A Campaign Scandal Nipped...

Posted by Karen Tumulty

More flip-flopping? Another move to the center? There was much clucking in the media today over the significance of Barack Obama's reported refusal to fist-bump a little boy yesterday in Ohio yesterday. The brouhaha (which was quickly picked up in a mass e-mail by the Republican National Committee) started with this excerpt from a pool report of Obama's visit to the Eastside Community Ministry in Zanesville:

He then came back to the room where the children were drawing pictures. Stooping over a table, he autographed a number of drawings. The children were delighted; one girl held her picture to her cheek after Obama signed it. As he left, a boy tried to give him a fist bump. Obama said no. "If I start that …'' his voice trailed off.

The candidate apparently was mystified when he heard about the report today, which sent ABC News' Sunlen Miller back to the videotape. What she found:

Child: Can you sign my hand?

Obama: If I start that...plus Mom might not be happy when she comes home. She'll be like, 'what is the dirt on your hand?'...see ya.

Child: Can you sign it in pen so it will come off?

The child rose his hand in a fist to get Obama's attention as he asked for a signature – perhaps prompting the fist bump portrayal.

Obama instead signed the autographs for the children in crayon on drawings they were working on during class.

In the meantime, the "terrorist fist jab" appears to be gaining popularity.

(The child's request, by the way, brings up what is a recurring issue for candidates. I remember Al Gore having to tell people many times: "I don't sign skin.")

Simple Credit Card Advice For Everyone, Yes YOU!

by Lava20

Wed Jun 25, 2008

This diary is simple. If you have credit cards or a bank card, this will hopefully help you save some money. It’s not earth shattering. It won’t solve all your problems. But for most people these are the things that actually work. Yes, Suze Orman is great. But for most people who barely have a job let alone enough money to actually pay down balances this diary is for you. In fact, don’t expect these things to solve any major problem. What it will do is prevent the bank from robbing you blind.

Who am I? My name is Nicole. I worked for the two largest credit card companies in the world. I worked in various departments, but the most important department I worked for was customer service. This advice is just one friend to another. It is based on my own personal experience with what does and doesn't work.

If the response is okay, then I will continue this in a series. And this is directed at the average consumer. If you have questions email me. I will get back to you in one or two days.

1. Protest every fee. Overdraft fees. Late fees. Call and ask for the fee to be waived. If you were late. Call. If they tell you no. Ask again. If they tell you no. Ask for a supervisor. Most fees can be waived. The times the bank will not waive a fee is if you are 60 days or more behind. Or if you are always over your credit limit. I promise you. If you are willing to spend the time. That fee will be waived. This works about 85% of the time. I'll be honest here. The only reason that they may not waive the fee is if you are over 30 days late in the last 6 months or over 60 days in the last 12 months. So catch up if you can. Then make that call. You might be part of that 15%

2. Report your card as lost or stolen. WHAT? Yes. This goes for debit cards also. Once you give out your credit card number, you have no control over who has access to your information. How often? I do this twice a year. If you shop online a great deal, do it more often. I know no one who reads this surfs porn, but if one does do this, you might want to cancel your cards more often. It doesn’t effect your credit report any, if at all. As long as you’re not doing it every week on every card, you’re fine. This is also helpful to prevent id theft. I will save that for the next diary.

3. If the bank makes an error, it’s never in your favor. So don’t do any sort of direct authorization to your checking account. For example, you might give your checking account number and routing number so that the minimum payment will be charged every month. Not a good idea. Errors can happen. I have seen many times where the bank has charged the members account for the total credit card balance instead of the minimum balance. This causes the members checking accounts to become overdrawn. The bank may be required to reimburse you for their own credit card fees. But it is completely up to the credit card company if they pay your banks fees (overdraft fees, fees to the store you wrote the check to etc.) Don't risk it. Your best bet here: Use your personal banking account and sign up with your bank to pay bills online.

4. Do not sign up for anything the credit card company wants to auto bill you for. Save yourself the time and headache. Insurance. Fraud protection. This is a billion dollar industry. And normally you will get no benefit from it. In fact, you will most likely spend more time trying to cancel it than any benefit you will receive from it. I have yet to meet the person who saved time or money with a fraud prevention unit that they couldn't do on their own. If you want to, go for it. Good luck. You're going to need it.

