What do you think?

pacquiao -- As you may have heard, President Obama has nominated Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to be the next chair of the Democratic Party. Debbie is going to be a great champion for our party and our President. For more than 20 years, she has stood out as a proven leader, doing all she can to protect Medicare for America's seniors and create good jobs for Florida's workers. And guided by her experiences battling cancer, teaching at Broward Community College, and raising three young children, she understands the struggles Americans of every background confront each and every day. Now that she's bringing that energy to Democratic headquarters, she wants to hear from you. The next election will be unlike any we've ever known before, and in order to win, we'll need new and creative approaches. So we're putting together ideas for her about our plans for the future -- and we want to include yours. Please share your suggestions with our next chair. There's no denying it: We Democrats have our work cut out for us. Over the next year and a half, we need to re-elect the President, take back the House, and continue to fight for policies that help Americans in their daily lives. President Obama is right -- Debbie is the right leader for these challenges. She has the sharp mind we need in a chair -- and more importantly, she recognizes good ideas when she sees them. What issues do you think this party needs to tackle? What will it take for us to win new majorities in Congress? What do we need to do to give President Obama a second term? How can we make an impact in your state? Take a minute to send us your suggestions now so our new chair can read them on her first day: http://my.democrats.org/YourThoughts Thanks, Donna Donna Brazile Interim Chair Democratic National Committee

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New ideas

pacquiao -- In a matter of days, members of the Democratic National Committee will meet to consider President Obama's nominee to chair the Democratic Party -- Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. It's an important decision. All of us who care about the future of this country have big challenges to confront in the months ahead. We must re-elect the President, win new majorities in Congress, and fight for change that matters in policy fight after policy fight. These tests will require new energy and fresh ideas -- and when the new Democratic chair begins, I want to make sure she has access to both in abundance. That's why I'm turning to you for some original thinking. We want to know what ideas you have for our work in the months ahead. Take a minute to share your thoughts with our next chair. I believe we've begun a new era in our politics. Those who win elections in the future won't just be the candidates who raise the most money or buy the most advertising on TV -- though those things never hurt. Instead, the political winners of the future will be the innovators. The people who discover ways to bring new voices into the conversation, tap new technologies to reach more voters, and expand their base of support among the American people. And if we're truly committed to finding new ways of doing things, we know we must look outside Washington. When the new chair of our Party walks into this office on her first day, I don't want her to hear the same old ideas. I want to present her with the best thinking we can find from a bunch of smart people, particularly those like you outside this building -- initiatives that we can all work on together. Will you take a minute to offer your suggestions? http://my.democrats.org/YourThoughts Thanks, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

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There's nothing courageous about it

pacquiao -- For days, I've been reading in the press about the "courage" of a Republican budget proposal that abolishes Medicare to pay for more tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and slashes investments in energy, education, and infrastructure. On Wednesday, I heard President Obama say exactly what I've been thinking: There's nothing courageous about it. The Republicans are pledging to cut investments to clean energy by 70 percent, education by 25 percent, and transportation by 30 percent. Their plan would see as many as 50 million people lose their health insurance in order to reduce the deficit. Instead of creating jobs, they want to create $1 trillion in new tax breaks for the wealthy. That's not a brave vision for the future. It's a rejection of the idea that there are brighter days ahead. Today, the House of Representatives will meet to vote on the GOP budget proposal, and if they insist on pushing this plan forward -- if they can't come together with the President to find common ground -- we'll make sure their constituents know about it. If they choose to try to privatize Medicare, we will put ads on the air and organizers on the ground, and we'll talk about this vote over and over again. We'll make this stick. But we need your help to do it. Donate $3 or more to help protect Medicare and fight for a plan that makes sense. This week, President Obama offered a path forward that I believe in: $4 trillion in deficit reduction; responsible investments to improve our schools, fix crumbling roads, and develop clean energy; and a total rejection of the notion that spending cuts must come on the backs of seniors and poor children. He laid out a vision where we all make sacrifices, but none of us is left to bear the burden alone. And he offered a forceful, unapologetic response to those who don't believe in the responsibility we all share to move our country forward together. This isn't just about this week's vote or the latest shiny object to capture the attention of Washington for a news cycle or two. This is about the very future of this country and the direction we take. We know that because the Republican plan hasn't just been adopted by a few ideologues in Congress -- it's been embraced by the candidates who want to take President Obama's job. If we want to win this fight about the direction our country takes, then we must start now -- as Congress considers the GOP proposal. Can you chip in? http://my.democrats.org/Medicare Thanks, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

