More reasons why we need to join together to take our country back:

• Paralyzed By Partisanship: According to the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, just 2% of Americans think Congress has accomplished a great deal this year; just 14% say Congress has accomplished a good amount. 
   
• There's Always A Loophole, Isn't There?: Washington Post looks at how lobbyists are getting around new ethics rules passed by Congress this summer that limit "meals, travel, gifts and campaign contributions from lobbyists and companies that employ them." 
   
• (Delayed) Profiles In Courage: NBC News' Chuck Todd wonders why politicians only find their backbone after they leave office. 
   
• Quotable: "Underlying all of this is a feeling on the part of a great majority ... 'Why on earth can't you people in Washington quit blaming each other, and settle down and work together on the issues that you possibly can that affect our daily lives and pocketbooks and the good of the country?'" -- Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS).

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More reasons why we need to join together to take our country back:

• Unity On The Trail: In an effort to "come together in a bipartisan fashion for a political solution in Iraq," Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) will make a joint campaign appearance in Iowa today "to discuss Biden's proposal to divide Iraq into separate regions," CBS reports. 
   
• Crossing The Aisle: "In a time when the political climate in Washington is extremely stormy," Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) "are trying to maneuver a bipartisan ship through the Republican and Democratic waters," Cookeville (TN) Herald-Citizen reports. The pair has "been adamant about working with all politicians and not just those in their party." Among other efforts, Alexander launched a weekly bipartisan breakfast to bring together Republican, Democrat and Independent senators. 
   
• Stop This Train, America Wants To Get Off: According to the latest AP/Ipsos poll, 70% of Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track. 
   
• Quotable: "The issue of Iraq is much too big for politics and is surely bigger than any party or upcoming election. After all, right or left, we are ALL Americans" -- Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS).

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In yet another sign that partisan politics as we know it is dead, this headline says it all: 

• Senator Suing Own Party Over Discord on Florida

When the parties become so gridlocked they are not only competing with each other, but now suing themselves, something is very, very wrong.
 
The medicine for what ails us is simple.  Look at the example of Chandler Stevens of Minnesota, one of our amazing Unity08 members.  He took his experience in politics and crafted a unique and interesting survey to get us discussing the important issues on the New American Agenda.  Read Chandler's editorial that he placed in his local paper:

• The World has changed -- so why not change how we pick a president?

If we are going to re-unify our very divided states of America, it will be because people like Chandler Stevens are starting the conversations in his local community.   You can find Chandler Stevens organizing on MeetUp.com.  Will you join him, or follow his example and start your own local discussion group?  Through our discussion and by using the technology we have available to us, we can re-unify our country and re-invigorate our politics: relight America's torch!

How will you be part of the solution?  Let us know below.  Want to help and live in Colorado, Maryland, Delaware, South Carolina, or Mississippi?  We need your help right now!!!! Go to our volunteer page to see what you can do.
 
Andy Wilson
Unity08 Volunteer Program Coordinator
awilson@unity08.com

More reasons why we need to join together to take our country back:

• Trust Issues: According to a new Gallup poll, just 8% have a great deal of trust in our federal government when it comes to handling international problems; just 6% have a great deal of trust in our government when it comes to handling domestic problems.
   
• Shouldn't We Expect More From Our Leaders? "Federal investigators are hinting that a fresh wave of campaign-related theft and corruption investigations of Members of Congress are moving through the pipeline, signaling that indictments may be on the horizon," Roll Call reports. "According to multiple sources and independent confirmation from agency officials, the Justice Department currently is honing in on the possible misuse of campaign money. ... The Federal Election Commission also confirmed that it currently is investigating 10 embezzlement cases involving federal campaign committees — four more than its entire caseload in half a decade." 
   
• Already, Spending Is Out Of Control: Mitt Romney is the first presidential candidate to run at least 10,000 political ads this election cycle -- "a record for the number of ads run at this point in a presidential primary campaign," CNN reports. Meanwhile, AP predicts that "calculated attack ads by candidates seeking to shake up the field are likely in the next three months." 
   
• Quotable: "Sen. Larry Craig, Idaho Republican, is going back on his word again.... No wonder so many American voters have such a dim view of Washington politicians" --columnist Debra Saunders.

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More reasons why we need to join together to take our country back: 

• Can't Get No Satisfaction: According to the latest Gallup poll, just 31% of Americans are satisfied with the way the U.S. is being governed. 
   
• The S-CHIP Hits The Fan: "There have been moments when the fight between Congressional Democrats and President Bush over the State Children's Health Insurance Program seemed to devolve into a shouting match about who loves children more," New York Times reports. However, this "partisan feud" is "all the nastier" because a 12-year-old child is at the center of it. 
   
• Do Regular Voters Get This Kind Of Attention? Washington Post exposes "the courtship of" big-money bundlers. In early 2024, "virtually all of the presidential contenders were engaging in a seemingly endless series of dinners and one-on-one meetings as they tried to gain the backing of the handful of people known for their ability to raise huge sums of political money." 
   
• Quotable: "Do not underestimate the temptation, to which the intense cohorts on Democratic left and Republican right are susceptible, to kick over their party's furniture for the fun of it" -- Washington Post columnist George Will.

