Tag Archives: White House

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Justice delayed – In Memory –


They’ve suffered years of discrimination. Now is the time for justice.  

Ask the White House to do right by Black farmers.

 

Blkfarmers

For years, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) denied Black farmers loans and other aid easily approved for White farmers. Many Black farming families lost their land and livelihoods as a result. The farmers sued the government for damages and won — but only a fraction of them ever got paid.1

As a Senator, Barack Obama helped to secure a new settlement for the remaining Black farmers, but far-right Senate Republicans are committed to keeping the settlement from being paid out, and have repeatedly blocked funding for it over the last year.

It’s time for President Obama to bypass the Republican obstruction. The White House can directly address this injustice and pay these farmers what they’re owed out of administrative funds — and Congressional Black Caucus leaders have previously called for such a solution. 2

Please join us in calling on President Obama to do right by these farmers, and please ask your friends and family to do the same. It takes just a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/pigford/?id=2275-1238940

For more than a generation, managers at the United States Department of Agriculture systematically turned down Black farmers’ applications for loans and other critical forms of aid. These loans are the lifeblood of farming, and without them many Black-owned farms were foreclosed on — and resold to White farmers.

This insidious discrimination enabled some White farmers to prosper and grow at the expense of generations of Black families who sought to make a living off the land. At the same time, it devastated the Black farming community. While 14% of all farmers were Black at the turn of the last century,3 by 2002 only 1.4% were Black.4

Black farmers eventually filed a class action lawsuit against the federal government, winning a landmark legal settlement in 1999. At the time, the USDA paid only a portion of the farmers with legitimate claims, so a second settlement was announced — but Congress never approved funding to pay the remaining farmers.5

Republican obstruction has been the main stumbling block on the Black farmers’ long road to justice. Far-right Senate Republicans have repeatedly stood in the way of funding the settlement. First they demanded that the money to pay the farmers not add to the national budget deficit.6 Even after that requirement was satisfied, they once again blocked a vote on the appropriation.7

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are rightfully furious at the Republicans’ stalling, and have called on President Obama to bypass the legislative process by paying the settlement out of administrative funds.8 The White House has maintained that it doesn’t have the money to pay the $1.25 billion settlement — but at the same time, the administration promised to find $1.5 billion to pay disaster relief for wealthier, mostly white farmers in Arkansas.9

With Congress becoming even more conservative after November’s election, it is even less likely that funding for the Black farmers’ discrimination settlement will be funded in next year’s Congress. It needs to happen now.

The White House has worked hard to pass the funding through Congress, but now they need to show Congressional Republicans that they mean business. As the CBC pointed out, justice delayed is justice denied for these aging men and women. Every day, another farm is foreclosed on and more farmers die without having been compensated for the shattering discrimination they faced. Join us in supporting the CBC’s call for President Obama to fund the Black farmers’ settlement. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/pigford/?id=2275-1238940

Thanks and peace,

— James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
November 10th, 2010

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU — your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/

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TGIF …caribbean


The feature picture is called “The Faces of My People” by Margaret Burroughs b.1917 and made of woodcut on paper.

This fleeting moment of great weather today is yet but a moment and while the weather in the Caribbean, Indonesia are on our families minds the weather all over the US is bad … gotta say hoping everyone we know and love are okay.

Our President is on his way to make a bid to open up markets overseas- for a G20 summit including Japan-wishing him good luck and a great safe trip with Mrs Obama.

FYI –Mitch McConnell says he does not want the President to fail he wants him to change course while  in different interview he and Boehner said in order for them to achieve what they want they need someone as President that will not veto everything they want to go through.  This group of right of center Politicians are dodging questions about what they would cut once they gain control and instead of answering questions folks like McConnell, Cantor , Boehner are stating  their sole goal is to repeal replace and eliminate social programs that help not just the poor but our elders, disabled , veterans and basically everyone who calls themselves a human being….sigh

Good News the jobs numbers have come in- overall 1.1 Million jobs came back or were created and there were 159,000 Private Sector jobs added, 151,000 non-farm jobs added as well as a net loss of 8,000 of jobs and unemployment stands at 9.6%. This is definitely an improvement but more bipartisan work needs to be done to really make an impact on what President Obama walked into after being elected. I ask everyone to call Republicans to tell them that you are an American and instead of making their sole goal to get rid of President Obama they better do something about jobs, jobs, jobs and our economy because if they do not the Republican Tea Party will definitely lose in 2yrs. The Republican Tea Party may  have lied to Americans who voted for them in this mid-term election but the people will not forget. I am among I guess a small group who saw that the RTP has fooled enough people into believing your group of Corporate carpetbaggers have sold out their souls and have not just thrown the average American under the bus when the new 112th Congress Session begins the facts will be even more evident that RTP will do whatever it takes to pay back those secret entities that poured funds into various states where not just right of center candidates won we now have people so right of center that membership fighting will probably begin sooner than later.  I say let the fighting begin because it will be the final piece of a sad, disgusting, and deceiving puzzle that this group has been waging ever since 53% of Americans voted for President Obama in 2008.

