Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 4 December 2008 — Page 29

The Muncie Times • December 4, 208 • Page 29

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N'ews Briefs ****★

Compiled by Andre' Scott

What next?

Millions have been galvanized by the election of President-elect Barack Obama, and L.A. backers vow to sustain the momentum for change. More than a week after an historic election that saw the United States elect its first African-American president, some of the euphoria has subsided as President-elect Barack Obama turns his attention away from campaigning and toward building a new government. As lawn signs are pulled from the ground, and lines are disconnected in phone banks across the country, many who worked tirelessly to send Obama to the White House insist that their movement for change has just begun. Just as the presidentelect met last week with his 17-member council of economic advisors before holding the first post-election press conference about the transition to power, so too have his supporters begun to eye the future. “I am very optimistic,” said Obama supporter Cynthia

Exum, founder of the Leimert Park Book Festival. “This is a new chapter in American history. I think he has taken his time to select the best qualified individuals. I am looking for the new administration to make job creation a high priority, and I would like to see adjustments to The No Child Left Behind Act, which I think is too rigid and has not been as helpful to students as it should.” In several interviews, many key Obama supporters said that his success as president will depend heavily on his most passionate backers' ability to show comparable fervor when the time comes to push his agenda from the Oval Office rather than the campaign trail. “It was a tremendous victory, but this is just the beginning,” said civil rights leader Benjamin Chavis, president and chief executive of the New York-based Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, a politically active artists' organization that works for youth empowerment and is chaired by rap impresario Russell Simmons. Along with partner online movements like GlobalGrind.com, the group played a pivotal role in galvanizing mil-

lions of voters age 1835, many of whom Chavis described as~ “part of the hip-hop generation,” which backed Obama in overwhelming numbers on Election Day. “Barack Obama won a clear mandate from the country,” said Chavis, “and we feel very hopeful and optimistic that change will come. In this transition period he has already shown steady focus. He's proactive, where [President George W.] Bush is reactionary.” Patricia Bellasalma, president of the California National Organization for Women, said members of her organization see no time to rest on their laurels, noting that the group was still working for change in its fundraising and membership drives. “We're basically telling our members that we need you now more than ever because implementing the agenda is going to be harder than the election,” said Bellasalma. “So we have to keep our all of our constituent groups informed and galvanized and ready to put strength and backbone into Congress and in our state to ensure that what the public demanded actually occurs.” With 3.3 million

members, MoveOn.Org has become one of the bastions of progressive politics in America. Nationwide, it tapped 933,808 volunteers - 141,649 in California - to work on the Obama campaign. “The presidency is in strong hands, but it is not a victory until we start putting people to work building the new, cleanenergy economy,” said Move On Executive Director Eli Pariser. “It's not a victory until we end the disaster in Iraq. It's not a victory until Americans everywhere who don't have healthcare can breathe easy because we've got them covered.” He added this rallying cry: “We can't wait for officials and the media to lead the way. We can't assume someone's got this covered. We have to take our fate into our own hands ... Let's go rebuild America.”. Meanwhile, Mitchell Schwartz, who worked as California state director for Obama for America, has returned to running his public relations firm. But he is heartened by what he has seen since the polls closed last Tuesday night. “It's still early and like Barack has said, one president at a time,” he cautioned. “He's

made great initial steps choosing his new chief of staff who is experienced in getting things done. He's pushing the [economic] stimulus package and will be calling on the joint chiefs to get us out of Iraq. It will be a bold agenda, but it will have its priorities.” Officials should speak out against antiObama vandals, activist says TORRANCE, CA. - Vandals who spraypainted swastikas and racial slurs against blacks at the homes of Torrance residents who had yard signs supporting President-elect Barack Obama should be publicly denounced by city officials, a civil rights activist said Tuesday. Unknown vandals hit five residences in south Torrance between Saturday night and Sunday morning, spraypainting cars, walls, trees and campaign signs, according to the Daily Breeze. The vandalism is being investigated as a felony hate crime, Torrance police Sgt. Bernard Anderson told the newspaper. Anderson told ABC7 he was disgusted by the vandalism, which used continued on page 31