E.J. Dionne Jr. Highlights Obama’s Call to Service

Washington Post Op-Ed Columnist & Author of Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics after the Religous Right, E.J. Dionne Jr., wrote today about Barack Obama’s Call to Service speech that was given in December (Watch Excerpts from the speech here).

Dionne writes:

If the 2008 election is to be a debate about the true meaning of patriotism, then bring it on…Obama already has the template for moving the debate in this direction. In December, he gave one of his best, and least noticed, speeches: a call to national service. The policies he proposed include a doubling of the Peace Corps and an expansion of the AmeriCorps program from 75,000 to 250,000 slots. (President Bush, by the way, deserves credit for saving AmeriCorps from the hostility of some in his own party.) Obama would link his $4,000 tuition tax credit to a service requirement…But Obama’s speech was about more than programs. It was suffused with the rhetoric of a reformer’s patriotism. “I have no doubt that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country can change it,” he said. “Loving your country shouldn’t just mean watching fireworks on the Fourth of July; loving your country must mean accepting your responsibility to do your part to change it.”

Dionne closes his Op-Ed with two endings:

1. A competition between Obama and McCain over who can issue the most compelling summons to service would serve the country far better than an empty rhetorical skirmish over which of these candidates is the true patriot (From the Post).
2. This is Obama’s opportunity: to pledge to be the president who asks us to serve. Doing so would promote a debate not about which candidate is a patriot but on what each candidate believes patriotism means (From Reformer on fire with love of country)

On Labor Day 2007, Obama did just that when he signed the ServeNext.org Presidential Pledge to Expand National Service. On the other side Senator McCain’s response to any issue advocacy group with a pledge campaign is, “I don’t stand on pledges I stand on my record.” And to be honest his record is very good. In October of 2001 McCain wrote the article Putting the “National” in National Service later that year he introduced the Call to Service Act that would have expanded service slots to 250,000. He says:

If we are to have a resurgence of patriotic service in this country, then programs like AmeriCorps must be expanded and changed in ways that inspire the nation. There should be more focus on meeting national goals and on making short-term service, both civilian and military, a rite of passage for young Americans.

So both Obama and McCain are committed to 250,000 Americans annually in serving through national service programs. Obama has said so in a major policy address & signed our pledge to expand national service, and taking Senator McCain on his record commits him to 250,000 national service members as well. Obama has formally announced his plan to expand national service.  And on the other side It gives me hope that during the Republican Primary I have often heard Senator McCain say he would double AmeriCorps, but I am still waiting and hoping he formally announces a plan to expand national service. Dionne is absolutely correct when he says “a competition between Obama and McCain over who can issue the most compelling summons to service would serve the country.” Let the debate begin.

A wild week defining President Bush’s legacy of calling Americans into service

 

President George W. Bush (R) marked last week’s Martin Luther King Jr. King holiday by volunteering and calling on Americans to honor his legacy by showing compassion on the holiday and throughout the year.  The President and First Lady Laura Bush joined dozens of volunteers at the Martin Luther King Jr. library as they repaired and shelved books and taught lessons about King’s life to children. More than a half million Americans served at over 5,000 King Day of Service projects across the country.

“They say Martin Luther King Day is not a day off, it should be a day on,” said the President. “But a day on should be not just one day. It really ought to be every day. And our fellow citizens have got to understand that by loving a neighbor like you’d like to be loved yourself, by reaching out to someone who hurts, by just simply living a life of kindness and compassion, you can make America a better place and fulfill the dream of Martin Luther King.”

One week later, President Bush’s 2002 State of the Union volunteerism initiative was described as “sputtering” in a New York Times article.  The President asked Americans to devote at least two year – 4,000 hours – of their lives to public service, promised to expand AmeriCorps, double the size of the Peace Corps, and created the USA Freedom Corps to help facilitate the process of connecting citizens with volunteer opportunities. 

The initiative has had some success. Early on, John Bridgeland (a top Bush aide) helped set up the Citizens Corps, a national network of doctors, firefighters and others who volunteer in an emergency, and today there are 2,300 Citizens Corps councils across the country. The White House says that since 2000 it has recruited more than one million Americans, far more than the 200,000 new recruits Mr. Bush promised.

