DEAR SISTER AND BROTHERS AND OTHERS

This Halloween it is most scary thinking that the Republicans could steal this election. I would have years of nightmares knowing that McCain and Palin would be in the White House. If that were the case we would need to find a super priest to do an exorcism for our country. YOU BETCHA …

Thus we need to get out the vote and keep the goblins and monsters at bay..

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.      Saldana sends a note

b.      Friends out campaigning

c.       Vote Republican?

d.      The bloody nose

———————————————————————————————-

Saldana’s note on Halloween and El Dia De Los Muertos  

Growing up Halloween was one of my favorite holidays because I loved having an excuse to dress up, but now it gets overshadowed with my celebration of el Dia de Los Muertos.  Precious and I began making an altar every year to celebrate her mother (who passed away when Precious was 10 or 11) and my grandparents.  Now, my Filipina sister is throwing her second annual Dia de los Muertos party–with an altar, potluck, and sugar skull making with all her hipster musician friends and college friends.  We all bring the favorite things of our beloved who have passed away, and try to bring their favorite food/drink for the potluck.  It is a beautiful celebration of death and life, mostly life.  Earlier that day, the Bailadores de Bronce will be dancing at the Seattle Center with our faces painted as skeletons, as part of the Dia de los Muertos celebration going on all weekend long.

Blessings from our ancestors,

Rebecca Saldana

“It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere.

But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. [God] gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth.  It is an awesome opportunity.”
-Cesar E. Chavez

Note: Rebecca who is one of my favorite community organizers in Seattle and she  went to hear me talk on last Saturday. It was then that  I discovered she is with child (as they say) and I am happy for her and her husband David. I also like the quote she uses from Cesar E. Chavez.

———————————————————————————————————

Friends Out Campaigning and telling the truth more than once…

Hi Leno,

My truck bumber has an Obama sticker on it and I’m wearing my shirt with great pride. Thanks for all the goodies. Kerrie and I will be spending a few hours this weekend at a phone bank calling Ohio.

Go Obama!

Rory Pendergast

Law student in San Diego

——-

Hi Leno,

Jim and I have been going door to door in our precinct to get out the vote, We will also be working on Tue. at the polls.

Si Se Puede

Martha and Jim Garcia

Oceano, California

 ——–

Hi Leno

This last month and a half has unfortunately turned into the disaster that I been worried about for several years. The other night I heard son of Galbraith, who is also an economist. He laid out a program based on NEW DEAL philosophy of how to get out of our current economic troubles and even then expected it to take 3-5 years for the country to recover. He also thinks that the US will recover faster than Europe.

All this bespeaks the need for an Obama victory who hopefully will follow this type of economic policy

Steve Abrams

New York City

———————————————————————————————————————–

Voting republican?????

          Yep…. reasons why you should vote republican!!!!

Click here: YouTube – I’m Voting Republican

www.ImVotingRepublican.com I’m Voting Republican is a satirical look at the likely outcome of another four years of you know what …

The BLOODY NOSE          

Early this morning I was at my computer when decided to blow my nose thinking I was coming down with a cold.. nope… all that came out was blood… and it did not stop for another five hours.. hmmmm? I wonder if I got into a fight during one of my dreams last night or if some one came in to my bed room and socked in the nose while I was asleep…

I never get bloody noses or headaches … so this was most interesting … I used to get bloody noses when I used to get beat up in my youth and that was never fun but at least you knew who socked or kicked you in the face. It is amazing that I survived all those beatings… One night me and two other guys kept going back to see our girl friends at a high school dance in Lamar a neighboring city  city and we got beat up three times in one night by the same guys because we kept going back trying to enter the dance.. .yep I felt a little macho …stupid, bloody but sort of macho… I should say that fighting is not a macho thing… it’s a dumb thing unless you are saving some ones life…

Looks like I got carried away with this bloody nose discussion …

My not so bloody nose best

leno

DEAR SISTER AND BROTHERS AND OTHERS

This Halloween it is most scary thinking that the Republicans could steal this election. I would have years of nightmares knowing that McCain and Palin would be in the White House. If that were the case we would need to find a super priest to do an exorcism for our country. YOU BETCHA …

Thus we need to get out the vote and keep the goblins and monsters at bay..

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.      Saldana sends a note

b.      Friends out campaigning

c.       Vote Republican?

d.      The bloody nose

———————————————————————————————-

Saldana’s note on Halloween and El Dia De Los Muertos  

Growing up Halloween was one of my favorite holidays because I loved having an excuse to dress up, but now it gets overshadowed with my celebration of el Dia de Los Muertos.  Precious and I began making an altar every year to celebrate her mother (who passed away when Precious was 10 or 11) and my grandparents.  Now, my Filipina sister is throwing her second annual Dia de los Muertos party–with an altar, potluck, and sugar skull making with all her hipster musician friends and college friends.  We all bring the favorite things of our beloved who have passed away, and try to bring their favorite food/drink for the potluck.  It is a beautiful celebration of death and life, mostly life.  Earlier that day, the Bailadores de Bronce will be dancing at the Seattle Center with our faces painted as skeletons, as part of the Dia de los Muertos celebration going on all weekend long.

Blessings from our ancestors,

Rebecca Saldana

“It is possible to become discouraged about the injustice we see everywhere.

But God did not promise us that the world would be humane and just. [God] gives us the gift of life and allows us to choose the way we will use our limited time on earth.  It is an awesome opportunity.”
-Cesar E. Chavez

Note: Rebecca who is one of my favorite community organizers in Seattle and she  went to hear me talk on last Saturday. It was then that  I discovered she is with child (as they say) and I am happy for her and her husband David. I also like the quote she uses from Cesar E. Chavez.

———————————————————————————————————

Friends Out Campaigning and telling the truth more than once…

Hi Leno,

My truck bumber has an Obama sticker on it and I’m wearing my shirt with great pride. Thanks for all the goodies. Kerrie and I will be spending a few hours this weekend at a phone bank calling Ohio.

Go Obama!

Rory Pendergast

Law student in San Diego

——-

Hi Leno,

Jim and I have been going door to door in our precinct to get out the vote, We will also be working on Tue. at the polls.

Si Se Puede

Martha and Jim Garcia

Oceano, California

 ——–

Hi Leno

This last month and a half has unfortunately turned into the disaster that I been worried about for several years. The other night I heard son of Galbraith, who is also an economist. He laid out a program based on NEW DEAL philosophy of how to get out of our current economic troubles and even then expected it to take 3-5 years for the country to recover. He also thinks that the US will recover faster than Europe.

