Video: David Bulova's Speech at his Campaign Kickoff

Whether it's been at his own campaign events, when I've seen him done in Richmond when the General Assembly is in session, or at various community events around Fairfax, David Bulova has always struck me as someone who is in office because he genuinely wants to give back to his community. That's why I was pleased to see that this was one of the major themes at his campaign kickoff last weekend. During the speeches that he and others gave at the event, we also got a glimpse into how that desire to give back has also lead to him being a more effective legislator during his time in office. Just some of the examples he gave are the fight surrounding the tank farm legislation and some of the friction that has arisen over the years between my alma mater, GMU, and the Fairfax community as the university has continued to expand.

So with that in mind, here is the speech that David Bulova gave at his campaign kickoff last weekend.

Video: Sen. Chap Petersen Speaking at David Bulova's Campaign Kickoff

David Bulova is facing what could prove to be a close race as redistricting has changed many of the precincts in his district and his Republican opponent isn't as extreme as some of the other GOP candidates who are running in Virginia this year. That is why it was it's important to note what Sen. Chap Petersen had to say about Bulova's kickoff last weekend.

Dems on Senate Budget Committee Pass on the Opportunity to Show Leadership

Most of the people I've spoken to on the House side of the Hill were never very confident about the chances of a proposal coming from the "Gang of Six." I've heard folks from both side of the aisle refer to the Senate as "the dark side" because they simply don't seem to be taking the lead on a variety of issues --- especially when it comes to a compromise on the budget. So when the Gang of Six essentially confirmed the House was right to have faith in it by becoming the legislative equivalent of Five Guys, I hoped the Democrats on the Senate Budget Committee would take advantage of the opportunity.

Instead of doing that, however, it looks like they're simply going to wait on the bipartisan groups that nobody else has much confidence in. Senator Conrad, the Chairman of the Budget Committee, for instance, said yesterday that "Democrats on the Budget Committee are very close to an agreement. We will have a budget. But, after broad consultation, we have decided to defer a budget mark-up because of the high-level bipartisan leadership negotiations that are currently underway."

Since he'd probably be accused of stalling, Conrad quickly added how the compromises proposed by bipartisan groups have a history of influencing the final proposals is something that we've seen during previous tough budget negotiations. "The results of those negotiations may need to be included in a budget resolution that would be offered in the weeks ahead. That was the case for both the 1990 and 1997 deficit reduction plans, where a budget resolution and accompanying reconciliation process were used to implement the agreements."

While Conrad is correct that there will have to be a compromise eventually, it would be nice for someone to take the lead in proposing a budget that represents progressive values and fights for the working class. With the Tea Party dominating the debate in the House and the bipartisan groups not making progress, the Senate Democrats were one of the few groups left that could have legitimately moved forward on those values. Unfortunately, Conrad and his colleagues have decided to pass on the chance to show some leadership and kick some ass for the middle and working class.

Penny Gross Speaks About the Leadership We Need from Chairman

I mentioned in some of the posts I did earlier this week that the main theme at the kickoff of Sharon Bulova's reelection campaign was how her leadership skills has helped Fairfax during tough economic times. While all of the speakers had stories about how they've seen Sharon's leadership in action, I wanted to take the time to highlight the speech that Supervisor Penny Gross gave at the event.

Penny might not always get a lot of the limelight, but there's a reason she's served for a long time and has become vice-chair of the Board. She's extremely knowledgeable about the issues important to Fairfax, works long hours making sure her constituents are represented well and their concerns are met, and I've heard from her staff on several occasions just how passionate she is about serving the community. So when Penny talks about what makes a good Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, people should listen. And with that in mind, here's the video of what she had to say regarding the type of leadership we need.

Video: Gerry Connolly Speaking Sharon Bulova's Campaign Kickoff

As many of you know, I grew up in Fairfax County and am a product of the public school system here (even received my college degree from a public university in Fairfax -- George Mason). I've always considered myself lucky to have grown up here and the organizing that I've done in other counties (both in Virginia and other states) has only deepened my appreciation for the high quality of life that you can find here in Northern Virginia. I know I'm not alone in this sentiment and Gerry Connolly helped to illustrate why this is the case when he spoke at Sharon Bulova's campaign kickoff on Sunday.

