Obama Press Release: Campaign Statement On Phone Call With President Clinton

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 30, 2008]

“Senator Obama had a terrific conversation with President Clinton and is honored to have his support in this campaign. He has always believed that Bill Clinton is one of this nation’s great leaders and most brilliant minds, and looks forward to seeing him on the campaign trail and receiving his counsel in the months to come,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

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Obama Press Call: To Discuss Growth of Al Qaeda in Pakistan

[Obama Campaign Press Release/Conference Call from June 30, 2008]

TODAY: Obama Campaign to Hold Conference Call to Discuss Growth of Al Qaeda in Pakistan

Chicago, IL– The Obama campaign will host a conference call with senior foreign policy advisor Susan Rice and former CIA officer Bruce Reidel to discuss the recent news about the growth of Al Qaeda in Pakistan and why the American people cannot afford Senator McCain’s plan to continue President Bush’s policies in Iraq, which have distracted us from pursuing Al Qaeda.

Monday, June 30th
2:00 PM CT//3:00 PM ET

[AUDIO]

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Obama Press Release: Campaign Releases Second General Election Television Ad

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 30, 2008]

Obama Campaign Releases Second General Election Television Ad
30 Second Ad “Dignity” to Air in 18 States

CHICAGO, IL – The Obama campaign today announced the release of its second television advertisement for the general election. The thirty second ad, entitled “Dignity,” will begin airing in eighteen states across the country today underscoring Senator Obama’s commitment to being an advocate for workers and children.

The spot highlights Senator Obama’s decision to bypass big money jobs and help lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. The ad illustrates Senator Obama’s record of working hard to move people from welfare to work, passing tax cuts for workers and providing healthcare for children.

The ad will air in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Virginia.

You can watch “Dignity” LINK
SCRIPT – “Dignity”

OBAMA: I’m Barack Obama, and I approve this message.

Announcer: He worked his way through college and Harvard Law.

Turned down big money offers, and helped lift neighborhoods stung by job loss. Fought for workers’ rights.

He passed a law to move people from welfare to work, slashed the rolls by eighty percent. Passed tax cuts for workers; health care for kids.

As president, he’ll end tax breaks for companies that export jobs, reward those that create jobs in America.

And never forget the dignity that comes from work.

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Obama Press Release: Statement On General Clark’s comments about McCain’s service

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 30, 2008]

“As he’s said many times before, Senator Obama honors and respects Senator McCain’s service, and of course he rejects yesterday’s statement by General Clark,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

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McCain Press Call: Launching McCain Truth Squad And Responding To Recent Comments By Wesley Clark

[McCain Campaign Press Release/Conference Call from June 30, 2008]

ARLINGTON, VA — Today at 11:30 a.m. EDT, U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign will hold a press conference call launching the McCain Truth Squad to set the record straight about John McCain’s military service in the face of recent attacks on his record.

Monday, June 30, 2008

PRESS CONFERENCE CALL

WHO: Senator John Warner (R-VA)
Col. Bud Day, USAF (Ret.), Medal of Honor
Lt.Col. Orson Swindle, USMC (Ret.)
Lt. Commander Carl Smith, USNR (Ret.)

WHAT: Press Conference Call

WHEN: Monday, June 30, 2008 at 11:30 a.m. EDT

###

[AUDIO]

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Obama Press Release: Transcript Of Obama Speech On Patriotism

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 30, 2008]

Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
The America We Love – as prepared for delivery
Monday, June 30th, 2008
Independence, Missouri

On a spring morning in April of 1775, a simple band of colonists – farmers and merchants, blacksmiths and printers, men and boys – left their homes and families in Lexington and Concord to take up arms against the tyranny of an Empire. The odds against them were long and the risks enormous – for even if they survived the battle, any ultimate failure would bring charges of treason, and death by hanging.

And yet they took that chance. They did so not on behalf of a particular tribe or lineage, but on behalf of a larger idea. The idea of liberty. The idea of God-given, inalienable rights. And with the first shot of that fateful day – a shot heard round the world – the American Revolution, and America’s experiment with democracy, began.

Those men of Lexington and Concord were among our first patriots. And at the beginning of a week when we celebrate the birth of our nation, I think it is fitting to pause for a moment and reflect on the meaning of patriotism – theirs, and ours. We do so in part because we are in the midst of war – more than one and a half million of our finest young men and women have now fought in Iraq and Afghanistan; over 60,000 have been wounded, and over 4,600 have been laid to rest. The costs of war have been great, and the debate surrounding our mission in Iraq has been fierce. It is natural, in light of such sacrifice by so many, to think more deeply about the commitments that bind us to our nation, and to each other.

We reflect on these questions as well because we are in the midst of a presidential election, perhaps the most consequential in generations; a contest that will determine the course of this nation for years, perhaps decades, to come. Not only is it a debate about big issues – health care, jobs, energy, education, and retirement security – but it is also a debate about values. How do we keep ourselves safe and secure while preserving our liberties? How do we restore trust in a government that seems increasingly removed from its people and dominated by special interests? How do we ensure that in an increasingly global economy, the winners maintain allegiance to the less fortunate? And how do we resolve our differences at a time of increasing diversity?

Finally, it is worth considering the meaning of patriotism because the question of who is – or is not – a patriot all too often poisons our political debates, in ways that divide us rather than bringing us together. I have come to know this from my own experience on the campaign trail. Throughout my life, I have always taken my deep and abiding love for this country as a given. It was how I was raised; it is what propelled me into public service; it is why I am running for President. And yet, at certain times over the last sixteen months, I have found, for the first time, my patriotism challenged – at times as a result of my own carelessness, more often as a result of the desire by some to score political points and raise fears about who I am and what I stand for.

So let me say at this at outset of my remarks. I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine.

My concerns here aren’t simply personal, however. After all, throughout our history, men and women of far greater stature and significance than me have had their patriotism questioned in the midst of momentous debates. Thomas Jefferson was accused by the Federalists of selling out to the French. The anti-Federalists were just as convinced that John Adams was in cahoots with the British and intent on restoring monarchal rule. Likewise, even our wisest Presidents have sought to justify questionable policies on the basis of patriotism. Adams’ Alien and Sedition Act, Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus, Roosevelt’s internment of Japanese Americans – all were defended as expressions of patriotism, and those who disagreed with their policies were sometimes labeled as unpatriotic.

