Daily Archives: 08/05/2010

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thorny Thursday &some News …


Today, President Obama is in Chicago talking about our progress and fundraising for Democrats running for office and the November elections.

Republicans and Tea party members keep saying they think Obama has it out for and against the constitution, even Palin, Boehner, Bachmann and most Republicans talk about the state of our constitution and try to use it against the Obama Admin. They say that they have to get their country back because the constitution is being misused,  now all of suddenly the 14th Amendment is not good enough, right for Americans now and needs to be adjusted, changed, or taken out completely. Is seems to me that what these people are afraid of is what our world of Americans looks like and what it will look like in the future and it will be more brown than these people want to accept.

In my continued effort to convince people politics and pop culture whether it is good, bad and the really ugly collision like ronald reagan happen constantly I offer up more proof. The very obvious one being Kevin Costner who has spent millions probably billions on machines that help with oil spills and apparently he not only is committed to our environment but put money where his words and efforts were and came through for his fellow man.  Then there is the show Jeopardy. It has updated their quiz show with an array of questions about the current Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Republicans like Mitch McConnell and more though i wonder what kind of questions any Republican is worthy of having on national tv. The last bit of News would be Wyclef, though he has stated he will run for President of Haiti he is getting a lot of opposition from the likes of sean penn, which is odd because it begs the question of how long has sean penn been helping Haiti and yes anyone running for such a high office should be looked at with cautious eyes sean penn wants to know what happened to the 400thousand that Wyclef was suppose to donate to Haiti. It is a question among others that should be answered but to just slam the man without much other than a statement is not right. It has been well known that wyclef jean has always been involved in helping the Haiti people with charities and comments here in the US about what the people of  Haiti’s need. I believe if you have a tie to Haiti know the politics have a plan to help get the financial system, political system back on track he should have to surround himself with the best the most honest group of people. Haiti and the people deserve the best should be ruled by its own people and that is important to me …Haiti is filled with riches whether it be a  great place to visit, vacation people from the US and France have done things in the past that are worrisome and though Haiti is independent it is also the poorest of the poor of countries …think about that and tell me why with all that it has to offer its people are not able to enjoy the obvious riches Haiti has …and that problem needs to be solved. Wyclef jean, born in Haiti has strong ties to the Country and must like people do here in the US prove why he would be a good President. My hope would be that Haiti remains independent and that any corrupt if there was or is any is crushed and the people can start small business for themselves and not have foreigners going into Haiti to pay low or minimum wages to use another country  people for sweat shops or cheap labor. People go to the Caribbean to vacation and Haiti though used by foreigners it doesn’t seem to reap the benefits and again has to be top priority to Wyclef jean if he is to be successful in his bid for President ..the economy and jobs because something is foul when millions of Haiti Natives have nothing but foreigners are visiting the prime parts of Haiti and parting…Haiti was Best Destination of 2010…great but there are millions still living  in tents after the earthquake because not only has the government been out of the picture some of the donations have not been paid yet. That is shameful -so, if Wyclef can ease all the tensions get people housing that is earthquake ready, a political system that works for everyone, financial system that works so everyone reaps the glorious Haiti riches not just some and get the corrupt foreigners out of there holding onto the best parts of Haiti and keeping Haitians from being apart of it. All you have to do is see the photos for yourself and know something isn’t right. Haiti may be the Best Destination of 2010 but at the expense of all of the People of Haiti , my question is who is at fault and responsible for  this, hopefully more will be done to help Haiti and its People because they deserve the help to stay independent, all Haitians deserve an opportunity for education, financial upward mobility and more of the revenue to solidify the future of Haitians needs to be dealt with differently…Wyclef knows and this will be more important as Haiti tries to solve a whole lot of issues.

Talk about more, what a month, only 5 days into August and there has been a lot of movement from legislation and judges with more good news day after day which is turning into great news … First we hear that not only did Judge Susan Bolton overturned parts, essential parts of SB1070 that would give the local police a legal right to engage in racial profiling and even her appeal was delayed until September. This action should and will set a precedent how laws like SB1070 actually try to override the federal law and cannot. It also shows just what folks like Gov Jan Brewer and Sheriff Arpaio were up to and while we all first thought the intent was solely to legalize racial profiling. It actually was an attempt to challenge the 14th Amendment and or change the language to keep children from being deemed legal citizens of the USA. This has been or should be a revelation for all Americans because we are a nation of immigrants. The prop8 ruling has people on the right scared and saying things that are outrageous, unkind and really just nasty. The prop8 ruling is about equality and in this 21st Century people should have the right to love and marry who they want, it will not damage the fabric of our lives or families  it just brings all of us into the new family and it is complicated for some and not so much for others. If a person or couple are not hurting you or your family why do you care? family values should apply to us all but it doesn’t say what makes a perfect family because by definition family or that whole village it often takes to raise children is made up of so many folks and what right do i have to say uh your this is that so your family cannot be together? people like Palin talk about family values and gotta say hers are questionable for me as a parent but that is my opinion but i don’t expect a law to say she was and is an unfit mom because she her child engaged in and had a child while still a minor? it’s food for thought thought when people try to push their ideology on you even though they don’t seem to be practicing it themselves.

