Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama arrived in Toledo yesterday for the start of three days of intensive preparation for Wednesday's final presidential debate, but he first made an unscheduled stop in a Springfield Township neighborhood to canvass for votes.

The candidate surprised residents of the working-class Lincoln Green neighborhood off McCord Road when his motorcade made the unannounced stop on the way in from Toledo Express Airport.

Wearing a white shirt, suit trousers, and no tie, Mr. Obama chatted, joked, hugged, posed, and debated for 45 minutes with the folks of Shrewsbury Street who came out of their homes to meet him.

...Tom Puhl, 63, a retired electrical designer, said he had made up his mind in favor of Senator Obama early. He said the neighborhood has a lot of empty, foreclosed homes.

'He came off completely genuine and that's what impresses me,' Mr. Puhl said.

In his appeal to middle-class voters, especially since the onset of the current financial meltdown, Mr. Obama has focused on the right of people to have jobs.

...He vowed to focus on bringing jobs back to Ohio and America, rebuilding and strengthening the middle class.

'Toledo is at the cutting edge of this effort, with some of the leading manufacturers of solar panels in the country, fueled by a strong research program at the University of Toledo,' he said.

Mr. Obama said America's promise includes access to a job that 'lets you live out your dreams for your family'; 'the guarantee of health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete,' and 'if you serve in the uniform of this great country, you receive the care and benefits you deserve.'

...On the street in Springfield Township, Mr. Obama talked sports with several young men, discussed the price of gas and milk, described Congress's $700 billion economic rescue, and shook many hands. Obama chatted with Mike Klear, 36, a truck driver who hauls steel for automakers, and who told Mr. Obama he had been hard hit by skyrocketing gas prices.

Mr. Klear said he supported Hillary Clinton in her victory over Mr. Obama in the state's March 4 Democratic primary, but now he's backing Mr. Obama.

...As Mr. Obama left, he said, 'I've got to go prepare for this debate, but that was pretty good practice.'

From the Toledo Blade:

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland praised Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama last night and compared the senator's vision for America to that of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt by likening the difficulties faced by the nation in the 1930s to those of today.

..."We have gone from a time when jobs were being created and unemployment was going down, when more of our people were being lifted out of poverty, when health care was being made available to more of our people, especially our children," he said. "We are finding that more of our people are losing their jobs and losing their health care, and losing their pensions and too many Ohioans and Americans are losing hope."

Mr. Strickland told the crowd of more than 350 people that he recently had read President Roosevelt's first inaugural address - a speech made famous by the phrase: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

"You look at this inaugural address and it could have been written yesterday because, as you know, FDR came to the office of the presidency at a time when our country was suffering, people were losing homes, credit was short, bankruptcies were all over the place, and it was a dark time," he said before quoting passages from the speech.

"FDR told the truth but also gave people hope, and FDR provided the leadership as I believe Barack Obama will provide leadership to get us out of the condition we are in and to move us forward," Mr. Strickland said.

The governor proclaimed: "Those are the words of FDR in 1933. They ought to be the words of our national leaders today in 2008. We must put our people to work, we must consider what is right for the common good of all of us, and I am convinced Barack Obama is the man to do that."

From the Washington Post:

"It took a Democratic president to clean up after the last President Bush; it's going to take a Democratic president to clean up after this president," Clinton said Sunday at a loud rally here, where she appeared with vice presidential nominee Biden.

...Many in the crowd wore "Hillary Sent Me" buttons, and the senator received a louder reception than did the former president. She was unsparing in her praise of both men on the Democratic ticket.

"Barack Obama and Joe Biden are for you, and that's why I am for Barack Obama and Joe Biden," Clinton said. "My friends, this is an all-hands-on-deck moment for America. We've got to work hard, and we've got to work together. This is a fight for the future, and it is a fight we must win."

Clinton said she looked forward to "being on the back lawn of the White House, on a beautiful day like this, when President Obama signs into law quality, affordable health care for you and you and you."

On that day, Biden responded, Obama will hand the signing pen to Clinton for her work on the issue. He lavishly praised the senator from New York, saying, "Hillary and I truly, truly are friends."

Biden also delivered a tough speech about his "old friend" McCain, hammering the Republican for his reaction to the financial meltdown. He reminded the audience, in what has become a standard Democratic repetition, that McCain's initial response Sept. 15 to the turmoil on Wall Street was that the fundamentals of the U.S. economy were "sound," followed several hours later by his saying that the economy was in "crisis."

Hillary Clinton is scheduled to campaign Monday in the "collar" suburbs around Philadelphia...

...[Pennsylvania] Gov. Edward G. Rendell, a strong Clinton supporter now working hard for Obama, said he believes the Democrat is in surprisingly good shape.

Obama is "doing as well in central Pennsylvania as any Democrat has done in a long time," said Rendell, who said economic worries have trumped any cultural concerns about Obama.

Democratic voter registration is up about 500,000 since 2004, and there are 1.2 million more Democrats than Republicans in the state.

The recent news has been such that Hillary Clinton felt the need to issue a warning.

"Sure, the polls show Barack and Joe ahead now, and that's good news," she said, but "nobody should be lulled into any false sense of security."

From the Los Angeles Times:

U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Joe Biden made a triumphant homecoming to this hardscrabble coal-mining city Sunday, where they laid blame for the nation's worsening economic woes at the feet of the Republicans and their nominee John McCain, even as they exhorted their supporters to work hard until election day.

