This is pretty cool: President Obama took a short break from debate preparation to phone bank at the local Obama campaign office in Williamsburg. Pool report courtesy of Todd Allen Wilson, Political Reporter for the Newport News Daily Press.

POTUS left the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, were he is preparing for his upcoming debate, at 2:23 p.m. Sunday to visit the local campaign office.

The president arrived at the office, where he came into the lobby carrying a stack of pizzas.

“Hello, hello,” Obama yelled as he walked into the lobby of the office. “I brought some food.”

The president introduced himself to a small group of campaign workers in the lobby before heading into a back room, where 11 volunteers were phone banking.

Obama introduced himself to the volunteers before taking a seat between Alexa Kissinger and Suzanne Stern to make his own phone calls to local volunteers.

“I’ve got to get to work,” Obama said. ”

After joking with Kissinger about “old school” phones Obama called volunteer Griselda Bayton.

“Well, I wanted  to call and say thank you,” Obama said. “I’m at the over at the Williamsburg office, and I know you’ve been working so hard for the campaign. I wanted to say how much I appreciate it.”

After listening to Griselda respond, Obama said, “It means so much to me. I understand that you’re going to be installed as a pastor at Trinity Baptist Church.”

Obama then called Ellen and Chuck Hawkins.

“Is this Ellen?” Obama asked. “Ellen this is Barack Obama.”

“It is. It is. Really, truly,” Obama said. “I’m over here in the Williamsburg office. They have told me some of the great folks that have been doing work, and I know you and Chuck have been working so hard>”

After making phone calls Obama, shook hands with and hugged a line of roughly 20 volunteers standing outside in front of the office.

Obama left the Williamsburg campaign office just before 3 p.m. to return to the Kingsmill resort.

A full transcript of the president’s end of the two phone conversations will follow shortly.

Also while Obama was  making calls an unidentified  reporter called out the question: “How is  debate prep going sir?”

“It’s going great,” Obama said.

President Obama at the Williamsburg campaign office on a phone call to volunteer Griselda Bayton:

“Hi, Griselda?”

“Hi, this is Barack Obama. Can you hear me?”

“Well I wanted to call and say thank you. I’m over at the Williamsburg office and I know that you have just been working so hard for the campaign. And I just wanted to say how much I appreciate it.”

“Well, it means so much to me. I understand that you’re going to be installed as a pastor at Trinity Baptist Church. ”

“Congratulations. That’s a big deal.”

“Well you know I’ll probably be someplace else, but you tell everybody at church I said, ‘Hi.’ ”

“Make sure they’re keeping me in their prayer, and Michelle and the girls in their prayers. And make sure they’re voting too. ”

“Ok. Go at it. I appreciate you. ”

“Well I look forward to meeting you some time in person , and I can’t thank you enough. Just keep it going for the next three weeks.”

“Ok. Thank you so much, Bye-bye.”

Obama on phone call with Ellen and Chuck Hawkins:

“Is this Ellen?”

“Ellen, this is Barack Obama.”

“It is. It is really , truly me. I’m over here in the Williamsburg office and they have told me some of the great folks that have been doing work, and I know you and Chuck have been working so hard. So I just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate you.”

“We are going to do that. And then we’ve just got to keep pushing hard all the way through the last three weeks.”

“Well, I can’t thank you enough for everything you and Chuck are doing. I just wanted you to know I hope I get a chance to meet you in person sometime. But in the meantime just know that what you do is the bedrock of this campaign. It’s what makes it happen.”

“You, know I will. All right, take care of yourself.”

“You bet, bye-bye.”

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Working class hero Bruce Springsteen will be campaigning for Barack Obama, and NOT – repeat NOT! – for Romney/Ryan, for very good reason: Democrats and progressives believe that we’re all in this together, that “no man is an island unto himself,” that our nation needs to take care of our own. In stark, stunning, horrifying contrast, Romney/Ryan and their fellow “Greed is Good” Ayn Randians believe that it’s dog eat dog, survival of the fittest richest and most powerful, every man for himself, that “I’ve got mine, so FU!” Which vision is more appealing to you? I know where I stand: with Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and of course with BRUUUUUUUCE!

