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

thorny Thursday &some News …


If not now -when

The President will be stumping for the Democratic Party in Nevada and Kansas City the VP will be in California and it will all be on cable around 1:30pmET, I am so proud but I will say that he needs to tighten up his crew before Congress comes back.

Are you registered to vote -know any first time voters? anyone who is not registered to vote?-it is time to get involved …let your voice be heard! register to VOTE for Climate change alternative energy, Immigration, Jobs Bill, Reform of all things Financial

It is time for the Democratic Party and our President to find courage to sway more left of center because if they have not already gotten it -that, is who voted in the 2008election -that- is the 53%

We are all counting down the days to when the Senate comes back, We the People need to take the advice of Alan Grayson who by the way was an awesome guest on CNN. The Congressman not only held his own but was able to challenge the cable host … his advice is not just call members of Congress he suggested a March on Congress when they get back to tell Congress to get the Jobs Bill done for the people of American … hey, why not use Reconciliation.

Today, among other things will be a day of heat heat heat red meat heat =sunburns. It has been more cool of late which quickly moved into a couple of days of mild warmth a few days of rain and mild warm weather and though the warnings were there it seemed to be announced then it happened just like the weather people stated. That is not to say meteorologists do not know what they talk about because that is the job at hand, it is just here in the 206 we usually have opposite weather that includes a lot of rain on most days. It is hot hot hot. It’s Summer!!

And more hot News that has occupied the minds of sports fans for quite sometime now is about LeBron James. The famous Lebron is scheduled to announce what team he will join on ESPN Thursday night and while the talk has been heated; folks who viewers had no idea were interested have given so-called opinions about where he should go. Then we see people in the news making comments and or complaints. I don’t know who started it but the word Diva suddenly got play and people ran with it …apparently some jealous folks but then they said we are all at fault for letting him get this way …huh? It just seems like a good PR job to me what with two or three States getting some coverage on TV. The main event will be tonight about 9pm but that might be ET so if you really are interested better check the programming because you will def miss it here in the PST if you actually wait until 9pm … I suspect his 1-hour program on ESPN, which got many complaints will probably be replayed over and over.

In other issues gaining more heat as the days wear on is the BP disaster which has yet to be taken to the next level and though we all know what is going on the cameras are no longer getting that close up. We are no longer are-watching reporters picking up tar balls and visits to the beach are becoming less but we all know they and the gusher is still there. It has been stated that there are 27,000 wells possibly leaking, it was confirmed and is now being reported as if it was the current President fault , implying that not only was it his fault but then it slides into a tirade of why ken Salazar should be fired. I am tired of the ability that reporters, hosts, cable heads use to spew info that may be true or not it is even more annoying that folks from the right, specifically politicians think they will say whatever they want without being challenged… but this is happening too. I am beyond offended that the various stations have let Republicans and or some Democrats get on and say this spill is Obama’s Waterloo we have him now because he is the President; forget the nonsense that limbaugh and or beck are spewing because that stuff is too obvious. It’s the crap that the 3 major cable stations allow and or hope will get folks worked up but it just makes me turn the channel…thank goodness for channel surfing because the nonsense between now and November will be endless.

Last, We the People know that Freedom of Speech is not only a right but also a responsibility. It just seems like the art of Free Speech has become twisted definitely misused and abused daily

I would like to say thank you to Media Matters for America and Think Progress because while there are other sources these two are priceless.

Other News …

**There is a Russia -US spy swap as we speak

**The Congressional Budget Office has found that the Senate’s climate change legislation would reduce the deficit by $19 billion over the next decade if enacted. “There is no more room for excuses; this must be our year to pass comprehensive climate and energy legislation and begin to send a price signal on carbon,” said the legislation’s authors, Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT).

**Former White House green jobs adviser Van Jones spoke at the Campus Progress National Conference yesterday and encouraged students to be patient with Obama. “We’re trying to build a pro-democracy movement in a country that at least for eight years was run by straight-up authoritarians, and it’s not going to be easy,” he said. Jones added that despite his “rough exit,” the whole experience was “worth it.”



C-SPAN …

watch White House Press Briefing

watch Pres. Obama on Exports

President Stumps for Recovery Act in Missouri & Nevada

President Obama continues to visit communities around the country this week as part of an effort to focus attention on Recovery Act projects underway across the nation. Today, the President travels to Kansas City, MO, to tour a Smith Electric Vehicles facility where he will deliver remarks to workers on the economy. He will later headline a campaign fundraiser on behalf of Democratic Senate nominee Robin Carnahan. The President continues to Las Vegas tomorrow where he will headline a campaign rally for Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) at the Aria Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

Pres. Obama in MO: 1:30pm ET on C-SPAN2

Greece Looks to reinvigorate economy through “green technologies”