All this bespeaks the need for an Obama victory who hopefully will follow this type of economic policy

Steve Abrams

New York City

———————————————————————————————————————–

Voting republican?????

          Yep…. reasons why you should vote republican!!!!

Click here: YouTube – I’m Voting Republican

www.ImVotingRepublican.com I’m Voting Republican is a satirical look at the likely outcome of another four years of you know what …

The BLOODY NOSE          

Early this morning I was at my computer when decided to blow my nose thinking I was coming down with a cold.. nope… all that came out was blood… and it did not stop for another five hours.. hmmmm? I wonder if I got into a fight during one of my dreams last night or if some one came in to my bed room and socked in the nose while I was asleep…

I never get bloody noses or headaches … so this was most interesting … I used to get bloody noses when I used to get beat up in my youth and that was never fun but at least you knew who socked or kicked you in the face. It is amazing that I survived all those beatings… One night me and two other guys kept going back to see our girl friends at a high school dance in Lamar a neighboring city  city and we got beat up three times in one night by the same guys because we kept going back trying to enter the dance.. .yep I felt a little macho …stupid, bloody but sort of macho… I should say that fighting is not a macho thing… it’s a dumb thing unless you are saving some ones life…

Looks like I got carried away with this bloody nose discussion …

My not so bloody nose best

leno

Dear Sisters and Brothers

Today I am worried about all the families who are losing their jobs, their homes and their security.  Families are being destroyed by this economic disaster and we must ensure that the new administration in Washington will focus in on all these families who need our support and help.  This economic condition makes me want to do even more to ensure the right people go to congress and the presidency.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.      Dia de los Muertos

b.      Russians making fun of Palin

c.       Save the date

d.      Many working for Obama

e.       Letter from Alex Sanchez

f.        Words from Obama

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS… DAY OF THE DEAD

On this weekend people in Mexico, Spain, USA and other places celebrate the dead on these days. In the church it is ALL SAINTS DAY…

We used to celebrate by going to the grave sites of our loved ones and cleaning the areas around the grave taking flowers and food and drink that the deceased loved. If it was a child you might take some of their toys.

After cleaning the grave site folks would sit around and eat and drink what they had brought and talk about their loved ones.

Today many of us don’t live in our original communities of birth and we have relatives spread out around the world. So we now design alters where we put the food, drink, pictures and special items on an Altar which we can have up for a month or longer.

This Saturday I will go to a DIA DE LOS MUERTOS event in Little Havana here in Miami and I will read a poem or two and will say a few words and eat and share my smile with others…

————————————————————————————————

EVEN THE RUSSIANS ARE MAKING FUN OF PALIN

            And it is funny

Take a look and enjoy

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/astral66/2008/10/you-know-its-bad-when-the-russ.php

SAVE THE DATE …Homies Unidos Dinner

            November 20^th in Los Angeles

MANY FRIENDS WORKING FOR OBAMA

            Every day I hear from friends who are working to get the vote out for Obama. Recently I heard from my good friend Palmira Figueroa of Seattle who is doing her part for the Campaign. Deborah Burr in Tallahassee is working with Labor to get out the vote.

Oops and I even have some friends working for McCain and knowing that makes me work even harder for the change we need.  Other friends like Maru Villapando also of Seattle who is working through their non profits in non partisan GOTV drives.

We need to turn out every voter… and if we do this Obama will win and when he wins

We win…..our communities win…

——————————————————————————————————

Hey Magdaleno,

Send this note to your people. please im getting hungry.

Alex Sanchez from Homies Unidos has been on a hunger strike for six days in La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles along with 35 other community leaders and immigration activist nine of them are going on their 14th day. Over all their has been 75 people who have fasted since October 15th. We seek to bring the immigration issue back to the table, we seek to have the deportations and immigration raids stopped legalization of our undocumented families and respect for human rights for those who are seeking asylum specially our youth who are being deported to countries where their human rights are being violated.

Please support our hunger strike by logging on to www.fastforourfuture.com and sign our pledge. Our goal is to get one million pledges. We wont stop this fast until we get them.
Call your congress people and demand that our immigrant families be legalized.

Please spread this e-mail

Come and visit us and give us support and bring ice and water

We have young students seeking opportunities through the Dream Act that will let them work once they get their degree

We have elders who have been in the struggle for decades

We have former gang members who understand first hand what it is to be deported and persecuted by Death Squads.

Si Se Puede!!!!!!!!!!

Yes We Can!!!!!!!!!

Love and Respect

Alex Sanchez

Homies Unidos

Executive Director

“Believe The Possibility Of A world Without Violence”

NOTE: I spoke with Alex via the telephone and he gave me an update on all their activities and how important the fast was for all those participating in this public action.

————————————————————————————————————

BARACK TELLS THE TRUTH AND IT IS POWERFULL

          Richmond, Virginia Rally

http://www.davidmixner.com/2008/10/barack-obama-richmonds-together-excerpt.html

ON THE GARDEN FRONT          

I just harvested my first jalapenos… some killer bugs attacked the tomato plants ..striping three of all their leaves …and then went on to attack the jalapeno plants.. so now I am fighting bugs and new low temperatures that have hit our area.. Last night it got to about 40 degrees, which is cold form Miami.

I will have to encourage the sun and hope that my pants don’t freeze and that the bugs stay away from them …I love my plants and spending time with them… they enjoy my talks and my jokes ..they grow better after one of my presentations…LOL

My best

leno

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS

TAMALES AND TEQUILA

I was in Seattle this past weekend to speak to the Latino Fund and share with them stories about people working together and local leadership.

While in the area I met with many friends.. went to Angela Ying’s New Bethany Church..and then snuck off to Bainbridge Island on a ferry to have Tamales and Tequila with friends Jackie, Shannon and Melinda.  And between Tamales we were able to talk politics and about our dreams of a better world.

