Vote Suppression Tactics ~ by Diane Straub

‪#‎VoteSuppression‬ ‪#‎UniteBlue‬ ‪#‎PDMFNB‬

This is a MUST READ>>"Statistician Nate Silver wrote that there was a nearly universal error in polls leading up to this election. Silver found that, on average, pre-election polls showed Democrats winning four percentage points more of the vote than recorded in the official final tallies in Senate races, and 3.4 percent in the gubernatorial ones.

But journalist Brad Friedman, who tracks vote suppression techniques state by state, has another explanation. Friedman told Al Jazeera that what Silver calls an error in polling may in fact be a reflection of the votes lost to partisan manipulation of the voting system. Friedman accounts for many of the so-called pre-election polling “errors” by examining the Democratic votes lost to Crosscheck and several other vote suppression tactics such as Photo ID restrictions, missing voter registrations and a shortage of paper ballots." (AlJazeera America)

http://america.aljazeera.com/blogs/scrutineer/2014/11/14/voter-purges-alteruspoliticalmap.html

Diane Straub is an Editor for Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack/photos/a.604720722896651.1073741828.604696706232386/776037092431679/?type=1&theater

Find us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/PDMFNB and search our hashtag: #PDMFNB

WHY DOES THE GOP HATE WOMEN? by Tracy Knauss

Although they deny it, the actions of the GOPpers reveals their spite for women. In the first six months of this year Republican state houses introduced 468 bills to regulate women's bodies. How many for men? Zero, nada, none. Period. Says a lot, doesn't it?! And health insurance pays for "boys'" blue erector sets, but not for women's contraception, some of which is needed to address serious health issues. THE GOP's preoccupation with women is nothing more than their intention to hold women down, making sure they pay for Eve's original "sin." As Sen. Nina Turner (D-Ohio) passionately declared at a pro-choice rally last year (at which point 700 similar bills had been introduced), "This isn't about one bill or about one state. It is about the unrelenting obsession with regulating a woman's womb. ... If [representatives] want to make intimately personal decisions about women's lives and their anatomy, I strongly urge them to go to medical school. But until then, stay out of a woman's womb!" Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), issued the following statement: “While the American people need Congress to focus on passing a continuing budget resolution funding all services and resources for the American people, House Republicans are more intent on focusing their efforts—and now our precious time—on limiting a woman’s access to contraception. This egregious attack on women’s health could result in potentially taking away heath services for millions of women and families. House Republicans’ pursuit of an extreme crusade against women’s health is bringing the federal government to the brink of a shutdown.” So please remember this come November. Have every person you know, especially the women, vote for Democratic. 

Tracy Knauss may be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=photo

You may find Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back on Twitter at @PDMFNB and the hashtag #PDMFNB

SMOOTH CRIMINAL, BUT STILL A CROOK by Tracy Knauss

What, at first blush, seems a mere political brawl turns out to be a legit case against Texas governor Rick Perry for "abuse of power" on two felony counts. Perry and his supporters would like this to be all about politics, but the facts don't bear that out. Note: the judge AND special prosecutor responsible for the indictment of Perry are both Republicans, NOT Democrats. The facts reveal Perry as the one who's in trouble for playing dirty, illegal politics. Here's the skinny. During Perry's reign as Texas governor, several state legislators, R and D, have been arrested on DWI charges. Yet none of them has been asked to resign or had a veto threat against their proposed legislation. Until now. The ONLY legislator/District Attorney asked to resign for a DWI was a Democrat, Rosemary Lehmberg. She happened also to be the ONLY person investigating Gov. Perry for crimes in office. (For the record, Lehmberg served her time for drunk driving, a serious crime.) But why did Perry never ask any previous legislator or DA to step down, except for Lehmberg? Because she heads the Public Integrity Unit investigating Gov. Perry for wrong doing. And he extorted her to resign or he'd veto all funding for her office and the committee she heads investigating him!! This is why the grand jury found Perry guilty on two felony charges regarding abuse of power. Regardless of what happens from here, the felony charges are on his record and his chances in 2016 as a presidential hopeful for the Republican Party have been all but eliminated.

