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Official Vote: Choose your favorite planks


Over a million votes already have helped us identify the best ideas for how to rescue our democracy from corporations and lobbyists. Now it’s up to YOU to choose the finalists. Will you help to build the best pledge to combat corporate corruption? Vote by Monday night at midnight.

It’s now or never. In the wake of the BP spill and the Wall Street meltdown, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rescue our democracy from the corporate corruption that led to these disasters.

It’s time for elected officials in Washington to choose sides: Will they do the bidding of corporations and their lobbyists or stand with the Other 98% of us to make government work again? Together we’re creating a tool to put them on the record on this critical question—but we need your help.

The “Stand for Democracy” project has already generated hundreds of ideas that have been rated over 1.3 million times. Now, we’ve got the top tier of ideas, and we a really tough decision to make together. Which ideas should make it into our final platform?

Click here to help choose the winning ideas so we can construct our pledge against corporate corruption in our democracy. Voting ends Monday night at midnight PST.

http://pol.moveon.org/sfd/slate/signup.html?id=21231-9640874-.zBcRQx&t=5

Once the pledge is formed, we’ll ask candidates to endorse it and work with us to take our country back from giant corporations and their lobbyists.

In the face of the ongoing economic crisis and the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, we simply can’t sit back and wait for change. We need to be clear on what we’re asking, fight for candidates who are with us, and oppose those who would rather do the corporations’ bidding. That’s just what we’re doing with the Stand for Democracy project.

We’re figuring out how to re-wire American politics to work for regular people again, instead of the 11,000 corporate lobbyists who have taken over Washington, D.C. This grassroots project has absolutely taken off in the last week, with hundreds of ideas receiving over a million votes.

Now, we need your vote so we can package the winning ideas into this high-profile pledge. It needs to reflect your vision for how to take back our country from the forces that have worked to block real reform at every step. Please take a moment to vote on the final slate of ideas for our pledge to combat corporate corruption:

http://pol.moveon.org/sfd/slate/signup.html?id=21231-9640874-.zBcRQx&t=6

Thanks for all you do.

–Ilyse, Milan, Anna, Tim, and the rest of the team

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

Weekend …&some News


This week ended in calamity…Well, new information this Saturday afternoon to top off all the nonsense of all things BP and associates have said and or done this last week -a real fU moment to Americans … Apparently, BP CEO Tony Hayward was seen sailing in his yacht getting his life back. Though the Media is trying to tie the President’s & Vice President’s Saturday golf game to the BP person out sailing I have to say ish on it. There had to be a lot to talk about and what better place to say exactly what you want without a live mic on and if a deal needs to be made no one else has access to the information … hey- there are the two of them out there .. In addition, the FBI/Body Guards…if anything makes the airwaves -you know the guilty party. People do use golf for meetings why not think something positive is going on not something negative or self-serving…

I do not agree with any so-called journalist’s comments about where the President should be or how he is handling himself. Where was all this talk and or nonsense when Bush took Americans for an 8yr ride and then ruined our economy the double standard is astonishing, offensive and the whole notion of polls having any meaning is just strange… I didn’t get polled …who got polled and what percentage were Republicans how many were white men or women, were minorities included and what percentage  men and women were included in these polls …

If you were listening to American TV and or radio you would have heard that Tony Hayward stepped down… not so. If you were listening to the BBC and or overseas radio, the fact is he is still in CEO mode but I have a feeling this ceo will no longer be taking the witness stand unless forced and we probably will not see him with a mic in his hand. The other strange things heard on British radio are the overwhelming negative complaints edging on disdain feelings toward our President. These feelings and comments are beyond me since reports and evidence that Americans did want this President to go after BP. The People of the USA wanted the President to get funds for the people on the Gulf Coast. The reports are that the British people feel our President is such an actor that it is making them disrespectful of his intent; which was and still is to make the people on the gulf coast completely whole again. In addition, BP cannot fix the damages they inflicted on the Gulf Coast but they can pay until they fix the economy there. However, if you listened to the folks on radio we seem to be making a mountain of a molehill…that I find absurd. In addition, the little people or small people comment from the British radio folks felt the comment was appropriate, because the spill did hurt the little people.

The British compared the people on the Gulf Coast to the people like Congress and or the President and they make their wages from the water and or the things that help their people. I actually think he said exactly what he meant because it was a comparison made between aristocrats vs. the small people -maybe cable heads asked but I don’t remember the exact answers to it; go figure. I knew exactly what that man meant and it was offensive. I also got the impression that getting real answers will be harder than they were if not more because according to British radio the drama the yelling and screaming from the panel was a joke to them. In addition, when pressured about the lives lost. It seemed like they were sorry but that jobs with risk are just that- risky.

The other wacky and or offensive behavior this week was the lack of cooperation going on in Congress. It was just strange that the House and Senate Democrats either didn’t sync up their votes or didn’t care because major miss-communication went on to the point where major and I mean major progress was lost because of scheduling, planning or just plan ole incompetency. There were major votes that went on this last week and while there were miscues in both Chambers the biggest offensive miscues were the vote for Medicare and Veteran coverage. The doc fix was in line to be voted on after Republicans managed to stall and block HR4213 which, would have helped millions of Americans; but Republicans and a couple of Democrats made a deliberate choice to block a jobs bill.

