March 3, 2015

Senator Sanders Statement on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Speech to Congress

In a statement after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today renewed his support for diplomatic efforts by the United States and other world powers to negotiate an agreement to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

“More than a decade of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us thousands of lives and trillions in treasure and made a difficult situation even worse. Those experiences should reinforce our resolve to make every diplomatic effort to avoid another rush to war,” Sanders said.

“It goes without saying that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. It goes without saying that the United States will stand by our long-standing friendship and support for the nation of Israel. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not offer any serious alternatives to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

“At this point, harsher sanctions won’t stop Iran’s nuclear program. Neither would a dangerous resort to military action. The sanctions currently in place have brought Iran to the bargaining table and current negotiations resulted in Iran freezing its nuclear program. And for the past year, Iran has been subject to heightened international inspections. All of those things have made us safer.

“I commend President Obama for his continued cooperation with the United Kingdom, France, China, Germany and Russia to reach a final agreement to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon,” Sanders said.

Sanders did not attend Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress. He had said beforehand that the address, arranged without consultation with the White House, improperly interfered with President Barack Obama’s leading role in charting U.S. foreign policy. With Israeli elections set for two weeks from now, Sanders also said it was inappropriate for any foreign leader to use an appearance before Congress for their own domestic political purposes.


http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-sanders-statement-on-prime-minister-netanyahus-speech-to-congress



https://twitter.com/SenSanders

February 27, 2015

Sen. Whitehouse: You Can Believe the Senator With a Snowball or Every Major American Scientific Society

You Can Believe the Senator With a Snowball or Every Major American Scientific Society
In this speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Whitehouse rebuts Sen. Inhofe's earlier speech on climate change.

February 20, 2015

Rep.Steve Cohen wins the Internet with devastating tweet '3/5' on Giuliani’s racism. Stands by tweet

Steve Cohen (D-TN) dipped into American history to deliver a devastating takedown of Rudy Giuliani’s ongoing attempts to show President Barack Obama is insufficiently patriotic.

“Rudy Giuliani questioned how much, or even if, President Obama loves America. Maybe he thinks he loves it 3/5 as much as Giuliani & his pals,” tweeted Cohen, who represents a heavily black district in Memphis.

Cohen, of course, was referring to the infamous Three-Fifths Compromise during the 1787 U.S. Continental Convention, which determined how slaves would be counted when determining population for legislative representation and taxation.

The lawmaker earned bravos from other Twitter users, but some misunderstood it as racist or replied with racist messages or their own.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/rep-steve-cohen-wins-the-internet-with-devastating-35-tweet-on-giulianis-racism/comments/





Tennessee Congressman Stands By Tweet-Shaming Rudy Giuliani for Saying Obama Doesn't Love America
Rep. Steve Cohen sees racial undertones in Rudy Giuliani’s comments about the president’s patriotism.

(snip)
Cohen says he is fed up with people even doubting Obama's patriotism.

"He is the commander in chief, he defends our country, he loves our country. It is not even an issue," Cohen says. "It is just absurd."

But conservatives weren't the only ones calling out Cohen. The Washington Post also took him to task for his tweet, arguing it was a "very good demonstration of how not to elevate the political debate with Rudy Giuliani."

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/tennessee-congressman-stands-by-tweet-shaming-rudy-giuliani-for-saying-obama-doesn-t-love-america-20150220




https://twitter.com/nationaljournal

February 19, 2015

First legally married gay couple in Texas (pic)

Congratulations to Sarah Goodfriend and Suzanne Bryant on their wedding.


https://twitter.com/TXDemParty

Thank you Gothmog for the link
First Texas gay couple married in Austin
http://www.chron.com/news/politics/article/First-Texas-gay-couple-married-in-Austin-6089740.php
Video at link

February 18, 2015

11.4 Million People Signed Up For Obamacare In 2015

Source: TPM

The White House announced on Tuesday that 11.4 million people signed up or re-enrolled in health insurance through the federal exchange during the 2015 enrollment period.

On the last day of the enrollment period, on Feb. 15, HealthCare.gov saw its biggest enrollment day ever.

About 7 million people signed up for health insurance during the 2014 enrollment period.

President Obama made the announcement in a video posted on Facebook.

"It gives you some sense of how hungry people were out there for affordable, accessible health insurance. And that’s really the top line message. The Affordable Care Act is working," he said about the 2015 enrollment numbers.

video
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10153217474489238&set=vb.63811549237

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/enrollment-numbers-insurance-2015

February 12, 2015

Sen. Sanders on Skipping Netanyahu's Speech

Sanders to Skip Netanyahu Speech

Great job Sen. Sanders
Thank you

February 9, 2015

Sen. Sanders: By the Billionaires and for the Billionaires

https://twitter.com/SenSanders

February 8, 2015

Buzzfeed Editor To Interview President Obama Tuesday. Tell us your toughest questions.

Buzzfeed Editor Ben Smith will interview President Obama on Tuesday, marking the first presidential interview for the website, CNN reported on Sunday.

"BuzzFeed News has had our share of big stories and big interviews, but this will be our first interview with a sitting president of the United States," Smith wrote in a Sunday announcement on Buzzfeed. "It’s a nice tribute to the work my colleagues have done to take this place from an ambitious, zany experiment to one of the most ambitious new news and media organizations in the world."

According to Smith, Buzzfeed will ask readers to submit questions for the president. BuzzFeed Motion Pictures will also film a video with Obama.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/buzzfeed-obama-interview

What Should We Ask President Obama?

BuzzFeed News will interview President Barack Obama Tuesday as the president works to sign Americans up for his signature health care policy, prepares for a final chance to push through other elements of his agenda, and balances an economic recovery with crises around the world.

(snip)
So tell us your toughest questions — in whatever form you think that question is best asked. You can leave a comment on this post, email us at obamaIRL@buzzfeed.com, or send us a photo on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/bensmith/questions-for-obama#.mtzNKxYZ7