Tag Archives: New England Steering Committee

Feb 11 2012

NESC Weekly Update February 10th, 2012

Dear New England Steering Committee,
We hope everyone had a great week. We have a lot of exciting events coming up so please check out our events list and let us know how you would like to be involved.

Steering Committee Meeting
Our next Steering Committee Meeting will be on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at The Law Offices of Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA, Room 16A. Bring a friend to the meeting next week to get involved!

Talking Points

Job Growth

Romney – Washington Outsider

OFA Super Pac Decision

GOP Nevada Primary

Contraception Ruling

Have a great weekend,

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel


Jan 29 2012

Host Committee for First Lady Event – meeting on Friday

Our first host committee meeting will take place this coming Friday, February 3, 2012  from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. at the Law Offices of Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA, Room 13A
The New England Steering Committee will hold it’s meeting from 8:30-9:30 that same morning,  also at Foley – Room 13M -
we encourage those who can make it to attend both meetings.
Jan 27 2012

NESC Weekly Update

Obama for America

Dear New England Steering Committee,

Happy Friday! We hope you all had a great week. A reminder to buy your tickets to Chefs for Obama taking place this Tuesday, January 31st at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets please click here.

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING
Our next Steering Committee Meeting will be on Friday, February 3, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. at The Law Offices of Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Blvd, Boston, MA, Room 13M.

RUNWAY TO WIN
On Tuesday, February 7th Obama Victory Fund will be launching Runway to Win – A project by fashion designers in support of Obama 2012. To view and pre-order designs please click hereor go to barackobama.com. To help launch the store there will be a cocktail party hosted by Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour on February 7th at 6:00 p.m. in New York City. Please click hereto view the invitation.

STATE OF THE UNION
In case you missed it, President Obama gave his third State of the Union address Tuesday night. If you have not had the chance to see it, we encourage you to use the links below and watch the speech in full.

Full Speech
Highlights
Transcript

Please see below for a list of all upcoming regional and national events.

Have a great week and Gooooo Patriots!

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

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NEW ENGLAND EVENTS CALENDAR
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Chefs for Obama – January 31, 2012
Time: 6:30 PM
Location:  The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts
Tickets:
$1,000 host (raise/write) – includes pre-reception with Chefs
$500 per individual – includes chef’s cookbook
(Entry to event is automatically entered into a drawing to judge the competition)
$250 per individual – General Admission
RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/chefsforobamacookingcompetition
For more information please e-mail Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.com

Roundtable with Vice President Joe Biden – February 13, 2012
Boston, MA
$10,000 per person
Contact Justin Brennan at jbrennan@barackobama.comfor more information.

Newton for Obama Reception with Diane Patrick – February 23, 2012
Newton, MA
https://my.barackobama.com/february23newtonreception
Tickets: $1,000 (Host)/$500/$200/$44 (Gen44)
Contact Ryan Fleury at Rfleury@barackobama.comto join the host committee.

Yo-Yo MA Concert - March 29, 2012
Newton, MA
https://my.barackobama.com/march29yoyomaconcert
Tickets: $10,00 (Host)/$2,500/1,500 (limited)
Contact Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.com for more information.

SAVE THE DATE: First Lady Michelle Obama in Boston – March 9, 2012
Details coming soon!

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Out of Region Events
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President Barack Obama

January 31, 2012
President Barack Obama
Washington, DC
Staff Contact: Andrew Wright and Eric Feigenbaum

February 3, 2012
President Barack Obama
Washington, DC
Staff Contact: Ari Koban

February 9, 2012
President Barack Obama
A Small Dinner with President Barack Obama
Constituency Focused: LGBT
The Home of Karen K. Dixon & Dr. Nan Schaffer
Washington, DC
Address provided upon RSVP
$35,800.00 per person
$71,600.00 per couple
Space is limited
Staff Contact: Jamie Citron and Aditi Hardikar

First Lady Michelle Obama

January 31, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama
Cocktail Reception
The Honorable Nicole Avant and Ted Sarandos
Beverly Hills, CA
Address provided upon RSVP
$5,000.00 per person: General Reception
$10,000.00 per person: General Reception & Photo Reception
$35,800.00 host couple: Greeting, General Reception & Photo Reception

February 1, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama
Southern California Women for Obama Luncheon
The Home of Mattie McFadden-Lawson and Michael Lawson
Los Angeles, CA
Address provided upon RSVP
$1,000.00 per person: Luncheon
$10,000.00 per couple: Luncheon & Photo Reception
$35,800.00 host couple: Luncheon, Photo Reception & Clutch
Staff Contact: Adia Smith and Lindsay Rachelefsky
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News Articles
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The State of the Union in 2012
New York Times // Editorial
A year ago, after the last State of the Union address, we applauded President Obama for challenging the Republicans’ blame-government, slash-and-burn rhetoric. He explained why Washington must do more to help put millions of struggling people back to work and why any credible plan to wrestle down the deficit must include the wealthy paying a fairer share of taxes.

