News aggregator

Republican Candidates: "No New Jobs!"

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pAs President Obama signs into law a new bipartisan bill to create jobs today, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released “No New Jobs a new ad slamming Republican Senate candidates for turning their backs on job creation at every turn./p p/p pobject height=385 width=480 param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/X40atcu8ZVEamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; / param name=allowFullScreen value=true / param name=allowscriptaccess value=always /embed height=385 width=480 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/X40atcu8ZVEamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowscriptaccess=always allowfullscreen=true/embed/object/p
Categories: Democratic Party

Mitch McConnell, Obstructor-In-Chief

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pThe a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/17/us/politics/17mcconnell.html?pagewanted=printNew York Times/a profiles Senate Minority Leader (and Obstructor-In-Chief) Mitch McConnell, characterizing the Senate’s top Republican as a man who subsists and thrives on the cold cynicism of partisan politics./p pIt has been apparent for some time that the GOP prioritizes short-term political gain over progress on the economy and health care, an attitude which embodies the worst aspects of Washington politics. The Times notes that this cynical attitude comes directly from their leader:/p p/p blockquote..Mr. McConnell, 68, a Kentuckian more at home plotting tactics in the cloakroom than writing legislation in a committee room or exhorting crowds on the campaign trail, has come to embody a kind of oppositional politics that critics say has left voters cynical about Washington, the Senate all but dysfunctional and the Republican Party without a positive agenda or message./blockquote p/p pThis is not a purely partisan analysis of Sen. McConnell. Republicans apparently see McConnell the same way:/p p/p blockquoteEven Mr. McConnell’s fellow Republican say somewhat admiringly that he can be a secretive and coldly calculating tactician with an eye for political openings, someone more consumed by political strategy than ideology or philosophy./blockquote p/p pIndeed./p
Categories: Democratic Party

Mark Kirk Has A Bank Problem

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pspan style=In a new web video unveiled today, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is highlighting Congressman Mark Kirk’s never-ending affinity and affection for big banks, who along with the securities industry, has given Congressman Kirk over $1 million during the course of his career in Washington. /span/p p/p p/p object height=385 width=480 param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/7Yp-0xlzLd4amp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; / param name=allowFullScreen value=true / param name=allowscriptaccess value=always /embed height=385 width=480 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/7Yp-0xlzLd4amp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowscriptaccess=always allowfullscreen=true/embed/object
Categories: Democratic Party

Poll: Specter Leads Toomey In Pennsylvania

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pIndependent pollstera href=http://www.dailykos.com/statepoll/2010/3/10/PA/457 Research 2000/a shows Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter maintaining a lead in Pennsylvania, beating Republican Pat Toomey 47% to 41%. /p pSenator Specter’s lead has remained more or less constant since last summer, when he led 45% to 40%./p pWith Republican Pat Toomey aligning himself with the right wing of his party (recently admitting voting he would have voted against the bipartisan Senate jobs bill), Senator Specter’s resilience in polling is quite welcome news./p
Categories: Democratic Party

Send Rush Limbaugh A One Way Ticket To Costa Rica...

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pThe DSCCs latest online petition takes Rush Limbaugh up on his offer to leave the country if Congress passes health care reform./p phttp://dscc.org/pt?petition_KEY=260/p pbHelp Rush take the first step: Send him his boarding pass. Well deliver a copy in your name to Rushs studio./b/p pbPass him his one-way ticket on Tea Bag Air!/b/p
Categories: Democratic Party

Is Rob Portman Joining The Birther Bandwagon?

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pPer TPM, two Ohio Republicans a href=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/ohio-republicans-crack-birther-jokes-at-event-with-senate-candidate-rob-portman.php#moremade birther jokes/a about President Obama at a dinner on Saturday...while introducing Senate candidate Rob Portman./p p/p blockquoteAccording to audio recorded by someone at the dinner and obtained by TPMDC, the joke concludes with: Lincoln was a skinny lawyer. Obama is a skinny lawyer. Lincoln was a Republican. Obama is a skinny lawyer. Lincoln was highly respected. Obama is a skinny lawyer. Lincoln was born in the United States. Obama is a skinny lawyer.br / /blockquoteblockquote That was followed up with a more subtle crack from State Rep. James Zehringer, who said he read over Portmans Wikipedia entry, which starts by identifying him as an American lawyer. Rob Portman is an American lawyer. Thats the first sentence [on his Wikipedia page]. Thats something our president cant say, Zehringer said. /blockquote pPortman has yet to denounce these statements, and his campaign will not answer directly whether Portman believes President Obama was born in the United States. /p
Categories: Democratic Party

VIDEO: On Jobs Bill And Unemployment Benefits, Richard Burr is Out In Right Field

