NeoAlertz

Anti War Protests :: March 17 - 20, 2007

2007-02-03T10:10:00.000-05:00

United For Peace & Justice...

United For Peace & Justice are providing a searchable database of protest located all across the country so you can find one in your area. Major demonstrations are planned in New York, Los Angeles and in Washington D.C. which features a March on the Pentagon. Thanks to Godless Liberal Homo for the news of this event...

united for peace & justice
March on Pentagon
Saturday, March 17th 2007
Washington, DC USA

On March 17, 2007, the 4th anniversary of the start of the criminal invasion of Iraq, tens of thousands of people from around the country will descend on the Pentagon in a mass demonstration to demand: U.S. Out of Iraq Now! 2007 is the 40th anniversary of the historic 1967 anti-war march to the Pentagon during the Vietnam War. The message of the 1967 march was "From Protest to Resistance," and marked a turning point in the development of a countrywide mass movement.

Continue Reading at United For Peace... -•- Technorati Cosmos ( Blogs Who Link To This Article )

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Mandate For Peace :: Jan 27, 2007

2007-01-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

United For Peace...

Once again the folks at United For Peace and others are planning a day of non-violent resistance to the War In Iraq and the escalation of which Bush so proudly defies the public with. I am sad to say I will not be able to make it to this one as my wife and I did for a similar event on September 24th, 2005. I hope many people are able to make it...

Our new lawmakers need to look out their windows and see people marching in the street. They have been given a Mandate For Peace and it is time they acted upon it. Who will be the last to die for Bush's lies.

More importantly, who in congress stood by and did nothing to stop Bush. They have been given Democratic Leadership as well as prominent Republicans who are standing up and saying...

NO TO BUSH

It is time to set this country on the road to repair before the Madman is taken from behind the wheel. His license to kill needs to be revoked... Now...!!!

Bring the Mandate for Peace to Washington DC on Jan. 27

Tell the New Congress: Act NOW to Bring the Troops Home!

Join United for Peace and Justice in a massive march on Washington, D.C., on Sat., January 27, to call on Congress to take immediate action to end the war.

On Election Day the voters delivered a dramatic, unmistakable mandate for peace. Now it's time for action. On January 27, 2007, we will converge from all around the country in Washington, D.C. to send a strong, clear message to Congress and the Bush Administration: The people of this country want the war and occupation in Iraq to end and we want the troops brought home now!

Congress has the power to end this war through legislation. We call on people from every congressional district in the country to gather in Washington, DC -- to express support for those members of Congress who are prepared to take immediate action against the war; to pressure those who are hesitant to act; and to speak out against those who remain tied to a failed policy.

Continue Reading at United For Peace...
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Tags :: Politics · Bush · War In Iraq · Peace Movement · Mandate For Peace

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Methodists: No To Bush

2007-01-18T17:31:00.000-05:00

Tells Bush NOT at SMU...

Some very influential people in Dallas and the Methodist Church have taken it upon themselves to tell SMU to Say :: No-To-Bush. I'm talkin' 'bout retired Bishops and others from all over the country...

Methodists: No Bush library at SMU

DALLAS - A group of Methodist ministers from across the nation launched an online petition drive Thursday urging Southern Methodist University to stop trying to land George W. Bush's presidential library.

Protect SMU.org

We the undersigned express our objection to the prospect of the George W. Bush library, museum, and think tank being established at Southern Methodist University. As United Methodists, we believe that the linking of his presidency with a university bearing the Methodist name is utterly inappropriate. We urge the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University and the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church to reject this project.

Continue Reading at Protect SMU.org...
Technorati Cosmos ( Blogs Who Link To This Petition )

Tags :: Politics · Bush · Bush Library · SMU · Methodists

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KSFO :: Hate Speech

2007-01-13T07:34:00.000-05:00

Stop Hate Speech Now

The Spocko Blogswarm has expanded to include support from Media Matters. They have highlighted the Hate Speech Radio programming of KSFO radio which includes choice Hate Speech by Coulter and her ilk.

Media Matters is taking one more step by providing this petition to ABC Disney to stop their support of such abuse. If you are interested in more info, see my post on World of WingNuts, which explains and links to Spocko, Blogintegrity and the Hate Speech Agenda of the WingNuts.

If you have a blog, drop a footnote to one of you posts linking to the Spocko Blogswarm. - fc

MEDIA MATTERS
FOR AMERICA
Hate has no place on the airwaves

Recently, the major television networks have given a platform to conservative hate merchants like Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, and Melanie Morgan.

Coulter's column is distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, one of the country's largest syndicates. Beck was recently hired by CNN Headline News. Morgan broadcasts from a radio station owned by Disney. And all three -- and countless others like them -- are regularly given guest spots on cable-news networks.

The fact that these right-wing pundits -- who have called for the execution of public officials and others -- are given a platform in the major media is unprecedented.

We, the undersigned, urge the media to stop allowing these hate merchants to spread their venom and abuse. America deserves to hear honest, reasoned debate, not rants from professional hatemongers.

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Tags :: Politics · KSFO · ABC Disney · Hate Speech · WingNuts

Check and Balance

2007-01-07T07:32:00.000-05:00

Impeach / Convict

It's nice to see people finally coming around to the idea that Impeachment is the only option we have to save our country from the ruinous policies of George W. Bush. It's not like he has not given reasons a plenty. Bush's entire reign of terror aimed at the destruction of our Constitution has documented time and again his utter disdain for the rule of law.

The Bush Administration is the Wal-Mart Impeachment Super Store with aisle after aisle of marked down Impeachment causes. The Red-Light Special of the Week turns out to be his signing statement that supposedly allows him to open first class mail.

Fear not entrepid Impeachment Shoppers, the Cheney, Addington support and guidance for more and better signing statements is still in full operation. No outsourcing of jobs here folks. Nothin' but good ole homegrown NeoCon ideolougues cookin' the books for Corporatistic Facism comin' to a neighborhood near you... Soon...