In other words, the use of patriotism as a political sword or a political shield is as old as the Republic. Still, what is striking about today’s patriotism debate is the degree to which it remains rooted in the culture wars of the 1960s – in arguments that go back forty years or more. In the early years of the civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War, defenders of the status quo often accused anybody who questioned the wisdom of government policies of being unpatriotic. Meanwhile, some of those in the so-called counter-culture of the Sixties reacted not merely by criticizing particular government policies, but by attacking the symbols, and in extreme cases, the very idea, of America itself – by burning flags; by blaming America for all that was wrong with the world; and perhaps most tragically, by failing to honor those veterans coming home from Vietnam, something that remains a national shame to this day.

Most Americans never bought into these simplistic world-views – these caricatures of left and right. Most Americans understood that dissent does not make one unpatriotic, and that there is nothing smart or sophisticated about a cynical disregard for America’s traditions and institutions. And yet the anger and turmoil of that period never entirely drained away. All too often our politics still seems trapped in these old, threadbare arguments – a fact most evident during our recent debates about the war in Iraq, when those who opposed administration policy were tagged by some as unpatriotic, and a general providing his best counsel on how to move forward in Iraq was accused of betrayal.

Given the enormous challenges that lie before us, we can no longer afford these sorts of divisions. None of us expect that arguments about patriotism will, or should, vanish entirely; after all, when we argue about patriotism, we are arguing about who we are as a country, and more importantly, who we should be. But surely we can agree that no party or political philosophy has a monopoly on patriotism. And surely we can arrive at a definition of patriotism that, however rough and imperfect, captures the best of America’s common spirit.

What would such a definition look like? For me, as for most Americans, patriotism starts as a gut instinct, a loyalty and love for country rooted in my earliest memories. I’m not just talking about the recitations of the Pledge of Allegiance or the Thanksgiving pageants at school or the fireworks on the Fourth of July, as wonderful as those things may be. Rather, I’m referring to the way the American ideal wove its way throughout the lessons my family taught me as a child.

One of my earliest memories is of sitting on my grandfather’s shoulders and watching the astronauts come to shore in Hawaii. I remember the cheers and small flags that people waved, and my grandfather explaining how we Americans could do anything we set our minds to do. That’s my idea of America.

I remember listening to my grandmother telling stories about her work on a bomber assembly-line during World War II. I remember my grandfather handing me his dog-tags from his time in Patton’s Army, and understanding that his defense of this country marked one of his greatest sources of pride. That’s my idea of America.

I remember, when living for four years in Indonesia as a child, listening to my mother reading me the first lines of the Declaration of Independence – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” I remember her explaining how this declaration applied to every American, black and white and brown alike; how those words, and words of the United States Constitution, protected us from the injustices that we witnessed other people suffering during those years abroad. That’s my idea of America.

As I got older, that gut instinct – that America is the greatest country on earth – would survive my growing awareness of our nation’s imperfections: it’s ongoing racial strife; the perversion of our political system laid bare during the Watergate hearings; the wrenching poverty of the Mississippi Delta and the hills of Appalachia. Not only because, in my mind, the joys of American life and culture, its vitality, its variety and its freedom, always outweighed its imperfections, but because I learned that what makes America great has never been its perfection but the belief that it can be made better. I came to understand that our revolution was waged for the sake of that belief – that we could be governed by laws, not men; that we could be equal in the eyes of those laws; that we could be free to say what we want and assemble with whomever we want and worship as we please; that we could have the right to pursue our individual dreams but the obligation to help our fellow citizens pursue theirs.

For a young man of mixed race, without firm anchor in any particular community, without even a father’s steadying hand, it is this essential American idea – that we are not constrained by the accident of birth but can make of our lives what we will – that has defined my life, just as it has defined the life of so many other Americans.

That is why, for me, patriotism is always more than just loyalty to a place on a map or a certain kind of people. Instead, it is also loyalty to America’s ideals – ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or defend, or give their last full measure of devotion. I believe it is this loyalty that allows a country teeming with different races and ethnicities, religions and customs, to come together as one. It is the application of these ideals that separate us from Zimbabwe, where the opposition party and their supporters have been silently hunted, tortured or killed; or Burma, where tens of thousands continue to struggle for basic food and shelter in the wake of a monstrous storm because a military junta fears opening up the country to outsiders; or Iraq, where despite the heroic efforts of our military, and the courage of many ordinary Iraqis, even limited cooperation between various factions remains far too elusive.

I believe those who attack America’s flaws without acknowledging the singular greatness of our ideals, and their proven capacity to inspire a better world, do not truly understand America.

Of course, precisely because America isn’t perfect, precisely because our ideals constantly demand more from us, patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader or government or policy. As Mark Twain, that greatest of American satirists and proud son of Missouri, once wrote, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” We may hope that our leaders and our government stand up for our ideals, and there are many times in our history when that’s occurred. But when our laws, our leaders or our government are out of alignment with our ideals, then the dissent of ordinary Americans may prove to be one of the truest expression of patriotism.

The young preacher from Georgia, Martin Luther King, Jr., who led a movement to help America confront our tragic history of racial injustice and live up to the meaning of our creed – he was a patriot. The young soldier who first spoke about the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib – he is a patriot. Recognizing a wrong being committed in this country’s name; insisting that we deliver on the promise of our Constitution – these are the acts of patriots, men and women who are defending that which is best in America. And we should never forget that – especially when we disagree with them; especially when they make us uncomfortable with their words.

Beyond a loyalty to America’s ideals, beyond a willingness to dissent on behalf of those ideals, I also believe that patriotism must, if it is to mean anything, involve the willingness to sacrifice – to give up something we value on behalf of a larger cause. For those who have fought under the flag of this nation – for the young veterans I meet when I visit Walter Reed; for those like John McCain who have endured physical torment in service to our country – no further proof of such sacrifice is necessary. And let me also add that no one should ever devalue that service, especially for the sake of a political campaign, and that goes for supporters on both sides.

