I know most of us might be glued to our televisions, the news, and the polls, but change will happen tomorrow by VOTING and VOLUNTEERING. Florida needs you.
Just a few moments ago Jay-Z, Beyonce, Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Russell Simmons, and Kevin Liles unexpectedly dropped by the Miramar City Hall where over 1,500 people were waiting in line to Early Vote. Check out the slide show below that captures the artists greeting the crowd and encouraging them to wait out the six hour line.
Today is the last day to Early Vote in Broward County, and what a day it's been.
Share with us YOUR voting experience in the comments section below.
During Barack's 30-minutes special last night he shared a few stories - including parts of his own - of American's across the country. In response stories from Floridians from across the state poured in.
Ann Marie from Port Saint Lucie:
I watched your 30 minute commercial this evening. I have to say that it was amazing. I am a single parent who has successfully raised two children who are adults now. I have to admit, the best statement that Barack made was when he made that "he spent a month with his dad, and his most valuable moments were not with his dad....that is my chiledrens life. I didnt realize it until they were old enough to realize it.....I respect that. I have been inspired and I have to say, I want you to be our next President.....God Bless and Good Luck.....I am on your side.
Fern from Ocala:
I want to say Thank You for all your info & for keeping your plan out in front for us. I LOVED your info commercial tonight it was great. I am so tired of all the negative press that is going all around on tv, internet, radio & emails, too many lies, false info flying about. I am a registered Republican that has voted early & voted for Mr. Obama because I do believe we need change. I am retired these past four years from the military (Air Force) & I have become so stressed with what has happened to our country & the path we are on. I have never felt so let down & betrayed by a President & now Mr. McCain is talking about taxing my health care as well as my husbands (retired NY Corrections Lt). We worked all those years in government jobs to have job security, health care and our pensions. Now along comes a candidate that says that's nice but your health care needs to be taxed, I am outraged how dare he plus say I'm giving you a $5000 check to buy health care...gee who is to pay for that, let's see now. Please Mr. Obama keep your plans & the issues to the front, don't forget us middle class who truly want change, the military members who are retired & don't want to be hurt by the government anymore. I feel that I messed up big time with the last Presidential election, oh to have had a crystal ball. We need change & this is one Republican that's stepping over the party line this election, I have learned BIG time these past eight years & can admit I was wrong. Stay strong with your plans please don't let us down. The best to you & your family.
I am retired these past four years from the military (Air Force) & I have become so stressed with what has happened to our country & the path we are on. I have never felt so let down & betrayed by a President & now Mr. McCain is talking about taxing my health care as well as my husbands (retired NY Corrections Lt).
We worked all those years in government jobs to have job security, health care and our pensions. Now along comes a candidate that says that's nice but your health care needs to be taxed, I am outraged how dare he plus say I'm giving you a $5000 check to buy health care...gee who is to pay for that, let's see now.
Please Mr. Obama keep your plans & the issues to the front, don't forget us middle class who truly want change, the military members who are retired & don't want to be hurt by the government anymore. I feel that I messed up big time with the last Presidential election, oh to have had a crystal ball. We need change & this is one Republican that's stepping over the party line this election, I have learned BIG time these past eight years & can admit I was wrong. Stay strong with your plans please don't let us down. The best to you & your family.
Stephanie from Littleton:
My name is Stephanie, I am a 26 year old married woman. I have a wonderful husband that works for a security company doing armed security for the government and is also in the Army reserves. He puts his life on the line every day to protect others and never once does he complain. The pay is good but the health insurance they provide us for $4.01 an hour has a $700 yearly cap for health and a $500 yearly cap for dental. This shouldn't even be called insuranc but maybe something like a discount program. Where does that hundreds of dollars go? I have been trying for weeks to apply for an individual health insurance plan ans because I have pre existing conditions which include ALLERGIES, infertility and an anit depressant pill prescribed to me in tha past that I don't even take I continuously get denied. We are both working not 1 but 2 jobs to keep our heads above water. I know my story isn't any different or more important than the next but I want to be heard. We need a CHANGE!! Please hear and share our story!
I have been trying for weeks to apply for an individual health insurance plan ans because I have pre existing conditions which include ALLERGIES, infertility and an anit depressant pill prescribed to me in tha past that I don't even take I continuously get denied. We are both working not 1 but 2 jobs to keep our heads above water. I know my story isn't any different or more important than the next but I want to be heard. We need a CHANGE!! Please hear and share our story!
Cristina from Clearwater:
I don't have much of a "story"...I'm a life-long Republican voting Democratic for the first time in my life....and tonight...as I watched the Obama segment which aired just before the World Series...I felt something that I haven't felt in over TEN YEARS.... I felt PROUD to be an AMERICAN... This country NEEDS Change to survive...I have 2 disabled parents who are living off of investment accounts, hits like the ones they've taken in the past month can't keep happening...or, for once in our lives...as hard as we've ALL worked...we will be left with nothing. Stem Cell Research is another very critical topic for us as well...Mom was paralyzed in an automobile accident ten years ago and this research....well...the hope that it would provide to her, would give her a hope to hang on to.
