Does your representative show the military industrial complex enough love? (I'm naming names)

by: rossl

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 19:16:48 PM CST

I'll tell you who.  65 good for nothin' Congresspeople.  They're the ones who today voted against a symbolic resolution to get our troops out of Afghanistan.

Now, cutting the snark, so many of the other 356 don't even have the gall to vote against a symbolic resolution to end a war!  I understand that some people honestly support it, but when less than half of the country supports the war in Afghanistan, it's a bad sign that all of these Congresspeople still do:

Feeling bored? Helpless? Excited? Energetic, perhaps? Then you should help Marcy Winograd!

by: rossl

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 14:12:16 PM CST

If you're bored, feeling helpless and alone amidst a sea of political currents fighting against you, excited about the upcoming primaries and election, overcome with energy you need to spend on something, or feeling any other emotion, this is for you!  Marcy has been a member of the Netroots for years and is a firebrand progressive.  Since she's running against a corrupt Blue Dog (Jane Harman), this is one of the best races in the country for progressives to get involved in.

I live in Pennsylvania, yet I'm still able to help Marcy's campaign, because of a neat online phonebanking tool that has been set up.  Follow me below the fold to learn how you can help, too.

Obama: Congress might screw the pooch on Health Care

by: MinistryOfTruth

Fri Feb 05, 2010 at 12:17:13 PM CST

    At a DNC fundraiser last night, President Obama had an interesting exchange with a Democratic organizer about health care reform, wherein he appeared to suggest that Congress could drop the ball and fail to pass a bill--and that voters should judge them harshly if they do.

    "[I]t may be that -- you know, if Congress decides -- if Congress decides we're not going to do it, even after all the facts are laid out, all the options are clear, then the American people can make a judgment as to whether this Congress has done the right thing for them or not," Obama said.

tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

    More below the fold

Inside the teabagger agenda

by: Casual Wednesday

Sun Jan 24, 2010 at 18:48:29 PM CST

Sun Tzu
The Art of War
Chapter Three

Dear Progressives,

The TEA Party faction is not going away. In fact, they seem to be co-opting the Mainstream Republican Party. This is the new opposition. We have to understand how they operate and where they are coming from.

Pete Sessions Big Buddies with Allen "Ponzi" Stanford - I love you Man

by: admin

Mon Dec 28, 2009 at 20:40:13 PM CST

Just hours after federal agents charged banker Allen Stanford with fleecing investors of $7 billion, the disgraced financier received a message from one of Congress' most powerful members, Pete Sessions.

``I love you and believe in you,'' said the e-mail sent on Feb. 17. ``If you want my ear/voice -- e-mail,'' it said, signed ``Pete.''

The message from the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee represents one of the many ties between members of Congress and the indicted banker that have caught the attention of federal agents.

The Justice Department is investigating millions of dollars Stanford and his staff contributed to lawmakers over the past decade to determine if the banker received special favors from politicians while building his spectacular offshore bank in Antigua, The Miami Herald has learned.

Agents are examining campaign dollars, as well as lavish Caribbean trips funded by Stanford for politicians and their spouses, feting them with lobster dinners and caviar.

The money Stanford gave Sessions and other lawmakers was stolen from his clients while he carried out what prosecutors now say was one of the nation's largest Ponzi schemes.

Very weird stuff. Sessions clearly in the thick of the Stanford congressional relations. However, let's remember that he influence Dems also such as Charlie Rangel, Gregory Meeks and Fla Sen Bill Nelson.

As the scandal unfolded, members of the Caribbean Caucus began returning their contributions.

Nineteen lawmakers gave back a total of $87,800 to the court-appointed receiver as of August. Others, including Meeks, Sessions, Sandlin, Sweeney and Crane, said they turned some of the money over to charities.

In addition, Democratic House member Charlie Rangel returned $11,800 to charities, and Democratic Florida Sen. Bill Nelson $45,000 to charities, half of which came from a fundraiser at Stanford's Miami office in 2006.

``Just like a number of people, [they] started to run for cover the minute Allen was under scrutiny,'' said Schaffer, Stanford's attorney.

Another example of the need for more ethics regs and campaign finance regulations.  

Capitol Hill News Open Thread

by: Casual Wednesday

Tue Dec 22, 2009 at 15:10:19 PM CST

As always, this column originally appears at Congress Matters and contains The Most Important News of the Day™.

Here are some of my own thoughts...

