Tag Archives: reviews

Don’t let Texas oil companies rewrite environmental laws


Send Valero a message: Hands off our nation’s best climate change law.

Send a message to Valero’s CEO
Boycott Valero Gas!
Your message to Valero CEO Bill Klesse:

I will be boycotting all Valero Energy owned and supplied gas stations until you drop your funding of the ballot initiative that will destroy California’s landmark clean energy and air pollution law, AB 32.

Take action now!


With the Senate’s failure to pass an anti global-warming bill, legislation on the state level is currently our most direct answer to saving the planet.

California already passed one of the toughest anti-global warming laws in the world (AB32) back in 2006 — and its regulations will start being phased in next year. But not if a bunch of oil companies in Texas have their way. Texas oil companies Valero and Tesoro have spent $3.5 million to fund Prop 23 in California; a deceptive initiative that, if approved by voters this November, will effectively reverse AB32.

If these Texas Oil Companies succeed in rewriting California’s global warming laws, it won’t just hurt California’s effort to curb harmful carbon emissions — it will be a giant step back for nationwide efforts to fight global warming. So we need to tell Valero that their continued support of this proposition is going to cost them, too.

Send a message to Valero C.E.O Bill Klesse that you will boycott Valero gas until his company stops funding Prop 23. Your message will be immediately delivered to him.

We started this campaign in California in April with our friends at The Courage Campaign, but since then, Valero has upped the ante. With only two months until the election, they just gave another $3 million to fund the attack on AB32. There’s no telling how many more millions Valero will dump into this effort before November — but if we create a groundswell of national pressure, we can force them to reconsider their support. So we’re taking this boycott national.

The Senate climate fight made clear that dirty energy companies have far too much power in Washington. And now that the Citizens United case has opened the door for more corporate money in our elections, the best way to stop dirty energy from having an even bigger impact on ballots nationwide is with direct, public pressure that will be noticed by corporate executives and shareholders alike.

This type of pressure just made a big difference after Target donated $150,000 to a group backing anti-gay candidates. With Valero leading an attack on the strongest climate pollution reduction act in the country, we need to show them that their support isn’t just bad for the environment — it’s also bad for business.

Send your message to Valero CEO Bill Klesse telling him you’ll be boycotting Valero gas and spreading the word to your friends.

Then, don’t buy gas at Valero. Valero and Tesoro operate gas stations under the following brands. Boycott all of these locations:

  • Valero
  • Beacon
  • Diamond Shamrock
  • Shamrock
  • Corner Store
  • Ultramar
  • Tesoro
  • Mirastar
  • USA Petroleum

Pledge to boycott all of these stations and send a message to Bill Klesse and Valero Energy.

Valero’s CEO needs to hear the message loud and clear. Sign the pledge and join the boycott of Valero. Your pressure works.

Becky Bond, Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets

Iraq …a message from President Obama


RE-Post …

Tonight marks the end of the American combat mission in Iraq.

As a candidate for this office, I pledged to end this war responsibly. And, as President, that is what I am doing.

Since I became Commander-in-Chief, we’ve brought home nearly 100,000 U.S. troops. We’ve closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of our bases.

As Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, our commitment to a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq continues. Under Operation New Dawn, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain to advise and assist Iraqi forces, protect our civilians on the ground, and pursue targeted counterterrorism efforts.

By the end of next year, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, these men and women, too, will come home.

Ending this war is not only in Iraq’s interest — it is in our own. Our nation has paid a huge price to put Iraq’s future in the hands of its people. We have sent our men and women in uniform to make enormous sacrifices. We have spent vast resources abroad in the face of several years of recession at home.

We have met our responsibility through the courage and resolve of our women and men in uniform.

In seven years, they confronted a mission as challenging and as complex as any our military has ever been asked to face.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans put their lives on the line. Many returned for multiple tours of duty, far from their loved ones who bore a heroic burden of their own. And most painfully, more than 4,400 Americans have given their lives, fighting for people they never knew, for values that have defined our people for more than two centuries.

What their country asked of them was not small. And what they sacrificed was not easy.

For that, each and every American owes them our heartfelt thanks.

Our promise to them — to each woman or man who has donned our colors — is that our country will serve them as faithfully as they have served us. We have already made the largest increase in funding for veterans in decades. So long as I am President, I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that sacred trust.

Tonight, we mark a milestone in our nation’s history. Even at a time of great uncertainty for so many Americans, this day and our brave troops remind us that our future is in our own hands and that our best days lie ahead.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

A new way to hold Republicans accountable


The Democratic Party
With Congress’s August recess now under way, Republican members of Congress are starting to show up at Tea Party events and campaign rallies all over the country.

We saw last year during the fight for health reform that this is a time when the extremists run rampant. Remember “death panels?”

