What You Need to Know: 12.19.08

Bush Approves $17.4 Billion Auto Bailout
"President Bush on Friday announced $13.4 billion in emergency loans to prevent the collapse of General Motors and Chrysler, and another $4 billion available for the hobbled automakers in February with the entire bailout conditioned on the companies undertaking sweeping reorganizations to show that they can return to profitability.

The loans, as G.M. and Chrysler teeter on the brink of insolvency, essentially throw the companies a lifeline from the taxpayers that will keep them afloat until March 31. At that point, the Obama administration will determine if the automakers are meeting the conditions of the loans and will continue to receive government aid or must repay the loans and face bankruptcy proceedings."

Franken opens first lead in Minn. Senate race
"Democrat Al Franken edged ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman on Friday for the first time in Minnesota's long-running U.S. Senate recount.

Franken opened up a slight lead on the fourth day of a state Canvassing Board meeting to decide the fate of hundreds of disputed ballots.

The change was notable because Coleman led Franken in election night returns and also held a 188-vote lead before the board took up challenged ballots. But its significance was limited, with the possibility the lead could change again before the long recount ends."

Obama Team Is Seeking Stimulus Bill by New Year
"President-elect Barack Obama’s advisers hope to finish an economic recovery blueprint by Dec. 25 so that Democratic Congressional staff members can draft legislation by the new year, as the two branches of government try to converge on a two-year plan by late January that could total just under $1 trillion."

Obama set to announce final Cabinet picks
"Obama was planning to officially announce California Rep. Hilda Solis as labor secretary, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk for U.S. trade representative, and Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois as transportation secretary at a news conference Friday afternoon.

He also was planning to disclose his selection to head the Small Business Administration."

The RTV Office Obsession of the Week: "Single Ladies"

As a new feature, we're going to be bringing you the Rock the Vote office's latest pop culture obsessions every Friday.

This week, we're hooked on Beyonce's latest video for "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)." The song itself is great, but the real highlight is the dancing. While Saturday Night Live and Justin Timberlake have already had some fun with this video, a few of RTV's own single ladies busted out some of the video's finest dance moves at our all-day staff meeting on Wednesday. I'll leave that to your imagination, but check out the video below and just try to keep this song out of your head for the rest of the day:

RTV Salutes: Jon Favreau

Check out today's article from the Washington Post on Jon Favreau, Barack Obama's primary speechwriter. At 27 years old, Jon is going to be the youngest White House chief speechwriter - ever! - when Obama is sworn in next month.

In many ways, Favreau is a typical 27 year old: during the campaign, he lived with six friends, kept up his Facebook account, and played Rock Band whenever he could. But, he's also responsible for helping to craft the words that moved millions of people during the 2008 election.

Having worked on Obama's best known speeches, including his Election Night victory speech and his acceptance address at the Democratic National Convention, Favreau's currently working on his biggest assignment yet: Obama's Inauguration speech on January 20th. Not that there's any pressure involved in that:

He went for a run to the Lincoln Memorial last month and stopped in his tracks when he imagined the mall packed with 3 million people listening to some of his words. A few weeks later, Favreau winced when Obama spokesman Bill Burton reminded him: "Dude, what you're writing is going to be hung up in people's living rooms!"

Favreau is an important, influential voice that has earned incredible access to and respect from the next President - proof that young people are ready, willing, and able to participate in the highest levels of the government.

So, Jon, we here at Rock the Vote salute you - keep being an awesome rep in the new Administration for young people across the country.

What You Need to Know: 12.18.08

Bush considering ‘orderly’ bankruptcy for autos
"The Bush administration is looking at “orderly” bankruptcy as a possible way to deal with the desperately ailing U.S. auto industry, the White House said Thursday as carmakers readied more plant closings and a half million Americans filed new jobless claims."

Obama Names Three to Top Economic Posts
"Pledging to create “a 21st century regulatory framework” to protect against future financial crises, President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday nominated three veteran financial regulators to top economic positions in his administration.

“We will crack down on this culture of greed and scheming that has led us to this day of reckoning,” Mr. Obama said in announcing the appointments at a news conference in Chicago. “We have been asleep at the switch.”"