Wherein I Am Reluctantly Dragged Against My Will Into the Pro-Impeachment Camp
My Left Wing
by: thereisnospoon
Fri Jan 05, 2007

Well, when a destructive person hell-bent on saving his own ass or taking everything and everyone down with him continues to bluff, threaten and up the ante, the only pragmatic thing to do is to call that bluff before the ante gets too expensive for well-meaning people to contemplate.

And Impeachment really is the only option left. This was really crystalized for me in a thread on Free Republic of all places, where a commenter ironically named "Founding Father" really laid out the bare bones of the matter in a thread on Bush's laughable plan to balance the budget by 2012:

Constitutionally speaking, the President doesn't have to spend money congress appropriates; the President, through his justice department doesn't have to enforce laws congress passes; the President, again through his justice department and other executive departments doesn't have to enforce any federal court ruling (remember Andrew Jackson), I could go on but you catch my drift...
[skip to later comment by same author]
reply to: However, the President refusing to enforce Constitutional laws isn't among those checks within the Constitution.
Sorry, I didn't realize I needed to point out the obvious, which is the President refuses to do so because he doesn't believe the law is constitutional and since he has equal standing with the other branches the judicial branch can do nothing and the legislative branch has only the impeachment/conviction option.

As batshit crazy and on the wrong side of the issue as he is, the guy is right: Impeachment is the final pragmatic check and balance on a President who behaves like an Emperor. To many of these people, it is the ONLY check or balance on such a president. Indeed, in the minds of Bush and his legal team, a President can literally get away with almost ANYTHING and it's not a problem (as Nixon said, "If the President does it, that means it's legal")--after all, if the Congress finds him to be out of control, they can always impeach him! That's the check and balance!
So what we have now is a President who figures it's okay to open your mail without a warrant--after all, who's to stop him? If Congress thinks it's such a bad idea, we'll just move to impeach, right? Because if we don't move to impeach, it shows we just really didn't care bad enough--or that we figure we've got more to lose than he does.
And like the childish, addictive, irresponsible criminal he is, he'll use the same logic to continue upping the ante, calling our bluff, and DARING us to do something about it.

Continue Reading This Article...

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Tags :: Politics · Signing Statements · Impeachment · Bush

Phone Cards For Wounded Vets

2006-12-14T05:17:00.000-05:00

Working For ChangeThis is a very touching thing that can be done for the Vets who have survived Bush's WarMongering. If you can possibly help, I know the Vets would appriciate it... - fc

Phone Cards For Wounded Vets
to injured veterans at Veterans Administration hospitals.
Support the veterans who've served our country by sending them a phone card so they can call their loved ones over the holidays.

Veterans Administration (VA) budget cuts in recent years have left many of our nation's veterans at VA hospitals without the means to call their families over the holidays. These long distance calls are generally not covered by the VA, and many vets just don't have the financial resources to call all their loved ones.

So Working Assets, Veterans for Peace, CODEPINK, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Gold Star Families for Peace have teamed up on a project to thank our veterans by sending them phone cards loaded with 125 minutes of domestic long-distance calling time. We'll purchase these cards and deliver them to VA Medical Facilities (Facilities Locator & Directory) all over the country on December 18th. (If you want to join in delivering the cards to a VA hospital near you, just click on the link you'll see after making your gift.)

$10 will cover the cost of phone cards for three veterans. $20 will buy six phone cards. $33 will buy ten cards. $100 will buy phone cards for 30 veterans to call home over the holidays. 100% of your gift will go directly to buying phone cards -- so please give as generously as you can.

Send A Phone Card To A Wounded Vet

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Tags :: Politics · Wounded Veterans · VA Hospital

December 10, 2006: Human Rights and Impeachment Day

2006-11-28T18:14:00.000-05:00

AfterDowningStreet.org From AfterDowningStreet.org comes this iniative to support the Impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney. As long as these warmongers are in office there will be nothing but endless war. It is our right, priviledge and duty as citizens of these United States to stand up and demand an accounting of the lies, torture, incompetence and treason against our Constitution and nation.

December 10, 2006: Human Rights and Impeachment Day

December 10 is Human Rights Day, and this year we're making it Human Rights and Impeachment Day. Slogan: "Putting Impeachment on the Table."

We encourage you to organize a town hall forum or rally on this day for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney.

You can create a public listing of your event here. You will be able to communicate with the people who sign up for your event, and to edit the listing for your event, changing or filling in details later.

Continue Reading This Article...

Dec 9^th Event Plans in New York City
Dec 10^th Event Plans in Santa Barbara, CA
Dec 10^th Event Plans in Los Angeles, CA

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Tags :: Politics · Impeachment · Impeach Bush · Impeach Cheney

A Liberal’s Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives

2006-11-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

Just Sayin...! by Michael MooreHat Tip to my friend Brad at Brad's Brain for this... - fc

A Liberal’s Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives

November 14th, 2006

To My Conservative Brothers and Sisters,

I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week’s election. You’re worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don’t want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.

Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know what we plan to do with our newfound power — and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.

Thus, here is our Liberal’s Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:

Dear Conservatives and Republicans,

I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:

1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you “unpatriotic” simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.

2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be “different” or “immoral.” Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love — it’s a wonderful gift.

3. We will not spend your grandchildren’s money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It’s your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.

5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we’ll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.

8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.

9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren’t much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.

10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you — and your employees — that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don’t put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs (”Blessed are the poor,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” “Love your enemies,” “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God,” and “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn’t just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism — starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans — and for the rest of the world.

Signed,

Michael Moore
mmflint@aol.com
(Click here to sign the pledge)
www.michaelmoore.com

P.S. Please feel free to pass this on.

