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~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

manic Monday News …


Today, our President is going to announce his newest pick; definitely a perk of being President …adding a new and possibly more left of center Supreme Court Justice. This is a very busy President and though it seems like folks aren’t recognizing it … the job numbers are up the economy is getting better but those things are just not as controversial enough to get press time … the Media is by far more likely to say okay the reports are a candidate is ok on the airwaves but then questions the what happens ifs …What ? give credit to the President and acknowledge what this man was given by the last guy and stop trying to make Americans look so bad … the likes of limbaugh,beck, bachmann and the others make us look vulnerable and maybe less safe with their comments maybe by people who are on the edge are more likely to do awful things

Though there are rumors out there about Ms Kagan,  Solicitor General, teacher and public servant:FYI as stated by the President, ” Elena is widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legal minds.  She’s an acclaimed legal scholar with a rich understanding of constitutional law.  She is a former White House aide with a lifelong commitment to public service and a firm grasp of the nexus and boundaries between our three branches of government.  She is a trailblazing leader — the first woman to serve as Dean of Harvard Law School — and one of the most successful and beloved deans in its history.  And she is a superb Solicitor General, our nation’s chief lawyer representing the American people’s interests before the Supreme Court, the first woman in that position as well.  And she has won accolades from observers across the ideological spectrum for her well-reasoned arguments and commanding presence.”

Apparently, Orrin Hatch has either forgotten his comments of the past or figures We the People have no true interest in what is going on that we don’t remember is beyond me; Mr. Hatch comes out against her but many progressive radio personalities have played his opposite comments …the guy seems to talk before thinking … isn’t that bad politics.  The Hatch comments from a year ago are below …

You have to admit, Elena Kagan is a brilliant woman,” Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said during a radio interview a year ago when Kagan was being vetted for a high court seat. “She is a brilliant lawyer. If [Obama] picks her, it is a real dilemma for people,” especially conservatives.  “And she will undoubtedly say that she will abide by the rule of law.”

And as we all hear the President announce his Supreme Court pick let the nonsense begin … fauxnews is coming out fast and quick to report what could be considered fauxnews about financial reform, racism and as Media Matters reports most if not all the questions about the BP spill being Obama’s Katrina; started by mainstream talking heads has been picked up by people on the right who also continue to repeat the Republican talking points then move on to embellish the story in a way only people on the right can.

The BP spill is getting worse the news is getting really ugly as profits from the spill itself were reported by some talkingheads this morning … which is very disturbing for the people on the Gulf Coast and the many industries associated …but hey that’s a part of having a huge insurance claim available. Congress will take time to investigate and  question the people of  BP for those who can do nothing but wait out this horrendous environmental tragedy.

Other News ..

**BP has spent 350mil on the oil spill so far and received an insurance claim of 256mil

**UK Gordon Brown PM will resign later on this year

**Lena Horne died at 92…great person;went to a concert with my mom

**Airports in Europe are closed as ash clouds keep planes down

**Richard Wolf will be on the Stephanie miller show 5/12

**Earthquakes in Indonesia get bigger and bigger 7.9

C-SPAN …

watch Pres. Obama’s Commencement Address read Washington Post: “Education can fortify nation”

Elena Kagan, New Supreme Court Nominee

Solicitor General Elena Kagan has been nominated by Pres. Obama to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. If confirmed, she would be the 112th Supreme Court Justice and the third woman on the current Court. Ms. Kagan may begin meeting with Senators this week. Confirmation hearings are expected to begin in late June.

watch Formal Announcement: Available Soon    watch Sen. Leahy Briefing: C-SPAN at 10:30am ET
read Wash. Post: Obama’s Supreme Court pick

Afghan President Visits U.S.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is visiting Washington D.C. this week to request U.S. support for peace talks between Afghanistan and the Taliban forces in the region. Later today, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs will hold a press conference with Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of the international security forces in Afghanistan, and Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry.
watch Joint Press Conf.: C-SPAN3 at 1:30pm ET
read AP: Taliban vow new Afghan offensive

Forum Asks: On Key Issues, Can U.S. and China Work Together?

Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg headlines a Brookings Institution forum on how China and the United States can cooperate to address global economic challenges, climate change issues and the potential threat of new nuclear states such as Iran and North Korea. He and three panels are expected to review the history of U.S.-China relations on these key issues and discuss recent outreach efforts. China holds a majority of U.S. national debt, and the two economies have become increasingly intertwined as China expands its global presence.

watch Brookings: LIVE on c-span.org at 10:30am ET

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Weekend News and Reviews …


Sunday …and it’s Mother Day …

it’s clear BP is having trouble getting the make shift dome into place … which should have been made before drilling … is that a novel idea or maybe just one of many things BP was obviously willing to risk…  maybe a list of things to do or have available if something happens? like an emergency plan? it’s a nice day in the 206… again…drinking coffee watching the screen for our President to announce his Supreme Court Nominee and yes most of us stayed up to watch Betty White; she was great and can’t wait to see her on the new show.