We must always express our profound gratitude for the service of our men and women in uniform. Period. Indeed, one of the good things to emerge from the current conflict in Iraq has been the widespread recognition that whether you support this war or oppose it, the sacrifice of our troops is always worthy of honor.

For the rest of us – for those of us not in uniform or without loved ones in the military – the call to sacrifice for the country’s greater good remains an imperative of citizenship. Sadly, in recent years, in the midst of war on two fronts, this call to service never came. After 9/11, we were asked to shop. The wealthiest among us saw their tax obligations decline, even as the costs of war continued to mount. Rather than work together to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and thereby lessen our vulnerability to a volatile region, our energy policy remained unchanged, and our oil dependence only grew.

In spite of this absence of leadership from Washington, I have seen a new generation of Americans begin to take up the call. I meet them everywhere I go, young people involved in the project of American renewal; not only those who have signed up to fight for our country in distant lands, but those who are fighting for a better America here at home, by teaching in underserved schools, or caring for the sick in understaffed hospitals, or promoting more sustainable energy policies in their local communities.

I believe one of the tasks of the next Administration is to ensure that this movement towards service grows and sustains itself in the years to come. We should expand AmeriCorps and grow the Peace Corps. We should encourage national service by making it part of the requirement for a new college assistance program, even as we strengthen the benefits for those whose sense of duty has already led them to serve in our military.

We must remember, though, that true patriotism cannot be forced or legislated with a mere set of government programs. Instead, it must reside in the hearts of our people, and cultivated in the heart of our culture, and nurtured in the hearts of our children.

As we begin our fourth century as a nation, it is easy to take the extraordinary nature of America for granted. But it is our responsibility as Americans and as parents to instill that history in our children, both at home and at school. The loss of quality civic education from so many of our classrooms has left too many young Americans without the most basic knowledge of who our forefathers are, or what they did, or the significance of the founding documents that bear their names. Too many children are ignorant of the sheer effort, the risks and sacrifices made by previous generations, to ensure that this country survived war and depression; through the great struggles for civil, and social, and worker’s rights.

It is up to us, then, to teach them. It is up to us to teach them that even though we have faced great challenges and made our share of mistakes, we have always been able to come together and make this nation stronger, and more prosperous, and more united, and more just. It is up to us to teach them that America has been a force for good in the world, and that other nations and other people have looked to us as the last, best hope of Earth. It is up to us to teach them that it is good to give back to one’s community; that it is honorable to serve in the military; that it is vital to participate in our democracy and make our voices heard.

And it is up to us to teach our children a lesson that those of us in politics too often forget: that patriotism involves not only defending this country against external threat, but also working constantly to make America a better place for future generations.

When we pile up mountains of debt for the next generation to absorb, or put off changes to our energy policies, knowing full well the potential consequences of inaction, we are placing our short-term interests ahead of the nation’s long-term well-being. When we fail to educate effectively millions of our children so that they might compete in a global economy, or we fail to invest in the basic scientific research that has driven innovation in this country, we risk leaving behind an America that has fallen in the ranks of the world. Just as patriotism involves each of us making a commitment to this nation that extends beyond our own immediate self-interest, so must that commitment extends beyond our own time here on earth.

Our greatest leaders have always understood this. They’ve defined patriotism with an eye toward posterity. George Washington is rightly revered for his leadership of the Continental Army, but one of his greatest acts of patriotism was his insistence on stepping down after two terms, thereby setting a pattern for those that would follow, reminding future presidents that this is a government of and by and for the people.

Abraham Lincoln did not simply win a war or hold the Union together. In his unwillingness to demonize those against whom he fought; in his refusal to succumb to either the hatred or self-righteousness that war can unleash; in his ultimate insistence that in the aftermath of war the nation would no longer remain half slave and half free; and his trust in the better angels of our nature – he displayed the wisdom and courage that sets a standard for patriotism.

And it was the most famous son of Independence, Harry S Truman, who sat in the White House during his final days in office and said in his Farewell Address: “When Franklin Roosevelt died, I felt there must be a million men better qualified than I, to take up the Presidential task…But through all of it, through all the years I have worked here in this room, I have been well aware than I did not really work alone – that you were working with me. No President could ever hope to lead our country, or to sustain the burdens of this office, save the people helped with their support.”

In the end, it may be this quality that best describes patriotism in my mind – not just a love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, the American people. That is why our heart swells with pride at the sight of our flag; why we shed a tear as the lonely notes of Taps sound. For we know that the greatness of this country – its victories in war, its enormous wealth, its scientific and cultural achievements – all result from the energy and imagination of the American people; their toil, drive, struggle, restlessness, humor and quiet heroism.

That is the liberty we defend – the liberty of each of us to pursue our own dreams. That is the equality we seek – not an equality of results, but the chance of every single one of us to make it if we try. That is the community we strive to build – one in which we trust in this sometimes messy democracy of ours, one in which we continue to insist that there is nothing we cannot do when we put our mind to it, one in which we see ourselves as part of a larger story, our own fates wrapped up in the fates of those who share allegiance to America’s happy and singular creed.

Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

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Today’s Must Read: Hersh Article On Iran

At the moment, the economy may be the number one issue, however, it won’t be the only thing that gets attention for the rest of the summer.  At some point, the subject of Iran will take center stage for a while.  That said, Seymour Hersh has an excellent article in the New Yorker on the subject that is definitely worth a read.

I’ve excerpted some of the more interesting bits of information especially those that have a relation to election politics…

On the Democratic congress supporting the Bush administration’s decision to increase clandestine military operations against Iran:

In other words, some members of the Democratic leadership—Congress has been under Democratic control since the 2006 elections—were willing, in secret, to go along with the Administration in expanding covert activities directed at Iran, while the Party’s presumptive candidate for President, Barack Obama, has said that he favors direct talks and diplomacy.

Secretary gates discussing the consequences of a preemptive strike:

A Democratic senator told me that, late last year, in an off-the-record lunch meeting, Secretary of Defense Gates met with the Democratic caucus in the Senate. (Such meetings are held regularly.) Gates warned of the consequences if the Bush Administration staged a preëmptive strike on Iran, saying, as the senator recalled, “We’ll create generations of jihadists, and our grandchildren will be battling our enemies here in America.”

