Tag Archives: Barack Obama

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Fake “bipartisanship”

11/10/2010 Nativegrl77

Stand with 100 House progressives against Social Security cuts.

BREAKING: The “bipartisan” deficit reduction commission — appointed by President Obama, and led by millionaires like right-wing former Senator Alan Simpson — just made their ideas public. And they are ridiculous.

They recommend cutting Social Security benefits and raising the retirement age to 69.

We need to respond fast to make sure this goes nowhere. House Progressive Caucus Chair Raul Grijalva (who we just helped re-elect) has boldly organized over 100 of his colleagues to fight this proposal.

We need to show they have grassroots support. Can you join over 27,000 others in being a “citizen signer” of Grijalva’s letter? Click here — then share with others.

There are plenty of other ways to reduce the deficit. Just today, Talking Points Memo reported on a poll we commissioned asking voters their preference:

43% say raise taxes on the wealthy
22% say cut the huge military budget
Only 12% say cut Social Security

Yet this “bipartisan” commission of millionaires recommends exactly the opposite of what the public wants.

Help progressives in Congress send a strong, immediate message: Cutting Social Security is simply not an option. Click to be a “citizen signer” of Grijalva’s letter — then share this email with others.

Thanks for being a bold progressive.

— Stephanie Taylor, Julia Rosen, Jason Rosenbaum, Forrest Brown, and the PCCC team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Justice delayed – In Memory –

11/10/2010 Nativegrl77

They’ve suffered years of discrimination. Now is the time for justice.

Ask the White House to do right by Black farmers.

For years, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) denied Black farmers loans and other aid easily approved for White farmers. Many Black farming families lost their land and livelihoods as a result. The farmers sued the government for damages and won — but only a fraction of them ever got paid.¹

As a Senator, Barack Obama helped to secure a new settlement for the remaining Black farmers, but far-right Senate Republicans are committed to keeping the settlement from being paid out, and have repeatedly blocked funding for it over the last year.

It’s time for President Obama to bypass the Republican obstruction. The White House can directly address this injustice and pay these farmers what they’re owed out of administrative funds — and Congressional Black Caucus leaders have previously called for such a solution. ²

Please join us in calling on President Obama to do right by these farmers, and please ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes just a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/pigford/?id=2275-1238940

For more than a generation, managers at the United States Department of Agriculture systematically turned down Black farmers’ applications for loans and other critical forms of aid. These loans are the lifeblood of farming, and without them many Black-owned farms were foreclosed on — and resold to White farmers.

This insidious discrimination enabled some White farmers to prosper and grow at the expense of generations of Black families who sought to make a living off the land. At the same time, it devastated the Black farming community. While 14% of all farmers were Black at the turn of the last century,³ by 2002 only 1.4% were Black.⁴

Black farmers eventually filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government, winning a landmark legal settlement in 1999. At the time, the USDA paid only a portion of the farmers with legitimate claims, so a second settlement was announced — but Congress never approved funding to pay the remaining farmers.⁵

Republican obstruction has been the main stumbling block on the Black farmers’ long road to justice. Far-right Senate Republicans have repeatedly stood in the way of funding the settlement. First they demanded that the money to pay the farmers not add to the national budget deficit.⁶ Even after that requirement was satisfied, they once again blocked a vote on the appropriation.⁷

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are rightfully furious at the Republicans’ stalling, and have called on President Obama to bypass the legislative process by paying the settlement out of administrative funds.⁸ The White House has maintained that it doesn’t have the money to pay the $1.25 billion settlement — but at the same time, the administration promised to find $1.5 billion to pay disaster relief for wealthier, mostly white farmers in Arkansas.⁹

With Congress becoming even more conservative after November’s election, it is even less likely that funding for the Black farmers’ discrimination settlement will be funded in next year’s Congress. It needs to happen now.

The White House has worked hard to pass the funding through Congress, but now they need to show Congressional Republicans that they mean business. As the CBC pointed out, justice delayed is justice denied for these aging men and women. Every day, another farm is foreclosed on and more farmers die without having been compensated for the shattering discrimination they faced. Join us in supporting the CBC’s call for President Obama to fund the Black farmers’ settlement. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/pigford/?id=2275-1238940

Thanks and peace,

— James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
November 10th, 2010

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/

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tempest Tuesday &some News

11/09/2010 Nativegrl77

Today … President Obama is in Indonesia but will be cutting the visit short due to Volcanic Ash –

When will RTP constituents get it -it was Republicans who had absolutely no control fiscally, engaged in big govt by waging 2wars, 2tax giveaways to the rich without paying for them btw, the last guy permitted mass amounts of deregulation in nearly every sector of business which brought our economy to its knees – Republicans say they are fiscally responsible but what President Obama walked into does not sound like responsible behavior and it continues with tantrums about wanting to extend the Bush giveaways permanently without paying for them -and on whose backs?

