tagged w/ US Senate
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Long before he shot and killed an unarmed teenager, George Zimmerman was arrested for attacking a police officer and was the subject of a court order to prevent domestic violence. But thanks to Florida's deeply flawed gun laws, law enforcement officers...Long before he shot and killed an unarmed teenager, George Zimmerman was arrested for... more
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Occupy the phone lines. I am going to call each of my US senators, my congressional rep, state rep, governor, president. After that I am going to start over and do it again and again. I will begin by demanding that it is easier for people to qualify for food stamps. I will call again and demand an extension of unemployment benefits. I will call back and demand a living wage with health and dental care for all Americans. I am sure you have the idea by now. I am looking for work and taking care of two small children and have only made it three times to my local occupation. This is an idea I wanted to share. Power to the 99%, Occupy the phone lines today and every day.Occupy the phone lines. I am going to call each of my US senators, my congressional... more
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Given the difficulties of the map facing Democrats in 2012 — 23 of their own seats are up as compared to just 10 for Republicans — making a major push in Massachusetts was an absolute necessity.
Warren gives them the sort of high-profile candidate they wanted. Whether she turns out to be a truly good candidate on the stump remains to be seen.
As always, the number one ranked race on the Line is considered the most likely to switch party control in 2012.
SEE OTHER NINE discussed.
http://tinyurl.com/3apgys8Given the difficulties of the map facing Democrats in 2012 — 23 of their own... more
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LOrion
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9 months ago
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The Republican field in Florida to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson just got shaken up, with state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, a frontrunner in the race, suddenly dropping out after previously strong (but diminishing) fundraising.
Haridopolos said in a statement, and accompanying YouTube video, that his duties as state Senate leader and a candidate U.S. Senate were coming into conflict:
Yet...it became increasingly clear to me, and those around me, that the responsibilities I was managing on both fronts...were in conflict.
I truly believed I could handle both jobs....but I was wrong.
And now I am determined to make it right.
He also added: "Instead, I am re-dedicating myself to finishing the job you sent me to do. Here in Florida."
But as one commenter put it, and I concur: WHAT WAS going to come out of the closet on this guy?
http://tinyurl.com/42sqfuxThe Republican field in Florida to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson just got shaken... more
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LOrion
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11 months ago
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In a landmark vote for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to advance legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops known as "don't ask, don't tell."
A small glimmer of hope for the future. Thank reason!In a landmark vote for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to advance legislation... more
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U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) beat the odds and defeated Sen. Arlen Specter, (pretending-to-be-a-D-Philadelphia) in the primary election for U.S. Senate last spring. Now, he faces former Wall Street banker and Congressman Pat Toomey in the general election on November 2. Sestak is easily the best Senate candidate to run in Pennsylvania in a long time and deserves your attention and your vote.
Read More . . . . http://www.examiner.com/public-policy-in-pittsburgh/joe-sestak-for-u-s-senate-pennsylvaniaU.S. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) beat the odds and defeated Sen. Arlen Specter,... more
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Christine O Donnell first Amendment, still needs to attend classes, Christine O Donnell, the tea party candidate running for the US senate seat has once again proved herself incompetentChristine O Donnell first Amendment, still needs to attend classes, Christine O... more
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http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news%2Fpolitics&id=7715401
When it comes to matters of war, Republican Sen. Richard Burr finds himself more closely aligned with the White House than his Democratic rival does.
The North Carolina lawmaker said President Barack Obama has "called the drawdown shots in Iraq perfectly" and made the right calls up to this point in Afghanistan. Burr, the leading Republican on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said he wants to ensure the administration follows through on commitments in Afghanistan and maintains support for leaders in Iraq.
Burr's support for the president's war policies strikes a sharp contrast with his criticism of other Obama endeavors, such as the health care overhaul and the stimulus package. Meanwhile, Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall opposes Obama's military offensive in Afghanistan aimed at dismantling the Taliban. She doubts it will succeed and questions the wisdom of spending billions more in a country that has faced decades of conflict. "That is all deficit spending owed to China," she said. "That's a very, very unhappy situation in my mind. That's a part of where we are and how we got there."
Obama sent 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan, where many are engaged in heavy combat in the nation's volatile southern region. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recently said that there is increasing evidence the strategy is working but that officials won't predict success too soon.