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Tags :: Politics · Conservatives · Liberals · Michael Moore

10 Reasons To Impeach

2006-11-10T13:25:00.000-05:00

Rule of Law...! I support the Impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard Cheney because a return to the Rule of Law must be made. Supporting the prosecution of criminal activity is a cornerstone of our society. Excusing criminal activities of this current President is not acceptable. - fc

On Saturday, Democrats.com and our progressive allies will launch a nationwide grassroots mobilization for impeachment in Philadelphia near Independence Hall, where the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. The mobilization is called ImpeachForChange. Our goals include:

1. A grassroots petition drive to collect 1 million signatures at ImpeachForChange.org

2. Form Impeachment Committees in all 435 Congressional Districts to lobby every Member of Congress by:
• delivering books & videos on impeachment
• collecting petitions and handwritten letters in front of their District Offices
• meeting with every Member to discuss the issues that require impeachment

Ten Reasons to Impeach George Bush and Dick Cheney

I support the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney for the following reasons:

1. Violating the United Nations Charter by launching an illegal "War of Aggression" against Iraq without cause, using fraud to sell the war to Congress and the public, and misusing government funds to begin bombing without Congressional authorization.

2. Violating U.S. and international law by authorizing the torture of thousands of captives, resulting in dozens of deaths, and keeping prisoners hidden from the International Committee of the Red Cross.

3. Violating the Constituton by arbitrarily detaining Americans, legal residents, and non-Americans, without due process, without charge, and without access to counsel.

4. Violating the Geneva Conventions by targeting civilians, journalists, hospitals, and ambulances, and using illegal weapons, including white phosphorous, depleted uranium, and a new type of napalm.

5. Violating U.S. law and the Constitution through widespread wiretapping of the phone calls and emails of Americans without a warrant.

6. Violating the Constitution by using "signing statements" to defy hundreds of laws passed by Congress.

7. Violating U.S. and state law by obstructing honest elections in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.

8. Violating U.S. law by using paid propaganda and disinformation, selectively and misleadingly leaking classified information, and exposing the identity of a covert CIA operative working on sensitive WMD proliferation for political retribution.

9. Subverting the Constitution and abusing Presidential power by asserting a "Unitary Executive Theory" giving unlimited powers to the President, by obstructing efforts by Congress and the Courts to review and restrict Presidential actions, and by promoting and signing legislation negating the Bill of Rights and the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

10. Gross negligence in failing to assist New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina, in ignoring urgent warnings of an Al Qaeda attack prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and in increasing air pollution causing global warming.

Sign This Iniative...

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Tags :: Politics · Impeach Bush · Impeach For Change

Vote Them All Out

2006-10-29T12:06:00.000-05:00

Wake The Rest of Them Up...

Ned Lamont
Senate - Conn

Nick Lampson
DeLay's Seat TX

Bob Menendez
Senate - NJ

Zack Space
Bob Ney's Seat OH

Sherrod Brown
Senate - OH

Ted Strickland
Gov - OH

C. McCaskill
Senate - MI

Bob Casey
Senate - PA

Jon Tester
Senate - MT

Jim Webb
Senate - VA

S. Whitehouse
Senate - RI

Carl Sheeler
Senate - RI

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Tags :: Politics · Congress · Vote · Election 2006 · Election Resources

Bring the House Back in Session

2006-10-02T20:54:00.000-04:00

Demand Accountability for PredatorGate The Foley scandal has made it clear that the House cannot police itself. We call on Speaker Hastert to bring the US House of Representatives back into session now to:

# Create an independent commission to police House ethics.
# Hold a public hearing to make disclose all information about the handling of the Foley case.

Bring the House Back in Session

Hastert, J. (Republican) - Speaker of the House , Congressional District 14 , IL

Your Federal Representative(s)

I join with Common Cause in calling on House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) to bring the House of Representatives back to Washington, DC before Election Day to:

* Hold a public hearing to disclose all information in their possession about the handling of sexually explicit e-mails by former Rep. Mark Foley to former and current House pages.

* To establish an outside ethics commission to provide ethics oversight and enforcement of a body that has proven now beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is incapable of policing itself.

Congress in 2005 returned to Washington during its Easter Recess to consider the fate of Terri Schiavo. It should return now to consider the fate of its own ethical standards.

This Congress has displayed progressively worse ethical behavior. There has been bribery, resignations, Members of Congress are in jail. But the apparent cover-up by House leaders of a Member of Congress who was sexually exploiting children is absolute proof that the House is unable and incapable of policing itself, and that the system of peer review must be changed.

The House must reconvene before Election Day because the public has a right to know where every House Member who is up for re-election stands on their willingness to be held accountable.

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Tags :: Politics · Congress · Foley · PredatorGate

Move The Senate Into The 21st Century

2006-09-18T20:40:00.000-04:00

Action Alert - Demand Accountability This issue is critical in holding Senators accountable when it comes to who contributes to their campaigns. This is a bipartisan effort that is supported by Redstate and other rightwing bloggers as well as MYDD and the left blogosphere. This effort demands more than just signing a petition. You must make phone calls to critical senators asking that they support this bill that is in committee. Please join me in making this effort work for all Americans. - ƒç

Move The Senate Into The 21st Century
MYDD

There's a bill out there, S. 1508, which would bring Senate candidates up to the same level as their brethren in the House in requiring electronic filing. It has bipartisan support - Sens. McCain and Feingold, Durbin and Cochran, Landrieu and Lugar, among others. But it hasn't gotten a hearing in the Senate since first being introduced in 2003. Why?

Two people stand in its way -- Rules and Administration Committee chair Trent Lott, who's not returning calls from reporters on the topic, and (based on informed accounts) Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who neither likes campaign finance regulation nor anything to make it easy on citizens.

From The Washington Post ::
In one of the most controversial quirks in election law, candidates for Senate are not required to file their campaign-finance reports electronically. That means voters can't effectively find out how much and from whom their would-be senators have collected money until long after the election -- too late for them to act.

