Friday, December 07, 2007

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Dear Iowa, warm greetings from the O-Train in FL w/video!

Dear Iowa, (and New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina)

Dear Iowa, Warm greetings from Florida!

It is my understanding that we Floridians have been known to botch an election or two. I am innocent I tell you but here I sit in the time-out beach chair just the same. Here's the thing; when you are in time-out, you have plenty of time to think. So, as I slather on my sunscreen, I am thinking about all the reasons to encourage you to vote for Senator Barack Obama.

I believe that Senator Barack Obama represents so many strands of who we are as a nation. I can feel the fierce urgency of now in the air. With Barack Obama's leadership, I believe that we can recover from 8 years of the current administration's dangerous and frightening lack of moral integrity. We have a good field of candidates but I can already see Obama inspiring unlikely volunteers to work together. I believe that Senator Obama is the one who can unite our country and turn us around. The fierce urgency is now. Now is our chance to stop them from driving us over the cliff. If the GOP maintains control of the White House in 2008, I don't think that our democracy can survive another term of attacks on the Constitution.

The Tampa Bay O-Train has been working to elect Senator Obama as the President of the United States, not the President of Florida, so even though our all-volunteer grassroots group continues to introduce Barack Obama's message to Florida, we also recognize the importance of what the four early primary states will be doing very soon. We have continued our fundraising efforts to help Obama win in your states.

We also created an all-volunteer Youtube music video. No, we are not professionals and probably shouldn't have tried this at home, but we have an abundance of audacity, so here it is in all its optimistic and amateurish glory. We hope that it inspires you as you suffer blustery conditions up north over the next month or two.



We shot our video at a few locations on both sides of Tampa Bay. We started in historic Ybor City, known as Tampa’s Latin Quarter. From its origins as a cigar manufacturing center, Ybor has become one of Florida's top-ranked nightspots. Ybor has a charm and beauty that is unique and is also one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. The O-Train group meets regularly in Ybor City at the historic Marti-Maceo Club. The O - Train also organized a $25 fundraiser/rally last April at the Cuban Club in Ybor City where 3000 people welcomed Senator Obama to the Tampa Bay area.

We began our video shoot at King Corona Cigar Bar & Cafe where the owner, Don, welcomed us and you to come on over:

9-15-07 008

What is remarkable about Senator Obama is that he has attracted enthusiastic volunteers from all walks of life, all political parties, all ages, all races, religions and income levels. We discovered that our music video volunteers also represent that wide variety of people who would not normally be found working side by side. Obama's fresh unbeholden approach has brought us together. We are each trying to be part of the solution with newfound common ground and a strong sense of purpose.

Dr. Smith is feeling that sunshine!
9-15-07 010

Boofdah:
Michelle in Ybor

Sisters, sisters. There were never more devoted sisters:
9-15-07 014


Our next video shoot location was at Dr. Marty's home in the Clearwater area. Dr. Marty told us
"Just call me Marty because my mother didn't name me doctor."
Marty was a wonderful host who treated each volunteer with warmth and enthusiasm.
9-15-07 038

Marty's beautiful home:
Tampa Bay O-train Campaign Video


O-Train volunteers getting ready to go.
Otrain sign at party

Yeah, we had choreography but no spirit fingers:
Obama Video Shoot - 45

We took the time to listen to the wisdom of our elders,
9-15-07 017
O!
Obama Video Shoot - 50

while our youth taught their elders a thing or two:
9-15-07 021

The peanut gallery was fired up and ready to go:
9-15-07 023

Bobnbob tried out Marty's hammock.
9-15-07 026

mommabobnbob and law ninja taking a break:
9-15-07 036

Barbara for Barack!
Barbara for Barack!


Our last location was on Bayshore Blvd not far from MacDill Air Force Base. We received quite a few thumbs up and honks from cars driving by as we shot this footage.

thefos, jjackso1, bobnbob, Rozrod, Georgia & Mizonglohong
O!

Eric & Frank:
O-train Barack Obama Campaign Video

O-train Barack Obama Campaign Video

That's a wrap!
O-train Barack Omaba Campaign Video

Please come on over and caucus for Senator Obama on January 3rd!

More O-Train pics here:http://www.flickr.com/groups/362034@N21/


A very special thank you to Eric Billington, Mo Eppley and all the volunteers who participated and made this such a fun adventure!

Layout 1

Monday, December 03, 2007

'Twas the month before Caucus

'Twas the month before Caucus, when all through the state

Iowans were stirring, wanting choice in their fate;

The candidates came before voters with care,

In hopes that the Caucuses soon would be theirs;

The volunteers were nestled all snug by their cell phones,

While visions of canvassing chilled them to their bones;

And mamma with her PC, and I with my laptop,

Had just settled down for a long-winded blog,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the keyboard to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But Senator Obama, armed with hope and not fear,

With young volunteers, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment that Clinton must be sick.

More rapid than eagles his followers they came,

He inspired optimism, and called them by name;

"Now, Red! Now, Blue! Now, Independent and Green!

Come Black! Come White! Come elderly and young, so lean!

To the top of the polls! Don’t you hear the call?

Now caucus away! Caucus away! Caucus away all!"

As our weary country did hunger for hope,

when met with an obstacle, they did not mope,

So up to the poll-top Obama’s crew flew,

With a sleigh full of audacity to hitch themselves to.

And then, in a twinkling, The Register did leak

Obama’s surge in the polls is strong and not weak.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,

Senator Barack Obama came in with a bound.

Equipped with integrity, from his head to his boot,

just hitting his stride, old polls and cynicism now moot.

With the wind of momentum now at his back,

he looks like a winner, who is right on track.

His eyes -- how they twinkle! His smile, wide as a brim

His ears sticking out, yet looking just right on him!