I did not share my tamales with anyone… they were great

——————————————————————————–

NOW MY VIEW FOR THE NEWS

          a. 7 days

          b. don’t cry for me

          c. voto latino

          d. immigration

          e. calypso Obama

7 DAYS AND LOTS OF WORK TO BE DONE

We have seven days left to get out the vote.. and to let people know whom we are supporting and why. So please make your calls, send your emails…And wear you Obama gear.. buttons, hats, shirts and let them know that WE ARE THE CHANGE ….WE WERE WAITING FOR…

Don’t listen to the polls … while they look good for Obama the only one we want to count is the poll total on Nov. 4^th

So get busy

——————————————————————————————–

DON’T CRY FOR ME SARAH PALIN

Sent to Ahora by ALIREZA in Los Angeles

i laughed and sang along with this video .. so take a moment and enjoy…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fd-MVU4vtU

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Voto Latino video made me LAUGH.  http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44920573 I will send it to my Peace Corps friends and around to my family.  I know my PC friends will love it…  FYI  I sent in my absentee ballot — let’s hope this year they actually get counted!

carinos,

Kristina

IMMIGRATION SETTING UP FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIDS NATIONALLY

The DHS or the Dept. of Home Land Security is wanting to do another round of national sweeps and raids of local businesses.  This is a irresponsible act given the status of our economy. Small business does not need this nor do the immigrant workers.

We must forge a coalition with the businesses and speak out about these irrational raids. And together we must demand a moratorium of these raids.

———————————————————————————-

Calypso for OBAMA..

Great site with great songs of tribute to Obama

Listen to Sparrow. 

Here is a positive video tributed to BARACK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hkdrbxP8wI

Now share it with everyone you can.

 Cheers.

Prince R.A.Adegoke Fusigboye ( Cordinator-Global )

USA Spokesperson:Dorinda Moreno.

Spokesperson Spain Chapter:Oluwole P.Babalola

TINA FEY

I must admit that I have fallen in LOVE with Tina Fey who does a great Sarah Palin…Tina is great in this role and in many others that she has done on television and in movies.  Does Tina know that I am out here waiting for her Smile..????  LOL

My best

leno

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS..

YES… I know that I have been sending you a lot of information this week but it is all the important information that you will need during this most interesting time… I hope that you will send me news and interesting items that I should share with others.

Oh yes .. .Christy Rodriquez of Castle Rock, Colorado has also voted… the lines are long here in Florida for our early voting and it is exciting to get so many people voting early.

Did you see in the news that McCain finally attacked Bush and that the Bush people took a strong swipe back… nothing more interesting than watching republicans eating their own.

Someday I hope we can have less party politics and more idea politics… JUST A THOUGHT.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.      Neshoba … must see film

b.      Why do we kill

c.       Video from Israel

NESHOBA FLORIDA PREMIERE TO BE HELD AT

2008 FT. LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ft. Lauderdale, October 15, 2008  — NESHOBA, the documentary film that finally tells the true story behind the “Mississippi Burning” murders, will have its Florida premiere at this year’s Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.  NESHOBA is directed by Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano.  The premiere will be held at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6^th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, on Sunday, October 26th at 3:15 p.m.  Directors Dickoff and Pagano will attend the premiere.

“I’m excited the Florida premiere of Neshoba is here where I grew up and where my Mom and sister still live,” says Dickoff.  “My Dad grew up in a small Mississippi town, the only Jewish family there.  He knew discrimination.  He always wanted me to make this film.  I wish he were here to see it.”

Dickoff, an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, social activist and University of Florida “Alumna of Distinction,” was haunted by the slayings of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, kids only a few years older than she was at the time, who were murdered for doing the right thing during the famed minority voter registration drives in the southern states of the U.S.

“In 1964, the Klansmen bragged about what they did.  I was offended by the lack of truth and justice in the case,” Dickoff explains.  “When Ben Chaney called me about making a film about his brother’s murder, I jumped at the chance.”

Teaming with Pagano, an award-winning director of photography, they began shooting on the 40^th anniversary of the killings in Neshoba County, Mississippi where the three civil rights workers were slain in 1964.  Pagano makes his feature directorial debut on NESHOBA.

“When Micki introduced me to Andrew Goodman’s mother Carolyn, I knew I needed to tell this story,” says Pagano.  “Micki’s passion for the truth and Carolyn’s passion for justice were doubly inspiring.”

Through intimate interviews with the families of all three victims, candid interviews with black and white Neshoba County citizens, and exclusive first-time interviews with 80-year-old preacher Edgar Ray Killen, the alleged mastermind of the killings, the film explores whether the prosecution of one unrepentant Klansman constitutes justice and whether healing and reconciliation are possible without telling the unvarnished truth.

“With a black man running for President, unthinkable 40 years ago, our film serves as a current reminder of how far we’ve come in race relations and how far we need to go,” says Dickoff.

NESHOBA won Best Documentary at the 2008 Boston Film Festival and at Indie Memphis.

To buy tickets online:  www.fliff.com

Contact:  Micki Dickoff (323)314-6764  Tony Pagano (914) 645-2748  neshobafilm@yahoo.com   

To view NESHOBA Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0UJtv48DqI&feature=email

To view Productions Stills, Director Bios:  www.myspace.com/neshoba film

            NOTE..MICKI is an old friend of mine and a champion for human rights and I have a lot of respect for her and her work.

——————————————————————————————————————

WHY EXECUTE PEOPLE??/

            WE CAN DO BETTER  

            It amazes me that the only solution that we continue to offer is the death penalty.. We are a much smarter society and do have other options available to us. We do not have the right nor should we be killing our citizens.

I do not condone the violent acts that often result in murder and I don’t know how to easily heal the families of the murder victims but I do know that killing the suspected criminal will not resolve anything.  In the vast majority of murders the prosecutors do not seek the death penalty.  And often it seems that there is more than justice at play.  Many prosecutors want to look tough on crime when in fact they do little or nothing to get at the roots of violence in our society. If they wanted to deal with violence they would do more to protect spouses and children from abuse and violence.

I once  a top prosecutor in Oregon when debating him in public in his own community,,, if he ever went to visit the victim’s family after the court trial.  The answer was no … these politicians use the victims family as just another tool for the media and the jury. We tend to forget the families and their financial and emotional destruction as a result of the crime and the media process of a trial. These families need our love and compassion more than we will ever know.

We are an intelligent society and we should find a way to diminish violence and  find ways how to heal the families that suffer from these violent acts.

WE ARE A MUCH SMARTER SOCIETY … LET USE OUR HEADS AND OUR HEARTS TO FIND NON VIOLENT SOLUTIONS…

———————————————————————————————————–

            OBAMA SUPPORT VIDEO FROM ISREAL

  http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl59689.swf&video_id=K2VFRt5W4FM&rel=1&hqt=1&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//i4.ytimg.com/vi/K2VFRt5W4FM/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskKVzx8kMQZLhnlO5EYS00RQ&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1&hl=en

 ————————————————————————————————————

WOKE UP …GOT OUT OF BED …. RAN A COMB ACROSS MY HAIR…                   

And then I noticed that it was 4:30 am…and that while shocking me a bit, it was good since I had a lot to get done … I like the early morning and watching the sun come up and smile upon by face.