Making a direct appeal to the blue-collar voters who did not support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in the state's hard-fought April primary, Clinton, Biden and former President Bill Clinton warned of continued economic hardship for the middle class if McCain captures the White House.

"All across Pennsylvania, folks are trying to figure out what all this tough economic news means for them and their families," said Biden, the Democratic vice presidential nominee who spent his first 10 years in this city's Green Ridge neighborhood. "For too many American families, the economy didn't start collapsing a year ago . . . it started collapsing eight years ago."

Working families, Biden told a crowd of about 6,000 at an indoor soccer complex here, were asking themselves "questions that are as simple as they are profound" -- whether they'll remain employed and be able to fill their gas tanks, and whether their homes will retain their value.

In each case, Biden argued, "McCain and [running mate] Sarah Palin and this administration have been unwilling or unable to answer."

...The Clintons will campaign in key battleground states in the three weeks before election day. After a brief speech, President Clinton left for a campaign event in Virginia.

Sen. Clinton said she had been "crisscrossing the country" to campaign for Obama and Biden.

"This election is too important to sit on the sidelines," she said. "I haven't spent 35 years fighting in the trenches . . . to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise to our nation."

From the Portsmouth Herald News:

... only a single percentage point separated the winner from the loser in the last two presidential contests in the state.

Democrat Barack Obama's campaign has more than 100 staffers and 17 campaign offices around the state, spokeswoman Sandra Abrevaya said. The campaign also has thousands of volunteers working to get out the vote.

"The organization here on the ground since the primary has grown tremendously through the general election months," said Abrevaya. "As much attention as New Hampshire gets in the primary, the amount of resources and staff attention being invested in this state (during) the general election is unprecedented."

...The Democratic effort includes a program that asks volunteers to contact people they know within their communities. Those involved include Anita Freedman, a former Democratic National Committee member from Portsmouth.

"Most of them are people I know so I can really talk to them one-to-one," said Freedman. "If it's someone who knows me, it makes it easier than if it was a stranger."

Ellen Roy, a 57-year-old volunteer from Manchester, was among hundreds of Democratic volunteers out canvassing last weekend.

"There seems to be a lot of energy in New Hampshire, which I've never seen before," Roy said. "There are a lot of people my age who are getting involved."

President Bill Clinton spoke about the economy at an Obama-Biden campaign event before introducing his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton, on October 12th, 2008, in Scranton, PA.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: President Bill Clionton Senator Hillary Joe Jill Biden Barack Obama Economy
Added: October 13, 2008

After being introduced by Hillary Clinton, Joe speaks to crowd of 6,000 -- with only 24 days left until the general election.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: Joe Biden Jill Hillary Bill Clinton Scranton Pennsylvannia
Added: October 13, 2008

Jill Biden introduces Bill Clinton at an Obama Biden rally on October 12th, 2008, in Scranton, PA

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: Jill Biden joe Hilllary Clinton Bill Barack Obama Scranton Pennsylvania Economy
Added: October 13, 2008

Hillary Clinton spoke about the need to elect the democratic ticket on election day in Scranton, PA October 12th, 2008

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: Hillary Clinton Joe Biden Bill Barack Obama
Added: October 13, 2008

Hillary Clinton spoke about the need to elect the democratic ticket on election day in Scranton, PA October 12th, 2008

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: Hillary Clinton Joe Biden Bill Barack Obama
Added: October 13, 2008

The final presidential debate is this Wednesday, October 15th, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

It's the last chance for undecided voters to see Barack and John McCain side-by-side and determine who will bring the change this country needs.

You can make the most of this opportunity by bringing your friends, family, and fellow supporters together to watch.

Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party. We'll make sure you have everything you need to make the event a success.

If you've hosted an event before, you know how powerful they can be to help grow our movement. If you haven't, it's a terrific way to show your support, and we'll be with you every step of the way to help.

We're having a special conference call for Debate Watch Party hosts next week. We'll give you ideas for how to get your guests involved in the rest of the campaign.

In these final weeks, each of us needs to do whatever we can to keep growing our movement and encourage undecided voters to cast their vote for change.

Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party now:

http://my.barackobama.com/debate-watch-party

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America

Barack Obama flew from Chicago, Illinois to Toledo, Ohio today to begin his debate preparations for the final debate on Wednesday night. He stopped his motorcade along the way to canvass in the suburb of Lincoln Green in Holland, Ohio. It was a gorgeous day to walk through a neighborhood full of ranch-style houses and fall-colored trees to speak to middle class folks about the issues that were affecting them most.

Barack rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt and chatted with Kim Heretick, a 35-year old housewife from Swanton, who had been canvassing for him for six weeks. Kim accompanied Barack to the first house where a small gray haired woman in a pink shirt opened the screen door and greeted him with surprise. He told her that he just wanted to stop by to say hello.

The second door he approached was 312 Shrewsbury Street, where Sue Sekel, a 43-year old healthcare worker talked to Barack about the housecleaning she had been doing -- she had already voted early. After snapping a cell phone picture with her, Barack moved on to a group who had formed across the street. He asked the people congregating about what they did for a living, focusing primarily on how to fix their economic struggles and his plan for creating green energy jobs.

Shelly Kretz, a 38-year old Proctor & Gamble worker explained that she had been on the fence regarding which candidate she would vote for, but that Obama’s answers to her neighbor’s tough questions convinced her to vote for him. After snapping a photograph with Barack and her family she said, “It’s really awesome that he takes the time to talk to the middle class and answer questions,” adding that her brothers, who live in the neighborhood, were also swayed by Obama’s appearance.