But the initiative has also fallen short of some goals. The Peace Corps, which had 6,663 volunteers in 2002, today has 8,049 — more than at any time in the past 30 years, but hardly the doubling the president promised.

And though the president also pledged to increase the ranks of AmeriCorps to 75,000 from 50,000, critics said he did so through creative accounting, because fewer than half the 75,000 slots are full time.

“There are a whole lot of shell games they engaged in, in order to try to not back away from the president’s announced target,” said Bob Putnam, a professor of public policy at Harvard who was consulted by the administration. “I thought Bush got it, and that’s why I worked with him. He talked a good game, the president, but I’m actually pretty cynical of it now.”

In what one might have guessed was in response to the article’s criticism, President Bush recognized citizen service in his final State of the Union address last night.

In communities across our land, we must trust in the good heart of the American people and empower them to serve their neighbors in need. Over the past seven years, more of our fellow citizens have discovered that the pursuit of happiness leads to the path of service. Americans have volunteered in record numbers.

But that’s wasn’t the end of it…

Following the address, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who immediately after 9/11 suggested expanding AmeriCorps’ membership to 250,000 and then in 2003 introduced a bill to expand the program to 175,000 members, told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews that the President has missed an opportunity to call Americans into service.  He cited his encounters on the Presidential campaign trail with volunteers from organizations including “AmeriCorps, City Year, and the ONE Campaign.”   

Earlier this afternoon, the White House released a statement from President Bush commemorating the 6th anniversary of the USA Freedom Corps.

People across this great Nation have heard the universal call to love a neighbor and are using their time and talents to make a difference in the lives of others. On the sixth anniversary of the USA Freedom Corps, we celebrate the spirit of service in America and honor the volunteers whose good work represents the generous character of our country.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, I created the USA Freedom Corps to build on the countless acts of service, sacrifice, and generosity undertaken by our citizens. The USA Freedom Corps is dedicated to expanding volunteer service and extending the goodwill of the American people across our country and around the globe. By connecting individuals with volunteer opportunities, the USA Freedom Corps has helped ensure that millions of people have a chance to make a difference in the lives of those in need. The USA Freedom Corps also helps strengthen the non-profit sector and supports other national service programs and initiatives such as the Peace Corps, Citizen Corps, AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps. These efforts can help us build a more hopeful country and create a chain of compassion for generations to come.

Volunteers demonstrate kindness and touch lives. With hard work and dedication, volunteers help the less fortunate, respond to crises, mentor children, assist the elderly, and strengthen our communities. I urge all Americans to serve others and to learn more about service opportunities by visiting the USA Freedom Corps website. By providing help and hope to others, Americans can lead the world toward a more caring and compassionate tomorrow.

What will President Bush’s legacy be when it comes to National Service in America?

More importantly, what role with the next President play in expanding National Service programs?   

4 National Service supporters in 4 early nominating contest winners

As young voter turnout – unseen since 1968 – continues to play an important role in the complex plot that is Election ’08, New Hampshire Primary winners U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) join Iowa Caucus winners Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) and U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) as the four candidates (arguably) best poised to not only secure their party’s nomination and become the next President of the United States, but also expand National Service before the end of their first term.

According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE), 37% of eligible New Hampshire citizens under the age of 30 participated in yesterday’s New Hampshire Primary. The youth turnout rate rose sharply to 43% in 2008 compared to 18% in 2004 (with a contested race only for Democrats) and 28% in 2000 (with contested races for both Democrats and Republicans). An estimated 18% of total Democrat Primary voters and 14% of total Republican Primary voters were between the ages of 18-29, making them an important group of voters that must be taken seriously by both parties’ campaigns.

This morning on Democracy Now!, host Amy Goodman dug deeper on the Democratic race with University of New Hampshire professor Dante Scala and Granite State media maven Arnie Arnesen.

AMY GOODMAN: Last night when she gave her acceptance speech, she wasn’t standing next to Madeleine Albright, the former secretary of state under her husband, President Bill Clinton, and on the other side, Bill Clinton himself, sort of the old guard; she was standing against a backdrop of kids. What about the significance of this? And how important was that young vote for both Barack Obama and for Hillary Clinton? Talk about how it broke down around the state. Didn’t Barack Obama end up speaking near—was it Dartmouth?

