Trump Regime Unravelling Some More-- He's Now Officially A Liar. Traitor Next?

Yesterday was another disaster for Team Trump, first and foremost in the House Intelligence Committee, which publicly questioned FBI Director Jim Comey and NSA Director Mike Rogers. From the very outset the main takeaways were going to be that Trump and his campaign are being investigated by counter-intelligence for what can only be regarded as treason if it pans out-- connivance with Vladimir Putin to steal the 2016 election and that Trump has lied about Obama wire tapping him.

Republicans on the committee immediately went into panic mode and circled the wagons trying desperately to turn the hearing into something about leaks. As GOP presidential candidate and former CIA employee Evan McMullin put it in a tweet during the hearing, "this is why they can't be trusted to investigate." It was clear to anyone paying attention that one party, the Republicans, was all about party over country. It was ugly. Scott Shane, covering it for the NY Times, noted that the committee usually meets behind closed doors and that this was a fairly rare exception. So now Americans know for sure-- not "fake news"-- that the FBI is and has been since July absolutely investigating "the nature of any links between individuals associated with the Trump campaign and the Russian government and whether there was any coordination between the campaign and Russia’s efforts." That was straight from the horse's mouth. He added that the FBI will make "an assessment of whether any crimes were committed."




Both Comey and Rogers-- in strong, prepared statements-- "definitively dismissed" Señor Trumpanzee’s deranged, Adderall-fueled tweets March 4 claiming that he and his campaign had been the target of eavesdropping ordered by former President Obama.

While the two officials hedged their answers on some questions and declined to answer others, they were unequivocal in rebutting Mr. Trump’s claims.

“I have no information that supports those tweets and we have looked carefully inside the F.B.I.,” Mr. Comey said. “The Department of Justice has asked me to share with you that the answer is the same for the Department of Justice and all its components. The department has no information that supports those tweets.”

Admiral Rogers was asked about another theory, first floated on Fox News and repeated by Sean Spicer, the White House press secretary: that Mr. Obama had asked the British spy agency, known as G.C.H.Q., to intercept Mr. Trump’s communications.

“I’ve seen nothing on the N.S.A. side that we engaged in any such activity, nor that anyone ever asked us to engage in such activity,” Admiral Rogers said. Representative Adam Schiff, the committee’s top Democrat, asked what he made of official British denunciations of the G.C.H.Q. claim as “nonsense and utterly ridiculous.”

“Would you agree?” Mr. Schiff asked.

“Yes, sir,” said Admiral Rogers.

I would have loved to have seen Trump's blood pressure readout at that moment. Yesterday, after the hearing, Carol Shea-Porter was speaking for most Democrats when she called for a nonpartisan, independent investigation of Putin-Gate. "For months, I have voiced deep concerns about coordination between President Trump’s campaign and administration and Russian officials as both a Member of Congress and, before that, as a Presidential Elector. Today’s revelation by Director Comey that the FBI is actively investigating possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia indicates these concerns are well-founded. Director Comey’s testimony today made it clearer than ever that we need an immediate independent investigation to find out the extent to which our democratic process and national security have been compromised."

With Mike Rogers Retiring, The Right Democrat Should Be Able To Win MI-08

Good riddance to corrupt McCarthyite stooge Mike Rogers (left)

For whatever reason, Steve Israel has a policy at the DCCC-- Thou Shalt Not Contest Elelections Against Senior Republican Policy Makers. No matter how vulnerable the districts, Israel has not allowed the DCCC to go after any committee chairs last cycle or this cycle. One of the worst of the Republican malefactors in a winnable district, Mike Rogers, announced he would be retiring from Congress today. The head of the Intelligence Committee, Rogers, a personally corrupt individual, has been a total shill for the forces of the Surveillance State. As we've explained in the past, his district is a classic swing district that could have been successfully contested by the DCCC, which gave him a free pass year after year. The backward-looking Cook Report rates it an R+2 but Obama won against McCain under the new gerrymandered boundaries 195,798 (52%) to 174,506 (46%) and only lost to local boy Mitt Romney 183,510 (51%) to 172,131 (48%). Even with Steve Israel sabotaging Democrat Lance Enderle's campaign last cycle, Enderle beat Rogers in the district's key county, Ingham, 62,785 (51%) to 46,919 (46%). In 2012, Obama swept Ingham County against former resident Mitt Romney 63-36%. Not exactly the kind of district the DCCC should be afraid to contest. As a poll done a few months ago for MoveOn.org showed, Rogers was very vulnerable:

This morning, Lew Dickey, CEO of Hate Talk Radio syndicator Cumulus, announced, "We are thrilled to have Chairman Rogers join our team. He has been instrumental helping to shape many of the most important issues and events of our time and will play a significant role in our expanding content platform." A former FBI agent, Rogers was elected to Congress in 2000.

Michigan Republicans have three cardboard characters they're interested in running, the former majority leader of the state Senate, Mike Bishop, the former Speaker of the House, Craid DeRoche and Rogers' older schlub brother, Bill. With Israel crony Rogers retiring, it is likely the DCCC will get off its ass and make an effort to win the district. I suspect they won't show any interest in the two declared candidates, Susan Grettenberger and Ken Darga, and will work hand in hand with EMILY's List and Lon Johnson to block Lansing's popular mayor, Virg Bernero, so they can insert some loser like Ingraham County clerk Barb Bynum, whose main qualification seems to be that her mother almost beat Rogers once. The DCCC… the committee of almost. "Almost" doesn't do anything… except make consultants richer.

In 2010, Rick Snyder beat Bernero for governor. A poll the following year showed that Bernero would win a do-over. How much of an improvement would Bernero be over Rogers? Watch this video:

Americans Should Hear What Chris Hedges Had To Say At Oxford Last Month. They Won't

Chris Hedges, in making the case that Edward Snowden is a hero: "With moral courage comes persecution. It is always defined by the state as treason." His presentation, which I beg you to watch above, is only 8 minutes, 8 minutes of brilliance. Mike Lee-- no, not that Mike Lee, a student at Oxford-- covered it for the student paper and reported that the vote of the assembled students after the debate found that Snowden, as Hedges asserted, merits the title "hero."

Hedges said that a hero “shows moral courage and disobedience to higher authority even at the risk of persecution” and drew parallels between Snowden and soldiers who stopped the My Lai massacre in Vietnam. Hedges stated: “There is no free press without the ability of newspapers to protect the confidentiality of their sources” and “the relationship of tracking and being tracked by the state is the relationship between a master and a slave.” He ridiculed the NSA for collecting data on “the UN Secretary General, cardinals at the papal conclave, American companies, and NSA agents’ ex-lovers.”

Mr Hedges made an analogy between the situation of Congressional oversight committees being knowingly lied to by intelligence agents and that of the March Hare offering wine to Alice while knowing there is none.

…Jeffrey Toobin, a legal analyst for CNN and the New Yorker who spoke second in opposition, characterised the proposition’s view as one where “the ends justify the means” and that “the rules of society don’t apply to moral zealots.” He downplayed the significance of government data collection, arguing that governments now have records that phone companies already have. Toobin also drew laughter in stating: “It’s a dangerous world out there; there are people who are willing to kill us for our freedoms.” Toobin questioned if the world was safer “with Russia and China knowing the information that the US has collected.”