His manner a rare mix of confidence and humility,

Just what we need to break through hostility.

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke of the law and Senate Foreign Relations

And pledged to work with all to bring peace to the nations.

As he left us with challenges to do more than our foe,

We said yes! We are fired up and ready to go!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a nod,

leaving behind clear visions for here and abroad.

And I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy O-Caucus to all, and to Bush a good-night."

Monday, October 22, 2007

Gus Bilirakis & GOP family values: Trapped in the men's room

GOP Values:

Don't think of sick children.
We torture but it's okay as long as we say that we don't use or condone torture.
War is patriotic but our kids make other choices.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Obama-Wrist Strong/Emotional Magnet

(Thefos and bobnbob's most excellent Obama adventure series)

Before I delve into my recent Obama experience, I feel that I must emphasize 3 points. Let’s call them “disclaimers,” shall we?

1. I think about Barack Obama and how campaigning must be taking a toll on him and his family. I think that Barack must be desperately missing his girls and that they probably do not understand the magnitude of what he is doing. They probably just want to sit on their daddy’s lap, maybe read a book together or just play with him. I imagine him trying to balance his job as a Senator with the demands of campaigning and time with his family. I think that his family is getting the short end of the stick; at least temporarily.

2. I believe that Barack is a brilliant man who understands the United States Constitution inside and out. He also understands the importance of a simple hello, thank you or handshake and what it means to the average citizen on the street. I think that his background in community organizing prepared him to connect with the average citizen. He understands that people want to touch him and he recognizes that he is an emotional magnet.

3. Last but not least, I am not bossy and I will tell all my friends and family to tell you that, so rules apply to everyone else but me. Yes, I am the exception. Our country will be much better off when everyone comes to terms with this final disclaimer.

As proud Florida Democrats, bobnbob and I are working hard to help elect Senator Barack Obama as the next President of the United States, not the President of Florida. So, if Senator Obama needs us to organize fundraisers, volunteer on the net or on the ground to help him compete and win the 4 early primary states, then that is what we'll do.

Our all-volunteer team is called the Tampa Bay O – Train. Under the leadership of Frank Sanchez, we had gracious hosts on both sides of the bay, local leaders and volunteers on the ground at the airport, on sidewalks in St. Pete and volunteers in place in both host homes. The O - Train was ready to welcome Senator Barack Obama back to the Tampa Bay area on Sunday, September 30, 2007. This was his first trip back here since last April.

I arrived at the first host home just in time to put out our O – Train signs and then settled in at the registration desk. The street was closed off, the Tampa police and SS (Secret Service) had everything covered.
Obama 9-30-07 022
After the bomb sniffing dog did one final sweep of the area, someone pointed out a small group of people on the front porch of a house across the street. I grabbed some signs and crossed the street and asked these porch dwellers if they were Obama supporters. When they said yes, I asked them if they wanted to hold signs on the sidewalk as Obama was soon to arrive. They jumped at the chance. One SS Agent, understood what I was doing, but another one was trying to order these people off their own property. I told the neighbors that if they “went down the street a little bit, you never know, Obama might stop and say hi.” They were very excited, so I took some pictures of them on the street.
Obama 9-30-07 031Right after I snapped these pictures, I went back to the registration table. If only I would have stayed a minute or two longer, I could have taken some pictures when Obama's motorcade stopped and he shook their hands and thanked them. I had never met these people before so I had no idea what an impact this made on the 3 teenage boys in the picture. I received this email from the mom of one of them the next morning:

"It was good to meet you yesterday as you were helping out with the fundraiser on Orleans. My son, Grant, and the two young men who are being mentored as part of the Big Brother program were very excited to meet Senator Obama. One of the boys said he was never going to wash his hand after shaking hands with the Senator! It was a great experience for all of them."


Although I missed the shot of these teenagers meeting Obama, I did catch a priceless one of three young children who were anxiously awaiting his arrival. SS had moved them from their original spot, so they were straining to catch a glimpse of Obama from their new SS-approved location.
Obama 9-30-07 028
In between working the registration table, taking pictures and handing signs to the neighbors, I was also on the phone with both Obama's campaign and bobnbob because a large group of volunteers, who had staked out a position at the exit of the airport, had missed seeing him when his motorcade departed from the airport entrance instead of the exit.

From bobnbob’s perspective:

About 40-50 of us converged at a local airport to await his arrival. We weren’t planning on attending the fundraiser – our contribution to the campaign is our enthusiasm, our time, our canvassing, our phone-banking – you get the idea. We were the “grassroots” part of the Tampa Bay supporter club. It was organized by Team Captains Ann and Yasmin in Tampa and Suzanne and Andrea in St Pete.

We had folks from the age of 2 1/2 to approx 76. We were brown, white, red, and yellow, we were healthy and the not so healthy, we were walking on two legs, as well as rolling in for the fun. We had campaign signs, we had homemade signs, heck, and we even held “lollipop” signs with our local “Grassroots” group name – the Tampa Bay O-Train.
Airport O train sign
We felt a wonderful sense of hope in the waiting area – some of us have known each other for a couple of years (local/state candidate supporters), some hadn’t seen each other since the previous O-Train meeting, some had never met, and some were even from the local Students for Barack Obama!
tampa airport 2.JPG_1Regardless, we were all connected to each other while supporting the next President of the United States.
Airport tampa  gang
tampa airport4.JPG

We were urged (ok, bomb sniffing dogs entered) to go across the street to show our enthusiasm as Barack exited the airport – but funny thing with campaigns and Secret Service – the route is always a secret and it changes constantly. We were posted at the Exit and Barack and the SS left via the Entrance. Oh well, we knew that the SS guys had seen us, they cheered us on and the Senator was on his way for a quick refreshing before making an appearance at the first fundraiser. When Obama realized that he had missed the volunteers at the airport, thefos an his campaign contacted me to try to direct the volunteers to another location where he could stop and thank them. By that time, the only volunteers left were thefos’ daughter - Girlie Girl, a guy named Kurt, and me. BritKurtBarackBobnbob So the three of us went to the new location where we were greeted and thanked by Obama. britt & Obama.JPG Sadly, the other volunteers had disbursed and there was no way to contact them but the good news was that there was a second sign waving scheduled in St. Petersburg a little later and Obama’s campaign and even the Secret Service were great about communicating with me so that he wouldn’t miss us again.