A commentary on how the Democrats in Congress are doing:

The Democratic leadership’s agreement to commit hundreds of millions of dollars for more secret operations in Iran was remarkable, given the general concerns of officials like Gates, Fallon, and many others. “The oversight process has not kept pace—it’s been coöpted” by the Administration, the person familiar with the contents of the Finding said. “The process is broken, and this is dangerous stuff we’re authorizing.”

And some closing thoughts on the subject:

There is another complication: American Presidential politics. Barack Obama has said that, if elected, he would begin talks with Iran with no “self-defeating” preconditions (although only after diplomatic groundwork had been laid). That position has been vigorously criticized by John McCain. The Washington Post recently quoted Randy Scheunemann, the McCain campaign’s national-security director, as stating that McCain supports the White House’s position, and that the program be suspended before talks begin. What Obama is proposing, Scheunemann said, “is unilateral cowboy summitry.”

Scheunemann, who is known as a neoconservative, is also the McCain campaign’s most important channel of communication with the White House. He is a friend of David Addington, Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. I have heard differing accounts of Scheunemann’s influence with McCain; though some close to the McCain campaign talk about him as a possible national-security adviser, others say he is someone who isn’t taken seriously while “telling Cheney and others what they want to hear,” as a senior McCain adviser put it.

Between McCain singing bomb Iran earlier in 2007 and Obama getting some criticism for his statements on negotiations, the topics discussed in Hersh’s article will become a factor at some point later in the election, one way or another.

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2008Central.net Presidential Election Podcast (06/29/08)

Today, we take a look back at this week in the election and also have an in-depth discussion about the Obama Campaign’s general election strategy.

[Subscribe to 2008Central.net's Presidential Election Podcast]

Feel free to email us questions/suggestions for our next podcast (you can also email an audio file of your question and we’ll include it in the podcast).

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McCain Press Release: Statement By Admiral Leighton “Snuffy” Smith On Gen. Wesley Clark’s Attack On John McCain

[McCain Campaign Press Release from June 29, 2008]

Statement By Admiral Leighton “Snuffy” Smith On Gen. Wesley Clark’s Attack On John McCain

ARLINGTON, VA — Admiral Leighton “Snuffy” Smith, USN (Ret.) today issued the following statement on Gen. Wesley Clark’s attack on John McCain’s military service record today on CBS’ “Face the Nation”:

“If Barack Obama wants to question John McCain’s service to his country, he should have the guts to do it himself and not hide behind his campaign surrogates. If he expects the American people to believe his pledges about a new kind of politics, Barack Obama has a responsibility to condemn these attacks.”

Admiral Leighton “Snuffy” Smith, Jr. retired from the Navy after over 34 years of service in positions that took him, literally, around the world. His last active duty assignment was Commander, U.S. Naval Force, Europe, Commander in Chief Allied Forces Southern Europe (NATO) and, concurrently, Commander of NATO’s first ever out of area land operation, the Implementation Forces (IFOR) in Bosnia charged with implementing the Dayton Peace Accords. As a naval aviator Admiral Smith flew carrier-based light attack jet aircraft during multiple deployments to the Mediterranean, North Atlantic, Western Pacific and Indian oceans. These included three cruises in waters off North Vietnam where he flew over 280 combat missions.

BACKGROUND: On CBS’ “Face The Nation” This Morning, Gen. Wesley Clark Attacked John McCain’s Military Service Record

Gen. Wesley Clark, “Acting As A Surrogate For Barack Obama’s Campaign, Invoked John McCain’s Military Service Against Him In One Of The More Personal Attacks On The Republican Presidential Nominee This Election Cycle,” And “Took A Few Swipes At McCain’s Military Service.” “Gen. Wesley Clark, acting as a surrogate for Barack Obama’s campaign, invoked John McCain’s military service against him in one of the more personal attacks on the Republican presidential nominee this election cycle. Clark said that McCain lacked the executive experience necessary to be president, calling him ‘untested and untried’ on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation.’ And in saying so, he took a few swipes at McCain’s military service.” (Josh Kraushaar, “Clark Hits McCain’s Military Credentials,” Politico, 6/29/08)

• Clark: “I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.” (CBS’ “Face The Nation,” 6/29/08)
• Clark: “He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn’t held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn’t a wartime squadron.” (CBS’ “Face The Nation,” 6/29/08)

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McCain Press Release: Statement By John McCain On Meeting With Reverends Billy And Franklin Graham

[McCain Campaign Press Release from June 29, 2008]

Statement By John McCain On Meeting With Reverends Billy And Franklin Graham

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain today made the following statement after meeting with Reverend Billy Graham and his son, Reverend Franklin Graham:

“Today, I met with Reverend Billy Graham and his son, Franklin. We had a very excellent conversation, and I appreciated the opportunity to visit with them. Billy Graham recalled that during the Vietnam War when I was a prisoner, he visited my parents twice in Honolulu, and he and my father prayed together for me. And I expressed my appreciation for that a long time ago.”

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Obama Press Release: 2006 - McCain thanked Obama for his work on immigration reform

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 28, 2008]

This press release is a response to an earlier press release from the McCain Campaign.  It can be found here.

Earlier today, the McCain campaign attacked Senator Obama’s work on immigration reform. Below is a reminder that previously, Senator McCain himself took the time to thank Senator Obama for his efforts.