It is quiet and no one is calling me and I can write and write some more

Try it some time

My best

leno

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS..

YES… I know that I have been sending you a lot of information this week but it is all the important information that you will need during this most interesting time… I hope that you will send me news and interesting items that I should share with others.

Oh yes .. .Christy Rodriquez of Castle Rock, Colorado has also voted… the lines are long here in Florida for our early voting and it is exciting to get so many people voting early.

Did you see in the news that McCain finally attacked Bush and that the Bush people took a strong swipe back… nothing more interesting than watching republicans eating their own.

Someday I hope we can have less party politics and more idea politics… JUST A THOUGHT.

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.      Neshoba … must see film

b.      Why do we kill

c.       Video from Israel

NESHOBA FLORIDA PREMIERE TO BE HELD AT

2008 FT. LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ft. Lauderdale, October 15, 2008  — NESHOBA, the documentary film that finally tells the true story behind the “Mississippi Burning” murders, will have its Florida premiere at this year’s Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival.  NESHOBA is directed by Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano.  The premiere will be held at Cinema Paradiso, 503 SE 6^th Street, Ft. Lauderdale, on Sunday, October 26th at 3:15 p.m.  Directors Dickoff and Pagano will attend the premiere.

“I’m excited the Florida premiere of Neshoba is here where I grew up and where my Mom and sister still live,” says Dickoff.  “My Dad grew up in a small Mississippi town, the only Jewish family there.  He knew discrimination.  He always wanted me to make this film.  I wish he were here to see it.”

Dickoff, an Emmy award-winning filmmaker, social activist and University of Florida “Alumna of Distinction,” was haunted by the slayings of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, kids only a few years older than she was at the time, who were murdered for doing the right thing during the famed minority voter registration drives in the southern states of the U.S.

“In 1964, the Klansmen bragged about what they did.  I was offended by the lack of truth and justice in the case,” Dickoff explains.  “When Ben Chaney called me about making a film about his brother’s murder, I jumped at the chance.”

Teaming with Pagano, an award-winning director of photography, they began shooting on the 40^th anniversary of the killings in Neshoba County, Mississippi where the three civil rights workers were slain in 1964.  Pagano makes his feature directorial debut on NESHOBA.

“When Micki introduced me to Andrew Goodman’s mother Carolyn, I knew I needed to tell this story,” says Pagano.  “Micki’s passion for the truth and Carolyn’s passion for justice were doubly inspiring.”

Through intimate interviews with the families of all three victims, candid interviews with black and white Neshoba County citizens, and exclusive first-time interviews with 80-year-old preacher Edgar Ray Killen, the alleged mastermind of the killings, the film explores whether the prosecution of one unrepentant Klansman constitutes justice and whether healing and reconciliation are possible without telling the unvarnished truth.

“With a black man running for President, unthinkable 40 years ago, our film serves as a current reminder of how far we’ve come in race relations and how far we need to go,” says Dickoff.

NESHOBA won Best Documentary at the 2008 Boston Film Festival and at Indie Memphis.

To buy tickets online:  www.fliff.com

Contact:  Micki Dickoff (323)314-6764  Tony Pagano (914) 645-2748  neshobafilm@yahoo.com   

To view NESHOBA Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0UJtv48DqI&feature=email

To view Productions Stills, Director Bios:  www.myspace.com/neshoba film

            NOTE..MICKI is an old friend of mine and a champion for human rights and I have a lot of respect for her and her work.

——————————————————————————————————————

WHY EXECUTE PEOPLE??/

            WE CAN DO BETTER  

            It amazes me that the only solution that we continue to offer is the death penalty.. We are a much smarter society and do have other options available to us. We do not have the right nor should we be killing our citizens.

I do not condone the violent acts that often result in murder and I don’t know how to easily heal the families of the murder victims but I do know that killing the suspected criminal will not resolve anything.  In the vast majority of murders the prosecutors do not seek the death penalty.  And often it seems that there is more than justice at play.  Many prosecutors want to look tough on crime when in fact they do little or nothing to get at the roots of violence in our society. If they wanted to deal with violence they would do more to protect spouses and children from abuse and violence.

I once  a top prosecutor in Oregon when debating him in public in his own community,,, if he ever went to visit the victim’s family after the court trial.  The answer was no … these politicians use the victims family as just another tool for the media and the jury. We tend to forget the families and their financial and emotional destruction as a result of the crime and the media process of a trial. These families need our love and compassion more than we will ever know.

We are an intelligent society and we should find a way to diminish violence and  find ways how to heal the families that suffer from these violent acts.

WE ARE A MUCH SMARTER SOCIETY … LET USE OUR HEADS AND OUR HEARTS TO FIND NON VIOLENT SOLUTIONS…

———————————————————————————————————–

            OBAMA SUPPORT VIDEO FROM ISREAL

  http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?swf=http%3A//s.ytimg.com/yt/swf/cps-vfl59689.swf&video_id=K2VFRt5W4FM&rel=1&hqt=1&eurl=&iurl=http%3A//i4.ytimg.com/vi/K2VFRt5W4FM/default.jpg&t=OEgsToPDskKVzx8kMQZLhnlO5EYS00RQ&use_get_video_info=1&load_modules=1&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1&hl=en

 ————————————————————————————————————

WOKE UP …GOT OUT OF BED …. RAN A COMB ACROSS MY HAIR…                   

And then I noticed that it was 4:30 am…and that while shocking me a bit, it was good since I had a lot to get done … I like the early morning and watching the sun come up and smile upon by face.

It is quiet and no one is calling me and I can write and write some more

Try it some time

My best

leno

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS..

I went to vote early this Wednesday  … there was a long line but it went smoothly and I was out of there in an hour…and a woman placed I HAVE VOTED STICKER on my chest as I completed the process… I then walked out amongst the partisan campaign staff and had to tell a nice smiling McCain staff (an older Latina) that I had voted for OBAMA….I said it with a proud smile on my brown face and she smiled back…

Our neighbor lady a Columbian woman who is working for Obama … came by to buy a blue Obama hat from me… Tonight we have a volunteer from the Campaign (Jenny) coming over to meet us and to let us know how our home will be used as a staging area for the last four days of the campaign…From our home volunteers will go out to canvass the neighborhood and get people out to vote… so in my barrio/neighborhood we will be cooking up some justice dreams for our new found friends in our barrio… remember that my barrio and city has historically voted for the right wing due to an older Cuban-American influence. So getting votes will not be easy but we will find the Obama voters.