The day after the team debate at Oxford, Nick Mutch interviewed Hedges, whom he referred to as "among the last of a dying breed: the war correspondent that has spent his life with society’s outcasts and the faceless victims of conflcit." He questioned Hedges about his relationship with his former employer, the NY Times, which he quit in 2003 over their refusal to countenance his opposition to the Iraq War.

“The New York Times is in a very strange position vis-à-vis its relationship to power. On the one hand, it is an elitist paper, and so much of its publishing power comes from its intimate access to politicians and those in positions of power. So it can’t go around openly opposing the agenda of those who give it the access it craves. “It attracts careerists who are intoxicated by power and influence; I was not a particularly good careerist. But this does not make it a propaganda outlet. So you’ll see it try and square the circle in strange ways. With the Wikileaks cables for instance, it couldn’t not take such a huge story without looking ridiculous, but it had to keep it at arm’s length. They were at the forefront for instance, of smearing the character of Julian Assange and his organisation.”

And at the forefront of painting an unsympathetic picture of Ed Snowden, one that makes it facile to view him as a traitor, especially when a clod like Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) asserts as much, unchallenged, on national television whenever he has the opportunity. At some point, someone may ask, in fact, why Steve Israel and the DCCC have decided to give Rogers-- in a blue-leaning district-- electoral immunity when he could be beaten far more easily than almost any of the DCCC targets this year. Strange how that works, isn't it?

Mike Rogers Can Devote All His Time To Undermining Democracy Since He Has No Reelection Worries

Congenital liar, Mike Rogers (R-MI)

Until recently, Michigan congressman Mike Rogers has operated mostly in the shadows. Some might find that fitting for the Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee; we don't. Rogers is charged with over site of the sprawling, out-of-control surveillance state. Instead he has run his committee as a cheering squad for it. Mike Rogers, along with Ranking Member Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Mike Conaway (R-TX), Peter King (R-NY), Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Adam Schiff (New Dem-CA), Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA), Mike Pompeo (R-Koch), Jim Himes (New Dem-CT), Joe Heck (R-NV), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Terri Sewell (New Dem-AL) have made themselves complicit in the criminal culture that defines the Spy Establishment.

The DCCC has long granted Rogers a free pass to reelection and, especially since like-minded "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel took over as DCCC chairman, has undermined progressive grassroots opponents Michigan Democrats have put up to take on Rogers. This might look especially strange, since Rogers is in a swing district, if you weren't aware of the Center Aisle pact and the nasty little deal Israel has with the NRCC to save his own worthless hide.

Let's take a quick look at Rogers' district, MI-08. The PVI is R+2 and Obama beat McCain there by a healthy 52-46%. In 2012, Steve Israel sabotaged Democratic eftorts in the district to help derail a run by grassroots candidate Lance Enderle. Not only did that help Rogers win reelection, it helped Romney win the district 51-48%. Despite Israel's efforts to protect Rogers, Enderle won the heart of the district-- Ingham County (Lansing), which cast the most votes in the district-- 51-46%. Would Enderle have beaten Rogers if the DCCC had assisted him instead if wasting time and resources on ridiculous Blue Dogs who were defeated anyway? Absolutely. Obama beat Romney that day in Oakland County 54-46%. Had Enderle had party help there, it would have overcome the heavy odds Democrats always face in deep red Livingston County, Rogers' reactionary base.

Enderle fought Rogers on domestic spying and corporate intrusion into people's lives right from the start. But that certainly didn't help persuade Steve Israel to allow the DCCC to help his campaign. In fact, given Israel's own positions, it probably set in cement his decision to protect Rogers' seat-- which he's doing again this year. Right now, there is no Democrat running for this seat. I spoke to two high-ranking Democratic officials in Lansing and to a Democratic operative in Rochester Hills and they all told me the same thing: no one will run for this seat until Israel is out of the DCCC. "It isn't worth the time or effort," one told me, "when your own party is hitting for the other team. This is an open secret around here. Steve Israel is the most digesting person who could be running the DCCC. The party will never take back Congress as long as he's in power and he is dooming Democrats in Michigan. He's chasing after that clown Benishek with another clown and ignoring races he should be engaging in." The other guy in Lansing was much more colorful but we don't use that kind of language here at DWT. Meanwhile, Rogers can continue slandering people like Glenn Greenwald with absolute impunity-- and immunity! Now he's accusing him of selling stolen material leaked by whistleblower Ed Snowden. "A thief selling stolen material is a thief,” is how the corrupt Rogers put it.

“I’m never selling documents,” Greenwald said in an interview. “I don’t get money and give them documents, like, ‘Hey, nice doing business with you.’”

Greenwald said he has worked with news outlets around the globe to publicize newsworthy aspects of the documents Edward Snowden copied while working for the NSA in Hawaii. However, Greenwald said he and others working with him supply the foreign outlets with proposed articles and are not “fencing stolen material,” as House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) argued at a hearing Tuesday.

“We do the reporting first… I vet the stories,” Greenwald said. “We come with the story already formed. We work on drafts of the story. We always edit the story. We have approval rights.”

Greenwald, who is an attorney, acknowledged insisting on freelance contracts in order to supply the stories. However, he said that is itself a legal precaution aimed at ensuring that authorities treat him as a journalist and not as a source. Traditionally, sources have sometimes been subject to prosecution for disclosing secret documents, while the government has shied away from prosecuting those who act as journalists or publishers.

“If I went around and reported on this without a freelance contract or a freelance fee paid, the government would say I’m acting as a source and not a distributor of the documents,” Greenwald said. “I never work with any foreign media outlet without any kind of agreement…. I have to do it that way. If I don’t, they would make other accusations.”

...“Any journalist who reports on top-secret documents is necessarily getting paid. If you’re going to characterize that as selling documents, you’re necessarily selling documents,” he said.

Greenwald noted that journalist Bart Gellman has written a series of stories for the Washington Post on a freelance basis drawing on documents Snowden obtained while working at the NSA. Yet, there has been no similar call for charges against Gellman.

“How is that any different than what Bart Gellman does?” Greenwald asked. “He’s freelanced for the Washington Post and he gets paid per story.”

Greenwald said he believes U.S. officials want to take action against him and are therefore trying to make distinctions between his actions and those of others who have reported on the Snowden revelations about U.S. surveillance.

“What they’re trying to do is to remove it from the realm of journalism, so that they can then criminalize it,” he said. “The fact that I’ve been more defiant about the U.S. government…. makes them want to do something to me more. That fact that I’ve gone around the world doing this reporting in different countries and publishing reporting around the world-- that is something they want to stop.”

Keep contributing to the DCCC and keep expecting these kinds of results.


UPDATE: MoveOn To The Rescue?

I got a note from MoveOn a few minutes after this post was published today to let me know that they and some other groups are trying to find a candidate to tale on the odious Rogers.

More than 450 residents of Michigan 8th Congressional District are urging Susan Grettenberger, a social worker, educator, and mother of four, to challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the 2014 midterm election. The petition from local educator Mike Vasas cites Rep. Rogers’ record of joining with right-wing extremists to block jobs legislation and Rogers’ support of the government shutdown as reasons he should be voted out of office.

