Asian Americans for Obama

Next: AAPI Platform for Change

[Ed. - If you haven't had the chance yet, check out the AAPI Platform for Change initiative.  A link has also been added to the "Join Us for Updates" list at the right side of the page.]

Aloha,

Thank you to all of participants who called into [Sunday's] national conference call focusing on Asian American, South Asian and Pacific Islander issues as part of Barack Obama's "Listening to America: the Democratic Platform for Change" initiative. We had almost 120 people register for the call and 42 responses to our online survey.

The call was hosted by Asian Americans for Obama, South Asians for Obama and APA for Progress and leaders from those groups -- Ramey Ko, Anhoni Patel and Curtis Chin, respectively -- welcomed the call participants.

Our special guest speakers included Obama campaign AAPI Voter Outreach Director Charmaine Manansala and Deputy Director Betsy Kim, Clinton campaign AAPI Director Irene Bueno and National Platform Director Michael Yaki. Jennifer Van der Heide, Congressman Mike Honda's chief of staff, also joined us and welcomed everyone.

Read more and participate in our platform process:
http://platform.apaforobama.com/?p=35

Keith Kamisugi

Obama Speaks to Muslim Rumors on Larry King

Tonight at 9 PM EST, Larry King will feature a taped a interview with Sen. Obama.  He answers questions on a range of issues in the show, some excerpts of which are available at Politico.

Of particular interest to the AAPI community is the excerpt below on the persistent Muslim rumors.  Sen. Obama has fought very hard against the whisper campaign and its obvious attempt to scare voters, but some have felt that he has been less firm in his defense of Muslim Americans as a result.

Some of that criticism is misinformed.  For example, after numerous media outlets reported an incident where two Muslim women were told by an event staffer that they couldn't be shown behind Sen. Obama because they were wearing headscarves, there was very little follow-up in the coverage about the fact that the staffer was acting contrary to campaign policy, that numerous headscarf wearing Muslims have stood or sat behind Sen. Obama in previous events, and that Sen. Obama personally called the two women to apologize for the mistake.

In the interview, Sen. Obama again addresses the Muslim rumors, making a special point to discuss the insulting implications of the rumor campaign for Muslim Americans.

KING: Considering that, though, there's a lot of e-mails going around.  It gets rather terrible. A "Newsweek" poll shows that 12 percent of America believes that you're a Muslim, and 26 believe -- 26 percent believe you were raised in a Muslim home. A lot of misinformation.

    How do you fight that?

    OBAMA: Well, you know, by getting on "Larry King" and telling everybody I'm a Christian and I wasn't raised in a Muslim home. And pledge allegiance to the flag. And, you know, all the things that have been reported in these e-mails are completely untrue and have been debunked again and again and again. So, all you can do is just tell the truth and trust in the American people that over time, they're going to know what the truth is.

    One last point I want to -- I do want to make about these e-mails, though. And I think this has an impact on this "New Yorker" cover.

    You know, this is actually an insult against Muslim-Americans, something that we don't spend a lot of time talking about. And sometimes I've been derelict in pointing that out.

    You know, there are wonderful Muslim-Americans all across the country who are doing wonderful things. And for this to be used as sort of an insult, or to raise suspicions about me, I think is unfortunate. And it's not what America's all about.

Celebrate Loving Day!

Today is Loving Day, the 41st anniversary of the day that the US Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in Loving v. Virginia that laws against interracial marriage were unconstitutional.

Amidst the tensions and anxieties of the time, it's good to remember the power of a simple story of love that inspired an ordinary couple that just wanted to be able to live their lives to fight injustice.  Mildred Loving died earlier this year, but her legacy will persist, not just for the landmark nature of the case, but because she and her husband were not seeking to be martyrs, celebrities, or politicians, but just a family.

Sen. Obama was very lucky to be born to an interracial couple in Hawaii, a multiracial and multiethnic state where such relationships were not unusual.  He and his half-Indonesian, half-Caucasian sister Maya grew up among many other mixed race kids.  That's not to say that they didn't have their challenges.  But without Loving, so many Americans like Sen. Obama would not have the ability to thrive, or in some cases, even exist.  So many couples like Sen. Obama's parents would not be able to live their lives together.  Even with the decision, true respect and acceptance is still an unfulfilled promise for many, one for which all of us must continue to strive.  Asian Americans intermarry at rates higher than any other racial or ethnic group, so the right to marry has special significance for us.

Cheesy as it is, these are the moments that keep me going, that inspire me to keep up the fight no matter the challenges ahead or the defeats suffered.  Let's take today to remember that, in the end, love and hope always win out over intolerance and fear.