DANTE SCALA: Well, I think what we saw last night was—again, kind of along gender lines—is that a lot of young women in New Hampshire see Hillary Clinton as a role model. Their moms probably see Hillary Clinton as a role model.

…

ARNIE ARNESEN: And the other thing is, Dante, that the reason why she was surrounded by all these young people is she now looked at where Obama thought he had his asset, and she is saying to Obama, “I’m going right after that youth. That’s not yours. Don’t assume you own it. Don’t assume you’re the only one that can invite it in.” And she—I mean, this—it’s a brilliant strategy.

…

ARNIE ARNESEN: Then she goes after that youth vote. Who owned that youth vote? Barack Obama. Now Hillary Clinton, with that montage behind her of young people, she is now attempting to own that. This is a brilliant political strategy.

On the Republican side, Senator McCain spoke of his passion for public service in his victory speech:

Tonight, we have taken a step, but only the first step toward repairing the broken politics of the past and restoring the trust of the American people in their government. The people of New Hampshire have told us again that they do not send us to Washington to serve our self-interest, but to serve theirs.

They don’t send us to fight each other for our own political ambitions, but to fight together our real enemies. They don’t send us to Washington to stroke our egos, to keep this beautiful, bountiful, blessed country safe, prosperous and proud. They don’t send us to Washington to take more of their money and waste it on things that add not an ounce to America’s strength and prosperity. They don’t help a single family realize the dreams we all dream for our children, that don’t help a single displaced worker find a new job, and the security and dignity it assures them, that won’t keep the promise we make to young workers that the retirement they have begun to invest in will be there for them when they need it.

They don’t send us to Washington to do their job, but to do ours. My friends, I didn’t go to Washington to go along to get along or to play it safe to serve my own interests. I went there to serve my country. And that, my friends, is just what I intend to do if I am so privileged to be elected your president.

…

I salute the supporters of all the candidates who worked so hard to achieve a success tonight and who believe so passionately in the promise of their candidate. And I want to assure them that though I did not have their support, and though we may disagree from time to time on how to best advance America’s interests and ideals, they have my genuine respect, for they have worked for a cause they believe, is good for the country we all love, a cause greater than their self-interest.

My friends, I learned long ago that serving only one’s self is a petty and unsatisfying ambition. But serve a cause greater than self- interest and you will know a happiness far more sublime than the fleeting pleasure of fame and fortune. For me, that greater cause has always been my country, which I have served imperfectly for many years, but have loved without any reservation every day of my life.

Senator McCain introduced legislation after 9/11 to expand AmeriCorps from 70k to 250k members. He often speaks to the importance of National Service on the campaign trail as part of his stump speech, though he has yet to clearly outline a comprehensive plan.

Senator Clinton announced at Plymouth State University her support for increasing Eli Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $10,000 for each year of National Service, expanding AmeriCorps by 100k members, and making it easier for military veterans to serve upon their return from active duty overseas.

Governor Huckabee has pledged to expand AmeriCorps to 170k members by the end of his first term as President. He is also a big supporter of arts in the schools, suggesting that the Music National Service initiative might prove to be one of the bold, new ideas for his campaign embrace.

Senator Obama is the only one of the four winners yet to release a comprehensive plan or give a major policy address on National Service, which he gave before the Iowa Caucus. He calls for doubling the Peace Corps and expanding AmeriCorps to 250k members.

One thing is for certain… young people are voting and candidates will need to respond if they want to stay competitive. Those who have proven themselves in these early nominating contests – on both sides of the aisle – have embraced National Service. Who will step up their campaign platforms on the issue and who else will be the next to come on board as a way to unite the 18-29 year old demographic?

McCain edorsement cites support for National Service

 

The Detroit Free Press has endorsed U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) for President in 2008, citing in part his support for National Service.

A former Navy pilot and Vietnam War prisoner of war whose personal ordeal and triumph make him the most inspiring candidate on either side, McCain is a passionate advocate for national service and volunteerism, and critical of the Bush administration for failing to rally Americans around their country after the horrors of 9/11.

“The Freep,” as its known to locals, has the largest daily circulation of all newspapers in Detroit.  Michigan holds their Presidential Primary on Tuesday, January 15, 2008.