Here's the link:  http://www.burntorangereport.com/diary/15592/playing-politics-only-da-rick-perry-called-on-to-resign-after-a-dwi-was-the-one-investigating-him

Tracy Knauss may be found at: https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=photo

Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back may be followed on Twitter at @PDMFNB, and you may see our hashtag at #PDMFNB  

THE "GHOST" OF MICHAEL BROWN AND THE INEPTITUDE OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES by Tracy Knauss

 Even a cursory search for information regarding the Ferguson Police Department reveals startling evidence of a department with many examples of racism and violence toward its minority citizens. And the man who should be shutting all of this down and bringing those responsible to trial is Prosecutor Robert McCulloch of St. Louis County, MO whose jurisdiction includes the community of Ferguson. Anyone who's independent in their thinking would immediately see that McCulloch needs to recuse himself from the case pertaining to the shooting death of Michael Brown by policer officer Darren Wilson. McCulloch's bias in highly demonstrable. Accordingly, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will be in Ferguson to investigate whether Michael Brown's civil rights have been violated. The local good ol' boys police fraternity has had time to manipulate the evidence, so Holder will have to be on his toes, which we know he will. To date Prosecutor McCulloch has been conspicuous in his absence. He's taking a low profile strategy because of his known record of protecting local police instead of ensuring justice. His father was shot and killed by a black man, and many of McCulloch's family have or are presently serving in the police force or support services. So, he's known for never prosecuting cops. The citizens of Ferguson do not trust him. It would be a major mistake to let McCulloch lead the grand jury relative to this investigation. Holder's visit should address this lack of impartiality and objectivity on part of the prosecutor's office, which could have pressured the police to release the preliminary autopsy report which still hasn't seen the light of day. But he failed to do so. McCulloch failed to honor a recommendation from the U.S. Dept. of Justice which urged McCulloch not to release the Swisher Sweets cigarillo theft video because of repercussions, which indeed there were in the streets later that night. In conclusion, with the deplorable record of the Ferguson Police Department toward minorities and the highly questionable bias of the Prosecutor's Office, a Special Prosecutor needs to be appointed. And U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder needs to leave no stone unturned, lest the local yokels bury this travesty of justice under such a thick veneer of lies and deceit that the facts can never again be ascertained. 

Tracy Knauss may be found on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=ts

You may find Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back on Twitter at @PDMFNB and see our hashtag on Twitter at #PDMFNB 

WHICH IS WORSE: STEALING OR KILLING? by Tracy Knauss

The delay of public officials from the Ferguson Police Department was to elevate the alleged theft by Michael Brown to the level of alleged murder on the part of veteran police officer Darren Wilson. The crimes are not co-equal by any sense of the word. And trying to say the shooting was justified by the alleged theft, is to throw logic and justice out the window. Even though Brown had surrendered with his hands in the air, he was gunned down and left to die, with nobody checking on him according to an eyewitness. While stealing a couple of boxes of Swisher Sweets and shoving a store clerk is serious, it pales in comparison to killing an unarmed teenager trying to surrender. There is no excuse for this unnecessary death. We're still waiting for the official report on the shooting. The police department continues to drag its feet after the killing. The public demands answers. But the police stutter and stamper. Fiddling while Ferguson burns.

Tracy Knauss may be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=ts

The verified community of Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back may be found on Twitter at @PDMFNB and we use the hashtag: #PDMFNB 

NATIONAL HERO EMERGES FROM ASHES by Tracy Knauss

Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald Johnson worked magic last night by respecting the residents of protest-torn Ferguson, still reeling from the murder of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. Progressively, the situation was getting worse as the white-dominated police force in a predominantly African-American community, continued to bulk up with war surplus militarized vehicles and weaponized CopBots. Instead, Capt. Johnson took a "people" approach, using the Golden Rule. He showed respect, and he listened to the people. He didn't bulldoze them, or erect a wall of CopBots between the leaders and the people. Instead, he clearly demonstrated he was both a citizen and a leader who was willing to walk with them and talk with them. And that he did. "We have to make sure we don't burn down our own house," he emphasized, in reasoning with the people. This morning he added, "This is not a black and white issue because we all have sons and daughters. And we do need to communicate better because you saw what communication did yesterday." This is an old wound. It's time to stop saying it is an old wound and close it for good." For once it's good for all of us to see a common sense, "people" approach to conflict resolution. Eye-to-eye trust building over zero tolerance. When respect is removed by propping up police in War Ready outfits, tensions escalate, leading to physical confrontations. What Capt. Johnson did was to show he trusted the citizens by removing the War Trappings and by walking in the street with the people. In a nation in which the Pew Research polls show 70% of blacks think police treat them worse than whites, Johnson's "cool under fire", was just what the doctor ordered. The patient is still sick, but its health is improving. This sterling example of courageous leadership by Capt. Johnson has illuminated the path for other communities confronted with similar circumstance. When situations are volatile, the last thing one needs is fearful overreaction by authorities, leading to violence. As Johnson concluded, "If our community falls back asleep then the wounds never heal." Thank you Capt. Johnson for setting your community on a path to healing and prospering for people of all color. 

