Whitney Novak, Unity08's National College Coordinator, talks about Washington's inability to cooperate across parties while her own home state of Kansas (a "red" state) has a "blue" governor and it's own "Unity Ticket" in office (a Democratic Governor who chose a Republican Lt. Governor!). Kansas gets it, how about Washington D.C.?

Tom Brokaw appeared on Hardball earlier this week citing obvious and continuing signals that our country is desperate for change--that they long to be called to a higher ground where every American can be included in deciding what we want America to be, not just what they tell us it is. That is Unity08's purpose--to provide the groundwork for America and all Americans, regardless of party, to come back together and make America what we all want it to be. We're building the infrastructure for YOU to steer this election, to put YOUR Unity Ticket in the White House and for ALL OF US to restore and renew OUR United States of America.

More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• Will The Candidiates Put Partisanship Aside To Discuss The Issues? Former Vice President Al Gore and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) "are attempting to organize" a bipartisan presidential forum on energy policy and climate change in New Hampshire next month, Concord Monitor reports.
• Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go? This year, the average Representative received $9.6 million for their district and interests, though members of the Appropriations Committee -- which hands out the funds -- averaged $28.6 million, Parade reports. "The big winner" was Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA), "who could reap more than $180 million for his projects. The losers? Possibly you."
• Is This The Way To Choose A President? Manchester Union Leader reports, "The date for the New Hampshire primary will remain up in the air until the Michigan presidential nominating contest finally has been scheduled," according to New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner.
• Quotable: "This Thanksgiving, we pay tribute to all Americans who serve a cause larger than themselves" -- President Bush.

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More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• "You Have The Power!": Parade looks at how the Internet is changing politics: "In this new Internet age, democracy means much more than a trip to the polls. Every day at personal computers across the nation, people are speaking back to their politicians -- posting essays and videos that will be seen by thousands, organizing their neighbors and delving deep into the issues they care about on their own terms." Parade is taking comments on this story; click here to share how we are ending politics as usual with Unity08!
• Speaking Of Politics As Usual... "More than six months past its deadline, the task force charged with revising the House ethics process is finally set to issue its report -- and all indications are that its recommendations will fall short of setting up a system that will restore confidence in that process," Roll Call writes.
• What's Wrong With This Picture? "Seven lawmakers seeking re-election while under federal investigation raked in nearly three times as much in campaign donations as their opponents in the latest fundraising period," USA Today reports.
• Quotable: "The culture war between the Red and Blue Nations has erupted again -- big time -- and will last until Election Day next year" -- Newsweek's Howard Fineman.

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Shilpi Niyogi Calls on Unity08 Members to Get Involved in the 50-State Ballot Access Drive

In addition to the two party candidates and major third line candidates (like Unity08) there are ordinarily hundreds of announced candidates for president in the fall of each election year.

Our poll asks, "How many of the announced presidential candidates should be invited to participate in the TV debates in the Fall of 2024?"

Vote now!

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Technorati Tags: unity08, election, president, government, bipartisan, politics, news and politics

Unity08 is growing from a number of directions, and all of them are good. We’ve recently moved into new office space in Washington DC. This was a pretty painful exercise in a city where finding inexpensive office space is an oxymoron.

When I joined in June of 2024, we had 900 sq. ft. of office in the historic Watergate building. While it might be historic, the small space and growing staff didn’t create a very good working environment. We found a 3,000 ft. sublease (read inexpensive, short term lease) after looking for 3 months that should tide us over for the short term.

Our staff continues to grow as well, with Ballot Access taking up the largest increase as we continue to put the operations in place to gather the signatures required to be on the ballot in all 50 states. I encourage you to see what the requirements are to qualify for your state and volunteer to help.

We’ve also grown our fund-raising efforts. We continue to reach out to people in cities and towns when our members invite us to participate. The past week, we attended fund-raisers in Miami, San Diego, and New York. The donations raised at these events are crucial to our infrastructure efforts.

The web site growth with our launch of Political Capital has been fascinating to watch. We have given out 123,695 Political Capital points, and the number increases each day as people discover how easy it is to participate with Unity08.

The one thing that doesn’t change about Unity08? Our members! We can’t fight this battle without your help and support!

More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• They Know The Candidates Best, And They're Still Undecided... "Iowa and New Hampshire, where presidential politics at this early point may matter more than in the nation as a whole, are in a state of flux just seven weeks before the first voting is to begin," AP reports. "Voters who have managed to pick candidates in these two leadoff states are split among the top contenders in both parties, and more than half in both states say they have not made up their minds, even though the leading candidates "have been campaigning for nearly a year."
• From The Mouths Of Babes: AOL's Political Machine reports on "Swift Kids for Truth"'s mock ads, which "ruthlessly expose the absurdity" of "shameless and baseless smear campaigns." Political Machine asks: "Will we, as Democrats and Republicans and Independents ... say anything to get our candidate elected? Does hearing our own horrible lies coming straight from the mouths of babes, so to speak, result in the dull and bitter realization of our own hypocrisy?" AOL is taking comments, click here to join the discussion.
• Something's Fishy Here: "Since breaking into public view a year ago when federal agents raided lawmakers' offices and homes," the federal investigation into corruption in Alaska politics has produced four indictments, three convictions, three guilty pleas "and a rapt audience keen to see how high into Alaska's political hierarchy the rot reaches," Washington Post reports. "Officially, the scandal has remained confined to Juneau, where Alaska lawmakers had grown so accustomed to operating under the presumption of impropriety that several of them embroidered ball caps with the letters CBC, for 'Corrupt Bastards Club.'"
• Quotable: "During a confusing week on Capitol Hill, lawmakers engaged in games that were difficult for insiders to understand and incomprehensible to ordinary voters. ... the desire to bring home the bacon trumped concern over the falling dollar, the crisis in Pakistan and the continuing conflict in Iraq" -- syndicated columnist Robert Novak.

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Sometimes there are just too many polls, but here's one that is very interesting. The latest NBC poll asked people to vote for who they favor. Hillary Clinton was 47% and Rudy Giuliani was 45%. But the very next question asked "Do you support a new independent party with a credible White house cadidate?" and nearly half, 47% said yes, and only 27% saying no. Unity08 is that credible path to the white house, join today.

More reasons why we need to join together to reunite our country:

• Will Washington Ever Compromise? "A budget dispute erupted into a full-scale battle Tuesday as President Bush vetoed the Democrats' top-priority domestic spending bill and the party's Senate leader threatened to withhold war funding if the president does not agree to pull out of Iraq," Washington Post reports. "The exchange encapsulated a broader confrontation over national priorities, a battle both sides appear eager to wage heading into an election year."
• The Fat Cats Find Another Loophole: "Some major political players are expected to shift their money away from traditional campaign entities in favor of an old standby: the nonprofit," Los Angeles Times reports. "By law, nonprofits can keep donors confidential. Although their tax returns are public documents, they contain much less information than campaign finance reports. And because tax returns are filed once a year, money spent in the 2024 election year won't become public until long after votes are counted."
• Money, Money, Money: Dozens of donors are nearing the $108,200 cap on federal campaign contributions for the 2024 elections in a sign of the record-breaking cost of the White House race," USA Today reports. Meanwhile, TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group's Evan Tracey predicts up to $3 billion will be spent on ads in the 2024 campaign.
• Quotable: "Nothing would change the atmosphere more quickly in Washington than the people's choice of a unity ticket to lead our country -- a unity ticket both to bring civility back to government and to make sure that public servants all feel part of something bigger than themselves or their party" -- Former Gov. William Weld (R-MA).

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