The Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election between Jim Martin and incumbent Saxby Chambliss takes place tomorrow, December 2nd. President-elect Barack Obama recently released a radio ad expressing his support for Jim Martin, and many volunteers and organizers in Georgia have been working non-stop since Election Day to help prepare for the runoff.

As Lee Goodall, the Georgia Campaign for Change Field Director, explained this morning in a message to supporters in Georgia:

In a runoff election like this one, it doesn't matter what the pundits and the pollsters say -- all that matters is who shows up at the polls.

The energy and enthusiasm we've seen throughout this election have proven that Georgians are ready for change. Now we just need to make sure we convert our momentum into votes.

With Jim Martin in the Senate, President-elect Obama will gain a crucial supporter, and Georgia will gain someone who will fight for the middle class and help rebuild our economy.

Supporters in Georgia can help by volunteering to Get Out The Vote tomorrow in your community. You can use our online look-up tool to find a GOTV staging area near you:

You can also help out by making calls to Georgia voters from home using the same online voter contact tools at My.BarackObama.com used during the general election. We'll provide you with a list of voters to contact and a short script, as well as the polling location info for the people who talk to.

Polls in Georgia are open tomorrow from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. You do not need to have voted in the general election in order to vote in the runoff, although you do have to have been registered to vote in Georgia on or before October 6th, 2008. It's possible that your polling place may be different than in the general election, but you can look up your current polling place on the Georgia Secretary of State website now.

Today President-elect Obama released a video statement to mark the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day:

In the statement, he explained:

Too many people are unaware that while HIV/AIDS is incurable, it is 100 percent preventable. And far too many people have become infected because they lack basic information about how this disease is spread. I intend to confront the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS – a stigma which is too often tied to racism, sexism and homophobia. That is what Michelle and I tried to do by taking a public HIV test in Kenya a few years ago.

We must engage in honest, open dialogue and reach out to those most at risk. My administration will educate people about HIV/AIDS, ensure people living with HIV/AIDS have access to treatment, and work with Congress to enact an extensive program of prevention, including access to comprehensive age-appropriate sex education for all school age children.

We will also keep faith with the millions of people living with HIV/AIDS around the world by continuing to support the work of the Global AIDS Fund and maintaining our strong leadership through the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief.

You can read the full remarks of the statement at Change.gov.

President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden officially announced key members of their national security team today: nominating Senator Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, selecting Defense Secretary Robert Gates to remain as Secretary of Defense, nominating Eric Holder as Attorney General, nominating Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, nominating Susan Rice as Ambassador to the United Nations and selecting General Jim Jones, USMC (Ret) as National Security Adviser.

President-elect Obama explained:

In this uncertain world, the time has come for a new beginning – a new dawn of American leadership to overcome the challenges of the 21st century, and to seize the opportunities embedded in those challenges. To succeed, we must pursue a new strategy that skillfully uses, balances, and integrates all elements of American power: our military and diplomacy; our intelligence and law enforcement; our economy and the power of our moral example. The team that we have assembled here today is uniquely suited to do just that. They share my pragmatism about the use of power, and my sense of purpose about America’s role as a leader in the world.

Vice President-elect Biden added:

It is an honor to be a part of this team, led by the President Elect – a team that will see to it that America can lead the world not only by the example of our power, but also by the power of our example. I believe we have assembled a national security team that is poised to recapture the totality of America’s strength.

For more information on the new members of the National Security Team visit Change.gov.

On November 4th the three-way race for the Georgia U.S. Senate seat between Jim Martin, incumbent Saxby Chambliss and Allen Buckley ended with none of the candidates having reached 50% of the total vote. Under Georgia law, a special runoff election has been scheduled for December 2nd between Martin and Chambliss.

President-elect Barack Obama recently released a radio ad expressing his support for Jim Martin, in which he called on Georgia voters to head to the polls on more time this coming Tuesday:

Jim supports my plan to cut middle class taxes, make sure every American has access to affordable health care, stop spending ten billions dollars a month in Iraq, and get our economy moving again. Jim Martin's a man of his word, and I know he'll do everything he can in the Senate to help me change Washington and get America moving again.

The Georgia U.S. Senate runoff vote will take place this Tuesday, December 2nd. You do not need to have voted in the general election in order to vote in the runoff, but you do have to have been registered to vote in Georgia on or before October 6th, 2008. You can use the Georgia Secretary of State's online polling locator to find your polling location.

