Winning Progressive

By Josh Marks

The Denver debate should be a distant memory after today’s jobs report that the unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent. That is the jobless rate when Obama took office in January 2009 when he inherited the worst economic disaster since the Great Depression. Seven sounds a lot better than eight and much, much better than the peak of 10 percent in October 2009. Significantly, in the mind of the American public, 7.8 percent sounds closer to the 7.2 percent unemployment figure that Ronald Reagan rode to reelection in 1984.

What Obama has achieved trumps Reagan because he inherited a global economic meltdown not seen since 1930. And Reagan wasn’t up against a hostile Republican Congress hellbent on his destruction. Despite all Obama was up against, he managed to pass Keynesian stimulus in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was actually bigger than FDR’s New Deal. The unemployment rate could have been even lower had it not been for right-wing state governors implementing draconian public sector cuts and austerity-obsessed, obstructionist congressional Republicans blocking the American Jobs Act.

But despite an entire political party putting rigid ideology above the good of the country and global events out his control, President Obama has America headed in the right direction in terms of jobs and the economy. He must be reelected to finish the job and keep America moving forward.

Republicans keep falsely claiming that Obama is bringing European-style socialism to America, but it is the Republicans who want to bring Europe’s disastrous austerity measures to our shores.

And how is austerity working across the Atlantic?

Eurozone unemployment is at a record high with almost 18.2 million people out of work and an unemployment rate of 11.4 percent. Austerity measures are slowing down economic growth in Europe. The unemployment rates in Spain and Greece are both 25 percent as both countries have instituted massive spending cuts that has prolonged the pain. This is what Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and the Republican Party would like to bring to the United States.

With Romney’s first term consumed with rolling back all the progress Obama and the Democrats have made — the Recovery Act, health care reform, Wall Street reform and more — and Ryan working with Republicans in Congress to make his anti-government budget fantasy a reality, America could see the unemployment rate start to increase again as European-style austerity measures take effect.

But we can prevent this nightmare scenario by reelecting Barack Obama and VP Joe Biden and progressives and moderates at every level of government who will work with the president instead of obstructing and filibustering everything. That means electing progressives and moderates in Congress and at the state, city and local levels.

An unemployment rate of 7.8 percent is great news, especially so close to the election. Just to parse it down some more — 873,000 Americans reported having jobs and employers created 114,000 jobs in September. That means the number of unemployed Americans is at 12.1 million, the fewest since Obama took office.

It is up to us to make sure the unemployment rate continues to decrease under President Obama. We must work hard to push Obama over the top this November. Make phone calls. Knock on doors. Talk to your neighbors and friends. Put up a lawn sign. Slap a bumper sticker on the back of your car. But most importantly, register to vote and then VOTE!

Here is Obama talking about today’s great news at my alma mater — George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

By Josh Marks

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day. We are now only 40 days to the most important election of our lifetime. This is not just about reelecting President Obama, but electing moderates and progressives at every level of government who will work with President Obama in a constructive way instead of obstructing everything and tearing down Obama.

Democrats need to retake control of the House of Representatives and keep control in the Senate. There are also important elections at the state, city and local level. President Obama not only needs a Congress that will work with him, but state governors as well (see Chris Christie, Bob McDonnell, Rick Scott and Scott Walker as examples of the types of failed leaders we need to kick to the curb across the country).  Not to mention the many important ballot measures such as California’s Clean Energy Jobs Act, Prop 39, which today received an endorsement from the Los Angeles Times; and Los Angeles County’s Measure J to start seven transit and eight highway improvement projects in five years by extending the half-cent transportation sales tax voters approved in 2008. Measure J is predicted to accelerate 250,000 jobs over the next decade. Winning Progressive has provided a comprehensive two part rundown of some of the most important state ballot initiatives. Click here for part 1 and click here for part 2.

According to the National Voter Registration Day website, 3,144 volunteers have registered 175,430 voters with 238 of 1,206 organizations reporting so far. That is great. That is democracy in action. That is how we defeat Republican voter suppression efforts and attempts by right-wing billionaires like Sheldon Adelson to buy this election for Mitt Romney.