Meanwhile back at the house, I was relieved that bobnbob and the campaign were handling the volunteer visibility crisis. By now, I knew that she would be charming the SS agents and staffers. I could just imagine her calling them "Sugar" or "Darlin'" and I bet she even got a SS agent or two to crack a smile. I could now concentrate on trying to capture the day with my camera.

As I entered the house, Frank Sanchez, one of the Senator Obama’s national advisors, was guiding Obama through the crowded home and personally introducing him to everyone. Obama 9-30-07 036 I have spoken briefly to the Senator twice before, but this time, Frank formally introduced him to me. So, what do you say when you are introduced to the next President of the United States? Do you talk about the war? Maybe speak about the healthcare crisis? Or how about thanking him for his public service to our country? No, I told him that Girlie Girl said that he smelled like cinnamon. (Bobnbob and Girlie Girl had already told me about their Obama experience near the airport.) So, as I shook our next president’s hand, I told him that my daughter says that he smells like cinnamon. He thanked me for volunteering and laughed about the cinnamon comment.

It doesn’t make any difference what kind of crowd Obama is greeting, everyone seems to want a piece of him, so I backed off and concentrated on taking as many pictures as I could. After the Senator mingled with the guests, he made his way to the backyard where Frank Sanchez introduced the host, Tom Scarritt, who graciously welcomed his guests and Senator Barack Obama into his home.
Obama 9-30-07 046
As I roamed and snapped pictures as Obama spoke, I believe that I captured a few powerful images. The first one was when I bumped into Lauren, who is a caterer and old friend. Obama 9-30-07 041
The last time I heard about Lauren, I was told that she had cancer and had left Florida to seek treatment because she didn’t have health insurance. Because she didn't have health insurance, the only treatment prescribed to her was invasive and drastic, so she was seeking alternative treatment elsewhere. When we spotted each other, we immediately embraced. I asked her if she was healthy and she said “Almost.” She was working the event, so we didn’t really have time to talk about it but I was really happy to see her and she looked great.

The second image I captured was of a waiter who was working the event. As he passed me, I could see one of our O – Train signs under the cloth of his serving trayWaiter at South Tampa eventI said, “I see that you have one of our signs under there.” He responded that he was hoping that Obama would sign it. I mentioned it to one of Obama’s staff members. I hope that he got it signed but I don’t know if he did.

When Obama finished addressing the guests, he made his way through the crowd. One of my friends, Patrick, decided to present Senator Obama with a WristStrong braceletWristStrong PC points at bracelet
I know that Senator Obama is a busy man, but he could not let the severity of wrist injuries go unrecognized.
Dr. Patrick Cannon and WristStrong Obama
wriststrong away

WristStrong on The Colbert Report: http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/74324/detail/


The next good picture was successful because I used my "leadership qualities" to make it happen. I had observed the determined Delia Sanchez with cane in hand, following Obama as he made his way through the crowd. She cannot move quickly so she always seemed to be just one step behind him. As he tried to get into his car to head over to the next event, Miss Delia had finally caught up with him. Obama had graciously tolerated the cute teenage boy who had sidled up behind him while he was speakingObama 9-30-07 106
The boy was grinning ear to ear and Barack must have felt his breath on his neck, because he stopped in mid-sentence and allowed the boy’s grandmother to snap a picture. The Senator also astutely recognized when folks approached him for a second photo opportunity. Did I mention that this guy is brilliant? Obama said “Now, I know that you already got your picture and it was a good one!” He followed with the sage advice that “candid shots are better, trust me.”

Obama was trying to get into his car and when he saw me with my camera. He said that he had to get going. This is where my "alleged" bossiness first kicked in. I know that he couldn't possibly have known that Delia had been trying to catch up to him throughout the house. So even though I cared about disclaimers 1 & 2, number 3 clearly states that I am the exception, so I said "Come on, one last picture. It's for Frank's mother!" I think that Obama respected my "amazing dedication" because he allowed me to take this one last pictureFrank, Delia & Barack

As Obama drove away, I called to let bobnbob know that he was on his way.

So back to bobnbob's perspective:
Girlie Girl and I raced to the area of the 2nd fundraiser – as supporters were gathering to welcome Barack to this side of the Bay,too. We scoped out a great spot and hoped that Barack would be able to stop and say hi, or at least enjoy our “Welcome Back!” This group, there were many of the same from Tampa, but there were many new supporters, too.
snell isle.JPG
We were welcoming everyone coming and leaving Snell Isle with great big chants of “Fired Up! Ready to Go!” We were waving and smiling, and showing off our signs and those great Barack Obama shirts! And lo and behold, coming up over the bridge was a caravan – and they pulled over and out steps Barack Obama, and a LOT of SS guys too! Barack apologized for not visiting with us over at the airport (can’t blame him, as he didn’t know we were going to be there,) shook every supporter’s hand, gave a few hugs and even signed a couple of books and a sign or two! Girlie Girl is right, the Senator smells like cinnamon! An awesome end to a fulfilling day welcoming the next President of the United States to Tampa Bay!


