| |  Watch the video about how Barack and Joe are fighting to end domestic violence.
ON THE ISSUES
Today and Tomorrow: Online Town Halls
The economy, retirement security, and the cost of health care are issues that are top of mind for women voters across the country. To learn more about these issues and hear from some of Barack's top advisors, please join today's online town halls. "The Economy" with Dr. Laura Tyson, former Chair of the President's Council of Economic Advisers, and Brian Deese, Deputy Economic Policy Director for Obama for America. Tune in today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. "Health Care" with Dr. Susan Wood, former head of the Women's Office at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Neera Tanden, Domestic Policy Director for Obama for America on Thursday, October 23rd at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. Tune in Thursday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
WOMEN'S VOTE MEMO FROM DANA SINGISER, SENIOR ADVISOR FOR THE WOMEN'S VOTE MEMORANDUM TO: Women for Obama FROM: Dana Singiser, Sr. Advisor, Women's Vote DATE: October 19th, 2008 RE: The Women's Vote in the Final Stretch As we enter the final stretch of the campaign, the importance of the women's vote has never been greater. With just over two weeks until Election Day, Senator Obama and the campaign will continue talking to women voters about the issues and challenges they face, and mobilizing women voters to have their voices heard on Election Day. When Senator McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate, it was reported that "the McCain campaign is hoping to peel away... women voters" and that "Palin's pick has given a shot in the arm to their efforts to recruit women volunteers." However, these cynical assumptions have proven wrong, as the Palin bounce peaked in early September and the percentage of women supporting Barack Obama has been steadily growing. As Senator Joe Biden said recently, "Being a woman is not the same as being there for women." With economic pressures on women and families growing, polls show that women prefer Barack Obama's steady leadership over Senator McCain's erratic response to the economic downturn. Read the rest of the memo. NEWS FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL Women for Obama Bridge Rally
In Sarasota County, Florida, where voter registration favors Republicans 46% to the Democrats' 32%, a remarkable thing happened Sunday. At high noon, October 19th, the "kick-off" took place for what became the world's largest Bridge Rally in support of the Obama-Biden ticket. Over 5,000 women, men and children of all ages and color, some with dogs and carrying signs but most wearing Obama-Biden t-shirts and hats, began their march over the Ringling Bridge into history. See photos from the event. The Largest Campaign Rally in American History -- 100,000 in St. Louis: "All I Can Say Is Wow."
 Barack spoke underneath the Gateway Arch in St. Louis to the cheers of a record crowd of over 100,000 people. "All I can say is, wow," Barack said as he took the stage. "We need new priorities in Washington. I think it's time to give a tax cut to the teachers and janitors who work in our schools; to the cops and firefighters who keep us safe; to the waitresses working double shifts, the nurses in the ER, and the plumbers fighting for their American Dream. These workers are the backbone of our country. They are the ones that Washington has forgotten. They're the ones I'll fight for. And while Senator McCain ignores the payroll taxes you pay to score a few political points, I'll put a tax cut into the pockets of working people so you can pay the bills, put away some savings, and pass on a brighter future to your children. "So Senator McCain can keep trying to attack me and distract you - but it's not going to work. Not this time - not now. Because while my opponent thinks this campaign is all about me - the truth is, this campaign is about you. Your jobs. Your health care. Your retirement. Your children's future. That's what this election is about. That's what I'm fighting for. Because I can take two more weeks of these attacks from John McCain, but the American people can't take four more years of the same failed policies and the same divisive politics. That's why I'm running for President of the United States." Read the rest of Barack's remarks. Obama-Clinton Rally in Florida Draws 50,000
By Beth Reinhard and Jennifer Lebovich
October 21st, 2008
Miami Herald With some Florida polls showing the presidential race tightening in the final fortnight, Democratic nominee Barack Obama tried to lock down the nation's largest battleground state with a flurry of early-voting pep rallies and a coast-to-coast tour that wraps up Tuesday night in the heart of downtown Miami. Knowing Florida's soft spot for Hillary Clinton, Obama dispatched her to the Democratic stronghold of Broward County on Monday and joined her later that day in a rare joint appearance here in Central Florida. ..."At this rate, the question isn't 'Are you better off than you were four years ago?'" Obama said, in both Tampa and Orlando. "It's 'Are you better off than you were four weeks ago?'" Read the rest of the article. THE FACTS Barack Obama's Plan to Help Small Business
Barack will help small businesses create new jobs and cut costs on things like health care. But John McCain and his campaign are making false claims about Barack and his plan. Here's an example of how Barack's plan will help rebuild the economy from the bottom up: Victoria Villalba is President and owner of Victoria and Associates Career Services, Inc. For the past 17 years she has lived and worked in South Florida. Her staffing company places direct hire, temp-to-hire, and temporary staffing jobs. She now employees 7 people who work in her office, and approximately 100 people per week work offsite at client companies where they have been assigned. Victoria has placed over 17,000 employees over the last 17 years. Victoria offers health insurance to her employees, but it is very expensive. The health plan covers 100% for internal employees, which costs close to $500 per person per month. In total she pays about $40,000 annually for her health premiums -- and under the Obama plan her business would be eligible for a tax credit of 50% of that total. $20,000 annually to help her business offer health insurance or hire a new employee. Read more about Victoria and how Barack's plan would affect small businesses. | | ONLY TWO WEEKENDS LEFT Time to Get Out the Vote
In these last two weeks Barack needs your help more than ever before. We're mobilizing an unprecedented get out the vote effort, but we need your help! If you live in a battleground state, call your local campaign office today. Choose your state, and click "Find Your Local Campaign Office" on the right side of the page. If you don't live in a battleground state, you can Drive for Change to a battleground state. Early Vote has Started in Many States -- If You Can Vote Today, Please Go Vote!
