Tag Archives: Elena Kagan

Today, President Obama speaks to Workers at Chrysler Group Toledo Supplier Park in Toledo, Ohio at 12:20pm ET. It definitely is worth going to whitehouse.gov/live and watching because it is proof that not only was helping the auto industry the right thing to do it saved millions of jobs as well contrary to whatever Presidential candidate Romney stated.

About a year ago, this time the House and Senate were quite busy debating, voting up or down on if they should help their fellow Americans while confirming or blocking President Obama’s appointees. The Republican Tea Party members of Congress have become less of that description we use for a Public Servant and more like Corporate Tools. Republicans who seemingly are being backed financially by folks like the Koch brothers on the State level while their Federal brotherhood continues to put obstacles in the way of any great or big moves to keep the Govt out of the ditch almost three years later.

Now, with Republicans finally coming forward to announce their bids to run for President in 2012, with the obvious quest to complete the divide and conquer Americans. It is not lost on most of us that we all should make an effort to remind our fellow Americans just who is responsible for this slow sometime stalled path toward the 21st Century. It is obvious that not only is the Republican tea party refusing to move into the 21^st Century they have not only voiced attitudes that offend women, children and minorities but have passed legislation that could put them at more risk or in the streets while defunding government jobs will shove middle class workers into minimum wage earner status. I will admit I only skimmed that Pledge to America but it is clear it was the 19page lie about putting Americans back to work by those job creators who need to keep those bonus dollars in order to do so. I ask Speaker Boehner, Where are the Jobs. I have actual bumper stickers that say that because well after the midterm elections the Republican led House has been a big failure to create anything to help their fellow Americans. If you would like a “Where are the Jobs Mr. Boehner Bumper Sticker let me know

I also admit being slightly surprised by the outcome of the midterm elections. I was surprised at how many drank the Kool-Aid and who actually listened to “the media” instead of asking questions to find out for themselves that in fact far more people in “the media” are a part of the farce that is the Republican Tea Party. Those Republican Tea Party lies won the House of Representatives for only a few months because as we all know; the truth will set you free. The move to attack Roe V Wade,redefine rape, HR3 a Woman’s right to choose while Republicans defunding it offended many but it was not until the effort to end Medicare, as we know it that people began to see the light. The midterm elections definitely stalled American progress but it also uncovered and highlighted the Republican agenda. The abuses of States Rights by Republican Governors in at least ten states willing to cut slash and burn worker rights, women, children, the poor and services that would help them. However, that slogan about taking back their country no matter how offensive is worth noting and remembering because it is not a partisan slogan it is a discriminatory rally cry that we all need to push back on … I believe in equality for all on all levels which is not at all how Republicans feel as a whole in my opinion.

I don’t know about you but any person running for President must represent ALL Americans not a select few. Therefore, from now on my effort will be to make all those comments from Republicans stepping up to any mic wanting to become President of the United States caught on tape or otherwise available so their truths will be set free.

The info below is from June and July of 2010 … attitudes and words do matter

Republicans again blocked Democrats’ attempt to extend jobless benefits to millions of unemployed Americans last night. Senator Harry Reid sent a strong message back to the Minority after they prevented passage of the bill.

July 1, 2010

TYT comments on Micheal Steele -his behavior and comments regarding Thurgood Marshall

June 30, 2010

At today’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Senator Al Franken paid tribute to and defended the distinguished record of Justice Thurgood Marshall.

June 30, 2010

During day three of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan‘s confirmation hearing, Senator Al Franken focused a portion of his Q&A with the Solicitor General on the Citizens United case.

July 01, 2010

In the video below Sen Tom Corburn asks Elena Kagan about Freedom/ Inferring that better days were before women & minorities had rights– TYT

June 30, 2010

At today’s confirmation hearing, Senator Amy Klobuchar asked Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan to talk about the challenges women face in the legal profession and with respect to career choices in general.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Tell Clarence Thomas: Recuse yourself

02/10/2011 Nativegrl77

A case challenging the constitutionality of the health care reform bill passed by Congress is headed to the Supreme Court, and Justice Clarence Thomas has a supreme ethical conflict.

It’s been widely reported that the Thomas family has financial ties to the conservative organizations leading the campaign to bring down our new health care law — the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Anthony Weiner and 73 other members of Congress have signed a letter detailing the appearance of ethical conflict and asking Justice Thomas to recuse himself from deliberations on the constitutionality of health care reform.

We’re asking you to sign a companion letter that Rep. Weiner — a champion of progressive issues — will deliver to the Supreme Court along with the letter signed by members of Congress.

Tell Justice Clarence Thomas: Recuse yourself from deliberations on the constitutionality of health care reform. Click here to automatically sign the letter below.

The letter to Justice Thomas reads: http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=7064&id=16386-2591629-BPS9vgx&t=9

As an Associate Justice, you are entrusted with the responsibility to exercise the highest degree of discretion and impartiality when deciding a case. We join Rep. Anthony Weiner and other members of Congress in writing to note our surprise at recent revelations of your financial ties to leading organizations dedicated to lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We write today to respectfully ask that you maintain the integrity of this court and recuse yourself from any deliberations on the constitutionality of this act.

