Hillary Clinton plans an event at 10 a.m. Mountain today (Saturday) to announce her endorsement of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. Add your reaction in the comments below.
Update 11:30 a.m.: Senator Clinton did a great job with her speech this morning. Here's the key passage:
The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States. Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him and throw my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.
Clinton said Obama displayed "grace and grit" in their long primary campaign. The same can be said of her remarks today. Thank you, Senator.
Some other items of interest:
Both Larry Craig and Mike Crapo voted to stall the bipartisan climate change bill in the Senate yesterday. There will be no more action on the pressing issue until after the elections, so Idahoans need to ask whether Larry LaRocco (who supported the current legislation) or Jim Risch (who opposes it) is more serious about having a responsible, secure energy future.
The 2008 National Conference for Media Reform is under way in Minneapolis this weekend, according to an email we received from Boise Community Radio. The event is being webcast at Free Press.
A few months ago, Serephin of 43rd State Blues and I attended an excellent bloggers' summit put on by the New Organizing Institute. NOI is taking its show on the road this summer, with political trainings in many regions of the country, including one in the Northwest the second week of July. Click here for more information on "Training Technology-Enabled Leaders."
This is a ways off, but we got the good news this week that Buhl, Idaho ... yes, Buhl ... has one of the nation's newest Drinking Liberally chapters. Its first meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 27, at the Cosmic Jolt, 120 Broadway Ave. S. DL also meets in Boise, Idaho Falls, Moscow (on hiatus a while due to Sara's recent surgery), Pocatello, and Twin Falls. Get details here.
Here's part of an email I got today from Howard Dean. You may have seen it, too.
"Over the past few years, we've all been part of the work to rebuild the Democratic Party in all 50 states.
"When the primary came around, we found ourselves with two once-in-a-lifetime candidates. Barack and Hillary crossed the country inspiring activists, building organizations, and registering new voters. In state after state, we saw record turnout that dwarfed the Republican's; we saw hundreds of thousands of Americans become involved with a Democratic campaign for the first time; and millions of voters saw just how passionately we feel about the future of our country.
"After years of rebuilding and a historic primary campaign, our Democratic community is stronger than ever before. And with Barack Obama, we have a candidate who has inspired millions of people to believe again.
"But change doesn't come easily -- and no matter how much we've prepared, no matter how inspiring our candidate, no matter how badly we want it to happen, we have to fight for it every step of the way. Absolutely nothing will be handed to us over the next five months -- we have to do everything we can to make sure Barack Obama is our next President.
"We've just seen two brilliant candidates run the most exciting primary in decades. Now we need to come together and finish the job.
"I'm looking forward to it."
I personally am breathing a huge sigh of relief today - relief that the party is coming together, relief that we won't spend the summer fighting and giving John McCain a pass. The general election really has begun. It's exciting - and although I plan to spend the rest of the weekend away from my computer, I look forward to working with all of you, in Idaho and beyond, to make this a great year for the Democratic Party and for participatory democracy.
Lift EVERY voice, y'all!!
Posted by: Julie in Boise | June 07, 2008 at 03:23 PM