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LOUISVILLE /JEFFERSON COUNTY

DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

Week of August 10, 2008

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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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     Yarmuth’s $45 million Request for New VA Hospital Approved by House

Louisville hospital is sole project to receive funding not requested by President

 

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the FY09 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill, which includes Congressman John Yarmuth’s (KY-3) request for $45 million to begin construction on a new Veterans Affairs Health Center in Louisville.

“Louisville’s veterans deserve the best care possible, and now we know they will get it,” Congressman Yarmuth said.  “This is a huge victory for our medical community and each of the more than 100,000 veterans that live in and around Louisville.” 

This is the first time that money for the hospital has been approved by either chamber of Congress.  The Senate must now complete its version of the bill before it can move forward.

The bipartisan legislation also expands access to and strengthens the quality of veterans health care for the 5.8 million patients, include 333,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan by:

 

·        Increasing enrollment in VA medical care for low-income veterans.  The Bush Administration stopped enrolling these veterans prior the Iraq invasion;

 

·        Strengthening mental health care for the growing number of veterans with PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury -- providing $3.8 billion;

 

·        Providing veterans with advanced prosthetics -- investing $116 million more than the President requested– helping those who have lost limbs rebuild their lives;

 

·        Bolstering maintenance at other VA medical facilities to prevent another Walter Reed-like tragedy – a $300 million increase over the President; and

 

·        Increasing gas mileage reimbursement from 28.5 to 41.5 cents per mile for veterans traveling to get health care to help those in rural areas.

 

The bill is endorsed by all of the major veterans groups–  including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and AMVETS – as it “reflects the continuing cost of war and the personal investments in national security by the men and women of the Armed Forces.”

 

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	The GOP Scoop Click Here to Get the Scoop  on Mitch McConnell                            2008 KDP Organizing and Training Summit  On Saturday, August 16, the Kentucky Democratic Party will host the 2008 Organizing and Training Summit at KDP headquarters in Frankfort (GOOGLE MAP).   This training is open to County Democratic Party Leaders, Democratic candidates and their staff, and grassroots activists from across the Commonwealth who want to help Democrats win in November and beyond.   Sessions will include:   THE KENTUCKY ORGANIZING PLAN THE GROUND GAME FOR 2008 FUNDRAISING FOR COUNTY PARTIES & CANDIDATES VOTE GOALS AND TARGETING BUILDING YOUR VOLUNTEER BASE ORGANIZING YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD SPEAKING WITH ONE VOICE ABOUT OUR VALUES   Click here for more information and to reserve your spot for the 2008 KDP Organizing & Training Summit.   Parag Mehta, Director of Training at the DNC, will join us and share his expertise on important topics from voter contact to volunteer recruitment.  For our County Party Leaders and Candidates, we will offer intensive training on the KDP's online Votebuilder voter file, one of the most advanced and data-rich voter files in the country.  Mark Sullivan, the co-founder of the Voter Activation Network, will lead this training. The training - free of charge - has limited space available. Click here to reserve your spot today.  We look forward to seeing you on August 16. This is how we Turn the Bluegrass Blue in 2008.  This is how we win. 128th Annual Fancy Farm Picnic Democrats turned out in large numbers for the 128th Annual Fancy Farm Picnic. The first speech of the day came from Governor Steve Beshear, who fired up Democrats. Noting the funeral home fans Republicans were using, Beshear said, "We're glad they've got those funeral home fans because they're going to a funeral on November 4th when we bury their candidates!"   After Mitch McConnell won the coin flip to determine whether he or Senate candidate Bruce Lunsford would speak first, Lunsford said, "It's interesting that Senator McConnell chose to go second, because that's where he's going to end up November 4th." First District House candidate Heather Ryan stirred the crowd up with fiery speech.  Other speakers included Lt. Governor Dan Mongiardo, Treasurer Todd Hollenbach, State Senate candidate Carroll Hubbard, State House candidate Mike Lawrence, and State Representative Fred Nesler. House Majority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins served as this year's Fancy Farm emcee.   Contribute to the KDP Help the Kentucky Democratic Party continue to turn the Bluegrass blue.  You can make a one-time contribution or join our new PLEDGE TO WIN program, where you can make an automatic monthly contribution using your credit or debit card. Kentucky Democrats Past   Kentucky Governor is Buried with his Wife and Bird, By BERRY CRAIG   James B. McCreary was a two-time governor of Kentucky. The Democrat wasn't a two-timer, though he is buried in Richmond Cemetery with his wife and Polly, his longtime companion. Polly was McCreary's pet bird, apparently a parrot. McCreary purportedly held Polly in higher esteem than he did many politicians.   He allegedly polled Polly on politics. Purportedly, Polly would nod its head yes, shake its head no and shriek "rascal!" when McCreary named certain politicians. Born near Richmond, the Madison County seat, in 1838, McCreary was governor in 1875-1879 and 1911-1915. He was also a lawyer and a Confederate officer in the Civil War.   Before he was governor, McCreary was Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. He served in the U.S. House in 1885-1897 and the U.S. Senate in 1903-1909, according to the Kentucky Encyclopedia.   But was the parrot really McCreary's avian aide in the governor's office? Historians doubt it, concluding that the bird was just a feathered friend.    In 1918, death parted McCreary -- for whom McCreary County is named -- from Polly. The parrot perished in 1920 and is buried under a tiny marker with the simple epitaph, "McCREARY'S BIRD." Jokesters have suggested the inscription could be interpreted different ways. --- Berry Craig is a professor of history at the West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah and a former Associated Press freelance columnist. He is a member of AFT-Kentucky and KEA-NEA.
Paid for and authorized by the Kentucky Democratic Party PO Box 694, Frankfort KY 40602 • (502) 695-4828 • www.kydemocrat.com Contributions or gifts to the Kentucky Democratic Party are not tax deductible.