(Tracy provided a link to the article that his photo meme and writing corresponds to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/14/ron-johnson-ferguson_n_5680351.html)

Tracy Knauss may be found on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=photo

You may find us on Twitter at @PDMFNB and our hashtag at #PDMFNB

THE OPEN STATES API by Laurel Davila

Tomorrow I'll be on Brass Knuckle Progressives Radio briefing you on this great application that you can download to help you become aware of the latest bills in your state that are affecting you.

You are also going to want to hear Congressional Candidate, Michael Cole, from Texas speak with Scott Henderson, the host of @BKPRadio; and get a great laugh with our funny James Finch (the Quantum Mechanic).

It all starts at 9:00 AM CENTRAL time, tomorrow morning, Sunday the 10th of August. Just click on the attached link anytime thereafter as the host immediately archives the show.

Here is some information about the Open States API:

"Whether your Capitol is just across town, over the river or 500 miles down the highway, the Open States app allows you to:

Identify your state representatives, find their contact information and explore district geography with Google Maps.
See voting records, bill sponsorships, committee assignments and campaign finance information for all elected representatives.
Follow any state bill on its way to becoming a law, from introduction through committee hearings, floor votes, passage and signing by the governor.
Read the latest policy news affecting your state from Stateline.org, an online publication of the Pew Center on the States.
Schedules and maps of the state house, in the few states that publicize this information
Sunlight Labs developed the app with support from the Minnesota Historical Society, and it runs on Sunlight Labs’ Open States API. Supported in part by the work of volunteers, the Open States Project collects and scrapes legislative data from state legislatures across the country and makes it available online in a unified, reliable, developer-friendly format. Learn more online at the Sunlight Labs blog, start contributing to the project here or follow @openstates on twitter for the latest news. Next steps include working on an Android version, building out bill text search, creating a public website for the data and continuing to adapt to changes in each legislature."

"Like the app, the Open States API is open source. NPR’s StateImpact project is already using the API to add legislative information to their online reporting, including in Ohio and Idaho. Recently, The Chicago Tribune used it to analyze the Illinois Pension Code as part of an in-depth investigation. Sunlight previously developed other mobile apps for monitoring lawmakers: Congress for Android and Windows phones and Real Time Congress for iPhone, as well as Sunlight Health which helps people make more informed decisions about medical care."

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/shenderson19/2014/08/10/brass-knuckle-progressives-radio-turning-texas-blue

THIS IS BIG!! WALL STREET IS WORRIED THAT THE MIDDLE CLASS ISN'T MAKING ENOUGH MONEY!! by Tracy Knauss

How about them beans! Can you believe it? The disparity gap between the richest Americans and the rest of us has become so wide that even Wall Street has become so concerned they are now telling the gazillionaires to give back some of the money they took from us! No kidding! Pinch yourself! Yes it's real. This report by Standard and Poor's is just the latest of a dozen reports this year that confirm the unthinkable: Trickle Down does NOT work; and the richest Americans are NOT the Job Creators; AND taxing the rich IS necessary if we're going to dig ourselves out of this economic stagnation. So, raising taxes on the richest Americans is Job One. Also, revoking Corporate Personhood, and revoking the Union busting laws, and allocating billions for repairing America's infrastructure, and implementing plans to convert from dirty fuels to solar energy, creating beaucoups of new jobs; AND getting money out of our elections by using public funding, and...WAIT a minute. None of these things can be done until we "Get the RED out" of Congress by voting BLUE this November. And then our president can replace the Fascist Five InJustices on the SCrOTUS, and we'll be on our way to recovery from the near irreparable injury our nation has sustained at the hands of President Reagan and his descendant TEAbillies. Vote Blue for true because Red is dead, at least their ideals are dying, due to their failure to respect the Constitution and recognize human rights. The WASP death rattle cometh, as you goeth to the polls with a friend or relative this November 4. Don't go alone. Let's sprint to the finish line and deliver the knock out blow the Republican Party and their voter suppression operatives aren't expecting. Remember, even Wall Street says we've been economically and socially shafted for 30 years by soulless Corporations. Now's our time to rise up against AmeriCo, and shove them out the back door.