Generals Propose a Timetable for Iraq
"A new military plan for troop withdrawals from Iraq that was described in broad terms this week to President-elect Barack Obama falls short of the 16-month timetable Mr. Obama outlined during his election campaign, United States military officials said Wednesday.

The plan was proposed by the top American commanders responsible for Iraq, Gen. David H. Petraeus and Gen. Ray Odierno, and it represents their first recommendation on troop withdrawals under an Obama presidency. While Mr. Obama has said he will seek advice from his commanders, their resistance to a faster drawdown could present the new president with a tough political choice between overruling his generals or backing away from his goal."

Obama defends choice of evangelical pastor
"President-elect Barack Obama on Thursday defended his choice of a popular evangelical minister to deliver the invocation at his inauguration, rejecting criticism that it slights gays.

The selection of Pastor Rick Warren brought objections from gay rights advocates, who strongly supported Obama during the election campaign. The advocates are angry over Warren's backing of a California ballot initiative banning gay marriage. That measure was approved by voters last month."

What You Need to Know: 12.17.08

Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2008: Barack Obama
"It is here that we find Barack Obama one soul-freezingly cold December day, mentally unpacking the crate of crushing problems — some old, some new, all ugly — that he is about to inherit as the 44th President of the United States. Most of his hours inside the presidential-transition office are spent in this bland and bare-bones room. You would think the President-elect — a guy who draws 100,000 people to a speech in St. Louis, Mo., who raises three-quarters of a billion dollars, who is facing the toughest first year since Franklin Roosevelt's — might merit a leather chair. Maybe a credenza? A hutch?"

Obama picks Vilsack, Salazar for Cabinet
"Barack Obama is on a pre-holiday roll to fill his Cabinet, with two more nominations in former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack for agriculture secretary and Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar to lead the Interior Department."

Bush Prepares Crisis Briefings to Aid Obama
"The White House has prepared more than a dozen contingency plans to help guide President-elect Barack Obama if an international crisis erupts in the opening days of his administration, part of an elaborate operation devised to smooth the first transition of power since Sept. 11, 2001.

The memorandums envision a variety of volatile possibilities, like a North Korean nuclear explosion, a cyberattack on American computer systems, a terrorist strike on United States facilities overseas or a fresh outbreak of instability in the Middle East, according to people briefed on them. Each then outlines options for Mr. Obama to consider."

Voting with Your Cell Phone?

Last week, Estonia approved a law making it the first country in the world to allow voting by cell phone. Designed to go into effect in time for their 2011 parliamentary elections, voters will be required to get free identification chips for their phones in order to participate in the electronic voting system.

Estonia is used to being on the cutting edge of voting technologies - it successfully held the first legally-binding general elections to include Internet voting in October 2005. But, I'm not sure how I would feel about this type of electoral reform in America. While our current system has its flaws (confusing ballot designs, malfunctioning touch-screen devices, insufficient machines for heavily-populated precincts, etc.), it seems that Internet and mobile phone voting would open up a whole host of new security problems that would be decidedly more difficult for the public to recognize than long lines at the polls or improperly designed ballots.

What do you think?

What You Need to Know: 12.16.08

Obama taps Chicago schools chief
"President-elect Barack Obama announced Arne Duncan, the head of the Chicago school system, as education secretary Tuesday and declared that failing to improve classroom instruction is "morally unacceptable for our children."

"When it comes to school reform, Arne is the most hands-on of hands-on practitioners," Obama said, making the announcement at a school that he said has made remarkable progress under Duncan's leadership."

Obama: Aides 'did nothing inappropriate'
"President-elect Barack Obama said Monday a review by his own lawyer shows he had no direct contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich about the appointment of a Senate replacement, and transition aides "did nothing inappropriate."

Obama said he is prepared to make the review public, but decided to hold off because prosecutors asked for a delay and "I don't want to interfere with an ongoing investigation.""

Kennedy Seeks to Prove Qualifications for Senate Bid
Caroline Kennedy, the deeply private daughter of America’s most storied political dynasty, will seek the United States Senate seat in New York being vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Ms. Kennedy ended weeks of silence with a series of rapid-fire phone calls to the state’s leading political figures, including Gov. David A. Paterson, in which she emphatically and enthusiastically declared herself interested in the seat, according to several people who received the calls.

