Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)

Rosemary, I am working in all those ways as you mentioned, but the base (especially new voters in 2008) are not going to wait for old, white guys in the Senate to get stuff done. The electorate is very different than it was and the potential for the party is great if it isn't squandered by inaction. To date, that is what we have.

I feel money-drained, too. I help out all I can, only to see lack of courage from legislators who only want to ensure themselves on winning another election. Health care reform has been talked about for 64 years and no one has the courage to actually do it. I thought this year it might actually happen. But with the Stutak amendment and the watered down public options, we will be luck to get anything useful.

the blue dogs have a website. you can all go there and send them your comments. My comment was that if they continue to block our (dems) desires, I would make sure that everyone I know, can email, on facebook, etc. encourage everyone to vote them out of office. tell your friends to go to the website & post comments.

It's called politics people. It's not called ethics or even reality. They do need to get elected so they have to listen to both sides of the fence. "Politics make strange bedfellows." I don't know who said it so I may be plagiarizing someone's words.

You should live in Illinois where we have to put up with his,moderate Rep. stance while he was running for the House, and now his right wing-nut stance running for the Senate. He is in the papers all the time. Gag, gag.

not me...

The Louisiana GOP and the conservative Southern wing of the GOP.

Obviously, the "Good Ol' Boys" in the Republican party...Who else ??

According to Kirk and other penal experts in the gop, the only safe and secure prisons stong enough to house terror criminals are those outside of the USA. It seems as though the latest GOP mantra is to rewrite the constitution and criminal law to suit their political agendas. The founders are turning in their graves.

I totally agree with Mark.

I really wish that those that allude to constitutional law would actually have read and studied constitutional law!! Enough said.

She is getting rich but digging her own political grave.

Poor, poor Sarah. Everything is somebody's else's fault. What an embarrassment to hero John McCain! Nope, I didn't vote for him but I respected him a whole lot more before he nominated that airhead for VP. I think that now his infatuation is so over!

CIVIL RIGHTS & USA LEGAL PRECEDENTS

BY

GERRY ALAN LINDGREN... Read More




Civil Rights are basically defined as citizens’ rights to equality and liberty. Liberty, is defined “The Shorter Oxford Dictionary”, 5th Edition, as: “Exemption of freedom from arbitrary, despotic (absolute power or control) rule or control….Freedom from the bondage of the law….The condition of being able to act in any desired way without restraint; power to do as one likes.” Liberty, therefore, is freedom, subsequently, rights and equality afforded to citizens, and for this essay, the guarantees of the Untied States of America’s (U.S.A.) Constitutional Laws for all American citizens. This includes the fundamental basic freedoms of “The Bill of Rights” protected by the U.S.A. Constitution. The first ten Amendments to the Bill of Rights are generally accepted as the foundation of American society and frequently taken for granted unless it is taken away from an individual and/or group.




In the age of terrorism (the utilization of fear tactics to accomplish an objective, usually political), especially since the 9/11/2001 attacks on the U.S.A. by terrorists, the U.S.A. has lived in a “culture of fear” and scare tactics that is perpetuated by some of our leaders and various media forums frightening the populace into acquiescing little by little our civil rights for “safety” from our government due to the methodology of utilizing America’s “enemies” and many, not all, of their legitimate dangers, to allow our leaders to enact new legislation to slowly eradicate liberties and freedoms. This pattern is strongly implemented in American culture today and a lot of people are oblivious to the legal precedent implications that will, I repeat, will eventually affect good people in negative aspects as the momentum for this to keep increasing grows stronger by the day and dangers. It is imperative to have “safety” and freedom, including civil rights and Constitutional Law correctly balanced and prioritized and not to overreact to real and imagined threats to our Nation. The U.S.A., as the leader of the free world, has and always will have external and internal threats due to the current dynamics of terrorism (that has already been here in one form or another) and the cyber concerns of the 21st century are serious. Yet, how far do we the people allow intrusions upon our civil rights and constitutional protections for safety, or the illusion of it? A quote often cited on this issue that is frequently used due do its significance is none other than former U.S.A. Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg:

"It is fundamental that the great powers of Congress to conduct war and to regulate the Nation’s foreign relations are subject to the constitutional requirements of due process. The imperative necessity for safeguarding these rights to procedural due process under the gravest of emergencies has existed throughout our Constitutional history, for it is then, under the pressing exigencies of crisis, that there is the greatest temptation to dispense with fundamental Constitutional guarantees which, it is feared, will inhibit governmental action."

