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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of November 18, 2007

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CLICK HERE FOR CURRENT LIST OF EVENTS

Updated on a regular basis

The Louisville/Jefferson County Democratic Executive Committee meets the 4th Wednesday of every month at 5:00 pm at Democratic Headquarters,           

640 Barret Avenue .

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VOTERS, YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT

DITCH MITCH

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With Yarmuth’s Support, Bill to Cut College Costs, Boost Opportunities Approved by House Education & Labor Committee 

First Reauthorization in a Decade Includes Five Yarmuth Initiatives

Thursday, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) and the Committee on Education and Labor unanimously approved the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, further addressing the soaring price of higher education and removing other obstacles that make it harder for qualified students to go to college. 

“With the growing emphasis on college degrees, the American Dream is escaping too many hard working people,” Yarmuth said.  “This legislation will bring that dream back within the grasp of millions of Americans, contribute to our nation’s competitiveness in the global economy, and help restore faith in the future for a new generation of students.”

The College Opportunity and Affordability Act is a comprehensive reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the primary law aimed at expanding college access for low- and middle-income students.  The bill includes five initiatives from Yarmuth, detailed below:

·       Revolutionizing Education through Digital Investment Act – Introduced 9/20/07
o       Transforms and modernizes the way technology is used in the classroom. 
o       Establishes a non-profit National Center for Learning Science and Technology that will focus on research and development in education and training.  

o       Transform America’s education, workplace training, and lifelong learning through the development of technologies, in the same way that comparable technologies have already transformed the nation’s economy, communications and financial systems, national defense, and people’s everyday lives.

o       “Despite the multitude of new technologies that are available to us, we have yet to scratch the surface of what we can do in the classroom to ensure that America’s children stay ahead of the curve.  This measure creates a system that will not only implement the technology we have, but also a framework to keep pace as new technologies are developed,” Yarmuth said.

·       $10,000 Loan Forgiveness for Public Servants – Introduced 6/25/07
o       Provides $2,000 of annual loan forgiveness for five years for teachers, nurses, librarians, national service participants, school counselors, medical, mental health, and nutrition professionals, and others.

·       Partnership Grants for Literacy Coach Training
o       Enables universities to seek partnership grants for literacy training.
o       Addresses the demand for high quality literacy coaches in our schools and lays the professional development groundwork for the Striving Readers Act (which Yarmuth introduced in April). 

·       Student Success Grants  – Introduced 8/3/07
o       Provides students with mentoring and guidance to help attain college degree.
o       Begins to fix 55 to 1 ratio of college access aid to college success aid.
o       Schools where at least 50 percent of students test into remedial education will be eligible for $1,500 grants for every Pell recipient.

o       Funding will be provided to Success Coordinators, college and career success courses, work-study opportunities in students’ fields of study, better instructional support, and learning communities that cluster students to create a more constructive learning environment.

·       Centers of Excellence in Veteran Student Success (introduced with Higher Education Subcommittee Chairman Ruben Hinojosa)

o       Develops a new grant program to establish support centers for veterans.
o       Centers will provide academic guidance and mental health support to ensure that veterans make a smooth transition from the battlefield to the classroom.

In addition to Yarmuth’s initiatives, the bill will regulate and limit tuition hikes at public schools, clean up corrupt practices in student loan programs, protect students from aggressive lender marketing practices, and require better consumer disclosures and protections on private student loans.  In addition, the bill will streamline the federal financial aid application process, make textbook costs more manageable by helping students plan for textbook expenses in advance of each semester, allow students to receive year-round Pell Grant scholarships, strengthen college readiness programs, and increase college aid and support programs for veterans and military families. 

Thursday’s vote continues Yarmuth’s commitment to increasing accessibility and affordability of college following the College Cost Reduction Act, which increased student financial aid by $20 billion and was signed into law in September.

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Max Cleland talk tough:

The Republican Party, Cleland said, will not survive a sinking economy and shifting attitudes about the war in Iraq. He urged Democrats to "take this disastrous war and this disastrous economy and give the Republicans a colonoscopy."