Multiracial Americans Inspired by Obama Candidacy

Sometimes in the discussion of race and politics, it's easy to forget that over 4 million Americans have mixed racial heritage.  For these Americans, racial identity is more complex than black and white, or even black, white, brown, and yellow.  Their experience is incredibly diverse, and mixed race Americans can identify with some, all, or none of the elements of their heritage.

We've already heard some discussion of whether Sen. Obama's heritage makes him black, white, both, neither, or something that doesn't fall easily into any of those categories.  And though the term "mixed race" encompasses virtually endless permutations, many multiracial Americans are coming to see themselves as a unique group in their own right, sharing experiences and perspectives even if their backgrounds differ widely.  And many of them identify strongly with Sen. Obama's struggles with racial identity and belonging as chronicled in his book, Dreams from My Father.  Sen. Obama's sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, is also mixed race of Indonesian and Caucasian heritage.

MSNBC has a great article on the subject, featuring folks such as Louie Gong, who is part Native American, Chinese, French, and Scottish, and founder of the Mixed Heritage Center.  A mom discusses how her half-black, half-white kids, like Obama, discovered that when they were older that for most purposes, American society treated them as African American, even though they're biracial and their father is an African immigrant without American slave heritage.  Another white woman who married a black man nearly 50 years ago noted how when her kids grew up, she just assumed the world would regard them as African American, so she basically thought of their identity that way, too.  Now she says that the growing number of multiracial Americans has allowed people to claim multiple, simultaneous identities - a choice that was not really afforded her kids in the 60s.

The Presidential Candidates and Asia Policy

UCLA Professor Tom Plate discusses his cautious optimism about the three candidates' campaign rhetoric on US-Asia policy in his Pacific Perspectives column this week.  He writes that Asia policy (outside of Pakistan and Central Asia, presumably) has not been a visible priority for the US lately, despite the growing economic and political importance of nations such as India and China.

Professor Plate notes that Asia has not been exactly center stage for the presidential contenders either, but encouragingly, all three candidates have articulated positions on Asia that emphasize engagement, "geopolitical reality," and avoid extreme or belligerent rhetoric.  He's critical that none of the candidates have really laid out a comprehensive Asia policy in-depth, but feels that we should generally be optimistic.

It's a short column, so he doesn't really get into a lot of detail on what the candidates have said, but here's what he has to say about Sen. Obama:

"Obama also offers the world a unique Asian connection as well. With his late Kansas-born mother and stepfather, he resided in Indonesia for a quartet of younger years. A recent speech emphasized the need for 'strong ties with U.S. allies such as Japan, South Korea and Australia.' The 46-year-old senator -- potentially the first black American president -- also has proposed to help forge 'a more effective framework in Asia that goes beyond bilateral agreements, occasional summits, and ad hoc arrangements.'"

Click here to read the entire column.

Rinku Sen: Obama's Speech on Race a "Real Landmark"

"The lesson that we should take from [Obama's] speech is this: even though people experience racism individually, the origins of racism are actually structural. That is, it's our public policies that create bad schools, unemployment, poor health care, and deadly wars." Rinku Sen, president of the Applied Research Center, explains in this clip. "Our best chance to change our attitudes towards each other, to transform anger and resentment into unity and progress, is to change the rules that govern society."'

Hat tip to John Delloro's blog for highlighting this clip.

Response to 80-20 from Obama AAPI Leaders

UPDATE:  On Jan 31, 2008, the 80-20 Initiative announced that they have resolved their disagreement with the Obama campaign and reached an agreement on their questionnaire.  For more, including links to the 80-20 Initiative's announcement and a copy of the questionnaire, see this post.  Thanks to the tireless efforts of those on both sides, 80-20 and Sen. Obama can continue to work together to advance equal opportunity for all Americans.

Dear S.B. Woo,

In response to your "Open Letter from the Asian Am Community" to Senator Barack Obama, we are sending this letter to address some apparent misunderstandings and misconceptions.

As key supporters of the Obama campaign, we can assure you that the campaign is committed to reaching out to the Asian American community. The Senator has created an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) National Leadership Council comprised of key AAPI leaders and activists from throughout the country to advise the campaign on identifying AAPI issues of concern and outreach. The campaign has provided an official statement of support and commitment to the Asian American Action Fund (AAA Fund). In fact, the AAA Fund of Greater Chicago has formally endorsed Senator Obama's candidacy. The campaign has sent top surrogates to address the AAPI community's concerns and their needs at candidate forums sponsored by Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP) and the AAA Fund. The Senator, himself, emphasized his support of Asian Americans with his message of diversity through unity during his participation in the Iowa Heartland Presidential Forum. The campaign has outlined a comprehensive plan to reclaim the American Dream for Asian American and Pacific Islander families. Barack Obama is the only candidate to have a campaign-sponsored Asian American outreach webpage linked off of its main website.

