Obama Courting Republicans

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RICHMOND, Va.
Posted: 5:22 PM Sep 4, 2008
Last Updated: 5:22 PM Sep 4, 2008

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U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s Virginia campaign unveiled the grassroots leadership committee for ‘Republicans for Obama’ Thursday.

The initial members, hailing from every region of the state, are charged with reaching out to other Republicans in their communities to tell them they have a real choice in this election and don’t have to accept another four years of failed Bush policies and failed Bush politics.

A self-described fiscal conservative from Falls Church, Rick Taylor has always voted for Republicans, including George Bush, twice. But he connected with Obama’s 2004 speech, and the more he read about Obama, the more he liked, especially Obama’s efforts to make government more transparent and accountable to the American people. He cited Obama’s “Google the Government” bill, which the Illinois senator worked with Tom Coburn to pass.

“Barack may be a Democrat, but he wants the government to be as efficient as it can be, and he wants the American people to know what's happening and how their tax money is being used,” says Taylor. “I used to believe that the Republicans were fiscally conservative, but that’s changed. George Bush and John McCain just don’t have credibility on that issue. No one can call George Bush a fiscal conservative, not with a straight face anyway.

Taylor cited the billions of dollars of new debt that’s been added since Bush took office.

Stephanie Marushia is a lifelong Republican and a veteran from Virginia Beach.

“I respect McCain’s service to this nation, but he has turned his back on me and our nation’s veterans,” says Marushia. “McCain has repeatedly voted against billions of dollars in additional funding for veterans’ health care, against $500 million for veterans with mental health issues, and $430 million for VA outpatient care.

“Our veterans deserve better than what McCain has offered and are owed more than his lip service. I support Senator Barack Obama because he supports our troops and will honor the obligation to our nation’s veterans.”

Please find the full grassroots ‘Republicans for Obama’ leadership committee below.

Republicans for Obama Grassroots Leadership Committee in Virginia:

Thomas Wilcox, Woodlawn

Curt Overington, Roanoke

Monterey Harris, Roanoke

Steve Bozeman, Lynchburg

James Ackley, Lynchburg

Sanford Wilson, Lynchburg

Hope McKee, Scottsville

William Kenneth Huffman Jr., Reva

J.R Stallings, Louisa

Steve Pennington, Winchester

Soren Burkhart, Charlottesville

William Walker, Staunton

Janet Kelley, Charlottesville

Earline Gosney, Danville

Diane Wilde, Danville

Alfred Toussaint, Stone Ridge

Glenn Seymour, Spotsylvania

Teressa B Wooten, Woodbridge

Roy Reed Heddleston, Woodbridge

Carol Heddleston, Woodbridge

Constance King, Stafford

Nancy Everett, Manassas

Robert Womer, Richmond

Michael Peterson, Richmond

Pat Leidner, Midlothian

Ken Leidner, Midlothian

Nick Baucom, Alexandria

Cecilia Dawn Peachey, Reston

Diana Nichols, Alexandria

John D. Lawerence, Falls Church

Rick Taylor, Falls Church

Carlos Campbell, Reston

Mark Williams, Springfield

Linda Williams, Springfield

Frank McKinney, Virginia Beach

Stephanie Marushia, Virginia Beach

Ricky Watlet, Newport News

Helen D'Alfonso, Newport News

Edward L. Brown II, Portsmouth

Lynward W. Wingfield, Portsmouth

James T. Hollinback, Norfolk

Rachel Allred, Portsmouth

Gabrielle Francesca Rhoads, Portsmouth

David King, Hampton

Lois Robinson, Norfolk

Mildred Berger-Hill, Norfolk

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Comments are posted from viewers like you and do not always reflect the views of this station.

Posted by: Mr. Ramuel M. Raagas Location: Framingham, Massachusetts on Sep 7, 2008 at 02:11 AM
Rick Taylor, Obama and their vote action team would provide the iodine for the bloated goiter Bush-McCain administration. Gabrielle delivered an invaluable video testimony on the Obama-Biden website. God bless US All. America First, not Iraq! Not McCain, instead Barack! McCain Tax Trash Talk Stinks America will hear Obama's tax-breaks for her working and middle classes from Obama himSELF!

Posted by: christine Location: texas on Sep 6, 2008 at 11:59 PM
These people are smart enough to use there common sense i do give them two thumps up you just need to think and use your common sense obama is the right candidate for change i believe we should at list give him a chance and see what be brings or deliver i am an idipendent voting for obama i am tired of the same people same policies in the white this time we ne to be smart otherwise we are going to end up like zimbabwe we are going to be behind all the smart countries eg china, europe, forget about these wars and pay attention to your own people first the republicans like to go to war but the democrats like to work on the economy first remember the bill clinton years were so good, oplease i beg you to vote obama for our children

Posted by: Cullen Location: Central Va. on Sep 6, 2008 at 04:25 PM
They made up a list and won't even tell the people on it how they got their names. These are people complaining that they are NOT voting for Obama but they were put on his list anyway, they are NOT republican, nor voting for Obama. Another is voting for Obama but is NOT republican; another they did get right but he was not even told how he got on that list. And this is supposed to be a list of people charged with doing something...but not told what or that they're on the list until newscasters call them? I hope they don't figure out how to stuff the ballots like they stuff this phoney list.

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