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Most of the audience members who came to Manchester's Verizon Wireless Arena to hear Oprah Winfrey endorse Senator Barack Obama were women who seemed fired up and ready to go. It remains to be seen whether this burst of enthusiasm, combined with Team Obama's get out the vote drive, will deliver New Hampshire in the nation's first primary.
However, a new poll released by the Concord Monitor indicates that Obama has closed the sizeable lead once held by Senator Hillary Clinton. The poll of likely Democratic primary voters shows Obama with a one-point edge over Clinton. And much of his gains may be attributed to undeclared voters and New Hampshire women who are inspired by his message of change leadership to produce new direction for America.
Tomorrow, live from Exeter, New Hampshire, Kate Michelman and Cate Edwards will participate in a webcast on our brand new New Hampshire Women for John Edwards website
Whether you're in New Hampshire or not, you can join Kate and Cate for a live, interactive webcast and submit your questions in advance right here
So far we've had some great questions sent in on everything from how workforce discrimination laws can be implemented in a way to prevent "Mommytracking" to the importance of Dads in the women's movement.
For example, Tara from Portsmouth asked:
"What would Senator Edwards do to address the issues facing working women who are increasingly reporting they can't "have it all"? What kinds of workplace and/or public policy recommendations does he have that would help mitigate the too-often-forced decisions of "off-ramping" and the "Mommytrack"?
After you submit your question or topic that you'd like to discuss we'll send you a reminder to come back to the New Hampshire Women for Edwards webpage at 2:30pm on Saturday November 10th.
(Hoping Marchand came come on to BH and talk to us about his reasons... until then, thanks Doug! - promoted by Mike Caulfield)
Steve Marchand endorsed Bill Richardson for President today, adding to a list of endorsements including Manchester's last Democratic Mayor Bob Baines (2000-2005), Fmr. NHDP Chair Jeff Woodburn, and Fmr. Ambassador/Fmr. NHDP Chair George Bruno.
The Richardson campaign's press release after the jump (I don't know how to do the fancy blockquote thing)
"Growing up in small, rural towns, I learned early that America has been blessed with a wealth
of natural resources. Just as it is our right to enjoy America's forests, mountains, fields and
streams, it is also our responsibility to protect them for generations to come." -- John Edwards
Today John released a new policy dealing with land conservation, and hunting and fishing rights and responsibilities.
(OK, so normally I wouldn't promote something like this, but as an amateur filmmaker myself I have to give our own Hamster Doug E. props -- this must have been a ton of work. And I mean a *ton*. So here's to Doug for putting in the hours for his candidate in a major way... - promoted by Mike Caulfield)
A little while back, an artist named Louie Bello wrote and recorded a song about the Richardson campaign ("Change is Coming"), which I just finished putting to video and posting on YouTube. Even if you've already chosen your candidate, it's still pretty cool, and it's consumed most of my time for the past week or so; how often do we have BHers making things like this? Check it out:
This is cross posted at The Huffington Post and posted here for your convenience in case you missed it yesterday.
Truly ending the war in Iraq will only come about when our troops are no longer targets. That is why Governor Bill Richardson believes that we should not leave behind any of our troops. --Joaquin H. Guerra, Bill Richardson for President.
It's Time to Make a Choice in Iraq
By Governor Bill Richardson
Yesterday,twelve former Army captains wrote that short of reinstating the draft, "our best option is to leave Iraq immediately." In an extraordinary editorial in the Washington Post, these captains--all of whom served in Iraq--made it clear that we need to end this war and we need to end it now. They wrote that a " scaled withdrawal will not prevent a civil war and it will spend more blood and treasure on a losing proposition."
I strongly urge every American to read this important report from those who served in the failed conflict in Iraq. Army captains are the staff officers who plan operations against insurgent strongholds. They are the company commanders who lead our soldiers through the streets of Baghdad. And they are the soldiers who will direct our withdrawal from Iraq.
These men and women know the score. They know that we must leave Iraq. As they put it, "It's time to make a choice." Americans are fed up with the President's stalling and Congressional failure to act. Frankly, it is well past time we make a choice. And the only responsible choice left to us is to get all of our troops out of Iraq, with no residual forces left behind--no combat forces, no non-combat forces. As President, I will do it. I will get all of our troops out within a year after I take office - sooner if we can get it done safely.
