Month: September 2015

Pink Out Day

Planned Parenthood Supporters Fight Back: Pink Out Day, Sept 29

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Pink Out Day Republicans in Congress have been yammering for weeks about shutting down the US government — again— rather than compromise on a budget.

Since the Tea Party took over in 2010, their thing seems to be to throw temper tantrums until they either shut down the government or get their way on their issue du jour.

This time around, they want to shut down the government unless they are given a budget that defunds Planned Parenthood (PP). What do they have against affordable healthcare for women?! We are 51% of the US population. 

The deadline to sign a budget or shut down the government is September 30, 2015. That is why Planned Parenthood is sponsoring a national Pink Out Day on Tuesday, September 29. Planned Parenthood is asking supporters to wear pink, change their Facebook profile photo background to pink, attend a local rally, join the Twitter Thunderclap or share a #PinkOut selfie on social media. People are also being prompted to share their Planned Parenthood stories on FB. (Local event details after the jump.)

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Senate advances funding bill to avert a government shutdown

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The Septuagenarian Ninja Turtle, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is delivering  on his end of the bargain to avert a government shutdown on October 1. The Hill reports, Senate advances bill to prevent shutdown:

Republican leaders Senator Mitch McConnell and John Boehner speak after a bipartisan meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House in WashingtonA short-term bill to fund the government through Dec. 11 overcame a key procedural hurdle in the Senate on Monday, just days before the deadline to avoid a shutdown.

Senators voted 77-19 to end debate on the continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government. The move paves the way for final passage before the Oct. 1 deadline.

Arizona Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake voted against Cloture on H.R. 719. So they are for shutting down the federal government over defunding Planned Parenthood. Contact their offices and give them a piece of your mind.

Nineteen Republican senators—including Sens. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Ky.)—voted against moving forward, citing concerns about funding for Planned Parenthood and the overall spending levels it contains.

The “Filibuster Twins” decided not to attempt a speaking filibuster after promising the religious zealots at the Values Voters Summit this past weekend that defunding Planned Parenthood  is a priority for them. The Christian Right got played again.

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SCOTUS: the defining issue in the 2016 election

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Following up on yesterday’s post about the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Rick Hasen has written this longread for TPM, which is well worth your time to read.  It begins:

The future composition of the Supreme Court is the most important civil rights cause of our time. It is more important than racial justice, marriage equality, voting rights, money in politics, abortion rights, gun rights, or managing climate change. It matters more because the ability to move forward in these other civil rights struggles depends first and foremost upon control of the Court. And control for the next generation is about to be up for grabs, likely in the next presidential election, a point many on the right but few on the left seem to have recognized.

Justices600x480

Seated left to right: Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Standing left to right: Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Stephen G. Breyer, Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., Justice Elena Kagan.
Image Credit: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States, Photographer: Steve Petteway.

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Attend TRRG forums on upcoming ballot propostions

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November Ballot Educational Forums
“Tucson Residents for Responsive Government (TRRG) will be sponsoring three educational forums to inform the public about the processes by which the Charter Changes (Props 403 & 404), Salary Recommendation (Prop 405) and Bond Proposals (Props 425-431) were placed on the November 3,2015 ballot and what these propositions mean to you as citizens and members of our community.
  • Wednesday, September 30th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Ward 2 office, 7575 E. Speedway Blvd
  • Tuesday, October 6th, 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 E. 36th St.
  • Wednesday, October 7th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm at the Ward 6 office, 3202 E. 1st St.
The forums will be presented by members who served on the citizen committees, with opportunities for the public to ask questions. All residents are welcome to attend.”

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Media scrutiny of Carly Fiorina paints a picture of a smooth talking liar

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Back in May, the Washington Post’s Fact Checker, Glenn Kessler, reviewed the claims by Carly Fiorina about her record at Hewlett Packard (HP), and found that “Fiorina’s claims about her business success are questionable in almost every respect,” awarding her “three Pinocchios.” Carly Fiorina’s misleading claims about her business record.

This weekend, the New York Times‘ Steven Rattner writes, Carly Fiorina Really Was That Bad:

Cartoon_32Investors were so down on her that H.P.’s shares jumped by almost 7 percent on the day of her firing. And in ensuing years, she appeared on several “worst C.E.O.” lists, including those of CBS News and USA Today.

In 2009, Portfolio magazine ranked her the 19th worst C.E.O. of all time and described her as a “consummate self-promoter” who was “busy pontificating on the lecture circuit and posing for magazine covers while her company floundered.” (That sounds like good preparation for running for president.)

The Times also looked at The Influence of Fiorina at Lucent, in Hindsight:

As Carly Fiorina has risen in the polls over the last week, there is renewed focus on her controversial tenure as chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. Yet her career at Lucent Technologies has been treated as little more than a footnote. It shouldn’t be.

“My story — from secretary to C.E.O. — is only possible in this country,” Mrs. Fiorina likes to say on the hustings. (More about this below.)

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