« Christian Coalition v. Founders & Framers | Main | Live Nightly Chat With DCP Founder Dick Bell »
The John Kerry Democracy Cell
[Editor's Note: We are very fortunate this Monday morning. DCP crew member DiAnne submitted this story from DCP regular Mary Beth about her evening with John Kerry. We hope you enjoy this recounting as much as we did. Our heartfelt thanks to Mary Beth for the time and effort she put into retelling her story for us. Mary Beth is a wonderful example of two important parts of a healthy democracy, showing up and telling other about your experiences. Again, many thanks Mary Beth, and to DiAnne and Kerry Dem for getting the word out.]
Last week, I found myself wanting to know what John Kerry was up to. So I went searching around, as I've done over the last couple of years in times of Kerry info feast or Kerry info famine. My search bore fruit as I found out he would be given an award the next night at the Kennedy Library in Boston. I posted a little announcement as a blog comment, hoping someone local enough to attend would pick up on it and go so I and interested others could experience it vicariously. Kerry Dem also posted it and it we got our wish!
DCPer Mary Beth Saffo went to the event this is her account. There was also a story on it at Light Up the Darkness from soon after the event.
A DEMOCRACY CELL IN THE U.S. SENATE
A talk between John Kerry and Tom Oliphant at the JFK Library in Boston
{The following piece recounts the awarding this past week of the JFK Library’s “Distinguished American” award to John Kerry, including Ted Kennedy’s award speech, Kerry’s acceptance speech, and his subsequent interview with Boston Globe columnist Tom Oliphant. This event will be rebroadcast TOMORROW evening (Sunday, March 6, 2005), at 8 pm ET, on Boston NPR station WBUR (90.0 FM in the Boston area; also broadcast through their web site, http://www.wbur.org). CSPAN also filmed the event, and should be broadcasting it soon. Watch http://www.cspan.org for schedule details!).
"There's energy in the air" .. That was my first thought as I walked across the parking lot, tasting the fresh seawind that signaled an impending Nor’easter. A couple of DCP blog postings from DiAnne and KerryDem had alerted me to the evening’s event, “A conversation with John Kerry and Tom Oliphant”. As a fan of both, I came to hear what they had to say. As part of the evening, Kerry was to receive the JFK Library’s “Distinguished American” award, from Library trustees and Senate colleague Ted Kennedy.
I was far from alone in my interest. The hall was full forty-five minutes before the event was to begin, with later arrivals shuttled to a nearby “overflow room”.
As the Kerrys arrived just before 5:30, the audience rose as one, greeting them with a spontaneous, prolonged standing ovation.
JFK Library chair (and former DNC chair) Paul Kirk began the evening by thanking Senator Kerry for his “valiant and honorable campaign.” He then introduced Ted Kennedy as a man of real values and real heart, a reminder of the best that our country stands for “in an age when it’s fashionable to be cynical about politics and politicians”.
KENNEDY’S REMARKS
The award ceremony presented a bit of a technical challenge, as Kennedy’s physical presence was prevented by the approaching snowstorm: since he had to be in D.C. the next morning to help manage the Democratic votes on the bankruptcy bill, he had had to leave early, taking the last plane out of Boston before the snow closed the airport.
Thus it happened that Kennedy made his speech by telephone, his disembodied voice booming from the ceiling. The Voice said, “This library serves as a reminder about what genuine political leadership can do for our country”. After describing the arc of Kerry’s life, as war hero, peace activist, prosecutor, senator, and presidential candidate, Kennedy underscored the depth of Kerry’s patriotism by saying, “I can imagine John, two hundred and fifty years ago, a rebel throwing sacks of tea into the harbor.” Kerry nodded, smiling.
Somewhere along the way (the second time this year that I’ve heard him say this), Kennedy gave a plug for “Kerry in ’08.” He also outlined the achievements of Kerry’s “visionary leadership”, recounting how Kerry had been on the cutting edge of so many issues long before they became popular causes, years before they made news, and achievements for which he received little attention in the press: the push for more police on the streets, the problem of AIDS, environmental issues, the problem of post-cold-war terrorism. He also mentioned that Kerry was one of the first to stand (and continues to lead the fight) against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Kennedy concluded, “We love you, John, and we’re proud of you.”
Next, the Voice on High bestowed the award itself. Kerry, funny and relaxed, wandered about the stage, arms outstretched, looking to the ceiling, a Moses waiting for the Voice of Kennedy to deliver the stone tablets (in reality, a stone bust of John Kennedy, already sitting on the stage on a pedestal). It’s worth looking for the CSPAN broadcast just to see this scene alone! Kerry thanked Kennedy and the members of the JFK Library for his award, saying it “which will encourage me to keep fighting.”
KERRY"S REMARKS
Kerry’s remarks came in three phases: an acceptance speech (which began: “I’d like to thank the Academy.”. .!), the interview with Oliphant, and responses to written audience questions selected by Oliphant. In the interests of coherence, I’ve grouped Kerry’s remarks by topic, rather than by chronological order. “T.O.” refers to questions by Oliphant.
GENERAL THEMES
Kerry touched on nearly every topic discussed in the Democracy Cell Project blog and other progressive forums: the current state of our democracy, the problems with the press, the Bush Administration's assaults on the economy, the environment, and civil society and sounded a call for us to move forward.
In a theme that continued throughout the evening, Kerry stressed our need for a “new accountability in American politics”, noted how ridiculous it is that congressional representatives are re-elected by their constituents even with subpar performances, including voting records that support disastrous choices for the country. In contrast, he noted earlier times, when seven of the infamous congessional “dirty dozen” were thrown out by their constituents. His message, both implicit and explicit, is that it’s high time we did same in the 2006 midterm elections.
He noted the old adage (“one I wish I’d used more in the campaign”): “My country right or wrong: keep what’s right, change what’s wrong”. Kerry also said, “It’s not enough just to be on the defensive; we have to take the offensive, too.” (Strong applause from the audience).
THE STATE OF THE UNION
“We’re going backwards in everything that matters in terms of quality of life”, Kerry stated. “We’re not grappling with the real issues affecting our nation: and that INCLUDES security.” He mentioned, as an aside, that he’s currently writing a book on security issues. And my favorite quote of the evening: “We sell democracy all over the world, but we need to practice it more at home.”
CONGRESS
Following comments on the specifics of the bankruptcy legislation, Kerry made the general comment, “it’s the absence of balance that is behind every piece of legislation that comes along”.
THE PRESS AND POLITICAL PROPAGANDA
"There’s been a negative change", Kerry said, "in the relationship between the press and the people. If 70% of the Bush voters continue to think there were WMD in Iraq, or that Saddam was behind 9/11, then we’ve got a problem. There is something wrong about the conversation”.
In response to an audience question, he noted that 80% of America gets 100% of its news from TV, with much of that not even from straight news, but from frivolous or biased cable TV commentators. He said, “America’s democracy is deeply challenged by the problem of flow of information”, which I inferred to include both information flow from government, and information flow from the media. He talked about the problems of communications playing to fear, and the presentation of false choices.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Kerry stressed familiar themes, including the need for bilateral talks with North Korea, the exacerbation of our economic problems by the growing economies of China and India, the war in Iraq, and the disastrous foreign policy decisions of the last three years defined “by the fact that the president had to do a repair-trip abroad”.
