2008 Presidential Campaign Blog

Obama Lays Out Plan To Provide Affordable Health Care Coverage For All

Obama Lays Out Plan to Save American Families up to $2500,  Provide Affordable Health Care Coverage for All 

Iowa City, IA- During a speech at the University of Iowa today, Barack Obama rolled out a plan to lower health care costs and ensure affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans. 

Under the Obama plan, the typical family will save up to $2,500 every year through:

1. Health IT Investment, which will reduce unnecessary and wasteful spending in the health care system that results from preventable medical errors and inefficient paper billing systems.
2. Improving prevention and management of chronic conditions.
3. Require competition in the insurance industry to reduce administrative costs and lower premiums for individuals  and investigate the increasing monopolization of the insurance industry.
4. Providing reinsurance for catastrophic coverage that will reduce insurance premiums.
5. Making health insurance universal, which will reduce spending on uncompensated care. 

Obama’s coverage plan will make available a new national health plan that will allow individuals without access to affordable insurance coverage.  The plan focuses on the following key parts:

1. A new public health plan that will give individuals the choice to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to federal employees. The new public plan will be open to individuals without access to group coverage through their workplace or current public programs.   
2. A National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase an insurance plan for themselves.  The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible 
3. Requiring all employers to make a meaningful contribution towards health coverage for their employees.
4. Mandating all children have health care coverage and expanding the number of options for young adults up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parent’s plans.
5. Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.   
6. Building on the successful efforts of states to take the lead in reforming the health care system.  Under Obama’s plan states can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.

Obama Campaign Hires Elesha Gayman As Eastern Iowa Political Director

Obama Campaign Hires State Representative Elesha Gayman to be Eastern Iowa Political Director

DES MOINES – The Obama Campaign today announced the addition of Iowa State Representative Elesha Gayman (D-Davenport) to the Obama for Iowa team.   Elesha will work as the Eastern Iowa political director and lead outreach efforts throughout the region. 

“We’re proud to welcome Elesha to our Iowa team and look forward to having her join us as we work to change the way we do politics in Washington,” Iowa State Director Paul Tewes said.  “With Elesha’s help in Eastern Iowa, we will continue to mobilize our grassroots campaign focused on reaching out to Iowans one by one.  Elesha brings valuable experience building a true grassroots network, and we’re proud to have her on board.” 

Representative Elesha Gayman was born and raised in Davenport and just completed her first term in the Iowa Statehouse as a State Representative.  A University of Iowa graduate, Gayman was a 2004 Iowa delegate at the Democratic National Convention and later worked for Democratic candidate for President John Kerry.

Obama Lays Out Plan To Reduce Our Dependence On Foreign Oil

Obama Lays Out Plan to Reduce Our Dependence on Foreign Oil;
Fight the Causes of Global Climate Change
During Speech at Detroit Economic Club, Obama Rolls Out Three Part Plan to Change the Cars we Drive and the Fuels we Use

Detroit, MI- During a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, Barack Obama today proposed a plan to change the cars we drive and the fuels we use in order to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and fight the cause of global climate change.  By 2020, Obama’s plan will cut our oil consumption by 2.5 million barrels of oil per day; take 50 million cars’ worth of pollution off the road; save more than $50 billion at the gas pump; and help the auto industry save millions of jobs and regain its competitive footing in the world.

Barack Obama’s plan focuses on three key components:

1. Fuel Economy Standards: Despite tremendous technological innovation in the auto industry, Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for cars have been held hostage to ideological battles in Washington for 20 years.  Barack Obama introduced a bold new plan, bringing together long-time opponents to gradually increase fuel economy standards while protecting the financial future of domestic automakers.  Obama’s plan would establish a target of four percent increase each year - unless the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration proves the increase is technologically unachievable, hurts safety, or is not cost-effective.  If the target is met for ten years, Obama’s plan will save 1.3 million barrels of oil per day and 20 billion gallons of gasoline per year. 
2. Help for Consumers: Under current law, tax credits are available for consumers who buy hybrids—but only if they buy one of the first 60,000 ultra-efficient vehicles produced by a given manufacturer. Barack Obama would lift the 60,000-per-manufacturer cap on buyer tax credits to allow more Americans to buy ultra-efficient vehicles. 
3. Help for Manufacturers: U.S. automakers are facing retiree health costs that add $1,500 to the cost of every GM car.  They are struggling to afford investments in hybrid technology.  Obama would encourage automakers to make fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles by helping the companies shoulder the health care costs of their retirees. Domestic automakers will get health care assistance in exchange for investing 50 percent of the savings into technology to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.  In addition, Obama would provide automakers with generous tax incentives for retooling assembly plants.

Obama Statement On "National Day Of Prayer"

Obama Statement On "National Day Of Prayer"

Chicago, IL- Senator Obama today released the following statement on "National Day of Prayer."

"President Lincoln once remarked, 'I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.'  On this National Day of Prayer, I join millions of Americans in thanking God for listening in times of both challenge and triumph, and for lifting up our fellow citizens, our nation, and our world."

Obama Urges Dean To Make Video Of Democratic Debates Available To The Public

Obama Urges Dean To Make Video Of Democratic Debates Available To The Public

Says Allowing Bloggers and others to Post Video of Debates  will
Encourage Participation

Chicago, IL – Senator Barack Obama today sent a letter to Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Howard Dean urging the DNC to make the video from any Democratic Presidential debate publicly available after the debate for free and without restriction.

