The Struggle in Wisconsin …


The struggle in Wisconsin is still ongoing, but MoveOn members like you have already played a pivotal role in fighting back against Governor Scott Walker‘s radical attack on workers’ rights.

Walker expected his budget bill to sail through, but instead, it’s sparked a national backlash and energized millions of people. And that’s thanks, in part, to you.

Since the fight began:

Thousands of Wisconsin MoveOn members attended the massive demonstrations in Madison, made calls to their state legislators, and sent almost 10,000 messages to Governor Walker, which protesters plastered all over the walls outside Walker’s office when he refused to accept them. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206612&id=26435-17809870-dEjiEix&t=1

 MoveOn members contributed more than $100,000 to the Wisconsin 14, the brave Democratic state senators who left the state to prevent Republicans from jamming through Walker’s proposal—providing them a huge boost to fight back against Republican attacks.  http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206615&id=26435-17809870-dEjiEix&t=2

 MoveOn members sent more than 260,000 statements of support to the Wisconsin 14. We delivered the statements—all 5,700 pages of them—to State Senator Chris Larson. He was thrilled to share them with his colleagues and posted on Facebook: “Thank you for standing with us! (And yes, people actually do get paper copies of those forms you fill out online. Thank you MoveOn.org).”

 MoveOn members nationwide contributed more than $445,000 to support the efforts to recall the Republican state senators who refuse to negotiate. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206613&id=26435-17809870-dEjiEix&t=4  The folks running the recall report they’re off to an amazing start, beating their signature goal in the first weekend by 35%, and they’re hugely grateful for the early fundraising.

 MoveOn members held solidarity rallies in every state capital—our biggest in years, and on just four days’ notice—to say that we are all Wisconsin and we won’t stand by while Republicans try to kill the American Dream. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=206323&id=26435-17809870-dEjiEix&t=5

It’s an amazing and inspiring list. And this fight is far from over. Even if Governor Walker manages to push through his disastrous proposal, the recall efforts targeting Republicans are already off to an amazing start and several of those who support Walker could be thrown out of office as soon as June.

With similar fights happening across the country and in Washington, we’ve got a long way to go before we put the American Dream back in reach for all Americans. But Wisconsin has sparked a national uprising and given us the strength to fight back.

For the moment though, we just wanted to take the time to say thanks, for all you do.

–Daniel, Joan, Kat, Lenore, and the rest of the team

P.S. With Republicans in Washington pushing devastating federal budget cuts—to education, student loans, NPR, environmental protection, family planning, health and nutrition programs for pregnant women and small children, and more—we’re looking to highlight the stories of those who’d be affected by the cuts. If any of the Republican budget cuts would affect you or your family.

Equality is “societal suicide”?


URGENT: Late on Friday, Speaker John Boehner announced that the House Republican leadership will take the steps necessary to defend DOMA in court, a move which could result in an exorbitant waste of time and resources. It’s simply unconscionable.

www.hrc.org

We’ve sent 129,000 letters to Congress demanding a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.

But right-wing extremists are outraged – and House Republicans are jumping in to defend the law.

Help win this fight.

www.hrc.org

Bordering on treason.” “An act of societal suicide.” “Fitting if it were in the Middle East in one of those dictatorships.”

When it comes to President Obama’s courageous stance against DOMA, the extreme right hasn’t been shy about how they feel. One Congressman is even calling for the impeachment of the President.

It’s clear our victory has stirred a right-wing hornets’ nest. On Friday, House Republican leaders announced a plan to defend the hateful law in court – and waste precious time and resources doing so! All this from lawmakers who promised to focus on jobs and the economy.

We’ve stood up to these ugly attacks before. And we know the next few days and weeks will be critical. We can’t stand by and let House Republican leaders use LGBT families as a political pawn – in this moment or in the future. And we must continue urging President Obama to support full marriage equality while we fight for marriage everywhere – from Maryland to Delaware to New Hampshire. I hope we can count on your support now

Less than two months after taking charge in the House, right-wing lawmakers have abandoned promises to focus on making things better for all Americans, and instead are attacking LGBT couples with newfound energy.