Heather from Palm Beach Gardens:
Hello, My name is Heather and I am 24 years old married to my husband Scott (34 years old) for 3 years. We have a beautiful girl named Ava Marie who is 19 months. I am a full time mommie and a full time student at FAU, majoring in psychology. My husband is a Financial Advisor and we both work very hard and put our daughter first. I feel that Barack Obama is speaking to us and he is a wonderful man. I put my trust in him and I am proud of him and his family. I am proud to have him as our president and you had my vote a long time ago...my husband too. Thank you for fighting for us!
I am a 54 yr old white male. I have never voted before or even registered to vote before this election. I want to say that due to the total mis-handling of the current administration I registered for the first time to vote. I want to emphasize I registered before the Democratic candidate was decided. I originally had my doubts when Senator Obama won over Senator Clinton as to the strength of the Democrats against the Republican party. I applaud the clear an decisive direction Senator Obama has chosen to bring America back from the brink of disaster. Am I better off than I was 8 or even 4 yrs ago? NO!I am not "Joe the Plumber" I am "Joe the American" married to a first grade teacher, pooling all of our resources, clinging to a non luxurious lifestyle as hard as we can. Hopefully the generations to come will not be burdened by our past mistakes. I support you 110%.
I am not "Joe the Plumber" I am "Joe the American" married to a first grade teacher, pooling all of our resources, clinging to a non luxurious lifestyle as hard as we can. Hopefully the generations to come will not be burdened by our past mistakes. I support you 110%.
Karen from South Pasadena:
I am a 43-year-old single female. I am a medical transcriptionist. My job has always paid good. Up until 2 years ago, I was providing a service that people needed desperately and was being compensated adequately for it. Within that time, companies that I have worked for have started outsourcing our jobs to India and places overseas so now the companies tell you "take it or leave it". I got sick about a year and a half ago. My father died of stomach cancer 6 years ago and it was thought that I may have stomach cancer. I was put on Nexium medication that my insurance company would not pay for - almost $300.00 a month. I ended up being able to get it cheaper from Canada. I was on this for three months and was supposed to follow-up with my physician for more endoscopies to see if my stomach was healing. I was a subcontractor so I paid for my own insurance which was almost $300.00 a month. Over that previous time before getting sick, I had managed to save 21,000.00. I used most of my savings to pay for what my insurance company would not and when it came time to follow-up and have more tests done six months later - I could not afford it. My insurance company would not pay for endoscopies because they considered that a surgical procedure and I had a $3000.00 deductible for surgical procedures. When I first had the problems and went to the doctor, I had 3 endoscopies done and many doctor visits which ate up all of my savings that my insurance company would not pay for. Then, I got laid off due to outsourcing. Now I have no money in the bank. My last medical transcription job that I had was averaging out to $3.69 an hour that I was making, no benefits or anything. Right now I still have the same medical problems with my stomach and I might possibly have stomach cancer - I am in pain every day and I cannot afford to go to the doctor because I have no money and the tests that I need done, my insurance company will not pay for. Please Senator Obama - this is why I am looking for change.
I was a subcontractor so I paid for my own insurance which was almost $300.00 a month. Over that previous time before getting sick, I had managed to save 21,000.00. I used most of my savings to pay for what my insurance company would not and when it came time to follow-up and have more tests done six months later - I could not afford it. My insurance company would not pay for endoscopies because they considered that a surgical procedure and I had a $3000.00 deductible for surgical procedures. When I first had the problems and went to the doctor, I had 3 endoscopies done and many doctor visits which ate up all of my savings that my insurance company would not pay for.
Then, I got laid off due to outsourcing. Now I have no money in the bank. My last medical transcription job that I had was averaging out to $3.69 an hour that I was making, no benefits or anything. Right now I still have the same medical problems with my stomach and I might possibly have stomach cancer - I am in pain every day and I cannot afford to go to the doctor because I have no money and the tests that I need done, my insurance company will not pay for.
Please Senator Obama - this is why I am looking for change.
It's time for change. Find your Early Vote location. Vote for CHANGE. Today.
Let us know a little bit about your story in the comments section below.
Early Voting for the entire state of Florida has just been extended.
Every Early Vote location in Florida will now be every day from 7am-7pm up through November 2.
Please pass along this great news to everyone you know who will be voting in Florida. Click here to find your nearest early vote location.
Here's the release:
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS ~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~October 28, 2008Contact:GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008. "I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote." Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting. Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting. Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29. Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217. STATE OF FLORIDA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217 WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties; WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; andWHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008. GOVERNORATTEST:SECRETARY OF STATE
GOVERNOR CRIST EXTENDS EARLY VOTING HOURS
~~ ~Ensures maximum number of Floridians can exercise right to vote~ ~~
October 28, 2008
Contact:
GOVERNOR'S PRESS OFFICE(850) 488-5394
TALLAHASSEE - Governor Charlie Crist today signed Executive Order 08-217, extending the hours for early voting during the current General Election. Effective immediately, early voting sites will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., through Friday, October 31, 2008, and for a total of 12 hours between 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 1, and 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2, 2008.
"I have spoken with the Secretary of State and members of the Florida Legislature and have concluded that it is always the right thing to do to give voters every opportunity to cast a ballot," Governor Crist said. "I have a responsibility to the voters of our state to ensure that the maximum number of citizens can participate in the electoral process, and that every person can exercise the right to vote."
Prior to the 2008 General Election, Florida has seen historic numbers of Floridians registering to vote for the first time. In addition, record numbers of voters have chosen to cast a ballot during early voting.