“In these tough economic times, we need a member of Congress who will work tirelessly for the people of Michigan's 8th district, not just for the wealthiest corporations,” explained Mike Vasas, the local public educator who created the petition. “Rep. Mike Rogers and the Tea Party shut down our government and helped create the most do-nothing Congress in history. Susan Grettenberger has a proven track record of creating real opportunity for all families. If she chooses to run for Congress, I'm standing ready to support her!”

“I've known Susan for many years and her determination to help others and strong family ties will make her a good candidate for the people of Michigan's 8th District in Washington,” explained Gail from Houghton Lake as she signed the petition.  “She will be a tireless worker and a fair supporter of all issues concerning the people of Michigan! Go Susan!”

“Mike Rogers shut down the government and supports unconstitutional spying on all his constituents-- TIME TO GO, MIKE!” added Brian V. from Okemos.

According to a Public Policy Polling survey released this October, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) faces tough challenges with voters after voting to shut down the government, including an approval rating of only 42 percent following the shutdown.

How can Pelosi be sure Steve Israel is fighting for her team?

For Normal People It Was A Holiday But For The DCCC It Was Another Opportunity To Prey On Suckers With Phony "Deadlines"

Pelosi raising cash for Ohio anti-gay/anti-Choice crusader Jennifer Garrison

Saturday, we mentioned that Mike Rogers, a former FBI agent, a Boehner crony and the Republican congressman from the Lansing area of central Michigan, is leading the efforts to allow the Cheney-initiated domestic spying agenda of the N.S.A. to stay in place. Boehner made Rogers, a relatively junior member, chairman of the powerful Intelligence Committee. It's worth noting that Rogers' district, MI-08, has a PVI of R+2 and that Obama beat McCain there 52-46% and narrowly lost out to local boy Mitt Romney 51-48% last year. The DCCC doesn't back Democrats against Rogers. He has a free reelection pass from Steve Israel. This is especially strange since Rogers isn't all that well-liked in his district. A recent PPP poll of MI-08 for MoveOn showed that Rogers has a 42-40% job approval rating and that when voters are informed that he backed the government shutdown-- something the DCCC has been careful not to do-- he would be beaten by a generic Democrat 47-44%. The DCCC has not recruited anyone to run and the local Democrats I've talked to about taking on Rogers have all said it isn't worth running against him while Steve Israel is head of the DCCC.

One local elected official told me he wants to run and plans to in 2016 when, he says, he's been told Israel will be gone from the DCCC. "If I thought Israel would just stay neutral, I would run. I know I could beat Rogers. There are several of us who could. People here don't like him. Did you know that last year Lance Enderle beat him in Ingham County? But Israel tells donors to not fund campaigns against Rogers. He was against Enderle. I can't believe Nancy Pelosi lets him get away with this crap. She's outlasted her usefulness too." Last year Senator Debbie Stabenow beat Republican Pete Hoekstra 67-30% in Ingham and 57-39% in Oakland County. It's a very winnable district-- but not without a candidate.

Yesterday, the DCCC drummed up some kind of phony deadline for its candidates. Corporate whores like Patrick Murphy, Sean Patrick Maloney, Ann Kuster, Scott Peters and Joe Garcia (all shady New Dems) inundated and burned their lists with contentless e-mails all day begging for money. And this is the one Pelosi sent out on behalf of the DCCC candidates:

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family.



Before you pack up the rest of the leftovers, I have a quick favor to ask. Thanks to your tremendous support, we're just 8,835 donations from becoming the first political party committee in history to reach 900,000 online donations on this one-year-out report. Hitting this record-breaking mark would be a tremendous show of grassroots strength for our campaign to win a Democratic House (and a real thorn in Speaker Boehner's side).

Can you help put us over the top before tonight's midnight deadline?



MIDNIGHT DEADLINE: Click here to give $3 and your gift will be TRIPLE-MATCHED

How rookie and embarrassing is that? What deadline? Who's triple-matching anything? And not a word about a cohesive policy agenda that might motivate anyone to contribute. Maybe that's because Pelosi knows all too well that even if Israel hasn't recruited candidates against the best GOP targets, like Mike Rogers and Fred Upton in Michigan, he will be, once against, wasting millions of dollars on ridiculous loser candidates like the conservative former commander of the Guantánamo gulag, Jerry Cannon and anti-Choice, anti-gay fanatic Jennifer Garrison who opposes the entire Democratic House agenda (from immigration reform, gun safety and ENDA to raising the minimum wage). No, I can't imagine a letter from Pelosi saying, "Please donate to the DCCC so they can use your money to elect Jennifer Garrison, a candidate who already voted against equality for the LGBT community and opposes legal abortions and defeated a minimum wage increase in Ohio." She won't say it… but that's the real effect of her shameless DCCC fundraising.

More Bits, More Pieces Than I Actually Intended: Rubio And The Know Nothing Caucus

Bob Perry ist tot

What do you say when the poisonous snake who financed swiftboating drops dead? It never seems good form to cheer that anyone dies. It's possible that right-wing Texas billionaire Bob Perry was kind to a grandchild or a pet, although, publicly he'll always be associated with the money-- a minimum of $65 million-- that went into financing a neo-fascist resurgence within the Republican Party. He gave tens of millions to right-wing causes and candidates and the one Democrat he seems to have liked enough to contribute to is extreme right-wing Blue Dog, Henry Cuellar. Perry was a longtime crony of Karl Rove's and financed his shady operations-- like his series of checks:

Who's Going To Unmask Marco Rubio?

If there was a Democratic version of Bob Perry, he'd be underwriting a good solid look into the sordid past of slimy Florida politician with national ambitions, Marco Rubio. To date the vetting of Rubio-- who was knee deep in Tallahassee filth including organized crime and cocaine-- has been handled with kid gloves by novices who come to idiotic conclusions like “I don't think there's been a knockout blow," without ever tying him to his roommate, David Rivera, one of the most corrupt men to have ever served-- albeit just one term-- in the U.S. Congress. The dossier on Rubio is all about his voting record and good-two-shoes ethics violations, stuff no one cares about. One biographer, Manuel Roig-Franzia, gets close... but no cigar.

Rubio's record contains plenty of fodder for his opponents to use, even if there isn't another major revelation lurking in his past. He pointed specifically to Rubio's friendship with Rep. David Rivera, a Florida Republican reportedly under investigation by the Justice Department, IRS, and state law enforcement for his lobbying practices and potential money laundering. Rivera and Rubio bought a house together in 2005, and Rubio has publicly expressed support for his friend throughout the investigation.

"You never know, there could be an indictment in that case, which could affect Rubio," he said. "Nobody knows the extent to which their business is entangled, but they certainly have had co-mingling of business interests since they own a rental property together. Of course, all of this is in the land of the hypothetical."

Haters Gotta Hate... The GOP Has Plans For Immigration Reform

Yesterday Rubio and the rest of the Senate's immigration Gang of Eight presented their outline for a way to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform. Before they had presented it another little gang, this one not bipartisan, in the House was already plotting to crap all over it. Led by notorious bigot Steve King (R-IA), the House's worst Know Nothings are trying to derail reform and ship 11-14 million immigrants back to their original homelands. The other 5 members are fringy crackpots Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Lou Barletta (R-PA), Mo Brooks (R-AL), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). King: “The meetings of the Gang of Eight and the secret meetings in the House of Representatives-- the people who have been standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law haven’t been invited to those meetings." Paranoid and off-balance, former drug addict Dana Rohrabacher added, "We’ve got all the rich guys and the elitists talking to each other. Unfortunately us regular folks don’t have that kind of coordination.”