McCain uses National Service to connect with young voters

 

The Concord Monitor reports that U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is using National Service to connect with young voters in New Hampshire.   

When he was asked yesterday what he’d like his legacy to be, McCain said he hoped his tombstone would read, “that I called Americans to serve causes greater than themselves.”

He was more specific at a house party Monday in Hancock. He asked young people to sign up for the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, the military and volunteer organizations like ONE, whose 17,000 New Hampshire volunteers he mentions frequently as examples of “what America is all about.”

Props to Matthew Bartlett and his team of volunteers with ONE Vote ’08 for their amazing work over the last year in the Granite State.  Bartlett, who graduated from Bishop Guertin High School a couple years ahead of me, came to City Year New Hampshire for a Visitors Program in early 2007 and graciously facilitated a workshop on “making poverty history” for AmeriCorps members from across the country and South Africa at cyzygy’07, presented by The Timberland Company and hosted by Saint Anselm College in Manchester, NH this past June.

Obama passes Gravel to take lead in ServeNext Presidential Straw Poll to benefit NH Food Bank!

This just in… U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) has taken the lead in the ServeNext Presidential Straw Poll, which was dominated just one week ago by former U.S. Congressman Mike Gravel (D-AK)!

The leaderboard to date (12/21) looks like this:

1. U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

2. Former U.S. Congressman Mike Gravel (R-AK)

3. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NYC)

4. Former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

5. Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)

6. U.S. Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)

7. U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

8. U.S. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO)

Designed celebrate the season of service, create some friendly competition between campaigns, and address the unprecedented critical food shortage faced by residents in need this winter, the contest will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank and its local agencies across the state.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW!

A $5 donation will register a vote for the candidate of the donor’s choice and, unlike New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary, you can vote as often and for as many candidates as you’d like! Progress will be reported weekly and the polls will remain open until midnight on December 31, 2007. Supplemental funds will be provided through the generous support of Thrivent.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW!

The ServeNext Presidential Straw Poll is an initiative of ServeNext.org, a political action organization aimed at expanding National Service. The organization’s membership, which consists mostly of AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alumni, has been pressing Presidential candidates from both major political parties at house parties and town halls in New Hampshire since the summer. More than half of the candidates have signed the ServeNext Pledge to Expand National Service, which aims primarily at expanding AmeriCorps by 100,000 members by the end of the next President’s first term.

CLICK HERE TO VOTE NOW!

PLEASE NOTE: While the NH Food Bank will receive 100% of proceeds from the Presidential Straw Poll, ServeNext Civic Action is not affiliated with the NH Food Bank, Catholic Charities, or Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

McCain ramps up support for National Service on the stump; questions remain…

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has stepped up his National Service rhetoric on on the campaign trail in recent weeks. Between a nationally-televised event live on MTV and a visit to Timberland, one of the largest corporate champions of National Service, there is no question that the Senator is proud of his past support for AmeriCorps. Questions remain, however, around what role a McCain administration would play in expanding opportunities for Americans to serve their country.

On Monday, December 3rd, four ServeNext members attended the MTV/MySpace Presidential Dialogue with John McCain at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. Among the questions fielded in the hour-long program, McCain addressed what he would have done differently had he been in the shoes of the President of the United States these last 8 years.

After 9/11, my friends, which none of us predicted obviously, I would have not asked Americans to go shopping or take a trip. I would have asked every single American to find a way to serve their country – to join the military, the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, neighborhood organizations; every way that we could find a way for people to serve their country. Americans were united after 9/11, my friends, and I would have asked them to serve, and as President of the United States in January of 2009, I will ask them to serve again.

The Senator’s closing statement carried on the same ethos of service.

I hope that you’ll go see other candidates and get involved in the political campaign and be involved in public service. And if you remember anything I said tonight, please remember there’s nothing nobler than serving a cause greater than your self-interest.

Moderator Chris Cillizza of washingtonpost.com’s Politics Blog even highlighted McCain’s call to service in the wrap-up.

I think what you saw over the course of the night is Senator McCain explaining in a very reasonable and rational way why he feels the way he does and, as he did in 2000, making it very clear (that) he believes that this campaign is not about him; that this campaign is a call to serve the country. And I think that’s a very powerful message.