‘US determined to prevent nuclear-armed Iran’
Jerusalem Post
The United States is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and will take “no options off the table” to achieve that goal, US President Barack Obama warned in his State of the Union address on Tuesday. Obama said a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear dispute is still possible if Iran changes course and meets international obligations.  In a speech largely devoted to the US economy, the US President voiced his commitment to Israel’s security.

Obama urges tougher laws on financial fraud
New York Times // Edward Wyatt
WASHINGTON — President Obamacalled on Congress Tuesday to toughen laws against securities fraud and to strengthen the ability of the Securities and Exchange Commissionto punish Wall Street firms that repeatedly violate antifraud statutes.   In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama also said he would ask the attorney general to establish a special financial crimes unit to prosecute cases of large-scale financial fraud.

Obama administration unveils new plan for national forests
Los Angeles Times
New guidelines to manage some 193 million acres of national forest lands will focus on protecting watersheds and wildlife and will require a tougher scientific standard in balancing the competing demands of industry and conservation groups, the Obama administration announced on Thursday. The guidelines, known as a forest planning rule, were unveiled during a telephone news conference by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. The planning rule will replace the old framework, which has been the center of legal battles for years.

Boehner: Policies President Obama is running on ‘almost un-American’
CNN // Candy Crowley and Dana Bash
House Speaker John Boehner Tuesday forcefully denounced the Democrats’ campaign theme that they are for the middle class and Republicans are for the wealthy – saying the policies the president is running on are “almost un-American.”"This is a president who said I’m not going to be a divider, I’m going to be a uniter, and running on the policies of division and envy is – to me it’s almost un-American,” said Boehner.
Gingrich Leading as Fight Intensifies
Wall Street Journal // Neil King, Jr.
Newt Gingrich is outpacing Mitt Romney among Republican voters nationwide, but he also is showing evidence of the vulnerabilities that could hurt the former House speaker in a general election, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll. With the two rivals fighting it out in Florida after Mr. Gingrich’s big South Carolina victory last week, the poll found Republicans nationwide favoring Mr. Gingrich 37% to 28% over Mr. Romney. GOP voters gave the former House speaker high marks for knowledge and experience, while they continued to harbor doubts about Mr. Romney’s positions on the issues and his feel for average Americans.

Gingrich is Obama’s best surrogate
Washington Post // Dana Milbank
The most important figure in Tuesday night’s State of the Union addresswasn’t on the House floor. In fact, he hasn’t taken a seat in front of the chamber in 13 years. But as he campaigned for the Republican presidential nomination in Florida, former House speaker Newt Gingrich was doing more to boost President Obama’s reelection prospects than anything Obama himself could do. While Obama was using the speechto portray the Republicans as plutocrats, Gingrich was doing all he could to prove the caricature true.

Republican debate in Florida: GOP makes Obama look good
Politico // Roger Simon
The Republican field debated for the 19th time Thursday night and, once again, the media promised us it was going to be a “make or break” event. Don’t believe the media.  The media say the debates have been the most critical factor in the nominating race so far because the media have been forced to watch them all. And take notes. And write stories.

Greed is good? The GOP seems to be okay with that.
Washington Post // Eugene Robinson
If you heard a loud “gulp” Tuesday night after President Obama’s State of the Union address, it probably came from Republican political strategists as they realized their party’s odds of capturing the White House this fall are getting longer. Obama may be no Ronald Reagan, but he’s no Jimmy Carter, either. The obligatory list of accomplishments and initiatives was embellished with bits and pieces of what will likely be Obama’s standard campaign speech. At the heart of his argument for a second term is his assertion that the American dream of upward mobility has been hijacked — that the rich and the powerful have rigged our economic and political systems to favor their interests over those of the average citizen.

Paid for by Obama for America

Jan 21 2012

NESC Weekly Update

Obama for America
NESC Weekly Update
January 20, 2012 Dear New England Steering Committee,
We hope everyone had a great week! Thank you for everyone who attended and participated in today’s Steering Committee Meeting. Please click here for the 2012 meeting schedule.

