Tag Archives: United States

~ my 2cents ...

mashup Monday & some News …


Today, President Obama signed the childhood nutrition bill -very good news.
I have received a lot of petitions to oppose the deal President Obama was able to get done within hours unlike you all in Congress who seemed more worried about the Midterms. He is fighting for the Middle Class because we do not have time for all your principled conversations and or ugly debates. What we need is action now but  Congress does not seem any closer than they were before the Midterms. On the other hand our President and his admin was able to get a deal helping those in need. I want Rep.Weiner to know we all know that the House passed most if not all the bills on the calendar but those same bills died in the Senate and will continue to do if people cannot accept the word compromise and fight to keep the Democratic Party in power by getting more on the floor of Congress.

I do not agree with the choices I am being asked to make; it seems to be  one side or the other and in my mind the people of America need help -that is who Americans are about, so if i have to make a choice it is to help Americans.  If changes can be made to the deal made that might be a good thing but the quickness by which so many in the Democratic Party turned on President Obama did not sit well with me and many other people i know and we won’t stand for it. I think past President’s not only had the support of their own Party. I now wonder is that still true because i don’t see it. I see a group of progressives and yes i call some of them the “Professional Left” seem to be waiting for this President to fail, make a mistake and or say he was for something when in fact he was not. The votes were not there 20 months ago they still are not there and now look where we are just a couple of weeks before the hammer comes down. I want folks like adam greene the net roots, jane hamsher, ed shultz, bill press and others who have money to stop the BS and look for the compromise that will help get Americans back on track. The BS I and many others are talking about are of this President being weak, not strong, not fighting or does not stand up enough is total BS. I watched the HCR debate and or negotiations and it was not pretty. I blame Congress for being distracted by the midterms. I will say that not all Americans agree with what you are doing Rep.Weiner you don’t speak for me and  i don’t appreciate you hoping from station to station bad mouthing this President or that it is bad decision because it might be the only choice that is, if you are just as worried about the alternative like our President- People first. I am having a hard time feeling this group like you seem to be the enemy not the support we need. The Democratic Party or mostly progressives and liberals need to stop having tantrums and place the blame where it really belongs which is the Republicans and our own Democratic Party that did not get the job done before the Midterm elections and if anyone thinks Anthony Wiener has my support after getting on every cable station with his BS he is incredibly mistaken. It was time to unite in solidarity instead we saw our own Party put off votes, scale bills down ignore what the President asked for and worried about their campaigns. I was pissed then and i am still pissed that not only did the calendar seem hastily done but absolutely no strategy to get the House bills taken care of by the Senate -one chamber was gone the other in session and stacks and stacks of bills waiting to be addressed.

I blame what I call the Republican Tea Party for the lack of improvement of our economy but i will be damned to say the deal is bad when our own party couldn’t get it done and if you paid attention this deal is not just a compromise bro it is a stimulus package 2.0 with some items that clearly need to be changed and even President Obama said this, yet this too was ignored. It makes me wonder do they all even talk or is this a planned move because i know meetings between the President and our Democratic party have happened it begs the question of what is going on. I give Props to Senator Sanders for making the filibuster go National TV style because i truly believe “the Media” has quashed the President’s and the Democratic Parties Message but i am offended by his comments of my President and will continue to support President Obama. I am all for constructive criticism but what has been happening is much more than that and i intend to fight the move from the Professional left to Primary President Obama because of this latest move toward the 21st Century.

I expect more from our Congress. We had a 85million dollar JOBS bill that got scaled down to 15million; bills that died or bills that the RTP cleverly added lewd Amendments to that no one would vote for thus killing real change.
I suggest people on the left remember that stuff -not getting the job done stands out for me, ask someone how long did it take our President to negotiate and possibly keep some people in their homes, food, and or the ability to pay for some bills? The speeches only do some much when you need to pay for your meds like Seniors do.

The action by Senator Sanders on the floor of Congress was commendable but too late in my opinion and most if not all Americans would like to know why this did not happen before the Mid-term elections. I still am trying to figure out how we lost so much if you and the other mobilizers were getting the vote out – only 4.7% of Blacks voted -some call Low information voters, women and gays actually leaned right and look where that got us …whose fault is that?
This letter is written out of frustration because i just don’t believe the debate, speeches and negotiations will help. They are a waste of time when there are so many other things that need to get passed before the new Congress convenes -I am a voter and i want a compromise with folks working behind the scenes on what can be done about the parts that are awful but worth the compromise because it will help millions –

Other News ….