The fact is The United States was built by immigrants at various points of our history and we cannot forget what Ellis Island means to so many people and impacts all our lives whether people want to admit it or not. If it were up to me my 1st Native people would take back their land which…ok it is just a thought not reality but it should give people food for thought about the people shoving and acting like we should go back in time not move forward, it’s upsetting offensive and very stupid. The jobs bill and the UI benefits that have been filibustered repeatedly had a break through yesterday when two Senators, Snowe, and Collins vote yes to cloture to move the bill forward with a 61-38.

The next report out there was that Speaker of the House has called her members back into Session from vacay to finish the deal. It is obvious people are not getting the full list of the incredible things being done by the Obama Admin and the Democratic Party in both Chamber of  Congress to get America and Americans back on track people need to take note that the changes happening are good for all of us but getting informed before deciding where you stand. It is important that people get the facts and make an informed decision to up and for President Obama or not getting all the information to make, an intelligent decision is the most important thing. My take on why people are not supporting the President as much is that folks are listening to the wacky noise on the right. The so-called News on various stations blowing out news you can use but should definitely be cautious of because you can get fooled … we all did and folks got hurt, jobs lost and businesses derailed to list just a few ACORN, Vann Jones, Shirley Sherrod and more for all we know. The thing that most of us need to ask ourselves is what is the common denominator of all the people who have recently been affected by a so-called writer and news station that cater to folks on the right. Just saying.

The BP disaster on the Gulf Coast has all but taken care of. The reports are that the static kill is in its final stage and while most folks are hoping for the best the clean up of the beaches, marshes and wetlands slowly begins its next phase because know one truly knows what impact the oil will have to the oyster beds, turtles, shrimp and bottom fish. However, there have not been enough reports to say whether the impact will take weeks, month’s maybe years to figure out the real damage to the fishing industry. Its my contention that oil spills in the past have on occasion showed up in our food and in two headed this or that and lack of certain fish runs and so on and so forth. The BP disaster will take years to document and hopefully a group or organization will keep track of the Gulf Coast on a monthly basis because as reported by many at the beginning of this thing back in April eggs were being laid, spawning interrupted and all of which may have been affected short but long term yet determined.

There are reports that an event will be held in memory of the Katrina disaster on August 31 and on September 1. The disaster was one I hope never happens again but begs the question …did the Government learn anything that has made them update emergency plans efforts that should have been put in place five years ago. I would also like to say that those levees and other barriers need stimulus money to take care of what they obviously did not do sufficiently after being warned by those that knew and told the State of LA what could happen. If memory serves there was a report a mock up and test of what would happen to the levees if they failed, which they did and need repairing on so many levels its not even a joke.

Other News …

Yesterday during a speech at the Center for American Progress, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner criticized the GOP talking point that allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire will hurt small businesses. The Republican claim is “a political argument masquerading as substance,” he said. Geithner also noted that letting the cuts expire would affect fewer than 3 percent of small businesses

While participating in talks with the FCC on net neutrality, Verizon Communications Inc. and Google Inc. “have struck their own accord on handling Internet traffic.” The prior adversaries reached a compromise restricting Verizon from “selectively slowing Internet content” over the wires but “wouldn’t apply such limits” on mobile phones.

When the Senate returns from recess next month, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) plans to take up debate on the question of whether to extend the Bush tax cuts for the rich. “We’re surveying members to see what could be in a package that wins 60 votes and protects the middle class,” said a Democratic source.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) “has blocked the nomination of James Clapper to be director of national intelligence,” just days after Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) lifted his own hold on the retired Air Force lieutenant general. Coburn’s office would not explain the hold, but it may involve the administration’s plan to close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba

Contrary to several media reports, Kentucky U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul (R) “never received a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University.” Paul left Baylor “early when Duke accepted him in its School of Medicine.” The Paul campaign said it never corrected the record because it was “not aware of the erroneous claim.”