The following mailer is flooding mailboxes across Virginia as we speak. See below for some fascinating information on this truly extreme organization, founded by Todd Akin’s mentor on the whole “rape causes the woman’s body to shut down so she doesn’t get pregnant” theory. Also, note that Paul Ryan received a 100% lifetime rating from this group, which advocates a “Personhood Amendment” to our constitution (defining life as legally beginning at conception, thus making abortion and various forms of birth control equivalent to murder). This group not only wants to ban all abortion in America (for ANY reason), but also opposes embryonic stem cell research, the pill and other forms of contraception, in vitro fertilization, etc.

Here’s a bit of information on the group sending out this mailer, and the founder of the group (Dr. John C. “Jack” Willke):

*”The discredited notion that a woman’s body can resist conception in a sexual assault has persisted in anti-abortion circles for decades, largely because of the efforts of a Cincinnati obstetrician who is considered a godfather of the movement. Dr. John C. “Jack” Willke founded the National Right to Life Committee and wrote the influential 1971 “Handbook on Abortion,” which has shaped the thinking of generations of anti-abortion activists. Rep. Todd Akin‘s comments this week on rape and pregnancy helped upend a Senate race and roiled the Republican Party in a tough election year. But they reflect ideas that the 87-year-old Willke began peddling years ago.” (Source)

*”One of the central goals of the organization is the passage of a constitutional amendment banning all abortion.”

*”…they are also active in other issues such as partial-birth abortion, euthanasia, stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, and cloning. NRCL opposes RU-486 and some forms of contraceptives, including ‘the pill.’”

*”NRLC encourages its members to approach local schools so they can give talks in the classroom, they call it ‘Captivating the Captive Audience.’ In materials that explain how to convert students to their cause, they emphasize the effectiveness of using NRCL’s educational resources, such as videos, pamphlets, cd-roms, and ‘fetal models.'”

*Also worth noting, Paul Ryan has a “100 percent lifetime voting record from the National Right to Life Committee-slightly better, as it happens, than [Todd] Akin, who only scored 90 percent during one of his terms in Congress.”

From the Kaine campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2012  CONTACT: Kaine for Virginia Press Office (804) 359-7106 press@kaineforva.com   KAINE, CLYBURN, AND MCCLELLAN RALLY VOLUNTEERS IN RICHMOND Richmond, VA – Today, former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine was joined by Congressman Jim Clyburn (SC) and Delegate Jennifer McClellan to launch a canvass from the Kaine campaign’s Richmond headquarters. Kaine shared more than 100 volunteers the importance of electing the right candidates as well as the importance of preserving the kind of grassroots activism that has propelled his campaign. “What we’re battling for is whether our campaigns will be about person-to-person politics or if it’s all going to be about negative ads and secret money,” said Kaine. “That’s why the grassroots activism that you’re all doing here today is so important. You are what is standing between maintaining person-to-person politics and a brave new world that we don’t want.” Congressman Clyburn told volunteers that he has worked with Tim Kaine and George Allen and strongly endorsed Kaine as the best candidate to represent and serve Virginia in the U.S. Senate. “I met Tim Kaine before he became your governor,” said Kaine. “I’ve followed his career and worked very closely with him. And I went to Iraq with another former governor and former senator from Virginia. And I can tell you, interacting with Tim Kaine and interacting with his opponent in this race, there is no comparison.  I don’t have any hesitation in calling Tim my good friend. We want and need him in the Senate.” Delegate Jennifer McClellan of Richmond shared some of the key differences between Tim Kaine and George Allen on issues of importance to women. Tim Kaine has been a strong voice for things like equal pay and has opposed personhood and mandatory ultrasound legislation while George Allen has struggled to explain his votes against things like the Family and Medical Leave Act, his silence on ultrasound and equal pay legislation, and his support for federal personhood legislation. “The choice between Tim Kaine and George Allen could not be clearer,” said Delegate McClellan. “Senator Allen supports federal personhood legislation and he supports the Blunt Amendment which would allow employers to tell women whether they can have birth control covered in their insurance. And he refused to speak out against the ultrasound law which was unfortunately passed earlier this year. The choice could not be clearer for women. When you go down the issues it is a stark difference.” Since the beginning of the year, Kaine has built his U.S. Senate campaign on the grassroots support of more than 40,000 donors and the strong efforts of nearly 10,000 volunteers who have made more than 1 million phone calls and knocked on more than 100,000 doors on his behalf. ###

In no particular order, here are a few of my (bleary-eyed) thoughts on the Nationals season that ended, in heartbreaking/heartstopping (is there a cardiologist in the house?!?) fashion early this morning.

