Tag Archives: Political party

weekend review &some News


Sunday Buzzzzz … A good day to reach for the sky while breathing deeply through your nose then slowly exhale through your mouth while slowly lowering your arms, head, shoulders, chest and waist  bend knees -repeat when needed …

Tired of “the media” BS yet? and can i just say the only grown-ups on the floor of Congress on Saturday were from the Democratic party but hey that is just my opinion.  In his latest commentary, Bloomberg states the President needs better advisors even though President Obama has kept more than half of his campaign promises made to the 53% that voted for him in 2008. I wonder if that information has been readily available in your State.I would like to thank our President for doing such a great job despite the 24/7 News cycle bashing him and the obstructionist called the Republican Tea Party. I would ask our President to keep his campaign promises and heed this alert: the Low Information Voters are not tuning in or paying attention so get out there because according to reports they made up 10% of those that decided to lean right. I say folks have to remember that President Obama does not make, create or pass legislation into laws, our Congress does so all complaints about bills not getting on the floor of Congress should be directed at Republican Tea Partiers who have held most if not all of them up or blocked, stalled and just said no to.

FYI President Obama signs major trade pact agreement with S.Korea -which is a big deal though “The Media” has chosen to ignore it as well as signing the bill to avert a government shut-down.

Today I got up early to see the Bush tax giveaways also called procedural votes on the Senate floor and was quite sad but of course, the media predicted the defeat before hand and unfortunately, they were correct. The point was to get it on the record while showing Americans just what and who they voted for in the Mid-term elections. It is a sad day to realize that a Political Party would put their ideology above the needs of their fellow Americans but the Republican Tea Party did without flinching, thinking of their constituents I guess and all for the love of money. The Bush Tax Cuts of 2001&2003 were given, scheduled to expire 12/31/10 and unpaid for a long with the two wars waged which cost Americans trillions of our money. The fact is the tax cuts, 2Wars, Wall Street bets, AIG insurance selling banking products as well as too much deregulation sent our economy over the cliff -sigh

In great news, The President secured a trade agreement with S.Korea that all Americans should be proud of though if you listen to the News that trade agreement is not as important at least not to “the media” as the defeat or votes against the Obama Administration coming from the cables. Is it just me or does anyone else feel like it is un-American to see so many in the news waiting to report a defeat or any other negative item regarding President Obama. In a time when things are so tough and a large number of voters leaned left we all see the Republican Tea Party gain strength tell the public lies and now the joke is on all of us. They say their focus is on Jobs, economy and doing the work of the People yet RTP continue to vote against UI stating people on UI do not look for jobs. I have to say every time one of them makes a statement that is obviously negative I wonder where the outrage is. I wonder what will be enough BS in order for people to March on DC the reports are that there are five people applying for one job and while members of RTP Congress have jobs it is clear they are all out of touch, engage in elitist behavior and decided a long time ago that not only would they refuse to cooperate with the First Black President they will do whatever is necessary to bring him down even if it means taking us all down and today provided an insight to the horrible people that obviously fooled Americans into voting for them on Nov.2 and that is quite sad.

So, it’s Friday and very cold but we def are not snowbound like the east coast …a lot has happened and it’s only 10am here in the 206. I am hoping the President’s trip goes well and is def a safe one. The debating and or voting going on in Congress today will continue into the weekend and it has my blood boiling. Hopefully, our Democratic Party will hold firm and show Americans the truth of how the Republican Tea Party just is not who the claim to be as shown to us all with the letter stating they will not cooperate unless they get their Bush tax giveaways. If nothing else this should be the evidence Americans need to show they had no intention of focusing on jobs our economy or doing the peoples business. The last two years the focus has been on obstruction, ruining the governing party and President Obama. The jobs numbers tell me that Corporate America has a long and complicit relationship with the Republican Tea Party that is long, deep, probably cannot be broken and or completely be reformed unless and until ALL Americans see the trouble the Republican Tea Party will be and put the Democratic Party back in control…in both Chambers of Congress.