By this time, I was on my way to St. Pete. As I drove, I thought about the emotional connection that Obama volunteers have with Barack Obama and each other. After the volunteers were greeted by Obama, Georgia sent me this note:

I have been so excited since Sunday. When he finally reached the st.pete volunteers, we were so excited to see him up close. When he finally reached my hand [of course I was trembling] I could not stop saying I love you soooooo much, we love you soooooo much. He stopped, looked at me, gave me that beautiful smile and then said ‘come over here and give me a hug”........I will never wash that t-shirt!! I can’t wait to see the photos others have of him, the volunteers and sponsors and the events as well.


Obama didn't know that Georgia lost a husband to the Vietnam War or that as a young woman growing up in Georgia, she went against her family's wishes and volunteered with the civil rights movement. Obama didn't know that this is the first time that she has been involved in politics since the civil rights movement. Obama also didn't know that when Georgia couldn't get through to his website, she had written me a letter to make sure she didn't miss any meeting notices. Obama didn't know that her 37 year old son registered to vote for the first time because of her involvement in and support of Senator Obama's campaign. Georgia sent me another email:

I forgot to tell you that my husband recently registered to vote too!. He also wants to be a poll worker! It has been 20 years since he voted! He felt the same way; “My vote won’t count. Politicians are all crooks”............well something changed both of their minds! I never asked them to go register. They both did it on their own, at different times, and they never discussed it with each other or with me!

Georgia
Thanks so much for the sign.........I will treasure it forever! I can also get the stick fixed and put it in my yard! Love and hugs, Georgia.........thought this would make you smile. Don’t I look silly?? Who cares, when you get old you can do anything.

Senator Obama didn't know anything about our own Georgia "Peach," but he felt her emotion, accepted it, embraced it and gave it back to her.
By the time I arrived at the 2nd Obama event, I had met bobnbob and Girlie Girl and led them to the house. They had been out for hours and needed to refresh themselves. We finally had a chance to relax, so bobnbob had her usual "something fruity" and I had a glass of Merlot. We also caught up with some more O - Train volunteers who were enjoying the calm after the storm:
Obama 9-30-07 137
After Obama spoke and answered questions, he let everyone know that he needed to catch a plane, so if you already had your picture taken with him, let someone else have an opportunity. Well, I made bobnbob get in line because the pictures taken with her camera didn't come out well at all. At this time, I had no prior knowledge that Kurt (who we never met before) would come through with a decent picture of bobnbob & Obama, so when Obama saw us, I said this is bobnbob and she was helping to coordinate the volunteers today. He responded with "I know her and she had her picture taken with me today." I said, "Yes, but it didn't turn out." So he patiently allowed us to take one last picture. But...here's the thing...bobnbob was trying to tell him at that particular moment that he made her feel empowered back in 2005 and that she was quoted in the Chicago Tribune way back then. When I took the picture, I could immediately see that it was a bad shot. Obama said "OK, you got your picture. I said "NO! It was good of you, bad of her!" I don't know if I shouted that or not, but Obama cooperated as I told bobnbob to shut up and smile. I give you exhibit A:
Obama 9-30-07 150

& B:

Obama 9-30-07 151
Before this case goes to you, the judge, a jury of my volunteer peers spoke on my behalf while they were waiting at the bridge. Let's call them "character witnesses," shall we? They didn't know that I would need this testimony but Georgia ended her email to me with this:


As we waited for him we talked about you and how dedicated you are to this campaign. We all agreed, you are amazing!!

Thanks for all that you do to make this such a wonderful experience for all of us! You inspire us to become more active and dedicated, more aware of politics and certainly more aware of our purpose on making this world a better place. That in itself is such a wonderful contribution to the planet......love and blessings


As much as I hate to give this guy any credit, I am quoting Republican pollster and Market Researcher, Frank Luntz: "80 percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how you think. I can change how you think, but how you feel is something deeper and stronger, and it's something that's inside you. How you think is on the outside, how you feel is on the inside, so that's what I need to understand." http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/interviews/luntz.html

My thoughts on that: In 2004, approximately 1/2 of Americans voted with/for the emotion of fear. In 2008, a majority of Americans will vote with/for the emotion of hope.

In conclusion, am I bossy? Or am I an amazing volunteer who is dedicated to Senator Obama's campaign and an inspiration to other volunteers along the way?

You be the judge.

The defense rests.

By the way, I did not pose for a picture with Obama that day but someone snapped a candid shot when Obama was being introduced to me, so Obama was right; candid shots OK, too:
Megan, Frank & Barack

WristStrong on The Colbert Report: http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/74324/detail/

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Fired up! Ready to go!

You have to watch the commercial, but it is worth the wait:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/09/20/raw.obama.stump.story.cnn

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Believe in America Again

Another great video by lovingj1.

Believe in America again. Vote Obama08!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Obama leads in campaign web site visits

I already knew that Obama is dominating onlne. It will just take the media a little longer to catch on:

Obama leads in campaign Web site visits

by John McCormick

Sen. Barack Obama is leading all presidential candidates in campaign Web
site visits, The Nielsen Company reported today.

Obama's web site had the most unique visitors in July, with 717,000,
according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Fellow Democrats Sen. Hillary Clinton had
437,000 unique visits, followed by 348,000 for former North Carolina Sen.
John Edwards.

To read the rest of the article, click on:

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/obama_leads_in_campaign_web_si.html

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Monday, August 06, 2007

Liberals gather at Yearlykos

I am just back from Chicago and have not had time to blog about it yet. Contrary to the radical right's notion that we liberal bloggers are all unemployed, I do have a full time job and a family to care for.

So in the meantime, enjoy this Washington Post video by Akira Hakuta...