Early voting began on October 20 and runs through November 2. Current Florida law allows for early voting to be conducted eight hours per day on each weekday, and for a total of eight hours during both weekends during the early voting period. Floridians can contact their county's Supervisor of Elections for dates, times and locations of early voting.
Florida voters can also request absentee ballots to be mailed to them until October 29.
Please see the attached Executive Order 08-217.
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
EXECUTIVE ORDER NUMBER 08-217
WHEREAS, early voting is scheduled to end November 2, 2008; and
WHEREAS, early voting turnout has already reached record levels and is forecast to continue with record turnout. There are only 267 early voting sites throughout the state and long lines have formed at many of the early voting sites; and
WHEREAS, a historic number of Floridians have registered to vote for the first time in this election; and
WHEREAS, new voting equipment is being used in 15 Florida counties;
WHEREAS, as a result of this unique combination of circumstances resulting from the historic voter turnout in this election, there is a possibility that election officials will be unable to conduct an orderly election, and thus residents in our state could be deprived of a meaningful opportunity to vote; and
WHEREAS, because of the existing and continuing possibility of an emergency occurring before or during the regularly scheduled election, and in order to ensure maximum citizen participation in the electoral process, and provide a safe and orderly procedure for persons seeking to exercise their right to vote;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHARLIE CRIST, as Governor of Florida, by virtue of the authority vested in me by Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, by the Florida Elections Emergency Act, and by all other applicable laws, issue the following Executive Order, to take immediate effect:
I hereby declare that, based on the above-described conditions, a state of emergency exists. It is hereby found and declared to be necessary to extend the voting hours during early voting. Accordingly, I order the Supervisors of Elections to open early voting sites from 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. through October 31, 2008 and open early voting sites for a total of twelve (12) hours between 7 a.m. November 1, 2008 and 7 p.m. November 2, 2008.
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Florida to be affixed, at Tallahassee, the Capitol, this 28th day of October, 2008.
GOVERNOR
ATTEST:
SECRETARY OF STATE
Today marks the first day of EARLY VOTING. Andy registered voter in Florida can early vote at any early vote location in your county. A number of people have already shared their Early Voting stories with us:
Shelia from Deland
Just wanted to let you know my husband William and I along with our ll year old grandson went to early voting today, October 20, 2008. This was our first experience with early voting and we wanted to share that experience with our grandson and the importance of this election and voting as a whole. It was very quick and well organized and we found it to be a very pleasant experience. We eagerly cast our votes for Barack Obama and Joe Biden and hope others will take advantage of early voting. Our grandson was very excited and poured over our sample ballots we had taken with us asking many questions which we answered to the best of our ability. Our prayers are with you for a successful campaign and the CHANGE and HOPE we and many in the country are so hungry for. Thank you for your commitment to the people of this country.
Just wanted to let you know my husband William and I along with our ll year old grandson went to early voting today, October 20, 2008. This was our first experience with early voting and we wanted to share that experience with our grandson and the importance of this election and voting as a whole.
It was very quick and well organized and we found it to be a very pleasant experience. We eagerly cast our votes for Barack Obama and Joe Biden and hope others will take advantage of early voting.
Our grandson was very excited and poured over our sample ballots we had taken with us asking many questions which we answered to the best of our ability. Our prayers are with you for a successful campaign and the CHANGE and HOPE we and many in the country are so hungry for. Thank you for your commitment to the people of this country.
Steve from Palm Bay
I live in Florida and am a working class middle-aged white male voter. I early voted today for Barack Obama and waited in line for 30 min. to do it. I was at my election office before they even opened and the line had already started! Go Barack!
Dr. Rivera from Orlando
I would like to thank the Obama group for keeping me informed about the latest issues in the campaign. I am a man who likes to work behind the scenes. I have been working hard talking to undecided people about how we can obtain a REAL change in our nation with Obama. So far, I have more than eight people who have expressed their interest on Obama. My wife and I will go early voting and we will take my mother in law and other friends with us to make sure the do the RIGHT THING. I am convinced that Obama will win Florida and will be the next President of USA and would love to meet with the team in Orlando, Florida to celebrate our victory on Nov. 4th. I am doing my part to make the difference, are you doing yours?
So far, I have more than eight people who have expressed their interest on Obama. My wife and I will go early voting and we will take my mother in law and other friends with us to make sure the do the RIGHT THING. I am convinced that Obama will win Florida and will be the next President of USA and would love to meet with the team in Orlando, Florida to celebrate our victory on Nov. 4th. I am doing my part to make the difference, are you doing yours?
Did you early vote yet? To find your nearest early vote location call 1-877-2-FLOBAMA (1-877-235-6226).
