just another rant … not just mine
A comment came in to respond to an article i posted written by Cecil re: McConnell & his Party. I admit i am very cynical about the majority of us being fixated on or off of FOX news enough to assimilate info and or fact check enough to have opinions or make informed decisions – the mid-terms were a great example of how FOX helped create , push and elect a group of extreme conservatives whose agenda is to take their country back https://justanother2cents.wordpress.com/2011/10/13/what-im-reading-guy-cecil-13/
HER:Tired of snarky McConnell comments. The majority of us are not fixed to FOX news, can assimilate information and fact check before forming opinions. Fact: Congress has used the filibuster to stall progress now more than at any other time in history. If Obama could make strides here/without Congress/as he has in war policy….people would be back to work! Nov. 2010 GOP newbies, worst mistake ever…………vote!
ME: Actually, I am in total agreement with your facts about Congress, the filibuster and the new low Teapublicans have shown Americans because they have decided to use the filibuster more than any other time in history to stall progress and defeat a President. I am not so sure that was the primary reason for the act of a filibuster. It is not protecting the American People at all and those Senators who are abusing the spirit of the filibuster should be held accountable. I am an Obama supporter. I get divided government but what we see going on in Congress led by Teapublicans is beyond anything We the People should accept and or allow. I have not lost the audacity of hope and or change. In my opinion, we need a Congress that functions For the People& By the People and works with the President of the United States not a Congress that filibusters at the expense of ALL the People. We also need our center left people to open their eyes. I want them to take a hard look at how Teapublicans have chosen to control the House of Representatives. I need them to compare and contrast just what President Obama has done given he became the captain of ship already sinking, has tried to be bipartisan as any President should but given the cold shoulder by an extremely conservative group of people who say they want smaller Government but ask them about social issues and they freak out. I believe this group I call Teapublicans if given the opportunity with or without McConnell want to make President Obama a one-term President. I believe the Midterm elections were no fluke and indeed FOX had a lot to with it. I feel their scare tactics have always been directed to targeted people like the poor working class, older people, those on the edge of equaility and those against immigration under any circumstance. The info coming from FOX was scary enough that our Older people voted right of center, some gays voted right of center in protest and even more decided to stay home which was pushed by both sides of the political meme. Yes, i too am tired of the silly, offensive and questionable McConnell comments but they are getting airtime on both conservative and liberal media. It is my hope that with proper vetting the truth backed with a whole lot of facts will be brought forth over the next few months with an overwhelming number of people voting for President Obama2012 and sanity prevails.
Other News …
Monitors Discuss Global Financial Regulation
The Senate will convene on Monday, October 24, 2011 at 3:45pm and on Thursday, October 27, 2011 at 11am for pro forma sessions only with no business conducted.
Following the pro forma session on Thursday, October 27th, the Senate will adjourn until 3:00pm on Monday, October 31, 2011. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business until 4:30pm with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.
Following morning business, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Calendar #249, Stephen A. Higginson, of LA, to be United States Circuit Judge for the 5th Circuit with one hour equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.
The next roll call vote will be at approximately 5:30pm on confirmation of the Higginson nomination.
The next roll call vote is expected to occur on Monday, October 31st in relation to a nomination. The details of the amended consent agreement with respect to H.R.2112 is below.
Cloture having been invoked on the Inouye substitute amendment #738, the substitute amendment is agreed to and it is now considered original text for the purposes of further amendment. The remaining amendments which were scheduled for votes today remain in order notwithstanding cloture having been invoked; when the Senate resumes consideration of H.R.2112 on Tuesday, November 1st, the Senate will proceed to votes on the remaining amendments; and all other provisions of the previous order remain in effect.
The following amendments were agreed to by voice vote, en bloc:
– Portman #859;
– McCain #892;
– Cantwell #893, as modified, with the changes that are at the desk;
– Cochran #805, as modified, with the changes that are at the desk;
– Burr #890;
– Inouye #918; and
– Kyl #912, as modified.
