Speaker Romanoff at our House Meeting

My wife Roxy and I were pleased to host a Democratic House Meeting and continental breakfast in our backyard today. The weather couldn't have been better, with sunny skies, and a perfect 70 degrees. Yes, we are indeed fortunate to live in "Beautiful Colorado"!

Our guest of honor, Colorado House Speaker and HD6 Representative Andrew Romanoff, was his always witty self. After charming the crowd, he explained all the virtues of the SAFE (Savings Account For Education) initiative petition drive. SAFE will fix the fiscal mess in Colorado's constitution, dedicate a permanent source of funding to public eduction, and preserve the right of citizens' to vote on taxes. If you haven't already, please sign this petition by July 18 so we can get this important measure on the November ballot!

I spoke about why I am dedicated to the election of Barack Obama as the next President of the United States. I focused on how NO ONE can afford to sit on the sidelines in this election. Four years ago, John Kerry was ahead in the polls, much like Barack Obama is today, and we all know what happened. We can NOT afford to let that happen again. That means we ALL need to make this our "project" for the next 4 months. Some of those other projects on our "to do list" can wait. Our country can NOT wait!

Obama Campaign Representative Noah Glasenkamp told a wonderful story about how he became involved with the Campaign, and then all the other attendees got a chance to say a few words about their own personal story, and what brought them here today. Noah elegantly explained the Campaign's grassroots philosophy, and several attendees immediately signed-up to hold similar Obama House Meetings in their homes. If you haven't hosted one of these meetings yet, please go to www.barackobama.com and set one up. It's a lot of fun, and is a key strategy to winning this critical election!

Lois Court, my personal choice for HD6 State Representative, explained that she is the only primary candidate that is not accepting PAC or special interest money. I have known Lois for many years and I am certain that she is the most qualified candidate to become our next State Representative. She has 25 years of experience in Colorado public policy and Democratic politics. She is a real leader—someone you can look at and say, “Here is someone that knows how to work with others to see our Democratic values come to life!” If you live in HD6, please visit her website at www.loiscourt.com to learn more about her. And don't forget to vote in the Democratic Primary on August 12 for the best candidate to become our next House District 6 State Representative: Lois Court.

Alex Stevens of the "coordinated campaign" or "Forward Colorado" then did an excellent job explaining that campaign's role in helping to elect Barack Obama, Mark Udall, and Diana DeGette. He also explained in detail how to canvass. Several attendees immediately volunteered to canvass our neighborhood after the meeting.

All in all, I think we all learned a lot, are even better prepared to help win this election for all our Democratic candidates, and had a lot of fun!

I Actually Got to Meet Senator Obama!

Last Wednesday night, I actually had the privilege to meet Senator Barack Obama! Fellow Delegate Susie McMahon and I carpooled down to the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs to attend a fundraiser for the Senator. We were joined by our friend and fellow Delegate Lynn Young from Colorado Springs and about 250 other guests. We staked out a spot right in front of the small riser near the door from which we knew Senator Obama would enter. While he went straight to the stage to give his speech, afterwards we were able to introduce ourselves, shake hands, and exchange a few words with him. I promised him we would win Colorado for him, and he said, "With your help!"

That reminded me of something he said in his speech that night. He said, "Make this your project for the next 4 months." It made me realize what a relatively small thing he was asking each of us to do. Simply make working to help him get elected our #1 project, just for the next few months. Many of us are working on another "project" right now, or have taken on a 4 month project before. Maybe it was landscaping our yard. Maybe it was finishing our basement. He was simply asking us to maybe set some of those other projects aside, just for a little while, and take on the important task of choosing the next President of the United States! It's a small price to pay to change the direction of our country in a profound way.