Unfiltered

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of a land-mark bipartisan trade deal, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (Mo.) today sent the following letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) outlining why passing the Colombia trade agreement would serve as the kind of economic stimulus she has said the country needs to help our economy. Full release

Committee for Democracy in Iran (San Diego-CA) praises the ruling by the British Court of Appeal to remove the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI) from the list of proscribed organizations. The Court ruled that "to the extent that the PMOI has retained networks and supporters inside Iran since, at the latest, 2002, they have been directed to social protest, finance and intelligence gathering activities which would not fall within the definition of 'terrorism' for the purposes of the 2000 Act." Full release

The nation's largest federal employee union today announced its endorsement of Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 600,000 federal workers, made the decision to support Obama in this historic election citing the critical need for positive change and Obama's ability to unite the country. Full release

John McCain says he wants to spend the American people's "hard earned money wisely" and that "[e]armarks restrict America's ability to address genuine national priorities." But the truth is, McCain's economic proposals have been anything but responsible and have ignored many national priorities. Full release

Sen. Barack Obama called on presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, yesterday, for purportedly suggesting in a fundraising letter the Hamas terrorist organization supports Obama. Full release

The U.S. Department of Labor will issue a notice of proposed rulemaking on May 12 to enhance union financial transparency. The proposed rule, issued under the authority of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), protects the rights of labor union members to have meaningful information about union finances and expenditures. Full release

The following op-ed was released today by the Republican National Committee. It was written by Andrew G. Biggs and is from The Wall Street Journal. As the presidential campaign heats up, a key issue is whether to extend the 2001 and 2003 income tax cuts, which expire in 2011. John McCain wants to make the tax cuts permanent. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to let the rates rise. Full release

The Republican National Committee (RNC) today launched a new Web site encouraging voters to ask Barack Obama questions about the important issues facing America. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement on news that the House-Senate conference committee on the Farm Bill has reached a final agreement: "The bipartisan Farm Bill will ease the strain of rising food prices for American families, begin much-needed reforms to farm payments, and make a substantial commitment to land conservation and to fruits and vegetables." Full release

On the Today Show this morning, Cindy McCain defended the McCain campaign's decision to withhold her tax returns, saying they would never make her tax returns public--not even if she becomes First Lady. [See it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXDV2kZX_MU] Despite the accountability Americans expect from their elected officials and McCain's own calls for openness and transparency in government, John McCain has only released two years of his tax returns. No nominee from either party since Ronald Reagan in 1980 has disclosed that little information.
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On the campaign trail John McCain likes to call himself a maverick Republican who bucks the Party line whenever possible. But the fact is, McCain is far from a moderate. In the same week that we found out that McCain has never voted against a Republican judicial nominee during his entire time in the Senate, the Arizona Republic reported that he rarely bucks his party on close votes. According to the paper's analysis of his Senate votes, McCain's "voting pattern seems at odds with the popular narrative that McCain's maverick tendencies make him an unreliable conservative" and a political scientist who analyzes Senate votes said, "He is a conservative who votes conservative on most issues...[b]y no means is he a liberal or even a moderate." [Arizona Republic, 5/7/08]
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Today, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) launched its national tour of a life-size Guantanamo prison cell replica in Miami to increase public awareness and mount pressure on the Bush administration to close down the U.S.-controlled detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Full release.

The U.S. Department of Labor will hold a public hearing on May 28 at 10:30 a.m. EDT to collect information on the use of child labor and forced labor worldwide in the production of goods. The hearing will take place at the department's headquarters at 200 Constitution Ave. N.W. in Washington. The department is accepting requests to attend from all interested parties. Full release

Will John McCain receive the enthusiastic support from conservatives that he needs to win in November? Or will conservatives give him only grudging support... or vote for someone else? Full release.

Seniors have lost 51 percent of their buying power since the beginning of the decade, according to a new study released today by The Senior Citizens League, one of the nation's largest nonpartisan seniors groups. Full release

Yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of the first congressional hearing on the diversion of billions of dollars in federal contracts intended for small businesses to Fortune 1000 corporations. To date, no legislation has been passed to stop large firms from dominating federal programs designed for small businesses. Full release.

As the death toll from Cyclone Nargis climbs steeply, UNICEF is gravely concerned that the lack of shelter and safe drinking water, coupled with poor sanitary conditions, could significantly increase the death toll among children and other vulnerable populations, leading to a second wave of deaths. Full releases.

According to an Arizona Republic analysis of McCain's voting record since 1999, despite his carefully cultivated "maverick" image, in the close votes where it mattered most, John McCain rarely ever bucked his own party. As one expert noted, McCain "is a conservative who votes conservative on most issues" who "by no means" is a "a liberal or even a moderate." In fact, McCain's voting record is only slightly less conservative than most Republicans throughout his career, and "near the far edge of the right while running for president." Full release

"The White House action taken yesterday to rig any FEC enforcement decision concerning campaign finance questions that have been raised regarding the presumptive Republican nominee for President, Senator John McCain (R-AZ), constitutes political obstruction of justice," according to Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer. Full release

Following the impact of Cyclone Nargis on Myanmar, which killed tens of thousands of people and displaced around a million more, Amnesty International is calling urgently on the government to open its borders to relief workers and ensure aid is provided on the basis of need without discrimination. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today in response to comments by President Bush after he met with House Republican leaders at the White House this morning: "American families confronting foreclosure deserve better from the President than a veto threat; they deserve the House's bipartisan housing plan that will protect the American Dream of home ownership."
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The following is being issued by the Republican National Committee: "Former Sen. George McGovern, Who Backed Hillary Rodham Clinton, Is Urging Her To Drop Out Of The Democratic Presidential Race." (Dennis Gale, "McGovern, Former Clinton Backer, Urges Her To Drop Out," The Associated Press, 5/7/08) Full release

A bill pending in the state Senate could address Pennsylvania's most critical health care crisis for the hundreds of thousands who lack health insurance, a top Department of State official told nursing students in Coraopolis today. Full release

John McCain says that "[j]ob security may well be the most pressing problem confronting Americans." But when he had the chance to fight for jobs here at home, McCain instead helped ship tens of thousands of defense jobs overseas. Reports show that McCain helped steer a $35 billion Air Force tanker deal to Airbus and EADS -- a European defense contractor that three of the lobbyists in his inner circle lobbied for. On top of this, McCain sponsored an amendment in the Senate to end the Defense Department's buy American requirement and mocked buy America provisions. [johnmccain.com, accessed 5/6/08] Full release

Governments at all levels are increasingly asked to respond to demands for improved service and efficiency. Microsoft Corp. and its partners are meeting this challenge through the availability of an applications platform, the Citizen Service Platform (CSP), which will make it easier for governments to interact with citizens, streamline processes and, as a result, save time and taxpayer dollars.
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The HHS Office of HIV/AIDS Policy announced today that the Web site AIDS.gov, a gateway to all federal domestic HIV /AIDS information and resources, now has an innovative look and feel that incorporates a blog, podcasts, and other new media tools. Full release

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement in advance of the House's consideration of a supplemental funding bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan later this week: "President Bush insists on war without end in Iraq, but Democrats in Congress stand with Americans who want to bring our troops home responsibly, safely and soon, and with taxpayers who believe that the Iraqi government must begin to pay its fair share for the reconstruction of their country." Full release

Tonight, John McCain will attend a fundraiser for his presidential campaign in Michigan. According to the invitation, he will be joined by the chair of his Michigan Victory 08 committee, John Rakolta, Jr., and McCain Michigan co-chairman Robert Liggett. What the invitation does not say, however, is that Rakolta and Liggett were two of the key backers of an organization that helped finance an ad that compared Democrats to Adolf Hitler in the 2006 election. Rakolta and his wife contributed $10,000 to a group called Voice the Vote, which used the money to buy a newspaper ad that compared Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and a procession of Democratic presidents to Hitler. Full release

"While authors of the recently passed Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (H.R. 493) had good intentions, the bill inadvertently legalizes the sharing of genetic information without patient consent," says Sue Blevins, president of the Institute for Health Freedom (IHF). "It does so by applying HIPAA regulations to genetic data." Full release

Election Protection, the nation's largest nonpartisan voter protection coalition, together with a diverse group of partners, is in high gear helping voters in Indiana and North Carolina cast meaningful ballots through a comprehensive voter protection program. Volunteers will be available throughout the day to continue assisting Primary Election Day voters with questions and to ensure that all voters know their rights. Voters in both states can call 1-866-OUR-VOTE toll-free until 8 p.m. EDT with any questions or issues that arise at polling areas. Full release

Veteran political journalists with extensive experience covering U.S. presidential campaigns in print, television and radio going back to the 1950s will discuss the mishaps and strengths of this year's media coverage to date. Full release

An exclusive new poll commissioned by Reader's Digest, the most widely-read magazine in the world, finds that voters under 30, or Millennials, are changing the landscape of American politics this year, and are likely to do so for years to come. Full release

After weeks of pretending to be "a different kind of Republican," John McCain showed his true colors today in his speech about the kind of judges he would appoint as president. While he makes a show of trying to recast himself as a "moderate" for the general election, in reality John McCain is promising four more years of right wing judges bent on pushing a radical agenda from the bench. In fact, in his 22 years as a Republican Senator, John McCain has never voted against a single judicial nomination by a Republican President. No matter how far outside the mainstream they have been, John McCain has been a loyal rubberstamp for their radical right wing agenda. Full release.

The National Black Chamber of Commerce expressed their concern over broadband regulations known as "network neutrality" that the House Telecommunications Subcommittee discussed at today's hearing on H.R. 5353, the "Internet Freedom Preservation Act." Full release.

Today's McCain Myth: John McCain can be trusted with the future of the Supreme Court. Full release.

Save the Children, a U.S.-based independent global humanitarian organization, today released its ninth annual Mothers' Index that ranks the best -- and worst -- places to be a mother and a child. The Mother's Index, highlighted in the organization's State of the World's Mothers 2008 report, compares the well-being of mothers and children in 146 countries, more than in any previous year. Full release.

The following statement was issued today by Taxpayers United Michigan Foundation: "For nine months, Michigan's 7.2 million registered voters have been shoved aside as officials from both the Michigan Democratic and Republican Parties embarrassed grassroot citizens by grandstanding in national news media for 'Michigan relevance' which they mistakenly anticipated by their shift to an Early Open Michigan Presidential Primary Election on January 15, 2008," said Bill McMaster of Taxpayers United in the State Capitol press room in Lansing yesterday. Full release

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.

Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE) today praised the sponsors of the Domestic Energy Production Act of 2008, which was introduced yesterday in the U.S. Senate, for proposing domestic supply as an important component to a comprehensive energy policy. Full release

World Vision welcomes the Bush Administration's proposal to boost hunger assistance funding by $770 million in the next fiscal year, as a sign of leadership and commitment amid a global crisis driven by spiraling food prices. Full release

Iraqi Minister of Industry, Fawzi Hariri and U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Business Transformation and Director of the Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, Paul Brinkley will announce and discuss a number of new contracts for private industry for business development in Iraq. Full release

The following was issued today by the Office of the Speaker of the House: Congressman Andre Carson (IN-7) will deliver the Democratic Radio Address tomorrow. In his address, Congressman Carson will discuss the Iraq war and the strain it is having on the U.S. economy. He will also address how the New Direction Congress will continue to work for change. Full release

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