Our supporters built an incredible grassroots movement in Georgia over the past 21 months, and many volunteers and organizers in Georgia have been working non-stop since Election Day to help prepare for the runoff. In a special elections like this, turnout is key, and there is no substitute for the type door to door, person to person contact that was at the heart of our campaign over the past two years.

Supporters in Georgia can use My.BarackObama.com to sign up for Get Out The Vote shifts from now through Election Day, or find a local field office near you. Shifts start at 9:30 AM, 12:30 PM, 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM each day and run three hours each.

You can also help out by making calls from home using the same online voter contact tools at My.BarackObama.com used during the general election. We'll provide you with a list of voters to contact and a short script, as well as the polling location info for the people who talk to.

This effort has always been about more than one candidate or one campaign -- it's about building a lasting movement for change. This Tuesday, voters in Georgia have a chance to vote for change one more time.

photo: Denver, Colorado Oct. 26, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama released a preview of the Weekly Democratic Radio Address today, in which he discusses the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday in this challenging time. He underscores that the spirit that binds us together as Americans is the same spirit that will lead us out of this economic crisis through bold, swift action.

Times are tough. There are difficult months ahead. But we can renew our nation the same way that we have in the many years since Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving: by coming together to overcome adversity; by reaching for – and working for – new horizons of opportunity for all Americans. So this weekend – with one heart, and one voice, the American people can give thanks that a new and brighter day is yet to come.

Below is a statement from the Obama Transition Chief National Security Spokesperson Brooke Anderson on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India:

President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today's terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks.

Today, David Plouffe announced plans for a series of coordinated house meetings to be held on December 13th and 14th, in which grassroots supporters are being invited to help plan the future of this movement.

This week, President-elect Barack Obama is announcing the key members of his White House economic team who will help him tackle serious challenges and bring the change we need to Washington.

But there's still a lot of work to be done in communities all across the country -- including yours.

On December 13th and 14th, supporters are coming together to reflect on what we've accomplished and help plan the future of this movement.

Many of you have already submitted your feedback through our online survey. Our team in Chicago is reviewing an impressive number of detailed responses, and your input will help guide the future of this grassroots movement.

Sign up to host a Change is Coming house meeting and invite your friends, family, and neighbors to attend.

You'll receive everything you need to make your meeting a success, including a special DVD our team put together just for these events.

Discuss the issues that are most important to you, what you can do to support Barack's agenda, and how you can continue to make an impact in your community.

Now is the time to put aside partisanship and politics, find common ground, and work together. Please invite those who might not have been involved in the campaign, even those who might have supported our opponent.

The challenges we face demand we be as inclusive as possible. It'll take the whole country working together to get our country back on track.

Host a party to celebrate our historic achievement and take the next steps to bring the change our country needs.

Your continued involvement is crucial to the future of this movement.

As Barack said on Election Night, "This victory alone is not the change we seek -- it is only the chance for us to make that change."

The grassroots organization you built to win the election will continue to set our country on a new path.

Thank you for everything you're doing,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

You can sign up now to host a meeting, and let us know in the comments below if you're planning on participating.

This morning, David Plouffe sent out the following message about President-elect Obama's new economic team:

Today and yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama announced key members of an economic team tasked with creating jobs, stabilizing the economy, and getting our country back on track.

Barack is bringing together some of the best minds in the country to make swift progress on the economic challenges we face.

Timothy F. Geithner, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will serve as Secretary of the Treasury. Lawrence H. Summers, former Secretary of the Treasury under President Clinton, will serve as Director of the National Economic Council.

Christina D. Romer will serve as Director of the Council of Economic Advisers, Melody C. Barnes will serve as Director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Heather A. Higginbottom will serve as Deputy Director of the Domestic Policy Council.

Peter Orszag, currently Director of the Congressional Budget Office, will serve as Office of Management and Budget Director, and Rob Nabors will serve as Deputy Director.

Watch the video of Barack's announcement yesterday and learn more about the economic team:

Barack's economic team has already begun work on a recovery plan, and he'll provide progress updates in the coming weeks. He'll also provide their initial recommendations to the incoming Congress.

You'll be instrumental in generating support to pass legislation that puts America on the road to recovery.

While we can't underestimate the challenge we face, we also can't underestimate the opportunity we have to bring the change our country needs.

Thanks,

David

David Plouffe
Campaign Manager
Obama for America