"The Republicans have brought us to the brink of disaster," said Cleland, who lost his U.S. Senate seat in the 2002 election. "You're going to get re-elected, and your party is going to get re-elected."

Two issues will bring down Republicans in office, especially those at the national level, Cleland said.

The former senator said he already is seeing the effects of voter rejection of Republican policies in states such as Kentucky, where a Democrat was elected governor, and Virginia, where the Democrats took control of the commonwealth's Senate.

"In '08, the Republicans are all on the Titanic. The water is coming over the deck," Cleland said.  

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Returning Veterans Must Fight for Shelter, Jobs, Health Care, by James Parks 

Monday we honored veterans on the official observance of Veterans Day, and the AFL-CIO pays tribute to the brave men and women, many of them union members, who served in the armed forces.

Yet, it is clear that thousands of soldiers, including those whom the Bush administration has sent to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, face another tough battle when they return home—lack of U.S. support to ensure they have the basic necessities of life such as shelter, a decent job and health care.   

It’s an outrage to learn that hundreds of thousands of veterans of all ages are homeless. A study by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows that some 195,827 veterans were homeless on a given night in 2006—an increase from 194,254 in 2005. The alliance estimates that more than 336,600 veterans experienced homeless at some time in 2006.

Veterans make up a disproportionate share of homeless people, NAEH found. They represent roughly 26 percent of the nearly 2 million homeless people, but only 11 percent of the civilian population.

Erik Eckholm reports in The New York Times that the government and aid groups say they expect a new surge in homeless veterans in the years ahead

The homelessness crisis among veterans is fueled by the lack of family-supporting jobs and affordable housing. The alliance estimates that nearly half a million (467,877) veterans are paying more than 50 percent of their income for rent. More than half (55 percent) of veterans with severe housing costs fall below the poverty level, and 43 percent are receiving foods stamps.

Now, it also seems the same Bush administration has abandoned veterans when they come home looking for a job. Last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heard that the agencies responsible for protecting veterans from job discrimination are not doing the their job. 

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), committee chairman, said veterans who seek help

face a Walter Reed-like nightmare of having to negotiate a maze of bureaucracy.

He says those who seek help must wait for months, even years, just to get a simple answer about whether the government will take their case to court.

A new Defense Department report shows significant numbers of veterans have difficulty finding a job after they return home, even though the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) requires employers to reinstate returning veterans and give them full benefits.

A Pentagon survey of military reserve members showed that 44 percent were dissatisfied in 2006 with the Labor Department’s handling of their employment-discrimination complaints, a huge increase from the 26 percent in 2004.

To make matters worse, recent congressional hearings found that the federal government, which is charged with protecting veterans from job bias, has violated the law by denying veterans reinstatement to federal civilian jobs or full benefits when they return from service. 

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), quoted in BNA’s Daily Labor Report (subscription required), is outraged:  

It is simply wrong that individuals who were sent to war by their government should, upon their return, be put in the position of having to do battle with that same government in order to regain their jobs and benefits. 

And then there is health care. We’ve reported here that about one of every eight veterans under the age of 65 is uninsured, which contradicts the widespread assumption that all vets qualify for free health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Researchers at Harvard Medical School projected that about 1.8 million veterans overall lack health coverage. That’s an increase of 290,000 since 2000. The researchers said most uninsured veterans are in the middle class and are ineligible for VA care because of their incomes. Still others cannot afford their co-payments, or lack VA facilities in their community.

Bush likely will show up at for at least one photo op as part of official ceremonies honoring our troops today. But where is he when the cameras go off?

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DAILY GRILL        

"The text of our amendment contained nothing -- nothing -- that could be construed as a green light for an attack on Iran."
-- Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), 11/8/07, on criticism of the Kyl-Lieberman amendment

VERSUS

"Use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy" against Iran. -- Text of the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, 9/25/07 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"We wanted to get rid of Saddam. We did not mislead anyone." -- Iraqi politician and U.S ally Ahmed Chalabi, 11/13/07

VERSUS

Chalabi "provided intelligence about Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction program that proved to be false." -- Los Angeles Times, 11/13/07

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"No Democrat who has previously supported a troop withdrawal timetable has switched sides and voted against such a policy." -- Politico, 11/13/07

