1
POPSDemocrats Consider New Energy Strategy “I think there’s far more support across the board for SPR than anything else,” a senior aide said. Pelosi and other Democratic leaders have not said what the final SPR bill would look like, nor have they said what energy measures — which could also include a speculation bill — will be brought to the floor this week or under what rules.
0
POPSGreen ‘Peace Party’ positions against the Iraq and Afghanistan wars compared to pro-occupation Clint
“The occupation of Iraq will continue whether a Democrat or a Republican moves into the White House in January 2009,” said Jason Wallace, Green candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 11th District <http://www.electwallace.us> and a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War <http://ivaw.org/index.php>. IVAW has announced ‘Winter Soldier’ (March 13-16), a four-day event bringing together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan <http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier>. “The ILWU action planned for May 1 is evidence that working people are impatient with vague promises to end these wars. Will Ms. Clinton or Mr. Obama endorse the ILWU protest and pledge to call home all US military personnel immediately?” “By calling the Iraq War a matter of military preparedness and botched strategy, Democrats are sidestepping the premise of the war,” said Bob Kinsey, Green candidate for the US Senate in Colorado <http://www.kinseyforsenate.org>. “While it’s true that
0
POPSOreGon Green Candidates get Ready “The overwhelming majority of the damage done, from war to attacks on democratic rights, came with the votes of the Democrats in Washington,” Olmsted points out. “It is time for the building of a party that can be the voice of the majority to fight for our interests. Then we have a chance for real change.” (www.newmenu.org/ore gongreens4congress.)
10
POPSThe Democrats' Fairy Tale
And the improvements in Anbar could never have been sustained without aggressive American military efforts — efforts that were more effective in 2007 than they had been in 2006, due in part to the addition of the surge forces. Last year’s success, in Anbar and elsewhere, was made possible by confidence among Iraqis that U.S. troops would stay and help protect them, that the U.S. would not abandon them to their enemies. Because the U.S. sent more troops instead of withdrawing — because, in other words, President Bush won his battles in 2007 with the Democratic Congress — we have been able to turn around the situation in Iraq. And now Iraq’s Parliament has passed a de-Baathification law — one of the so-called benchmarks Congress established for political reconciliation. For much of 2007, Democrats were able to deprecate the military progress and political reconciliation taking place on the ground by harping on the failure of the Iraqi government to pass the benchmark legislation
2
POPSWall Street Likes The Bailout Plus Drill, Drill, Drill
But my thought is that a Senate victory might just blow Pelosi out of the water and open the floodgates to Democratic defections in the House. If a drilling bill ever passes Congress, oil prices will keep on plunging — perhaps all the way to $75 a barrel, which is the profitable break-even point for lifting the extra barrel of oil. That would drive the Dow to somewhere between 15,000 and 16,000, and it would have a huge tax-cut effect on the economy. And, of course, it could completely change the November election outlook in a highly favorable way for the GOP. The conventional wisdom says Republicans are gonna get clobbered again this fall. But drill, drill, drill would overturn that wisdom. More drilling today would have the potency of the Reagan tax cuts 28 years ago in the 1980 landslide race. But the GOP has got to make the case. And deregulating oil, which is great policy, would offset much of the bad policy pain coming out of the Fannie-Freddie housing bailout.
9
POPSTaxpayers pay for rep's big-screen TVs FTA: Jackson spokesman Kenneth Edmonds said the TVs were purchased through “established, regular procedure” with MRA funds Jackson had left in his account at the end of the year. “They replaced older, bulkier and more cumbersome sets, making it easier for the staff to monitor local and national news as well as to participate in teleconferences,” he said. Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) bought 17 hard drives and a laptop for his staff. Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.) paid $734 for a video camera. Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.) spent $535.76 to repair a letter-folding machine. Last year, Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) treated his colleagues to $1,864.18 worth of barbecue from Red, Hot & Blue and $1,425 of Chinese food from the Meiwah restaurant.
0
POPSSchawarzenegger Threatens to Pay State Workers Minimum Wage It's amazing how cavalier rich people in power can be about the wages of working people. Load mountains of federal debt to fund tax cuts for the rich and enrich Big Oil in Iraq or, in this case, slash their wages only to score a political point. It amounts the same callous indifference about the needs of the average working person and family. It's no comfort that they will receive their full pay later on. Can they pay their creditors without penalty under the same arrangement? We all know the answer to that one, don't we.
