Consequences of Republicanism

Stopping Telecom Immunity

2008-02-22T09:29:00.002-06:00

The Senate passed a FISA reform bill last week that not only falls short on adequately protecting Americans from warrantless surveillance — it also shamefully grants retroactive immunity to the telecommunications companies that may have aided the Bush administration’s illegal domestic wiretapping.

Join the effort to stop telecom immunity by signing the emergency petition.

Tags: Senate, FISA, telecom immunity, telecommunications, Bush, wiretapping

Action Alert: Our Water Is At Risk

2008-01-20T09:36:00.000-06:00

The following action alert is from Earthjustice:

For over thirty years, the Clean Water Act has provided essential safeguards to all waters. However, two muddied U.S. Supreme Court decisions and an organized attack by industry polluters and developers are threatening protections for 20 million acres of wetlands and 60% of our nation's streams! To add insult to injury, the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently issued a vague and confusing "guidance" that further erodes critical protection on our waters.

The guidance is seriously flawed and will lead to more polluted water. In its current form, the guidance leaves many so-called "isolated" waters such as wetlands open for destruction, leaves many headwaters and streams without clear protection, and ignores legal tools that could be used to preserve America's waters.

The EPA is currently taking public comments on this "misguided"
guidance. But time is running out. The public can comment until January 21.

Please take a moment to send a letter to the EPA urging them to revise this guidance and guarantee protections for all waters of the United States!

Click here to take action.

Tags: environment, water, Earthjustice, Clean Water Act, EPA, Supreme Court, activism

Judiciary Committee Must Begin Impeachment Hearings

2007-12-20T06:49:00.000-06:00

Rep. Robert Wexler has been campaigning for the impeachment of Dick Cheney. His petition to hold judiciary hearings has already passed 100,000 signatures, and he has the support of two Judiciary Committee members, Democrats Luis Gutierrez (IL-04) and Tammy Baldwin (WI-02). Five others are co-sponsoring Kucinich's H.Res. 333/H.Res. 799 (Articles of Impeachment for Vice President Cheney): Steve Cohen (TN-09), Keith Ellison (MN-05), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Hank Johnson (GA-04), and Maxine Waters (CA-35). Unfortunately, this leaves 13 Democrats on the Judiciary Committee who have not yet called for impeachment hearings. It is time for us to do what we can to change their minds.

According to Democrats.com, 6 of the 13 yet to call for impeachment hearings did vote to send Kucinich's bill to Judiciary in November and should publicly support Wexler's efforts. They include John Conyers (MI-14), Bobby Scott (VA-03), Brad Sherman (CA-27), Betty Sutton (OH-13), Mel Watt (NC-12), and Anthony Weiner (NY-09). The remaining 7 actually voted to kill Kucinich's bill previously, so they need to change their positions. They include Howard Berman (CA-28), Artur Davis (AL-07), William Delahunt (MA-10), Zoe Lofgren (CA-16), Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), Linda Sanchez (CA-39), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20).

So what can you do? First, e-mail all Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee using this petition.

Next, if you live in the districts of any of the 13 Democrats listed above, consider joining your local Congressional District Impeachment Committee (CDIC) and plan local actions (e.g., letters to the editor, district office visits, etc.).

Tags: politics, impeachment, Dick Cheney, Cheney, Congress, Robert Wexler, Dennis Kucinich, judiciary, activism, House Judiciary Committee, Congressional District Impeachment Committee

Action Alert: Stop Big Media

2007-12-19T19:11:00.000-06:00

It is time to let Congress hear from us about the recent FCC vote. Once before they were willing to stand up to the FCC after thousands of Americans made it clear that they valued independent media. Now we need signatures asking them to stop the FCC and stand up for the public interest. Sign the open letter to Congress here.

Help Impeach Cheney

2007-11-12T06:11:00.000-06:00

The following action alert is from Democrats.com. All of us who have been wishing that the Democratic Congress would grow a spine and hold administration officials accountable for their crimes now have a number of concrete steps we can take to help this happen. Please join me in doing what you can to start this important process.

