During a powerful Father’s Day speech Barack Obama called out dead beat dads and heralded us single moms for all of our hard work. I love this man, I truly do.

Raised by a single mother, I expect Obama will be very passionate on single parent issues if elected. On Friday he announced he would co-sponsor to increase enforcement of child support payments and strengthen domestic violence prevention service.

Here are some highlights from his speech:

We need fathers to recognize their responsibility doesn’t just end at conception…what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child, any fool can have a child. That doesn’t make you a father, it’s the courage to raise a child that makes you a father.

And to all you mothers out there, you need help! We need to help all of those mothers out there who are raising their kids by themselves. The mothers who drop them off at school and go to work and pick them up in the afternoon and work another shift … protect the family and do all of the things that a parent is supposed to do. So many women in our community are doing this in a heroic fashion.

We are so proud of all of those single moms out there doing such incredible work. But they need support, they need another parent in the home. Their children need another parent in the home. That’s what keeps the foundation of our country strong… I know the toll being a single parent took on my mother, how she struggled sometimes to pay the bills. How she struggled to give us the things that other kids had…she struggled to play all of the roles that a parent is supposed to take.

And he also calls out married fathers who aren’t as active as they should be:

It’s a wonderful thing if you’re married and living with your children but don’t just sit in the house watching Sports Center all day… so many of our children are growing up in front of the television set and playing video games. Turn them off and read a book to your child!

Watch the video here.

Can you believe this? A politician praising single moms on Father’s Day. Feel like I’m hallucinating and am of course, ecstatic about it. He also mentioned extending maternity and paternity leave.

Child support laws vary from state to state … what are the laws like in your state? Do you feel you receive your fair share? If you could pass a law to help us out, what would it be?

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I’m sick. Can’t write much because my brain is going to explode…but I do have some sick thoughts to share, not really sick thoughts, but thoughts I’m having as I sit here – sick.

1. Barack Obama could be the first President of the United States who was raised by a single mother. There are no words for that one. Any one know of any other Presidents raised by single moms? I have been wondering lately about the history of single parents … how often our stories were left out of history books because of shame or that Scarlet Letter. Ronald Regan was a single dad after he divorced his first wife Jane, but he met Nancy less than one year later … not sure if that counts.

2. Benjamin’s tooth will be fine. Dead … but fine. Not sure how dead teeth can be fine, but I’ll take a dead tooth over no tooth any day.

3. I want to buy a bike with a baby seat on the back so Benjamin and I can just ride and ride.

4. Benjamin’s father’s car might not be running next Monday. The last time his car broke down we didn’t see him for 6 weeks.

5. I mailed in my passport renewal today! The countdown to Copenhagen has officially begun … just a little over 8 weeks away now.

6. In one of many sweet e-mails from the Dane he asked me how he could spot single moms… now he’s looking at mothers in a completely different light! SO adorable! I’m telling you – dating a single mom is really amazing for men – we are refreshing, we are real and we raise some pretty amazing kids. But as for spotting us out of a crowd of moms? Look for a wedding ring or dress up your kid in a t-shirt from iHeartSingleParents.com.  Morgan and Clare, iHeart’s founders are sending me a t-shirt for Benjamin that says – “My Mom is Single – Ask Her Out.” Can’t wait to get it!

Those are my sick thoughts. I HATE being sick.

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You know when I wish I had a man the most? Every time I pick up a newspaper.

Because …

It might be nice to have a man around to do the heavy lifting, the fighting or the hunting when shit hits the fan. Seriously. I’m scared.

Most of us single moms aren’t rolling in money and when gas prices go up to $4.00 a gallon – it hurts. Not even to mention the price of groceries, housing and health care. I just worry about it, that’s all. Forget the face on this magazine cover – it could be any one of their faces – they’ve all left us in this cluster.

I wish Kris wouldn’t have pet my cats so much. Because when my day as a single working mom is over, the last thing I want to do is:

Freak out when I read a newspaper

WHILE

Getting rubbed up on and meowed at by my now spoiled cats.

Sorry for the gloom and doom.

If you need a single mommy topic there’s a very hot one going on at iHeart. Yesterday I asked all of the members to vent about their ex spouses or partners. Check out “Single Mamas vs. Single Papas”! The discussion topic has 47 responses and counting. If you have any ex-issues, you’ll definitely relate.

BTW: There are quite a few very hot and very adorable single dads on iHeart now. So the world can’t be all that bad? Right?

[Photo Credit: Ralph Deeds]

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I am a long time supporter of yours. Months ago, I hopped onto BarackObama.com and joined your fantastic online community. Nice work on that social network by the way. Very nice. I have found lots of cute men in my area who are also card carrying liberals…and I feel like I am truly part of a movement with like-minded individuals.

However, I think you need to read this. Because I can’t help but notice, that my e-mails from either you, Michelle or your campaign manager are increasing in frequency – to as many as three a day!

I hate to admit this, but like other brands (and, yes, you are a brand), I get a bad taste in my mouth for anyone who spams the hell out of my inbox. And, after a while, I just don’t open them anymore. In other words, you’re being annoying. And annoying is not good.

Please, please, for the love of the Democratic party and all things holy – please stop breaking the e-mail laws of etiquette! It’s just bad form.

I still love you and will still be voting for you in November.

Sincerely,

Ms. Single Mama

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Did Senator McCain have an affair? The New York Times says there’s a good chance. And it was with a lobbyist. Oops. Here’s an excerpt from the Times article.

“Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.