After a federal judge struck down California’s ban on same-sex- marriage yesterday, the White House issued a statement explaining that President Obama “has spoken out in opposition to Proposition 8 because it is divisive and discriminatory” and “will continue to promote equality for LGBT Americans.” But gay marriage advocates note that Obama “has not been clear is how he squares his position for equality with his refusal to embrace actual equality in marriage.”

C-SPAN …

watch Pres. Obama at AFL-CIO

watch Senate Hearing: From Earlier

watch White House Press Briefing

watch Senate Hearing on For-Profit Schools

60 Senators Commit Support for Kagan Nomination, Assuring Confirmation

At least 60 Senators intend to support the confirmation of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court, C‑SPAN has confirmed. With 60 votes potentially needed to bring debate to a close, and only 50 required for final approval, Kagan’s confirmation appears assured. The Senate is expected to vote on Thursday. Through two days of floor debate, Democrats have largely touted Kagan for “fair-mindedness” and a “non-ideological agenda.” Republicans have criticized her lack of judicial experience and characterized her as more driven by politics than rule of law. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) defended Kagan yesterday, saying she “will do her best to consider every case impartially, modestly, with commitment to principle and in accordance with law.” Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions (AL) called Kagan an activist who would “advance her own causes” under the pretext of being a judge.

So far, Nebraska Democratic Senator Ben Nelson is the only member of his party who intends to oppose Kagan in the final confirmation vote, though he will vote to end debate and move the nomination forward to a final vote. Only five Republican Senators have announced their support for the nominee: Susan Collins (ME), Lindsey Graham (SC), Richard Lugar (IN), Olympia Snowe (ME) and Judd Gregg (NH).If confirmed, Kagan would replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens and become the fourth female Justice in the Supreme Court’s history. Following the vote, the Senate is expected to recess for a five-week break, returning in mid-September.

Trustees Release Annual Checkup on Federal Programs

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who also sit on the Board of Trustees, join a news conference to release a new report on the fiscal condition of Social Security and Medicare. The briefing follows an earlier announcement by the Obama Administration, projecting that new spending cuts would save the Medicare program $8 billion dollars by the end of 2011.Under the new health care law, signed by the president in March, Medicare spending will increase by 5.3 percent a year over the next decade and allow the program’s trust fund to remain solvent until 2029.

However, Republicans have argued that the cuts will undermine the system and question if the changes will be permanent. Critics also claim that any savings made from the spending cuts would actually be negated by extending coverage for more than 30 million uninsured Americans.

The largest cuts in Medicare spending include reductions to projected payment increases to hospitals and other healthcare providers over the next 10 years. The Medicare cuts are expected to begin immediately for private insurance plans, while being gradually phased for health providers.


Dems Manufacturing Policy Pressed in committee
With the unemployment rate of 9.5 percent on the mind of voters, the House Democratic Caucus has introduced their manufacturing agenda called “Making-it-in-America.” Democrats and the Obama administration created this agenda from a package of existing legislation in hopes to improve manufacturing and some aspects of U.S. trade policy.A Senate Banking subcommittee is taking up the legislative work by examining the current state of manufacturing in the U.S. and review the proposed legislative package. They are questioning industry experts from the Commerce Department along with William Strauss, a senior economist from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

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CONGRESS: How To Limit Senate Obstruction


Due to Republican intransigence, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has officially given up hope of passing legislation responding to the BP oil disaster and the looming threat of climate change. Of course, this is merely the latest example of the 111th Senate’s inaction; the chamber has been gridlocked by unprecedented obstruction from the minority bloc of 41 Republican senators. Signature pieces of legislation that the body has been able to pass, such as the stimulus, health care reform, and financial regulatory reform, have been delayed and watered-down because of the Republicans’ manipulation of arcane Senate procedure. The GOP’s super-minority is empowered by procedural relics such as the filibuster, and while they are currently succeeding in miring the upper house in dysfunction, momentum is building to reform the Senate’s rules and prevent routine obstruction from continually halting progress. Today’s Progress Report reviews the current tactics of obstruction practiced by the minority in the Senate. Tomorrow’s Progress Report will address Republicans’ application of the filibuster and holds to engage in serial obstruction of Obama’s judicial nominees.