The following amendments remain in order under the previous order and are expected to be voted on on Tuesday, November 1st:
– Coburn #800;
– Paul #821 (60-vote threshold);
– DeMint #763;
– Crapo #814 (60-vote threshold);
– Lee Motion to Recommit.
Following the disposition of the amendments above, the Senate will proceed to votes in relation to any remaining germane pending amendments in the order they were offered; further, upon disposition of any pending germane amendments, the bill, as amended, will be read a third time, and the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of the bill with no intervening action or debate; when the Senate receives a message from the House with respect to H.R.2112, the Senate will insist on its amendment, request, or agree to, a conference with the House on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses; and the Chair will be authorized to appoint the following conferees – Kohl, Harkin, Feinstein, Johnson (SD), Nelson (NE), Pryor, Brown (OH), Inouye, Murray, Mikulski, Blunt, Cochran, McConnell, Collins, Moran, Hoeven, Hutchison and Shelby.
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CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF OCTOBER 24, 2011
112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION
-The House adjourned. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on October 25, 2011.7:30:42 P.M. -On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.7:30:28 P.M. -Mrs. Christensen moved that the House do now adjourn.7:15:26 P.M. -SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.7:01:55 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.7:00:19 P.M. -H.R. 1160Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.7:00:18 P.M. -H.R. 1160On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 395 – 0 (Roll no. 802).6:54:14 P.M. -H.R. 1160Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 1160 — “To require the Secretary of the Interior to convey the McKinney Lake National Fish Hatchery to the State of North Carolina, and for other purposes.”6:54:06 P.M. -H.R. 320Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.6:54:05 P.M. -H.R. 320On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 392 – 1 (Roll no. 801).6:31:37 P.M. -H.R. 320Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 320 — “To designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.”6:31:30 P.M. -UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question on adoption of motions to suspend the rules which had been debated earlier and on which further proceedings had been postponed.6:31:03 P.M. -Mr. Bishop (UT) filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 444.6:30:57 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of October 24.5:30:26 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 P.M. today.5:30:17 P.M. -H.R. 2594Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.5:30:15 P.M. -H.R. 2594On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.4:52:25 P.M. -H.R. 2594DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2594.4:52:24 P.M. -H.R. 2594Considered under suspension of the rules.4:52:07 P.M. -H.R. 2594Mr. Petri moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 2594 — “To prohibit operators of civil aircraft of the United States from participating in the European Union’s emissions trading scheme, and for other purposes.”4:51:26 P.M. -H.R. 320At 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.4:45:43 P.M. -H.R. 320DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 320.4:45:42 P.M. -H.R. 320Considered under suspension of the rules.4:45:08 P.M. -H.R. 320Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 320 — “To designate a Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California.”4:44:52 P.M. -H.R. 818Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:44:50 P.M. -H.R. 818On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.4:39:17 P.M. -H.R. 818DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 818.4:39:15 P.M. -H.R. 818Considered under suspension of the rules.4:39:02 P.M. -H.R. 818Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 818 — “To direct the Secretary of the Interior to allow for prepayment of repayment contracts between the United States and the Uintah Water Conservancy District.”4:38:48 P.M. -H.R. 461Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:38:45 P.M. -H.R. 461On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.4:32:12 P.M. -H.R. 461DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 461.4:32:09 P.M. -H.R. 461Considered under suspension of the rules.4:32:00 P.M. -H.R. 461Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 461 — “To direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain Federal features of the electric distribution system to the South Utah Valley Electric Service District, and for other purposes.”4:31:40 P.M. -H.R. 1160At 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.4:25:55 P.M. -H.R. 1160DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1160.4:25:54 P.M. -H.R. 1160Considered under suspension of the rules.4:25:37 P.M. -H.R. 1160Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 1160 — “To require the Secretary of the Interior to convey the McKinney Lake National Fish Hatchery to the State of North Carolina, and for other purposes.”4:25:34 P.M. -H.R. 295Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:25:29 P.M. -H.R. 