Labor Holds Emergency Meetings To Discuss Senate Bill, May Formally Oppose . . . .

12-16-09

Two of the country’s largest labor groups, the SEIU and the AFL-CIO, are each holding emergency executive meetings today to discuss whether they should support the latest round of health care compromises made by Senate Democrats.

Though there’s no official word yet, early indications based on talks with various officials are that the groups will either formally oppose the legislation or, less dramatically, just not fight very hard to ensure its passage.

Labor leaders are fuming at the concessions that Democratic leadership made in the last few days to win the support of the caucus’s most conservative members, notably Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.). A bill that already included one highly objectionable provision (a tax on so-called Cadillac insurance plans) was stripped of a provision beloved by labor: a public alternative to private insurance coverage. Frustration boiled over even further after the leadership succumbed to Lieberman’s demand to jettison even the compromise to the public option — a proposal to expand Medicare to those as young as 55.

Continue reading Labor Leaders Weigh Senate Health Insurance Reform Bill in Senate →

by Randy Shannon

The article following is an account of the sordid story of how a majority of Congress showed the sensibility of a pack of hyenas as they passed an unconstitutional bill of attainder against ACORN. At the end of the article is a link to the roll call and to District Justice Nina Gershon’s opinion ordering an injunction against an act of the US Congress, a rare event.

4th CD Congressman Jason Altmire voted for this unconstitutional bill. By so doing, he has brought shame on himself and the people of his district. Our Constitution can protect our liberty from encroachment by powerful economic interests, but only if we the people defend its principles. Altmire’s vote to undermine our freedom shows that he votes the interests of the powerful and not the people. This is reason enough to vote him out of office.

Major victory for ACORN and the Constitution
By Glenn Greenwald

In September, I interviewed Rep. Alan Grayson about the unconstitutionality of Congress’ attempt to de-fund ACORN, and a couple of weeks later, examined Supreme Court precedent — principally the 1946 case of U.S. v. Lovett — that left little doubt that the Congressional war on ACORN violated the Constitutional ban on “bills of attainder.” Yesterday, in a lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Federal District Judge Nina Gershon of the Eastern District of New York found Congress’ de-funding of ACORN unconstitutional and enjoined its enforcement. This is a major victory not only for ACORN, but also for the Constitution.

Continue reading Jason Altmire’s Shameful Vote Against our Constitution →

Letter from ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis
December 9, 2009

In late September, ACORN and its Advisory Council asked former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger to lead an independent inquiry into the circumstances and implications of the videos that led to the intense responses in Congress and the media in September and October.

Today Mr. Harshbarger released his report. ACORN’s leadership is pleased that this evaluation shows even the low-level employees portrayed in the videos did not engage in any illegal activity or seek to encourage it as the heavily-edited videos seek to imply.[1]

Continue reading Independent Inquiry Clears ACORN of Accusations of Wrongdoing →

U.S. Nurses Unions Merge, Back Healthcare Overhaul
By Tim Gaynor
December 8, 2009, Phoenix, AZ

Published by Reuters.

Three nurses unions merged on Monday to form the largest-ever labor organization for U.S. medical professionals, which is expected to wield greater clout in collective bargaining and the national healthcare debate.

Leaders of the new 150,000-member National Nurses United, comprising union locals from Maine to Hawaii, said their top priority would be to seek to organize the overwhelming majority of registered nurses who remain without union representation.

Of roughly 1.5 million nurses who provide direct patient care in U.S. hospitals and clinics, about 80 percent have no union contract, NNU officials said.

Continue reading National Nurses United Formed: Goals Organize the Unorganized & Universal Healthcare →

End the U.S. Occupation & Air War in Afghanistan

WHEREAS the California Democratic Party, concerned citizens and lawmakers are calling for a U.S. exit strategy from Afghanistan that will end the occupation and air war while ensuring the safety and security of our troops, our nation, and the region;  while even the U.S. Ambassador General Karl Eikenberry expresses concern about corruption in the Afghan government and our inability to stabilize the situation; and

WHEREAS the plight of women in Afghanistan is such that they continue to bear an especially heavy price under an eight-year occupation, and that far from eradicating the Taliban and other insurgencies, the presence of foreign troops has instead strengthened them, creating greater insecurity, death and impoverishment of the Afghan, people; and

WHEREAS a majority of Americans are increasingly disturbed about the toll the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan is taking on the honorable young men and women who have been killed and wounded, on the families of these young men and women, as our involvement there continues to cost billions each month while the United States and particularly the state of California are in an economic crisis without money to fund domestic needs;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the California Democratic Party, in addition to reiterating its support for a time-table for withdrawal of our miltary personnel, calls for an end to the use of mercenary contractors, as well as an end to air strikes that cause heavy civilian casualties, and urges our President to oversee a redirection of our funding and resources to include an increase in humanitarian and developmental aid, multi-party talks aimed at ensuring a democratic and legitimate representation of the people of Afghanistan, as well as multi-party regional diplomacy for the safety and stability of neighboring  countries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED a copy of this resolution shall be sent to the California Democratic Party Congressional delegation, as well as to President Obama.