ARCANE PROCEDURE: The Constitution’s framers never meant to design a system that would enable the GOP’s modern level of obstruction. In Federalist #58, James Madison explained why he opposed routine super-majority requirements: “In all cases where justice or the general good might require new laws to be passed, or active measures to be pursued, the fundamental principle of free government would be reversed.” As congressional scholar Sarah Binder explained in testimony before the Senate Rules Committee in April, “the filibuster was created by mistake” in 1806. In the course of “procedural housekeeping,” a new policy ended up preventing senators from cutting off debate. As Binder explains, it took years “before anyone figure[d] out that the filibuster ha[d] just been created,” after which members launched the “filibuster” tradition of talking on the Senate floor for as long as possible to derail votes. In 1917, the Senate began formalizing the filibuster process through Rule XXII, which let two-thirds of members vote for “cloture,” end debate, and vote on a bill. A rules change at the beginning of the Senate’s session in 1975 lowered the threshold for ending a filibuster from two-thirds to the modern-day three-fifths super-majority. However, the new policy also made filibusters much easier to execute: “to maintain a filibuster, senators no longer had to keep talking…they just say they will, and that’s enough.” Moreover, under today’s filibuster rules, even once a 60-member super-majority wins a cloture vote, the minority can force the chamber to wait another 30 hours before the bill can actually be passed. When Republicans became the minority party in the Senate after 2006, they sharply increased the number of filibusters waged. Meanwhile, because of informal senatorial arrangements known as “holds,” “a courtesy extended to senators in the days of horse travel,” any one senator can block or delay a measure from coming to the floor for a vote. Judging by the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, though, the founding fathers wanted simple majorities to prevail in the Senate. One of the vice president’s constitutional duties is to break ties in the Senate, but if a bill with just half of members’ support could never be voted on, that power is rendered meaningless.

‘MINDLESS’ OBSTRUCTION: Since Obama took office, Senate Republicans have committed to using any arcane procedure to delay the progressive agenda. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) uses “his extensive knowledge of Senate procedure to slow things down…and deny Democrats any Republican support on big legislation.” Vice President Joe Biden said in June, “I know at least 7 [GOP] senators, who I will not name,” who were threatened with “losing their chairmanships, if they did not support the leadership on every procedural vote.” Even though climate change legislation “seems to have been supported by a majority of legislators in both houses,” it recently failed because it couldn’t attract a Senate super-majority. Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), who is retiring from the Senate in a state of frustration, argues that while filibusters were once “reserved for things of truly large import, they are now “used to just stop the place from moving.” The 30-hour requirement between filibuster votes and final passage means “it takes about three days to break a filibuster, and a single bill can face multiple filibusters, and so you can waste a week on a small bill that passes by 70 votes.” When an unemployment benefits extension finally cleared the 60-votes in July, Reid blasted Republicans for insisting on the 30-hour delay: “I just can’t articulate in strong enough feelings how unfair this is to 2.5 million people” waiting for their benefits. In an interview with The Progress Report, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) blamed Senate Republicans for politicized obstruction of a jobs bill. “This whole approach of slowing everything down…they don’t want a jobs bill because they don’t want people to get jobs before the election,” he told us. “The obstructionism has become mindless,” says Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI). In February, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) used a hold to block all 70 pending executive nominations, “a far more aggressive use of the power than is normal,” because he wanted to help send more defense spending to his home state. In a clear effort to stall a vote on a nuclear arms treaty until after the recess, Senate Republicans submitted over 700 questions on it to the White House and demanded answers before they would let the treaty proceed. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) recently placed a hold on Gen. James Clapper’s nomination to be Director of National Intelligence, even though delaying confirmation past the recess would leave the critical position vacant. When Obama recently announced 15 recess appointments, he “faced an unprecedented level of obstruction in the Senate” on his nominees, having dramatically more still pending than former President Bush had at the same point in his presidency.

MOMENTUM FOR REFORM: Scott Lilly, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, wrote a report in March calling for procedure reform because of the “systemic failure” of the Senate’s modern operation. Fortunately, support for reform is building. At Netroots Nation in July, Reid “expressed his support for filibuster reform.” Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) has a proposal deemed “the constitutional option” that would let 50 senators — with a tie-breaking vote from Biden — vote to change the filibuster rules once a new Congress convenes in January. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) has been another vocal reform proponent, recently releasing a statement describing its intent: “This isn’t about giving one party or the other more power, it’s about getting things done and honoring the will of the American people.” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) has offered a separate bill that would “eliminate anonymous holds, limit holds without bipartisan support to two days, and limit all holds to 30 days.” The measure would also “require 41 senators to vote to uphold the filibuster, reversing the current requirement that 60 senators vote to stop it,” putting “the onus of organizing support on those who are filibustering.” Senior Senate Democrats, including Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), support mending the rules, as does former vice-president and former Senator Walter Mondale. The American public supports letting a simple majority pass bills in the Senate by 50 percent to 44 percent.