**The Obama Tax deal is being supported by AARP Clinton, Harold Ford,

**Tax cut test vote in the Senate should happen at 3pmET today

**There are at least 1 million homeless Haitians right now

**Amanda Knox gave an emotional appeal

**Petraeus pushes to end DADT

**UN forest deal stalls

**Cancun delegates reach climate change deal

**Gates sees problems if DADT fails to pass in the Senate

**Seattle –UW Huskies will be going to the Holiday Bowl

**Bank of America will resume foreclosures

**TJ Maxx will cut 4400 jobs

**James Moody died over the weekend -he was 81

CSPAN …

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Three votes


Democrats

On Thursday, Republicans in the Senate stood in the way of progress, blocking legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

No surprise there — they’ve been turning a blind eye to the majority of Americans, legions of grassroots Democrats, and fellow lawmakers who’ve supported repeal for some time now.

But now, they’re also ignoring top military leaders — from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen to former Secretary of State Colin Powell — who support overturning this policy. They’re ignoring the 70 percent of American servicemen and women who say that repeal wouldn’t negatively affect morale, and the Pentagon study that says it won’t affect troop readiness.

They’re no longer simply holding up progress that would advance the American values of fairness and equality, enrich our military, and strengthen our national security — they seem to be willing to tune out just about anyone, all in the name of a political tally mark.

But we’re not done fighting.

We need just three votes to move forward on repeal — and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and our allies in the Senate have promised that the Senate will vote on repeal again before the year is out.

Your voice could be the difference right now: Write the Senate Republicans who are currently blocking repeal and tell them to stop playing politics with people’s lives.

We couldn’t have gotten to this point without your support.

Thousands of you added your names in support of the President’s call for repeal. Those petitions — 582,000 in total — were delivered by volunteers to Senator Susan Collins‘s office on Thursday morning.

Now, your voice could make sure this discriminatory policy is overturned before Congress adjourns — and that it doesn’t have to wait another year, or for another Congress to take it up.

And by reaching out to senators standing in the way, you will make this issue harder and harder for them to tune out.

Three more votes is all we need. The letter you send today could be the final push that gets us there.

Write Republican senators standing in the way of progress today — and let’s make sure we repeal this thing before the year is out:

http://my.democrats.org/DADTRepealLetters

Thanks,

Jen

Jen O’Malley Dillon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Monday in Congress -debates/votes continue


The Senate Convenes: 2:00pmET December 13, 2010

Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to concur with respect to H.R.4853, the vehicle for the tax compromise.

The time until 3:00pm will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees.

At 3:00pm, the Senate will proceed to vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.4853, with the Reid-McConnell amendment #4753 (tax compromise).

The Senate agrees to move forward on the tax cut deal

Votes:
272: Motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to H.R.4853, with Reid-McConnell amendment #4753: (tax agreement);
Invoked: 83-15 Unanimous Consent:
Passed H.R.628,a bill to establish a pilot program in certain United States district courts to encourage enhancement of expertise in patent cases among district judges (with Leahy amendment)

Passed S.2902, a bill to improve the Federal Acquisition Institute (with committee-reported substitute amendment).

Passed S.3447, Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010
(with committee reported substitute and Akaka amendment).

Passed H.R.6278, Kingman and Heritage Islands Act of 2010.

Some Dems that voted no: Gillibrand, Feingold, Udall, Sanders, Leahy, Bingaman

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))))))(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()

CURRENT HOUSE FLOOR PROCEEDINGS
LEGISLATIVE DAY OF DECEMBER 13, 2010
111TH CONGRESS – SECOND SESSION

10:03 A.M. –

The Speaker announced that the House do now adjourn pursuant to a previous special order. The next meeting is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on December 14, 2010.

10:02 A.M. –

The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate on December 10, 2010 at 11:23 a.m.: That the Senate passed S. 1275, H.R. 5591, without amendment, S. 841, and S. 2925.

10:01 A.M. –

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG – The Chair led the House in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

The Speaker announced approval of the Journal. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Journal stands approved.

10:00 A.M. –

Today’s prayer was offered by the House Chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin.

The Speaker designated the Honorable Brian Baird to act as Speaker pro tempore for today.

The House convened, starting a new legislative day.


~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: START To End


One year ago today, President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, which was given in large part because of his commitment to nuclear arms reduction. Today, the administration’s signature foreign policy achievement, the successful negotiation of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) with Russia, which has been essential to rehabilitating relations between the two countries, is languishing in the Senate. Why? Republicans have consistently sought to delay and obstruct the treaty, but this opposition has now faded. It is now a question of time and whether Majority Leader Harry Reid will bring New START to the floor of the Senate. The treaty, if brought up, likely has the 67 votes to achieve ratification. But thus far, START has been put off. Meanwhile, the Senate is taking the weekend off with just one week left to go until the scheduled end of the session. START is critical for our national security and advances a major progressive priority of reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world. Today, leaders from the national security, scientific, and religious communities are sending a letter to Reid urging him to “take up and approve New START now, if need be by extending the Senate in session beyond December 17.”