This week Dennis Kucinich led an heroic effort to put the impeachment of Dick Cheney ON the table by requesting a floor vote on H.Res. 333. As expected, Bush Democrat Steny Hoyer moved to table the bill. And then all hell broke loose as 165 Republicans voted with Kucinich and 85 brave Democrats to force a debate on impeachment over the objections of Nancy Pelosi. To block that debate, Hoyer moved to send H.Res. 333 back to the Judiciary Committee, and this motion passed. Watch David Swanson explain the events to Paul Jay of The Real News.

Kucinich is urging Judiciary Chairman John Conyers to start hearings immediately because Cheney is desperately manipulating the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran to justify a U.S. attack, just as he did with the pre-war NIE on Iraq. But Judiciary Democrats are deeply divided on impeachment, with Robert Wexler (FL-19) calling for immediate impeachment hearings, while fellow Palm Beacher Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20), who is close to Speaker Pelosi, told Ed Schultz she adamantly opposes hearings.

So what do we do next to move impeachment forward?

1. E-mail all of the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee and call them.

2. If you live in the district of a House Judiciary Committee member, call their office and tell them you're a constituent and you want immediate hearings on H.Res. 333. Then join your Congressional District Impeachment Committee and organize a HonkToImpeach rally
in front of your Representative's district office. Then keep up the pressure on your Representative every way you can, including letters to the editor, op-eds, calls to local talk shows, protests at local media offices, and pointed questions at every community forum attended by your Representative.

3. If your Congress Member is not on Judiciary, ask them to cosponsor H Res 333.

4. Ask pollsters to poll the public on impeachment, especially of Cheney and promote impeachment through media activism.

5. Watch for updates and notice of a national conference call with Rep. Dennis Kucinich.

Tags: politics, impeach, Cheney, Dennis Kucinich, Congress, activism, Steny Hoyer, John Conyers, National Intelligence Estimate, Iran, Iraq, Robert Wexler, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Nancy Pelosi, Democrats, House Judiciary Committee, H.Res 333, H Res 333, House Resolution 333

Campaign to Save the Internet

2007-11-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

I believe that it is critical that the Internet remain free in the sense that individuals can compete on a level field with large corporations. If we want the Internet to be a vehicle for democracy, we must make sure that net neutrality continues.

To see how you can help defend Internet freedom and prevent huge telecom companies from controlling your Internet experience, visit the campaign to save the Internet.

Tags: Internet, net neutrality, freedom, democracy, activism

Wiretaps: Impeachment Not Immunity

2007-10-16T06:02:00.000-05:00

From Democrats.com:

Bush's Wiretaps: Impeachment not Immunity

This week Joseph Nacchio, the former CEO of Qwest, revealed the Bush Administration started muscling telephone companies to wiretap American citizens without a warrant on Feb. 27, 2001. When Qwest refused, they were cut out of government contracts and Nacchio was prosecuted for insider trading.

So we now know Bush began violating FISA and the 4th Amendment just 1 month after stealing the White House. And since the 9/11 attack was 7 months later, Bush has lied about 9/11 being the justification for warrantless wiretapping for the past two years. Yet Democrats in Congress still don't get it.

Together we have sent 69,153 emails to Congress calling for impeachment, not immunity. But Democrats are still trying to expand Bush's wiretapping power, even though Bush has all the power he needs - or should ever get - under the FISA law.

There is nothing in the Protect Wiretappers Act that should be renewed when it expires in February. It's time for Democrats to Just Say No to Bush on warrantless wiretapping, and to impeach him for the illegal wiretapping he began on 2/27/01.

Email your Representatives to demand impeachment not immunity.