5. The only thing that will save you money is time. You must call. Every single time. Program the customer service number to your credit card company into your phone. right now. You don’t have to have your credit card number to call. Have them look your account up by your Social Security Number or name. Call every month to ask for lower interest rates. To have fees waived. To check your balance. To lower your credit limit. For every little thing.

I want to give an example here. Two different accounts. One group of members have high credit limits, pay off their bill in full every month. The other group pays as much as they can every month and has interest fees. Who saves the most? The first. Why? Because they call. They will have us read off every damn purchase. They will have us explain in detail over and over again how the interest is calculated. They will stay on the phone for 30 minutes to get the $50 yearly membership fee waived. And you know what? It works. They get a free service, basically. And bravo. The credit card company expects this. They also count on you, the person reading this right now, to be the person who doesn't do this.

One other thing I would like to bring up with this diary. Sometimes things happen. For example, I’ve seen entire zip codes where card members statements arrive late. Thousands may not receive their statement in enough time to mail the payment. This is strange because it appears that most of these card members all live in the same zip code, or they may all hold Union cards (the highest interest rate and the most revolvers – people who carry balances.) This makes the card member late in sending in a payment. And wouldn’t you know it. Millions of late fees. Most call to have the fees reversed. That’s fine with the credit card company. Because they only really need 10% to not bother.

Did you just say 10%? Yes. That’s all they need really. It doesn’t cost them anything if you never call. In fact, they can save here too. What would a smart bank do?: on the days the late mailed statement arrives, make sure that is the day that most of your customer service representatives are off. That way people will have to wait longer to get through to a live agent. Many don’t want to spend their Saturdays waiting for a customer service rep to answer. So they hang up. BINGO that 10% just went to 12% now. Millions. So again. Read #1.

One neat trick credit card companies use is to shorten the amount of time you have to send in a payment. This varies by bank. Normally you want 25 days. I've seen as short as 20. Call. Ask them for a longer length of time to send you bill in. Even if you don't need it. Why have the bank earn interest on the money if you can?

One final word of advice. Try not to sign up for auto anything. Again, it is so very difficult to get things auto-billed to stop. The company might be great, but unless you are getting a huge discount, I wouldn’t take the risk. If you do insist on auto-billing make sure you do #2! And if you do have things auto billed...make sure it is to a debit or credit card. That way you can easily report it lost/stolen when your friendly everyday auto insurance company decides to raise your premiums and change from monthly to biannual.

Okay. I saved the best for last. Guess what will work more than all the other things listed her combined? BE NICE!!! W T F?!?! Yes, calling with a bitchy attitudes actually inspires a customer service representative to do the least they can for you. Now, I may be taking the 100th call for the day about the statement arriving late, and all 99 of them have been royal jerks...then I get lucky number 100...who has read this diary and might start off the conversation like this," Thank you so much for taking my call, I really hate to call with this, but do you think you can help me out with this late fee...Throw in the customer service representatives name, no matter how horrid, tell them you love that name...

Hagrid? I love that name...I named my new kitten Hagrid....I have this little problem with my interest rate, Hagrid....

Substitute Poindexter for Hagrid, and it works for both sexes.

Well hope this helps.

Interview With Congressional Candidate Rob Russell

From Cup of Joe Powell...go look at his blog


As promised, 1st District Congressional candidate Rob Russell, a Democrat, agreed to answer a few questions on issues and campaigning in East Tennessee. My first question was on the fact that the East Tennessee media really has done little other than to provide coverage to the incumbent Republican David Davis and his GOP challenger Phil Roe. And after reading his responses to all the questions I submitted, I think I see why he gets such little coverage -- his message could easily win many voters and end 130 years of Republican rule in East Tennessee.

My thanks to Mr. Russell for his time and for his work to respond and if you wish to visit his website, go here.



1. Have any of the East TN media even contacted you for any stories or coverage of your campaign? Has this hampered your campaign efforts?