We want to carry Florida and in particular Miami for Obama… so we will dream big and work hard!!

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.    video on latino early voting…. YOU MUST SEE THIS

b.    $150,000 for Palin

c.     Fast for our future

d.    Note from Sierra

——————————————————

NOTE AND VIDEO FROM MY FRIEND JOSH … IN LOS ANGELES…

       Now this is a super video that you must watch..GET READY TO LAUGH, DANCE AND VOTE.

Great newsletter (as always).

Would you mind sharing this with your readers?  Would love more folks to see Voto Latino’s hilarious new PSA to mobilize the Latino youth vote:

The clip features Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Perez Hilton, Jane Fonda and several other celebrity guests:

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=44920573

Un abrazo,

Josh Norek

NOTE; IN THE VIDEO MY FRIEND JOSH IS SITTING JUST BEHIND JANE FONDA

————————————————————

$150,000 DOLLARS IN CLOTHES AND JUNK

SARAH …went shopping at some very expensive stores…and she forgot that Joe the plumber and Joanie the School Teacher can not afford that kind of Clothing.. .now the Palin staff say that they will donate those clothes to charity after the campaign.… I bet we will see Palin in Alaska wearing those clothes in the months ahead… Besides who would want them after they have been used to help spread a message of race and hatred.

NOT ME … anyway I don’t look so hot in a tight   dress…

—————————————————————————————————————
> FAST FOR OUR FUTURE

Join them if you are close by

> Dear community partners,
Homies Unidos is pleased to announce that we will be part of the Fast for
> our Future. It is a nationwide action rooted in non-violence and deep
> personal sacrifice for immigrant rights. www.fastforourfuture.com
> www.ayunoparanuestorfuturo.com We are taking part in this to support all the
> families and detainees that are suffering under a system based on
> exploitation, greed, and injustice.  We have had many of our brothers and
> sisters killed once they are deported to Central America, families torn
> apart by detention, and youth living in fear of being picked up by ICE or
> police.  Since 1996 over 1.2 million people have been deported and ICE
> detains over 280,000 people a year.  For us immigrant rights are human
> rights, and it will take a united community to see a change for the better.

> I will be part of the fast from the 15th-19th and  Alex Sanchez our
> Executive Director will take part from the 23rd-29th.

> There will be a press conference and action to call attention to detention
> and deportation issues specifically on Wednesday October 29th at 1pm.  We
> will be doing a march form Olvera Street to Metropolitan Detention Center
> with testimonials who have loved ones in immigrantion detention/ deportation
> proceedings and a press conference.  Please share with your networks, let us
> know if you can participate, you know of someone who wants to share a story
> about detention/ deportation and pay us a visit while we are there.

> In solidarity and hungrily yours,
> Allegra padilla
Homies Unidos
communty organizer

> 21 DAYS BEFORE THE 2008 ELECTION
> THE LARGEST HUNGER STRIKE IN U.S. HISTORY
> CALLING ON ONE MILLION PEOPLE TO SIGN A PLEDGE TO VOTE FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS
>
> The Fast for Our Future campaign will begin in Los Angeles on October 15th,
> 2008, three weeks before the November 4th presidential election. Over 100
> people will fast in order to mobilize our community to vote for immigrant
> rights.
>
> Fasters will give up all food and juice liquids. We will only drink water.
>
> The Fast will be based at an encampment at La Placita Olvera, the historic
> heart of Los Angeles. The encampment will be a visual representation of the
> size of the hunger strike. Fasters will sleep in tents and live at the
> encampment for the duration of the hunger strike. The Fast will continue
> until at least one million people have signed the Pledge to vote and take
> action for immigrant rights.
>
> What You Can Do (Los Angeles Area) / (Nationwide):
>
> * Join the Fast for as many days as possible.
* Recruit your friends, family, church, or organization to join the Fast.
>
> * Sign the Pledge and forward it to your friends and family. Recruit them to
> be one of the one million people who will sign the Pledge to vote for
> immigrant rights.

>
> The address is:
> El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historic Park
> 845 N. Alameda Street
> Los Angeles, CA 90012
>
> http://www.enlaceintl.org/wa/enlace/C273/
>
>

——————————————————————-

NOTE FROM SIERRA SMITH in beautiful down town Portland, Oregon

Sierra Smith wrote at 4:30pm

GETTING FOLKS OUT TO VOTE EARLY

There are probably going to  be super long lines on election day so we should get every one we can to vote early… Larry Kleinman also of Oregon also has checked in that he voted early… now he has to get all his friends and members of PCUN to vote early.  So get busy Larry..

And now leno also has to get busy urging all to vote early ..

My voting best

Leno

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS
Take your children (if you can) with you to vote. Let them see you casting your vote. It will demonstrate why we must have democracy not only on Election Day but should be a part of every day and in every place. Democracy isn’t just about voting but practicing the right for all voices to be heard … including the voices you might not appreciate …

I took my daughter Aviva to a DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION when she was about 5 years old.… and this I hope that this experience would stay in her mind somewhere and that she might one day get more involved and perhaps be a candidate

When I lived in California I took Aviva to hear many women Candidates when she was about 7 and then pulled her out of school on election day to go help me campaign when our two women US SENATORS were both running at the same time. It was a great time and a great election.

So take your children with you to vote and campaign…. If you don’t have kids .. .grab the neighbors or your sister’s or brother’s kids and take them with you …

Okay those of you with dogs .. can take your dogs with you. while you search for votes..

JUST DO IT

————————————————————————————————-

TIME MAGAZINE STORY

            POWELL’S ENDORSEMENT

With a keen sense of timing, the 71-year-old retired general tried to bring maximum firepower and a strong grasp of the tactical landscape to bear on the campaign, leaning into the race after months of silence on his own timetable, with forces (in this case, words) he spent weeks and even months preparing.