Early vote or vote by mail has begun in 33 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming. Visit VoteForChange.com to find out if you can vote early or vote by mail. You can also register, find your polling locations, and request absentee ballots. Across the country, supporters of Barack have been voting early to cast their ballots and to avoid lines on Election Day. In North Carolina, more than a quarter of a million people have already voted. And according to MSNBC, 60% of early voters have been registered Democrats to just 20% Republicans. A group of NCCU college students even camped out over night so that they could be the first Obama supporters to vote in the state! Read more early vote stories. This Week: Call Voters in Battleground States
The Neighbor to Neighbor calling tool lets you tap into the power of this grassroots movement right from your home. You can call potential supporters in your state, or in a crucial battleground state. In some states, you can even do women-to-women calling! There is lots of work ahead in the next 13 days. Watch Michelle Obama talk to a crowd in Rochester, MN, about what we all must do and why we must keep working for these last two weeks.
OPINIONS & ENDORSEMENTS
I Would Work To Help Working Families and Military Families
By Michelle Obama
October 17th, 2008
U.S. News and World Report A few weeks ago at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, I shared with the nation some of the many reasons why I believe my husband will be an extraordinary president. It was the biggest speech I'd ever given. When I was finished, I headed backstage with my daughters. They turned to me, breathless with excitement. "Mom," Malia, our 10-year-old, said. "We have something important to tell you. We need to have a sleepover!" That snapped me out of speech mode, with the bright lights and applause, and back into the role I love: Mom. Read the rest of Michelle's op-ed. Obama, Biden are Leaders in Fight vs. Domestic Violence
By Judy Gold
October 21st, 2008
Chicago Sun-Times
Here in Illinois, our state law provides one of the most comprehensive remedies in the country for survivors of gender-based violence. That is in no small part due to Sen. Joe Biden, who was the architect of the federal Violence Against Women Act. That law paved the way for the development of the Illinois Gender Violence Act, which then-state Sen.Barack Obama helped pass. Obama also was the lead co-sponsor of legislation to ensure that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Illinois could seek treatment and care without losing their jobs.
Obama and Biden understand that every law enforcement system, federal and state, needs instruction and resources to stop this war at home. That phrase is no exaggeration. One in five women will experience domestic violence at some time in her life, and one in four women will be sexually assaulted. When children witness or experience violence in the home, it normalizes violence for the rest of their lives. The terrible truth is: Violence at home makes violence feel like home.
Read the rest of Judy's editorial.
Obama is the Way Forward for Women
By Catherine Mackinnon
October 21st, 2008
Wall Street Journal Women are at a crossroads in our struggle for legal equality as a means to social equality. Having women in politics matters, but it is crucial to have the policies women need. At this moment we risk losing ground gained, but we also have the opportunity to advance. At stake in this presidential election are the federal courts. Despite inroads, women's status remains characterized by sex-based poverty and impunity for sexual abuse from childhood on. The next president will appoint scores of lower court federal judges who will have the last word in most cases. One, perhaps three, justices may be named to a Supreme Court that in recent years has decided many cases of importance to women by just one vote. Equality can be promoted in employment, education, reproductive rights and in ending violence against women -- or not. Read the rest of the article. 26 Papers That Backed Bush in 2004 Move to Obama
By Dexter Hill
October 21st, 2008
Editor & Publisher NEW YORK -- Taking a look at our daily endorsement tally so far (see link below), the Obama-Biden ticket has a hefty lead in both total newspapers and total circulation. But another figure that favors the Democratic candidates is the number of newspapers that have endorsed Sen. Obama despite supporting President Bush's reelection in 2004. At least twenty-six newspapers have switched their support to the Democrat, while only four newspapers (all in the South) endorsing Sen. McCain supported John Kerry in 2004. In California alone, the Obama-Biden ticket picked-up six newspapers that endorsed President Bush in 2004. He also gained a few papers, such as the Los Angeles Times and Cleveland's Plain Dealer that did not endorse either candidate in 2004. Our full tally of all endorsements, with Obama ahead by about 115 to 40, updated Monday. Read more and see a full list of editorial endorsements.
ON THE AIRWAVES
Watch Our New Ads
Watch our new ad "Not Us' about the choice for women in this election. Also see an ad on Barack's mother's struggle with health care coverage, "Mother."
WHAT YOU CAN DO IN THE FINAL STRETCH
- Forward this email to your friends, family, and neighbors. Let everyone know how this campaign is affecting women and what they can do to help elect Barack Obama in the final weeks before Election Day.
- If you live in a non-battleground state, travel to a battleground state. You can make a key difference where Barack needs you most. Visit our Drive for Change site where you can get travel details, sign up to volunteer, and find organized trips from your area.
- Visit our website at Women.BarackObama.com
- Encourage friends and family to sign up for our newsletter and updates at my.barackobama.com/WFOsignup
- Join our Women for Obama MyBO group today.
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