February 2008

The office of Congressman Walberg was recently given the Medicare Choices Leadership Award for voting against huge cuts in Medicare that would significantly limit health care choices for seniors. Rep. Walberg received the award from The Coalition for Medicare Choices for his outstanding leadership in the effort to strengthen Medicare Choices. Full release

Congressman Joe Donnelly (IN-2) will deliver the Democratic Radio Address tomorrow. In his address, Congressman Donnelly will discuss how the New Direction Congress is leading the way to establish energy independence and energy security with the passage of the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act this week. Full release

"Senator Barack Obama faces a huge credibility gap on NAFTA," declared Tom Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). "In a nationally televised debate, he told Ohioans he would renegotiate the treaty. But just weeks earlier, his senior economic adviser signaled to a foreign government that the Senator's anti-NAFTA stance would be just 'campaign rhetoric.'" Full release

The purpose of this seminar is to discuss how changes in the climate will affect national security. The seminar features two panels of experts who will discuss the science of climate change and its anticipated impacts on national security. Scientists will set the stage by giving a general background on the current trends in climate change. Full release

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? Full release

Yesterday, the San Bernardino County District Attorney's office told the Riverside (California) Press-Enterprise that it never asked the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to withhold an undercover slaughterhouse video from the public or from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This refutes sworn Congressional testimony offered on Tuesday by HSUS Public Health Director Dr. Michael Greger. Full release

For Your Cause, a cause-marketing, communication, and fundraising organization recently purchased FreeRice, an application built on Facebook(R) Platform that allows users to donate rice to the hungry around the globe. FreeRice is a word game which gives domestic and international members the opportunity to improve their English vocabulary, while simultaneously helping to fight starvation by providing free rice to the world's hungry. This simple game offers users education, entertainment and a chance to change the world. Full release.

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama appears to be consolidating a lead over Hillary Rodham Clinton among most constituent groups in Texas except Hispanics, according to a new tracking poll. Full release.

Literacy is a valuable tool in fighting HIV/AIDS, chronic malnutrition, malaria, and other health issues that plague many developing countries. Literacy and health are deeply intertwined: Without good health, it is difficult to obtain even a low level of literacy in such countries. Full release

As part of its unprecedented effort to unilaterally withdraw from the federal matching funds program it applied for and has clearly benefited from, the McCain campaign is talking about its constitutional rights. But, as George Will noted today, a few short years ago John McCain was openly dismissive of people who cited the Constitution to challenge his views on campaign finance reform. Full release

As Congress prepares to begin debate on the Bush Administration's proposed FY 2009 budget containing five-year, $24 billion cuts to Medicare's nursing home benefit, a new national survey conducted by Zogby International for the American Health Care Association (AHCA) finds 63 percent of likely voters oppose the cut while nearly half "strongly oppose" the Administration proposal. Full release

Democrat Barack Obama is the leading advertiser in advance of the March 4 Ohio and Texas presidential primaries, The Nielsen Company reported today. Full release

The following release was issued today by the Democratic National Committee: George Will's column this morning in the Washington Post details the hypocrisies of McCain's do as I say, not as I do record on lobbying and campaign finance reform. Though McCain has spent his career trying to cast himself as a "reformer," Will calls McCain a "situational ethicist regarding 'big money' in politics" who "seems sincerely to consider it theoretically impossible for him to commit the offenses of appearances that he incessantly ascribes to others." McCain will have trouble overcoming his ties to lobbyists and dodging of the very campaign finance laws he once championed, both of which seriously call his integrity into question. Full release.

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth. Full release.

With crude oil, gasoline, and home heating oil prices near all-time highs, energy security in the US is one of the most common themes among the presidential candidates. While Democratic and Republican candidates alike agree that energy security should be high on the next president's agenda, their plans for achieving that goal vary widely. Full release.

Today Governor Bill Richardson deployed 50 New Mexico State Police officers to illegally block access to the Fort Sill Apache land at Akela Flats in blatant violation of the United States Constitution's Interstate Commerce and Supremacy Clauses. In a shocking and threatening manner workers, tribal employees, and tribal members were forced off Federal Indian Trust property by the Richardson Administration in a manner that smacked of Jim Crow oppression in the south and Governor Wallace blocking the school house door at the University of Alabama in the 1960's. Full release.

