Some commentary from Congressman Hall

Read here as Congressman John Hall (NY-19) speaks truth to power about the fascist direction of American politics. Hopefully, he will stay engaged in the fight for democracy.

In an interview this week, Rep. John Hall (D-NY), who lost his seat in the mid-term elections, told the New York Observer that he sees a threat to American democracy in the court's ruling.

"I learned when I was in social studies class in school that corporate ownership or corporate control of government is called fascism. So that's really the question -- is that the destination if this court decision goes unchecked?"

The Citizens United decision upended decades of campaign finance regulation, allowing corporations, unions and other groups to spend unlimited amounts on political campaigns without having to identify themselves. In a decision split along ideological lines, the court ruled that restrictions on spending amounted to a violation of First Amendment rights. Others have challenged the notion that corporations and other organizations have the "personhood" needed to be granted constitutional rights.

Hall was a key player in efforts to mitigate the effects of the Citizens United decision. He backed the DISCLOSE Act, which would have required groups to identify themselves when campaigning. Hall added provisions to the bill limiting the ability of foreign corporations to spend money on US elections. But, after passing the House, the bill was defeated by filibuster in the Senate.

Slideshow - Survey Results for MHPA Survey

Here is the slide show views at the MHPA meeting this past weekend that shows the results of the recent survey of MHPA members

Why is Obama giving Bush torturers a free pass?

This is a very disturbing article, one which calls into question the Obama Administration's promise to abide by the rule of law.

An excerpt:

....Judge Baltasar Garzón—a world-renowned jurist who had initiated previous prosecutions of war crimes and had publicly said that former President George W. Bush ought to be tried for war crimes—to decide whether to pursue the case against the six former Bush officials. That June—coincidentally or not—the Spanish Parliament passed legislation narrowing the use of "universal jurisdiction." Still, in September 2009, Judge Garzón pushed ahead with the case.

The case eventually came to be overseen by another judge who last spring asked the parties behind the complaint to explain why the investigation should continue. Several human rights groups filed a brief urging this judge to keep the case alive, citing the Obama administration's failure to prosecute the Bush officials. Since then, there's been no action. The Obama administration essentially got what it wanted. The case of the Bush Six went away.

Back when it seemed that this case could become a major international issue, during an April 14, 2009, White House briefing, I asked press secretary Robert Gibbs if the Obama administration would cooperate with any request from the Spaniards for information and documents related to the Bush Six. He said, "I don't want to get involved in hypotheticals." What he didn't disclose was that the Obama administration, working with Republicans, was actively pressuring the Spaniards to drop the investigation. Those efforts apparently paid off, and, as this WikiLeaks-released cable shows, Gonzales, Haynes, Feith, Bybee, Addington, and Yoo owed Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thank-you notes.

Marian Wright Edelman's Thanksgiving Prayer

A Thanksgiving Prayer to End Poverty in Our Lifetime

God help us to end poverty in our time.

The poverty of having a child with too little to eat and no place to sleep, no air, sunlight and space in which to breathe, bask, and grow.

The poverty of watching your child suffer and get sicker and sicker and not knowing what to do or how to get help because you don't have a car to get to the emergency room or health insurance.

The poverty of working your fingers to the bone every day taking care of somebody else's children and neglecting your own, and still not being able to pay your bills.

The poverty of having a job which does not let you afford a stable place to live and being terrified you'll become homeless and lose your children to foster care.

The poverty of losing your job and searching and searching and searching for another amidst an epidemic scarcity of work.

The poverty of working all your life caring for others and having to start all over again caring for the grandchildren you love.

The poverty of earning a college degree, having children, opening a day care center, and taking home $300 a week or even month if you're lucky.

The poverty of loneliness and isolation and alienation -- having no one to call or visit, tell you where to get help, assist you in getting it, or care if you're living or dead.

The poverty of having too much and sharing too little and having the burden of nothing to carry.

The poverty of convenient blindness and deafness and indifference to others, of emptiness and enslavement to things, drugs, power, money, violence, and fleeting fame.