In comparison to the amount of coverage the Roe and Davis campaigns have received – almost daily coverage in the major local newspapers, such as the Kingsport Times-News (which is the local paper I subscribe to) -- the coverage has been slight. The absence of coverage from the Times-News has been particularly stinging, since when the paper covers political events, such as the NETAR Candidates' Breakfast on June 13, it fails to mention that I was even there (and I spoke directly after Dr. Roe).

My thanks go out to the Greeneville Sun, who has managed to cover me both times I've spoken in Greeneville. I've had singular mentions in Morristown's Citizen-Tribune, The Johnson City Press, and the Bristol Herald-Courier, so I'd like to thank them, as well. I was asked to appear on WBIR-TV's "Inside Tennessee" (based in Knoxville, WBIR reaches about 1/3, the western end, of the First District), and did so, but neither Roe nor Davis showed. No TV stations that are actually in the First District have contacted me at all.

It appears that most of the regional news media has treated the race as if the Democratic Party doesn't even exist. Maybe they have a point -- my race isn't strongly contested. However, is this balanced coverage? Certainly not.

Probably the biggest effect this non-coverage has had on my campaign has been in the fundraising department. I'm not an experienced fundraiser or campaigner: I love to speak with people about the issues, but I hate to ask anyone for money, especially in these hard economic times – the people who I hope will support me are the very same people who can't afford to give much, financially, to a candidate. In contrast, Davis and Roe have large war chests and campaign staffs, as well as some built-in advantages: Davis can send out promotional material at tax-payer expense and Roe has a built-in soapbox as Mayor of Johnson City. I'm a state university employee with two small children, a working wife and a moderate income who just happens to be the only viable Democratic candidate – so I can't really expect to compete on promotional front at the level of Davis and Roe. I don't have their resources, their staffs, or their fundraising machinery. I'm hoping this will change somewhat after the primary.

2. What issues do residents tell you are of the highest priority? What concerns do you hear from business owners?

When I was thinking about running, I considered what issues were most important to average East Tennesseans like me. As a regular guy who commutes to work each day, has a working wife, two kids and all the responsibilities that come with working hard to succeed in America -- a mortgage, car payments, student loans, etc. – the issues that most worry my mind every day are healthcare, education and the economy. These concerns are on our minds when we're filling up our cars, when we're budgeting what we can afford to spend on groceries, when we are deciding which prescriptions to refill this week or wait until next, and when we think of our children's' futures. Everywhere I go, what I say about these issues resonates with voters, and many of them share their stories with me.

One story relates to your question about what I hear from business owners. When I spoke in Morristown back in April, a small business owner explained how she and her husband were struggling with the cost of insurance premiums for themselves and their employees. The dramatic rise in their healthcare costs is creating a situation where she has to decide whether to give up the business entirely or risk bankruptcy by paying escalating costs.

The healthcare situation in America is bad for business, bad for Americans, and bad for America. Both Roe and Davis believe the free market can fix this (and hasn't it done a great job so far?), but many experts, such as Welmont CEO Dr. Richard Salluzzo, disagree, recommending that the government play a part in guaranteeing fairness and justice in healthcare, whether it is in the form of creating a "universal" single-payer program or acting as a fair broker helping to regulate a fairer system. Right now we are the world's biggest per-capita spender on healthcare but at the bottom of the heap when it comes to patient satisfaction, quality, and fairness; we are also the only wealthy nation that doesn't consider affordable, quality healthcare as a right of citizenship. We are also the only country among the wealthy nations that allows its citizens to go bankrupt due to medical costs. This, even more than our mid-level educational rankings in terms of math, science, and reading, is a disgrace. Rising healthcare costs also have substantial, hidden effects: it's estimated the $2,000 of the price of every American car goes to pay for autoworkers' health benefits. This is compared to $600 per car in Japan -- a country with universal healthcare. Americans deserve better.

The economy and education are also very important issues for me, but because of its overall impact on our family security and our pride as a nation, healthcare reform is my first priority.

3. If you earn the party's nomination, would you be willing to hold a debate or two with the candidate from the GOP side prior to the fall election?