In an effort to further reach out to the AAPI community, the Obama campaign attempted to establish a dialogue with you regarding the 80-20 Educational Foundation's questionnaire in December 2007. On Friday, December 14, 2007, Obama campaign staff had engaged in a phone conversation with you to discuss concerns regarding the wording of the questionnaire. The staff members had requested you to consider changes to questions 4 and 5, both of which relate to appointing AAPI judges, because of concerns that the questions implied a de facto quota. As you are aware, Senator Obama is a strong supporter of affirmative action and enhancing opportunities for Asian Americans, but he is a staunch opponent of the quota systems. The staff members requested that you consider modifying the wording of those questions to resemble the wording of question 6, which addresses considering qualified AAPIs for the Supreme Court. Unfortunately, you refused to consider modifications of the questions, and refused our request to explore other alternatives that would allow the Obama campaign to submit the completed questionnaire to the members of 80-20. In response to the 80-20 questionnaire as written, the Obama campaign did send you a letter confirming Senator Obama's commitment to the enhancement of representation of Asian Americans in the federal judiciary system and ensuring equal opportunity in the workplace for not only Asian Americans, but for all Americans. Apparently, that was not acceptable to you.

Since that conversation, we have been greatly disturbed by emails that were circulated from you to your membership, which included false statements regarding your communications or lack of communications with the Obama staff. 80-20's emails have made untrue allegations as to the reasons why the Obama campaign has not submitted "Yes" or "No" answers to the questionnaire. 80-20's emails have also unfairly targeted and ridiculed Senator Obama and his motivations for his run to the Presidency. The emails have reflected untrue claims regarding the roles of the Senator's family members and supporters and their participation in the campaign. The allegations through your ongoing emails to your membership continue to be false and misleading. We ask that you to refrain from circulating untrue and unsubstantiated statements about the Senator, his family members, campaign supporters, and the Obama campaign staff.

We encourage you, in the spirit of cooperation, to consider the changes the campaign requested in December or work with the campaign to find acceptable alternatives. We hope that 80-20 will rescind its Defeat Obama campaign. We do not understand why 80-20 has targeted Senator Obama and his candidacy even after the Obama campaign had attempted in good faith to establish a dialogue with 80-20. Other Democratic candidates at the time, including Governor Richardson and Congressman Kucinich, had not responded to the questionnaire, nor had any of the Republican candidates and yet none of them were targeted with a specific and deliberate campaign to defeat their candidacies.

The Obama campaign pledges to continue to reach out to the Asian American community and recognizes the importance of contributions made by the members of the AAPI community to the growth and success of our country. We look forward to further strengthening our dialogue and position with the AAPI community in addressing their issues of concern and needs throughout this campaign. We are proud of the diverse coalition that has been built to support Barack Obama's campaign for President, and we certainly encourage organizations like 80-20 to stand with us in our mission to affect positive change for our country.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Nancy Chen, IL.
Former APA Outreach Director for the Office of Presidential Personnel (1996-1997) and Former Chicago Director for Senator Paul Simon (D--IL) (1991-1996); Co-chair, Obama AAPI National Leadership Council

Ann Lata Kalayil, IL.
Former DNC At-Large Member and APIA Caucus; Co-Chair, Obama AAPI National Leadership Council

Stanley M. Toy, Jr. M.D., CA.
Chairman, Los Angeles County Hospital and Healthcare Delivery Commission and President and CEO TEAM Healthcare; Former Deputy National Finance Chair for Kerry-Edwards 2004, DNC Delegate-at-Large 2004, Member, Kerry National Leadership Council; Co-Chair, Obama AAPI National Leadership Council

80-20 Initiative Continued

UPDATE:  On Jan 31, 2008, the 80-20 Initiative announced that they have resolved their disagreement with the Obama campaign and reached an agreement on their questionnaire.  For more, including links to the 80-20 Initiative's announcement and a copy of the questionnaire, see this post. Thanks to the tireless efforts of those on both sides, 80-20 and Sen. Obama can continue to work together to advance equal opportunity for all Americans.

After reading some of the commentary out there in cyberspace on the 80-20 issue, I wanted to follow up with a few additional points.