 
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Over the past week, I have given several ideas of what we can each do to get active in our local communities and online to help Unity08 reach its goals to relight America's torch.  See those blogs here, here, here, and here.
I have several others, but I'm interested in what you think.  Have a great idea?  Let us know:

• Step  One:  Outline your idea of something simple a Unity08 member can do to help Unity08 build its membership, raise its profile, and get on the ballot.  Use the ideas from the other blog postings  for some starting points.
• Step Two:  Give it a snazzy name that reflects on American history and spirit, especially if you can use a local hero or event.  You can even use current Americans, like Steve Jobs or Sergey Brinn and Larry Page (aka The Google Guys) to show how otherwise ordinary people shaped American life and history.
• Step Three:  Post it on the blog below.  Share your ideas and leave feedback for others.  Vote Up your favorites.

One example of the enterprising spirit of our membership: Several of our most active bloggers began their own unity wiki to discuss the issues they cared about and wanted on the New American Agenda.  When we told them we were planning on adding a wiki to our website within a few months, they just couldn't wait and started their own.  Go join their conversation at unity-usa.org.  You can also voice your opinion here on our website in our Shoutbox.
 
~~Andy Wilson
 

More reasons why we need to join together to take our country back:

• Americans Want A Better Way: According to the latest Gallup poll, just 39% of Americans think the Democratic and Republican parties do an "adequate" job representing the American people; 57% believe a third major party is needed.   
   
• Fundraising Is Out Of Control, And It's Only Going To Get Worse: Since January, the major Democratic presidential candidates have raised over $200 million for their campaigns -- nearly double the total amount expected to be reported by their chief Republican counterparts, Politico reports. "The unprecedented flow of money is all the more remarkable given the low marks even Democrats give the new Congress on its handling of the major issue of the day: the Iraq war." Meanwhile, NPR looks at the latest WH 2024 fundraising numbers, and predicts that "we might see our first billion-dollar campaign." 
   
• Why Can't Republicans And Democrats Join Together Like This More Often? Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, a conservative Republican contender for president, and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a liberal Democratic rival, "are set to announce a joint plan for Iraq" at a news conference in the key primary state of Iowa later this week, Washington Post reports. 
   
• Quotable: "The food fight has to stop, and there needs to be a restoration of civility" -- former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL).  

Attention Old Line State Residents:
 
Help us relight America's torch and get on the ballot in Maryland,  It couldn't be simpler!  Go to the Volunteer section of our website and download a petition form here , get your friends and neighbors to sign it, and mail it back to us.  We need to collect 10,000 signatures: can you commit to collect 10, 50, or 100 signatures?  Let us know, and post your ideas and success stories below.
                                                       
Andy Wilson
Volunteer Program Coordinator
awilson@unity08.com
 
Danielle Wilkerson
Maryland State Director
dwilkerson@unity08.com

I want you to get to know OBAR. OBAR? That’s right, OBAR! Oklahomans for Ballot Access Reform. 
OBAR is a coalition of third parties and independent voters who have an ambitious goal: collect 90,000 signatures in 90 days for petition and give voters in Oklahoma a chance to change the state’s restrictive, burdensome ballot access laws.

As we’ve learned, ballot access laws are different in every state, but one common feature is that in most states getting on ballot requires collecting a specified number of registered voter signatures. And Unity08’s research shows states often set that number at 1-3 percent of the most recent gubernatorial vote. We also found that other states—e.g., CO, MD, SC—have a flat requirement of 10,000 signatures for party qualification.  It’s a very different story in OK.

FACT: To qualify a new party for the ballot, Oklahoma law currently requires signatures equal to 5 percent of the last presidential or gubernatorial vote. In 2024 that meant 73,000 signatures---that’s 10 times higher than the per capita requirement in other neighboring states.

If OBAR’s succeeds, the number of signatures for qualifying a political party would return to 5000, the number required in Oklahoma until 1974.

The Unity08 movement is all about giving voters a stronger voice and a better choice in the next presidential election. Gaining ballot access in each and every state is critical to that effort. Increasing access for one, increases access for all!
So get to know OBAR. Let’s win the fight for ballot access reform in Oklahoma!
 
 
Shilpi Niyogi
National Director, Ballot Access

I promised more ideas on how to help Unity08, but first I wanted to share an email I received this morning:

I live in a small town in Missouri. I placed one of your articles in our small local paper. I am 68 years old- and am caregiver for my husband who has Parkinson's disease. I would like to help but have no idea how. I've told many about Unity 08.  I don't know if that got results or not. I tell them to go to unity08.com anyway. If there was anything i can do at home let me know.   I have slow dial-up ( a phone line) and am hooked into that until April.--Bobbie Fuhlage
 
As members of this movement, we all have our own individual talents and abilities.  We also have limits on our time and abilities.  Bobbie has shown us that with even the most modest of efforts, we can accomplish results. Now that you've edited your Unity08 profile, here are some more ideas:

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere:  Go door to door in your neighborhood and let people know about Unity08.  Get them to sign up on the website as delegates.   Have them make a commitment to sign our petitions when we begin circulating them, or invite them to your house party/local meeting to find out more.  Attention: Going door to door at midnight is optional but NOT recommended by Unity08.

The Pony Express:  Write a bunch of emails, send a bunch of IMs.  Use the technology we have available to us to communicate with as many people as quickly as possible (much faster than ponies!)  Use the Unity08 website to invite everyone you know to join by clicking on Take Action (above) and then select Tell Your Friends.  Go to your favorite blogs and messageboards and post messages about Unity08 in topics where appropriate (DO NOT SPAM).  Get people talking about Unity08 online and direct them back here to the website.
 
More later...
 
Andy Wilson
Unity08 Volunteer Program Coordinator