President Obama promises to push forward on gay rights even for the Military of the United States

Obama promises to push forward on gay rights:

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The Oil gushing into the Gulf

What should President Obama do in the future to stop such disasters as the new BP oil spill from happening and how should clean up be handled?

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Please comment below in the blog format and let us here your opinions.

Opinion of CNN on General McCLure and how President Obama should've handled the "Sitaution"

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Andreas Mitchell has a different viewpoint:

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Here is Lieberman's Opinion:

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Will unity follow President Obama's decision?:

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Change in command, "not a change in policy":

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President Obama Taps Petraeus to replace Mcchrystal:

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McCaffrey on Patraeus appointment: "THank God":

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About Act Blue

See: http://www.actblue.com/directory/WI



Who is running for representation of Wisconsin citizens in Politics?
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Candidates For

U.S. Senate	State Senate
U.S. House	State House
Governor	State Executive
Lieutenant Governor

Groups and Funds

Candidate	Nominee Funds
Organizations	Party Committees

The Julie Lassa Campaign

See:  http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=196007

Lassa Campaign: State Sen. Julie Lassa launches campaign in 7th Congressional District
5/10/2010

Press Contact:
Brandon Lorenz
(608) 260-2407
brandonl@wisdems.org

Lassa has deep roots, record of fighting for families and small businesses 

Julie Lassa, a Wisconsin State Senator dedicated to working families and small businesses, today announced that she is entering the race in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, to succeed Congressman Dave Obey. Julie was raised on her family's dairy farm in northern Portage County.

“The hard working men and women of our area deserve a representative who will keep fighting to turn our economy around, even when it means standing up to big special interests. I know firsthand the challenges facing so many of Wisconsin families, small business owners, and family farmers in our community. I have a track record of working to create good paying, family-supporting jobs,” said Julie Lassa. “I have been a tireless advocate for our small businesses, taxpayers, and children, and in Congress I will follow the same common sense principles to deliver real results for Wisconsin.”

Dedicated to making her community a better place for families and business, Julie Lassa is a staunch advocate for quality education, more accountable and efficient use of tax dollars, greater economic development, and good paying jobs for the hard working men and women of this state. A Democrat, she was elected to the State Assembly in 1998 and the State Senate in 2003, where she currently chairs the Senate Committee on Economic Development.

Julie grew up on a dairy farm in Portage County. She graduated from Stevens Point Area Senior High and UW-Stevens Point and is married with two children. Julie and her family live in Stevens Point. She is a member of the Heart of Wisconsin Business & Economic Alliance, Portage County Business Council and the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

From: http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=26310 Senator Julie M. Lassa (WI) Current Office: State Senate Current District: 24 Party: Democratic Background Information Gender: Female Family: Married 2 Children. Birth Date: 10/21/1970 Birthplace: Stevens Point, WI Home City: Stevens Point, WI Religion:  Education:  Graduate Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison La Follette Institute of Public Affairs BS, Political Science/Public Administration, University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, 1993. Professional Experience: Legislative Aide Executive Director, Plover Area Business Association. Political Experience: Senator, Wisconsin State Senate, 2003-present Won Special Election, Wisconsin State Senate, 2003 Assembly member, Wisconsin State Assembly, 1998-2003 Dewey Town Board, 1993-1994. Organizations: Member, Business and Professional Women Member, Heart of Wisconsin Business and Economic Alliance Member, Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry Former Legislative Aid/Executive Director, Plover Area Business Association Member, Point-Plover Jaycees Member, Portage County Business Council Former Chair, Portage County Democratic Party Member, Portage County Historical Society. Caucuses/Non-Legislative Committees:  Minority Caucus Secretary, Wisconsin State Senate, 1999 Chair, Special Committee on Performance-Based Disease Management Programs for Large Population, Wisconsin State Senate. Committees: Children and Families and Workforce Development, Member Economic Development, Chair Finance, Member Finance, Member Health, Health Insurance, Privacy, Property Tax Relief, and Revenue, Member

External Links:

1. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1810&research_term=lassa
2. http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Julie_Lassa
3. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen24/news/
4. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/sen24/news/
5. http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/93306644.html
6. http://minnesotaindependent.com/58790/wisconsin-dems-rally-around-lassa-to-fill-obeys-seat
7. http://www.legis.state.wi.us/w3asp/contact/legislatorpages.aspx?house=Senate&district=24
8. http://www.wisdc.org/pro08-103147.php

President Obama Takes Questions at GOP House Issues Conference

FEINGOLD: Congress Has Constitutional Power to End Iraq

Check Out:


www.Russfeingold.org


http://feingold.senate.gov/ 

Interview With Senator Russ Feingold (Democrat-WI)