ABOUNT TED KENNEDY
About his friend and colleague, Ted Kennedy, Kerry stated, “There can be silliness in business, in politics, in life—but Teddy Kennedy is the kind of man who calls us back to our senses. “
ON VALUES
In response to an audience question (mine!), Kerry mentioned that he deplored the politicization of religion, and urged a definition of values as the “totality of your actions”, rather than simplistic litmus tests on single divisive issues. There was more than this, but I lost the details in my personal excitement after he started his answer with, “That’s a great question”. I’ll definitely be listening to the rebroadcast to fill in the gaps!
THE ECONOMY
Oliphant asked: “When I first met you 35 years ago, I remember the passion. How much of that 27-year-old is still in that 60-year-old body? Kerry answered, saying, “A whole lot. We’re on a collision course." He continued his comments, citing our Bush era economic problems as examples: the debt, the permanent tax cuts and the push to destroy Social Security. Kerry stated that these problems could be changed instantly with a “different sets of choices".
As one example of a better choice, he mentioned that a refusal to enact the permanent tax cut could immediately improve our financial situation. “If the choice is between more tax cuts for John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry, and a break for the middle class, I know what MY value system tells me to do” (HUGE applause from the audience at this point). He made a similarly strong statement on the pressing need for health care reform, “Health care is not a faith-based initiative: it’s a right, and it’s long overdue”, which also drew strong audience applause.
Tom Oliphant asked, “It is the view of some, especially in New York, that the economy is ‘stabilizing’. Is that your view?” Kerry answered,“No”, adding that many financial movers in New York also didn’t think so, reminding us again that, even after 4 years, the Bush administration still has not created even a single net job. Kerry later said: “There’s nothing in the president’s budget that’s truthful or makes sense.”
THE ENVIRONMENT
In discussing economic issues, Kerry made a particularly strong statement on the importance of creating energy independence, a project which he rightly sees as key to improving our national security, our health, our environment in creating jobs and expanding and strengthing our economy.
Responding to a question from a railroad conductor expressing concern for the future of Amtrak, Kerry said (in my second-favorite sound bite of the evening): “The President’s policy on Amtrak is incomprehensible and counterproductive in every respect." Vowing to lead the fight to save Amtrak, and noting the importance of rail transportation, especially in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Kerry then added that we need to do even more: ”What we ought to be doing in America ...[is] building an east-to-west, north-to-south, high-speed rail network in this country. We can build median strips in highways [to run track where it’s difficult to acquire separate rights-of-way].
THE FUTURE ON THE DEMOCRATS
“We lost an election, but not our moral compass, not our sense of direction,” Kerry stated firmly.
ON THE ROLE OF CITIZENS
Kerry responded with particular sweetness and seriousness to a 16-year-old boy who asked him, “What we can do to pass legislation on stem cell research”? In the concluding part of his answer, he urged young people to be active. “We’re moving," Kerry said, "and we’ll succeed, if you keep the energy and keep fighting.” Later, Kerry spoke of the the need for all of us to be useful, stating, “We need a new call to service”.
MY FINAL THOUGHTS
In short, Kerry was wonderful. Responding to Kerry’s crisp, masterful acceptance speech at the start of their interview, Oliphant quipped, “It sounds as if you’ve had some practice giving speeches the last year or so.” Indeed, but it was more than that. As someone who already was a strong supporter of Kerry, I was predisposed to appreciate his remarks, but this was a whole new level. I’d never seen him better. He was radiant with purpose.
As I said, there was energy that evening, both outside and in the hall. A major source of the inside energy was clearly Kerry. “I’m going to go out and fight," Kerry said at one point to Oliphant. I was reminded of Kerry's recent new initiatives, and his gutsy votes on Rice, Gonzalez and class-action lawsuits. I remembered Kerry's smile that evening as Kennedy described him as a Boston Tea Party rebel. And I thought to myself, "He has started already."
WHAT WE CAN DO
Let's extend Kerry’s push for accountability one step further. Let’s use all of our means in working to defeat those congressional representatives who have enabled the Bush agenda. Let's begin work now to defeat those who voted to demolish Social Security, to drill the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or for policies which weaken the middle class, and policies that further endanger our relations with other countries.
Let’s also remember to thank those senators, representatives and other public figures who have had the guts to take on the fight for Social Security, for the environment, for our Constitution, for truth and integrity in the press and in the government, for those values that once made our country the hope of the world. The Valentine roses to Barbara Boxer were a grand gesture in this spirit, but our thanks don’t always need to be that grand.
For every ounce of energy you spend to defeat those greedy, dishonest or simply idiotic politicians who have endangered the future of our country, remember to send an email of thanks to those Senators with the courage to stand up to the Opposition, those who are working against all conventional odds to move us out of the muck and help us take our country back. They deserve a daily pat on the back, and our support now and come election time.
Don't wait to get involved. Get involved now. The future is here and we have much work to do.
Thanks DiAnne.
Good to get real fresh news from Big John, and remember how accurate his vision of policies remains.
Thanks DiAnne, this is the most extensive report I have seen. And the media have simply ignored it.
Do you know if there is a transcript.
This is the kinda action we need to get behind... Thank You Senator Conrad.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The senior Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee said Saturday that President Bush is "passing on a crippling and growing debt to our children and grandchildren."
Sen. Kent Conrad said, in the weekly Democratic radio address, that the budget Bush submitted to Congress "will push our deficits and debt even higher" with the country moving from "record surpluses to record shortfalls" in four years.
The president's latest budget, he said, omits high costs "to make the numbers look better."
"It leaves out any war cost past September 30th of this year. It leaves out the cost of fixing the Alternative Minimum Tax -- the old millionaires' tax that is rapidly becoming a middle-class tax trap," said Conrad.
"It leaves out the full cost of his tax cuts. And remarkably, his budget contains not one dime to fund his Social Security privatization plan.
"These growing deficits and debt threaten our nation's long-term economic security. As deficits climb, we are borrowing more and more money from Japan, China, and even South Korea. That makes us weaker," Conrad said, "not stronger.
"The Congressional Budget Office tells us by 2052, Social Security could meet only 78 percent of its obligations. Medicare is in even worse shape. The shortfall in Medicare is eight times the deficit in Social Security. But the president has no plan to deal with that. The truth is, we need to confront all these challenges sooner rather than later."
Conrad said Bush's budget makes it hard to deal with Social Security, and he criticized the private account aspect of Bush's Social Security plan.
"In the president's budget he takes trillions of dollars of Social Security money to pay for other things. Then he takes trillions more to create private accounts. Those changes only dig the hole deeper.
"Although the president doesn't talk about it, his plan would also cut Social Security benefits by 46 percent. Slashing benefits and hoping to make up the difference in the stock market is risky."
He said that the retirement of baby boomers will increase demands on Social Security and Medicare and "hard choices" must be made "to build our economic security."
"We must be honest about our deficits. We must return to budget discipline and prepare for the future. We've got to save and invest now to strengthen the economy for the future, keep Social Security and Medicare solvent, and prevent more difficult choices down the road."
Democrats to Launch An Online Talk Show
The Democrats are getting their own talk show -- in cyberspace.
Two Democratic political consultants are preparing to launch a weekly online political talk show that will showcase the party's message, lambaste Republicans and, they hope, open a new front in the ongoing media wars.
It's called DemsTV.com, and each Tuesday, beginning tomorrow, the Web site will feature 20 minutes or so of talking-head chatter from a rotating cast of young Democratic operatives.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12069-2005Mar6.html
Be sure to thank Mary Beth Saffo. She is the one who attended and wrote the report - I only publicised the event, encouraged her to write it for this site and collected it for her, discussed it with her. We're thrilled though!!
& here is a project for today:
NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY CALL IN DAY
Most draconian budget in recent memory
cuts social programs by $238 billion over next five years
Call Congress NOW at 202/224-3121.
Tell the Capitol operator your state,
and get connected to your senator’s office.
If this budget passes:
The program that feeds pregnant women, babies and young children in need will be cut by $658 million over the next four years. That's assistance for 660,000 women and children.
Families who need low income housing assistance won’t get it. By 2010, 370,000 fewer families would receive rental vouchers than this year.
Elementary schools (No Child Left Behind) will receive $12 billion less than was promised. Special education programs would lose nearly $7.6 billion in the next four years.
TrueMajority has joined with Children's Defense Fund, the National Council of the Churches of Christ and the entire Coalition on Human Needs to block these cuts.
Our country’s budget is a moral document. It shows what we care about and what we value enough to spend our money on. This budget is by no means compassionate. And with the huge deficit engendered by runaway Pentagon spending, it’s not conservative, either.
Right now the congressional budget committees are debating the budget. This is the time to let them know your priorities.
You don’t have to be a policy expert to lodge your opinion; congressional receptionists are trained to quickly and politely record your views.
To make your call easy, here are some things to say:
I live in _________, and I’m calling to ask my senator to strengthen programs that help people survive during tough times. Our government should provide Head Start and health care for poor kids. We should provide housing assistance for those who need it. Please, let the Senate Budget Committee know that these kinds of basic programs should not be cut.
Or if you can’t call, click "reply" and "send," and we’ll deliver a free message (text below) from you to your representative and senators. If this email was forwarded to you, or you'd like to edit the message, just click this link:
http://truemajority.kintera.org/budgetcallday
Mass
When Mary Beth comes on, she will probably know more about transcript, airing etc. The story was also reported on "Light Up the Darkness" site several days back. I'll find out what I can when I get a chance. Got to go see a man about a car right now (bad brakes).
Clinton sleeps on floor so elder Bush can have bed
NEW YORK (AP) -- On their tour of tsunami damage in Southeast Asia, former President Bill Clinton once allowed his predecessor, former President George H.W. Bush, to sleep on the plane's only bed while he stretched out on the floor.
The government plane in which the presidents toured the disaster area had one large bedroom and another room with tables and seats, according to an interview with Bush in this week's Newsweek.
Bush, 80, said Clinton offered ahead of time to give the older former president the bedroom so he could lie flat and avoid paining his body. Clinton, 58, decided to play cards in the other room that night.
The next morning, Bush said he peeked in and saw Clinton sound asleep on the plane's floor.
"We could have switched places, each getting half a night on the bed, but he deferred to me. That was a very courteous thing, very thoughtful, and that meant a great deal to me," Bush said.
Bush said he and Clinton are not close, but have been compatible on the tour, partly because Clinton respects his age.
Guess which party helps the little guy?
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate is gearing up for a vote on whether to raise the minimum wage for the first time in eight years as Democrats and Republicans offer competing proposals they want to add to bankruptcy legislation.
Looking ahead to the expected votes Monday evening, the Democratic plan would increase the current $5.15 hourly minimum by more than $2. The GOP proposal couples a more modest raise with a change to the 40-hour work week.
The plan from Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pennsylvania, also includes tax and regulatory breaks for small businesses. His amendment would lift the minimum wage by $1.10 over 18 months, in two steps of 55 cents.
The rival proposal from Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, would boost the wage to $7.25 in three increments over 26 months.
The bankruptcy bill, long a priority for Republicans, is intended to make it more difficult for people to eliminate personal debts by declaring bankruptcy.
The minimum wage amendments will need 60 votes in the Senate to survive; it is not clear if either one has that support.
A minimum wage increase faces a tougher road in the more conservative House. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, said late last week that the House was ready to quickly pass the Senate's bankruptcy bill under the condition that the Senate reject any further substantive amendments.
DeLay also had said that the House had no plans to vote this year on a minimum wage increase, which business groups claim would drive up costs and force small businesses to lay off workers.
Santorum's proposal contains an idea that Republicans have advocated, without success, for years: "flex-time," which gives employees the option of shifting their work hours over a two-week period. Supporters say this would allow workers to adjust their schedules to meet family needs.
Kennedy said this would end the 40-hour work week by denying workers overtime pay for up to 10 hours every two weeks.
Kennedy also said restaurant workers would be harmed because Santorum's proposal allows tips to be credited for purposes of complying with any future minimum wage increases in states where tips are not now credited. Santorum said his plan would not reduce cash wages in any way.
The GOP plan says small business enterprises with less than $1 million in receipts would be exempt from the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets minimum wage, overtime and record keeping standards. The current ceiling is $500,000.
The proposal includes more than $4 billion in small business tax breaks, headed by a 15-year recovery period for certain restaurants, at a cost of $3.4 billion. The tax breaks are offset by such measures as tightening tax requirements on companies that move their companies overseas to avoid U.S. taxes and increasing penalties on tax fraud and underpayment.
Santorum's spokeswoman said the senator is introducing his amendment in response to Kennedy's. The Pennsylvania Republican recognizes that it has been 7 1/2 years since the last raise but also wants to ease regulatory burdens on small businesses, the aide said.
Kennedy, in a statement, said the GOP plan would help only 1.8 million people, compared with 7.3 under his.
He told fellow senators that under the last minimum wage raise, voted by Congress in 1996 and reaching its current level in 1997, minimum wage workers earn $10,700 a year, $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three.
During the same eight-year period, members of Congress have raised their own salaries seven times, by a total of $28,500, he said.
Do you know if there is a transcript.
Posted by: Mass at March 7, 2005 10:01 AM
Mass--
A transcript of the event will eventually be available through the JFK library's website (www.jfklibrary.org), and archived audio will be available through WBUR(www.wbur.org). I have no idea how long it takes them to get these posted.
I've also written to CSPAN to ask for information on their scheduling plans for the telecast. (There's nothing yet posted on their schedule this morning).
I also now have an audiotape myself, courtesy of a kind staff member in the JFK library. It's not 100% perfect (bits were lost when the a/v person changed cassettes.. ), but I could lend you a copy if you want. In the meantime, I'm also happy to give you a corrected transcript of my account, including (now that I've heard the audiotape) corrected and updated quotes. If you want either of these, let me know.
http://www.democraticmajority.com
Read a letter from Ted Kennedy - talks about pending legislation, bankruptcy bill etc.
Madame Defarge,
That Dems TV works and looks pretty funny in its introduction clips.
http://www.demstv.com/
Their program should really start tomorrow if I read properly.
Embargoed Poll Data Shows Public Would Significantly Alter Administration’s Budget
7 March 2005
I just received an email containing embargoed poll data that is due to be released at 12:30 pm, today. The poll was conducted by Knowledge Networks between February 18-25 with a nationwide sample of 1,182 American adults. Changes were favored by both Democrats and Republicans with slightly higher numbers by Democrats.
Presented with a major breakdown of the Administration’s discretionary federal budget, respondents were given the opportunity to redistribute it and make major changes. Among the most dramatic changes advocated by respondents were “deep cuts in defense spending, a significant reallocation toward deficit reduction, and increases in spending on education, job training, reducing reliance on oil, and veterans.”
Here’s a breakdown on what the poll reflects:
MORE - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=474
Two items regarding Kerry news at both Light Up the Darkness and the Unofficial Kerry Blog:
Article on Teresa Heinz Kerry and article on Kennedy supporting Kerry for 2008
http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp
http://kerryblog.blogspot.com/
Both sites also report regularly on Kerry news
Heads up
I just had a call from the Lyndon Larouche organization and so did a friend in Orlando Florida area. He had never heard of them and was naive enough to donate to them. They want to mobilize against Bush but they're a cultish crank organization headed by a nutcase felon. Creepy.
Also watch out for an eBay "phishing" scam that's going around the web. They say your eBay membership has expired and ask for personal information.
I just had a call from the Lyndon Larouche organization and so did a friend in Orlando Florida area. . . they're a cultish crank organization headed by a nutcase felon.
Posted by: DiAnne at March 7, 2005 12:11 PM
_____
I second that: in my old congressional district in Phoenix, a LaRouche candidate ended up as the Democratic nominee about 8-10 years ago because voters weren't paying attention. . watch out!
DiAnne-
Also got a call from LaRouche people this weekend because of an SS petition. They've been everywhere with this issue for months now.
And you know without my saying, DiAnne, how much I appreciated this posting.
Just was at an NJDC breakfast this morning with someone going to the Kerry gathering tonight, truly to talk about issues and not focusing on the run, she said. That is the media's concern. Replace actual coverage of issues with nonsense speculation.
Got this in my in-box...
Most draconian budget in recent memory
cuts social programs by $238 billion over next five years
Call Congress NOW at 202/224-3121.
Tell the Capitol operator your state,
and get connected to your senator's office.
If this budget passes:
The program that feeds pregnant women, babies and young children in need will
be cut by $658 million over the next four years. That's assistance for 660,000
women and children.
Families who need low income housing assistance won't get it. By 2010, 370,000
fewer families would receive rental vouchers than this year.
Elementary schools (No Child Left Behind) will receive $12 billion less than
was promised. Special education programs would lose nearly $7.6 billion in the
next four years.
TrueMajority has joined with Children's Defense Fund, the National Council of
the Churches of Christ and the entire Coalition on Human Needs to block these
cuts.
Our country's budget is a moral document. It shows what we care about and what
we value enough to spend our money on. This budget is by no means
compassionate. And with the huge deficit engendered by runaway Pentagon
spending, it's not conservative, either.
Right now the congressional budget committees are debating the budget. This is
the time to let them know your priorities.
Just pick up your phone and call the number. It takes two minutes to call your
senator's office.
You don't have to be a policy expert to lodge your opinion; congressional
receptionists are trained to quickly and politely record your views. Just call
202/224-3132 and tell the operator what state you live in, and you'll be
connected to one of your senators.
To make your call easy, here are some things to say:
I live in _________, and I'm calling to ask my senator to
strengthen programs that help people survive during tough times. Our government
should provide Head Start and health care for poor kids. We should provide
housing assistance for those who need it. Please, let the Senate Budget
Committee know that these kinds of basic programs should not be cut.
Thank you for lodging my request.
Or if you can't call, click "reply" and "send," and we'll deliver a free
message (text below) from you to your representative and senators. If this
email was forwarded to you, or you'd like to edit the message, just click this
link:
http://truemajority.kintera.org/budgetcallday
Thank you for looking after America's children.
Working to make your voice heard in Washington,
Darcy Scott Martin
==================================================================
Here's more:
The many groups that make up the Coalition on Human Needs have analyzed
President Bush's proposed budget and determined that programs children rely on
would be cut in unprecedented ways. See
http://www.chn.org/pdf/budgetcuts22705.pdf
Our friends at the Children's Defense Fund assembled a fact sheet with talking
points on the proposed budget's effects on children at
http://www.childrensdefense.org/action/talkingpoints.pdf
This newspaper column by Molly Ivins captures the situation in concrete terms:
http://www.truthout.org/issues_05/H022105B.shtml
Here is a smile for everyone.
In case you need further proof that the human race is doomed because of stupidity, here are some actual label instructions on consumer goods.
On a Myer hairdryer:
"Do not use while sleeping".
(Darn, and that's the only time I have to work on my hair).
On a bag of Chips:
You could be a winner! No purchase necessary. Details inside.
(The shoplifter special?)
On a bar of Palmolive soap:
"Directions: Use like regular soap".
(And that would be how???)
On some frozen dinners:
"Serving suggestion: Defrost".
(But, it's just a suggestion).
On Nana's Tiramisu dessert
(printed on bottom):
"Do not turn upside down".
(Well...duh, a bit late, huh)!
On Marks & Spencer Bread Pudding:
"Product will be hot after heating".
(And you thought????...)
On packaging for a K-Mart iron:
"Do not iron clothes on body".
(But wouldn't this save me more time?)
On Boot's Children Cough Medicine:
"Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking this medication".
(We could do a lot to reduce the rate of construction accidents if we could just get those 5 year olds with head colds off those forklifts.)
On Nytol Sleep Aid:
"Warning: May cause drowsiness".
(And...I'm taking this because???)
On most brands of Christmas lights:
"For indoor or outdoor use only".
(As opposed to...what?)
On a Japanese food processor:
"Not to be used for the other use".
(Now, somebody out there, help me on this. I'm a bit curious.)
On Nobby's peanuts:
"Warning: contains nuts".
(Talk about a news flash!)
On an American Airlines packet of nuts:
"Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts".
(Step 3: maybe, uh...fly Delta?)
I don't blame the company, I blame the parents for this one:
On a child's superman costume:
"Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly".
On a Swedish chainsaw:
"Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals".
(Was there a lot of this happening somewhere?)
Mary Beth, I wish I could have been there, and so glad you got the chance. Sounds like JK is still fighting the good fight and he won't back down. As I always say No Surrender !!!
OT
Seems like the resident at Pennsylvania Avenue has put another nominee up this time for U.N. Ambassador, and yes another neocon.
Bush Selects Bolton As New U.N. Ambassador
By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer
Monday, March 7, 2005
(03-07) 08:36 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --
President Bush intends to nominate Undersecretary of State John R. Bolton to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a government official said on Monday.
Bolton, who has served as Washington's top arms control official, would succeed former Sen. John Danforth, who retired in January.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice informed the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and the senior Democrat, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, of the selection. She also notified U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, said a government official knowledgeable about the situation.
Bolton, 56, must be confirmed for the post, which is being filled temporarily by Anne Patterson, a career foreign service officer, who took over for Danforth.
Bolton's strong views have made him a controversial figure. North Korea was so incensed by his public denunciations of their nuclear weapons program that the Pyongyang government refused to negotiate with him and he was removed from the U.S. delegation to the now-dormant talks....
more>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/03/07/national/w082237S87.DTL
A little history on Mr. Bolton :
# Project for the New American Century (PNAC): Signed several PNAC letters and served as codirector (3)
# American Enterprise Institute (AEI): Former Senior Vice President for Public Policy Research
snip>
* At a 1994 panel discussion sponsored by the World Federalist Association, Bolton claimed, "There's no such thing as the United Nations," saying that ''If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.'' (8)
more>
http://rightweb.irc-online.org/ind/bolton/bolton.php
NO SURRENDER !!!
A Big day tomorrow.
Tomorrow is the day we call all of our Congresspeople and complain about te budget.
This is from Call To Renewel - A Jim Wallis faith-based anti-poverty organization
BUDGETS ARE MORAL DOCUMENTS!
CONGRESSIONAL CALL-IN DAY: TUESDAY, MARCH 8TH
The U.S House and Senate Budget Committees begin considering resolutions to set budget priorities for Fiscal Year 2006 this week. People of faith must urge their Senators and Representatives to support a budget that is more just and moral than the President's budget. Join thousands of people across the country to speak out for "the least of these"!
Share your views with Senators and Representatives on March 8th by calling:
1-800-247-2971 (toll free)
(To find out who represents you go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm and http://www.house.gov/.)
Ask to be connected with one of your Senators or Representative.
Tell the Senator's/Representative's aide you would like to leave a message.
Provide the aide with your name, address and phone number.
Then, tell them:
Budgets are moral documents that reflect the values and priorities of a nation. Examining budget priorities is a moral and religious concern. Cutting supports for the less fortunate jeopardizes the common good.
Don't make deep cuts in mandatory programs. I am concerned about cuts to Medicaid, child care, food stamps, adoption assistance, and foster care.
Don't make deep cuts in domestic discretionary programs, which would result in a significant loss of support for education, vets' medical care, low-income housing, etc.
Deficit reduction must be fair. I support deficit reduction, but the cost of the deficit must not be borne by the poor, who are not to blame and can least afford it.
DON'T FORGET TO CALL BOTH OF YOUR SENATORS AND YOUR HOUSE MEMBER!
Take more action:
Join other Call to Renewal supporters across the country by signing CTR's "Budgets are Moral Documents" letter: http://www.calltorenewal.org/public_policy/index.cfm/action/action_alerts.html.
Learn more about the President's budget at: http://www.calltorenewal.org/public_policy/index.cfm/action/federal_budget_room.html.
I am concerned about cuts to Medicaid, child care, food stamps, adoption assistance, and foster care....
Congrats Battlebob, you seem to be a very good person, involved in many aid and social programs. That's great and sad to see at the same time, and you must be faced to very hard situations. It's good to know there are still people like you.
Just was reading through my e-mail, which I haven't been able to do lately, oldest moved back in and is always using my PC for one reason or another. But today I luck out, he has school today and then has to coach his JV Softball team. YAY !!!! Been looking for him a new apartment, but he is so picky, must of looked at a dozen so far, me thinks he likes living at home. OY !!!
Well anyway, I received this e-mail from Democrats.org, and it happens to be on the Bush Budget and the cuts it will have on my state Virginia. It is just shameful what he is doing to this country.
Dear Carol,
Stop the devastating cuts in Bush's budget from hurting Virginia. Congress is debating this plan right now, so make your voice heard! Write a letter to the editor of your local paper today.
www.democrats.org/action
Virginia residents are facing severe cuts if George Bush's new budget becomes law -- but you can help stop it in its tracks.
Bush recently unveiled his reckless plan to privatize Social Security, and now he's touting a budget that slashes key programs that help Virginia's working families.
Bush plans devastating cuts to America's top priorities, from homeland security to health care to education to benefits for veterans and much more. Despite these cuts, this budget is a fiscal disaster, with Bush's trademark irresponsibility pushing America deeper into the red with another record deficit.
And this budget is a huge disaster for Virginia. Here are just a few of the cuts Virginia faces under Bush's 2006 budget:
Homeland Security
The Bush 2006 budget cuts $420 million to state and local funding for homeland security, including a $23.9 million cut for Virginia. These cuts will take police and firefighters off your streets.
The Bush budget cuts the COPS program, which has put 2,461 officers on Virginia streets, by 96 percent.
Health Care
The Bush budget cuts $45 billion from Medicaid, enough to provide health care to 1.8 million children. Virginia's share of these cuts is $587 million.
Bush's budget cuts the very same community and rural health care programs he touted during the campaign, even though more than 148,000 Virginia residents have lost their health care coverage since Bush took office due to his failures.
Education
Bush underfunds his own No Child Left Behind Act by $13.1 billion in his budget. In Virginia, that means a shortfall of $227.1 million, leaving behind 46,786 Virginia children.
Bush promised to fund Pell Grants in his State of the Union address, but his budget is $6.6 billion short. That's $121.9 million less than what's needed in Virginia, a real burden for the 91,501 students in Virginia who receive the grants.
Other Priorities
The Bush budget would require many veterans to pay a new $250 annual "user fee" to use the Veterans Administration health care system, and would double the prescription drug co-payment for the 786,359 Virginia veterans.
Bush cuts Virginia clean water programs by $7.9 million.
Bush's 2006 budget also cuts the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program -- which helps low-income families afford heating fuel in the winter -- by $234.4 million, including $4.5 million cut for Virginia residents.
And Bush's irresponsible budget is a record $427 billion in the red, increasing each Virginia family's share of the federal debt by $38,910.
Take Action
Take action today to help stop Bush's disastrous budget in its tracks. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper explaining why Bush's budget is such a disaster for America.
Be sure to include some of the facts about Virginia above, or download our full report here for even more useful information.
Write your letter here:
http://www.democrats.org/action
And be sure to tell your friends to join in. Forward this email to all your friends in Virginia, or tell them to find the report for their own state here:
http://www.democrats.org/bushbudget
Go to the above link and check out your state, have the facts in hand and get on the phone and dial your Representatives.
NO SURRENDER !!!
Personal Stories Used to Thwart Budget Cuts
"I'm working to try to support my family the best I can, and I really don't think targeting single parents by taking away their Medicaid is going to make anything any better," Schnetzer said, shivering on a chilly morning outside the Statehouse during a lobbying trip to Columbus.
She receives about $13,000 a year between child support, unemployment benefits and a part-time job grading students' standardized exams. The 39-year-old woman from Blanchester in southwestern Ohio said she pays more than $600 a month for medication to control nerve damage from a spider bite.
"I'm confident that they're going to talk about `the sky is falling.' The sky always falls when the budget comes unveiled and you don't get exactly what you want," said Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, a Republican.
Ohio Senate President Bill Harris said he wants to meet with such people and believes he can convince them that the budget is good for the entire state.
"I can sell lots of them, and those that I don't sell, they'll sure know that we had a good conversation, and they'll know why I believe the way I do," the Republican said.
more>
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=3&u=/ap/20050307/ap_on_re_us/budget_personal_stories
NO SURRENDER !!!
Posted by: Andrée - France at March 7, 2005 02:19 PM
Andree,
Thanks for the kudos.
There are a lot of organizations dedicated to the tasks of lifting up the least among us.
This weekend, I took my not-so-right wingnut niece to a HFH build and then to serve at our church kitchen for homeless people.
It is easy to dismiss the needy as unworthy or lazy or shiftless or any negative phrasing you care to use; and to not really see them. Meeting people who are struggling up close and personel and finding they are just like you changes the equation a lot. So maybe empathy and understanding sets in and you can see these folks through a different set of eyes. At least, that is what happened this weekend to a certain college junior.
A day hammering nails and feeding people is the standard vacation day for our visiting friends and family. Takes all the guess-work of how to entertain out-of-towners.
I think Jim Wallis has struck just the right note at just the right time to galvanize a lot of people who have been staying on the sidelines about helping those in need. Regardless of party affiliation or religious creed, the message is the same for everyone:
The test of your actions is the effect on children. It is easy to see that Bush's actions will harm children in the near and far terms on any issue chosen.
Wallis has been doing this for at least three decades and his work is finially getting the attention it deserves.
Posted by: battlebob at March 7, 2005 01:05 PM
Thanks for the laughs BB this has been a hellish week, Charley is now feeling better thank goodness and I was absent my puter for a few days while Noah updated it.
The News hasn't been very uplifting, Dems wanting to rasie Min wage republicans wanting to not really, Bush renominating the judges that were blocked last time, some more in your face moves I guess.
A freed reporter attacked by our troops and the person who helped free her killed.
Somedays I feel like we live in an alternate universe where everything is moving backwards not forwards. Then I come on here and read about Kerry speaking which makes me sad and happy at the same time, that he and Kennedy are still out there fighting for us gives some hope. Clintons kindness even though his health hasnt been great to Bush, these things remind me why I became a Democrat to begin with. I have thought much about moving to Independant on my voter reg, but you know what I am gonna ride this bus to the last stop and see how my party progresses see if it ends up at a great destination, its not like I can't vote for whoever I want to no matter what my party aff. is.
