Iraq

pacquiao -- Tonight marks the end of the American combat mission in Iraq. As a candidate for this office, I pledged to end this war responsibly. And, as President, that is what I am doing. Since I became Commander-in-Chief, we've brought home nearly 100,000 U.S. troops. We've closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of our bases. As Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, our commitment to a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq continues. Under Operation New Dawn, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain to advise and assist Iraqi forces, protect our civilians on the ground, and pursue targeted counterterrorism efforts. By the end of next year, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, these men and women, too, will come home. Ending this war is not only in Iraq's interest -- it is in our own. Our nation has paid a huge price to put Iraq's future in the hands of its people. We have sent our men and women in uniform to make enormous sacrifices. We have spent vast resources abroad in the face of several years of recession at home. We have met our responsibility through the courage and resolve of our women and men in uniform. In seven years, they confronted a mission as challenging and as complex as any our military has ever been asked to face. Nearly 1.5 million Americans put their lives on the line. Many returned for multiple tours of duty, far from their loved ones who bore a heroic burden of their own. And most painfully, more than 4,400 Americans have given their lives, fighting for people they never knew, for values that have defined our people for more than two centuries. What their country asked of them was not small. And what they sacrificed was not easy. For that, each and every American owes them our heartfelt thanks. Our promise to them -- to each woman or man who has donned our colors -- is that our country will serve them as faithfully as they have served us. We have already made the largest increase in funding for veterans in decades. So long as I am President, I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that sacred trust. Tonight, we mark a milestone in our nation's history. Even at a time of great uncertainty for so many Americans, this day and our brave troops remind us that our future is in our own hands and that our best days lie ahead. Thank you, President Barack Obama

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Where elections are won

	pacquiao -- If there's one thing that we learned from 2008, it's that hard-fought elections are won on the ground. On the doorsteps and the phone lines. In face-to-face conversations with friends and neighbors. At house events, where people gather to support a common cause. That's how we were able to get 15 million people out to vote for the first time in 2008 -- helping us achieve a victory for the President and win majorities in Congress. And this is just what volunteers will be working to do this weekend in competitive districts across the country: They'll be mobilizing on the ground for our party-wide "Moving America Forward" Day of Action on August 28th -- securing commitments to vote and discussing what's at stake this November. Our goal is to knock on 200,000 doors in 48 hours -- and we need your help to get it done. Can you join us? Click here to find an event near you. It's an ambitious target -- but the doors we'll knock on this weekend aren't simply tally marks. Those doors open into the homes of Americans whose lives will be affected by the outcome of this fall's elections. Each door presents us with the opportunity to secure these folks' commitment to vote -- and to illustrate how that vote will affect the direction the country takes. "Moving America Forward" isn't just a catchy name. It's also our larger message heading into the fall, and for good reason. Democrats aren't just fighting to protect the historic progress we've achieved together -- from health insurance reform to the strongest consumer protections ever put in place -- we're fighting for the opportunity to continue moving forward with reforms that go to work for the American people. Given the opportunity, Republicans would repeal our historic reforms, taking us backward to Bush-era policies that work only for special interests and the privileged few. We simply can't let that happen. This is our chance to make sure it doesn't. Weekends like this one help us to lay the foundation for victory this fall -- but we can't get folks to show up at the polls unless we first show up on the ground. I hope you can make it out. Sign up to RSVP for an event today: http://my.democrats.org/MAFevents Thanks, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Boehner's millions