The other major candidates in this race have said--again and again--that they will not. Senators Edwards, Obama, and Clinton have all refused to commit to getting all of our troops out of Iraq by 2013. None of them are willing to be clear about removing all troops - combat and non-combat. It's unbelievable. Are they looking at the same war the rest of us are? Furthermore, they are all advocating precisely the sort of scaled withdrawal that these twelve captains are warning against. It doesn't make any sense. Real leadership is about making the tough choices, and knowing when it is time to make bold moves. Now is the time for action, not hesitation. Ending this war requires real change, not more incrementalism.
Ending this war is the most important issue of our time. And it is the fundamental difference between me and Senators Edwards, Obama, and Clinton. I will end the war; they will not. I will get all of our troops out; they will leave troops behind indefinitely. I will order a safe and rapid withdrawal and have our troops out within a year. They have proposed a long, protracted withdrawal that will only increase the danger to our fighting men and women and drag out the war.
2013 is six years from now - six years. In six years, will we have lost 6,000 men and women in Iraq? 10,000? More? In six years will this be a $2 trillion mistake? Or $3 trillion? The war has been going on for four and half years already. Six years from now, we will have been there for more than a decade. Are you okay with that? I'm not.
The choice in Iraq is clear. We need to get all our troops out quickly. We need to end this war for real. Go to getourtroopsout.com to join Americans across the country in calling for a quick, clear, responsible end to the war in Iraq.
This weekend during John Edwards' trip to New Hampshire he spoke with voters and answered questions on a wide range of topics - everything from the recent vote on Iran to his detailed plans on how to overhaul No Child Left Behind.
There was one topic, however, that really stood out. With the threat of President Bush's veto of the recently passed S-CHIP legislation hanging in the air, health care was a hot topic. Over and over again voters asked the question: Why, do we, the richest country in the world, not have the universal health care we need? This weekend at New Hampshire town halls and house parties across the state John addressed this issue and explained exactly why so many American's are still without health care - because Bush and his GOP cronies sold Americans' health care to drug company and health insurance lobbyists.
Since 1998, drug company lobbyists have spent over $1.2 billion on lobbying. In 2004, Bush and the Republican leaders of the Medicare Part D Prescription drug plan took over $14 million from drug company lobbyists. The drug companies and the health care industry spent this money because they expected something in return. They knew what they were doing. Thanks to the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan insurance companies got a new funding formula that causes taxpayers to overpay private HMOs to deliver benefits that the government could do for 12% cheaper. If we maintain this funding formula the government will overpay private HMOs $149 billion over the next decade. This legislation was tailored for the big pharmaceutical insurance companies - rather than the people who should have mattered most - the Americans in need of affordable health care.
Last night John Edwards talked about his plan to end cronyism and corruption in Washington. He discusses Blackwater and no bid contracts in New Orelans.
Originally posted by Joe Clarke on the John Edwards blog
Today, John released his plan to end the current system of outsourcing military and security missions to private contractors.
His comprehensive plan will reduce political cronyism in the hiring process, increase government oversight of contractor activities, and ensure that contractors who behave inappropriately are brought to justice.
John:
The recent incidents of violence involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq, including the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last month, have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. These incidents hurt America's moral standing, both in Iraq and around the world. And they serve as a tragic reminder of how the Bush Administration has outsourced our military responsibilities to corporate contractors and political cronies who operate outside of the rules of engagement and without any meaningful oversight.
John's plan comes in the wake of a recent Congressional report that details some troubling aspects of Blackwater's involvement in Iraq. According to the report, which was released on October 1st, Blackwater has been involved in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq over the past two years. In the majority of those instances, Blackwater contractors fired first, usually from moving vehicles, and usually without stopping to see whether those shots resulted in casualties (pg. 2). The report also recounts an incident from December 2006 in which a drunken Blackwater contractor shot and killed a security guard of Iraqi Vice President Adil Abd-al-Mahdi. According to the report, Blackwater transported the contractor out of the country shortly thereafter, and no charges have been filed (pg. 12). (Read more about Blackwater and other contractors operating in Iraq: from the NY Times, from Brookings.)
To combat these sorts of injustices, John will drastically change the way we hire, deploy, and prosecute private military and security contractors. Here are some highlights of his plan (continue reading below-the-fold to see the plan in its entirety):
Restore Democracy to Our Military Decisions About the War
transfer most security missions currently performed by contractors back to military command
narrowly limit the circumstances under which security contractors can be engaged
bring all security contractors within the Pentagon's chain of command.