Are you registered to vote? If you aren’t, there is still time. Click here to register.

If you think your vote doesn’t matter then you are wrong. People are dying around the world for the precious right to vote. It is not something to take for granted. You say there isn’t a difference between the Democrats and Republicans? Wrong again. There is a mountain of difference between Obama and Romney. How did supporting Ralph Nader (including me) over Al Gore work out? Do you think Gore would have been exactly like Bush and done nothing about climate change, put two wars on a credit card and blow Bill Clinton’s budget surplus to pass tax cuts for the rich and create record deficits? How different would America and the world look like right now if Gore had won that election over Bush?

Let’s not have regrets. Let’s reelect Barack Obama and moderates and progressives who will work with him to solve our many challenges.

If you still need convincing, there is an organization called Our Time that is mobilizing to register young Americans to vote through online social media channels and by harnessing the power of the entertainment industry community. Their goal is to register at least one million young Americans to vote in this election through their free online voter registration tool. Here is Steve Carell with a serious threat for you if you don’t register to vote:

By Josh Marks

Once again Mitt Romney and the Republicans are dividing instead of uniting. This time the issue is Israel. The dustup involves the Democrats reinstating Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as part of the Democratic National Convention 2012 platform at the personal request of President Obama after the 2008 language was unfortunately removed. The Republicans are exploiting the afternoon scene in front of a half-empty arena in which there are some boos that can be heard after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa asked for a voice vote to amend the platform and it passed.

The National Jewish Democratic Council pointed out the hypocrisy of GOP criticism considering that their 2012 platform omits similar language that was in their 2008 platform, which referred to Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and supported moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Make no mistake, Romney and the Republicans are cynically trying to turn Jewish voters against President Obama by using Israel as a wedge issue. Playing political football with America’s strongest ally is irresponsible and just plain wrong. Israel has traditionally enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Conservatives and liberals, Democrats and Republicans, have always agreed on the special historical relationship between the United States and Israel and the shared values of the two democratic countries.

Sure there are disagreements on policy issues and the best way to achieve peace, but neither party would dare question their opponent’s commitment to Israeli security. That is until Romney and the Republicans began spreading lies about President Obama’s actual record regarding the Jewish State. Now Romney is trying to score cheap political points by saying the Democrats “threw Israel under the bus.”

This is personal for me as a progressive Jewish-American and a Zionist who has visited Israel four times and is deeply concerned about the safety and security of the Israeli people. I know firsthand how vulnerable Israelis feel living in a tiny sliver of land surrounded by enemies sworn to its destruction. Last summer I worked on a kibbutz in the south near Beersheba and two rockets fired by terrorists from Gaza landed less than four miles from me. And the day before I was supposed to travel by bus from Mitzpe Ramon to Eilat, the same bus route was ambushed in a cross-border terrorist attack from Egypt, killing eight and injuring 33 innocent Israelis.

I have also been to Poland and walked through the Nazi death camps of Auschwitz-Birkenau and Treblinka. Six million Jews were systematically murdered on European soil and six million Jews live in Israel, so when the Iranian regime threatens Israel’s existence and is working towards building nuclear weapons, it is taken very seriously by the Israeli population and the nation’s leaders.

So when the Jewish people and Israel have real enemies like Hezbollah and Hamas who not only talk about killing Israelis, but follow it up with murderous action, I would think Romney and the Republicans would choose their words a bit more carefully when talking about the American president’s stance on Israel.

And by the way, Israel’s values are more closely aligned with the Democrats. Israel has universal healthcare, gay rights, women’s rights, a diverse population including 1.2 million Arabs and Jews from around the world, religious freedom and protection of Muslim, Christian, Jewish and other religious holy sites. And the modern state of Israel was founded by secular European Jewish socialists. That’s right, socialist Zionists made the desert bloom, working the land, and creating collective agricultural communities called kibbutzim. While Israel has transitioned more towards capitalism, the socialist roots are evident in its government-run healthcare system and generous social services.