While a similar surge strategy was credited with quelling violence in Iraq, Marshall said the dynamics are different in Afghanistan. She said the Iraq push was successful because the U.S. had reliable partners. Afghanis, on the other hand, are conflicted about whom to trust.
"If we are there on a temporary basis, no matter how long that is, they know in the back of their mind that they're going to live there and live with what's left behind," she said. "At least whatever's left behind in Iraq appears to be a lot more stable and less violent than potentially what will be left behind in Afghanistan."
Libertarian candidate Michael Beitler echoed those thoughts, saying it's time to get out of Afghanistan. He said victory in Afghanistan likely would mean the Taliban had been pushed into another country, not eliminated.
What differentiated Beitler, however, was his contention that there has not been enough long-term progress in Iraq to justify the deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. military service members killed in the conflict that ousted Saddam Hussein.
"That was just a complete failure," Beitler said. "I don't think we've accomplished anything there."
Marshall took a wait-and-see approach. There are fewer than 50,000 American troops in Iraq now that Obama has declared an official end to U.S. combat operations there. The remaining troops primarily train and help Iraqi security forces in hunting down suspected militants, though they continue to battle insurgents in self-defense or at the Iraqi government's request. Marshall won't call the war in Iraq a success unless Iraq proves it can prevent terrorists from thriving there.
"That page of history has yet to be written," she said.
Burr had a different view, declaring, "Iraq was worth it. Period." Burr contended that ending Saddam's oppression of his own people was his leading concern, not the weapons of mass destruction so frequently discussed in the run-up to the war. "If you look back at my statements when we went in (to Iraq), I was not as focused on terrorism or weapons of mass destruction," Burr said. "I was focused almost predominantly on the genocide that existed in the country."
However, Burr's statements from the time indicate his concern for Americans, not Iraqis. A statement issued in March 2003 after President George W. Bush gave Saddam 48 hours to disarm did not mention genocide. Instead, it focused on Saddam's "pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and his growing ties to the forces of international terror."
"Over the course of our history, our nation has often gone to war on behalf of others. We must now be prepared to go to war on behalf of our own nation," Burr said in that statement.
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news%2Fpolitics&id=7715401http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news%2Fpolitics&id=7715401
When it... more
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Okay, so this race in WV is crazy.
The Governor of WV, Joe Manchin, is this huge pro-MTR jerkwad, totally in bed with the industry, and he’s just got this megalomaniacal drive to seek even more power. Now, when Robert Byrd died, Manchin had the power to appoint whomever he wanted. He really wanted to appoint himself, but his PR sense wouldn’t let him do that. It would be too obvious of a power grab, plus he’d only serve a partial term, and then likely get voted out for being a power-hungry monster.
So what he did instead was this: he appointed somebody else to fill Byrds spot, but then after appointing them, he wanted to hold a special election so that he could “legitimately” run for office. Now, this is costing WV a lot of money. Elections cost money for governments to hold in terms of manpower, printing ballots, running voting machines, etc, especially when they are held on the whim of the Governor. But there was a catch, he had to change the law in order to hold this special election. So he mucked around in the state congress until he had enough votes to change the law to create a special election so he could run for office. Oh yeah, and he’s a Democrat.
A Democratic Party elder in WV politics, Ken Hechler came forward to run in the primary to challenge Manchin. Ken Hechler is on hell of a dude. He served in WWII, he advised Harry Truman, marched with MLK jr, and served 9 terms as WV Sec of State.
But, Since he didn’t have the coal industry backing him (because he wasn’t a pro-MTR candidate) and Manchin DOES have the coal industry backing him, Manchin flooded the media market with adverts and won handily.
So now, there’s a Republican who is in the back pocket of the Coal Industry, there is a Democrat who is in the other backpocket of the coal industry, but there is only ONE candidate running who is against MTR coal mining-- Jesse Johnson of the Green affiliated party, the Mtn Party. Jesse Johnson makes a cameo appearance in the film “Coal Country” has run for Governor of WV, and is a tireless activist. He has been working on this issue for years.
Ken Hechler ENDORSED Jesse Johnson over Joe Manchin. It’s kind of a huge fucking deal for an institution of the DNC to throw aside party alleigance for an issue like this. It would be like Hillary Clinton endorsing Ralph Nader.Okay, so this race in WV is crazy.
