Voter Registration & Absentee Ballot Information for All 50 States

Written by: Paul Roden on Sep 5, 2008 4:15 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania, Montco DFA, Upper Bucks for Democracy, DFA Night School, PA for Democracy, Philly for Change, Northeast Philadelphia for Democracy, Lower Bucks for Democracy

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Dear Fellow DFA Members:

If this has already been shared or made available, I appologize, but it is too important to not share it again.

For one central place to find out procedures, forms, and deadlines for voter registration and absentee voting for all 50 states, go to http://www.declareyourself.com  It takes you to the various state department of state voting/election offices.  The Department of the Census has a nifty county finder, which you will need to send your forms to the right county voter/election/clerk location.  The URl is http://quickfacts.census.gov/cgi-bin/qfd/lookup . Just type  in your Zip Code and viola, your county pops up.

New voters will most likely vote the way we want them, according to studies at Yale.  We have 30 days to register new voters in most states, especially battleground states.  If we register 6,000 voters a day and bring them to the polls in the key battlground states, we can win for Obama.

Don't forget the Neighborhood Volunteer Program of Democrats.org, where individuals can canvass their own neighborhood precinct or ward from the PC and phone.

All these little steps will help us win.

Best regards,

Paul Roden

Coordinator, Lower Bucks For Democracy

Member of Team 4.5 Bucks County for Obama

Help shape the '08 Dem Platform!

Written by: Mary Clark on Jul 17, 2008 8:40 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Montco DFA, PA for Democracy, Obama for Pennsylvania, Philly for Change, Gettysburg Area DFA Meetup

Linked to campaigns: Obama for America

Dear %%first%%,

Make your voice heard! Help draft the 2008 National Platform for the Democratic National Committee and the Obama campaign. As Barack Obama emailed:

"...No political experience is required. Your thoughts and experiences are all that matter, and they will shape a platform that -- like this party -- is owned by the people. ..."

COME to a local '08 Dem Platform Meeting
Sign up today at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gjc2
     7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
     July 24, 2008
     Campaign office of U.S. Rep.Allyson Schwartz for Congress
     101 Leedom Street
     Jenkintown, PA 19046

Mary Clark (Montco DFA steering committee member and past chair) will host, and really appreciates that the national Dems have provided a Host Guide!

Many of the community platform meetings are focussing on one "plank." Our focus is:

"Restore Our American Constitution"

Name the key parts that have been defied and defiled -- and target them for restoration. Which Constitutional outrages are most important to you? Some possibilities include, restore our right to:

• -- freedom from warrantless spying on innocent Americans -- and hold lawbreakers accountable.
• -- a U.S. Legislature that USES it's power as a co-equal branch to check and balance the Executive Branch.
• -- "habeas corpus" rights for all, so Guantanamo detainees can speedily challenge their detention.
• -- a lawful foreign policy that follows our Constitution, including our international treaties like the Geneva Conventions, and end torture, renditions, and our Occupation of Iraq.

We'll distill what matters most to us into a one to two sentence "Resolution, Policy, or Recommendation" for input into the national Platform. To quote Barack Obama once more:

"All you need to provide are your ideas for America and your hunger for change."

Sign up today at: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4gjc2


Hope to see you there!
Mary Clark

[ p.s.  Too far away to join us? Set up your own at   http://my.barackobama.com/listening  ]

Cold and Drizzly Outside? Make Phone Calls!

Written by: Kevin Shaw on May 3, 2008 12:11 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

Messaage from John Fetterman, Mayor of Braddock, PA

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Apr 13, 2008 12:44 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

Kevin --

My name is John Fetterman, and I'm the Mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.

A few days ago, Barack Obama spoke about our economy and about the frustration that folks across our state are feeling.

Now -- instead of actually addressing the challenges facing our communities -- Barack's opponents are taking these comments out of context to score political points.

This is exactly the kind of Washington politics that you and I want to stop.

Across Pennsylvania, in towns and small cities like mine, people are signing on to a letter to show their support for Barack and to say they're frustrated with politicians putting Wall Street before Main Street.

Check out the video of Barack's response about the economy and what people are feeling -- and sign on to the letter now:

http://pa.barackobama.com/PAletter

In my town, Braddock, we have been hurt by job loss and economic downturn for decades. Barack is right on, and he understands how we feel. We need a leader who will fight for us, not the special interests.