Sources close to House conservatives say that King is working behind the scenes to sour his right-wing colleagues on the Gang of Eight’s plan, and he made calls over the weekend to finalize his strategy with members and conservative activists. Insiders say King is confident that conservatives will come to reject the Gang’s plan once they actually read it and see how it will lead to legalization for people who entered the country illegally, even though it is expected to also include enforcement triggers.

...Gohmert says Boehner’s indecision about how the House will handle immigration reform gives conservatives an opening to press the speaker to follow “regular order,” by which lawmakers would put the bill through the full committee process, instead of rushing it through with minimal hearings. The House Judiciary Committee is likely to play an especially important role, and its chairman, Bob Goodlatte (Va.) told ABC News on Sunday that it’s “absolutely important” that the bill moves through his committee, and not get pushed from “the top down.”

Goodlatte’s emphasis on slowing down the process plays to King’s favor, since he has long been an influential player on Judiciary’s subcommittee on immigration and border security, and he knows how to snag up a bill with hearings and amendments. In the coming days, look for King’s group to keep making “regular order” their rallying cry. “[Boehner] has pledged, absolutely, we’re following regular order,” Gohmert says. “The speaker would make himself a liar if he didn’t follow regular order.”

Rohrabacher agrees with the Texan’s observation. “There would be a revolt among Republicans if [Boehner didn’t] follow regular order,” he says. For the moment, though, the sentiment is more wishful thinking than a warning. The challenge for King’s Gang of Six is to make their case beyond a hearing room in Rayburn and to get fellow conservatives in the House and among the public to share their agitation.

Like the other five, Rohrabacher knows they’re in a difficult spot-- a group of rabble-rousers with limited political capital inside the House trying to stop legislation that GOP grandees and many prominent conservatives have largely blessed. But he believes that the fight against comprehensive immigration reform is far from over. “What the leadership would like to shove down our throats, in terms of immigration reform, is bad policy and bad politics,” he says. “In the long run, the Republican party would be destroyed.”

Bad Couple Of Days For Mark Sanford

First a judge demanded he show up at court to explain why he was caught trespassing at his ex-wife's house. And then-- as part of the revulsion that this no-bounds egomaniac is their candidate-- Greg Walden, Cantor and Boehner decided the NRCC will no longer back his congressional run in SC-01. Colbert's sister was already ahead in polls asking about the May 7th election but with the DCCC pouring money into the district (about half a million into airing the ad below, for example), the withdrawal of the NRCC could really hurt Sanford's chances.

"At this time, the NRCC will not be engaged in this special election... This is an unfortunate situation but this is what happens when candidates aren’t honest and withhold information,” is how Republican Party operatives are phrasing it.



Wheel Spinning In The House

Monday Jason Chaffez's proposal that "persons having seriously delinquent tax debts shall be ineligible for Federal employment" needed a 2/3s majority and was defeated 250-159 even though 35 Democrats-- mostly Blue Dogs and New Dems-- joined all but 7 Republicans. Making common ground with the Republicans on GOP issues has become a hallmark of the New Dems and several of their leaders-- Chairman Ron Kind and vice-chairs Jim Himes and Allyson Schwartz-- were among the gaggle who broke with the Democrats on this. The worst of the freshman New Dems-- Patrick Murphy (FL), Suzan DelBene (WA), and Scott Peters (CA)-- went along on that ride as well.

Ro Khanna Is Wasting His Time And His Donors' Money

Another slimy Democrat who would like to get in on that kind of action is opportunist Ro Khanna, currently trying to unseat progressive champion, Mike Honda. Daily Kos came across some disturbing news for Khanna, whose claim to fame is that he's an effective bundler of cash from the Indo-American community. "This is pretty awesome. After rolling out endless endorsements from powerful elected officials throughout California and even nationally, here's Rep. Mike Honda's capper: an article in the newspaper India Abroad headlined 'Five desi stalwarts pitch for Honda'... five Indian-Americans who have run for Congress all over the country in recent years: Raj Goyle (KS-04), Upendra Chivukula (NJ-07), Ashwin Madia (MN-03), Ravi Sangisetty (LA-03), and Manan Trivedi (PA-06)... [T]his may be a case of politics (and ideology) winning out over ethnicity. Not only is Honda the more liberal of the two, but he's done a great deal during his many years of service to support the broader pan-Asian community. And in their letter jointly endorsing him, this quintet of former candidates praised him both for 'fighting for our communities' and for individually helping their campaigns. This all makes you wonder what Khanna's 'base' looks like, to the extent he even has one. Silicon Valley tech types eager to have one of their own in Congress? I think wealthy nerds and venture capitalists will only take you so far, though, particularly when your opponent has the network that Honda does-- and the ability to call in lots and lots of favors."

CISPA Vote In The House Today




Mike Rogers' and Hoyer puppet "Dutch Ruppersberger's "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (H.R. 624) has 25 Republican sponsors and 12 Democratic ones, mostly conservative corporate whores. If the bill were ever to be enacted-- which isn't likely-- it would override every existing computer privacy statute to allowing private corporations to share personal information with the government to help with vaguely defined "cybersecurity purposes," for which they would be immune from prosecution. The last time it passed the House, almost a year ago (248-168, most Democrats voting NO and most Republicans, being part of the Big Brother Authoritarian Party, voting YES) it was successfully filibustered in the Senate 4 months later and was never voted on.

The new bill has a few superficial protections that protect no one and satisfy no one. One of the leading Republicans fighting against CISPA is Michigan libertarian Justin Amash, who also voted against the bill in 2012. He still has overriding privacy concerns.

Critics have called the legislation, which seeks to streamline the sharing of data between private corporations targeted by cyberattacks and the federal government, a serious overreach of government power.

On his Facebook, Amash wrote he would oppose CISPA when it is brought to a vote.

"The bill grants corporations and other entities broad immunity to share your personal and confidential data (e.g., e-mails) with the government," Amash wrote. "CISPA overrides contracts and even federal and state privacy laws."

CISPA has been likened to two widely unpopular bills considered by Congress during the 2011-12 session: the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, and the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act, or PIPA.

Those bills, which sought to curtail Internet piracy and illicit trafficking of intellectual property, died in Congress after a groundswell of online activism from critics who said they threatened innovation and amounted to government censorship.

President Obama is strongly suggesting that he would veto the bill if it passes the way Rogers and Ruppersberger wrote it. Even the White House recognizes it is way too broad and allows too much personal information to be turned over to the government without warrants. The White House is "concerned that the bill does not require private entities to take reasonable steps to remove irrelevant personal information when sending cybersecurity data to the government or other private sector entities. Citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held accountable-– and not granted immunity-– for failing to safeguard personal information adequately.”

And About That 311 Platinum Award Contest?

Please don't forget the Blue America Save Social Security contest, in which you can win a 311 platinum award and your favorite congressional candidate can win $1,000 check from our PAC. It's pretty neck and neck between most of the candidates now... so your "vote" could make all the difference.