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pThis quite befits the man who says its impossible to get to his right, from an ideological standpoint.../p object height=385 width=480 param name=movie value=http://www.youtube.com/v/wxK0ZTEu9-kamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; / param name=allowFullScreen value=true / param name=allowscriptaccess value=always /embed height=385 width=480 src=http://www.youtube.com/v/wxK0ZTEu9-kamp;hl=en_USamp;fs=1amp; type=application/x-shockwave-flash allowscriptaccess=always allowfullscreen=true/embed/object
Categories: Democratic Party

Jobs Bill Passes House: Kirk, Castle, Blunt, Boozman Vote Against

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pThe HIRE Act passed the House today, no thanks to Reps. Mark Kirk of Illinois, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Michael Castle of Delaware, and John Boozman of Arkansas./p pEach of these would-be Senators voted against the job creation package./p p/p p/p pThe bipartisan bill, has four key provisions including a payroll tax holiday for businesses to encourage hiring, additional funds to help small businesses expand, an extension of the Highway Trust Fund to allow more infrastructure investments, and an expansion of the Build America Bonds program to allow states finance infrastructure projects./p pEach of these four Republicans stands in opposition to the Senators they would replace on job creation./p
Categories: Democratic Party

Bunning Blockade Ends...But Burr Sides With Him

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pFirst, the good news: Senator Jim Bunning finally stopped his blockade and allowed a vote on short term extenders for unemployment benefits, COBRA, flood insurance, highway funding and small business loans./p pThe bad news is that Senator Richard Burr voted against the extensions anyway./p p/p pThe bill still passed, 78-19, but the vote leaves us shaking our heads, wondering why Richard Burr chose to cast a vote that hurt hundreds of thousands of struggling North Carolinian families./p
Categories: Democratic Party

Key Republican Candidates Supporting Bunning

DSCC: From the Roots - 1 hour 6 min ago
pSen. Jim Bunning has become a national news phenomenon of late for his cruel filibuster…and many of his fellow Republicans, including would-be Bunning replacements Trey Grayson and Rand Paul, are publicly supporting Sen. Bunning./p pFor a recap, here is the a href=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/01/AR2010030103401.html?hpid=topnewscost/a of the Bunning blockade:#160;/p p/p blockquoteFor four days, he has been on a one-man campaign to cut off unemployment benefits, kick the unemployed off of health insurance, cut Medicare payments to doctors, deny satellite TV to rural Americans, shut down federal flood insurance and highway projects, and furlough thousands of federal workers./blockquote p/p pQuite a laundry list of accomplishments – and one that Grayson and Paul are not ashamed to endorse, though they certainly should be./p
Categories: Democratic Party

Daily Clips for March 19, 2010

Iowa Democratic Party - 1 hour 32 min ago

POLITICO Podcast: Harkin’s Groundhog Day
From Politico.com

Is Sen. Tom Harkin ready to move on from health care?

“Oh, am I ever,” he told the POLITICO Podcast. “This thing just goes on and on and on; it’s like that movie ‘Groundhog Day.’ It just keeps going over and over again.” Listen to the podcast…

Guest opinion column: Federal leaders should look to Iowa for guidance
From the Des Moines Register – Opinion page
I was proud to be at the bill signing last May that allowed 100 percent of Iowa’s children to have health care coverage. Gov. Chet Culver signed the state’s pioneering health-care legislation at Broadlawns Hospital, which is located in my district. Last year’s hard work by Democrats and Republicans allowed us to leapfrog political gridlock. I hope now that as all Americans turn their attention, hopes, and dreams to Washington, D.C., that politicians on both sides of the aisle learn something from Iowa.

In a recent letter given to President Obama and congressional leaders from some of the brightest economists in America, clearly declared that something must happen soon. Read full article…

Obama signs jobs bill; Braley on hand
From the Quad-City Times

President Obama signed the jobs bill today, and U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, was among about three dozen congressmen who were invited to the White House for the signing ceremony.

Braley proposed a payroll tax cut in the House for small businesses who hire people for longer than six months. U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, had earlier proposed it in the Senate. Read full article…

Categories: Democratic Party

IPERS changes gain legislative passage

Des Moines Register - 10 hours 30 min ago
br /The Senate on Thursday approved adjustments to public-employee retirement plans to ensure they stay solvent.
Categories: News & Blogs

Narcisse decides to run as independent

Des Moines Register - 11 hours 10 min ago
br /Former Des Moines school board member Jonathan Narcisse on Thursday gave up his short-lived bid to mount a primary challenge against Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.
Categories: News & Blogs

Aid for anti-foreclosure program sought

Des Moines Register - 11 hours 11 min ago
br /Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller urged state and federal officials Thursday to find up to $1 million to keep afloat a program aimed at preventing home foreclosures.
Categories: News & Blogs

Governor Culver at Pioneer announcement of expansion, 400 new jobs

Culver-Judge Campaign - 11 hours 30 min ago

Governor Culver attended the announcement by Pioneer about their planned expansion of their facility in Johnston that will include 400 new jobs. The expansion was thanks, in part, to a commitment from the state of $7.8 million from the values fund -- including $500,000 for job training.