This isn’t about one law or one special counsel. It’s about whether our nation becomes stronger and more equal, or falls back on old prejudice and hate. So we’ve got to respond on multiple fronts:

**Keep fighting DOMA in Congress – HRC supporters like you have sent over 129,000 letters to lawmakers in the last ten days, showing that Americans oppose this hateful law.

**Stand up for marriage equality across America, working hand-in-hand with local groups to promote civil unions and marriage in places like Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Hawaii, Illinois, Rhode Island, and New York – and to block attempts to go backward in states like New Hampshire or Iowa.

**Continue to make the case for supporting full marriage equality to the President. President Obama showed what a great ally he is last month – and we’re working to move him towards full-throated support for full marriage equality that will inspire a nation.

**Attempt to block every attack on equality, like the perennial effort to write discrimination into the Constitution of the United States by amending it to prohibit marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

We’re moving forward every day – but every day we’re up against new volleys of hatred. Herman Cain, a former CEO and likely 2012 presidential candidate, thinks the President’s courageous decision was bordering on treasonous. Conservative activist Alan Caruba called it an act of “societal suicide” in a column titled, “America’s Gay White House.”

And it was Tony Perkins, head of the powerful Family Research Council, who had the gall to compare President Obama’s actions to those of brutal Middle East dictators – just because the President believes all married couples should get benefits like Social Security survivorship, joint tax filing, and family and medical leave.

www.hrc.org

In the civil rights battle of our generation, we can never afford to take a step backward. That’s even truer at moments like this. Momentum is on our side – and we’ve got to seize this opportunity.

Let’s go,

Joe Solmonese

President

Banks coming clean


With the movement for clean energy growing stronger every day, the last thing we need is more oil pipelines. Especially when those pipelines are filled with oil from Canada’s dirty tar sands.

Citigroup doesn’t see it that way. Since 2008 Citi has raised more than $14 billion for the pipeline industry—more than any other bank. One of Citi’s biggest clients in the sector is TransCanada—the same company now proposing the infamous KeystoneXL pipeline to connect Canada’s tar sands to Gulf Coast oil refineries.

Guess what though? You can change the way bankers do business, even at Citi, just by connecting one-on-one to share your concerns.

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=N3%2FV7gtTEeaYPOhQN40e2%2BxsQktoNWGN

Make a difference in all of our futures by picking up the phone today and calling a Citi banker.

This is no email petition, we’re actually putting you on the phone with the bankers who need to know about Citi’s financing of fossil fuels so they can help Citi change course.  http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3fOkJ%2FhFUlOnsTh8BH%2FJrZeWKDLLHRA3

The KeystoneXL pipeline would more than triple oil imports from the tar sands—effectively erasing the benefits of fuel efficiency standard s designed to break our crippling addiction to oil. Citi should clearly be financing our clean energy future, not outdated carbon-intensive fossil fuels.

Help us contact more than 2000 Citi employees today and enlist them in creating our clean energy future. It’ll make you feel great!

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=JuxK4HRNsPJ%2BM3IrjlVbEZeWKDLLHRA3

For the future,

Brant Olson

Freedom From Oil Campaign Director

wicked weathered Wednesday &some News


Beware the weather is churning March Madness is heating up and the nonsense in Politics and the behavior by Politicians is getting even worse.