Capitol Hill News Open Thread

by: Casual Wednesday

Fri Dec 18, 2009 at 15:21:40 PM CST

As always, this is a crosspost from Congress Matters.

Here are some of my own thoughts.

Capitol Hill News Open Thread

by: Casual Wednesday

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 15:11:34 PM CST

As always, this is a crosspost from Congress Matters and ye gods it's been a strange day in Congress.

Here are some of my own thoughts.

The Netroots and Congressional Elections

by: Casual Wednesday

Sun Dec 13, 2009 at 15:47:18 PM CST

I came to Daily Kos in July, 2008 just in time for most of the community to head out to Netroots Nation. I missed the primary fight, the pie wars, and errinF's epic GBCW diary. What I did see was this community come together to elect a Democrat to the White House and large majorities in Congress.

But what exactly did we do? Join me across the electronic fold to find out.

Capitol Hill News Open Thread

by: Casual Wednesday

Fri Dec 11, 2009 at 14:26:53 PM CST

As always, this is the crosspost from Congress Matters.

Here's some of my own thoughts.

Capitol Hill News Open Thread 12-4

by: Casual Wednesday

Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 13:58:10 PM CST

Jump on in and discuss. Don't make me suggest the absences of a quorum.

As always, this originates on Congress Matters and as always, The Most Important News of the Day™ is the last item.

Capitol Hill News Open Thread

by: Casual Wednesday

Wed Dec 02, 2009 at 15:21:40 PM CST

I have been posting this on Daily Kos and Congress Matters. The esteemed Curtis Abbey suggested I post it here. If you like it, I'll keep crossposting.

As always, this is a crosspost from Congress Matters and Daily Kos.

Here's some of my own thoughts.

Government Works: Putting America Back To Work

by: Curtis Abbey

Sat Nov 14, 2009 at 10:40:51 AM CST

A year ago it was chaos, it looked as if the economy was going to implode. Like many generations before us we learned the lesson that an unregulated market builds bubbles. On the inflate many get rich off of transaction fees and rising asset values. When the bubble pops the negative feedback loops or vicious cycles are devastating. We saw the transferred devaluations move from housing values to Wall Street securities and from there to all sectors of the economy. Autos, small banks, 401ks, mutual funds, university endowments. It wasn't clear when the wave would stop but we knew something had to change. The government's normal economic tools were used up after too many bubbles and they were wrong in scale for the job. As a last resort the government stepped it up with once in a lifetime moves like TARP and the ARRA also known as the stimulus. Yet 9 months after the stimulus was passed it's critics are fiercely attacking it. They say it's not working, it's wasteful, it should stop.

Thursday Open Thread: Proms, Embattled Democratic Congressmen

by: admin

Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 08:15:56 AM CST

Borden said involving the ACLU was premature, but the school board plans to respond to the civil liberties union.

"This is kind of a shock to me that they went to the ACLU because I don't believe that she had been denied (any rights)," Borden said.

2. Five thirty eight handicaps the congressional Dems that are likely to be in trouble based on a number of factors. Essentially it incorporates important votes and cash on hand.

In any case, the way I've done it stratifies these 28 into three groups, including those who may be most at risk among the at-risk: the ones score a "6." (Kratovil was the only one with a chance for a "7," but he voted "nay" on the health care bill.) There are not a lot of members from those Appalachian-area districts who voted for the health care bill--which is ironic, given that some of them represent districts with high uninsured rates, but let's not even go there right now. NH's Carol Shea-Porter and northern Virginia's Gerry Connolly are good examples members who may be helped by voting "aye." On the other hand, those who are from such areas and voted "nay" may still face money problems, like AL's Bobby Bright and MS's Travis Childers.

YES WE CAN! But It's NOT ENOUGH to elect a Progressive President, so here's what we have to do next

by: MinistryOfTruth

Mon Nov 09, 2009 at 10:35:48 AM CST

What I learned

What this reform fight has taught me:

it is not enough to elect a progressive president, we need to elect liberals and progressives in congress as well.

    The frustrating inability of this Democratically controlled Congress is PROOF that our job did NOT END when Obama won the Presidential election in 2008. In fact, our work has just begun, and we must face it with the same dedication, intensity and enthusiasm that we did in 2008, or we WILL lose, because we simply don't have the money to compete with the special interests that control our Government.

    But we DO have the people, and they can't beat that.

    So, here's how we should FIGHT BACK.