Here’s something you and I weren’t supposed to find out:

At a private function at a Colorado resort, oil billionaire Charles Koch stood in front of hundreds of conservative millionaires and said the 2012 election will be, in the words of Saddam Hussein — yes, he decided to quote Saddam Hussein — “the mother of all wars.”

He then read through a list of 32 contributors who gave more than a million dollars each to bankroll the network of corporate special-interest groups that aim to tear down President Obama.

If that offends you, it absolutely should. But it should also motivate you, because you are the only thing that can stop them.

www.barackobama.com

I’d rather not spend time talking about this kind of gutter politics, but one simple fact makes it impossible to brush aside: special-interest groups like Karl Rove’s American Crossroads Super PAC have already pledged to pour nearly $200 million into attacking the President in the coming months — and more shadowy groups file paperwork and start running ads every week.

Right now, the President is focused on creating jobs and improving the lives of middle-class families. And this campaign will keep doing what we’ve been doing from the very beginning: growing a truly grassroots organization that’s doing politics a different way, and encouraging as many people as possible to take ownership of this campaign as early as possible. It has to start with you.

The Koch brothers and the front groups they fund have decided on the tone they want the election to take in the coming months — and we should expect these kinds of smears to only get worse.

But we still have a say about the kind of race we want to run and the kind of political climate we want to create. Take a stand now to support it.

Donate $5 or more today:

www.barackobama.com

Thanks,

Messina

Jim Messina
Campaign Manager
Obama for America

the Senate Convened at 10:00am September 7, 2011

• Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business for one
  hour with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the
  time equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees
  with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the
  final half.
• Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of the
  motion to proceed to H.R.1249, the America Invents Act.
• The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly
  caucus meetings.
• At 2:30pm, there will be 30 minutes for tributes to the late Senator Mark O.
  Hatfield as if in morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for
  up to 10 minutes each.
• By unanimous consent, all time during adjournment, recess and morning
  business will count post-cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.1249.
• The Senate expects to begin consideration of the America Invents Act during
  Wednesday’s session.  Senators will be notified when votes are scheduled.

The Senate is considering H.R.1249, the America Invents Act with the time until
6:30pm for debate only.

The Senate has entered into a unanimous consent agreement providing for up to
4 roll call votes at approximately 4:00pm during Thursday’s session of the
Senate including passage of H.R.1249, the America Invents Act, as amended, if
amended and an additional roll call vote following the Joint Session on
Thursday.

The details of the agreement are below.

The following amendments are the only first degree amendments in order to
H.R.1249:

Coburn #599 (PTO public enterprise fund);

Sessions #600(strike Section 37 regarding patent
term extensions); and

Cantwell #595 (transitional program for covered
business method patents).

There will be up to five hours of debate on the amendments divided in the
following manner:

75 minutes for Senator Coburn, or his
designee;

1 hour for Senator Sessions, or his designee;

45 minutes for Senator Cantwell, or her
designee;

1 hour for Senator Grassley, or his designee;
and

1 hour for Senator Leahy, or his designee.

Upon the use or yielding back of time (at approximately 4:00pm), the
Senate will proceed to votes in relation to the amendments in the following
order:

Sessions #600

Cantwell #595

Coburn #599 and

Passage of H.R.1249, as amended, if
amended

No amendments, points of order or motions will be in order to any of the
amendments prior to the votes.

Senator Reid also announced Senators should expect an additional roll
call vote after the Joint Session on Thursday on the motion to proceed to
Calendar #153, S.J.Res.25, a joint resolution relating to the disapproval of the
President’s exercise of authority to increase the debt limit (McConnell and
others).

Adopted H.Con.Res.74, providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a
message from the President

Adopted S.Res.219, a resolution designating September 13, 2011, as “National
Celiac Disease Awareness Day.”

Adopted S.Res.258, supporting the designation of National Adult Education and
Family Literacy Week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

7:45  P.M. –  SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

7:44  P.M. –  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

7:06  P.M. –  POINT OF PRIVILEGE – Mr. Kucinich rose to a point of privilege and the Chair announced that it had been made aware of Mr. Kucinichs’ intention and that a valid basis existed for the point of privilege. Mr. Kucinich was recognized to proceed for up to one hour on his point of privilege.

7:05  P.M. –  Ms. Foxx filed a report from the Committee on Rules onH. Res. 392.

H. Con. Res. 67:

authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 

6:53  P.M. –  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 379 – 0(Roll no. 692).

6:31  P.M. –  Considered as unfinished business.

6:30  P.M. –  UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of a motion to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

6:15  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for  6:30 P.M. today.

H.R. 2832:

to extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes 

6:14  P.M. –  On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

5:45  P.M. –  DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate onH.R. 2832.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Camp moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

5:37  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

H. Con. Res. 67:

authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run 

5:36  P.M. –  At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

5:31  P.M. –  DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate onH. Con. Res. 67.Considered under suspension of the rules.

Mr. Denham moved to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution.

5:30  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. today.The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of September 7.

2:13  P.M. –  The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

H. Con. Res. 74:

providing for a joint session of Congress to receive a message from the President 

2:12  P.M. –  Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.

Considered as privileged matter.

2:10  P.M. –  The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on September 7, at 9:47 a.m.: That the Senate appointed members to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.The House received a communication from Margaret Mott, Casework Director, Office of Congressman Howard Berman. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Ms. Mott notified the House that she had been served with a subpoena issued by the United States District Court for Central District of California, for witness testimony and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, she had determined that compliance with the subpoena was consistent with the privileges and rights of the House, except to the extent that questions sought out privileged information.

2:02  P.M. –  ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

2:01  P.M. –  PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Poe of TX to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.The Speaker announced approval of the Journal.  Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Patrick J. Conroy.

2:00  P.M. –  The House convened, starting a new legislative day.