Statement by President Obama on
Mahatma Gandhi’s Birth Anniversary

On behalf of the American people, I want to express appreciation for the life and lessons of Mahatma Gandhi on the anniversary of his birth. This is an important moment to reflect on his message of non-violence, which continues to inspire people and political movements across the globe.

We join the people of India in celebrating this great soul who lived a life dedicated to the cause of advancing justice, showing tolerance to all, and creating change through non-violent resistance. Americans owe an enormous measure of gratitude to the Mahatma. His teachings and ideals, shared with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his 1959 pilgrimage to India, transformed American society through our civil rights movement. The America of today has its roots in the India of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolent social action movement for Indian independence which he led. Tomorrow, as we remember the Mahatma on his birthday, we must renew our commitment to live his ideals and to celebrate the dignity of all human beings.

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Asian Pacific Americans for Progress PAC (APAP PAC) today announced the launch of its Glen S. Fukushima Campaign Fellowship and the placement of the Fellow with Dr. Judy Chu’s campaign for California’s 32nd Congressional District, which will be vacant should current Congresswoman Hilda Solis resign to become the U.S. Secretary of Labor.

The campaign fellowship is made possible through a donation by Glen. S. Fukushima, a former Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for Japan and China at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Executive Office of the President.

APAP PAC is currently accepting applications. Go to www.apaforprogress.org/apap-pac to learn more and apply. Applications are due on Feb. 28, 2009, at 11 p.m. Pacific Time.

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THE GIFT OF HOPE: 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service

January 19, 2009 was the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s National Day of Service, and on this day, Americans, throughout America, and Americans who came to Washington D.C. for the 2009 Presidential Inauguration, heeded President Barack Obama’s call for national public service.

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From Change.gov:

Pete Rouse, Senior Advisor

Peter M. Rouse, Chief of Staff to Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), has served as chief of staff to members of the United States Congress for more than thirty years. Before joining Senator Obama in December 2004, he was chief of staff to former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) for nineteen years. He also served as chief of staff to Rep. Dick Durbin (1984/85) and Lt. Governor Terry Miller of Alaska (1979-83).

Mr. Rouse, as Sen. Obama’s chief of staff, was part of a small group of advisors who helped Sen. Obama through the process that led to his decision to run for president in 2008. Mr. Rouse received a BA from Colby College, a MA from the London School of Economics, and a MPA from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

 

(Eugenia mentioned earlier this week about the release of the Obama AAPI Blueprint for Change. The campaign officially announced it today with a link to the final document.)

Senator Barack Obama today released his “Blueprint for the Change We Need for Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders.”  The document identifies the issues affecting the AAPI community and describes Senator Obama’s plans to address the issues and his record on addressing those issues.  The Blueprint also is the most comprehensive planning document for the AAPI community from a presidential campaign.

The Blueprint is available at http://my.barackobama.com/aapiblueprint.

In the Blueprint, Senator Obama said “By reaching out directly to the AAPI communities, we can ensure that AAPIs are well represented in this national conversation about our future and the movement to write our destiny.  The story of the AAPI communities is quintessential the American story about drawing strength from our diversity to achieve extraordinary things.  I will be a president who remembers that our separate struggles are really one.  I will never walk away from the tough battles or the difficult work of bringing people together.”

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Thanks to Filipinos for Obama for alerting us to this dramatic development:

October 7, 2008 - Founder of the National Federation of Filipino-American Republicans (NFFAR), Perry Diaz, resigned from his seat today as National Chairman of NFFAR and dropped his endorsement of Senator McCain. “I endorsed McCain before the California primary believing that he was the right man for the job. I was wrong,” said Diaz in his letter to the Executive Council. Diaz cites Senator McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate and Senator McCain’s recent personal attacks on Senator Obama as the reason for his “[loss in] respect” for the Republican Senator. His letter addressing the Executive Council is below:

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MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Curtis Chin (Las Vegas), curtischin@aol.com, 213-453-1986
Contact: Colbert Tse (Reno), colbert.tse@gmail.com, 925-323-2881

SEPT. 10, 2008 – Over forty Asian American and Pacific Islander volunteers from California will return to Nevada this weekend to register voters in AAPI communities in both Las Vegas and Reno.

WHO: The volunteers include leaders and members of the grassroots organizations Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, Chinese Americans for Obama, South Asians for Obama, Filipinos for Obama, Asian Americans for Obama and Ohana Obama.
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For Immediate Release
September 05, 2008
Contact: Ramey Ko
Asian Americans for Obama
(M) 512.577.5729

As part of its major 60 day grassroots campaign before November 4, Asian Americans for Obama is launching a new design for its web site, with new social networking tools such as Digg, Facebook, del.icio.us, and StumbleUpon; an updated color scheme and appearance, including the incorporation of the official Obama campaign logo; a page of endorsements from prominent AAPI political and community leaders such as Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA, 15th), Senator Daniel Akaka, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta, DNC APIA Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs Tammy Duckworth, sister and brother-in-law Maya Soetoro-Ng and Konrad Ng, Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim, Harold and Kumar’s Kal Penn, Manifest Film’s Janet Yang, and X2’s Kelly Hu; grassroots supporter profiles and testimonials, and a calendar of upcoming events.
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