In addition to pointing out crucial facts such as our high graduation rates, low crime rates, and relatively good job market, Gerry correctly pointed out that the high quality of life in Fairfax wouldn't be possible without strong leadership. This has especially been the case during these tough economic times that Sharon Bulova has lead the county through. As one person I spoke to at the event put it, "Sharon's a policy wonk" who knows the budget process extremely well and has used that knowledge to maintain high standards here in Fairfax. So with that in mind, here's the video I shot of Gerry's speech.

Video: Terry McAuliffe Pumps up the Crowd At Sharon Bulova Kickoff

As I promised yesterday, here is the video of Terry McAuliffe speaking at the kickoff of Sharon Bulova's reelection campaign. I'll be posting some video of the other speeches throughout the day, so keep checking back.

Sharon Bulova's Strong Leadership is the Main Theme at her Campaign Kickoff

Earlier today, Sharon Bulova kicked off her reelection campaign for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. As the crowd gathered at the Mason Inn on the campus of George Mason University, it quickly became clear what the event's message would be -- We need strong leadership to ensure residents of Fairfax continue having a high quality of life and Sharon has already illustrated how she's the leader we need.

I'll be posting video of some of the speeches tomorrow (Monday), but I wanted to take some time today to bring up some of the highlights. Overall, I think it's important to note that officials from all different levels of government spoke about how Sharon's leadership has done fantastic things for the Fairfax community. When you combine this with how many elected officials showed up to the event, it was also obvious that folks believe the race for chairman will be one that's important politically as Democrats are trying to regain some momentum after a tough year at the polls in 2010.

Terry McAulliffe picked up on this theme when he took to the stage. As is typical when Terry takes the stage, he really got the crowd pumped up. He started out by giving us a reminder that during tough economic times last year, voters went to the polls to vote against a lot of incumbents despite the good that they might have done over the years. The way to combat that is to have a good message. While calling Sharon "the best Chairman in history" (while 2 former Chairmen were in the room for what it's worth), Terry said the clear message is that Sharon's leadership allowed the county to preserve funding for education and transportation despite the poor economy.

Terry wasn't just spouting campaign talking points as he told the crowd that the stability Sharon's leadership provides is one of the main reasons he has the headquarters for his new businesses in Fairfax. He also claimed he wanted to ensure Fairfax continues to provide a high quality of life for its residents because he raised his five children here and he wants to see them stay in Fairfax.

When Rep. Gerry Connolly took the stage, he gave us some facts that prove Fairfax is a great place to live. Of the 100 largest jurisdictions in the country, Gerry pointed out that Fairfax has the highest graduation rate, the lowest crime rate, and is usually among the wealthiest counties. The purpose of highlighting this was to mention that you can't get these superlatives without having strong leadership, which Sharon has provided throughout her time on the Board of Supervisors.

While all the political accomplishments and leadership drew a lot of attention during the event, we also heard a lot about about the personal relationships that Sharon had developed during her time in office. Her son, Delegate David Bulova, for instance, talked about how he frequently hears stories from folks about why they personally support Sharon's candidacy. He then added that how everyone in the room probably had a story they could share about why Sharon should be reelected. Penny Gross also added to the conversation about personal relationships when she pointed out that one of the reasons the Board of Supervisors worked so well was that Sharon built a relationship with the other Supervisors that allowed each Supervisor to work on issues they are passionate while coming together to work on the big issues that the county needs addressed.

While Fairfax might have had to make some major cuts due to the poor economy in recent years, anyone who has done some organizing in other counties knows that the speakers at today's events were absolutely correct. The leadership provided by Sharon Bulova and others has helped to keep Fairfax strong during tough economic times. And that is why at least 100 people came together on a rainy afternoon to show they wanted Sharon Bulova elected to another term as Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors$

Steny Hoyer on Obama's Immigration Speech

There's been a lot of talk about Obama's speech on immigration earlier today. One of the people chiming in is the Democratic Whip in the House, Steny Hoyer. While it does cover the same themes, there are a couple of things worth noting here.

First, Hoyer correctly highlights how there are economic benefits to having an immigration policy that attracts the world's brightest people. Secondly, he points out that the GOP is wrong to claim Obama isn't protecting the border. In fact, folks who have been following the immigration debate probably already know that Obama has actually increased resources on the border.

So with that in mind, here's the statement that Steny Hoyer sent out:

"I commend President Obama for speaking out on this important issue and I echo his call for comprehensive immigration reform that will address the millions of undocumented immigrants working and living in America today. In a competitive world, America's openness to immigration is one of its key strengths. I am very pleased President Obama said he was going to keep fighting for the DREAM Act, long-overdue legislation which Democrats passed in the House last year and I continue to support."

