Saturday, September 6, 2008

Joe Biden says McCain's speech was just words with no substance

Joe Biden says McCain's speech was just words with no real substance.

John McCain just accepted the Republican nomination and adopted the most conservative platform in the history of his party.

After days of negative attacks -- and no mention of real proposals to fix our economy, get more people health care, or make America safer -- the party that brought you eight years of disastrous policies is asking for four more.

Well, not if we have anything to say about it.

Across this nation, people like you have joined this movement because you believe that we are better than the past eight years. And now that we are entering the final stretch, it's going to take all of us to bring the change we need.

Step up at this crucial moment and make a donation of $5 or more to change our country.

After the last eight years, it's up to you to keep America's promise alive.

How can John McCain pull us out of the deep hole we're in when he voted with George Bush more than 90% of the time?

The American people deserve more than a 10% chance at change.

No matter what McCain says, we can't bring about change by relying on the same ideas that have failed us for the last eight years.

Show the McCain campaign that people coming together, giving what they can afford, and working toward a common purpose will transform this country.

Change begins with you. Please make a donation of $5 or more now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/changeweneed

Thanks for everything you're doing,

Joe

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John McCain deeply honored to accept the Republican nomination for President of the United States

Tonight, I was deeply honored to accept the Republican nomination for President of the United States. I am proud of my record of service to our country and would be humbled to continue my service as your next president.

I have often said that I owe my country more than she has ever owed me. I am deeply indebted to our country. I never let a single day go by without giving thanks for the freedoms we are so fortunate to have as citizens of the greatest nation on earth. This is just one of the reasons I have always put the needs of our country before my own self-interest.

I'm very fortunate to have found a true partner in this election, Governor Sarah Palin. Governor Palin and I have a lot in common. One thing in particular is the nickname "maverick." I've been a maverick in Washington and I can't wait to have another maverick join me on the ticket and in the White House as we stand up to the status quo that has stifled reform for so long.

My friends, our nation is in deep need of reform. Our government is broken and Governor Palin and I, along with other Reform Republicans, are ready to lead; ready to shake up Washington and bring this needed reform. Our ticket, from top to bottom, is ready to break our country's dependence on foreign oil, ready to reform the tax code and reduce your taxes, and ready to support our men and women in uniform.

Unfortunately, Democratic operatives have chosen to spend this week attacking us. They have stooped lower than anyone could have imagined. And with just 60 days left in this election, we must respond to these attacks with the truth. McCain-Palin Victory 2008 is a fund set up to do just this; to set the record straight and get the truth out to all Americans who support our cause.

Will you help our cause by following this link to make a generous contribution of $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more? Any amount you can give today will go a long way in responding to these shameful attacks.

The McCain-Palin Campaign and the rest of our ticket for reform are ready to serve our country. With your help and support, we can make this happen on November 4th. Stand with us now and join our team.

Sincerely,

John McCain

P.S. I have spent my life in service to my country and with your help, I will be able to serve her a little while longer as the President of the United States. I have found a dynamic partner in this election, Governor Sarah Palin. We're ready to lead our Party to victory this November and to govern effectively afterward. We ask that you join our cause today by following this link. Thank you.


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Thursday, September 4, 2008

The ability for workers to organize is an important American right

On Labor Day this year, I joined a group of workers from Northwest Indiana to show solidarity with workers from three companies that are engaged in ongoing first contract negotiations. In all three cases, the workers exercised their right to form a union through a democratic vote, but have been unable to come to terms with their employers on their first contracts.

The ability for workers to organize is an important American right that has helped many of us obtain a living wage, affordable healthcare, and a secure retirement—three things that I believe every American deserves. Sadly, under President Bush, many workers’ rights have deteriorated. People are working longer and harder for less.

In these tough economic times with wages down, costs up, and jobs being outsourced overseas, I believe it is important to continue to provide America’s workers with the opportunity to organize and bargain collectively.

On March 1, 2007, the House of Representatives passed the Employee Free Choice Act. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this important bill. The Employee Free Choice Act would allow employees to choose freely whether to form unions by signing cards authorizing union representation, a method knows as “card check.” Further, the measure would provide mediation and arbitration for first-contract disputes that last over 90 days, and would establish stronger penalties to discourage employers from illegally firing or discriminating against employees who attempt to form a union or negotiate a first contract. Unfortunately, the bill is stalled in the Senate and Northwest Indiana’s new unions that are negotiating their first contracts cannot go to mediation and arbitration.