Tags: politics, Bush, wiretaps, Congress, activism, impeachment

Help Force Bush to Keep Katrina Promises

2007-09-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In the days following the tragedy, promises rolled in from the Bush Administration to help rebuild the area. Despite some progress, it now seems that many of these promises were empty.

The tremendous suffering that persists on the Gulf Coast is a national disgrace, and Congress must help hold the president to his word.

Please join me in signing this petition urging the Senate to pass the Gulf Coast Recovery Act of 2007.

Tags: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, Mississippi, Gulf Coast, Bush, Congress, politics, Gulf Coast Recovery Act of 2007

Replacing Gonzales

2007-08-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

In the midst of celebrating the resignation of Alberto Gonzales, we have to consider his replacement. In my opinion, it is essential that the next Attorney General is both competent and politically neutral, allegiant to the law rather than any political party.

From People for the American Way:

THANK YOU to the tens of thousands of PFAW activists who joined the "Gonzales Must Go" petition, and who continued to take action to keep the pressure on since March, when we first called for Gonzales' resignation. Now, we have a unique opportunity to clean up the Department of Justice, but it's going to require strong backbone from senators, and grassroots support from you to make sure the Senate does its job.

Tell your senators that they must insist on an attorney general who will represent the interests of the American people and defend the Constitution!

Tags: Alberto Gonzales, attorney general, politics, activism

Support the Global Child Survival Act

2007-08-25T06:28:00.000-05:00

I just sent a message to my members of Congress asking them to support the U.S. Commitment to Global Child Survival Act, which would help to save the lives of the 10 million children a year who die before their fifth birthday from preventable causes.

You can help this important bill move forward by taking action here.

This action alert is brought to you by ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History.

Tags: Congress, Global Child Survival Act, activism, poverty

Stop Fox "News" From Promoting War With Iran

2007-08-25T06:19:00.000-05:00

From MoveOn.org:

"My station was intimidated by the administration and its foot soldiers at FOX News."

That is CNN's Christiane Amanpour explaining why the major television networks failed to properly scrutinize the Bush administration's claims before the Iraq war.1 Instead, they joined FOX in broadcasting the Bush administration's pro-war talking points without a response.

This week, a YouTube video from film director Robert Greenwald reveals how FOX is at it again—this time, beating the war drums against Iran. FOX uses the same images and Bush talking points now as they did in 2003.

Can you watch the new YouTube video? Then, sign our open letter to major TV news outlets asking them not to follow FOX down the road to war with Iran?

Tags: MoveOn.org, FOX News, CNN, Bush, Iraq, Iran, Robert Greenwald, activism, TV news

Congress Fails to Stand Up to Bush...Again

2007-08-07T15:43:00.000-05:00

Congressional Democrats remain in serious need of a wake-up call. This weekend they gave President Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales more unchecked power to wiretap Americans without a warrant. Yes, that's the same Attorney General who is currently mired in scandal and probably committed perjury on this very issue.

Enough. It is time to send a strong message to Congress that there is no trade-off between fundamental liberties and security. Preserving our Constitution is essential to our security—we can't lead on freedom around the world when we're actively undermining the rule of law at home.

Please join me in signing this petition to demand that Congress reverse this capitulation to Bush and the politics of fear.

Tags: President Bush, Alberto Gonzales, Congress, Democrats, wiretap, warrant, activism, petition, politics, fear, politics of fear, law

Action Alert: Contempt for Miers and Bolten

2007-07-28T15:18:00.000-05:00

I just signed a petition calling on my Representative to reject the Bush Administration's sweeping claims of executive privilege and to take whatever steps are necessary to enforce these subpoenas, including supporting a resolution holding Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten in contempt.

Our President and Vice President keep trying to reshape the Constitution and declare themselves above the law. Congress must stand up for itself and protect our constitutional checks and balances!

One of the next steps Congress can take is to vote to hold Miers and Bolten in contempt. President Bush is trying to block Congressional oversight with blanket claims of executive privilege. The president has even ordered the Department of Justice not to enforce charges of Contempt of Congress. But Congress needs to fight this fight and send the president a message that its authority will not be ignored.