VERSUS

"On April 26, 2007, Dodd, Nelson and Pryor all voted in favor of a bill that would have tied funding for the war to a timetable for ending it. Then, on Sept. 21, 2007, Dodd, Nelson and Pryor voted against a bill that would have started a timetable for the withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq." -- Salon, 11/14/07

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Quotes of the Day

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Recent Senate Votes 

 

Overriding the Veto of the Water Resources Development Act - Vote Passed (79-14, 7 Not Voting)

The Senate voted to override the President’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted NO

Sen. Jim Bunning voted Not Voting

 

Nomination of Michael B. Mukasey of New York to be Attorney General - Vote Confirmed (53-40, 7 Not Voting)

The Senate confirmed former federal judge Michael Mukasey to be Attorney General of the United States.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES

Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES

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Recent House Votes 

 

Overriding the Veto of the Water Resources Development Act - Vote Passed (361-54, 17 Not Voting)

The House voted on Tuesday to override President Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES

Rep. John Yarmuth voted Not Voting

 

Employment Non-Discrimination Act - Vote Passed (235-184, 14 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill that would bar employers with 15 or more employees from discriminating against potential workers based on their real or supposed sexual orientation.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement - Vote Passed (285-132, 16 Not Voting)

This bill is intended to strengthen trade ties with Peru.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES

Rep. John Yarmuth voted NO

 

Defense Appropriations Act, FY2008 - Vote Passed (400-15, 17 Not Voting)

The House overwhelmingly passed the conference report for this $471 billion bill funding the Department of Defense for the 2008 fiscal year.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Act, FY2008 - Vote Passed (274-141, 17 Not Voting)

With this vote the House sent the appropriations bill funding the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to the President’s desk.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Vote Passed (216-193, 24 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill to provide tax relief for the 2007 filing year.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

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HUMOR    

"Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich says that he once had an encounter with a UFO. Apparently, several weird looking, little men got off the ship, saw Kucinich, and said, 'It's alright. He's one of us.'" --Conan O'Brien

"In response to the fires out here in CA, FEMA had a phony press conference and they had FEMA members posing as reporters asking them easy questions. They had no reporters there, just FEMA members. As opposed to a disaster where it's all reporters and no FEMA members." --Jay Leno

"Last night during the Democratic presidential debate, Senator Barack Obama accused Hillary Clinton of frequently changing positions. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, 'I wish.'" --Conan O'Brien

"Dick Cheney had an awkward moment tonight at the White House Halloween party. He went dressed as Darth Vader and at the party, he ran into the real Darth Vader who was dressed as Dick Cheney." --Jay Leno

"Folks, when I decided to run for president I did not do it for attention. I did it to fulfill a dream of being the most popular man in the world. But the media can't keep their sticky hands out of my populous pie. Look at these headlines: ABC NEWS, 'Colbert Campaign May Run Afoul of Law;' Politico, 'Colbert 'run' risks breaking law;' Outside the Beltway, 'Colbert Run May Violate Federal Election Law.' For the record, I would never knowingly violate any federal election laws. Luckily, I don't know any federal election laws." --Stephen Colbert

"Dennis Kucinich says he once saw a UFO. I'm thinking to myself, 'Saw one? My God, it looks like he's been riding one'" --David Letterman

"Hillary Clinton's meltdown during the debate the other night continues to be the big story. Even Bill Clinton said, 'It was Hillary's worst performance since our honeymoon.'" --Jay Leno
 

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HEALTH CARE FOR 'WOUNDED WARRIORS': Seven months after the Washington Post uncovered the deplorable conditions of "neglect" at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, a September Government Accountability Office report found that "wounded warriors are still getting the runaround" from the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Wars take a heavy toll on the health of the nation's soldiers. At least "283 combat veterans who left the military between the start of the war in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, and the end of 2005 took their own lives," a figure "reminiscent of the increased suicide risk among returning soldiers in the Vietnam era." Additionally, more than 100,000 combat veterans have "sought help for mental illness since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001"; half of those cases were for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet the nation's health care system still isn't up to the task of caring for these veterans. A recent National Academies study found that PTSD treatments generally "lack rigorous scientific evidence that they are effective," with evidence often "assembled by pharmaceutical companies that make the drugs or by researchers with conflicts of interest in the outcome of the studies." This week, President Bush signed into law the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which directs the VA to "develop a comprehensive program to reduce the rate of suicide among veterans." 