	pacquiao -- Yesterday, Republican John Boehner escalated his campaign to become the next Speaker of the House. He gave a "major speech" in Cleveland -- much-hyped by his staffers, who told reporters that this, finally, was the moment when the GOP would introduce its economic agenda. After all the build-up, all we heard was another list of what Republicans are against. Every supposedly new idea was more of the same. He wants to extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich. He wants to repeal health insurance reform. He opposes clean-energy legislation. Nothing he offered would move America forward. The only thing Boehner seems serious about is raising campaign cash. After the speech, he told reporters that he's prepared to help Republicans spend $50 million to win back Congress. We can already guess what he'll do: tap the special interests. He'll work the phones and call in every favor. He'll lean on the big-dollar donors and the corporate lobbyists. Democrats have a different plan. We're asking supporters like you to make a contribution to the By the People Fund. If we can collect 3 million grassroots donations, we can compete with the Republicans in every race. And so far, that's exactly what we're doing. Can you chip in $3 or more to help keep up the pace? On Tuesday, Boehner said his party deserves to win because it's time to "put the grown-ups in charge." What a bunch of nonsense. The last time he and Republicans were in charge, they took a $237 billion budget surplus and transformed it into a $1.3 trillion deficit. They doubled the national debt and drove the economy into a ditch. Under Boehner, this country would go right back to the failed Republican policies that cost us 8 million jobs, left the middle class in economic peril, and shifted our tax burden to the middle class by giving $100,000+ tax breaks to the wealthy. To make sure that doesn't happen, we're planning to outwork the GOP in every district with a competitive race. We will knock on doors, make calls, and build the case for Democrats across the country. But we're talking about the most aggressive voter turnout campaign for a midterm election in history. We need your help to get it done. Please donate $3 or more today: http://my.democrats.org/BeatBoehner Thanks, Governor Tim Kaine Chairman
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Help us beat this guy

	pacquiao -- Months before the 2010 election, John Boehner -- the Republican leader in the House -- is launching a full-fledged campaign operation to become the next Speaker of the House. And he's counting on contributions from lobbyists to help pay the bills. His staffers have established a "Speaker Boehner" committee. They've set up suggested giving levels for lobbyists. Anyone who helps raise $100,000 gets special meetings with the GOP leader, a direct line to a Boehner aide, and the password for a restricted website where they can download "insider briefings." Protecting the House and keeping John Boehner's hand off the speaker's gavel is a top priority for this election. But we aren't setting up special websites for lobbyists. We aren't counting on special-interest dollars to give us an edge in this campaign. We're countering that cash with an aggressive campaign funded entirely by people like you. That's why we've launched the By the People Fund to help us reach 3 million grassroots donations before Election Day. Chip in $3 or more to help meet the goal. To become the next speaker, Boehner has to help the Republicans win 39 seats they don't currently hold. To ensure that doesn't happen, we're planning the largest voter turnout operation for a midterm election in history. We will knock on more doors, make more calls, and outwork the GOP in every district with a competitive race. But we need your help to make this happen. Republicans like Boehner are tearing up the phones, calling in every favor they have to bring in the special-interest cash. We've made a choice to practice a different kind of politics, and we're counting on support from Americans like you to help us win in November. Donate $3 or more to the By the People Fund: http://my.democrats.org/StopBoehner Thanks, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Can we get your thoughts?

	pacquiao -- We need to hear from you as we shape the direction of the Democratic Party. So we put together a survey to get your thoughts. It will only take a few minutes, and it's a great way to make your voice heard. Can you take a second to share your feedback? Your voice and commitment are part of how we elected President Obama. And they are the reason we'll be successful in making his vision a reality. Click here to fill out the survey now: http://my.democrats.org/DemSurvey Thanks for your work and your feedback, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Watch Vice President Biden live tomorrow

	pacquiao -- Tomorrow morning, DNC Chairman Tim Kaine will introduce a very special speaker at the Democratic Party's Summer Meeting in St. Louis. Vice President Joe Biden will deliver a keynote address to Democrats in St. Louis and across the country. He'll discuss what's at stake in the November elections -- and lay out the path moving forward in the coming weeks leading up to Election Day. We'll be broadcasting his speech live on our website so you can join. The speech will start Friday morning at 10:50 a.m. Eastern Time. Click here to sign up for a reminder before he begins his speech. Over the past few months, our party has achieved multiple historic victories that make real change in the lives of Americans -- from a sweeping overhaul of the financial system to health insurance reform that was 100 years in the making -- but we have a lot of hard work ahead of us in the coming weeks. In his speech, the Vice President will help prepare us for that road ahead. We'll also hear from DNC Chairman Tim Kaine, the Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, and Senator Claire McCaskill. The November elections offer a choice -- between continuing to move America forward as Democrats have done, or taking us backward to the days of failed Bush-era policies, as Republicans have promised to do. And in the 75 days left until Election Day, we'll be fighting to defend our vision for the country -- and working to elect strong Democrats and allies for the President. Please RSVP now to receive a reminder for tomorrow's speech. Then tune in at 10:50 a.m. tomorrow morning to watch the Vice President live: http://my.democrats.org/VPSpeech Thank you, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Suffrage