Later that same week, ServeNext was invited to ride the Straight Talk Express from Bedford to Stratham, where the Senator McCain and daughter Meghan visited The Timberland Company’s Global Headquarters. On the ride over, ServeNext sought out some “straight talk” on National Service.

ServeNext: Yesterday, Senator Obama unveiled a National Service plan that would expand AmeriCorps to 250,000 members – which is very similar to what you wanted to do with the Call to Service Act. Why is it that Democrats seem to be taking the lead on the issue in this election cycle?

Senator McCain: Well, I hope they haven’t. Senator Bayh and I recommended this legislation years ago and fought very hard for… the expansion of AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, and other organizations. 18 months of voluntary service for $18,000 in educational benefits – and we’ve continued to push that. The (Iraq) War has kind of overwhelmed – and I’m not exactly sure why – but it seems to have driven it to the sidelines.

ServeNext: Your message on Monday at the MTV/MySpace event – to all of the young people that were there – really seemed to be, “We want to get you involved in the government. We want you to take responsibility for the issues that we are facing as Americans right now.” Do you envision yourself making a similar sort of speech at some point in the campaign?

Senator McCain: Oh, yes.

Upon the Straight Talk Express’ arrival in Stratham, McCain was greeted by Timberland CEO Jeff Swartz and given a tour of the company’s facility. The Senator stopped to buy a pair of boots from the on-site retail store, learned more about the unique public-private partnership of City Year New Hampshire under Timberland’s own roof, and greeted military veterans now employed by by the company – including a great American, man, and service warrior, George Bellanger.

The tour proceeded to City Year New Hampshire’s office space, where AmeriCorps members serving in New Hampshire and Boston greeted Senator McCain. He praised them for their dedication, as he did later at the town hall meeting with members of the Timberland/City Year community. ServeNext has has also learned from an advisor to its New Hampshire campaign that the Senator also mentioned his support for National Service at a speaking engagement in Portsmouth later that afternoon and again the following day in Hampstead.

On the blogosphere, pressure continues to build for the Senator to get specific with a major policy address – or at least some numbers around his intentions for AmeriCorps.

Barack Obama joined the call for national service with a major policy address and a pledge to make national service an important cause of his presidency. His December 5th proposal would expand AmeriCorps from 75,000 to 250,000 participants and focus it on the classroom, health care, clean energy, veterans, and homeland security.

We have high hopes that other candidates will follow suit, particularly Mitt Romney, who as Governor of Massachusetts served on City Year’s national board of directors, John McCain, who co-authored a universal national service bill in the Senate, and Hillary Clinton, who has long been a behind-the-scenes champion of AmeriCorps as well as a sponsor of the Public Service Academy modeled on West Point.

When asked for a specific statement on Senator McCain’s plans for AmeriCorps, campaign representatives replied:

Senator McCain has co-sponsored legislation in the past (Call to Service Acts) to boost Americorps’ ranks. The 2001 iteration was to 250k; the 2003 was to 175k. It also had incentives for brief military enlistments.

We have not at this stage in the campaign developed the kind of detail you seek, but Senator McCain is certainly in favor of expanding successful programs to allow personal contributions to society.

Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR) remains the only GOP candidate to sign the Presidential Pledge to Expand National Service or issue a statement of support for expanding AmeriCorps by at least 100,000 members. Last night, former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) said in Manchester that AmeriCorps fit in his “budget box,” but that he would “have to see” about growing its membership to accomodate post-9/11 demand by citizens to serve their country.

ServeNext will continue to have a presence at McCain town hall meetings in the days leading up to the first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 and beyond as its national campaign to expand National Service kicks off.

ServeNext to ride McCain’s Straight Talk Express…

U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has invited ServeNext to ride his Straight Talk Express on Thursday morning to Stratham, where he will host a Town Hall Meeting with the service-minded employees of The Timberland Company and meet with their CEO and long-time National Service supporter, Mr. Jeffery Swartz. Once an AmeriCorps member based in the same offices, I will now serve as a member of the Press Corps covering McCain’s visit. The bus ride provides ServeNext with the opportunity to get some ”straight talk” on the issue of National Service, a topic on which McCain has yet to focus much of his time thus far on the campaign trail.