Yeserday, Michelle Obama asked something of Florida. I copied her message below:
Kristen -- For the people Barack and I have met on the campaign trail, this election is about making sure that America remains a country where everyone can fulfill their God-given potential. But to make sure it happens, we need to reach as many voters as possible in the next 17 days. In 2004, 2.3 million registered voters didn't go to the polls in Florida. We can't win if they don't show up this time -- and they won't unless we reach out to them. With early voting beginning this Monday, October 20th, you can help get out the vote right now. Use our online voter contact tool to adopt five undecided voters and make sure they vote for change. Adopt five Florida voters today. There's a reason why so many Floridians have stayed home in the past. Some were actively disenfranchised and discouraged from voting by our opponents. Others got fed up with the divisiveness that has dominated our politics the last eight years. But this time, Americans have a hunger for change. Supporters like you have gotten us this far by reaching out to neighbors and friends. Now it's up to you to win this election the same way -- by taking responsibility for members of your community. That's how Barack learned to organize years ago. With two weeks left, your ability to reach out and organize fellow voters in Florida is more important than ever. Use our voter contact tool to adopt five voters, and let them know how important it is to vote: http://adoptfive.barackobama.com Campaigning with Barack has taught me that so much more unites us as Americans than divides us. Times are tough, and Washington needs to change to meet the challenges. It won't happen without you. Thanks, Michelle
Check out the stories of five voters that could make the difference.
The choice is simple.
From campaign manager David Plouffe:
We came into the debate with two thirds of the American people thinking that John McCain is running a negative campaign, and Senator McCain spent 90 minutes trying to convince the other third. Once again, Barack Obama won a clear victory because he made the case for change for the middle class, while John McCain just had angry and negative attacks. Barack Obama showed the steady leadership that the American people need, and offered specific plans on the issues that matter to the middle class – creating jobs, cutting health care costs, building a new energy policy, and getting our economy moving. Senator McCain said that George Bush isn’t on the ballot, but he couldn’t name a single way that his economic policies will be any different. This was John McCain’s last chance for a game-changer, and he didn’t get it.
Toward the end of the debate, we also heard from Jennifer who lives in Titusville, FL
I want to commend you for your debate tonight with Senator McCain. You have changed my position from Republican to Democrat to get you into office. I look forward to supporting your campaign for he next 4 years. How refreshing to have a real person in politics, McCain doesn't even understand or respond to 95% of the statements you made. Congratulaitons. - Jennifer
Let us know what you thought of the debate in the comments section below.
Finally, a simple tool to understand tax policy. The Tax Calculator is a simple online application that lets you compare the differences between the Obama tax plan and John McCain's tax plan in seconds ...
American families are in desperate need of economic relief. Barack's plan will cut taxes for 95% of families. John McCain will provide billions in tax breaks for big oil companies and giant corporations with no relief for millions of middle-class Americans. Barack is calling for three times the tax cuts for middle-class families. Find out what this means for you and your family -- use our new tax calculator: With our country facing the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression -- over 760,000 jobs lost this year, unemployment skyrocketing, and retirement losses exceeding $2 trillion -- we need to take immediate steps to recover. Yesterday, Barack unveiled his Economic Rescue Plan for The Middle Class, including special measures for job creation, a moratorium on foreclosures, and increased tax relief for families. As president, Barack will provide a new $1,000 tax cut for workers and new tax benefits to help families pay for college, childcare, and save for retirement. Visit taxcut.barackobama.com to find out how these plans would affect you and your family -- and then share the URL with friends and family so that they can see the diffrence for themselves.
American families are in desperate need of economic relief. Barack's plan will cut taxes for 95% of families. John McCain will provide billions in tax breaks for big oil companies and giant corporations with no relief for millions of middle-class Americans. Barack is calling for three times the tax cuts for middle-class families. Find out what this means for you and your family -- use our new tax calculator:
David Plouffe, the national campaign manager, sent us this email late last night:
Kristen -- Over the weekend, John McCain's top adviser announced their plan to stop engaging in a debate over the economy and "turn the page" to more direct, personal attacks on Barack Obama. In the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election. Perhaps because the policies McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend. But it's not just McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time. During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country. More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion. Sound familiar? In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. The McCain campaign has tried to avoid talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain. So at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with background information that every voter should know. Watch a preview right now and share it with your friends. The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain still hasn't learned his lesson. And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes. Watch the video to see why John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis: http://fl.barackobama.com/keatingvideo It's no wonder John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the top priority issue for voters. But if we work together, we can make sure the focus stays on the economy -- and how to fix it. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Thanks, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for AmericaP.S. -- The documentary will be live at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th at www.KeatingEconomics.com.
Kristen -- Over the weekend, John McCain's top adviser announced their plan to stop engaging in a debate over the economy and "turn the page" to more direct, personal attacks on Barack Obama. In the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election. Perhaps because the policies McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend. But it's not just McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time. During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country. More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion. Sound familiar? In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. The McCain campaign has tried to avoid talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain. So at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with background information that every voter should know.
Watch a preview right now and share it with your friends.
The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain still hasn't learned his lesson. And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes. Watch the video to see why John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis: http://fl.barackobama.com/keatingvideo It's no wonder John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the top priority issue for voters. But if we work together, we can make sure the focus stays on the economy -- and how to fix it. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Thanks, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America
Joe Biden TUESDAY Events Cancelled
Wednesday Tampa Event Continues as Scheduled
TAMPA, FL – Due to the passing of U.S. Senator Joe Biden’s mother-in-law, his TUESDAY events in Melbourne and Lakeland have been cancelled. Biden’s Wednesday visit to Tampa will continue as scheduled.
Biden’s spokesman, David Wade, today issued the following statement:
"The Obama-Biden campaign today cancelled Sen. Biden's schedule Monday and Tuesday because of the passing of Jill Biden's mother, Bonny Jean Jacobs, this afternoon after a long illness. Other details will follow, but we appreciate everyone's respect for the family's privacy during this difficult time,” David Wade said.