In 2006, I was very frustrated seeing how Davis, the Republican nominee, simply ignored the existence of Rick Trent who'd won the Democratic nod. There was no debate, no acknowledgement of any opinion other than the radical, right-wing point-of-view that Davis represented – which didn't even represent the majority of Republicans voting in the primary that year. I soon learned, from speaking to others, that this disdainful treatment of Democratic candidates was par for the course in the 1st District -- Jenkins refused calls to debate, or even to appear on "unfriendly" radio or television programs. I understand why Republican nominees and incumbents in this area act this way: if your party has been in power for 130 years straight, why should allow yourself to be put on an equal footing with other "upstart" parties? I don't think that Davis is afraid of a debate, I simply think that he doesn't see it as a necessity, and may even see it as damaging to his credibility.

That being said, refusing to participate in open debate is un-democratic: debate is part of the American political tradition, and getting your message across to all of the voters -- not just your narrow constituency -- should be the duty of any candidate. I would love to participate in a debate with Congressman Davis, possibly sponsored by and airing on a local television station. Some local media outlet should jump at the chance to do that -- not only would it serve the public interest, but also actually getting to see their congressman "in action" would probably draw a lot of voters to their TV sets.

4. On your web site you write: "East Tennessee deserves a real voice, someone who will fight for the best interests of all hard-working East Tennesseans, not the big-business special interests who have controlled our region's destiny for far too long." Could you elaborate on that topic?

The fact that no voice other than a Republican one has represented our region for 130 years is, for some, reason enough to make a change, but recent events have proven that the economic agenda of the Republican party – pro-corporate welfare / anti- fair wages for working people; against saving Social Security and reforming healthcare / for tax cuts for the wealthy and reckless de-regulation of mortgage trading and commodities markets – is against the best interests of the vast majority of East Tennesseans.

In my opinion, recent representation has shown no desire to help the region recover from the de-industrialization that decimated our industrial base in the 80s and 90s, and if Davis is allowed to have an additional term, we are in for an even worse time as our economy heads further south and prices soar. Forget that he's a millionaire; forget that he's a healthcare insider; forget that he's not actually from East Tennessee. Voters should simply ask themselves, should East Tennessee be represented by someone whose major campaign contributors are fossil-fuel energy PACs, pharmaceutical company PACs, and military contractors, when three of the biggest issues the next Congress will vote on are energy policy, healthcare, and military involvement in Iraq? Should we elect a representative who has received nearly half a million in campaign contributions from these special interests? Would such a representative really consider the best interests of East Tennesseans first?

5. Historically, the 1st District has not been successful in getting Democrat voters to get more involved. Do you work with party leaders on this issue and what plans do you have to change this typically low turnout?

In the last election, Rick Trent, a virtual unknown outside of Morristown, was able to mobilize a considerable amount of voters in a mid-term election, receiving 37% of the vote, quite a showing for a first-time Democratic challenger in this area. In the past few months I've met most of the county party leaders and spoken to many Democratic groups in the district: all are eager to see Davis un-seated. There are some Democrats and independent-minded voters who, instead of supporting a Democrat, are throwing support behind Phil Roe, Davis' major Republican challenger: this is understandable, of course (it has been 130 years since the last Democrat was elected to Congress from this district), but I think that many of these folks will support me once the dust clears. Also, with the presidential election-taking place, I expect more active participation among 20, 30 and 40-somethings who are not currently active in politics, but who are very much concerned about the future. I've heard some folks refer to this as "the blue tide," and I hope there's some truth to that.

For my part, I plan to work with the county organizations, of course, but also hope to reach out to those, like myself, who aren't involved in party organizations but realize that a change, a real change (not just a different Republican) is necessary for this region to have an authentic voice in Washington.

6. What prompted you to enter the race for Congress? Also, what influences inspired you to seek office?

It sounds cheesy, I know, but my primary motivation is the thought that my children may very well have less opportunity than I had in terms of jobs and education -- that they will be the first generation in American history that is guaranteed not to do as well as their parents as a result of the disastrous economic and foreign policy decisions made by the previous two generations. I don't want my son fighting in Iraq if he chooses to serve in the military; I don't want my daughter saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt just to have a chance at having as much earning power as a man with the same education. I want to help make things better for their generation, like the way things improved between my grandparents and parents' generations, not stay the same or go backwards.

