Democrats

I wish I had time to explain or fully comprehend all the arcane and archaic legislative maneuvers Harry Reid is pulling, but I'll try to process it and lay it out in a post tomorrow. Suffice it to say, Harry Reid is doing just about everything he can to force this contemptible piece of junk on the American people for four more years. Call Senator Boxer at her Sacramento office or call her DC office (202) 224-3553 and ask her to vote "no" on the extension

How Can Congress Debate a Secret Law?

By Sen. Ron Wyden and Sen. Mark Udall

Members of Congress are about to vote to extend the most controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act for four more years, even though few of them understand how those provisions are being interpreted and applied.

As members of the Senate Intelligence Committee we have been provided with the executive branch's classified interpretation of those provisions and can tell you that we believe there is a significant discrepancy between what most people - including many Members of Congress - think the Patriot Act allows the government to do and what government officials secretly believe the Patriot Act allows them to do.

[...]

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Changes the Sens want to make to § 215

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No Time to Debate Patriot

SACRAMENTO, CA - Calling it a "state of emergency campaign," teachers from across the state gathered in Sacramento to begin a series of sit-ins at the State Capitol.

Show your support for public education and other key public services the Week of Action, May 9 - 13. During that week, we want everyone to talk about two things: the need for the state Legislature to pass Governor Jerry Brown's proposal to extend current taxes in order to save thousands of jobs and the services they provide in schools, colleges and universities, public safety, and public health; and the need to restore fair tax policies on the richest Californians and large corporations, so that we will have the resources to invest in a bright future for our state. A recent opinion poll shows strong support for restoring fair tax policies instead of cutting education and services.

Your Week of Action Toolkit

Ted Rall

Jason Leopold

Will Durst

From the Peter B. Collins' Show
Jason Leopold on Obama’s contradictory positions on torture.
Peter B. Collins' memo to Obama.
Ted Rall talks about his new book, "The Anti-American Manifesto".
Will Durst on Democratic whiners.
Source: Obama’s Hypocritical Positions on Torture; PBC says “I’ll Stop Whining If….”; Ted Rall’s Anti-American Manifesto; Will Durst

Music includes Earth Anthem, How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live, We'll Meet Again

Play Program or Download below the fold

(Room numbers and event locations to be posted on final agenda at the Convention Center)
Friday April 29
2:30pm – 4:15pm Caucuses:

* Computer & Internet
* Environmental
* Federation of DCCC members
* Native American
* Rural
* Women’s

4:30pm – 6:15pm Caucuses:

* Asian/Pacific Islander
* Business & Professional
* Labor
* LGBT
* Veterans

Saturday schedule below the fold

The California Democratic Party (CDP) Assembly District Delegates (ADDs) and Assembly District Executive Board representatives ("EBd Reps") are elected at Assembly District Election Meetings (ADEMs) held in each of the 80 Assembly Districts. The CDP is convening ADEMs on January 8 and 9, 2011, where 12 people (6 men / 6 women) from each Assembly District will be elected to represent their district for both the 2011 and 2012 State Conventions.

We have a wonderful group of Progressive, Green (Environmental), LGBT, and Rank and File Union candidates this year on the Progressive Democratic Alliance slates. To find out which Assembly District (AD) you live in click here: http://www.votesmart.org/
(just enter your address in the "Find Your Candidates" box at the top of the page and then scroll down to the "State Legislative" section to see your Assembly District number)

Once you know your AD, click on the links below to see the great progressive candidates that are running. We need you there as every vote will be crucial to keep the CA Democratic Party moving in a Progressive direction!

• AD 4 - Saturday Jan. 8
• AD 5 - Sunday Jan. 9
• AD 8 - Saturday Jan. 8
• AD 9 - Saturday Jan. 8
• AD 10 - Saturday Jan. 8

That graph below is accurate (click to enlarge). The only thing is, is that it only goes to 2002 -- it's much much worse now -- and this military budget is larger than any of the years during the Cold War. And while correlation doesn't always imply causation, this is pretty accurate, considering that "Defense" is by itself 58% of the federal discretionary budget. For an idea visually of how much money that they're throwing around, click here.

Pentagon’s Christmas Present: Largest Military Budget Since World War II

Blacklisted News

December 24, 2010
By Rick Rozoff

On December 22 both houses of the U.S. Congress unanimously passed a bill authorizing $725 billion for next year’s Defense Department budget.

The bill, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, was approved by all 100 senators as required and by a voice vote in the House.

The House had approved the bill, now sent to President Barack Obama to sign into law, five days earlier in a 341-48 roll call, but needed to vote on it again after the Senate altered it in the interim.

The proposed figure for the Pentagon’s 2011 war chest includes, in addition to the base budget, $158.7 billion for what are now euphemistically referred to as overseas contingency operations: The military occupation of Iraq and the war in Afghanistan.

This is pathetic. What's that old saying about an iron fist inside of a velvet glove? Obama, the so-called "liberal" constitutional law prof. is driving us full speed off the cliff into full fledged fascism. I had no idea anyone could take George Bush's and Dick Cheney's ideas and policies and take them even farther than they could ever even conceive. I admit I was colossally wrong about him. I thought nobody could be more DLC than I thought Hillary was going to be. I was wrong.

What's even worse are the apologists (who are Fox News-like, only they unconditionally support Obama) like The Nation smearing someone who doesn't deserve it. So Glen Greenwald has to destroy the unfounded ad hominems, and lies by them. Then there's Chris Matthews who's using this as the latest opportunity for him to show everyone what a baboon's rear-end he is. Chris Matthews and The Nation are conveniently ignoring the fact that this media/US Government manufactured hysteria is about one person

One Person

Why haven’t the media stenographers like Chris Matthews and The Nation done any actual investigating of this? I’m still waiting for these ten questions to be asked and answered. And why did the U.S government ignore all the numerous red flags before he even got on his flight? And what's the real story on how Yemen allegedly became the new center of terror in the world?

And, riddle me this?

Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab went through Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, which uses ICTS Security, and not only that, the shoe bomber also traveled through Schiphol. Then there’s El Al flight 1862 that took off from … (drumroll) … Schiphol

So, of course the lesson learned isn’t that we should avoid the few airports that use this security company … the lesson learned by the geniuses in DC is that we need to submit government authorized sex crimes

Let's Pass Some Laws Before the Republicans Head Into Town (after all, that's what they'd do) ...an open letter to Congressional Democrats from Michael Moore
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Dear Congressional Democrats:

Welcome back to our nation's capital for your one final session of the 111th Congress. Come January, the Republicans will take over the House while the Democrats will retain control of the Senate.

But Dems -- here's something I don't understand: Why do you look all sullen and depressed? Clearly you're not aware of one very important fact: YOU ARE STILL COMPLETELY, TOTALLY, LEGALLY IN CHARGE! When (and if, mostly if) you wake up to the reality that you can do whatever you want for the next seven weeks, you will realize that you have two clear options:

1. You can continue your "Sit Quietly and Hope No One Hits Me" strategy and thus lay the groundwork for an even bigger ass-kicking two years from now;

Or...

2. You can actually use the power you hold for the next seven weeks and have the Senate pass the legislation that the House has already passed!