Thursday, September 27, 2007
Vaclav Havel
Our Moral Footprint - New York Times
The end of the world has been anticipated many times and has never come, of course. And it won’t come this time either. We need not fear for our planet. It was here before us and most likely will be here after us. But that doesn’t mean that the human race is not at serious risk. As a result of our endeavors and our irresponsibility our climate might leave no place for us. If we drag our feet, the scope for decision-making — and hence for our individual freedom — could be considerably reduced.
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Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Schiff Votes to condemn MoveOn!
Daily Kos: Breaking: House Votes to Condemn MoveOn
Using a procedural move, the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, Jerry Lewis, just got a vote on an amendment that condemns MoveOn, by name, for the Petraeus ad.
What's worse? Most Democrats voted for it!!!
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Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Holy SCHIP!
Calitics California Politics Blog. California Progressive Blog. Progressive California. California weblog.
California Democratic Challengers Will Not Soon Forget This Vote (+)
by: David Dayen
Tue Sep 25, 2007 at 20:14:39 PM PDT
I've been late on my Congressional roundup for September; I'll probably get it up by the end of the week. But I did want to wait and see which way House Republicans would vote on expanding SCHIP, a priority for the state and for the Governor. Voting to leave sick children out in the cold is almost impossibly cruel, and will get the great big spotlight it deserves in 2008. So how did they vote?
Mary Bono voted yes. That's it. Every single other California House Republican voted to deny poor children health insurance. John Doolittle, no. Jerry Lewis, no. Ken Calvert, no. Gary Miller, no. Brian Bilbray, no. And David Dreier, not only no, but here's a quote:
"It dramatically expands the welfare state," said Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif.
I think Russ Warner just got the ammo he needed. Somehow Republicans think this vote won't boomerang back on them.
Because a veto is expected, much of the attention Tuesday was on the political fallout. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., chairman of the Republican congressional campaign committee, said Republicans will support a less costly compromise. "I don't think it will be a decisive bill in the 2008 elections," he said.
They're wrong. And even though I believe that the Democratic majority is committed enough to this program that they will keep voting on it until they get a veto-proof majority (they're 24 votes away as it is), this vote will not be forgotten. The ads will be written. And the price will be paid.
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The President is a Moron
On the bright side, he didn't need any help saying Morocco.
Daily Kos: State of the Nation
Daily Kos: State of the Nation
The United States salutes the nations that have recently taken strides toward liberty – including Ukraine, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan [KEYRgeez-stan], Mauritania [moor-EH-tain-ee-a], Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Morocco. [...]
I look forward to attending a Security Council meeting that will focus on Darfur, chaired by French President Sarkozy [sar-KOzee].
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Despite the polls.....
Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Report: GOP "Broke," Expecting To Lose More House Seats
Top Republicans are conceding that the NRCC is all but broke and that another bloodletting is all but certain. As GOP Rep. Ray LaHood puts it with startling candor: “When you look at what’s going on in the House, the prospects for getting back on track are pretty dim at the moment."
Ouch.
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FUND The Consumer Product Safety Commission
Recall after recall...
In recent weeks that's all we have heard out of the CPSC. And no wonder! The CPSC has too little staff to test and monitor what's going on with the safety of children's toys. With over 3 billion toys sold in the marketplace this year -- 80% of those from China -- this is not nearly enough!
Time after time, throughout its 30-year history, the CPSC has seen its powers, budget and staff slashed! Tell Congress it is time to fix the CPSC!
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The Bureaucracy is expanding to meet the needs of the Expanding Bureaucracy
Council Agenda - City of Burbank
Staff is requesting Council approval of the establishment of the specification, title and salary for the classification of Right-of-Way Specialist (CTC No. 0728). The Public Works Department issues and enforces permits for any work performed in the City’s public right-of-way. Over the last several years, there has been an increase in the demand for use of the City’s public right-of-way.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Obama Leads in Military Donations
ABC News: Obama, Paul Lead in Military Donations
Democrat Barack Obama and Republican Ron Paul . . . Both top a new list of presidential candidates receiving campaign
contributions from people who work for the four branches of the
military and National Guard, according to a study released Thursday by
the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
"Paul and Obama are talking straight to soldiers, and what they are
saying is resonating," said Larnell Exum, a retired Army lieutenant
colonel, who gave $500 to Obama. Exum, who works for the Army as a
congressional liaison, is a Democrat but voted for George Bush in 1992.
The analysis also found that military personnel have shifted their
donations. In 2002, the center said Democrats received 23% of
contributions from military workers; Republicans got 77%. This year,
40% of their donations have gone to Democrats running for Congress and
president. The GOP got 59%.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Faux News - at it again.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
As always - too little, too late!
Greenspan Book Criticizes Bush And Republicans - WSJ.com
Mr. Greenspan, who calls himself a "lifelong libertarian Republican," writes that he advised the White House to veto some bills to curb "out-of-control" spending while the Republicans controlled Congress. He says President Bush's failure to do so "was a major mistake." Republicans in Congress, he writes, "swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither. They deserved to lose."