It’s Saturday, the weather here in the 206 is great this morning for shopping antique, thrift and or garage that is …outdoors all the way.  It’s beautiful and hopefully will stay this way.

Apparently, a Ferry in the NYC rammed the Dock … more news to come but looks like engine issues or a stuck throttle  … The BP oil spill has occupied all our minds and has put every thing on hold… the Gulf Coast economy will need major help;  SO… if you live across the country like me and want to help … go to http://www.matteroftrust.org and see if you can do your part… sometimes you just have to.

The move to stop oil drilling; maybe evaluate or even push the need for Wind, Solar and Bio-fuel up to a higher priority and onto a faster track of development in the USA is now; now is the time to stop talking about the plans and start investing in wind,solar and bio-fuel production HERE in the USA .

How tough would it be to see oil cover a beach or lap to shore and have people say that it’s a natural thing ? … it’s not serious and will dissipate …WHAT? clearly the crazies are out in force and hopefully the sane out number them; though is anyone else find it disturbing that those who are pretending to know what is going on or spinning the disaster created on the Gulf Coast as a natural disaster.  These are the same people stating the attempted bombings in NYC are the fault of our current President? uh check your history and admit this started long before the 2008 Presidential campaign and an issue that did not get solved … it’s very disturbing and those who are doing so should stop talking … period.

And just so the Pat Buchanan’s of the world know … The right person is in the office of President … i shudder to think where we would be with a McCain/Palin ticket … think of the flip flop the ex-Maverick has taken think of things he is now walked away from … is it that Purity Pledge that Republicans take ? which includes practicing exclusion? those that sided with the tea party  group who did back McCain are now running from the tea party movement …the tea is not that strong …we have Republicans wanting to strip citizenship away from people, legalize racial profiling give Big Banks more or equal power as an individual and the list can go on.

The Senate vote of  some 27 Democrats against Wall Street Reform is very disturbing; the  financial reform debates are not over and Bernanke stated he is not waiting for Congress; though i am not sure what that means because most talkingheads feel Bernanke was apart of the problem.. is he planning on implementing the reform needed ?  We all know Congress gets paid to work for We the People…& they let us down … ok maybe just me.  While Wall Street Reform is not over yet it is clear that lobbyists and big Corporations have a hold on some on both sides of the aisle and though it does make sense it is disturbing and disappointing … the change that 53% voted for didn’t include those 27 Democrats i guess.

Other News … on Sunday

**Airports in Iceland and nearby are closed due to ash clouds

**

C-SPAN …

Sunday …

Sen. Durbin on Legislative Work of 111th Congress

Joining C SPAN’s Newsmakers, Majority Whip. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discusses the current debate in the Senate on financial reform legislation. He also looks at the status of other major legislative priorities heading into the 2010 midterm elections.

watch Newsmakers: 10am & 6pm ET    watch Entire Interview
visit Previous Newsmakers

Senate Continues Debate

On Monday, the Senate will begin its second week of work on financial reform legislation. (S. 3217), They are slated to take up Sen. Sanders’ (I-VT) amendment that would allow the Government Accountability Office to conduct limited audits of the Federal Reserve. Last week, Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) urged lawmakers to keep debate to a minimum, saying, “I can’t spend 24 hours on one amendment and accommodate people here.” His remarks came after members spent hours debating Sen. Shelby’s (R-AL) amendment on a new consumer protection agency, which was defeated 38 to 61.

Saturday …

watch Pres. Obama’s Weekly Address

watch Entire Interview Sen Durbin and Financial Reform

watch News Conference Rep. Markey trip to Gulf Coast

watch State Department Press Briefing Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Philip Crowley

watch Pres. Obama Remarks on Jobs Report

Sec. Clinton: U.S. Committed to Vision of Nuclear Free World

As part of the “irreversible, transparent and verifiable steps” to reduce its nuclear arms, Sec. of State Clinton announced that the U.S. will publicize the number of weapons in its nuclear arsenal. This was one of several actions by the Obama Administration to encourage world leaders to follow its nonproliferation agenda. Sec. Clinton also responded to Iranian Pres. Ahmadinejad’s remarks, saying that Iran has failed to meet its responsibility and is in noncompliance with U.N. safeguard obligations.

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Primaries matter … 2010


How often do we all hear how the GOP will be picking up a significant amount of seats in Congress … we have a special election coming up for Hawaii.  And to make it even more complicated, in the Hawaii election not only is there a Republican on the ballot, but Republican voters will be voting too. That means, it’s two Democrats vs. one Republican but only one winner takes it all.