Listed below are a few more quotes from credible American leaders on this issue, including former U.S.A. presidents:

”They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”
Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790), Letter to Josiah Quincy, Sept. 11, 1773.

“It is harder to preserve than to obtain liberty.”

“Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.”

“If a nation expects to be both ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be. The natural progress of things is for government to gain ground and for liberty to yield.”
President Thomas Jefferson. 1743-1826

“There are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by the gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpation.”
President James Madison. 1751-1836

As no other words could emphasize that point more eloquently, we will move on to the legal precedents that are currently being set by our government that was initiated by the previous presidential administration due to the real threats of terrorists and pseudo threats that are based on hypothetical situations that most likely will never happen. Some of those legal precedents are being continued by our current presidential administration. A precedent is defined by the same previous source as: “A previous instance taken as an example or rule for subsequent cases, or used to support a similar act or circumstance…a judicial decision that which constitutes a source of law for subsequent cases of a similar kind….an example to be copied.” What this basically states is that a legal precedent of rule of law for one American citizen will be the example utilized for all American citizens, especially when it comes from the U.S.A. Supreme Court and occasionally, a Presidential Executive Order. Thus, what legal precedent happens to someone whom we do not know, good or bad, will legally apply to everybody else despite our social statuses, ethnicities, religious, political, sexual orientations and other differences.

This proliferation of the erosion of civil liberties and constitutional law protections that includes legitimate and dubious surveillance, indefinite detentions, the total disregard for habeas corpus (to be able to challenge in court before a judge with counsel one’s detention) and other habitual disregard for the Bill of Rights Amendments 1, 4-8, 14, 15 and more due to the “culture of fear” is egregious, indeed, even more so when we the people are impercipient and/or ambivalent due to “thinking” that this will never happen to us. This becomes more insidious when we are all currently witnessing an escalation of the “culture of corruption” among certain police and federal agencies, including officials that range from mayors, to governors, even to congress of both major political parties. As a result, one in a position of power who is and/or becomes corrupt, may abuse their authority and power for a multitude of motives that may involve covering-up corruption and scandals, including marriage infidelities and misusing public taxpayer money for their improprieties due to the desire to remain in power, control, money, etc…. Corrupt individuals/entities attempt to avoid at all costs accountability and transparency that results in litigation cases galore, civil and criminal. Subsequently, the justifiable end of careers since our authority figures should be leading by example, not rhetoric and campaign slogans that are pleasing to their constituents.

totally awesome ! I had placed the DSCC on my FB page not knowing how many others shared a lot of my views. (?) How can I find out more about the establisment of a legal presedent can any body help?

PLEASE JOIN US DEDE & OLYMPIA!

Oh yes, here is the link for the Smart Girl social network.
http://smartgirlpolitics.ning.com/

I'm feeling wary these days of some of the Dem's...I fear that many are actually stealth Republicans. Prez Obama should not be having such a difficult time, especially getting health care reform passed!

Seriously? do you understand a constitutional government? At all?? And why does Obama only get ONE year to solve a very complicated health care issue that is decades old? When right wing a-holes keep throwing boulders in his path. And why is he expected to solve a war that never should have happened, that has been waging for 8 years, amidst an ethnic conflict that has been going on for CENTURIES. Read some history and please stop watching Fox news.

well, Ken, the support is what will make the Democratic Party successful, they couldn't be trying harder for this bill!!!!

Last night they did move forward and that is good. Working on benefits for next year and it is getting scary about some of the alternatives we are considering.

Political power is achieved with economic power, unfortunately, and that is what has corrupted politics. You cannot be true to the democratic process and believe that elections should be decided by money. Democracy is an idealism and when we fail to treat it as an idealism it becomes a dog fight. Money motivated intrests groups have learned to take... Read More advantage of voter ignorance and apathy. They promote their agenda with fear tactics and utter lies. Few remain true to the democratic principles of fair play and reason.

wouldn't it be refreshing, and enlightening, if each member of the congress/senate when coming to the microphone, had to divulge what $$ they received in donations from corporations relative to the issue being debated? Health care would be a real eye opener!

Here's a really good blog with a "demonstrably good idea" for economic recovery... tried and proven too! Check it out!
http://tinyurl.com/yj378gm

A woman who couldn't run a corporation has no business running for senate.