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MyDD :: Direct Democracy for People-Powered Politics
Big news this week: Chuck Hagel decided to hang it up and passed on seeking the Republican nomination for president. (Some analysts still think he is going to pair up with Mike Bloomberg for an independent run.) Alan Keyes decided he needed to embarrass himself one more time and declared his candidacy. Also, it looks like Newt Gingrich is inching towards a run.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
CA Assembly Ajourned
California Progress Report
Over 200 bills were passed and sent to the Governor on the last day of the session and it is difficult for any mere human to follow all that happened. With last minute amendments, some of them truly technical, bills bounced back and forth between the houses before heading to the Governor's desk. With multiple votes, it is not clear exactly how many passed.
Like many individuals who iron butted it in either the Assembly or Senate from about 10 a.m. for over 15 hours--or even more foolishly tried to keep tabs on the actions of both houses, yours truly turned into a zombie, but managed to make it home by sunrise--and somehow, hopefully, can put some sort of cogent list together of the major legislation that was seen whizzing through the Capitol. If you see any zombies today, you may know where they were yesterday and understand.
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Sunday, September 09, 2007
Final Poll Results
17 Respondents
8 for Obama
7 for Edwards
1 for Richardson
1 for Clinton
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Good Government
$20.2b boost in student aid approved - The Boston Globe
WASHINGTON - Congress approved a $20.2 billion boost in financial aid for college students yesterday, a package that backers said would be the single largest increase in federal tuition funding since World War II.
---------
The new aid would be funded by a massive cut in subsidies to the
scandal-plagued private student loan industry. Lenders said the
cutbacks would cause some banks to stop offering student loans.
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Thursday, September 06, 2007
I Quit AARP today - I want real health care
Today, CA-AARP sent me an email about their new television ad urging all of us to pressure our governor and legislators to pass a health care bill or face resistance on term limits if they don't.
I played the video and found it was exactly the same trick that was pulled a few weeks ago with public forums supposedly about health care in California but with no mention of SB 840 the single-payer bill. At those forums people spoke up and demanded that they talk of SB 840.
The only way to let AARP know how disgusted I am with them was to send this message:
Dear AARP - Especially CA-AARP,
I quit! I want nothing more to do with this organization.
Your CA-AARP television ad about health care sneakily does not include the only healthcare coverage bill that Californians need, the Shiela Keuhl bill, SB 840 that covers all people without insurance companies.
Looking at the poll CA-AARP conducted I discovered it was skillfully designed along two lines of questioning: Do you need affordable health care now in California, and will you support term limits if the legistature doesn't pass a bill about it this year? As if that's all there is.
While one would think we're giving the legislature a prod about both things, the real prod is to the AARP members themselves to pressure the legislature to pass a bill now before bringing the truth to the mainstream.
SB 840 exists! And SB 840 is preferred by all who know about it but you won't let them know about it. Why not?
I will not be part of an organization that hides the real facts from its members for its own financial security. I quit AARP and encourage others to do the same. We need complete single-payer health coverage across the whole nation and AARP has shown it is in bed with the corporatists destroying America for profit of the few.
Bill Trzeciak
I played the video and found it was exactly the same trick that was pulled a few weeks ago with public forums supposedly about health care in California but with no mention of SB 840 the single-payer bill. At those forums people spoke up and demanded that they talk of SB 840.
The only way to let AARP know how disgusted I am with them was to send this message:
Dear AARP - Especially CA-AARP,
I quit! I want nothing more to do with this organization.
Your CA-AARP television ad about health care sneakily does not include the only healthcare coverage bill that Californians need, the Shiela Keuhl bill, SB 840 that covers all people without insurance companies.
Looking at the poll CA-AARP conducted I discovered it was skillfully designed along two lines of questioning: Do you need affordable health care now in California, and will you support term limits if the legistature doesn't pass a bill about it this year? As if that's all there is.
While one would think we're giving the legislature a prod about both things, the real prod is to the AARP members themselves to pressure the legislature to pass a bill now before bringing the truth to the mainstream.
SB 840 exists! And SB 840 is preferred by all who know about it but you won't let them know about it. Why not?
I will not be part of an organization that hides the real facts from its members for its own financial security. I quit AARP and encourage others to do the same. We need complete single-payer health coverage across the whole nation and AARP has shown it is in bed with the corporatists destroying America for profit of the few.
Bill Trzeciak
UPDATED survey results
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Oprah Considers Greater Role In Obama Campaign
Election Central | Talking Points Memo
Oprah Winfrey has already done plenty for Barack Obama, lending her influential endorsement and organizing major fundraising efforts, including an event on Saturday at her California home. But she may go even further. The Washington Post reports today that the TV superstar is in talks with Obama's advisors to take on a more active role in the campaign, possibly delivering stump speeches and more openly campaigning for Obama in the media.
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