First, 80-20's claim that Sen. Obama argued that he had to be extra careful on minority issues because he is black and thus could not answer the questionnaire is patently false.  The AAPI outreach staff for Sen. Obama are adamant that at no point in the discussions with 80-20 was this point ever brought up.

Second, 80-20 attacks Sen. Obama for mentioning his brother-in-law, Conrad Ng [sic] (actually spelled Konrad), who is Chinese American.  Now 80-20 does not come out and say that Obama proffered this fact as a response to the questionnaire issue (he did not), but the way this point is presented certainly seems to imply that Sen. Obama is going around saying the equivalent of "Some of my best friends are Asian American."

There are at least a couple of problems with this line of attack.

First of all, I find it poor form in general to drag people's family members into arguments unless they bring them up first.  In this case, Obama did not.

Second of all, Konrad Ng is not just Sen. Obama's brother-in-law.  Konrad is a close adviser to Sen. Obama and his campaign on AAPI issues.  Konrad has a long history of involvement in the Democratic Party and is a veteran fighter for AAPI issues in politics.  It stands to reason that Sen. Obama would consider Konrad a truly valuable asset to his campaign.  In other words, having a brother-in-law such as Konrad really does make a difference in how a candidate understands and addresses AAPI issues.

As this issue continues to develop, I might have additional posts on the subject in the future.

Sen. Obama and the 80-20 Initiative

UPDATE:  On Jan 31, 2008, the 80-20 Initiative announced that they have resolved their disagreement with the Obama campaign and reached an agreement on their questionnaire.  For more, including links to the 80-20 Initiative's announcement and a copy of the questionnaire, see this post. Thanks to the tireless efforts of those on both sides, 80-20 and Sen. Obama can continue to work together to advance equal opportunity for all Americans.

Some of you may have heard that the Asian American Pacific Islander Political Action Committee, 80-20 Initiative, which aims to create a solid AAPI voting bloc in elections to increase effectiveness as a swing vote, has issued a call to defeat Sen. Barack Obama.

80-20's call is based upon Sen. Obama's supposed refusal to answer their candidate questionnaire.  Sen. Obama did not in fact refuse to respond to the questionnaire.  As you can see from the official campaign response posted below, Sen. Obama strongly supports the goal of fighting discrimination against AAPIs and increasing the presence of AAPIs in government, including Article III judges.  However, Sen. Obama was concerned with the wording of some of the questions, and asked 80-20 to allow some modification.  This was a courtesy that was extended to other campaigns, but for whatever reason, 80-20 refused to work with Sen. Obama and reacted with negative attacks.  For more details, click the link below to read the full letter.

Download 80-20_Letter.pdf

For the record, Sen. Obama has had a long and admirable history of fighting for the AAPI community.  It includes little things; when I first met Sen. Obama when he was a professor at my law school, I noticed that he was one of the only non-AAPI politicians I'd seen who regularly mentioned Asian Americans in speeches and discussions - something most American politicians still do not do unless speaking to an Asian American audience.  This was back when Obama was polling 7th in a field of 8 Democratic primary candidates for the US Senate, and a presidential run was far from anyone's mind.

On the big things, Obama is there.  Every Asian American community leader I met in Chicago told me that Sen. Obama was one of their strongest and most reliable allies in the Illinois State Senate.  He is the only major candidate with an official AAPI campaign website linked off the main campaign homepage.  He is the only major candidate with an active profile on AsianAve.com, the social networking website for the AAPI community.  He has formed an Asian American and Pacific Islander National Leadership Council to advise on AAPI outreach.  His US Senate Chief of Staff and Legislative Director are both of AAPI descent.  His campaign has actively participated in AAPI political forums across the country.

I also believe that Sen. Obama is the only candidate with the background to truly understand the full range of the AAPI experience - an experience defined by immigration and the struggle for inclusion.  Sen. Obama is the child of parents of different races, of different nationalities, and spent his childhood in Indonesia and multiracial Hawaii.  Anyone who has spent part of their lives in a foreign country knows how that fundamentally affects your view of the world and its people.  Many of us or our parents know what it's like to not be Americans and not be accepted as Americans even when we are.  Respected political commentator Fareed Zakaria recently noted this quality of Obama's and discussed how his foreign background gives him a different perspective on foreign affairs from many other American journalists.