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Occupation is as occupation does

I believe that the Congressman who represents the Republicans in my district has strayed off course. It seems to me that Gus Bilirakis needs to refocus his attention on our American military crisis and our fellow Americans dying in Iraq. For the sake of my military family members and the rest of our brave American troops, I felt the need to tweak and improve his latest press release. I am proposing that he re-submit his bill to Congress after he includes my corrections, adaptions and/or ammendments.

Remarks as edited and adapted by thefos for a reality check on our American military crisis due to the U.S. led Iraq Occupation:


Gus Bilirakis Commemorates the 33rd 4 ½ Anniversary of the Turkish U.S. Led Invasion of Cyprus Iraq

WASHINGTON (20 Jul.) -- Last night, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), member of House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, delivered the following remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to commemorate the 33rd 4 1/2 anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus by U.S led Turkish military forces.


Gus Bilirakis' press release:

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/fl09_bilirakis/pr_statement_33rdanniv_turk_cyprus.html


Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only as a privileged member of this body, but particularly as a Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues.

I stand before you today to recall an anniversary that has racked the Cypriot Iraqi and Hellenic American communities for the past 33 4 ½ years.

Mr. Speaker, even though the tragic events of the Turkish U.S. led invasion of Cyprus Iraq took place so 4 ½ long years ago, the pain and suffering of this tragic occasion still ripples throughout the Greek Iraqi and Cypriot American communities.

This anniversary is a time for America to solemnly remember the Turkish military U.S. led invasion of the Island of Cyprus Iraq, to mourn those who lost their lives, and to condemn the continued occupation.

On July 20, 1974, March 20, 2003, in blatant violation of international law, Turkey the U.S led coalition violently invaded Cyprus Iraq and captured the northern part of the island declared “Mission Accomplished on May 1, 2003. As a result of the invasion, approximately 5,000 Cypriots 60,000+ Iraqis were killed and more than 1,400 Greek Cypriots, including four Americans of Cypriot descent, who still remain missing along with 3632 American soldiers.

Since the invasion, Turkey the Bush/Cheney Administration has established a heavily-armed military occupation that continues to control nearly 40 percent of Cyprus is failing to control the civil war in Iraq. Forced expulsions of Greek Cypriots on the occupied land, have left more than 160,000 displaced persons. An estimated 1.6-2.0 million people have fled Iraq.

Another tragic result of this 33 4 ½ year occupation is the divisions among Greek Sunni and Turkish Cypriots Shi’a factions who since have forcibly lived their lives separated along ethnic lines are also targeting and killing brave American troops. This cracking of the Cypriot Iraq nation is a crime against society and the people of Cyprus Iraq that can only be resolved by ending this occupation.

Since the invasion, international governing bodies and human rights groups have condemned Turkey’s the Bush/Cheney Administration’s flagrant abuse of international law and violation of Cyprus’s Iraq’s national sovereignty. Mr. Speaker, 33 4 ½ years is just too long.

The international community and the American people have expressed their support for has helped shepherd a peace process and settlement that will unite the island, its people, institutions and economy. The United Nations Security Council, the European Union and the United States have all played key roles in trying to bring a practical and fair resolution of this 33 4 ½ year nightmare.

On the occasion of this anniversary, America needs to take a long and hard look at its own commitment toward helping the Turkish Cypriot Sunni-Shi’a crisis factions reach a lasting and enduring peace – free from occupation, division and oppression.

As a new member of the European Union, the Republic of Cyprus has proven a committed and America and Iraq must reach out to influential partner neighboring countries in Europe the Middle East. Despite having a Because a large portion of its land is illegally occupied, Cyprus’s Iraq’s successful social and economic integration into the European Global community is a testament to its focus and dedication to democratic values and regional cooperation has been violently deterred.

The Republic of Cyprus has also worked alongside its European neighbors to bring about a stronger integration of Turkish and Greek Cypriot interests for the good of the Island. This has included a partial lifting on restrictions of movement across the cease fire line that continues to forcibly divide Cyprus.

As a result, since April 2003, more than 13 million Greek and Turkish Cypriots have crossed without incident. Additionally, the per capita income of Turkish Cypriots has nearly tripled in the last three years because of an aggressive integration policy by the Republic of Cyprus and its European neighbors.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that because of this continued integration civil war between Turkish Sunni and Greek Cypriots Shi’a factions, and the economic and political successes failures of the democratically elected Iraqi government, that the Republic of Cyprus so readily wants to share with its neighbors, it is possible to we must bring closure to this 33 4 ½ year occupation.

Indeed, according to: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/07/15/10139330.html, on July 8, 2006, the President of the Republic of Cyprus Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed to formally begin consultations with the ultimate aim of a peaceful reunification and an end to Turkey’s military occupation.
the White House appeared resigned to the fact that the Iraqi parliament is going to take August off, even though it has just eight weeks to show progress on military, political and economic benchmarks prescribed by the United States.


My understanding is at this juncture they're going to take August off, but, you know, they may change their minds,
White House press secretary Tony Snow said on Friday.
You know, it's 54 degree Celsius [130 degrees Fahrenheit] in Baghdad in August,
he said, sympathetically.

Our own US Congress plans to be on vacation from August 3 to September 4, 2007. Despite the early successes of what has since been known as the “July 8 Agreement,” and the best efforts of the Cyprus government, the Turkish Cypriots Our own government has have not followed through on their its commitment to continue this dialogue and path toward peace.