Some days I am just so damn proud to be a Dem.
:)
Some days I am just so damn proud to be a Dem.
:)
Posted by: April at March 7, 2005 02:50 PM
Not as proud as we Dems are to have you.
Privatization's Poor Return
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=403171
[snip]
If President Bush's proposal becomes law, citizens with private accounts would have to earn at least 3 percent above inflation to have any net gains from their accounts. Even Wall Street agrees that on average, people will have a hard time meeting this target. Entire generations of workers could fall below this threshold because the market did not perform as expected. Whether workers will see rates of return above or below expectations depends on the performance of the economy during their lifetime, and thus on their date of birth – a factor distinctly outside of anyone's control.
The job market still sucks (regardless of what BushCo says)
http://www.americanprogress.org/site/pp.asp?c=biJRJ8OVF&b=403577
[snip]
The most discouraging aspect of the February employment report was the continued deterioration in the real or inflation adjusted wages of production and non-supervisory workers. This group represents about 80 percent of the American workforce; their hourly earnings fell by about another 4 cents based on the inflation rate of the past year. The real hourly and weekly earnings of these workers is below the level of one year ago, and that is particularly striking in the face of the recently released productivity figures for 2004 indicating that the output per hour worked grew by 4 percent during the period.
April,
Glad to be able to bring you some smiles.
Marc verbalized my thoughts better then I could.
BB and Marc :) thanks guys.
One thing I find very interesting about the SS debate.
The opposition is fierce and very well informed dispite an almost total lack of print and tube media discussion. The alternate media outlets are delivering the needed message to the public. They sure aren't getting it from the MSM.
I think BushCois banking on public ignorance about the issues. I hope he is greatly dissapointed.
I only get the traffic and weather reports from the MSM. Everything else comes from the internet.
I think BushCo is banking on public ignorance about the issues. I hope he is greatly dissapointed.
Posted by: battlebob at March 7, 2005 03:37 PM
BushCo has been successful based SOLELY on public ignorance, and they will continue to play that card until they get outsmarted.
Marc,
I see the public being less ignorant or at least, starting to pay attention.
In Az, there is very little discussion about the negative impacts about SS yet the public is strongly against the Bush plan. Where are they getting the informaiton from? Not from the MSM. So Bush can go ahead and take his dog-and-phony show all over the country. There will be adoring pre-selected sheeples. And it won't mean a thing as the public is not really listening anymore. At least, I hope so.
The Dems are going to dog his every movement with our explanation and solution. What is also hurting Bush is the whole budget mess is being tied up into one package. The SS mess is tied to the deficit mess is tied to the war mess is tied to more messes then an elephant with diarrehia.
BushCo has been successful based SOLELY on public ignorance, and they will continue to play that card until they get outsmarted.
Posted by: Marc Trager at March 7, 2005 03:44 PM
Okay we need to give the CNN Fox News and all other media outlet watchers smart pills! Now the question is how to do this? How do we make a group of people who are content to others think for them, start thinking for themselves?
You were right during the election Marc when you kept saying its the electorate stupid. Their attention span operates in 60 sec sound bites not actual Info. The only way this is going to change is when Bush's policies start affecting their issues, and he has been careful to cater to their wants. How do we make them see their wants aren't always best for them?
DCP starts this by encouraging people to think outside the box. I keep telling the kids to be pro-active not re-active but how do we make the message heard by more and more? Because lets face some just don't want to admitt they were outsmarted by someone who duped them big!
I see the public being less ignorant or at least, starting to pay attention.
Posted by: battlebob at March 7, 2005 03:58 PM
Hi, battle bob--
Yeah, I agree. People seem to get this one; they even seem to get the connections to all the messes (love your metaphor!!) you mentioned. And, like you said, with little or no help from the MSM, and despite the blatant propaganda (have you heard about this?yet another scandal) being put out by the Bushies through the telephone "help lines" of the formerly nonpartisan Social Security Administration. I am very cheered by the polls.
The 2006 elections should be interesting.
Posted by: mbk at March 7, 2005 04:04 PM
I keep praying people start listening harder by 2006, I do see a light at the end of this dark tunnel just wish it would hurry up and get here!
I am taking a slightly different media track. I write the usual letters and emails and make the usual phone calls. But I close with a comment about how other media sources are picking up on the story and I list them. The worst thing to happen to a media outlet is the illness of irrelevance. From an earlier post, print media readership is going down while TV and internet readership is going up; with internet readership doubling. Media outlets don’t survive with declining markets.
Mary Beth,
Thanks for the great report. How I wish I was there (and it will be over 80 deg in Phoenix by this weekend).
Tell Democrats in Congress You Stand With Them in Their Fight to Protect Social Security
http://www.democrats.org/action/200503070001.html?psc=demnewsb&na=1
If you belong to MoveOn PAC (or can go to their site) - you can find house parties for Thursday night within specified number of miles from your zip code.
I have placed those for Seattle area under "Pacific States - Seattle" in the Forum. I've been putting Seattle Events there rather than under Events. Even if there aren't enough people looking there yet, I want to stay in practice for when things pick up as we gear up for 2006 elections.
Please register your cells/groups/events in the Forum.
The House Parties are being held to form action plans for stopping complete Republican control of the courts, so very strategic and action-oriented. Should be house parties all over the country. Sign up now. They also have instructions for starting your own.
I happen to live in the Pittsburgh area, and I just thought you'd all love to hear an outsiders story about the presiDunces visit to my 'burgh.
His idiotness and the Mrs. were speaking the the Community College of Allegheny County, about at risk children. A nice big kiss up to the local catholics. Funny thing about this little get together. NO STUDENTS ALLOWED.
On their campus. Locked down in the middle of the day. Pre-invited guests only. IMAGINE THAT!!! Secret Service swarms and nobody moves, but the students of a COMMUNITY COLLEGE cannot attend. For security reasons they could not advise the students ahead of time that there would be a lock down.
This makes me so angry. My daughter is disabled, receives SSI, and government aid for her education. She really would have liked to park her wheelchair on his foot and make him look at an 'at risk' youth. Everything that means something to her is at risk because of him, but the best she can expect is to get locked in at her community college and given the evil eye by the Secret Service since she isn't a pre-screened signer of the loyalty oath.
The BushCo full-court press for SS. very long..