It's easy to see why Sen. Obama has earned the endorsement of the Asian American Action Fund of Greater Chicago, prominent AAPIs including former California State Assembly Majority Leader Wilma Chan, actors Kal Penn (The Namesake, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle) and Kelly Hu (The Scorpion King), Nancy Chen, former Chicago office director of the legendary Sen. Paul Simon, Rep. Bobby Scott, the first person of Filipino descent elected to the US Congress, Council Member Sam Yoon, the first Asian American elected to the Boston City Council, Mayor Jun Choi, the first Asian American mayor of Edison, NJ, and more.  His record is why he overwhelmingly won the recent Asian American Action Fund straw poll in Los Angeles, California.

In the end, you must judge for yourself if Sen. Obama is the right candidate for the AAPI community based on the facts.  Posted below are two documents that lay out Sen. Obama's agenda for the AAPI community.  The first talks about a range of issues, and the second focuses on healthcare, one of the most important issues for an AAPI community with some of the highest levels of uninsured or underinsured families.

Download AAPI_Dream_Agenda_FINAL.pdf

Download Fact_Sheet_Health_Care_AAPI_FINAL.pdf

Sen. Obama Responds to Blackwater Scandal

Sen. Barack Obama's blogs at The Hill"s Congress Blog on the ongoing problems with Private Security Contractors in Iraq:

Congress to Address Oversight for Security Contractors (Sen. Barack Obama)

http://blog.thehill.com/2007/09/24/congress-to-address-oversight-for-security-contractors-sen-barack-obama/

Obama's Plan to End the War in Iraq

Barack Obama has spoken out against the war in Iraq since before it began. Today, in a major speech, he outlined a plan to end the war he has always opposed. Click here to sign on to the plan. We have a new online phone bank tool. Click here to be one of the first to try it out and spread the word.

It's been more predictable political theater this week, as the Bush administration once again used the anniversary of September 11th to make the case for its misguided strategy in Iraq.

Five years ago today -- September 12th, 2002 -- President Bush used the same kind of theatrics, based on lingering fears and empty evidence, to make his case for war to the United Nations.

Many in Congress ignored or didn't even bother to read the intelligence reports that convinced the Democratic Chairman of the Intelligence Committee at the time, Senator Bob Graham, to vote against the invasion. Afraid of looking weak, they failed to ask the hard questions. They gave the president the authority to go to war and lost our only opportunity to prevent the disaster in Iraq before it started.

Barack Obama made a different judgment five years ago. And in a major speech today, he outlined a plan to end a war he has always opposed.

The plan consists of four parts. First, start bringing our troops home now. Second, take a new approach to press Iraqis to end their civil war. Third, escalate our diplomacy in the region -- with friends and foes. And fourth, honor our moral commitment to Iraqis by confronting the humanitarian costs of this war.

Sign on to the plan to show your support for ending this war:

http://my.barackobama.com/supportiraqplan

We've also developed a new phone bank tool to allow you to reach out to fellow supporters. Be one of the first to use this tool and spread the word about ending the war:

http://my.barackobama.com/iraqphonebank

Thank you,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Read Obama's full speech after the jump.

Obama Confronts Urban Poverty

Sen. Obama speaks about his plan to bring hope to Urban America in DC:

It's been four decades since Bobby Kennedy crouched in a shack along the Mississippi Delta and looked into the wide, listless eyes of a hungry child. Again and again he tried to talk to this child, but each time his efforts were met with only a blank stare of desperation. And when Kennedy turned to the reporters traveling with him, with tears in his eyes he asked a single question about poverty in America:

"How can a country like this allow it?"

Forty years later, we're still asking that question. It echoes on the streets of Compton and Detroit, and throughout the mining towns of West Virginia. It lingers with every image we see of the 9th Ward and the rural Gulf Coast, where poverty thrived long before Katrina came ashore.

We stand not ten miles from the seat of power in the most affluent nation on Earth. Decisions are made on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue that shape lives and set the course of history. With the stroke of a pen, billions are spent on programs and policies; on tax breaks for those who didn't need them and a war that should've never been authorized and never been waged. Debates rage and accusations fly and at the end of each day, the petty sniping is what lights up the evening news.

And yet here, on the other side of the river, every other child in Anacostia lives below the poverty line. Too many do not graduate and too many more do not find work. Some join gangs, and others fall to their gunfire.

The streets here are close to our capital, but far from the people it represents. These Americans cannot hire lobbyists to roam the halls of Congress on their behalf, and they cannot write thousand-dollar campaign checks to make their voices heard. They suffer most from a politics that has been tipped in favor of those with the most money, and influence, and power.

How can a country like this allow it?

Read the rest of the speech after the jump.  Watch it here.