A National Service ”non-believer” in the early-1990’s, McCain would eventually come around and be one of the program’s biggest supporters. Following 9/11, he co-sponsered the Call to Service Act with U.S. Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN), which aimed at expanding AmeriCorps to 250,000 members annually – a drastic increase.

National service is an issue that has been largely identified with the Democratic Party and the left of the political spectrum. That is unfortunate, because duty, honor, and country are values that transcend ideology. National service, both civilian and military, can embody the virtues of patriotism that conservatives cherish.

Do you have a question for Senator McCain? Post them over at BlogNext! We’ll try to get in as many as possible before arriving in Stratham from Bedford.

Also, be sure to tune in tomorrow night at 7:00pm EST on either MTV or MySpace for a Presidential Dialogue with the Senator. We have a couple ServeNext members with tickets to this LIVE Town Hall-style event at Southern New Hampshire University!

Candidates join President Bush in celebrating Thanksgiving through service

The President of the United States and those seeking his job next year spent the days leading up to (and including) Thanksgiving Day in service to those less fortunate.  A few were captured in photographs this week by national media and have been compiled here to help us celebrate this Season of Service!

President George W. Bush (R)

President Bush picks up a box potatoes as he visits the Central Virginia Food Bank in Richmond, Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. At right, Food Bank president Fay Lohr; at left, volunteer Pastor Mike Hennigan; far right, Freedom Corps volunteer Paul Anderson. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

U.S. Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., serves lunch at the Iowa Homeless Youth Center, Wednesday, November 21, 2007 in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Steve Pope)  

Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) 

Republican presidential hopeful, former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, packs food boxes at the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007, in Hiawatha, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Democratic presidential hopeful, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards with his children, Cate, from left, Jack, and Emma Claire, package donated food for Thanksgiving during a visit to the Inter-Faith Council and Social Service Food Pantry in Carrboro, N.C., Wednesday, Nov. 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)

Democratic presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) distributes food at the Central Iowa Shelter and Services Center in Des Moines, Iowa, November 20, 2007. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton (UNITED STATES)  

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)

Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen Barack Obama, D-Ill., right, helps move food donated for people for the Thanksgiving holiday in Manchester, N.H. Wednesday Nov. 21, 2007, at the New Horizon’s Food Pantry. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

U.S. Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) was also slated to collect canned goods at two campaign events on Wednesday and volunteer with his family at the Machine Shed Restaurant in Urbandale, IA on Thanksgiving Day.  U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) spent Thanksgiving with the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces serving in Iraq.  

Presidential candidates will next have the opportunity to serve alongside AmeriCorps members with City Year New Hampshire either before or after they address College Convention 2008 in Manchester, NH next week.

Clinton and McCain serve those who serve America

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) commemorated Veteran’s Day in Waterloo, IA by announcing new policy proposals to ensure that America fulfills its obligations to those who have served and sacrificed for the nation including giving military veterans additional opportunities to serve their country through AmeriCorps.

Hillary will make vouchers worth up to $10,000 available to returning veterans who want to serve in AmeriCorps and select not-for-profit organizations. These organizations would provide at least $5,000 to supplement the voucher. This system will help veterans create normal routines and reenter their communities while doing meaningful work serving their country. Hillary will make this subsidy available to as many as 20,000 veterans a year.

Last month, Senator Clinton announced her plans to expand AmeriCorps by 100,000 members by the end of her first term as President and increase the Segal Education Award from $4,725 to $10,000 for each year of service.

 

In the “other” first-in-the-nation state, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) addressed hundreds at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetary in Boscawen. 

McCain… opened his speech by asking Major General Kenneth Clark, the state’s adjutant general, to stand while the audience applauded to show appreciation for the efforts of the state’s citizen soldiers.

“We will be inspired by them, just as we were inspired by those who went before us,” said McCain, who added that the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan “has divided Americans but none of us is divided in our appreciation and our love and affection for those men and women in the military who are serving the cause of freedom.”

In addition to his military service, General Clark also serves on the City Year New Hampshire Board of Directors.  Over 130,000 veterans live in New Hampshire including my rommate, former classmate, and AmeriCorps Alum – Ernie Lemelin. 

For your never-ending service to our country… THANK YOU.