*First of all, anyone criticizing Drew Storen is an idiot. The guy is a great pitcher, period. Furthermore, he will be a great pitcher for many many years, and nothing that happened last night in any way changes that. Thank you, Drew Storen, for coming back from injury this year and pitching your heart out, also for being a class act all around. Don’t let the brain-dead haters get you down!

*Second, just to get this out of the way: the Nationals’ decision to shut down Stephen Strasburg when they did was absolutely the correct one, both at the time and in 20/20 hindsight. The guy was coming off of Tommy John surgery, which is obviously major surgery, and if allowed time to heal properly – following the advice of medical experts – will be the Nats’ ace for years to come. Thank you, Mike Rizzo, for sticking to your guns and not giving in to all the backseat drivers out there.  

*Kudos to the entire Washington Nationals organization, from high-quality owners (hello, Peter Angelos, are you watching this?!? note – I grew up an Orioles fan, have blamed Angelos for ruining the team for many years) to a superb General Manager (who should be named Executive of the Year), to manager Davey Johnson (a throwback in some ways to my all-time favorite manager, Earl Weaver, who Johnson played for during the O’s glory days of the late 1960s and early 1970s).

*Despite last night’s stunning loss, this is a team, and a franchise, that is high-quality up and down, built to last, and one that will be playoff contenders for years to come.

*It looks like the decision by Major League Baseball, against the opposition of Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos and several from the DC council (David Catania, Phil Mendelson and Jim Graham and Adrian Fenty “voted against baseball 12 times”), to put a team in Washington, DC, is working out quite nicely, thank you. 🙂

*The Nationals could have been in Northern Virginia, but as DC Councilmember Jack Evans explained the other day, “Northern Virginia fumbled on the bonds where the governor at that time, Mark Warner, said he wouldn’t back the state — wouldn’t back the bonds.” Also see here for details on how Arlington County told Major League Baseball no thanks! (“the Arlington County Board drove the final nail into the coffin on July 18, 2004 ,by sending a letter to the VBSA explaining that an MLB Stadium was unwanted in their county-period.”), and also how House Speaker Bill Howell “changed his tune [about baseball in Virginia] on August 11, [2005] saying that he would not vote in favor of using the state’s ‘moral obligation’ to back the construction bonds.”

*Good luck to the face of the Nationals’, Ryan Zimmerman, who may very well need shoulder surgery this winter.

*What a debut for teenager Bryce “Bam-Bam” Harper, a throwback (in a good way) to how baseball used to be back in the “old days” (run out every ground ball, get your uniform dirty, etc.). On top of being a strong Rookie of the Year contender, Harper also coined the instantly-famous phrase, “That’s a clown question, bro,” which was picked up by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Gotta love it.

*Jayson Werth proved his “worth,” and then some, to the team with a superb season following a broken wrist in early May, and culminating with his dramatic, 13-pitch, walk-off homer on Thursday night to win Game #4 for the Nats.

*I absolutely LOVE this pitching staff, which believe it or not could be even better next year.

*Go Teddy! 🙂

*Excellent late-season acquisition of catcher Kurt Suzuki by the front office. The question is, what happens in 2013, when Wilson Ramos (presumably) returns from the DL?

*Finally, since this IS a political blog after all, let me draw a couple lessons from the Nats’ loss last night for the Obama-Romney race, and for politics in general: a) No matter how big a lead you have, you can NEVER assume that it’s safe (not that the Nats’ did anything like that last night, I’m just sayin’…). That’s why when you have your opponent down, you do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t let him back in the game. b) You need to do whatever you can to “make your own luck,” by building as strong an organization – baseball or political – as possible. In the end, though, there’s always an element of luck, serendipity, ridiculous stuff, wackiness, etc., as we saw last night, and to an extent as we saw in the first Romney-Obama debate.

P.S. Whoops, almost forgot, but thanks to Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler for their radio broadcast of the Nats’ games this season, it was a pleasure listening to you guys most nights!

Photo by Keith Allison from Flickr Creative Commons