The big deal on the table at this moment is what do we (democrats) do now and while the current rhetoric is offensive, annoying and yes depressing to an extent we all have to be held accountable for what happened on Tuesday, Nov.2nd. I say ask yourself did you help out enough, stay home to protest and did you vote right of center to protest because you do not like what President Obama has done, is doing or that he is not tough enough, you are stupid and have no idea what the office is all about. I will admit the question that is going through my mind is did he get enough help from the Democratic Politicians “selling the message” that “the Media” keeps saying hurt not just President Obama’s base but the President chances for the 2012 elections though we are a long way from then and a lot can happen “the Media” will make that the topic of discussion. I will say that the low numbers of  Democratic members of Congress willing to support legislation being debated, having trouble getting on the floor or  passed on the floor of Congress in both Chambers has been a  great disappointment and should definitely be something to work on for the new 112th Congressional Session. It does seem difficult for them to get enough airtime, some seemed unwilling to say what was good about HCR Wall Street reform, while the various pundits, host and interviewers have said for over twenty months that he had a chance to get the message out while questioning the message have switched up and now say there was major issue with the communication. I disagree with what most folks in “the Media” are saying. I believe cable and or mainstream TV spent a lot of time limiting the message and opted to debate the message without having a rebuttal available from the Obama Administration. I wonder how many designated Obama admin folks are asked to join panels on tv let alone fight to get a word in edge wise when they are on tv because the panel is so big and then after wards, we all see it right? The hosts bring back another panel of conservatives to beat down and or question what the President’s operative just said. If you are listening to the cable head Media noise, it is definitely annoying, offensive and we all need to remind ourselves that opinion News is for entertainment splashed with some real facts and a whole lot of right of center opinions.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1649961/20101014/story.jhtml   <<<copy & paste

Other News …

President Obama and the new Congressional membership will meet on Nov.18th

Haiti braces for Hurricane Tomas

Plane crashes in central Cuba… 68 dead

Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn has won his bid for full term in Illinois

Democratic Senator Patty Murray has won her bid for re-election

Myanmar will have controversial elections

The first woman President of Brazil will keep Iran ties, remain global player

Kenya takes on India in bid to be call center capital





CSPAN …

White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs White House Briefing with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs
Today
Wilson Center Conversation with Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat Wilson Center Conversation with Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat
Today
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Post Election Address at Heritage Foundation Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Post Election Address at Heritage Foundation
Today
CQ-Roll Call 2010 Midterm Election Review CQ-Roll Call 2010 Midterm Election Review
Today
AEI Review of 2010 Midterm Election Results AEI Review of 2010 Midterm Election Results
Today
Defense Department Press Briefing Defense Department Press Briefing
Today
Pres. Obama Remarks at Cabinet Meeting Pres. Obama Remarks at Cabinet Meeting
Today
National Journal Forum on the 2010 Midterm Elections - The Day After National Journal Forum on the 2010 Midterm Elections – The Day After
Wednesday
Republican Press Briefings Republican Press Briefings
Wednesday
Senate Democratic Conference Call Senate Democratic Conference Call
Wednesday
~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture, ~ Recent Post

Everything we’ve worked for is on the line….contribute before midnight Saturday


In just a few hours I need to wire to the field the money for our massive Get Out The Vote push this weekend.

The math is simple: This election will come down to who turns out. And, our voter turnout operations are second to none. But, the number of voters I can get to the polls depends upon how much money I can wire tonight. And that depends entirely on you.

We need $100,000 for tonight’s wire transfer. There is no tomorrow. I’m counting on your support today.

Contribute $5, $10 or more right now to help us make this weekend’s Get Out The Vote effort the key to victory in too-close-to-call House races.

Our Democratic challengers are surging against their Republican opponents. And our incumbents are holding off fierce attacks from extreme tea party Republican challengers.

In Massachusetts‘ 10th district, our Democratic candidate Bill Keating is ahead by just four points. Like so many Republican candidates, his opponent, Jeff Perry, is completely unfit for office. While working as a police officer, Republican Perry stood by while a 14-year old girl was illegally strip searched by another officer.

We simply cannot let people like Perry win on Tuesday.

Contribute $5, $10 or more right now to help us make this weekend’s Get Out The Vote effort the key to victory in too-close-to-call House races.

Everything we’ve worked for is on the line. You helped elect the first female Speaker of the House. You helped put President Obama in the White House. But, we risk it all if we don’t hold our majority on Tuesday.

If you’ve already contributed to the campaign, I need you to make another generous contribution. If you haven’t contributed yet, now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. Contribute Today.

Onward to Victory,

Jon Vogel
Jon Vogel
DCCC Executive Director

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Final Countdown …a message from Jon Vogel


I just want to say thank you. We reached President Obama’s goal of $1 million in time for our final week’s advertising buy expanding into even more districts and giving our Democratic campaigns much-needed air cover.

