ACTION Alert! CALL THESE SUPERDELEGATES TODAY!

U.S. Representatives in Swing States Who are Undeclared in States and Districts that Hillary Won

Brad Ellsworth (D-IN-8)(866) 567-0227, (202) 225-4636
Charles Wilson (D-OH-6) (202) 225-5705
Marcy Kaptur (D-0H-9) (202) 225-4146
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10) (202) 225-5871
Zack Space (D-OH-18) (202) 225-6265
Tim Edward Mahoney (D-FL-16)(202)225-5792
Tim Holden (D-PA-17) (202)225-5546
Jason Altmire (D-PA-4)(202) 225-2565

Targeted Senators Who Endorsed Obama Up for Reelection in 2008 in States Hillary Won
(didn’t include Sen. Kerry, he is a waste of time, or very safe incumbents)

Frank Lautenberg (NJ) * (202) 224-3224
Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)* (202) 224-6472
~

“Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you’re knocked down, get right back up. And never listen to anyone who says you can’t or shouldn’t go on.” Hillary Clinton

ACTION and response RAP Tune for Ludacris release

E-mail now. Send to (http://www.defjam.com/site/contact.php) and demand that the Ludacris song "Obama is Here" be pulled out of circulation, and that Ludacris and his record label issue an apology.More...

Anyone who has the associated phone number, please let us know. Then we can JAM 'EM as in the following tune:

Jam 'em
Jam 'em
Jam those lines,
so this rapper pays those fines
Huge fines
for his kind
As he and his 'Obama Mama' will go down
to be the worst in any town.
You will be out, and no one will care
Because you are both an evil pair.
Jam 'em Jam 'em phone the man
to tell 'em what we have plan.
Denver is where it will be
the 43rd Pres is Hill_a_ ry

Thanks to Betty for the lyrics!!

Obama's Women Problem

By Dick Morris

Men are voting the way they usually do. It's women who are making the big difference and keeping this race tied.More...

If soccer moms determined the outcome of the 1996 presidential race and security moms tipped the balance in 2004, it is beginning to look as if older moms are the key to the 2008 contest. Obama has a problem among women over 40 and a big problem among women over 50. These groups, normally the staunchest of Democratic supporters, are showing a propensity to back McCain and a disinclination to support Obama.

According to the latest Fox News survey, Obama is winning among women under 40 by 13 points, but McCain is winning among women aged 41-45 by four points. Among women 50 and over, McCain is three points ahead. Obama's 48-35 lead among women under 40 is normal for a Democrat, but to trail among women in their 40s by 45-41 and by women over 50 by 38-35 is extraordinary.

The problem is that older women don't like Obama as much as younger women do. While 70 percent of women under 40 have a favorable opinion of the Democratic candidate, only 58 percent of women in their 40s feel the same way, and only 52 percent of those over 50 see him favorably.

For a Democrat to be losing among women over 40 is without precedent in the past 20 years.

In fact, the gap between male and female voting preference in this election is far lower than it normally is. Among people under 40, men back Obama by eight points and women support him by 13. Among those in their 40s, men back McCain by 11 points and women support him by four. And for those over 50, men vote for the Republican by a nine-point margin while women prefer him by three points.

Usually, the gender gap runs at least 10 points in each age group and, more usually, averages a 15-point differential. The lower gap in this race does not indicate any special popularity for McCain or negatives on Obama among men. Men are voting the way they usually do. It's women who are making the big difference and keeping this race tied.

Part of the problem may stem from Obama's defeat of Hillary Clinton during the primaries. Hillary drew her strongest support from older women who still remembered the sexism of their youth and their struggles to pierce the glass ceiling. For younger women, sexism has much less personal relevance and they were less drawn to her candidacy.

But a bigger problem may be a cultural alienation older white women feel toward Obama. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright may linger as a worry in their increasingly gray heads as they contemplate an Obama presidency. This fear of the unknown and the gap they seem to feel with Obama is so strong that it is overcoming their normal proclivity to back Democrats.