ENVIRONMENT -- CHENEY QUIETLY MANEUVERS FOR INCREASED CONTROL OVER ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES:  The White House's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is a "super-powerful office" that reviews all major federal regulations of "non-independent federal agencies" on a range of issues, from workplace safety to water quality. OIRA and agency representatives regularly meet with "outside stakeholders" to solicit opinions on regulations. Vice President Cheney's office has recently taken an interest in these meetings. In June, The Progress Report noted that lobbyists for major polluters visited the White House to lobby against tighter smog standards. At that time, Clean Air Watch observed how unusual it was for a representative from Cheney's office to attend that meeting. "Also sitting in on that meeting was a representative of Vice President Dick Cheney, long considered the go-to-guy for big industries opposed to tougher environmental standards," wrote Clean Air Watch. This incident was not isolated. As OMB Watch has noted, OIRA has "held more than 540 regulatory review meetings since February 2002." Prior to Feb. 2007, Cheney's office attended just three meetings; since that time, it has attended eight. In the past, Cheney has taken "full advantage of the president's cluelessness" to control the administration's environmental agenda and stop progress against global warming. Cheney likely has a sympathizer in current OIRA head Susan Dudley. In her previous job at the industry-backed Mercatus Center, Dudley opposed tougher smog standards, air bags in cars, and regulations for arsenic in drinking water. 

RADICAL RIGHT -- RIGHT WING TRUMPETS TV WEATHERMAN'S GLOBAL WARMING DENIAL: On Wednesday, Weather Channel founder John Coleman wrote an article for the International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment project, a right-wing climate change skeptic site, arguing that the claim of man-made global warming "is the greatest scam in history." He backed up his statement by asserting, "I have read dozens of scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. I have studied. I have thought about it." Conservative bloggers heralded Coleman's junk science yesterday, with Newsbusters, Red State, Qando, Sister Toldjah, and the Free Republic all approvingly linking to the piece. Unfortunately for the right wing, Coleman's credentials are limited to weather, not climate change science. In fact, The Weather Channel -- which he refers to as his "baby" -- would be unlikely to hire Coleman today, since the station has taken up the "mandate" of fighting against global warming. Hedi Cullen, the channel's climate change expert, wrote last year that the American Meteorological Society should not give its "seal of approval" to any meteorologist who "can't speak to the fundamental science of climate change." 

CONGRESS -- REP. DON 'LITTLE OINKER' YOUNG PROFITS FROM INCREASE IN FEDERAL EARMARKS: During Rep. Don Young's (R-AK) six years as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the number of earmarks to the annual highway spending bills have more than tripled. In roughly the same period of time, Young has "amassed $6.5 million in political contributions," with many coming from transportation interests. The exact number of donors who received earmarks from Young in the transportation bill is hard to determine, but "an analysis of Young's campaign finance reports shows that beneficiaries of just seven earmarks carrying a total price of $259 million -- none for a project in Alaska -- gave the veteran congressman at least $575,000." Young's earmarking efforts have actually made him more popular out of state, in terms of campaign contributions, than he is in Alaska. He "raised only $37,862 from Alaskans for his campaign and political action committees in the first six months of 2005 -- that's compared to $90,000 from Floridians, $22,000 from Wisconsinites, $174,000 from Arkansans, and $30,000 from New Jerseyans." This should come as no surprise though, as Young is a self-proclaimed "little oinker" and aspires to be the "chief porker." The FBI is currently conducting a criminal investigation into Young's political favors. 