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Spyros Kouvelis will today appear at the Woodrow Wilson Center to discuss Greece’s efforts to shift away from fossil fuels while still facing an economy-crippling financial crisis. He is expected to highlight his nation’s goal of raising renewable energy usage ten-fold to meet European Union renewable targets for 2020. Greece has attempted to reinvigorate climate change talks by suggesting a regionally focused approach that would allow other countries outside of the European Union to formulate climate measures that fit their national needs. It has already begun negotiating with other Mediterranean nations and has pointed to the possibility of climate-induced droughts in African and Asian as motivation for other countries to utilize the same approach. In December 2009, the U.N. Climate Change Conference attempted to produce a legally binding treaty to reduce greenhouse gases, but the “Copenhagen Accord” is not legally enforceable. Countries from around the world are set to meet later this year for U.N.-sponsored climate talks in Cancun, Mexico.

Brookings Panel to “Reimagine” U.S. Immigration Policy

In the wake of Tuesday’s U.S. Justice Department announcement that it challenging Arizona’s new immigration law in federal court, the Brookings Institution today hosts a forum on “Reimagining U.S. Immigration Policy.” Brookings Vice President and Director of Governance Studies Darrell West will discuss his new book, “Brain Gain: Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy.” The event will also include a panel debate on immigration reform and specific proposals to improve federal immigration strategy. The Justice Department lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, argues that immigration policy must be consistent nationally and that the Arizona law oversteps state authority. The law, S.B. 1070, requires state and local law enforcement to stop and question suspected illegal immigrants. It passed the state legislature in April and is set to take effect July 29 unless a judge grants the federal government’s request for an injunction to block its implementation.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

$20 to get off oil?


President Obama has called for an end to America’s addiction to oil. We’re launching a new push to make sure Congress doesn’t squander this momentum. To get it going, we need 64 donations from Seattle—can you chip in $5?

Click Here

Would you give $20 for a new energy policy that would get America off oil? How ’bout $5?

I ask because, after months—years—of deadlock, this is a moment when we could actually see a significant shift to clean energy. With the public outraged at the spill in the Gulf and President Obama calling for a renewed push for clean energy, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

So we’re putting together a major effort to take on the biggest stumbling block: the conservative Democrats, too many of whom still seem to be on the “drill, baby, drill” plan.

Specifically, we need about $185,000 to turn up the heat in their districts—to provide materials for volunteers, organizers to help them out, and hard-hitting ads to let voters know where they stand.

This is the most important moment for clean energy in decades. To hit our goal, we’ll need 64 donations from Seattle—can you chip in $5?

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/oil_disaster0.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=21613-9640874-IgW.max&t=3

After the Gulf oil spill, Congress wasn’t even talking about doing what we need to really get off oil. But after weeks of organizing by MoveOn members and many others, President Obama has put this goal front and center.

But we know that Congress won’t stand up to the Big Oil lobbyists unless voters demand it. Here’s some of what we have in mind:

  • Ads: We’ll run ads with photos of members of Congress who are taking money from Big Oil.
  • Rallies: We’ll join with grassroots organizations across the country to organize massive demonstrations for clean energy.
  • Media: We’ll make sure local newspapers report on which members of Congress are supporting action to end our dependence on oil.

But we need to raise at least $185,000 to get it going. Can you chip in $5? Click here to donate:

https://pol.moveon.org/donate/oil_disaster0.html?bg_id=hpc5&id=21613-9640874-IgW.max&t=4

Thanks for all you do.

–Steven, Kat, Matt, Carrie, and the rest of the team

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

thinkProgress.org


UNDER THE RADAR

ENVIRONMENT — SCIENTISTS BEG FOR CHANCE TO TAKE BASIC MEASUREMENTS OF GULF OIL SPILL: Nearly three months after BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are still struggling to obtain even basic measurements of the oil disaster’s magnitude. In response, “a group of independent scientists, frustrated and dumbfounded by the continued lack of the most basic data,” have released a report, detailing a project “intended to definitively measure how much oil has spilled and where and how it is spreading throughout the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.” Team leader Dr. Ira Leifer, a researcher at the Marine Science Institute of the University of California, Santa Barbara, stressed that accurate data would have prevented BP’s failed “top kill” and “top hat” plans, saying “effective containment systems available now, if we’d had the measurements.” Ideally, the team would “begin its experiments at the well site, capturing data and imagery with remotely-operated vehicles that would produce authoritative measurements of the flow,” thereafter focusing on the water column and current to understand “how the oil is interacting with the water.” Although Leifer’s group has the support of Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), who successfully pressured BP to release live video of the oil leak, the scientists still require the approval and monetary support for their efforts from BP or the federal government. If the past is any indication, approval does not seem imminent — last month, BP rejected the help of thousands of volunteers, many with expert training and experience in handling offshore oil disasters and oil spill cleanup.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