Of course, McCain is a uniquely attractive candidate to the Democratic and independent base. Long regarded as a maverick Republican, he attracts these swing voters and is ideally positioned to exploit the estrangement between older women and Barack Obama.

Would choosing Hillary as a running mate assuage the concerns of older white women? It might.

They could get enthusiastic, one would think, about seeing a woman sitting a few feet away from the president in the Oval Office (again!).

But Hillary would bring with her a different set of problems. Her candidacy would invite scrutiny of Bill's financial dealings, most recently exposed in The Wall Street Journal's coverage of the incredible corruption of his buddy the president of Kazakhstan.

The problem is Obama. And it can only be solved by Obama, not by his running mate. For his part, McCain should take dead aim at this demographic, perhaps by selecting a female running mate who would appeal to them.

The current favorite, Mitt Romney, does him no earthly good with these folks, and his Mormonism is likely to be a big turnoff. But McCain could choose Condi Rice or any number of other Republican women (like Kay Bailey Hutchison, the Texas senator) and attract these dissident women.
Morris, a former political adviser to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and President Bill Clinton, is the author of “Outrage.” To get all of Dick Morris’s and Eileen McGann’s columns for free by email, go to www.dickmorris.com

Barack Obama "I have become a symbol..."!

From : Washington Post's The Trail
Barack Obama
Obama's Symbolic Importance

Updated 10:59 a.m. 7/30/08
By Jonathan Weisman
In his closed door meeting with House Democrats Tuesday night, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama delivered a real zinger, according to a witness, suggesting that he was beginning to believe his own hype. More...

Obama was waxing lyrical about last week's trip to Europe, when he concluded, according to the meeting attendee, "this is the moment, as Nancy [Pelosi] noted, that the world is waiting for."

The 200,000 souls who thronged to his speech in Berlin came not just for him, he told the enthralled audience of congressional representatives. "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America returning to our best traditions," he said, according to the source.

On Wednesday morning, House leadership aides pushed back against interpretations of this comment as self-aggrandizing, saying that when the presumptive Democratic nominee said, "I have become a symbol of the possibility of America," he was actually trying to deflect attention from himself.

No tape of the event exists and no one is denying the quote.

But one leadership aide said the full quote put it into a different context. According to that aide, Obama said, "It has become increasingly clear in my travel, the campaign -- that the crowds, the enthusiasm, 200,000 people in Berlin, is not about me at all. It's about America. I have just become a symbol."

New Denver Group AD

New Denver group ad: "What does Senator Obama's grandmother know that Senator Obama and Howard Dean don't?" Click here to see!

Obama Condems Song calling Hillary "irrelevant Bitch", but Campaign played “99 Problems (But a Bitch Ain’t One)” at Victory in Iowa

UPDATED 7/1/08 (see bottom of article)

According to Ben Smith of Politico, Obama condemns Ludacris new Rap tune referring to Hillary as an “irreverent Bitch” (ref the previous post on this subject). Yet the Obama campaign played Jay-Z’s “99 Problems (But a Bitch Ain’t One)” at their Iowa Victory Celebration.More...

According to the associated press: Jay-Z is featured on Barack Obama's iPod”. When asked what he thought of rap, Obama responded:

“ the genre has broken down barriers within the music world" though he's concerned about his daughters _ Malia, 9, and Sasha, 7 _ listening to it.

"I am troubled sometimes by the misogyny and materialism of a lot of rap lyrics," he said, "but I think the genius of the art form has shifted the culture and helped to desegregate music."

He said hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris were "great talents and great businessmen. It would be nice if I could have my daughters listen to their music without me worrying that they were getting bad images of themselves," he added.

