2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Obama’s Iowa Campaign Announced A New Television Ad, "Need"

Obama Vows Consistent Support for American Workers
TV Ad: Obama Will Reverse Widening Gap between Workers and CEOs

MARION, IA – At a news conference today in Marion, Senator Barack Obama thanked members of United Auto Workers Region 4 for their decision last Thursday to support his presidential campaign and pledged that as President he would fight for workers, even when it isn’t politically convenient.  Obama’s Iowa campaign also announced a new television ad to begin airing Monday that offers his plan to reverse the widening gap between workers and executives. 

“As President, I’ll look out for Main Street, not just Wall Street,” said Senator Obama. “We’ll close the corporate loopholes that lobbyists put in our tax code. We’ll take tax breaks away from companies that ship our jobs overseas, and put them in the pockets of working Americans who deserve it. We’ll also make sure every American has a secure retirement by eliminating taxes for millions of seniors. And we’ll take on the insurance companies like I did in Illinois and pass universal health care by the end of my first term.”

Obama said that as President he would only sign trade agreements that have real protections for American workers.  He called Senator Clinton’s latest effort to distance herself from NAFTA a “tactic” that falls short of the strong consistent leadership that America’s workers need from their next president. 

“As some of you probably heard, at the debate the other night, Senator Clinton called NAFTA a mistake. And I was pleased to hear her say that because as more than 10,000 jobless Iowans know, that’s exactly what NAFTA is. But the fact is, Senator Clinton was a cheerleader for NAFTA for more than a decade,” said Senator Obama.  “I realize that changing your position to suit the politics of the moment might be a smart campaign tactic, but it’s not the kind of strong, principled leadership America needs right now.”

In a new 30-second advertisement entitled “Need,” set to begin airing Monday, Senator Obama describes American workers as the “bedrock” of our economy and proposes a plan to address the widening gap between the middle class and the wealthy.

For more than two decades, as a community organizer, a civil rights attorney, a State Senator, and a U.S. Senator, Obama has been fighting to improve the lives of working Americans.  In September, he unveiled his Middle Class Tax Fairness plan, which would restore balance to our tax code by closing corporate loopholes and provide tax relief for the middle class.  Obama’s plan will provide a tax cut for 1.7 million Iowans and eliminate the income tax for 100,000 Iowa seniors. 110,000 Iowa homeowners will get a tax break, and 300,000 seniors will no longer have to file income taxes.

SCRIPT – “Need”

Obama (talking to a small crowd): This administration has further divided Wall Street from Main Street.  You’ve got CEOs who are making more in 10 minutes than ordinary workers are making in a year.

Obama (direct to camera): The bedrock, the foundation of our economy is our workers.  And the middle class have been treading water or worse.

My plan says “Let’s restore some balance to our tax code.  Close these corporate loopholes the lobbyists put in.  And let’s make sure that tax breaks are given to people who really need it.”

The Obama Plan:

• Close corporate tax loopholes
• $1,000 per family tax cut
• No income taxes on seniors making under $50,000

Obama Campaign Manager David Plouffe On The Debate

Campaign Manager David Plouffe:

Senator Obama tonight gave clear, honest answers to tough questions on the major issues facing America, and he boldly challenged the cynicism that says we can’t solve our nation’s problems. America saw tonight that Barack Obama is the one candidate who offers change we can believe in -- the ability to bring this country together, stand up to the special interests, and tell the American people not just what we think they want to hear, but what they need to know about the challenges we face. That’s the kind of leadership Barack Obama has demonstrated through his two decades of service to America, and that’s what he’ll offer as President of the United States

Tech Leaders Announce Support For Barack Obama

TECH LEADERS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR BARACK OBAMA 

CHICAGO, IL -  Technology leaders across the nation today endorsed Barack Obama the day after he unveiled his innovation agenda at Google headquarters. These entrepreneurs, academics, and innovators are drivers in the effort to recapture American competitiveness. 

“Senator Obama not only understands good tech policy, but he also understands the best policy so that tech can do some good,” said Lawrence Lessig, founder of Stanford Law School’s Center for Internet and Society.  “By committing to opening government data, an Obama administration would provide all of us the tools we need to make government work for us, and not for the special interests that flourish in the shadows of a nontransparent government.”            

