Clinton in New Zealand / Help for Haiti / The World’s Small Farms

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton continues her Asia Pacific trip, stopping in New Zealand. The U.S. is helping Haiti deal with nature’s latest onslaught. We’ve got two reports on the U.S. congressional elections, one looking at the balance of power in the Senate and another at its impact on President Obama’s agenda. On the eve of President Obama’s trip to India, there is a call for a renewed U.S.-India partnership. Indonesia has become a test bed for entrepreneurship. And finally, in agriculture, there is a focus on small farms.

U.S., New Zealand Sign Accord
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray Stuart McCully signed The Wellington Declaration to enhance the partnership between the nations. The agreement is designed to address a variety of issues including nuclear nonproliferation, counterterrorism and climate change. “This Wellington Declaration makes it clear that we want to cooperate across the board in every aspect of our civilian efforts and our military as well,” says Clinton.

U.S. to Provide Storm Relief in Haiti
The United States has supported the Haitian government’s response to Tropical Storm Tomas by prepositioning relief supplies for 125,000. An official said U.S. relief supplies are stockpiled in several areas of the country and they are able to get these supplies out quickly to those in need.

Democrats Keep Senate Gavel
The results of U.S. midterm elections will shift the composition of the Senate a bit to the right as Republicans gain seats, but Democrats will retain control of the chamber when the next Congress convenes. The Democrats will control at least 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats, with the outcome of the race in Alaska yet to be determined.

After Election, No Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy
Republican gains in the November 2 congressional elections will present new challenges for President Obama and his legislative agenda, but his foreign policy objectives are not expected to change.

McCain: Expand U.S.-India Ties
Senator John McCain says the U.S.-India strategic partnership, substantial though it is, should be expanded greatly in coming years for the benefit of both countries and the Asia-Pacific region. “The potential to expand our partnership is immense,” McCain said on the eve of President Obama’s state visit to India.

Indonesia’s Entrepreneurs
As Indonesia gets ready to welcome President Obama November 9, the country already has become a test bed for his administration’s efforts to promote entrepreneurship. Indonesian entrepreneurs have formed the Global Enterprise Program Indonesia, which launches in Jakarta in mid-November as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.

New Tools Boost Small Farms
Agribusinesses are designing tools to help smallholder farmers in countries seeking to produce more food. Such measures may slow down a predicted food shortage in years ahead, as the world’s population continues to grow, especially in regions like Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. At right, an Indian farmer heads to work on a tractor designed for use on small plots.

Recapping the U.S. Election / Clinton’s Day in Asia / A Month to Honor American Indians

The Republicans make big gains in U.S. midterm elections and President Obama offers his assessment. Secretary Clinton’s Asian travels take her to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Catch up with Brad Pitt and his effort to bring green housing to New Orleans. Learn about ArtsLink, a program that brings artists from around the world to the United States. Tajikistan is getting an energy boost. A 1,000-year-old Iranian poem is the inspiration for some awesome illustrations. And, it’s American Indian Heritage Month in America.

Election Gains for Republicans
Republicans gain at least 60 seats in the House of Representatives in U.S. elections November 2, more than enough to wrest control of the chamber from the Democrats. This means a divided government for at least the next two years, as Democratic President Obama shares power with Republicans in the House. Democrats retain control of the Senate, but with a reduced majority.

Obama: The Economy Hurt Democrats
The American electorate demonstrated its frustration with the state of the economy when it stripped Democrats of their majority in the House of Representatives and trimmed their majority in the Senate, President Obama says.

Clinton Praises Malaysia’s Religious Tolerance
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is praising Malaysia’s commitment to religious tolerance during her visit to the Muslim-majority country. “Extremism is not a path to building sustainable prosperity, peace, stability or democracy – it only promotes conflicts and hardens hearts,” she says. 