It's official: Obama elected 44th president
Presidential electors have formally elected Barack Obama the nation's 44th president.

Electors gathering in state capitols across the country have pushed Obama above the 270 electoral votes needed to win, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Obama takes office Jan. 20, becoming the nation's first black president.

Politics 101: The Electoral College

Happy Election Day!

What? Why are you looking at me like that? Sure, I remember that whole big thing last month. But, in one of the quirks of our system, the next president was not actually elected by voters on November 4th. Instead, Barack Obama will be elected president today, December 15, 2008, by electors around the country.

Ah, the Electoral College. So often maligned. So often subject to calls for its dissolution. But, I swear, it's just misunderstood.

Here's how it works: every four years, a slate of electors is chosen by each party. They are often party loyalists, chosen as a reward for years of public service. This year, while John McCain and Barack Obama were on ballots across the country, people weren't directly voting for either one of them; they were actually choosing between the slates of electors that represented each candidate. The slate with the most votes in each state on Election Day was then declared the winner and sent on to the state Capitol to cast ballots for president today. These votes will then be tabulated by Congress on January 6, 2009. There are 538 electors in total; it takes a majority of their votes (270) to be elected President.

Most states use a winner-take-all system that awards all of their electoral votes to the statewide popular vote winner. Nebraska and Maine are the only two states in the country that allocate their Electoral College votes based on the statewide popular vote and the winner in each of the state's congressional districts. That's how Barack Obama was able to pick up an electoral vote out of Nebraska's second congressional district, even though the state as a whole went for John McCain.

Despite what the name implies, the Electoral College doesn't actually convene in one place. The Constitution requires each state's electors to meet within their respective states; the Founders feared that a gathering of all of the electors in one place would leave them vulnerable to corruption and the whims of public opinion. They were originally intended to be free agents, exercising independent and nonpartisan judgment in the country's best interest. However, electors today largely rubber stamp their party's nominee for president, despite not being constitutionally required to do so. Last minute switches are rare - since 1789, only ten electors have voted for a presidential candidate other than the one they were pledged to. However, this hasn't stopped 25 states from passing laws binding electors to the candidate they were selected to cast a ballot for.

Ever wonder how each state got assigned its number of electoral votes when John King was playing with his magic map on CNN? It's determined by the population size of the state. Each state receives a number of electors equal to their total members in Congress - all House members, plus two senators. Therefore, the most populous state in the country, California, has 55 EC votes, while a smaller state like Vermont only has 3.

You're probably asking why all of this is necessary: shouldn't the president be the person that receives the most votes, period? This was the argument in 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College vote to George W. Bush. And, in fact, there is a substantial movement out there to abolish the EC and enact the popular vote standard. However, this is no easy feat - it would require a constitutional amendment or the adoption of the National Popular Vote Act by a majority of states. This is generally opposed by smaller states that feel their influence would decrease in favor of more populous states like California and New York. Just think - would John McCain have spent part of his final days before the election in New Hampshire if we decided the presidency by the popular vote? Unlikely - but in our current system, those four electoral votes could have been decisive.

So, as our electors meet today to elect Barack Obama the 44th president of the United States, I'd like to wrap this up in a much more harmonious way than I could ever manage, the classic Schoolhouse Rock guide to the Electoral College:

What We're Excited About: VPOTUS

The Vice Puppy of the United States, of course.

While much post-election speculation has surrounded the dog Barack Obama promised his daughters in his victory speech on November 4th, the Vice President-to-be seems to have beaten him to the punch:

Yep, Joe Biden picked out a three-month-old male German Shepherd puppy on Saturday in Pennsylvania. His granddaughters will apparently be picking out the name - any suggestions? We're opting for OhMiGodCutestPuppyEver.

What You Need to Know: 12.15.08

Obama to announce energy posts as Blagojevich questions linger
"Obama likely is to name Steven Chu, a physicist who runs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as his energy secretary, three Democratic officials close to the transition team said last week. Chu won the 1997 Nobel Prize in physics and is highly respected in energy circles.