2006: McCain Thanked Obama As One Of A Small Bipartisan Group Of Senators Who “Stood Together To Make This Legislation Possible.” McCain said, “After several weeks of extensive debate and consideration of numerous and complicated amendments, the Senate is about to move to final passage on S. 2611, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act…I also commend the Senate Leadership on both sides of the aisle for their efforts to ensure that the Senate addressed this important issue and gave us more than adequate time for a thorough debate. This is a proud moment for the United States Senate, as we have conducted good work and returned to orderly traditions of the legislative process as envisioned by our founding fathers…And of course, I commend Senator Kennedy, who is perhaps the leading expert on this difficult issue…I also want to thank Senators Brownback, Lieberman, Graham, Salazar, Martinez, Obama, and DeWine for their shared commitment to this issue, and working to ensure this bill moved successfully intact through the legislative process.” [McCain Senate Floor Statement, 5/25/06]

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McCain Press Release: Barack Obama — A “Poison Pill” To Immigration Reform

[McCain Campaign Press Release from June 28, 2008]

Barack Obama — A “Poison Pill” To Immigration Reform

ARLINGTON, VA — Today, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers issued the following statement on Barack Obama’s remarks at the NALEO conference where he conveniently glossed over his record of putting politics ahead of reforming our immigration system:

“It’s quite audacious for Barack Obama to question John McCain’s commitment to immigration reform when it was Obama himself who worked to kill the Senate’s bipartisan immigration reform compromise last year. Barack Obama voted for five ‘poison pill’ amendments designed by special interests to kill the immigration reform deal. These efforts were strongly opposed by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), the Democrat who led the fight for immigration reform, because he understood they would have the effect of ending the bipartisan work toward immigration reform.

“The reality is that Barack Obama has never reached across the aisle to lead in a bipartisan fashion on an issue of major importance to the American people when his own political interests were at risk. The American people are tired of typical politicians like Barack Obama. While John McCain was reaching across the aisle to solve the tough problem of immigration reform, Barack Obama was working for politics as usual in Washington.”

FACT CHECK: Obama Put Politics First And Supported “Poison Pill” Efforts To Kill The Immigration Reform Compromise Last Year

The Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes: “Obama Professes In Speeches And His Bestselling Book, The Audacity Of Hope, To Rise Above Crass Party Interests. Not This Time.” “Where was Barack Obama? The moment was perfect last week for the Illinois senator and champion of bipartisanship to step forward and help save the compromise immigration bill from a premature death. All he needed to do was switch his vote to oppose an amendment whose passage was going to shatter the Senate coalition that negotiated the bill. By switching, Obama would have substantiated his claim to be a politician eager to reach across the partisan aisle and end the bitter polarization in Washington. But Obama was not heard from. A day later, with the deliberations on the bill in turmoil, Senate majority leader Harry Reid yanked it off the Senate floor. Obama voted with Reid on cloture, which failed, prompting the shutdown. It may be unfair to single ou t Obama for backing a so-called poison pill that would have weakened the proposed temporary worker program (by terminating it after five years). Obama wasn’t alone. Two Democratic presidential candidates–Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden–voted with him, as did Reid, Chuck Schumer, and Dick Durbin, Reid’s colleagues in the Senate Democratic leadership. What made Obama’s vote different was his hypocrisy. The others are hard-core partisans. Obama professes in speeches and his bestselling book, The Audacity of Hope, to rise above crass party interests. Not this time.” (Fred Barnes, “The ‘Grand Bargain’ Comes Undone,” The Weekly Standard, 6/18/07)

Obama Voted For Five “Poison Pill” Amendments Designed To Kill Immigration Reform Compromise:

• S.A. 1169 (Bingaman) — Obama Voted In Favor Of Lowering The Annual Visa Quota For Guest Workers From 400,000 To 200,000. “Bingaman, D-N.M., amendment no. 1169 to the Kennedy, D-Mass., substitute amendment no. 1150. The Bingaman amendment would lower the annual visa quota for guest workers from 400,000 to 200,000 per year.” (S. 1348, CQ Vote #175: Adopted 74-24: R 27-21; D 46-2; I 1-1, 5/23/07, Obama Voted Yea, Kennedy Voted Nay, McCain Did Not Vote)
• S.A. 1181 (Dorgan) — Obama Voted In Favor Of Sunsetting The Guest Worker Visa Program After Five Years. “Dorgan, D-N.D., amendment no. 1181 to the Kennedy, D-Mass., substitute amendment no. 1150. The Dorgan amendment would sunset the temporary guest worker visa program in the bill after five years.” (S. 1348, CQ Vote #178: Rejected 48-49: R 9-38; D 38-10; I 1-1, 5/24/07, Obama Voted Yea, Kennedy Voted Nay, McCain Voted Nay)
• S.A. 1202 (Obama) — Obama Sponsored And Voted In Favor Of An Amendment That Would Sunset The Merit-Based Evaluation System For Immigrants. “Obama, D-Ill., amendment no. 1202 to the Kennedy, D-Mass., substitute amendment no. 1150. The Obama amendment would sunset the merit-based evaluation system for immigrants after five years.” (S. 1348, CQ Vote #200: Rejected 42-55: R 1-47; D 39-8; I 2-0, 6/6/07, Obama Voted Yea, Kennedy Voted Nay, McCain Voted Nay)
• S.A. 1267 (Bingaman) — Obama Proposed And Voted In Favor Of His Amendment That Would Remove The Requirement That “Y” Visa Holders Leave The U.S. For One Year Before Being Able To Renew The Visa. “Bingaman, D-N.M., amendment no. 1267 to the Kennedy, D-Mass., substitute amendment no. 1150. The Bingaman amendment would remove the requirement that ‘Y’ non-immigrant visa holders leave the United States before they are able to renew their visa.” (S. 1348, CQ Vote #189: Rejected 41-57: R 4-44; D 35-13; I 2-0, 6/6/07, Obama Voted Yea, Kennedy Voted Nay, McCain Voted Nay)
• S.A. 1316 (Dorgan) — Obama Voted To Sunset The Y-1 Non-Immigrant Temporary Worker Visa Program After Five Years. “Dorgan, D-N.D., amendment to the Kennedy, D-Mass., substitute amendment. The Dorgan amendment would sunset the Y-1 non-immigrant temporary worker visa program after five years.” (S. 1348, CQ Vote #201: Adopted 49-48: R 11-37; D 37-10; I 1-1, 6/6/07, Obama Voted Yea, Kennedy Voted Nay, McCain Voted Nay)

Obama-Backed Amendments Dealt “Potentially Fatal Blows To The Fragile Coalition Backing The Bill”:

