News Nuggets 213

Ring of Water.  An F/A-18F Super Hornet hits the speed of sound.  As the plane pushes air away, the temperature drops and water vapor in the air forms a ring around it.  From Time Magazine.

Time to get off our asses!!  Barack needs us.  The GOP is gearing up to really bring the heat to congressmen and women who are just now going on their August recess.  They're going back to their districts, and, between the birthers and anti-gov't activists, Democratic Representatives and Senators will be under enormous pressure to cave on health care reform.  To get a sense of what's in store, check THIS out.

What there is to do:

1.  Call or hand-write a letter to your Senators and your Representative voicing your support for meaningful reform.  Share any experiences you may have had with the current system  If you are going to e-mail, do it in addition to one of these other modes of communication.  E-mail is the lowest species of communication to Congress people.

2.  Do it AGAIN in 3 weeks.

3.  Call your Congress people's offices and find out when they will be visiting your neighborhood -- and GO to those meetings!  Anti-health care reform wingnuts have been flipping out at these little events lately -- and we've got to be there to give our reps some cover and to push back.  Some reps have been foregoing public meetings.  If so, find out what other ways (virtual town halls, conference calls, etc.) they will be having for keeping in touch with constituents and participate in those!

4.  Contribute to Obama's "Organizing for America" campaign which is gearing up for a focused, grassroots campaign in support of health care reform in August.  Go HERE to do that.

If you have never participated in politics in this fashion before, NOW IS THE TIME!!  This could be the biggest reform in health care since at least the 1960s -- or it could be a big fat nothing!  Really -- this IS the time.

Some contact Information:

In Pittsburgh:

NORTH HILLS: For Jason Altmire (D), look HERE

EAST END: Mike Doyle (D), look HERE

SOUTH HILLS: Tim Murphy (R), look HERE.  Yes, I know he's a Republican -- but if you are his constituent, he's the one to talk to.

For Pennsylvania's two senators, Bob Casy and Arlen Specter, see HERE.

In Connecticut:

Your senators can be found HERE

The rep for eastern CT can be found HERE

All other US Representatives can be located HERE

and Senators HERE:

Now, back to our regularly scheduled nuggets.

First up, appropriately: 

Health Bill Clears Hurdle, and Hints at Consensus from the New York Times

"House members headed home on Friday, leaving behind the outlines of a nearly $1 trillion health care overhaul that is sure to draw fire from a variety of interests, but also shows the beginnings of a consensus that would provide insurance for more Americans and give them new rights in dealing with insurers."

House Committee Approves Health-Care Package from the Washington Post

"The House Energy and Commerce Committee Friday night approved a sweeping package of health-care measures, clearing a critical hurdle that sets the stage for a five-week battle for both Democrats and Republicans to define the legislation in voters' minds before the full House votes next month."

Unions Budget Up to $20 Million for August Campaign from The Hill

"Labor unions and liberal advocacy groups will spend between $10 million and $20 million this month to twist lawmakers’ arms over the stalled healthcare reform effort in Congress."

Blue-Dogged (Michael Tomasky) from New York Magazine

Tomasky is right-on-the-money here.

"Centrist Democrats think that going slow on health care is good politics—but if Obama loses, they lose, too."

Obama's e-Campaign Moves from the US to the World Stage from the McClatchy News Service

"While non-U.S. citizens can't vote for Obama or his political rivals, they can serve as a world-spanning sounding board when the president wants to take the global pulse, exert leverage overseas or simply burnish America's image."

The 7 Countries That are Pissed at Obama (Economics Edition) from Foreign Policy Magazine

"In the interest of stoking some debate, let me offer my list of countries with which relations have deteriorated in the last six months. I'll pocket the Post's Israel point and omit Iran, since relations with them are bad, but not necessarily worse. The list is necessarily subjective, but I'll give my reasons for each. You can apply your own weights."

Why Iran's Regime is at Odds with Itself from the Christian Science Monitor

"... the clock that matters most to the regime of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:  It measures the moments until their legitimacy runs out. It is counted in the number of popular demonstrations since a flawed June 12 election, the instances of power struggles among the divided rulers, and the occurrences of stinging criticisms from respected Islamic clerics."

Study: GOP Failure To Attract Voters of Color Puts Them In Peril from Daily Kos

AS IT SHOULD!

"The Wall Street Journal reported last week on a new demographic study by a researcher at the Brookings Institution. Inside the 2008 numbers are implications that should get the attention of both political parties as they look ahead to 2010 and beyond."

HISTORY NUGGET!!

Guilty - of Being a Black World Champion from the Independent [of the UK]

"Jack Johnson's name has been tarnished for a century by allegations trumped up by his white enemies. Now Obama is being asked to pardon him."