Rudolf J. --

A record 100,000 people rallied with Barack in St. Louis yesterday, and another 75,000 in Kansas City last night. Back in Chicago, we were tallying up our latest fundraising numbers.

Supporters like you have completely transformed how political campaigns raise money, so I wanted you to be the first to know how we did in September.

I recorded a short video to share the latest numbers:

When Barack entered this race, he put his faith in the power of ordinary supporters like you coming together and building a movement for change from the bottom up.

That's exactly how we got this far -- and you should feel proud of all we have accomplished together.

But with just 16 days left in this election, we can't slow down now. Please take a minute to watch the video and find out where we stand:

https://donate.barackobama.com/septembernumbers

Thanks for everything you're doing,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

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Barack Obama knows that small businesses are the key to creating jobs and rebuilding our economy from the bottom up. That's why he put forward a plan to cut or freeze taxes on 99% of small businesses, and provide relief for rapidly rising health care and energy costs. It's why he'll cut taxes on 95% of middle-class families -- because when they do better, you do better. But John McCain is using lies and attacks to mislead voters about Barack's plans to bring the change we need. With only 16 days until Election Day, we need supporters like you to make sure that people know the truth. Use our Letter to the Editor tool to write a letter to your local paper. We've made it easy. We provide you with a list of local papers, and some important background on the issues to help you get started. We'll even send the letters to the papers for you. Eight years of Bush-McCain policies have thrown us into the most profound economic crisis since the Great Depression. Middle-class families are fighting harder than ever to fulfill the American promise. It's essential that your voice is heard in this election. And it's as simple as telling your own story. You can spread the word about Barack's message for rebuilding our economy from the bottom up, and remind everyone that this is about change versus four more years of the same. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper today: http://my.barackobama.com/SBletter With your help, we can rebuild our economy, and change America for the better. Thanks, Small Business for Obama   (edited by Rudolf J. Osler; die Linx sind teilweise nicht mehr aktuell)

Rudolf J. -- We put together an ad today that captures Barack's victory in last night's debate in 30 seconds. Take a look and make a donation of $100 or more to get it on the air for those who may have missed it: After his erratic and reckless response to the economic crisis, McCain needed a game-changer last night to restore his campaign. He didn't even come close. In a CBS News poll, uncommitted voters see Barack as the debate winner. When it comes to the economy, 66% say Barack would make the right decisions versus 42% for McCain. The CNN poll results were also clear: Who did the best job tonight? Barack: 51 McCain: 38 Who would better handle Iraq? Barack: 52 McCain: 47 Who would better handle the economy? Barack: 58 McCain: 37 These are not the kind of reviews John McCain needed, but they show that Barack is offering the change we need. Barack broke through last night with voters who were watching -- but we need to get the word out to the millions who didn't tune in. Will you watch our latest ad and make a donation of $100 or more to show your support? https://donate.barackobama.com/debatevideo Thank you for everything you are doing, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America   (edited by Rudolf J. Osler; die Linx sind teilweise nicht mehr aktuell)

Rudolf J. --

Over the weekend, John McCain's top adviser announced their plan to stop engaging in a debate over the economy and "turn the page" to more direct, personal attacks on Barack Obama.

In the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, they want to change the subject from the central question of this election. Perhaps because the policies McCain supported these past eight years and wants to continue are pretty hard to defend.

But it's not just McCain's role in the current crisis that they're avoiding. The backward economic philosophy and culture of corruption that helped create the current crisis are looking more and more like the other major financial crisis of our time.

During the savings and loan crisis of the late '80s and early '90s, McCain's political favors and aggressive support for deregulation put him at the center of the fall of Lincoln Savings and Loan, one of the largest in the country. More than 23,000 investors lost their savings. Overall, the savings and loan crisis required the federal government to bail out the savings of hundreds of thousands of families and ultimately cost American taxpayers $124 billion.

Sound familiar?