But that didn't stop Obama and his campaign from playing Jay-Z's "99 Problems (and a Bitch ain't one) at his Iowa victory celebration. Full of profanity and slurs, it's not what most would describe as a "family" song:

Jay-Z:99_Problems
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you, son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one

I got the Rap Patrol on the gat patrol
Foes that wanna make sure my casket's closed
Rap critics that say he's "Money, Cash, Hoes"
I'm from the hood stupid, what type of facts are those?
If you grew up with holes in your zapatos
You'd celebrate the minute you was havin dough
I'm like fuck critics, you can kiss my whole asshole
If you don't like my lyrics, you can press fast forward
Got beef with radio if I don't play they show
they don't play my hits - well I don't give a shit, SO!
Rap mags try and use my black ass
So advertisers can give 'em more cash for ads, fuckers!
I don't know what you take me as
Or understand the intelligence that Jay-Z has
I'm from, rags to riches, niggaz I ain't dumb
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

99 problems but a bitch ain't one
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

The year is ninety-four, in my trunk is raw
In my rearview mirror is the motherfuckin law
Got two choices y'all, pull over the car or (hmm)
bounce on the Devil, put the pedal to the floor
And I ain't tryin to see no highway chase with Jay
Plus I got a few dollars, I can fight the case
So I, pull over to the side of the road
I heard "Son do you know what I'm stoppin you for?"
Cause I'm young and I'm black and my hat's real low
Or do I look like a mindreader sir? I don't know
Am I under arrest or should I guess some mo'?
"Well you was doin fifty-five in a fifty-four;
license and registration and step out of the car -
are you carryin a weapon on you? I know a lot of you are"
I ain't steppin out of shit, all my paper's legit
"Well do you mind if I look around the car a little bit?"
Well my glove compartment is locked, so is the trunk in the back
And I know my rights, so you gon' need a warrant for that
"Aren't you sharp as a tack! You some type of lawyer or somethin, somebody important or somethin"
Child I ain't passed the bar, but I know a little bit
Enough that you won't illegally search my shit
"Well we'll see how smart you are when the canine comes"
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

99 problems but a bitch ain't one
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

99 problems but a bitch ain't one
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

Now once upon a time, not too long ago
A nigga like myself had to strongarm a hoe
This is not a hoe in the sense of havin a pussy
But a pussy havin no God damn sense, try an' push me
I try to ignore him, talk to the Lord
Pray for him, but some fools just love to perform
You know the type, loud as a motorbike
But wouldn't bust a grape in a fruit fight
And only thing that's gon' happen is I'ma get to clappin and
he and his boys gon' be yappin to the Captain
And there I go, trapped in the Kit-Kat again
Back through the system with the riff-raff again
Fiends on the floor, scratchin again
Paparazzis with they cameras, snappin them
D.A. try to give a nigga shaft again
Half a mill' for bail cause I'm African
All because this fool was harassin them
Tryin to play the boy like he's saccharin
But ain't nuttin sweet bout how I hold my gun
I got 99 problems but and a bitch ain't one - hit me!

99 problems but a bitch ain't one
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

99 problems but a bitch ain't one
If you havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one - hit me!

.. Whoo! Whoo! Uh, uh
Havin girl problems I feel bad for you son
I got 99 problems and a bitch ain't one, ha ha!
You crazy for this one Rick! It's your boy!
~
Click here to read the New York Post article on Obama's Iowa Victory Party music.

UPDATE 31JUL08: Politico's Ben Smith claims he "can't find any evidence that [Jay-Z's tune was playing at Obama's Iowa Victory party, though it does seem to have been the subject of chatter among staffers of both campaigns."

UPDATE 1AUG08: From "The Left Coaster:

Monday :: Jan 14, 2008: By the way, it's not clear that Ben Smith is necessarily right. Here's some additional information:

Jay-Z and Barack Obama

by Jeff Dinelli

Truth is, indeed, stranger than fiction. After a couple of weeks of jokingly predicting Sen. Barack Obama's☼ new campaign theme ("No Woman No Cry" was the most popular with friends), it turns out Obama's camp in reality came up with a much nastier one for the Iowa victory party. While Barack and Michelle entered the Iowa hall, waving and thanking supporters, Jay-Z's "99 Problems (But A Bitch Ain't One)" was pumping out of the loudspeakers.

Now, I'm not suggesting Obama is the DJ for these events, I'm not even saying he gave the real DJ a list of songs he wanted played, like you do at your wedding reception. But his claims of running a "clean campaign" are ringing hollow at this point.