295On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.4:21:38 P.M. -H.R. 295DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 295.4:21:36 P.M. -H.R. 295Considered under suspension of the rules.4:21:20 P.M. -H.R. 295Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 295 — “To amend the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 1998 to authorize funds to acquire hydrographic data and provide hydrographic services specific to the Arctic for safe navigation, delineating the United States extended continental shelf, and the monitoring and description of coastal changes.”4:21:18 P.M. -H.R. 441The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.4:21:17 P.M. -H.R. 441Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.4:21:13 P.M. -H.R. 441On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.4:16:52 P.M. -H.R. 441DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 441.4:16:50 P.M. -H.R. 441Considered under suspension of the rules.4:16:15 P.M. -H.R. 441Mr. Young (AK) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. H.R. 441 — “To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits for a microhydro project in nonwilderness areas within the boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve, to acquire land for Denali National Park and Preserve from Doyon Tourism, Inc., and for other purposes.”4:15:56 P.M. -The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until a time to be announced.4:15:47 P.M. -The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of October 24.2:08:58 P.M. -The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.2:08:23 P.M. -The House received a communication from John Abney Culberson, Member of Congress. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Mr. Culberson notified the House that he had been served with a deposition subpoena for documents and testimony by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to appear as a witness in a pending civil lawsuit and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, he had determined that compliance with the subpoena was inconsistent with the precedents and privileges of the House.2:07:50 P.M. -The House received a communication from Brittany Seabury, District Director for U.S. Representative John Abney Culberson. Pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, Ms. Seabury notified the House that she had been served with a deposition subpoena for documents and testimony by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to appear as a witness in a pending civil lawsuit and that after consultation with the Office of General Counsel, she had determined that compliance with the subpoena was inconsistent with the precedents and privileges of the House.2:02:40 P.M. -ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.2:02:21 P.M. -PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. McKinley to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.2:02:11 P.M. -The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.2:00:55 P.M. -Today’s prayer was offered by Reverend Avelino Gonzalez, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Washington, DC.2:00:37 P.M. -The Speaker designated the Honorable Adrian Smith to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.2:00:26 P.M. -The House convened, starting a new legislative day.
Last week HCAN activists joined a half million people across the country to prevent New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the owner of Zuccotti Park from evicting thousands of Occupy Wall Street protesters. As a result of your quick action, Mayor Bloomberg and Brookfield Inc. backed down and the Occupy movement continues to grow.
Thanks to the rapid response of AFL-CIO, CREDO, MoveOn.org,
Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Rebuild the Dream, The Other
98%, USAction and dozens of other groups,
 Occupy Wall Street
supporters generated 500,000 petition signatures and thousands of calls
and tweets.
Watch and share this great video from MoveOn.org as the 5,000 protesters celebrate word of their victory.
Today
marks one month since Occupy Wall Street began. In only four weeks the
Occupy movement has gone global, spreading from Wall Street to 100
cities across America and an incredible 951 cities in 82 countries.
Occupy support could be found even in a remote corner of the Alaskan
tundra and on a Hawaiian beach.
Last week was an important victory and the battle of the people versus
unbridled corporate greed continues. We will keep you posted on our next
steps in the fight for The 99 Percent.
In Solidarity,
Melinda Gibson
P.S. Join us in Washington DC on November 4th for the Koch Brothers Guerrilla Drive-In.
Dear fellow Avaazers,
It is wonderful to finally be able to unite with other people on this planet, to stand up, to be heard. I am so happy and so proud to be part of Avaaz. Sometimes I can’t believe this is really happening! THANK YOU…from the bottom of my heart to all the people who are part of this movement, united in a common spirit.
— Alexandra, Avaaz member from Germany.
Something big is happening. From Tahrir Square to Wall St., from staggeringly brave Avaaz citizen journalists in Syria to millions of citizens winning campaign after campaign online, democracy is stirring. Not the media-circus, corrupt, vote-every-4-years democracy of the past. Something much, much deeper. Deep within ourselves, we are realizing our own power to build the world we all dream of.
