Art offers his perspective as a movement progressive activist.
Occupy Oakland at the Port
Want a easy, non-violent way to Occupy Wall St. from home? You can. Join the movement. I’m going to start doing this:
Howie Klein’s Blue America deserves great respect from progressives. This initiative helps recruit and fund progressives not so willing to tow the party line and will do us proud. This year some very exciting Democrats are running for the U.S. House who are progressive and willing to criticize the party and president over matters.
I agree with Klein’s advice to help those progressives who are taking on the DC elites on the Super Committee and other issues. Here are a few running, including Darcy Burner who is once again running in Washington state:
…She’s been working in DC since then but I’m glad to see she hasn’t lost any of her fire or her indignation towards those who would go to the capital and sell out their voters back home. “We should not be asking seniors to sacrifice the healthcare and Social Security benefits they spent their lives paying for just because bankers don’t want to pay for the damage they’ve caused to our country’s economy. We must end the wars and ask millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share.” Same Darcy Burner we’ve always loved!
Lee Rogers is a world-renowned California physician running against anti-family reactionary and corporate shill Buck McKeon. A very moderate guy, he doesn’t seem very pleased with the Democrats on the Super Committee. “It’s deplorable,” he told me, “that the Democratic Super Committee deficit reduction plan proposes such drastic cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Basically, they put social programs for our seniors and the poor on the table when the Republicans are unwilling to compromise on defense spending and revenue increases. These are not the right priorities.” State Senator Eric Griego (D-NM) is running for the open seat in Albuquerque. He’s been on fire lately and this morning he told me this:
“It would be unconscionable for any members of the Super Committee to put Medicare and Social Security cuts on the table. Millions of seniors rely on these bedrock Democratic programs for their wellbeing. What the Super Committee should be cutting instead are the billions spent in tax loopholes for Wall Street and big corporations, and the Republican Congress’ continued focus on using taxpayer money to coddle millionaires and Big Oil instead of standing up for middle class families– the 99%.”
Burner, Griego, Lee Rogers are brining on the real fight and I will be happy to the join them.
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mi) does it again by authoring Resolution 72 in the House, which states:
(1) any deficit reduction plan put forward by the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction should not balance the budget by eroding America’s hard-earned retirement plan and social safety net;
(2) Medicare’s ability to deliver high quality health care in a cost-efficient manner should be strengthened and its benefits should be preserved for current and future retirees;
(3) appropriate reform to strengthen Social Security’s long-term outlook should ensure that Social Security remains a critical source of protection for the people of the United States and their families without further increasing the retirement age or otherwise decreasing benefits; and
(4) Federal funding for the Medicaid program should be maintained so that senior citizens, poor and disabled children, and others with disabilities are able to gain and retain access to affordable health care.
Klein lists the Democrats backing this resolution so far. Remember their names:
Joe Baca (D-CA)
Karen Bass (D-CA)
Robert Brady (D-PA)
Corrine Brown (D-FL)
G.K. Butterfield (D-NC)
Mike Capuano (D-MA)
André Carson (D-IN)
Judy Chu (D-CA)
David Cicilline (D-RI)
Hansen Clarke (D-MI)
Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Joe Courtney (D-CT)
Mark Critz (D-PA)
Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
Danny Davis (D-IL)
Pete Defazio (D-OR)
Rosa Delauro (D-CT)
Donna Edwards (D-MD)
Keith Ellison (D-MN)
Bob Filner (D-CA)
Barney Frank (D-MA)
Marcia Fudge (D-OH)
Chalie Gonzalez (D-TX)
Al Green (D-TX)
Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
Janice Hahn (D-CA)
Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI)
Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Rush Holt (D-NJ)
Mike Honda (D-CA)
Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
Hank Johnson (D-GA)
Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Dale Kildee (D-MI)
Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
Barbara Lee (D-CA)
John Lewis (D-GA)
Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Doris Matsui (D-CA)
Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Jim McGovern (D-MA)
Brad Miller (D-NC)
Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Jerry Nadler (D-NY)
Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
John Olver (D-MA)
Ed Pastor (D-AZ)
Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY)
Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Bobby Rush (D-IL)
Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Bobby Scott (D-VA)
José Serrano (D-NY)
Louise Slaughter (D-NY)
Pete Stark (D-CA)
Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
John Tierney (D-MA)
Paul Tonko (D-NY)
Edolphus Towns (D-NY)
Niki Tsongas (D-MA)
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
Check on THOMAS for latest updates on this resolution, 81 Dems have now signed on .
Another great sign!
On the Super Committee to destroy the safety net , we have a disturbing new detail. The only Latino, African American, and woman on the committee have been excluded from the talks. That would be Rep. Becerra (D-Ca), Rep. Clyburn (D-Sc), and Sen. Murray (D-Wa). Only the good ole boys are hashing details on how much skin to take off our backs. Clyburn and Becerra have been outspoken against major cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
Thank you Rep. Baldwin (D-Wi) for drawing up a resolution opposing the current Obama deal on the banks and forclosures. Baldwin demands better and no shield for indictments:
Baldwin’s resolution states that any settlement should follow three guidelines: 1) Banks that engaged in fraudulent behavior “should not be granted criminal or civil immunity for potential wrongdoing related to illegal mortgage and foreclosure practices,” 2) the federal government and state AGs should “proceed with full investigations into claims of fraudulent behavior by mortgage servicers” and 3) any monetary sum paid by the banks should “appropriately compensate for, and accurately reflect, the extent of harm to all victims.”
“We have to do the best we can to make innocent victims whole. But secondly, especially in light of the taxpayer bailout of the biggest banks, we owe taxpayers a solemn effort to do everything we can do to uncover what went wrong and whether laws were broken,” Baldwin said in an interview with The Huffington Post. “Part of that is to make certain this won’t happen again. That, to me, is one of the most basic responsibilities we have.”
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Mn) has put forward two bills to abolish the type of laws the GOP has enacted all over America. These laws requiring voter i.d. are a poll tax pure and simple. Now Ellison moves to try and stop it. As he said :
…Groups promoting these laws, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), argue there’s rampant voter fraud. Oddly enough this “fraud” seems to be occurring only within historically Democratic voting blocs like minorities and students. Yet ALEC and others have no problem squashing these groups’ voting rights–or the rights of elderly voters. Routinely issued student IDs won’t be accepted in some states–including my home state of Minnesota. The elderly, non-drivers, and millions of others will have to get identification. This sounds like a simple process, but imagine an 80 year old grandmother who has never driven and uses a wheelchair going through the process of getting non-drivers ID. If her social security card is accepted identification for her benefits, why isn’t it good enough to identify her for voting?
For these reasons, I am introducing two bills today to curb voter suppression. The Same Day Registration Act would require states to provide for same day voter registration for a federal election. The Voter Access Protection Act would make sure election officials cannot require photo identification in order to cast a vote or register to vote.
Eligible voters deserve access to the polls. By passing these bills, we can ensure our nation lives up to its ideals and protect the most fundamental right in our democracy.
Pray for the day voter i.d. laws are abolished.
American icon John Glenn is in a TV ad in Ohio urging voters to reverse Governor Kasich’s union busting law. We will see Tuesday if the people win one:
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