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2012

pacquiao -- Today, we are filing papers to launch our 2012 campaign. We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you -- with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build. So even though I'm focused on the job you elected me to do, and the race may not reach full speed for a year or more, the work of laying the foundation for our campaign must start today. We've always known that lasting change wouldn't come quickly or easily. It never does. But as my administration and folks across the country fight to protect the progress we've made -- and make more -- we also need to begin mobilizing for 2012, long before the time comes for me to begin campaigning in earnest. As we take this step, I'd like to share a video that features some folks like you who are helping to lead the way on this journey. Please take a moment to watch: In the coming days, supporters like you will begin forging a new organization that we'll build together in cities and towns across the country. And I'll need you to help shape our plan as we create a campaign that's farther reaching, more focused, and more innovative than anything we've built before. We'll start by doing something unprecedented: coordinating millions of one-on-one conversations between supporters across every single state, reconnecting old friends, inspiring new ones to join the cause, and readying ourselves for next year's fight. This will be my final campaign, at least as a candidate. But the cause of making a lasting difference for our families, our communities, and our country has never been about one person. And it will succeed only if we work together. There will be much more to come as the race unfolds. Today, simply let us know you're in to help us begin, and then spread the word: http://my.barackobama.com/2012 Thank you, Barack

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William's future

pacquiao -- I want to tell you about a family in Minnesota. Justin and Kari live in Brooklyn Park, right outside of Minneapolis. They're parents to three children. Their three-year-old, William, was born with a genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis complex. For the rest of his life, William will wrestle with tumors in his brain, his heart, his kidneys, his skin, and possibly other major organs. He must take medication to control seizures and faces the threat of kidney disease. What Justin and Kari want for William is a future. And because of health reform, that's what he'll have. Today, insurance companies are no longer able to discriminate against William because of the condition he's dealt with since birth. Now, Justin and Kari know they'll be able to get the kind of care that William needs -- today and into the future. Their story isn't unique, but it's one of many that need to be told. We all know people whose lives have been changed because of the Affordable Care Act, even if we don't realize it. So we've found a way to show exactly how reform is working for all of us -- for our parents, our siblings, our kids, ourselves. Will you take a minute to take our Health Reform Checkup and let the people you love know how reform is working for them? Before the Affordable Care Act, Justin and Kari weren't sure about the future. They worried that they'd never be able to find coverage for William again if Justin lost his job. They worried about the life that William would lead -- whether he'd ever be able to work or support a family. Not anymore. William's condition isn't going away, but he'll always be able to get care. The Affordable Care Act is one year old today, and it has already changed William's life -- and this country -- for good. Today, there are families who feel better about the future than they did a year ago. They've found some security, some relief. And these are people we know. They're our neighbors, our colleagues, our friends, our families -- the people next to us every day. On the one-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, I think we have a duty to discuss how reform is already working. Watch Justin and Kari tell their story, and take a moment to learn how health reform is changing the lives of those you know: http://my.democrats.org/CheckUp A year ago, I stood next to the President as he signed health reform into law -- and we have you to thank for making that possible. Yours, Joe