 

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ADMINISTRATION -- SEVEN YEARS AGO, BUSH RECEIVED 'BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRIKE IN U.S.' MEMO: Today marks the seventh anniversary of the day President Bush received a President's Daily Brief entitled "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in U.S." (See the memo here.)

 

At the time, Bush was vacationing at his ranch in Crawford, TX; he stayed on vacation fpr the rest of August 2001. According to the 9/11 Commission report, Bush "did not recall discussing the August 6 report with the Attorney General" and there was "no indication" that there was "any further discussion before Sept. 11 among the President and his top advisers of the possibility of a threat of an al Qaeda attack in the United States" after Bush received the memo. 

 

The day after he received the memo, "Bush seemed carefree as he spoke about the books he was reading, the work he was doing on his nearby ranch, his love of hot-weather jogging, his golf game and his 55th birthday," the Washington Post noted.

 

The President has since admitted that he "didn't feel that sense of urgency, and my blood was not nearly as boiling" in the months before 9/11. Today -- 2,557 days later -- bin Laden still remains free and "determined to strike in U.S."

 

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Wal-Mart Wants to Make Sure Its Employees Don’t Vote Democratic  by Tula Connell

Wal-Mart and all its $13 billion in 2007 profits are quaking. The retail monolith is scared that Democrats will be elected to office this fall—and might pass legislation that would level the playing field for workers seeking to join unions.

The Wall Street Journal reports on Wal-Mart’s corporate tremors today, noting that

in recent weeks, thousands of Wal-Mart store managers and department heads have been summoned to mandatory meetings at which the retailer stresses the downside for workers if stores were to be unionized.

Downsides, huh? Like getting paid enough to support yourself and your family. Or maybe even the real big downside of having affordable job-based health insurance so that the emergency room isn’t the only option when your child has the flu. Because by not paying its employees enough to afford the company health plan, Wal-Mart dumps the cost of health care onto all taxpayers, even making it a corporate policy to encourage new hires to use public emergency rooms, according to author Barbara Ehrenreich.

(You can tell Wal-Mart to stop its unfair and immoral workplace intimidation by signing a petition here.)