Obama “Backed 11th- Hour Amendments” To The Bipartisan Immigration Bill That Imperiled The Immigration Reform Compromise. “Obama was part of the bipartisan group of senators who began meeting in 2005 on comprehensive immigration reform. But last summer, with the presidential nominating race well under way, Obama backed 11th-hour amendments - supported by labor, immigrant rights, and clergy groups - that Republicans saw as imperiling the fragile compromise. None of those measures passed. But Obama was part of a 49-to-48 majority that voted to end after five years a temporary worker program that had been a cornerstone of the immigration deal. The vote, backed by labor, was seen as a major setback to bipartisan negotiations.” (Ariel Sabar, “For Obama, Bipartisan Aims, Party-Line Votes,” Christian Science Monitor, 4/17/08)

• Obama “Voted For One Amendment … Designed To Insert A Deadly ‘Poison Pill’ Into The Bipartisan ‘Grand Bargain’ On Immigration Reform.” “But then, on the floor of the Senate last week, Obama voted for one amendment - backed by the AFL-CIO and sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) - designed to insert a deadly ‘poison pill’ into the bipartisan ‘grand bargain’ on immigration reform.” (Mort Kondracke, Op-Ed, “Pandering to Base, 2008 Candidates Risk More Division,” Roll Call, 6/14/07)
• Obama Proposed An Amendment That Was Seen As Part Of An Effort To Offer “Potentially Fatal Blows To The Fragile Coalition Backing The Bill.” “They first had turned back a Republican bid to reduce the number of illegal immigrants who could gain lawful status. They later rejected two high-profile Democratic amendments. One would have postponed the bill’s shift to an emphasis on education and skills among visa applicants as opposed to family connections. The other, offered by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would have ended a new point system for those seeking permanent resident ‘green cards’ after five years rather than 14 years. All three amendments were seen as potentially fatal blows to the fragile coalition backing the bill, which remains under attack from the right and left.” (Charles Babington, “Immigration Deal Survives Senate Challenges, Backers Cautiously Optimistic,” The Associated Press, 6/7/07)

Obama Not Heavily Involved In Bipartisan Immigration Reform Compromise:

Senate Staff Members And Sen. Arlen Specter Recalled That Obama Had Not Been At The Early Legislation-Crafting Meetings He Claimed To Attend. “To Senate staff members, who had been arriving for 7 a.m. negotiating sessions for weeks, it was a galling moment. Those morning sessions had attracted just three to four senators a side, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) recalled, each deeply involved in the issue. Obama was not one of them.” (Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Weisman, “Both Obama And Clinton Embellish Their Roles,” The Washington Post, 3/24/08)

Obama Was Not Heavily Involved In Efforts To Secure Bipartisan Immigration Reform. “He did support the bipartisan effort to get an immigration bill last year, winning a plaudit from McCain. But he didn’t work closely with the White House, as did Sen. Edward Kennedy.” (David Ignatius, Op-Ed, “Obama: A Thin Record For A Bridge Builder,” The Washington Post, 3/2/08)

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Obama Press Release: Governor Richardson Praises Obama’s Plan to Make America Energy Independent and Help Families Struggling with High Gas Prices

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 27, 2008]

Democratic Radio Address:

Governor Richardson Praises Obama’s Plan to Make America Energy Independent and Help Families Struggling with High Gas Prices

Washington, DC – New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson delivered the Democratic radio address this week. Governor Richardson, who served as Secretary of Energy in the Clinton administration, praised Senator Barack Obama for his ability to bring change to Washington and help American families struggling with the high cost of energy.

In his address, Governor Richardson applauds Senator Obama for his dedication to ending the country’s dependence on foreign oil and his commitment to investing in alternative energy sources. Governor Richardson points out that John McCain’s support for expanded offshore drilling will do nothing to help struggling families and a faltering economy.

The transcript of the radio address is below.

To listen to the address, click here:

Transcript of Radio Address:

Good morning. I’m Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico.

Across this country Americans are hurting – struggling to cope with the soaring cost of gas and groceries. And they know that Washington hasn’t done enough to bring prices down or to end our dependence on foreign oil. And they certainly know that we haven’t done enough to help struggling families in the short term.

A failure of leadership has gotten us into this situation and only real, honest leadership can get us out. When times are tough it’s easy to go with what seems like a quick fix. But in government, just like in our personal lives, quick fixes are gimmicks that often just make things worse.

John McCain is offering gimmicks that on the surface may sound good; but, in reality will cost us jobs and won’t help families. And they certainly won’t reduce our addiction to imported oil. Senator McCain’s gimmicks – a gas tax holiday that will save consumers at most a gas tax holiday that will save consumers—at most—thirty cents a day for three months, and offering a prize for inventing a car battery - are not answers. As former Secretary of Energy, I know they won’t work.

Barack Obama is proposing real solutions that will provide immediate relief to Americans and build a new energy economy for the future. Senator Obama will push for a second stimulus package that will send out another round of rebate checks to the American people. He’ll tax the record profits of oil companies and use the money to help struggling families pay their energy bills. He’ll provide a $1,000 tax cut that will go to 95 percent of all workers and their families in this country. And he’ll close the loophole that allows corporations like Enron to engage in unregulated speculation that ends up artificially driving up the price of oil.

Obama will also raise the fuel standards in our cars and trucks and provide financial help to our automakers and autoworkers to help them make this transition. He’ll invest $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative sources of energy like wind power, and solar power, and advanced biofuels, creating up to five million new jobs.

President Bush and Senator McCain want to open our pristine wilderness lands and shorelines to unrestricted drilling. That is beyond irresponsible- it is dangerous and unnecessary. And will do nothing to provide immediate relief for families struggling with the high cost of gas. We’re not against responsible drilling. We believe the oil companies should drill on some of the millions of acres of land they already have but aren’t using, instead of snapping up new land and putting our natural resources at risk. We’re against irresponsible drilling. And the truth is we have just less than 2% of the world’s oil reserves but 25% of the demand. We can’t simply drill our way out of this energy crisis.

Barack Obama is offering a serious national commitment to transition our economy from our dependence on oil to clean, affordable sources of energy. He’ll make it a priority to finally reduce our dependence on foreign oil. And instead of giving out tax breaks to the oil companies, he’ll put tax breaks in the pockets of the middle class Americans who are the true engine of our economy.

As we prepare to celebrate our nation’s independence, let us all join with Senator Obama in a commitment to declare our independence from imported oil. Barack’s plan to build a new energy future and a stronger middle class is not a partisan issue- It’s an American issue. It’s the right thing to do.

