<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:v =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1 =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3199" name=GENERATOR><!--[if !mso]>
<STYLE>v\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)
}
o\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)
}
w\:* {
BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)
}
.shape {
BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML)
}
</STYLE>
<![endif]--><o:SmartTagType name="country-region"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="place"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType
name="PersonName"
namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><!--[if !mso]>
<STYLE>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</STYLE>
<![endif]-->
<STYLE>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
panose-1:3 15 7 2 3 3 2 2 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:black;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Comic Sans MS";
color:black;
font-weight:bold;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</STYLE>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></HEAD>
<BODY lang=EN-US vLink=purple link=blue bgColor=white>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think that the massive, unprecendented number of
voters that have been coming out to vote this election season is proof that
people are waking up and they want change. The large number of voters
voting for Obama, who touts change, cannot be ignored. People are waking
up more and more every day. Maybe not as quickly as we would like, but
they are waking up.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll take my changes with an unknown who shows
promise of change rather than vote for a candidate that will maintain the status
quo -- and also a candidate who has a pretty good chance of winning over a
candidate who has no chance whatsoever (sadly). </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll take my chances with a candidate who says he
will restore habeas corpus, who will end the war within a certain time frame of
his taking office and has a plan to do it (better than McCain's 100 years of
staying in Iraq). I'll take my chances with a candidate who says he will
talk to the leaders of other countries and try diplomacy before we attack
another country again... </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Obama most closely matches the things that are
important to me, personally, right now. the other candidates that I liked
(Kucinich, Edwards) are no longer options (makes me damn mad, too. I would
have liked to have had the chance to vote for them!).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Amy</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=graham2639@mindspring.com href="mailto:graham2639@mindspring.com">Ron
and Kris Graham</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=amybranham@comcast.net
href="mailto:amybranham@comcast.net">'Amy Branham'</A> ; <A
title=Discuss@paa-tx.org
href="mailto:Discuss@paa-tx.org">Discuss@paa-tx.org</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, February 04, 2008 11:24
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [PAA-Discuss] Corporate
Presidential Campaign Giving Surges</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">We
cannot hope to affect any kind of positive change, Amy, if we keep ourselves
in a collective state of delusion. Only when we wake up fully and realize we
are in big trouble and the current crop of candidates is not going to get us
out of this trouble will we begin to mobilize together as a society to bring
about the much needed change. I compare our current situation to that of an
alcoholic or drug abuser. The alcoholic or drug abuser has to hit absolute
rock bottom and then ADMIT he or she needs help. Then that person must seek
the help on his or her own. Nobody but nobody is going to do it for that
person. This country is going to have to hit rock bottom before its people
will finally admit that capitalism doesn’t work and the current political
system doesn’t work. Then they – WE – are going to have to actually put aside
our prejudices and differences and work together to build the kind of world we
want to live in. It sounds utopian, but it’s not. It is doable. We merely need
to have the will to admit we have a major problem and then go about fixing the
problem(s). Admission of a problem is the first step to taking many necessary
steps to fixing the problem.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">This
country is in denial, Amy, and continuing to cling to a glimmer of hope is not
going to change anything. I understand that people need hope, otherwise they
fall into despair and give up, but perhaps what we need is to fall into
despair and then pick ourselves up TOGETHER by our bootstraps and begin to
coalesce and make the necessary changes in order to survive and even thrive.
Pretending that one man is going to rise up and lead the people in a positive
direction that will benefit all is not going to get it done. Barack Obama is
not going to save this country, and he’s not going to help the poor and middle
class. It’s going to be more of the same with Barack and with all the front
running candidates. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">The
elected leaders have no interest in listening to us. They’ve proven that time
and again. We are going to have to make the necessary changes in our own
attitudes and belief systems before we can make any kind of substantive change
in our government and our way of life. The coming days and years ahead are
going to be painful, but we are going to have to collectively feel the pain
and then work to heal the wounds this country and the rest of the world have
suffered on behalf of us, the American people and the U.S. government that
supposedly represents us. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">The
rest of the world is looking to us to see what we are going to do. As the
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region> goes, so goes the rest of the world.
People all over the world are looking to the American citizens to rise up
against their oppressors and change the status quo. It’s not going to happen
at the polling place unless people collectively work to either get Ralph Nader
on the ticket or the Green Party nominee or we are going to have to have a
General Strike as the people do in France when they want to send a message to
their government.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Voting
for the lesser evil didn’t work with John Kerry, and it’s not going to work by
voting for Obama. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">We
have to wake up.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'">Kris<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face="Comic Sans MS" color=black size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Comic Sans MS'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<DIV>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">Amy Branham
</st1:PersonName>[mailto:amybranham@comcast.net] <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Monday, February 04, 2008 11:02
AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B>
graham2639@mindspring.com; <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Discuss@paa-tx.org</st1:PersonName><BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [PAA-Discuss] Corporate
Presidential Campaign Giving Surges</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Kris,</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Maybe some of us HAVE to cling to
that little, slight glimmer of hope that some way, somehow, Obama can bring
about some kind of change. What other options do we currently have at
this point in time? Hillary and another coPresidency with her
husband? McCain? Romney? </SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The citizens of this country ARE
waking up, finally, and I think it's exciting. Sure, they don't have as
much knowledge and experience as you do -- you've been politically active and
involved for years. Now, if we can find a way, all of us, to get those
elected "leaders" to listen to us... That would be really
nice.</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">peace,</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Amy</SPAN></FONT><o:p></o:p></P></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>