Why you need to caucus tomorrow.

Tomorrow is an important day for Washington and several other states. Tomorrow is the presidential caucus - 1pm sharp.

You may think that taking an hour out of your busy life just isn't possible. But I really truly believe that you can't afford NOT to attend a caucus. If work is an issue, employers are legally required to grant time off for voting and caucusing. You have no excuse not to be there tomorrow!

Those of you that know me well know that I'm politically active, and have been in the past, but this time - it is different! The importance is paramount!

It's no secret that I'm a Barack Obama supporter. I still remember exactly when I decided that he was the one that should be leading us. I was sitting in It's A Beautiful Pizza down on Belmont in Portland, watching the DNC. He came on and delivered that powerful, moving speech, and I am not exaggerating when I tell you that several people in that room had tears in their eyes, myself included. I said out loud "Oh my god, that man needs to be President. What was his name again?"

I watched him grow and be elected to the Illinois Senate. I watched his voting record, and his speeches. From day one he was MY candidate. And throughout the years this feeling has only increased. I wasn't the only one. He was essentially drafted, by all of us. We asked him to serve, and he's heeding the call.

The media is doing a really good job now of mocking the Obama campaign. They love to paint us as a bunch of touchy feely liberals with our heads in the clouds. What they didn't count on was raising 32 million dollars in one month, with zero contributions from lobbyists or special interests. It came from people like you, and me, and my fiance, who contributed to a political campaign for the first time in his life. It came from single moms, who are so concerned about the future that they send off the only spare money they have because they believe in change, and they believe in hope.

The media tells me that because I am white and I am a woman that I am or should be a Hillary Clinton voter. As a feminist and a person I find it extremely offensive that there is an assumption that I should vote for her simply because she's a woman. This is as offensive as a man stating he won't vote for her because she's a woman. If you believe in what Hillary Clinton has to say, male, female, black, white whoever you are then vote for her.

I refuse to believe that simply because of her gender she has earned the White House, and I refuse to believe that just because of her gender she will truly provide us the change we desperately need.

Before you cast your caucus vote, I'd like to ask you to do a little research. Yes, you can start at Barackobama.com and Hillaryclinton.com, but obviously those sites are political propaganda. Don't stop there. Research voting records. Research where their campaign money comes from. Check out moveon.org and Fact Check. What you find might surprise you.

It might surprise you to see that a lot of Hillary's money comes from lobbyists, and even donations from those in the middle east, from political leaders who try to keep women as second class citizens. Check out where Bill Clinton has been getting donations from over there.

It also might surprise you to learn that Hillary voted to give President Bush carte blanche over the situation in Iraq. In contrast, Barack voted completely against the war from day one. The Clinton campaign tries to twist this, stating that he voted to fund the war later. What Barack voted for, after the war had begun, was to better equip the troops that were already over there. Do some research about how they would handle difficult foreign politics. It will shock you how different their strategies are.

Hillary's number one issue is Universal Healthcare. Are you aware that those that would be unable to afford the co-payments for health care and therefore refuse to sign up will be fined? Check out what's happening in Massachusetts for an idea of how this will play out, and how it's harming not only low income people but middle class Americans as well. Barack believes in offering healthcare to everyone, on a sliding scale, believing that if health insurance is in a person's reach, they will choose to purchase it. He believes we are smart enough to make our own choices without being bullied.

Check out the amount of money the Clinton campaign has received from healthcare companies, and then think about how that plays into her Universal Health Care plan.

I could go on all day about the inconsistencies in what Hillary does and says, but ultimately voting is a very personal decision. I sincerely hope that you are concerned enough about our country to make an informed choice. Do it for your kids, or other people's kids, or your grandpa that lives off of social security and can't afford his medicine, or your cousin that is still over in Iraq on his 4th tour and his marriage is falling apart. Do it for the schools, and hospitals, and the economy. Do it because you give a damn.

VOTE FOR CHANGE! This is OUR campaign! OWN IT!