In fact, Mr. Speaker, only last week, President Papadopoulos attempted to jumpstart the Island’s reunification efforts and resume the July 8 Agreement process. Though he initially accepted this gesture, Turkish Cypriot leader Talat ended up cancelling the proposed meeting. the president of the United States, and this Congress, along with the Iraqi government, should demonstrate its commitment and support for the July 8 Agreement as a way toward ending the Turkish Cypriot divide on the Island of Cyprus our troops and the Iraqi people by voluntarily sacrificing any and all vacation time until a peaceful resolution has been reached. I have introduced legislation, H. Res. 405 Stop the Surge 3632, which expresses strong support for the implementation of the July 8 Agreement. ending the occupation in Iraq.



I urge all of my colleagues to act and help this body put our own stamp of support on the July 8 peace process by supporting this resolution.

Cyprus has long been a strong and faithful ally of the United States. It continues to work with us in the Global War on Terrorism and has supported our efforts in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Aside from providing over flight rights and port access, the government of Cyprus has joined only a handful of nations who have acted on their commitment to cancel Iraq’s outstanding debt.

Mr. Speaker, 33 4 ½ years is long enough. It is not impossible to conceive one-day having a Cyprus Iraq that is unified under bi tri-zonal, bi tri communal federation with a single sovereignty, single international personality and single citizenship with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Cypriots Iraqis, but the Iraqi government must bring these factions to the table using diplomacy instead of violence and oppression.

America, a friend of the Cypriot Iraqi people, owes it to them to do everything in their power to support peace and an end to this illegal occupation.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/fl09_bilirakis/pr_statement_33rdanniv_turk_cyprus.html


http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refugees_of_Iraq

http://icasualties.org/oif/

http://www.iraqbodycount.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sectarian_violence_in_Iraq

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/28/mission.accomplished/

Monday, July 02, 2007

Gus Bilirakis, Scooter Libby and true lies

How do you spell hypocrite?

G-u-s B-i-l-i-r-a-k-i-s!


No brainer on this one.

I predict that Gus Bilirakis will flip-flop as he sticks his nose further up the Bush Administration's butt on this one.

Bush just handed Scooter Libby a "Stay out of jail free card." Let's just see where Gus Bilirakis lands. Will it be on the side of the rule of law? Is it "simply wrong to reward unlawful behavior with amnesty?"

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/fl09_bilirakis/pr_070301_senill.html

Or

Is it wrong to lie to protect the people who took our country to war via deliberate false pretenses AKA lies?

And how cowardly is it to not even announce this "Stay out of jail free card." in person?

Bush, the Cowardly Lion!

He knew that he had to unload this "free poor Libby crap" when the Daily Show and Colbert Report were on vacation.

I call them chickens!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Thefos & bobnbob's most excellent adventure - Part II

As the date of the Obama campaign’s “June 9, 2007 Walk for Change” approached, I was looking forward to walking with the great team of volunteers from the Tampa Bay O – Train. The O - Train’s multi-county walk was organized by Juan, Patrick, Ann, Gena, and Johnny AKA Bardino. Walk coordinators were in place. They were Shelia (Hillsborough), Sherry (Pasco), and Ann (Pinellas.) We expected about 70 volunteers to walk for change. Patrick and Ann led a great canvass training session and plans were falling into place in 3 counties.

Although I had heard that the Florida Democratic Party’s JJ dinner would be the same day, I knew that I must walk for Obama. I had recently received an invitation to a $50 Florida bloggers luncheon at the JJ on June 9, 2007. It was very tempting, but no, I told myself “I must walk for Obama. I can’t abandon my team on such an important day.” Then I was told that bloggers who attended the luncheon would be given press credentials to the JJ Dinner with special guest, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Ok, now I must admit that I was officially torn. I tossed and turned and agonized over the decision. My fellow O- Train leaders looked at me like I was crazy. They said that they had everything under control and that I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to blog about the JJ and hear Nancy Pelosi speak, but I still remained conflicted about abandoning my team.

I then received an email from the Obama campaign's Florida Volunteer Coordinator, Joan. Although we had worked together on a previous campaign, Joan and I had never actually met in person. She asked me if I was attending the JJ dinner because the campaign was sending some folks down from Chicago and that she would love it if I came down. So I replied that if Obama’s campaign wanted me there, then I would go. I finally got off the fence and made the sacrificial decision to go to the JJ dinner. I was stepping up and taking one for the team.

I paid my $50 without booking a hotel room because at $200/night, my new mission was to find a roommate. One of my friends sent out an email asking if anyone had room for "poor lil' thefos" so luckily, a fellow DFAer and friend, Nancy from Orlando, took the bait and offered to share her room with me on Saturday night. Most of my area friends were driving down Friday afternoon, so I was resigned to a 5 hour drive by myself.

On Wednesday, my best friend and fellow Obama supporter, bobnbob, belatedly decided that she wanted to go with me plus she offered to drive. This was great news for me. This meant that “Thefos and Bobnbob’s Most Excellent Adventure - Part II was about to begin. If you want to read about our first adventure, you can find it here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/13/103819/94.

Being the mooch that I am, I boldly asked Nancy from Orlando if bobnbob could join us and she graciously said yes, so very early Saturday morning, we set off on our most excellent adventure - part II.

Bobnbob and I arrived at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, FL just in time to attend the Florida Democratic Party’s first annual bloggers luncheon. When we pulled up in front of the hotel, I jumped out of the car to pick up our hotel room key while bobnbob asked Victor the Valet where we should park. Victor told her that he would park her car and he asked her for her room number.
When she answered “I dunno…” he countered with “What is your name?” She told him that the room was in someone else’s name. So his next logical question was, “What name is the room under?” Even though bobnbob had met Nancy before, she couldn’t remember her last name, so after a very long pause, she replied “Nancy from Orlando?” I don’t know why Victor took an instant liking to bobnbob. It could have been her natural charm or her Barack Obama buttons. We may never know, but he did mention that he liked her Obama buttons and asked if she had more. She didn’t, but she handed him a button off her shirt. When another valet asked bobnbob for her name for the valet ticket, Victor responded “No name necessary.” We didn’t know what that meant but it seemed like a good thing at the time.