Enjoy the day in pictures!

Sharon Barnes
October, 12, 2008
Toledo, Ohio

It is also currently the feature video on our newly redesigned BarackTV page:

BarackTV includes high quality versions of many of our best videos, with special playlists for everyone. Supporters can watch videos that introduce Barack, Michelle and Joe to America. They can watch the Road to Change videos from the primary season, favorite Barack speeches or feature videos hand-picked by the campaign's video team.

Another great feature of BarackTV is the channels. We have videos that cover almost all of the major issues and all of our constituent groups. If you are looking for a video that explains Barack's stand on rural policy, healthcare, education or civil rights, just visit the issues channel on BarackTV. If you are wanting to see videos focused on African Americans, Latinos, Republicans or Women, check out the people channel.

BarackTV even offers videos in Spanish and with closed captioning.

Twenty months, over 1,500 videos, countless stories. Your stories. 

Colorado women are also showing their support for why Barack is the best choice in this election to stand up for women's issues:

Jeff Tweedy:

I think that there are a lot of reasons to be involved with this campaign. It almost feels to me like a last chance to start getting things right and to start putting things on the right path towards having not only a country that reminds me of the one I feel like I grew up in, but having a country that reminds me of the one that I felt like we used to aspire to when I was growing up. This is the first time in my life that a politician has really re-awoken that spirit in people.

Many Americans are crossing party lines in this election to vote for Barack Obama. These Republicans and Independents believe that Barack is the best leader for America. Recently some of these Republicans have declared their support for Barack and are sharing their story with the campaign.

John Hutson is a retired US Navy Rear Admiral in New Hampshire. He has been a lifelong Republican and will be voting Democrat for the first time ever this November.

A family doctor and lifelong Republican, Robert Newton told the campaign why he is voting for Barack in the homeplace of the Republican Party: Ripon, Wisconsin.

Barack recently visited Harrison County, Ohio to hold a community gathering at Gene's family farm. Gene welcomed Barack to eastern Ohio and spent time after the event sharing his story as a Republican and why he is voting for Barack.

Former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee and Republican Michigan State Senator Phli Arthurhultz recently campaigned in Michigan and spoke candidly on why, despite their strong Republican credentials, they are supporting Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the presidential election.

Americans are putting country ahead of party this fall and are supporting the Obama-Biden ticket to bring the change we need to Washington. Join our Republicans for Obama group today. 

As we enter the final weeks of the campaign, Barack and Joe Biden are determined to keep their focus on the issues, and to strive for a politics worthy of the American people.

Last week Michelle traveled to Jacksonville, North Carolina to speak with military families. Michelle has been holding roundtables with military wives for the past 20 months. During her time in Jacksonville, Michelle told the crowd about how Barack and Joe will work to provide veteran's benefits when they come home from tours and to safely get us out of Iraq.

In Saginaw, Michigan Michelle stopped by Heritage High School to encourage students to get involved in the campaign and register to vote. During her time on the campaign trail, Michelle has seen young people getting involved, engaging with others about the issues and volunteering their time to help Barack win on November 4. If students register to vote and cast their ballot on November 4, then they can be the generation who helped to elect a new kind of leader.

Michelle Obama will continue her travels over the next 23 days reaching out to voters young and old who will help make history this November. Watch for her to come to your state.

From the stunning speech at the JJ Dinner that helped change the course of the primary, to Iowa victory night, to the moving "Yes We Can" speech on the night of the New Hampshire defeat to the final acceptance speech in Denver, these videos have chronicled the campaign in all its moments for 20 months now.

Through these videos viewers have been able to follow the campaign, day to day, like never before. But they've also allowed us to share the stories of average Americans across the country who have found their own ways to make a difference in this election.

Today, we'll be showcasing a handful of these quiet stories that you may have missed, but that tell the story of this campaign as well as any other. The first is from a small gas station in Detroit, Michigan ...

Former Republican Senator Lincoln Chafee and Republican Michigan State Senator Phli Arthurhultz talk candidly on why, despite their strong Republican credentials, they are supporting Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the presidential election.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: GOP republican obama MI michigan political john mccain palin town hall party independent change
Added: October 12, 2008

Dear Anne Marie,

The smears and lies about Barack are becoming more frequent, more outrageous, and more offensive.

While you and I know the truth, many undecided voters do not.

Right now, supporters like you who live in crucial battleground states are in a special position to influence this election by talking to undecided voters in your community. You can help by making phone calls or knocking on doors to set the record straight and win your state.

Get your list of potential supporters to contact. We'll give you talking points you can use.

This election is coming down to the wire. Voters are making up their minds, and in a number of states they are casting their votes early. You can help make sure the attacks we're seeing from the McCain campaign don't influence their decision at the polls.

No experience is required -- you can do it all from home. You'll join more than 200,000 supporters around the country who are using our voter contact tool to great success.

Ask friends and family to join you. If more supporters like you get involved, we can quickly reach the number of voters we need to win this election.

Get started right now:

http://my.barackobama.com/n2n

Thanks for all you do,
Jon
Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America

Jay in South Boston shares his Obama story from last week:

I was walking my dog this morning, the day after the Obama/McCain debate. It was early, before school, when I noticed this young boy running from light post to light post, taping a handwritten note, written on school notepaper. My first thought was, he must have lost his pet or something. The bus was approaching as I reached my first light pole, it said, "Vote for Obama." It occurred to me that even the youngest of folks are invested in this election! Thank you for renewing the hopes and dreams of many American, even the young boy in South Boston!