"In order to compete in the global economy, America cannot afford to close its doors and not let talented entrepreneurs create jobs here at home. People come here from all over the world to get an education and we should be encouraging them to take root here in the U.S. and create the jobs that will help more families Make it in America."

"While some Republicans continue to insist we need to strengthen our borders before tackling immigration reform, in reality, President Obama has doubled the number of border agents since 2004 and tripled the number of intelligence analysts working there. Comprehensive immigration reform may not be easy, but it is a moral and economic imperative that is long overdue. I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us to forge a bipartisan solution and bring much-needed reform to our broken immigration system."

Open Thread

I'm working on a few posts that will definitely be worth checking out that will be coming up soon that will be focusing on some of the hearings that have taken place on the Hill lately. This will include an array of topics, including Native American Affairs, the Dodd-Frank legislation, and mine safety issues.

In the mean time, I wanted to give everyone an opportunity to discuss what's on their mind. I'm also using this thread as an opportunity to test the mobile posting option that's offered by the blogging platform that I have. This will make it easier to post when I am not right by a computer and want to get a story up quickly.

Saturday Photoblogging: Mine Safety Hearing

Mark G. Ellis (left), the president of the Industrial Minerals Association, looks over at Cecil Edward Roberts, Jr. (right)., the President of the United Mine Workers of America, as he answers questions during a hearing on "modernizing mine safety." The hearing was held by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce's subcommittee on Workforce Protections on May 4, 2011.

Eric Cantor: Private Sector Health Care Rationing is Okay With Him and Privatizing Medicare is Good

As the reports keep trickling in about how many Republicans in Congress are considering abandoning Paul Ryan's budget proposal -- especially the portion about doing away with Medicare as we know it -- Eric Cantor had some cover if he wanted to come forward and stand up for the best interests of the American people. Perhaps realizing this, the Washington Post reported that he did come forward say he was abandoning Ryan's plan. The tea party must have thrown a fit, however, because Cantor's spokesman came forward to say he was misquoted.

The Washington Post reported late Wednesday that Cantor, highly influential with the party’s tea party wing, planned to abandon Rep. Paul Ryan’s controversial Medicare plan, but a spokesman for Cantor said his boss was quoted out of context — and the GOP is keeping a hard line.

“Eric made very clear that our position is the Ryan budget which — as you know — assumes a debt limit increase and includes Medicare, Medicaid and $715 billion in mandatory savings,” Cantor spokesman Brad Dayspring told POLITICO. “Whether the Democrats will agree to the proposals we've outlined is yet to be seen, but that is our starting point so we don't continue to kick the can down the road and make real cuts and real reforms this year.”

As if it weren't bad enough that Cantor's desperately trying to avoid being associated with folks who want to protect Medicare, he has also tried to imply that Obama's health care plan was evil because it would ration care. What made this especially unique, however, was that he also admitted that there's actually rationing of care in the private sector.

Cantor appeared to go further than Republicans have in the past by acknowledging that not all patients are certain to get optimal healthcare under a system of private insurance.

"I think that the fundamental nature of our system of third-party payer is the problem," he said. Patients, he added, too often are left with "no decision about what they want and what they can afford."

When you combine Eric Cantor's comments with Paul Ryan's plan to end Medicare as we know it while also lining the pockets of insurance companies, it becomes extremely clear that the GOP leadership is more interested in preserving corporate profits than providing the American people with the best health care possible. I don't know about you, but this is not the type of leadership I want to see in Congress.

Video: Jaime Areizaga-Soto Announces Candidacy for State Senate

The race for the Democratic nomination to replace Mary Margaret Whipple as the state Senator from the 31st District has been a hot topic in the blogosphere both publicly and behind the scenes. The race seems to not only highlight the frustrations a lot of folks have with the redistricting process, but also has become the center of attention for activists who want more proud progressives in the General Assembly (this has been a strong Democratic seat for years).

Although we've known he probably was going to enter the race for quite some time now, Jaime Areizaga-Soto announced his candidacy at last night's ACDC meeting. Based upon what I've heard from folks who were there and the video that Lowell posted over at Blue Virginia, Jaime received a very energetic reception that included people whistling and chanting his name after his speech. While this obviously was just a reaction to a speech, the energy surrounding his kickoff is important to note because it's hard to get the general public to pay attention to a primary during and off-off year election. Having energetic supporters who are willing to put in a lot of time and energy knocking on doors and making phone calls can therefore prove to be extremely beneficial.

