I'm bringing Michelle

Pacquiao -- If you win a seat at the next dinner with three other supporters and me, you'll get to bring a guest. I thought I'd bring one, too -- so I invited Michelle. She's in. Donate $3 or whatever you can to be automatically entered to sit down for a meal with Michelle and me. Michelle and I don't get to spend as much time as we'd like with the people who are building the 2012 campaign. But we are incredibly grateful for all you're doing, whether it's volunteering and having one-on-one conversations in your communities or chipping in what you can to help build the organization. We're looking forward to the chance to thank you in person, so I hope you'll take us up on it. Make a donation today to be automatically entered for the chance to join us at the table: http://my.democrats.org/Me-and-Michelle Thanks, Barack No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter or win. Contributing will not improve chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by midnight on December 31st, 2011. You may enter by contributing to Sponsor here or click here to enter without contributing. Three winners will each receive the following prize package: up to $1200 towards round-trip tickets for winner and a guest from within the fifty U.S. States, DC, or Puerto Rico to a destination to be determined by the Sponsor; hotel accommodations; and dinner with President Obama on a date to be determined by the Sponsor (approximate retail value of all prizes $4,800). Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Promotion open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of 50 United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: Obama for America, 130 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601.

Contributions or gifts to Obama for America are not tax deductible. Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

Two men trapped in one body

Pacquiao -- I'd like to tell you a story. It's about two men, trapped in one body. One man: a Republican politician whose positions on the issues made him palatable even to Massachusetts voters. The other: a Tea Party Republican taking one extreme position after another on the economy, immigration, foreign policy, and more. The only thing they agree on? They both want to be president, and there's not much they wouldn't do or say to get there. You've probably guessed it -- the body they're fighting over is Mitt Romney's. And if you want to watch the struggle in full detail, we've put a video together on a new site to chronicle it. Visit MittvMitt.com to take a look for yourself, and then sign up to find out how you can hold him accountable. A lot of undecided voters out there are just starting to ask themselves: Who is this guy? Where does he really stand? They're not the only ones trying to figure that out. Even Conan O'Brien's noticed, saying "Experts are predicting kind of a tough fight between Romney and his biggest ideological opponent: Mitt Romney from four years ago. Those guys don't agree on anything." There might be something behind that. The Mitt who was governor of Massachusetts had to appeal to a pretty progressive crowd to get elected, and the Mitt who's running for president needs the Republican base to clinch the GOP nomination. All we know is Mitt wants to get to the White House. And you know what that means: The battle of Mitt v. Mitt rumbles on. The results so far have already been pretty frightening, so that's why we need your help spreading the word on every flip-flop, backtrack, and refusal to take a clear stance. Americans deserve to know what they'd get from a President Romney. Be part of the team that tells the truth about Mitt. Watch the video and sign up today: MittvMitt.com Thanks, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

You and a guest

Pacquiao -- A few Thursdays ago, I had dinner with four Americans named Ken, Casey, Juanita, and Wendi -- the winners of the campaign's first Dinner with Barack contest. I loved getting to know each of them. We're taking names for the next dinner starting now, and this time I want to add a new feature: If you win, you can bring a guest. Chip in $3 or more today to be automatically entered to win a spot for you and a guest at the next dinner. The folks who this election is all about tend to fall under the radar of the D.C. pundits and traditional news media. They're people like Juanita, who helped put her three sons through college on a teacher's salary while saving what she could for retirement. Like Ken, a single dad who stood by his mother as she fought insurance companies while battling two forms of cancer. They're like Casey, whose three young kids may not yet appreciate what courage it took for their dad to take a chance and start his own business. And Wendi, an artist and third-generation teacher who canvassed, marched, and phone banked in Indiana in 2008, the year her home state defied the traditional electoral map. These people weren't just there for themselves -- they were representing you, this movement, and the folks I go to work for every day as president. These dinners are important to me because I want to spend time whenever I can with the people who sent me here. They're proving wrong the conventional wisdom that says campaigns should cater to Washington lobbyists and powerful interests. And they're an important reminder that this movement -- and my presidency -- have never just been about me. I'm proud that we're choosing to run the kind of campaign where a dinner like this isn't just possible, it's a regular thing. And next time, I don't just want to meet you -- I want to meet someone else in your life. Donate $3 or more, and start thinking about who you'll invite to dinner: http://my.democrats.org/Dinner Thanks for being part of this, Barack No purchase, payment, or contribution necessary to enter or win. Contributing will not improve chances of winning. Void where prohibited. Entries must be received by midnight on December 31st, 2011. You may enter by contributing to Sponsor here or click here to enter without contributing. Three winners will each receive the following prize package: up to $1200 towards round-trip tickets for winner and a guest from within the fifty U.S. States, DC, or Puerto Rico to a destination to be determined by the Sponsor; hotel accommodations; and dinner with President Obama on a date to be determined by the Sponsor (approximate retail value of all prizes $4,800). Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Promotion open only to U.S. citizens, or lawful permanent U.S. residents who are legal residents of 50 United States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico and 18 or older (or of majority under applicable law). Promotion subject to Official Rules and additional restrictions on eligibility. Sponsor: Obama for America, 130 E. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60601.