A growing number of senators and public-interest groups have been working for years to change this rule. They contend that it's only reasonable that senators should be required to file their disclosures electronically -- just as candidates for the House and the presidency do. In that way voters can easily see within 24 hours via the Internet what the candidates are spending and from whom they are getting their funds.

As it is, almost all senators and Senate candidates deliver their reports on paper (even though those reports are written on computers). The paper filings are laboriously scanned and then key-punched into an electronic system, a procedure that often takes six weeks to finish and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After the reports are submitted to the Secretary of the Senate (often well past published deadlines), they are placed onto the Federal Election Commission's Web site in a page-by-page format. The listings are not searchable, which makes it almost impossible for anyone to glean useful information. Think of the process like rummaging through thousands of disorderly papers in a very large box.

The net result: Senators have insulated themselves from criticism that stems from their very important, end-of-campaign donations because they have denied voters accessible information when it would be most useful.
We're going to let the RedStaters take care of calling Sens. Lott and McConnell while we focus on our side of the aisle. Our goal is to get the rest of the Democrats on the Rules and Administration Committee on board, starting with Sen. Chris Dodd, who as our ranking member of the Committee needs to be doing more to push this through.
Here's your phone numbers:

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT): (202) 224-2823

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV): (202) 224-3954

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI): (202) 224-3934

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA): (202) 224-3841

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY): (202) 224-6542

Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN): (202) 224-3244

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE): (202) 224-6551

Of those seven, Sen. Dodd is the key, so if you can only make one call, make it to his office. Call today - be polite, and tell them that you read the article in the Washington Post, and that you want them to co-sponsor and support S. 1508. This is bipartisan, obvious legislation to bring the Senate in line with everyone else regulated by campaign finance law, and to bring it into the 21st century. It's time for a vote on S. 1508.

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Tags :: Politics · Congress · Election Reform · FEC · S. 1508

Stop the Cheney-Specter Wiretapping Bill

2006-08-21T21:41:00.000-04:00

Demand Accountability This issue is critical in holding Bush and his cabal of criminals accountable. Where they have broken the law, they should be held responsible to their oath of office. No more -- No less... - fc

Update :: SUCCESS • This bill was killed in committee as reported by The Jurirt. With a few Dems and even a couple of Republicans growing a spine and distancing themselves for the catastrophe that is Bush, the American People can declare a victory for justice in the defeat of this bill. It is not over but this is a major victory for the netroots. Thanks to all who have participated in this effort. - ƒç

Stop the Cheney-Specter Wiretapping Bill
August 20, 2006

In a clear victory for our constitutional rights, a federal court recently found the President's warrantless domestic wiretapping program to be unlawful and unconstitutional. (Working Assets is proud to have supported the American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that resulted in this judgment.)

However, Senator Arlen Specter has worked closely with Vice President Cheney to develop a bill that would cede even more power to the executive branch -- and tries to strip us of our Fourth Amendment right not to be wiretapped without a warrant.

Specter's bill, S. 2453, would give the Administration new authority to obtain blanket "warrants" for its domestic wiretapping program -– as well as for any other wiretapping programs it desires. Once it obtains this blanket permission, the Administration would apparently be exempt from the Fourth Amendment's requirement to show a reason for each wiretap and obtain a warrant. (The legislation does not directly address the fact that the wiretapping program was just declared unconstitutional in a U.S. District Court.)

S. 2453 would also:
* Send all court cases involving warrantless surveillance –- including cases currently pending in Federal courts -- to the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, which is completely off-limits to lawyers without the highest security clearances.
* Allow these cases to be dismissed for "any reason" with no chance for appeal.
* Remove other protections, enabling the White House to freely conduct data-mining of your private information.
Simply stated, if we want to preserve the Fourth Amendment to our U.S. Constitution, this bill must not be allowed to pass the Senate.
NO on S. 2453

I'm writing to you because I am simply appalled at Senator Specter's S. 2453, and I strongly urge you and your colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to vote no on this legislation.

The President's warrantless wiretapping is a clear violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) -- and was also recently found unconstitutional by a federal court. What's more, the FBI has clearly stated that this program provided no information of value, and needlessly diverted agents from more important counterterrorism investigations.

Now, Senator Specter's bill would permanently legalize this warrantless wiretapping -- making a mockery of the Fourth Amendment. The President doesn't need a blank check; he simply needs to act within the letter of the FISA law. Additionally, you need to step up and fulfill your constitutional role of checks and balances before our freedoms are irretrievably diminished.

Sincerely,

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Tags :: Politics · Congress · Warrantless Wiretapping · Domestic Spying · NSA · Bush · Cheney · Specter

Voters First Pledge

2006-08-20T03:57:00.000-04:00

Ask Your Rep To Sign It I will be sending this to all my reps and candidates. The Ohio Elections this november will be fascinating to watch. There are many strong Democratic Candidates and a few that are threatening Republican Incumbents.

The Democratic Candidate for Governor is my Representative Ted Strickland. Sherrod Brown is making quite an effort to unseat Mike DeWine (Republican Rubber Stamp for Bush) and he will definately get one also. Please take the time to find out how your elected lawmakers feel about the issues raised in this pledge. - fc

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN ACTION FUND
The Voters First Pledge
It’s time to clean up Congress.

The public is losing faith in Congress. With so much pressure to fundraise to win and keep their offices, politicians focus on donors rather than the people they are supposed to represent. Too many politicians appear to care more about what lobbyists and powerful interests think than they do about the pressing problems faced by most Americans.

Voters are tired of "politics as usual." We want solutions that improve fairness in campaign fundraising and allow new voices and ideas to be heard. We want an end to the headlines about scandals involving the powerful interests and lobbyists in Washington. We want more public reporting of the relationships between lobbyists and the people we elect to serve our interests.

Powerful interests and lobbyists spend millions of dollars to gain access to our elected officials, and are rewarded with billions of taxpayer dollars in return. Potential leaders of tomorrow who refuse to play this game or don’t have access to millions can't get a start in politics today.