HEALTH CARE -- CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC GROUP RUNS ADS TARGETING ANTI-SCHIP LAWMAKERS AS 'NOT PRO-LIFE': In October, Catholics United, "a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition," launched an ad campaign targeting "pro-life Christian" politicians who voted against expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The ads criticized the members of Congress for saying that they're "pro-life," but then voting "against health care for poor children." "That's not pro-life. That's not pro-family," concluded the ads. One of the targets of the ads, Rep. Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI), the Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, responded to the ads by accusing Catholics United of being the "devil" and acting in "sin." Now Catholics United is taking to the Christian radio airwaves again. They're still hitting McCotter but are also adding four more members of Congress to their target list: Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA), Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA), Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) and Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO). Rep. Goode responded to the new ads by digging in his feet, exclaiming "I'm opposed to the child health bill." Listen to the ad targeting Goode here.

FUTURE CONTRACTING: Blackwater is a State Department contractor and has received hundreds of millions of dollars of work from the government. The Bush administration has repeatedly rushed to the defense of Blackwater after the deadly September shootout that killed 17 Iraqi civilians, even promising legal immunity to the company's guards. But an FBI investigation concluded yesterday that the employees' shootings were "unjustified under State Department rules for the private guards," although charges remain uncertain. Despite these troubles, Blackwater is likely to continue its association with the State Department, which is why Krongard's conflict-of-interest is so troubling. Just weeks after the September shooting, the State Department awarded the firm a new $92 million contract. Blackwater is also "one of five military contractors competing for as much as $15 billion over five years to help fight a narcotics trade that the government says finances terrorist groups."

MEDIA -- ROVE HIRED BY NEWSWEEK TO 'BALANCE' DAILYKOS FOUNDER: Earlier this week, Newsweek announced that it is hiring DailyKos founder Markos Moulitsas as a contributor for the 2008 presidential campaign, offering occasional opinion pieces. Markos told his readers, "Newsweek is 'balancing' me out with someone that should make heads on our side explode." Yesterday, the magazine announced it is hiring Karl Rove as the other contributor. "Whether one agrees or disagrees with Karl, there is no arguing that he has been a critical player in the political world with insights and experiences that we think will give our readers something unique," read Newsweek's press release. The right wing has claimed Markos's hire is an example of liberal bias in the media. On Hannity and Colmes, NPR's Juan Williams accused journalism of being hijacked by angry, offensive individuals making "extreme statements." The Carpetbagger Report's Steve Benen writes, "Juan Williams said this while answering questions from Sean Hannity, during an interview on Fox News. The irony was apparently lost on the host, the guest, and the audience. What a shame." We await Fox News's condemnation of the Rove hiring.

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NEED COMPUTER ASSISTANCE?? 

Democrat Activist Mike Bailey is now providing “Professional Computer Support.”  He can be contacted at 502-558-4026, or mikebailey2000@usa.net. 

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Think Fast     

"Rudy Giuliani refused to say if he'd consider pardoning his old friend Bernie Kerik -- who was indicted Thursday on federal corruption charges -- if elected President." "It wouldn't be fair to ask that question at this point," Giuliani said. 

"House leaders are pressing the Senate Democrats to force Republicans to stage more filibusters" when they use procedural maneuvers to block passage of bills. "That is the only way you can give Americans a clear view of who is obstructing change," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said.   

"An internal investigation into a fake news conference staged by the Federal Emergency Management Agency during last month's California wildfires found that the agency's press secretary directed aides to pose as reporters, secretly coached them during the briefing and ended the event after a final, scripted question was asked, according to a senior FEMA official." 

More than 100 Stanford University students demonstrated against Donald Rumsfeld's appointment as a visiting fellow at the school's Hoover Institution. "To date, nearly 4,000 Stanford faculty, students and alumni have signed a petition begun by a faculty member to reject Rumsfeld's appointment."      

"One thing is for certain about the post-presidency of George W. Bush: 'Under no circumstances' will first lady Laura Bush spend her retirement years living at the much-ballyhooed Texas ranch that she and the president have been 'escaping' to for the past seven years." The Washington Times reports that the Bush family will settle down in Dallas and visit the Crawford ranch for weekend getaways.

The "hidden" economic costs to the United States of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so far total approximately $1.5 trillion, costing the average U.S. family of four more than $20,000. The total includes higher oil prices, the expense of treating wounded veterans, and interest payments on the money borrowed to pay for the wars.

