Foreign Policy Professionals for Obama

FPPfO is hosting the Organizing for America Kickoff Celebration (Feb 26)
We’re very excited to announce that FPPfO is hosting the first fundraising event by the DNC under the Obama Administration: the kickoff event for Organizing for America, the group tasked with continuing the grassroots advocacy and activism of the campaign.

This will be quite a party, not just a brief event – senior DNC officials and Members of Congress are confirmed to attend, the entire venue is reserved for attendees, and DJs will be working downstairs. It offers a great chance for our members to meet senior people involved in the campaign and in the new OFA. General admission includes food and drink specials and an all-evening party!

When: Thursday, February 26, from 6:30-9:30 (then on to closing time)

Where: Lima Restaurant and Lounge, 1401 K Street NW
(Click for map; closest to McPherson Square Metro stop on Blue/Orange lines)

Tickets: General admission, $44;    VIP reception, $250 (open bar for the reception)

Click here for tickets

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FPPfO Watch Event: President Obama’s Address to Congress (Feb 24)
President Obama will deliver an Address to Congress (in lieu of the State of the Union) on Tuesday, February 24 – Mardi Gras! It will be a great night to watch the address with members of FPPfO, Young Lawyers for Obama and Generation Obama. Come listen to our new leader, mingle with fellow Obama supporters, and enjoy drink specials until 9:00pm. The event is FREE.

When: Tuesday, February 24, from 7:00pm – 11:00pm (speech is at 9pm)
Where: Hawk & Dove (downstairs back bar area), 329 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
(Click for map; between Capitol South & Eastern Market metro stops on Blue/Orange line )

FPPfO Inauguration Kick-Off Happy Hour – NOTE: VENUE CHANGE!!

FPPfO and other Obama supporters are hosting a Victory Happy Hour and Celebration on Jan. 14th at LIMA Restaurant and Bar, 1/2 block away from The Park. Admission is FREE (this is intended especially for those who can’t afford the Balls); drinks and food will be available for purchase. Discount drink prices ALL NIGHT! We have the entire bottom floor as a private space for our event (just mention FPPfO) so we hope to see you all there to kick off inauguration week!

When: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, from 5:30pm – 10:30pm
Where: LIMA Restaurant and Lounge, 1401 K Street NW (K and 14th), Washington DC
(The Park on Fourteenth has agreed to throw our members another party in Feb. to compensate for any inconvenience.)

FPPfO/YLFO Inauguration Party – Save the Date: January 20th
FPPfO and YLFO will once again host an incredible party at Local 16, this time on inauguration night. The evening will include open bar from 7pm to midnight along with a buffet dinner from 8 to 10pm and a dessert bar later in the night. The party goes on until 5am, and this is all for just $50. Tickets will be extremely limited so watch for details coming soon on purchasing.

When: Tuesday, January 20, 2009, from 7:00pm – 5:00am
Where: Local 16, 1602 U Street NW, Washington DC

FPPfO Foreign Policy Session at DCfO Summit
Along with a few hundred DC-based Obama supporters/volunteers and thousands of others who are coming to town for the Inauguration weekend, DC for Obama is convening a grassroots Advocacy Summit. The Summit’s goal is to provide a forum for Obama volunteers and supporters from around the country to come together, network, and gain insight into key elements of the 2009 policy agenda and how to support the President-elect’s agenda through grassroots action. The summit will hold sessions on the key policy issues certain to be prominent in 2009, and FPPfO is assisting in organizing a foreign policy session. This will include a one-hour panel with foreign policy experts including Mike Signer, Senior Policy Advisor at the Center for American Progress, and a Q&A session. Stay tuned for more details.

When: Saturday afternoon, January 17th, 2009.
Where: The Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave NW, steps away from the Navy/Archives Metro station.

Inauguration Balls and Other Events
Inauguration Balls
The FPPfO Steering Committee and many FPPfO members will be attending the People’s Inaugural Ball, which is being sponsored by DCfO, among others. This is one of the most affordable balls at $125 per person. For a complete and current listing of Presidential Inaugural Balls, Schedule & Tickets go to this site: http://www.empiretickets.com/ Presidential_Inaugural_Ball_ tickets.asp

Official Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) Website
For all things Inauguration-related, including the official schedule of Inaugural activities and a sign-up for email updates, visit http://www.pic2009.org

Inauguration Tickets
Request tickets through your local Congressional representative or senator. Congressional Member Phone Directory: http://clerk.house. gov/member_ info/mcapdir.html.

“…That out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can.”