Though we have pulled out most of our troops in Iraq there are over fifty-thousand serving on behalf of all Americans, we have Corporations in the private and or public sector who are not hiring enough to get us out of this recession, or have changed the rules by limiting the work available, Democrats just got voted out of being the majority in the House but still control the Senate and we have a Democratic President. We have far too many public servants with personal agendas, Tea Party or Teabaggers, who were only a small group a while ago have been able to put a few in the US Congress after the midterm elections. I am not pleased but the current rhetoric or exchanges among themselves is encouraging because it is clear that jobs and or our economy was a distraction used by the RTP and what won them the House. While we are all watching, waiting the truth is going to unfold and folks who voted them into office will finally see the ugly RTP agenda which is that they are going after President Obama instead of creating jobs or a better economy. We all know this group has very extreme ideas about what they will do when on the floor of Congress and while the voters decided to send a message to the folks on Capitol Hill i am still confused about what voting against your best interest does for anyone but make things even worse. I am upset about it and as a democrat i think people need to take control over their own ability to get good information and dissect it to make intelligent choices. The loss of the House, the things we all wanted as dems, libs and or progressives has been put at risk by all the anger votes made. I want to believe people truly had no idea what was at stake and treated the midterms as the no big deal state based elections. The only problem is only 4.7% of Blacks voted plus women and lgbt voters deciding to lean right is one of the most confusing moves by people who need support from the govt and only time will tell how much we all will suffer or for how long.

If the lean to the right was a tantrum because your group or issue did not get voted on yet or was passed but was not what you wanted that is childish behavior. I would also say people need to stop whining and understand the governing process because if not we all will suffer for it. I cannot ask enough how selfish could someone be to hold their vote hostage or vote right of center just because they are angry is not only offensive but makes me wonder how American is that. It is when Democrats are not united or in solidarity do we lose and only then is when i wish the Democratic Party was more like the RTP in so far as the group mentally they maintain until now did not wane no matter what glitches or tweaks that may be needed. The RTP knows if they can get a bill passed it can be manipulated maybe democratic constituents do not know this –

I will never understand anyone willing to vote against his or her best interests.

It is obvious that our economy was in much worse shape then what we thought maybe worse off than what the last guy told the Obama Administration before leaving never to look back again. . Certainly, it was unprecedented and while it is obvious they were flying by the seat of their pants trying to fix the core of the problem it seemed like there were several branches that if tweaked the wrong way could be big trouble. The Party of No has managed to stifle progress in Congress yet folks continued to hold the Obama Administrations feet to the fire and not the Republicans. In my opinion, Americans have been too impatient, are swayed by “the Media” definitely uninformed and maybe did not care about the facts because of their own status in the world. It is unacceptable to think twenty months is long enough to fix anything as big as the US economy, which reached out globally. That coupled with the overt effort on the part of i guess the Heritage Foundation, the chamber of commerce, big business and Republicans all decided to stop progress by any means necessary. Who knew that we have a group of people willing to throw Americans from all stages of life under the bus to gain back their country in an effort though the 2008 elections were legal done correctly and 53% of the population voted for Barack H. Obama. If anyone has been watching all the issues being juggled by President Obama which have been many and include jobs, pirates, terrorists, 2Wars, exiting a war, dadt, immigration, racism, signing over 200 bills that definitely will make positive changes to all our lives. The legislation that could have pushed us into the 21^st Century probably will likely to be a memory if democrats continue to split off instead of unifying as a group to get things done during the lame duck session. It is also upon democratic constituents to participate by calling your member of Congress to let them know what is important call the Republicans to tell them you are an American and while they have fooled some we all are watching as they abandon the peoples business for tearing apart our government.

Is it just me or have democrats in Congress left the messaging up to the President… oh we have some Representatives like Patty Murray, Debbie Wasserman Shultz, Alan Grayson, Anthony Weiner, Sheila Lee Jackson, James Clyburn, Keith Ellison , Jim McDermott, Stabenow and McCaskil others but we need more of them getting on the air and touting the legislation as being absolutely positive things for Americans. The Democratic Party needs to meet and decide what direction they want to go; our President needs to tell them what he wants done and they all need to get on the same page and get it done. The fact that this President did not write the HCR bill himself or let the House write, create and pass bills, which is their jobs upset folks on the left because it was not single payer pouted and voted for Republican is beyond me. The midterms confirmed how uninformed most of the public is on what it takes to get a bill on the floor of Congress let alone passed and made a law. Again, I may not have been completely satisfied with the legislation but the alternative was much worse and knowing that legislation can be tweaked made it tolerable for me.