Wal-Mart has been so intent upon piling up its billions in annual profits, it has created a mini-industry of anti-unionism to ensure it keeps its employees at everyday low wages. So, Wal-Mart is stepping up its efforts to prevent Democrats from being elected this fall, by telling employees that “voting for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama would be tantamount to inviting unions in.” And Wal-Mart employees report feeling pressured to vote for candidates who oppose the Employee Free Choice Act.

Wal-Mart is doing even more arm-twisting workers on their way to the ballot box. Rather than pay its employees a decent wage and provide affordable health care, Wal-Mart is putting mega bucks into front groups that are spearheading a multi-million dollar ad campaign to slam workers, their unions and their efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act.

For instance, Wal-Mart is the largest member of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, one of the main funders of the $30 million anti-union campaign called “Coalition for a Democratic Workplace.” 

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says this latest revelation of Wal-Mart’s egregious meddling into its employees’ voting preferences

goes to show the extent that companies like Wal-Mart will go to maintain the status quo, which allows them to exploit workers to maximize profit. It’s clear the business community intends to spend heavily to protect its interests but working people know this election is about creating real, lasting economic change.

Wal-Mart is ready to use its corporate power as America’s largest private employer to corrupt the political system to safeguard its profits. American Rights at Work has lots of info on Wal-Mart’s actions attacking the Employee Free Choice Act here and has a detailed report here on how Wal-Mart rolls back workers’ wages in an assault on the American Dream. Plus the worker advocacy organization also tracks the front groups behind the Employee Free Choice Act smear campaign, with info here.

Take action now and tell Wal-Mart stop intimidating its employees. Sign the petition here. 

 

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Comments:  

 

HOLLYWOOD HAWKINS TRIES TO CREATE HYSTERICS

 

In order to understand the “information” coming from Metro Councilman Doug Hawkins’s (R) office it is important to remember that he is using his position on the Metro Council to run for another office, State Senator.

 

Besides the ethical conflict that this creates, Councilman Hawkins has made outlandish exaggerations and bold misstatements all while acting as Metro Councilman for the 25th District.

 

Councilman Hawkins purposely hides the fact that it was State Senator Perry Clark (D) who proposed a bill in Frankfort that eliminated the VET testing in Jefferson County.

 

            Councilman Hawkins wrongly takes credit for barriers being installed on the Gene Snyder Freeway.

 

Councilman Hawkins CLAIMS a savings of up to 40 cents by eliminating reformulated gas, which is a distortion of the facts and cannot be verified.

 

Councilman Hawkins CLAIMS the magazine or “bomb shelter” as he calls it, will make the South End explode. Also a clear distortion of the true use of the magazine.

 

State Senator Perry Clark set an ethical standard when he resigned from his position in order to run for Senate. 

 

State Senator Perry Clark has challenged Councilman Hawkins to do the right thing and resign from his Metro Council position in order to run for State Senate.

 

More good news to follow… Greg Dearing

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DAILY GRILL

 

"Salim Hamdan received a fair trial." -- White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto, 8/6/08

VERSUS

"[E]ven if Hamdan had been acquitted on all charges, he would have been detained indefinitely. Nowhere else in the U.S. justice system can someone be held for life regardless of whether he is convicted or acquitted of a crime." --ACLU, 8/6/08

 

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"Our intelligence estimates at the time and intelligence estimates from other nations believed that [Iraq] still harbored [weapons of mass destruction]." -- White House Press Secretary Tony Fratto, 8/5/08

VERSUS

"[T]he Bush administration had information from a top Iraqi intelligence official 'that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq -- intelligence they received in plenty of time to stop an invasion.'" -- Politico, 8/4/08, on a new book by author Ron Suskind

 

 

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Quotes of the Day   

 

Ingraham: We don’t need graphic war images because ‘we know what it’s like’ from ‘high-tech Hollywood.’