The  Democratic Party needs to get out in front of any election, plan for transportation and do whatever helps to GOTV, which goes without saying but then  …

This morning a Msnbc host stated that his party(Republican)…should do whatever it takes to win but do it quietly and behind closed doors… Dems need to give all the Community Organizers available the tools to win any and all elections …special or not.  My take is that most Democrats get involved in major elections but it’s a new day, now everyone should get involved at every level to keep Democrats in office on track to getting our broken down system back on track.  We all know what happened and who shoved us toward an enormous ditch; they bet and spent, spent, spent  money without enforcing regulations.  While it’s possible a lot of people saw the problem no one did a thing until it was too late and passed it on to the next Administration.

So, what’s my point to Primaries matter? This is not the time to move away from Democratic ideology, move away from getting things done unlike Republicans, it’s not the time to give up. We have to demand action from Congress.  We need to move into the 21st Century; while Republicans fight to keep us from progressing into a country that has health care for all, climate change because we care about our earth, our children.  We need to demand regulations and financial reform for a failed financial system that they took advantage of. Congress needs to make a good faith effort to reform the way people come into the US … immigration is not going away and the Arizona laws definitely are a catalyst

~ my 2cents ..., ~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

TGIF … and the News too


Today, Birth Control Pills turn 50. It’s Friday and the Month of May but it feels more like winter to me.  It’s cold out here in the 206, though the sun is great when it does come out … that will be later today.  It’s another day to be still stay calm …  slowly breathe in through your nose and slowly breathe out through your mouth and repeat …

Hey! don’t forget your MOM this weekend…

There are a lot of strange things going on with not only the weather and it impacts us all.

Yesterday, and i know it will continue because the crazy seems rampant but listening to politicians and lawmakers We the People actually voted into office proposing things like stripping away citizenship, national id’s, no amnesty, complaining about the small things like how potential terrorists almost got away; 9/11 transformed the US a new world and in case people have forgotten we had both international and homegrown terrorists  …where were these folks during all 8 years of the house of Bush and the crap that went on.   The vast conspiracy comments from people in,out or who were in office in the past; like Michael Brown ex-Fema loser… very disturbing.  How many people want a National ID?  i don’t … i still have no idea what Reasonable Suspicion means and what does an illegal look like anyway …

We need comprehensive immigration reform that includes a beefed up border patrol, a way to make Corporations stop hiring undocumented workers but give those who have been here a path to citizenship… whether people will admit it or not the impact on certain parts of our economy will be enormous and deserves serious efforts to finally be reformed.

The jobs numbers came out this morning and while the unemployment rate jumped to 9.9% there was an increase in job gain in the Private Sector by 290thousand, which is definitely a positive considering where we were 2 years ago.  The massive loss of jobs of over 700thousand was stunning and now things seem to be getting better and the over all outlook of our future is on the right track.

Other News …

**Yesterday 2 Republicans voted with Democrats regarding a consumer protection agency

**Airports in Ireland have been closed…the ash plume has grown;western Irish area airports

**New clashes in Greece in response to the austerity bill passing

**Germany to grant credit to Greece almost 29.

**Taylor Swift has donated $500thousand to help with Nashville recovery

**The Obama administration is preparing to revive a civilian nuclear cooperation deal with Moscow that then-President George W. Bush angrily canceled two years ago after Russia invaded Georgia, administration officials said Thursday.

**reports of a money courier is still being sought in the NYC bombing attempt

**Recall on Lettuce in 23 States/19 ill …the recall is for any lettuce from: Freshway Foods of Sydney ,Ohio… lettuce was sold in Alabama, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.



C-SPAN …

5/6

watch Newsmakers: Sen. Durbin

watch Defense Dept. Briefing

watch White House Briefing

watch Panel 1 watch Panel 2 watch Panel 3 read Reuters: U.S. was ill-prepared for crisis FCIC

watch Sec. Napolitano Briefing

watch Spkr. Pelosi Briefing

2010 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

5/7

April Unemployment rises to 9.9%: 290,000 jobs created

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today that the unemployment rate for April edged up to 9.9% but that 290,000 jobs were created. Later today, Pres. Obama will comment on the jobs figures and then the Joint Economic Cmte. will hold a hearing on the employment numbers.

read BLS April: Employment Situation Summary
read BLS April Full Employment Report
watch Jt. Econ. Cmte: c-span.org at 9:30am ET
watch Pres. Obama: C-SPAN at 11am ET
read AP: Economy adds 290,000 jobs

Senate Dems beat back GOP alternative

The Senate continues debate today on amendments to the financial reform bill. No further votes are expected until next week. Yesterday, an amendment by Sen. Shelby (R-AL) was defeated 38 to 61; it would have created a new consumer protection agency within the FDIC. Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has urged lawmakers to keep debate to a minimum, saying, “I can’t spend 24 hours on one amendment and accommodate people here.”

hung parliament in U.K., Brown to stay as P.M. for now

BBC exit polls show a hung parliament in the U.K. elections race. Today, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated he is willing to meet with the other two candidates to find “common ground” and form a coalition government. He also called for immediate legislation to have a “fairer voting process.” David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party, says Brown’s Party has lost its mandate to govern. Mr. Cameron will make a statement at 9:30am (ET).