Twenty months ago there was a bipartisan agreement to bailout the big banks and since then they turned their backs on President Obama and while apologizing in public they promptly began giving huge bonus’s to their people, have continued to flex their muscles and refuse to lend money to the everyday people that hire folks, insurance companies are inserting millions to fight HCR for all, credit card companies are bashing people with fees, our Supreme Court has caused a problem for our Democracy, reports of at least 12 terrorist attacks have been waged on the US, republicans have held up the Presidents nominees for his cabinet and recently, we came close to having several planes bombed. I am sure i forgot something but this President has been busy and is making sweeping changes to a system that was broken. I believe we were in a perfect position to make the changes we voted for and needed but maybe the Obama Admin and the Democrats in Congress did not have a strategy, had idea what was in store for the midterms and had no back up plan or understood how serious that waterloo comment was. Those of us sitting back waiting for change need to become more engaged by making our voices heard in support of this President’s efforts to move Americans into the 21st Century. If you think any President can get legislation passed without the help of their base you are sadly mistaken. The tent of Democrats is huge and though HCR for example was not popular it needed to be dealt with will save money, create more jobs and discrimination based on pre-existing conditions got knocked out, kids in college don’t have to worry about insurance and while there are no death panels in the bill Republicans might create an environment similar by privatizing healthcare, medicare/caid and social security if given the opportunity. The midterm elections had so much at stake but folks voted in anger as Republicans said this that and the other about being fiscally responsible only to get on camera after taking over the House that they are if you pay attention listening are not just going after the President say they can get things done if President Obama does what that want which continues the irrational, uncompromising loud defiant obstructionist behavior Republicans have resorted to for 20 months and begs democrats to rise up against.

Other News …

G20 begins Nov. 12th

The WH does not support stripping out DADT out of defense bill

Missile launched off Coast of Cali -a mystery

GM lays off Mr Goodwrench

Amazon comes to Seattle with 10,000 jobs?

New Chevy Volt on sale in Seattle next Fall

President Obama will meet with new congressional members Nov.18th

CDC:59.1 million lacked ins in 2009 -outrageous

Seattle bank fees are the highest in the country 2.60 while the average is 2.33

11thousand cribs made in China sold at JCP 2003-2007 models have rail hardware prob

Tony Hayward admits they were unprepared to deal with the BP oil spill

CSPAN …

State Department Press Briefing
Monday

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) Heritage Foundation Speech
Monday

Pres. Obama Address to India’s Parliament
Monday

Defense Department Briefing on Iraq
Monday

Weekly Addresses
Saturday

Supreme Court Oral Argument: Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants
Friday

Fed Chair Bernanke Q&A with Jacksonville University Students on Monetary Policy
Friday

Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Jobs Report
Friday

Georgetown University Review of 2010 Midterm Elections
Friday

Weekly Standard Review of 2010 Midterm Elections
Friday

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Protect the Arctic Refuge as a new National Monument

11/09/2010 Nativegrl77

If last week’s election results are any indicator, we’re about to see some big changes in Congress — and not for the better. Ask Obama to protect the critical Arctic Refuge as a National Monument before new oil-hungry Reps can attack it with drills.

Don Hazen
Executive Editor, AlterNet.org

Dear friend of Alaska wilderness,

Congress has some crazy ideas for the Arctic Refuge, but we’re keeping it wild!

Tell President Obama to declare the Arctic Refuge a National Monument!

Election night confirmed it: The U.S. Congress is about to change dramatically.

To the new extremists in power, the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is long forgotten. Don’t think for an instant that “Drill, baby, drill” isn’t on the tip of their tongues – or at the top of their agendas. The attacks on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will begin immediately. They will be brutal and constant.

But what if I told you that we could protect the Arctic Refuge before Congress ever bangs a gavel next year?

Click here now: Tell President Obama to protect the Arctic Refuge as a new National Monument!

Congress sure has some crazy ideas for the Refuge, but we’re keeping it wild! Today, we’re launching a massive online effort called “Keeping It Wild!” to convince President Obama to declare the Arctic Refuge our newest National Monument. It’s both a stepping stone to future protections and a maneuver to help shield the Refuge from congressional attacks.

The Arctic is one of our last refuges for wildlife – invaluable, iconic and alive! Big mammals still roam this land and millions of the world’s birds feed and nest on the plains. They come here each year, seeking refuge from a world of encroaching hazards to receive their most sacred needs: sustenance and safe harbor for bearing their young. For 50 years, this cycle has remained unhindered by human development, so life in the Arctic Refuge has continued to thrive. As Americans, we have a moral and civic duty to ensure that this cycle is not broken – not on our watch.