It's time to clean up Congress by putting voters first. For our nation's future, vision and voters should matter more than donors and their dollars.

In 2006, American voters are demanding real change that goes beyond empty slogans. To ensure that Congress is accountable to voters, we urge all candidates to sign the Voters First Pledge.

Tell politicians to sign the pledge below today.
By signing below, I pledge to put voters before lobbyists by supporting legislation to:

1. Make Elections Fair.
Establish and enforce campaign spending limits by providing a set amount of public funding for all candidates who agree to take no private contributions.

2. Restore Accountability.
Pass and enforce meaningful new restrictions on gifts and travel from lobbyists and other powerful interests for members of Congress.

3. Protect Voters' Right-To-Know.
Require full disclosure on the internet of all lobbyists' contributions and any fundraising help members of Congress get from lobbyists.

Signature of federal candidate:

Take This Action ...

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Support Clean Elections Reform

2006-08-14T01:18:00.000-04:00

Election Reform :: Urgent Need It is time for the entire country to pay attention to campaign funding and the out of control spending and special favors. We need to stand up for "We The People" - fc

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN ACTION FUND

Support Clean Elections Reform

DeLay and Abramoff were just the beginning. New scandals involving the rotten triangle of special interest lobbyists, wealthy donors, and our elected officials continue to break while we pay the price for this "pay-to-play" political system.

But there is a real solution: Clean Elections campaign reform. Already working in 7 states and 2 cities, Clean Elections helps keep politicians working for the voters and not for the special interests and their lobbyists by providing public campaign funding to qualified candidates that agree to forgo private contributions and follow strict spending limits.

It's time to bring back the power of citizens to elect representatives not bought and paid for by special interest lobbyists and big-money donors. Join us in supporting Clean Elections now.

I support Clean Elections campaign reform

It's time to end the era of influence peddling, "pay-to-play" politics in Washington, D.C. By enacting a system of full public financing for elections, we can sever the cord between politicians and the big-money interests and their lobbyists who fund campaigns.

The Clean Money, Clean Elections Act (HR 3099), introduced by Reps. John Tierney (D-MA) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), goes farther than any campaign reform proposal currently on the table in Washington, DC. It would bring a proven system of campaign finance reform to the federal level, freeing politicians from the burdens of constant fundraising and helping to restore the people's faith in our elected officials.

It's time to bring back the power of citizens to elect representatives not bought and paid for by special-interest lobbyists and big-money donors.

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• Tags :: Politics · Vote · Election Reform · Culture Of Corruption

Governors Wary of Change on Troops

2006-08-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

presidential power or abuse It's allways important to pay attention when dealing with the Bush Administration. Is that an understatement or what...? Are you active in your state politics...? I am in constant touch with my reps and the local candidate for Ohio Govenor, Ted Strickland. It might pay for you to touch bases with your reps while on their vaction... - fc

Contacting The Congress • Write The House of Reps • Congress.org • Project Vote Smart

washingtonpost.com
Governors Wary of Change on Troops
House Bill Would Increase President's Authority Over National Guard Units

By David S. Broder
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 6, 2006; Page A05

CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 5 -- The nation's governors on Saturday launched a bipartisan drive to block a move to expand the president's authority to take over National Guard troops in case of natural disaster or homeland security threats.

At a closed-door luncheon on the opening day of the annual summer meeting of the National Governors Association, the chairman, Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R), told colleagues that a provision in the House-passed defense authorization bill would end the historic link between the states and their Guard units.

Huckabee and the association's vice chairman, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (D), plan to ask all the governors at the session to sign a letter of protest Sunday aimed at killing the provision when House and Senate conferees meet next month on the bill.

The provision was tucked into the House version of the defense bill without notice to the states, something Vilsack said he resents as much as the proposal itself.

Under the provision, the president would have authority to take control of the Guard in case of "a serious natural or manmade disaster, accident or catastrophe" in the United States.

Calls to a spokesman for the White House National Security Council staff, where the plan reportedly originated, were not returned.

In addition to the National Guard, he cited the new "Real ID" legislation, requiring states to ascertain the citizenship status of everyone seeking a driver's license. Huckabee said that, in effect, "they are trying to make every entry-level employee in our [department of motor vehicles] offices an immigration officer, and they're giving us no money to train them or hire them. It is a disaster in the making."

Read Complete Article ...

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• Tags: POLITICS · GOVERNMENT · BUSH · PRESIDENTIAL POWER · NATIONAL GUARD

Stand Up To Big Oil

2006-08-03T04:55:00.000-04:00

Gas Tax Holiday Amendment I think the Senator from New Jersey has some really good ideas. I think we all could agree on just about everything he is proposing... Don't You...? - fc

Act now to immediately lower gas prices and to support a real, long-term plan for America's energy independence »

Stand Up To Big Oil !

The Petition

We, the undersigned, are Standing Up to Big Oil and demanding immediate relief at the pump with a real, long-term plan for America's energy independence.

We support the Menendez Federal Gas Tax Holiday Amendment to suspend the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax for two months. This amendment would make up the cost difference by eliminating $6 billion in tax breaks for the oil and gas industry.

We also support the Nelson-Menendez Amendment to help America kick its "oil addiction" and put our country on a "path to real energy security." The amendment would infuse critically-needed resources into next-generation technologies.

Read More From the Press Releases...

Cosmos • Tags: POLITICS · GOVERNMENT · BIG OIL · BUSH · GAS PRICES

Demand Global Warming Leadership Now!

2006-08-02T17:35:00.000-04:00

League of Conservation Voters Sign the Global Warming Leadership Petition. Send a message to political leaders, and those running for re-election in November, that Americans want energy leadership from their government. We have the technological know-how to turn the tide on global warming and the energy crisis. We as citizens must demand that elected officials act now to develop policies to stop global warming before our environment is irreparably harmed.

Sensible solutions to global warming and our energy problems exist - we can own our energy future and reinvigorate our economy. Sign the petition and demand that politicians and candidates for office make global warming and clean energy a priority in the 2006 elections.

Demand Global Warming Leadership Now!

I am concerned about the disastrous effects of global warming and our continued reliance on oil, therefore I strongly urge you to make these issues a priority in the coming 2006 elections.

Few disagree that global warming is a significant problem or that we face an energy crisis. Now is the time for politicians to show leadership on this issue by creating policies to address global warming.

As you campaign for yourself or for others during this election, I urge you to engage citizens in a discussion about global warming and energy issues so that we can develop real solutions to this real problem, including:

** New energy technologies that create jobs and build our economy
** More fuel-efficient vehicles that reduce our reliance on oil
** Cleaner power production that reduces greenhouse gas emissions
** Caps on global warming pollution

Make global warming and energy security issues during the election -- in speeches, at town hall meetings, on your web site, at campaign events, in advertisements and flyers. Let voters know which global warming solutions you support. And encourage your colleagues in Washington to do the same.

Future leaders hold the key to solving our epic energy problems, and the 2006 elections is the starting point. I would like to hear your plans for a cleaner, cheaper, better energy future.

Thanks for listening,

Signed by:

Take This Action Now...

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Global Warming · Conservation · Bush Administation

Protect Online Political Speech

2006-07-21T19:48:00.000-04:00

Before June 3, 2006! This effort is vital for all of us who participate in online free speech in the political arena. Democrat, Republican or Independent, it matters not. Please take the time to go the site below and read the complete list of principles laid out by the Center For Democracy & Technology. These principles represent the basis for all our continued freedom on the internet. - fc

Protect Online Political Speech

The Federal Elections Commission (the "FEC") is proposing in a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" ("NPRM") to extend the regime of federal campaign finance rules to political speech on the Internet. Although the proposed rules are intended to be limited, they will have a significant harmful impact on the independent political speech of ordinary citizens online. The public has an opportunity to comment on the proposed rules before June 3, 2005.

The Center for Democracy & Technology and the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet are collaborating to respond to the NPRM. Working with a broad range of stakeholders and interest groups, we have drafted a set of "principles" that we believe should guide the FEC and Congress in crafting rules that affect on online political speech.
1. The Internet is a unique and powerful First Amendment forum, which supports speech as "broad as human thought." It empowers ordinary people to be speakers and publishers with the ability to reach millions. As such, the Supreme Court has afforded speech on the Internet the highest constitutional protection.

2. Unlike the broadcast media, the Internet is a powerful engine for interactive, diverse, and robust democratic discourse, and it has broadened and increased the public's participation in the political process. The Internet's user-driven control and decentralized architecture support a multiplicity of voices and constrain the ability of any one speaker to monopolize attention or drown out other voices.

3. Robust political activity by ordinary citizens on the Internet, including their monetary contributions, strengthens and supports the central underlying purpose of the campaign finance law: to protect integrity of our system of representative democracy by minimizing the corrupting influence of large contributions on candidates and office holders. Individuals’ online political activity engages larger numbers of citizens in the political and campaign processes and encourages an increase in smaller contributions.

4. The Federal Election Commission should adopt a presumption against the regulation of election-related speech by individuals on the Internet, and should avoid prophylactic rules aimed at hypothetical or potential harms that could arise in the context of Internet political speech of individuals. Instead, the Commission should limit regulation to those activities where there is a record of demonstrable harms.

5. If in the future evidence arises that individuals’ Internet activities are undermining the purpose of the federal campaign finance laws, any resulting regulation should be narrowly tailored and clearly delineated to avoid chilling constitutionally protected speech. The Commission should eschew a legalistic and overly formal approach to the application of campaign finance laws to political speech on the Internet.

Continue Reading The Rest of the Principles ...

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Internet · Free Speech · US Law

Shut Gitmo Down

2006-07-09T00:10:00.000-04:00

Cut Funding Now! I realise that with the Rubber Stamp Congress that this effort is most likely in vain. It does allow us to be on the record and find out if your reps are spineless or not. As many experts have shown that torture does not produce reliable information, why does this administration reduce itself to such tactics...? It only sends the message that they are as much of a low life as the terrorist they hunt. No wonder we are the laughing stock of the entire world. Please join me in sending the message below to your lawmakers. - fc

Shut Gitmo Down

Congress has a chance to act this year by shutting down Guantanamo Bay and government-run secret detention centers. To ensure that closing these prisons does not merely result in transferring abuse elsewhere, Congress must also ensure that all prisoners get basic protections such as humane treatment, access to a lawyer and a court, the right to know the government's charge against them and a meaningful right to prove their innocence.

The Defense Department estimates that it spends $100 million per year on the Guantanamo Bay prison -- nearly $200,000 per prisoner. Congress can cut all funds for Guantanamo Bay, for secret prisons, and for sending people to foreign countries that torture people. But Congress must also make sure that it never happens again by making sure that all prisoners have basic protections under the rule of law. >> Read more

Shut down Guantanamo Bay prison and secret prisons

Dear [Decision Maker],

As your constituent, I urge you to cut off all funds for the Guantanamo Bay prison, for secret government-funded prisons around the globe and for sending people to foreign countries that torture people. It is time to hold the government accountable by stopping these practices and halting funding for such un-American acts.
No one should be above the law, but FBI agents have reported government-funded abuse of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, including persons "chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food, or water... for 18, 24 hours or more."

Funding should be stopped for Guantanamo Bay prison and secret government-funded prisons where these abusive practices are likely to occur.

Congress should also ensure that all prisoners get such basic protections as humane treatment, access to a lawyer and a court, the right to know the government's charge against them, and a meaningful right to prove their innocence.