Human Rights in Papua New Guinea
During a visit to Papua New Guinea, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton encouraged the country to address its human rights conditions and to strengthen anti-corruption efforts. Clinton also offered to help the government set up a sovereign wealth fund to manage resource revenue from oil and natural gas fields, in order to translate “natural resources into widespread prosperity.”

Green Homes Make it Right
Make It Right, a foundation created by actor and film producer Brad Pitt, builds energy-efficient, green homes to replace housing destroyed in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. In three years, the foundation has completed 50 homes in New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward. Another 30 are under construction.

ArtsLink Fellows Come to America
Visual artists, photographers, filmmakers and arts managers from 14 countries are currently enjoying five-week residencies in the United States under awards offered by U.S.-based international arts organization, CEC ArtsLink.

Green Energy for Tajikistan
The U.S. embassy in Dushanbe, Tajik government agencies and international partners, are working together to bring alternative energy solutions to Central Asia. The projects include the use of solar, water and wind power to provide energy to remote locations.

Shahnameh on Display
The Smithsonian Institution is celebrating the Shahnameh’s 1,000 years with an exhibition of some of the best illustrations ever created for Iran’s greatest epic poem. The Shahnameh’s stories cover the reigns of 50 kings, real and imagined, from the creation of the world up to the Arab conquest of Iran in the 7th century.

American Indian Heritage Month
November is National American Indian Heritage Month, which celebrates the heritage and contributions of American Indians and Alaska Natives — the first Americans — to the history and culture of the United States. Right, members of the Alabama-Coushatta Indian tribe from Livingston, Texas, wait to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April 2010.

A Thwarted Bomb Plot / Room to Read / Election Day in the USA

President Obama praises the coordinated effort of security authorities from the United States and its allies in heading off attempted aircraft bombings. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the East Asia Summit. The Obama administration seeks renewed international cooperation to fight corruption. A young entrepreneur from Bangladesh has a growing agribusiness. Read about an organization that opens a new children’s library somewhere in the world every four hours. And, in the U.S., Americans go to the polls to choose national, and state, leaders. 

International Cooperation Helped Thwart Attack
The Obama administration credits the diligence and cooperation of security services from the United States and its partners overseas for identifying and neutralizing two bombs placed aboard cargo jets that were bound for the United States. President Obama, right, said the plot was a “credible terrorist threat” that counterterrorism professionals are very taking seriously.


Clinton Highlight East Asia Summit
The United States wants to help strengthen the East Asia Summit as a key forum for political and strategic issues in the Asia-Pacific region, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “The conversations that take place here are of great consequence for every country in the Asia-Pacific region,” she says.

Snapshots of the Muslim World 
Derek Brown spent 14 months photographing people in 28 different countries including Pakistan, Senegal, Jordan and Turkey, to demonstrate the diversity of the Muslim world. His exhibit of photographs, “Imagining the Muslim World,” is on display through mid-November at Busboys & Poets in Washington D.C.

Bolder Action on Corruption
The Obama administration is pushing for bolder efforts to fight corruption, building on progress made last year by the international community. In 2009, state parties to the UN Convention Against Corruption agreed to establish a peer review mechanism of compliance with the convention.

Agribusiness in Bangladesh
Mazharul Anowar, a young entrepreneur from Bangladesh, is expanding his integrated food business. He was inspired by a recent trip to the U.S. through a State Department program which introduces foreign visitors to U.S. counterparts who give them advice on developing their careers in their home countries.

Making “Room to Read”
Room to Read began in 1998 and now operates in nine countries — India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zambia and South Africa. On average, Room to Read opens a children’s library every four hours.

37 States to Choose Governors
No presidential contest will top U.S. ballots on November 2, but citizens in 37 states are choosing governors who will make key decision on everything from spending policies to appointing judges. In the U.S. system, states levy taxes, establish license fees, determine how state revenues are spent, regulate businesses and administer the systems of health and safety services that affect the daily lives of their citizens.