Please feel free to write a note to Joe and Jill Biden in the comments section below.
“This week, we join more than 50 nations around the world in celebrating World Space Week. And this year, as we mark the 50th anniversary of NASA, our space program is at a crossroads. As other countries are moving forward in space, my opponent’s vision would cause us to fall unacceptably behind. His pledge to freeze all discretionary spending for programs other than veterans and defense would assure the loss of thousands of jobs in Florida, and seriously threaten America’s leadership in space. I have a different vision. My plan to revitalize our space program will reduce the gap between the Space Shuttle’s retirement and its next-generation replacement; and we’ll increase funding for a robust human space exploration program and research that pushes the very boundaries of discovery. Throughout its history, NASA has united Americans to a common purpose and inspired the world with accomplishments we are still proud of. As President, I will lead NASA down a new path for the 21st century that guarantees our preeminence in space today, tomorrow, and the day NASA celebrates its 100th anniversary.”
“This week, we join more than 50 nations around the world in celebrating World Space Week. And this year, as we mark the 50th anniversary of NASA, our space program is at a crossroads.
As other countries are moving forward in space, my opponent’s vision would cause us to fall unacceptably behind. His pledge to freeze all discretionary spending for programs other than veterans and defense would assure the loss of thousands of jobs in Florida, and seriously threaten America’s leadership in space. I have a different vision. My plan to revitalize our space program will reduce the gap between the Space Shuttle’s retirement and its next-generation replacement; and we’ll increase funding for a robust human space exploration program and research that pushes the very boundaries of discovery.
Throughout its history, NASA has united Americans to a common purpose and inspired the world with accomplishments we are still proud of. As President, I will lead NASA down a new path for the 21st century that guarantees our preeminence in space today, tomorrow, and the day NASA celebrates its 100th anniversary.”
Check our our Florida RESOURCE PAGE to learn more about Barack Obama's plan for American Leadership in Space.
They made the trek – along with other vegetable growers, cotton farmers, nursery owners and cattle ranchers – for a meeting with Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change, which asked for their input about the challenges facing rural communities in North Florida.
The day before, the campaign wrapped up a two-day tour of North Florida, featuring two former southern Governors – Ray Mabus of Mississippi and Jim Hodges of South Carolina – traveling with Florida’s Senator Bill Nelson and former Governor and Senator Bob Graham and Senator Bill Nelson through back roads and small towns in North Florida.
It’s all part of a new Obama Campaign for Change initiative to reach out to Florida families in rural areas of North and Central Florida. Obama’s unprecedented efforts to speak with Floridians in traditionally Republican parts of the state may partially explain his recent boost in state polls, several of which have now given him a small lead.
On Sunday and Monday, the Governors and Senators attended community events and barbecues in Baldwin, Lake City, High Springs, Monticello, Perry, and Quincy; an Obama Campaign for Change office opening in Chipley, the first in recent memory for a Democrat; and a pancake breakfast in Tallahassee. They talked with people about the tough economy and what Obama plans to do to change it if elected President.
At each stop Nelson, Graham, Mabus and Hodges emphasized that Obama will bring rural Floridians the change we need and a new direction in Washington – real tax credits for working families, affordable health care, more job opportunities, and a shift away from the deregulation that helped to create the current financial crisis on Wall Street.
“Barack Obama comes from a farm state, so he understands what’s on the minds of families in North and Central Florida. It’s no surprise that his message reaches rural voters,” said Obama’s Florida State Director Steve Schale. “Like everyone else, farmers, ranchers and all families living in North Florida are feeling the pain of an economy in turmoil and can’t afford four more years like the last eight.”
At the policy forum in Tallahassee, Florida Policy Director Ian Bassin met with citrus and vegetable growers, peanut and cotton farmers, nursery owners, and cattle ranchers. The forum was open to the public and many who attended traveled from all over the state to share with Obama’s advisors their stories and concerns.
Bassin emphasized Obama’s support for including specialty crops in federal farm programs. For example, Obama supported the 2007 Farm Bill, which includes almost $3 billion for mandatory specialty crop block grants and funding for research initiatives. Despite the fact that it benefited Florida farmers strongly, John McCain opposed this key legislation and has a record of opposing investments in important farm programs, rural health care, education and infrastructure.
Jackson County’s Jeff Pittman recounted how he pays more than $4 per gallon for fuel, which is 500% more than the 80 cents per gallon he paid six years ago. He also said that in just two years, he’s seen an eightfold increase in the cost of fertilizer, from $200 per ton to $1600 per ton. When Pittman described the financial pinch he’s facing, many others around the table nodded in agreement.
“The 800-lb gorilla in the room is the crisis in the markets,” noted Wes Wheeler, a citrus grower from Winter Haven. “Ag runs on credit. Farmers depend on credit and if we can’t get credit we’re going to be in trouble.”
The attendees also concurred that critical issues facing Florida agriculture include: the need for fairer trade standards that level the competitive playing field; increased interdiction of pests and diseases that come in from overseas; and robust research into specialty crops and the diseases that threaten them – such as canker and citrus greening disease.