CALL NIGHT
We will be holding a call night Wednesday, January 25th at the Massachusetts Democratic Party Office located at 77 Summer Street, 10th Floor, Boston, MA 02111 to help spread the word and sell tickets for our upcoming Chefs for Obama event. Please sign up for a shift (5-6 p.m., 6-7 p.m., 7-8 p.m.) by emailing Ryan Fleury at Rfleury@barackobama.com. If you are not available to attend call night but would still like to make phone calls, please email rfleury@barackobama.com.    

RUNWAY TO WIN
On Tuesday, February 7th Obama Victory Fund will be launching Runway to Win – A project by fashion designers in support of Obama 2012. To view and pre-order designs please click here or go to barackobama.com. To help launch the store there will be a cocktail party hosted by Scarlett Johansson and Anna Wintour on February 7th at 6:00 p.m. in New York City. Please click here to view the invitation.

Don’t forget to watch the State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 24th. Click here to find a watch party near you.         

Please see below for a list of all upcoming regional and national events.    

Go Patriots!!!

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

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News Articles
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How Obama’s Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics
Daily Beast // Andrew Sullivan
You hear it everywhere. Democrats are disappointed in the president. Independents have soured even more. Republicans have worked themselves up into an apocalyptic fervor. And, yes, this is not exactly unusual.  A president in the last year of his first term will always get attacked mercilessly by his partisan opponents, and also, often, by the feistier members of his base.

Taxes at the Top

New York Times ByPAUL KRUGMAN

Call me peculiar, but I’m actually enjoying the spectacle of Mitt Romney doing the Dance of the Seven Veils — partly out of voyeurism, of course, but also because it’s about time that we had this discussion.

The Wealth Issue

New York Times By DAVID BROOKS

Mitt Romney is a rich man, but is Mitt Romney’s character formed by his wealth? Is Romney a spoiled, cosseted character? Has he been corrupted by ease and luxury? The notion is preposterous. All his life, Romney has been a worker and a grinder. He earned two degrees at Harvard simultaneously (in law and business). He built a business. He’s persevered year after year, amid defeat after defeat, to build a political career.

The following is from “The Week,” a weekly journal that is neither liberal nor conservative. They quoted several respected foreign newspapers regarding US GOP politics: (Hat tip: Bonnie Porta)

THE GERMAN PRESS
The Republican presidential contest in America is a “freak show,” said Marc Pitzke in the German Der Spiegel. The candidates vie with one another to spew the most outrageous hard-right positions, denying evolution while endorsing torture and joking about electrocuting illegal immigrants. How did a major party in the world’’s sole superpower become a “club of liars, debtors, betrayers, adulterers, exaggerators, hypocrites, and ignoramuses?” These know-nothings are enabled by a U.S. press that has been “neutered by the demands of political correctness” so that it can’’t say what’s obvious: These people are daft! Instead, it “proclaims one clown after the next to be the new front-runner.” The current favorite, Newt Gingrich, is actually considered an intellectual merely because he can create sentences with multiple clauses. Scarcely a one has even the most basic grasp of foreign policy. One said Africa is a country, another that the Taliban rule in Libya . Collectively, “they expose a political, economic, geographic, and historical ignorance that makes George W. Bush look like a scholar.”

THE FRENCH PRESS
That’’s the scariest part, said Lorraine Millot in the Paris Liberation. The only GOP candidate who knows a thing about diplomacy, Jon Huntsman, is dead last in most polls. The others “careen to extreme positions that include starting new wars and abandoning old allies.” And that’’s when they even have a position. Herman Cain, now thankfully out of the race, was the front-runner even though he couldn’’t find a single coherent word to say about President Obama’’s policy on  Libya . He even boasted of knowing little about foreign countries. And yet it was his adultery, not his astounding ignorance that brought him down.

THE BRITISH PRESS
There’’s a simple explanation for this bizarre phenomenon, said Max Hastings in the London Daily Mail. In the “lunatic, gun-toting badlands of America’’s Hicksville, Tea Party country,” it’’s considered suspiciously elitist to show any interest in modern science or the world beyond America ’’s borders. “Say what you like about British politics, no MP of any party would dare to offer themselves as town dogcatcher while knowing as little about the world as the Republican presidential candidates.” We take public service seriously. Yet we in Britain , and everyone in the rest of the world, will suffer if “one of the lunatics” vying for the nomination makes it to the White House. “The American political system has seldom, if ever, looked so inadequate.”
Don’t worry, said Matthew Norman in the London Independent. The fact that Gingrich is the latest threat to Mitt Romney’’s inevitability just “confirms how inevitable” Romney’’s nomination is. The thrice-married, ethically challenged Gingrich is unlikable in the extreme. Which means the nominee will be Romney, “the slimiest, phoniest opportunist to run for president since…well, ever.” So sit back and enjoy this circus passing for a presidential election. It can’’t possibly end in a GOP victory. Can it?
Jan 6 2012

NESC Weekly Update

Obama for America
NESC Weekly UpdateJanuary 6, 2012
Dear New England Steering Committee,

Happy 2012! Thank you to everyone who joined us at today’s Steering Committee Meeting. Please click here for the complete schedule of our future meetings. Also, thank you to everyone who attended our Iowa Caucus Watch Party at Del Frisco’s on Tuesday night. A big congratulation goes to Larry Drake who won first place in our Iowa Caucus Prediction contest!