"I want my kids to grow up in an Obama America - an America in which, as Barack Obama has said, we stop setting settling for what the cynics say we have to accept and reach for what we know is possible,” said Julius Genachowski, Co-founder and Managing Director of Rock Creek Ventures.  “An America with a President who will summon the nation to a common purpose, who will lead not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; a President who will combat the common threats of the 21st century - nuclear weapons and terrorism; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease.  This is what Barack Obama has promised - they are his words. And as someone fortunate enough to know him for two decades, watching him gather extensive real-word experience and a record of great judgment, I am completely confident he will deliver on his promise."

A full list of the technology leaders endorsing Barack Obama is below:

Stuart Benjamin, Professor of Law, Duke University
Robert Blackwell, Founder and CEO, Electronic Knowledge Interchange Consulting
Joseph Farrell, Professor of Economics, University of California,  Berkeley; Chief Economist, Federal Communications Commission (1996-97); Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics (chief economist), Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice (2000-02)
Lloyd Frink, President and Co-Founder, Zillow
Julius Genachowski, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Rock Creek Ventures; former Chief of Business Operations & General Counsel, IAC/InterActiveCorp; former Chief Counsel to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt
Don Gips, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Level 3 Communications; former Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Gore
Rob Glaser, Founder and CEO, Real Networks
Mark Gorenberg, Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners
Nick Hanauer, Partner, Second Avenue Partners; Founder, aQuantive
Adam Hanft, Founder and CEO, Hanft Unlimited
Reed Hundt, Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (1993-97)
Mitch Kapor, President, Kapor Enterprises; Founder, Lotus Development Corp.
Jed Katz, Managing Director, DFJ Gotham Ventures
Michael Katz, Professor, NYU and UC Berkeley; former Chief Economist, FCC; former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics (chief economist), Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
William Kennard, Former Chairman, Federal Communications Commission (1997-2001)
Deborah Lathen, President, Lathen Consulting; former Chief, Cable Bureau, FCC
Steve Lerner, Managing Partner, Blue Hill Group
Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law, Stanford University
Blair Levin, Managing Director, Stifel Nicholas; former Chief of Staff, FCC
Andrew McLaughlin, Director, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs, Google
Ted Meisel, Elevation Partners
Jon Miller, Former Chairman and CEO, American Online, Inc.
Glenn Neland, Retired Senior Vice President, Dell
Robert Nelsen, Managing Director and Co-Founder, ARCH Venture Partners
Craig Newmark, Founder, Craigslist
Beth Noveck, Professor of Law, New York Law School
Chamath Palihapitiya, Executive Vice President, Product and Operations, Facebook
Deven Parekh, Partner, Insight Venture Partners
Sunil Paul, Founding Partner, Spring Ventures; Co-Founder, Brightmail
John Place, Retired General Counsel, Yahoo!, Inc.
Jeff Pulver, Founder, pulver.com
Arti Rai, Professor of Law, Duke University
John Roos, CEO, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
Alec Ross, Senior Vice President, One Economy
Kim Scott, AdSense Director of Online Sales and Operations, Google
Carl Shapiro, Professor of Business Strategy, UC Berkeley; Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Economics (chief economist), Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice (1995-96)
Howard Shelanski, Professor of Law, UC Berkeley; former Chief Economist, FCC
Steven Spinner, Executive, Danoo
Phil Weiser, Professor of Law and Telecommunications, University of Colorado
Kevin Werbach, Asst. Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Tom Wheeler, Managing Director, Core Capital Partners
Tim Wu, Professor of Law, Columbia University
Ed Zander, CEO, Motorola

New Barack Obama TV Ad "Chances I Had" Focused On Education

Obama Campaign to Host 10 Education Roundtables Today and Tomorrow
Ten roundtables around the state coincide with release of new TV ad "Chances I Had" focused on education

MANCHESTER, NH—Senator Barack Obama's New Hampshire campaign will host ten roundtable discussions on education around the state today and tomorrow, November 15 and 16.  The discussions—many of which will be hosted by members of New Hampshire Educators for Obama—will bring Granite Staters together to learn more about Obama's commitment to excellence for every child and support for every teacher.

On Friday, the campaign will begin airing a new television ad in which Obama discusses his goals for our education system.  In the thirty-second spot, entitled "Choices I had," Obama discusses his plan to ensure every child gets the same educational opportunities that allowed him to succeed, and he stresses parents' responsibility to do their part in helping kids learn.  You can watch the ad and read the full script HERE.