“We must maintain the integrity of [the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences] programs,” Pittman said, “It’s a wonderful tool for us to have and we must guarantee it will continue to be funded.” In response, Bassin pointed out that Obama has called for $3 billion in emergency stimulus to shore up Florida’s impending budget deficit, which would help prevent potential cuts to these programs.
The event was the eighth “Florida Forum for Change,” policy listening sessions the campaign has held around the state to make sure Sen. Obama hears the stories, concerns and suggestions of Florida voters. “These meetings are part of why Barack Obama is so in-touch with the concerns of voters here in Florida,” Bassin said. “They help Senator Obama get to know what people are worried about, what they need in their next President. Several of the farmers and growers told me that they have not been invited to similar forums by Sen. McCain, which may explain why so many North Florida voters think McCain doesn’t understand them or the challenges they are facing.”
The Campaign for Change said they plan to release a policy document on Florida agriculture and rural communities reflecting some of the input received at this meeting and that Dana Brooks, formerly of the Florida Farm Bureau, will be helping the campaign over the final five weeks to reach out to Florida farmers and rural families. As a result of these efforts, the campaign said they expect Obama to do surprisingly well with Florida’s rural voters.
“This year, everybody wants change. Washington can’t keep doing the same old thing and expect to get a different result,” Schale said, “Only Barack Obama can deliver the change we need, and I think North Florida is going to help elect him our next President.”
Did you attend an event this week? Let us know how it went in the comments section below. Read more about Barack's plan to support Rural Economic Development.
Please read Senator Obama's statement below marking Rosh Hashanah.
“As Jews around the world celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I want to send my best wishes for a happy, healthy, and sweet new year. This marks not just a time for rejoicing, but for reflecting on the hopes the new year brings, and on our responsibilities to see them fulfilled. As families come together to mark the High Holy Days, upholding a proud Jewish tradition, let us all rededicate ourselves to the task of repairing this world for our children and grandchildren, and to working to achieve peace and security for Israel. On behalf of all of the Obamas and Bidens, Shana Tovah.”
Click here to send a Shana Tovah greeting to your friends and family.
Miami - Yesterday, Sunday, September 28, “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon took a break from encouraging voter registration and sat down for a special brunch with three lucky Obama-Biden campaign volunteers at Hotel Delano on Miami Beach. Whitney Warrick, Heather Urban Holtzman, and Allison Cammack chatted with Nixon at the event, designed to emulate the brunch the four main characters on the show frequently had together. “It was just like I was one of the women on ‘Sex and the City,’” said Cammack, a faithful volunteer for the campaign since February 2007. “Nixon was so friendly, and we all talked about how Barack Obama supports us as women and why we think he should be our next president.” Holtzman spearheads the campaign’s grassroots Jewish outreach in Miami. “My husband and I are both active in the campaign,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can to show the South Florida Jewish Community that Sen. Obama will bring us the change we need.” Warrick, a third-year law student, has been the head of Students for Barack Obama at the University of Miami. “We are all involved because we agree this election is so important,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to help Obama win.”
Miami - Yesterday, Sunday, September 28, “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon took a break from encouraging voter registration and sat down for a special brunch with three lucky Obama-Biden campaign volunteers at Hotel Delano on Miami Beach.
Whitney Warrick, Heather Urban Holtzman, and Allison Cammack chatted with Nixon at the event, designed to emulate the brunch the four main characters on the show frequently had together.
“It was just like I was one of the women on ‘Sex and the City,’” said Cammack, a faithful volunteer for the campaign since February 2007. “Nixon was so friendly, and we all talked about how Barack Obama supports us as women and why we think he should be our next president.”
Holtzman spearheads the campaign’s grassroots Jewish outreach in Miami. “My husband and I are both active in the campaign,” she said. “I’m doing everything I can to show the South Florida Jewish Community that Sen. Obama will bring us the change we need.”
Warrick, a third-year law student, has been the head of Students for Barack Obama at the University of Miami. “We are all involved because we agree this election is so important,” she said. “We’re doing everything we can to help Obama win.”
One week left to register to vote. Get registered, or tell your friends: voteforchange.com .
Did you recently register to vote? Share your story with us in the comments section below!
TALLAHASSEE — Michelle Obama wrapped up a two-week nationwide voter registration push Saturday with a large, enthusiastic rally on the campus of Florida A&M University. An estimated 8,000 fired-up Barack Obama supporters, many of them college students, stood for two hours under a cloudless sky as Jill Biden, the wife of vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, introduced Mrs. Obama. She received a thunderous ovation on the campus of the nation's largest historically black university. "Let's hear it for the Rattlers!" Mrs. Obama shouted. Dozens of people with arms outstretched aimed their cell phones to catch a picture of the candidates' wives, 75 yards away. Young mothers hoisted children on their shoulders as Obama campaign workers worked the crowd, distributing forms to volunteers. After rattling off a list of issues from a "broken" health care system to a costly war in Iraq to high fuel and food prices, Mrs. Obama asked: "Isn't it time that we have new solutions, that we put the old ways aside? Shouldn't we have leaders who get it?" She spoke of her husband's background as the child of a teenage single mother who died of ovarian cancer at 53, and who couldn't obtain health insurance because her cancer was a "pre-existing condition." Mrs. Obama spoke at length about why all college students should be registered to vote, claiming 600,000 African-American adults in Florida still aren't registered — more than enough, she said, to decide an election's outcome. "Many believe that so goes Florida, so goes the rest of the country. So people are going to watch what happens here," Mrs. Obama said. "You have a chance to make change, but you can't if you're not registered." As Mrs. Obama finished her 25-minute speech, a booming sound system cranked out Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed and Delivered. At a card table with a "Voter Registration" sign on it, volunteer Cheryl Williams urged students who are already registered to vote elsewhere to reregister in Leon County so they don't have to request absentee ballots. Ion Sancho, the Leon County supervisor of elections, said in a telephone interview that he encourages students to register in the capital city's county. He said that while the voter registration deadline is Oct. 6, voters have until Election Day to transfer their address to Leon County.