This year, Republicans are looking to have it both ways, trying to appeal to independent voters while making promises to the Tea Party crowd to pursue an extreme right-wing agenda if they regain control of Congress.

We don’t — but I sure wish we did.

That’s where the “Accountability Project” comes in. It’s a platform for citizens to document Republican candidates and their public statements at local events, as well as their campaign tactics.

The Accountability Project allows you to submit videos, recordings, and other items for publication online, so that candidates see that there’s a cost to their dishonest statements — and so that everyday citizens can see what their Republican candidates for office are saying.

We need people like you to take the lead. Sign up today to be a part of the Accountability Project here.

Sign up today

The American people deserve an honest debate — and far too often, candidates try to make misleading attacks and false claims under the radar.

This project seeks to shine a light on those practices, and you have a crucial role to play in making it happen.

There are several ways in which folks can participate:

— If you have anything that can record video — from a cell phone to a video camera — you can go to public events and record what candidates say.

— If you receive any sort of mailings or literature from candidates, you can post them online for all to see.

— And if you hear of any upcoming public events for Republican candidates in your area, you can let everyone know, so that other concerned citizens can get out there.

This project will enable folks to keep track of Republican candidates running for every office, up and down the ballot.

Please help fight back against Republicans’ shadowy tactics — participate in The Accountability Project:

http://my.democrats.org/APsignup

Thanks,

Shauna

Shauna Daly
Research Director
Democratic National Committee

thorny Tuesday &some News


Labor day weekend is coming…everyone enjoy

The President will be speaking to the citizens of the United States tonight around 8pmET and gotta say that i am proud to know that even though the last President gave him the hard task of dealing with 2Wars he has remained calm cool and dignified through it all.

I will admit I am so tired of the message behind the message comments by the Media we need to listen but sort out the truth and what seems like stories for ratings.  The Media including Fox News have become a monster in all things Other if you ask me. I am not sure who to blame; fox news definitely, msnbc and cnn have done their part in the constant barrage of 24/7 News. If you watch enough News it becomes questionable at times because there are definitely levels of honesty, reality and truth behind all the hosts, commentators or so-called journalists on any given News spot. It cannot be avoided but folks need to know it is not always what they claim … News has become a tool that can be manipulated …truth has become something that is debated on cable daily. I do not watch fox news; only about 2% of people of colour watch fox news. The reasons are many but most say it is because of the way they present it and themselves. nuff said

However,even though Obama did not start any wars he will have to answer to everyone for it… That sucks and idea that the US committed to being in 2Wars and some of us agree were unnecessary but unavoidable. The announcement is for this President to make; it is an end to the current combat but it is not a win of anything but we must give props to our troops and support all those men and women who fought for the United States.

In my opinion, our economy our status has stalled because of a lack of cooperation from Republicans and some conservadems who have made bad choices. I do not believe anyone runs for office to be saddled with the problems of the past President not to mention some new ones that require swift military action. It has only been 20months since Obama took office yet folks in the Media as well as Republicans someone ginned up the idea that there must be some movement before the November elections or they will be voted out of office. what? That is the first issue of mine…who has the right to say this economy should be fixed and ready to go in 20months? compare and contrast how long it took add to that a Political Party who decided they will be obstacles of progress voting no or making the vote hard and the effort scaled back which in all likely hood made the outcome and or impact slim and next to none. It has been Republicans that have failed the people of the United States not President Obama …The House of Representatives have put bills to help the people but when these bills reach the Senate Boehner and criminals vote no…the rule of 60 has hurt Americans at every angle and Republicans are exploiting it. If the Democratic Party can keep the House and take more seats in the Senate things can and will get done for the people.

Though it is the last day of August, it is blowing and raining like a true fall day. I am hoping that more days of heat are still something to look forward too. I know we clearly have it better here than the Caribbean as well as all along the East Coast so i will not be complaining about the weather too much. What is worth complaining about is the fear, hate and discrimination happening all over our country in a time when historians say is always the case. The recession has pitted folks against each other blaming this that and the Other for the plight we are all feeling. The plight i see is the haves used to have and have nothing anymore. The blame is on the last President and his admin as well as the crooked behavior by those with money who bet against the middle class and their money for possible Profits and failed to keep it up any longer. The bets failed and those with power money and authority let our economy crash into a ditch without trying to stop it before we voted the next President into office. I find that not only offensive but the worse thing anyone could do …and it happened here in the United States. The current President was against War and at the time, he voted against the Iraq war the Afghanistan war was the place where the folks who committed the attack on NYC 9/11 were there and even today, my feelings are that they got away and the real story has yet to unmasked. I am not stupid and i hope the public gets it …The idea that a President allowed 2 huge tax cuts and 2Wars be implemented without the paygo laws the current Republican Party insists on is outrageous in my opinion.