Powell had been contemplating — and planning — his move for months. Though a declared Republican since his near run for the White House in 1996 and an occasional speaker at Republican events, Powell has never been blindly or even particularly partisan. He spent the year watching the race closely, issuing a quiet warning here or there in speeches and interviews when he saw the race (and more specifically, the GOP) go in directions he didn’t like. Many of these little alarms went unnoticed, but they foretold a change in his preferences. In those moments, close observers knew, Powell was laying the predicate for a possible Democratic endorsement later in the year. As fall approached, Powell began to prepare his endorsement. He had long eyed late October as the best moment to strike, as he wanted to wait until the debates were over before offering his considered assessment.

During the past few weeks, Powell worked carefully on his statement. He had reason for care: Powell left the Bush Administration in early 2005 with critics on both sides of the ideological divide. Conservatives, who never fully trusted him to begin with, felt Powell was far too moderate to be George W. Bush’s top diplomat. Liberals, meanwhile, were not ready to forgive his role in hyping the case against Saddam Hussein. After the 2004 election, Powell was hurried out the door by the White House in a fashion that his supporters found graceless.

Finally, Powell chose to make his statement on NBC’s venerable show Meet the Press, where he could be guaranteed both a large audience and uninterrupted time to make the kind of remarks he had spent hours preparing.

Before endorsing Obama, Powell said he was dismayed by the direction and narrowing of the Republican Party in recent weeks, and that the U.S. needs a transformational leader to restore the country’s reputation overseas. He was perhaps most powerful when he filleted the GOP for seeding anti-Muslim sentiment around the country when its many seconds suggest that Obama is not a Christian. Powell said Americans needed to keep a different image in their minds: that of an American Muslim mother of a Bronze Star–winning Army solider who died in Iraq resting her head on her son’s gravestone at Arlington Cemetery. Speaking as a solider who rose from a raw recruit in the 1950s to the Army’s top job 35 years later, Powell said, “We’ve got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way.”

Powell tried to leave two impressions above all: that he believes Obama is ready to be Commander in Chief and that Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate, is not. It probably didn’t hurt that Powell appeared on Meet the Press the morning after Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live.

Powell will not campaign with Obama; nor is it likely that the campaign will use Powell’s comments in television commercials. But then, they won’t have to in the age of YouTube.

Powell informed neither candidate in advance about what he was going to say.

HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR BAGS ON THE AIRLINE

I was on a flight coming back to Miami from Seattle. I was dressed more formal than my usual flight attire. I had on blue slacks and a nice blue shirt …almost a uniform .. The stewardesses were also dressed in blue.

After boarding I mad a quick dash to the restroom and was stopped by an older lady who sort of ordered me .. PLEASE PLACE MY BAG UP IN THE BIN AND BE CAREFUL THERE ARE GLASS ITEMS INSIDE..

OKAY … I said and gave her one of last of  my early afternoon smiles. No teeth showing ..(I was tired and running out of smiles)

Then I went to my seat 18D to buckle up and get ready to fly

Our flight stopped in Dallas and most passengers got off including the lady whom I had helped… she stopped by my row on her way out to thank me and then apologized.. .

I AM SO SORRY I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF THE AIRLINE STAFF…

IT’S OKAY… HAVE A GOOD DAY …

Once again I am mistaken for something other than I am … the other day in Miami a Haitian woman thought that I too was Haitian. I would love to be Haitian …but for now I am a Chicano…

Ø      ARTICLE ON NUN           

Ø             Comment by Jen Korpinen who now lives in France

I particularly appreciated the article with the 106 year old nun voting Obama and quickly sent it to my mother who I think is “on the fence” with respect to her vote due to the abortion issue. My mother agrees with Obama on nearly almost every front, even lived in Illinois many years, and is seriously considering McCain solely based on his stance on abortion.
I used the article to remind her that “see, even church and state can be separate as intended.”

Take care & hope all is well.
Jen
  p.s. I already voted and wore my little sticker around in France the day and evening that I completed and mailed my ballot (o.k. I voted on Friday and didn’t mail the ballot until Monday, but close enough!!) It certainly was a conversation piece in a French office environment!!!

Ø     

Ø      —————————————————————————-

CORNEL WEST

          ROCKS our souls in Seattle

I along with others went to see my friend Ramon Ramirez of PCUN receive a LIFE TIME AWARD from the Social Justice Fund North West. It was a wonderful evening with lots of good friends at the dinner.

The treat of the evening was scholar, dreamer and activist Cornel West. I have admired him and his ability to tell the truth with so much detail, and humor.  He along with others turned the evening into an Obama Rally. It was a great evening. Cornell inspired me again to do more, write more and not be silent.

THIS IS AWESOME, TURN UP THE VOLUME!!!!!!  CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW AND TAKE IN THE VISUALS AND LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE.

            Sent by Dorinda Moreno

The Obama Song (World of Friends): Japan-based American musical artists created and performed this song to celebrate Sen. Obama’s historic candidacy and to inspire us all to change the world.

http://blip.tv/file/1338283

I just got some correspondence from Oakland vocalist Brenda Vaughn.  I’m sure you know that she has been living in Japan from what seems to be forever.  She & fellow musicians made a song, that reminds me that as large as this world is, and how diverse the communities are, we have a lot more in common than we have differences.  I wanted to share that message with you, with their song.  There is a link at the bottom.  Just in case you’ve forgotten what she looks like, I’ve included a small snapshot!  By the way she will be in The Bay on the 13th.

The Obama Song (World of Friends): Bridges for Obama

WHERE ARE THE BLACK SECRET SERVICE OFFICERS? /

I keep hoping that they assign SECRET SERVICE OFFICERS who happen to be black to protect McCain and Palin. Now that would be interesting… having them there at the Campaign Rallies as folks make all their racist statements and talk down to black camera men and women… could be an interesting process…

And I would like to see more women officer protecting all the candidates..

My best

Leno

RACE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE

See below ..sent to Ahora by Maru so that we can see this disgusting image …

One day we must change even his mind and heart

,

DEAR SISTERS AND BROTHERS
Take your children (if you can) with you to vote. Let them see you casting your vote. It will demonstrate why we must have democracy not only on Election Day but should be a part of every day and in every place. Democracy isn’t just about voting but practicing the right for all voices to be heard … including the voices you might not appreciate …

I took my daughter Aviva to a DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION when she was about 5 years old.… and this I hope that this experience would stay in her mind somewhere and that she might one day get more involved and perhaps be a candidate

When I lived in California I took Aviva to hear many women Candidates when she was about 7 and then pulled her out of school on election day to go help me campaign when our two women US SENATORS were both running at the same time. It was a great time and a great election.