We don’t have a lot of time to do it. Our planet is threatened by multiple crises – a climate crisis, food crisis, financial crisis, proliferation crisis… These crises could split us apart like never before, or bring us together like never before. It’s the challenge of our time, and the outcome will determine whether our children face a darker world or one thriving in greater human harmony.
This is our challenge to meet. With 10 million hopeful citizens and rising, Avaaz is the largest global online community in history. There is no other massive, high-tech, people-powered, multi-issue, genuinely global advocacy organization that can mobilize coordinated democratic pressure in hundreds of countries within 24 hours. Our potential is unique, and so is our responsibility.
It’s amazing, but just 10,000 of us make our entire community possible with a small weekly donation of $3 or $5, the price of a cup of coffee, that funds all of Avaaz’s core expenses. But to rise to this moment and win it, we need to accelerate — by doubling our number of weekly ‘sustainers’ to 20,000, and doubling our capacity to do everything we do. Click below to make it happen and buy the world a cup of coffee: 
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
Making a small but steady weekly contribution enables Avaaz to plan responsibly around long term costs like our tiny but awesome staff team, our website and technology, and the security of our systems (this can get pricey when our campaigns are taking on shady characters!). It also means we have the ability to respond immediately to crises as they occur and jump on opportunities for action without delay.
A very small donation of $3 or $5 per week from 10,000 more sustainers would enable our community to expand all our work next year, helping to save lives in humanitarian emergencies, protect the environment and wildlife, support democracy and fight corruption, push for peace and reduce poverty.
Donating to Avaaz has a double-impact — because our donations not only make change now by empowering particular campaigns, every contribution builds our community that will be making change for decades to come. It’s an investment with both immediate and long term results for our children’s and our planet’s future. Click here to contribute:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
Fundraising is often a problem for social change organizations. Government or corporate funding would profoundly threaten our mission. Funding from large donors also often comes with strings attached. And high-pressure tactics like telemarketing, postal mail, or direct on-the-street programmes often cost nearly as much as they raise! That’s why the Avaaz model – online, people-powered donations – is the best way in the world to power an engine of social change, and a huge part of our community’s promise.
If we can multiply the number of sustainers we have, it will take our community, and our impact, to a whole new level. I can’t wait.
I know that donating is an act of hope, and of trust. I feel a huge and serious sense of responsibility to be a steward of that hope, and my team and I are deeply committed to respecting the trust you place in us with your hope, time, and resources. It’s a special thing we’re building here, and if we can keep believing in each other, anything is possible.
With hope and gratitude for this amazing community,
Ricken Patel
Avaaz
PS – In case you’re mulling it over, here’s 11 more reasons to donate to Avaaz 🙂
Reason 1 – What we do Works
With 10 million members in every nation of the world, able to mobilize at a moment’s notice to pressing needs and opportunities, Avaaz works –- together we’ve saved lives in Haiti and Burma, reversed government policies from Brazil to Japan, and won victories on international treaties from banning cluster bombs to preserving oceans. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says of Avaaz “You have driven forward the idealism of the world… do not underestimate your impact on leaders” while the Economist says Avaaz is “poised to deliver a deafening wake up call to world leaders” and Al Gore says “Avaaz is inspiring, and has already made a difference”. We’re only 5 years old and growing fast, and the more our members get involved and donate, the more impact we have.
Make a donation here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
Reason 2 – An Avaaz donation is an investment with permanent social change returns
With Avaaz, our donations fund high impact campaigns that also recruit more people. More people means more donations, and more impact. So you’re not only achieving a particular change with your donation, you’re helping grow a community with new members that will multiply your donation many times over, and be a permanent and ever-increasing source of change. It’s a tremendous philanthropic value to have this kind of double and permanent impact.