Does Israel have problems? Of course. What country doesn’t? There were the social justice protests last summer over the high cost of living and lack of affordable housing. And of course the Israel-Palestinian conflict is as complicated and intractable as it has ever been. But it certainly can be argued that Israeli values more closely align with the Democratic Party in terms of the social safety net and caring for all its citizens.

Here are the facts for the most pro-Israel president since Harry Truman — Barack Obama. The following is a fact sheet put out by the National Jewish Democratic Council. Please spread this around to as many people as you can. The truth about Obama’s pro-Israel record must be told to counter the Republican lies. Click here and here for more facts on President Obama and Israel. And here is the NJDC fact sheet pasted to this post:

Throughout his presidency, President Barack Obama has made strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship a top foreign policy priority. His work to strengthen that relationship places him among Israel’s strongest supporters ever; the facts, with citations, follow below.

”We stand with Israel as a Jewish democratic state because we know that Israel is born of firmly held values that we, as Americans, share: a culture committed to justice, a land that welcomes the weary, a people devoted to tikkun olam…. So America’s commitment … and my commitment to Israel and Israel’s security is unshakeable. It is unshakeable…. I am proud to say that no U.S. administration has done more in support of Israel’s security than ours. None. Don’t let anybody else tell you otherwise. It is a fact.” [Obama, December 16, 2011)

Obama provided Israel with the largest amount of American military aid in U.S. history, including:

* Over $3 billion per year to assist Israel’s military to ensure it has the latest and most efficient technologies and weapons available; and

* $275 million in supplemental funding to develop the Iron Dome missile system, praised by Israel’s defense leaders for its “exceptional” success at saving the lives of Israelis who live under threat from Hamas’ rockets.

* Additional funding for the Arrow and David’s Sling missile systems, bringing the total funding for missile defense to $650 million—double the amount spent by the Bush Administration.

Obama restored Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME) with advanced weaponry by:

* Signing the U.S.-Israel Enhanced Security Act;

* Selling Israel bunker busting bombs and F-35 fighter planes while fast-tracking arms sales;

* Committing American troops to the 2009 Juniper Cobra and 2012 Austere Challenge joint military exercises—the largest and most extensive exercises ever with Israel;

* Authorizing Israel to use American weapons stored in Israel during an emergency; and

* Working with Israel to combat smuggling into Gaza.

Obama’s diplomatic support for Israel is unparalleled. Obama:

* Forcefully opposed the Palestinians’ attempt to unilaterally declare a state;

* Rallied the world against a nuclear-armed Iran and continues to lead the sanctions effort by example;

* Voted with Israel 100% of the time at the United Nations, a first in modern history;

* Defended Israel’s legitimacy on the world stage, and vocally protested efforts to isolate Israel at the United Nations and in UN bodies;

* Consistently affirmed the U.S.-Israel bond; and

* Asserted Israel’s right to self-defense repeatedly—including against the Gaza flotilla.

Obama personally came to Israel’s aid immediately when it needed it most. Obama:

* Answered Israel’s “3am phone call” and personally intervened to rescue Israel’s diplomats in Cairo; and

* Personally ordered that Israel receive “whatever it need[ed]” to put out the Carmel fire.

Israeli Leaders on President Obama

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

“Americans know that Israel and the United States share common values, that we defend common interests, that we face common enemies. … We are you, and you are us. We’re together.” [March 5, 2012]

“I think that standing your ground, taking this position of principle… I think this is a badge of honor and I want to thank you for wearing that badge of honor.” [September 22, 2011]

“I would like to express my gratitude to the President of the United States, Barack Obama. I asked for his help. … He said, ‘I will do everything I can.’ And so he did. … We owe him a special measure of gratitude.” [September 10, 2011]

“I trust Barack Obama, President of the United States to carry out with me the policies that have joined Israel and the United States.” [July 7, 2010]

President Shimon Peres:

“Mr. President, I know your commitment to Israel is deep and profound. Under your leadership, security cooperation between the US and Israel has reached its highest level. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a friend in the White House.” [March 4, 2012]