So if you're like me and weren't able to make it to last night's ACDC meeting, here's the video that Lowell took of Jaime Areizaga-Soto's announcement.

How Many Gays Must God Create Before We Accept that He Wants Them Around?

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a hearing held by a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee where Maggie Gallagher and Republicans on the committee tried to use their religion as to claim that "traditional marriage" has to be defended. They claimed that to go against this by allowing same sex couples to get would be harmful to children. When some of the Democrats on the committee tried to challenge Maggie's assertions, she became quite angry and accused them of trying to play politics with our moral values.

It was quite a different scene in Minnesota on Monday when state Rep. Steve Simon calmly spoke about his opposition to a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage in the state. Although he touched on several topics, he asked the following question that received applause from the crowd (and anyone who's been to a committee hearing knows applause doesn't happen too often) and has caused his remarks to go viral.

“How many more gay people does God have to create before we ask ourselves whether or not God actually wants them around?”

Here's the video of his full remarks:

Briefcase Brigades Draw Attention to Youth Unemployment

Anyone who knows a recent college grad (or anyone under the age of 30 for that matter) realizes that the current economic crisis has had a big impact on younger Americans. When there are 5 people looking for work for every job opening, after all, employers are often able to get more experience workers at a relatively small salary that used to be reserved for entry level workers. Unfortunately, Congressional leadership often ignores younger voters because they don’t think they make it to the polls on Election Day. That is why hundreds of “students, interns, and unemployed Millennials” decided to take action highlighting the struggles that younger Americans are facing during these tough economic times.

As Congress was on a district work period, youth activists from 22 states, including DC, formed what they called the Briefcase Brigades. They all went to their Congressional district offices dressed for an interview, briefcase in hand, with a generational resume to show they are ready for work, but the jobs just aren’t there. While the cost of a higher education is soaring (and the GOP is trying to cut millions from higher education), wanted Congress to pay more attention to how the unemployment for those under 30 is 16.7% -- double the national average.

The main message that the Briefcase Brigades brought to Congress was that we should take a balanced approach to the budget discussions instead of just focusing on cuts to crucial job creating programs. “Instead of focusing on job creation like most young voters want, Congress is talking about cutting necessary investments in our future,” said Briefcase Brigades spokesperson Diane May. “Deficit reduction can’t come at the expense of putting young Americans to work or building a generation that can compete in the world labor market years down the line.”

The following is a video they put together highlighting some of the thoughts of the folks taking part in the DC action.

Is Tribbett's Campaign Legacy That He Doesn't Like Saslaw?

The big gossip yesterday in Virginia’s blogosphere was that Ben Tribbett has decided not to run for state senate in the 31st District. The interesting bit here is that while Sen. Dick Saslaw (the Majority Leader in the Virginia State Senate) has made it clear that he supports Barbara Favola, there has been a lot of people who have expressed some opposition to the way that Saslaw has been using some back room channels in an attempt to clear the field for Barbara. Many people, for instance, claim that this is a major part of the reason that Del. Bob Hope decided not to run for the seat. It’s this opposition to Saslaw’s decision to supposedly use these tactics that was the primary basis for Ben’s campaign.

Looking back at almost all of the stories that covered Ben’s potential candidacy, almost every story had at least a quote or two about Ben’s frustration with Saslaw. What wasn't immediately apparent, however, was that this frustration goes way beyond how Saslaw handled the primary process. When the General Assembly was in session earlier this year, for instance, Ben was constantly saying Democrats needed a stronger leader than Saslaw. This was especially the case after an anti-choice bill slipped through the state senate despite the chamber having a Democratic majority.

Given his history of criticizing Saslaw and that Ben wasn’t quoted much talking about issues that are likely to be a part of any race in Northern Virginia (transportation, neighborhood development, education) and most the behind the scenes chatter focused on his opposition to the majority leader, you have to wonder if Ben’s main goal in having his named considered was simply to draw more attention to how little he thought of Saslaw. After all, he did do something similar in 2005 when he basically ran against a former state Delegate from Burke who is now in the State Senate (anyone who has followed Ben’s blog likely knows exactly who I’m talking about).