Reason 3 – We have no bureaucracy
Avaaz is a massive network of citizens, but our organization is absolutely tiny – just 20 full time campaigners with operational and technology support. Most large global NGOs have hundreds or even thousands of staff. Our small size means we have no time for red tape, layers of management, or being focused on anything but getting results.
Reason 4 – We’re regularly audited, and fiscally responsible
There’s a lot of fear out there about misuse of donated money. Most of the fear is misplaced – most organizations are filled with good people trying to do good things. With Avaaz you can be sure – partly because we’re required by law to be audited every 12 months. This audit thoroughly checks every aspect of our books and financial practices. We’ve been audited 4 times since we launched and every time been given a squeaky clean bill of health (for details, click here).
Reason 5 – We have a world-class team that does outstanding work
Campaigning, advocacy and social change are a serious and demanding business – the more competent the team, the more impact our donations have. Avaaz attracts some of the best campaigners and advocates in the world. Many of our campaign directors joined us after being CEOs of successful multi-million dollar advocacy organizations, and most have degrees from the top universities in the world.
Donate now: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
Reason 6 – We’re 100% Independent
Avaaz takes absolutely no money from governments or corporations. This is hugely important to ensuring that our voice is exclusively determined by the values of our members, and not by any large funder or agenda. While we received initial seed grants from partner organizations and charitable organizations, 100% of the Avaaz budget now comes from small online donations. This means that the only agenda we have to follow is the people’s agenda.
Reason 7 – We pass the money on when it makes sense, and give to the best efforts
Avaaz has donated more than $5 million to other organizations, because we saw them as better placed than us to have impact on a particular issue. For example, we’ve granted $1.6 million to Burmese monks and aid groups, $1.3 million to Haitian aid organizations (see this video from the groups that received our donations), and more than $1million to relief organisations in Pakistan. The way we support organizations is important too. Most foundations have endless process and constraints that make them slow, bureaucratic and risk averse in supporting advocacy. Avaaz finds the best people and organizations and doesn’t micromanage them – we just empower them to do what they know best.
Reason 8 – We’re political (this really matters)
Most charities offer tax deductibility for donations. But this means that they are, in a way, partially tax-payer funded, and governments use that to place a very thick set of rules on what they can and can’t do. Chief among them is restricting what they can say to criticize, support, or oppose a politician. Avaaz is very rare in that our donations are not tax deductible, leaving us 100% free to say and do whatever we need to to get leaders to listen to people. Since so many important issues are won and lost in the political realm, this makes us much more effective than advocacy groups that shy away from speaking out politically.
Reason 9 – We go where the greatest needs and opportunities are
Most organizations focus on a single issue over a long period of time. This is very important to do, but that can mean that when desperate needs or amazing opportunities for social change arise, they get ignored because everyone is working on their own issue. Avaaz campaigns target the most urgent needs and opportunities, showing up just when a powerful burst of citizens’ attention is needed most. We work continuously with top quality partners in the areas we campaign on, and all describe Avaaz as an amazing added value to their work.
Click to donate: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
Reason 10 – Democratic accountability is hard-wired into our model
The Avaaz model of campaigning is people-powered. Our priorities are set at annual and weekly levels by polls of our membership and every campaign we run is first polled with members. Click here for results from our 2010 annual poll. No matter how much work we put into developing a campaign, if it fails to get the greenlight from members, we don’t run it. So on a day to day basis, how we spend the donations we receive is determined directly by members.
Reason 11 – There’s no other organization like us
Avaaz is the world’s first and only massive, high-tech, people-powered, multi-issue, genuinely global advocacy organization. In a world where the problems we face are consistently global, and the solutions to them increasingly require global democratic action, Avaaz is uniquely placed to effect change. No other organization can rapidly mobilize large-scale, coordinated democratic pressure in over 150 countries within 24 hours. A new model of internet-based, people-powered politics has changed politics in several countries, and Avaaz is taking that proven model global. The result is already the largest global online movement in history, and we’re just getting started.
Make a secure donation to Avaaz: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/sustain_avaaz_b/?vl
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