Brzezinski Endorses Obama; Praises His Fresh Approach to Foreign Policy

From Bloomberg:

Aug. 24 (Bloomberg) -- Zbigniew Brzezinski, one of the most influential foreign-policy experts in the Democratic Party, threw his support behind Barack Obama's presidential candidacy, saying the Illinois senator has a better global grasp than his chief rival, Hillary Clinton.       

Obama "recognizes that the challenge is a new face, a new sense of direction, a new definition of America's role in the world,'' Brzezinski said in an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital with Al Hunt.''

"Obama is clearly more effective and has the upper hand,'' Brzezinski, who was President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, said. "He has a sense of what is historically relevant, and what is needed from the United States in relationship to the world.''

To read the full article, click here.

Media Matters Calls Out GOP Candidates on Disingenuous Attacks

In an August 1 speech, Sen. Obama said that "[i]f we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets" in Pakistan, "and [Pakistani] President Musharraf won't act, we will."

GOP presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani criticized Sen. Obama for being inconsistent for advocating the above policy while also saying that he would always keep diplomatic channels open with any country.  Rather than present honest analysis of this criticism (which only requires a moment's thought for anyone to realize how empty it is) or point out that both Romney and Giuliani agreed with the substance of Obama's remarks, NBC and MSNBC aired the GOP candidates' statements without critical analysis.

Media Matters has continued its vital role of keeping the media honest by highlighting the numerous problems with such an uncritical presentation of Romney's and Giuliani's remarks.

To read more, visit the links below:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200708070004
http://mediamatters.org/items/200708060006

The Immigrant Vote and the 2008 Election

This past Saturday, August 4, 2007, the Asian American Journalists Association held a town hall in Miami on the potential impact of the emerging immigrant vote on the 2008 election.  Marlon A. Hill, Esq., past president of the Caribbean Bar Association and a member of the Florida Finance/Political Team for Obama for America was a panelist.

C-SPAN will be rebroadcasting this town hall event in the weeks to come.  Check your local listings for more information.

To see the original announcement, download the PDF below.

Download aaja_town_hall.pdf

Fighting the War on Terror the Right Way

As many of you may know, Sen. Obama recently came under fire for unapologetically stating that in an Obama administration, dialogue with other nations will always be a part of foreign policy.  Instead of back pedaling, Sen. Obama has stood firmly by his words, and reminded his critics that the American people want a change from the obstinate, misguided policies that have mired us in Iraq and have caused us to lose ground in the real fight against Al Qaeda and other true threats to our national security.

America has real enemies, and the last thing we need is to be distracted from the real dangers.

Join Sen. Obama's call for a real plan to fight terror, and spread the word.  From the Senator: 

America must stop fighting the wrong war and start fighting the war we need to win: barackobama.com/newleadership

After September 11th, we had a calling to write a new chapter in American history. 

Americans were united. Our friends around the world stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us. We had the opportunity to devise new strategies, build new alliances, safeguard our values, and serve a just cause. 

If only we had seized that opportunity. 

Unfortunately, we did not finish the job against al Qaeda in Afghanistan. We did not capture or kill Osama bin Ladin. And this administration drove us into war on the wrong battlefield with no appreciation of how many enemies we would create and no plan for how to get out.

Now, six years later, we are overdue for a major change of course in our foreign policy. America must stop fighting the wrong war and start fighting the war we need to win. 

The next president must end the war in Iraq, refocus on Afghanistan and the Taliban resurgence, and pressure Pakistan to root out al Qaeda once and for all. 

Most importantly, the next president must make sure that Osama bin Ladin and al Qaeda’s core leadership are captured or killed. If Pakistan or any other nation won't act against bin Ladin and his cohorts, we will. 

Sign on to my plan and spread the word: 

http://action.barackobama.com/newleadership

Continue reading after the jump:

Obama Talks Sense on Iraq

 

http://my.BarackObama.com/DebateSC

Straight Talk About Terror

    

The war in Iraq should never have been authorized, never have been waged, and it must end now. Take action: BarackObama.com/BushInDenial

Al Qaeda has recovered to its pre-September 11th strength, according to an intelligence community estimate revealed today. 

Think about that. 

Almost six years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden is still alive. His organization is still training terrorists. And he and his associates still have a safe haven in the mountains on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. 

Meanwhile, George Bush released his administration's report on the "progress" in Iraq. It's another example of how deep in denial he is about what's really happening. The past three months have been some of the deadliest since the war began, and things are getting worse -- not better.   

The war in Iraq should never have been authorized, never have been waged, and it must end now. 

Al Qaeda’s resurgence proves that the Iraq war has been a deadly distraction from the real threats we face -- which is why I opposed the war from the beginning. 