This isn’t to say that Ben wouldn’t have put forward a progressive platform, it’s simply that he never did and seemed to be focusing a large portion of his time to criticizing Saslaw. He even wrote a post recently that explained why he hadn’t been posting much by saying, “this is what I’ve been dealing with” and linking to a story about discussing the criticism of Saslaw’s involvement in the primary process. Note that with his “this is what I’ve been dealing with,” Ben wanted to draw attention to his criticisms of Saslaw and not the discussions he was having about the issues.

With all that being said, it isn’t too uncommon for people to leak that their considering a bid for office in order to advance whatever issue they’re passionate about. In a story about Ron Paul’s decision to form a presidential exploratory committee, for example, the Washington Post highlighted how many of his supporters didn’t think he could win but thought he could steer the GOP debates more towards the idea of limiting government. And in 2008, supporters of John Edwards stuck with him long after it was clear he wouldn’t win because they liked that he caused other candidates to focus on poverty. In those cases, many activists considered their campaigns to be a success for the issues they supported even though they didn't win. I would tend to agree. The obvious difference with Ben is that he was focusing attention on his opposition to Saslaw instead of an issue like poverty, but it’s still the same concept that he was able to get a lot of attention to a single issue by keeping his name in the ring for awhile.

So if the point of Ben considering a campaign for state Senate was to get some attention for his concerns about Saslaw, then you have say that the media coverage he received gave him a victory. The question now is whether Ben was right to focus so much of his energy on Saslaw, or if it would have been better served by drawing attention to the progressive values he thought a candidate should run on (whether that be him or somebody else).

Gerry Connolly on McDonnell Signing Tank Farm Bill Into Law

The Governor had signed SB 843 into law yesterday. The law, which was sponsored by Delegate Bulova and Senator Chap Peterson, will force the Pickett Road Tank Farm to come up to State Code requirements or shut down. As Chap pointed out in his post about the bill, "This is a major issue in central Fairfax where the Tank Farm has had nearly annual spills and leaks, which have caused untold environmental damage."

Gerry Connolly has taken an interest in this issue and even worked on preventing the leaks in his roll of president of his neighborhood's civic association when they were first discovered back in the 1990's. As a result, here's what Gerry had to say about the Governor's decision to sign the bill into law this afternoon.

“This is a major step forward in our efforts to bring an end to the environmental problems which have plagued the Pickett Road tank farm and endangered residents and the watershed in that area on the border of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. I applaud Senator Petersen and Delegate Bulova for their tenacious efforts to win approval of their legislation and convince their colleagues in the General Assembly to override Governor McDonnell’s amendments that gutted the intent of the bill. The Governor also deserves recognition for signing the bill, even after his amendments were rejected and the legislation was returned to its original form.”

Dennis Kucinich Might Move to Washington

As Virginia has just gone through its redistricting process, I’m beginning to receive a lot of emails from elected officials with comments about the results. While most of them are tying the comments in with their campaign kickoffs, we’re also seeing some interesting possibilities about the action other states are taking. In Ohio, for instance, the state is going to lose two Congressional Districts – one of which is rumored to be the one represented by Dennis Kucinich. Instead of retiring or facing a potentially very tough re-election bid in Ohio, however, there are a lot of rumors about Kucinich moving to the state of Washington which will receive an additional district as a result of redistricting.

Kucinich is fueling those rumors as he appeared at an event in Washington last week and told the crowd, "I intend to stay in Congress. I just don't know where my district will be.” His communications director event released a statement that essentially confirmed Kucinich is considering the move.

After people found out that Congressman Kucinich's district could be eliminated or substantially altered in congressional redistricting by the Ohio Legislature's Republican majority, Congressman Kucinich received requests from people in twenty states, including Washington State, encouraging him to move and run in their area. The Daily Show interview is instructive of this sentiment.

Congressman Kucinich appreciates the interest expressed in his public service. As he has repeatedly said, he fully intends to remain in Congress; he just doesn't know in what district he will run. In the meantime, he is devoted to serving Ohio's 10th district as it currently stands.

Moving into a district to run for office is something that isn’t very rare. As you might remember, State Senator Dave Marsden did it in 2009 when he decided to run for the seat he now holds. The GOP tried to make a big deal about this, but the voters simply didn’t buy their argument because Dave was staying in the Burke area. Since he was just moving down the street, already represented a large portion of the district in the House of Delegates, and had been attending community events for years, the voters were confident that Dave knew the district and would represent it well in the state Senate.