This week the lame duck session restarted on a positive note with a vote of 73-25 passing the Food Safety Bill that will when put into implementation keep most Americans Safe. Unfortunately, due to a Senate error this Bill was put on hold and is probably going to be held hostage along with other legislation that would not only protect Americans it could have been a bill that passed with bipartisanship but that was clearly too much to ask for. While that was taking place, we all waited for the DADT report and most if not all reports were that the response had been better than anticipated. Reports were that 70% were okay with repealing DADT but folks in the Marines were not as responsive. The comments made by Gen.Gates about dadt were definitely positive. It would seem like an  easy task to just take the vote and pass dadt but  the Republican Tea Party who supported the repeal of DADT now have flip flopped by deciding the reports from Generals were not good enough. Again, my question is where is the outrage from people who support the repeal and or gays who know the impact the repeal would have on so many because contrary to folks out there it is Congress who has the responsibility to make it a law not the President who is getting the blame.

I am quite sure the START treaty is not only a National Security issue but is and has always been a bipartisan issue but is being used by the Republican Tea Party along with other legislation as pawns to again-get those Bush giveaways or else. This kind of behavior is childish and

In other News, our President had his first of many meetings to come with Republicans and the first documented outcome of that meeting by President Obama is below:

Though our President held a positive press conference concerning the meeting with Republicans, it is unfortunate that the Republican Tea Party thumbed their noses at our President and continue to be the Party of No by blocking unemployment today to several million. The Republican Tea Party continues want those Bush tax give always before they will cooperate on the floor of Congress, which Americans or most Americans feel we cannot afford to give them right now. At what point during the course of the lame duck Session in Congress will Republican constituents finally see the carpetbaggers for what they are?

The President has asked the Middle lower class to sacrifice again by freezing federal salaries for two years now he must make the rich sacrifice as well because they have not.

Other News

**If you order online on or before Dec.17th most will offer free shipping -called free shipping day

**A grocery workers have ratified their contract in king, kitsap, snohomish counties and covers indpdt grocery workers as well 95% voted yes

**SKnight was arrested on parole violation

**Did you know the RNC is in debt -15million w/about 2million banked the DNC is in debt -15million but has about 10million banked

**   http://www.king5.com/home/Late-TD-gives-Washington-35-28-win-over-WSU-111332549.html  <<< copy & paste link for the story

**President Obama secures major trade pact with S.Korea

**The President signs bill that will avert government shut down

**President Obama is met with newly elected Gov. -told them to call w/any and all probs they don’t want to hear it on tv first -sigh-

**

**Health Care Premiums have gone up 41%

**Alan Simpson debt comm vote to bring there legislation to the floor of Congress needs 14 votes they have 7 at this time. The final vote was 11-7 and failed to get to the flr of Congress