 

Today on her radio show, right-wing talker Laura Ingraham hosted Zoriah Miller, a photojournalist whose embed with the Marines in Iraq was abruptly cut short after he published photos on his website of a dead Marine. Once Miller’s segment was over and he was gone, Ingraham accused him of having a political agenda and acting in “desperation” to turn people against the war. She also said war photography like his was unnecessary because “we know what it’s like” from “high-tech Hollywood”:

 

INGRAHAM: As the situation in Iraq continues to improve, I think you’re going to see more acts of desperation like this on the part of the anti-war clack, and of course Zoriah Miller has to be one of them. … We know what it is like for people to be disemboweled by an IED or a sniper’s bullet. We’ve seen enough of the horror, with the high-tech Hollywood, okay. We know what it is.

 

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Recent Senate Votes 

 

College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008 - Vote Agreed to (83-8, 1 Present, 8 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this bill to address rising tuition costs and remove obstacles that make it more difficult for students to attend college.

Sen. Mitch McConnell voted YES
Sen. Jim Bunning voted YES

 

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Recent House Votes 

 

Paycheck Fairness Act - Vote Passed (247-178, 9 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill to increase penalties for pay discrimination and protect employees who share salary information.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted NO  (SHAME ON YOU, RON LEWIS)

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

 

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriation, FY 2009 - Vote Passed (409-4, 21 Not Voting)

The House passed this $72.7 billion bill funding military construction and veteran care programs.

Rep. Ron Lewis voted YES

Rep. John Yarmuth voted YES

 

 

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TOP

HUMOR    

 

Have you seen the new commercial? The McCain campaign compares Barack Obama to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. And today the Obama campaign released an ad comparing John McCain to Zsa Zsa Gabor and Bea Arthur." --Jay Leno

"McCain is not backing down. He's defending the commercial. He says, like Paris, Barack Obama is all talk and little action. Really? Has he seen her sex video? There is no talk. It is all action." --Jay Leno

"According to the National Enquirer, John Edwards was caught leaving his girlfriend's hotel room at the Beverly Hilton at 2 AM in the morning. If this story turns out to be true, there goes his chance of becoming Vice President; though he could still be governor of New York." --Jay Leno

"Barack Obama gave a speech in Germany and 200,000 people showed up. There were so many Germans shouting and screaming that France surrendered just in case." --Craig Ferguson

"While Barack Obama was campaigning in Germany, he spoke to a half million people in Germany, a half million people. And while he was doing that, John McCain, he wasn't laying around, no, no. John McCain was out driving in his driveway and he backed over the mailbox." --David Letterman

"Demeaning Obama is not why this is a dick move by McCain. It's a dick move by McCain because one of the fine young ladies featured in this ad (on screen: photo of Paris Hilton)…her parents, the Hiltons, contributed $4,600, the maximum you can contribute, to the campaign of none other than John McCain. John McCain is saying to the Hiltons, 'I thank you kindly for your support. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take a nationally televised dump on your daughter.'" --Jon Stewart, on McCain's attack ad comparing Obama to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears (Watch video clip)

"There's a lot of what they call buzz going around in the blogosphere right now that Barack Obama will choose the Governor of Virginia, this guy Tim Kaine, to be his running mate. Officially Obama hasn't said anything, all they say is that he's narrowed the pool of candidates down to 'Not Hillary.'" --Jimmy Kimmel

"Insiders say Hillary was never on Obama's VP list. Obama felt it would have been too much to put her on the ticket. Bad enough to worry about Jesse cutting them off, didn't want to worry about Hillary breaking them, too. You know what I'm saying?" --Jay Leno

"Barack Obama says that next month he's planning on spending a week on vacation in Hawaii. When he heard this, President Bush said, 'Pace yourself, because once you become president, the vacations start coming fast and furious.'" --Conan O'Brien

"And according to the TV show 'Extra,' former vice president Dan Quayle, remember him? He's in the running to join the cast of 'Dancing with the Stars.' That's true, Dan Quayle, you remember, he was vice president under the first George Bush. See, that was back in the day when the president was smart and the vice president was an idiot. Now, of course, everything's turned around." --Jay Leno