TALLAHASSEE — Michelle Obama wrapped up a two-week nationwide voter registration push Saturday with a large, enthusiastic rally on the campus of Florida A&M University.
An estimated 8,000 fired-up Barack Obama supporters, many of them college students, stood for two hours under a cloudless sky as Jill Biden, the wife of vice presidential nominee Joe Biden, introduced Mrs. Obama. She received a thunderous ovation on the campus of the nation's largest historically black university.
"Let's hear it for the Rattlers!" Mrs. Obama shouted.
Dozens of people with arms outstretched aimed their cell phones to catch a picture of the candidates' wives, 75 yards away. Young mothers hoisted children on their shoulders as Obama campaign workers worked the crowd, distributing forms to volunteers.
After rattling off a list of issues from a "broken" health care system to a costly war in Iraq to high fuel and food prices, Mrs. Obama asked: "Isn't it time that we have new solutions, that we put the old ways aside? Shouldn't we have leaders who get it?"
She spoke of her husband's background as the child of a teenage single mother who died of ovarian cancer at 53, and who couldn't obtain health insurance because her cancer was a "pre-existing condition."
Mrs. Obama spoke at length about why all college students should be registered to vote, claiming 600,000 African-American adults in Florida still aren't registered — more than enough, she said, to decide an election's outcome.
"Many believe that so goes Florida, so goes the rest of the country. So people are going to watch what happens here," Mrs. Obama said. "You have a chance to make change, but you can't if you're not registered."
As Mrs. Obama finished her 25-minute speech, a booming sound system cranked out Stevie Wonder's Signed, Sealed and Delivered.
At a card table with a "Voter Registration" sign on it, volunteer Cheryl Williams urged students who are already registered to vote elsewhere to reregister in Leon County so they don't have to request absentee ballots.
Ion Sancho, the Leon County supervisor of elections, said in a telephone interview that he encourages students to register in the capital city's county. He said that while the voter registration deadline is Oct. 6, voters have until Election Day to transfer their address to Leon County.
Are you registered? Register.
Check out the email below from our Florida Field Director:
Dear Kristen -- In less than two weeks, an important deadline in Florida will pass -- the last chance to register to vote. Supporters across the state have helped build this campaign for change with hard work. Every day, groups of volunteers have walked neighborhoods, university campuses, and community festivals -- all to bring more people into our political process by registering new voters. Registering voters has been one of our top priorities -- it is crucial to winning Florida for Barack and Democrats up and down the ticket. But Monday, October 6th, is the final day to register new voters, and we need to make sure all of our friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family are registered. Our team recorded a special video showing how easy it is to get involved and register new voters. Watch the video and learn how you can make a difference in Florida this weekend: Floridians know better than anyone the importance of each and every vote. And the stakes couldn't be higher -- most polls show an extremely tight race in Florida right now. That's why supporters like you have volunteered at one of 50-plus Campaign for Change offices to help register voters and bring more voices into the political process. Voter registration can make all the difference in this race. And with less than two weeks to go before the October 6th deadline, we urgently need your help right now. Join us this weekend before the deadline and help register new voters: http://fl.barackobama.com/RegisterVoters No experience is needed. Your local Campaign for Change office will provide you with everything you need to get started bringing new voters into our political process. We're counting on your help -- together, we can win Florida for Barack. Thanks, Angela Angela Botticella Field Director Florida Campaign for Change
Dear Kristen -- In less than two weeks, an important deadline in Florida will pass -- the last chance to register to vote. Supporters across the state have helped build this campaign for change with hard work. Every day, groups of volunteers have walked neighborhoods, university campuses, and community festivals -- all to bring more people into our political process by registering new voters. Registering voters has been one of our top priorities -- it is crucial to winning Florida for Barack and Democrats up and down the ticket. But Monday, October 6th, is the final day to register new voters, and we need to make sure all of our friends, co-workers, neighbors, and family are registered. Our team recorded a special video showing how easy it is to get involved and register new voters. Watch the video and learn how you can make a difference in Florida this weekend:
Floridians know better than anyone the importance of each and every vote. And the stakes couldn't be higher -- most polls show an extremely tight race in Florida right now. That's why supporters like you have volunteered at one of 50-plus Campaign for Change offices to help register voters and bring more voices into the political process. Voter registration can make all the difference in this race. And with less than two weeks to go before the October 6th deadline, we urgently need your help right now. Join us this weekend before the deadline and help register new voters: http://fl.barackobama.com/RegisterVoters No experience is needed. Your local Campaign for Change office will provide you with everything you need to get started bringing new voters into our political process. We're counting on your help -- together, we can win Florida for Barack. Thanks, Angela Angela Botticella Field Director Florida Campaign for Change
Nancy attended the meeting and really appreciated the energy of her local field organizer:
Thank you for the energizing meeting. It was well worth spending our Saturday morning to rally together for the next phase of the campaign. You thanked us our past and future efforts and it was great to see everyone committing to voter registration, canvassing and phone banking because of your inspirational words. You can count on us to wear our buttons proudly wherever we go--interacting with those we meet as ambassadors of the next President of the United States...BARACK OBAMA.NancyVolunteer Florida Campaign for Change
Nancy
Volunteer Florida Campaign for Change
Did you volunteer this weekend? Let us know how it went in the comments section below.Looking to meet your local field organizer? Contact your local Campaign for Change office here.