The Senate finally decided under the max Baucus amendment to help doctors and our Vets; but after the final vote, which passed; politicians started claiming victory for progress. Then, within hours of the vote, journalists were stating the doc fix was too late because the House was not in session until June 21. My first thought was: how could this be, how could they not prepare for a special session to get the fix in before claims would be processed at the lower rate and will definitely cost more for tax payers and providers. The Democratic Party needs to make sure they are available so miscue -votes never happen again. The Democratic Party is supposed to be organized and in control, they need to act like it.

Other News …

The students taping the Democratic Congressman was in error and should have id’ himself and got permission to tape before s–there have been instances of violence toward our politicians and no one can blame D. Bob Etheridge apologies should be given by both sides.

C-SPAN …

In his weekly address, President Obama criticizes congressional Republicans for blocking legislation on a variety of issues including the extension of unemployment benefits, tax credits for first-time homebuyers, and over 100 nominations for federal positions.

watch Pres. Obama’s Weekly Address

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Declare your Independence


Declare Your Independence from Big Banks -- Organize a RallyOK, let’s just say what everyone already knows: the Wall Street reform bill in Congress right now does NOT go far enough.

It’s a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t address the biggest threat to our economy and the cause of the financial meltdown — banks that are “too big to fail.”

Here’s the thing: we’re not waiting for Congress to break up the “too big to fail” banks. We’re already taking action to break up the big banks and we’ll support candidates that follow our lead. To succeed, we need to make our joint campaign with the Huffington Post keep growing. So, this 4th of July weekend, DFA members nationwide will host rallies “Declaring Our Independence from the Big Banks.”

Can we count on you to help organize a rally in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Organize an Independence Day Rally near you

In just two weeks, 7,503 DFA members across the country have pledged to move $464,063,714 from big banks into community banks and credit unions this year. And progressive leaders are talking about our campaign:

“I am very excited to see DFA add their grassroots organizing power to ‘Move Your Money.’ DFA members aren’t waiting for Congress. They have the power to break up the big banks starting now.”
– Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post

“Move Your Money before some ‘too big to fail’ bank moves it for you — into their pockets. If our elected officials won’t punish the banks that took our money, here’s a way to do it yourself. Starve the big banks.”
– Michael Moore, activist filmmaker

It’s up to us to make sure this campaign is growing every single day. That means, we need to get out in our community, expose the too big to fail banks, and highlight the power of keeping your money in a local community bank or credit union. Congress doesn’t have the backbone to do it, so we’ll show them the way and support candidates who follow our lead.

Organize a rally in YOUR COMMUNITY to get the word out, because the power to break up the big banks is in our hands.

DemocracyForAmerica.com/IndependenceDay

I’ll be helping organize a rally here in Burlington, Vermont — where I live. Help grow this campaign and sign up today to organize a rally where you live.

Working together, we’re making an impact and there’s nothing Wall Street lobbyists can do to stop us.

Thank you for everything you do.

-Nick

Nick Passanante, Deputy Field Director
Democracy for America

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF …&some News


I needed some feeling of peace so the picture on the left is of our I-5 Peace Arch on the Canadian Border.

Last night, the following comments were made after the jobs/tax extenders bill failed in the Senate again 56-40 -“Tonight, every single Republican voted to deny states critical aid that would keep firefighters, police offices and teachers employed,” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “And tonight, every single Republican voted to tell the one in ten Americans who have lost their jobs that they are on their own.” Please call your representative in Congress.

We need Congress to walk through a feature like our Arch to bring peace over them and maybe they will all come to the same conclusion… The need to vote yes to the Jobs bill and that  BP is a big Corporation that should be held completely accountable for the BP disaster; lets hope all Americans heard the Barton, Bachmann; cable heads and Boehner comments-   Corporatist-Republicans! The escrow was for We the People and is not a Chicago style take down as suggested. Republican Congressmen like Barton came out in support and the protection of a company that has ruined not only the Gulf Coast, the livelihoods the environment the Marshes, Estuaries and now the beaches in Louisiana are suffering, which may affect every aspect of their economy for decades. Those comments were pulled back by Barton but as I have said, those comments cannot be put back into any bottle and hopefully Americans will not forget or forgive.

The President will be in Ohio to talk and see exactly what the locals are doing with the stimulus money, how many were hired and how can we get more people to work in Ohio as well as other places in the country. Apparently, there are a lot people with negative comments about the stimulus money but I feel if Governors continue to use the stimulus money to balance their budgets and the private sector seems unwilling to open up, the unemployment numbers will continue to dive.

