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THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON THE PASSING OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY

Blue Heron Farm
Chilmark, Massachusetts

THE PRESIDENT: I wanted to say a few words this morning about the passing of an extraordinary leader, Senator Edward Kennedy.

Over the past several years, I've had the honor to call Teddy a colleague, a counselor, and a friend. And even though we have known this day was coming for some time now, we awaited it with no small amount of dread.

Since Teddy's diagnosis last year, we've seen the courage with which he battled his illness. And while these months have no doubt been difficult for him, they've also let him hear from people in every corner of our nation and from around the world just how much he meant to all of us. His fight has given us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you – and goodbye.

The latest from the Associated Press:

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett was in the hospital on Sunday after he was attacked by a person using a metal pipe as the mayor and his family left the Wisconsin State Fair.

Police said Barrett began calling the police emergency dispatcher when the suspect who was attacking the woman charged at the mayor and began hitting him with a metal pipe. The suspect then fled the scene, authorities said...

I know it's tough to keep track of candidates in spring elections, so I thought I'd share my personal choices for the state-wide offices.

Shirley Abrahamson, Supreme Court Justice
Shirley is an experienced, fair justice who has proven to Republicans and Democrats, prosecutors and defenders, and the law enforcement community that she understands the role of a supreme court justice and can perform it exceptionally well.

Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Schools
Tony has the experience and understanding to support education in our state at this critical time. I believe he shares my views of the value of public education, and isn't take ideological chances with our childrens' education.

We decided at our issues committee meeting on January 26 that we would communicate using this website. We also decided that we would meet after our regularly scheduled meeting. We decided that some of us will attempt to write resolutions for approval at our membership meeting in February.  These resolutions would move up to the meeting at the congressional district (4th, 5th and 1st) and then to the state wide meeting.

So, Scott Walker says he doesn't want any economic stimulus money for Milwaukee County.

 Since virtually every economist in the world believes that economic stimulus is the most important tool we now have for correcting our severe economic  downturn, why is Walker taking such a position?

 One reason would be that Scott Walker doesn't understand the meaning of the 2006 and 2008 elections, to wit, the American public is no longer buying the proposition that government is the cause of our problems. Indeed, the last eight years have convinced most people that the biggest problems in government come from electing people who don't believe that government can be an effective force for the common good.

But let's suppose that Scott Walker isn't blind to this public awakening, that he isn't still intoxicated from the conservative Kool-Aide. 

Check out the 2008 version of Mark Newman's election maps.

These maps indicate the extent of the Democratic victory by correcting for the population distribution in the country, as opposed to simply geographical area. (So that, e.g. sparsely populated counties that went red are shrunk to reflect their low population.

This brings home something I've seen in Wauwatosa: The denser a ward's population, the bluer it is.

Here's a list of the Obama/Biden offices in Milwaukee County. Stop by and lend a hand when you can!

Downtown Headquarters
744 N. 4th St.
(414) 305-8389

North Side
7984 W. Appleton Ave.
(414) 899-2565

North Shore
6805 N. Green Bay Ave.
(414) 807-8681

Fifth Ward
170 S. 2nd St.
(414) 223-3327

West Allis and Wauwatosa
8633 W. Greenfield Ave.
(414) 899-3841, (414) 899-3327

Dear Wisconsin Democrat,
 
As a Progressive heavily involved in your county party, I don’t have to tell you how important this years election is.  At the state level, we have a great opportunity to increase our margins in the State Senate and retake the State Assembly so that our Governor has a legislature more willing to move Wisconsin in the right direction come 2009.  In the 8th CD, Congressman Steve Kagen has been a tireless advocate on behalf of his constituents and his reelection this November is going to be vital in our efforts to turn our country around following eight years of the Bush Presidency.
 
However, I don’t have to tell you how important of a role Wisconsin will play in electing our next President. No other state in the country has been closer these past two Presidential elections than Wisconsin.   That’s why it’s up to each and every one of us to do everything we can to ensure Barack Obama wins Wisconsin – and the presidency – come Election Day this November.

Dear Wisconsin Democrat,

With much attention being rightly paid right now to the Democratic Presidential contests in various states, we cannot forget that Wisconsin will once again be a battleground as we edge closer to November.  No state was closer in the past two presidential contests than Wisconsin, and with no statewide candidates up for reelection this year, combined with our desire to increase our majority in the State Senate and retake the State Assembly, it’s critically important that our party do everything possible early on so that we can be successful this election.

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is already leading the way and has started to implement an exciting new program that empowers local Democrats and gives Progressives from Marinette to Monroe the ability to easily reach out to their neighbors in their own communities – igniting a powerful grassroots network of activists that will lead us to victory this November.

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.

-- Plato