America’s workers deserve the Employee Free Choice Act, just as they deserve a living wage, affordable healthcare, and a secure retirement, and I will continue to push for all those things.
Sincerely,

Pete Visclosky
Member of Congress

CONTACT INFORMATION
Washington Office
2256 Rayburn
House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: (202) 225-2461
fax: (202) 225-2493

Northwest Indiana Office
701 East 83rd Avenue, Suite 9
Merrillville, IN 46410
phone: (219) 795-1844
(888) 423-PETE (toll-free)
fax: (219) 795-1850


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I officially accepted the nomination as the first female Republican vice presidential candidate

Last night I was humbled and honored to make history as I officially accepted the nomination as the first female Republican vice presidential candidate.

I accept the call to help John McCain serve and defend America. I accept the challenge of a tough fight in this election, against confident opponents and at a crucial hour for our country. And I accept the privilege of serving with a man who has come through much harder missions.

I cannot tell you how special last night was for me and how enthused I am to be John McCain's running mate. Our nominee for president is a true profile in courage, and people like that are hard to come by. He's a man who wore the uniform of this country for 22 years, and refused to break faith with those troops in Iraq who have now brought victory within sight. And he's the man I know is ready to lead as our next Commander in Chief.

Friends, there is a time for politics and a time for leadership. There is a time to campaign and a time to put our country first. John McCain and I are putting our country first, because it's what true leaders do.

Unfortunately, as you've seen this week, the Obama/Biden Democrats have been vicious in their attacks directed toward me, my family and John McCain. The misinformation and flat-out lies must be corrected.

What you can do today is give whatever you can afford - right now - to McCain-Palin Victory 2008. Your support is very important as we face the Obama Democrats and their vicious attacks. We must have the finances to respond to the latest attacks the Democrats have launched at us. It doesn't matter if your donation is $25 or $250 - every little bit helps.

John McCain and I are ready to shake up Washington, ready to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good, and to leave this nation better than we found it. If you elect us as the next President and Vice President of the United States, I promise you, our country will always come first. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

Governor Sarah Palin

P.S. If character is the measure in this election, then I ask you to join our cause. Join our cause and help America elect a great man as the next president of the United States. Please follow this link to give $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, $1,000 or more to help us respond to the Democrats' attacks. Thank you.


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the Republicans mocked, dismissed, and actually laughed out loud at Americans

Why would the Republicans spend a whole night of their convention attacking ordinary people?

With the nation watching, the Republicans mocked, dismissed, and actually laughed out loud at Americans who engage in community service and organizing.

Our convention was different. We gave the stage to everyday Americans who hunger for change and stepped up to make phone calls, knock on doors, and raise money in small amounts in their communities.

You may have missed it, but we also showed the country a video with the faces and voices of those organizers, volunteers, and donors from every corner of the country.

Watch the video and make a donation of $5 or more now to show that in this election, ordinary people will make their voices heard.

https://donate.barackobama.com/changevideo

What you didn't hear from the Republicans at their convention is a single new idea about how to make the healthcare system work, get our economy moving for the middle class, or improve education.

Just attacks -- on me, and on you.

But what the McCain attack squad doesn't understand is that people like you -- who devote part of their busy lives to organizing and building their communities -- have the power to change this country.

With your help, that's exactly what we're going to do.

Thank you,

Barack

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What I saw from the Republican convention last night

I wasn't planning on sending you something this morning. But if you saw what I saw from the Republican convention, you know that it demands a response.

I saw John McCain's attack squad of negative, cynical politicians. They lied about Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and they attacked you for being a part of this campaign.

But worst of all -- and this deserves to be noted -- they insulted the very idea that ordinary people have a role to play in our political process.

You know that despite what John McCain and his attack squad say, everyday people have the power to build something extraordinary when we come together. Make a donation of $5 or more right now to remind them.

Both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack's experience as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago more than two decades ago, where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed.

Let's clarify something for them right now.

Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.

And it's no surprise that, after eight years of George Bush, millions of people have found that by coming together in their local communities they can change the course of history. That promise is what our campaign has been about from the beginning.

Throughout our history, ordinary people have made good on America's promise by organizing for change from the bottom up. Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women's suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. And it's happening today in church basements and community centers and living rooms across America.

Meanwhile, we still haven't gotten a single idea during the entire Republican convention about the economy and how to lift a middle class so harmed by the Bush-McCain policies.

It's now clear that John McCain's campaign has decided that desperate lies and personal attacks -- on Barack Obama and on you -- are the only way they can earn a third term for the Bush policies that McCain has supported more than 90 percent of the time.

But you can send a crystal clear message.

Enough is enough. Make your voice heard loud and clear by making a $5 donation right now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/fightback

Thank you for joining more than 2 million ordinary Americans who refuse to be silenced.

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America


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Better schools for a better economy for Indiana

Indiana's students have unlimited potential, but Mitch Daniels hasn't done enough to allow them to fulfill their promise.

High school dropout rates are too high, literacy rates are too low, and Indiana ranks near the bottom of the 50 states in adults with college degrees. Not only is this hurting our students' chance for a better future, it's hurting our economy.

