Tag Archives: Senate

For those who doubt the power of Sarah Palin‘s influence, Tuesday’s primary results should be a wake-up call. Her candidates won in six out of eight races, and each one is more extreme than the next.

A few weeks ago, EMILY’s List launched a campaign to highlight the extremist agenda of Sarah Palin and her candidates. We asked for our supporter’s perspectives, and boy, did we get them. Along with the quarter of a million people who watched our video, we received some wonderful, touching, inspiring, and to-the-point letters and emails:

“I support women candidates, but not ones that speak against women’s rights!” — Carolyn, MO

“I am a mamma grizzly and Palin’s ultra-conservative stances endanger my family’s freedom and America‘s future.” — Cheryl, MD

As our campaign continues, it is these voices that guide us — YOUR voices. Women — and men! — across the country, some of them highlighted in our new video, are rejecting Sarah Palin’s extremist candidates and their backwards-looking agenda.

Take a moment to watch our new video and then join Team EMILY to help bring voters to the polls.

Thanks for being part of the EMILY’s List community.

Take care,

Stephanie Schriock
President, EMILY’s List

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DADT vote next week …victory is NOT certain

09/16/2010 Nativegrl77

The Senate will decide the fate of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” NEXT WEEK.

With anti-equality senators threatening to block the bill, years of work is in jeopardy.

Tell the Senate it’s long past time to repeal this law!

It’s crunch time. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has scheduled a vote on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” for next week.

If we win this, it will be a victory years in the making – but make no mistake about it: this is not a done deal and the threat of a filibuster from Sen. John McCain looms large.

Because of Sen. McCain’s pledge to block the vote from even happening, now is the time for every single person who supports the repeal to speak out.

Swing senators are making up their minds as we speak. But it’s just as important that lawmakers who are already on our side hear from us so they know they have the political support to go to the mat on this issue. This is a 100-senator strategy, and we need your help to make it work.

Email your senators and tell them the Senate MUST repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Then forward this email to ten friends.

Though public opinion and top military leaders are with us, repeal is absolutely not a sure thing.

The right wing is making hysterical claims that allowing lesbians and gays to serve openly in the military will increase sexual assault and “undermine the religious liberties” of military chaplains. They are mobilizing their activists and putting intense pressure on senators.

And because John McCain and his cronies have threatened to filibuster the bill, the hurdle is even higher – we’ll need 60 votes to succeed.

There are no guarantees this will be a victory – we need you to act.

So many times in the past, when we’ve been on the doorstep of progress – on hate crimes, on employment non-discrimination, on marriage equality – they have had a trick up their sleeves. Whether it’s last-minute legislative maneuvers or “poison-pill” amendments, they can and will do everything in their power to derail progress.

That’s why we need your voice more than ever. Will you take a moment to email the Senate?

Write your senators NOW. Let them know how important repeal is to you.

After you take action, please forward this email to ten friends.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a travesty, plain and simple. It doesn’t just violate basic principles of fairness and equality; it undermines our national security. At a time when we are fighting two wars, America can’t afford to be turning away soldiers, translators, analysts, engineers, doctors, or officers…

We’re on the precipice of a history-making moment, a landmark in the struggle for civil rights. So much is riding on this vote. Thank you for your unflagging support.

Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese
President

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Holding Working Families Hostage

09/16/2010 Nativegrl77

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Stand Up for Working Families

Your Members of Congress need to hear that you want them to stand up for working families, not millionaires.

Do you know what makes me mad?

Some Members of Congress are pushing for tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans while holding hostage measures to help working families.

Yes, it’s true. As early as next week, the Senate could decide what to do about tax cuts that expire at the end of this year. President Obama proposes to extend tax cuts for the middle class and lower-income working families, while allowing the provisions of the Bush-era tax cuts that only benefit the wealthiest two percent of households to expire on schedule. But some Senators insist on holding tax cuts for the middle class hostage to tax breaks for millionaires — at a cost of over $700 billion over the next ten years. And, adding insult to injury, they would allow tax cuts designed to help struggling families to expire.

We need your help. Can you join the National Call-in Day Today, September 16, and call Congress right now?

Your Members of Congress need to hear that you want them to stand up for working families, not millionaires. Tell them to pass tax cuts for the middle class and working families, and let the tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent expire on schedule. Tell them we need the $700 billion we’d save to create jobs, protect essential services, and begin to bring the deficit under control.

The only way we can succeed is by flooding Congress with calls. Please click here to call Congress — and then forward this e-mail to everyone you know and tell them to call, too.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Joan Entmacher
Vice President for Family Economic Security
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Every call makes a difference. Someone needs to stand up for the little gal (and guy). Please take a few minutes to call Congress today.

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Today at 4: AFL-CIO Officers Answer Your Questions

09/16/2010 Nativegrl77

Webcast
TODAY

Don’t Miss the Live Webcast Today at 4 p.m. EDT
with Richard Trumka, Liz Shuler, Arlene Holt Baker

www.aflcio.org

Hundreds of you have submitted questions for the live webcast today with the AFL-CIO officers at 4 p.m. EDT.

Tune in at www.aflcio.org.

On the first anniversary of their election as the AFL-CIO’s top leadership team, Richard Trumka, Liz Shuler and Arlene Holt Baker will answer questions about the state of the union movement, the upcoming elections, how to confront our continuing jobs crisis and more.

During the webcast, you also can participate in a live conversation on the site and share your thoughts with other online activists.

Don’t miss the live webcast today at 4 p.m. EDT at www.aflcio.org.

In solidarity,

AFL-CIO Working Families e-Activist Network

P.S. Please forward this e-mail to friends and invite them to tune in, too.

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Sean Hannity is failing science

09/16/2010 Nativegrl77

Sean Hannity is failing science.

Okay—that may not be shocking to you and me, but it ought to be. It is unconscionable that an opinion leader like Hannity ignores the facts about climate change every chance he gets—which is a lot, given that he’s one of the most popular Fox News personalities. Even worse, he’s become a bad influence on his fellow students (and his viewers), replacing established scientific facts with his own talking points.

And he’s not alone. Pundits and talking heads take to the airwaves virtually every day to promote bad science and distort the facts. They’re not just failing science—they’re failing their viewers, and it’s up to the Union of Concerned Scientists and people like you to tell them that they aren’t making the grade.

Take a look at Sean’s failing grades—pictured at right—and then send a note to his parent (company) and tell them to put Sean on time out until he’s ready to get the science right.

We can’t make good decisions about climate change or a whole range of other issues without strong science and reliable information. And unless people like you and me speak out, cable TV is going to continue to promote bluster and ideology when they should be educating their viewers with solid facts.

Please join me—tell Fox News that Sean Hannity is failing science.

Sincerely,

Kate Abend
National Field Organizer
UCS Climate and Energy Program