George Bush just finished a press conference where he tried to tell people that progress is being made in Iraq and against al Qaeda. The press will report his spin and obfuscation -- but you can have an impact on their coverage.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper right now -- if you act quickly, your letter could be printed alongside tomorrow's coverage. 

Our online letters-to-editors tool makes it simple: 

http://www.BarackObama.com/BushInDenial 

Over 250,000 of us have invested in this campaign because we're willing to do everything we can to change this country. 

Now is the time to act. 

Millions of Americans are hungry for a president who will end the war in Iraq and confront the threats we face with honesty and sound judgment. 

They're waiting to hear from you. 

Thank you,

Barack Obama

Candidates and LGBT Issues

The National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce just released a full candidates position brief on all the Presidential Candidates and their stances on all the major gay "agenda" issues.

To view the report, click on the link below:
http://www.thetaskforce.org/downloads/reports/reports/final_candidates_positions.pdf

Sen. Obama on APA Heritage Month

Senator Obama recently posted a statement on APA Heritage Month on the website of the Asian American Action Fund, one of the most prominent Asian American Democratic PACs.

See his statement here.

Yay for the link to Asian Americans for Obama!

Sen. Obama Unveils Details of Healthcare Plan

Yesterday, May 29, 2007, Sen. Obama unveiled the details of his plan to achieve universal healthcare by the end of his first term in office in a speech at the University of Iowa.

For the full text of his speech, click here.

For more specifics about the Senator's position on healthcare and his proposal, click here.

Go below the fold for highlights of the proposal.

16 More Votes

From the Obama campaign:

Dear Ramey, 

Barack has been traveling across the country asking people to speak out and let their Senators know that it's time to end the Iraq war. 

One Republican colleague has already called this "not Senatorial." But this isn't about Washington etiquette, it's about bringing our troops home. 

This isn't a game. We need just 16 additional votes to override the president's veto and bring to a close this sad chapter in American history. 

It's going to take some convincing, but Senators need to hear from people in their states that they can join us to bring a responsible end to the war. 

That's where you come in. In your state, an incumbent Senator who voted against ending the war will face a re-election battle in 2008. They will have to make clear very soon whether they will continue to block efforts to bring the troops home. 

Will you speak out now and add your voice to the growing public pressure to end the war? 

http://my.barackobama.com/16votesaway 

With one signature, George Bush could have ended this war. Instead, he vetoed the legislation, ignoring the reality on the ground in Iraq yet again. 

But that will not be the last word if the American people have anything to say about it. In the Senate, we need just 16 additional votes to override the veto and end the Iraq war. 

This isn't the time to trust the president to do the right thing. It's time to end this war, and across the country people need to speak out and let their Senators know. 

No one of us can do it alone, and it's not going to happen tomorrow. But a movement to create the kind of change we need starts with you. 

Thank you,
David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

Share Your Personal Story on Foreign Policy with Sen. Obama

This letter from the campaign struck a deeply personal chord with me as I spent a year living abroad from 2002 to 2003 as an English teacher in Japan.  Many of my fellow Americans abroad and I were eyewitnesses to the decline in prestige and regard for the policies and leadership of the United States as President Bush pushed for war.  Even in Japan, a stalwart member of the Coalition of the Willing, the citizens frequently expressed to me their distaste for Bush and the otherwise popular Prime Minister Koizumi's support for Bush's policies.  Many of the Americans I knew were angry that they felt forced to conceal or downplay the fact that they were Americans as they traveled around Japan and Asia, that they were forced to be apologists for US policies, and that they had to remind many of our frustrated and disenchanted admirers that many Americans disagreed strongly with what Bush was doing.

As Tom Friedman recently wrote in the New York Times, one of the strongest yet most frequently overlooked reasons for Sen. Obama's candidacy is his potential to restore respect, love, and admiration for America abroad through his personal background and experiences, and most of all, his willingness to listen with respect.

I believe that many nations and peoples around the world recognize that America is still the best and greatest hope for freedom and democracy, but many of them have become disappointed and disheartened by not just the ideology and rhetoric of the current administration, but also its sheer unreliability and incompetence.  I know in my heart that they are ready and willing to stand by our side, as soon as we are ready and willing to confront our mistakes of the past few years.

Dear Ramey, 

Our foreign policy shapes America's image abroad, but America's role in the world is deeply personal for many of us here at home. 

We remember how it felt when the American president had the moral authority to speak for free people everywhere. 