As Mayor, I enthusiastically endorsed Barack Obama because he understands the needs of communities like mine -- and has the strength and vision to offer real solutions.

Please forward this message to your family, friends, and neighbors and tell them you know that Barack is the one candidate who will fight for our working families and bring about the change this country needs.

Thank you,

Mayor John Fetterman
Braddock, Pennsylvania

Volunteer for Obama Opportunities in Clarion and Warren County

Written by: april niver on Apr 3, 2008 4:15 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

Please contact Paolo to get involved with the Obama campaign if you live in Clarion or Warren Counties.

They have daily phone banks from 1-3:30 and from 6-8:30 in Clarion at 1484 Reed St, at the home of Chris Billetdeaux.

They are also canvassing Clarion and the surrounding areas on the weekends (some weekdays are also available).

If you are interested in canvassing in Clarion and surrounding areas, contact Margaret Wells at (814) 221-1033.

You can reach Paolo at the following contact points:

Phone: (484) 844-2072

Email: paolo.l.cozzi(AT)gmail.com

500 calls a day in Northwest Central PA!

Written by: april niver on Apr 1, 2008 1:29 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

You can help reach out to potential Obama supporters in your area from home!

To participate in this event, just sign into PA Neighborhood Teams and begin phone banking for Obama.

The PA Neighborhood teams will supply you with a list of Democrats in your area. These people will probably live within a few miles from your home.

You can print out a list to take with you and then enter the data later, or you can access a caller's contact information along with a script and enter caller responses as you go.

While talking to people who are undecided or leaning Obama, you may want to ask them if they would like you to send them information on a particular issue. Then you can print something off from the Issue pages on the My.Bo web site and either send it by mail or drop it by their house (but don't put it in the mailbox that would be a federal offense!).

You should also ask undecided or leaning Obama voters if they are interested in attending a house party and then keep a separate record of their name, phone number, and email, so you can invite them later.

When you identify supporters, be sure to ask if they are interested in volunteering for the campaign by making calls, canvassing, or hosting a house party.

Please let me know if you are planning to make calls from your home using PA Neighborhood teams anytime this week.

Fired up!

Volunteer! Get out the Vote!

Written by: april niver on Mar 30, 2008 2:46 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

If you live in Jefferson or Clearfield County, I hope you will consider volunteering.

Get out the Hope and Get out the Vote!

There are several ways to volunteer. And Obama's website has many bits of advice to get you started on your own grassroots campaign to put Obama in the White House!

First, you can sign up to be a neighborhood team leader.
Go to the PA home page for the Campaign.
and join the PA Neighborhood Teams

As a Neighborhood Team member, you will have access to lists of potential Obama Supports.
First we identify the Obama supporters, and then we make sure they get out to vote.

(Click Read More for the rest of this post)

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Sen. Bob Casey Endorses Obama

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Mar 28, 2008 12:26 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

By Katharine Q. Seelye

In a surprise move, Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania has endorsed Senator Barack Obama in advance of the April 22 Democratic primary. Mr. Casey had said he would remain neutral in the race in part because he wanted to help broker a reconciliation between Mr. Obama and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton afterward.

“I believe in my heart that there is one person who’s uniquely qualified to lead us in that new direction and that is Barack Obama.” Mr. Casey said during a rally in Pittsburgh Friday.

Mr. Casey is going against the grain in his state, where polls show Mrs. Clinton ahead by at least 12 percentage points and where she has the endorsement of most of the state’s major Democratic figures.

But a person close to Mr. Casey said that the Senator had traveled to Florida over Easter and that rain had forced him to stay inside and he began to think more seriously about an endorsement. “He spent a lot of time thinking about it,” this person said, and he came to the conclusion that the race was “too important” to remain on the sidelines.

“He was asking himself, what’s more important than this?” the person said. “He was also just terribly frustrated with where Bush is going on Iraq and the economy and he felt he had to jump into the fray.”

Mr. Casey called both Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton last night. He could not reach Mrs. Clinton, but she was made aware of his move, friends said. He is joining Mr. Obama today as he begins a six-day bus trip across Pennsylvania and plans to be with him for about three days as Mr. Obama meets up with just the kind of blue collar, Catholic men who have eluded Mr. Obama.

Mr. Casey won the state in 2006 with 59 percent of the vote. The fact that he is a strong opponent of abortion rights may give these voters cover to back Mr. Obama both now and in the fall against Senator John McCain, the putative Republican nominee, who also opposes abortion rights.