The time for action is now: with Congress poised to change significantly and the Refuge’s 50th anniversary only weeks away, President Obama can make a real statement that America will not submit its greatest treasures to the follies of the past or the whims of the present.

Tell the President: Protect the Arctic Refuge as a National Monument!

Alaska Wilderness League is the first line of defense for the Arctic Refuge. We’re keeping it wild – but we can’t do it alone.

Thank you for all that you do,

Cindy Shogan
Executive Director
Alaska Wilderness League

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF …caribbean

11/05/2010 Nativegrl77

The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.

This fleeting moment of great weather today is yet but a moment and while the weather in the Caribbean, Indonesia are on our families minds the weather all over the US is bad … gotta say hoping everyone we know and love are okay.

Our President is on his way to make a bid to open up markets overseas- for a G20 summit including Japan-wishing him good luck and a great safe trip with Mrs Obama.

FYI –Mitch McConnell says he does not want the President to fail he wants him to change course while in different interview he and Boehner said in order for them to achieve what they want they need someone as President that will not veto everything they want to go through. This group of right of center Politicians are dodging questions about what they would cut once they gain control and instead of answering questions folks like McConnell, Cantor , Boehner are stating their sole goal is to repeal replace and eliminate social programs that help not just the poor but our elders, disabled , veterans and basically everyone who calls themselves a human being….sigh

Good News the jobs numbers have come in- overall 1.1 Million jobs came back or were created and there were 159,000 Private Sector jobs added, 151,000 non-farm jobs added as well as a net loss of 8,000 of jobs and unemployment stands at 9.6%. This is definitely an improvement but more bipartisan work needs to be done to really make an impact on what President Obama walked into after being elected. I ask everyone to call Republicans to tell them that you are an American and instead of making their sole goal to get rid of President Obama they better do something about jobs, jobs, jobs and our economy because if they do not the Republican Tea Party will definitely lose in 2yrs. The Republican Tea Party may have lied to Americans who voted for them in this mid-term election but the people will not forget. I am among I guess a small group who saw that the RTP has fooled enough people into believing your group of Corporate carpetbaggers have sold out their souls and have not just thrown the average American under the bus when the new 112th Congress Session begins the facts will be even more evident that RTP will do whatever it takes to pay back those secret entities that poured funds into various states where not just right of center candidates won we now have people so right of center that membership fighting will probably begin sooner than later. I say let the fighting begin because it will be the final piece of a sad, disgusting, and deceiving puzzle that this group has been waging ever since 53% of Americans voted for President Obama in 2008.

The big deal on the table at this moment is what do we (democrats) do now and while the current rhetoric is offensive, annoying and yes depressing to an extent we all have to be held accountable for what happened on Tuesday, Nov.2nd. I say ask yourself did you help out enough, stay home to protest and did you vote right of center to protest because you do not like what President Obama has done, is doing or that he is not tough enough, you are stupid and have no idea what the office is all about. I will admit the question that is going through my mind is did he get enough help from the Democratic Politicians “selling the message” that “the Media” keeps saying hurt not just President Obama’s base but the President chances for the 2012 elections though we are a long way from then and a lot can happen “the Media” will make that the topic of discussion. I will say that the low numbers of Democratic members of Congress willing to support legislation being debated, having trouble getting on the floor or passed on the floor of Congress in both Chambers has been a great disappointment and should definitely be something to work on for the new 112th Congressional Session. It does seem difficult for them to get enough airtime, some seemed unwilling to say what was good about HCR Wall Street reform, while the various pundits, host and interviewers have said for over twenty months that he had a chance to get the message out while questioning the message have switched up and now say there was major issue with the communication. I disagree with what most folks in “the Media” are saying. I believe cable and or mainstream TV spent a lot of time limiting the message and opted to debate the message without having a rebuttal available from the Obama Administration. I wonder how many designated Obama admin folks are asked to join panels on tv let alone fight to get a word in edge wise when they are on tv because the panel is so big and then after wards, we all see it right? The hosts bring back another panel of conservatives to beat down and or question what the President’s operative just said. If you are listening to the cable head Media noise, it is definitely annoying, offensive and we all need to remind ourselves that opinion News is for entertainment splashed with some real facts and a whole lot of right of center opinions.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649961/20101014/story.jhtml <<<copy & paste

Other News …

President Obama and the new Congressional membership will meet on Nov.18th

Haiti braces for Hurricane Tomas

Plane crashes in central Cuba… 68 dead

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has won his bid for full term in Illinois

Democratic Senator Patty Murray has won her bid for re-election

Myanmar will have controversial elections

The first woman President of Brazil will keep Iran ties, remain global player

Kenya takes on India in bid to be call center capital

CSPAN …