Maybe you've traveled abroad and seen firsthand how in a few years George Bush has squandered the goodwill America earned over half a century. Maybe the decisions George Bush has made has sent your friend or family member into a war that should have never happened in the first place. 

Barack wants to know why a new direction for our foreign policy and restoring America's moral leadership in the world is personal for you. Share your story here: 

http://my.barackobama.com/stories

Obama Responds to Democracy For America on the Iraq War

From Democracy for America (the grassroots organization that emerged out of the Dean campaign in 2004):

Dear Supporter,

Watch Senator Obama's Response

The presidential primaries continue to heat up and the war in Iraq is front and center in the fight for the nomination. DFA members asked the candidates to oppose any escalation of the Iraq War, demand a swift end to the occupation, and propose a plan that brings our brave men and women home.

We continue to bring the candidates' responses directly to you with this message made especially for DFA members by Senator Barack Obama:

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/obama

In 2004, we were proud to endorse Barack in our first "Dean Dozen" in his race for the U.S. Senate. Now, Senator Obama is working hard to earn your support for the White House in 2008.

Senator Obama believes it "is time to admit that no amount of American lives will resolve the political disagreement that lies at the heart of someone else's civil war." His plan to bring the troops home by the end of 2008 will "pressure the Sunni and Shiite to come to the table and find peace." He challenges us to be "the generation that honors our [veteran's] courage" by providing the care they need when they return. Senator Obama also wants to thank you:

"I want to say thanks to Democracy for America.... if all of you are [active and engaged] then I am absolutely confident that over time things will change. That's how change happens in America from the bottom up... So, I thank you again for your extraordinary efforts."

http://www.democracyforamerica.com/obama

The road to the Democratic nomination is a long one and each candidate will be working hard for your endorsement and your vote. DFA members will continue to work together and pressure the presidential candidates on the most important issues. Victory in 2008 is up to us.

Thank you for everything you do,

Tom Hughes
Executive Director

P.S. Senator Barack Obama took the time to respond directly to you. If you like what you see and hear, I encourage you to sign up for his campaign and help in any way you can:

http://www.barackobama.com

That said, this message should not be construed as DFA's endorsement of Senator Obama's candidacy. In the months ahead, other candidates for president will be reaching out to Democracy for America members too, because you have the power to shape the presidential primaries in a way no one else can.

Against the War From the Start

Senator Obama is unique among the major candidates for having been against the folly of the Iraq war even before it began.  No pacifist, Senator Obama recognized the Iraq war for what it was - a black hole for American blood, treasure, and credibility that would distract from the greater War on Terror.  Four years later, and every prediction he made came true.  Watch this video from YouTube that canvasses Sen. Obama's visionary perspective on the war from the very beginning.

De-Escalation in Iraq

From the BarackObama.com:

Dear Reader,

If you're confused about all the debate over Iraq, you're not alone.

People are wondering why political posturing in Washington continues as we get drawn deeper and deeper in Iraq. I hear it everywhere I go.

The House of Representatives took action last week on a "non-binding" resolution. In the Senate, the Republican minority has managed to prevent any vote at all. People perceive that the most important issue of our day has become captive to sound bites and cable news chatter.

You deserve better. You should demand it.

I was opposed to this war from the beginning because, in part, I believed it would lead to the devastating, open-ended occupation in which we find ourselves mired today.

I've introduced legislation that would bring this tragic chapter in our history to a close.

It's called the Iraq War De-Escalation Act. It makes the U.S. policy on Iraq crystal clear. It stops the escalation now and begins a redeployment to bring U.S. combat forces out of Iraq by March 31, 2008.

If you want to cut through the political games and support a clear policy that will get us out of Iraq, sign on to support it now and spread the word:

http://action.barackobama.com/iraq

This campaign is about the hopes and dreams of people like you. And the cost of the continued occupation of Iraq stands in the way of meeting the many challenges we face.

We can't change America until we change direction in Iraq.

We can't be naive. It won't happen today. It won't happen tomorrow.

But this campaign offers the opportunity for people like you to organize in your own community. Together we can build the critical mass to affect that change.

To that end, we're going to keep the steady count of Americans supporting de-escalation on the front page of our web site.

Anyone who visits will see the number, learn about the bill, express their support and spread the word.

Please support the Iraq War De-Escalation Act now:

http://action.barackobama.com/iraq

This war happened because too many people got caught up in the same spin cycle in Washington. Now it's time to end this war and transform the political culture that allowed it.

It's not enough for an opinion poll to show that a majority of Americans want to end this war.

We've got to organize and mobilize that majority.

And that's exactly what we're going to do.

Thank you,

Barack Obama