Inside the lobby, we were greeted by two young Obamanians, Matt and Alex. We couldn’t chat long because we were late for our luncheon. We entered the first annual Netroots luncheon and suddenly realized that we were proud laptop carrying members of the netroots nerd club. Not that there is anything wrong with that but let’s just say that we seemed to have loudest personalities in the room. We certainly were not the smartest people in the room but I think that we were indeed the loudest. Loud beats smart, right? Work with me... it's a rock, scissors, paper kind of thing.
For the record, everyone else at the luncheon did indeed liven up after the St Pete Times reporter left the room.


At the luncheon, we discovered that internet access in our room would cost us $12.95 each day and that there was no internet access available in any of the meeting rooms, including the convention hall where Nancy Pelosi would speak. Where the heck were we staying? Under a rock? I was spending my hard earned money to stay in this dump and I deserved my internet access! I was paying my fair share of $50, for crying out loud! What else did they want from me? My first born child? Who said Democrats weren’t fiscally responsible?

The only place in the hotel complex that had free wireless access was the hotel lobby, so bobnbob and I promptly announced that we were going to host a blogging pajama party in the lobby after the dinner. It is my understanding that the hotel would have charged the FDP and outrageous fee to enable wireless access in the hall where Nancy Pelosi was to speak, so this was our protest. We were mad as hell and we weren’t going to take it anymore. We were going to subject everyone to viewing us in our jammies, darn it. Innocent bystanders could be scarred for life but that’ll teach them to withhold our free wireless access! To our surprise, even though everyone laughed at us, they secretly loved our idea. Yeah, we were the trailblazers; we were the Netroots Rebels! The thing is, if we were so wild and crazy, why then, did the Westin Diplomat’s lobby personnel not even take the time to shrug his shoulders when bobnbob boldly told him about our wild and crazy protest? What kind of protest do we have when oppressive management doesn’t care about this historic moment? Their official response was to smile and say “That’s nice.” We expected threats of handcuffs, tazers and billy clubs, not condescending smiles.

After the lunch, we went to the lobby to lurk (I have found that more often than not, blogging is more about lurking than actual blogging.) As we found our “free” wireless connection, we ran into the St. Pete Times reporter, who we lovingly refer to as “Redford.” OK, we didn’t actually run into him but we did spot him from across the lobby and hunt him down as he was trying to take some quiet time to write as he sat near the rear door. We chatted about our kids, the hotel’s atmosphere, and political blogging until he told us to get lost because he had work to do. His employer was paying his bill to stay at the Westin Diplomat but we were forced to spend our own money. Just imagine what our $50 could have gotten us elsewhere.

So Redford blew us off. We are big girls. We can take it. In fact, contrary to popular belief, we can even take a hint, so we went in search of our own outlet to plug into. We made ourselves comfortable on some chaise lounges near the front door of the lobby. As we began to blog, we noticed that Senator Bill Nelson walked in the front door and sat down by the north tower elevators. Neither of us wanted to speak to him after hearing that he voted for torture. I mean, come on...torture? That is not who we are. That is not who my military family members are. Nor does torture make my military family members safer. I do not believe we should continue to give up the moral ground on this. Although I had a lot to say to Senator Nelson, I realized that this was not the time or place to address it. So, in the end, we didn't bother leaving our comfortable lounges to speak to Senator Nelson but I did take the time to email Redford. I sent him a note indicating Bill Nelson’s exact location, just in case he was interested in talking to him.

As we continued to blog, we welcomed elected officials like FL State Representatve Betty Reed, FL State Senator Charlie Justice and his wife, Oldsmar City Councilman Greg Rublee, various political operatives, friends and acquaintances.

The police started congregating near us, so naturally our first thought was “How the heck did they find out about our plans for the blogging pajama party?” Remembering management’s nonchalant response, we could only conclude that someone important was about to enter the hotel, so we were ready when Nancy Pelosi walked in carrying her own garment bag. We lobby lurkers gave her a standing ovation while bobnob shouted “Welcome to Florida!” Nancy seemed genuinely surprised as she turned around and said “Thank you.”

As we turned our attention back to our laptops, I saw a flash of blond (John Edwards’s type) hair dash by in a flash. Upon closer inspection, we noted that it was only Redford running to catch up to Senator Nelson. I shouted “Didn’t you read my email?” He didn’t stop his pursuit but replied “What email?”

About this time, we realized that we were late for the Barack Obama campaign volunteer meeting. We took the escalator up to the Obama meeting but had just come to the conclusion that we were on the wrong floor when we spotted Nancy Pelosi and her entourage coming out of an elevator. I started to approach her but noting the tight security surrounding her, I thought it would be prudent to ask her to approach us instead. Our reputation could have preceded us and we could have been slammed to the floor by the Secret Service so I shouted “May I shake your hand?” She said yes and came over to us. I shook her hand as she asked me for my name. I told her who I was and that we were from Tampa. I also said that I was proud of her. She thanked me and turned to bobnbob and asked her for her name. Nancy Pelosi thanked us for Congresswoman Kathy Castor to which we responded with an apology for Gus Bilirakis. We insisted that we are working on getting a replacement for Gus. As we parted company, we realized that we missed a photo op. Man, we really were slipping. How did we let the good of Florida and our country get ahead of our selfish photo opportunities? This was not like us at all.