The Governor of WV, Joe Manchin, is this huge... more
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asherp
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1 year ago
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After participating in the first two U.S. Senate candidate debates, Libertarian Mike Beitler is being snubbed by the N.C. Association of Broadcasters for the debates they are sponsoring in October 11 and 23.
The Beitler campaign first learned about the debates in late August from media reports. A campaign spokesman said that the association did not respond to repeated telephone calls and e-mail messages regarding the debate.
“We can only assume that the rumors are correct and that the NCAB is cash strapped and simply does not have the equipment necessary to host another candidate,” said Michael Shanklin, campaign manager. “Mike Beitler is willing to bring his own mic to this event. If necessary we will build our own podium as well.”
Association president Tim Morrisey told the Associated Press that Beitler hadn’t been invited because surveys fail to show him with at least 10 percent support. According to sources, the debate criteria is based on only one poll, conducted by Elon University, which does not restrict itself to registered or likely voters. The sources said that Beitler might be included if he polls over 10 percent in a poll due out next week.
Libertarian state chair Barbara Howe called the debate rules arbitrary and unfair, especially since most polls do not include the Libertarian candidate as one of their choices.
“Often polling doesn’t even include the Libertarian candidate, so it’s impossible for a Libertarian candidate to poll any numbers at all,” she said. “It’s a disservice to the voters of North Carolina not to include all the ballot-qualified candidates.”
It is unclear exactly which Elon poll the NCAB is using as a criteria for debate inclusion. Morrisey did not respond to a request for information. The most recent poll of U.S. Senate candidates on the university’s website was published March 22. Beitler was included, but his name was incorrect. The question asked respondents to rate all the candidates in the Democratic and Republican primary on a scale of one to ten.
“The broadcasters association is not interested in informing the public,” Howe said. “It’s about protecting the interests of broadcasters.”
Beitler will participate in a televised debate October 13 sponsored by the N.C. League of Women Voters.
“We believe we’re being treated unfairly, but we are not surprised. Burr and Marshall are both worried about how many votes we are taking from them,” Beitler said. He said that if the association’s educational foundation, which is sponsoring the event, has tax-exempt status, they should lose it. “They are not educational, they are clearly political,” he said.
In 2004, Howe filed a complaint with the FCC against WRAL-TV for failing to include her in a gubernatorial debate. The FCC has never issued a ruling. The 2008 Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Dr. Mike Munger was included in only one of the three televised debates in that campaign, which was also sponsored by the League of Women Voters.
Both the Burr and Marshall campaigns have said they believe it’s unfair not to include Beitler in all the debates, but neither campaign is taking any action to support including the Libertarian candidate.
http://www.examiner.com/libertarian-in-raleigh/libertarian-candidate-offers-to-bring-own-mic-podium-to-debateAfter participating in the first two U.S. Senate candidate debates, Libertarian Mike... more
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Two new polls out over the long weekend show Rand Paul (R) holding a significant lead in the Kentucky Senate race. A Braun Research/CN2 Cable News poll of 802 adults taken August 30-September 1 shows Paul leading Jack Conway (D) 42%-37% in the race for the open Kentucky Senate seat. The poll shows Conway with a 50% favorable/23% unfavorable rating, while Paul has a 49%/33% split. A SurveyUSA automated poll shows a significantly larger Paul lead – 55%-40%. That poll surveyed 561 likely voters from August 30-September 1 for the Louisville Courier-Journal and WHAS-TV.
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=621b7962-d125-46d1-b276-45a6b0bc4833Two new polls out over the long weekend show Rand Paul (R) holding a significant lead... more
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People of Nevada, I feel your pain. It's not like Harry Reid has been worth much as Senate leader and I'm sure he's sucked just as bad as your personal Senator. But fer Chrissakes, couldn't you come up with someone to run against him other than Sharron Angle?People of Nevada, I feel your pain. It's not like Harry Reid has been worth much... more
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Today is the second day of Senate confirmation hearings for Obama's second Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan. With the 2010 elections approaching, plenty of Senators are expected to use this as an opportunity to do a little campaigning before a national audience. But outside of partisan positioning - what questions would you like to see her answer? What are the biggest questions facing out Supreme Court these days?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/us/30kagan.htmlToday is the second day of Senate confirmation hearings for Obama's second... more
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Pres. Obama Cheating Scandal…”Mistress” Vera Baker Exposed!!! PHOTOS
National Enquirer
UPDATED: Reports out of Washington, DC: PRESIDENT OBAMA in a shocking cheating scandal after being caught in a Washington, DC Hotel with a former campaign aide.