Volunteers and Election Day
Election Day in the United States is the culmination of months of hard work — a day when volunteers of all ages and backgrounds enjoy the excitement of democracy in action. Most political organizations rely heavily on unpaid volunteers to mount effective campaigns, and both parties actively recruit volunteers on national, state and local levels.

Obama’s Asia Agenda / Clinton on Vietnam / Foreign Journalists

Preparing for his trip to Asia, President Obama’s travel agenda is packed. Currently in Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visits Vietnam and encourages engagement. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke gives an update on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The U.S. is ramping up its efforts to combat human trafficking. Meanwhile, the midterms are next week; learn more about political reporting and the concept of divided government. And, finally, foreign journalists visit the State Department as part of a unique program.

Obama’s Asia Engagement
Senior White House officials say President Obama’s nine-day visit to India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan is aimed at renewing U.S. engagement across Asia. The president’s November 6-14 visit includes meetings of the Group of 20 major economies in Seoul and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Yokohama.


Clinton in Vietnam
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in Hanoi, Vietnam, to meet with national leaders and to attend the East Asia Summit, where she is emphasizing the U.S. commitment to strengthened engagement with Vietnam and the Asia-Pacific region.

Afghanistan, Pakistan Agree on Trade
The leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan have signed a trade agreement that will expand trade and investment opportunities for both countries, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke says. “This is the most important agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan since Pakistan’s independence,” says Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Combating Modern Day Slavery
The United States is intensifying its efforts to combat human trafficking, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says. Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Holder says the Department of Justice will strengthen the ability of federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute human trafficking crimes.

Nonstop Political Reporting
“Ideological” Internet and cable television news shows running day and night with commentators expressing personal opinions about political candidates could affect the outcome of the November 2 midterm elections, political experts say.

Can a Divided Government Work?
The prospect of a divided U.S. government — with a president of one party and at least one chamber of Congress dominated by the other party — has raised questions about what the next two years might be like in Washington.

Foreign Journalists Visit U.S.
The State Department welcomed more than 150 young international media professionals representing 125 countries to the nation’s capital as part of the fifth annual Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists. The program, named for Murrow, a pioneer in broadcast journalism, provides foreign journalists the opportunity to experience the United States firsthand while exchanging ideas with their American colleagues. At left, some of the program participants gather at the State Department.

Human Rights in Burma / A U.S. Election Update / Kids And Robots

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs a probe of human rights violations in Burma. We also have three more reports in our continuing coverage of the U.S. midterm elections, including one on President Obama’s campaign travels. The U.S. and Japan mark a 50 year relationship. The U.S.  urges support for the Lebanese government. Obama’s portfolio for his coming trip to India is packed largely with economic issues.  Learn how lost early American films turned up in a Russian film archive. You can study anything, virtually. In an international program for journalists, Bob Woodward stresses the importance of facts. Meet American fine-art photographer Peter Steinhauer and his Southeast Asian inspirations. And finally, here’s yet another reason robots are cool.

A Focus on Human Rights in Burma
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton backs an international inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma and pledges U.S. support for efforts to improve the lives of its citizens. Speaking in Hawaii at the beginning of a 13-day visit to the Asia-Pacific region, Clinton, right, promises to “seek accountability for the human rights violations that have occurred in Burma.”


Obama’s Daily Campaigning
President Obama was warmly welcomed to the popular comedy program The Daily Show, but during his lengthy interview with host Jon Stewart it became clear the appearance was very much a campaign stop. With congressional Democrats facing tough challenges in the 2010 midterm elections, the comedy show’s first interview with a sitting U.S. president was another in a series of more than 25 campaign stops for Obama in recent weeks.

The Muslim Vote in America
The week before national midterm elections in the U.S., discussions over Islam’s place in America is prompting American Muslims to make their voices heard through voting. Various Muslim organizations are working to acquaint American Muslims with the voting process and to encourage voter turnout.

America’s Endangered Senators
On Election Day, only 37 U.S. senators will be chosen, but some of those political contests are among the most contentious in the 2010 elections. The 2010 midterm elections include 12 Democrats and 11 Republicans seeking re-election and 14 “open” seats (no incumbent running) that currently are split evenly between Democrats and Republicans.