Kucinich, on the other hand, might run into some problems because he’ll be moving half way across the country in order to remain in Congress. Although many people are probably familiar with Kucinich, it takes some time to learn about local communities when you move to a new area. Anyone who has tried to organize in a new community, for instance, can tell you that it simply takes some time to learn who the movers and shakers are and the local history of a community that just can’t be found by reading the newspaper. While the move could be good for Kucinich’s long term political career, the first election or two would probably be relatively close for the corky Congressman who has a strong history of standing up for progressive issues.

Connolly and Other Dems Speak About Their Consituents' Opposition to GOP's Cuts to Medicare

Before a meeting of the Democratic Caucus this morning, several members of the House of Representatives held a press availability to talk about town halls that they held with constituents during their district work period. Among those who spoke was Gerry Connolly, who highlighted how there’s a clear “difference between the Democratic message and the Republican message.” The difference, as Gerry put it, is that the Republicans only focus on the cost of programs but don’t seem to look at the value. Democrats such as himself, however, understand that “the need to make strategic investments is something that is very important.” During a town hall Obama held at the Annandale campus of NVCC and a telephone town hall that Gerry held during the work period, his constituents illustrated how they also strongly support funding programs like Medicare that provide crucial services for the public.

As Connolly pointed out, a poll that his office conducted during his telephone town hall showed that 73% of his constituents opposed the plan put forward by Paul Ryan and the GOP that would essentially end Medicare as we know it.

Several days [after the President’s townhall at NVCC] I had the largest telephone town hall meeting, my 11th, that I've ever had. 31,000 constituents in the 11th congressional district of Virginia participated in this telephone town hall meeting. And we did a poll. And we asked them whether they supported efforts by Mr. Ryan, the Budget Chairman on the Republican side to dismantle Medicare as we know it because we can't afford it, and to replace it with essentially a voucher system starting with people who are 54 or younger, or whether we wanted to preserve Medicare as we know it. We made the pro-Ryan question came first so that we didn't skew the results. We had very substantial participation in the poll question during the telephone town hall meeting. And by a margin of 73 to 27, my constituents flatly rejected the Ryan approach. They want to preserve Medicare as we know it. That's something worth fighting for in their minds. I have to admit that was a somewhat surprising result in terms of the margin.


I represent a swing district, a district that voted for George Bush in 2004, voted for President Barack Obama in 2008. And I had a close election myself in a very divided last November. So to have that kind of overwhelming result to me was a telling sign of the attitude of voters with respect to the Ryan budget. And certainly that's something I'm going to take into consideration as we move forward here in the Congress. Thank you very much.

There are a couple of things I think are worth noting about Gerry’s comments here. 1)Gerry does represent a swing district. As a resident of the 11th, in fact, I can tell you that during election season I often see more GOP than Democratic bumper stickers and yard signs. This is important because it highlights how opponents to Paul Ryan’s plan aren’t just some lefties who will oppose anything put forward by the GOP.

2)Like many of the other House members who spoke at the event, Gerry represents a district with highly educated constituency. When you combine that with the fact that it’s based right outside of DC and is home to thousands of federal workers, it’s very likely that they are knowledgeable about what’s going on in debates surrounding the federal budget (many of their jobs depend upon it, after all). As a result of this and the wording of the question, their opposition to the GOP’s proposed cuts to medicare is very strong and isn’t that is simply being swayed to score some political points.

For those of you who want to watch the full press availability, you can see it here:

Gerry Connolly Goes After GOP For Supporting Big Oil Instead of Sound Energy Policy

Rep. Gerry Connolly took to the Floor of the House of Representatives earlier today to talk about gas prices, renewable energy, efficiency, and energy independence. One of the main things that Gerry highlighted was his a proposed amendment to H.R. 1230 – a reckless bill that is slated for floor action on Thursday and is sponsored by Doc Hastings (R-WA) entitled Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act.

I’ve always been amazed about how the GOP loves to publicly speak out against high gas prices, but refuse to do anything about the HUGE tax payer subsidies that go to the oil companies. If we’re going to be giving subsidies at a time when we’re trying to reduce our deficits, you would think the American people would get some sort of a break at the pump. Anyone who has driven by a gas station recently, however, realizes this isn’t the case even though the GOP continues to remain loyal to the oil companies and their profits.