"The income gap between black and white families has grown," according to a new study by the Brookings Institution. One reason for the widening gap is that "incomes among black men have actually declined in the past three decades, when adjusted for inflation."

Attorney General Michael Mukasey is being urged by Justice Department employees in Minnesota, along with prominent lawyers and law professors in the state, to consider an "early visit to the United States Attorney's Office in Minneapolis" to learn "what he is up against in restoring stability to the Justice Department."

$19.5 million: Amount PhRMA spent from July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007, aimed at killing legislation to speed the availability of less expensive generic drugs.

Donald Rumsfeld is now a member of the University Club of Washington, DC, "one of the premier private city clubs in the country." Yet it is in competition with two others in the city -- the Metropolitan and Cosmos Clubs. In 2003, Charles Pierce wrote in the Boston Globe, "There's an old Washington joke about various clubs around town: At the University Club, you need money and no brains, at the Cosmos Club, you need brains and no money, and at the Metropolitan Club, you don't need either one."   

The Bush administration has "had more turnover than any administration in recent history, going back to the Kennedy administration," with at least 150 former administration officials now working as lobbyists. "In its early years, the administration was estimated to have hired about 100 lobbyists."

Black Americans "are more dissatisfied with their progress than at any time in the past 20 years, and less than half say life will get better for them in the future." The new Pew Research Center poll also finds that "43% say the black-white economic gap has widened; 19% of whites say so."

The deaths of at least 14 of the 17 Iraqis killed by Blackwater guards in a Sept. 16 shootout were "were unjustified and violated deadly-force rules in effect for security contractors in Iraq," according to portions of the FBI investigation now under review by the Justice Department. 

A lawsuit by former book publisher Judith Regan claims that an unnamed News Corp. exec "encouraged her to lie to federal investigators about her past affair with Bernard B. Kerik" in order to "to protect the presidential aspirations of Rudolph W. Giuliani," Kerik's former friend and mentor.

"Senate Democrats might force Republicans to wage a filibuster if the GOP wants to block the latest Iraq withdrawal bill, aides and senators said Tuesday." Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) told The Hill that "a forced filibuster is 'possible' and would 'generate attention.'"

Friends and supporters have established a legal defense fund for former attorney general Alberto Gonzales, who is still facing "an ongoing Justice Department investigation into whether" he "committed perjury or improperly tampered with a congressional witness." 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is "considering" pro forma sessions during Thanksgiving break to stop President Bush from using the break to install any of his outstanding executive branch nominees." Controversial Surgeon General nominee Dr. James Holsinger expects a recess appointment.

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INTERESTING  

CAMPAIGN TO DRAFT CRIT LUALLEN GRABS HEADLINES, GAINS SUPPORT

Within 24 hours of the launch, the Draft Crit movement gains traction and national attention as Democrats hope to ditch Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008

With just over 24 hours since its official launch, the Draft Crit campaign is gaining ground and attention all over the nation. Democrats around the state signed the petition, joined the Facebook group, and commented on blogs to show their support for her candidacy. 

"This campaign is a true grassroots movement, giving voice to the average Kentuckian," said Draft Crit founder and Kentucky native Liz Fossett.  "Voters voiced their strong desire for change on Tuesday and I think it's clear that they want change in our nation's capitol as much as they want it in our state capital.  Crit Luallen is that change."

On Thursday, the Draft Crit campaign was featured in articles in many statewide newspapers.  Both Bruce Schreimer and Ryan Alessi mentioned the movement in articles in the Lexington Herald-Leader and by Jim Carroll at the Louisville Courier-Journal. 

Blogs around the state covered the Draft Crit campaign as well.  Jim Pence at Hillbilly Report, Pat Crowley at Cincinnati.com , "Yellow Dog" at Bluegrassroots, Osi at Osi Speaks, and Dr. Ted at The Bridge all covered the draft movement.

Draft Crit even made national blogs.  It was covered at TPM Election Central, the Swing State Project, Chris Cilizza's blog at the Washington Post, and the National Journal's Hotline.

The support has been overwhelming.  Because Draft Crit is a grassroots campaign, it has had no contact with the State Auditor's campaign or staff.  But, Jim Carroll at the Louisville Courier-Journal spoke with the office.  Spokesperson Jim Derouen was quoted as saying, "We're flattered."

