Watch it here.
2 Comments | 
Barack Obama, Democrats, Economy, Education, Election 2008, HIV/AIDS, Native Americans, Politics, Poverty, Veterans | 
Permalink
Posted by sagereader
MANCHESTER, NH— In Concord today, Senator Barack Obama hosted a roundtable discussion with Granite Staters about the economic hardships too many American families face. As costs rise and working families fight to keep up, more and more are falling behind. Obama shared his plan to reclaim the American Dream for the middle class with 6 participants who would benefit from the plan.
“Americans everywhere are working harder for less and paying more for health care and college,” Senator Obama said. “For most folks, one income isn’t enough to raise a family and send your kids to college. Sometimes, two incomes aren’t enough. It’s harder to save. It’s harder to retire.You’re doing your part, you’re meeting your responsibilities, but it always seems like you’re treading water or falling behind. And whether we’re rich or poor, young or old, Democrat, or Republican, or Independent, the one thing we should all be able to agree on is that these stories and these hardships are a fundamental violation of the American Dream. This is not who we are. And this is not what America has to be.”
1 Comment | Barack Obama, Democrats, Economy, Education, Election 2008, Families, Politics | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
Barack Obama wrote recently in The Daily Iowan at the University of Iowa:
I’m running to make college more affordable for any American who wants to go. I’ve proposed a $4,000 a year refundable tax credit that will cover two-thirds of the tuition at the average public college or university. And I’ll strengthen our community colleges by offering new degrees for emerging fields and rewarding schools that graduate more students.
I’m running to reform health care, as I did in Illinois - by reaching across party lines and taking on the insurance industry. That’s how I’ll sign a universal health-care plan by the end of my first term as president. Under my plan, if you graduate and don’t find a job that provides health insurance right away, you can stay on your parents’ insurance until you’re 25.
I’m running to save our generation from global catastrophe by putting a cap on carbon emissions and creating a low-carbon fuel standard that will take 50 million cars’ worth of pollution off the road. And I’ll raise the fuel-efficiency standards for our cars and trucks because we know we have the technology to do it, and it’s time we did.
Read more.
No Comments » | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Health Care, Politics, Youth | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
Politico writes of an Obama remark yesterday:
Obama said he would: “We’re going to have a national book club. Like Oprah’s book club, the president is going to have a book club.”
Read more.
I’m big on literacy, education, and getting the American people thinking again so I think this would be wonderful. Obama has already had a book club as part of his campaign in states like New Hampshire. He’s also been active in promoting literacy among children.
No Comments » | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Politics | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
Legislation would coordinate public and private scholarships and fellowships for students pursuing science, math, and technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) was joined by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to introduce the National STEM Scholarship Database Act (S. 2428), which would launch an innovative online database to coordinate information on financial aid opportunities available in science and technology through the federal government and public or private resources. More and more American students are pursing advanced degrees, and this database would make it easier for them to find and access the thousands of publicly and privately-supported scholarships and fellowships that may be available to them. Read the rest of this entry »
No Comments » | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Politics, Technology, Youth | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
Reuters reports:
The governing board for Illinois’ largest education employees’ organization is recommending Sen.
Barack Obama (D-Ill.) to its members for the Feb. 5, 2008 Democratic presidential primary.The Board of Directors for the Illinois Education Association-NEA (IEA) voted to concur with the decision by the organization’s political action committee (IPACE) to support the Illinois senator.
“We have long been impressed with the ability of Sen. Obama to bring people together. As both a state senator and as a member of the United States Senate, Sen. Obama has shown a unique ability to unite people regardless of party politics,” said IEA President Ken Swanson.
Read more.
No Comments » | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Politics | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
No Comments » | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Politics, Youth, Youtube | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
Black Enterprise magazine recently interviewed Senator Barack Obama about issues facing African Americans disproportionately. They write:
Q. News about the housing industry has been mostly bad these past several months. Do you think it is the federal government’s responsibility to help homeowners fight and avoid foreclosure? And should lenders be penalized for making enticing loans that were doomed for failure?
A. I introduced comprehensive legislation more than a year ago to fight mortgage fraud and protect consumers against abusive lending practices. My STOP FRAUD Act will provide the first federal definition of mortgage fraud, increase funding for federal and state law enforcement programs, create new criminal penalties for mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud, and require industry insiders to report suspicious activity. The bill also provides counseling to homeowners and tenants to help them avoid foreclosure and gives borrowers additional rights to protect themselves during foreclosure proceedings.
As president, I will create a Homeowner Obligation Made Explicit (HOME) score, which will allow individuals to easily compare various mortgage products and understand the full cost of the loan. The HOME score would also help borrowers understand their long-term obligations and would be required to include mandatory taxes and insurance.
I will also create a fund to help people refinance their mortgages and avoid foreclosure. The fund will also assist individuals who purchased homes that are simply too expensive for their income levels by helping to sell their homes. The fund will help offset costs of selling a home, including helping low-income borrowers get additional time and support to pay back any losses from the sale of their home and waiving certain federal, state, and local income taxes that result from an individual selling their home to avoid foreclosure. The fund will be partially paid for by increased penalties on lenders who act irresponsibly and commit fraud.
Read more.
No Comments » | African American Voters, Barack Obama, Democrats, Economy, Education, Election 2008, Mortage Lenders/Foreclosures, Politics | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
The Washington Post writes:
The major presidential candidates pummel each other daily on issues ranging from the Iraq war to health care. But when it comes to President Bush’s ambitious initiative to send humans back to the moon and on to Mars, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) is all but alone in staking out a formal position — and it’s one that lends support to key aspects of the president’s effort.
She initially outlined the need for a “robust” human spaceflight program last month during a Washington speech on science policy, despite being broadly critical of the Bush administration’s record on scientific issues.
The question of future manned space exploration took on greater prominence this week when Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made clear that he is not enamored with NASA’s effort to build a new spacecraft to take astronauts to the moon and beyond.
In a position paper on education unveiled in New Hampshire, Clinton’s rival advocated delaying for five years the program to build the new multibillion-dollar Constellation spacecraft and using the savings to fund a variety of education initiatives. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Politics, Youth | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
The thing is, I doubt there are any other candidates who may have been able to keep their attention any better. The images are not surprising to those familiar with what’s going on in our schools.
I think the faces of these young people are a powerful indictment of America about how we are cultivating our youth and our educational system. Compare that to some of the images you see of students in other countries in a school setting who are just happy to be able to go to school or who are being groomed to out-compete our youth and it is quite sad. 
Watch here.
15 Comments | Barack Obama, Democrats, Education, Election 2008, Politics, Youth | Permalink
Posted by sagereader
