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TGIF …


Word of the day … Amusing

Today is an amusing day for those of us who have to listen to folks on the right talking trash about the latest Obama Administrations win. We must say this … 2 big sweeping bills passed in Congress which were on the Obama campaign agenda … YaY !!!! …and BP’s newest cap is doing the job at this moment, the pressure is rising which they say is a positive sign though after 87days we are all waiting hoping for the best.

With the help from three Republicans, a final vote in the Senate of 60-39 for Wall Street Reform finally happened. This vote was a big fing deal like the one Biden said about Health Care Reform. The drama was great because the Senate wasted no time, the first vote for cloture was 60-38 to move the Wall Street bill forward then a couple of hours later the  final vote  of 60-39 came through. This reform bill should move us all beyond Wall Street to get Every Street fixed with this somewhat watered down bill. The Bush Administration did let the people down and avoided reforming anything financial.  We all know that all things financial finally needed to be repaired and reintroduced so that it functions correctly not corruptly and President Obama was able to get some in Congress to see and accept the idea and step up to the plate and got it done.

The President will sign the bill into law next week, until then celebrate because it’s Friday! Woke up to some strange weather in the 206 but then heard that the DC area experienced an Earth Quake reported being 3.6. It is considered minor or barely felt earthquake if you live on the left coast but it will be the topic so many on cable, main stream TV and airwaves because they don’t usually have them there and is the largest recorded earthquake in that area.

The President has gotten things done though the Administration is not getting the credit in this nasty climate; what seems to be louder and even noisier is the trash that Republicans keep talking  …Boehner came out and not only announced they would repeal Wall Street Reform on national TV they let their constituents finally see where they stand. The last few days and or months; say, since the 2008 elections we have been bombarded with crazy talk  from the right and while we may gasp at all or most of what they throw out at us. It should open the eyes of all that have been trying to decide which side of the isle they should be on … it is clear to me Republican talk is cheap.

More amusing is the ramping up of race and the importance of it now that we have an African American President. In addition to race, it is also amusing at how easy folks on the right seem to be throwing out labels to describe President Obama’s actions in a time when the jig is up so to speak. The corruption of not only just Wall Street came out some say a few things about the last administration were not just swept under the rug they were shoved and an agreement made to move on. It is obvious that Wall Street’s creative accounting procedures finally coming to an ugly head and the show, “House of cards” by David Faber on Cnbc was a cruel reminder and or an awakening at how greed affects the mind. It was a truthful documentation of the nasty journey our economy took … for who, by who and how it (they)almost brought  all of us down …and if we have to subscribe to labels … call me a Marxist who believes in Socialism at this time ….. We need someone who cares, who is socially responsible and who believes the gap between the haves and have none needs to shrink. School me, what can be wrong with caring for all the people of the US … not just the top one or 2percent… especially since that one percent has been wheeling and dealing starting from the house of bush and trickled down to main street … gotta admit it’s time for a change.

Obama is not a socialist or a Marxist …

Other News …

**Rising pressure on the BP well cap is a positive sign

**West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced the temporary appointment to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Senator Robert Byrd. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said that the Senate will swear in the new senator on Tuesday, July 20th

*”Goldman Sachs has agreed to pay $550 million to settle federal claims that it misled investors in a subprime mortgage product as the housing market began to collapse.” The settlement with the SEC “would rank among the largest in the 76-year history” of the agency, but “represent[s] only a small financial dent for Goldman, which reported $13.39 billion in profit last year.”

**Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has joined the chorus of Republicans already calling for repeal of the recently-passed financial overhaul bill. “Oh, I’d love for it to be repealed,” said Chambliss, the ranking Republican on the Agriculture Committee, which played a key role in writing the bill.

**Yesterday, the U.S. Army “reported a record number of suicides in a single month among active duty, Guard and Reserve troops, despite an aggressive program of counseling, training and education aimed at suicide prevention.” In June, there were 32 soldiers who are believed to have committed suicide, and suicides “for the first half of the year are up 12 percent over 2009.”