As for influences, there's a moment during the credits of "An Inconvenient Truth" where the writing on the screen suggests that audience members write to their congressman, and if he or she doesn't listen, run for congress. Al Gore was primarily referring to the global environmental crisis, but this is a crucial time in America for so many other reasons – healthcare, the economy, education – and decision-makers who aren't afraid to make hard choices are required. When I am in Congress, I will be accountable to one group of people, and that's the people of East Tennessee – not big business or other special interests – and I can guarantee that when tough choices have to be made, it's the people I've grown up with, lived and worked with who will be in my thoughts.

7. What weaknesses do you see in the issues promoted by incumbent Congressman David Davis?

One problem Davis is having is the same one many other Republican incumbents seeking re-election now face: what do I run on, having accomplished nothing other than supporting an unpopular, lame-duck president's bad decisions and contributing to partisan bickering? An embarrassingly out-of-touch, "no we can't" voting record – votes against increasing the minimum wage, against anti-dog fighting laws, against health insurance for children living in poverty, against investing in alternative energy sources: all things the vast majority of Americans and East Tennesseans support – is paralleled by questionable ethics: a paid House staffer caught revising Davis' Wikipedia entry, votes and legislation that appear to be very closely tied to campaign contributions, etc.

But maybe his weakest area of all, from what I've seen and read, is that Davis is clearly out of touch with the concerns of working East Tennesseans. When he spoke at a breakfast I attended recently, giving a shortened version of the speech I've read excerpted in numerous articles about him in the Kingsport Times-News, he mentioned several "hot button" issues -- healthcare, energy prices, the mortgage crisis -- but offered little in the way of solutions, other than allowing more competition between insurance providers, building more refineries, and blaming the media, respectively. When your best alternative to high energy costs and dependence on foreign oil is some bill cooked up by a representative from Texas who is in the pocket of big oil, well, that's clearly no alternative at all, just more of the same thinking that got us in this fix to begin with. Instead of calling the bill "No Excuses," it should probably be renamed "No New Ideas" – and that title would typify Davis' entire platform.

8. What are your strongest assets as a candidate for Congress and what would you say to voters to encourage their support for your campaign?

As a husband and father, I bring to Congress a dedication to making life better for all of the people of East Tennessee, present and future. I bring the desire to see hard-working East Tennesseans have more money in their wallet and more pride in their government – a government that works for their best interests, not against them.

I have been a teacher for 16 years, and an administrator for 11. As an experienced teacher, I will bring to Congress an understanding of the concerns of hard-working people who are struggling to make lives better for their families through earning a college degree, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of those entering college straight from high schools – often rural, under-funded schools that could use a hand-up. As an administrator, I bring the experience of having to work within a budget to accomplish the tasks set out for me. I've learned how to deal with budget cuts and changes, how to meet a payroll, how to stretch the dollars when you have to meet client's needs but apparently don't have the resources to meet them, and how to fight for the people and projects that are the most important.

All that being said, I believe my strongest assets are what I am not: I'm not a career politician or a wealthy business owner (the people who are usually vying for this job); I'm not an "insider" of any sort. Instead, I'm a candidate who is one of them, a middle-class East Tennessean, and as unique and independent-minded as the people I will represent. I'm a husband and father, a teacher and a college administrator, a musician and a bit of a nerd. Most of all, I'm passionate about wanting what's best for East Tennessee -- not what's best for the wealthy or big business -- and when I get to Washington I'll work my tail off to make sure that our region has a voice in the extremely important decisions that are going to be made by the next Congress.

Scaring employees into voting for McCain

This is what the Republican in our state are calling for. Please read...

Tue Jun 24, 2008 By Kos

We'll see lots of businesses trying to scare their employees into voting Republican this fall. This email is from a local Tennessee chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors trade group, and instructs its member companies to do just that.

