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Karl Rove: Scott McClellan “sounds like a left-wing blogger.”

By now, we all know that former Press Secretary Scott McClellan is publishing a book and apparently telling some truth about George Bush and his minions. Karl Rove doesn’t like it:

“First of all, this doesn’t sound like Scott. It really doesn’t,” he said. “Not the Scott McClellan I’ve known for a long time. Second of all, it sounds like somebody else. It sounds like a left-wing blogger.

White House Reacts Angrily to Former Aide’s Book

Also on Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…

John Edwards leads Half in Ten Effort on Poverty

John Edwards has joined with several organizations to try to cut poverty in America in half in the next 10 years.

Watch the video with John Edwards and join the movement here: http://www.halfinten.org/

One in eight Americans now lives in poverty.  A family of four is considered poor if the family’s income is below $19,971-a bar far below what most people believe a family needs to get by. Still, using this measure, 12.6 percent of all Americans were poor in 2005, and more than 90 million people (31 percent of all Americans) had incomes below 200 percent of federal poverty thresholds.

Millions of Americans will spend at least one year in poverty at some point in their lives.  One third of all Americans will experience poverty within a 13-year period. In that period, one in 10 Americans are poor for most of the time, and one in 20 are poor for 10 or more years.  

Poverty in the United States is far higher than in many other developed nations. At the turn of the 21st century, the United States ranked 24th among 25 countries when measuring the share of the population below 50 percent of median income.

Inequality has reached record highs. The richest 1 percent of Americans in 2005 held the largest share of the nation’s income (19 percent) since 1929. At the same time, the poorest 20 percent of Americans held only 3.4 percent of the nation’s income.

It does not have to be this way.  Our nation need not tolerate persistent poverty alongside great wealth.

http://www.americanprogress.or…

Do you care?  Do something and join this effort.

Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity

The Center for American Progress Action Fund is committed to cutting poverty in half in 10 years. Under the leadership of Senator John Edwards, CAPAF has joined with ACORN, the Coalition on Human Needs, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to create the Half in Ten campaign.

In 2006, the Center for American Progress-our partner organization-convened a diverse group of national experts and leaders to examine the causes and consequences of poverty in America and make recommendations for national action. The resulting report from the Task Force on Poverty calls for a national goal of cutting poverty in half in the next 10 years and proposes a strategy to reach that goal, guided by the following four principles:

Promote Decent Work. People should work and work should pay enough to ensure that workers and their families can avoid poverty, meet basic needs, and save for the future.

Provide Opportunity for All. Children should grow up in conditions that maximize their opportunities for success; adults should have opportunities throughout their lives to connect to work, get more education, live in a good neighborhood, and move up in the workforce.

Ensure Economic Security. Americans should not fall into poverty when they cannot work or work is unavailable, unstable, or pays so little that they cannot make ends meet.

Help People Build Wealth. All Americans should have the opportunity to build assets that allow them to weather periods of flux and volatility, and to have the resources that may be essential to advancement and upwardmobility.

http://www.americanprogressact…

The Report (Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half by the Center for American Progress Task Force on Poverty) is here:  http://www.americanprogress.or…

Join here:  http://www.halfinten.org/

More after the fold.  

Justice for Eleazar Torres-Gomez: House Panel Examines Cintas Safety

On August 22, 2007, I wrote about the death of Eleazar Torres-Gomez.

Eleazar Torres-Gomez was pronounced dead on the scene after apparently being dragged by a conveyor into an industrial dryer.  Torres-Gomez was trapped in the dryer-which can reportedly reach temperatures of 300 degrees-for at least 20 minutes.

Did Eleazar Torres-Gomez Lose his Life for Company Profits?

Today, from the Wall Street Journal:

New details about the case — from internal company memos, Cintas surveillance videotapes and people close to the federal investigation — indicate that the dangerous practices that led to Mr. Torres-Gomez’s death occurred frequently in Tulsa and at other plants operated by Cintas, the biggest uniform supplier in North America.

There was a hearing of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today on Cintas and safety.  That, and more, after the fold.

Also in orange earlier today: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

Iraqi Army Unit Flees Post, Despite American Pleas to Stay

‘As Iraqis Stand Up, We Will Stand Down,’ Bush Tells Nation

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2005 – On the one-year anniversary of the transfer of sovereignty in Iraq to a transitional Iraqi government, President Bush tonight promised that U.S. forces would remain in Iraq until the job is complete, “but not one day longer.”

“The principal task of our military is to find and defeat the terrorists,” he said. “And that is why we are on the offense. And as we pursue the terrorists, our military is helping to train Iraqi security forces so that they can defend their people and fight the enemy on their own. Our strategy can be summed up this way: As the Iraqis stand up, we will stand down.”

American Forces Press Service, June 28, 2005

They still are not standing up nearly three years later.  The New York Times today reports that Iraqi soldiers abandoned their positions in Sadr City, “defying American soldiers who implored them to hold the line against Shiite militias.”

More after the fold

Also in orange: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

If Elected, Obama will Review (and prosecute if justified) Bush Admin Officials for Criminal Acts

This is good.  In answer to a question from Will Bunch on TPM, Barack Obama states that the rule of law is more important than bipartisanship and bringing people together.

