Crazy Guide to the Internet

The women working for change in this movement are extraordinary.  Whether it’s organizing house parties for local friends and neighbors to watch a Women for Obama video, or committing to making a monthly donation, women have been an enormous force powering this campaign. 

And it’s Women’s History Month, so in honor, we’d like to introduce just a few of the overwhelming numbers of women who think that Barack Obama is the clear choice for women, and for the Democratic Party.  For months, they have been contributing what they can in time and money to make sure Barack Obama is the nominee. 

Meet Meg in New New Jersey, one of the thousands of Women for Obama making calls and working for change:

I’m a 43-year-old wife and mother with two children under the age of four. I’ve put my career in educational publishing on hold to care full-time for my daughters. I support Barack first and foremost because I believe he is the only candidate who has the moral authority and diplomatic skills to restore the tattered reputation of the United States around the globe, which, in turn, will serve to make us more secure at home. Second, he’s the only candidate who expects Americans to stop taking our country for granted and to give back—i.e., he talks about national service for students who receive federal tuition assistance for college. Third, he listens and he inspires. And lastly, in terms of family values he leads by example.

Four days before Super Tuesday I surprised myself by springing into action for Barack’s campaign. In four days I made 275 calls from home to local New Jersey Democrats while finger-painting with my three-year-
old, toting around a fussy 15-month old, doing laundry, making meals and keeping a dozen other balls in the air like every other stay-at- home Mom.  Each time I looked at my children and thought of their futures, I found the energy to make one more phone call.

I’ve continued to find “stolen moments” nearly every day to make even a few calls to people from Washington State to Wisconsin in both English and Spanish. It’s been empowering to make a difference while
dressed in my sweatpants and slippers. I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute and I hope one day I’ll be able to tell my grandchildren how I was a part of a historic movement that curbed cynicism in politics by truly bringing about change. God bless America.

 

This is what a movement looks like.  

Please let the women in your life know about Women For Obama, and maybe plan a houseparty of your own — it’s time for party and for the nation to unite, and the best candidate to bring people together is the candidate whose campaign has already done just that. 

You can check out Women.BarackObama.com for more statements of support from women around the country, inclluding Caroline Kennedy, Toni Morrison, Kathleen Sebelius, Janet Napolitano, Alice Walker and many, many more.

Last but not least: send us your stories and your grassroots photos to Blog@BarackObama.com so we can show the community what a united movement of every race, gender, age and economic background looks like!

Yes we can:  

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Charlie writes:

Yesterday I did the unthinkable. I went to Radio Shack.

(I needed some small parts for a project I am working on).

I walked into the store and was very impressed to find no employees working.

I don’t mean standing around, I mean no one in the store…at all. So I spend about 5 minutes finding the parts I need, finally two employees walk out of the back room. When they walked out of the room, the unmistakable smell of marijuana filled the store. Both employees were pretty out of it, it was rather amusing watching them work high.

Just more proof of Radio Shacks high standards.

Charlie

Whoops.

(Photo:imorgan73)

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Rebecca is—as this story is being posted—locked out of her room at the Hotel Monaco in Denver, Colorado, where she’s attending a work related conference. She accidentally left her wallet and cell phone in her husband’s car on the way to the airport, so she’s trying to make do with a passport and debit card that she had on her when she realized what had happened. Hotel Monaco told her she had to have the room paid for by 5pm today, but while she was attending the conference this morning they changed their minds and locked her out at 12 noon.

I’m a longtime reader of consumerist and could definitely use y’alls help in my current situation. I am on a week long trip to Denver for a conference. The conference has been good, but the trip has been plagued with mishaps. I forgot my cell phone and my wallet in my husband’s car when he dropped me off at the airport….Luckily I had my passport and mini-wallet which contained my debit card. By the time I realized my phone and wallet were not with me, my husband was long gone and the verizon payphone at the airport would not allow me to call his verizon cell phone. So, no phone, no credit cards, but I figured I’d be okay for a week with a debit card.

Checked into the Hotel Monaco Denver on 2/29/2008 with no problems. They swiped the debit card and gave me my room key. All was fine until yesterday evening, 3/5/2008 around 5 p.m. Denver time. I get a call from a Lisa at the front desk who states that my card is not authorizing. As I’m not checking out until Friday afternoon, I ask why this is a problem. Apparently, they need authorization or I will just walk out of the hotel without paying. I am stunned that Lisa has just said this, and remark that I do not appreciate being called a thief. She tells me that I can bring a check down to the front desk to cover my expenses, and that is what I do. Face to face, she continues to be rude and insinuate that I am not going to pay. I write a check and explain that I am using my debit card (due to forgetting of the wallet) and that my husband will be depositing money into my account tomorrow to cover my stay. She says that that will be fine as long as the funds are there by 5 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, 3/6/2008). I’m still a bit shell-shocked from being called a deadbeat and a thief, but I had an evening conference to attend.