Send in your own Obama stories and photos to blog@barackobama.com and show America what you're doing to be a part of our movement.

[UPDATE] This event has ended. Check back for more coverage from our road team.

Springfield News Sun (Ohio): 

It's time for a change and that change cannot be delivered by the Republican candidate who has voiced no real split with the policies of the Bush years. The News-Sun Editorial Board is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama as the best hope for the nation to return to prosperity and to regain its standing in the world.

Toledo Blade (Ohio):

To be sure, the path to recovery won't be easy for the next president. There are ominous signs that the economy will continue to falter before confidence can be restored in the financial system. The leadership required to contain and reorder the economic mess created by eight years of heedless deregulation will have to be both inspired and inspiring. We believe the person best equipped by temperament and intellect to firmly grasp the reins of government and guide it safely forward in these uncertain times is Barack Obama.

Dayton Daily News (Ohio):

Sen. McCain's campaign has been as disappointing as his move toward party orthodoxy. More than his opponent, he has run a relentless stream of commercials that have been discredited by nonpartisan fact-checkers. (Last week, all his ads were negative.) He has articulated no vision for the country other than to suggest that it should believe in him as an individual, as a war hero of independent judgment. 

… [I]n a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can. The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future. 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania):

But this election is not just about the shortcomings of Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin and the failed legacy of a philosophy that they seek to perpetuate under the hastily erected banner of maverick. It is about the strengths of Barack Obama, whose rise to prominence is not a fluke or national infatuation but the consequence of his remarkable skills -- a keen intellect, noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in ways that have inspired millions across the country. He has a rare gift exactly suited to the fearful times -- he knows the language of reassurance and hope.

Easton Express Times (Pennsylvania): 

Obama does not win this by default. He wins The Express-Times' endorsement because of his platform, because he has demonstrated a cool head in troubled times, because he inspires confidence and because he is conducting an above-board campaign. The next president isn't going to be able to deliver on much of anything that requires new spending. He will have to be a deft, recession-fighting strategist, to avoid being this century's Herbert Hoover. He must end the Iraq war. Obama has the firmer timeline and commitment on this.

State Journal (Wisconsin):

America is at a pivotal point in its history — a difficult time that demands talented leadership to renew our nation's spirit and pull us together to meet the incredible challenges ahead. The right leader for the time is Barack Obama.  The Wisconsin State Journal endorses the dynamic and youthful senator from Illinois for president. Far more than his opponent, Obama represents a new direction. He has shown he can inspire and lead people to action. And his relatively short time in corrupt, self-absorbed, terribly-failed Washington, D.C., may actually be a key strength. Obama is not stuck in the status quo of the Capitol crowd or its long-failed Congress.

St. Louis Post Dispatch (Missouri):

Over the past nine months, Mr. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has emerged as the only truly transformative candidate in the race. In the crucible that is a presidential campaign, his intellect, his temperament and equanimity under pressure consistently have been impressive. He has surrounded himself with smart, capable advisers who have helped him refine thorough, nuanced policy positions. In a word, Mr. Obama has been presidential. Meanwhile, Mr. McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, became the incredible shrinking man. He shrank from his principled stands in favor of a humane immigration policy. He shrank from his universal condemnation of torture and his condemnation of the politics of smear.

Muskegon Chronicle (Michigan):

Barack Obama will protect our country and its Constitution, which have suffered at the hands of the current administration, and he has chosen an excellent running mate in Delaware's veteran U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, who is ready to step in to serve if need be in the tradition of Harry Truman and Gerald R. Ford. Obama and Biden have both exhibited coolness, competence and confidence at every turn, reassuring the citizens of our great country that the promised change to come will be for the better. Their measured answers and well-thought-out responses to the difficult issues confronting the United States strike us as conveying the right tone and proper course for the four years ahead.

Springfield News Sun (Ohio): 

It's time for a change and that change cannot be delivered by the Republican candidate who has voiced no real split with the policies of the Bush years. The News-Sun Editorial Board is endorsing Sen. Barack Obama as the best hope for the nation to return to prosperity and to regain its standing in the world.

Toledo Blade (Ohio):

To be sure, the path to recovery won't be easy for the next president. There are ominous signs that the economy will continue to falter before confidence can be restored in the financial system. The leadership required to contain and reorder the economic mess created by eight years of heedless deregulation will have to be both inspired and inspiring. We believe the person best equipped by temperament and intellect to firmly grasp the reins of government and guide it safely forward in these uncertain times is Barack Obama.

Dayton Daily News (Ohio):

Sen. McCain's campaign has been as disappointing as his move toward party orthodoxy. More than his opponent, he has run a relentless stream of commercials that have been discredited by nonpartisan fact-checkers. (Last week, all his ads were negative.) He has articulated no vision for the country other than to suggest that it should believe in him as an individual, as a war hero of independent judgment. 

… [I]n a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can. The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future. 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania):

But this election is not just about the shortcomings of Mr. McCain and Ms. Palin and the failed legacy of a philosophy that they seek to perpetuate under the hastily erected banner of maverick. It is about the strengths of Barack Obama, whose rise to prominence is not a fluke or national infatuation but the consequence of his remarkable skills -- a keen intellect, noble intentions and the wit and grace to express them in ways that have inspired millions across the country. He has a rare gift exactly suited to the fearful times -- he knows the language of reassurance and hope.