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Economy: Republican Jobs Plan …


UNDER THE RADAR

ECONOMY — REPUBLICAN JOBS PLAN IS JUST A $10 TRILLION GIVEAWAY TO CORPORATIONS AND THE RICH: Despite their best efforts to avoid discussing any policy agenda whatsoever, some Republicans have recently been touting their ability to come up with “positive solution after positive solution” on job creation and the federal deficit. They point to their “new” House Republican Study Committee approved plan — the Economic Freedom Act of 2010 — as proof of that claim. The problem is that the plan is neither new nor a solution: it “is actually a huge doubling down on the Bush agenda of budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations that won’t effectively create jobs.” A new analysis from the Center for American Progress Action Fund and Citizens for Tax Justice finds that the plan would add close to $7 trillion in deficits over the next ten years. By completely eliminating capital gains taxes and reducing the corporate tax rate to 12.5 percent from 35 percent, along with other tax cuts to further enrich the wealthy, 61.5 percent of the tax benefits under the plan would go to the richest one percent of households in 2012. Further, “under the plan, the average middle-class taxpayer receives a tax cut of $467. The average taxpayer in the richest one percent (with an average income of $1.4 million) receives a tax cut of $157,500.” Despite Republican claims to the contrary, the evidence is clear: tax cuts for the wealthy “fail to spur economic growth.” Instead, their jobs plan leaves the economy in the worst possible position: with both ballooning deficits and extremely inefficient, anemic job growth.

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UPDATE: Elizabeth Warren …from Boldprogressives.org


Al Franken released a strong statement supporting Elizabeth Warren!

Call Sens. Murray and Cantwell and ask them to join the Franken Statement

MSNBC featured our Elizabeth Warren petition yesterday!

PCCC Warren Petition on MSNBC

Progressive talk show host Cenk Uygur is guest hosting the 3pm EST hour of MSNBC all this week! He featured our Warren actions yesterday — tune in today to help his ratings rise and show that the public wants strong progressive voices on the air.

The Washington Post, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal have all reported on our petition with Credo Action supporting Elizabeth Warren to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — and we hit 200,000 signers!

Our momentum really impressed Senator Franken from Minnesota – so much that he’s released a statement supporting Warren for the job and he’s working with us to ask his colleagues to sign on.

Can you call Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and ask them if they will sign on to Franken’s statement? Click here to make a call.

So far, our public pressure has taken us from 6 to 63 House members endorsing Warren publicly and led the White House to issue this game-changing statement:

Robert Gibbs, Obama spokesman: “I would say Elizabeth Warren is a terrific candidate. I don’t think any criticism in any way by anybody would disqualify her. I think she’s very confirmable for this job.”

Now let’s prove them right.

Can you call Sens. Murray and Cantwell and ask them to sign on to the Franken statement supporting Warren – and prove she’s confirmable?

Click here for a script and the number.

Every Senator that signs puts more pressure on the White House to appoint Warren. And it helps us keep the media focused on the issue, leading to more coverage like this:

Washington Post: The PCCC “helped Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) organize a letter calling on President Obama to nominate Elizabeth Warren to lead the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau…the group helped Maloney’s letter attract more than 60 members of Congress as co-signers.”
New York Post: “The PCCC has fetched more than 200,000 signatures in support of a Warren nomination in the past week.”

Can you take a minute to call Sens. Murray and Cantwell and ask them to sign the Franken statement?

Thanks for being a bold progressive,

–Julia Rosen and the PCCC team

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Don’t let Target and Best Buy off the hook!


I’m awestruck.

Nearly 100,000 people have signed our open letter calling out Target and Best Buy for supporting a rabidly anti-equality candidate. Our campaign is spreading like wildfire, from Facebook and Twitter to Keith Olbermann’s show and major newspapers.

Target and Best Buy are feeling the heat – but they still haven’t made it right!

We can’t let this one go. So we put together a quick video showing why this fight could have a huge impact – and the truth about the anti-equality candidate at the center of this storm…

Watch the video and add your name to our open letter – then forward this email to ten friends!

Let’s keep the pressure up,
Joe

P.S. Posting this video on Facebook is another great way to share this with all your friends at once. Here’s Friday’s email in case you missed it: