Democrats.com Weekly Congressional Agenda

Auto Industry Bailout

music8200 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:54:07 -0500

Congress will take up the Auto Industry Bailout when they re-convene this week. There is no better time than this moment to PUSH for concessions from the Auto Industry. Time is short. Democrat.com, can you help us act NOW? Here's a copy of a letter I just mailed to Speaker Pelosi: Dear Madam Speaker,

Please make the FLEXFUEL component a MANDATORY requirement for any Auto Industry bailout.
IT ONLY COSTS $100 to install this component on a vehicle during the manufacturing process. The only EPA approved retrofit costs $1300. All cars sold in Brazil are flexfuel ready. All cars that GM sells in Brazil are flexfuel compatible. There is no excuse and there should be no delay in making all cars sold in America flexfuel capable.
THIS IS THE QUICKEST CHEAPEST EASIEST WAY to make rapid reductions in our foreign oil imports.
If ALL cars sold in the US were Flexfuel compatible, alternative fuel manufacturers would gear up without the need for incentives because they would know they have a market for their fuel products.
THEN please help remove the $0.54 a gallon tariff on imported ethanol. That would allow foreign ethanol products to compete in the American market. The American consumer would benefit. We could even lift the economies of Third World Countries by contracting them to grow switchgrass or sugarcane for ethanol fuel.
Ultimately, let's provide incentives for the production of flexfuel plug-in hybrids. These cars would get 500 MILES ON A GALLON OF GASOLINE! We would never need OPEC oil ever again! Perhaps no imported oil at all.
PLEASE PLEASE make the flexfuel component a MANDATORY part of any Automobile Industry Bailout.
If you want good references on this topic, read the testimony of Anne Korin (of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs of May 22, 2008:http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/kor052208.htm(see in particular the section entitled "17x17")
read R. James Woolsey (former director of the CIA) and Anne Korin's article in the National Review:http://energy.nationalreview.com/post/?q=OTlmMjFjYWRjOWI3ZGI0MzUxZDJjYTBlMmUzOTc2Mzc=
or watch Anne Korin's lecture on CSPAN:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MVwL2PcCG8(highly recommended)
watch Robert Zubrin's FEW Keynote Address:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM
Thank you and your staff for your time and attention,Scott Lawrence

DEMS UNITE!

redhed67 — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:18:17 -0400

Well, as we all know, election season is once again upon us. Our choices are, as always, a great source of controversy and strife among the American people. This is understandable as not every candidate fits our ideals of the perfect President.

However, I've noticed some very disturbing trends among voters and, most glaringly, the Democrats. Frankly, it's appalling. I can't get through a blog or a chat room without seeing Democrats at each other's throats, each bashing the views and private lives of one another's pick as the Dem candidate.

You know what, people?? Knock it off. I'm not particularly wild about Hillary nor Obama either, to be honest... but all have a common goal here. That goal is to do everything we can to keep the GOP out of the White House.

Haven't the GOP done enough damage already? For the past 7 years, we've been subjected to two recessions, the invasion of a sovereign country with no violent designs on us, over 935 lies from this administration ABOUT IRAQ ALONE, and the blatant trampling of our civil rights such as our privacy with the warrantless surveillance and with free speech with arrests of peacful protestors and even people whose only "crime" was merely wearing an anti-war or anti-Bush T-shirt.

John McCain has stated that he plans on continuing our occupation of Iraq. He has also stated that he not only wants us to stay in Iraq for 100 years, but is already planning on attacking Iran, as he so playfully reiterated in his rousing rendition of the Beach Boys song "Barbara Ann" titled "Bomb Bomb Iran."

Obama and Hillary's ideas are really not so different from one another. They have similiar ideas on health care, Iraq, national security in general, etc. There are subtle nuances that make their plans slightly different but when it comes down to it, one is really just as good as the other.

It's bothersome that people are saying things like "Hillary is a warmonger"... or "Obama is a Muslim sympathizer." These same lines that Rightwingers were using against the two of them just a few short months ago and the Dems were scolding them for, the Dems are now using. I, personally, never chose a particular party with which to label myself. I consider myself an Independent even though I never formally even declared myself as such... and this is why. Both sides seem to go off the deep end when elections come up and I am so disappointed that Dems have allowed themselved to stoop to the level of "The Righties."

I don't like any party spreading lies and innuendo about any candidate, whether he or she be Republican or Democrat. It's juvenile and ignorant. I don't approve of McCain's policies but I'm not going to perpetuate the rumor that he committed treason while in the service. I have no proof that he did. On the same token, I won't perpetuate the rumor that Barack Obama is a Muslim terrorist sympathizer. We have more than ample evidence that he is not.

Let's think about that particular rumor for a moment. George W. Bush has been more in the pocket of Muslim terrorist sympathizers than anyone else. Despite the fact that the Saudis not only have an appalling track record on human rights but they're also funding terrorists and helping to fund the insurgency which is killing our soldiers... Bush calls them "friend." Not only that but he's also given them weapons which are in turn being used against our troops in Iraq.

Same with Pakistan who has openly harbored Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden for a couple of decades. Then there's Uzbekistan, a nation with a record of committing unspeakable atrocities against its citizens...again, Bush calls them "friend."

So to say anything about Obama is not only stupid but incredibly hypocritical if you're Bush supporter. If you're a Dem, it's insincere and ridiculous. We need to pull together in these elections this year and vote for whomever the Dem nominee turns out to be, even if we have to hold out collective noses to do it. I know I will. If a GOP president gets in again, I would hate to look back and know that my missing vote helped to get him in.

So come on... remember that common goal we have to do something good for this country and keep the GOP out.

VOTE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!!!
_________________
Don't blame this mess on me... I'm an Independent!

Democrats.com Weekly Agenda

Bob Fertik — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 01:36:11 -0400

Previous Weeks
10/1/07 6,382
9/24/07 12,591

During the horrible week of September 17, 2007, Democratic voters were repeatedly betrayed by the Democratic Senate. They couldn't pass the Dodd bill to restore Habeas Corpus, the Webb Amendment to rest our troops, or the Feingold-Reid Amendment to mostly leave Iraq by June 2008. And then 23 Democrats joined all the Republicans to outrageously attack Moveon.org for a newspaper ad.

Never again! From now on, when Congress is in session, we will publish a Democrats.com Weekly Agenda listing all the actions we want the Democratic Congress to take that week.

Please send our Weekly Agenda to your Representative and Senators each week, and visit this page (http://democrats.com/agenda) to see how many of us sent this agenda to Congress (the thermometer in the upper right corner). Our goal is to send 100,000 agendas to Congress each week - it's ambitious but we have over 300,000 subscribers so it's doable, especially if we all use the "Tell a Friend" box on the petition to spread the word.

Also visit this page for the current status of each issue below. To suggest a new issue, send us an email.