A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity”

The lucky gal, Vicki Iseman, looks eerily like McCain’s wife. Creepy! Men are so weird. Okay – got that out of the way. Now the meat of the matter. Why am I blogging about this? Because it’s ridiculous. Well, not entirely ridiculous, she’s a lobbyist so there are some ethical issues involved. Here’s what’s ridiculous – that this even matters. Politicians are people too. Maybe if we weren’t so hyper-critical they would be better leaders. Maybe if they could all divorce their wives and be truly happy they would be better leaders.

Look at Hillary and Bill. Makes me sick. They probably haven’t slept together in 20 years. It’s one of the reasons why I can’t respect her – because when the Lewinksy affair went down I naturally assumed she would leave him. Does anyone remember the blue dress? And the cigar? But, nope. She stayed. Yuck. Who does that? Who walks around in the public eye with everyone knowing you aren’t getting any from your husband? She should have left him years ago. But they’re together because they’re political partners – nothing more. And anyone who thinks otherwise is stupid, blind or both.

So here’s what we’re telling our daughters and sons:

Stay with cheating husband = good, now you can run for President.

Cheat on wife = very, very, very bad.

Divorce wife so you don’t have to cheat on her = even worse.

Poor McCain. I’m an Obama girl but I also respect McCain. And actually voted for him when he was running against Satan’s Minion. This election year I was looking forward to a fair fight. I hope we all just ignore this story and not turn it into a national rucous.

No related posts.

I finally found it. A story about Barack Obama’s single mother, Ann Dunham, who was only 19 years old when she had Barack and 21 when her husband left her. I had seen this photograph, one that nearly brought me to tears, if only because of her face…so proud, so strong, so happy, despite the fact that she was a single mother.

In the preface to a new edition of “Dreams From My Father,” Obama’s story of finally reconnecting with his father and his relatives in Kenya, Obama writes of his mother, “what is best in me I owe to her.” Ann Dunham died of cancer in 1995, she was only 52 years old.

Isn’t that amazing? That she did it. She raised this fascinating, inspiring man all on her own. And not only is he a happy, healthy well-balanced individual…he’s running for president. Just makes this single mama beam with pride and fill up with hope. So here’s a quick recap of her story.

Born in Kansas, she later moved to Seattle and then attended the University of Hawaii in Honolulu where she met Obama’s father described by her friends as “a charismatic older student who radiated a self-confidence bordering on ‘arrogance.’” (sounds just like my ex-husband). Ann Dunham was quiet and unassuming but had an adventurous spirit. She did re-marry after he left for Harvard and then back to Kenya, but the dates aren’t clear in the article I found…so I’m not sure how many years she was single before marrying again. But the article does say she left her second husband when Barack was about 11 years old. Once again all of this is unclear in this article and I can’t find specific dates anywhere.

And here is a video from Barack’s speech in Richmond (after cleaning up on Saturday in Washington, Louisiana and Nebraska). The volume is low at the beginning but hang on because he mentions being raised by a single mother who gave him three things, “love, education and hope.” Awesome.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H581A0IgnYg

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This single mama is 100% behind Barack Obama. If you have a minute – read this article to find out why. Here is an excerpt from the article by Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic:

“Sometimes, when the world is changing rapidly, the greater risk is caution. Close-up in this election campaign, Obama is unlikely. From a distance, he is necessary. At a time when America’s estrangement from the world risks tipping into dangerous imbalance, when a country at war with lethal enemies is also increasingly at war with itself, when humankind’s spiritual yearnings veer between an excess of certainty and an inability to believe anything at all, and when sectarian and racial divides seem as intractable as ever, a man who is a bridge between these worlds may be indispensable.”

And watch this amazing video. It’s a beautiful music video directed by Bob Dylan’s son and featuring Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas…very, very stirring.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjXyqcx-mYY

Regardless of who wins tomorrow (the polls now show the two neck and neck)… one thing is for certain – this election has energized our country. Republican or Democrat – we should all be extremely proud to be Americans in this moment in history.

Unfortunately my state isn’t voting until March 4. But it might not be locked up tomorrow – so I might get a chance to vote for him. Posting this is the least I can do.

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I usually don’t even go here…into politics on this blog. But as a mother, a woman and a liberal I feel it is my civic duty to pass this on. This video is crazy. And just another reason why I’m supporting Barack Obama. Why Barack? Read this article and you’ll have my reasons.

The Shocking Video Hillary Clinton Really Doesn’t Want You to See (Part 1)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v/xq8aopATYyw&rel=1]

The Shocking Video Hillary Clinton Really Doesn’t Want You to See (Part 2)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMfUajhL24I

Two weeks ago another single mom and one of my best friends called me from Michigan. “What’s up with Obama? I know you like him…why should I like him? Should I like him? A co-worker tried to start a debate today and I didn’t even know what to say. So…tell me.”

“Have you heard him speak?” I asked her. No, of course she hadn’t, when would she get the time? Darn it. Us single moms are so busy. Hearing him speak for the first time was all it took for me. First the 2004 Democratic National Convention, when he was just running for Senate and then his presidential nomination speech. And the latest – last night’s in Iowa.

Raised by a single mother, Barack Obama, would give our country the change we’ve been wanting for so long and in my mind, is by far the best candidate for the job. For me the choice is pretty clear.

Is it for you? Let’s start talking about it. Read up or watch up. Here’s a great video of Obama on the Daily Show.

Barack Obama on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart

[http://www.thedailyshow.com/sitewide/video_player/view/default/swf.jhtml']

Expect more political YouTube videos from me and please suggest your own…

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