In that crisis, John McCain and his political patron, Charles Keating, played central roles that ultimately landed Keating in jail for fraud and McCain in front of the Senate Ethics Committee. The McCain campaign has tried to avoid talking about the scandal, but with so many parallels to the current crisis, McCain's Keating history is relevant and voters deserve to know the facts -- and see for themselves the pattern of poor judgment by John McCain.

So at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th, we're releasing a 13-minute documentary about the scandal called "Keating Economics: John McCain and the Making of a Financial Crisis" -- it will be available at KeatingEconomics.com, along with background information that every voter should know.

Watch a preview right now and share it with your friends.

The point of the film and the web site is that John McCain still hasn't learned his lesson.

And this time, McCain's bankrupt economic philosophy has put our economy at the brink of collapse and put millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

Watch the video to see why John McCain's failed philosophy and poor judgment is a recipe for deepening the crisis:

http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo

It's no wonder John McCain would rather spend the last month of this election smearing Barack's character instead of talking about the top priority issue for voters.

But if we work together, we can make sure the focus stays on the economy -- and how to fix it.

Please forward this email to everyone you know.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

P.S. -- The documentary will be live at noon Eastern on Monday, October 6th at www.KeatingEconomics.com.

 

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Dear Rudolf J. --

We're proud to announce a new way to get involved in this movement for change: Small Business for Barack Obama.

In times of economic uncertainty, it's more important than ever that small businesses have everything they need to thrive. American small businesses will be a key part of our nation's economic recovery, and we are doing all we can to let their voices be heard.

Sign up today to join Small Business for Obama.

Across the nation, more than 25 million local entrepreneurs and employers are creating jobs and opportunities. Small businesses keep communities growing, foster innovations that change the world, and sustain the American promise generation after generation.

But in the last eight years, Bush-McCain economic policies have driven up the costs of health care and energy, and given tax breaks to multinational corporations that ship jobs overseas.

Barack Obama will cut taxes on American small businesses with a Small Business Health Tax Credit that stands to cut employee health care premium costs by half. He will eliminate all capital gains taxes for small and start-up firms, and offer a $500 "Making Work Pay" tax credit for employees.

And Barack wants to make sure opportunities reach every community. He is committed to broadening access to capital and contracting opportunities for women- and minority-owned small businesses.

John McCain's record on small business is clear. He voted against $11 billion in tax relief for small businesses, against tax credits that provide health insurance for employees, and against targeted cuts in the capital gains tax for small businesses.

His economic plan would reward America's 200 largest corporations with almost $45 billion each year in tax cuts. And it would -- for the first time in history -- tax employee health premiums.

It's time to bring change to Washington and invest in the small businesses that are the foundation of our economy.

Sign up with Small Business for Obama today:

http://my.barackobama.com/SmallBusiness

As Barack said, "We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job -- an economy that honors the dignity of work."

We need your support to grow this movement for change.

Thanks,

Obama for America

 

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Rudolf -- Barack Obama will be sworn in as President of the United States of America on January 20th, 2009. It will be an unprecedented event in the history of our country, and hundreds of thousands of people will come together in Washington, D.C. to share the moment. Supporters like you made this happen. You know that real change comes from the bottom up, not from the top down, and Barack and Joe want you to join them on this historic day. They want to start off this administration with the people who worked so hard and will continue to fight for change with them. Between now and January 8th, 10 supporters and their guests will be selected to join the Inaugural activities. If you make a donation -- in any amount -- to make the Inauguration a success, you and a guest could be flown to Washington, D.C., put up in a hotel, and be there as Barack is sworn in as the 44th President. Will you make a donation of $100 or more right now? You and a guest could receive your ticket to history. Unlike past inaugurations, this year's event will not be paid for by Washington lobbyists or corporations. This campaign was funded by 4 million ordinary people giving only what they could afford, and Barack and Joe are counting on you again. Help start this administration off right -- independent of the special interest donors who have shaped Washington for too long. This Inauguration will be open to as many Americans as possible. We'll all come together to celebrate the hope and optimism that define this movement for change. But you could be one of 10 selected to join us in Washington for all Inaugural events. Any donation you make between now and January 8th counts -- whatever you can afford. Show your support for a different kind of politics and a different kind of inauguration with a donation of $100 or more today: https://donate.pic2009.org/tickettohistory The Inauguration will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. I hope you can join us. Thank you, David David Plouffe Campaign Manager Obama for America P.S. -- If you cannot make a donation, you and a guest could still be selected to receive your ticket to history. Learn more here.   (edited by Rudolf J. Osler; die Linx sind teilweise nicht mehr aktuell)