“Thank you America for being our friend and our ally. And thank you President Barack Obama, for your leadership, for your deep and moving ongoing and unwavering commitment to the peace and security of our land.” [June 30, 2011]

Defense Minister and former Prime Minister Ehud Barak:

“I should tell you honestly that this Administration under President Obama is doing in regard to our security more than anything that I can remember in the past.” [July 30, 2012]

“The unshakable bonds between Israel and America and their respective defense establishments under the guiding hand of President Barack Obama are stronger and deeper than ever and we are very thankful and appreciative of that.” [December 16, 2011]

“Our countries are good friends. And I’m the minister of defense, I can tell you… I can hardly remember a better period of support, American support and backing and cooperation and similar strategic understanding of events around us than what we have right now.” [August 3, 2011]

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon:

“I can tell you in a very categoric way I believe also in an authoritative way that we have not had a better friend than President Obama and we will continue to work together because not only it’s our ideal it’s also our interests … cooperation has never been better while issues which are of the most sensitive and of most importance to our collective security and wellbeing.” [August 28, 2011]

Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren:

“We see things very much eye-to-eye on how to move forward. … The President’s speech here at the General Assembly was quite strong in his support for Israel in its security needs, in its sympathy for the Israeli people and the situation they find themselves in the Middle East and I think the most important thing was the strong emphasis placed on the connection between the Jewish people of Israel and the Land of Israel.” [September 26, 2011]

And here is the full text of the 2012 Democratic plank regarding Israel:

The Middle East. President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security. A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values. For this reason, despite budgetary constraints, the President has worked with Congress to increase security assistance to Israel every single year since taking office, providing nearly $10 billion in the past three years. The administration has also worked to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region. And we have deepened defense cooperation—including funding the Iron Dome system—to help Israel address its most pressing threats, including the growing danger posed by rockets and missiles emanating from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. The President’s consistent support for Israel’s right to defend itself and his steadfast opposition to any attempt to delegitimize Israel on the world stage are further evidence of our enduring commitment to Israel’s security.

It is precisely because of this commitment that President Obama and the Democratic Party seek peace between Israelis and Palestinians. A just and lasting Israeli-Palestinian accord, producing two states for two peoples, would contribute to regional stability and help sustain Israel’s identity as a Jewish and democratic state. At the same time, the President has made clear that there will be no lasting peace unless Israel’s security concerns are met. President Obama will continue to press Arab states to reach out to Israel. We will continue to support Israel’s peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan, which have been pillars of peace and stability in the region for many years. And even as the President and the Democratic Party continue to encourage all parties to be resolute in the pursuit of peace, we will insist that any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel’s right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements.

Elsewhere in the region, President Obama is committed to maintaining robust security cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council states and our other partners aimed at deterring aggression, checking Iran’s destabilizing activities, ensuring the free flow of commerce essential to the global economy, and building a regional security architecture to counter terrorism, proliferation, ballistic missiles, piracy, and other common threats. Jerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israel. The parties have agreed that Jerusalem is a matter for final status negotiations. It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.

By Josh Marks

Did someone kill the hope and change? If so, that’s news to me and the millions of patriotic Americans who know in their hearts and minds that President Barack Obama saved us from another Great Depression and set us on the long, hard course to an economy built to last.

If Obama only pulled us from the edge of the cliff we were about to fall from, that would be enough to earn reelection. But he has done so much more to push the United States of America into the 21st century. The list of Obama’s accomplishments is too long for this post, but here is just a sampling of the foundation for a new America: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure (CARD) Act of 2009, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act, Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010, James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 and the Veteran Skills to Jobs Act. There was also the successful auto industry rescue that Mitt Romney opposed.

Democrats, progressives and especially the White House should not be running away from these accomplishments, but should instead be embracing them and standing up for them every chance they get. All of these laws are already bettering our lives and are proving that good government is not only an American tradition, but vital to our success moving forward.