Election year is underway and we hope you will help us hit the ground running. Please see below for a list of upcoming events and let us know how you would like to be involved.

Talking Points

Talking Points: Romney’s Jobs Claims Debunked

Organizing for America

OFA-MA will be organizing events across MA to support Barack Obama in the January 10th, 2012 NH primary.

January 7th and 8th:  At 10am there will be cars heading from MA to NH to knock on doors.  We will be meeting in Boston in the Bed, Bath and Beyond parking at Fenway Station.
Sign up here for January 7th: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/canvass/gpzw5b
Sign up here for January 8th:  https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpzw5b

January 10th:  There will be events starting at 8am and 11:00am starting in MA and going to NH.  There will also be phonebanks throughout the day.  To meet at the Bed, Bath and Beyond parking in Fenway Station at 8:00am RSVP here:  https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gpzw5b

To look for other event locations, click here: https://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple?source=primary-nav

See you soon,

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

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NEW ENGLAND EVENTS CALENDAR
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Chefs for Obama – January 31, 2012
Time: 6:30 PM
Location:  The Cyclorama at the Boston Center for the Arts
Tickets:
$1,000 host (raise/write) – includes pre-reception with Chefs
$500 per individual – includes chef’s cookbook
(Entry to event is automatically entered into a drawing to judge the competition)
$250 per individual – General Admission
RSVP: http://my.barackobama.com/chefsforobamacookingcompetition
For more information please e-mail Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.com

Save the Date: Roundtable with Vice President Joe Biden – February 13, 2012
Boston, MA
$10,000 per person
Contact Justin Brennan at jbrennan@barackobama.com for more information.

Newton for Obama Reception with Diane Patrick – February 23, 2012
Newton, MA
https://my.barackobama.com/february23newtonreception
Tickets: $1,000 (Host)/$500/$200/$44
Contact Ryan Fleury at Rfleury@barackobama.com to join the host committee.

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News Articles
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Re-election

Obama Campaign Teams in Early States Dwarf Republican Operations
Bloomberg // Kate Andersen Brower
The biggest presidential primary campaign team in New Hampshire is tucked on a Manchester side street inside a four-story brick building and it belongs to the best-financed candidate seeking nomination: President Barack Obama. The office is one of seven in the state and his re-election campaign has about 20 paid employees. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, the two front-runners in the Republican presidential primary after they emerged first and second in the Iowa caucuses, each have one office. Romney has nine paid staffers in the state and Santorum has eight.

Obama announces new, leaner military approach
The Washington Post // Craig Whitlock and Greg Jaffe
The U.S. military will steadily shrink the Army and Marine Corps, reduce forces in Europe and probably make further cuts to the nation’s nuclear arsenal, the Obama administration said Thursday in a preview of how it intends to reshape the armed forces after a decade of war. The downsizing of the Pentagon, prompted by the country’s dire fiscal problems, means that the military will depend more on coalitions with allies and avoid the large-scale counterinsurgency and nation-building operations that have marked the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Donors, Secrecy and That Loophole
The New York Times // Editorial
The Federal Election Commission ended another abysmal year with its three Republican commissioners blocking an attempt to unmask the secret donors flooding the 2012 hustings with unlimited special-interest money. The three Democratic commissioners favored closing an F.E.C. loophole from 2007 that requires disclosure only if a donor’s stated “purpose” is to electioneer — as if any would-be secret donor would admit that. It has been particularly exploited in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, which allows corporations, unions and other heavy hitters to spend unlimited amounts.

Report says global climate deal hinges on Obama reelection
The Hill // Ben Geman
Prospects for striking a binding global climate deal by 2015 are probably toast if President Obama loses in November.  That’s among the conclusions in a wide-ranging new climate and green energy outlook from banking giant HSBC’s research branch.

Positive Signs for Jobs Market
The Wall Street Journal // Eric Morath and Luca Di Leo
Fewer people sought new unemployment benefits in the U.S. last week, further signaling that the labor market began to stabilize as 2011 drew to a close.  Separately, the private sector added a white-hot 325,000 jobs in December, according to Automatic Data Processing’s monthly hiring report.

