatively few taking weak jabs at the Republicans like "I Love My Parents Even Though They're Republicans." I even saw a small pile of McCain magnets on sale. Yes, really.
My out-of-town visitors from Chicago didn't bite when I tried to introduce the new $1000 rates for use of the attic guest room. However, they did take us to the 9:30 Club to see Adele. She hails from England and mentioned that she was "really chuffed" about Obama's election to cheers. The crowd just laughed with amusement when she said "Yay England!" in response to someone in the crowd from London hurriedly followed by an "And America!" as an afterthought.
Washingtonians generally aren't as conversation-phobic on the Metro as Londoners are on the Underground. Nonetheless, it is striking that the spirit of good fellowship has gone so far that people who aren't drunk or students even talk to each other on the Metro. OK, it's mainly tourists swapping stories and looking eerily happy about the long ride back to Shady Grove. Even so, isn't it one of the harbingers of the Apocolypse?
A crowd dwarfing the size of the main event at most Inaugurations enjoyed the big concert (Obamapalooza?) on the Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Obama and his family enjoyed it all--I loved watching Malia excitedly take pictures of the stars. The President-Elect seemed mildly annoyed for only one moment when one guest from way out of town insisted on injecting politics into it. (Earth to Bono: I think the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was already on his radar.) I could've done without most of the Oscar-like stilted speeches--except when Jamie Foxx demanded that they scroll back the teleprompter--but I guess they had to do something between acts. My favorite was the high school choir which was clearly having a blast just being there.
The film scenes from previous Inaugurals and of Marian Anderson were inspiring. And "Ask not what your country can do for you" seems newly relevant in light of the President-Elect's call for public service. (Now, if he'd just stop sending those emails asking for more money.) Apparently, the General Assembly dispensed with the usual MLK Day activities so everyone could participate in the celebration and volunteer activities promoted by Barack Obama.
Oh, and if you see any of our state legislators on the Mall, they're playing hooky. The General Assembly will be in session tomorrow as required by the Maryland Constitution. I can't say I'd blame them if they strayed from Annapolis, however, I suppose extra kudos are also due to those keep the lights on at the State Capitol so there is a quorum and others can be in DC on the big day.
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