Fight the Vicious Right Wing Attacks
Jul 22, 2010
The right wing is launching wild charges and vicious attacks in order to produce a conservative sweep of the November elections.
In Pennsylvania, the neoconservatives have joined with the Christian right to attack Senate candidate, and former Admiral, Joseph Sestak (D) for being “soft” on Israel. That's a falsehood.
They have launched a series of malicious television ads to torpedo Sestak’s campaign.
The main figures behind the ads are Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol and Christian crusader Gary Bauer. The real aim is to elect right wingers like conservative Republican Pat Toomey, running against Sestak.
In April, Sestak toppled long time incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter 54% - 46% to win the Democratic nomination.
Council for a Livable World endorsed Sestak early in the campaign for his strong record on the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, New START and a range of national security issues.
Chris Cillizza - The Friday Line: Can Republicans win back the Senate?
Jul 16, 2010
The kerfuffle caused by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs' acknowledgment that there are enough seats in play to flip control of the House this fall has eclipsed another interesting political debate: Could Republicans win the Senate majority too?
The answer? Yes -- but it remains a significantly longer shot than the GOP taking over the House.
Senate Republicans need a net gain of 10 seats, which, if history is any guide, will be difficult. The last time one party made double digit seat gains was in 1980 when Republicans defeated nine incumbents and won three more Democratic open seats for a 12-seat pickup. (Thank you Ronald Reagan!)
Still, if the last few elections have taught us anything, it's that history isn't always determinative. (Thank you Barack Obama!)
So, here's a step-by-step guide on how Republicans could -- and we emphasize could -- get the 10 seats they need.
The first four pickups aren't that difficult to see. Republicans are heavy favorites in North Dakota and Delaware and have to be considered in the stronger position in Indiana and Arkansas.
House Moves On War Supplemental
Jul 02, 2010
After weeks of intense debate, the House passed an approximately $80 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill last night that will lend an additional $33 billion to the wars in Afghanistan in Iraq.
In the end, the vote to advance the nearly $60 billion Senate-passed measure came under a vote on the rule, an obscure process used to allow the House to vote to set the terms for debate on the bill, but not on the underlying bill. Inside the rule, the bill was deemed passed after the rule passed. The vote was close, but eeked by at 215-210. The budget resolution (that isn't really a budget resolution) was included within the self-executing rule.
The House then took up five separate amendments that include a $1 billion youth summer jobs program, $10 billion for an Education Jobs Fund and $180 million in loan guarantees split evenly between nuclear and renewable energy programs.
For further analysis, see our sister site Nukes of Hazard.
So it goes...
Jul 01, 2010
At 6:15 this evening, in the East Room of the White House, President Obama will sign into law “the toughest ever unilateral US sanctions against the Islamic republic” that nobody believes will work.
The Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act was passed last week by overwhelming margins in both the House and Senate: 408-8 and 99-0, respectively.
Despite Congress’ denial of exemptions for cooperating countries sought by the administration, reactions from the White House have been mostly positive. In a statement released Friday, Secretary Clinton welcomed the passage of the legislation, saying that both she and President Obama support the “broad aims” of the Congressional action.
While the final measure does contain significant human rights and development initiatives that should not be discounted, they do little to offset the fact that the people of Iran, not the regime, are most sensitive to broad sanctions such as those passed by Congress.
Update 6/2/10: Remarks by the President at the signing can be found here.Fundraising Deadline less than 24 hours away!
Jun 30, 2010
Across the country, pro-arms control candidates face an important deadline. At midnight tonight, they must report their fundraising totals for this quarter to the Federal Election Commission. This critical deadline means they need your support and they need it now.
Donate to Council Senate and House candidates today!
The Republican establishment is financing extreme conservative candidates using negative campaign tactics in an attempt to unseat true progressives. Council for a Livable World has endorsed candidates who support President Obama’s vision of a nuclear weapons free world, and all of them need your help to win this November.
Now is the time to make a contribution to toss-up races like Rep. Joe Sestak in Pennsylvania, a Navy Admiral who won an upset defeat of incumbent Sen. Arlen Specter and now takes on Republican Pat Toomey. Senator Barbara Boxer of California, a strong advocate and longtime ally of the Council, faces former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina who is using her personal wealth to gain a fundraising advantage. In Kentucky, Jack Conway is up against Tea Party favorite Rand Paul, whose extreme Libertarian views have captured national headlines.
In Ohio, incumbent Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy has been a reliable vote for sensible national security policies but she is being targeted by Republicans who want regain control of a seat they previously held for 44 years. Rep. Tom Perriello faces a similar threat in Virginia from a state senator opponent who would reverse Perriello’s strong voting record on missile defense and Pentagon spending.
100% of your donation will go directly to the candidates so that they can keep fighting for a win this November. Please help pro-arms control candidates to make a strong fundraising finish for the quarter by giving generously before this critical deadline.
Critical fundraising deadline in just 3 days!
Jun 29, 2010
The 2010 elections are now well underway and there is fierce struggle over who will win control of the Senate and House of Representatives this fall.
With a number of close contests across the country, a critical fundraising deadline is quickly approaching.
