Steelers Owner Dan Rooney: “I am proud and now feel compelled to endorse Senator Barack Obama”

Dear Fellow Pennsylvanian,

Based on the experiences that I have had in my seventy-five years and my assessment of what I think our nation needs to make real the change that is so needed, I am proud and now feel compelled to endorse Senator Barack Obama.

This is not something that I do regularly but as I listen to the candidates in this race, I am struck that we continue to hear about the problems and the same challenges that we have been talking about for decades.  Protecting jobs here in Pennsylvania, breaking our dangerous and costly addiction to foreign oil, making health care accessible and affordable – these are neither new issues nor new ideas.  And yet we have failed to make real progress.

As a grandfather and a citizen of this community I think Barack Obama’s, thoughtful, strategic approach is important for America. When I hear how excited young people seem to be when they talk about this man, I believe he will do what is best for them which is to inspire them to be great Americans.

This time, we can’t afford to wait.  Our country needs a new direction and a new kind of leadership – the kind of leadership, judgment and experience that Senator Obama has demonstrated in more than 20 years of public service, and in a particularly impressive way in this campaign.  Senator Obama has rejected the say-and-do anything tactics that puts winning elections ahead of governing the country.  And he has rejected the back-room politics in favor of opening government up to the people.  Barack Obama is the one candidate in this race who can finally put an end to business as usual in Washington and bring about real change for Pittsburgh and the country as a whole. He has inspired me and so many other people around our country with new ideas and fresh perspectives.

True sports fans know that you support your team even when they are the underdogs. Barack Obama is the underdog here but it is with great pride that I join his team.

When I think of Barack Obama’s America I have great hope.  I support his candidacy and look forward to his Presidency

Sincerely,

Daniel M. Rooney, Owner and Chairman, Pittsburgh Steelers

Moral Courage (or lack of in the case of Hillary Clinton)

Lawrence Lessig put together a compelling video on why he supports Barack Obama for President over Hillary Clinton. My favorite part of the video is when he says that the Clintons and their baseless attacks on Obama make them the Karl Rove of the Democratic Party.

Barack in Nevada

Polls have Senator Obama in a slight lead over Hillary Clinton and John Edwards in Nevada but that hasn’t prevented him from bringing his message of hope to all corners of the Silver State. Here are a few clips of recent events, including a townhall meeting where Senator Obama says to the crowd – “If you decide you want change, we will have change.” Amen!

Speaking to the Culinary Workers Union: “What happens in Vegas…Oh no no, it’s not going to stay in Vegas…”

Canvassing with the Culinary Workers

“Barack Obama has the greatest potential to lead a transformation, not just a transition…”

John Kerry’s speech in Charleston, South Carolina this afternoon was very powerful and should make a compelling case f for the undecided voters in South Carolina to vote for Obama.

Email from John Kerry

Sam Graham-Felsen, over at his blog on my.barackobama.com, shared this email he received from Senator John Kerry announcig his endorsement of Barack Obama’s candidacy for President.

Hi Sam,

Martin Luther King said, “The time is always right to do what is right.” So I’m choosing this time to share an important decision I’ve made, one I believe is right for this country.

The JohnKerry.com community has been very important to me and very important to the Democratic resurgence over the last couple of years, so I wanted to let all of you know my decision before I confirm it with anyone else. I want to share with you my conviction that in a field of fine Democratic candidates, the next President of the United States can be, should be, and will be Barack Obama. Each of our candidates would make a fine President, and we are blessed with a strong field. But for this moment, at this time in our nation’s history, Barack Obama is the right choice.

Please join me in supporting Barack Obama’s candidacy.

I’m proud to have helped introduce Barack to our nation when I asked him to speak to our national convention, and there Barack’s words and vision burst out. On that day he reminded Americans that our “true genius is faith in simple dreams, an insistence on small miracles.” And with his leadership we can build simple dreams, and we can turn millions of small miracles into real change for our country.

At this particular moment, with our country faced with great challenges in our economy, in our environment, and in our foreign policy, and with our politics torn by division, Barack Obama can bring transformation to our country. With Barack, we can build a new majority of Americans from all regions who can turn the page on the politics of Karl Rove and begin a new politics, one worthy of our nation’s history and promise. We can bring millions of disaffected people – young and old – to the great task of governing and making a difference, child to child, community to community.

Please click here to give what you can to Barack Obama’s campaign for President and help build this future for our country.

The moment is now, and the candidate for this moment is Barack Obama. Like him, I also lived abroad as a young man, and I share with him a healthy respect for the advantage of knowing other cultures and countries, not from a book or a briefing, but by personal experience, by gut, by instinct. He knows the issues from the deep study of a legislator, and he knows them from a life lived outside of Washington. His is the wisdom of real-world experience combined with the intellect of a man who has thought deeply about the challenges we face.

History has given us this moment. But we need to decide what to do with it. I believe, with this moment, we should make Barack Obama President of the United States.

Please join me in supporting his campaign.

Thank you,

John Kerry