Miss McConnell, A Closeted Homosexual, Threatens A "Scorched Earth" Campaign Against Anyone Who Runs Against Him

Carl Sciortino (D-MA), Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), and Miss McConnell (R-KY) all have something in common; they're gay. Sciortino has been endorsed by Blue America and we're helping him raise money for his congressional race here. He's amassed a breathtakingly courageous record as a Massachusetts state legislator and, gay or straight, he would make one of Congress' most outstanding members-- a proven leader on the toughest progressive causes, a real Elizabeth Warren, Alan Grayson, Barbara Lee, Keith Ellison type. Sean Patrick Maloney defeated Republican Nan Hayworth in a blue-leaning district-- Obama won with 51.4%-- that spans Dutchess, Orange, Putnam and Westchester counties. There's nothing particularly courageous or progressive about him. He Maloney is a run-of-the-mill mainstream Democrat who quickly joined the Wall Street-funded New Dems and already has one of the worst voting records of any New York Democrat-- voting more frequently against the progressive agenda than for it. He's exactly tied with New Dem Dan Maffei and just fractionally better than New York's most right-wing Democratic congressman Bill Owens. Needless to say, Blue America would never endorse Maloney or back him, regardless of his sexuality, and one day, we hope to support a more progressive primary challenger. He does vote well on issues impacting the LGBT community at least.

Miss McConnell is a closet case with the worst record on LGBT issues in the entire Congress. ProgressivePunch rates him a ZERO in the current session and a ZERO for his entire career. Miss McConnell is what you call a mentally unbalanced hypocrite, exactly the type Republican state Senator Roy Ashburn warned us about when he was caught, drunk, with a young male prostitute in his car and decided to come out of the closet and come clean. Right after his arrest Ashburn went on the radio and told his constituents that he'd been "hiding" for his entire career, being a leader in legislative homophobia to cover up his own fears of being exposed.

"I was so in terror I could not allow any attention to come my way. So any measure that had to do with the subject of sexual orientation was an automatic 'no' vote. I was paralyzed by this fear, and so I voted without even looking at the content. The purpose of government is to protect the rights of people under the law, regardless of our skin color, national origin, our height, our weight, our sexual orientation. This is a nation predicated on the belief that there is no discrimination on those characteristics, and so my vote denied people equal treatment, and I'm truly sorry for that."

No one thinks we'll ever hear those words coming from Miss McConnell-- but no one ever thought we'd hear them coming from Senator Ashburn either. Unlike swishy, fun-loving "lifelong bachelors" like Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Aaron Schock (R-IL), David Dreier (R-CA) and Mark Foley (R-FL), Miss McConnell isn't fooling around. He's dedicated to keeping that closet door shut TIGHT. Like other psychotic GOP closet cases Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Trent Franks (R-AZ), Larry Craig (R-ID) and Jim McCrery (R-LA), he's entered into a phony-baloney "marriage" to trick voters into thinking he's straight. He's become personally very rich while serving in the Senate-- the 10th wealthiest person in that body with an estimated net worth north of $40 million-- and there's a lot riding on his ability to hold onto that Kentucky Senate seat from which all those millions flow his way.

He may be relieved Ashley Judy is giving the race a pass but there are two more lethal threats to his career ahead, a possible Tea Party primary and then popular Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a mainstream Democrat. It isn't likely that McConnell's sexual hypocrisy is going to do him much damage in his reelection bid. His base doesn't believe it and normal people already oppose him. But the stories about McConnell fondling a private's private parts and then getting tossed out of the Army in 1967 have been around. People have even talked to witnesses but no one comes forward on the record and the media plays it down-- just like they always did with Idaho Senator Larry Craig and Florida Congressman Mark Foley-- until they were caught in the act.

McConnell has been very careful to make sure his military records will never fall into the hands of anyone trying to expose him. Officially he was released from active duty service after 4 months-- at the height of the Vietnam War-- for optic neuritis (a very minor and treatable condition, something like the infamous pilonidal cyst that kept Rush Limbaugh from ever doing his military service). Optic Neuritis is normally associated with multiple sclerosis which is not one of the afflictions McConnell has suffered from. Republican Senator John Sherman Cooper, for whom McConnell had served as an intern, actually took a hand in covering up McConnell's dirty grab and discharge with a letter to the commanding officer at Ft. Knox where McConnell got into trouble.

In the spring of 2008, Mike Rogers, one of the journalists who first reported how Larry Craig was trawling public toilets looking for sex, wrote about a startling similarity between Craig-- who also molested enlisted men in the army-- and McConnell:

McConnell's discharge was expedited by Cooper's claim that the enlistee needed to be released quickly to attend New York University.

NYU records, however, indicate that McConnell never applied to the school, and at the time of his discharge he had already earned a law degree from the University of Kentucky. Why exactly would a United States Senator write to the Commanding General of one of the nation's most important military installations with false information about a member of the US armed forces?

A lot of smart people have pursued this story. The common thread? McConnell's military records. That's because those records are private, unless of course McConnell chooses to make them public. Sen. McConnell doesn't even acknowledge his military service on either his US Senate or re-election campaign websites, so it's probably no surprise that he's kept those records under lock and key for years.

So, why revisit this story, and why revisit it now?

Like when I investigated and reported on Larry Craig after 26 years of rumors, I've turned fresh eyes on this case and recently noticed an interesting inconsistency with McConnell's public Army record. In particular, there is a differing answer to a section of his records titled, "Transcript of Court Martial." While every other section of McConnell's records without information simply "n/a," this particular section uniquely states, "not on file." Does that mean a McConnell court martial file exists? Only the Senator knows.

I also have reviewed copies of phone records showing a flurry of calls from the office of McConnell's patron in the Senate, Sen. Cooper, in the days immediately preceding McConnell's discharge. The calls abruptly stopped as McConnell was released from the service. It is also interesting to note that the UK archives show that despite a frequent correspondence during the years prior to his discharge, it was three years after McConnell's discharge before they exchanged letters again.

McConnell, of course adamantly refuses to allow the release of his records. They're as tightly closeted as he is. The country is moving; Miss McConnell isn't. From an analysis of that movement by Anzalone Research, the Blue Dog consulting firm:

The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll finds that support for marriage equality stands at the highest it's been in the ten years the question has been asked.  Right now, 58% of Americans believe it should be legal for gay and lesbian couples to get married, while 36% think it should be illegal. In 2003, those numbers were an almost mirror-opposite: 37% supported legal marriage for same-sex couples, while 55% opposed it. According to the poll, marriage equality enjoys majority support from men and women and across major educational, income and regional divides for the first time...Our own polling on behalf of the Americans for Equal Rights found that 75% of Americans now believe that the ability to marry the person you love is a Constitutional right. Secondly, this once hot-button political issue is as much a generational divide as a partisan one.

...Support has risen across racial groups and religious affiliations, as well, though substantial divides still exist. A majority of Catholics (both white and Hispanic) support marriage equality, but only a third of Protestants do.  Part of the reason Protestant support is lower is that support among white Evangelicals stands at just 19%. There is also a big difference between white mainline Protestants, a majority of whom support same-sex marriage, and black Protestants, of which only a third support marriage equality.

While support has grown among the religiously affiliated, this does not necessarily mean their religious views have changed. In fact, 56% of Americans believe same-sex marriage conflicts with their religious beliefs, yet 66% think that same-sex couples should have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.  Among the 28% who agree with both statements, support for marriage equality is split, 46% favor to 44% oppose.