Globe v. Herald

Caucuses give lift to Obama’s campaign
Boston Globe // Bobby Calvan
Democrats in Iowa delivered President Obama a resounding vote of confidence yesterday, gathering for caucuses that provided an opportunity for Democrats to test their ability to mobilize the party faithful. Overshadowed by caucuses being held by Republicans, Democrats assembled across the state in groups big and small, hoping to rally the troops for Obama as he sows support among Iowa’s 2.1 million voters, including 780,000 independents.

Voters make Obama the real loser in Iowa
Boston Herald // Joe Battenfeld
Mitt Romney’s strong showing in the heartland last night is not only a boost for his campaign, but bad news for the man he’s trying to replace: President Obama. Romney may not emerge from the Children of the Corn caucus as the winner, but Iowa was no field of dreams for Obama, either. Obama’s biggest nightmare was a clear victory for the former Massachusetts governor, who early results showed was in a tight, three-way battle with Ron Paul and Rick Santorum.

GOP

Romney goes to heck
Politico // Roger Simon
For Mitt Romney, it was the event from hell. Or from heck, since Mitt Romney does not use words like hell. Or any of the other bad words that any other candidate might have used after this event on the day following his narrow victory in the Iowa caucuses. Let’s start with the mic check, that part of an event when a staffer comes out, pings his finger against the microphone and says, “Testing. Testing. One, two, three.”

Romney and Santorum demonstrate hugely different bases of support
The Washington Post // Aaron Blake
Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum wound up in a virtual tie in the Iowa caucuses on Tuesday. And they did it from extremely different bases of support. While Santorum relied on very conservative voters, born-again Christians, and social and moral conservatives, Romney relied on voters who were most concerned about the economy, who just want to beat President Obama, and those who don’t identify as born-agains. And the difference, in almost every case, was stark.

Here’s What Romney’s Unreleased Tax Returns Almost Certainly Hide
Talking Points Memo // Brian Beutler
Mitt Romney still says he’s unlikely to publicly release his tax information, even if he clinches the Republican presidential nomination, and Democrats have a pretty good idea why. Romney is a privileged poster child for the “Buffett Rule” — President Obama’s principle that the tax code should make it impossible for a person of great wealth to pay a lower share of their income in taxes as than ordinary people. The DNC knows it, policy wonks know it, Romney certainly knows it. But the reasons why are technical and illustrate just how different Romney is from the vast majority of Americans who will cast votes for him — in either the GOP primary or the general election.

Mitt Romney is stumped on differences between Rick Santorum and him
Boston Globe // Shira Schoenberg
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, after winning the Iowa caucuses last night with just eight votes more than former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, showed today how unexpected an opponent Santorum is.  Asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” for two issues where Romney and Santorum differ, Romney couldn’t name one. “We really haven’t had much opportunity to get to know Rick Santorum on the issues,” Romney said. “Over the past several months, our efforts been focused on comparing and contrasting with Speaker [Newt] Gingrich, with Rick Perry, with Herman Cain. These are the guys who have led in the polls.”

Kamikaze Newt: Trying to Win, or Out for Revenge?
ABC News // Rick Klein
The much-awaited first Newt Gingrich attack ad on Mitt Romney is out, blasting Romney as “timid” when it comes to creating jobs.  But here’s the thing about that ad: It’s timid. It quotes a Wall Street Journal editorial, but uses none of the most damaging details and footage from Romney’s past, parts of Romney’s past he himself has, remarkably, managed not to have to face directly from his rivals this election cycle.
Paid for by Obama for America
Nov 11 2011

NESC Weekly Update

Obama for America
NESC Weekly Update
November 11, 2011
New England Steering Committee,Happy Veterans Day! We hope everyone had a great week. Thank you to everyone who came out to The Beehive last Sunday to help us celebrate one year out from Election Day. We had a great crowd that was energized by the sentiments and presence of Governor Deval Patrick, Senior Aide to the President Pete Rouse, and National Finance Director Rufus Gifford.

Please join us next Friday, November 18, 2011 for a New England Steering Committee Meeting with Steve Kerrigan, CEO of the DNCC. The meeting will be held at the Law Offices of Foley Hoag located at 155 Seaport Blvd, World Trade Center West, Room 13M, Boston, MA, 8:30AM.

If you are not able to attend this meeting in person please join us over the phone by using the following conference line:

Call In Number: (877) 867-8879 (877) 867-8879″ alt=”" />
Passcode: 617-988-3513

News from Washington

As you have probably heard, the Obama Administration has announced that they will take more time to ensure a fully informed decision is made on the Keystone XL pipeline – a proposed pipeline project that would run from Alberta to the Gulf Coast.