**Temp Fed spending FY 2011 239-178 -with 8Democrats voting No and 2Republicans voting yes

**Rangel censure vote will happen on Thursday with a full Censure

**Food Safety bill may be held up by the House GOP due to Senate errors

**Mid-Class tax cut vote may take place today-Steny Hoyer might allow them

**The START treaty is being debated in the Senate but who knows when the vote will be

**Kathleen Kennedy Townsend has put together a group to battle against the big money used in the Mid-terms

CSPAN …


President Obama Remarks on New Free-Trade Agreement President Obama Remarks on New Free-Trade Agreement
Saturday
Weekly Addresses Weekly Addresses
Saturday
President Obama Remarks to Troops in Afghanistan President Obama Remarks to Troops in Afghanistan
Friday
House Floor Debate & Vote on Censure of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) House Floor Debate & Vote on Censure of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Thursday
Pres. Obama Meets with Newly Elected Governors Pres. Obama Meets with Newly Elected Governors
Thursday
House Min. Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) Weekly Legislative Briefing House Min. Leader Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) Weekly Legislative Briefing
Thursday
Sen. Crapo (R-ID) & Sen. Coburn (R-OK) Remarks on Debt Commission Sen. Crapo (R-ID) & Sen. Coburn (R-OK) Remarks on Debt Commission
Thursday
Senate Commerce Cmte. Hearing on Health Mini-Policies Senate Commerce Cmte. Hearing on Health Mini-Policies
Wednesday
Pres. Obama & Fmr. Sec.of State Colin Powell Remarks on START Treaty Pres. Obama & Fmr. Sec.of State Colin Powell Remarks on START Treaty
Wednesday
White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Wednesday
Debt Commission Meets to Vote on Debt Reduction Plan Debt Commission Meets to Vote on Debt Reduction Plan
Wednesday
House Foreign Affairs Cmte. Hearing on Iran Sanctions House Foreign Affairs Cmte. Hearing on Iran Sanctions
Wednesday
Senate Banking Cmte. Hearing on Mortgages Senate Banking Cmte. Hearing on Mortgages
Wednesday
British House of Commons Prime Minister's Questions British House of Commons Prime Minister’s Questions
Wednesday
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) Remarks on Lame-Duck Session Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) Remarks on Lame-Duck Session
Tuesday
Senate Democrat Leaders Weekly Party  Lunch Remarks Senate Democrat Leaders Weekly Party Lunch Remarks
Tuesday
Senate GOP Leaders Weekly Party Lunch Remarks Senate GOP Leaders Weekly Party Lunch Remarks
Tuesday

thorny Thursday … who is sitting out 2010midterms?


An article from a popular online News service stating that “gay voters are weighing in on sitting this one out” and giving the Democratic Party a rude awakening was sad because the rude awakening or bad joke will be on all of us who want to move into the 21st Century.  It also tells me that the public needs to think about the bigger picture and this just seems to be ignored because of all the anger. I understand it – I get it, but why be so angry that you make whatever progress made thus far slide into the abyss with the possibility of ending any chance again for a long while because you “sat this one out.”  I have to say, that I do not get.  Anyway, my response to the article about gays sitting out for the midterms is below and to be honest I question the validity of the article though it uses the New York Times to frame the story. My response below is not just to the article about gays, but to another article as well with a list of folks thinking they might lean toward the GOP and those who have questions: Catholics, older individuals, so-called angry ex-Obama supporters, independents, Women and the less affluent.

I would like to know…Do these “gay voters” thinking about sitting this one out know that any movement on the right the “Republican Tea Party”  will probably keep DADT in place as well as possibly reinforcing bans on marriage? I would like to know if anyone remembers what Tancredo, Paladino and others have been saying for the last 2weeks and with tea party characters being put in line for positions of power just to spite Dems, it is possible that any move into the 21st Century will be placed on hold… for good? -The filibuster and the rule of 60 have done the dirty job so far but if more right of center folks get on the floor of Congress -the vote for repealing DADT or any other equal rights issue legislation will probably get voted down- and it won’t be because of the process needed to make sure it’s legal – but hey that’s just my take
-sitting this mid-term out or voting for Republicans to express anger is voting against your best interest and makes no sense to me …get angry but be pro-active and give President Obama two more years then vote otherwise…don’t get me wrong i believe President Obama deserves 2terms. What is a problem is how few people actually got on the phone to our members of Congress to tell them to do the peoples business and stop the stalling, blocking and making the Senate scale down bills so they only make a small impact.  I personally will support President Obama for the 2012 elections because the ditch dug by the last guy has made it impossible to correct in just one term. I know that people like Michael Moore have something else cooking and i see that as another troubling shoe ready to drop so this is my warning to the President that some parts of the progressive movement are probably behind the scenes organizing. The last 20 months have been filled with obstacles- Republican obstacles, the group that should be held accountable and be made to pay by putting more democrats on the floor of Congress ..again that is just me. I had hoped that both sides of the political aisle would work together but the rude awakening is that McConnell, DeMint, Pence and Cantor all have a different agenda and it has nothing to do with helping the American peopleThe Political Party of No as well as conservadems in some cases will continue to be the bane of our struggle to move legislation that is more geared toward 21st Century living and that includes finally moving equal rights for all of us into a reality. Vote …but Vote for DEMS. I will admit i do not understand why women feel the GOP would be the Political Party working for our needs -all of us working women ..some single women, single moms, married women with or without families all have over the last few years have suffered under Republican governing and while the air is filled with contentious rhetoric it should not …should not keep women from voting for the Democratic Party because if you were listening the family values platform is against women and has not changed.  In fact if more RTP get on the floor of Congress women our issues along with so many others will become game pieces on our move toward into the 21st Century .  I don’t know about other women but this scares me big time. The right says they want less government are constitutionalist yet lately not so much and when you find out what their family values platform really is you find out that they are social conservatives ready to make all of us abide by what they say not as they have done or are doing .  I have to wonder why those people who stood up and said we need a change in 2008 suddenly have turned away or just don’t get that the Republican Tea Party decided shortly after we voted President Obama into office that they would not cooperate or compromise on anything.

