Rock & Roll White House?

Could we have our first ever inaugural featuring a face melting guitar solo?
(Like the one's you get from Nels Cline of the best damned rock & roll band in America, Wilco)

Well, now there's hope

Yup, we did

This says it

Thanks to Ellen George for sending this along. After reading the paper this morning —I think we really needed this.

I got an email this morning from a "concerned citizen" who wanted me to know that Barack Obama would give Mohammed Atta a driver's license.

It's becoming a lot plainer isn't it? What we're deciding between in this election is something very fundamental about how define this country. It sounds corny but it really is our decision —whether we take ourselves to represent hope —or fear.

TD

OK, so he's not from Holliston, but he's still The Boss: A message from Bruce Springsteen

I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real: opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities, the distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising.

It's called common sense, pass it on

Send this link to a friend or a family member who is still undecided!

It's called common sense, pass it on

Watch this and pass it on

Send this link to someone you know

40 Days To Do Something

Just one small act every day WILL make a difference!
Find your place and feel proud to be an active part of the process.



• Remember every vote counts

• Make sure everyone you know is registered to vote.

• Convince someone of the importance of voting.

• Learn talking points: Obama's platform, issues important to you.

• Log onto hollistonhoping.blogspot.com

• Host an "Obama for President" house party.

• Organize letter writing to a battleground state.

• Fight cynicism at every turn.

• Tell first time voters about the importance of voting.

• Ask an undecided voter to watch a debate with you.

• Make sure you are registered to vote.

• Think about how you might respond to someone who says

"I just couldn't vote for a black man for president."

• Get info about absentee ballots to college students.

• Call all friends and family in swing states for a talk.

• Think about what is at stake here.

• Stay informed on the issues.

• Keep talking —at dinner, the grocery store, school events.

• Contact an elderly or disabled neighbor, offer a ride to the polls.

• Get in touch with local organizers to help on election day.

• Visit http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/actioncenter

for more things to do and links to helpful tools.

This is what this about

This is how we make it happen

Kiss George Goodbye

Saturday evening, September 13th at 7:00 PM at the Holliston Upper Town Hall folks from throughout the Metrowest area will be gathering for “Kiss George Goodbye” —a night of good food, music and conversation. And politics.

Alas, this isn’t the first “Kiss George Goodbye” event. It was four years ago when a bunch of us first got together with the idea of an event —a hopeful celebration— in celebration of the idea of bidding adieu to the 43rd President of the United States. Then, like now, we had a number of people together who were disturbed by the notion of a leader who would start a war on false pretenses, one who would demean the nation’s standing in the world with abusive and unlawful treatment of her prisoners overseas and invasive unconstitutional scrutiny of her own citizens at home, one who would deride dissent as unpatriotic on the one hand and cite shopping as one’s highest duty on the other, one who would advance economic policy so plainly favoring and rewarding power and wealth —with more power and wealth.

The notion of the first “Kiss George Goodbye” was to send George Bush “home to Texas” —there was even a suitcase we packed for him—while raising funds for John Kerry’s campaign to replace him.

We all know how that played out.

Four more years have come and gone. Four more years of war, no closer to detaining the actual culprits of 9/11. Four years where the tactical gains of ‘the surge” in Iraq were supposed to suffice while the strategic goals languish unmet and unattended. For years of the misspent “political capital” of privitzation given way to a worried shrugs in the face of foreclosures and a collapsing credit culture —some of our own spare change as “incentive” to —once again— go shopping.

So it’s time to “Kiss George Goodbye” once again. But maybe we’ve learned something since the first time we tried. Maybe there’s a way to change the results in this election, but also to change the way we get there. After the last presidential election, after we were done biting our own hands and sobbing into pillows, we got together and talked about what we could do to counter that feeling of having simply lost the contest —and the heart of our country. We kept together our small community of activists and formed Sparks! a group focused on progressive causes and a better politics. Over the next four years we put together a film and discussion series, we canvassed and campaigned for progressive politicians, we gave voice to continuing consciousness about the war and we coupled that with meaningful support for veterans and those serving overseas.

We might not have changed the world, but we tried. And we’ve enjoyed trying, too.

That’s where we hope to rejoin the effort Saturday night with Kiss George Goodbye (Revisited). This year it seems every bit as challenging as the first time we tried it. We’re certain George Bush is leaving office this time (relatively certain) but it’s not entirely clear the policies are going to change. John McCain insists we congratulate him for how well the surge he called for worked, yet success somehow still doesn’t translate to our soldiers coming home. The social issue hot buttons seem hot wired again —and the economy? Well, it’s still the economy, stupid.

We do have reason to hope, though. Barack Obama has distinguished himself over these same past four years, with a message eloquently delivered, but also with a demonstrated ability to listen. That message is that government can be understood as our own sense of responsibility to each other put in action, that government really should be all about community organizing after all (no matter what Sarah Palin might say about it).

That’s the spirit of the gathering we have planned for this coming Saturday night. It’s about just one community coming together and looking forward hopefully, as much as it looks back ruefully. Studio portrait photographer Jeff Noble will be on hand to offer his wonderful joyful eye, once again. Some may remember his family portraits at our Homefront event, how they captured that spirit, that coming together —the joy of it. We hope to raise funds for Barack Obama’s campaign. We hope to help people interested to meet and network with others involved in the campaign. And we hope to have a good time doing it.

There are 52 days left after this Saturday. 52 days until the country decides. Come on out to “Kiss George Goodbye” It’s actually not about “George” or “Goodbye.” It’s about what we do those 52 days and, hopefully, about what comes next.

“Kiss George Goodbye” is Saturday, September 13 and starts at 7:00 PM at Holliston’s Upper Town Hall 703 Washington Street (Rte 16) Holliston, MA. A contribution of $20 at the door is suggested.