IT HAS THE VOTES:  Early in the lame duck session, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)  “blindsided” the White House when he broke off months of negotiations and insisted on a delay of New START. Instead of caving,  the White House fought back. The reaction was fierce. In the last month, more than 40 editorial boards from newspapers around the country urged ratification and ripped Kyl for putting politics above America’s national security. Republican threats to delay also exposed a   deep rift within the Republican establishment, as a who’s who of Republican officials have come out urging ratification now, including this week   President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who joined Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, James Baker, among others, in support of New START. These Republican officials join the U.S. military establishment and our Eastern European allies that live in the shadow of Russia in support of START. A recent CBS News poll found that  82 percent of the American people support the treaty. Against this wave of support, Republican intransigence has softened and now a split has emerged with a significant number of the Republican caucus favor a vote on START in the lame duck session — more than enough to ratify the treaty. Just this morning Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins said they will support START.

REID CAN FORCE A VOTE:   Unlike normal Senate legislation, which can be blocked by a filibuster that requires 60 votes to overturn, a treaty only requires 50 votes to proceed to debate and a vote. The New START treaty was therefore  not included in the letter from the Senate GOP caucus that threatened to block any legislation that was brought up before tax cuts. Unlike Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,  where Republican senators who claimed to support repeal voted to filibuster on process grounds, on START, Republicans will have to vote on the actual treaty and can’t hide behind procedure. However, Foreign Policy’s Josh Rogin reported last night that some Republicans attempt to offer a number of  “treaty killing” amendments that would alter the treaty and therefore require renegotiating with Russia. Yet, these amendments can be voted down by 50 votes and were  already overcome during the vote in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee through the work of Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN). Republicans could use the amendment process in an effort to drag out the process, but this is why Reid should make clear that they would only be delaying their Christmas vacation.

DANGER OF DELAY:  Some Republicans  have suggested that START should be delayed for just a few months until January or February when a new Senate is sworn in. This is a ruse. At every step of the ratification process, Republicans — led by Kyl — have urged delay. Kyl was actually for holding a vote during the lame duck session, until, of course the lame duck session arrived. Furthermore, the willingness to offer treaty-killing amendments only further casts doubt on Kyl’s intentions. At the very least a delay in the treaty ratification process, which has taken nine months, would start from scratch. The  new make up of the Senate would also make getting the 67 votes for ratification much harder and would make the ratification process much more dependent on Kyl, likely leading to only  more leverage to extort nuclear pork funding. In the end, a delay would in all likelihood mean the death of the New START treaty. This would have huge consequences for our relationship with Russia, which is critical to dealing with Iran and supplying our troops in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the collapse of the verification measures that monitor Russia’s nuclear arsenal were in place under the original treaty, could eventually upset nuclear stability and lead to  significant uncertainty in nuclear relations. Failure to ratify START would also  send shockwaves around the world and would be seen as the U.S. putting a knife in the back of the whole nuclear non-proliferation regime. The consequences of delay and defeat of New START are grave.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Not done fighting on DADT


Organizing for America

This afternoon, a discriminatory policy that deprives our military of qualified troops, endangers our national security, and violates the simple American principles of integrity, fairness, and equality was allowed to remain law.

Every Republican senator but one — Senator Susan Collins — voted to prevent the passage of legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Several of them had previously claimed to support repeal, but voted “no” today.

It’s a frustrating setback, but here’s the good news: We are just three votes away from moving forward on repeal.

And Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and our allies in the Senate are promising another vote on repeal before Congress heads home for the year. There is still a chance for this to pass.

Allies in the Senate are not done fighting. The President is not done fighting. And I know you’re not, either.

Write the Republicans standing in the way in the Senate — and tell them to get on the right side of history.

There’s no question that today’s vote was disappointing.

But we also have a lot of reasons to be proud today.

The letters to the editor you wrote and the phone calls you made — and the 582,000 petitions you signed — have been crucial in building support for repeal.

This morning, OFA volunteers delivered those petitions to Senator Collins’ office. And this afternoon, she voted to move this bill forward.

Now your work can help make sure we secure the votes necessary to finally put an end to this unfair policy.

One final push might be all it takes.

I know we still have a lot of fight left in us. Write Republicans now — and tell them to stop standing in the way:

http://my.barackobama.com/DADTRepealLetters

Thanks,

Mitch

Mitch Stewart
Director
Organizing for America