Support among African Americans has increased dramatically in recent years. Some of this increase may be due to President Obama's declaration of support last May. Polls conducted by Public Policy Polling in North Carolina and Maryland saw a major shift of support after the announcement, as did a national poll conducted by ABC News/Washington Post, which found 59% of African Americans in support of same-sex marriage, an 18-point jump from the average of 41% in polls before Obama's announcement.

Why the shift?

While generational changes can explain part of the shift (Millennials make up a larger share of the adult population today than 10 years ago) that is not the whole story. Politicians like President Obama, former Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Rob Portman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell have publicly spoken about their personal journeys on the topic, and they are not alone. According to Pew, 14% of the public, or one in seven Americans, has changed his or her mind in support of gay marriage.

When asked what it was that made them change their mind, 32%, like Portman and Cheney, attributed it to knowing someone who is homosexual. Another 25% have had an "evolution" like Obama, saying they had given it more thought and grown more open. And after an election season that saw voters in three states approve measures legalizing same-sex marriages, and voters in another state reject an amendment that would have denied same-sex couples the right to marry, 18% said they changed their mind because they think the world has changed and same-sex marriage is inevitable.

Lance Enderle Shocks GOP Hack Mike Rogers In Raucous Cleary University Debate

Michigan's 8th congressional district gave Obama a hefty victory over McCain in 2008, 53-46%. It was slightly altered in the new redistricting, but just slightly and Obama would have won it under the new boundaries 52-46%, a healthy 6 point lead. It's likely he'll beat Romney by an even greater margin in November. The heart of the district is the same: Lansing and East Lansing (Ingham County) and Livingston County east of that, a white flight county that accounts for Rogers' long tenure despite his pathetic record of achievement. (For example, in 2008, his Democratic opponent won 53% of the Ingham County vote but Rogers took 67% of Livingston, 63% of the part of Oakland County in the district and all the smaller counties.) MI-08 would be a natural target for the DCCC. Democrats can win there. But Rogers is a senior Republican and head of the Intelligence Committee, so Steve Israel issued the "free pass" he has given to all GOP leaders. The same way Israel refuses to take on Budget chairman Paul Ryan and Armed Services Committee chairman Buck McKeon, he has made it clear that Lance Enderle can expect no help-- ZERO-- from the DCCC. These are the guys who are making the policies that are so detrimental to the country but the reptilian Mr. Israel would rather spend millions of dollars on clowns like Allen West and unknown backbenchers no one has ever heard of.

Tuesday evening progressive Democrat Lance Enderle-- the kind of reform-minded scrapper Democrats need in Congress-- took the battle directly to Rogers and having forced him into a debate, pulverized him in front of voters and the media. The biggest newspaper in Livingston County, the district's GOP heartland couldn't make Rogers look good. The video above comes from their website. Rogers tried a deceitful approach that made him sound reasonable instead of like the far right hack he is. He seemed shocked when Lance wouldn't like him get away with it and accused him being a corporate whore:

In a tense, often harsh, 60-minute exchange, Democratic underdog Lance Enderle accused 12-year Republican Congressman Mike Rogers of selling out to large contributors, including an accusation that Rogers had taken "blood money" from a contributor whose safety violations led to the death of 29 coal miners in West Virginia.

"You were sent to Washington to represent us," Enderle said to Rogers. "You haven't been doing a very good job."

An obviously irritated Rogers said he found it disgusting that Enderle would suggest he could be bought for any price.

"Maybe you can be bought," Rogers said. "You can't buy me. Apparently, you go cheap."

Rogers and Enderle found no common ground in the third and most contentious of three candidate forums Tuesday night at Cleary University's Johnson Center in Genoa Township.

...For most of the forum, Enderle-- a former schoolteacher-- lashed out at Rogers for using "scare tactics" on subjects ranging from the debt cliff to the demise of Medicare due to the Affordable Care Act.

Rogers referred to Enderle's verbal attacks as "arm-flailing and finger-pointing that does not fix one problem in Washington, D.C."

...Responding to questions from Daily Press & Argus Metro Editor Mike Malott, the two staked out mostly disparate positions on all major topics:

Social Security/Medicare: Rogers supports the Ryan plan for Medicare reform, saying a failure to act will bankrupt Medicare in 2024 and Social Security by 2050. He stressed that the Ryan plan will not cost current senior citizens a dime and will give future generations a choice in health-care coverage.

Enderle defended the president's plan, citing projected savings for senior citizens.

In a shot at Rogers' campaign funders, he asked, "Are we working for the pharmaceutical companies or are we working for our constituents?"

Affordable Care Act: Rogers said that Obamacare could be repealed while still providing popular features such as coverage for young adults, coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and eliminating coverage caps.

Obama's plan, he said, has already escalated into a cost of $2.6 trillion. "We have no idea how to pay for that," he said.

He said "you don't want your federal government running your health care."

Enderle said the Affordable Care Act would bring down costs by producing healthier citizens.

He also stressed that access to health care should be a basic right.

"I want to see Medicare for every citizen of the United States."

Tax increases and the national debt: Rogers said he is a flat-tax advocate and that he would favor tax reform that might eliminate loopholes.

Enderle said the tax system should be "equitable" and is in favor of a progressive tax structure that will tax the so-called 1 percent at a higher rate.

...At the close of the debate, Enderle asked Rogers to schedule two more debates, one in Oakland and one in Ingham. Afterward, Rogers said his schedule would determine if he would comply.

Mike Rogers freely admits to being an advocate for Paul Ryan's highly toxic Austerity Agenda that has failed so miserably across Europe. Lance Enderle is a proponent of Prosperity Economics and you can help him on the Americans For Real Prosperity page.

Conservatives Don't Understand-- Or Don't Care-- That Protecting Online Privacy Is Crucial

Thursday Nancy Pelosi led almost all the Democrats against voting for Mike Rogers' invasive, pro-corporate Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, H.R. 3523. In the end it passed the House 248-168. There were 42, mostly conservative, mostly extremely corrupt, Democrats-- led by money-grubbing DCCC chair Steve Israel-- who crossed the aisle to vote with the Republicans. They passed 28 Republicans crossing in the other direction.

Most of the for-sale Blue Dog scum-- remember, Israel is an "ex"-Blue Dog although "relapsed" is probably a better description-- voted with Boehner and Cantor as they usually do. Blue Dogs who buy into the GOP practice of taking corporate campaign cash for votes all backed CISPA: Altmire (PA), Barrow (GA), Bishop (GA), Boren (OK), Boswell (IA), Cardoza (CA), Chandler (KY), Cooper (TN), Costa (CA), Cuellar (TX), Donnelly (IN), Kissell (NC-- yes, he finally made it official 2 weeks ago and joined), Matheson (UT), McIntyre (NC), Peterson (MN), Ross (AR), Schrader (OR), Scott (GA), Shuler (NC), and Thompson (CA) as did ultra-conservatives not formally associated with the Blue Dogs, like Critz (PA), Hochul (NY), Lipinski (IL), Owens (NY), Ruppersberger (MD), and Towns (NY).

Open Secrets shedsd some valuable light on which corporations have been paying off which Members of Congress to vote for this bill.