Click here for Full Story …”Mistress” Vera Baker PHOTOS!!!, VIDEO...http://ctpatriot1970.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/pres-obama-cheating-scandal-mistress-vera-baker-exposed-photos/
A confidential investigation has learned that Obama first became close to gorgeous 35 year-old VERA BAKER in 2004 when she worked tirelessly to get him elected to the US Senate, raising millions in campaign contributions.Pres. Obama Cheating Scandal…”Mistress” Vera Baker Exposed!!!... more
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Claire McCaskill writes:
"Since I arrived in Washington, I've been repeatedly astonished by the way business is sometimes done around here. A great example of this is the so-called secret hold.
Along with my colleagues Mark Warner and Sheldon Whitehouse, I have been working to end the process of secret holds, which is when senators anonymously block legislation or nominations without explanation.
We are sending a letter to both parties' leadership, currently signed by 42 senators, pledging not to anonymously block legislation or nominations and asking for an end to secret holds.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/claire-mccaskill/secret-hold-update_b_556185.htmlClaire McCaskill writes:
"Since I arrived in Washington, I've been... more
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URGENT ACTION: The Senate is expected to vote on this soon. If in U.S., please email your Senators directly on this:
http://action.panna.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2901
NOTE: As the press release (item 1) notes, no farming methods or technologies other than GM crops are mentioned anywhere in the Global Food Security Act. And the bill's GMO mandate essentially amounts to a "stealth corporate giveaway" embedded in a foreign aid bill. Not surprisingly, Monsanto has lobbied more than any other interest in support of this bill.
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1. 100+ Groups Join Scientists and Development Experts in Urging Senate to "Strip the GM Mandate" from the Global Food Security Act
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2882
Controversial language said more likely to feed biotech corporations than the world's poor
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 13 April 2010
[SAN FRANCISCO and JOHANNESBURG] -- Experts, scientists and advocates from around the world petitioned the U.S. Senate today in a concerted attempt to strip what they term a "stealth corporate giveaway" embedded in a foreign aid bill which is expected to hit the Senate floor soon. The "Global Food Security Act" (S.384), sponsored by Senators Casey (D-PA) and Lugar (R-IN), is intended to reform aid programs to focus on longer-term agricultural development, and restructure aid agencies to better respond to crises. While lauding the bill's intentions, the petitioners object to a clause earmarking one agricultural technology (genetically modified - GM crops) for potentially billions of dollars in federal funding. $7.7 billion in U.S. funds are associated with the bill and no other farming methods or technologies are mentioned.
Monsanto has lobbied more than any other interest in support of this bill. The company is one of two or three dominant corporations in the increasingly concentrated biotechnology industry likely to benefit from the new research funding stream as well as from future profits from their patented products (both seeds and pesticides).
Today, scientists, development experts spanning a dozen countries, and 100+ groups representing anti-hunger, family farm, farmworker, consumer and sustainable agriculture delivered a letter urging the Senate to reject the "Global Food Security Act" until the bill is made technology-neutral. Their specific concern: language in the bill that would amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to read "Agricultural research carried out under this Act shall . . . include research on biotechnological advances appropriate to local ecological conditions, including gm technology."
"The bill's focus on genetically modified technology simply makes no sense," stated Marcia Ishii-Eiteman, Senior Scientist at Pesticide Action Network. "Independent science tells us that genetically modified (GM) crops have neither increased yield nor reduced hunger in the world. The most credible and comprehensive assessments of agriculture to date say that if we want to end global poverty and hunger, we'll need to focus on increasing the biodiversity and ecological resilience of small-scale farming systems."
"Here in Africa, pressure to import GM crops is wreaking havoc on our local economies," explained Mariam Mayet of the African Center for Biosafety. "In South Africa, we are now dumping GM corn into other countries, disrupting local markets and undermining the livelihoods of family farmers there. As a result, Zimbabwe has imposed a ban on GM corn imports, and Kenya—which has a bumper crop of GM-free corn and doesn't need any imports—is now grappling with a massive, illegal and unwanted shipment of 280,000 metric tons of GM corn from South Africa. A handful of powerful agribusinesses' obsession with GM is pitting African countries against each other, with Monsanto and international grain traders reaping the benefits and ordinary farmers losing out. The last thing we need from the U.S. is a bill legislating yet more money for GM crops."