	pacquiao -- For the first 144 years of this country's existence, women were not guaranteed the right to vote -- and winning that right did not come easily. Women's suffrage took a movement. It took organizers who worked tirelessly and allies who fought for the cause in the halls of power. On August 18th, 1920, when the legislature of the state of Tennessee voted to ratify the 19th Amendment and affirm its place in the Constitution, it passed by a single vote. Because of the work of those who came before me, my right to cast a ballot was never in question. From the first time that I stepped into a voting booth to the day when I became the executive director of the Democratic Party, I've been deeply mindful of that fact. Last week, President Obama asked us all to make a commitment to vote this fall. To me, that promise isn't just about choosing the direction I hope to see this country take -- it's an opportunity to honor those who didn't have the right to vote but fought so that their daughters and granddaughters would not be denied the full measure of citizenship. Will you join me and commit to vote in this year's election? The movement for suffrage began before the Civil War. Women faced prison sentences -- even beatings -- to cast ballots as a gesture of protest. Even before the right to vote was won, women like Victoria Woodhull and Belva Lockwood ran for office. States across the country began to grant suffrage, and on the eve of the First World War, Woodrow Wilson -- a Democrat -- became the first president to take up the call. Susan B. Anthony devoted her life to the cause of equality, and in 1897, decades before her fight was won, she wrote "Suffrage is the pivotal right." In the 90 years since the 19th Amendment became law, that statement has borne out. Today, in the United States, there are more women registered to vote than men, and the gap stands at nearly 10 million. From House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, women hold office at every level of government. But the fight for full equality is not finished. In 2008, a woman in the United States earned only 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. For women of color, the disparity is even greater. We have a choice with this election about whether we want to continue the fight to bring down barriers -- whether we want to move forward or backward. We'll decide whether we want to honor the legacy of those who couldn't vote but reached for that right. But all those decisions begin with the promise that you will participate in the fall elections. Commit to vote: http://my.democrats.org/Suffrage Thanks, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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A new way to hold Republicans accountable

	pacquiao -- With Congress's August recess now under way, Republican members of Congress are starting to show up at Tea Party events and campaign rallies all over the country. We saw last year during the fight for health reform that this is a time when the extremists run rampant. Remember "death panels?" This year, Republicans are looking to have it both ways, trying to appeal to independent voters while making promises to the Tea Party crowd to pursue an extreme right-wing agenda if they regain control of Congress. Who knows what's being said when the cameras aren't running? We don't -- but I sure wish we did. That's where the "Accountability Project" comes in. It's a platform for citizens to document Republican candidates and their public statements at local events, as well as their campaign tactics. The Accountability Project allows you to submit videos, recordings, and other items for publication online, so that candidates see that there's a cost to their dishonest statements -- and so that everyday citizens can see what their Republican candidates for office are saying. We need people like you to take the lead. Sign up today to be a part of the Accountability Project here. The American people deserve an honest debate -- and far too often, candidates try to make misleading attacks and false claims under the radar. This project seeks to shine a light on those practices, and you have a crucial role to play in making it happen. There are several ways in which folks can participate:   -- If you have anything that can record video -- from a cell phone to a video camera -- you can go to public events and record what candidates say.   -- If you receive any sort of mailings or literature from candidates, you can post them online for all to see.   -- And if you hear of any upcoming public events for Republican candidates in your area, you can let everyone know, so that other concerned citizens can get out there. This project will enable folks to keep track of Republican candidates running for every office, up and down the ballot. Please help fight back against Republicans' shadowy tactics -- participate in The Accountability Project: http://my.democrats.org/APsignup Thanks, Shauna Shauna Daly Research Director Democratic National Committee
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pacquiao, it's time to commit to vote