The text of Obama’s letter is below:

Dear Chairman Dean:

I am writing in strong support of a letter from a bipartisan coalition of academics, bloggers and Internet activists recently addressed to you and the Democratic National Committee.  The letter asks that the video from any Democratic Presidential debate be available freely after the debate, by either placing the video in the public domain, or licensing it under a Creative Commons (Attribution) license.

As you know, the Internet has enabled an extraordinary range of citizens to participate in the political dialogue around this election. Much of that participation will take the form of citizen generated content. We, as a Party, should do everything that we can to encourage this participation. Not only will it keep us focused on the issues that matter most to America, it will also encourage participation by a wide range of our youth who have traditionally simply tuned out from politics.

The letter does not propose some radical change in copyright law, or an unjustified expansion in "fair use." Instead,  it simply asks that any purported copyright owner of video from the debates waive that copyright.

I am a strong believer in the importance of copyright, especially in a digital age. But there is no reason that this particular class of content needs the protection. We have incentive enough to debate. The networks have incentive enough to broadcast those debates. Rather than restricting the product of those debates, we should instead make sure that our democracy and citizens have the chance to benefit from them in all the ways that technology makes possible.

Your presidential campaign used the Internet to break new ground in citizen political participation. I would urge you to take the lead again by continuing to support this important medium of political speech. And I offer whatever help I can to secure the support of others as well.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Obama To Participate In June 3rd New Hampshire Debate

OBAMA TO PARTICIPATE IN JUNE 3RD NEW HAMPSHIRE DEBATE

Manchester, NH – Senator Barack Obama today agreed to participate in the New Hampshire debate sponsored by the Union Leader, WMUR, and the CNN. The debate is scheduled for June 3 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

"We had hoped that the DNC and the debate’s sponsors would agree to make this debate one of the DNC’s six sanctioned debates,” said Obama New Hampshire Director Matt Rodriguez. “However, Senator Obama believes talking about how we can change our politics with the other candidates in the home of the nation’s first primary is an opportunity too important to miss.”

Interim DFL Communications Director Joins Obama campaign

STATEMENT OF MINNESOTA DFL CHAIR BRIAN MELENDEZ AND INTERIM COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR NICK KIMBALL

(ST. PAUL) 4/27/07 – Interim DFL Communications Director Nick Kimball today officially announced his resignation effective April 30. He is leaving the party to join the Barack Obama for President campaign.

“I thoroughly enjoyed working for the DFL Party for nearly two years,” Kimball said. “As a Minnesota native, it was an honor to work for the state party. We had great success last November and I’m proud to have played a role. I look forward to seeing the party build on that success in the future.”

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez thanked Kimball for his service.

“We wish Nick luck and success in his new endeavor, and thank him for his service to the party,” Melendez said. “He has done some great work during his time here, and was a major contributor to the Party’s success in the 2006 cycle. We are sorry to see him go, but we wish him well as he takes his skills and talents to the Presidential level. The Obama campaign will be lucky to have him.”

Obama Announces Addition Of GMMB To Campaign Media Team

OBAMA ANNOUNCES  ADDITION OF GMMB TO CAMPAIGN MEDIA TEAM

CHICAGO, IL – Obama for America today announced the addition of Jim Margolis and his firm GMMB to the campaign’s media team.  Margolis, along with partner Jason Ralston, will participate in the development and placement of media and serve as senior strategists for Senator Obama and the campaign. "

"Jim Margolis and GMMB bring enormous depth and experience to our campaign and we're thrilled to have them join us," said campaign manager David Plouffe. "They bring a genuine passion for the cause of changing this country and they’ll make a great team even stronger."

“This is more than a campaign for president,” said Margolis.  “It’s about a fundamental change in our politics.  Senator Obama represents the best of America and we’re excited to join David Axelrod, AKP&D Message and Media and thousands of people across the nation in bringing change to Washington.

GMMB, founded in 1985, was the lead agency for Bill Clinton's successful campaign for president.

Obama Campaign Announces New Iowa Website

Obama Campaign Announces New Iowa Website

DES MOINES – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that he has introduced an Iowa-specific campaign website to help Iowans stay informed and get involved in his campaign. Obama’s Iowa website can be viewed at www.barackobama.com/iowa and will include a calendar of events and activities, contact information for Obama’s 12 Iowa offices, a blog, videos and more.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for Iowans to stay informed and get involved in this campaign,” Obama said. “If we want to change the way our political system is run so that our voices – and not just the lobbyists and the special interest groups – are heard in Washington, then ordinary citizens need to join together and organize for change. My hope is that this website will provide another tool for Iowans across the state to do just that.”

Obama’s Iowa website further demonstrates his commitment to competing in Iowa and adds to his already impressive efforts to help ordinary citizens organize online. Currently, Iowans and Obama supporters across the country are using my.barackobama.com  to organize their friends and communities.

This past weekend, Senator Obama made his 6th visit to Iowa since announcing his candidacy for President in early February.

Obama Response to Supreme Court Decision

OBAMA RESPONSE TO SUPREME COURT DECISION

Chicago, IL- Senator Barack Obama today made the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding abortion.

“I strongly disagree with today’s Supreme Court ruling, which dramatically departs from previous precedents safeguarding the health of pregnant women.  As Justice Ginsburg emphasized in her dissenting opinion, this ruling signals an alarming willingness on the part of the conservative majority to disregard its prior rulings respecting a woman’s medical concerns and the very personal decisions between a doctor and patient.  I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman's right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women.”