From: Robin Collier [mailto:RCollier@abctennessee.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 10:42 AM
To: ABC Members
Subject: ABC Mid-TN - President's Message

By Pete Dickson, President

Last week, ABC National held their annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. ABC members from across the country, including Mid-TN Chapter members, came together for one purpose - lobbying Congress.

There has never been a time in our industry when the slogan, "Get into Politics or Get Out of Business", applied more. During our visit with members of the TN Congressional delegation, it became very clear that the Democrats are increasing their efforts to oppose most every bill that would benefit or protect our industry and seek passage of legislation which would harm our industry. The greatest example is organized labor, with the help of the Democrats, is attaching amendments to most any bill to expand the use of Davis-Bacon wages.

The main topics of discussion with members of Congress, including Davis-Bacon expansion, Immigration, Union Only Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), Protect the Rights to a Secret Ballot, Salting Abuse, and removing the 3% withholding tax on business. Last but not least, the fuel crisis. When communicating with Congress, ask them to support a House Resolution to "Expand American Refining Capacity on Closed Military Installations". This should assist in reducing the price of gasoline and diesel by streamlining the refinery application process and by requiring the President to open at least three military instillations for the purpose of housing new American refineries.

In the past, you may have felt your voice wouldn't be heard in regard to political issues and elections. It's a new day and you must take the time to join with other ABC members to let your Representatives and Senators in Congress know your position on these issues.

You also must talk to your employees about the Presidential election. You are not allowed to tell your employees who to vote for but you can express your thoughts on the best candidate for our industry and the protection of their jobs. ABC has resources to assist you in communicating with your employees regarding politics.

The Democratic candidate has indicated he will work closely with organized labor if elected. There is "A Clear Choice" for our industry in regard to the Presidential election.

We must elect John McCain! Get involved! Don't wait!

"GET INTO POLITICS OR GET OUT OF BUSINESS!"

Please contact ABC @ 615-399-8323 if you need additional information or materials for your employees.

ABC Mid-Tennessee Chapter
1604 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210
Phone 615-399-8323 * Fax 615-399-7528
www.abctennessee.com

The McCains' little alcohol problem

by MissLaura from Kos

John and Cindy McCain's financial and business arrangements have been a goldmine of mini-scandal for the past few months. (Even if they've only garnered half the traditional media coverage that Democrats in the same position would have.)

There was his unethical-but-not-quite-illegal use of her corporate jet. Her refusal to release her tax records. The credit card debt.

But until now, the ramifications of her ownership of a beer distributorship haven't gotten much scrutiny. Ralph Vartabedian at the LA Times lays out the issues, which will deserve further scrutiny. Like the lobbying:

The company has opposed such groups as Mothers Against Drunk Driving in fighting proposed federal rules requiring alcohol content information on every package of beer, wine and liquor.

Its executives, including John McCain's son Andrew, have written at least 10 letters in recent years to the Treasury Department, have contributed tens of thousands of dollars to a beer industry political action committee, and hold a seat on the board of the politically powerful National Beer Wholesalers Assn.

Hensley has run afoul of health advocacy groups that have tried to rein in appeals to young drinkers. For example, the company distributes caffeinated alcoholic drinks that public health groups say put young and underage consumers at risk by disguising the effects of intoxication.

The involvement of McCain's family in federal regulatory issues could create a conflict of interest for a future McCain administration, according to advocacy groups and political analysts. McCain has recused himself for many years on alcohol issues in the Senate. As president, however, McCain would face far more difficulty distancing himself from an issue with such broad scope.

Cindy McCain does not just profit from this activity. She actively oversees it, and has not indicated that she would cease to do so as First Lady.

Political analysts said they were astounded that the presumptive Republican nominee had not already addressed the issue.

"You can't run a beer company out of the White House," said Samuel L. Popkin, a political science professor at UC San Diego. "You can't run any company from the White House. McCain is leaving a live hand grenade on the table, a major embarrassment."

Seriously. Imagine the White House dinners, complete with guests' choice of Budweiser, Bacardi Silver Mango Mojito, or Hurricane Malt Liquor. (And imagine all the "John McCain is a man of the people" stories his base the traditional media would roll out as a result.)

