I am pleased to announce the beginning of BlogHer’s Election 2008 get-out-the-vote campaign!

Women who blog are already mobilizing around political issues that engage us -- from KylaKae on mud-slinging and the Supreme Court to Rita Arens on the chipping away of S-CHIP to Dana on GOP Debate highlights, to Jen38 on the hidden motivations of attacking Hillary's Clinton's laugh, to Momocrats in today's New York Times. In the coming year, BlogHer's Politics and News team will work together to showcase the best writing by women on politics, as well as help you find everyone who is writing about the coming election. To help us help this community, today we’re introducing blog bling so you can show your support of getting out women's voices and the vote for Election 2008, and in the next month we’ll be unfolding:

So, download a badge, get blogging, get tagging (Election2008 and BlogHer) and stay tuned!

And just a reminder, here’s the BlogHer Voter Manifesto, drafted by our community. We will be working to take these questions to presidential candidates, demanding succinct, sound bite-free, no weasel words answers.


Here are our topics:
Iraq
Health Care
Environment and Global Warming
Economic Future

And here are the Questions
Iraq

1. Do you have an Iraq exit strategy? If so, please describe it, including key objectives, milestones and timetables. Will you work to end the Iraq war before the 2008 election? If so, how?

2. The financial cost of the war has been significant, and even with a major troop pullout, these costs will not end soon. How do you propose to keep paying for the war?

3. What are you going to do to help the Veteran's Administration and soldiers in need? Please be specific about physical and financial actions planned.

Health Care

1. Do you intend to make sure that everyone in the United States gets health insurance? How?

2. Many people believe all Americans deserve access to health care, but resources aren't limitless. What policies should guide us in making decisions about how to allocate health care dollars? How will you set priorities?"

3. What is your position on requiring all major private, Medicaid, or federal health insurance plans to cover birth control?

Environment and Global Warming

1. We are reaching the point of no return on climate change. What will your legacy to the environment be?

2. How will your policies help to protect our bodies from pollution in the environment? Again, please be specific.

3. What is your position on expanding public transit to reduce carbon emissions, create additional jobs, and provide a resource to communities? What incentives will you provide to states and municipalities to expand public transit?

Our Economic Future

1. Will you give a tax credit to people who are self-employed and need to buy health insurance?

2. How will you address predatory lending practices to ensure Americans buy homes they can really afford? What steps do you recommend to resolve the current crisis?

3. What is your position on creating a federal public policy that helps families break the cycle of poverty?