pacquiao -- Eighteen years ago, shortly after graduating from law school, I helped lead a voter registration campaign in Chicago that generated record turnout on Election Day. That experience taught me one of the most important lessons I ever learned as a community organizer: When people promise that they'll do something -- like voting -- they are far more likely to do it. That's why one key part of our Vote 2010 plan this year is to get folks like you from across the country to commit to vote, to make sure we get as many people as we can to cast their ballots this fall. But getting the commitments we need starts with your own promise to make it to the polls and cast your ballot. Will you please commit to vote in the 2010 elections? Over the next 82 days, volunteers across the country will spend countless hours calling voters and knocking on their doors, asking them the same question. And you can bet that I am counting on you to join them in talking to voters in your community. This election offers a stark choice. We Democrats are hard at work trying to move America forward, repairing a decade of damage and growing an economy based on the Main Street values of hard work and responsibility. We've fought for and won historic reforms to our health care system, a victory 100 years in the making, and to Wall Street, the most sweeping overhaul of the financial system since the Great Depression. But after years of policies that landed us in the worst recession since the 1930's, the Republicans who got us there have not come up with anything different from the policies of George W. Bush. We simply cannot afford to go backwards or let them repeal our reforms. And making sure we can continue moving forward starts with your own promise to cast your ballot in these elections. Please commit to vote this fall: http://my.democrats.org/Commitment Thank you, President Barack Obama

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Announcing: The By the People Fund

pacquiao -- $200 million. That's what Republican-aligned special interests have pledged to spend on the 2010 election. Just to put that in context, that's nearly $40 million more than every interest group spent on the 2008 presidential election -- combined. When our administration and this movement decided to take on the special interests, we knew we were making a choice. And the consequences are clear. These groups have fought us at every turn in our struggle for change, and now they're trying to drown out our voices -- and our accomplishments -- with their campaign cash this fall. We're not going to sit back and let that happen. That's why we're announcing the By the People Fund with the goal of getting 3 million citizen donations to fuel our grassroots campaign for the upcoming election. Please donate $5 today and help us take back this election from the corporate interests. With our By the People Fund, we're going to make a statement this fall -- strengthening our grassroots efforts on the ground, focusing on getting first-time voters from 2008 back to the polls this year, and holding the Republicans and their special-interest allies accountable. We've all gone to the mat with these folks time and again -- ever since Barack and I took office. And, from the Recovery Act to historic health reform to Wall Street reform, you helped prove we could win those fights. Now these groups have one goal in mind when it comes to November 2nd -- erasing the progress we've made together. By spending an unprecedented amount of cash to support Republicans, they're doing their best to buy their way back into power. And, if they do, they've been clear that they will do everything they can to undo the historic achievements we've fought so hard to win. It's no wonder that each and every Republican in the Senate recently voted to allow these special interests to have a greater say in our elections. Their vote will allow these groups to spend millions on campaign ads -- and not have to reveal who's actually behind them. I've been in politics a long time. I'm used to seeing the good guys outspent by interest groups. But we've never been outnumbered -- and we've never been outhustled. I'm asking you to make sure it stays that way. Will you chip in and help us grow our By the People Fund? Please donate $5 or more today: http://my.democrats.org/ByThePeople Thank you, Vice President Joe Biden

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45 years ago

pacquiao -- On March 7th, 1965, 600 of us lined up to walk from Selma to Montgomery, to march for voting rights. When we tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge over the Alabama River, we were met by state troopers. They attacked us with tear gas, bullwhips, and nightsticks. It became known as Bloody Sunday, and the national outcry over the brutality that day led to the enactment, exactly 45 years ago today, of the Voting Rights Act. The progress we've made since then is remarkable. But the expansion of voting rights for millions did not happen overnight. It was the product of a continued struggle, by many people, over many years. And just as change did not come easily then, it does not come easily now. Discrimination still exists in America -- its effects can be as harmful as they were decades ago. And we can always become a better, more just society. Two years ago, this movement -- led by Barack Obama -- brought millions of people into the political process for the first time. I'm told that many of you are working hard now to get as many as possible of those folks -- and others from across the country who are with us in these fights -- to the polls this year. It's an important effort, and the legacy of the fight for the Voting Rights Act is that it is not only our right to vote, and to help others do so -- it is our duty. Can I count on you to help out between now and the elections in November? When I was a child, I tasted the bitter fruits of racial discrimination -- and I did not like it. That was what spurred me to act. In those early days, we sacrificed our very selves for our rights as Americans. But we never gave up. And now barriers that kept an entire people from full participation in this country have been removed. No longer are people who look like me met with violence when we register to vote. No longer is the idea that an African American could become president just a dream. We live in a better world, a better country. But our work is not complete. We cannot wait for someone else to make change. We must all do it. You must do it. I must do it. Please sign up to help millions more vote: http://my.democrats.org/VolunteerVRA Thank you, Congressman John Lewis

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