Easton Express Times (Pennsylvania): 

Obama does not win this by default. He wins The Express-Times' endorsement because of his platform, because he has demonstrated a cool head in troubled times, because he inspires confidence and because he is conducting an above-board campaign. The next president isn't going to be able to deliver on much of anything that requires new spending. He will have to be a deft, recession-fighting strategist, to avoid being this century's Herbert Hoover. He must end the Iraq war. Obama has the firmer timeline and commitment on this.

State Journal (Wisconsin):

America is at a pivotal point in its history — a difficult time that demands talented leadership to renew our nation's spirit and pull us together to meet the incredible challenges ahead. The right leader for the time is Barack Obama.  The Wisconsin State Journal endorses the dynamic and youthful senator from Illinois for president. Far more than his opponent, Obama represents a new direction. He has shown he can inspire and lead people to action. And his relatively short time in corrupt, self-absorbed, terribly-failed Washington, D.C., may actually be a key strength. Obama is not stuck in the status quo of the Capitol crowd or its long-failed Congress.

St. Louis Post Dispatch (Missouri):

Over the past nine months, Mr. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has emerged as the only truly transformative candidate in the race. In the crucible that is a presidential campaign, his intellect, his temperament and equanimity under pressure consistently have been impressive. He has surrounded himself with smart, capable advisers who have helped him refine thorough, nuanced policy positions. In a word, Mr. Obama has been presidential. Meanwhile, Mr. McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, became the incredible shrinking man. He shrank from his principled stands in favor of a humane immigration policy. He shrank from his universal condemnation of torture and his condemnation of the politics of smear.

Muskegon Chronicle (Michigan):

Barack Obama will protect our country and its Constitution, which have suffered at the hands of the current administration, and he has chosen an excellent running mate in Delaware's veteran U.S. Sen. Joe Biden, who is ready to step in to serve if need be in the tradition of Harry Truman and Gerald R. Ford. Obama and Biden have both exhibited coolness, competence and confidence at every turn, reassuring the citizens of our great country that the promised change to come will be for the better. Their measured answers and well-thought-out responses to the difficult issues confronting the United States strike us as conveying the right tone and proper course for the four years ahead.

Deep into the rabbit hole (Farm & Fuel File)

By Alan Guebert

When moderator Jim Lehrer asked presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama Sept. 29 what budget “priorities” each would “adjust” because of the pending $700 billion financial bailout, Obama, answering first, focused on federal programs he’d fix rather than fat he’d cut — energy, education, health care, rural broadband.

Lehrer then turned to McCain. The Arizonan looked straight into the television camera, then buried a knife between the shoulder blades of farmers.

“First of all,” he said, “I’d eliminate ethanol subsidies.”

There was no second of all: No mention of corporate tax evasion, defense contractor fraud or even the $400-million-per-week war in Iraq. McCain’s outspoken disdain for ethanol made it the only “priority” either candidate offered for “adjustment.”

(Obama, from the second largest corn-producing state in America, Illinois, long ago drank the ethanol Kool-Aid.)

Despite his well-known hatred of ethanol’s tax subsidies, it still took guts for McCain to slap farmers while 50 million wanting-to-be-green Americans watched.

Politically, however, it was foolish, especially after several farm groups had warned him repeatedly to hold his ethanol ire or face losing rural support.

We know you don’t favor ethanol, dozens of state Farm Bureau presidents told him prior to the Republican convention. Simply stay silent about it and farmers likely will overlook that oversight Nov. 4.

But the self-described maverick just couldn’t; he seemed to take pride in dropping the “e” bomb wherever he went.

“I begged his campaign to soften his stance,” says Fred Yoder, an Ohio farmer and the 2002/03 president of the National Corn Growers Association, ethanol’s biggest booster.

“But every time I’d ask, he’d dug his heels in deeper. I began to take it personally,” Yoder said.

Read the rest of the article here.

In his address, Joe explained how the economic downturn has hit the hardest on Main Streets in small towns across America and how Senator Obama’s job creation plan will help jump start our economy. He outlined Barack's call for the investment of $60 Billion to rebuild America’s infrastructure and investment in our clean energy future, investments that would lead to millions of new jobs in the energy and transportation industry across the country.

You can listen to the full radio address below:

Sen. Barack Obama criss-crossed [Philadelphia] as though he were running for mayor yesterday, nurturing what he hopes will be a massive voter turnout just over three weeks from now.

"This is a pretty good turnout," Mr. Obama said, without fear of contradiction as he gazed over a crowd estimated at 20,000 that stretched for blocks down 52nd Street in West Philadelphia. "We have just had a spectacular day today."

It was largest of four successive rallies, under brilliant blue skies, in which the Illinois Democrat drew big crowds in neighborhoods throughout a city essential to his hopes of capturing the state.

...Mr. Obama has made a significantly heavier investment in the state in grass-roots organizing and, particularly, in voter registration. When Mr. Kerry won the state four years ago, the Democrats had a voter registration edge of roughly 600,000. Now, in large measure due to the Obama candidacy, the advantage has swollen to nearly 1.2 million. But for those numbers to matter, the new voters have to show up on Nov. 4.