While he still hasn't apologized to the GBLT community for having crazed homophobe Rev. Donnie McClurkin on the payroll, his campaign has insinuated that Sen. Hillary Clinton's☼ campaign has a racist undercurrent. Hillary has personally taken swift action against anyone on her campaign making untoward comments, and indeed, accusing the Clintons of racism is a rather ridiculous idea, given everything the couple has done for minorities during President Clinton's administration and before or since.

"99 Problems (But A Bitch Ain't One)?" This is terrible. The level of discourse in this primary must rise, beginning with the two really quality candidates gaining more control of who works for their campaigns and what they say. Hillary seems to have a grasp of things. Sen. Obama needs to catch up.

Here's Taylor Marshes attempt at clarification

And here's at least one other source referencing the event: http://themoornextdoor.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/obama-jay-z-and-hip-hop-rhetoric/

Hillary and Bill (The Other One) Together Again

The Caucus
The New York Times Politics Blog
July 30, 2008, 5:14 pm

By Michael Falcone

After endorsing her former rival, Senator Barack Obama, during the primaries, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is back in Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s corner, this time to help Mrs. Clinton retire her remaining campaign debt.
More...

Mr. Richardson announced on Wednesday that he would be the host for two fund-raisers for the New York senator in New Mexico next month. The events will take place in Santa Fe and Albuquerque on Aug. 17.

Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Richardson, who was also a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination before dropping out of the race in January, will attend both fund-raisers.

Some Clinton supporters considered Mr. Richardson’s endorsement of Mr. Obama a snub to Mrs. Clinton and former president Bill Clinton. The three had been longtime political allies, and Mr. Richardson served as energy secretary during the Clinton administration.

In a statement, Bill Burton, a spokesman for the Obama campaign, signaled his support for the fund-raisers as did Clinton spokeswoman Kathleen Strand.

“Senator Clinton is grateful for Governor Richardson’s and Senator Obama’s efforts to assist with retiring her campaign debt and she is looking forward to continuing to campaign for Senator Obama and help ensure victory for Democrats throughout the country this fall,” Ms. Strand said.

But some of her backers have indicated that they are unsatisfied with the pace of the Obama campaign’s fund-raising efforts on Mrs. Clinton’s behalf. As of the end of June, Mrs. Clinton was still saddled with $12 million in unpaid bills from the primary season.

R.N.C. Creates Facebook Parody Site for Obama

The New York Times
The Caucus
July 28, 2008, 8:40 pm
R.N.C. Creates Facebook Parody Site for Obama

By Michael Falcone

Here’s an entry you would not expect to see on Barack Obama’s official profile on the social networking site Facebook: “Barack Obama is now friends with Antonin ‘Tony’ Rezko.”

But that’s the first item on Mr. Obama’s “FriendFeed” on BarackBook.com, a Facebook parody site created by the Republican National Committee that it says will go live on Tuesday. According to the R.N.C, the site is intended to showcase some of Mr. Obama’s “notable associations.”More...

And highlighting Mr. Obama’s relationship with Mr. Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer who was recently convicted in federal court of corruption and money laundering, is just the beginning. Mr. Rezko was an early political backer of Mr. Obama and donated large sums to his campaigns. (Mr. Obama has since severed ties with Mr. Rezko and given much of the money he raised to charity.)

An early glance at the R.N.C. mockup shows Mr. Rezko with his own profile page that lists links to Mr. Obama and other “friends” of the Illinois senator. Other “BarackBook” friends include, Eric Holder, a Washington lawyer and member of Mr. Obama’s vice presidential selection team, and William Ayers, one of the founders of the radical group Weather Underground.

Each profile is set to include videos, news articles and sections like “Facts About Me and Barack,” “My Donations and Bundling for Barack” and “What Barack Says About Me.” The R.N.C. says it plans to continue updating BarackBook between now and the election. (Notably, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, Mr. Obama’s controversial former pastor, does not yet have a profile.)