Here's the link in the NYT:  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/upshot/alarm-on-income-inequality-from-a-mainstream-source.html?_r=0 

[Tracy Knauss may be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10203149942124172&set=a.1164602149986.25410.1075845911&type=1&theater] 

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THE SURF'S UP! by Laurel Davila

Per the Daily KOS -  see link below: "On Saturday Aug. 9, Hawaii will hold its primary, where several competitive races will be decided. Polls are set to close at 9 PM PT (12 AM ET).
Hawaii may give us our most unpredictable primary night of the year. Polling in Hawaii is notoriously difficult in the best of circumstances, and these are far from the best of circumstances. A major storm hit the state ahead of the primary, and another is expected to arrive shortly after Saturday. The primary is expected to proceed on schedule and a number of votes have already been cast. However, it's anyone's guess what effect the storms will have on these contests.

• HI-Sen (D): Appointed Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz faces a serious challenge as he seeks to fill the final two years of the late Daniel Inouye's term. Schatz was chosen for the seat by Gov. Neil Abercrombie over Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, and Hanabusa is running against the senator. Schatz has the backing of Hawaii native Barack Obama and a number of well-funded liberal groups, while Hanabusa has the support of the Inouye family. Outside environmental groups like the League of Conservation Voters have gotten behind Schatz, who has made environmental protection a centerpiece of his campaign.

Both candidates have very different bases of support: Schatz is relying on more liberal white voters, while Hanabusa's base is older Japanese American voters. Two polls taken in late July show very contradictory results. A Merriman River Group survey gave Schatz a 49-41 edge, while a Ward Research Poll gives Hanabusa a 50-42 lead. The winner will have no problem in the general, but it's far from clear who will make it there.

• HI-Gov (D): Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie has had a long career in Hawaiian politics, but it could all come to an end on Saturday. Abercrombie has had a bumpy tenure as governor with some notable successes and failures, and he now faces a primary challenge from state Sen. David Ige. Few gave Ige much of a chance when he first entered the race, and the governor has easily outspent him. However, polls have consistently shown Ige ahead. The two candidates don't have many philosophical differences, but Ige is running as someone who could be more effective than Abercrombie. Neither man will be able to rest easy after the primary: A competitive general election is expected, with 2010 Republican nominee Duke Aiona and Democrat-turned-independent former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann in the mix.

• HI-01 (D): Seven Democrats are running to succeed Hanabusa in her Honolulu-based seat. State Senate President Donna Mercado Kim started out ahead of the pack, but her opposition to same sex marriage left her vulnerable. State Rep. Mark Takai has been gaining in the polls, and the last few have him even or ahead of Kim. Honolulu City Councilman Stanley Chang has gone on the air late and has worked to portray himself as the most progressive candidate. Polls show Chang a distant third but in a state like Hawaii surprises are always quite possible. The winner will be the favorite against Republican former Rep. Charles Djou, who served for a few months in 2010 and has been raising a good amount of money."