Gallup says …2010 mid-terms

56% of voters ages  18-29  —65%  ages 30-49     —58-66%  ages 50+ plan to vote on Nov.2nd

Overall those that plan to vote: Democratic Party 65% and Republicans 63% and indies 61%

 

 

tempest Tuesday &some News


FYI -Washington State ..King5 TV is providing a Voters info show tonight at 7PM so if you are having trouble with I1082, I1098, I1053 and 1100-1107 , Bill52, Res.4220 Res.8225 take some time and tune in.

Wow, so many well-known folks are on the West Coast this week! The President and Mrs. Obama will be holding rallies to move America forward on the left Coast reinforcing what folks should already know; Vice President Biden and President Clinton all in town to show solidarity to move America forward.  The 2008 Presidential elections was only the beginning of what will be a long journey leading Americans not only into the 21st Century but a country we can all say works for everyone not just a select few, or for the extreme and or willing to throw everyone under the bus to regain power. It is important that we all realize even though Republicans refuse to admit it is that what happened to the US was a non-partisan reality. The Republican Tea Party chose in my opinion to abuse Americans and misuse their power of authority on the floor of Congress with filibusters, the 60-vote rule, stalling, blocking, and making the Senate scale back on Job Bills, putting in Amendments that no one would vote for to get legislation thrown out. After getting the facts, I cannot understand why anyone would want them to take over or part of Congress with all that they have done or to be more accurate what they have not done while supposedly representing “We the People.” We need people in Congress that will work not just for the people but allow the governing party to do just that; govern. But with comments from the likes of a Michael Steele who feels bipartisanship is overrated, that is in fact the way folks should behave in Congress when the impact of any crisis happens, it is their job to come together to make the corrections needed. If anyone out there is still undecided after 20 months of NO from the Republican Tea Party then i just do not know what to say.

I do know that the current topics of conversation by Politicians and cable heads are hot and when Congress comes back will create more conflicts among all who should be proud to represent all the people not just your state and stop behaving like children who continually have tantrums until they get their way. The American public is very tired of it and maybe it is not the way to govern but if needed i say to the left to the left