Concerned groups and individuals note that if Congress singles out one technology and attaches it to a pool of foreign aid money, the pressure on developing countries to ignore other priorities and scientifically valid options—and to open their markets to that one technology—will be substantial.
“At the end of the day, the GM mandate has more to do with breaking open markets for American biotech corporations than fighting hunger," explained Annie Shattuck of the Institute for Food and Development Policy. "To get at the root of the global hunger crisis, we need to tackle poverty, something no technological silver bullet can ever do.”
continuedURGENT ACTION: The Senate is expected to vote on this soon. If in U.S., please email... more
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Like most good Americans, I spent the last four days stuffing myself to the brim with foodstuffs and then laying about sofas in front of dimly-pulsing televisions making lazy, slow-tempo jokes. And if you did the same then you might not have had time to keep up on your news, so here's three stories from around the world you might not have caught.
It wasn't Thanksgiving in Europe and the Swiss went ahead and held elections on Sunday. In what's being interpreted as a symbol of anti-Muslim backlash, over 57% of the voters said yes to a constitutional ban on minarets atop mosques. Swiss approve ban on mosque minaret construction posted by: kyleanderson
A Senate Report released over the weekend claimed that Osama bin Laden was "within reach" of American troops in Tora Bora in 2001. Unfortunately, then Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld ignored calls for reinforcements and bin Laden slipped away into Pakistan, where he's believed to still be today. The report comes as President Obama is preparing to give a speech (Tuesday) outlining his plans for Afghanistan. Senate report: Rumsfeld decision let Bin Laden escape posted by: bansheewail.
Iran, in defiance of censure by the UN, announced that its cabinet had approved the construction of 10 new nuclear enrichment facilities. Yeah, 10. Why build a couple more when you can go for double digits? Iran approves plans for 10 new uranium enrichment plants in defiance of UN censure - posted by: ras_menelik.
What else is going on out there? Anything else a big story from this weekend you think people missed? Post it on Current News.
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- Hasn't this just been a whole year of Black Friday? - Real Recovery
- The recession visualized - Real Recovery
- California's education crisis - Join the group on Current
- Update to Philippines story: 46 dead
- Who killed 30 people in the Philippines?Like most good Americans, I spent the last four days stuffing myself to the brim with... more
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The long-awaiting Senate Finance Committee vote on the health care bill came today and guess what? They voted to send the bill to the Senate floor! The vote split down party lines with a much-mentioned yes vote from Republican Olympia Snowe. So that means we're done right? Not so fast. Next up: Plenty more political wrangling on Capitol Hill. Lots of it. Keep in mind, the Senate still has to vote, there will probably be further amendments to the bill, AND the House is still working on their version of the bill.
While we wait, here's a fun interactive feature from the NY Times: Health Care Conversations.
And also a Collective Journalism piece about one young woman's search for health insurance.
No Healthcare for Me (Video)
Also From Obama: The First Term on Current News
- When will Obama end Don't Ask Don't Tell?
- Obama’s Nobel Reactions: An albatross of expectation?
- Obama Remembers the GaysThe long-awaiting Senate Finance Committee vote on the health care bill came today and... more
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Feb. 23 – Groups are calling for Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada to apologize for sexist remarks made yesterday. Reid’s comments served to stereotype men as “abusive,” while ignoring the well-established scientific fact that men and women in partner relationships are equally likely to be violent.
Reid’s remarks on the Senate floor can be seen below.
Over 250 scholarly studies show women are as physically aggressive, or more aggressive, than men in their relationships with their male partners, according to Martin Fiebert, professor of psychology at California State University.
“Senator Reid’s bizarre and unfounded statement reveals an unimaginable disconnect from the millions of unemployed Americans who are not abusive. These persons are understandably frightened about their futures and the security of their families,” notes Paul Elam, editor-in-chief of Mensnewsdaily.com. “Mr. Reid needs to apologize immediately.”Feb. 23 – Groups are calling for Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada to apologize for... more
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