This Fourth of July, please keep our men and women serving in uniform in your prayers and in your hearts. God Bless You, and God Bless America.

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McCain Press Release: Remarks By John McCain At The NALEO Conference

[McCain Campaign Press Release from June 28, 2008]

Remarks By John McCain At The NALEO Conference

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Senator John McCain will deliver the following remarks as prepared for delivery to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Conference in Washington, D.C., today at 11:00 a.m. EDT:

Thank you. It’s good to be with you. I want to speak very briefly, and then take your questions. I have the privilege today of speaking before my opponent, Senator Obama, whose talent as an orator, as you might notice, is somewhat greater than mine. I will not overemphasize that fact by indulging your patience with a lengthy speech. Fortunate for me and you, I enjoy listening and responding to my audience’s questions more than I do delivering formal remarks. So, I want to share just a few thoughts with you, and then move quickly to your questions, comments or insults.

We meet after another week of rising gasoline prices, another stock market sell-off, more mortgage foreclosures and the increasing loss of the American people’s confidence in the economy. The question of how government should respond to these troubling developments will shape much of the debate in this election, and I want to offer a few thoughts about what I believe we should do and not do.

It is a terrible mistake to raise taxes during an economic downturn. Increasing the tax burden on Americans impedes job growth, discourages innovation and makes us less competitive. Small businesses are the biggest job creators in our economy. Keeping individual tax rates low isn’t intended as a favor to wealthy Americans. Most small business owners pay those rates, and taking more money from them deprives them of the capital they need to invest and grow and hire. There are two million Latino owned businesses in America, a number that is growing very rapidly. The first consideration we should have when debating tax policy is how we can help those companies grow and increase the prosperity of the millions of American families whose economic security depends on their success.

Government should be on their side, not in their way.

Our current business tax rate, the second highest in the world, will postpone our recovery from this downturn and make us increasingly less competitive in the world economy. When a corporation plans to expand and hire more workers, they face a choice between building a new plant here at home and building it in a country like Ireland where they will pay less than half the tax rate they now pay. Employers can hire more people, or they can pay more taxes. We can no longer afford the luxury of nostalgia for past times when American business faced little serious competition in the world.

The global economy is here to stay. We cannot build walls to foreign competition, and why should we want to. When have Americans ever been afraid of competition? America is the biggest exporter, importer, producer, saver, investor, manufacturer, and innovator in the world. Americans don’t run from the challenge of a global economy. The courage, patriotism, ingenuity and industry of our forbears earned the reverence we hold for our storied past. But we have never been a country that substitutes nostalgia for optimism. We have never been a country that would rather go back than forward. We are the world’s leaders, and leaders don’t fear change, hide from challenges, pine for the past and dread the future. We make the future better than the past. That’s why I reject the false virtues of economic isolationism. Any confident, competent government should embrace competition - it makes us stronger - not hide from our competitors a nd cheat our consumers and workers. We can compete and win, as we always have, or we can be left behind. Lowering barriers to trade creates more and better jobs, and higher wages. It keeps inflation under control and interest rates low. It makes goods more affordable for low and middle income consumers. Protectionism threatens all those benefits.

Opening new markets for American goods and services is indispensable to our future prosperity. But in the global economy what you learn is what you earn. Today, half of Latinos and half of African Americans entering high school will never graduate. By the 12th grade, U.S. students in math and science score near the bottom of all industrialized nations. As Bill Gates said, “This isn’t an accident or flaw in the system. It is the system.” Many parents fear their children won’t have the same opportunities they had. That is simply unacceptable in a country as great as ours. In many schools, particularly where people are struggling the hardest, the situation is dire, and I believe poses the civil rights challenge of our time. We need to shake up failed school bureaucracies with competition; hold schools accountable for results; strengthen math, science, technology and engineering curriculums; empower parents with choice; remove barriers to qualified instructors, attract and reward superior teachers, and have a fair but sure process to weed out incompetents.

I have spent the last two weeks addressing the problem that is causing Americans the most pain right now, our dependence on imported oil, and how to free ourselves from a situation that threatens our economy, our environment and our national security. Obviously, the crisis most acutely affects lower income Americans, who often drive the furthest to work and own the oldest cars. There are a few, but not many, things we can do in the short term to alleviate the economic distress Americans are feeling as they pay more and more of their income for gasoline, and higher prices for groceries and almost all goods that are affected by spiraling increase in the price of oil. But we must commit ourselves to addressing this problem as quickly as humanly possible, and we must commit this country to the great national cause of breaking our strategic dependence on foreign oil. To do that, we must address both the supply and demand sides o f the problem. We must produce more oil at home, and while exploration and production will take some time, it will have an earlier effect on the oil futures market. When futures traders believe the supply of oil will increase in the years ahead and the cost of a barrel of oil will be lower, it will help curb some of the speculation in those markets that are driving prices so much higher today.

But the lasting solution to all the problems associated with our dependence on foreign oil is to begin in the term of the next president the most ambitious program ever to reduce our demand for the fuel that is a powerful inflationary force in our economy; is causing our climate to change with all the unimaginable problems that creates; and is ransoming our future to regimes that care little for our values or our security. We need to unleash the competitive forces of the free market to encourage clean alternatives — wind, solar, tide, nuclear, and clean coal. But to really achieve energy security, we must address the area where the demand for oil is the greatest the way we fuel our transportation system. I have promised a plan, which I called the Lexington Project, for the place where America’s war for independence began, which will encourage the investment and innovation necessary to wean our cars, buses, and trucks off of our complete dependence on gasoline. This will take time, but the longer we wait to begin, the longer it will take to achieve. It is an ambitious plan, but I am confident that our industry and entrepreneurs, and all Americans are up to this next great challenge in our history. The genius, hard work and courage of Americans have never failed us, and will not fail us now.

Let me close by talking briefly about my respect and gratitude for the contributions of Hispanic-Americans to the culture, economy and security of the country I have served all my adult life. I represent Arizona where Spanish was spoken before English was, and where the character and prosperity of our state owes a great deal to the many Arizonans of Hispanic descent who live there. And I know this country, which I love more than almost anything, would be the poorer were we deprived of the patriotism, industry and decency of those millions of Americans whose families came here from Mexico, Central and South America. I will honor their contributions to America for as long as I live.