As President, Obama will expand early childhood education, recruit an army of talented new teachers, and encourage parents to instill a sense of excellence in their children.

"Chances I Had" Script

My parents weren't rich. My father left me when I was very young.

The one thing I was able to get was a great education.

We should give every child the same chances that I had.

By investing in early childhood education and recruiting a whole new generation of teachers. But government alone is not going to solve the problem.

Obama's Education Plan:

Expand early childhood education
Recruit a new generation of teachers

We need parents to turn off the television and instill in our children a sense of excellence.

We've got to ask more of ourselves if we want the kind of world class education that they need.

Obama Unveils Innovation Agenda At Google

OBAMA UNVEILS INNOVATION AGENDA AT GOOGLE 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – At a town hall meeting today at Google headquarters, U.S. Senator Barack Obama will unveil an innovation agenda that will connect and empower Americans through technology.  The comprehensive plan will ensure the full and free exchange of information by protecting the openness of the internet and encouraging diversity in media ownership, create a transparent and connected democracy by opening up government to its citizens, modernize our communications infrastructure, employ technology and information to take on the challenges facing America, and improve our nation’s competitiveness. 

Excerpts from Obama’s prepared remarks are below: 

“Together, we could open up government and invite citizens in, while connecting all of America to 21st century broadband.  We could use technology to help achieve universal health care, to reach for a clean energy future, and to ensure that young Americans can compete – and win – in the global economy. If America recommits itself to science and innovation, we can lead the world to a new future of productivity and prosperity. That’s what we can do if we seize this moment."

“I will take a backseat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality. Because once providers start to privilege some applications or web sites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out, and we all lose. The Internet is perhaps the most open network in history. We have to keep it that way.” 

“To seize this moment, we have to use technology to open up our democracy. It’s no coincidence that one of the most secretive Administrations in history has favored special interests and pursued policies that could not stand up to sunlight. As President, I’ll change that. I’ll put government data online in universally accessible formats. I’ll let citizens track federal grants, contracts, earmarks, and lobbyist contacts. I’ll let you participate in government forums, ask questions in real time, offer suggestions that will be reviewed before decisions are made, and let you comment on legislation before it is signed. And to ensure that every government agency is meeting 21st century standards, I’ll appoint the nation’s first Chief Technology Officer.”

“We need to make sure that the next success story – the next Google – happens here in America. The Google story is about what can be achieved when we cultivate new ideas and keep the playing field level for new businesses. But it’s also about not settling for what we’ve achieved. It’s about constantly raising the bar so that we’re more competitive, and so we use technology to reach ever-expanding horizons…The promise and prosperity of our new economy must not become the property of the few, it must be a force that lifts up our entire country, and that lifts up the world.”   

Obama's innovation agenda would:

I. Ensure the Full and Free Exchange of Information through an Open Internet and Diverse Media Outlets

• Protect the Openness of the Internet
• Encourage Diversity in Media Ownership
• Protect Our Children While Preserving the First Amendment
• Safeguard Our Right to Privacy

II. Create a Transparent and Connected Democracy

• Open Up Government to its Citizens
• Bring Government into the 21st Century

III. Deploy a Modern Communications Infrastructure

• Deploy Next-Generation Broadband

IV. Employ Technology and Innovation to Solve Our Nation’s Most Pressing Problems

• Lower Health Care Costs by Investing in Electronic Information Systems
• Invest in Climate-Friendly Energy Development and Deployment
• Upgrade Education to Meet the Needs of the 21st Century
• Create New Jobs
• Modernize Public Safety Networks

V. Improve America’s Competitiveness

• Invest in the Sciences
• Make the R & D Tax Cut Permanent
• Reform Immigration
• Promote American Businesses Abroad
• Ensure Competitive Markets
• Protect American Intellectual Property Abroad
• Protect Intellectual American Property at Home
• Reform the Patent System

Obama Shows Organizational Strength In Minnesota, Iowa

Obama’s organizational strength triumphs in Iowa, Minnesota, too

ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Saturday, Nov. 10, 150 Obama supporters gathered in St. Paul to celebrate the official opening of the Minnesota Obama headquarters. Attendees included Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, St. Paul Councilmember-elect Melvin Carter, state representatives Willie Dominguez and John Lesch, state Senator Dick Cohen, Minneapolis Councilmember Robert Lilligren, former mayor of St. Paul Jim Scheibel, and Kim Ellison, wife of Congressman Keith Ellison.