"I'm not the only one who noticed the press' bias against John McCain. So has John McCain. Last week, his campaign sent an e-mail to reporters saying, 'It's pretty obvious that the media has a bizarre fascination with Barack Obama. Some may even say it's a love affair.' This has got to be hard on McCain. It is tough seeing your old flame with someone new. John McCain and the media had a very hot fling back in the summer of 2000. They even had cute little nicknames for each other. The press called McCain 'maverick,' and McCain called the press any time he wanted favorable coverage." --Stephen Colbert

"Beijing skies are so polluted that Chinese authorities are planning emergency measures for the Olympics. For example, protesters will now only be run over with hybrid tanks." --Jay Leno

"Nation, I've got great news -- I am furious. Today Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was unfairly indicted by the Justice Department., just because the oilfield company VECO didn't charge him for an extensive renovation on his house -- including a brand new first floor, a fully finished basement, a wrap-around deck, and, one assumes, installing the latest internet tubes [on-screen: Stevens talking about the internet not being a 'big truck,' but a 'series of tubes']. The Justice Department is calling this a conflict of interest. Please -- VECO is a major oil drilling company, and Senator Stevens worked tirelessly to allow drilling in ANWR. That's not a conflict of interest -- their interests line up perfectly. This is a non-story folks, and I look forward to Stevens being proven innocent when President Bush commutes his sentence." --Stephen Colbert

 

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ETHICS -- BACHMANN LIES: CLAIMS DEMOCRATS WON'T 'PASS THE TAX CREDIT FOR SOLAR AND WIND': During an interview with Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) yesterday, right-wing radio host Laura Ingraham asserted that Congressional Democrats "are acting as the ultimate obstructionists" on energy policy. Bachmann agreed, saying that "this is mission accomplished for them" because they don't want to "increase American energy resources." Declaring that the Congressional Democrats are "so strange," Bachmann then claimed that they wouldn't "pass the tax credit for solar and wind," despite being "the big solar/wind people." But this claim is flatly false. On Wednesday, "for the fourth time this summer," Senate conservatives blocked action on legislation that would provide "tax credits to an array of renewable energy entrepreneurs." The blocked legislation would have extended "some $18 billion worth of renewable energy tax credits." In fact, when the House passed the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 in May, Bachmann voted against it, along with the majority of House Republicans. The bill was then filibustered by Senate Republicans in June. What's truly "so strange" is that Bachmann can act as an ex post facto advocate for legislation she actively opposed.
 

LABOR -- WAL-MART WARNS MANAGERS AGAINST PRO-UNION PROGRESSIVE POLICIES: Wal-Mart "is mobilizing its store managers and department supervisors around the country to warn that if Democrats win power in November, they'll likely change federal law to make it easier for workers to unionize companies -- including Wal-Mart." The Wall Street Journal reports that thousands of managers and department leaders "have been summoned to mandatory meetings" that warn against unionization and suggest that voting for a Democrat "would be tantamount to inviting unions in, according to Wal-Mart employees who attended" such meetings. Wal-Mart is primarily threatened by the Employee Free Choice Act, which would allow a majority of workers to agree to form a union, without needing the approval of the company, as is current law. The law would help even the playing field between the worker and the employer, who currently controls almost the entire unionization process. Employers frequently delay union elections by "months and even years," and management has "almost unlimited and mandatory access to employees, while union supporters have almost none." Wal-Mart has never been a friend to unions. In 2005, the Journal reported that Wal-Mart founder Thomas Coughlin may have been involved in antiunion activity, "including paying union staffers to tell him of pro-union workers in stores."
 