The President's Plan for Health Reform "It will provide more security and stability to those who have health insurance. It will provide insurance to those who don't. And it will lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government." - PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
If You Have Health Insurance, the President's Plan: Ends discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Limits premium discrimination based on gender and age. Prevents insurance companies from dropping coverage when people are sick and need it most. Caps out-of-pocket expenses so people don't go broke when they get sick. Eliminates extra charges for preventive care like mammograms, flu shots and diabetes tests to improve health and save money. Protects Medicare for seniors. Eliminates the "donut-hole" gap in coverage for prescription drugs.	If You Don't Have Insurance, the President's Plan: Creates a new insurance marketplace - the Exchange - that allows people without insurance and small businesses to compare plans and buy insurance at competitive prices. Provides new tax credits to help people buy insurance. Provides small businesses tax credits and affordable options for covering employees. Offers a public health insurance option to provide the uninsured and those who can't find affordable coverage with a real choice. Immediately offers new, low-cost coverage through a national "high risk" pool to protect people with preexisting conditions from financial ruin until the new Exchange is created.	For All Americans, the President's Plan: Won't add a dime to the deficit and is paid for upfront. Requires additional cuts if savings are not realized. Implements a number of delivery system reforms that begin to rein in health care costs and align incentives for hospitals, physicians, and others to improve quality. Creates an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify waste, fraud and abuse in the health care system. Orders immediate medical malpractice reform projects that could help doctors focus on putting their patients first, not on practicing defensive medicine. Requires large employers to cover their employees and individuals who can afford it to buy insurance so everyone shares in the responsibility of reform.

Rudolf J. --

Opponents of health insurance reform have power. Some reap huge profits from the status quo. Others take large campaign contributions from those who profit.

So they'll do anything to keep the current system in place. When fact-based arguments don't work, they attack President Obama with outlandish lies about a government takeover and euthanizing the elderly. And once that doesn't work, they'll go even further.

We don't know what they'll do next. What we do know is that we'll have to be prepared for anything -- ready to set the record straight, ready to make sure the media and Congress see the overwhelming support for reform, and ready to pass real reform this year.

But we'll need the resources to do it -- to pay for rapid-response ads in key districts and states, organizers to put together large rallies and grassroots events throughout the country, and the best technology available to empower volunteers -- all at a moment's notice.
Can you chip in $25 or more to help us pass real reform, this year?




This was never going to be easy. As candidate Obama said just three days before the election: "Don't think for a moment that power will concede without a fight." Now, we're seeing how true that really is.

These same well-financed forces have killed reform in the past, and they're aiming to do it again.

But here's why this time can be different: There are folks like you, all around the country, who are ready to go toe-to-toe with the special interests, even when they're not fighting fair.

And we'll keep at it, because we know that the work we're doing together right now can make the lives of hundreds of millions better for decades to come.

But we need your help to keep it up. Can you donate $25 or more to beat the special interests?

https://donate.barackobama.com/power

There's too much at stake for any of us to sit this one out. Please chip in.

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

Rudolf J. --

At the beginning of August, President Obama wrote to the OFA community to challenge us to work hard, break through the noise and give the American people a voice in the fight for health insurance reform.