We made it up to the packed Obama volunteer meeting where we watched a video and heard campaign representatives, Rep Tony Hill and State Representative Lorraine Ausley and Kirk Wagar speak about why they support Barack Obama. Although I was very interested in hearing other Florida Obama supporters speak highly of Barack, I was whispering to others in the room to see if anyone knew who Joan and Jessica were. When I finally met each of these fine ladies in person, we hugged like long lost friends. It was nice meeting the folks from Chicago, but it was really great finally meeting Kirk Wagar, Jessica Clark, Joan Joseph and the rest of the Florida volunteers as we have been working tirelessly toward the same goal to elect Senator Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.

Since we had press credentials but not a dinner ticket, we joined a couple of Tampa Bay area bloggers to grab a bite to eat before we went up cover the JJ Dinner. After our snack, bobnbob and I found the escalators to the convention hall area. As we began to walk toward the ballroom, a Hillary staffer approached us with literature. Bobnbob said “No thanks.” But then she added “Evidently, you haven’t knocked on a Republican or Independent’s door lately.” Bobnbob’s response couldn’t have surprised Hillary’s staffers too much. That table looked beautiful yet lonely. Disclaimer: We will work for whoever wins the Democratic primary, but there is definitely energy and excitement about Barack Obama that is almost palpable.

Bobnbob and I parted company briefly as I went to retrieve my laptop which was charging back in our room. Bobnbob was saving me a place at the press table at the back of the convention hall, while I found myself somewhat distracted by my friends at the Obama Campaign table. It was the best of times but I needed to focus on finding bobnbob at the press table.

I have to say that it was really cool to be able to flash our press credentials and walk right in to the convention hall. Back in 2005, bobnbob and I really had to work hard to get in free, but this time, we had official press credentials. I’m just sayin’ that we liked this new turn of events.

I finally arrived at the press table. It was dark but I located bobnbob who told me to pull a chair up to the table. I did as I was told, but inadvertently reached into the reporter’s backpack next to me. Come on…didn’t I just say that it was dark? To make matters worse, I apparently allowed my chair to become entangled with the whiney reporter’s backpack straps. WR (whiney reporter) was not happy with me and I thought he was one of the surliest reporters I have ever encountered. I tried to be friendly with him but he sternly reprimanded me with “I have a deadline!” crap. Hey…bloggers have self-imposed deadlines, too. (Apparently, my self-imposed deadline was about 6 weeks out.)

As I tried to focus on the many Florida Democratic leaders who each spoke briefly, WR continued to complain and mutter under his breath. He leaned over and complained to the reporter on the other side of him about how many democrats were being permitted to speak. Geez but WR was high maintenance. I realized then that although I didn’t want to miss a word from the podium, I found my self increasingly distracted by the drama at the press table.

As one of Nancy Pelosi’s staffers handed out a typed copy of her speech to us at the press table, an AP reporter complained to her about the "activist bloggers" at the press table. She turned her gaze toward some empty space at the press table and told him that there appeared to be room at the table so if he wanted to move up to the press table, then he should do so. I loved how she dismissed him. It was excellent.


I tried to concentrate on what our Florida representatives had to say but I was still somewhat distracted by WR. Fortunately for everyone involved, he left before Nancy Pelosi spoke. I turned my gaze back to the speakers at the podium like Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Alex Sink, Bob Wexler, Charlie Justice, Karen Thurman, etc., when I was again distracted when a random photographer whacked a Miami Herald reporter in the head with his tripod. She was wincing as he continued on his way, oblivious to the pain he inflicted on one of his own. I tried to stop the guilty drive-by whacker. I was ready to tackle the SOB, but the victim said that she would be OK and not to worry about it. She was rubbing the back of her head as she said this but I respected her request and let him escape.

Just then, Redford approached the press table looking for a place to sit, so I waved him in to WR's recently vacated seat. As Redford sat down, he jokingly said "I can’t believe that I have to share a table with these "liberal bloggers." So when he began to whisper to the reporter on his left, I told Redford "Shhhh! I am trying to blog here."

Again, I tried to focus on the speakers...Kathy Castor, Christine Jennings but Redford again interupted my deep concentration with his cell phone/blackberry thingamajig. The St. Pete Times Buzz Blog was giving him big headaches and then Rep Dan Gelber stopped by to chat with him. They were discussing the upcoming Florida constitutional amendment proposed by the Republican led Florida Legislature. Bottom line is that this tax cut scheme is bad news with a surprise balloon at the end but Republicans are counting on Floridians to not understand the verbage and vote for it anyway.

It dawned on me about this time why Pelosi's speech was handed out to the press in advance. I guess it is common knowledge that the press doesn't actually listen to these speeches. That being said, I do recall that you could hear a pin drop when Senator Barack Obama spoke in the same type of environment back in 2005.

When the JJ dinner ended, I realized that I didn't have much written down but I'd worry about that later because we had a protest to host in the lobby. As promised, we changed into our jammies and took the elevator to the wireless protest chaise lounge area near the front door of the lobby.We had many visitors stop by our pajama party, but I have to say that my favorite visitor was Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Although we had been having a good time with many of our friends from other campaigns, I couldn't help myself when just as this picture was snapped...I opened my robe to showcase the Obama logo on my T-shirt. My goal was to overshadow Debbie's pitiful Hillary button. Little did I know that this picture actually exposed how much bobnbob and I have come to look alike. Now I understand why a waiter at our favorite Mexican restaurant accused us of being sisters and yes, we both were born in Pittsburgh so even though we were born a few years apart, it does appear that we were separated at birth.

The next morning, we managed to retrieve bobnbob's car with only a tip for the valet, so bobnbob indeed had warmed her way into Victor the Valet's heart with her easy charm. As we drove home, we heard that the Tampa Bay O - Train team had conducted a successful walk for change while we suffered in South Florida. They knocked on nearly 5000 doors and received a lot of positive feedback about Senator Barack Obama. It seems that many Floridians share our "Audacity of Hope."