ETHICS -- LOTT ALLEGED TO HAVE URGED WITNESSES TO GIVE FALSE INFORMATION IN INSURANCE FRAUD SUIT: During a deposition last week, Jim Robie, an attorney for State Farm Insurance, alleged that former Mississippi senator Trent Lott (R) had "urged witnesses to give false information in a Hurricane Katrina lawsuit." Questioning Lott's nephew, Zach Scruggs, Robie asked if it had been his "custom" to have Lott "contact and encourage witnesses to give false information." Scruggs refused to answer, invoking the Fifth Amendment. Robie recently told Legal Newsline that Lott had "initiated contact with people surrounding this case, something unprecedented for a U.S. Senator." Lott has reportedly used his position in the Senate to pressure State Farm. "Charles Chamness, the C.E.O. of a national insurance trade association, has claimed that Lott had threatened him, in a telephone call, with 'bringing down State Farm and the industry,'" the New Yorker reported. A spokesman for Lott's lobbying firm told Legal Newsline that "the former senator had no interest in justifying the implication with a response," but Robie has said "he will continue his efforts to depose both Richard and Zach Scruggs, during which he will probe the influence of Lott." 

 

CONGRESS -- BOEHNER GOLFING WHILE HOUSE GOP PLAY FOR OIL DRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL: Since last Friday, House conservatives have been engaged in a political stunt on Capitol Hill, staging fake sessions on gas prices while Congress adjourned for recess. The Hill newspaper reported last night that conservatives plan to continue their protests "for at least the next two weeks -- right up to the start of the Democratic Convention in Denver" on August 25. In a memo yesterday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said, "Republicans will not rest until we have an honest, up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act." In a separate memo on Tuesday, Boehner demanded that Democrats return to the Capitol, saying, "Congress doesn't deserve a break...Democratic leaders [need] to return to Washington -- today." Yet while his colleagues have been forgoing vacation to fight for oil drilling, Boehner has been at home and "has found time to squeeze in a couple rounds of golf." The Minority Leader was spotted on at least two occasions playing golf in his home state of Ohio this week, with one outing reportedly to raise funds for his political action committee. In his absence, House Republicans have turned to former Speaker Newt Gingrich to lead the way.

 

House Republicans plan to continue their political stunts on oil drilling "for at least the next two weeks -- right up to the start of the Democratic Convention in Denver" on Aug. 25. The memo from House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) to GOP members said that their "protest is making history."

 

A STUNT, NOT A SOLUTION: Not only are conservatives engaging in a meaningless political stunt, but their policy prescriptive -- offshore drilling -- is also nothing but a gimmick.  Opening more offshore areas to drilling "would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030," according to the Energy Information Administration. Earlier this summer, the government's "top energy forecaster" said of offshore drilling: "It doesn't affect prices that much." Meanwhile, Republicans are mocking common-sense solutions like inflating your tires and tuning your engine, which "could save more barrels of oil in one year than new offshore drilling could produce in four." In the long term, Americans need an energy solution that prioritizes independence from fossil fuels altogether to help with the rising costs of gas -- not political stunts and empty gimmicks.

 

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Think Fast  

  

"Federal agents may take a traveler's laptop or other electronic device to an off-site location for an unspecified period of time without any suspicion of wrongdoing, as part of border search policies the Department of Homeland Security recently disclosed." DHS has "the ability to copy a lifetime of files" from a the laptop of any visitor -- including a U.S. citizen -- "and then examine those files at the government's leisure." (Take action here.)

 

"Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) faces growing pressure from within her Caucus" to bring off-shore drilling to the floor for a vote. "With the drilling issue paralyzing Congressional action on energy, freshman Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) said he and other Members have communicated to leadership that there needs to be a vote, and he predicted there would be one."

 

Planned layoffs at U.S. companies jumped 26 percent from June to July, which is an indication of "further deterioration in the labor market." In July, planned layoffs totaled 103,312, compared to 81,755 in June. "From January to July, planned layoffs totaled 579,260, up 33 percent from the same period a year ago."

 

Though conservatives have tried to force the House to adjourn "eighteen times over the past 90 days," now that the House is actually adjourned, Republicans are using political stunts to demand that "the chamber be called back into session" for a vote on offshore oil drilling. White House officials, however, rebuffed their efforts yesterday, saying they "don't have plans to call Congress into session."