The U.S.-Japan Alliance at 50
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara marked the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-Japan alliance with praise for a relationship “based on deep friendship between our people, on mutual respect, and on common goals and values.” The two met in Honolulu on the first day of Clinton’s seven-nation Asia-Pacific tour. 

U.S. Urges Support for Lebanon
The United States urges support for the Lebanese government as it works to reduce the threat posed by instability and conflict, says U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice.

Economy Tops Obama India Agenda
Expanding economic ties and growing business relationships between the United States and India will be atop the agenda as President Obama travels to South Asia beginning Nov. 6. Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economic Affairs Mike Froman says India represents “one of the most important emerging economic relationships for the United States, both multilaterally and bilaterally.”

“Lost” Silent Films Found
Some of America’s early film history that was thought to have been lost forever has been recovered. Ten films from Hollywood’s silent film era have been found in Gosfilmofond, the Russian state film archive, restored, copied and presented to the Library of Congress. “This is like finding a lost Picasso,” says Pat Loughney, chief of the library’s $200 million Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation. At left, a still image from the 1922 crime drama Kick In, one of the found films.

Learning Virtually Anything
Salman Khan hopes to make his online classroom “the world’s first free, world-class virtual school where anyone can learn anything.” Based in California, the Khan Academy received a $2 million grant from Google to build the software needed to translate its content into the world’s most-spoken languages.

Woodward on Journalism
American investigative journalist Bob Woodward met with some 150 journalists from 125 countries in an interactive session at the U.S. Department of State as part of the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, named for the award-winning and pioneering broadcast journalist. Woodward stressed the importance of what he called “neutral fact-getting” and meticulous reporting.

Visions of Vietnam 
American Peter Steinhauer is a successful Hong Kong-based fine-art photographer whose work is displayed in museums and galleries worldwide, and also at the U.S. embassies and consulates in Vietnam and Burma. Steinhauer was inspired by a 1993 trip to Vietnam, and his work primarily consists of landscapes and portraits portraying Vietnamese culture.

Robots Draw Kids to Science
Robots that kick soccer balls, solar-powered vehicles and helmets that offer virtual bike rides were some of the attractions at America’s first national science exposition, the grand finale of two weeks of activities intended to motivate more young people to pursue careers in science. The expo drew an estimated half million visitors to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations / More on the Coming U.S. Elections / Ikats of Central Asia

The U.S. supports Malaysia’s participation in upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations. Also in Malaysia, women entrepreneurs teach others how to “bootstrap their startups.” The U.S. midterm elections are next week; find out how the youth vote and the members of the tea party might influence them. And, finally, learn about the ikats of Central Asia.

Malaysia Joins Negotiations
The United States supports the addition of Malaysia, its 16th-largest trading partner, to negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and will continue to deepen its strong economic partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region, says U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
Kirk, pictured at left with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, says that Malaysia’s inclusion in the negotiations will contribute “to the development of the high standard, 21st-century, regional trade agreement we are seeking.”

Bootstrap Startups in Malaysia
Entrepreneurial women are sharing their experiences, best practices and creative problem-solving techniques to build more successful businesses in a forum created by Warisan Global and the U.S. Embassy in Malaysia.

Rocking the Youth Vote
Young American voters registered in numbers higher than expected to vote in the November midterm elections, continuing a trend of increased political participation by young U.S. citizens.

Election 2010, Is it Tea Time?
The tea party movement is a small but enthusiastic group of American voters who share a frustration over U.S. economic policies. Though it makes up only a small fraction of the U.S. electorate, the tea party is playing an influential role in the 2010 midterm elections.

Republicans to Gain House Seats
Republicans and Democrats are campaigning feverishly in the final days before the nationwide congressional elections November 2 and most experts expect the Republican Party will gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is uncertain whether these gains will be enough to turn the House majority from Democratic to Republican.