What I would want to do is to have my Justice Department and my Attorney General immediately review the information that’s already there and to find out are there inquiries that need to be pursued.

As Obama tends to do, he qualified his statements a lot and provided verbal support for not acting in a partisan manner.  But the bottom line is:  

If crimes have been committed, they should be investigated.

The rule of law matters in a democracy.  I am glad that Barack Obama says he will uphold the rule of law.  

I think a basic principle of our Constitution is nobody above the law

Elizabeth Edwards is Right (with Olberman video and more)

We need universal health care in this nation.  Nyceve has written about it extensively.  (Read the NYCEVE diaries here.)  Many kossaks, like myself, have long supported single payer.  Last year, John Edwards came out with a universal health care plan that was a road to single payer.  

Elizabeth Edwards spoke about universal health care on Olberman last night:

Elizabeth Edwards is right.

On Olberman last night:

I keep getting asked the difference between these two candidates and their policies and on health care, I prefer Senator Clinton’s to Senator Obama’s.

The difference-more important to me is the difference between Senator McCain’s proposed plan, I said plan, with the ideas of either of the Democratic candidates, and you’re talking about narrower differences between the Democrats and then this gulf that I was describing earlier, a solar system of difference between what Senator McCain is suggesting for health care and what these candidates are suggesting.

More, after the fold, including video on Elizabeth on Olberman and ABC, among other places.  

Breaking: Pelosi to Block Vote on Colombia FTA

According to the New York Times, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will change its rules so as to block the requirement of a vote on the free trade agreement with Colombia.

Pelosi says the House will vote on the rules change policy Thursday, effectively putting off a vote on a free trade agreement that is a key priority of the Bush administration.

The president took his action. I will take mine tomorrow,” Pelosi said.

NY Times

If she succeeds, the Colombian Unfair Trade Agreement is dead for now.

More, after the fold.  

Alos in Orange:  

ACLU: Patenting Abstract Ideas Violates The Constitution

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a friend of the court brief today urging a federal court to uphold the denial of a patent that would, if awarded, violate freedom of speech. In the brief, the ACLU argues that Bernard L. Bilski is seeking a patent for an abstract idea, and that abstract ideas are not patentable under the First Amendment.

“The court must ensure that any test it uses in determining whether to award a patent is in line with the Constitution,” said Christopher Hansen, senior staff attorney with the ACLU First Amendment Working Group, who filed the brief. “If the government had the authority to grant exclusive rights to an idea, the fundamental purpose of the First Amendment – to protect an individual’s right to thought and expression – would be rendered meaningless.”

ACLU

Obama and Clinton Agree: Tell Congress to Say NO to Colombia FTA!

George Bush today sent a proposal to Congress to create yet another “free” trade agreement — this time with Colombia, a country where more than 2,200 trade unionists have been assassinated since 1991.

During an appearance at the White House, Bush said he signed a letter giving Congress 90 working days to vote on the agreement.

cnn.com

The labor federations Change to Win and the AFL-CIO oppose this agreement.  Change to Win says: “The Colombia “free” trade agreement is a bad deal for American and Colombian workers alike.”  

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton also oppose this agrement.  So should all Democrats, including you.

More, after the fold.

Elizabeth Edwards Takes on McCain Again

Elizabeth Edwards knows who the real enemy is and what is at stake in this election.  While there are differences betweeen Obama’s and Clinton’s health care plan, both are far, far better than what John McCain has in store for us.

Last weekend, Elizabeth Edwards took on McCain:

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards, said she and John McCain have one thing in common: “Neither one of us would be covered by his health policy.”

LA Times

McCain’s chief advisor attacked, and today Elizabeth smacked them both down at Think Progress

More, after the fold.  

(also in orange: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…  

End Modern Day Servitude; Support the Florida Tomato Workers

In the tomato fields of south Florida, modern-day servitude still thrives.

Slavery, plain and simple

A federal indictment filed on January 17th of this year charged six people for their roles in a violent farm labor operation based in Immokalee, Florida. US Attorney Doug Molloy called the operation “slavery, plain and simple”

Ft. Myers News-Press, “Group accused of keeping, beating, stealing from Immokalee laborers” 1/18/08).  

The American consumer does not want the tomatoes they eat to be picked by workers who are grossly mistreated

Senator Bernie Sanders, January 18, 2008

More, including what YOU can do, after the fold.

Also in Orange: http://www.dailykos.com/story/…

Clinton, Obama Coal Comments Criticized by Environmental Group

In a press release I received today, Friends of the Earth Action criticized both leading Democratic presidential candidates for their recent anti-environment, pro-coal comments.  

Senator Hillary Clinton expressed enthusiasm for coal and failed to condemn mountaintop removal during an interview yesterday on West Virginia Public Radio.  Today, Senator Barack Obama delivered a speech in West Virginia advocating so-called “clean coal” as a solution to global warming.

Both are wrong.

These comments raise serious questions about whether the Democratic candidates are as committed to clean energy as they claim to be,” Friends of the Earth Action President Brent Blackwelder said.  “Coal is not clean-period.  And it is especially dirty and damaging when it is mined through the mountaintop removal process, in which mountains are literally blown to pieces, wiping vast swaths of nature off the map and polluting valleys, streams and rivers.”

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