So take your children with you to vote and campaign…. If you don’t have kids .. .grab the neighbors or your sister’s or brother’s kids and take them with you …

Okay those of you with dogs .. can take your dogs with you. while you search for votes..

JUST DO IT

————————————————————————————————-

TIME MAGAZINE STORY

            POWELL’S ENDORSEMENT

With a keen sense of timing, the 71-year-old retired general tried to bring maximum firepower and a strong grasp of the tactical landscape to bear on the campaign, leaning into the race after months of silence on his own timetable, with forces (in this case, words) he spent weeks and even months preparing.

Powell had been contemplating — and planning — his move for months. Though a declared Republican since his near run for the White House in 1996 and an occasional speaker at Republican events, Powell has never been blindly or even particularly partisan. He spent the year watching the race closely, issuing a quiet warning here or there in speeches and interviews when he saw the race (and more specifically, the GOP) go in directions he didn’t like. Many of these little alarms went unnoticed, but they foretold a change in his preferences. In those moments, close observers knew, Powell was laying the predicate for a possible Democratic endorsement later in the year. As fall approached, Powell began to prepare his endorsement. He had long eyed late October as the best moment to strike, as he wanted to wait until the debates were over before offering his considered assessment.

During the past few weeks, Powell worked carefully on his statement. He had reason for care: Powell left the Bush Administration in early 2005 with critics on both sides of the ideological divide. Conservatives, who never fully trusted him to begin with, felt Powell was far too moderate to be George W. Bush’s top diplomat. Liberals, meanwhile, were not ready to forgive his role in hyping the case against Saddam Hussein. After the 2004 election, Powell was hurried out the door by the White House in a fashion that his supporters found graceless.

Finally, Powell chose to make his statement on NBC’s venerable show Meet the Press, where he could be guaranteed both a large audience and uninterrupted time to make the kind of remarks he had spent hours preparing.

Before endorsing Obama, Powell said he was dismayed by the direction and narrowing of the Republican Party in recent weeks, and that the U.S. needs a transformational leader to restore the country’s reputation overseas. He was perhaps most powerful when he filleted the GOP for seeding anti-Muslim sentiment around the country when its many seconds suggest that Obama is not a Christian. Powell said Americans needed to keep a different image in their minds: that of an American Muslim mother of a Bronze Star–winning Army solider who died in Iraq resting her head on her son’s gravestone at Arlington Cemetery. Speaking as a solider who rose from a raw recruit in the 1950s to the Army’s top job 35 years later, Powell said, “We’ve got to stop polarizing ourselves in this way.”

Powell tried to leave two impressions above all: that he believes Obama is ready to be Commander in Chief and that Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate, is not. It probably didn’t hurt that Powell appeared on Meet the Press the morning after Palin appeared on Saturday Night Live.

Powell will not campaign with Obama; nor is it likely that the campaign will use Powell’s comments in television commercials. But then, they won’t have to in the age of YouTube.

Powell informed neither candidate in advance about what he was going to say.

HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR BAGS ON THE AIRLINE

I was on a flight coming back to Miami from Seattle. I was dressed more formal than my usual flight attire. I had on blue slacks and a nice blue shirt …almost a uniform .. The stewardesses were also dressed in blue.

After boarding I mad a quick dash to the restroom and was stopped by an older lady who sort of ordered me .. PLEASE PLACE MY BAG UP IN THE BIN AND BE CAREFUL THERE ARE GLASS ITEMS INSIDE..

OKAY … I said and gave her one of last of  my early afternoon smiles. No teeth showing ..(I was tired and running out of smiles)

Then I went to my seat 18D to buckle up and get ready to fly

Our flight stopped in Dallas and most passengers got off including the lady whom I had helped… she stopped by my row on her way out to thank me and then apologized.. .

I AM SO SORRY I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF THE AIRLINE STAFF…

IT’S OKAY… HAVE A GOOD DAY …

Once again I am mistaken for something other than I am … the other day in Miami a Haitian woman thought that I too was Haitian. I would love to be Haitian …but for now I am a Chicano…

Ø      ARTICLE ON NUN           

Ø             Comment by Jen Korpinen who now lives in France

I particularly appreciated the article with the 106 year old nun voting Obama and quickly sent it to my mother who I think is “on the fence” with respect to her vote due to the abortion issue. My mother agrees with Obama on nearly almost every front, even lived in Illinois many years, and is seriously considering McCain solely based on his stance on abortion.
I used the article to remind her that “see, even church and state can be separate as intended.”

Take care & hope all is well.
Jen
  p.s. I already voted and wore my little sticker around in France the day and evening that I completed and mailed my ballot (o.k. I voted on Friday and didn’t mail the ballot until Monday, but close enough!!) It certainly was a conversation piece in a French office environment!!!

Ø     

Ø      —————————————————————————-

CORNEL WEST

          ROCKS our souls in Seattle

I along with others went to see my friend Ramon Ramirez of PCUN receive a LIFE TIME AWARD from the Social Justice Fund North West. It was a wonderful evening with lots of good friends at the dinner.

The treat of the evening was scholar, dreamer and activist Cornel West. I have admired him and his ability to tell the truth with so much detail, and humor.  He along with others turned the evening into an Obama Rally. It was a great evening. Cornell inspired me again to do more, write more and not be silent.

THIS IS AWESOME, TURN UP THE VOLUME!!!!!!  CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW AND TAKE IN THE VISUALS AND LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE.

            Sent by Dorinda Moreno

The Obama Song (World of Friends): Japan-based American musical artists created and performed this song to celebrate Sen. Obama’s historic candidacy and to inspire us all to change the world.

http://blip.tv/file/1338283

I just got some correspondence from Oakland vocalist Brenda Vaughn.  I’m sure you know that she has been living in Japan from what seems to be forever.  She & fellow musicians made a song, that reminds me that as large as this world is, and how diverse the communities are, we have a lot more in common than we have differences.  I wanted to share that message with you, with their song.  There is a link at the bottom.  Just in case you’ve forgotten what she looks like, I’ve included a small snapshot!  By the way she will be in The Bay on the 13th.

The Obama Song (World of Friends): Bridges for Obama

WHERE ARE THE BLACK SECRET SERVICE OFFICERS? /

I keep hoping that they assign SECRET SERVICE OFFICERS who happen to be black to protect McCain and Palin. Now that would be interesting… having them there at the Campaign Rallies as folks make all their racist statements and talk down to black camera men and women… could be an interesting process…

And I would like to see more women officer protecting all the candidates..