I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic necessity of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who did. Many Americans, with good cause, did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. We must prove to them that we can and will secure our borders first, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States. But we must not make the mistake of thinking that our responsibility to meet this challenge will end with that accomplish ment. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them.

When I was in prison in Vietnam, I like other of my fellow POWs, was offered early release by my captors. Most of us refused because we were bound to our code of conduct, which said those who had been captured the earliest had to be released the soonest. My friend, Everett Alvarez, a brave American of Mexican descent, had been shot down years before I was, and had suffered for his country much more and much longer than I had. To leave him behind would have shamed us. When you take the solemn stroll along that wall of black granite on the national Mall, it is hard not to notice the many names such as Rodriguez, Hernandez, and Lopez that so sadly adorn it. When you visit Iraq and Afghanistan you will meet some of the thousands of Hispanic-Americans who serve there, and many of those who risk their lives to protect the rest of us do not yet possess the rights and privileges of full citizenship in the country they love so well. To love your country, as I discovered in Vietnam, is to love your countrymen. Those men and women are my brothers and sisters, my fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any other. As a private citizen or as your President, I will never, never do anything to dishonor our obligations to them and their families or to forget what they and their ancestors have done to make this country the beautiful, bountiful, blessed place we love.

Thank you.

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McCain Press Release: McCain 2008 Announces Florida Hispanic Coalition Leadership

[McCain Campaign Press Release from June 28, 2008]

McCain 2008 Announces Florida Hispanic Coalition Leadership

TALLAHASSEE, FL — U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign today announced the leadership of its Florida Hispanic Coalition. The coalition includes respected political, business and community leaders.

“John McCain has always been a strong advocate for Hispanics in Florida and across our nation,” said Senator Mel Martinez. “John McCain recognizes the value and contributions Hispanics have made in America. He is someone who has always put this country first, and that’s why he has my full support. The support of this coalition reflects his deep commitment to our community.”

Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen added, “As the first Hispanic woman elected to the United States Congress, I know first-hand the inspiration John McCain has provided to all Latinos. He is a patriot who strongly believes in the values that are important to our community.”

Today, John McCain addresses the 25th annual National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) in Washington, D.C., and next week he will make a historic trip to Colombia and Mexico.

Florida Hispanic Coalition Leadership

Honorary State Co-Chairs
Senator Mel Martinez
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart
Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart

State Co-Chairs
State Senator Rudy Garcia
State Senator Alex Diaz de la Portilla
Speaker Marco Rubio
State Representative Anitere Flories
State Representative Rene Garcia
State Representative Marcelo Llorente
State Representative Carlos Lopez-Cantera
State Representative Juan-Carlos (JC) Planas
State Representative David Rivera
State Representative Julio Robaina
State Representative Marco Rubio
State Representative Trey Traviesa
State Representative Juan Zapata

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Obama Press Release: Obama Campaign Announces Trip to Europe and the Middle East

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 28, 2008]

Obama Campaign Announces Trip to Europe and the Middle East

CHICAGO, IL- The Obama campaign announced today that Senator Obama will be traveling overseas to assess the situation in countries that are critical to American national security, and to consult with close friends and allies. Senator Obama will visit France, Germany, Israel, Jordan and the United Kingdom where he will consult with the leaders of those nations about common challenges like terrorism, nuclear proliferation and climate change.

“This trip will be an important opportunity for me to assess the situation in countries that are critical to American national security, and to consult with some of our closest friends and allies about the common challenges we face,” said Barack Obama. “Israel is a strong and close friend of the United States, and is confronting grave threats from Gaza to Tehran. Jordan has been a close partner in the peace process and a host of other issues of common concern. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are key anchors of the transatlantic alliance and have contributed to the mission in Afghanistan, and I look forward to discussing how we can strengthen our partnership in the years to come. This will be an important opportunity to have an exchange of views with leaders in these countries about these and other issues that are critical to American national security — and global security — in the 21st century.”

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McCain Press Call: With Former Governor Jane Swift To Discuss Barack Obama’s Event Today

[McCain Campaign Press Release/Conference Call from June 27, 2008]

This is a conference call about the Obama-Clinton event in Unity, NH today.  You can see our live blog and video of the event here.

Media Advisory
McCain Campaign Conference Call

ARLINGTON, VA — Today at 2:30 p.m. EDT, U.S. Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign will hold a press conference call with former Governor Jane Swift to discuss Barack Obama’s event today.

Friday, June 27, 2008

PRESS CONFERENCE CALL

WHO: Former Governor Jane Swift (R-MA)

WHAT: Press Conference Call

WHEN: Friday, June 27, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. EDT

[AUDIO]

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Obama Press Release: Obama Campaign Announces New Additions to National Policy Team

[Obama Campaign Press Release from June 27, 2008]

Obama Campaign Announces New Additions to National Policy Team

CHICAGO, IL —The Obama Campaign today announced that Melody Barnes, currently Executive Vice President for policy at the Center for American Progress, will serve as Senior Domestic Policy Advisor and Neera Tanden, former Clinton Campaign Policy Director, will serve as the Domestic Policy Director. Barnes and Tanden will help coordinate the domestic policy process under Heather Higginbottom, the campaign’s Policy Director.

Melody Barnes is stepping down from her role as the Executive Vice President for Policy at American Progress where she coordinated the integration of all of the Center’s policy work from the policy departments, fellows, and the Center’s network of outside policy experts. Barnes also served as Chief Counsel to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In that role, she helped to fight for civil rights, women’s health and reproductive rights, shape commercial law and religious liberties laws, and review executive branch and judicial appointments.

Neera Tanden most recently served as Policy Director for the Hillary Clinton campaign, where she directed all policy work and coordinated work with policy advisors. Tanden previously served as Senator Clinton’s Legislative Director and was the Deputy Campaign Manager and Policy Director for Clinton’s Senate campaign. She was formerly Senior Vice President for Domestic Policy at the Center for American Progress and served as the Issues Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).

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