The government should not be able to transfer prisoners to foreign governments that torture people. I have read that people are being shackled and flown on government-chartered planes to countries such as Syria and Egypt where they are tortured -- typically without any criminal charge or any useful information being obtained. I understand that the government even kidnapped a Canadian citizen in New York, flew him to Syria where he was tortured for nine months, and then released him -- without ever charging him with any crime.

I have read that some prisoners are being held in complete secrecy. The federal government continues to hold prisoners, known as "ghost detainees," in secret prisons around the globe. These prisons were created after President Bush signed a secret presidential order based on a secret memorandum scheming to keep prisoners off prison rolls and outside the reach of the Red Cross.

Once again, I urge you to cut off all funds for the Guantanamo Bay prison, for secret government-funded prisons around the globe and for sending people to foreign countries that torture people. I furthermore urge you to ensure that all prisoners get basic protections such as humane treatment, access to a lawyer and a court, the right to know the government's charge against them and a meaningful chance to prove their innocence.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Gitmo · Guantanamo Bay · Secret Prisons · Rendition · Bush Administration

Bush's Silent Vetoes

2006-07-03T19:10:00.000-04:00

Investigate this issue! Officially, President Bush has not vetoed a single piece of legislation. But in reality, he has used a radical theory of constitutional power to ignore much of what Congress has passed through the mild-sounding power of "signing statements" -- 750 of which he has issued during his term in office, more than any of his predecessors.

Essentially, this means that when the President signs a bill into law, he attaches a statement indicating which pieces of the new law he intends to obey, and which he does not. This practice gives the President unchecked power to decide which parts of the law will be followed based on his interpretation of their constitutionality.

Take, for example, Senator McCain's anti-torture amendment to the defense appropriations bill last December. President Bush's signing statement indicated that he would construe that law "consistent with the constitutional authority...of the unitary executive branch and as Commander in Chief..." In ordinary language, this means that the President reserves the right to put on his military cap and torture anyone he pleases.

It is time for Congress to defend the laws it has passed -- as well as our Constitution. Tell your representative and senator that you elected them to pass legislation, and that you do not approve of signing statements where Mr. Bush is too cowardly to veto legislation. Tell them also that you expect them to not only speak out, but to use their legal standing to sue the President when he uses signing statements to ignore the law, as in the case of torture.

Stop the President's Silent Vetoes

I'm writing to ask that you review this president's unprecedented use of signing statements to break laws that he does not agree with -- and then use all means at your disposal to hold him accountable.

It was often heard during the impeachment proceedings against President Clinton that "no one, not even the President, is above the law." Isn't that still the case today? If the President declares that he is the sole arbiter of what is and is not legal and constitutional, then what's the point of even having laws?

The separation of powers is one of the fundamental principles that differentiates our representative democracy from a dictatorship. Your power has been radically usurped. You need to express your opposition publicly, hold oversight hearings, and use your unique standing as lawmakers to sue. The future of our democracy demands no less.

Sincerely,

Sign This Petition...

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Signing Statements · Unitary President · Bush Administration

Make Congress 'Oil-Free'

2006-06-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

Tell Big Oil - NO! Tell your rep to say no to Big Oil and Yes to America. Nothing gets a point across like 'Money'. By not being bought and paid for by Big Oil, our reps will be free once again to act in the best interest of all Americans. Pandering to the special interest groups has gone on long enough. Make your voice heard. - fc

Since 1990, Big Oil has given more than $190 million to members of Congress and 75% ($142,635,314!) of those donations have gone to Republicans. Those donations guarantee an energy policy that serves the oil industry's interests over the public interest. Until we stop politicians from taking oil money, it'll be hard to move into a clean-energy future.

Dear Representative,

I'm writing to ask you to publicly pledge not to take any further campaign contributions from the oil industry. As you know, Americans have become increasingly concerned about the high price of our nation's addiction to oil and want a clean energy future. While there is a lot of talk in Washington about our addiction to oil, there is very little action.

Before we can expect to free the nation from its dependence on oil, we need politicians who will free themselves from their dependence on the oil industry. That's why we are asking you to stop taking contributions from Big Oil.

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Congress · Big Oil · Alternative Energy

'No' To Sunset Commission Legislation!

2006-06-18T07:16:00.000-04:00

Tell Your Lawmaker - NO! Tsounds like just another act of destruction from Bush's Playbook. The thought of yet another group of non-elected officials making decisions for us whether we like it or not. Join me in researching this issue and making a decision to send this letter to your Representatives. - fc

OMB Watch 'No' To Sunset Commission Legislation!

Both houses of Congress are planning to vote on controversial legislation that would create an unelected, unaccountable commission with the broad authority to make recommendations to terminate or "realign" federal programs. These recommendations would be forced through Congress on a fast track, take-it-or-leave-it basis with limited debate and no opportunity for amendment.

Learn More...

Decisions about federal programs are too important to be ripped from the hands of elected lawmakers and made behind closed doors.

Continue Reading This Article...

I am writing to oppose any legislation for sunset commissions.

Whether the vehicle in question is H.R. 2470, H.R. 3277, H.R. 3282, the sunset commission sections of S. 3521, or some provision still to be unveiled, I am concerned by the prospect of forcing federal programs to justify their continued existence in front of an unelected commission with the power to recommend whether they live, die, or get "realigned."

Decisions on federal programs that inspect the safety of our food and drugs, keep workers safe on the job, enforce environmental and civil rights protections, help educate our children, provide needed social services such as healthcare and food assistance, and much more are too important to be left to an unelected, unaccountable panel. Congress has the obligation and authority to conduct oversight of federal agencies. This power should not be abdicated to the executive branch.

There is no need for these sunset commission proposals. Congress already has the power to decide that programs should be eliminated or reorganized. Mechanisms already exist to evaluate these programs. Beyond Congress's oversight authority, the Government Accountability Office, the Inspector General's office, the Congressional Research Service and the Office of Management and Budget all conduct evaluations of agency effectiveness. Moreover, there are many programs for which there is simply no question of their worth. Forcing programs to conduct even more costly analysis to justify their existence would be a waste of resources - resources that should instead be spent on meeting their missions to serve the public.