Facing questions about whether the campaign leveraged eligibility for public matching funds to gain access to the ballot in several states, the McCain campaign yesterday sunk to a new low. For days the McCain campaign has been playing fast and loose with the facts surrounding McCain's FEC violations. On a call with reporters yesterday, the McCain campaign erroneously stated that the campaign was getting on the Kentucky ballot by collecting signatures. [Wall Street Journal, 2/27/08] Full release

Sen. Barack Obama is the first and only presidential candidate to come out with a specific statement opposing the diversion of billions of dollars in federal small business contracts to Fortune 500 companies during the Bush Administration. Full release

A key congressional committee today approved legislation that would strengthen the U.S. government's capability to respond quickly to emerging crises around the world, prevent and resolve violent conflicts, and rebuild war-torn countries, the Friends Committee on National Legislation said today. Full release

Today, Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.) questioned the Bush Administration's short-sighted budget that doesn't address the economic challenges faced by small businesses and fails to invest in lending, contracting and counseling programs. Full release

A new study released today by Bread for the World Institute reveals that the poorest counties in the United States are among those hardest hit by the subprime mortgage crisis. Full release.

As the Democratic presidential race heats up, comparison shopping service BookFinder.com reports that interest in Senator Hillary Clinton's writings has tripled since the official start of her campaign. Full release.

A new bill working its way through the Mississippi State Legislature threatens the hard-won voting rights of elderly, minority, and disabled voters throughout the state. Senate Bill 2910 was proposed as an election reform cure-all, but one of its provisions would likely result in thousands of voters being purged from the voting rolls in violation of federal law. Full release.

As the five-year anniversary of the Iraq invasion draws near, a new PR offensive by the White House is attempting to frame the recent troop "surge" as a strategic and military turnaround. But a growing chorus of experts warn that such
claims merely mask the Administration's long-standing policy to ensure a protracted American occupation of the oil-rich nation. They warn that the occupation will not result in an end to the violence that has enveloped Iraq and so far claimed nearly 4,000 American lives. Full release.

Amnesty International has received evidence that the French government knew about the whereabouts of three detained senior Chadian opposition figures as early as February 11, although they publicly denied having any such information. Two of the three are at grave risk of being tortured, the human rights organization said. Full release

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today as Republicans prepare to force a vote on the floor of the House that would update and modernize our nation's terrorist surveillance laws. Full release

The two remaining Democratic presidential candidates take the stage tonight in what could be the final debate before the nominee is decided, and health care is all but certain to be a topic of discussion. But as the two senators trade dire statistics about the uninsured, and spin grim tales of people (invariably swing state residents) encountered on the campaign trail being "forced to choose between food and medicine," a new study released today by the Cato Institute questions the accuracy of at least one source of those gloomy statistics - the World Health Report 2000. Full release

Former Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee will make the following appearances in Ohio on Tuesday, February 26, 2008. Full release

John McCain has worked hard on the campaign trail to portray himself as a "maverick" in Washington, but a Bloomberg story today shows that on issue after issue, McCain offers just a third Bush term. The article notes that "[o]n three major issues -- Iraq, the economy and health care -- he has embraced Bush's unpopular policies," something that will hurt him with voters in November. With President Bush's popularity among Americans at rock bottom, McCain's support of Bush and his failed leadership is a major hurdle for McCain as voters look for change, not more of the same. Full release

American Solutions for Winning the Future announced today that it will expand its organization with the opening of a new office in Silicon Valley that serves as the organization's technology headquarters. This new office makes American Solutions one of the few national grassroots organizations with a visible presence in Silicon Valley. Full release.

In June 2002, Morality in Media (MIM) launched the ObscenityCrimes.org website, where citizens can make complaints about possible violations of federal Internet obscenity laws. The site was created primarily for citizens who are unintentionally exposed to pornography on the Internet or whose children are exposed to pornography on the Internet. On Saturday, February 23, the ObscenityCrimes.org website recorded its 70,000th citizen complaint. Full release.

Today, the Alliance for Digital Equality announced findings from its new study, Affordable Broadband: Empowering Communities Across the Digital Divide, which examines how broadband has expanded access to education, health care and civic involvement in minority communities. Additionally, the Alliance launched the Houston Digital Empowerment Council (DEC) to study the impact of broadband on the local community. The Houston DEC is part of the Alliance's nationwide initiative that advocates for increased broadband access especially in urban and underserved communities. Full release.