That was the message repeated by Gov. Ed Rendell, the former partisan of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, at each of yesterday's stops. Noting that voter turnout in the city had been 53 percent during the primary, he said, "If we do 53 percent, we're going to lose," he said. "We have to do 70 percent, 75 percent. Can you do that?

"I know these are difficult times," Mr. Obama said at another point in the speech...

"I know folks are worried. But I also know that now is not the time for fear or panic. Now is the time for resolve and steady leadership -- because I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. This is a nation that has faced down war and depression, great challenges and great threats."

"He hadn't been in Philly since the rally right before the primary, and we felt it was important ... for him to come to the neighborhoods," said [Rendell] the former mayor. "The buzz is out," he added. "By tonight, everyone in Germantown is going to know that Sen. Obama was in Vernon Park.

From the Los Angeles Times:

Barack Obama barnstormed the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday, telling tens of thousands of supporters that their votes and their volunteering would play a crucial role in deciding the presidency.

"If you will join with me, if you will work with me and organize with me and make phone calls with me and knock on doors with me, I promise you . . . we'll win Pennsylvania," Obama told 15,000 people at his first stop... "You and I together, we are going to change this country and we are going to change the world."

The Democratic presidential nominee made four stops in the city, highlighting the importance to his campaign of turning out votes in Philadelphia to offset Republican nominee John McCain's popularity in other parts of the state.

...So when Obama addressed 5,000 people outside the Mayfair Diner on Saturday, in a northeast neighborhood full of brick row houses with pumpkins on the stoops, he portrayed McCain as out of touch with working families.

"John doesn't really seem to get what's going on with this crisis. When it first started, he talked about how the fundamentals of the economy are strong," Obama said. "Where I come from, nothing's more fundamental than a job."

Obama touted his proposals to provide every American with access to healthcare, to cut middle-class taxes and to create "green collar" jobs. And though he praised McCain's call to tone down the vitriol that has marked recent GOP rallies, Obama urged voters not to be "bamboozled" by his opponents' talk about changing Washington.

"Change isn't just a slogan," he said. "Change is an understanding of what the American people are going through."

...He told a crowd of 20,000 in Germantown: "If we can rebuild Baghdad, we can sure as heck rebuild Philadelphia."

From the Associated Press:

The nation's best known and most powerful Democrats for nearly two decades, the former first couple ... will appear with Obama's running mate, Joe Biden, at a rally Sunday in Scranton, a working class town that has assumed something of an outsize role in the presidential race.

Biden was born in Scranton and lived there for several years as a child, while Hillary Clinton's father grew up in the town and is buried there. Both Biden and Clinton have emphasized their Scranton roots to illustrate their connection to blue collar voters.

After the rally, the Clintons will follow separate itineraries through presidential battleground states. They will also campaign on behalf of Democratic House and Senate candidates across the country.

...After the Scranton rally, the former president was headed to Richmond and Roanoke, Virginia. He also planned events in the next few days in Ohio and Nevada, battleground states he won in 1992 and again in 1996.

...Hillary Clinton also planned return visits to Ohio and Florida in the next few days and has scheduled trips to Omaha, Neb., and Minnesota.

She traveled Friday to Arkansas, her husband's home state and where she served 12 years as first lady, in hopes of making it more competitive for the Democratic ticket. A swing through Western battleground states is in the works as well.

Clinton did radio interviews this week in North Carolina, a reliably Republican state that has become a battleground in this presidential election. She also spoke to a Hispanic station in Florida and launched a women's canvass in Wisconsin Saturday by phone.

..."I think it is safe to say we have not seen more troubles at one time since World War Two," Clinton told a rally in Little Rock, Ark., Friday. "Probably no president will inherit more challenges that President Obama will, since Harry Truman had to take over from Franklin Roosevelt."

Aides said Clinton has headlined more than 50 events for Obama and has raised $10 million for his campaign since suspending her own presidential effort in June.

Find out about early vote in your state at VoteForChange.com.

In many states, polls are open now . . . The election ends in 23 days.

Barack returned to Pennsylvania today, barnstorming four Philadelphia neighborhoods in just a few short hours. Barack was blessed with beautiful weather and huge crowds during his visits to North Philly, Germantown, the Northeast and West Philadelphia this morning and afternoon.

The first step was Progress Plaza, a shopping center just a few blocks south of Temple University, where Obama's honest and inspiring assessment of the challenges facing America today were met with cheers by a 15,000-strong crowd. "We've always seen the mountaintop from the deepest valley," Obama told the crowd. "We can do it again."

The next stop was the Mayfair Diner, in lower Northeast Philadelphia. Obama addressed a crowd of 5,000, many of them proud union members.

Barack also visited Philadelphia's historic Germantown neighborhood and 52nd Street in the legendary West Philly commercial district where, were a crowed of over 20,000 had been waiting since morning. Standing in front of the Bushfire theater, Obama laid out a plan for America's future that was short on platitudes and long on specifics. After enthusiastic introductions from Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (who grew up just a few blocks away), Obama spoke to the crowd about his plans for job creation, energy independence and accessible health care. "We can do this," Obama told the crowd. "We've done it before!"

Joel Tannenbaum
October 11, 2008
Philadelphia, PA

Barack Obama wrapped up two days of campaigning here in Ohio with something you don't often hear at a pre-election rally: Go vote. Right now. "Right across the street," Obama told a crowd of thousands in a downtown park along the river.

In Ohio, and over a dozen other states, early voting is underway right now. In all, 36 of the 50 states will allow some form of early voting this year, in addition to absentee voting. 