There was a message circulating some of our groups in Florida yesterday that spread incorrect information conerning the the ID needed to vote. We're going to clarify below.
A message from the Florida Campaign for Change chief election lawyer:
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false. Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330 See the last bullet:· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
I am the Obama-Biden campaign’s chief election lawyer in Florida, and I have received the 'no match no vote' message from several sources. This message is categorically false.
Our reading of the clear statutory language does NOT require that the address on the driver’s license (or other ID) that the voter presents at the polls match the voter’s address in the precinct register. Furthermore, this press release from the Florida Secretary of State definitively ccnfirms:http://www.dos.state.fl.us/news/communications/pressRelease/pressRelease.cfm?id=330
See the last bullet:
· I.D. required and checked at the polls is used solely to confirm the voter’s identity. Not to verify the voter’s ID number or address. The photograph on the ID is compared to the person standing before the poll worker and the signature on the ID is compared to the signature on record.
Please feel free to email florida@barackobama.com with any questions or concerns.
A new mailing from the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign to Florida voters has Democrats saying they're the victim of dirty tricks. They say that at the very least, the mailing is meant to confuse voters in this battleground state. Republicans say Democrats are making much ado abut nothing. Lifelong Democrat Marilyn DiMauro of Naples was surprised to get a letter recently from Republican presidential contender John McCain. "I thought, well that's strange, because I'm a Democrat. And when I opened the envelope, there was a card that said I was listed as a Republican with my registration number. So I immediately got my Democratic card, and the registration number was not the same," she says.She thought the mailing — labeled "Party Affiliation Voter Registration Card" — was a little fishy — especially when she found out two of her friends who are Democrats had received the same thing but a Republican friend had not."So I just felt that there was some diabolical reason for doing this mailing," she says. "Why would you spend the money?"That's what Jim Reynolds, another lifelong Democrat in Naples, wants to know. He happens to be a former U.S. attorney from Iowa. And he has filed a mail-fraud complaint with the postal service. Reynolds thinks Republicans are trying to confuse Democratic voters into thinking there's a problem with their registrations."They're just doing everything to try to suppress a certain segment that they feel are not going to be favorable to them," he says.And indeed, Florida election officials have reported dozens of worried calls from voters. A copy of the mailing obtained by NPR shows that it includes an official-looking card, listing the recipient's name, address, congressional district, party affiliation and something called a voter ID number. In an attached letter, McCain asks recipients to update the enclosed card — and to contribute to his campaign... Jerry Holland, the Republican supervisor of elections in Duval County, received so many calls from worried voters that he released a statement last week assuring them that only a voter can change his or her own registration. "Whoever designed the piece obviously created something, knowingly or unknowingly, confusing to some voters, because obviously they were concerned that maybe someone had changed their party," says Holland.
A new mailing from the Republican National Committee and the McCain campaign to Florida voters has Democrats saying they're the victim of dirty tricks. They say that at the very least, the mailing is meant to confuse voters in this battleground state. Republicans say Democrats are making much ado abut nothing.
Lifelong Democrat Marilyn DiMauro of Naples was surprised to get a letter recently from Republican presidential contender John McCain.
"I thought, well that's strange, because I'm a Democrat. And when I opened the envelope, there was a card that said I was listed as a Republican with my registration number. So I immediately got my Democratic card, and the registration number was not the same," she says.
She thought the mailing — labeled "Party Affiliation Voter Registration Card" — was a little fishy — especially when she found out two of her friends who are Democrats had received the same thing but a Republican friend had not.
"So I just felt that there was some diabolical reason for doing this mailing," she says. "Why would you spend the money?"
That's what Jim Reynolds, another lifelong Democrat in Naples, wants to know. He happens to be a former U.S. attorney from Iowa. And he has filed a mail-fraud complaint with the postal service. Reynolds thinks Republicans are trying to confuse Democratic voters into thinking there's a problem with their registrations.
"They're just doing everything to try to suppress a certain segment that they feel are not going to be favorable to them," he says.
And indeed, Florida election officials have reported dozens of worried calls from voters. A copy of the mailing obtained by NPR shows that it includes an official-looking card, listing the recipient's name, address, congressional district, party affiliation and something called a voter ID number. In an attached letter, McCain asks recipients to update the enclosed card — and to contribute to his campaign...
Jerry Holland, the Republican supervisor of elections in Duval County, received so many calls from worried voters that he released a statement last week assuring them that only a voter can change his or her own registration.
"Whoever designed the piece obviously created something, knowingly or unknowingly, confusing to some voters, because obviously they were concerned that maybe someone had changed their party," says Holland.
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Please use the comments section below to let us know that you received this letter from the RNC.