Today, my rant is about those issues like abortion, religious freedom just lying in wait until after the November elections and while some Politicians have edged over to bring up these topics those on the right who belong to the birther crowd demanding or questioning the validity of our President they are demanding people stay out of their personal lives. odd. The fact is, this do as we say not as we do Political Party has my blood boiling as the comments, complaints and vile talk about our President’s background, history and earlier behavior became major discussion on every type of media you can imagine. These same people who call themselves Republicans, Tea party and or libertarians continue to feel they are above the questions and not be held accountable, questioned or treated just like the President. These same people have accused President Obama of withholding information from the public yet they get offended when asked to provide more information please because they are running for public office. I feel their constituents deserve to know, the public and Americans deserve to know how these people will vote on issues of religion…will their beliefs dictate to how the vote and impact our constitutional rights. If you are listening and are paying attention conservatives and some conservadems are pushing the discussion of women’s rights, religion, race and gender preference up to the surface to rile their base but what has me confused is why is it mostly conservatives, mostly southern men who still have a need to control women and their bodies or healthcare needs in the year 2010. It’s bad enough that women on the Republican side mostly extreme tea party members say they are fiscal conservatives and want less government in their(our) lives yet topics like abortion, stem cell research/experiments and religious freedom have them not just flustered but their undies are in a bunch. I could not vote for a woman who feels I have no right to choose because they are pro-life because no one chooses an alternative options just because and if nothing else having a safe procedure is better than having a woman be desperate enough to take actions that would put her life at risk. It is my body and The Hyde amendment should be enough for folks on the right. I always want to scream hey, stay out of my life but here I am sounding off the alarm because they will be working on making it harder for women to have the right to choose will Congress comes back. Though we are in 21st Century the ideology is barbaric and because the old school dogma crosses the line it solidifies how elitist the comments and behavior from Republicans as of late. If you live under a Republican State or conservative ideology, which promotes a class system, that feels they want government out of their lives but not the people they represent or practices systematic discrimination or blatant hate, you should think about the impact repealing, replacing and eliminating will have on his or her own families, friend’s co-workers. The idea that some Republicans want to go back to a time when women and people of colour had no rights sounds silly but before you laugh, take some time and listen closely.

just when I thought, we were all moving into the 21st century

-sigh

Other News

**Shots fired at the Pentagon today,yesterday the history of the military museum was shot at -not word if they are tied

**Reports that 6-8000 construction jobs will start up with in the next few months/years throughout Oregon and Arizona

**Tax credit/rebates and appliance ends 12/31 -first come first serve

**French citizens continue to protest the increase in retirement age

**Homes in foreclosure …ask for all the documents on your  home

CSPAN …

Pres. Obama Signs Executive Order on Hispanic Education Initiative Pres. Obama Signs Executive Order on Hispanic Education Initiative
Today
State Department Press Briefing State Department Press Briefing
Today
CSIS Discussion on Defense Industry with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush CSIS Discussion on Defense Industry with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush
Today
NALEO Discussion on Latino Impact on 2010 Midterm Elections NALEO Discussion on Latino Impact on 2010 Midterm Elections
Today
C-SPAN Debate Coverage of Campaign 2010 - Monday, October 18 C-SPAN Debate Coverage of Campaign 2010 – Monday, October 18
Monday
State Department Press Briefing State Department Press Briefing
Monday
Steven Rattner, Author, Overhaul Steven Rattner, Author, Overhaul
Monday

A message from Ari Rabin-Havt


Media Matters September 29, 2010

President Obama recently sat down with Rolling Stone magazine and offered his thoughts on our political and media climate. He also had some strong words for Fox News:

It is part of the tradition that has a very clear, undeniable point of view…It’s a point of view that I think is ultimately destructive for the long-term growth of a country that has a vibrant middle class and is competitive in the world.

He’s right. Since President Obama was inaugurated last year, Fox has undergone a transformation from a conservative-leaning news source to, as Fox News’ senior Vice President put it, “the voice of the opposition.”

On issues ranging from taxes to health care to the environment, the role of Islam to the role of unions, Fox acts like a political operation, not a news network. Fox’s “opinion” and “news” hosts routinely select whatever facts they need or advance falsehoods to sell the network’s conservative political agenda. In so doing, Fox pushes messages intended not to make people more informed, but to inspire fear and anger in its audience. What’s even more dangerous is that Fox provides a platform not just for a political party‘s talking points, but for racially charged attacks and religious smears.

Stand up to Fox — support Media Matters for America today.

Through its on-air promotion of Republican candidates and causes, its support for, and cheerleading of, the Tea Party movement, its tolerance of extreme rhetoric and willingness to ignore facts, Fox News is distorting the political process.

Every day, Media Matters for America stands up to the lies and smears Fox and its allies in the conservative media try to advance. We expose the extreme rhetoric that would otherwise fly below the radar and we counter falsehoods with facts, putting a halt to the smears and misinformation before they become accepted fact. Stand with us and help us carry on this important task.

Stand up to Fox — support Media Matters for America today.

Thank you for your support.

Ari Rabin-Havt
Vice President
Media Matters for America