Obama Delivers Powerful Father's Day Message

The Obama family celebrated Father's Day together, attending services at Chicago's Apostolic Church of God.

Obama delivered a speech on fatherhood from the pulpit, and he didn't shy away from confronting difficult issues

"Too many fathers are also missing. Too many fathers are MIA. Too many fathers are AWOL. Missing from too many lives and too many homes. They've abandoned their responsibilities, they're acting like boys instead of men, and the foundations of our family have suffered because of it. You know and I know this is true everywhere, but nowhere is it more true than in the African American community," he said, delivering his straight-talking message to the African American congregation.

Obama continued, showing his commitment to confronting problems directly with honest solutions

"We can't simply write these problems off to past injustices. Those injustices are real. There's a reason why our families are just in disrepair, and some of it has to do with a tragic history, but we can't keep on using that as an excuse."

We need to be honest with ourselves if we are to rally together around the common causes of our time. Showing himself as the unconventional democrat that he is, Obama said it's not just government that we need to look toward to solve our problems, we must also look to ourselves

He recognized that the government has to change in order to improve the economy and schools, which is why he's running for president. But, he added, "The change we need is not just gonna come from government. It's not just gonna come from a president. It's gonna come from us. It's gonna come from each and every one of us. We need families to raise our children. We need fathers to recognize that responsibility just doesn't end at conception. That doesn't just make you a father. What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."

A powerful Father's Day message indeed.

Best,
D. Tree

(and in case you missed my morning post about Barack Obama being named "Father of the Year" click here to check it out).

Obama's Plan Would Create 5 Million New Green Energy Jobs

Before helping to fill sandbags in a part of Illinois hit by flooding, Barack Obama travelled to Wayne, Pennsylvania where he layed out his energy and tax plans:

According to his campaign, Obama wants to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to establish a green energy sector; create a national low-carbon fuel standard to ensure that the fuel is more efficient, and invest in clean energies like solar, wind and biodiesel.

That, according to the campaign, would create up to 5 million new green energy jobs.

Barack Obama's economic plans will also make taxes more fair, so CEO's aren't paying less than working families and seniors.

And on taxes, Obama blasted the McCain campaign for painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal.
...
Obama said his tax plan would give "every middle-class family a $1,000 tax cut." In addition, his plan aims to eliminate income taxes for seniors who make less than $50,000 a year.

Barack Obama plans to reinvest in America by putting our resources into new green energy industries. In doing so we'll help break our addiction to foreign oil, *and* we'll create millions of new jobs right here in America.

We have an opportunity to become leaders in this new industry. Starting a new green economy in America has the potential to reverse the threat of everything from terrorism to job outsourcing and trade deficits - and if we make this modest start now, we can eventually achieve so much!

And remember, when someone says we are trying to raise taxes, you might consider saying no, we want to make them fair again. CEO's should not pay less taxes than their secretaries. If you love America, you'll agree we must all contribute, not just the working class.

McCain: "Hell, yeah" Cheney would be good in my administration

John McCain digs himself deeper into third Bush/Cheney term.

This was reported a few days ago, but it keeps echoing in my mind as I see John McCain try to present himself as an independent Republican.

Thinkprogress reported that John McCain would've considered Dick Cheney for a post in his administration:

Asked whether he’d be interested in Cheney had the vice president not already have served under Bush for two terms, McCain said: "I don’t know if I would want him as vice president. He and I have the same strengths. But to serve in other capacities? Hell, yeah."

In other words, when John McCain says "He and I have the same strengths," we should understand that to mean electing John McCain president would be like electing Dick Cheney president

Just. Like. Cheney.

Can America handle a Dick Cheney as president, after nearly 8 years of misery under this one? My fellow Democrats, we must do everything we can to keep this man from winning the Whitehouse in November.

We need to unite around this common cause: defeating the Republicans and electing a Democrat president.

McCain is tricky, he tries to show independence from his Republican masters. But he voted with Bush 100% of the time, and now that he's the GOP nominee we can expect him to tow the party line - no matter how much he makes America suffer in the process.

Our country cannot afford 4 more years of Bush/Cheney policies, in the guise of John McCain.

This year the American people have presented us with an unprecedented mandate for change. Let us take this gift and use it together to win our government back for the American people, so we can enact our progressive vision for the future.

Thank you,
D. Tree

Barack Obama: Stronger Foreign Policy

As several major news organizations have reported today, the policies of Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama inspire more confidence around the world than those of Republican John McCain.

