May 05, 2008

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today in celebration of Cinco de Mayo: "The holiday of Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican people over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is a holiday of great patriotism and pride. In America, it is also a celebration of the determination, patriotism and rich contributions that Mexican Americans, and all Hispanics, have made to the United States." Full release

After announcing the new Spanish-language page of his website during a press conference in Arizona this morning, John McCain once again tried to have it both ways on the immigration reform debate, demonstrating yet again that he's not able to lead his own Party, much less the country. McCain said he would pursue comprehensive immigration reform as soon as he takes office. But in the same news conference, McCain also took the opposite position: saying that the borders have to be secured first. McCain touted a virtual fence today and said we could have secured the border if it wasn't for all the earmarks and pork spending in Washington. But as recently as March, McCain called the virtual fence a "failed effort" and a "disgrace." Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today on the devastating cyclone in Burma this weekend, in which nearly 4,000 people were killed and tens of thousands are missing: "The thoughts of the world are with the people of Burma as they struggle to recover from the catastrophic cyclone this weekend. It is our hope that the worst in Mother Nature can bring out the best in human nature." Full release

Congressman Joe Sestak (D-PA), the highest ranking military veteran in Congress, on Saturday urged fellow lawmakers to join him in repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law banning lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel from serving openly in the military. Sestak, who had served as a three-star Admiral and who spent thirty-one years in the Navy is one of seventeen veterans in Congress who are co-sponsors of legislation to lift the ban on openly gay service. Full release

The countries of East Africa -- including Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania -- face the interconnected challenges of population pressures, poor health services, and environmental degradation. But some innovative development programs are integrating population-health-environment (PHE) projects to more efficiently address these linked problems. Full release

A diverse coalition of leaders will launch a national campaign -- with a groundbreaking report, three new books, and artifact exhibit -- on May 13th at a conference in Washington, D.C. entitled "Confronting the Debt Culture." (http://www.newthrift.org) The Institute for American Values, New America Foundation, Demos, Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture, Public Agenda, and others, will release a new report, "For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture," which proposes 5 major objectives and 19 specific initiatives to address today's debt crisis and promote a new thrift culture that would promote savings and sustainability. Full release

John McCain says he's a strong leader, but in North Carolina where he is traveling today, his leadership skills haven't measured up. When the North Carolina Republican Party announced last month it would be running a racially divisive ad against Democratic candidates, McCain said he would bring "every pressure to bear" to force the North Carolina party to pull the ad, but then backed off the statement by saying he would not play "referee." Despite his ties to the state and the fact that many of his supporters have given thousands to the North Carolina Republican Party, McCain has refused to exhibit the kind of leadership necessary to stop the party from running the ad. [Boston Globe, 4/25/08; Foxnews.com, 4/28/08] Full release

For their continuing strong support of public charter schools, four outstanding public officials will be honored as recipients of the 2008 Champion for Charters Award at a reception tomorrow, Tuesday, May 6th in the Rayburn House Office Building (Rm. 2325) in Washington D.C. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the leading organization supporting the expansion of quality charter schools, presents the award. Full release

Hillary Clinton (49 percent) leads Barack Obama (43 percent) among likely Indiana Democratic voters, according to a poll released today by Suffolk University. Full release.

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