Filmmaker and comic book writer Greg Pak on why he endorses Obama:

In February 2008, Koream Magazine asked me for a statement about whom I supported for President. Here’s what I submitted:

Call me old fashioned, but I want a president who believes in the rule of law and Constitution of the United States. That means defending the Bill of Rights, restoring habeas corpus, rejecting the use of presidential signing statements as an unconstitutional line item veto, and repudiating torture, warrantless wiretaps, and wars of aggression. I give bonus points for rejecting anti-immigrant rhetoric and for confronting the challenges of poverty, global warming, the health care crisis, and the coming recession.

For all of the above reasons, I’m voting for Senator Barack Obama on November 4. But since I wrote those words, Senator Obama has further sealed the deal…

Continue reading at Tiny Details (Greg Pak’s non-work related web site).  H/T to Angry Asian Man again for the scoop.

The well-known conservative historian Francis Fukuyama is voting for Barack Obama for President. In a new article in The American Conservative, Fukuyama writes: “I’m voting for Barack Obama this November for a very simple reason. It is hard to imagine a more disastrous presidency than that of George W. Bush…Obama is much better positioned to reinvent the American model and will certainly present a very different and more positive face of America to the rest of the world.”

Fukuyama gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s for declaring the “end of history” with the fall of the Soviet Union and the apparent ascendancy of liberal democracy. But Fukuyama turned sharply against neoconservatism in recent years, harshly criticizing the invasion of Iraq and the Bush administration. As we reported here, Fukuyama, a registered Republican, announced his support for Obama as early as May. Fukuyama is still one of the better-known Asian American public intellectuals (though I doubt he thinks of himself that way) and still a respected voice on the right, so having him as a cheerleader for Obama is pretty striking to see.

Cross-posted from the Asian American Action Fund blog:

Dr. Samuel Lin is a retired Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General for the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and retired Deputy Assistant for Health of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

As a longtime Asian Pacific American Republican, I have made a clear choice to support Senator Barack Obama for President.

It was not an easy decision to separate from supporting my party’s nominee for President. Nor is it an easy decision for me, who has had the great honor of serving in appointed senior positions (Assistant Surgeon General and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health in the Reagan I and II and Bush 41 Administrations), to openly state my support for the Presidential candidate of the opposing party.

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Over the weekend, we received this terrific letter from retired U.S. Army Colonel Andre Sauvegeot (who is fluent in Vietnamese) on why he supports Barack Obama for president. The Vietnamese language original of Colonel Sauvegeot’s letter is available in our Supporter Toolkit (under Vietnamese) - please download and share with your Vietnamese-speaking friends and family members!

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Recently AAFO ran into writer, actress, and producer Jodi Long, whose amazing and diverse career ranges from Sex in The City, Eli Stone, and All American Girl to stage productions such as the Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, at the Austin Asian American Film Festival, where Ms. Long’s first film as a screenwriter, Long Story Short, played. We found out that Ms. Long is a huge Obama supporter, and she generously agreed to write a piece for our website discussing her support:

Less than one month before this historic presidential election, I am honored to be asked to write my endorsement of Senator Barack Obama. I am also fortunate enough to be writing this from Honolulu, the land of Aloha, where I have been participating in the Hawaii International Film Festival as a writer/producer of the documentary LONG STORY SHORT.

I assume I am preaching to the choir, but in case some of you are still undecided, here are some thoughts to perhaps help you make a decision.

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Sid Salvi brings us this message from Kal Penn! For almost a year, Kal Penn has been criss-crossing the country for Senator Obama - canvassing, speaking on college campuses, and getting out the vote. Kal has been one of the campaign’s most active and passionate supporters, and we are thrilled to share this message and request for help in the closing days of the election:

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A few choice excerpts from their enthusiastic endorsement:

“Mr. Obama has met challenge after challenge, growing as a leader and putting real flesh on his early promises of hope and change. He has shown a cool head and sound judgment. We believe he has the will and the ability to forge the broad political consensus that is essential to finding solutions to this nation’s problems….This country needs sensible leadership, compassionate leadership, honest leadership and strong leadership. Barack Obama has shown that he has all of those qualities.”

Please share with your friends and family, especially those who might be on the fence but trust the judgement of the New York Times!

By the way, this follows on the heels of endorsements by the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times (beautifully written), and the Chicago Tribune (first Democratic endorsement in the paper’s history!).

Jan C. Ting, an Asian American law professor at Temple University and a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, has authored an opinion piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer on why so many Republicans like him are coming out in support of Barack Obama.

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Over the last several weeks, we’ve seen numerous Republicans and conservatives from elected officials to pundits to voters and activists announce their support for Sen. Obama while denouncing the smears, distortions, and outrageous tactics of the McCain-Palin campaign.

The latest addition to that long and growing list is Barbara Lorman of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.

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