A list of companies and organizations that have sent letters of support for the bill to the House Intelligence Committee, where the legislation was created, meshes closely with the list of top lobbying groups so far this year-- not to mention groups that lobbied on SOPA and PIPA.

For example, AT&T, which sent this letter, spent more money lobbying in the first three months of 2012 than any other single corporation ($7 million, second only to the mega-trade organization Chamber of Commerce, which also lobbied on CISPA though to a lesser extent). The telephone utilities industry as a whole, which includes AT&T and Verizon (which sent this letter) spent $15.3 million in the first quarter of this year, increasing its lobbying expenditures by 35 percent over the previous three months. The total laid out for lobbying by the computer/Internet industry, which includes some of the biggest backers of CISPA, SOPA and PIPA, fell 6 percent in the first quarter-- but at $32.1 million, the industry was still the sixth-largest spender on lobbying amont all industries so far in 2012.

It's hard to assess how much each of these companies spent lobbying Congress specifically on CISPA-- or other hot-button Internet bills-- because many of these companies have a variety of issues they're pursuing on Capitol Hill, but are required to report just one dollar amount covering everything. AT&T, for instance, spent its $7 million talking to lawmakers about 121 separate pieces of legislation... [Mike] Rogers has received at least $175,000 from organizations that have lobbied on the bill. That's about 15 percent of the total $1.1 million he has reported raising this election cycle. The top two groups: defense contractor SAIC (whose PAC has given Rogers $20,000 this election cycle) and Koch Industries (whose PAC has given Rogers over $14,500.)

The progressive Democrat running against Rogers in southern Michigan, Lance Enderle (you can help his campaign here) isn't the kind of Democrat who supports bills being pushed by the Koch brothers. He's an actual Democrat. This is what he told me this morning about Rogers' bill: “CISPA is not about protecting our national security, it is about invading personal privacy. When will the attacks on our Civil Liberties stop and the focus of economic and environmental stabilization begin? This is another fine example of Republican fear mongering introduced by Mike Rogers. This doesn’t surprise me coming from Mike, considering he voted for SOPA, PIPA, The Patriot ACT, NDAA, and from his position on the Select Intelligence committee he has called for the execution of Pfc. Bradley Manning. Mike loves to restrict our personal freedoms, hell I am more conservative than he is when you refer to the Constitution and our Civil Liberties... I have a question for Mike and his Republican cronies: When did corporations become our police force?”

Because of all the right-wing (and heavily bribed) Democrats voting with the GOP, the message that's seeped into the zeitgeist is "The House’s solid bipartisan vote for a cybersecurity bill sends a message to the Senate: Now it’s your turn to act." Obama's veto threat is flicked aside like a dandruff particle.

The White House, along with a coalition of liberal and conservative groups and some lawmakers, strongly opposed the measure, complaining that Americans’ privacy could be violated. They argued that companies could share an employee’s personal information with the government, data that could end up in the hands of officials from the National Security Agency or the Defense Department. They also challenged the bill’s liability waiver for private companies that disclose information, complaining that it was too broad.

Echoing those concerns were several Republicans and Democrats who warned of potential government spying on its citizens with the help of employers.

“In an effort to foster information sharing, this bill would erode the privacy protections of every single American using the Internet. It would create a ‘Wild West’ of information sharing,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas: “Until we protect the privacy rights of our citizens, the solution is worse than the problem.”

A more thorough analysis by Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic asserts that Americans are justified for feeling paranoid about Rogers' bill. "[I]f we're going to allow private companies and government to snoop into our private information for the narrow purpose of protecting national security," he suggests, "there needs to be a way to monitor what goes on so that there's at least the possibility that abuses could be caught." His main point is that "Critics of CISPA are right to be wary... because of the abysmal record that government and industry have amassed."

The Bush Administration engaged in illegal warrantless wiretapping for years. All the while, the National Security Agency collaborated with America's major telecommunications companies. AT&T gave government officials unsupervised access to all data flowing through major hubs, including email messages, phone calls, web-browsing data, and private network traffic.

When the NSA program was finally revealed, Bush Administration officials weren't prosecuted and jailed. In fact, Thomas Drake, an NSA whistleblower who complained about a separate warrantless surveillance project, was prosecuted by both the Bush and the Obama Administrations.
 
...In a statement objecting to CISPA as currently written, the Obama Administration stated that "citizens have a right to know that corporations will be held legally accountable for failing to safeguard personal information adequately." Damn right they do! But Obama has done nothing to hold anyone accountable for spying on Americans during the Bush years. And Bush-era abuses -- coupled with the failure to hold anyone accountable for them, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and ongoing warrantless surveillance -- are indirectly but powerfully relevant to CISPA.

Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) tried ameliorating the legislation with a Motion to Recommit that would instruct Rogers to amend the bill so that employers and government entities could no longer demand passwords to workers' social media accounts as a condition of employment. Republicans blocked it again, every Democrat voting yes-- even the worst Blue Dogs-- and every Republican voting no. Aside from protecting Facebook and Twitter accounts, Perlmutter's amendment would also protect freedom of expression on the Internet by prohibiting the Federal Government from establishing a national firewall similar to the "Great Internet Firewall of China.”

If You Ever Fall Into Thinking Democrats Are "Just As Bad" As The GOP, Think About The Environment And The Future Of Mankind

The first time I went to Nepal, in 1970, they had just built their first paved road into the country-- in honor of the marriage of the crown prince-- and Kathmandu, the capital, was a fairly pristine city. Now the UN rates its air the world's most polluted. The traffic and the noise pollution are also off the map, and everything is filthy beyond belief. I just got back-- my third trip there-- two weeks ago and I'm still "recovering." Today my doctor sent me to a specialist to figure out what kind of exotic creatures are sharing my body. But you know what's scariest about Kathmandu, other than the grinding poverty and gigantic financial disparity between the poor masses and the rich elite? It's exactly where the GOP is dragging our own country.

You're not going to find many worse corporate shills than Alabama Republican Mike Rogers. This week he bragged how the Republican Party will not just gut Social Security and Medicare if they win the White House and Senate in 2012 but will also shut down the EPA. Republican presidential semi-contenders Michele Bachmann and Newt Gingrich are both campaigning on shutting down the agency, and House Republicans have already voted to defund its operations.

Monday the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition did their best to thwart the House Republicans' determination to further destroy efforts to protect the environment. Idaho wingnut Mike Simpson introduced a bill, H.R. 2584, that will guarantee more polluted drinking water and more polluted air and overturn 40 years of bipartisan progress protecting the environment.

With eight days until the country officially defaults on its debts, likely sparking a worldwide credit crisis, the House of Representatives is busy with legislation aimed at repealing environmental regulations and stymieing conservation efforts.

The Interior and Environmental Protection Agency spending bill for fiscal year 2012 contains policy riders added by panel Republicans to thwart White House-backed initiatives on everything from the EPA's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions to conservation efforts in the Grand Canyon. It would halt new regulations on mountaintop removal mining and prevent the Fish and Wildlife Service from listing new species under the Endangered Species Act.

When the vote was called on the rule that would determine the debate, every single Republican voted to gut the EPA and they were joined by just one corrupt Blue Dog, Sanford Bishop of Georgia. Many Blue Dogs just didn't bother to vote, including Ben Chandler (KY), Mike Ross (AR) (who was busy announcing his retirement), Dan Boren (OK), David Scott (GA), Heath Shuler (NC) and Joe Baca (CA).)