The appearance of a conflict of interest merits recusal under federal law. From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife’s financial stake in the overturn of health care reform is blurred. Your spouse is advertising herself as a lobbyist who has “experience and connections” and appeals to clients who want a particular decision — they want to overturn health care reform. Moreover, your failure to disclose Ginni Thomas‘s receipt of $686,589 from the Heritage Foundation, a prominent opponent of health care reform, between 2003 and 2007 has raised great concern.

This is not the first case where your impartiality was in question. As Common Cause points out, you “participated in secretive political strategy sessions, perhaps while the case was pending, with corporate leaders whose political aims were advanced by the [5-4] decision” on the Citizens United case. Your spouse also received an undisclosed salary paid for by undisclosed donors as CEO of Liberty Central, a 501(c)(4) organization that stood to benefit from the decision and played an active role in the 2010 elections.

Given these facts, there is a strong conflict between the Thomas household’s financial gain through your spouse’s activities and your role as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. We urge you to recuse yourself from this case. If the US Supreme Court‘s decision is to be viewed as legitimate by the American people, this is the only correct path.

We appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this request. http://act.credoaction.com/r/?r=7064&id=16386-2591629-BPS9vgx&t=10

Click here to automatically sign your name to our letter to Justice Thomas that will be delivered to the Supreme Court by progressive champion Rep. Anthony Weiner.

Thomas failed to disclose that his wife Ginni Thomas received a total of $686,589 in compensation from the Heritage Foundation.1 Furthermore his wife is currently advertising herself as a lobbyist who has “experience and connections” to conservative groups who have an explicit agenda to overturn health care reform — by repeal in the Congress or overturning the law in the courts.2

Justice Thomas is no stranger to questions of ethics. Along with Justice Antonin Scalia he attended meetings organized by the secretive, Tea Party-funding billionaire Koch brothers. The Koch brothers have been key players in rewriting the political landscape after the Citizens United Supreme Court decision unleashed the floodgates of corporate money in federal politics.3 And Thomas’ wife has received an undisclosed salary paid for by undisclosed donors as CEO of Liberty Central, a 501(c)(4) organization that was formed to take advantage of Citizens United rules and to play an active role in the 2010 elections.

Unlike other members of the federal judiciary, Supreme Court Justices have no specific code of ethics to which they may be held accountable. But there is a clear appearance of a conflict of interest between his wife’s clear financial stake in overturning the health care law and Justice Thomas’ personal duty to exhibit the highest degree of discretion and impartiality. To protect the honor of the highest court in the land, Thomas must recuse himself from deliberations on the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Tell Justice Clarence Thomas: Recuse yourself from deliberations on the constitutionality of health care reform. Clicking here will automatically sign your name to the above letter.

Sincerely,

Becky Bond, Political Director

CREDO Action from Working Assets

Notes:

1″What else haven’t they told us?” Common Cause, Jan. 21, 2011.

2″Adventures of Ginni Thomas,” Ben Smith, Politico, Feb. 4, 2011.

3″Justices Scalia And Thomas’s Attendance At Koch Event Sparks Judicial Ethics Debate,” Sam Stein, Huffington Post, Oct. 20, 2010.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Promises Kept

01/20/2011 Nativegrl77

It was two years ago today that Barack and I were sworn in, and I remember what he said like it was this morning:

“The challenges we face are real, they are serious, and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.”

Even then, we knew it would take time. We knew it would be hard. And we knew we would sometimes make mistakes.

But we did not lose sight of what we came to do.

Together, we took on difficult issues that had been put off for decades. And some say we have accomplished more in two years than any administration since Roosevelt’s.

Take it from me, that’s something you should take to heart — because none of it would have been possible without your hard work.

But the job’s not done.

I am reminded of that every time I travel to the small towns in Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Mexico — all over — and on the weekends I get home to Delaware. I meet folks who are still struggling, who want to know when the recovery will start to turn things around for their family.

These people are why we can’t quit.

And moving forward with this new Congress, we will need to defend what we’ve achieved together as aggressively as we pursue the goals that remain.

I believe in the power of public service because I’ve seen what it has done throughout our country’s history to combat social and economic injustice. And I am proud to say it’s a story that continues in the remarkable progress we’ve made in the past two years. To tell it, Organizing for America has written Promises Kept.

http://my.barackobama.com/PromisesKept4?keycode=f73ee748a8755ee96cbf68fb490ba6bac3a1b3eea88077a8e4437e5b3f5b84a5

Take a look at the Promises Kept report of all the work we’ve done in two years — you can download a copy or have a few sent to you to share with friends.

There’s a whole lot to be proud of.

Of course, the big ones come to mind first: historic health insurance reform, which is reining in the insurance companies and helping control the cost of care for millions of Americans; Wall Street reform, which put in place the toughest consumer protections ever; and the end of combat operations in Iraq, which brought more than 100,000 troops home.

And there is so much more you’ve helped achieve that is right now improving lives across the country:

— We passed the Recovery Act, which saved and created more than 3 million jobs, provided the largest middle-class tax cut in a generation, and made landmark investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and education.

