You must watch Rachel Maddow's take on Bobby Jindal's response to the Non-State of the Union speech for the Republican Party. Immediately afterwards she was actually rendered speechless. Then she pulled it together for this:
Can I just say, "ditto"?
Stephanie also mocks Republicans at Lawyer Mama.
The MOMocrats participated in a Cover it Live chat hosted by The Political Voices of Women at Writes Like She Talks to discuss President Barack Obama's speech to Congress. If you'd like to read what we said about the (Not) State of the Union, go here.
The weather foretold it in Chicago. Rare is it to feel the warmth of southerly winds on an early November night in this city. Rarer still was the occasion of welcoming a president who means so much to the people he has set out to serve.
The gates were said to open at 8:30 p.m., but organizers let the crowd of ticket holders in early. Looking around at the faces of those men and women, some with children already sleepy, making their way down to Grant Park's Hutchinson Field, one could spy a cautious kind of hope. A spark fired within. But, the full blown excitement was yet to be uncorked.
On this election night, merchants took full advantage to sell all and any Barack Obama merchandise, from the rhinestone studded to the more traditional. Most favored were items bearing "President Barack Obama."
Chicago, the city that has defiantly cheered its beloved and beleaguered sports teams to victory and faced an unequal share of bitter defeat couldn't help but feel minor trepidation about an Obama win. "We'll believe it when we see it" may easily have been overheard throughout. Though some wild optimists among us with more healthy levels of skepticism knew the best was saved for last.
Down past the three checkpoints, and out on the field cheers erupted from the crowd, most of whom had already stood for nearly hours by then. Returns were announced on the two giant screens erected in the field. Shoulder to shoulder, people turned to their neighbor to chat them up with nervous laughter in an effort to take their minds off the tension.
The many young people managed the wait in the company of their friends and a box of Connie's pizza. The older ones in attendance: they wouldn't dare think of tiring out now. They had waited this long. Most notable of all roars followed Obama's win of Ohio. That felt good. This was the one we had never gotten over. For good reason.
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania already occupied the list of electoral votes by the time Ohio joined. When Virginia jumped into the group, it was a done deal. We knew no one could or would steal it from us now. All who had held their breaths were relieved.
Shortly thereafter, the announcement was broadcast and the wildest and most joyous pandemonium began. The words "Barack Obama Elected 44th President" ran along the bottom of the jumbotron. Several older ladies clasped their hands in prayer and relief. Shouts of "Yes! Yes! Yes!" peppered in between the raucous screams and hollers. Over 6 minutes of continuous cheers ensued as the television pundits and analysts weighed in onscreen.
When after prayer, The Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem was sung, Obama took the stage with the rest of the new First family, he quickly reaffirmed the thoughts of the hundreds of thousands who came to celebrate with him in Chicago. The victory belonged to us. This "victory of ideals" proved to be far more important to the spirit of unity than any issue driven agenda.
As Obama recounted the trials of the numerous volunteers and voters the election brought forth and the decades in the life of 106 year old voter, Ann Nixon Cooper, whose life had seen America's darkest times and most unstoppable determination, tears streamed over the good fortune of our nation's newest turn of events.
Sent out into the night, a new era waiting to begin, the procession of people poured forth onto Michigan Avenue jubilant. Many fell silent, smiling, arms linked with their friends and family, strains of music from Grant Park filling the air. The crowd stretched all the way down to Roosevelt Road on the south and as far as could be seen to the north.
Soon horns blared, loud roars of "Obama!" "Obama!" erupted time and again. Cameras clicked and Chicago lit with flashbulbs as Americans captured their own moment in history on this one for the history books made in the city of Chicago.
Appearing as a featured speaker at the California Women's Conference yesterday: modern day guitar hero and rock star Bono, of U2. (Yes ladies, I was close enough to see imagine his nostril hairs, then tweet about it.)
Our latter day gods are people (like Bono) who seem to live more deeply, fail more extravagantly with operatic flaws, succeed more brilliantly than the rest of us can imagine, and create soaring flights of inhuman inspiration. Bono put it this way: "It's the life force in rock and roll that we love." Like his beloved Clash, his music often "delivers a public service announcement with guitars."
And yet, he and his wife have four children. So you know he's had a nodding acquaintance with the indignities of animal, vegetable, and mineral parts of raising children.
Continue reading "WE: Guitar Hero, U2's Bono at the California Women's Conference" »
On Saturday, October 18th, Senator Barack Obama spoke under the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, in front of 100,000 people. It was the largest crowd ever to attend an Obama rally in the United States.
This was my view of the crowd.
Continue reading "One of 100,000 Obama Supporters in St. Louis" »
Today in Toledo, OH, Senator Obama gives a speech outlining his economic rescue plan to address our financial crisis both in the short- and long-term. It's scheduled for 1:30 pm EST. (Text of the prepared speech here.)
Here's a brief preview of his expected remarks, from the press conference call with Jason Furman, the Obama campaign's chief economic advisor. Remarks in green are excerpted from the text of Obama's speech as prepared for delivery.
According to Furman, representing Obama, there's still a need for immediate action following on Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson's moves to inject capital into illiquid banks. Furman says that Obama's proposals have a four-part scope that can be implemented under existing legislation or could be passed in a lame-duck session of Congress prior to the end of the year. These proposals would not eliminate or usurp other Obama-Biden policies they have previously called for, but action on those bigger initiatives would be reserved for 2009 and beyond.
Continue reading "Obama's Economic Rescue Plan for Middle-Class Americans" »
Last week was a hard one, as we all saw racists crawl out from under the rocks where they live, and slither into the light of day at various McCain-Palin pep rallies for hate around the country. It rips me up inside to think that people are still circulating venomous lies about Obama, and others feel emboldened by the distorted untruths emanating from the McCain-Palin campaign to let their otherwise latent bigotry find voice.
When I'm ready to write off my fellow Americans, someone will do or say something to bring me back from the brink. In this case, it's Fernando from New Mexico--an 8 year-old kid who might make a fine president in 2035. He challenged his mom to vote for Obama in the primary and memorized Obama's "Yes We Can" speech. Give that kid some opportunities, a scholarship or two, and mentoring! See here:
Fernando for President, '35!
H/T MouseThatRoared DailyKos diary.
Cynematic believes kids can do brilliant things, if given the chance. She blogs at P i l l o w b o o k.
At a town hall meeting yesterday, a concerned voter asked that great energy expert, Sarah Palin, whether it was true that 75% of Alaska's oil was shipped overseas. Her answer?
No, "It's not 75%...because Congress is pretty strict on, um, export bans of oil and gas especially."
Hm.
I had the chance to attend a roundtable for women with Michelle Obama and Lily Ledbetter in Richmond today. The panel focused on issues that working women and families, as did Michelle Obama's speech.
When she started talking about her girls at the end and wanting to make the world a better place for them, I started crying. She always gets to me!
Obama's speech delivered in Golden, CO, on September 16, 2008. He lays out how he would go forward to fix our ever-weakening economy in great detail. The transcript of the speech is here.
I'm all for confronting this crisis as Obama has done with legislation he's proposed since he became U. S. senator in 2004, instead of McCain's suggestion to create a commission so we can better scratch our heads and look at it from the rear-view mirror.
Cynematic also writes at P i l l o w b o o k.
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