The Associated Press reports:

Nationwide, about a third of the electorate is expected to vote early this year, thanks to expanded early voting provisions and fewer restrictions on absentee voting, researchers project. In all, more than 30 states allow any registered voter to cast an early ballot, some in person and others by mail.

... Across the nation, election officials are reporting high demand for absentee ballots. Ballots already are available in a few states, and they will be ready in about 20 more this week. By the first week of October, absentee voting will have started in all but a handful of states. In most states, all registered voters will be eligible to vote absentee, and a growing number will take advantage.

Now matter where you live, you can find out the early vote options available to you at VoteForChange.com.

At recent campaign stop, Barack took a moment backstage to record a message for supporters in North Carolina, where early voting begins next Thursday, October 16th:

In this unhappy passage, the nation faces a happy choice: a brilliant young man offering a new generation of leadership — and a remarkable turning point in the nation's history — opposes an accomplished veteran who has punched all the right tickets in his rise toward the presidency.

Both are thoughtful, modern people alert to the real problems of the world and the nation.

...Sen. Obama's opposition to the war goes a long way toward making the case that experience isn't necessarily the magic ingredient in making a national leader.

...They must be comforted, though, by Sen. Obama's cool, even masterful performance in the campaign. Nobody could have expected any more. He has made his supporters proud, as Sen. McCain has made his supporters wonder.

...Added to their vice-presidential decisions, and to the ability of the younger man to stand next to the veteran in debates and demonstrate every bit as much command of issues, the bailout incident was a suggestion of readiness.

Barack Obama has been in the public spotlight for four years (since his memorable debut speech at his party's 2004 convention). He has withstood relentless, withering attacks. The more attacks he survives, the more comfortable people seem with the idea of him as a leader.

 

On the issues, he is in the liberal mainstream of the Democratic Party. He worries less about the taxes of the people at the top of the economic system than those in the middle. He unambiguously embraces decent health care as a "right." He would like to put more public resources into education and efforts to extend the American dream to those still dreaming.

He favors more regulation of Wall Street. He sees diplomacy as underused by the current president. He wants...to shape trade treaties so that they work better for American workers.

...He built his early appeal around the promise to get beyond the liberal-conservative wars, to show a level of respect for the views of others that helps build a new kind of politics. It is his most ambitious promise.

...The nation's moment of choice arrives even as some sort of new era has arrived in the realm of the economy.

...But in a time of change, Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can.

The nation faces a choice that looks more and more like a choice between the future and the past. It has never been one to shrink from the future.

Actor Forest Whitaker stops by a Detroit office to express his appreciation for everyone working on our campaign for change. Visit http://MI.BarackObama.com to get involved now.

Author: BarackObamadotcom
Keywords: barack obama vote voter registration presidential election 2008 michigan
Added: October 11, 2008

You can download a podcast of the full interview from CNN.com.

Dear Amanda,

The final presidential debate is this Wednesday, October 15th, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

It's the last chance for undecided voters to see Barack and John McCain side-by-side and determine who will bring the change this country needs.

You can make the most of this opportunity by bringing your friends, family, and fellow supporters together to watch.

Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party. We'll make sure you have everything you need to make the event a success.

If you've hosted an event before, you know how powerful they can be to help grow our movement. If you haven't, it's a terrific way to show your support, and we'll be with you every step of the way to help.

We're having a special conference call for Debate Watch Party hosts next week. We'll give you ideas for how to get your guests involved in the rest of the campaign.

In these final weeks, each of us needs to do whatever we can to keep growing our movement and encourage undecided voters to cast their vote for change.

Sign up to host a Debate Watch Party now:

http://my.barackobama.com/debate-watch-party

Thanks,

Jon

Jon Carson
National Field Director
Obama for America 

But here’s the thing.  They can run misleading ads, and pursue the politics of anything goes, and try to change the subject.  They can do that – but it’s not going to work.  Not this time.

The times are too serious.  The challenges are too great.  The American people aren’t looking for someone who can divide this country – they’re looking for someone who will lead it.

We simply cannot afford four more years of the economic theory that says we should give more to those with the most and hope prosperity trickles down to everyone else.

It is time to turn the page on eight years of economic policies that put Wall Street before Main Street but end up hurting both.  We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom-up, so that every American, everywhere has the chance to get ahead.  Not just corporate CEOs, but their secretaries too.  Not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on its floor.

These are the Americans I’m standing with.  These are the folks I’m fighting for.  That’s the kind of leadership I’m offering.  That’s what I mean when I talk about change.

Read Barack's full remarks, as prepared for delivery...

Barack spoke to residents of Philadelpia, Pennsylvania this morning. He held four mini-rallies throughout the city to talk about the kind of change he will bring to Washington.

But here’s the thing.  They can run misleading ads, and pursue the politics of anything goes, and try to change the subject.  They can do that – but it’s not going to work.  Not this time.

The times are too serious.  The challenges are too great.  The American people aren’t looking for someone who can divide this country – they’re looking for someone who will lead it.

We simply cannot afford four more years of the economic theory that says we should give more to those with the most and hope prosperity trickles down to everyone else.

It is time to turn the page on eight years of economic policies that put Wall Street before Main Street but end up hurting both.  We need policies that grow our economy from the bottom-up, so that every American, everywhere has the chance to get ahead.  Not just corporate CEOs, but their secretaries too.  Not just the person who owns the factory, but the men and women who work on its floor.