Both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama had raised money and campaigned for Mr. Casey when he ran for the Senate in 2006. Both also initially lobbied Mr. Casey themselves, and then through third parties, but they retreated after they understood that he wanted to remain neutral.

Mr. Casey decided to back Mr. Obama because of his “ability to bring disparate groups together and transcend some of these racial and other kinds of divides,” the person close to him said. “Also, his kids were on his case, his four daughters. Not that they dictate to him, but he was paying attention. He was wondering, why are these kids, who aren’t very political, so interested? He does have the ability to light up a younger generation.”

Mr. Casey’s father, the state’s former governor, had a chilly relationship with Mrs. Clinton’s husband dating from Mr. Clinton’s first campaign for president in 1992. The elder Mr. Casey was strongly against abortion rights and did not approve of Mr. Clinton, who in turn shut Mr. Casey out of the Democratic convention. Another long-time Casey ally said that during the 1992 campaign, Mr. Casey refused to attend a dinner in his home county, Lackawanna, where Mrs. Clinton was campaigning for her husband. On election night in 1992, Mrs. Clinton closely tracked the results in Lackawanna, which her husband won.

But several people who know Mr. Casey and Mrs. Clinton say that the family bitterness has dissipated and was not a factor at all in Mr. Casey’s endorsement of Mr. Obama.

There is also some family warmth between Mr. Obama and the Casey family. At an event on St. Patrick’s Day in Scranton, Mr. Obama gave a shout-out to “my wonderful friend” Margie Casey McGrath, who is Mr. Casey’s sister and runs a big printing company, Universal Printing, in Scranton. The company prints numerous political material for candidates, including Mr. Obama.

Obama for America DuBois Office Grand Opening! Friday March 28 6pm

Written by: april niver on Mar 27, 2008 2:25 AM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

Will you join us for the Grand Opening of the Obama for America office in DuBois this Friday evening?

Jefferson and Clearfield Counties are getting Fired Up and Ready to Go!

Friday, March 28, 2008
6:00 PM
Obama for America Clearfield and Jefferson County HQ
11 N. Brady St.
DuBois, PA 15801
(across from Luigi's)

We need you, the Obama supporter who lives here, to help us get Senator Obama's positive message of hope and change to your friends, family, and neighbors for us to "Barack the Vote" in Jefferson & Clearfield Counties!

There are lots of ways you can help, so don't hesitate to contact us about getting involved.

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From Gov Bill Richardson to his supporters

Written by: Kevin Shaw on Mar 21, 2008 2:51 PM EDT

Linked to groups: Obama for Pennsylvania

During the last year, I have shared with you my vision and hopes for this nation as we look to repair the damage of the last seven years. And you have shared your support, your ideas and your encouragement to my campaign. We have been through a lot together and that is why I wanted to tell you that, after careful and thoughtful deliberation, I have made a decision to endorse Barack Obama for President.

We are blessed to have two great American leaders and great Democrats running for President. My affection and admiration for Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton will never waver. It is time, however, for Democrats to stop fighting amongst ourselves and to prepare for the tough fight we will face against John McCain in the fall. The 1990's were a decade of peace and prosperity because of the competent and enlightened leadership of the Clinton administration, but it is now time for a new generation of leadership to lead America forward. Barack Obama will be a historic and a great President, who can bring us the change we so desperately need by bringing us together as a nation here at home and with our allies abroad.

Earlier this week, Senator Barack Obama gave an historic speech. that addressed the issue of race with the eloquence, sincerity, and optimism we have come to expect of him. He inspired us by reminding us of the awesome potential residing in our own responsibility. He asked us to rise above our racially divided past, and to seize the opportunity to carry forward the work of many patriots of all races, who struggled and died to bring us together.

As a Hispanic, I was particularly touched by his words. I have been troubled by the demonization of immigrants--specifically Hispanics-- by too many in this country. Hate crimes against Hispanics are rising as a direct result and now, in tough economic times, people look for scapegoats and I fear that people will continue to exploit our racial differences--and place blame on others not like them . We all know the real culprit -- the disastrous economic policies of the Bush Administration!

Senator Obama has started a discussion in this country long overdue and rejects the politics of pitting race against race. He understands clearly that only by bringing people together, only by bridging our differences can we all succeed together as Americans.

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