President-elect Barack Obama, November 4, 2008

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While we celebrate our victory as foreign policy enthusiasts, as Obama supporters, and, most importantly, as Americans, we must remember that election night was not a destination, but rather the beginning of a journey. Were it not for the dedication and support of volunteers, activists and foreign policy professionals such as yourselves, this journey would have been over long ago. We send our most sincere thanks to all of you who made Foreign Policy Professionals for Obama a success and gave selflessly to ensure that Barack Obama would call the White House “home” in January.

Thank you to our numerous speakers who donated their time to speak out on behalf of Obama’s credentials and vision. Thank you to our many volunteers who helped staff events, who fundraised for the Obama campaign, who brought friends to events and those who gave up weekend after weekend to knock on doors in Centreville, Virginia. We turned Virginia blue because of your dedication! Thanks to all who attended our Election Night party at Local 16, we celebrated in the company of over 500 Obama supporters!

The Steering Committee is currently discussing the future of FPPfO, though rest assured the group will not die, regardless of what incarnation may follow. We hope to play a foreign policy role in the next Administration in some capacity. Please stay tuned for further information, we truly hope to have your continued involvement and support.

Our Accomplishments

• 1,300 members of Foreign Policy Professionals for Obama, including chapters in New York and Denver.
• Over 20 events held in Washington, DC discussing, spreading and reinforcing Obama’s foreign policy credentials.
• Over 80 FPPfO volunteers signed up for the Centreville Victory Squad, and over the course of 8 weeks we knocked on tens of thousands of doors, spoke to thousands of voters and contributed to turning Virginia blue.
• We raised just under $40,000 for the Obama campaign.
• Our website was accessed by over 10,000 unique viewers, with a high of 4,476 hits in a single day just a week before the election.
• Our FSO declaration reached 358 signatories including 67 retired Ambassadors. FPPfO and the declaration were featured in over a dozen websites and Op-Eds prior to the election, including The Huffington Post.
• We held 5 foreign policy platform meetings that contributed to the 2008 Democratic Party platform.

Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

The FPPfO Steering Committee
Nichole Graber, Elia Boggia, Tyson Barker, Katy Forsyth, Ryan Polich, Leigh Anne DeWine and Becky Harris

Scenes from last night’s celebrations on CNN.

The world reacts with hope and joy.

Colin Powell’s emotional reaction:

This is it, everyone. We’ve approached crunch time, and it’s as good time as ever to get out there and help Sen. Obama win next Tuesday.

Volunteers helping out in crucial battleground states is truly what will win this election for us – there’s no more reason to sit back!

For those of you in DC, there are opportunities to help out in Centreville, VA, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and of course Tuesday.

Where to go
We meet at the Waterfront Metro stop, from which you can easily get a ride (or give a ride) to Centreville, at the following times:

• 9AM on Saturday, Nov 1
• 11AM on Sunday, Nov 2
• 9AM and 3PM on Monday, Nov 3
• 730AM and 2PM on Election day.

There will be so much to do to make sure that all the people who support Sen. Obama will show up to vote on November 4th.

Shoot me an email at eboggia@gmail.com if you want more details on how to help out.

Yes We Can!

Col. Larry Wilkerson (Ret.) served under Colin Powell from 1989, then moved with him to the State Department as Powell’s Chief of Staff.  He was interviewed this week by Foreign Policy Magazine and has some choice opinions on the failures of the Republican party.

With McCain, I’m alarmed by the lack of sophistication on issues such as Iran; the bomb Iran [idea] seemed to come out of [McCain’s] passion more than his judgment. I’m alarmed by the people around him; [many] are radicals. They are just like the Wolfowitzes and the Perles of the world. Calling them conservatives offends the title. I have grave difficulty with McCain taking advice from these people. I am concerned with his inability to accept that we have to leave Iraq. Victory is not coming home with trumpets blaring; it is leaving a relatively stable government in place that won’t fall in first five minutes and not resort to civil war. He still thinks that victory was possible in my war, Vietnam, which I know was not correct. Those kinds of things concern me.

Given that this election will have profound effects across the world, The Economist is highlighting how the world would vote (if left up to readers of the Economist, that is).  It’s less than scientific, but certainly underlines why Obama is the best option to “rebrand” America in the eyes of the global community.

Tempting fate, the folks over at Foreign Policy Magazine have asked some distinguished FP professionals to suggest possible candidates for Obama’s “dream team”.  Lists like this are sometimes little more than a glimpse at the rolodexes of the contributors.  This group leaves out quite a few notable and talented advisers to Obama’s campaign. That said, it’s worth a look.

It does raise an interesting question, though – how will Obama balance bringing “old hand” competence back into American foreign relations with bringing generational change to our FP apparatus?