Mark Hebert, with WHAS 11 in Louisville, reported he expected State Auditor Crit Luallen to form an exploratory committee for U.S. Senate by the end of November. 

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Alberto Gonzales to Give Speech in Florida

The former attorney general, who left office two months ago under a cloud of controversy, will give a speech later this month at the University of Florida.

The student newspaper, the Alligator, reports that Gonzales will be paid $40,000 for the Nov. 19 appearance, which was made possible by ACCENT -- the student-run speakers bureau.

That group is funded by students' activity fees. It's unknown if any students or organization are opposing Gonzales' speech, his first campus visit since leaving office Sept. 14.

ACCENT's Web site says it "brings controversial and influential speakers to the university, with the intent of further educating the student body, outside of the classroom, on current hot topics and controversies."

Gonzales' 2 1/2 year tenure at the Justice Department was marred in the end by scandals and investigations involving the politicization of the department and the yet-unexplained dismissal of nine U.S. attorneys last year.

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What Workers Want, Congress Should Provide, By David Madland  

"Norma Rae," the movie that won Sally Field an Oscar for her portrayal of a textile worker, was made nearly 30 years ago, yet its basic point -- that people who want to join a union often face harassment and intimidation -- is more relevant today than ever.

Half of all workers in the United States now say they would vote to join a union if they could, up from the 30 percent that said they would when Americans were watching Norma Rae on the big screen, according to an Economic Policy Institute report. Yet union membership continues to decline -- down from one-third of private sector workers in the decades after World War II, to just eight percent today -- because existing laws make joining a union a Herculean task that few want to undertake.  Read more here.

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THE LATEST FEMA FIASCO, Posted by Jim Hightower

The only thing funnier than the fake news conference by top FEMA officials to praise their own work – is the dissembling by various officials to wash their hands of this embarrassment.

Harvey Johnson, the number two honcho of George W’s emergency management agency, which is infamous for bungling the Hurricane Katrina disaster, held a press briefing about the recent wildfires in Southern California. Curiously, he was getting only marshmallow-soft questions, such as: “Are you happy with FEMA’s response so far?” Well yes, Johnson exulted “I’m very happy.” It turns out that no real reporters were at the briefing – only FEMA staffers posing as reporters!

When the deceit was exposed, Johnson had to apologize, saying, “We are reviewing our press procedures” to see what went wrong. Hello… it’s not your procedures that went wrong – it’s your ethics! You should resign and get a job where you’re not in a position to dupe the public.

Right behind Johnson was Pat Philbin, FEMA’s head of communications. He deplored the “bad decision” to try to manipulate the news and admitted “I should have stopped it.” But Pat tried to mitigate the embarrassment by pointing out that he had been working very hard to restore FEMA’s public credibility. “I would hope this does not undermine it,” he said. Well, gosh, Pat, if you have to have us answer that for you, then you’re not the one to be in charge of credibility.

Then came Bush PR flack Dana Perino to disclaim any White House responsibility and to assert that “it is not a practice we would employ.” Actually, Dana, it is, and you have. The Bushites have been caught in numerous attempts to plant fake reporters in press briefings, to pay columnists to write favorable reports, and to issue fake video news reports to TV stations.

Can’t anybody in the Bush administration be honest?

“FEMA Official Apologizes for Staged Briefing With Fake Reporters,” Washington Post, October 27, 2007

“FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA,” Washington Post, October 26, 2007

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Probe finds 30,000 Medicaid providers cheating on taxes, By Richard Wolf, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — More than 30,000 Medicaid providers in seven states failed to pay more than $1 billion in federal taxes last year, but the government can't trim health care payments in order to collect, according to a report to be released today. 

In its fifth report to a Senate panel investigating tax cheats that do business with the government, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says that about 5% of Medicaid providers in the seven states cheat on their taxes — particularly payroll taxes collected from employees. 

Some of the more flagrant violators had multimillion dollar homes, along with fancy cars and boats, the report says. Others were guilty of patient abuse or other health care violations. None of the doctors or providers was identified in the report.  REST OF STORY

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