— We made critical investments in General Motors and Chrysler, saving tens of thousands of jobs — and perhaps the companies — and spurring a rebirth of the American car industry.

— We wrote into law student loan reform and credit card reform, which ended the worst abuses of the banking industries and are making lending fair for American families.

— We put two new Supreme Court justices on the bench — Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, who bring rich and diverse experience to the Court.

— We have begun to reset America’s relationship with the international community, from the ratification of a new START nuclear arms treaty with Russia to tough new sanctions on Iran to strengthening our long-term partnership with a unified Iraq.

— And we finally repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which was the right thing to do — not only because it makes our military stronger at a time when it needs to be the strongest, but because we are seeking that military might with an abiding sense of justice.

Telling the story of the past two years will be critical to the fights ahead. And it’s not just the story of this president or this White House — it’s your story.

And it is literally proof that the organizing you do on the ground — the conversations you have with your friends and neighbors — is working.

Now, I’m not going to say the last two years were easy — and I won’t tell you the fights ahead are going to get any easier.

But I didn’t sign up for a cake walk. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t either.

We’re here to move our country forward. We’re here to lay a new foundation for this country — for our economy, for our politics, and for our children’s and grandchildren’s futures.

And, as Barack says, what we will be able to accomplish together is in your hands.

It’s how hard we all work, and how well we all tell this story.

Take a few minutes to read Promises Kept — and let’s keep moving:

http://my.barackobama.com/PromisesKept

Thanks for everything,

Joe

~ my 2cents ...

TGIF …&some News

10/01/2010 Nativegrl77

Today is not just the first day of October; my dad if alive would be celebrating his 94^th birthday fishing; needless to say i probably would be there with him and later it would be fresh seafood and a flan for desert. RIP dad. The leaves here in the 206 are changing colour even more than last month and while the weather is always a mixed bag with a chance of rain the folks who know say the 206 will be in the high 70’s by the end of the day… ahhh the dog days of summer are still here tho waning away.

I feel the need to breathe deep in reaching up to the sky then slowly release your breath through your nose and repeat when needed.

It’s Friday and President Obama’s schedule will be busy as changes to his administration, fundraising for democratic candidates continue. This is a day of shake-ups and announcements in the White House what with Rahm leaving, Elena Kagan‘s Supreme Court’s investiture ceremony is on Friday, Thad Allen transfers his authority off to another while the folks in Congress run to their own states to campaign like it’s their last. The President has been out there on the campaign trail trying to educate, inform and get folks left of center to understand what is at stake if we do not get off our arse and vote. I do not know about other states but most people here vote by mail, which works out for me because you can peruse the pamphlet take you time to understand the issues, props, or initiatives and then vote it private and send it right back, you can even check to see if your vote was counted online. It is a great system.

It is also the day before the One Nation Rally the 10-2-10 event and at first glance it was exciting. The idea that so many people wanted to take the time to organize an event that would not just show solidarity for those of us who are left of center. The event would also be a moment to show our support, and express what has been done so far by the Obama administration and what still needs to get done if the changes we all voted for can become a realization was and still is an amazing feat. However, the last few weeks have made me slightly apprehensive. I am appreciative that progressives, liberals others have been willing and able to not just come together but invest money in the rally but is this a rally of support or will folks get on stage and suddenly talk bad about our President in ways that will sabotage the November election. The mid-term elections usually are not a big deal because normally the changes only affect folks in their own states; this is going to affect everyone because the issues are on a Federal level the changes will affect everyone. It is important that we all need to understand why the stakes are so high. In 2008 53% voted to change the status quo now those votes are now at risk and while changing the status quo should be the issue that holds this Democratic Party together the fact is some of the more left of center did not get their way and are now in the News almost on a daily basis. I get it and I understand freedom of speech, I just do not want to hear so much of the negative on national TV because it could give the Republican Tea Party an edge it could mean votes though if it meant losing votes that easily then they clearly were not left of center at all. So, keep it real keep it fresh and keep the negative under control.

Definitely excited to see the 10-2-10 event on national television I will also be waiting to count the numbers of barbs thrown at our President while watching. I am hoping that the backstabbing, subliminal messages kept at a low level. Is that too much to ask for?

Other News …

**There are 5million people yet to register to vote

**NASA will lay off 1200 workers

**October is Breast Cancer awareness month

**AIG has a plan to payback $$ owed to the govt ahead of time with stocks in return they keep their payraise structure….

**Seattle, Greenlake will be experience major cuts to services rendered,the Mayor has announced a meeting at the Green lake library is scheduled for 10/16 from 11am-1pm be there to give your input on Saturday

**Boeing is taking plane orders from Air China

**BMW has recalled over 200thousand cars V8 and V12 engines

**Reports are that more people are going to the emergency rm instead of a Doctor -HCR when fully implemented government will save approx $$4million once exchanges are started u[

**Washington State needs to get informed about the local side to the November elections …1098,1107 and more have major cuts and changes that will impact us for a very long time get educated

**Meg Whitman’s husband says it’s possible he saw Social Sec letter

CSPAN …