C-SPAN …

watch Pres. Obama Remarks financial reform bill

watch Hearing on Working After Retirement

watch Spkr. Pelosi Briefing

watch Defense Briefing on Afghanistan

watch Pres. Obama: From Earlier read Energy Dept. Report

Well Cap Holding; No Oil Leaking as Integrity Tests Continue

BP announced yesterday that oil had stopped flowing into the Gulf after engineers closed three valves on the new capping stack that was placed earlier this week. Engineers will continue to monitor the pressure within the well to determine if the cap can hold the oil without leaking from other locations along the pipe. The results of these integrity tests will provide BP with insight into how to proceed with their efforts to seal the leaking well. However, National Incident Commander Thad Allen reminded the public that the cap was not designed to be a permanent fix – it will allow four vessels to contain the oil and assure redundancy in the event of severe weather. BP hopes two relief wells will provide a permanent solution; the first well is within 5 feet of its target and should be completed sometime in August.

Lawmakers pass Financial Bill, President to sign next week

President Obama praised the Senate yesterday for passing the financial regulation bill (HR4173), also known as the American Financial Stability Act of 2010 by a vote of 60-39. During his statement, he thanked lawmakers for passing the measure that would “crack down on abusive practices” in the financial system, and added, “the reform puts in place the strongest consumer protection. “The measure, which is the biggest overhaul of the system since the Great Depression, became a top priority of Congress and the White House after the 2008 financial collapse. The legislation creates a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as other provisions to protect consumers from predatory lending.

The President is expected to sign the bill sometime early next week. The House approved the bill last month by a vote of 237-192.

WV Governor to announce Senator Byrd Replacement

At 2pm this afternoon West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin will make a temporary appointment to fill the vacant Senate seat left by the late Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV).

It is also expected that Gov. Manchin will indicate whether he plans to run for the same seat in November 2010 if the West Virginia legislature approves a special election for that date. The legislature is in special session to determine if the governor can order a special election before 2012, Sen. Byrd’s re-election year.

Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) also said yesterday that the Senate will swear-in the new West Virginia senator on Tuesday, July 20th.

Senator Byrd served in Congress for 57 years and was the Senator from West Virginia for 51 years before passing away last month.

watch Press Conference: C-SPAN at 2pm ET
read WP: Democratic prospects look good in WV
read WVGazette: Manchin to announce replacement

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The House pushes Planes -the Pentagon doesn’t want …


UNDER THE RADAR

BUSINESS — BOEING LOBBIES LAWMAKERS TO KEEP PURCHASING PLANES THE PENTAGON DOESN’T WANT: Despite strong objections from the Defense Department, the House of Representatives has moved forward to fund a second engine for the F-35 fighter jet. The Pentagon says that the alternative engine is a huge waste of money and has asked Congress to jettison the program, but the House decided to fund it anyway in the 2011 defense authorization bill. The second engine is hardly the only example of wasteful defense spending from Congress: even though the Pentagon hasn’t requested any new C-17s — military transport planes — over the last four years, “Congress has appropriated $12 billion for 43 of the transport aircraft, including eight in the fiscal 2009 war supplemental spending measure and 10 in the fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations law.” As Congressional Quarterly pointed out, Congress’ insistence on funding a plane the Pentagon doesn’t want is “due in no small part to the lobbying efforts of Boeing Co., which builds the planes in California, Missouri, Georgia, Connecticut and elsewhere.” Boeing is also “belatedly lobbying for the purchase of five more C-17s at a cost of about $1.3 billion” for this year. Earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates addressed the lobby’s influence, saying he’s “fully aware of the political pressure to continue building the C-17″ while announcing he would “strongly recommend that the president veto any legislation that sustains the unnecessary continuation.” As Pentagon officials told a Senate subcommittee this week, “it is not in the national interest to continue adding more C-17s. In our view, the production line should begin shutting down.” As the Wonk Room’s Pat Garofalo points out, “This isn’t just about the upfront cost of purchasing more planes, which is considerable. It’s about then paying to maintain the planes for years. The Pentagon actually spends $1 billion per year to maintain the 43 C-17s that it didn’t request, but received anyway.” President Obama has called the continued purchase of C-17s “waste, pure and simple.”