"President Bush is considering a controversial new source of revenue to help fix Social Security: shutting off the exemption from Social Security taxes of future state and local public employees who otherwise would be contributing to public pension plans...One proposal under discussion at the White House would preserve the exemption from Social Security tax for state and local workers who do not have to pay it but would cut off the exemption for new workers. If the proposal were enacted, state and local governments would have to compensate for the decrease in money flowing into pension plans from new employees. In addition, state and local governments would have to start paying millions a year as the employers' share of Social Security tax." [Boston Globe, 3/7/05]
"A mostly black audience burst into applause here last month when Ken Mehlman, in his first appearance as Republican Party chairman, said 'every single American will be able to save and build and own and pass along an asset to their children' under President Bush's proposal to make private investment accounts part of Social Security. But at a mall in nearby Hyattsville, more than a dozen interviews with blacks yielded only one person who said he might like to try Bush's idea. The rest wondered why Bush wants to inject risk into a program they think works well...There's no argument about the central role Social Security plays in the black community. It's the only source of income for four in 10 black retirees, twice as many as whites, and it's viewed broadly as a lifeline. To draw more black support, Bush will have to overcome widespread unease about trading the certainty of the current system for the potential risks and rewards of private accounts." [USA Today, 3/1/05]
"The Senate's top Republican said yesterday that President Bush's bid to restructure Social Security may have to wait until next year and might not involve the individual accounts the White House has been pushing hard. The comments of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), made as GOP lawmakers returned from a week of trying to sell the plan to voters, underscored the challenge facing the White House, especially in light of unbroken Democratic opposition...Frist is reluctant to put off a vote until 2006, when lawmakers will be focused on midterm congressional elections and the atmosphere will be more politically charged, aides said. But with polls showing widespread skepticism of Bush's proposal and some Republicans opposed to the approach, GOP leaders signaled yesterday that they may have no choice but to put off action." [Washington Post, 3/2/05]
"Americans say President Bush does not share the priorities of most of the country on either domestic or foreign issues, are increasingly resistant to his proposal to revamp Social Security and say they are uneasy with Mr. Bush's ability to make the right decisions about the retirement program, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll...On Social Security, 51 percent said permitting individuals to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private accounts, the centerpiece of Mr. Bush's plan, was a bad idea, even as a majority said they agreed with Mr. Bush that the program would become insolvent near the middle of the century if nothing was done. The number who thought private accounts were a bad idea jumped to 69 percent if respondents were told that the private accounts would result in a reduction in guaranteed benefits. And 45 percent said Mr. Bush's private account plan would actually weaken the economic underpinnings of the nation's retirement system." [New York Times, 3/3/05]
"As President Bush brings his campaign for overhauling Social Security to Westfield today, New Jersey's Republican congressmen are holding off on endorsing the administration's plan, waiting to see more details. In the face of unified Democratic opposition and opinion polls indicating that public support for the proposal is dropping, the state's GOP representatives are generally taking a wait-and-see attitude on Bush's call to divert some Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts...'President Bush is still talking about general ideas,' Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.) said in a written statement. 'There isn't a specific proposal or legislation Congress is considering.'" [Star-Ledger, 3/4/05]
The Republicans unleashed their secret weapon in their effort to convince Americans to support Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, a nine-year-old child, Noah McCullough, who appared on NBC's Today Show this morning to shill for the GOP. "Yes, we've come to the point where what is arguably the biggest domestic policy debate in the past 50 years is being handled by a child trivia-champ." [Christian Science Monitor, Editorial, Dante Chinni, 3/1/05]
Monday, March 7, 2005
BUSH in Washington, DC at 12:00 PM: The President and Mrs. Bush will host the King and Queen of Norway for a lunch at the White House on March 7, 2005. [White House, 2/15/05]
*NEW: BUSH in Pittsburgh, PA at 3:10 PM: Bush and Mrs. Bush visit Providence Family Support Center. Providence Family Support Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: BUSH in Pittsburgh, PA at 3:50 PM: Bush makes remarks with Mrs. Bush on Helping America's Youth and promote his anti-gang initiative. Community College of Allegheny County - Allegheny Campus. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: CHENEY in California: Cheney plans a series of town halls, starting this month in California. [USA Today, 3/7/05]
*NEW: GONZALES in Washington, DC: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales discusses the Patriot Act in remarks to the National Association of Counties' legislative conference. [CNN, 3/7/05]
*NEW: HAGEL in Lincoln, NE at 9:30 AM: Sen. Chuck Hagel will unveil legislation to restructure the Social Security system in a speech Monday at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, his spokesman said Wednesday. The Nebraska Republican, a possible 2008 White House contender, will outline his proposal at 9:30 a.m. in the Student Union auditorium and then will answer questions from students, spokesman Mike Buttry said. [Omaha World-Herald, 3/3/05]
HENNESSEY in Westminster, MD: Keith Hennessey, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, heads to Westminster, MD for a Social Security Town Hall with Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. [Treasury Dept., 3/2/05]
*NEW: WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING at 12:30 PM: Briefing by the Press Secretary in the Brady Press Briefing Room. [White House, 3/4/05]
Tuesday, March 8, 2004
*NEW: BUSH in Washington, DC at 10:15 AM: On Tuesday, the President will make remarks on the war on terrorism at the National Defense University in Washington. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: BUSH in Washington, DC at 1:40 PM: Bush will meet in the Oval Office with former Presidents Bush and Clinton and receive an update about their tsunami relief efforts and their recent trip to the region. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: LAURA BUSH in Washington, DC at 9:00 AM: Mrs. Bush delivers remarks at an International Women's Day event. State Department, Washington, DC. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: LAURA BUSH in Milwaukee, WI at 12:00 PM: Mrs. Bush delivers remarks on the Helping America's Youth initiative. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [White House, 3/4/05]
SNOW in Washington, DC at 10:45: Secretary John W. Snow delivers remarks at the American Bankers Association. Mayflower Hotel, Grand Ballroom, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. [Treasury Dept., 3/2/05]
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
*NEW: BUSH in Columbus, OH at 1:20 PM: Bush tours Battelle Memorial Institute. Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: BUSH in Columbus, OH at 2:00 PM: Bush makes remarks on Energy Policy. Franklin County Veterans Memorial, Columbus, Ohio. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: LAURA BUSH in Atlanta, GA at 10:30 AM: Mrs. Bush delivers remarks on the Helping America's Youth initiative. Atlanta, Georgia. [White House, 3/4/05]
*NEW: CHERTOFF in Washington, DC at 10:00 AM: Secretary Michael Chertoff will testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on the FY 06 budget. 342 Dirksen
Washington, DC. [DHS, 3/7/05]
Thursday, March 10, 2005
*NEW: BUSH in Louisville, KY at 12:00 PM: Bush will be in Louisville for a conversation on strengthening Social Security. The Kentucky Center for the Arts, Louisville, Kentucky. [White House, 3/4/05]
BUSH in Montgomery, AL at 3:50 PM: President Bush will host a town-hall style meeting in Montgomery on March 10 to discuss his plan for reforming Social Security, several Republican sources said Monday. The session is one in a series of events the president is conducting to convince Americans that drastic change is needed to prevent the federal retirement program from going broke. The White House has not announced the president's travel schedule, but several Republican sources confirmed that the session will be on the campus of Auburn University Montgomery. [Birmingham News, 3/1/05]
*NEW: BUSH in Memphis, TN: Bush will overnight in Memphis. [White House, 3/4/05]
Friday, March 11, 2005
*NEW: BUSH in Memphis, TN at 9:15 AM: Bush will be in Memphis for a conversation on strengthening Social Security. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, Memphis, Tennessee. [White House, 3/4/05]