The poverty of low aim and paltry purpose, weak will and tiny vision, big meetings and small action, loud talk and sullen grudging service.

The poverty of believing in nothing, standing for nothing, sharing nothing, sacrificing nothing, struggling for nothing.

The poverty of pride and ingratitude for God's gifts of life and children and family and freedom and country and earth and not wanting for others what you want for yourself.

The poverty of greed for more and more and more, ignoring, blaming, and exploiting the needy, and taking from the weak to please the strong.

The poverty of addiction to drink, to work, to self, to the status quo, and to injustice.

The poverty of fear which keeps you from doing the thing you think is right.

The poverty of despair and cynicism.

God help us end poverty in our time in all its faces and places, young and old, rural, urban, suburban and small town too, and in every color of humans You have made everywhere.

God help us to end poverty in our time in all its guises -- inside and out -- physical and spiritual, so that all our and Your children may live the lives that You intend in the richest nation on earth

from Daily Kos - some tactics for Democrats

From Chris Bowers, the following article is posted today on Daily Kos

Bowers writes,

Over the last two years, those of us engaged in legislative fights in Congress repeatedly saw the Senate either water down the decent bills passed by the House (such as the stimulus, the housing bill, health care) or just block those bills entirely (such as the energy bill, or the series of measures collectively known as the second stimulus).

There was, however, one time when the Senate actually passed a stronger version of a piece of major legislation than House: the financial reform bill. Even with all of the shortcomings of the financial reform bill kept in mind, passing a stronger, more progressive version of a major piece of legislation through the 60-vote threshold of the Senate is a remarkable achievement.

As such, with Republicans about to take control of the House, and see their numbers significantly increase in the Senate, it's time for a review of the tactics that allowed for this success. There are many lessons we can learn from these tactics that will be of use in all legislative fights to come.

Some useful insights, and pathways to push our representatives on in the months ahead.

PRESS CALL ADVISORY: The Power of the President—Recommendations to Advance Progressive Change

Thanks to Nancy Heilmann for posting this and for her suggestion

From Center for American Progress

Washington, D.C.—November's midterm election aftermath has caused both pundits and politicians to predict overwhelming deadlock and stalemate in the upcoming 112th Congress that will prevent President Barack Obama from advancing his policy priorities. Additionally, there is an ongoing debate as to whether Obama's administration should move to the left or to the center and compromise with the new House leadership.

Despite all this banter and politics, the U.S. Constitution and the laws of our nation grant the president significant authority to create and implement policy. This is an opportunity for President Obama to demonstrate strength, resilience, and a capacity to get things done in order to improve our nation. The following authorities can be used to ensure progress on key issues facing the country today:

* Executive orders
* Rulemaking
* Agency management
* Convening and creating public-private partnerships
* Commanding the armed forces
* Diplomacy

Join the Center for American Progress in a press call to discuss the grave importance of using executive orders and other authorities to take our nation forward on the issues of energy, the economy, healthcare, education, foreign policy, and national security.

Nancy's suggestion:

I think we could be helpful in finding out which aspects of the Obama agenda can be implemented through executive order. We can contact the "expert advice" folks listed on the side of the page. Find out what efforts are already in place for putting pressure on the Obama administration in these areas and figure out a plan for the next two years.

It is essential that Obama do whatever he can, both for the dire need of these policies and to keep the Republicans from taking the presidency in 2012.

Let's come to the next meeting prepared to discuss these issues.

Thanks,
Nancy Heilmann

Petition to break up the big banks

From a New Way Forward,

follow the links to sign this petition

Many candidates and political leaders need an economic vision with concrete proposal plans to get us there. We are helping to develop this vision – we need a less speculative, sustainable, growing, vibrant economy – and we have 5 questions you can ask your local candidates to get them there.

Tell Them: Co-sign! You can email Congress to tell them to co-sponsor the Brown/Kaufman SAFE Banking Act that puts hard caps on the size of banks.