From the Newsroom of Senator Maria Cantwell


As Senate Takes Up Oil Spill Response, Cantwell to Introduce Bill to Protect Puget Sound and U.S. Coast from Catastrophic Oil Spills

Before Senate action, Cantwell will chair hearing on oil spill prevention and response technology; legislation addresses industry failure to fully utilize best available methods

Tuesday, July 06,2010

SEATTLE, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said she will introduce legislation to require the oil drilling industry to continually integrate the latest technologies into oil spill prevention and response plans. Speaking at a press conference on Seattle’s waterfront, Cantwell said the oil industry has failed to update its response plans with the best technology available because of weak regulations. Had the latest technologies been in place this spring, Cantwell said, the ongoing spill in the Gulf of Mexico might have been prevented, or its impact limited. After Congress reconvenes, Cantwell will chair a hearing of the Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard to address shortcomings and vulnerabilities in oil industry prevention and response technology.
“We have learned a painful lesson from the Deepwater Horizon disaster: America cannot rely on big oil companies and their CEOs to utilize the best available prevention and response technology,” Senator Cantwell said. “We’ve seen over the past 20 years that the industry will not do it on its own – from Exxon Valdez to Deepwater Horizon, Congress has had to intervene and respond. The sad truth is that if BP had the latest technologies in place this spring, the Deepwater Horizon disaster might not have occurred, or, if it did, a great deal of the damage could have been mitigated. These companies prepare fully for how to best extract resources and maximize their profits – they use technology to the fullest there. But because they refuse to prepare for these disasters, it is time for Congress to do what is necessary to bring this entire industry into the 21st century for spill prevention and response – not just extractions and profits.”
Cantwell pointed out that even areas where offshore drilling is prohibited, such as the Pacific Northwest, are vulnerable to spills because of the huge quantities of oil passing through often treacherous waters on tankers. Approximately 600 oil tankers and 3,000 oil barges travel through Puget Sound’s fragile ecosystem annually, carrying about 15 billion gallons of oil to Washington’s five refineries. Investigations in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon spill have shown that a lack of incentives and strong legal mandates has resulted in little action by the oil industry to research and develop improved spill prevention and response technologies.
While Cantwell’s latest efforts focus on developing and fielding the latest prevention and response technologies, Cantwell has been playing a key role in spill prevention and coastal protection legislation since long before the Deepwater Horizon spill. For more than three years, Cantwell has been working on a U.S. Coast Guard authorization bill that passed the Senate May 7 without opposition. The bill, which is awaiting final House-Senate approval, would significantly enhance oil spill response and prevention, improve offshore oil drilling safety, and protect coastal communities. The legislation expands federal oil spill response requirements west to Cape Flattery ensuring that Puget Sound and the entire Strait of Juan de Fuca have spill response teams and equipment in place. The bill further reduces traffic in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary; enhances spill prevention efforts on vessels transporting oil; and establishes a stronger role for tribes. Previously, Cantwell championed legislation requiring a year-round Neah Bay rescue tug near the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Cantwell has also introduced legislation that would permanently ban oil drilling off the Pacific Coast, and she has an amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Reform Act of 2010 that significantly improves oversight and safety of offshore oil drilling rigs by filling a gap in current regulatory policy. Cantwell’s amendment would require by law a full, top-to-bottom third-party certification of drilling systems. Under current regulations, a full, top-to-bottom third-party certification of drilling systems is not mandated, meaning problems with critical drilling and safety technology such as blowout preventers are going undetected.
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Obama Sues Arizona


Reform Immigration FOR America

TAKE ACTION
Tell President Obama:
Thank you for the lawsuit against Arizona to stop their racial profiling law. But I won’t be satisfied until we pass comprehensive immigration reform – keep up the pressure!

take action
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The Department of Justice just filed a lawsuit against the state of Arizona to challenge the racial profiling law that state is trying to implement. This lawsuit is a sign that the Obama Administration won’t let rogue states create laws from hatred and fear. It’s a good first step, and it paves the way to keep copycat laws off the books in other states.

In President Obama’s speech on immigration reform last week, he said that he’s committed to fixing our broken system. This is a down payment on that promise, but there’s so much more we still need to do. Can you join me in faxing the President and tell him to keep it up?

Send this fax to President Obama:
Thank you for the lawsuit against Arizona to stop their racial profiling law. But I won’t be satisfied until we pass comprehensive immigration reform – keep up the pressure!
Click here to send this free fax to the White House

The Justice Department’s actions are proof that the government isn’t going to stay on the sidelines and let states attack our basic human rights. Tell President Obama not to stop with Arizona!

Thank you,
Marissa Graciosa
Reform Immigration FOR America

p.s. I know that anti-immigrant forces are going to be trying to pressure the President to drop this lawsuit – we can’t let them overwhelm us! Send a fax, then tell five friends to do the same.