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Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander of the Afghanistan War, said today the planned burning of Korans by a Florida church could put American troops in danger.

“It could endanger troops and it could endanger the overall effort,” Petraeus told the Wall Street Journal. “It is precisely the kind of action the Taliban uses and could cause significant problems. Not just here, but everywhere in the world we are engaged with the Islamic community.”

Petraeus’ comments come in the wake of anti-American protests in Kabul. Earlier today, 500 demonstrators, including members of parliament and Muslim clerics, gathered outside the U.S. embassy to condemn the “International Burn A Koran Day” planned by the Dove World Outreach Center, a small church in Florida. Protesters burned the church’s pastor, Terry Jones, in effigy and called for “Death to America.”

A similar protest, reportedly attracting thousands of Muslims, was held this weekend in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Petraeus said the Koran-burning, planned for Sept. 11, could give the Taliban the kind of anti-American propaganda they can exploit to turn fellow Afghans against the U.S. military.

Jones has vowed to go forward with his plan to burn Korans despite public outcry both locally and nationwide. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

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double-digit jobless rates &Republicans

09/07/2010 Nativegrl77

17 senators from states with double-digit jobless rates repeatedly vote to filibuster unemployment benefits.

Since the beginning of the Great Recession, 15 million Americans have lost their jobs. Almost half of them have been out of work for six months or more, and there are currently nearly five workers actively seeking work for every available job. However, the Senate has been unable to extend job benefits because of a Republican filibuster, which has been joined by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). On three separate occasions, Democrats tried to break the filibuster but were unsuccessful. And while no senator voting to continue the filibuster should be allowed to escape responsibility, many voting to sustain it are from states that have been hit particularly hard by the unemployment crisis. Here are the 17 senators from states with double-digit unemployment who are willing to leave their constituents without a safety net:

Senator(s)	State	Unemployment Rate	Votes Against Cloture (Out Of Three)
Sens. Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby (R)	Alabama	10.8%	Three each
Sen. George LeMieux (R)	Florida	10.4%	Three
Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson (R)	Georgia	10.2%	Three each
Sen. Richard Lugar (R)	Indiana	10.0%	Three
Sens. Mitch McConnell and Jim Bunning (R)	Kentucky	10.4%	Three each
Sens. Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran (R)	Mississippi	11.4%	Three each
Sen. John Ensign (R)	Nevada	14.0%	Three
Sen. Richard Burr (R)	North Carolina	10.3%	Three
Sen. George Voinivich	Ohio	10.7%	Three
Sen. Lindsey Graham	South Carolina	11.0%	Two (Missed vote on 6/17)
Sen. Jim DeMint	South Carolina	11.0%	Two (Missed vote on 6/30)
Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander (R)	Tennessee	10.4%	Three each

1.3 million people have lost their benefits this month alone, and this is actually an historic step on the part of the Senate, as “never before has Congress cut off benefits when unemployment was so high.” But perhaps Republicans in the Senate agree with Sharron Angle that unemployed people are simply “spoiled” and “afraid to get a job”?

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Americans Vs Republicans

09/05/2010 Nativegrl77

Prior to a vote on the small business jobs bill, Senator Olympia Snowe, who eventually voted no, described her frustration with the countless delays this legislation has encountered, by her Republican colleagues nonetheless…. (more info)

Senate Democrats today discussed The Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Act that was introduced earlier this week. Democrats are trying to pass this legislation to create jobs, lower consumers’ energy costs, protect the environment, and hold BP accountable for the Gulf Coast oil spill. Senate Republicans want taxpayers to foot the bill for BP’s disaster and let BP use endless legal battles to run out the clock on those whose livelihoods they destroyed. The Republican plan also does nothing to create jobs or reduce our nation’s dependence on oil. … (more info)

Senator Jeff Sessions today attempted to claim that President Obama’s judicial nominees have moved at a considerably faster pace than President George W. Bush‘s did. False.

Senator Sessions skewed the math to his advantage. Take a look at the video for the real facts. … (more info)

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Defend the EPA’s ability to protect our health and environment

09/03/2010 Nativegrl77

Write a Letter to the Editor Today
Please write a letter to the editor
today on the need for Congress to oppose any legislation that would block or delay the EPA from acting on global warming.

Defend the EPA’s Ability to Protect Our Health and EnvironmenYou were probably as disappointed as I was when the Senate failed to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation before leaving for August recess. While comprehensive legislation remains critical, we now are counting on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to do its job to protect our health and the environment by reducing the heat-trapping emissions that cause global warming. In 2009, the EPA found that global warming emissions endanger public health and welfare. According to the Supreme Court, this finding means that the agency must limit these pollutants under the Clean Air Act

Unfortunately, some members of Congress, with the backing of the coal, oil, and electric utility industries, are attempting to block the EPA from cutting these emissions.

Your senators and representative are home for the next two weeks, and will be reading local newspapers to see what their constituents are talking about. They need to know that you expect them to do everything they can to begin reducing global warming emissions right away. Please write a letter to the editor today on the need for Congress to oppose any legislation that would block or delay the EPA from acting on global warming.

Take Action Today!

Sincerely,

Kate Abend
National Field Organizer
UCS Climate and Energy Program

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

What Are You Doing this Weekend?

09/02/2010 Nativegrl77

Watch the AFL-CIO TV ad.

Got plans this Labor Day weekend? With all that’s going on in our lives, it’s easy to forget that honoring America’s workers is what Labor Day is all about.

Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate Labor Day:

Watch the AFL-CIO national TV ad during Major League Baseball games Sunday and Monday, the Sunday NASCAR race and college football on Monday night. The ad will remind television viewers and radio listeners that it’s working people working together who will move our country forward.

Tune in to the Sportsman Channel. In partnership with the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA), Sportsman Channel will pay tribute to America’s workers with a continual run of public service announcements over Labor Day weekend featuring Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president and USA chairman.

Find out which employers are treating their workers well—and what’s going on nationwide and around the world when it comes to workers’ basic freedoms.

Take the next step and become a mobile activist. Get action alerts as part of the AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now team by texting JOBS to 225568.