But the media is sending the message that Obama has disappointed the people that elected him and that there is an enthusiasm gap that favors the Republicans. The Huffington Post and Washington Post both published widely read feature pieces on Sunday that criticize Obama for not engaging his followers while governing the way he did while campaigning. That some Obama 2008 supporters feel slighted and betrayed by the administration is very real, and should be addressed…after Obama is reelected. Now is not the time for criticism and disappointment in Obama’s first term. That is exactly what the right-wing Republican leadership is hoping for as Mitt Romney is eagerly preparing to move into the White House in January.

Which brings us to documentary filmmaker Michael Moore’s dire prediction that money will win this election and Mitt has more of it so he will win. That is, unless Obama supporters get more people to turn out at the voting booths on November 6th. So this is where you, me, your friends, your family, your coworkers, your Twitter followers and your mailman come into play. Because it is up to all of us, just like in 2008, to make sure that President Obama is reelected. And we all need to redouble our efforts because there are more cynics and critics out there now that Obama is an incumbent with an actual record, plus the anti-democracy Republicans have been passing voter suppression laws at a rapid pace in the hopes of stealing another election.

So, now is the time to put aside your disappointments and criticism of Obama for another day, because the alternative is President Romney and Vice President Ryan. How does that sound? Exactly. If you haven’t made phone calls for the Obama campaign, what are you waiting for? It’s easy and you get to meet likeminded people and feel good about making a difference. I’ve participated in many phone banks — in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York City. You will be recruiting volunteers or calling swing states like Pennsylvania or Virginia to make sure that residents are registered to vote, know about the different forms of ID they will need, where their polling place is located, information about early voting, and transportation options to the polling location.

Click here if you need to register to vote. Click here to sign up to volunteer for the Obama campaign. Click here to volunteer with MoveOn.org.

Just like in 2008, if enough of us get fired up and make enough phone calls and knock on enough doors and contribute what we can, we will win this election.

By Josh Marks

I was leisurely walking through Jersey City on a picture perfect sunny Sunday afternoon as the under-construction One World Trade Center tower stood tall across the shimmering waters of the Hudson River as a symbol of hope and renewal in the place of so much suffering and destruction on that fateful September day nearly eleven years ago under similar blue skies.

I happened to stroll past a Polish festival and as I looked to my right I was awoken to the intense polarization and hatred that divides Americans in this election season. The John Birch Society set up a booth promoting their radical right-wing agenda and spreading all sorts of vicious lies and propaganda against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

Maybe it was because I was in New Jersey, where I have seen video of residents confronting the state’s right-wing Republican Governor — and Republican National Convention keynote speaker — Chris Christie (read Paul Krugman’s take down of Christie for, among other irresponsible actions, canceling the badly needed Hudson River rail tunnel project while investing in a megamall and casino), but my initial reaction was to confront the old man behind the booth and tell him the John Birch Society was a racist organization, so I did. Well, he countered by saying that they had Jewish and African-American members and so JBS wasn’t racist. I then gave him a nasty look and left.

However, in hindsight it occurred to me that us progressives and Obama supporters have the facts on our side and we should use them when confronted with the anti-Obama crowd who will be making their presence known more and more as the election gets closer. That we have the facts on our side gives us a strategic advantage that means we don’t have to out-shout the Tea Party types and other right-wing groups that like to yell the loudest. We need to stay educated on issues like health care reform, the economic stimulus, Wall Street reform and dispassionately make our case without resorting to a shouting match, which is what they want.

It makes for great TV and gets progressives fired up to see the passion and fighting spirit of MSNBC host Chris Matthews when he took down Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus for the GOP’s divisive rhetoric on the birther issue and attempts to portray Obama as a foreigner. But there is a big difference between Matthews versus Priebus and you or me versus Tea Party wingnut on the sidewalk, so we also need to be armed with the facts and remember that we don’t have to resort to name calling and angry tirades — the facts and Obama’s record will win out. A good example is former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich’s MoveOn.org video in which he breaks down the five biggest problems with the Romney-Ryan economic plan and why it would be a disaster for America.