Check out


www.Russfeingold.org


feingold.senate.gov/ 

Russ Feingold Stands Up for Wisconsin Jobs, Slams Unfair Trade Practices

Check out:


www.russfeingold.org


feingold.senate.gov/ 

Tom Barrett "Walks A Day In The Shoes" of Wisconsin Home Health Care Workers

Check out: http://www.TomBarrett.com

Tom Barrett's 2nd Political Add

See: http://www.barrettforwisconsin.com/diet

Tom Barrett's plan to Put Madison on a Diet will save Wisconsin taxpayers at least $1.1 billion and make significant reforms to change the way state government works.

The road to fiscal responsibility and budgetary solvency starts with reducing state government spending. Wisconsin needs a Governor with real and specific solutions to the problems that face our state, not gimmicks or meaningless bumper sticker slogans. 

The people of Wisconsin expect elected officials to offer honest plans and straight talk, and Tom's plan to Put Madison on a Diet does exactly the that. 

Tom's plan to Put Madison on a Diet includes hundreds of millions of dollars in specific cuts.  Some examples include:

Cutting Waste

• Work to combine state and local government employees' purchasing power statewide:  $339 million.
• Create incentives for BadgerCare Plus enrollees to select low-cost plans: $200 million.
• Cut prisoner health care costs:  $9.5 million.
• Improve financial administration and control overpriced contracts:  $76 million.

Eliminate Unneeded Bureaucracy

• Implement comprehensive Sunset Review system of all regulatory program, commissions and boards.  Texas realized a $37 return for each $1 invested in this initiative.
• Right-size state workforce, reduce middle management and limit high-priced contractors:  $34 million.
• Eliminate the offices of Secretary of State and State Treasurer:  $1 million.

Improving Efficiency

• Move Wisconsin state government into the 21st Century with technological upgrades:  $175 million.

Fighting Fraud

• Crack down on Medicaid billing fraud: $35.9 million.

In addition to these specific cuts, Tom will implement a top-to-bottom performance review of all major state operations.  In several other states, these efforts have yielded hundreds of millions in spending reductions.  Iowa, California, Texas and Michigan, for example, all performed such reviews and identified billions in savings.

To ensure compliance with his top-to-bottom performance review, Tom will require all Cabinet Secretaries, Department Directors, appointees and all other high-level officials to sign performance contracts with specific goals and measures tailored to their department or agency.  These "executive contracts" will provide a clear and measurable way to communicate priorities to agency secretaries and department heads and ensure accountability.

Tom's complete plan to Put Madison on a Diet is projected to produce at least $1.127 billion per year in savings for the taxpayers of Wisconsin. 

Tom has been a leader on cutting wasteful spending.  As mayor of Milwaukee, he reduced the general City workforce by more than 400, sold more than 100 city vehicles, held Milwaukee's spending below that of other comparably-sized U.S. cities, and cut $32 million in spending in the last year alone to balance an unexpected budget shortfall caused by the national economic crisis.

In addition to saving more than $1.1 billion in taxpayer money, Tom's plan also includes a commitment to reforming the budget process with sound rules and policies that will ensure smarter, long-term planning and sustainable budgets that are results based.  Examples include Tom's pledge to only submit and sign budgets that are truly balanced, as defined by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and eliminating wasteful pork projects tucked into the budget.

Making Madison Work

Tom's plan to Put Madison on a Diet also includes a package of reform proposal to increase openness and accountability in Madison and make state government work better for the people of Wisconsin.  Some examples include:

• Mandate online reporting of lobbyist meetings with elected officials within 48 hours.
• End the revolving door between the legislature and lobbyists.
• Eliminate the pension enhancer for all elected officials, political appointments, and top executive branch officials.
• Keep compensation and sick/leave accrual for state employees in line with the private sector
• Bring State Government to taxpayers in all corners of Wisconsin, not just Madison.

'Furious' Obama Explains Oil Spill Frustration To Larry King (VIDEO): 'Venting' Won't Solve Anything

'Furious' Obama Explains Oil Spill Frustration To Larry King (VIDEO): 'Venting' Won't Solve Anything


See Post at Huffington Post.

Job hopes rise on flurry of economic reports Analysts: U.S. will not recover 8 million lost jobs until 2013

Job hopes rise on flurry of economic reports
Analysts: U.S. will not recover 8 million lost jobs until 2013
BY MARTIN CRUTSINGER • THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • JUNE 4, 2010

http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20106040536">Job hopes rise on flurry of economic reports Analysts: U.S. will not recover 8 million lost jobs until 2013

WASHINGTON — Fewer people are filing claims for unemployment aid, new jobs are showing up in service industries, and companies are squeezing all they can from lean staffs and may need to hire soon.