Republicans have made us all see that when the going gets tough and the American People need help. Republicans are not the folks to ask unless of course you meet their standards, their criteria’s. This can only mean that they practice exclusion, possibly separate and definitely unequal in a moment in time when we have our first Bi-racial President trouble with immigration reform, health care that needed to be reformed and a financial system that took us all down; some more than others. Republicans have sold the citizens of the US out. I have to ask and ask are their constituents listening watching what their representatives are saying because it all affects them too! Voting NO to every Bill that would help the citizens of the US and help our economy is beyond acceptable. It is important that every one of us drill this into the heads of Independents or anyone on the right who is feeling the actions of the Republicans, feeling negative effect of the No votes because those votes have consequences. These no votes could be our complete failure without a way to get out of it. The it being a depression…that is what Republicans are willing to risk willing to bet against the people because they side with big Corporations -did they back the people of the Gulf Coast or BP …what side are Republicans on people and can you accept a Political Party willing to be divisive?

It signifies exactly where the Republican Party stands and it definitely is not with the People of the United States. If you had to choose between helping any one class or group of people, Republicans chose Wall Street and deregulation. When an actual vote took place, they voted to abandoned states Teachers, first responders, firefighters, police and more. They voted against the unemployed but have been selling, telling and insisting that the Bush tax cuts will be a job killer. It is time for folks to open their eyes …like they did when it came to making that decision about Palin -people ended up opening their eyes and maybe it took some outside influences …maybe we need that now

Other News…

**Deere sells Wind Energy biz for 900 million

**Banks Post $21.6 Billion in Profits

Yesterday, President Obama urged Senate Republicans to “drop the blockade” on the Small Business Jobs bill, which “will cut more taxes and make available more loans, including $55 billion in tax relief.” After the Republican minority blocked the bill from coming to the Senate floor in July, Obama asked Congress to make it the “first order of business” when it returns from recess in September.

The Justice Department filed another lawsuit against Arizona yesterday, arguing “that a network of community colleges acted illegally in requiring noncitizens to provide their green cards before they could be hired for jobs.” The suit alleges that the colleges “discriminated against nearly 250 noncitizen job applicants by mandating that they fill out more documents than required by law to prove their eligibility to work.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) “was dealt another major setback Monday when the Alaska Libertarian Party announced it would not swap its chosen candidate for the Republican senator if she loses her party’s nomination.” “The party voted unanimously Sunday not to allow Murkowski to run on its ticket,” so her only remaining option to stay in the race would be to run as a write-in candidate.

**Man has major run in with bed bugs in Oregon Hotel and lands in hospital

**Hurricane Earl is expected to be a cat4 so please evacuate folks on the East Coast

CSPAN ..

Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen (Ret.) Briefing on Gulf Oil Spill Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen (Ret.) Briefing on Gulf Oil Spill

Pres. Obama Meets with Troops at Fort Bliss Army Base Pres. Obama Meets with Troops at Fort Bliss Army Base

White House Oval Office Remodeled White House Oval Office Remodeled

Congressional Muslim Staff Association Discussion on Image of Muslims in America Congressional Muslim Staff Association Discussion on Image of Muslims in America

Quick Update …


Midnight Tonight. That’s our final deadline to respond to John Boehner’s $50 million pledge in attack ads to try and put Republicans back in charge of Congress and make himself Speaker.

We just finished our strategy call with Paul Begala and one of our top pollsters. They laid out the clear path to beating back the Republicans in these final weeks. As Paul said on the call, “Right now, it’s real. Don’t walk off the field, stay and fight.” And, then Paul made a personal call to action to raise additional funds before tonight’s FEC deadline.

Between our own pledge of $49 million and President Obama’s goal of an additional $1 million to close the gap, we are now just $8,424 away from beating John Boehner on this deadline. But there’s just a few hours left.

Contribute $5, $10 or more to President Obama’s $1 million grassroots goal before Midnight Tonight and your contribution will be matched 2-to-1 by a group of committed Democrats.

The world is watching tonight’s fundraising totals. If we beat them, it will prove that we can go toe-to-toe with Boehner and his swift-boat shadow groups all the way to November. If not, their lies might have to go unanswered in these final weeks. We can’t let that happen.

With just $8,424 left to go, your contribution could be the one that puts us over the top!

Contribute to President Obama’s goal before Midnight Tonight.

Jon Vogel
Jon Vogel
DCCC Executive Director

P.S. We just finished our strategy call with Paul Begala and one of our top pollsters. They are confident we can succeed but only if we have enough grassroots support. With just a few hours left, we’re only $8,424 away from our goal. Put us over the top before Midnight Tonight and your contribution will be matched 2-to-1 by a group of committed Democrats.