President Obama released the following statement:“I support the State Department’s announcement today regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal.  Because this decision could affect the health and safety of the American people as well as the environment, and because a number of concerns have been raised through a public process, we should take the time to ensure that all questions are properly addressed and all the potential impacts are properly understood.  The final decision should be guided by an open, transparent process that is informed by the best available science and the voices of the American people.  At the same time, my administration will build on the unprecedented progress we’ve made towards strengthening our nation’s energy security, from responsibly expanding domestic oil and gas production to nearly doubling the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks, to continued progress in the development of a clean energy economy.”

Click here to read the State Department’s statement on this matter.

Please see below for a list of all upcoming regional and nation events.

See you soon,

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

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Strong Start
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Please use the links below to find out more about Strong Start and how to get involved:

Notes

PowerPoint

One pager

To contribute to building a Strong Start for the field operations in New Hampshire, please use this link http://my.barackobama.com/StrongStart-NESC
If you would like to have a personalized fundraising page set up please contact Justin Brennan at jbrennan@barackobama.com.

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NEW ENGLAND EVENTS CALENDAR
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David Axelrod – Monday, November 21, 2011
Boston, MA
Tickets: $10,000 per person
Contact Justin Brennan at jbrennan@barackobama.com for more information.

Dinner with Debbie Wasserman Schultz –  December 13, 2011
Boston, MA
Tickets: $2,500
Contact Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.com for more information.

Reception and Dinner with Governor Deval Patrick and President Barack Obama – December 14, 2011
Washington, DC
Tickets: $17,900 per person
Contact Kathy Gasperine at kgasperine@barackobama.comfor more information

Chefs for Obama – January 31, 2012
Boston, MA
Contact Ryan Fleury at rfleury@barackobama.com for more information.

OUT OF REGION UPCOMING FINANCE EVENTS

Upcoming Conferences 

November 16, 2011
Technology for Obama
Chicago, IL
Staff Contact: Jim Green

Surrogate Travel

November 15, 2011
David Plouffe
Columbus, OH
Staff Contact: Roz Skozen
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News Articles
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U.S. to Delay Decision on Pipeline Until After Election
The New York Times // John Broder and Dan Frosch
The Obama administration is preparing to delay a decision on the contested Keystone XL pipeline while it studies an alternate route, effectively pushing any action past the 2012 election, officials and lobbyists who have been briefed on the matter said on Thursday. An announcement is expected as early as Thursday afternoon. The proposed project by a Canadian pipeline company had put President Obama in a political vise, squeezed between demands for secure energy sources and the jobs the project will bring.

Ohio Vote Shows Obama Winning Back the Rust Belt
Daily Beast // Michael Tomasky
Barack Obama is winning the Rust Belt back. The overwhelming repeal in Ohio of Governor John Kasich’s anti-labor bill from last year shows that the GOP has gone way, way too far—too far for Democrats, obviously, but also for independents. It shows the potential for something else, too: the populist message can stick. “Class warfare” can work. It can take hold even with the people who allegedly despise our Kenyan leader the most: the white working class.

Why Barack Obama Has a Good Chance of Winning a Second Term
Larry Sabato’s Blog // Alan I. Abramowitz
According to the Time-for-Change forecasting model, which has correctly predicted the winner of the popular vote in every presidential election since 1988, Barack Obama has a good chance of winning a second term in the White House next November. The main reason for this is that the Democratic Party has only held the White House since 2008. That makes Obama a first-term incumbent, and first-term incumbents rarely lose.

Poll Finds Voters Deeply Torn
The Wall Street Journal // Jonathan Weisman
A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found an electorate that is convinced the country’s economic structures favor an affluent elite and is still deeply torn as to whether President Barack Obama or any of his leading Republican rivals can pull the nation out of decline. The survey has some good news for both Mr. Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is solidifying his support among Republicans who don’t identify with the tea-party movement.

Univision News poll: Obama holds advantage with Latino voters, leaving GOP with uphill battle
Univision // Matthew Jaffe and Jordan Fabian
Despite loud complaints from Latinos about high unemployment and unfulfilled campaign promises on immigration, President Obama is well situated to repeat his strong performance with Latino voters in 2012. Obama holds leads over the top three Republican presidential candidates in a new poll conducted by Latino Decisions for Univision News, with the president enjoying far wider advantages among Latino voters, an area of strength that could ultimately prove crucial come next year’s election.