Obama also is expected to name Carol Browner, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the Clinton administration, as the newly created "climate czar" inside the White House.

Energy is one aspect of the president-elect's goal to create 2.5 million jobs by 2011. The plan aims to put Americans to work updating the country's infrastructure, making public buildings more energy-efficient and implementing environmentally friendly technologies, including alternative energy sources."

'Bizarre moment' dominates Bush's trip
"President George W. Bush wrapped up a whirlwind trip to two war zones Monday that in many ways was a victory lap without a clear victory. A signature event occurred when an Iraqi reporter hurled two shoes at Bush, an incident the president called "a bizarre moment."

Bush visited the Iraqi capital just 37 days before he hands the war off to his successor, Barack Obama, who has pledged to end it. The president wanted to highlight a drop in violence and to celebrate a recent U.S.-Iraq security agreement, which calls for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011."

Ill. House speaker launches impeachment panel
"The speaker of the Illinois House is taking the first step toward possibly impeaching embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Speaker Michael Madigan announced Monday that he's appointing a special committee to review the case and recommend whether Blagojevich should be impeached."

Few mysteries found in Minnesota Senate ballots
"Jesus, Bob Dylan and Mickey Mouse will play a part in determining Minnesota's next senator. So will voters who scrawled the same name for every local race. And so will people who marked their choice not just with a darkened oval but with an X, too — maybe for emphasis, or maybe for a do-over.

Those ballots by people who took creative liberties, as well as thousands of others being challenged, are critical in the tight battle between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and his Democratic challenger, Al Franken. A state board begins meeting Tuesday to decide their fate."

Toward A Better Registration System
"Imagine an election in which registration is automatic, voters cast their ballots online, and more than half the votes are in before Election Day.

It may seem like a pipe dream to Washington lawmakers preoccupied with economic and national security woes. But state and local election officials are already envisioning a radically different future for American elections."

2008 Turnout Highest Since 1968

With final figures in from almost every state, George Mason University professor and election turnout expert Michael McDonald says that 131 million people voted in the 2008 election - the highest turnout in 40 years. By comparison, 122 million people voted in 2004. And get this - young people made up one-third of that 9 million vote increase from 2004 to 2008!

We're Back

November 4, 2008 was a historic day for young voters in America. On that day, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), 23 million 18-29 year olds came out to cast their ballots and make their voices heard - the most young people ever to participate in a presidential election.

You helped pick a president. You helped change the course of our history. But, your work isn't done yet.

There are 23 million reasons why young people came out to vote this year. What was yours? Maybe it was the economy. Or health care. Or Iraq. Or the environment. Whatever it was, voting on November 4th was only the beginning. Whether he was your first choice or your last, Barack Obama is the President-elect of the United States, and he represents us all. Now is the time to let the new administration know how you want to be represented.

In the coming months, Rock the Vote will be your resource for everything happening in Washington and beyond. We'll be taking action on the issues that matter most, while providing you with the tools to organize around whatever moves you. We'll provide context on the news of the day and analyze the issues with your perspective in mind. And we'll also have some fun, highlighting our favorite artists, behind-the-scenes action, and pop culture obsessions.

So, bookmark this page and let us know what you want to talk about! 2008 was a historic year - let's make 2009 even more memorable.

Change.gov is “Open for Questions”

President-elect Barack Obama’s transition website, Change.gov, has launched Open for Questions, a new feature that lets you ask the Transition team questions on the issues that matter most to you.

This awesome new forum is the latest move by the Obama team to open up the Transition process to the people and increase transparency in government. You can vote on the questions you’d most like to see the new Administration address, or submit your own. Some of the leading topics being voted on right now are:

• "What will you do to establish transparency and safeguards against waste with the rest of the Wall Street bailout money?"
  


• "What will you do as President to restore the Constitutional protections that have been subverted by the Bush Administration and how will you ensure that our system of checks and balances is renewed?"
  


• "Will you lift the ban on Stem Cell research in your first 100 days in office?"

So get busy – check out Open for Questions and make your voice heard. We showed up to vote for a President on November 4th – now it’s time to let the country know we're not going anywhere.