Here are some photos from the event:

Categories: Democratic Party

Governor Culver and Pioneer announce 400 new jobs in Johnston

Iowa Democratic Party - Thu, 03/18/2010 - 4:11pm

Governor Culver was in Johnston today on the campus of Pioneer Hi-Bred International. Pioneer’s President Paul Schickler held a press conference to announce that Pioneer was expanding its Johnston campus and adding 400 new jobs at that location. The new buildings will be ready for occupancy in 2012.

The State of Iowa and the City of Johnston are supporting this expansion. Through the Iowa Department of Economic Development, Pioneer is receiving $7.8 million with $500,000 earmarked for job training. Mr. Schickler said without the support of the IDED and the state, “this would not be possible.”

Johnston Mayor Paula Dierenfeld said this was an example of how a business, a state and a community can work together to give Iowa and Johnston an “economic shot in the arm.”

Here are some pictures from the event:

Categories: Democratic Party

Stop Senator Bunning - Sign the DSCC's Petition

DSCC: From the Roots - Thu, 03/18/2010 - 3:24pm
pSen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) is filibustering an unemployment benefits extension for more than 1.2 million out-of-work Americans. Struggling families count on these benefits to put food on the table, pay bills and keep a roof over their heads. /p pAs they usually do, Senate Republicans are standing with Jim Bunning and his obstruction, not with American families. Is railroading President Obama’s agenda more important to Republicans than helping Americans struggling through this poor economic climate? /p pAsk GOP candidates this question: a href=http://www.dscc.org/petition?petition_KEY=255Do you support Jim Bunning’s cruel filibuster? /a/p
Categories: Democratic Party

Roll Call takes a look inside Bruce Braley’s office

Iowa Democratic Party - Thu, 03/18/2010 - 2:02pm

Roll Call magazine, in their latest in the video series “Office Space” takes a gander around the office of Iowa’s 1st District Congressman Bruce Braley. Congressman Braley shows the crew pictures from his childhood and other keepsakes from his life and his district.

Take a look:

Categories: Democratic Party

Grassley claims tax credits will save jobs, but votes against the bill

Iowa Democratic Party - Thu, 03/18/2010 - 1:56pm

In a press release last week, Grassley said the failure to extend the tax credits to biofuel companies would result in job losses in Iowa1, but he then voted against the bill to extend those tax credits.2

“Senator Charles Grassley is more interested in maintaining gridlock in Washington than creating jobs for hard-working Iowans,” said Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan.

“He has proven that his loyalty is to the Republican Party and not the people of Iowa,” added Kiernan.

Sources:

  1. Press Release, Senator Charles Grassley, “Grassley supports tax relief extensions, opposes rampant deficit spending,” March 10, 2010.
  2. Vote 48, March 10, 2010.
Categories: Democratic Party

Governor Culver Requests Congressional Funding for FEMA Disaster Relief Fund

Iowa Gov. Chet Culver - Thu, 03/18/2010 - 1:47pm
DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver yesterday wrote to the leadership in the U.S. House and Senate requesting quick action for supplemental funding of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). According to FEMA, the DRF is estimated to be depleted later this month if Congress doesn’t act. The shortages of funding are already affecting funding for some of Iowa’s public assistance projects and this will continue to be the case until Congress acts. “Disaster funding from FEMA is a lifeline for states experiencing natural disasters,” said Governor Culver. “Without this vital resource from our federal partners, true recovery is practically impossible.” In his letter, Governor Culver pointed out that monies committed for the two severe winter storms in western Iowa this past January and February cannot be obligated until the DRF is replenished. Additionally, another $100 million to rebuild from the floods in 2008 are in jeopardy. As Iowa is entering into peak construction season, availability of funds is imperative. The letter, addressed to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, also emphasized that, with the potential of considerable flooding in the Midwest within the next month, relief funding will continue to be a priority for states throughout the nation. All five of Iowa’s House members wrote a similar letter to their leadership today: “We write to respectfully urge action as soon as possible to replenish the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund (DRF). This is an issue of great concern that affects our constituents and local governments who are struggling to recover from severe flooding, storms, and tornadoes in 2008 that devastated the State of Iowa, in addition to those beginning the recovery process as a result of multiple severe winter storms occurring in December 2009 and January 2010.”
Categories: Elected Officials
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