Hopes for the job market brightened Thursday ahead of a closely watched report on the nation's employment picture — although experts cautioned that the economy probably isn't creating jobs as quickly as usual after a recession.

"While we will see a period of job growth, it is going to take a long time to get back the jobs we lost," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, who predicts the nation will not recover the 8 million jobs lost in the downturn until 2013.

Economists predict the May jobs report, due out Friday morning, will show the nation added 513,000 jobs in May. But most of them, as many as 400,000 by some estimates, will be temporary government jobs to help with the census.

The unemployment rate is expected to fall slightly, to 9.8 percent from 9.9 percent.

While analysts say layoffs will keep tapering off and companies will gradually hire more, a lack of strength throughout the economy complicates the recovery.

Americans' appetite for spending has eased. Manufacturing output has been strong, but that's mostly because businesses are replenishing their stockpiles after slashing them during the recession.

Unless Americans pick up the pace on spending, manufacturing could fizzle. And consumer habits are closely tied to employment and wage growth.

"We have a very mixed picture at the moment," said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for IHS Global Insight.

Gault said the economy is probably growing slightly faster now than in the first quarter of the year, but the boost is coming from temporary factors, like the homebuyer tax credit that expired at the end of April.

"This is a very soft recovery compared to what you would normally see after such a deep recession," Gault said. "The financial crisis did bad things to balance sheets, and people are still working off the problems of that excess debt."

Hiring may pick up if businesses find they can't wring more work out of thinner ranks. Productivity grew in the first quarter at the slowest annual pace in a year — 2.8 percent, the Labor Department said Thursday.

A separate report Thursday showed first-time claims for unemployment aid fell for a second straight week. Still, the decline came after a sharp increase three weeks ago.

And claims, considered a measure of how willing companies are to hire, remain at elevated levels. The four-week average of jobless claims is down only slightly from mid-January.

The service sector, a broad category ranging from construction to retail to health care, accounts for about four of every five U.S. jobs outside of farms. It expanded in May for the fifth month in a row. And the Institute for Supply Management, a trade group of purchasing executives that monitors the industry, said its jobs measure rose for the first time in more than two years.

Employers "are now starting to feel a bit more confidence as far as bringing back some jobs," said Anthony Nieves, a Hilton Worldwide executive who serves as chairman of ISM's non-manufacturing business survey committee.

Economists still worry that the service sector, like most sectors outside of manufacturing, isn't expanding fast enough. Adding to the picture of a slow recovery were reports Thursday showing modest increases in factory orders and retail sales.

More orders came in to U.S. factories in April, particularly for commercial aircraft, the government said. But the increase was smaller than in March, and orders outside of transportation actually fell, the worst showing in about a year.

Americans spent with caution in May after a tepid April, according to the International Council of Shopping Center index released Thursday. Cool weather dampened May spending. So did a late Memorial Day weekend that pushed some recorded sales into June.

But analysts also cited high unemployment, stock market jitters and the dwindling of government-funded rebates on energy-efficient appliances.

Why Obama Should put BP under Temporary Recievership

Why Obama Should put BP under Temporary Recievership

It's time for the federal government to put BP under temporary receivership, which gives the government authority to take over BP's operations in the Gulf of Mexico until the gusher is stopped. This is the only way the public will know what's going on, be confident enough resources are being put to stopping the gusher, ensure BP's strategy is correct, know the government has enough clout to force BP to use a different one if necessary, and be sure the president is ultimately in charge.

If the government can take over giant global insurer AIG and the auto giant General Motors and replace their CEOs, in order to keep them financially solvent, it should be able to put BP's north American operations into temporary receivership in order to stop one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history.

The Obama administration keeps saying BP is in charge because BP has the equipment and expertise necessary to do what's necessary. But under temporary receivership, BP would continue to have the equipment and expertise. The only difference: the firm would unambiguously be working in the public's interest. As it is now, BP continues to be responsible primarily to its shareholders, not to the American public. As a result, the public continues to worry that a private for-profit corporation is responsible for stopping a public tragedy.