Fast forward to this morning, where I had a conference from 8 am until noon. Afterwards, I stop and pick up a Arby’s roast beef sandwich to go. I plan to eat in my room before I go to my afternoon and evening appointments. When I get back to the hotel, my key does not work. I go down to the front desk and they call the manager, Tim, who tells me that they still cannot authorize the card. Again, as I explain to him, my husband will be depositing sufficient funds this afternoon because I only have my debit card. I also explain I have no cell phone and no other cards with me. I am then told that until they receive authorization, I will not be allowed in my room. I again state that I was told I had until 5 p.m. and that is also what my husband was made aware of. I am again told that I will not be allowed in my room until they have authorization. Tim also echoes the sentiment of the manager of the previous day and states that he does not believe that I will pay for my room.

At this point I am extremely frustrated, I was told I had until 5 p.m. to have the authorization go through, I have no cell phone, and I WAS NEVER TOLD I WOULD BE LOCKED OUT OF MY ROOM if authorization wasn’t there by noon. I have been accused of being a deadbeat and a thief and treated like trash. To add insult to injury, my sandwich is cold and my monthly girl time just started. So I’m also starving and without feminine hygiene products. It’s also really cold here in Denver and I’m in a skirt and heels.

I’ve emailed the Kimpton hotels customer service and got the standard sorry for your inconvience reply. However, I am absolutely furious at what has occurred and I’m locked out of my room. Any advice or publicity you can give to my plight would help, and the sooner the better. I have access to email at the convention center, but that is my only form of communication.

Our first thought is, can you contact anyone at your company to provide some emergency assistance? Almost every company or department has access to some means of paying for hotel rooms remotely, so it might be time to call in a favor or two. We also want to know if you’ve tried buying a long-distance calling card at a nearby gas station or drugstore and then getting your husband on the phone to make things right.

If this happens again (we know, we know, it won’t), we’d seriously consider FedExing your missing items overnight. Yes, it’s extra money that you probably don’t have, but being stuck by yourself in a strange city without proper access to your accounts is too risky should an emergency occur.

Readers, any suggestions?

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Watch Barack on ABC World News with Charlie Gibson tonight… the show airs at 5:30 PM CST.

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Barack Obama on the attempted attack on the Times Square military recruiting center:

I am deeply concerned by this attempted attack on a military recruiting center in New York City. The immediate priority must be determining who carried out this heinous crime and bringing them to justice. Going forward, we must make it a priority to provide increased support for cities like New York that are likely targets for terrorist attacks,  and for military installations and recruiting centers which may be targeted by foreign or domestic terrorists.

Right now, we are reminded of the courage of all who wear the uniform of the United States, including our military recruiters. Let us do whatever it takes to ensure their security, just as they sacrifice every day form ours.

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Manhattan rents are driving away Burger King! Franchise owners say they were forced to close their restaurants because they couldn’t afford to offer the mandatory 99-cent menu. They were paying between $9,000 -$18,000 per location. [Gothamist]

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The race for the Democratic nomination has truly come to Wyoming. Our grassroots supporters have been organizing locally for months now, but in the last few weeks they’ve been bolstered with the addition of new offices and field staff, and on Friday night Barack himself will be at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, less than 24 hours before the state’s caucuses take place.  

As Wyoming Democratic Party spokesman Bill Lucket posted on the Wyoming Democrats blog yesterday:

Seriously, I never imagined when I took this job that we would see the day when the two front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination would hold events in Wyoming on the eve of our county caucuses. Not to mention the fact that one of them will almost certainly be president a year from now.

… This is what it’s all about! Although I’ve got to admit, it’s been all I can do to keep up with the volume of phone calls today from nearly every national media outlet you can think of, and of course our brave reporters in this state and region. For the most part, they’re all interested in covering our county caucuses/conventions this Saturday, so I think there’s a reasonable chance we’ll get our 15 minutes in the national spotlight when the deal goes down on Saturday.

If you live in Wyoming, you can join Barack Obama for a special Stand for Change Rally in Laramie tomorrow night, Friday, March 7th.

Here are the details:

The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Seating is limited and admission is on a first come, first-served basis. For security reasons, please do not bring bags, and no signs or banners are permitted.

Preferred viewing seats will be available to anyone who volunteers to help out this week at one of two Obama for America offices. Sign up to volunteer:

And no matter where you are, you can help out by making calls to Wyoming to identify supporters and encourage them to get out and caucus on Saturday!

Visit WY.BarackObama.com for more news and information from Wyoming.

Help us grow this movement in Wyoming and across the country:

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Atlanta area restaurant scores a record-breaking 13 out of 100 in a health inspection. Anything below 70 is considered “unacceptable.” [WSBTVvia Fark]

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