Congressional Congrat’s from Black Lawmakers

Nov. 5, 2008 – Politico’s send their congrat’s to the newly elected Commander and Chief:

House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.)

“The actions we took together as a nation today bring us one step closer to a more perfect union.  We have returned to the world community. We have put our country back on track.

“We can now tell our children and our grandchildren yes we can.  We can tell fourth and fifth graders with certainty that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up.  We can all believe that our country’s best days are ahead.

“Barack Obama is a visionary.  He is an internationalist.  He has the compassion and sensitivity to bring us together to get things done. He is the right leader for the great challenges we face.

“I look forward o working with the Obama administration to take this country in a new direction.”
 
Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick, (D-Mich.) Chairwomen of the Congressional Black Caucus

“Senator Obama rallied broad coalitions by underscoring the importance of inclusion, while debunking divisive and destructive devices. The Obama campaign successfully expanded the electorate, set fundraising records, encouraged early voting and strategically engaged over 40 million youth voters from all across the country.  His vision for a new America has transcended time and place.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are extremely proud and humbled by this awesome accomplishment. We look forward to working with President-Elect Obama to build a stronger, healthier and more just America. We are honored to call President-Elect Barack Obama, our brother, our colleague, our advocate and soon Mr. President. We extend our congratulations to Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha. May GOD continue to bless them as we move forward as one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for ALL.”

Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.)

“The realities of yesterday’s world are suddenly not the realities of today’s, which leaves me hopeful for tomorrow’s world. And that reality is now upon us not because of Barack Obama; this campaign was, in the words of the president-elect, bigger than any one candidate—this election was about all of us. And we the people won in this race.  What is different is that the campaign themes of change and hope are no longer slogans—they are truths we all are now living. And that is a credit we all share.  I am certain that a new day in our politics and society is upon us, and that is change I wholeheartedly embrace.”

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

“Barack Obama’s victory tonight has both unprecedented and historic meaning for the American people, but perhaps for none as much as for the residents of the nation’s capital.  After 209 years, District residents will have not only a president who has already changed America, and the president that our residents most wanted.  They will have a Democratic president, who, as senator, co-sponsored the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act, and has told me he will sign our bill.  (George W. Bush never said he would veto the bill, but his advisors said publicly they would advise a veto, and most Republican members of the House and Senate voted against the bill.)  Moreover, after two centuries, residents will have a Democratic House and Senate that will pass the District of Columbia Voting Rights Act and send it to President Obama.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.)

“As a senior Member of Congress and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I will be diligently working with President-elect Obama to ensure that true change comes in Washington. While we continue to celebrate this momentous occasion, let us not forget there is much work to be done. This election was a movement of the people, for the people, and by the people. It was perhaps one of the most shining examples of grassroots organizing and activism that has not been witnessed during this century. Let us continue to move forward with this new administration to stabilizes this economy, correctly end this war and restore America’s standing in the world.”

More Congratulations…..

Sen. Hillary R. Clinton (D-N.Y.)
“Together, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and a Democratic Congress, we will chart a better course to build a new economy and rebuild our leadership in the world. And I look forward to doing all that I can to support President Obama and Vice President Biden in the difficult work that lies ahead.
 
For too long, middle class families in this country have felt invisible, struggling alone as wages stagnate, jobs disappear, and the costs of daily life climb upward. In quiet, solitary acts of citizenship, American voters gave voice to their hopes and their values, voted for change, and refused to be invisible any longer.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean

“The American people have given all of us – Democrats, Republicans and Independents – a simple mandate: to work together find big solutions to the big challenges facing our country.  We must work together to change the direction of our wonderful country and to restore America. With the help of strong Democratic majorities in Congress, President Barack Obama is going to set this nation on a course to provide the change we need.

President George W. Bush

“No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday.  Across the country, citizens voted in large numbers.  They showed a watching world the vitality of America’s democracy, and the strides we have made toward a more perfect union.   They chose a President whose journey represents a triumph of the American story — a testament to hard work, optimism, and faith in the enduring promise of our nation.

Many of our citizens thought they would never live to see that day.  This moment is especially uplifting for a generation of Americans who witnessed the struggle for civil rights with their own eyes — and four decades later see dream fulfilled.”

A long campaign has now ended, and we move forward as one nation.  We’re embarking on a period of change in Washington, yet there are some things that will not change.  The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility — protecting the American people.  And the world can be certain this commitment will remain steadfast under our next Commander-in-Chief.

Excerpt from Sen. John McCain’s concession speech Tuesday night.

“Sen. Obama has achieved a great thing for himself and for his country. I applaud him for it, and offer to in my sincere sympathy that his beloved grandmother did not live to see this day. Though our faith assures us she is at rest in the presence of her creator and so very proud of the good man she helped raise.

 Sen. Obama and I have had and argued our differences and he has prevailed. No doubt many of those differences remain. These are difficult times for our country, I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face.

I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him but offering our next president of our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore prosperity.”

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