My best

Leno

RACE IS A SERIOUS ISSUE

See below ..sent to Ahora by Maru so that we can see this disgusting image …

One day we must change even his mind and heart

,

Dear Sisters and Brothers

In the past years I have been taken for a bell Capitan, a sales man at a hard ware store, for an Arab, for a Samoan, and this past week end on a flight to San Francisco a Stewardess said I looked EXACTLY LIKE HER VETERNIARIAN.  Hmmm? And then she took to calling me by his name…

Finally I said for her to bring her dog in on Saturday and that I would take a look at him … that made her smile..

NOW FOR MY VIEW OF THE NEWS

a.     comments from readers

b.     Radio Dairies

c.      Obama debate learning curve

d.     Endorsements

e.      Nun a 106 year old voter

f.       Color me green

————————————————————————————-

Comments from readers

1. McCain’s physical posture during the last debate?.… A friend Jim Roberts reminded me that some of issues involved with the manner in which McCain’s moved around the stage at the last debate are related to the years of horrific torture that he received for years during the Viet Nam War.  This torture did serious damage to his joints which did not heal properly nor are correctable.  Too much scar tissue involved. And this can be most painful.

I wrote a poem some time ago about a woman who was tortured and how it changed her body forever… It’s called MARY WHISTLES WHEN SHE TALKS.

I too at my age with my injuries and accidents do not move as smooth as I used to in days gone by…also I think that my hearing is going… ugh…

NOTE .. I often include letters or notes from others who express opinions other than my own just so you can see what people are thinking… and the youth speak out and express what they feel. Below are some more reader reactions to the recent Ahora.

2. My travel schedule became interesting as various friend started writing about how they would like to meet up when I am in their city.

3. Kristina Yoseloff who lives now in Holland with her family ..says she got deep into reading while a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay.

4. Reminded that Casa Latina in Seattle is having their annual dinner on Oct. 18^th  ..a good event to attend and money helps day laborers.

5. OBAMANOS… this video was enjoyed by Martha and Jim Garcia of California..I hope that they got up and danced…

————————————————————————————————-

Friends of Radio Diaries,

                        Something we should all listen to during our week…

Our new series  – Contenders – airs on National Public Radio this week. We’ll be sending out a quick email each day this week to let you know what’s coming up. In the meantime, the series overview is below.

We hope you can listen.

Joe Richman

Radio Diaries

www.radiodiaries.org

CONTENDERS

Portraits of some of the most original, groundbreaking, and unsuccessful presidential candidates in American history.

1) Victoria Woodhull: First Woman to Run for President (1872)

2) William Jennings Bryan: The Speech That Changed Politics (1896)

3) Adlai Stevenson: An Egghead in the Age of Television (1952)

4) Margaret Chase Smith: Cold Warrior in Pearls (1964)

5) Shirley Chisholm: The Politics of Principle (1972)

Broadcast on NPR’s All Things Considered, October 13-17.

Starting Monday you can hear the stories, along with speeches and campaign songs, at http://www.radiodiaries.org

Obama……………. the learning curve of debates …

                                                                        By Ira Moss

Months ago I wrote that Barrack Obama owed Hillary Clinton a great debt for fiercely contesting for the Democratic nomination. Hillary was a great campaigner, especially in the last two months of the contest. The truth is that she is a far better campaigner than John McCain. She is a better speaker and a sharper more knowledgeable debater than McCain is capable of being. It’s not hyperbole to say that Hillary helped make the man that Barrack Obama has become. By attacking Obama and exposing his weaknesses, from Ayers and Wright to Obama’s problems with white working class voters, she taught him exactly the lessons he needed to learn to win the general election. Barrack, to his great credit has shown himself to be a very fast learner.

I have no doubt that Hillary would be far ahead in the polls now too. This one is looking nearly impossible for any of the competent Democratic candidates to loose. Every thing is breaking Obama’s way, and thanks to his tough love training from the Clinton’s he now heads a battle hardened organization and  is running an impeccable campaign.

A good friend of mine, a stock analyst and free market true believer, just announced his support for Obama after spending the last few days studying his health care plan, which he described as “pretty good, not perfect, but far superior to McCain’s.” He also pronounced Obama’s new economic plan to be “reasonable, prudent and moving in the right direction.” Now I have seen what amounts to virtual Obama endorsements from traditional conservatives like my analyst friend, and columnists like David Brooks, Charles Krauthammer, and George Will.

A Funny thing I saw on cable news today: One of those people employed to deliver Republican talking points tried to compare Palin favorably to Biden, by describing Alaska, as a “much bigger state than Delaware.” Yes I suppose that’s true if you are talking square footage, much of it uninhabited. However, Delaware leads Alaska in population by nearly two hundred thousand souls.

————————————————————————–

News paper endorsements

            For Obama

NEW YORK Barack Obama picked up at least 15 newspaper endorsements this weekend, including six in swing states Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, North Carolina and Missouri. John McCain, as far as we know, gained none.

The Wisconsin State Journal and The Sun of San Bernardino had backed Bush in 2004. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch called Obama’s opponent, John McCain, “the incredible shrinking man” who had made a horrific pick for his running mate.

Backing Obama: In Ohio, The Blade in Toledo and the Dayton Daily News; the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Tennessean of Nashville, the Wisconsin State Journal. the Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times, and in California the Fresno Bee, Sacramento Bee, Contra Costa Times, The Herald of Monterrey, and The Sun of San Bernardino (which had picked Bush over Kerry).

Joining the Obama team in battleground states were the Muskegon (Mich.) Chronicle, the Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Express-Times and Springfield (Ohio) News.

E&P is charting every endorsement and the circulation size of each paper (see new chart on Monday). So far Obama leads by a 26-9 margin with at least 300 to go. Send us any pick you see, to: gmitchell@editorandpublisher.com

RECYCLING

The city of Miami gave out larger containers for all the recyclable materials about a month ago.. We found that this new container with the new inclusions of materials accepted was not large enough for all that we were collecting. So we requested and received the super container and are turning over even more to this effort to move us towards a green society.

I am brown but I would also like to be green…

My best

leno

————————————————————————————————————

Hello, Casa friends!

The deadline to register for CASA Latina’s Gala has been extended! We will be accepting reservations online and by phone until 8:30 am Wednesday, Oct 15.

THANK YOU for all your support of CASA Latina and the families we educate and empower!