BUSH in Shreveport, LA at 2:05 PM: President Bush plans to take his Social Security road show to Louisiana next week as part of a swing through several Southern states to promote changes in the federal retirement program, according to sources and news reports. Bush is expected to hold a town hall-style discussion March 11 at Centenary College in Shreveport, according to a source familiar with the planning for the event. [Times-Picayune, 3/2/05]
*NEW: ALLEN in Raleigh, NC: Virginia Sen. George Allen attend John Locke Foundation's 15th Anniversary dinner, North Raleigh Hilton [John Locke Foundation]
Saturday, March 12, 2005
*NEW: BUSH in Washington, DC at 7:00 PM: On Saturday, the President will attend the Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington. [White House, 3/4/05]
Monday, March 14, 2005
*NEW: MCCAIN in Grand Rapids, MI: John McCain in Grand Rapids, MI: Kent Co. Lincoln Day Dinner [MI GOP]
Friday, March 18, 2005
FRIST in Concord, NH: Frist will return to NH on March 18 for the Merrimack County Lincoln Day Dinner at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. [Manchester Union Leader, 2/24/05]
Saturday March 19, 2005
MEHLMAN in Denver, CO: "Republican National Committeeman Bob Martinez confirmed Friday what had been rumored for a while: He'll run for state chairman when the GOP state central committee meets March 19* Expected to attend the gathering, by the way, is Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee." [Rocky Mountain News, 2/19/05]
Monday, March 28, 2005
*NEW: MEHLMAN in Polk County, FL at 6:30 PM: RNC Chair Ken Mehlman speaks at the Polk Co. Lincoln Day Dinner; March 28th, 2005; Lakeland Center. [RNC, 3/4/05]
Friday, April 1, 2005
*NEW: GRAHAM in Chattanooga, TN: Lindsey Graham in Chattanooga, TN for the Hamilton Co. Lincoln Day Dinner [TN GOP]
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
*NEW: MEHLMAN in Lee County, FL at 6:00 PM: RNC Chair Ken Mehlman speaks at the Lee Co. Lincoln Day Dinner; March 29th, 2005; Three Oaks Banquet Hall. [RNC, 3/4/05]
Friday, April 8, 2005
*NEW: MEHLMAN in Palm Beach, FL: RNC Chair Ken Mehlman speaks at the Palm Beach Lincoln Day Dinner; April 8th, 2005; The Breakers. [RNC, 3/4/05]
Saturday, April 9, 2005
*NEW: ROMNEY in Columbia, SC: South Carolina Republican Party Silver Elephant dinner [Boston Globe, 2/24/05; SC GOP]
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
*NEW: MEHLMAN in Douglas County, CO at 6:00 PM: RNC Chair Ken Mehlman speaks at the Douglas Co. Lincoln Day Dinner; April 12th, 2005. [RNC, 3/4/05]
Monday, April 18, 2005
*NEW: GINGRICH in New Hampshire: Newt Gingrich in New Hampshire: fundraiser and book promotion. [Union Leader, 2/24/05]
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
*NEW: GIULIANI in Hilton Head, SC: Rudy Giuliani in Hilton Head, SC: fundraiser for state Attorney General Henry McMaster. [The State, 1/31/05]
Sunday, May 7, 2005
*NEW: GIULIANI in High Point, NC: Rudy Giuliani in High Point, NC: deliver the commencement address at High Point University [Greensboro News & Record, 3/4/05]
From the above schedule, we must shadow Bush and his minions at each stop and discuss the Dem position in a town-hall format.
We also must demand that this campaign come out of the Repub coffers. Make the point that children are going homeless, hungry and sick while Bush and his cohorts jet around the country.
From the above schedule, we must shadow Bush and his minions at each stop and discuss the Dem position in a town-hall format.
Posted by: battlebob at March 7, 2005 06:07 PM
Thanks for digging up and distributing this information!
The schedule came from our ProgressforAriz cell. They deserve all the credit. I do cutting and pasting well.
Twelve reasons why privitizing SS is a bad idea.
http://www.socsec.org/publications.asp?pubid=503#9
Reason #1: Today's insurance to protect workers and their families against death and disability would be threatened.
Reason #2: Creating private accounts would make Social Security's financing problem worse, not better.
Reason #3: Creating private accounts could dampen economic growth, which would further weaken Social Security's future finances.
Reason #4: Privatization has been a disappointment elsewhere.
Reason #5: The odds are against individuals investing successfully.
Reason #6: What you get will depend on whether you retire when the market is up or down.
Reason #7: Wall Street would reap windfalls from your taxes.
Reason #8: Private accounts would require a new government bureaucracy.
Reason #9: Young people would be worse off.
Reason # 10: Women stand to lose the most.
Each point is linked to a detailed description
Reason #11: African Americans and Latin Americans also would become more vulnerable under privatization.
Reason #12: Retirees will not be protected against inflation.
This compares the Maginot Line to the missle defense shield.
http://www.seedmagazine.com/?p=article&n=above&id=100000023
[snip]
The Maginot analogy will almost certainly be employed by missile-defense critics this fall when the Bush administration publicly declares operational the first piece of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system. After all, similarities between the two generations of defense are easy to find: The line’s elaborate network of fortresses and underground bunkers were advertised as the technological marvel of their time, just as the “hit to kill” ground-based midcourse defense (GMD) system—which by year’s end will consist of six missile interceptors based in Fort Greely, AK, and another four at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California—is described by military and government officials. The Maginot Line’s construction contributed to France’s prewar budget deficits, in much the same way that missile defense—at a cost of roughly $10 billion next year and $70-plus billion over the last 20 years—has drained its share of the U.S. treasury.
But the similarities between the two systems end there. France’s Maginot Line, for its part, would have been an effective defense against a particular threat: a World War I–style direct German attack. By contrast, the first piece of the U.S. missile-defense system being deployed this fall promises no such efficacy. Designed to confront the threat of an “unsophisticated” nuclear missile–wielding adversary—North Korea, for example—the system has fallen alarmingly short on proven ability.
Reid blasts Greenspan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5396-2005Mar3.html?sub%3DAR&sub=AR
[snip]
"Why doesn't he respond to the Republicans and tell them the big problem here is the debt that this administration [has] created?" he said. "We had a $7 trillion-dollar surplus when Bush took office. Now we have a $3 or $4 trillion-dollar deficit. That's, in fact, what Greenspan should be telling people."
More happy news this week:
ABC News reported this evening that we're outsourcing the boiling to death of our detainees. I suppose that makes monetary sense. It would be nice if the American people seemed to care about those kind of things, but most polls show that the torturing to death of adult human beings ranks below the aborting of goo globs to Americans nowdays.
Also, Congress is attempting to make it almost impossible for Americans to erase their debt- even medical debts of the terminally ill- through bankruptcy this week. And all the amendments our party is proposing to the bill have been defeated. I also haven't heard that our party plans a filibuster on this issue- I believe they did filibuster it the last time around, and managed to foil the plan by inserting an amendment that would keep anti-abortion protestors from erasing their legal obligations through bankruptcy proceedings. So far though, our party has been painfully silent on whether they plan a filibuster. I suppose that, if we just lay down and die on this issue, Bush's next move will be to propose debtor's prisons for Americans who default on their credit card bills.
The only good thing that I see happening so far this week is that Georgy hasn't been able to con most people into wanting to give away their social security funds to big business- YET. It may still happen.
Sometimes I just honestly think we live in the stupidest nation on this planet.
Minimum pay rates rise across Europe:
(average 7% over inflation)
http://www.eubusiness.com/topics/Finance/pay.2005-01-05/view
Senate Defeats Minimum Wage Increase
(no increase since 1996)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/
0,1280,-4848294,00.html
Business may like it but it'll decrease amount of consumption and increase number of working poor, people with multiple part-time jobs w/o benefits so don't go to Dr., end up in ER & can't pay etc.
DiAnne- and if the working poor do end up in the ER or the hospital and can't pay, they will no longer be able to erase their debts and protect their homes through Chapter 7 bankruptcy, if something doesn't happen to defeat the Repugs on this issue. The working poor will lose their homes, or be forced to have their wages garnished for the rest of their lifetimes to pay off their medical bills.
Why is there not more publicity on the bankruptcy legislation. This is HUGE stuff.
SOCIAL INSECURITY:
Try this calculator to see how much YOU will lose under Bush Privatization:
People have been saying for weeks that the president's privatization plan will cut benefits. Now all Americans can log onto democrats.gov and find out how true this is.
So how much you will lose under Bush Privatization:
http://democrats.senate.gov/ss/calc.html