Five reasons for taking such action:

We are not getting the truth from BP. BP has continuously and dramatically understated size of gusher. In the last few days, BP chief Tony Hayward has tried to refute reports from scientists that vast amounts of oil from the spill are spreading underwater. Hayward says BP's sampling shows "no evidence" oil is massing and spreading underwater across the Gulf. Yet scientists from the University of South Florida, University of Georgia, University of Southern Mississippi and other institutions say they've detected vast amounts of underwater oil, including an area roughly 50 miles from the spill site and as deep as 400 feet. Government must be clearly in charge of getting all the facts, not waiting for what BP decides to disclose and when.
We have no way to be sure BP is devoting enough resources to stopping the gusher. BP is now saying it has no immediate way to stop up the well until August, when a new "relief" well will reach the gushing well bore, enabling its engineers to install cement plugs. August? If government were in direct control of BP's north American assets, it would be able to devote whatever of those assets are necessary to stopping up the well right away.
BP's new strategy for stopping the gusher is highly risky. It wants to sever the leaking pipe cleanly from atop the failed blowout preventer, and then install a new cap so the escaping oil can be pumped up to a ship on the surface. But scientists say that could result in an even bigger volume of oil -- as much as 20 percent more -- gushing from the well. At least under government receivership, public officials would be directly accountable for weighing the advantages and disadvantages of such a strategy. As of now, company officials are doing the weighing. Which brings us to the fourth argument for temporary receivership.
Right now, the U.S. government has no authority to force BP to adopt a different strategy. Saturday, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and his team of scientists essentially halted BP's attempt to cap the spewing well with a process known as "top kill," which injected drilling mud and other materials to try to counter the upward pressure of the oil. Apparently the Administration team was worried that the technique would worsen the leak. But under what authority did the Administration act? It has none. Asked Sunday whether U.S. officials told BP to stop the top-kill attempt, Carol Browner, the White House environmental advisor, said, "We told them of our very, very grave concerns" about the danger. Expressing grave concerns is not enough. The President needs legal authority to order BP to protect the United States.
The President is not legally in charge. As long as BP is not under the direct control of the government he has no direct line of authority, and responsibility is totally confused. For example, listen for the "we" and "they" pronouns that were used by Carol Browner in response to a question on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday (emphasis added): "We're now going to move into a situation where they're going to attempt to control the oil that's coming out, move it to a vessel, take it onshore ....We always knew that the relief well was the permanent way to close this .... Now we move to the third option, which is to contain it. If [the new cap on the relief well is] a snug fit, then there could be very, very little oil. If they're not able to get as snug a fit, then there could be more. We're going to hope for the best and prepare for the worst." When you get pronoun confusion like this, you can bet on confusion -- both inside the Administration and among the public. There is no good reason why "they" are in charge of an operation of which "we" are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

The president should temporarily take over BP's Gulf operations. We have a national emergency on our hands. No president would allow a nuclear reactor owned by a private for-profit company to melt down in the United States while remaining under the direct control of that company. The meltdown in the Gulf is the environmental equivalent.

This post originally appeared at RobertReich.org

oin Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton, Senator Mark Miller & John Wiley for a fundraiser to support State Representative Kim Hixson

Join Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton,
Senator Mark Miller & John Wiley
for a fundraiser to support

State Representative Kim Hixson

Chair, Assembly Colleges and University Committee

WHERE: Brocach Irish Pub, 7 W. Main St., Madison
WHEN: 5:30 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 9

$50 suggested contribution

Please donate today - www.kimhixson.com
Paid for by Let's Re-Elect Kim Hixson. Michelle Hixson, Treasurer.

Biden Predicts 700K To 1.4M Jobs By Years End, 'Trouble In Paradise' For GOP

Biden Predicts 700K To 1.4M Jobs By Years End, 'Trouble In Paradise' For GOP




Vice President Joseph Biden predicted Wednesday night that the United States will add between 700,000 and 1.4 million workers to the list of the employed by year's end -- and in the process mute the administration's critics.

In a sit-down interview with Charlie Rose, Biden touted the positive trends in recent economic news and painted the improving picture as an electoral boon to the Democratic Party. Asked, for instance, to assess the impact of the Tea Party in the upcoming 2010 congressional elections, the famously blunt vice president insisted that, as the job landscape improves, the anti-government movement will lose some momentum. If anything, he suggested, the movement would prove more problematic to the GOP than Democrats.

Joe Biden: I think the Tea Party is still a fairly distinct minority even within the Republican Party. And there are some Democrats rooting for the Tea Party to take over the Republican Party.

Charlie Rose: Are you one of them?

Joe Biden: No. But I -- but you know that, I mean, here you had [Senate Minority Leader] Mitch McConnell being clobbered in his own state by a person who thought he was -- Mitch is too liberal.

Charlie Rose: Right. He was, yes.

Joe Biden: So there is some trouble --

Charlie Rose: His candidate lost to Rand Paul.