http://www.dailykos.com/blog/elections# 

IT IS NOW TIME FOR US TO SUE CONGRESS — ONLY WE CAN STOP THE INSANITY! by Tracy Knauss

Please share this far and wide. Let's get the ball rolling. "We the People of the United States in order to restore our democracy and economic well being do hereby announce our intention to sue the Congress of the United States for the following crimes: agreeing in secret to willfully oppose all legislation supported/proposed by the President of the United States, thereby committing election nullification against the majority mandate of the people, as expressed in the last two presidential elections; tailoring legislation to benefit corporations and large donors to the detriment and neglect of the people; filibustering legislation for overdue infrastructure rehabilitation; dereliction of duty in its failure to recognize the existence of global warming and to address its cessation and reversal; failure to obey Constitutional mandates to fund the government by allowing said function to be usurped through the consignment of said authority to one citizen; willfully closing down the federal government, costing taxpayers billions of dollars; funding unneeded weapon systems instead of attending the needs of the people; failure to investigate and imprison those responsible for the Great Recession; failure to break up the "too big to fail" banks thereby encouraging future economic recessions or depression of a more severe nature; failure to restore the Voting Rights Act to prevent widespread voter suppression that is now debilitating the right to vote; and for the general unwillingness to compromise and reach agreements on legislation needed to "promote the general welfare" of the people as called for by the Constitution. Taken together, these failures constitute rebellion against the authority of the United States of America. The failures by this Congress, as enumerated above, are evidenced by their passage of the fewest pieces of legislation of any Congress in the history of our nation. For these reasons and many more we shall enumerate, We the People, will be bringing suit against the Congress of the United States." - You may find Tracy Knauss over on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/photodoctor?fref=ts

Democratic Party Action Alert by Laurel Davila

I am so proud of we clictivists, and progressive organizers within the Democratic Party! We do things like help a great out-of-state Congressional candidate from the comfort of our homes via a phone bank for her Primary. We are a great national Blue Team and we pull together!

(D) Nancy Skinner's Michigan's U.S. Congressional District 11th Primary is tomorrow. Here is some information off her website that describes how she became an ardent environmentalist:

"After her sister-in law and beloved friend Ann’s passing, Nancy decided to use her business degree to encourage “sustainable economic development” as an environmental entrepreneur. “Having done ‘redevelopment’ work in Detroit, why not make future projects environmentally responsible?” Nancy said. She would use the power of the markets to find solutions to the pressing environmental problems of the day, reading every book possible about opportunities in “Environmental Entrepreneurism,” studying solutions offered by America’s leading minds – like Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute; author and green entrepreneur Paul Hawkins; economist Hazel Henderson; and “America’s Greenest CEO” Ray Anderson, who transformed the world’s largest industrial carpet company into a completely sustainable and more profitable business – and researching what leading green architects and engineers had to say about solutions to save energy and money in the built-environment." (http://www.skinnerforcongress.com/nancys-bio.html)

You may contact her campaign manager, Mark Taylor, at outreach@skinnerforcongress.com to help out with some phone banking this evening and tomorrow! It will be fun, and we can do this together! Mark will help get you all set up via email.  He's waiting for your email! I would love to see her get into our Capitol!

The House Will Be In Order by Malina Lobel-karimi

"The House will be in order" were the words uttered as the gavel came down and loud disorderly voices could clearly be heard. "Order" would be the last thing this particular House is doing.

Their Border Bill so far has been killed under the New Management of Kevin McCarthy, yet news is reporting that a vote is still possible. 

If I seem confused here, it's because I AM! I've never heard of a bill being killed and yet possible for a vote a few hours later.

A vote of 225-201 DID pass the House for them to proceed with a lawsuit against President Obama for his use of executive orders. Sorry, but again, I find this confusing. EVERY SINGLE president has used "executive orders." Not only that but when you have a recalcitrant, uncooperative and determined to undermine the president, what other options are there? (These are the same folks who want tort reform against senseless lawsuits). 

I'm dying of curiosity as to how far a court -any court- will allow this, the mother of all frivolous lawsuits to continue. And what is it that they want to accomplish with it if by chance it should proceed? That all his executive orders be null and void? Is there a dollar value they're suing for? Last but not least, why are WE, the taxpayers footing this bill? Why aren't WE, the taxpayers outraged and insisting that if they choose to proceed with it, let THEM (House members) PAY FOR IT? 

Yeah, it's much easier to use OPM (Other Peoples Money). 

There is one light at the end of this tunnel. Democratic fundraising is up. Every time a republican makes yet another ridiculous move, a democratic angel gains more money. 

Oh, and democratic candidates are ahead in polls but I prefer to ignore ALL polls. I don't want any of us being lulled into a false sense of security and then be blindsided come November.

Find us at @PDMFNB and #PDMFNB on Twitter; and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack 

The History of The League of Women Voters by Laurel Davila

In examining the website of the League of Women Voters (LWV) I learned all kinds of interesting facts. For instance, did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt was the Vice President of the League in the 1920's? The website has a tribute to her with a short clip of her speaking about the very same issues we are discussing today regarding Civil Rights, and the Voting Rights Act. http://library.lwv.org/

Miss Belle Sherwin (see photo below), was President of the National League of Women Voters, and she is shown holding the silver loving cup to be awarded by the National League to the state League showing the greatest percentage in increase of vote of 1924 over 1920.