Obama campaign seizes on Ohio labor victory to pummel Mitt Romney
The Washington Post // Greg Sargent
One thing that’s getting a bit lost in the noise: Mitt Romney, after some hemming and hawing, firmly came out for the anti-union law that went down to resounding defeat last night in Ohio. How much of a role will that play in the battle for Ohio, should Romney become the GOP nominee? The Obama campaign is now seizing on Romney’s embrace of Governor John Kasich’s law rolling back bargaining rights, and Ohioans’ strong rejecting of it yesterday, to underscore an emerging theme: Republicans don’t care about the “economic security of the middle class.” We’ll be hearing a lot of that phrase.

Affordable Health Care Act benefits NH families
The Citizen // Editorial
There is no question that the Affordable Care Act — often referred to contemptuously as “Obamacare” — has its flaws. The legislation should be reviewed and many of the provisions should be tweaked or eliminated. However, calls for its wholesale abandonment are unjustified and would hurt New Hampshire families, as a report issued last Thursday by Families USA confirms.

While N.H. eyes are on GOP candidates, Obama and Democrats work quietly
Boston Globe // Shira Schoenberg
While all eyes in New Hampshire are on the Republican presidential primary, the Democratic campaign apparatus of President Obama is quietly gearing up for the general election. Last weekend, Obama’s grassroots organization Organizing for America had staff and volunteers fan out across 20 cities and towns in the state, knocking on thousands of doors. With Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick in attendance, the campaign opened its first regional office, in Portsmouth, to complement its Concord headquarters.

Kaiser Health News on the Romney Preliminary Medicare Reform Proposal
National Review Online // Reihan Salam
Austin Frakt makes an important observation: Kaiser Health News, a source that many people rely on to understand health policy debates, has seriously misrepresented Mitt Romney’s Medicare reform proposal: Romney has promised that beneficiaries who like the current fee-for-service Medicare plan can opt for that instead of purchasing private insurance. But by giving beneficiaries a fixed amount of money to buy that government coverage, it is clear that Romney’s plan would move Medicare from a “defined benefit” program that pays a share of all medical bills a senior incurs.
‘Oops’ and a Long, Sad Pause at Debate When Perry Can’t Get to Three
The New York Times // Jeff Zeleny and Ashley Parker
Gov. Rick Perry of Texas arrived at the Republican presidential debate here on Wednesday night on a mission to get his candidacy back on track. The first hour passed without incident. The second hour did not. He emphatically declared that he planned to eliminate three government agencies in Washington. But as he began to explain, he could think of only two. “Commerce, Education,” Mr. Perry said before pausing for an uncomfortable moment as he looked from side to side, counting on his fingers and flipping through his notes.
Paid for by Obama for America
Nov 4 2011

NESC Weekly Update

NESC Weekly Update
November 4, 2011Thank you to everyone who came to the Steering Committee Meeting this morning with Obama for America Finance Director Rufus Gifford. As discussed at the meeting, this Sunday, November 6th, we will be celebrating ‘One Year Out’ from the 2012 election at The Beehive, 541 Tremont Street, Boston, MA.

We will be joined by Governor Deval Patrick, Special Counselor to the President Pete Rouse and Obama for American Finance Director Rufus Gifford. This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate what we have accomplished this year.

Please RSVP online by clicking here.

Ticket prices are $44 (gen 44 admission), $100 (general admission) and $750 (Host Committee Reception). **Please note the updated ticket prices**

As you know President Obama has been urging Congress to pass the America Jobs Act. Please click here to see slides on why we can’t wait.

See you soon,

Kathy, Justin, Ryan and Rachel

Oct 14 2011

News from the folks at NESC

$70M more for Obama cash stash
The Hill // Sam Youngman
Obama’s campaign noted the total was higher than the $55 million it had anticipated and came after the president was forced to cancel some fundraisers to work on debt-ceiling negotiations with congressional Republicans.  “We did more with less this quarter. We canceled a series of events over the summer as congressional negotiations were ongoing, and our supporters stepped up in their stead,” one campaign official said.  Republicans countered that the figures are no surprise. They said they always knew they would be running against a president with a huge campaign war chest who would also enjoy the advantages of incumbency.

Obama Re-Election Campaign Ahead of 2007-08 Fundraising Totals
Bloomberg // John McCormick and Jonathan Salant
President Barack Obama announced raising $42.8 million for his re-election from July through September, the fourth-largest fundraising quarter ever in a non- election year. Combined with $27.3 million for the Democratic National Committee, the Obama campaign operation took in $70 million in the last three months.