Then there's the religion question. The LA Times article notes that 1/3 of Americans abstain from alcohol altogether, and that for many (including members of the Southern Baptist Convention and of course the LDS), that's a religious issue. This ties into the lobbying Cindy McCain's company engages in, because so much of that lobbying has been to keep regulation of beer at the absolute minimum. I know Southern Baptists who, when their town went wet a few years ago, boycotted any store that started selling beer, even if that meant going twice as far for a gallon of milk. Imagine those people's feelings about voting for a man whose eight (or so) houses are paid for by his wife and children marketing caffeinated, fruit-flavored malt liquor to teens.

But apparently that's an issue of less interest to the pundits than Barack Obama drinking orange juice rather than coffee.

Votes for Tennessee's 1st Congressional District

June 23, 2008 In this MegaVote for Tennessee's 1st Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes - Senate: Cloture Motion; Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 Senate: Overriding the Veto of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 House: Overriding the Veto of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 House: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 House: Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act House: Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 House: FISA Amendments Act of 2008 Upcoming Congressional Bills - Senate: FISA Amendments Act of 2008 Senate: Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 House: The Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 House: ADA Restoration Act House: The Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008

Recent Senate Votes

Cloture Motion; Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 - Vote Rejected (52-44, 4 Not Voting) The Senate again failed to reach the 60 votes necessary to proceed to debate on this bill that extends a series of tax provisions. Sen. Lamar Alexander voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Bob Corker voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Overriding the Veto of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 - Vote Passed (80-14, 6 Not Voting) The Senate again voted to override the President’s veto of the farm bill, as a second veto was necessary because of a print error in the first version of the bill sent to the President. Sen. Lamar Alexander voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Bob Corker voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Overriding the Veto of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 - Vote Passed (317-109, 8 Not Voting) The House voted to override the President’s veto of the farm bill again, as a second veto was necessary due to a print error in the first version of the bill sent to the President. Rep. David Davis voted YES......send e-mail or see bio National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 - Vote Passed (409-15, 9 Not Voting) The House passed this bill to expand NASA operations and set the agency’s budget for the next fiscal year. Rep. David Davis voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act - Vote Passed (278-146, 10 Not Voting) The House voted to provide four weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees who adopt or give birth to a child. Rep. David Davis voted NO......send e-mail or see bio Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008 - Vote Passed (268-155, 12 Not Voting) The House approved this $165.4 billion bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through FY2008 and the beginning of FY2009. Rep. David Davis voted YES......send e-mail or see bio FISA Amendments Act of 2008 - Vote Passed (293-129, 13 Not Voting) The House passed this intelligence bill that would revise U.S. surveillance laws. Rep. David Davis voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

FISA Amendments Act of 2008 - H.R.6304 The Senate will vote on this intelligence bill that would rewrite the nation’s surveillance laws. Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2008 - H.R.3221 The Senate is likely to vote on this housing-stimulus bill. The Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 - H.R.6275 The House is scheduled to vote on this bill intended to provide individuals with temporary relief from the alternative minimum tax. ADA Restoration Act - H.R.3195 The House is scheduled to vote on this bill intended to restore the intent and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act of 2008 - H.R.6052 The House is likely to vote on this bill that would promote increased public transportation use and increased use of alternative fuels by public transportation systems.

A Father's Promise, or, Why Barack Obama Makes Me Cry

A tender story from Kos

A concise and eloquent diary from niaonwheels yesterday struck a chord with me, and a lot of others, it seems. It’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, but have never really been able to articulate until I got the nudge from niaonwheels yesterday. So here it is.

I’m a 33 year old white guy. I was a reporter for a decade and a half before switching sides and becoming a political professional a couple years ago. It’d be hard to find someone more pragmatic, jaded, cynical and emotionally detached from politics than I am.

But Barack Obama makes me cry.


My son was more purple than brown when he was born nine and a half years ago. But by the end of the first week, by the time his birthmom voluntarily relinquished her legal rights as his parent, he was a chocolate-brown baby sporting a proud if uneven afro.