Click here to sign the petition.

Tags: Bush, Congress, contempt, Harriet Miers, Josh Bolten, petition

Say No to Dogfighting

2007-07-22T09:19:00.000-05:00

The Humane Society of the United States has two online petitions you can sign to make sure that Michael Vick faces appropriate consequences for animal cruelty.

Tags: Michael Vick, Humane Society, dogfighting, animal cruelty, Nike, NFL

Impeach Gonzales

2007-07-20T06:46:00.000-05:00

Just because President Bush is stubbornly refusing to fire Attorney General Alberto Gonzales doesn't mean that we shouldn't continue to keep the pressure on him to do so. Now there is a petition at ImpeachGonzales.org you can sign.

We, The Undersigned, urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin the process of impeachment of US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, in accordance with Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which provides for removal of the President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States. We believe the process will prove that Atty. General Gonzales has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, including the abuse of power and violation of the public trust, both impeachable offenses.

Tell the Senate to Bring Our Troops Home

2007-07-12T06:32:00.000-05:00

From Physicians for Social Responsibility:

It’s time to step up the pressure on Capitol Hill lawmakers to put an end to the disastrous war in Iraq. As debate on the fiscal year 2008 Defense Authorization bill continues, the Senate will have another important opportunity to send a clear message to the White House that we must pull our troops out of Iraq. During consideration of the defense spending measure, Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and Jack Reed (D-RI) will offer an amendment that would begin a troop withdrawal within 120 days of the bill’s passage with a goal of completing the withdrawals by spring of 2008. Contact your senators and urge them to support the Levin-Reed amendment.

An end to the unjustified invasion of Iraq is long overdue. More than 3,600 U.S. soldiers have been killed and more than 26,000 others have been wounded since the war began in 2003. The impacts on the Iraqi people are staggering -- an estimated 654,000 Iraqi civilians have died as a result of the U.S. invasion and well over 4 million are now displaced around the world, including 1.9 million who remain inside Iraq and more than 2 million in neighboring Middle Eastern countries. As sectarian violence escalates, these numbers can only be expected to grow higher.
The total cost for the war is quickly approaching $500 billion, with that amount increasing by about $12 billion every month. As more and more soldiers return home suffering from severe injuries, the costs of caring for these wounded Iraq veterans will add considerably to the war’s total cost in coming years. According to Harvard economist Linda Bilmes, the long-term health care costs for soldiers returning from Iraq will be $250 billion to as much as $650 billion. As the conditions at Walter Reed demonstrate, the Veterans Health Administration is already overwhelmed by the growing number of soldiers returning home with serious health care needs and will be unable to provide adequate treatment, especially for the astounding number of veterans suffering from mental health problems.

Ignoring reality and the demands of the American public, President Bush is determined to stay the course on his failed strategy in Iraq. We cannot let that happen. Send a letter to your senators and urge them to support the Levin-Reed amendment to the FY08 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 1585) to begin bringing our troops home from Iraq.

Tags: politics, activism, war, Iraq, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Congress, Levin-Reed amendment

Time Running Out on Net Neutrality

2007-07-09T14:13:00.000-05:00

From SavetheInternet.com:

We have only five days left to defend a free and open Internet at the FCC. The agency needs to hear from you about Net Neutrality -- the principle that stops AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from controlling where you can go online.
Thousands of people have already told their stories (see below) urging the FCC to protect Net Neutrality. Now it's your turn:
Tell the FCC to Save the Internet
You need to act now before the FCC closes its comment period. If we flood them with comments in support of Net Neutrality, the FCC will be pressed to stand up to the giant phone and cable companies that seek to undermine free choice on the Web.

Tags: activism, FCC, net neutrality, politics, AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, cable, phone

Impeach Cheney

2007-07-07T06:54:00.000-05:00

There is a nationwide movement underway calling for the impeachment of Vice President Cheney. To view a new video outlining the case for impeachment and see what you can do, head over to ImpeachCheney.org.