More than 5 million English language learner (ELL) students are enrolled in America's public school system, representing the fastest growing segment of the student population with the highest growth rates occurring in grades seven through twelve. As this student population grows in size across this country, they are being left behind in other respects. ELL students today are among the country's lowest performing. Full release

After attending today's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) public hearing on network management practices, Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) president Tom Giovanetti said it's clear that the arguments made by the critics of network management serve merely as a Trojan horse to resurrect the failed policy of network unbundling. Full release

Benazir Bhutto left behind a political testament completed shortly before her untimely death, now published as a book entitled Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy and the West. Her book was meant not only for her native land, but for the Muslim world generally. It is the first book by a major Muslim political leader which presents a principled argument for moderation and tolerance and a critique of radical Islam. Full release

The Council on Competitiveness, a group of business, labor and university leaders dedicated to boosting American economic growth and prosperity, today issued an open letter to each of the Presidential candidates, calling on them to explain how they would advance a comprehensive strategy for energy security, productivity, and sustainability. The effort is a part of the Council's Energy Security, Innovation, & Sustainability initiative. Full release

The following was released today by the DNC: As John McCain faces renewed questions about his ties to lobbyists, the New York Times this weekend examined McCain's role in keeping a loophole open that benefited a company that lobbied him. McCain's image as a reformer who can take the influence of money and lobbyists out of Washington has been seriously undercut by letters he wrote to the FCC while serving as chair of the Senate Commerce Committee that reveal he threatened to overhaul the FCC if they closed the loophole that helped the client of a lobbyist-friend. This, along with other legal and ethical issues that have resurfaced this week have raised new questions about McCain's integrity. Full release

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth. Full release

His Majesty King Abdullah II will start a working visit to the United States at the end of February, during which he will hold talks at the White House with US President George W. Bush on ways to advance Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations and other developments in the Middle East. The meeting will also focus on strengthening bilateral ties, especially in the economic field. Full release

A Rock the Vote poll released today reveals young voters are energized and engaged in the 2008 elections like never before. The poll shows a strong and positive attitude toward this election cycle: an overwhelming majority (89%) believe they have the power to change our country and 75% believe young people are making more of a difference than usual this election season. Full release

The DNC announced today that it will file a complaint with the FEC against John McCain's campaign Monday, calling on the FEC to investigate whether the McCain campaign violated or is about to violate the law by ignoring the spending limit agreement and other conditions Senator McCain agreed to when he became eligible to receive federal matching funds. According to McCain's latest campaign filing, he has already spent $49.6 million and given that a month has passed, he has exceeded or is about to exceed the approximately $56.8 million spending limit. Full release

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers' Committee) participated in the 72nd Session of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) as it reviewed the US government's periodic report to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, a binding treaty obligation. Full release

Officials from ED in '08 will be available in the Spin Room at the February 26th Democratic Presidential Debate at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio to discuss the role that the economy and education are playing during the 2008 election cycle. ED in '08 is a national campaign that calls on all the presidential candidates to propose plans to ensure that American students will graduate from high school with the skills needed to compete in a global economy. Full release

Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey today announced higher civil fines against employers who violate federal immigration laws. The announcement was made in a joint briefing today with Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff about newly enacted border security reforms put in place by the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Full release

Experts in speech plagiarism and ethics from America's Oldest Communication Association are available to comment on the debate regarding Barack Obama's speech. The National Communication Association offers experts in public speaking and communication ethics. What is acceptable usage of other people's remarks and how can a speaker reference information in a speech? NCA's members can speak expertly regarding ethical communication, free speech, and what constitutes plagiarism in a speech as well as how and why plagiarism in a speech should be avoided.
Full release

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth. Full release.

RelevantView, a leading technology provider of Web-based market research solutions announces the release of a report, "Shopping Online for a President" which assesses impact of the five leading presidential candidates' websites. Full release

House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) issued the following statement today after House Democrats convened a pointless staff meeting under the guise of working on a bipartisan bill -- already passed by the Senate -- to permanently close the terrorist loophole and protect responsible companies that helped secure the country in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Full release

"American gun owners can save the United States from potential political disaster in November," right to self-defense advocate John M. Snyder, Manager of Telum Associates, LL.C. said here today.He noted that Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barrack Hussein Obama of Illinois profess support for the Second Amendment but that the public record "demonstrates their actual opposition to the individual Second Amendment civil right of law-abiding American citizens to keep and bear arms. They both attempt to deceive the American people." Full release

The U.S. Department of Labor today released a new online resource that makes it easier for Americans to prepare for a financially secure retirement. A series of interactive worksheets were developed as a companion to a 2006 publication entitled "Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning." Using the worksheets, individuals who are 10 to 15 years from retirement can calculate their income and savings as well as their projected expenses in retirement. Full release

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