If you head over to their website be sure to watch the little 50 second video called "Take Control - Vote" which was developed for the League by Discovery Communications as part of their Creating Change program. It is a fast paced video game-like commercial to show you how you may regain your freedom by voting. Very creative and enjoyable. http://library.lwv.org/  

Visit us on Twitter at @PDMFNB, and visit our hashtag too: #PDMFNB standing for Progressive Democrats - Moving Forward, Not Back.

Planet of the Apes by Tracy Knauss

Now is the time for all public leaders to stand up and be counted. Where do they stand on global warming, THE most pressing issue of our lifetime? Do they state the facts, or do they lie for political expediency? This says EVERYTHING about a person. S/he who lies for political gain must be ignored and discarded like yesterday's garbage. They are worthless charlatans, selling out the future of our children and grandchildren for their own personal gain. Worthless scum. And this includes the people who finance them, like Charles and David Koch who stand to lose billions if America gets its act together and addresses global warming by banning fracking and by convening a major consortium of our most brilliant, creative minds to develop and implement a plan to transition away from fossil fuels within the next ten years. We did it with Project Apollo, in less than ten years. We landed humans on the moon!! Surely we can put this same can-do spirit of cooperation to task by coming up with workable solutions to the problems we created. Think about it. Ask a scientist. And you'll learn most of them vote for Democrats. They vote BLUE for a blue planet. And for your children's future. And yours. The time is now. Wise up and Rise up. One People. One Planet. Vote BLUE for Earth and you. 

Find us on Twitter at @PDMFNB hashtag: #PDMFNB

Find us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ProgressiveDemocratsMovingForwardNotBack

Fix The House by JR Gaillott

‪#‎FixTheHouse‬ ‪#‎UniteBlue‬ ‪#‎PDMFNB‬

The 113th Congress has been the least productive and most unpopular in American history -- and we know who is responsible. Since Republicans took control of the US House of Representatives, they have repeatedly blocked progress then blamed Obama.

Just this past Friday, the House refused to take up the veterans aid bill, which passed the Senate 93-3 in a true act of bipartisanship. Every single "no" vote was from a Republican. They refuse to admit government can work in fear it might help Obama.

While the House GOP refuses to do anything that might help our country, they have found time to repeal Obamacare over 50 times, block immigration reform, deny equal pay for women, withhold a raise in the minimum wage, cut food stamps to veterans, cut funding for veteran's hospitals, kill unemployment benefits, obstruct infrastructure funding, reduce embassy security, cut taxes for the wealthy, expand corporate tax loopholes, block student loan reform, deregulate Wall Street, cut school lunch programs, decrease SNAP benefits, deregulate the gas and oil industry... the list keeps going.

Speaker Boehner has devised a simple solution to distract from his failure: sue President Obama. This action has truly opened the door to impeachment, but we can shut that whole thing down. In just 100 days America can fire Boehner and fix the House.

Join us tonight at 8pm Eastern and help trend #FixTheHouse on Twitter.

When you have extra space in a Tweet, please consider adding one or more media sources. They need to see that people care about these issues and recognize that the House is broken. We have compiled a short list below.

ABC News - @ABC
CBS News - @CBSNews
NBC News - @NBCNews
Associated Press - @AP
Al Jazeera America - @ajam
Al Jazeera English - @AJEnglish
Rachel Maddow - @Maddow
Ed Schultz - @edshow
NY Times - @nytimes
USA Today - @USATODAY
The Guardian (England) - @guardian
CBC News (Canada) - @CBCNews
MSNBC - @MSNBC
BBC News World (England) - @BBCWorld
Reuters Top News - @Reuters
CNN - @CNN
CNN Political Ticker - @PoliticalTicker
NewsWeek - @Newsweek
The Washington Post - @WashingtonPost
Wall Street Journal - @WSJ
Los Angeles Times - @latimes
NPR - @NPR
NPR Politics - @NPRPolitics
NPR News - @NPRNews
Morning Edition (NPR) - @Morning
Diane Rehm Show (NPR) - @drshow
Weekend Edition (NPR) - @NPRWeekend
Politico - @politico
Huffington Post - @HuffingtonPost
HuffPost Politics - @HuffPostPol