2
POPSMcCain: The Mistake Machine Poor John McCain is a gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats. Mistake after mistake after mistake. I'm beginning to worry about pointing out his mistakes. I'm afraid someone will accuse me of making fun of someone with a "challenge" and it will be true.
7
POPSPickens' words more than just wind I heard this man's advertisement and thought "This is what we're looking for." Big Oil is criticized for their massive profits. This man has made $$ and wants to use it to reinvest in "renewable energy". He makes sense. When the Sierra Club supports him you know he must be on the right track. Hopefully Democrats in Congress will recognize a win/win solution and even encourage others.
0
POPSGOP Convention Lacks Enthusiasm I wonder if they'll realize that forced enthusiasm looks even worse than no enthusiasm? The piece also tells us that while Obama can expect good coverage during bona fide swing state Colorado's DNC, McCain's down double-digits in Minnesota -- happy photo ops aren't nearly as likely as big protests.
4
POPSPelosi should look in the mirror This from the woman who has protected a war criminal who, if Bush is ever tried as one or impeached, ought to be tried and impeached/recalled as an enabler, as harboring, protecting aiding and abetting a war criminal. This from a woman who on occasions has appeared to be lusting over or hero worshipping him. This from a woman who also appears to have had a demented school-girl crush on a virtual monster.
3
POPSPelosi blocks vote on Bush request to lift ban... This is so typical of Pelosi and her fellow Democrats in Congress. She won't even allow it to be voted on!! She will do whatever it takes to continue to stonewall this Administration...no, the democratic system...with her refusal to allow the process to move and bring this to a vote. Why? Because she would lose! FTA: "In the House, the power rests in the speaker, the power of recognition, of setting the agenda. ... Very different rules,"
0
POPSLieberman Would Address RNC My take? This is Lieberman's final term. He's not going to run in 2012. Mostly because he can't; he's completely destroyed his career as a public servant. In an '06 do-over, polls show Holy Joe would lose in a landslide to Lamont.
3
POPSPelosi: The Power Of One "In the House, the power rests in the speaker, the power of recognition, of setting the agenda. . . . Very different rules," Pelosi said. Acknowledging her ability to influence decision-making, Pelosi said in the CNN interview that she gets to operate differently than her Senate counterpart, Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. Reid must reach out to Republicans to muster 60 votes — enough to stop a filibuster — to get anything done. It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss. In this case, Pelosi is going against a rising tide of public opinion. Faced with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling, according to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp.
5
POPSDemocrats And Gasoline that they must have some gall to criticize creationism when they in fact subscribe to its economic equivalent. But as I wrote last week, I don't really think they are this ignorant. They're providing a rhetorical distraction to the fact that they want high gas prices, probably higher ones than we have right now. Meanwhile, in order to deflect and even harness consumer anger in the political arena, they can send out Chuck Schumer to put on this dog-and-pony show about the phantoms that are secretly directing the economy from behind closed doors. It's a smokescreen. As an energy consumer, you should be a lot more concerned about what Democrats are doing in the open Senate chamber. The gas crisis finally hit Capitol Hill with full fury this week, and Senate Democrats have launched a plan that sounds ambitious: Take on Wall Street speculators, OPEC, price gougers and Big Oil. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9967.html
3
POPSThe DRILL Act (Drill here, drill now!) "Where better to drill than the NATIONAL Petroleum Reserve. That is what it is for. That is why it was set aside. The National Petroleum Reserve. "My colleagues, situated on the North Slope of Alaska, this Reserve is no pipe dream like ANWR - which is a bumper sticker approach of our energy woes. 10.6 billion barrels of recoverable oil! "Far more than ANWR, which is not open to leasing. And if opened, would be far behind bringing energy to Americans than the National Petroleum Reserve. "In Alaska, 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas has been stranded - think about that - 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas - because there is no pipeline to bring it to market. Elsewhere, there is 68 million acres of federal lands. Onshore and offshore in the Outer Continental Shelf. Under oil and gas leases. That are not producing. May be subject to speculation. Being warehoused. "I say drill it! Drill it.
0
POPSimpeachment This should go ahead. We cannot have one country's leader being impeached by the International Court and another getting away with high crimes and misdemeanors.
0
POPSDemocrats for More Drilling for Dollars Where are the strong alternative action we have been promised since the 70ties? Where is the strong leadership of the Democrats? All seem to cave in to fear of looking weak. Is there anyone among them left that will speak out. Too FEW, I say. They need some fire under their ass...ets!!!!