An Open Letter to Al Gore

Dear Vice President Gore,

I am an ardent admirer of your work. I applaud your efforts to bring attention to global climate change and other important issues of our time. When Bill Clinton ran for President in 1992, I was a strong supporter - in no small part because I wanted you to be our Vice President (And I hoped next President). It took me a long time to recover from the traumatic results of your 2000 winning run for the Presidency. The nation and the world have suffered as a result. This brings me to my reason for writing to you. The nation and the world are in peril. You know this far more and I. We need a leader who will bring this shattered, demoralized, and abused nation back together in common cause. We need someone who will look to the future with hope and inspire others to change. We do not need a continuation of the Bush administration's quasi-fascist policies, that much is clear. But we also do not need a return to the partisanship and cold calculation that was the dark side of the Clinton administration. (Don't get me wrong - I admire the work done under the Clinton-Gore administration, but there were some aspects that were less than desirable.) That is why I am urging you to endorse Barack Obama for the democratic nomination. He is a strong, smart, and compassionate man with a real eye on the future. I see much of your values and goals in his words and ideas. Please endorse Obama and help put this country back on track. Thank you very much Mr. Vice President.

Best Wishes and Sincerest Thanks,

Matthew R. Klempner

Barack Obama: The Right Kind of Experience

A lot has been made about the so-called experience issue in the Democratic race for the presidential nomination. Barack Obama doesn't have years of inside the beltway Washington experience as many of the other candidates do. But is that such a bad thing? Not in my opinion. But what would Obama bring to the Presidency? Here is a list of his experience - just read this list and consider whether one would want the President of the United States to have such experience:

1. Experience living overseas.
2. His undergraduate degree is in Political Science, specializing in International Relations.
3. Worked for years as a community organizer in Chicago, helping resolve disputes and assisting the poor living in public housing.
4. Received a Law degree from Harvard.
5. Served as a Constitutional Law Professor and Practiced Civil Rights Law.
6. Served for 8 years as a Illinois State Senator.
7. Served as a U.S. Senator from 2004 and sits on the Committees for Foreign Relations; Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and Veterans' Affairs.


We need someone who knows about other countries and the cultural differences that exist. We need someone who has first hand knowledge of the conditions of the poor in America. We need someone who has an understanding of our law, our government and our constitutional rights. (Look at the current disaster the Bush administration has made.) Obama has all the right experience for the Presidency!

Obama: Change We Can Believe In

On Wednesday, November 14th, my wife and I served as Volunteer Captains for Barack Obama's appearance in San Francisco. Despite dealing with some headaches caused by the secret service's odd arrangements for seating the crowd, it was an amazing experience. The speech he gave was very similar to the one he delivered in Iowa at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner. This is a wonderful speech that outlines his priorities and demonstrates how he has the best positions on the issues, while highlighting his energy, optimism and genuine sincerity. This speech is a great introduction to the man and the issues he stands for. It was wonderful to have been a small part of this event.

Obama in San Francisco - Part 1




Obama in San Francisco - Part 2




Obama in San Francisco - Part 3




Several excellent speeches were given before Senator Obama entered the auditorium. This was one by Molly Kawahata. (If you look very closely, you can see me for about 1 second, walking from left to right in the foreground as I check up on my volunteers.)

Obama Coming to San Francisco

I am looking very much forward to seeing Barack Obama in person Wednesday!

Worst President Ever: The Bush Administration's Greatest Hits

After one of the closest elections in American history, where Al Gore won the popular vote the supreme court decided George W. Bush would be President. A greater man might have reassured the public by having every vote counted to ensure the democratic process would function as intended. Bush fought the recount in court. A better person (once selected as President) might have actually tried to be a uniter and not a divider and governed in a moderate way with an eye toward uniting a divided nation. Bush was not a better person. His policies were divisive and highly partisan. After the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Bush took advantage of the situation and began a push to make the Presidency vastly more powerful than envisioned by the founding fathers. The level of secrecy turned from the annoying but-understandable-in-a-time-of-crisis to a level perhaps only seen in fascist regimes or centralized communist states. We preemptively invaded Iraq - a nation that was no direct threat to us that had already been crippled by 10 years of sanctions. We as a nation engaged in detainee abuse, torture, and secret imprisonment with the direction or allowance of the Bush administration. The administration has been a horrible pairing of partisanship and incompetence. Perhaps the worst incompetence was seen by the disastrous response to hurricane Katina. Perhaps the worst example of partisanship by the Administration was the outing of Joe Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame Wilson (a undercover CIA agent) to punish Wilson's correction of a White House lie. After the investigation found I. "Scooter" Lewis Libby guilty, Bush pardoned him, showing that politics was more important than finding the truth or upholding the law. After U.S. attorneys were fired for political reasons (failing to prosecute Democrats) then Alberto Gonzales - the Attorney General, conveniently forgot so much it was hard to see if he could recall anything before Congress.
Under the Bush Administration gas prices have reached new highs and the oil companies are making record profits. Bush comes from an oil background as do many of his latest political donors. Coincidence?
win the next election. ( Now with over a year to go with this administration - what other terrible things will this administration inflict on this nation (other than denying an expansion of health coverage for children?) I fear the last act of this administration may be to start a third war with Iran and then leave the job of picking up the pieces to Obama or another candidate most likely a Democrat (Assuming Dibold machines and/or the Supreme Court won't make that not happen). We must be very careful of what this administration may do in it's last days....