The path to economic opportunity and prosperity begins with a quality education for all Hoosiers, and today I want to tell you exactly how Dennie Oxley and I will accomplish this.

Read our education proposal -- and let us know what you think about the plan:

http://www.hoosiersforjill.com/educationplan

I'm a former college professor, and my running mate, Dennie Oxley, was a high school math teacher. We've been in the classroom, worked with students, and know the steps we must take to turn our state's education system around.

With the state of our economy today, we can no longer settle for incremental changes. We must transform our education system to provide lifelong opportunities for all Hoosiers, from early childhood through high school through adulthood.

Our plan to modernize education in Indiana has three main components:

Teaching every child to read. Reading is the fundamental key to education. We are proposing a statewide effort to provide every single child with a free book every month from the day they are born until they turn five years old.

Keep our students in school. To reduce our high school dropout rate, we propose a redesign of the high school years to accomodate students with different needs. Under our plan, students can speed up their education and move on to college in less than four years, or take their time and spend an extra fifth year to earn their diploma. Students would also be given the opportunity during their junior and senior years to earn college credits or learn a special trade.

Improve access to higher education.

By strengthening the link from high school to college, we can provide more Hoosiers with the opportunity to pursue higher education. We also propose supplementing federal grants and loans with an expansion of the 21st Century Scholars Program to embrace a greater number of low and middle-income families. The funding would come from a newly created Higher Education Fund, which would raise private dollars to invest in our students' futures.

For a full explanation of our education plan -- and the chance to give us important feedback -- click here now:

http://www.hoosiersforjill.com/educationplan

For the sake of our economy and our future, we must improve our education system so that all Hoosiers can realize their full potential.

I thank you for joining Dennie and me in this vital effort, and look forward to hearing your thoughts about our plan.

Sincerely,

Jill Long Thompson


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$5 for Barack Obama

In the next 36 hours, the McCain campaign will be pouring millions of dollars -- if not tens of millions -- into negative attack ads against Barack Obama.

Before John McCain accepts the Republican nomination on Thursday, his campaign has to spend every last dollar of primary funds they've raked in from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

Just yesterday, they aired a new negative ad in 14 swing states. His campaign manager even admitted that all McCain has to rely on is attacks, saying that for them, "This election is not about issues."

He doesn't want Americans to notice that the Republican platform is the most extreme we've ever seen -- opposing stem cell research, denying a woman's right to choose no matter what the circumstance, and continuing to spend $10 billion a month in Iraq.

With so much at stake, we can't allow another election to be determined by petty and divisive political tactics.

Make a donation of $5 or more to fight back against an unprecedented week of negativity from John McCain.

The McCain campaign is trying to distract voters from the real issues -- so we're going to focus on what they're trying to hide.

They've come out against the life-saving possibilities of stem cell research.

They don't even mention protecting equal pay for equal work.

They support huge tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of Americans.

They've almost completely ignored the $10 billion we're spending every month in Iraq.

And they make zero exceptions for a woman's right to choose -- even in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.

If that all sounds like more of the same, that's because it is. John McCain is offering a third term of the disastrous Bush agenda, so it's no wonder his campaign would choose to focus on attacks instead of issues.

Please make your donation of $5 or more today:

https://donate.barackobama.com/fightback

I know we've asked a lot from supporters like you recently, and many of you contributed just last week.

But the stakes are high, and there are less than 9 weeks before Election Day. It's going to require unprecedented resources to defeat John McCain and bring about the change America so desperately needs.

Thank you for all you do,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Jill Long Thompson in Merrillville 9/16/2008 7pm

Tickets are now available for the first gubernatorial debate - free of charge!

Indiana Debate Commission 2008 Gubernatorial Debate
Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, IN
Tuesday, September 16, 2008, 7:00 PM

Click here to order your free debate tickets.

There is limited seating and tickets are going fast - order yours today!

Sincerely,

Travis Lowe
Campaign Manager
Hoosiers for Jill


Paid for and authorized by Hoosiers for Jill Long Thompson. Gary Calhoun, Treasurer.


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Governor Palin will officially accept the nomination

Last Friday, our campaign was proud to welcome Governor Sarah Palin to the ticket as John McCain's running mate. Over the past few days, the campaign has received an outpouring of support in the form of record-breaking donations and crowds of supporters who have packed rallies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Missouri.

Tomorrow night, Governor Palin will officially accept the nomination to be the first female Republican Vice Presidential candidate in history. And today, we're giving you the opportunity to get to know Governor Palin a little better through an exclusive video you can watch by following this link.

Watch the Video: "Introducing Governor Sarah Palin"

After watching the video, we encourage you to pass this email along to your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues.

We know everyone is anticipating John McCain and Governor Palin's speeches at the Republican National Convention later this week. We hope you'll take the time tonight to watch the following speakers during tonight's convention prime-time program.

