Join the Campaign for Change Movement

My name is Marc Farinella, and I am the Obama campaign's North Carolina State Director.

I just arrived in North Carolina earlier this week, and it's clear there is a great deal to be excited about here. Supporters like you have built an incredible grassroots organization. Your efforts helped propel Barack to an important victory in the primary, and now we need to expand this impressive organization even further to win the general election.

For the first time in many years, North Carolina is a battleground state. The Obama campaign has made an unprecedented commitment across the state to bringing as many people as possible into the process. We are going to work in every precinct of the state to reach out to voters.

We need to continue growing our movement for change here in the Tar Heel State.

This week and next week, folks in every county in the state will be joining together at schools, churches, homes, and community centers to learn how they can help build our movement in North Carolina.

Find a Campaign for Change organizational meeting near you and make a difference for Barack in your community:

http://nc.barackobama.com/NCorgmeetings


Thanks

Marc Farinella
North Carolina State Director
Obama for America

P.S. -- There are plenty of different ways to get involved in our movement for change. If you or someone you know is interesting in interning with Barack Obama's Campaign for Change, learn more now:

http://nc.barackobama.com/NCinternship

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UPDATE - YDA's Spring National Conference May 30th - June 1st 2008 Nashville, TN | Hilton Downtown Nashville Hosted by the Tennessee Young Democrats and the Young Democrats of America Dear Young Democrat, We are less that two weeks away from the 2008 Spring National Conference in Nashville, TN and we have a very exciting program planned. Here is a preview of conference events you won't want to miss out on: Conference Kickoff and Welcome Reception: Get things started right by coming to Friday night's Conference Kickoff where you will get a preview of the weekend's events.  After that, head over to the Tennessee Young Democrats' Welcome Reception for some drinks, some mingling, and some of Nashville's famed local musical talent. Luncheon with Governor Phil Bredesen YDA is honored to have Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen addressing conference attendees during our Luncheon. Come hear him discuss his rise from an unknown candidate to one of the most popular Governors in either party. YDA's Campaign Training Peer-to-Palooza Much like that music festival with a strikingly similar title, YDA's Peer-to-Palooza gives you the opportunity to experience multiple youth vote, peer-to-peer, campaign trainings and info booths in one place, at one time. It's your one-stop-shop for campaign skills that will fully prepare you for our Young Voter Revolution. Young Voter Revolution Summit After attending the Peer-to-Palooza you've been through the "how." With the Young Voter Revolution Summit, we are going to see how much. Kick off the 2008 YDA Campaign by creating vote pledge goals and events for your caucus, state or local chapter. The Amazing Vote Pledge Scavenger Hunt Think Amazing Race combined with a scavenger hunt.  Throw in a few hundred young people on the streets of Music City USA, vote pledge forms, and only an hour to complete the assigned tasks, and you're destined for a wild one-hour adventure with your fellow YD's.  The young people of Nashville won't know what hit 'em. So, are you excited yet? Online pre-registration is still open, so if you or people you know are planning on heading over to Music City and haven't registered yet - it's time to get on it! See everyone in Nashville! Stephen Zigmund YDA Operations Director szigmund@yda.org

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Two years ago, North Carolina Democrats started a new tradition, by honoring two of our heroes with the first annual Sanford-Hunt Dinner. The result has been spectacular. The first two dinners completely sold out, with standing room crowds of over 600 people. We watched video clips of Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt. We heard brief tributes from people who worked closely with Governors Sanford and Hunt. And we listened, captivated, as Jim Hunt reminded us of what we're fighting for. Now we're getting ready for the third annual dinner. The dinner will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center located at 203 South Front Street in New Bern. We'll have a new lineup of speakers. And we'll hear, once again, from Gov. Hunt. But in order for the party to be successful in 2008, we need your help. Tickets are $30 per person. Other opportunities include: $1,000 Host Package includes 6 tickets $500 Sponsor Package includes 4 tickets $250 Friend Package includes 2 tickets To purchase tickets online click here. To be honest, of all our State Party's events, this dinner is my favorite. It's a chance for old friends to reunite. And it's a chance to introduce the many new people in our Party to the leadership and vision that Terry Sanford and Jim Hunt have given to our state. I hope you'll sponsor this year's dinner and make plans to attend. With Best Wishes, Jerry Meek North Carolina Democratic Party Chair

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You and I have known all along that Kay Hagan is the most qualified candidate to go to Washington and represent North Carolina. We're not the only ones who think so: Rasmussen Reports released a poll last week giving Kay a 48%-47% lead over Elizabeth Dole in this Senate race, and Public Policy Polling released their own head-to-head matchup, showing Kay at 43% to Dole's 48%. That means Kay has cut down Elizabeth Dole's lead by 12 points from the last time PPP polled the race, to bring what was once a significant lead for Dole to within the margin of error. And this week, we had even more good news: SurveyUSA released a poll showing Dole at 50% and Kay at 46%, again within the margin of error with plenty of time to go.  

While the numbers for each may be a bit different, what these polls all show is that in Elizabeth Dole's five years in Washington, she has failed to deliver for North Carolina, and voters are ready for change.  

In those same five years, Kay Hagan has proven herself as a pragmatic leader and a bipartisan legislator in the North Carolina Senate. She's balanced budgets and picked up the slack left by Elizabeth Dole and Washington, D.C. - from healthcare for North Carolina's neediest children, to equipment for our state's National Guardsmen to raising the state minimum wage while the federal minimum wage has lagged behind. As the Greensboro News and Record's endorsement of Kay last month mentioned, Kay will go to Washington and focus on North Carolina - not the special interests.  