I am also troubled by any provision that would force the recommendations of unelected sunset commissions through Congress on a fast-track, take-it-or-leave-it basis, with little opportunity for debate and no opportunity for amendment. Questions as crucial as the very function of government programs are too important for debate to be muzzled.

Sunset commission proposals do not address government waste. Instead, they would force programs targeted in budget cuts to face the chopping block for a second time. I cannot support this dangerous concept.

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Congress · Bush Administration

PNAC :: Mission Accomplished !

2006-06-13T10:35:00.000-04:00

NeoCons new strategy? Seems like the NeoCons are trying to have a "Mission Accomplished" moment like the little cowboy did. Maybe just a name change because the stink of the term NeoCon has finally become unbearable, even to some of their rank and file supporters. When your whole fabric of being is built on a foundation of corruption, lies and fear mongering, it is only time before the shit finally breaks the surface. It is only one small step for a glorious leader to go from walking on water to sinking into a quagmire of his own making.

I guess you do have to give it to them, they did get a man into the World Bank. And they are still managing a nice stab at robbing the taxpayers money in order to pad the pockets of the megacorp Military Industrial Complex, 21st Century revision edition featuring a lean mean bilking machine based on privatizing the military. Pirate sizing huge markups while brewing a cauldren of corruption and incompetence unriveled in modern history. I guess you could say they have accomplished their mission... No doubt about it... - fc

In The Loop
by Al Kamen

Mission Accomplished?

The doors may be closing shortly on the nine-year-old Project for a New American Century, the neoconservative think tank headed by William Kristol , former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle and now editor of the Weekly Standard, which is must reading for neocon cogitators and agitators.

The PNAC was short on staff -- having perhaps a half-dozen employees -- but very long on heavy hitters. The founders included Richard B. Cheney , Donald H. Rumsfeld , Paul D. Wolfowitz , Jeb Bush , I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby , William J. Bennett, Zalmay Khalilzad and Quayle.

The goal was to continue the Reaganite, muscular approach to projecting American power and "moral clarity" in a post-Cold War world, the group's manifesto said. The targets were liberal drift and conservative isolationism.

PNAC and its supporters dominated the Bush administration's foreign policy apparatus and championed a policy to get rid of Saddam Hussein long before Sept. 11, 2001.

In its famous 1998 letter to President Bill Clinton , PNAC said "removing Saddam Hussein and his regime . . . now needs to become the aim of American foreign policy." Clinton was urged to use all diplomatic, political and military means to topple him.

Despite the happy chatter before the Iraq invasion about cheering crowds and bouquets and cakewalks and how the war was going to pay for itself, the signatories wrote that "we are fully aware of the dangers of implementing this policy."

There had been debate about PNAC's future, but the feeling, a source said, was of "goal accomplished" and it looks to be heading toward closing. Former executive director Gary J. Schmitt , who had been executive director of President Ronald Reagan 's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, left recently for a post at the American Enterprise Institute. (Not a big move. Actually, only five floors up from PNAC.) Still, seems like a short century.

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · PNAC · Iraq · War OF Terror · NeoCons · Bush Administration

Stop the Trillion-Dollar Giveaway to the Rich

2006-06-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

The Estate Tax The Bush Administration is just not going to give up trying to pad the pockets of the rich. This call to action is needed to let your lawmakers know that you are not pleased with the way tax breaks are doled out to the top 4% of Americans and the rest of us get shafted. Take the time to let your voice be heard. - fc

Keep The Estate Tax

Conservatives in the Senate are pushing to permanently repeal the estate tax in a vote next week -- an action that will cost the U.S. Treasury more than $1 trillion over the first ten years, and provide benefits only to the wealthiest of the wealthy in our society. Haven't they benefited enough from President Bush's previous tax giveaways for the rich?

First, some facts:

The estate tax currently has an exemption of $2 million per person ($4 million per couple) -- meaning that only five out of every one thousand people will ever be subject to the tax. With the exemption already set to rise to $3.5 million per person by 2009, the Congressional Budget Office has calculated that the overwhelming majority of farms and small businesses will not be taxed.
Who is pushing for this repeal? 18 super-wealthy families, who are looking to cash in on a potential windfall of $71.6 billion.
Who else will benefit? People like Exxon CEO Lee Raymond, who will get a tax break of $160 million. Vice President Cheney will save between $12 million and $60 million. President Bush will also do pretty well, with a tax break somewhere between $787,000 and $6.2 million.

The Bush Administration's reckless fiscal management, combined with irresponsible tax cuts passed by a Republican congress, have saddled us with a national debt that is spiraling out of control. Each American baby born these days comes into the world already almost $28,000 in debt. Is this enormous birth tax fair to future generations of Americans?

Senator Kyl, Republican of Arizona, is floating a dangerous "compromise" proposal that will cost the Treasury nearly the same amount, and still concentrate its benefits on the wealthiest of estates. This proposal needs to be defeated as well.

Dear Senator,

I'm writing to strongly urge you to vote against permanently repealing the estate tax, and also to vote against the so-called "compromise" proposal being floated by Senator Kyl.

It's morally repugnant to me that you would consider giving even more tax breaks to the super-wealthy. You and I both know that with the current and future exemption limits, very few farms and family business -- according to the CBO, less that 200 total across the nation -- will be subject to this tax.

The height of fiscal irresponsibility would be passing an even larger debt on to our children. By the time you read this, the birth tax will have exceeded $28,000 per American baby. What kind of legacy will we leave for future generations if this number keeps spiraling out of control?

I look forward to your reply on this very important issue, and I will be watching very closely to see how you vote.

Thank you for your time and attention to my letter.

Sincerely,

Cosmos • Tags: Politics · Estate Tax · Tax Breaks · Bush Administration