 

White House aides considered having President Bush give a "Reaganesque 'tear down this wall' speech on human rights in China," but abandoned the idea because it would have been "potentially insulting to the president's hosts." China authorities have ordered pastors, lawyers, and political activists whom Bush considered meeting in Beijing "to leave the city during the president's visit.
 

 

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TOP  

INTERESTING     

 

	Mandatory political indoctrination, Democrat-bashing, voter intimidation. Yes, it's business as usual at Wal-Mart.   This summer, Wal-Mart has organized mandatory meetings across the country, all with one purpose: to intimidate rank-and-file employees into voting Republican. The company's workers have been forced to attend ideologically-charged, Wal-Mart-sponsored rants against Democrats, Barack Obama, and landmark legislation that would allow workers to vote for or against representation.   We have received several calls from workers, their stories are very similar and similarly unsettling. As one worker put it, “they were telling me how to vote.” Another Wal-Mart worker, Beth from Alabama, was told by Wal-Mart management that if she “voted for John McCain, then everything would be okay.”   We believe that ideological indoctrination and political scare tactics are completely inappropriate for the workplace. Yet again, Wal-Mart’s management has crossed the line, possibly breaking the law in the process. In light of these developments, we are calling for an immediate FEC investigation into Wal-Mart's political bullying at work, but we need your help to make a real impact.   Please tell the FEC to investigate Wal-Mart’s mandatory political meetings today. Outright political intimidation may seem too risqué for a global corporation. Not for Wal-Mart. Stories like the above are actually an emerging part of Bentonville's corporate culture.   Take 2006, when Wal-Mart organized a “voter education program” for employees. The company placed Terry Nelson at the helm: formerly George W. Bush's political director, and later fired for making racist ads about a Democratic politician. Unsurprisingly, Wal-Mart's “education” program amounted to a thin veneer over strident attacks against Democratic candidates nation wide.   Why has Wal-Mart made such an effort to control its workers' voting habits? For one, The company is terrified that Democratic gains will ensure passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. For Wal-Mart, an organized workforce could spell higher wages and better benefits—two things the company has fought tirelessly to avoid.   In the end, Wal-Mart's motives are a moot point. The company has crossed the line, again, and it's time to hold them accountable. You can help us end Wal-Mart's sleazy political schemes by taking a moment to write the FEC today.   Please write the FEC and demand an investigation into Wal-Mart's mandatory employee meetings   Thanks for joining us in support of justice in the workplace, for Wal-Mart workers everywhere,   The Team WakeUpWalMart.com

 

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America’s Auto Makers: Congress Should Inflate Their Tires, Not Their Rhetoric

 

Our guest blogger is Charles Territo, Director of Communications for the Auto Alliance (BMW, Chrysler, Ford, GM, Mazda, Mercedez Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, and Volkswagen).

 

For most of this year rising gas prices have been on everyone’s mind. Believe me, the auto industry understands very well just how much of an impact $4/gallon gas has had on American consumers. As you may have seen, it’s having an impact on us, as well.

 

Last week, the Auto Alliance and the National Auto Dealers Association sponsored tire pressure checks for members of Congress and their staff who park in the Rayburn Office Building.

 

 Surprisingly, we found that most drivers had tires between 5 and 7 pounds under inflated — some had tires under-inflated by as much as 20 pounds. This significantly reduced their vehicle’s fuel economy.

 

We all share a goal of increasing fuel economy, as well as enhancing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the fuel economy increases passed last year by Congress (and supported by the Auto Alliance) will help. But consumers want ways to fight back against high gas prices right now. By properly inflating tires, we can have an immediate impact on the more than 245 million vehicles currently on our nation’s roads and highways.

 

Earlier this year, we cosponsored the Alliance to Save Energy’s Drive Smarter Challenge. As part of this campaign we advocated maintaining proper tire pressure as one simple step consumers could take to increase fuel economy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. It’s more important than you may think. For instance, did you know…

 

• The Department of Energy estimates that 1.2 billion gallons of fuel were wasted in 2005 as a result of driving on under-inflated tires.