Since then, I’ve had to explain the Klan to him. I’ve had to call his music teacher and explain the legacy of slave songs. (Follow-up to that here.) I’ve taught him about Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and Nelson Mandela. For one whole summer, Glory was his favorite movie.

Of course, he’s much more than my "black kid." He’s smart and sarcastic. I’m pretty sure he’ll win the Heisman in 2019 or so. He loves his sister – who’s white and not adopted, a pleasant surprise that came one year and two days after he did – more than anything in the world (woe be unto any boys who look her way). He’s respectful and places an unusual amount of importance, for a nine-year-old, on personal honor and integrity. He doesn’t really like reading unless it’s about Star Wars or Spiderman, and often does his homework too fast because he wants to get outside and play soccer.

But we can not for a moment ignore the fact that he’s black, if only because the rest of the world doesn’t ignore it. He was very disappointed for a time because everybody looks like their parents, and he doesn’t. (Though what worried him about that was not his skin color, but his flat nose. He wanted a pointy one like I have.) He also does not want to be black, but brown, because he is literally afraid that one day, slavery will return and somehow being brown, not black, will keep him safe from it. We’re working on that one.

He’s never afraid to talk about race with his friends in the way only a kid could. Once, a couple years ago, the neighbor kid – who had been living next door and playing with my kids every day for three years – suddenly said, "Hey, how come he’s black and everybody else is white?" Before I could even think to respond, my son said, "Because God made me that way." Pause. "You ever heard of slavery?"

Another time, last summer, my daughter was named "Camper of the Day" at their YMCA camp. My son, proud as can be, yelled out, "That’s my sister!" One of the other kids asked him, "How can that be your sister?" My son simply replied, "I was born in Louisiana."

I’m sorry to go on so about my kids, but it is leading somewhere.

Nine years ago, as I clutched him to my chest and rocked him to sleep ... and five years ago, when he couldn’t go to sleep unless I was rubbing his back, I used to whisper to him, even after he was asleep. "You’re a good boy," I’d say. "You make your daddy proud. You are my firstborn son. You are my prince, and you can do anything."

(I admit I still do that, when I’m sure he won’t find it embarrassing.)

But here’s the catch.

I didn’t really believe he could do anything. I knew he could do almost anything. Almost. I remember thinking – not every night, but more than once – that I was sorry to raise him in a state that would never elect a black governor and a country that would never elect a black president.

At least, not in a timely enough fashion that he and I could enjoy it together.

Even a year and a half ago, I was pessimistic. I made both kids sit with me and watch the TV as Barack Obama announced that he was running for president. I told my kids – who were totally bored – that Barack Obama might be the first black president. Probably not this time, I said – I was an Edwards guy then, and – if you remember – back then it was a two-horse race between Edwards and Clinton. But someday, son, someday we might actually get a black president, I said.

And now ... well, you know where we are now.

"That brown dude," as my son calls him, will – if we all kick in a few bucks and peel ourselves away from DailyKos long enough to pound some pavement – take the helm of this great nation.

My son will turn ten years old just four days before Barack Hussein Obama solemnly swears to faithfully execute the duties of the President of the United States of America.

President.

Let me make one more thing clear. Just as my son is my son – my kind-hearted, funny, intelligent and athletically gifted son – more than he is my black son, I support Barack Obama the man, more than Barack Obama the black man. I think he’s right on the issues. I think he’s a strong leader who will bring the best team of people Washington has ever seen. [As a political staffer, that’s what matters to me, since I know very well it’s really the staff that does everything anyway ;) ]

But. That’s pragmatic. That doesn’t make me cry.

Barack Obama makes me cry because I feel like he’s done something profound for me, and for parents of black kids everywhere. He will, if we help him win, fulfill a promise that I didn’t believe we could fulfill. He will prove me wrong. He will prove that we do live in a country where anybody – even a black kid with a white mom – can do anything. Anything.

And if that can put a lump in the throat of his cynical old reporter, I can only imagine what that does to the legions of my African American brothers and sisters. In fact, I can not pretend to know anything about The Black Experience. My son is wiser on such things than I. But as the father to this one handsome brown boy, I can only say thank you, Mr. Obama. And thank you, Democrats, and thank you in advance, America.