Enviros Make Keystone XL a Litmus Test for Obama’s Re-Election: Will it Work?
Reuters // Elizabeth McGowan
To hard-core environmentalists, the Obama administration’s upcoming decision on the fiercely debated Keystone XL oil sands pipeline is black and white. Say no to the Canada-to-Gulf Coast pipeline, they insist, or they won’t support Obama’s re-election bid. But judging the president’s performance through such a narrow prism could backfire and make these pipeline hardliners politically irrelevant, analysts say, especially when the economy is tanking.

Super PAC cash trickle down?
Politico // Robin Bravender and Anna Palmer
House leaders have jumped onto the super PAC bandwagon, but that doesn’t mean members of Congress are counting on a windfall. The Congressional Leadership Fund, supported by House Republican leaders, launched Thursday. It’s the latest in a crop of new Congress-focused spending committees supported by party leaders that can raise unlimited cash and spend on political advertising in an individual race, though it may not coordinate directly with a candidate.

Obama campaign hits Romney as flip-flopper
The Washington Post // David Nakamura
President Obama’s re-election campaign launched an opening attack on Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney on Wednesday, painting the former Massachusetts governor as a flip-flopper whose economic plans would harm the middle class. The criticism from senior campaign strategist David Axelrod was a tacit acknowledgment from the Obama camp that Romney is separating himself from the rest of the Republican field and represented an attempt to begin shaping a public counter-narrative about him.

Tea Party Express Launches New Ad Funded by 501(c)(4) That Hits Obama
Roll Call // Janie Lorber
The Tea Party Express is not about to miss the chance to tap donors who want to put unlimited sums of money behind conservative candidates so long as they can do it secretly. The group, which played a key role in fueling GOP primary upsets in the Delaware and Alaska Senate races in 2010, has set up a political nonprofit on top of its two existing political action committees.

NBC/WSJ poll: Despite defeat, Obama’s jobs bill is popular
NBC // Mark Murray
Even though the United States Senate on Tuesday blocked President Obama’s jobs bill, the legislation’s specifics — as well as the idea of taxing the wealthy to pay for it — are popular with the American public, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. When asked simply if Congress should pass the legislation or not, 30 percent of respondents answer yes, while 22 percent say no; 44 percent have no opinion.

FACT CHECK: Regulations not a huge jobs killer
The Associated Press // Calvin Woodward and Chris Rugaber
Is regulation strangling the American entrepreneur? Several Republican presidential candidates say so. The numbers don’t. The anti-regulatory fervor was in evidence Tuesday night in the latest GOP debate, but rhetorical flourishes, on that and other issues, masked far more complex realities.

Manufacturers See Less U.S. Recession Risk
Bloomberg // Anna-Louise Jackson and Anthony Feld
The U.S. manufacturing industry rebounded in September from its lowest level since December 2009, helping to defy concerns about a double-dip recession. The Credit Managers’ Manufacturing Index rose last month to 53.3 from 52.1 in August, as its gauge of sales jumped to the highest since April, according to the National Association of Credit Management’s monthly survey of 600 executives.

Messina: GOP suffocating economy
Politico // Glenn Thrush
In a major rhetorical escalation, President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign manager is accusing Senate Republicans of trying to keep unemployment high to benefit the GOP’s political fortunes. Jim Messina, in an email blast to Obama supporters, urged Democrats to flood Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s phone line ahead of tonight’s procedural vote on the president’s $447 billion jobs bill.

Why Obama’s Re-Election Chances Depend on Europe
TIME // Jay Newton-Small
Forget Mitt Romney or Rick Perry. Forget Occupy Wall Street, a government shutdown, a credit rating downgrade or even the Tea Party.  The biggest threat to President Obama’s re-election is Europe. Quite simply, Europe controls the fate of the global economy. As Obama himself said at his press conference last week: “The biggest headwind the American economy is facing right now is uncertainty about Europe, because it’s affecting global markets.”

May 22 2011

Day of Service at the Tobin School in Boston

by guest blogger – Barbara Weniger

On Saturday May 21st a gathering of volunteers came together at the Tobin School in Boston for a day of Community Service.  Three years ago President Obama called on all Americans to find projects in their own communities to get involved with and members of the New England Steering Committee and Women for Change have been volunteering at the Tobin School.  At 9 a.m. a group of us arrived and began working on clearing the grounds around the school and planting flowers and shrubs.  This seemingly small step does a lot just to enhance the experience of the students as they come and go to school each day.  Saturday was a nice cool day and with a large group of us helping it did not take long to get the job done.  There are so many ways we can each contribute to improving things and this is one of them.  When President Obama was in Boston on May 18th he spoke about how when the quality of life is improved for any one person it makes life better for all of us.  Thanks to everyone who helped at the Tobin School on Saturday!!