Thank goodness, it is Friday; today, the US plays slovenia… live on cable now. It is definitely a week full of big sports news and some great and not so great news. The Lakers pull one out of their hatsss… in game seven 83-79. I will admit I did not watch the first six games, but game seven started out with the Lakers throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the hoop. The first half really look like the Lakers were going down; looking at the close-ups of the Celtic players told it all they looked tired and very old like a story or two already written for the airwaves and it showed on game seven. As a viewer, watching Kobe and associates miss so many shots at the beginning was irritating  but then I read that somebody was willing to put limbaugh on the Golf Channel -what? Yep he will be getting golf tips on the Haney Project show and well you have to wonder if the ratings are just so bad that they need controversy and more viewers …good luck with that. Watch out for baseball- College World Series …this weekend

Other News …

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently told an Ecuadorian TV network that the Department of Justice “will be bringing a lawsuit” against Arizona over SB-1070, saying President Obama “thinks that the federal government should be determining immigration policy.” The DOJ refused to confirm or deny Clinton’s comments, and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) called the remarks “outrageous.”

THINK FAST

“Liberal Democrats in the Senate are threatening to vote against energy legislation if it does not address global climate change,” the Hill reports. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “declined to commit” yesterday to including a climate change provision in the bill, and liberals don’t want a repeat of other major bills, which were watered down by concessions to conservatives.


C-SPAN …

watch White House Press Briefing

watch Spkr. Pelosi Briefing

watch Panel 1 watch Panel 2 watch Panel 3

watch Atty. Gen. Holder & FBI Dir. Mueller

Obama Travels to Ohio, New Tax Extenders Bill Evolves in Senate

President Obama travels to Ohio today to mark the groundbreaking of a Columbus road project. He plans to meet with workers, and deliver remarks on the impact of the $787 billion Recovery Act.  This week, the Senate has been working on the Unemployment Extension 2010 Tax Extenders Bill (H.R. 4213). Two procedural motions have been defeated and leadership is now working on a scaled down version of the bill which they hope can pass. Unemployment benefits for up to a million Amerricans expired June 2, meaning that they are without benefits.

BP CEO Tony Hayward Offers Few New Details in Hearing

In his opening testimony yesterday, BP chief executive Tony Hayward said that he was “deeply sorry” over the Gulf oil spill and that the accident “never should have happened.” During the nearly six hour hearing, Mr. Hayward repeatedly claimed that he was not included on many decisions leading up to the Deepwater Horizon rig accident. Later during questions he acknowledged that he wasn’t familiar with the well until it hit oil in early April. The hearing was the CEO’s first appearance before Congress on the disaster. BP America President Lamar McKay, who oversees BP’s U.S. operations, has been its top representative at previous hearings. After a fire Tuesday on a BP vessel capturing oil, BP resumed the containment process, which they announced is capturing more than 15,000 barrels a day. On June 15th, government officials announced the well is leaking between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels a day.  The change was “based on updated information and scientific assessments,” the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center said.

Commission Scrutinizes Role of Private Security Firms

The federal government has depended on security protection and other services provided by contractors during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, the Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) examines if some of the tasks performed by armed and unarmed contractors are inherently governmental duties, such as hostage negotiations and providing security for convoys and bases. The two-day hearing also discusses how the drawdown of U.S. military forces in Iraq will affect the need for private contractors.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Apologize to BP? add your name …we won’t apologize


Organizing for America

When BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before Congress this morning, many expected to hear him apologize for the disaster his company has caused. Instead, GOP Congressman Joe Barton was the one saying he was sorry — to BP.

In his opening statement, Barton, the top Republican on the committee overseeing the oil spill and its aftermath, delivered a personal apology to the oil giant. He said the $20 billion fund that President Obama directed BP to establish to provide relief to the victims of the oil disaster was a “tragedy in the first proportion.”

Other Republicans are echoing his call. Sen. John Cornyn said he “shares” Barton’s concern. Rep. Michele Bachmann said that BP shouldn’t agree to be “fleeced.” Rush Limbaugh called it a “bailout.” The Republican Study Committee, with its 114 members in the House, called it a “shakedown.”

Let’s be clear. This fund is a major victory for the people of the Gulf. It’s a key step toward making them whole again. BP has a responsibility to those whose lives and livelihoods have been devastated by the disaster. And BP oil executives don’t deserve an apology — the people of the Gulf do.

Stand with us to show that the American people support holding BP accountable — and we won’t apologize for doing so.

We support holding BP accountable. And we won't apologize for doing so. Add your name.

Rep. Barton and Republicans like him don’t understand that the real tragedy is what’s happening to the people in the Gulf Coast. They’re the ones who deserve his apology — not BP.

But big oil knows exactly who its allies are. And if Republicans win control of the House, Rep. Barton could be chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — overseeing regulation of the oil and gas industry.

Notably, companies like Halliburton — the folks responsible for cementing the Deepwater Horizon rig — are directing their political committees to deliver thousands of dollars to GOP candidates this cycle. Barton himself has received more than $100,000 from the oil and gas industry this election cycle.

Barton should apologize to the people of the Gulf and he should step down as the highest-ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Adding your name to our open letter is one of the best ways you can show him and other Republicans that they weren’t elected to defend big oil.

Sign the open letter today:

http://my.barackobama.com/NoApologies

Thanks,

David Plouffe