It wasn't easy: With Congress back home, special interests and partisan attack groups went into overdrive spreading lies, and the media seemed to broadcast any story of conflict or division they could find.

But you accepted the President's challenge -- and delivered.

See it for yourself: Check out the latest photos and stories from around the country.

Our strategy for the month was simple: engage the millions of individuals who know we need change to fight the lies and tell the truth, build support for reform, and ensure that support is highly visible while members of Congress are home gauging public opinion. We continued our methodical, battle-tested approach of volunteers reaching out online and offline in every part of the country. We offered the facts, answered questions and engaged those who were ready to get involved.

And the results were extraordinary. OFA supporters like you came together in an unprecedented way over the past four weeks -- and it couldn't have happened without the individual volunteers who make it all possible:

• Folks like Rebecca E. in Santa Fe, New Mexico, who voted for the first time last year -- and collected more than 1,800 health care declarations this summer. Across the country, we've collected more than 1 million signatures in support of the President's core principles for health insurance reform.
• Supporters like Nita L. in Longmont, Colorado, who organized hundreds of supporters in her town to come with her to talk with their member of Congress about how much this fight means to them. They were among the more than 70,000 folks who showed up at 350 town halls -- where supporters of reform at times outnumbered opponents by 10-1 -- and volunteers who made 65,000 trips to local congressional offices.
• It's the people who made more than 100,000 calls to Congress to thank representatives fighting for change -- like Nancy T. in Hendersonville, North Carolina, who hosted a health care phone booth because, after her heart transplant, she knows that no American should have to choose between financial ruin and getting the care they need.
• It's the 1,500 supporters who filled a local recreation center in Kansas City, Missouri, at a town hall meeting with Senator Claire McCaskill, and the 2,500 people who jammed the streets to hear from Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio -- just two of the more than 4,000 events where folks gathered to show their support across all 50 states in August.

All of these signatures, calls, office drop-bys, conversations, gatherings, and town hall meetings, all of the late nights, homemade signs, long hours in the sun, and tireless volunteers who make it happen -- totaling more than 1.5 million people who've taken part in this campaign for real reform -- it all adds up to one incredible movement for change.
Check out the latest photos and stories from the field to see this movement in action:

As Congress returns to D.C. and we roll up our sleeves for the final push toward reform, we know the hardest work may yet lie ahead. The special interests and those in Congress who have pledged to oppose the President no matter what will stoop even lower in the weeks ahead.

But you should never doubt that we face the coming challenges together, as part of something far larger than any of us alone -- and far stronger than the old broken politics that have preserved the status quo for long enough.

Our strategy is working. We are going to win this thing. Americans will finally get the health insurance reform we all need.

Thank you for making it possible,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America

 

Rudolf J. --

My wife Jill is an extraordinary woman.

Lately, she's been teaching school during the week and joining me on the campaign trail on the weekends. But this week, she also found some time to go to campaign headquarters and call voters in crucial battleground states.

Jill has always had a great time talking to potential supporters, and I'm sure her calls brought Barack and me a few votes closer to victory.

Can you do the same? Today you have the opportunity to reach out to African American voters in Indiana, an important constituency that could help decide the outcome of this election.

Get your list of voters right now.

Watch this video of my wife making calls, see how easy it is, and then join her and tens of thousands of volunteers across the country by making calls from your own home.

With the conventions and the debates behind us, this election is now in your hands.

Reaching out to swing voters by making these calls is one of the most powerful ways to make a difference right now.

No matter how many rallies Barack and I hold or speeches we give, supporters like you talking to fellow voters one-on-one is the way we're going to win this election.

Get your list of supporters today and give them a call right from your own home:

Get your list of voters right now.

Thanks for everything you're doing,

Joe

P.S. -- Can't make calls this weekend? Sign up to make calls for the campaign later this week:

 

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