Expand Legal Oversight and Prosecutions
amend the Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) to cover contractors employed by any U.S. agency
ensure criminal allegations involving contractors are always investigated and, when appropriate, prosecuted
establish clear rules of engagement for contractors
Get Cronyism out of Security Contracts
ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting campaign contributions by applicants for and recent recipients of security contracts, extending the ban on current contractors
ask Congress to pass legislation to close the revolving door for government contractors by prohibiting former officials from working as contractors with business before their former offices for five years
Establish Strong Quality Control and Accountability Measures
establish a regular system of Quality Assurance Evaluations of contractors and will make sure that agencies exercise oversight
Implement a Formal Evaluation of the Role of Contractors
deliver a comprehensive accounting of all contractors performing security operations within the first six months of his administration
creation of a new National Security Budget that will include all security activities by the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies
Between the upcoming debate at Dartmouth and the 1st ever MySpace/MTV Presidential Dialogue featuring John Edwards, there is a lot going on in New Hampshire this week.
All last week there were hundreds of house meetings held across New Hampshire, but with over 100 guests, Laurie McCray, from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, hosted the biggest meeting, and won a ticket to accompany Elizabeth Edwards to this week's presidential debate at Dartmouth College. Congratulations, Laurie!
Laurie will join Elizabeth at the September 26th debate, but she's not the only one who will be able to ask Elizabeth her questions about the campaign and John's plans for change.
Before Wednesday's debate, we will sit down with Elizabeth to address some of the questions and concerns on the minds of New Hampshire voters. You can submit your own question for this special New Hampshire pre-debate video.
As the product of public schools in a small rural town and the father of four children who attended public schools, John understands the importance of education. He believes every child should have the same chance to get a great education.
But more than 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education, we still have two school systems that are separate and unequal. No longer legally separated by race, our children are sorted by economics, often with a racial or ethnic dimension. At the same time, our children are preparing for unprecedented global economic competition.
Follow the jump for new details being announced today...
It's been a busy and exciting week for the Edwards campaign in New Hampshire - from John's national address on the war in Iraq to our tree canvassing with Congressman Bonior. To round off our week Elizabeth Edwards will be heading up to New Hampshire on Friday. Elizabeth will attend house parties across the state on Friday and Saturday. You can find a house party with Elizabeth near you on our New Hampshire Website
Elizabeth will also host a roundtable with New Hampshire teachers to discuss the bold new policy on K-12 education that John Edwards will unveil on Friday.
This week has truly been a great week of grassroots energy and momentum. Yesterday the campaign announced that New Hampshire supporters will be hosting 200 House Meetings for Change, where the host with the most attendees will join Elizabeth at the upcoming Dartmouth debate. You can host or join a house meeting right here.
John Edwards has already announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. He's stood up and said no to liquid coal and he's announced a commitment to repealing subsidies for big oil companies. But this weekend the New Hampshire Edwards for President campaign is taking John's environmental plans to the next level. We're going to move beyond the policy and the plans and actually take to the streets to deliver 8,000 White Spruce tree seedlings to New Hampshire residents. You can sign up to help deliver the seedlings right here
One of the best things about this campaign and about John Edwards is that he believes that we can take action today, that we don't need to wait until January 2008 to do something to further the changes so many of us want to see.
As we move beyond Labor Day the opportunities for New Hampshire residents to meet and talk with the candidates in town halls and family rooms , in diners and in parks, is steadily increasing. It's up close and personal and it's one on one. As a newbie to the Granite State (I recently transferred from the Edwards Chapel Hill office to our Manchester HQ to head up our New Hampshire online communications and organizing program) I'm just beginning to fully appreciate this experience.
But even beyond this unique access, New Hampshire voters also get the privilege of hosting some of the biggest political events in the country. And while catching a candidate one-on-one is no trouble at all, catching them all together, seeing how they interact, is a bit more of a challenge. We want to change that. On Sept. 26th Dartmouth College will be hosting the next presidential debate. The whole country will be watching - and you could be, too - as the VIP guest of Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth just happens to have an extra ticket for a New Hampshire resident, and it could be yours. There is, of course, a catch.