H/T to Pam's House Blend

Tags: Dick Cheney, Cheney, impeach, impeach Cheney, politics, ImpeachCheney.org, Vice President Cheney

Net Neutrality in Danger: contact Congress now

2006-05-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

Until recently, you've probably never heard of "Net Neutrality." This policy, under which the internet was developed, allows each of us to compete on a level playing field. My lowly blog is as easy to access as CNN or any other major news site.

Under the influence of a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign by the telecom industry, Congress is moving to abolish Net Neutrality. How would such a move affect you? Search engine priority based on fees. In other words, when someone enters "political news" into Google, they'll first see all the Fox News information and not get to independent blogs until several pages later. Inexpensive internet access could become a thing of the past. Worst of all, political/underground news sites with which the telecom giants disagree could suddenly get much harder to access. For more information, visit savetheinternet.com.

Please join me in taking action on this important issue.

Tagged as: net neutrality, politics, internet

MoveOn Petition to Censure President Bush

2006-03-15T18:03:00.000-06:00

MoveOn is circulating an internet petition to call on Congress to censure President Bush for illegal wiretapping. The effort was initiated by Senator Russ Feingold. Before you dismiss this as another pointless effort by the left to restore some much needed dignity to the Democratic party, consider that some prominent Republicans are joining the Democrats in calling for an investigation of the NSA wiretapping.

Regardless of your political leanings, I suspect that we'd all prefer that America remain free, that we serve as a positive example for the rest of the world, and that persons who break the law are punished even if they are politicians. I sign this petition not because I believe that Bush will actually be censured; I sign to make a statement that Americans will not tolerate political corruption or illegal actions by our politicians. As the e-mail I received from MoveOn put it, "When the president misleads the public and the Congress and willfully and repeatedly breaks the law, there need to be some consequences --that's how the law works for everybody else."

Tagged as: Bush, Politics, censure

Action Alert: Endangered Species Act in Danger

2006-03-14T05:40:00.000-06:00

The following alert was issued by Earthjustice:

The next few weeks could decide the fate of America's most endangered wildlife.

We believe opponents of environmental protection may soon introduce legislation in the Senate that would undermine the Endangered Species Act and put countless endangered species at risk of extinction. Click here to fight back today.

Here's what's happening: For over thirty years, the Endangered Species Act has been a safety net for wildlife, plants, and fish that are on the brink of extinction. But last fall, the House of Representatives passed Rep. Richard Pombo's (R-CA) bill to cut the heart out of the nationally beloved Endangered Species Act. If made law, this bill would not only end critical habitat protection for the forests, beaches, wetlands, and meadows that at-risk species need to survive -- it would also require taxpayers to pay people not to break the law and kill endangered species.

But that's just the beginning...

Now that this first bill has passed the House, it has been sent to the Senate for consideration. Unfortunately any endangered species bill passed by the Senate this year would have to be merged with Rep. Pombo's terrible bill. That means we have to convince our Senators to vote NO on any shortsighted legislation that would endanger our natural heritage and wildlife. We need your help to make this happen. Click here to send this message to your Senator today.

If a version of the Pombo bill makes it to President Bush's desk this year, he'll be signing the death warrant of the Florida panther, the Puget Sound orca whale, many Pacific salmon stocks, and countless other endangered animals and plants.

Tagged as: endangered species, environment, politics

Action Alert: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Danger Again

2006-03-11T06:59:00.000-06:00

According to Earthjustice, Congressional Republicans are once again trying to open the refuge to drilling by slipping it into their latest budget bill. You may recall that they tried this last year, and the bill was defeated.

Please, join me in letting your members of Congress know that you do not want them to support drilling in the refuge. If you go here, you can get more information on this important issue and send a message to your elected representatives.

Tagged as: arctic wildlife refuge, environment