President Bush will deliver remarks via satellite. Mrs. Laura Bush, Senators Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman and many others will also speak. We encourage you to tune in tonight between the hours of 8:30 to 10:00 CST.

Sincerely,
The McCain Campaign


Paid for by John McCain 2008 General Election Committee


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Here are the top 3 ways to make your site a sales machine

The Art of Closing the Sale ***Plus Bonus CDs

First Things First
by Derek Gehl

Make your sales process watertight!

There's no point spending a ton of cash on pay-per-click ads to drive targeted traffic to your site if none of those visitors buy anything.

Here are the top 3 ways to make your site a sales machine -- BEFORE you spend a bundle on attracting visitors.

1: Get your sales copy in top shape

You've got under five seconds to convince people to stay on your website... so your headline has to grab them by the eyeballs and compel them to read on!

The best headlines tell visitors they'll find exactly what they're searching for, and intrigue them enough to keep reading.

But don't let your readers slip through your fingers once you've grabbed their attention with a hot headline.

Sales copy is the most important part of your website -- because it turns visitors into customers!

So make sure it smoothly guides people through a streamlined process that:


Identifies with their problem and builds your credibility
Engages them -- and explains why you can help
Tells them how they'll benefit from your product
Overcomes any objections they may have
Compels them to take action -- and tells them what to do!

At the end, give people a clear call to action that motivates them by re-stating the biggest benefit they'll get from buying now.

Instead of saying, "Click here to buy now!" go for something like, "Click here for instant access and start changing your life for the better in the next 30 minutes!"

So funnel your readers through a tight sales process -- and don't give them a reason to click away. If you do, they probably won't come back!

2: Collect testimonials

What's more trustworthy than a personal recommendation?

A good testimonial can persuade even the most skeptical potential customer to buy from you!

Testimonials prove that your product really works -- it DOES do exactly what you promise. That's why you NEED testimonials when you're getting started and haven't built your reputation.

Here's how to gather quality testimonials and benefit from them immediately:

If you don't have any customers yet, give your product away to a group of people in your target market, in exchange for their feedback.
If you have some positive feedback from customers, ask permission to use their comments on your site.
Don't be afraid to ask for testimonials! Invite customers to give you their vote of confidence with an email link that says: "Click here to tell us what you think!"
Email your buyers after they've purchased your product to ask them how they're enjoying it.

Make sure each testimonial has a first name, last name, and location to prove they're from real people.

Aim to get testimonials that are packed full of concrete benefits telling your customers exactly what they can expect to gain from buying your product.

Use them on your homepage, within your sales copy, on a special testimonial page, and on relevant product pages.

3: Make it easy to buy!

I'm always amazed how many sites make it difficult for you to buy from them!

According to market research from the Gartner Group, more than 50% of web sales are LOST because visitors can't find what they're looking for!

Don't make that mistake.

Name your navigation buttons clearly so it's obvious what people will find when they click on them.
Keep your navigation simple and consistent throughout your site, so people don't have to click any more than necessary. Ideally, someone should be able to buy from you in two clicks at most.
Use "Buy Now" buttons that link to your shopping cart or order page every time a product is shown-- especially if you have a catalog site.

And when people click to your sales page, make things easy for them!

Provide a range of payment options -- PayPal is a great place to start because it gives you an easy way to accept credit cards -- an absolute MUST.
On your order form, ask ONLY for the information you need. For example, if you sell an eBook, it's unlikely you'll need a home address. The less work people have to do on your order form, the more likely they are to buy.
And here's an extra tip... don't underestimate the power of including a phone number people can call if they have any questions.

As you work on your sales process, use our monitoring and testing tips to see which changes are most effective, so every element you add is an improvement.

If you DON'T test your site, you can be sure your visitors will be testing it anyway! So make sure there aren't any leaks in your sales process for them to find.

Build a solid sales process first, and then prioritize more advanced business-building strategies.

Once you've got these three crucial parts of your sales process shipshape, you can drive targeted traffic to your site -- and ramp up your sales even more!

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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Today is the deadline to get a FREE Obama-Biden car magnet

Over the last week this race has been transformed.

Barack named Joe Biden as his running mate, and they accepted the Democratic nomination at our historic open convention in Denver.

Our team is complete, and our movement is growing rapidly. But now we are facing our first major challenge together.

The August financial reporting deadline is today at midnight, and we have an opportunity to show that a campaign funded by ordinary people can go toe-to-toe with the Washington lobbyists and special interests lined up behind John McCain and the Republican Party.

Make a donation of $15 or more before midnight today, and you'll receive a first edition Obama-Biden car magnet.


Thanks,

Obama for America

P.S. -- The deadline is midnight today, August 31st. Make your online donation now:

https://donate.barackobama.com/08magnet


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