Thinkprogress even published this handy graph comparing approval ratings from the U.S. and 23 of our major allies:

The Pew Report also noted there is "a widespread belief that U.S. foreign policy 'will change for the better' after the inauguration of a new American president next year"

After almost 8 years of disastrous foreign policy from neoconservative Republicans, it is time for us to repair our broken alliances around the world. Clearly, the global community trusts a Democrat more than a Republican.

Do we want more of the same failed Bush/Cheney policies, or do we want to return to the intelligent policies of Democrats - policies that reduced international terrorism and increased prosperity both in the U.S. and around the world?

This November, our choices will be distinctly clear: Vote for John McCain if you want more of the same; however, if you are tired of the dishonesty and failures of the Republican party, Barack Obama is ready to turn the page and begin a new chapter in American and international prosperity.

Why Do Women Give McCain a "Zero?"

John McCain was never a defender of women's rights.

After all, year after year both NARAL and Planned Parenthood have consistently given him a zero rating when it comes to women's rights.

But now that he's is the republican nominee for president, McCain's going a step further and enthusiastically embracing the medieval gender policies of George W. Bush.

For example, McCain has flip-flopped on Roe v. Wade, and now supports the immediate overturning of the landmark women's rights case..

But it doesn't end there. Check out The Real McCain, a new website devoted to exposing the lies and half-truths in John McCain's campaign.

These short videos titled "McCain Women's Clinic" by Brave New Films, imagine how the future might look for women in America, should John McCain be elected president (click the images to watch parts 1, 2, and 3):

On one hand, we have the Democrat nominee, who has received a 100% rating from NARAL. And on the other hand, we have the Republican nominee, who not only received a big fat ZERO, he also wants to overturn Roe v. Wade.

One wants us to move forward together in common purpose, while the other wants to divide us and drag us back to the dark ages.

As citizens, the choice is in our hands. In a year when candidates like Hillary Clinton opened so many doors and broke down so many barriers, let us not turn away from this progress. Let us honor Hillary's sacrifices and accomplishments by making sure the doors she opened will never be closed again.

And the way to do that to do that, my friends, is to elect a Democrat for president in November!

Top Republican: McCain will be "Extension" of Bush

In a widely-ridiculed speech last Tuesday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) noted that "you will hear from my opponent's campaign in every speech, every interview, every press release that I'm running for President Bush's third term."

As Thinkprogress reports, those in McCain's inner circle have no confusion that McCain will indeed represent third term of Bush:

Today on ABC's This Week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) stated unequivocally that McCain's tax and health care policies were not only an extension of Bush's polices but also an "enhancement":

STEPHANOPOULOS: Let me bring Senator Graham back in on this because you brought up two. You said the tax policy and the health care policy were essentially, Senator Graham, John McCain is calling for an extension or maybe enhancement of the Bush policies.

GRAHAM: Yeah, absolutely.

Click Here to watch it.

As the general election campaign begins, it will be increasingly clear that John McCain is the choice for those few Americans who actually thrived under Bush and Cheney, and for Americans who want more of the same failed Republican ideas.

Republicans may tell it differently in order to persuade voters, but amongst themselves, and in their closed door fundraisers, GOP operatives are clear: they want to continue more of the same failed policies.

Change in Action: DNC Returns $$

Putting Change into action, our first example: campaign finance reform.

The DNC took an historic step this week in adopting Barack Obama's fundraising rules for the 2008 election. It was a big risk never taken on by a major political organization before. We realize that we can't wait for Washington to do it for us, we need to lead by setting an example now.

Putting words immediately into action, CNN reported that the new Obama edict requires DNC to return $100,000

The Democratic National Committee is now operating under Barack Obama's fundraising rules.

The DNC today returned about $100,000 in money from lobbyists and political action committees.
...
Obama imposed the rules to avoid a conflict with his own ban on money from federal lobbyists and PACs.

Republican John McCain does accept money from lobbyists and PACs as does the Republican National Committee and other party committees.

With almost 2 million individual donors, and now adding supporters of Hillary Clinton, we can prove that when we are focused on a common cause there is no problem we can't solve.

That is the basis of this change everyone has been talking about: We have known the solutions needed for years - but we have simply lacked the political will until now.

We are witnessing the emancipation of the American voter - by banding together with small contributions, we are competing and winning.

Look out Washington, there's a wave coming your way, and it's gonna sweep the slate clean and usher in a new era of prosperity!