The Minnesota campaign, which has grown to include 13 staff members, has been in the state for just over five weeks, and in that time has held a caucus and grassroots training in St. Paul that drew a crowd of over 400; caucus and grassroots trainings in every congressional district, every week; a coordinated canvass of eight Minnesota cities on a single Saturday where supporters knocked on over 2,500 doors; and individual canvasses every weekend and phonebanks every night. Last week, the campaign welcomed a visit from Obama's wife, Michelle, who spent over an hour at Hope Community in Minneapolis, discussing community organizing efforts with tenants and community members.

While Minnesota supporters gathered in St. Paul on Saturday, that same night in Iowa at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner, traditionally a landmark event in the run-up to the caucuses, Barack Obama delivered what the press widely reported was the best speech, and demonstrated the strength of his campaign organization, with Iowa Obama supporters representing one-third of all 9,000 attendees.

As David Yepsen of The Des Moines Register wrote, “The leading Democratic presidential candidates showed up for the Iowa Democratic Party’s big Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday night. Five of them gave really good speeches. Barack Obama’s was excellent. It was one of the best of his campaign.  The passion he showed should help him close the gap on Hillary Clinton by tipping some undecided caucus-goers his way….Should he win the Iowa caucuses, Saturday’s dinner will be remembered as one of the turning points in his campaign here, a point where he laid down the marker and began closing on Clinton, the national frontrunner.”

Obama Statement On Veterans Day

Obama Statement on Veterans Day

CHICAGO, IL - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today released the following statement on Veterans Day.

"As we mark Veterans Day, all of America must speak with one voice to America’s veterans: we honor your service, we are in awe of your sacrifice, and we will do everything that it takes to be there for you just as you have been there for us. Our veterans are a part of an unbroken line of Americans who have borne the greatest burden for our freedom – from those who threw off the tyranny of a King to those who fight bravely and brilliantly under our flag today. Keeping faith with those who serve is a cornerstone of American patriotism. Let us rededicate ourselves to honoring those who have served by providing them with the services, support, and respect that they have earned." 

Barack Obama Iowa Jefferson Jackson Dinner Photos

Barack Obama Iowa Jefferson Jackson Dinner Photos

Excerpts Of Senator Obama’s Prepared Remarks For Tonight’s Iowa Jefferson Jackson Dinner

Excerpts of Senator Obama’s prepared remarks for tonight’s Iowa Jefferson Jackson Dinner

“When I’m your nominee, my opponent won’t be able to say that I supported this war in Iraq; or that I gave George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran; or that I support that Bush-Cheney diplomacy of not talking to leaders we don’t like.  And he won’t be able to say that I wavered on something as fundamental as whether it’s ok for America to use torture – because it’s never ok.  That’s why I’m in it.” 

“This party – of Jefferson and Jackson; of Roosevelt and Kennedy – has made the most difference in people’s lives when we’ve led, not by polls, but by principle; not by calculation, but by conviction; when we’ve had leaders who could summon the entire nation to a common purpose – a higher purpose.  And I am running for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States because that’s the party America needs us to be right now. “

“I don’t want to pit Blue America against Red America, I want to lead the United States of America.” 

“I’m running because of what Dr. King called “the fierce urgency of now.”  I’m running because I believe there’s such a thing as being too late.  And that hour is almost upon us.

I run for the presidency for the same reason I fought to bring jobs to the jobless and hope to the hopeless on the streets of Chicago; for the same reason I stood up for justice and equality as a civil rights lawyer; for the same reason I’ve fought for Illinois families for over a decade. 

Because I will never forget that the only reason I’m standing here today is because someone, somewhere stood up when it was risky.  Stood up when it was hard.  Stood up when it wasn’t popular.  And because that someone stood up, a few more stood up.  And then a few thousand.  And then a few million.  And together, standing up, with courage and clear purpose, they somehow managed to change the world. 

That’s why I run, Iowa – to give my children and yours the same chances someone gave me.

That’s why I run, Democrats – to keep the promise of America alive for those who still hunger for opportunity and thirst for equality.

That’s why I’m asking you to stand with me, to caucus for me, to stop settling for what the cynics tell us we must accept.  In this election – at this moment – let us reach for what we know is possible.  A nation healed.  A world repaired.  An America that believes again.”