Current	Status	Start Chamber
Join the 81 90 Members who have signed the Progressive Caucus "Peace Pledge" to oppose any more Iraq funding except to bring our troops safely home before Bush leaves office http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/115	Added: Louise Slaughter (NY) Mazie Hirono (HI)	9/24/07 House Senate
Oppose Dick Cheney's insane plan to Bomb Iran by supporting the Byrd Amendment to require Congressional approval of any attack on Iran. http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/91 Hold Congressional hearings on Cheney's secret Iran warmongering	10/3 Byrd Amendment introduced	10/1/07 House Senate
Reimpose a strict ban on warrantless wiretapping of American citizens and block amnesty and immunity for telephone companies that illegally spied http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/114	10/17/07 weak House bill blocked by GOP. In Senate, Chris Dodd will filibuster immunity.	9/24/07 House Senate
Pass H.R. 2740 to bring war mercenaries like Blackwater under U.S. law. Demand prosecution of Blackwater employees under the Uniform Code of Military Justice as required by the Graham Amendment. http://talkingpointsmemo.com	On 10/4/07, H.R. 2740 passed House 389-30. The Senate unanimously passed a similar amendment on 9/27. Conference schedule unknown.	10/1/07 Senate House
Pass the War Profiteering Prevention Act, H.R. 400. Demand prosecution of Halliburton and other contractors who have defrauded U.S. taxpayers out of billions.	On 10/9/07, H.R. 400 passed House 375-3. The Senate version, S. 119, has not been debated.	10/10/07 Senate House
Oppose Michael Mukasey for Attorney General because he (a) wants to keep Guantanamo open despite the strong objections of the world (b) would allow "enhanced interrogation techniques" which is just Bushspeak for torture, an international war crime, and (c) abused material-witness laws to lock up Muslims without charges http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/24/mukasey-signals-support-for-torture	On 10/18/07 Mukasey refused to call waterboarding torture.	9/24/07 Senate
Oppose Hans von Spakovsky for FEC Commissioner because of his key role in illegal voter suppression, disciminatory and illegal voter ID laws, the illegal TX redistricting engineered by Tom DeLay, and the stolen election in Florida http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/21/122027/759	Obama, Feingold put hold on nomination	9/24/07 Senate
Pass the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act to establish criminal penalties for acts of voter deception. http://www.stopdeceptivepractices.org/	6/25/07 House passed on voice vote. No vote scheduled in Senate.	10/18/07 Senate
Override Bush's veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/29/105649/366	9/27 Senate passed 67/29, enough for override 10/18 House veto override fell 13 short	9/24/07 House Senate
Hold White House officials in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas requiring their sworn testimony and documents. Since Bush's Justice Department refuses to enforce Congressional subpoenas, Congress must use its "inherent contempt" authority to put White House officials in a DC jail until they comply. http://democrats.com/subpoenas	Conyers wants to enforce his subpoenas through contempt but Pelosi won't let him.	9/24/07 House Senate
Pass the "Blackstone Bill" to eliminate the 15% tax loophole for publicly-traded partnerships and "carried interest"	Senate vote 10/15?	10/11/07 Senate House
Pass a resolution to condemn Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for lying about his staff's role in smearing the family of 12-year-old Graeme Frost Pass a resolution to condemn House Minority Leader John Boehner for smearing the family of 2-year-old Bethany Wilkerson
Pass a resolution to condemn Rush Limbaugh for calling troops who are critical of the Iraq Occupation "phony soldiers" and comparing them to suicide bombers. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/9/28/182951/795 And hold Limbaugh accountable by removing his show from Armed Forces Radio.	GOP defending Limbaugh.	10/1/07
Investigate major news exposes: * New York Times report that Alberto Gonzales secretly authorized torture in 2005 * Newsweek report that Dick Cheney is trying to provoke a war with Iran http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/09/24/morning-cuppa-cheneys-war-provocations/ * Rep. Jane Harman's report that the White House terrorized Congress into legalizing warrantless wiretapping with a bogus threat of an attack on Congress itself http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/09/26/countdown-rep-harman-gives-more-details-on-bogus-terror-threat-on-capitol/ * El Pais report that George Bush rejected a plan to let Saddam Hussein go into exile one month before he invaded Iraq, which would have made an invasion unnecessary http://www.juancole.com/2007/09/bush-aznar-transcript-war-crime-of.html		9/24/07 House Senate
Join the 18 21 co-sponsors of H.Res. 333 to Impeach Dick Cheney for lying about Iraq http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/73	Added: Carolyn Kilpatrick Ed Towns Diane Watson	9/24/07 House
Introduce Articles of Impeachment for George Bush for at least 10 egregiously impeachable offenses: http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/88		9/24/07 House

Future	Status	Chamber
Oppose Bush's $190 Billion request for Iraq for 2008	$9 Billion in Continuing Resolution; vote in January?	Senate House
Sponsor the Lane Evans Veterans Health and Benefits Improvement Act to provide quality mental health care to veterans http://ThisIsForTheSoldiers.org Watch the PBS special on veterans with PTSD: http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/339/index.html
Support the Feinstein-Harkin bill to close Guantanamo
Repeal the Global Gag Rule that prohibits U.S. foreign aid to groups that inform poor women about abortion
Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA)
Lift the Republican hold on S. 223, the Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/9/27/102229/225		Senate
Prohibit the use of Blackwater and other paramilitary forces inside the U.S. http://www.firedoglake.com/2007/09/29/come-saturday-morning-muddying-the-blackwater/

Past issues	Resolution	Start/End
Oppose the Lieberman-Kyl-Graham-Coleman Declaration of War on Iran http://www.democrats.com/stop-the-lieberman-kyl-graham-coleman-declaration-of-war-on-iran	In a huge victory, the explicit use of "military instruments" was removed from the Iran Sanctions Resolution that passed the Senate 76-22, but the Senate and House both called for Iran's Revolutionary Guards to be designated a "foreign terrorist organization" which Bush could claim as authorization for attacking Iran.	S:9/24/07 E:9/26/07 Senate
On Iraq, oppose the meaningless Abercrombie-Tanner reporting bill	10/2/07 House passed 377-46	9/24/07
Condemn Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) for calling the deaths of 3800 U.S. soldiers and 1 million Iraqis a "small price" (9/12/07) http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/12/boehner-troop-deaths-in-iraq-are-a-small-price/	No action	9/27/07
Condemn Fox News analyst Col. David Hunt for accusing our Generals of "betraying our soldiers ... again" http://thinkprogress.org/2007/09/29/fox-analyst-generals-are-betraying-our-soldiers/	No action	9/27/07