An Exhibit of Asian Ikats
The spectacular patterns and vivid colors of the ikat fabrics, a status symbol of 19th-century Central Asia, are on display at the Textile Museum’s newly opened exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats. The word “ikat” derives from a Malay term meaning “to tie.” Sumru Belger Krody, right, the curator of the exhibition, says ikats were “a glue in many spheres of life, from political to economic to social” and that one reason for the prestige of the fabrics is the difficult of making them.

A New Fund for Women / Clinton’s East Asia Trip / Cows to Kazakhstan

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announces a new $44 million fund devoted to women’s empowerment and preps for her upcoming trip to Asia. The world’s major economies come to an agreement on currency. Among mobile phone users, there is a major gender gap. Learn about the craft of Lowcountry basket-weaving. And, finally, find out why the U.S. is shipping cows to Kazakhstan.

A $44 Million Fund for Women
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced that the Obama administration will commit nearly $44 million to fund women’s empowerment initiatives around the world in order to advance U.N. Security Council goals of integrating women into international peace and security efforts. Speaking at the Security Council, Clinton, right, said that the largest portion of the U.S. funding – $17 million – will support civil society groups in Afghanistan that focus on women, who she said are “rightly worried that in the very legitimate search for peace their rights will be sacrificed.”


Clinton to Travel to East Asia
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans extensive talks with leaders and senior officials from at least eight East Asian and Pacific nations during a 13-day trip to the region to show U.S. engagement on a range of issues. She will also address the East Asia Summit in Hanoi.

An Agreement on Currency
Only two weeks after failing to resolve differences at a meeting in Washington, financial officials of the world’s major economies agreed to avoid conflicting currency interventions and, in principle, to reduce trade imbalances.

A Mobile Gender Gap
A gender gap is preventing approximately 300 million women from taking advantage of the potential of mobile phones to improve conditions for the world’s poor.

Lowcountry Baskets on Display
The weaving of coiled baskets is a craft that was brought from West and Central Africa to the American Colonies more than 300 years ago and is still passed from generation to generation among the Gullah/Geechee people of South Carolina and Georgia.

Cows for Kazakhstan
Under an agreement between a U.S. company and the Kazakh government, the first shipments of pregnant heifers have begun making the trip from Fargo, North Dakota, to Astana, Kazakhstan. The goal is to upgrade Kazakhstan’s beef breeding stock and reinvigorate its agricultural industry by shipping cattle. In Kazakhstan, a once-strong cattle industry that sent much of its beef to Russia went into decline after the fall of the Soviet Union. A dozen flights between North Dakota and Kazakhstan are scheduled by early December, each shipping nearly 170 heifers. At left, a heifer is packed for shipping.

U.S. Pakistan Talks / A Cholera Outbreak in Haiti / The U.S. Vote

The United States and Pakistan continue strategic talks. Health officials fear an outbreak of Cholera in Haiti could spread, read what the United States is doing to help. The rule of law in Latin America is on the agenda at a conference in California. The U.S. government is turning to American farms for fuel. Somalia needs more international help. And, we’ve got a pair of reports about the coming elections in the United States.

U.S.-Pakistan Dialogue
The latest round of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue demonstrates a commitment to strengthening the relationship between the two countries based on values, mutual respect, trust and interests, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. “We came together in this Strategic Dialogue to discuss how to help the Pakistani people in the areas that Pakistani people themselves had identified as their more important concerns,” Clinton and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said. Aat right, Clinton and Qureshi at an earlier meeting.

Fighting Cholera in Haiti
The U.S. government is working rapidly to respond to a cholera outbreak in northwestern Haiti that officials fear could lead to a country-wide epidemic.

Democracy in Latin America
In California, at a conference of Latin American leaders, the focus was not on past triumphs, but on the issues and challenges that many countries face today in strengthening democracy and the rule of law.