Users of Facebook – the real one – may be able to install an application on their personal page with links to BarackBook.

Alex Conant, a spokesman for the R.N.C. called the planned site “an interactive way to learn more about Obama’s poor judgment.”

But in using a faux social networking site to highlight what it considers to be some of Mr. Obama’s more controversial acquaintances — past and present — the R.N.C. is also opening itself up to the inevitable comparisons between the Obama campaign’s online efforts and those of his rival, Senator John McCain.

While there is no single metric for success on the Internet, there are some leading indicators. For example, Mr. Obama has about 1.2 million Facebook friends, while Mr. McCain has fewer than 200,000. But the Republicans are making an effort to catch up in the e-campaign. Last week the R.N.C. launched a new Internet browser toolbar to collect “micro-donations” from supporters.

And as the Republicans are trying to point out with their twist on Facebook, having lots of friends can have its downsides.

Money Changes Everything : Superdelegates R For $ale

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLPoV4diMjk

Ludacris Releases Song refering to Hillary as "irrelevant Bitch"

Ludacris, rapper and avid supporter of Barack Obama (Obama once claimed to have Ludacris in heavy rotation on his iPod) has released a new song called 'Politics: Obama Is Here' in which he attacks Hillary Clinton as an 'irrelevant bitch'. Click on "More..." below to read the lyrics:
More...

Lyrics to Politics: Obama is Here:
I'm back on it like I just signed my record deal
yeah the best is here, the Bentley Coup paint is dripping wet, it got sex appeal
never should have hated
you never should've doubted him
with a slot in the president's iPod Obama shattered 'em
Said I handled his biz and I'm one of his favorite rappers
Well give Luda a special pardon if I'm ever in the slammer
Better yet put him in office, make me your vice president
Hillary hated on you, so that bitch is irrelevant
Jesse talking slick and apologizing for what?
if you said it then you meant it how you want it have a gut!
and all you other politicians trying to hate on my man,
watch us win a majority vote in every state on my man
you can't stop what's bout to happen, we bout to make history
the first black president is destined and it's meant to be
the threats ain't fazing us, the nooses or the jokes
so get off your ass, black people, it's time to get out and vote!
paint the White House black and I'm sure that's got 'em terrified
McCain don't belong in ANY chair unless he's paralyzed
Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped
Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap
cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant
and you the worst of all 43 presidents
get out and vote or the end will be near
the world is ready for change because Obama is here!
cause Obama is here
The world is ready for change because Obama is here!

Have Dinner under the stars with Hillary!

Contribute now and you and she can be enjoying a summer dinner together! Here's her letter:

Summer is a time for simple pleasures: family vacations, baseball games, and dinner out under the stars. At least it is if you aren't running for president!

It sure is nice having a little more time on my hands, and I'd love to spend some of it with you. Would you like to join me for dinner?

During the campaign, I had the chance a few times to grab meals with supporters, but they were always rushed thanks to the frenetic pace of the campaign. This is my first chance to sit down and spend some real one-on-one time with you. If you enter today, we could be having dinner together soon!

Join me for dinner. Make a contribution today.

My staff has been calling this my "retirement dinner" -- not because I'm retiring, of course, but because we're working on retiring the debt we owe to small vendors all over the country. And everyone who acts today will have the chance to join me -- along with a guest -- for a dinner to talk about whatever you'd like.

Let's go to dinner! Contribute now, and you and I could be enjoying a summer dinner together soon!

Join me for dinner. Make a contribution today.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful support.

All the best,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Join me in supporting The NSC fund raising page for the Denver Group

The following is an Email from Roger Ryan at ACTBLUE:

Please join me in supporting The NSC fund raising page for the Denver Group!

To see details and contribute now please go to
http://secure.actblue.com/page/nscfundlink/recipient/157713
Any candidate who got "pledged" delegates during the primaries should
be on the first ballot and there should be a roll call vote. That includes
Obama, Clinton, and Edwards.

It should also be noted that none of these candidates gained enough
"pledged" delegates during the primaries to secure the nomination. So
how is it fair to have a "symbolic" vote for only one candidate?