That is why I’m glad to see that Connolly is highlighting that hypocrisy by proposing an amendment that would strike the language in the bill that short-circuits safety rules for offshore oil exploration and replace it with language that would eliminate $37 billion in tax loopholes for Big Oil. Instead of allowing Big Oil to bring in huge profits (Exxon Mobil had 5.6 billion in profits last quarter), the amendment would divide that sum equally among licensed drivers in the U.S so they could get the break at the pump that they deserve. It’s estimated that each driver would get approximately $185, for an effective reduction on gas prices for individuals of approximately 27 cents per gallon.

From what I’m hearing, the Republicans will probably reject the amendment, but it serves to highlight the facts that they are doing nothing to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and playing politics with gas prices.

Photos of General Ham and General McNabb Testifying Before House Armed Services

The following are photos I took during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. General Carter F. Ham, commander of the US Africa Command, and General Duncan McNabb, commander of the US Transportation Command, were testifying before the committee about their respective 2012 budget proposals. As I mentioned in a post the day after the hearing, General Ham also spoke about the situation in Libya since he is the head of the Africa Command.

Gerry Connolly's Statement on Death of Osama bin Laden

As the world is still absorbing the news of bin Laden's death, the major question that has arisen is "what does this mean for our efforts in Afghanistan?" Gerry Connolly released a statement about last nights news that makes it clear that while this is indeed a great victory and "justice has been served," our efforts against Al Queda and terrorism aren't over. I think this is worth highlighting because it's also what most of the national security experts have been saying on the question. The following is Gerry's full statement.

The confirmation by President Obama that Osama Bin Laden was killed by a secret U.S. government operation is a significant development in our war against Al Queda. We have cut off the head of the evil terrorist organization that killed more than 3,000 Americans and thousands more across the world.

I hope the news of Bin Laden's death brings some measure of comfort to the families of those who perished in the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, as well as the American military families who have lost sons and daughters in the war against terrorism.

Justice has been served.

President Obama made it clear from his first days in office that bringing down Bin Laden was a top priority. I applaud his persistence and that of our nation's military and intelligence community in seeking out Bin Laden. I'm confident our forces will continue to aggressively pursue other Al Queda leaders and weaken this vile terrorist organization.

While bringing this chapter of the war to closure is welcome news, the United States and other nations around the globe must remain vigilant to protect ourselves from future terrorist attacks and to further weaken Al Queda.

Rep. Peter King's Statement on bin Laden's Death

As the news came in that Obama was calling a press conference that was originally scheduled from 10:30, I was online talking with people who were speculating about what he was going to be speaking about. Once it became clear that he'd be announcing that bin Laden had been killed, most of the folks from both sides of the aisle simply were pleased to come together to express support of our troops and satisfaction that justice had finally come (though there was one person who specifically refused to given Obama any credit). So to join in the bi-partisan spirit, I wanted to highlight the statement that U.S. Rep. Peter T. King (R-NY), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, issued on the killing of Osama bin Laden:

“I commend President Obama on the announcement of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

“Today, the American people have seen justice. The leader of the United States’ top enemy has gotten what he deserves for orchestrating the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent Americans on September 11, 2001.

“In 2001, President Bush said ‘we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.’ President Bush deserves great credit for putting action behind those words. President Obama deserves equal credit for his resolve in this long war against al-Qaeda.

“This great success would not have been possible without the tireless work of countless brave men and women who have served around the world in this War on Terror.”

As the facts are coming in there's a lot of questions about all the details surrounding the event and Pakistan's involved. If you're fascinated by mysteries like this and want to learn the skills for solving crimes, it's safe to say you should check out forensics science for some of very useful info on the topic.

Steny Hoyer on Osama bin Laden's Death

House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement tonight after President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden has been killed in Pakistan, and the U.S. is in possession of his body:

"Nearly ten years after the horrific attacks of September 11, the United States has killed the mastermind behind that attack that took thousands of lives. That terrible day has been seared into our memory, and I hope Osama bin Laden's death brings some measure of comfort to the families of those killed on 9/11 - and to everyone across America who wanted to see him brought to justice.

"President Obama made bin Laden's death or capture a top priority, and it was that focus that helped bring about our biggest victory against al Qaeda. Our military and intelligence community have tirelessly pursued Osama bin Laden, and it is a testament to their skill and determination that bin Laden has been killed. I, along with all Americans, commend their efforts and thank them for their service.

"While the enormity of this moment cannot be overstated, we all recognize that the threat of terrorism still exists and we must remain vigilant. We will continue to stay alert and confront the national security threats we face."