Contributions or gifts to Obama for America are not tax deductible. Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

Start Israel at zero?

Pacquiao -- Here's something I never thought I'd hear an American presidential candidate pledge to do: Cut all foreign aid for Israel to zero. But that's exactly what happened at the Republican debate on Saturday, when Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry raced each other to the extremes of Tea Party isolationism, saying they'd "start everything at zero" in the foreign aid budget and force Israel and every other ally to make their case for receiving American assistance. It's outrageous and dangerous -- and it shows a critical ignorance of how a president needs to act. It is never responsible to raise doubts about our commitment to the security of a key ally like Israel. Stand up to the extreme elements of the Republican Party -- join the call to reject "zeroing out" our foreign aid to Israel. Mitt Romney and other Republican candidates have spent a lot of time lately saying how much they support Israel -- and openly questioning President Obama's commitment to the Jewish state. But a stance like this tells us two really important things:     1) These guys are so eager to please the most extreme elements of their Tea Party base that they'd forget about one of the most loyal allies our country has.     2) They fundamentally don't understand our current foreign policy agreements, like the commitments we've made to Israel that establish certain levels of aid for years to come. At the end of the day, foreign aid is a tiny fraction of the federal budget -- less than one percent -- that goes a long way to support our national security and economic goals abroad. The cuts these candidates propose wouldn't make a dent in the deficit, but they would wreak absolute havoc on our foreign policy and America's standing in the world. In typical fashion, the Romney campaign tried to say two different things to two different audiences, releasing a statement to try to walk back his words -- saying he was referring only to Pakistan. But one look at the transcript shows otherwise: "One of the things we have to do with our foreign aid commitments, the ongoing foreign aid commitments, I agree with Governor Perry. You start everything at zero." While his campaign is already trying to wiggle out of it, Romney himself has been conspicuously silent on the matter. He might be hoping he can get away with pandering to the Tea Party isolationists, but we won't let him. Tell Romney, Gingrich, and Perry that it's absolutely unacceptable for any presidential candidate to suggest zeroing out our foreign aid to Israel -- add your name today to the effort to fight back: http://my.democrats.org/Stand-up-for-Israel Thanks, Debbie Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz Chair Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

A disturbing pattern

Pacquiao -- Mitt Romney recently described the President's plan to pass the American Jobs Act and extend the payroll tax cut -- a measure that would save working families an average of $1,500 a year -- as "temporary little band-aids." But after his earlier remarks were widely criticized, he said the exact opposite at last week's GOP presidential debate in Michigan. While the media frenzy surrounding the debate focused on a gaffe from one of our other opponents, the most amazing moment from my perspective was Mitt reversing course on an issue that anyone running for president should have a clear position on: Extend a tax cut worth $1,500 a year to working families. Or ask the middle-class to pay more so millionaires and billionaires don't have to. In Mitt's world, maybe $1,500 isn't a lot of money. But it's worth an awful lot to millions of families' budgets. And if he's unable to take a stand on something so critical to the middle class, how can we know how he'd react when confronting a crisis from the White House? This kind of behavior is part of a disturbing pattern where Romney says one thing and then the exact opposite, sometimes within the span of a few paragraphs, and hopes no one calls him on it. So we're putting together a list of people who will be the cops on the beat whenever Mitt wants to have it both ways, and help make sure all Americans know exactly how he operates. Watch a video of Mitt's latest flip-flop -- then, join the team that will hold him accountable. On Wednesday night, one of the moderators asked Mitt about his little problem. His response: "I think people understand I'm a man of steadiness and constancy." Saying it doesn't make it so. On reproductive rights, climate change, immigration, taxes, foreign policy, gay rights, gun control, and labor issues, Romney has reversed his positions -- often dramatically -- leaving his supporters and opponents alike feeling some combination of angry, confused, and betrayed. If he keeps up this pace, it's going to take all of us to keep track of Mitt's flip-flopping. Watch the video -- and sign up to be on the team that holds him accountable from now until however long he stays in this race. It seems he's at least committed to that. http://my.democrats.org/Watch-Mitt-Flip-Flop Thanks, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