And regarding "pledged" delegates, they aren't. According to party
rules, any delegate, "pledged," "super," or otherwise, can
vote for anybody they want. There are no hard and fast commitments until there
is a vote -- just like elections, which are decided by the votes on election
day, not survey polls leading up to it. Perhaps this is why the Obama camp is
worried, given criticism of their recent campaign adjustments.
There is at least one organized effort to keep the Democratic National
Convention democratic: The Denver Group was recently formed to ensure that
Howard Dean and the Democratic National Committee conduct the Democratic Party's
presidential nomination process in keeping with democratic principles at the
Party's convention this August. This means an open convention, which includes
John Edwards and Senator Clinton's name on the ballot, allowing speeches by both
Edwards and Clinton supporters on behalf of her candidacy, and the taking of a
roll call vote, all of which is the norm.
More...

The Denver Group, is a non-connected committee, established on June 24, 2008.
It is not affiliated with John Edwards for President or Hillary Clinton for
President, any candidate for President, or any political party.

"The Democratic Party has an obligation to adhere to democratic principles
and allow the delegates John Edwards and Senator Clinton earned, which represent
more than 20 million Democratic primary voters, to be counted in a roll call
vote and for superdelegates to be able to cast their votes for the candidate of
their choice at the convention where it counts.

Message from 18 Million Voices Washington Re: Next Meeting

Hi All,
Denver is right around the corner.

I want to schedule a meetup to discuss our plans as a group in
Denver, find out who is/wants to go to Denver, and who will be
participating in local events.

I would like to get an idea of who will be coming to the meetup
before I pick a venue.

Please send me an email letting me know what date and time is best. I
would like to have as many people attend as possible.
More...

If you can't come to the meetup (as we are all spread out here in WA)
please let me know via email what your intentions are for Denver ie:
how are you gettting there, can you ride share, do you have a place
to stay already etc.

If you have signed up on the 18 million voices website, let me know
that as well. We will be letting you know the results from the site
around the 10th of August.

I will be in Denver the morning of the 25th and will be at a Motel 6
(number1155) 3 miles from the Pepsi center. We will be announcing a
"check in" point by the end of next week.

Things are beginning to happen. Thank you all for your patience thus
far!

Rise Hillary Rise
Laura Chelton

New Conference: Grassroots Reshaping America from August 15th - 17th at Seattle University

All Hillary Activists might want to consider attending the annual summer conference "Communities Together: Grassroots Reshaping America from August 15-17th at Seattle University. For more information read the email below.
More...

From: "Matt Holland, TrueMajority"
Date: July 30, 2008 9:43:40 AM PDT
To: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Grassroots convention in Seattle
Reply-To: alerts@truemajority.org


Dear XXXXXXX,

Nine months ago we first announced our exciting merger with USAction. Now comes the fun part. Our friends at the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations are holding their annual summer conferenceCommunities Together: Grassroots Reshaping America from August 15th - 17th at Seattle University.

The keynote speaker will be our very own Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and founder of TrueMajority. I'll also be there leading a couple of panels on online organizing. If you're a devoted grassroots activist, this is the place to be.

Please RSVP to let me know you can make it:
http://www.nwfco.org/summerconfreg.htm

There will be an exciting program where you'll be able to connect with community leaders around the Northwest and across the nation to build relationships, share ideas and celebrate our work. We'll explore critical issues facing us all, such as immigrant rights and health care reform. The convention is free but advance registration is required and seats are going fast.

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Jill at jill@nwfco.org or (206) 568-5400.

See you in Seattle!

-Matt


Matt Holland
TrueMajority.org Online Director

Twice As Many Voters Uncommitted Compared to Four Years Ago

From Rasmussen Reports: When given a choice between Barack Obama and John McCain for President, 14% of voters are uncommitted. That figure includes 6% who say they'd vote for some other candidate and 8% who are undecided. 33% of the uncommitted voters are Democrats while only 19% are Republicans. Forty-eight percent (48%) are not affiliated with either major political party.