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Economic Stimulus …


The $787 Billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009. Known as the economic stimulus law, it was passed to jumpstart the U.S. economy as well as to save and create more than 3.5 million jobs over the next two years.

Recovery Progress Report:
As of July 7, $403.8 billion of the $787 billion stimulus has been committed to states; $257.3 billion has been paid out.

This website contains news conferences, hearings and Congressional debates on the stimulus as well as links to government and watchdog groups who are tracking spending.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Stupak Amendment Lives


NWLC Header
Stand Up Against Blanket Abortion Coverage Prohibition

Take Action

Tell the Administration to reconsider the harmful decision to undermine women’s reproductive health in the pre-existing health insurance plans.

Take Action

You are not having a moment of déjà vu. This is real. This is actually happening.

Tell the Administration to reconsider the harmful decision to undermine women’s reproductive health.

Earlier this year, women around the country stood up and spoke out against the Stupak Amendment, which would have prohibited women from obtaining coverage of abortion care, even with their own, private funds.

But recently, the Administration has indicated the intention to apply what is in effect the rejected Stupak Amendment to the newly unveiled pre-existing condition health insurance plans. This ban will prevent women with serious pre-existing medical conditions from getting the abortion coverage they need to protect their health — and will not even allow women the ability to pay for such coverage with their own private premium dollars.

Tell the Administration to reconsider this decision and stand up for the health of these vulnerable women.

The National Women’s Law Center will not rest until the restrictions on abortion coverage are fixed. Thank you for continuing to fight with us to protect women’s health.

Judy WaxmanSincerely,

Judy Waxman
Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights
National Women’s Law Center

P.S. Help us continue to protect women’s reproductive rights and expand the opportunities for women and their families. Support our work today.
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Haiti …6 months later


Clinton Foundation

This past Monday marked six months since a devastating earthquake shook the coast of Haiti. I wanted to give you, a supporter of the Clinton Foundation and our work, a brief update on where things stand.

For the people of Haiti, each day since the earthquake is simply one more in the long process of rebuilding and reimagining their future. One step at a time, with the cooperation of the international community and through the generosity of individuals like you, they are reconstructing their country, their families, and their lives. Although recovery is not going as quickly as many of us involved in the process would like — progress is being made.

Despite the challenges, I remain committed to helping the people of Haiti build back better. Through the Clinton Foundation, as the United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti, and now as the co-chair of the Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commission along with Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, I will continue to strive to help the Haitians build the nation that they desire and deserve.

With your support, the Clinton Foundation has provided the equivalent of $23 million worth of assistance to the people of Haiti since the earthquake in the form of grants to relief organizations, emergency supplies, and supporting the shipment and delivery of more than $16 million worth of goods, including more than 100 trucks, 14 pieces of heavy equipment, 32,680 solar flashlights, 24 tons of medicine and medical supplies, portable classrooms and educational supplies, 390,000 articles of clothing, and much more.

Additionally, the Clinton Global Initiative has facilitated over $100 million worth of commitments to help rebuild Haiti, the Clinton Health Access Initiative continues to work there to help provide access to essential health services, and recently, as a project of the Clinton Guistra Sustainable Development Initiative and Fundacion Carlos Slim, a $20 million fund for small- and medium-sized enterprises was announced to help Haitian entrepreneurs. Learn more about what’s happening in Haiti and all the Clinton Foundation’s work there.

However, the scale and the urgency of the needs on the ground continue to be enormous. Millions of people still require shelter, access to basic services like education, water and sanitation, electricity, health care, and the tools to lift themselves from poverty. We still have a long road ahead.

Months and years of work remain to help the people of Haiti realize the future they have imagined for themselves.

I intend to be there every step of the way and I offer my humble thanks to you for being there alongside me.

Sincerely,
Bill Clinton