These are the Americans I’m standing with.  These are the folks I’m fighting for.  That’s the kind of leadership I’m offering.  That’s what I mean when I talk about change.

Read Barack's full remarks, as prepared for delivery...

This Monday, October 13th, please join Joe Biden in Rochester, where he will talk about Barack's vision for creating the kind of change we need.

Community Gathering with Joe Biden

The American Legion Hall

94 Eastern Ave

Rochester

Doors Open: 8:00 a.m.

 

Get Your Tickets HERE

[UPDATE] This event has ended. Check back for more coverage from our road team. 

North Korea’s agreement to these verification measures is a modest step forward in dismantling its nuclear weapons programs. President Bush’s decision to remove North Korea from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is an appropriate response, as long as there is a clear understanding that if North Korea fails to follow through there will be immediate consequences. It is now essential that North Korea halt all efforts to reassemble its nuclear facilities, place them back under IAEA supervision, and cooperate fully with the international community to complete the disablement of the Yongbyon facilities and to implement a robust verification mechanism to confirm the accuracy of its nuclear declaration.

The last eight years have demonstrated the necessity of confronting the threat from North Korea through aggressive, sustained, and direct bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Too often, there has been a failure to effectively engage our partners throughout this effort. We must dramatically improve coordination with our allies Japan and South Korea, as well as with China and Russia, particularly as we ensure that any agreement reached on verification is fully implemented.

If North Korea refuses to permit robust verification, we should lead all members of the Six Party talks in suspending energy assistance, re-imposing sanctions that have recently been waived, and considering new restrictions. Our objective remains the complete and verifiable elimination of North Korea's nuclear weapons programs. This must include getting clarity on North Korea’s efforts to enrich uranium and its proliferation of nuclear technology abroad.

Looking ahead, North Korea must also resolve all questions about the abduction of Japanese and South Korean citizens, and of the Reverend Kim Dong-Shik. I urge the Bush Administration to continue to use our diplomatic and economic leverage to press North Korea to cooperate fully with Tokyo, Seoul and Washington on these matters.

The Six Party Talks offer North Korea a clear choice.  If North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons programs, there will be meaningful incentives.  If it refuses, it faces a future of political and economic isolation.

The Early Vote for Change RV continued its tour of Iowa yesterday, with stops in Cresco, Davenport, and New Hampton.  Along the way, the riders in the bus encouraged our supporters to Vote Early for Barack.  Right now, all across Iowa, early voting locations are opening up so that you can vote for change right now.

It’s the easiest way to vote this year, and if you haven’t taken advantage of this opportunity yet, visit www.voteforchange.com and find the early voting location near you!

If you have already voted early, we need you to encourage your friends, family, or neighbors to visit www.voteforchange.com, use our new online  neighbor to neighbor call tool, or visit one of our offices across the state--- we have over 40  open offices right now!

There is an extremely short amount of time before this election--- just 24 days--- and we need your help today!  Call or come into your local office right now!

Nine Days before the Feb. 5 presidential primaries in Missouri and Illinois, this editorial page endorsed Barack Obama and John McCain in their respective races.

We did so enthusiastically. We wrote that either Mr. Obama’s message of hope or Mr. McCain’s independence and integrity offered America “the chance to turn the page on 28 years of contentious, greed-driven politics and move into a new era of possibility.”

Over the past nine months, Mr. Obama, the junior senator from Illinois, has emerged as the only truly transformative candidate in the race. In the crucible that is a presidential campaign, his intellect, his temperament and equanimity under pressure consistently have been impressive. He has surrounded himself with smart, capable advisers who have helped him refine thorough, nuanced policy positions.

In a word, Mr. Obama has been presidential.

...In making political endorsements, this editorial page is guided first by the principles espoused by Joseph Pulitzer in The Post-Dispatch Platform printed daily at the top of this page. Then we consider questions of character, life experience and intellect, as well as specific policy and issue positions. Each member of the editorial board weighs in.

On all counts, the consensus was clear: Barack Obama of Illinois should be the next president of the United States.

We didn’t know nine months ago that before Election Day, America would face its greatest economic challenge since the Great Depression. The crisis on Wall Street is devastating, but it has offered voters a useful preview of how the two presidential candidates would respond to a crisis.

Very early on, Mr. Obama reached out to his impressive corps of economic advisers and developed a comprehensive set of recommendations for addressing the problems. He set them forth calmly and explained them carefully.

...Mr. McCain first was elected to Congress in 1982 when Mr. Obama was in his senior year at Columbia University. Yet the younger man’s intellectual curiosity and capacity — and, yes, also the skills he developed as a community organizer and his instincts as a political conciliator — more than compensate for his lack of more traditional Washington experience.

A presidency is defined less by what happens in the Oval Office than by what is done by the more than 3,000 men and women the president appoints to government office. Only 600 of them are subject to Senate approval. The rest serve at the pleasure of the president.

We have little doubt that Mr. Obama’s appointees would bring a level of competence, compassion and intellectual achievement to the executive branch that hasn’t been seen since the New Frontier. He has energized a new generation of Americans who would put the concept of service back in “public service.”

...The idea that 3,000 bright, dedicated and accomplished Americans would be joining the Obama administration to serve the public — as opposed to padding their resumés or shilling for the corporate interests they’re sworn to oversee — is reassuring. That they would be serving a president who actually would listen to them is staggering.</