• Fuel efficiency is reduced by 1% for every 3 PSI that tires are under-inflated.

• Proper tire inflation can save the equivalent of about 1 tank of gas per year.

• Proper tire inflation also reduces CO2 emissions.

• Experts estimate that 25% of automobiles are running on tires with lower than recommended pressure, because people don’t know how to check their tires or don’t realize that tires naturally lose air over time.

 

Maintaining proper tire pressure may not solve our dependence on foreign oil, but it will help. Consumers can get a few more miles to gallon, and when combined other driving and maintenance tips, those small steps can help to make a serious improvement in vehicle fuel economy.

Buy American Mention of the Week            

 

Organizing: American-style, By Roger Simmermaker

 

Any time I discover a website that displays the words “Proudly Made in the USA” immediately on the home page, I get the feeling that I’ve come to the right place. These are precisely the words you’ll find if you visit the Peterboro Basket Company website at www.peterborobasket.com. Once you do, you’ll see a selection of well over 100 baskets (I didn’t take the time to count them all) that you can order right over the Internet or by calling them directly on their toll-free number.

 

All Peterboro baskets are made in Peterborough, New Hampshire where the family-owned and operated company has been making them for 153 years.

 

Perhaps what interested me the most about the wide variety of baskets offered for a variety of uses and occasions was that you don’t necessarily have to spend extra money that you wouldn’t normally already spend at www.peterborobasket.com.

 

For example, if you’re looking for a way to organize and beautify your bathroom area, then check out the Peterboro hygiene caddy that holds two tubes of American-made toothpaste (such as Colgate or Crest) and up to four American-made toothbrushes (such as Oral-B).

 

Looking for a way to organize and beautify your kitchen area? Then how about a Peterboro napkin basket, countertop organizer, utensil caddy, tissue box or small fruit and vegetable basket?

 

Looking for a way to organize your home office or computer area? Don’t go buy one of those cheap, Chinese-made plastic organizers at one of those big-box office supply stores. Check out Peterboro’s file basket to store important files or papers or a home office ensemble to store your pens, pencils, business cards and American-made Scotch tape.

 

Are American-made Peterboro products going to cost more money than the cheap, Chinese-made stuff at your local retail outlet? Of course they are. But I’m reminded that Americans are always supportive of spending their hard-earner dollars when it’s for a worthy cause even in uncertain economic times. According to the Giving USA Foundation, charitable giving in the U.S. rose by 3.9% in 2007, surpassing the $300 billion mark for the first time in history. It is no doubt a worthy cause when we spend our money in a way that helps another American keep their job, too, and this type of giving allows you to get a great American-made basket in return!

 

Other types of Peterboro baskets include wine baskets, waste baskets, knitting baskets, magazine baskets, laundry and storage baskets, patriotic baskets, picnic baskets, pie baskets, bicycle baskets and even pet baskets. And many baskets come with fabric liners and plastic protectors to help keep your product looking like new.

 

If you’re ever in the New England area of the United States, you can visit the Peterboro gift shop/factory outlet. They do not give factory tours, but you can view a six-minute online video to see the basket making process.

 

Peterboro baskets are made from Appalachian White Ash (harvested from New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont), which is the same hardwood used to make baseball bats and axe handles. Solid brass nails are used to prevent rusting and the hardware is brass coated. Peterboro is the oldest company still making baskets in the U.S., and their baskets come with a limited lifetime warranty.

 

Even if you don’t see baskets on your buying list anytime soon, I would encourage you to visit www.peterborobasket.com and you just might be encouraged to see an American company that’s proud to be one that has made their products in the USA for such a long time.

 

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Roger Simmermaker is the author of How Americans Can Buy American: The Power of Consumer Patriotism and writes "Buy American Mention of the Week" articles for WorldNetDaily.com and his website www.howtobuyamerican.com. Roger is a member of the Machinists Union and National Writers Union, has been a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC, and has been quoted in the USA Today, Wall Street Journal and US News & World Report among many other publications.

 

 

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