After then Senator Barack Obama became President, someone said the sky was falling, that Marxism and or Socialism was coming to America and we will lose our freedom … oh and that certain Muslims are not to be trusted unless they become FBI informants and or give up their rights – freedom of religion

I thought this was the 21st Century people! I find it amusing yet it brings me to tears to see how easy folks seem to throw out labels to describe President Obama’s actions in a time when the jig is up so to speak. We all see and hear the rhetoric out there in I guess a desperate move to try and make Americans feel that “other” thing relevant again. I am hoping folks have had enough of it and can see through the Republican Tea Party for what they are and refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. If you need to get a blast from the past, engage in movements to make the tea party base scared see what the McCarthyism days were like just tune into the Peter King hearings and see what a racist who holds public office looks like. It is as if these people holding public office not only forgot the oath they took, they decided to use their positions of power to do whatever they can to alienate working American families by separating them from jobs, social services and education to name just a few things jumping around on the chopping block of the Republican Tea Party. Republicans have made a choice and it ain’t for the Middle Class.

I would like to remind anyone thinking of voting right of center in 2012 because they are not happy about the status of your own life at this very moment. After years of so-called creative accounting, procedures from Wall Street finally reared its ugly head. Life for middle America changed as we all know it and again like I keep saying the show House of cards by David Faber on CNBC was a cruel reminder and rude awaking at how greed affects the mind … a truthful documentation of the nasty journey our economy took … by who, for who and how it brought us all down …

I am definitely a part of the Democratic Party but if we have to subscribe to labels … call me a Marxist who believes in Socialism at this time. We need someone who cares, who is socially responsible and who believes the gap between the haves and have none needs to shrink. If that is wrong, school me. Even though my question is rhetorical, think about it. What could be wrong with caring for your fellow man no matter what race, sex, creed, and or religion not just the 2% who got their bonus dollars after holding the Middle Class hostage for what about two years but still not satisfied until they destroy what America use to be about. The fact is that 2% has been and continues to wheel and deal with folks like the Koch brothers and the US Chamber of Commerce beginning or ending at the house of bush is not clear. However, it is obvious they intended to make money at the expense of all investors and the crap trickled down to Main Street.

“We the People” need to admit. It’s time for a change and if you believe in equality, it you believe in Working Families, Working Class American Workers instead of Corporate American or the Rich we all need to make sure that the Democratic Party regains control and correct the blatant BS and or mess that Republicans have made of our country.

Other News …

 **Peter King defends his hearings and will bring in other Muslims to prove it

**Libyan rebels might be losing the fight

**clashes in Tahrir square – 11 killed senselessly

**NPR CEO resigns amid tea party flap

**7.2 earthquake off coast of Japan

**41 in the Italian crime grp are being looked for

**Ben affleck talks about the horrors in Congo

**Mortgage Apps uptick to 16%, highest since June

**Suicide bombings in Pakistan killing dozens 

**hey Glee with Gwenth Paltrow was great

CSPAN …

Senate to Vote on Competing Spending Bills

http://c-span.com/Events/Senate-to-Vote-on-Competing-Spending-Bills/10737420087/

Sec. Duncan Defends FY2012 Education Budget

http://c-span.com/Events/Sec-Duncan-Defends-FY2012-Education-Budget/10737420052/

Capitol Hill

Hearing to Ask if Federal Workers are Underpaid

pay-for-performance system evaluated

http://c-span.com/Events/Hearing-to-Ask-if-Federal-Workers-are-Underpaid/10737420051/

Committee Starts to Deal with Housing Finance Reform

first in series of hearings

http://c-span.com/Events/Committee-Starts-to-Deal-with-Housing-Finance-Reform/10737420082/

First Lady Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted the annual International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the State Department. Afterwards, two award winners, a prosecutor from Afghanistan and a journalist from the East African nation of Cameroon, spoke with reporters. http://c-span.com/Events/State-Department-Press-Briefings/10737420056/

What’s going on in Congress -the Republican led House:eliminated FHA prg (debating&voting) -the Senate dealing with budgets both were voted down


The Senate Convenes at 9:30amET March 9,2011

Morning business until 10:40am with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each equally divided and controlled with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

At 10:40am, the Senate will recess until 12:00pm for a Joint Meeting of Congress with the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.

