Let Barack know YOUR Vision - PLEASE

I attended a meeting of United For Peace And Justice this past week and others like me are not thrilled with some of Barack Obama's appointments. In the article below, Heather Wokusch goes into some of HER thoughts to Barack and they are valid. Yet she is trying to be positive and I ask YOU to be likewise. Accentuate the positive and most importantly LET THE TRANSITION TEAM KNOW YOUR VISION for a better America and world.

FYI, Code Pink now admits to being a part of the Fake New York Times which appeared on NYC Streets and online. They too continue to move forward in a positive direction in their effort to remind Barack that War is soooooo over.

Suggestion: read Heather's piece, then OFFER BARACK'S TEAM YOUR THOUGHTS. THANKS!!!

Published on Friday, November 21, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
You're Scaring Me, Obama: Let the Bush Years Die
by Heather Wokusch

To be honest, Obama, you lost me when you voted for the PATRIOT Act reauthorization in 2006. You lost me again when you voted for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) amendment in 2008. And you lost me every single time you voted for yet more war funding.

Don't even get me started on your vote for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout.

I cast a ballot for you in November, but I just can't share in this moment of collective euphoria over your election.

So, if your transition team really wants feedback on "where President-Elect Obama should lead this country," here's a Top Five list:

1. Dump the Bush Doctrine and don't start more wars
You've made it clear that the US has to "take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights" and you've argued for "more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11."

What exactly does that mean?

Take troops out of Iraq and shove them into Afghanistan? Further destabilize Pakistan?

The whole idea of preemptive war (a.k.a. the Bush Doctrine) has no place in a civilized society and must be laid to rest, along with those sacrificed in Bush's military adventurism these past eight years.

Yet your approach to preemptive war, Mr. Obama, is nuanced at best.

During the January 2008 Democratic presidential debate, you said that if the US had "actionable intelligence" and Pakistan didn't "take on Al Qaida in their territory," then "I would strike." You added, " And that's the flaw of the Bush doctrine. It wasn't that he went after those who attacked America. It was that he went after those who didn't."

No, the flaw of the Bush Doctrine is that it's just plain wrong. We've learned that the hard way.

2. Ditch the warmongers
What's with all of the hawks in your new administration? MORE or MORE


[FYI, the rest of Heather's list NOT expanded upon here is:
3. Close Guantanamo – and the whole system of secret prisons
4. Expose Bush & Co., and ditch the national surveillance state
5. Choose Main Street (not Wall Street)]

Please read Heather's WHOLE article and then make YOUR comments at Barack's transition team site's VISION PAGE.

We think it is obvious. It may not be. Please write the transition team your thoughts. (I am going to cite Heather's article and add stuff such as campaign finance reform, instant runnoff voting, healthcare, money for education, homes and infrastructure [sort of Heather's 5], the environment [There is no such thing as "clean coal"] and renewable energy.)

You can darn well be sure they are hearing from Wall Street and the Corporatists. Now let's remind Barack what WE the People want.

THANKS!!!! And thanks for staying positive. I want to believe that Barack is lining people up who know the ropes but also that he plans to TELL THEM the limits, and the limits are what WE define. Now, let's DEFINE 'em. And ask others to do likewise. MORE THANKS!!!

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Catching up -- Again

Again, I've been truer to my Facebook friends and to my Quick TAKES and tasty tidbits blog than I have been to my Peace Hugs readers. When you don't see enough of me here, find me there, please. (I can use all the friends that I can get :-) All of that said, I am still rejoicing in the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, even as I know we will have to push him to do what needs to be done. He needs our support, our prayers, and our pushing -- not necessarily in that order.

And let's continue to "Make Music Not War" -- to this end, NYFOR has been working on compiling peaceful songs. Stay tuned for more on this.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne

Vote and Pray

I've been posting the quick takes on Quick TAKES and Tasty Tidbits, facing life on Facebook, working for corporate America, focusing on peace and migrating to my new computer. Life is busy and good. And today is hopeful. Following my friend Michele Maglione's lead, I documented my vote for Barack Obama on Row E, the Working Family Party's line. (This is important as it shows a progressive vote. Read David Sirota's The Uprising on this.)



I went into Gustavino's yesterday to make calls for the Obama-Biden Campaign for Change. Then I rushed home and made calls for True Majority's special election action project. I spoke with Mary Gervargis of Studio City who had not received her absentee ballot and was bereft. She's hispanic and they are for 2-1 for Obama. What happened? Her cousin in Valencia didn't get hers either. So after calling an election protection line last night and learning she could vote provisionally if she got to the polls, I made some more calls this morning to the California Democratic Party who promised to be in touch to help. Let's hope so! I tried. The more votes for Obama-Biden the better chance for them to have the positive progressive impact our world needs so desperately.

Now I'm off to Gustavino's to see if there is anything more they want me to do. Hey, it's just a short walk and a bus ride and another short walk. I'm taking my copy of Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now to read on the way. (The last time I had it with me on the subway, the person next to me tapped me and showed me HER copy. We were both reading the same chapter!! We had a lovely chat) I remember my great grandmother's epitaph -- "She hath done what she could" -- and I go forth to do whatever else I can. Please, God. Breathe. Trust. Believe. Hope. Act. Thank you. Amen.

Peace hugs,
Kate Anne