There are scenarios that might arise as the election gets closer and you are confronted with angry, zealous anti-Obama types, and some talking points are needed to refute their lies about the president. Many of these people will be fueled by the misleading theatrical film “2016: Obama’s America,” which is nothing more than right-wing propaganda by GOP hack Dinesh D’Souza, who is the president of King’s College, a conservative evangelical Christian school that operates out of the basement of the Empire State Building. The movie is playing well in the heartland and conservative cities so it is important to counter D’Souza’s lies with the truth. Click here for a fact check on this anti-Obama political propaganda.

Here are some websites you can visit to arm yourself with the facts on Obama’s record. Just remember, if you find yourself engaging with an anti-Obama individual, stay positive, stay calm, and be confident because you memorized the facts. The truth always wins.

Obama Truth Team

White House Blog

Obama’s Record

Obama’s Top 50 Accomplishments

What the F**k has Obama Done So Far?

On the Issues

Democratic Congressional Accomplishments

Democrats.org Blog

ObamaCare Facts

Thanks, Obamacare

President Obama and Israel: The Facts

Jewish Americans for Obama Israel Fact Sheet

Politifact

FactCheck.org

(By Josh Marks, cross-posted at Green Forward)

Despite shortsighted right-wing Republican opposition, high-speed rail (HSR) is moving forward in the United States of America. Soon we won’t have to fly across the Atlantic or Pacific to experience world-class passenger train service. President Obama and Vice President Biden get much of the credit for revitalizing passenger rail travel by demanding a federal allocation of $8 billion for high-speed projects as part of the 2009 economic stimulus package.

While conservative Republican governors like Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Rick Scott of Florida have denied their residents high-speed rail by rejecting federal funding, and right-wing House Republicans like Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) passes a meaningless anti-California HSR amendment to the Fiscal Year 2013 Transportation, Housing & Urban Development (THUD) bill, progressive states like California are pushing ahead into the 21st Century with ambitious HSR projects. The latest good news for HSR advocates comes from The Golden State where last Friday in Sacramento, lawmakers in the Senate approved SB 1029 — $4.5 billion in construction financing through the sale of bonds, including $2.6 billion for the initial segment in the Central Valley for the bullet train line between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The legislative victory means that California will now qualify for another $3.2 billion in federal funding.

Friday’s decision marks a huge victory for California Democratic Governor Jerry Brown, President Obama, moderate Republican Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the American people. It marks an enormous defeat for anti-HSR conservative Republicans in California and across the country.

And high-speed rail will create thousands of desperately needed jobs, not just in California but around the country. With California moving full speed ahead as the first state to build a bullet train network, the next logical place after California for bullet trains is the most heavily-traveled rail line on the Amtrak network — the Northeast Corridor (NEC) from Washington, D.C. to Boston, Massachusetts. Amtrak’s vision for next generation high-speed rail is for 220 mph bullet trains, reducing travel time between D.C. and NYC to one hour and 36 minutes and NYC to Boston in one hour and 23 minutes. Again, as in California, NEC HSR would create thousands of badly needed jobs.

With America moving ahead on HSR, it helps to put bullet trains in perspective in terms of what other countries are doing. Where does the United States rank in miles built and miles planned? The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom recently put together a chart comparing HSR on their Data Blog. Here are the facts:

– HSR miles in operation: U.S. is at 226. That ranks ninth, just behind Turkey and South Korea.
– HSR miles under construction: U.S. is at zero. China is #1 with 2,712 HSR miles under construction.
– HSR miles planned: U.S. is sixth with 562 miles planned, just behind Portugal and Turkey.

Leading the HSR pack by miles of course are China, Japan, Germany, Spain and France. So obviously the United States has a lot of work to do in building more HSR to keep up with other countries.

High-speed rail is a winner. It creates jobs, improves the environment and relieves congestion on the nation’s highways and airways. If you have ever traveled to Europe or Asia and taken a bullet train then you know the many benefits of building HSR.

The best way to continue America’s progress on building high-speed rail networks is to elect pro-HSR political leaders on the local, state and federal level. That begins at the top this November by reelecting President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, who are committed to building American high-speed rail.