Jim McGovern (D-MA) summed the problem up on the floor early in the debate: "This Interior Appropriations bill represents an unprecedented departure from our nation's decades-long bipartisan commitment to protecting our shared environment, magnificent natural resources, and our cherished cultural treasures." Jim Moran (D-VA), pointed out that all the bill really is at its heart is "a wish list for special interests."

Some of my favorite quotes from the debate Monday came from the most intrepid fighters in the House.

Here's Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ):

Why do Republicans think wiping out environmental protections would help the country more than making sure big corporations stop taking advantage of tax loopholes? Our priorities are very different and very clear. Instead of opening up the Grand Canyon to mining and our nation’s open spaces to logging and drilling, why don’t we create jobs and work on laws to benefit everyone rather than just a wealthy few? We’re going to keep asking these questions until we hear some answers.

And Keith Ellison (D-MN) came right to the point:

This bill is the biggest assault on clean air, clean water, and basic environmental protections that this country has ever seen. Minnesota has a history of commitment to our environment. My constituents did not send me to Washington to advance the interests of Big Oil at the expense of the air we breathe.

Fortunately the reactionary House bill has no chance of passing the Senate, which will rewrite it once Boehner sends it over.


UPDATE: I Bet The GOP Doesn't Like This Infographic Released By The White House Today!

It demonstrates the phenomenal impact of new 54.5 mpg fuel efficiency standards, $8200 in savings over new car lifetime in 2025-- exactly what they oppose, tribally!

Why I Want A Rematch With Mike Rogers In 2012

Lance with US Senator Debbie Stabenow

- by Lance Enderle

I have been asked and the answer is Yes, I am running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. Some people have asked me why I would want to challenge a 6 term incumbent again. The answer is simple; Mike does not represent me or the people of Michigan and Democracy must prevail!

When I look at Mike Rogers, I see everything that is wrong with our political system. I see a career politician who has sold his votes to the highest bidder. Just look at his list of campaign contributors over the years (opensecrets.org/) matched up with his voting record (votesmart.org/). If you look at this information you will find, especially recently, that Mike’s votes are not in the best interest of the American people unless these American people are corporations. Recently, Mike voted YES on these issues:

• Prohibit funds for Planned Parenthood

• Prohibit funding for National Public Radio

• Energy Tax Prevention Act, which allows for greater pollution and deregulation

• Federal Aviation Administration Act

• Termination of Neighborhood Stabilization Act

• Terminating Emergency Mortgage Relief Program

• Terminating the Federal Housing Administration Refinance Program

• Abolish Federal Financing of Presidential Elections

• Extending the Patriot Act

These Yes votes by Mike show that he is out of touch with the people and the economic conditions within this great country of ours.

Mike has also cast a few no votes since the 2010 election, such as:

• FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

• Continuing appropriations

• Mine Safety Act

• Extension of certain unemployment benefits

• Small Business lending fund and tax law amendments

• Tax Law Amendments (No vote cast)

• Campaign finance disclosure requirements

• Repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell

• DREAM ACT

• Health care reconciliation Act

• Offshore Drilling Regulations and Other Energy Law Amendments (NV cast, did not vote)

• Whistleblower Protection" for Offshore Oil Workers (NV cast, did not vote)

• Ending Moratorium on Deepwater Drilling Rigs that Meet Certain Safety Standards (NV cast, did not vote)

When you look Rep. Rogers voting record since the 2010 election; one has to ask, who does Mike Rogers represent? I know as a Progressive I find it appalling to see the blatant disregard for the citizens of Michigan and the United States.

When I listen to Mike Rogers, I hear a person who will wrap themselves in the American Flag to suit his agenda, but when it comes down to it, he will cut and run from those who he is supposed to protect. Just look at his vote against providing funding for those brave men and woman who are known as the 911 First Responders. Not to mention all of the cuts he has supported to the Veterans Administration and to our military as a whole.

Mike Rogers has also made reducing our volunteer military troop levels and replacing them with private military contractors a top priority. Why is this? Could it be because Eric Prince is a close personal friend of his? Eric Prince is the CEO of Blackwater. Recently, Prince changed the name of Blackwater to Xi as a result of the negative attention and numerous accusations of alleged war crimes against his corporation. This has allowed Blackwater/Xi to maintain old and acquire new military contracts. Most people are not aware that Eric Prince hails from Michigan, and is a member of one of the richest families in this state, who have given millions to the elitist conservative agenda. Mike has taken many trips to the Middle East on the Blackwater dime; did these trips ensure that Blackwater received military contracts? We do not know for certain, but the duck sure quacks.

Did I mention that Eric’s brother in-law is Dick DeVos, the heir to the Amway fortune? If you do not know what Amway is, it is America’s longest lasting pyramid scheme. Why do I bring these relationships up? It is because Eric Prince and Dick DeVos are the type of people who fund and support Mike Rogers, and benefit from his policies.

On the other hand, Mike has voted against funding for police, firefighters and teachers. Who is Mike Rogers concerned with protecting?

Another issue I find unsettling about Mike Rogers, especially considering his position as chairman of the Select Intelligence Committee, is his lack of knowledge and understanding of American History. How is it possible that Rep. Rogers has never heard of Daniel Ellsberg or the Pentagon papers? Just look at this video. It was during this interview that Mike shockingly called for the execution of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who at that point had not been charged in the Wiki-leaks case. Not only do his statements about Manning and Ellsberg show his lack of historical knowledge and ignorance of the law, they also clearly illustrate his blatant hypocrisy. First as a “Right to Life” endorsed politician, and as a Christian which he claims to be. Mike, what about the sanctity of life? More importantly, where is the forgiveness which the New Testament demands?

As I reflect on my decision to again run against Mike Rogers, the only word that comes to mind is Democracy! I am tired of being sold out to corporate special interests and not having a voice within my Government. I am motivated by what is right and fair, and what is in the best interest of ALL citizens. I am running because I desire a leader, not a follower; I want a leader who comes from the people, not above the people. I want to be able to insure that the silent majority has a voice, a voice which has been stifled for way too long by Corporate America and an extreme Rightwing agenda. In 2010 I began my campaign as an unknown write-in candidate and became the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives. I did not receive the nomination because of money; it was because of the hard work and commitment that I put forth for the people when it was needed. At that time, I made a commitment to the people of Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. The commitment I made was to never quit on them, to always be there for them, and too stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves. This is why I want a rematch with Mike Rogers. I am committing to this race now, even though the district will be redrawn due to the Census figures. The boundaries of the 8th Congressional District may change a little, but the people who live within these counties and the problems they currently face will remain the same.

So here I am, making this commitment to you the citizens of Michigan, and the United States of America. I promise to stand up for those who cannot, to speak for those who are being silenced, to fight injustice and intolerance, to fight for a Single Payer Health Care System, to insure our public education system and public infrastructure are there for future generations, to fight for civil and human rights, and more importantly protect and guarantee that opportunity to achieve the American Dream for ALL citizens.

If you would like to get involved in defeating Mike Rogers and giving Congress a real voice of the People, please contact us at www.lanceenderleforcongress.com or www.Lance2012.com/

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You can help get Lance's campaign going at the DownWithTyranny endorsement page.