By Dennis Chin, Center for Community Change

There's more buzz on-line as the Campaign for Community Change kicks into high gear after the success of the Iowa Heartland Presidential Forum.  Here are some highlights:

• Chris Dorsey and Andy Chung at Iowa Politics provide a great overview of the event. The article mentions that all candidates, Democrat and Republican, were invited:

The five Democratic candidates participating were given 20 minutes to
speak to the crowd...The Republican candidates were also invited to
attend Saturday's event, but only one unnamed GOP hopeful replied to
the invitation. After only one Republican agreed to participate, forum
organizers were advised to decline the candidate so it would not appear
the group was endorsing the lone GOP presidential hopeful in the
Republican primary.

• Regan McTarsney of The Columbia Missourian focuses on the journey of GRO - Grass Roots Organizing to the Heartland Presidential Forum.   One of the highlights of the article  is a quote about community values:

“What we believe is that what you do to one person affects us all,” GRO
Executive Director Robin Acree said. “Let’s really do something and
create an America where we take care of one another and know that when
one does better, we all do better.”

• Michelle J. Nealy at Blackamericaweb.com includes a quote from Forum moderator Cathy Hughes:

Hughes, whose company co-sponsored the event along with local community
organizations, echoed the purpose of the event throughout the forum.
"This is not a debate," she said, "It a conversation for real people
with real power to affect real change. We are unified, and we mean
business."

• Jennifer Jacobs at The Des Moines Register says it simply:

The people got more microphone time than the politicians.

• Andrea J. Cook at Rapid City Journal focuses on Andrew Iron Shell, who helped to end the Forum with a closing prayer:

...Iron Shell said the 10 Native Americans who traveled to Iowa spent 
two days connecting with people from throughout the country and learned
that their concerns about the need for quality health care and higher
wages are common issues...Iron Shell believes the grassroots
Campaign for Community Values' effort to influence the 2008
presidential election will catch on with Native Americans who share
common values of respect for community and strengthening the family.  
"Because it was a voice of the grassroots people, it will be less 
threatening to our Native American community," he said. "We're actually 
talking to our neighbors here."

Check back for more posts about the Heartland Presidential Forum and the Campaign for Community Values.  If you check to your left, we have new features for you to check out.  First is our Flickr photo-sharing feature.  Check out the photos from the event and share yours too.  You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel to catch all the latest videos on the Forum and the Campaign for Community Values.

There also will be an on-line caption contest for you all to participate in starting tomorrow morning!

You'll just have to come back to check it out!