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Unacceptable

pacquiao -- Democrats and Republicans have to reach an agreement to keep the government operating. Right now, President Obama is calling on both sides to come to the table and reach a reasonable solution -- a plan that builds for the future while eliminating wasteful spending in the present. A plan where cutting spending is done judiciously -- not recklessly. A plan with investments that create jobs -- not cuts that eliminate them. But the current Republican proposal is packed with extreme cuts that are clearly serving a political agenda -- cutting billions from Head Start, slashing Pell Grants and other programs that help students pay for college, and completely eliminating funding for Title X family-planning services. It's not a responsible plan to cut spending -- but a set of policy prescriptions intended to appease the most extreme wing of their party. And while cuts like these make the Republican plan objectionable -- it's the fact that it puts nearly 1 million jobs at risk that makes it absolutely unacceptable. So we're standing with President Obama in a very public way -- with an open letter calling on Republicans to work with him and Democrats in Congress to pass a commonsense budget that works for the American people. Supporters will hand-deliver the petition, with your signature, to House Republicans -- making sure our combined voices ring loud and clear. Add your name to speak out against the Republicans' proposed spending plan -- and call on them to come to the table ready to negotiate. Right now, the debate surrounding our budget should be about one thing -- people. An out-of-work father of three isn't concerned with advancing the Republicans' social agenda. All he's thinking about right now is getting back to work so he can pay his mortgage and his gas bill. A single mother who relies on Head Start for her four-year-old isn't thinking about the political sound bite of the moment -- she is concerned with making sure her daughter can keep up when she enters kindergarten next year. The American people don't care about political back-and-forth or partisan ideology. They want their government to do right by its citizens. And that's where the Republican plan falls short. They would close more than 16,000 classrooms, lay off 55,000 teachers, and cause 218,000 children to be kicked out of early-childhood education programs. They would slash homeland security investments and lay off thousands of police officers and firefighters, leaving our communities less safe. They would defund health insurance reform, doing away with the cost savings and vital patient protections relied upon by millions of Americans around the country. They would eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, ending thousands of health center jobs across the country and leaving millions of women without access to preventive care. Now, President Obama knows that this must be a shared sacrifice, and that some cuts must be made -- and he stands ready to work together to find a commonsense solution. But the current Republican plan would knock this country down just as we've begun to stand back up. The American people deserve better -- and it's up to us to demand it. Add your name to call on congressional Republicans to stand down from their irresponsible proposal and work with the President on a reasonable plan that we can all support: http://my.democrats.org/StandForJobs Thank you, Patrick Patrick Gaspard Executive Director Democratic National Committee

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Thrilled

pacquiao -- I am thrilled to make sure you are the first to hear some very exciting news. Charlotte, North Carolina, will host the 46th Democratic National Convention in 2012. Charlotte is a city marked by its southern charm, warm hospitality, and an "up by the bootstraps" mentality that has propelled the city forward as one of the fastest-growing in the South. Vibrant, diverse, and full of opportunity, the Queen City is home to innovative, hardworking folks with big hearts and open minds. And of course, great barbecue. Barack and I spent a lot of time in North Carolina during the campaign -- from the Atlantic Coast to the Research Triangle to the Smoky Mountains and everywhere in between. Barack enjoyed Asheville so much when he spent several days preparing for the second presidential debate that our family vacationed there in 2009. And my very first trip outside of Washington as First Lady was to Fort Bragg, where I started my effort to do all we can to help our heroic military families. All the contending cities were places that Barack and I have grown to know and love, so it was a hard choice. But we are thrilled to be bringing the convention to Charlotte. We hope many of you can join us in Charlotte the week of September 3rd, 2012. But if you can't, we intend to bring the spirit of the convention -- as well as actual, related events to your community and even your own backyard. More than anything else, we want this to be a grassroots convention for the people. We will finance this convention differently than it's been done in the past, and we will make sure everyone feels closely tied in to what is happening in Charlotte. This will be a different convention, for a different time. To help us make sure this is a grassroots convention -- The People's Convention -- we need to hear from you. We want to know what you'd like to see at next year's convention, how and where you plan on watching it -- and the very best way we can engage your friends and neighbors. pacquiao, please share your input with us right now -- how can we make The People's Convention belong to you and your community? I can't believe it has been more than two years since my brother Craig introduced me at the 2008 Convention in Denver. It truly feels like it was yesterday. As I looked out at a sea of thousands of supporters that night, I spoke about my husband -- the man whom this country would go on to elect as the 44th president of the United States. I spoke about his fundamental belief -- a conviction at the very core of his life's work -- that each of us has something to contribute to the spirit of our nation. That's also the belief at the core of The People's Convention. That the table we sit at together ought to be big enough for everyone. That the thread that binds us -- a belief in the promise of this country -- is strong enough to sustain us through good times and bad. Barack talked at the State of the Union of his vision for how America can win the future. That must be the focus now, and I know so many of you will help talk about our plans with your neighbors -- that through innovation, education, reform, and responsibility we can make sure America realizes this vision. But, conventions take time to plan, so please help us make sure that your thoughts and your ideas will ring all the way to Charlotte. Get started now: http://my.democrats.org/PeoplesConvention Looking forward to sharing this together, Michelle

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