U.S. Calls for More Somalia Aid
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson says more countries need to contribute troops and assets to the African Union Mission in Somalia. He says allowing Somalis to simply fight amongst themselves “is in no one’s interest.”

From Fields to Fuel Tanks
The U.S. government plans to ramp up production and consumption of biofuels to help lessen the country’s dependence on foreign oil, and to create new jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

U.S. Prepping for Midterms
On November 2, Americans will cast their ballots in midterm elections that will determine who will represent them in the 112th Congress, scheduled to convene in January 2011. In electing a new Congress every two years, American voters decide who will speak for them in crafting legislation, determining government spending and overseeing the activities of the executive branch.

U.S. Voters as Decision Makers
When Americans vote in the midterm elections, they will select their future leaders and decide a wide range of ballot issues, including how their taxes are spent or what rights their state constitutions guarantee.

Palestinian Reforms / The Midterms are Coming / Choose Our New Logo!

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton congratulates the Palestinians on recent institutional reforms. The U.S. midterm elections are approaching; find out how a new law and new technologies are affecting them. In Africa, a call for a Green Revolution. And, finally, eJournal USA is changing its name to America.gov; help us choose the new logo.

Reform in Palestine
A two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is “essential to the future of the Palestinian people,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says. Speaking to members of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, Clinton, right, says that given the recent institutional reforms by the Palestinian Authority, “it is easier than ever to envision an independent Palestine able to govern itself, uphold its responsibilities to provide for its own people, and ensure security.”

A New Voice in U.S. Elections
Under a January U.S. Supreme Court ruling, entities such as companies and labor unions can spend as much money as they want in the 2010 midterm election to promote their political views. That means Americans are seeing a lot more political advertising this election season.

Recasting the U.S. Vote
As the U.S. midterm elections approach, Americans have more options than ever before in deciding how, and when, to exercise their right to vote. More than 3 million people already have cast their ballots under rules that allow early voting in 32 states and the District of Columbia.

In Africa, a Green Revolution
In Africa, governments, foundations and scientists are pooling their knowledge, resources and capital to push forward the Green Revolution, which is the development and dissemination of high yield strains of wheat. In the mid-20th century, high yield grain saved about 1 billion people in Asia from starvation.

Vote on Our New Logo

     

Help us choose! eJournal USA is changing its name to America.gov on November 1. Only the name is changing, not the great discussions amongst our vibrant online community. Please help us select the logo that best reflects our community from the three shown above. To vote, click on your choice and then “like” it on Facebook. More choices will be available soon. Visit the site.

Ask not what your country can do for you

Obama greets audience members after speaking at a fundraiser in Seattle.

Obama greets audience members after speaking at a fundraiser in Seattle.

How much would you pay to support President Obama at an event where you could meet him and hear him speak? How about $1,400 (the cost of attending Tuesday’s fundraiser in Seattle, Washington)? What about $30,400 (the suggested ticket price to attend Vogue Editor Anna Wintour’s dinner with Obama last month)?

Fundraising is part of the president’s unofficial job description. This week Obama’s schedule has been packed with fundraising appearances, including two for elected state officials while he was in Seattle Tuesday. At these functions, attendees are encouraged to make contributions to the Democratic Party, and Obama speaks to supporters about his policy and goals.

Fundraising is especially critical now with midterm elections approaching this November and with Obama’s approval rating having dipped to its lowest weekly average last week, according to a recent Gallup poll.

These events are not just about raising funds—they’re about raising support.

So in the spirit of President John F. Kennedy’s famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country,” Obama’s speech at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee finance event in Los Angeles, California Monday contained the following message:

“We’re going to move this country forward with your help, but we are going to need your help. We’re going to need your phone calls. We are going to need your knocking on doors. We need your enthusiasm. We need your spirit. We need your confidence that we can continue to make this country even better than it already is. All right? And if everybody here is able to marshal that spirit once again, I’m absolutely positive we’re not just going to do well in this election, we’re going to do right by the next generation.”

What’s your reaction?