Now, we turn our focus to our Get Out the Vote operation, because with so many Democrats locked in too-close-to-call races, it will all come down to turnout.

Here’s the latest: Our targeting director has been running new models based on early voting returns. We figure there are an additional half-dozen toss-up districts where an influx of resources could drive our Democratic candidate over the top.

But, we just sent all the money we had to expand television advertising. And now, in order to expand field, we will need to raise $200,000 by tomorrow’s wire deadline so we can transfer money to these campaigns in advance of their final weekend push.

Can you make a generous contribution before tomorrow’s wire deadline so I can transfer money to these campaigns in advance of their final weekend push?

Thank you again for all you have done so far — we will retain our House Majority if I have you in this game.

It’s time to go all in, and rest assured your dollars are being put to work immediately.

Jon Vogel
DCCC Executive Director

————————————————————————————
From: Barack Obama
Sent: Friday, October 22nd, 2010 10:31am
To: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Final Countdown
————————————————————————————

Two years ago, you joined millions of Americans to assemble a grassroots movement to move this county forward.

Even though we’ve made extraordinary progress, entrenched power concedes nothing without a fight. Thanks to a Supreme Court decision called Citizens United, the very same special interests that we are finally holding accountable are now spending unlimited amounts of money on political attack ads to try and take our country back.

That’s why we’ve got to fight their millions of dollars with millions of grassroots supporters who are ready to finish what we began in 2008.

Right now, my Democratic allies in the House are preparing for the final days of this campaign. Your support to help them raise $1 million before Tuesday will determine how many doors they can knock on, how many phones they can dial, and how many Democratic voters they can get to the polls.

Contribute before Tuesday’s deadline to fund our final get-out-the-vote efforts on behalf of my great Democratic partners in the House. Your support will be matched by a group of generous Democrats.

Contribute Today


My partners in the House led by our remarkable Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have done extraordinary work to get our economy back on track and clean up the mess left over by the other side.

But rather than remind ourselves of all that we have accomplished, now is the time to recognize all of the things that will remain undone unless we are just as focused, just as energized, and just as excited as we were in 2008. That is what will make the difference in the days ahead.

Contribute before Tuesday’s deadline to fund our final get-out-the-vote efforts on behalf of my great Democratic partners in the House. Your support will be matched by a group of generous Democrats.

If you can dig a little deeper, knock on a few more doors, talk to a few more of your friends and neighbors, we will be successful in this election and continue working to reclaim the American Dream for the next generation.

I am grateful for all that you’ve done already in this election. But now I need you to do a little more. When polls close on Election Night, we cannot have a single regret, not when the stakes are this high.

Barack Obama

P.S. Right now, my Democratic allies in the House are preparing for the final days of this campaign. Your support will help to determine how many doors they can knock on, how many phones they can dial, and how many Democratic voters they can get to the polls. Contribute before Tuesday’s deadline to fund our final get-out-the-vote efforts.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

RE: Russ Feingold
Donate now to keep Russ Feingold in the Senate
Donate NOW to keep Russ Feingold in the Senate

Russ Feingold’s opponent is Ron Johnson, a millionaire who’s spent $5.2 million of his own money trying to buy Russ’s Senate seat.

Ron Johnson supports NAFTA. He likes the Patriot Act. He thinks speaking out against the war is “extremely harmful to our nation.”

Lucky for us, Russ got Johnson to agree to three debates. Now Ron Johnson going to have to stand next to Russ and defend his extreme positions to Wisconsin voters.

FDL activists stepped up for Russ big time two weeks ago, raising more than $38,000 for his campaign. We want to show Russ and Wisconsin voters that ordinary people want to see Senator Feingold return to the Senate next year, not a self-funded millionaire.

The first debate is TONIGHT. Can you help us reach $50,000 for Russ? It’s critical we make a strong push for Russ right now. Click here to donate:

http://action.firedoglake.com/feingold

Russ stood alone and opposed the Patriot Act. He opposed FISA. He opposed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And he’s done the same thing no matter who controls Congress or the White House. He always put principles before party.

Russ is locked in a tough battle, but he’s fighting hard. He’s got 22 field offices across Wisconsin, more than any campaign in country, and his supporters are working hard to turn out voters.

But a lot is riding on these debates. We want Russ to know going into them that we’ve got his back, so we set a goal of $50,000. We’re almost there – can you please chip in to make sure Russ Feingold can continue to fight for what’s right?

Russ was there for us when it was hard. Let’s be there for him. Click here to donate and help us get to $50,000 for Russ.

With your help, we’ll show Wisconsin voters that principle counts over party; that people power will prevail over a self-funded millionaire who wants to buy his way to the Senate.

Thanks for supporting Russ, and for all you do.

Jane Hamsher
FDL Action PAC