At 12pm, the Senate will proceed to H.R.1, the House-passed funding bill with 3 hours of debate equally divided between the two leaders or their designees. Upon the use or yielding back of time, at approximately 3pm, the Senate will proceed to a series of 2 roll call votes:

– Passage of H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

– Adoption of the Inouye amendment #149, the Democratic alternative to H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

The Senate is in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to 10 minutes each.

There will be no roll call votes during today’s session.

Votes:

36: Passage of H.R.1 (60-vote threshold)

Not Passed: 44-56

37: Adoption of the Inouye amendment #149: , the Democratic alternative to H.R.1 (60-vote threshold);

Not Agreed To: 42-58

Unanimous Consent:

Adopted S.Res.63 is a resolution designating the first week of April 2011 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week”.

Adopted S.Res.97, a resolution affirming the importance of exercise and physical activity as key components of a healthy lifestyle, including in combating obesity, reducing chronic disease, and lowering health care costs.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS

LEGISLATIVE DAY OF MARCH 9, 2011

112TH CONGRESS – FIRST SESSION

2:43 P.M. –

SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.

2:36 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.

2:35 P.M. –

The House received a communication from John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker notified the House that he has appointed the Honorable Jerry Lewis, the Honorable Fred Upton, the Honorable Andy Harris, and the Honorable Frank R. Wolf to act as Speaker pro tempore to sign enrolled bills and joint resolutions through the remainder of the One Hundred Twelfth Congress.

JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE – Pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 1024(a), and the order of the House of January 5, 2011, the Speaker appointed the following members of the House to the JOINT ECONOMIC COMMITTEE: Mr. Hinchey, Mrs. Maloney, Ms. Sanchez Loretta of and Mr. Cummings.

2:34 P.M. –

On approving the Journal Agreed to by recorded vote: 326 – 91, 1 Present (Roll no. 167).

2:26 P.M. –

UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair annouced that the unfinished business was on the question of adoption of the Speaker’s approval of the Journal which had been postponed earlier in the legislative day.

H. Res. 150:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 830) to rescind the unobligated funding for the FHA Refinance Program and to terminate the program

2:25 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by recorded vote: 240 – 180 (Roll no. 166).

2:18 P.M. –

On ordering the previous question Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 235 – 186 (Roll no. 165).

1:18 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 150.

1:16 P.M. –

Considered as privileged matter.

H. Res. 151:

providing for consideration of the bill ( H.R. 836) to rescind the unobligated funding for the Emergency Mortgage Relief Program and to terminate the program

1:15 P.M. –

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by voice vote.

The previous question was ordered without objection.

12:27 P.M. –

DEBATE – The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 151.

12:25 P.M. –

Considered as privileged matter.

12:04 P.M. –

ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.

PRINTING OF PROCEEDINGS IN RECORD – Mr. Hensarling asked unanimous consent that the proceedings had during the recess be printed in the Congressional Record of today. Agreed to without objection.

H. Res. 155:

electing a Member to a Standing Committee of the House of Representatives

12:03 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.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of March 9.

11:42 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

JOINT MEETING DISSOLVED – The Speaker announced that the Joint Meeting was dissolved and that the House would recess subject to the call of the Chair.

10:50 A.M. –

JOINT MEETING – The House has reconvened in Joint Meeting with the Senate to receive an address by the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.

The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of March 9.

10:04 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House would recess and would reconvene in a Joint Meeting with the Senate for the purpose of receiving the Honorable Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia. The next meeting is subject to the call of the Chair.

10:03 A.M. –

The House received a message from the Senate. The Senate passed S. 23.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – The Chair designated Mr. Womack to lead the Members in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

10:02 A.M. –

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mr. Womack demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Womack objected to the voice vote based upon the absence of a quorum and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal until later in the legislative day.

10:01 A.M. –

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

10:00 A.M. –

The Speaker designated the Honorable Virginia Foxx to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.

politics,pollution,petitions,pop culture & purses