In solidarity,

JR Gaillot
UniteBlue Advisory Board

--
UniteBlue is gearing up for the midterm elections, and we need your help to fight harder against the GOP's blatant lies, deception and hypocrisy. Please chip in $10 right now to help fix the House in 2014!
https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/uniteblue 

I Like Being a Congressman by Diana Miller

I like being a Congressman    

The job is mighty fine      

I only work two days a week  

Taxpayers do not whine    

I make the laws and write the checks

And help the country run

I Meet the Press & Morning Joe

And maybe shoot a gun

I get to visit ‘round  the world

And never pay a dime

Taxpayers fund my every trip

I’m smiling all the time

My staff  talk to the taxpayers

I’m too busy for that

Lobbyists need all of my time

Get money for a chat

I get to get away with lots

Emptying the coffers

The more I spend the more I get

Taking Lobby offers

I have the power of the state

I control the nation

People die without my vote

While I take a vacation

Hungry children and starving Vets

Their lives depend on me

But businesses don’t want to pay

So I just wait and see

This black man in the White House

Has really made me mad

I sit and stew and do nothing

And make my people sad

But that’s OK, Yes, that’s alright

Big business has my back

While people starve and people die

I fill my money sack

Millions of dollars I rake in

But it doesn’t help the people

Because to get elected now

I have to fool the sheeple

I spend all my time complaining

That the President is wrong

He’s trying to fix the nation

He’s trying to be strong

But that won’t do, no not at all

How dare he do his job

While Congress sits and does nothing

Stirring up a lynch mob

You see, I have the citizens

Wrapped around my fingers

I hide behind Rush, Beck, & Fox

Though the stench still lingers

I have the people where I want

Believing that I care

I smile at them and lie to them

And say, “It’s good, I swear”

And if that doesn’t work for me

I have my own goon squad

I’ll cry & pray & tell them all

That I was sent by God

You see that Christianity

Is good for politicians

God Bless America, Amen

Puts you ahead of competition

I want the sheeple dumb and poor

Uneducated’s best

The less I spend on them, you see,

The more they’ll work for less

If taxpayer’s should get upset

If they should ask for more

I’ll simply tell them we can’t help

And start another war

If taxpayers ever catch on

It still won’t hurt me, see

When I leave here I’ll have a job

Working for a Lobby

I like being a Congressman

This job, it has its perks

I lie and steal from everyone

And you’re the one who works

http://staysanecitizens.blogspot.com/

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GOP KILLING CONGRESS AND OUR NATION by Tracy Knauss

The approval rating of Congress has dipped into single digits, its lowest in history, because this Congress has approved less legislation than any Congress in history! This "Do Nothing" Congress is the product of the "Stupid Party." This is NOT the fault of both parties, but of Republicans. In their article "Yes, Congress is that bad," respected Congressional historians THOMAS MAN and NORMAN ORNSTEIN declared, "We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party." And there you have it. If you want to help our nation recover its former status in terms of opportunity, justice, etc, vote DEMOCRATIC this November.

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A Veterans Cemetery and Memorial by Drew Leavens For Congress - 45th CD California

The hard work of so many paid off last night as the Irvine City Council voted 5-0 to move forward on a veterans cemetery and memorial in the Great Park. The project, unanimously supported among veterans and the community at large ran the risk of being victimized by politics. So many veterans and non-veterans alike stood up in solidarity over a proposal that became too much of a mandate to ignore. While ground for the project likely won't be broken until 2018, what a great moment that will be!

Congratulations and kudos go out to so many people. But it is especially important to recognize Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva for initiating the proposal at the state level and garnering 100% support among fellow lawmakers. Council member Larry Agran brought the proposal forward and advocated on the local level and Council member Beth Krom showed steadfast support. Finally, I can't speak more highly of the contributions of Bill Cook, Chairman of the OCVMP Committee and Commander of the 29th District American Legion. Bill kept everybody informed and motivated and was the leader of a grassroots effort that simply wouldn't accept no for an answer. Thank you all for proving that, with enough effort, the voices of citizens must still be recognized and heard by government representatives. Now, if we can just do the same on the national level... 

Photos: Above, from left to right: Bill Cook, Chairman of the OCVMP Committee and Commander of the 29th District American Legion. Below, the Irvine City Council 5-0 vote.

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