Open Thread

February 28, 2010

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Call In to Talk Radio: Use "On the Air" to Voice Your Support for Reform

February 28, 2010

At Thursday’s bipartisan meeting, members of Congress laid out their opinions on reform, and the President made it clear that Congress needs to put aside its divides and move forward to pass a final bill.

Now, OFA has come up with a way for folks to voice their support for health reform and the President’s call for progress — by calling in to talk radio shows across the country. OFA’s “On the Air” tool makes it easy to connect with radio stations and get the pro-health insurance reform message out, right while reform remains a topic of debate after Thursday’s meeting.

Visit "On the Air" to speak out for reform on talk radio near you.

Read some of the news about OFA’s new talk radio tool:

Politico:

The Democratic National Committee’s Organizing for America has quietly launched an initiative aimed at making Obama supporters’ voices heard on the largely conservative airwaves…

The online tool presents users with a radio show discussing political topics, to which supporters can listen live, and the phone number for that station, for when health care comes up. It also offers tips for callers and talking points on the issue.

TechPresident:

Conservative dominance of the airwaves is taken as an article of faith, but Organizing for America is rolling out a new project that intends to equip progressives with the tools to get their voices heard on talk radio. They’re calling it "On the Air."

The way is works is that supporters are prompted with the call-in number for a talk radio show that discusses political topics and the option to to listen to the show live. When the timing’s right, the volunteer can call the number provided. Importantly, OFA’s troops are asked to report back on whether they got on air, and how the call went.

Call In to Talk Radio: Use "On the Air" to Voice Your Support for Reform

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Chilean Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Resources

February 28, 2010

Earlier today, a devastating earthquake struck the nation of Chile. The aftershocks have prompted tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean, with the possibility of a tsunami reaching American shores of Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam.

Following the news, President Obama made a statement expressing his condolences and support for Chile, and laying out the steps being taken to protect Americans:

Early indications are that hundreds of lives have been lost in Chile, and the damage is severe. On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the Chilean people. The United States stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts, and we have resources that are positioned to deploy should the Chilean government ask for our help. Chile is a close friend and partner of the United States, and I’ve reached out to President Bachelet to let her know that we will be there for her should the Chilean people need assistance, and our hearts go out to the families who may have lost loved ones.

We’re also preparing for a tsunami that could reach American shores later today, particularly in Hawaii, American Samoa, and Guam. A tsunami warning is in place, and people have been alerted to evacuate coastal areas. I urge citizens to listen closely to the instructions of local officials, who will have the full support of the federal government as they prepare for a potential tsunami, and recover from any damage that may be caused.

I also urge our citizens along the West Coast to be prepared as well, as there may be dangerous waves and currents throughout the day. Again, the most important thing that you can do is to carefully heed the instructions of your state and local officials.

Here are additional links and resources from the White House blog:

The National Weather Center’s Tsunami.gov.

General Information on Tsumani preparedness as well as a tool to determine if your address is in a tsunami evacuation zone.

In Hawaii, citizens can go to http://www.scd.state.hi.us/ for the latest news and information. Additionally, the States of California, Washington, and Oregon have similar sites on their web pages dedicated to this.

The State Department has collected information and resources at www.state.gov/chilequake. If you are U.S citizen looking for a loved one in Chile, please contact State’s Consular Affairs Bureau at 1-888-407-4747.

A "person finder" has also been published to help find individuals in affected area in Chile – this resource is not maintained by the US government.