This Veterans Day

Pacquiao -- Here's something that makes this Veterans Day great. Yesterday, the Senate passed a critical piece of the President's jobs plan: two provisions to help get veterans back to work. They're called the Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credits, and they help provide jobs to veterans by giving tax credits to businesses that hire disabled or unemployed vets. With 850,000 veterans currently unemployed and more than a million returning from Iraq and Afghanistan over the next 5 years as we continue to bring troops home, making sure they can find work has got to be a priority. The President made it one. And the plan that passed yesterday is an important first step. It wouldn't have happened without supporters like you talking with neighbors, calling and tweeting your representatives, and doing everything you can to keep the pressure on Congress to pass the President's jobs plan. You spoke out loud and clear, and finally, the Senate listened. In honor of Veterans Day, we're collecting messages of support to thank our servicemen and women for putting their lives on the line for our country every day. You can send a note here -- and the Obama campaign will be sharing some publicly all weekend long. The fight for jobs is far from over. So far, Congress has refused to pass similar provisions for teachers, cops, and firefighters -- with every Senate Republican standing in the way. The passage of this veterans bill is just one of the many examples of what can happen when a group of people come together and fight for what they know is the right thing to do. Thank you for keeping the pressure on. We'll be in touch soon with more ways to help keep Congress focused on doing its job. But for now, happy Veterans Day. Thanks, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

Three years ago

Pacquiao -- When President-elect Barack Obama took the stage in Grant Park three years ago tonight, millions of us watched history being made. Think about how far we've come since that night -- and how far we have left to go. That's why the next election is even more important. It's not just the progress we've already made that's at stake. It's our ability to make more. The 2012 election is a year from Sunday, but we're not waiting to build the strongest team we can. Watch the video of highlights from Grant Park -- then commit to be a volunteer for 2012: http://my.democrats.org/Three-Years-Ago Let's go, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

Watch: Romney endorses "personhood" amendment

Pacquiao -- Mitt Romney has taken a position that every woman in this country should know about: When asked on Fox News whether he would have supported a "personhood" constitutional amendment, Mitt said, "Absolutely." "Personhood" amendments are the notorious measures now being considered in states like Mississippi, Florida, and Ohio, that would elevate a fertilized human egg to the status of a legal person. They would ban IUDs, the morning-after pill, in-vitro fertilization, and all abortions -- with no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or in cases where the life of a woman is at stake. In other words, a leading candidate for the GOP nomination for president is on the record in favor of a law that would classify literally all abortions -- and even many forms of birth control -- as murder. To be clear: This is the most radical position any of the Republican candidates have taken on this issue, and may be the most radical position any of them have taken on any substantive issue in the race for the nomination so far. Mitt has an uncanny ability to change course depending on the day, so we put together a video to show exactly where he stands on a woman's right to choose -- whether she's choosing emergency contraception, or to save her own life. Watch it, and then say you'll be with us in holding him accountable. Romney, who has held a variety of positions on abortion in his 17 years of running for public office, presumably understands the implications of criminalizing birth control and abortion. If he wants to be in the national spotlight, if he thinks he deserves to be trusted with the highest political office on the planet, he has to be willing to take responsibility for his words and the consequences of the policies he claims to support. This is so much bigger than his political calculations. It's literally a life-or-death proposition, and it's not limited to Mississippi, Ohio, or Florida. Personhood amendments like the one in Mississippi are a direct affront to the federal right to privacy afforded by Roe vs. Wade. If Romney wants to take the position that abortion and birth control are equal to murder, that's up to him. But we'll hold him accountable for it, and not let anyone forget that he's made the choice to go this far to the right on this issue: http://my.democrats.org/Hold-Mitt-Accountable I'll report back soon, --Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.

Commit to volunteer

Pacquiao -- One year from this Sunday, Americans will be going to the polls to decide where they want this country to go in the next four years. If we want our friends and neighbors to make the right choice one year from now, we need to decide today to get involved. We all know that to win on November 6th, 2012, we need to build this campaign now. We need to register voters, knock on doors, talk to our neighbors about the President's goals and accomplishments, and lay the groundwork for the year to come. That's why the 2012 campaign is asking people to commit to volunteer in the months to come. Democrats across the country are jumping in to be a part of it. We only have twelve months left to build this organization -- what happens next November depends on the work we do now. Will you commit today to volunteer for 2012? No matter who our Republican opponent ends up being, the only way we will win is by being stronger, smarter, and more organized than the other side. When you commit to volunteer for 2012, you're taking ownership of the reality we'll all face the day after the election. This campaign may be won on November 6th, but the real work will happen every single day between now and then. Pledge to make phone calls this weekend, go canvassing this spring, or take on a leadership role in your community. In a little more than a year, we'll all be doing one of two things. We'll be celebrating the President's re-election, and the chance to keep moving this country forward. Or we'll be wondering what more we could have done. I don't plan on having any regrets, and neither should you. Say you're ready for this fight and commit to volunteer in 2012: http://my.democrats.org/Commit-To-Volunteer Let's go, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003

Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.