In just three days, candidates for the Senate and House have to report their fundraising totals for the last three months to the Federal Election Commission. Experts across the country will be using fundraising numbers to measure candidates’ readiness for the fall.
Your help is needed to give pro-arms control candidates a strong fundraising finish for the quarter!
Click here to donate to Council Senate candidates before the end of the quarter!
The Council is supporting many strong Senate candidates. In Pennsylvania, Rep. Joe Sestak is working to build on his success defeating the party-switching Sen. Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary, but faces a tough race against extreme conservative Pat Toomey. Stalwart progressive Senators Barbara Boxer and Russ Feingold both face right wing challengers in their reelection campaigns. In Kentucky, Jack Conway is running against the libertarian Rand Paul.
These are just a few of the wonderful candidates we are supporting this year.
Help defeat New START treaty opponent from Missouri
Jun 24, 2010
Missouri Senate candidate Roy Blunt says the Senate should reject the new treaty with Russia to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and Russia.
In doing so, Blunt has ignored the strong treaty endorsements of our nation’s top military leaders, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates (appointed by George W. Bush), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen (appointed by George W. Bush), as well as the heads of both the U.S. Strategic Command and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
On top of that, he has snubbed the advice and counsel of very distinguished former Republican national security officials such as former Secretaries of State George Shultz, James Baker and Henry Kissinger and former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger.
Blunt’s position puts him far out of mainstream GOP thinking.
House Dems Propose $7 Billion Budget Cut
Jun 23, 2010
Will any of that cut come from defense?
The plan has not been formally announced, but AP reports that House Democratic leaders will propose a $7 billion cut in President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget. The plan is expected to be attached to the rule for floor consideration of the supplemental, which could move this week
The House won’t pass a budget resolution this year, but sees its upcoming one-year spending plan as the “functional equivalent of a budget resolution.” The plan will set the cap for the 12 regular fiscal 2011 appropriations bills and include selected other provisions.
It looks like few of those bills are likely to be complete come Election Day, though, and will be passed in an omnibus bill during a lame duck session, post-election.
Stay tuned, the one-year “budget enforcement resolution” could be ready later today.
Barbara Boxer Needs Your Help!
Jun 17, 2010
The Massachusetts special election and unexpected primary upsets serve as harsh reminders of the challenges facing Senate candidates endorsed by Council for a Livable World. If Massachusetts, long considered the bluest of blue states, can elect a Republican to the Senate in these tough economic times, California could follow suit.
In California, the Tea Party Express has identified Senator Boxer as one of their top targets in the 2010 elections. Money is flowing into the Golden State from across the country to fund baseless, vicious attacks that distort her record.
Donate now to help Barbara Boxer fight back and win the Senate in 2010!
Ex-Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R) is challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer (D), and easily won the June 8 primary with 56% of the vote against Assemblyman Chuck Devore (R) and former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell (R), the 2000 nominee for Senate. Fiorina’s personal wealth, from the $42 million severance package she received after being booted from Hewlett Packard, eases her ability to fund her own campaign and neutralizes the fundraising advantage an incumbent like Boxer would normally enjoy.
A recent poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner shows incumbent Barbara Boxer ahead by a none-to-comfortable margin, with 44% to Fiorina’s 38%.
Iran Sanctions Update: UNSC Down – Next up, Congress
Jun 09, 2010
I tried to work a good baseball reference into the title (but failed miserably) since at the water cooler this morning, most of DC was focused on new Washington National Stephen Strasburg’s impressive major league debut, rather than the impending UN Security Council sanctions vote.
In fact, maybe that’s the real reason why the vote was delayed?
After over an hour delay, said to be due to indecision on the part of Lebanon, twelve nations of the 15-member body voted for the resolution. Turkey and Brazil voted against, as was expected, while Lebanon chose to abstain.
Ambassador Susan Rice spoke out strongly against Iran’s actions and addressed ongoing negotiations on the TRR Deal in her remarks following the vote:
Turkey and Brazil have worked hard to make progress on the Tehran Research Reactor proposal—efforts that reflect their leaders’ good intentions to address the Iranian people’s humanitarian needs while building more international confidence about the nature of Iran’s nuclear program. My government will continue to discuss the Iranian-revised proposal and our concerns about it, as appropriate. But the Tehran Research Reactor proposal—then and now—does not respond to the fundamental, well-founded, and unanswered concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. This resolution does.
Later in the day, President Obama said that the new Iran sanctions resolution “demonstrates the growing costs that will come with Iranian intransigence,” but also repeatedly emphasized that the UN sanctions vote does “not close the door on diplomacy.”
Unfortunately, necessary posturing on the part of Iran is likely to make diplomacy difficult in the near future, and Congress is already gearing up to ensure that another round of sanctions is passed by the end of the June.
Rep. Howard Berman praised the passage of this morning’s resolution and confirmed that Congress would be moving forward on gasoline sanctions legislation:
We now look to the European Union and other key nations that share our deep concern about Iran's nuclear intentions to build on the Security Council resolution by imposing tougher national measures that will deepen Iran's isolation and, hopefully, bring the Iranian leadership to its senses. The US Congress will do its part by passing sanctions legislation later this month.