It's clear from her landslide primary victory to these new poll numbers to our aggressive, grassroots campaign that support for Kay is growing. With your support, we'll continue to make a compelling case that while Elizabeth Dole hasn't earned another term in the U.S. Senate, she has earned a pair of Ruby Red Slippers so she can go back to Kansas, the Watergate, or whomever she's been representing while she's been neglecting North Carolina.  

The more people hear about Kay and her record of results serving North Carolinians in Raleigh, the more they support her and her campaign to bring real representation to Washington on behalf of the Tar Heel State. Please forward this email to friends and family and all those people who believe, as you do, that we can fix what's broken in Washington - we just need to elect the kind of leaders who have shown that they can do so.

As Memorial Day and even higher summer gas prices approach, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee today launched a series of online ads on two sites that consumers use to find lower gas prices - www.gasbuddy.com and www.gaspricewatch.com - to expose Senator Elizabeth Dole's accepting thousands of dollars in contributions from the oil and gas industry while standing in the way of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil.

The ads will run over the next month in North Carolina - where Dole has taken over $242,000 from the oil and gas industry - as well as Oregon, New Hampshire, Texas, Minnesota and Kentucky and will be seen two million times.

"Rather than fighting for her constituents who are facing record prices at the pump, Elizabeth Dole continues to fight for the agenda of the oil industry that's making record profits," DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. "Voters are tired of watching their wallets thinning at the tank while Elizabeth Dole's campaign coffers are fattened by the oil companies."

North Carolina Democrats, led by Kara Hollingsworth, April Padilla and Phillip Gilfus, called on President Bush during his visit to Fort Bragg this week to honor his contract with our military by supporting Democrat Senator Jim Webb's 21st Century GI Bill.

The bipartisan initiative expands educational opportunities to all members of the military who have served on active duty for at least three months since September 11.

President Bush has threatened to veto the measure.

This is another example of how Republican leadership in Washington has failed our troops and their families at every turn - whether it's a plan to stabilize Iraq in order to safely withdraw our troops, substandard living conditions in their barracks, providing proper body armor when they are sent to war or offering full health and educational benefits they earn on the battlefield when they return home.

"I would ask that each of you call on the President to honor the service and sacrifice of our veterans and invest in our economy here at home by investing in our people," Hollingsworth told supporters at a rally at Fayetteville State University on Thursday. "Tell the President not to veto this bill."

Padilla, whose husband is serving his third deployment, said she was offended by the President's charge that the bipartisan GI Bill would affect recruitment and retention of military service members.

"People don't sign up for the military for the benefits," Padilla said. "It's the most selfless service you can make."

Gilfus admonished Republican John McCain and his Senate allies for turning this into a political issue.

"I respect and honor the service and heroism of John McCain, but he doesn't seem to respect the service of me or my fellow veterans," Gilfus said. "Instead of joining this bipartisan coalition of senators to help today's veterans, Sen. McCain introduced a watered-down version of the bill. 

North Carolina saw a record-breaking turnout with nearly 1.6 million voters coming out for Democrats.

In more than 30 counties, turnout exceeded 40 percent of registered Democrats. Early and absentee votes accounted for 500,000 of those votes, which was more than six times the number of early and absentee voting in 2006 and more than half the total votes in the primary in 2004.

More than a half-million voters have participated in early voting. More than 80 percent of them chose to participate in the Democratic rather than Republican primary. Forty-percent of the early voters were African-American.

These numbers reflect a national trend in which 35 million people came out this election season to support our Democratic candidates, and an estimated 3.5 new voters were added to the national voter rolls.

Republican turnout, in contrast, has either stayed relatively stagnated or decreased since 2000, the last contested GOP primary. Sinking turnout throughout the country for Republicans shows the contrast between Democrats and Republicans this primary season.

This record turnout during the primaries has been transformational for the Democratic Party as record numbers of new voters are being registered and our candidates are campaigning in all 50 states, running a truly national campaign.

"Democrats are energized all across the country and we're competing in all 50 states, proving that if Democrats show up and talk about our values, we will win," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. "As we head towards November, I'm confident we will unite behind our nominee and harness this unprecedented enthusiasm to beat John McCain."

More than 5 million young voters nationwide have participated in this election season.

Turnout for voters ages 18 to 29 has increased dramatically, tripling or quadrupling in many states, during this primary season.

According to a Pew study released month, 58 percent of voters under 30 now self-identify as Democrats or leaning

Democratic, while only 33 percent associate with Republicans. The gap is even greater for young female voters - 63 to 28 percent.

Among unaffiliated voters in North Carolina, 19 percent self-identify as Democrats

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PRIMARY DAY IS MAY 6

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY IS HERE!!   Have you voted?   Although there was a huge turn-out for Early Voting, many of you still need to vote. All polling locations open at 6:30 AM on Tuesday, May 6 and will remain open until 7:30 PM. If you haven't already voted, be sure to do so. If you need a ride or need to find out where to vote, call the Rowan County Democratic Party hotline at (704) 638-2006.   View a sample ballot at:  http://www.rowancountync.gov/GOVERNMENT/Departments/BoardofElections/PrimarySampleBallot/tabid/775/Default.aspx   Who are you going to get to the polls?    Have your family and friends already voted? How about your neighbors? If not, give them a call and give them a ride.    Where will you be watching the returns?   You can join fellow Democrats at: GEORGE'S ITALIAN GRILL 124 E. Innes St. TUESDAY NIGHT, MAY 6, 2008

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Barack Obama’s campaign has opened an office in Salisbury.  It’s at the Depot, by the train tracks, downtown.  Contact Marcus Ryan, (303) 921 3604 or mryan@ncobama.com for more info.

The nearest office for Hillary Clinton’s campaign is in Winston-Salem:

704 Brookstown Ave
Winston-Salem, NC 27101

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/hq/northcarolina/