Discussing a wide range of topics, Biden's optimism on the domestic front was matched by the sharp lines he drew with respect to foreign affairs. The vice president offered the administration's strongest support to date for Israel's decision to board a ship of pro-Palestinian activists bound for an apparent humanitarian mission in Gaza.

"I think Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest," he said. "I put all this back on two things: one, Hamas, and, two, Israel's need to be more generous relative to the Palestinian people who are in trouble in Gaza... [The Israelis have] said, 'Here you go. You're in the Mediterranean. This ship -- if you divert slightly north you can unload it and we'll get the stuff into Gaza.' So what's the big deal here?"

His discussion of the oil spill in the Gulf primarily consisted of a defense of the president's actions to date. While there may have been shortcomings in the White House's ability to effectively communicate its message with respect to the ecological catastrophe, he said, there should be no doubt that it was on top of the crisis.

The same could be true, Biden implied, with the economic recovery. Showing little trepidation about drawing lines in the sand, the vice president predicted that the economy will "create between 100,000 and 200,000 jobs on average all the way through this year." (That would be 100,000 to 200,000 jobs a month over the next seven months -- a fairly safe prediction judging by recent trends). Biden would not, however, mark a date when he thought the unemployment rate would dip to, say, six percent.

The bulging of the employment rolls, he predicted, will have tangible political benefits, in part because it will illuminate that government can actually be a force for positive growth.

"There's a strain that exists within the Tea Party that just has this overwhelming distaste for and distrust for government, period," said Biden. "And there's a tendency to inflate and conflate and inflate both things that the government is doing. But I would say to the Tea Party people, you don't like federal government, you think we should not be involved in the oil spill? It's private enterprise. What are we supposed to do? Is the federal government not needed?"

Letter to Me About Don't Ask, Don't Tell from the Barack Obama Campaign Site

James --

I wanted to make sure you saw the message from Mitch below. The House's vote on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is a huge moment -- for our movement and our country.

But this fight is just getting started.

The Senate will take up this issue soon, and there are Republicans pledging to block a vote from even taking place.

Polls show that 78 percent of the country agrees that it's time to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," but opponents of reform aren't getting the message. Can you sign on to help us show that Americans overwhelmingly support repeal?

Add your name:

http://my.barackobama.com/DADTRepeal

Thanks,

Yohannes

Yohannes Abraham

Feingold makes it official: He will seek 4th U.S. Senate term

Feingold makes it official: He will seek 4th U.S. Senate term

GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA • JUNE 2, 2010

MANITOWOC — U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold is seeking re-election to a fourth six-year term as the junior senator from Wisconsin — and he picked Manitowoc to make it official.

“I know it probably doesn’t come as a surprise, but I’m announcing right now, in Manitowoc, that I have taken out my nomination papers today and am running for my party’s nomination,” Feingold told the Herald Times Reporter’s editorial board Tuesday.

The Janesville native was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992. Fellow Democratic Party Sen. Herb Kohl is in his fourth term representing Wisconsin. He was first elected in 1988.

Despite increasing rancor between Republicans and Democrats, Feingold promised to continue working in a bi-partisan manner, including on bills related to stimulating job creation and a green economy.

“That is still the character of Wisconsin — independence and bipartisanship,” Feingold said.

He was set to meet Wednesday with Lakeshore area business executives at Orion Energy Systems to discuss payroll tax credits for companies hiring new employees or increasing wages.

Neumann attacks Walker over proposed budget hikes

Neumann attacks Walker over proposed budget hikes

By Scott Bauer, Associated Press Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Republican Scott Walker has promised to balance the state budget and cut taxes if elected governor, but budgets he proposed as Milwaukee County executive grew by more than one-third over the eight years he's been in office, his Republican opponent said Wednesday.
During news conferences outside Walker's county executive office in Milwaukee and Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle's office at the state Capitol, former congressman Mark Neumann said Walker's proposed budgets for the fiscal years from 2003 to 2011 grew by 35 percent, and Doyle's state budgets went up 27 percent over the same period of time.

"The heart and soul of what's wrong in Wisconsin is in this picture," Neumann said, referring to charts he presented outlining what he says were the proposed increases. "I'm in the race because of what's in this chart."

A similar analysis was first released in January by the liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now.

Walker responded by accusing Neumann of making "false claims."

"I have proposed eight consecutive budgets without a property tax increase from the previous year, cut the debt by 10 percent, and reduced the county work force by 20 percent," Walker said in a statement.

Neumann's analysis included total proposed spending, but Walker said if capital projects were removed his proposed county operating budget would have dropped 4.9 percent between 2009 and 2010.

Neumann's attack is a direct assault on the heart of Walker's campaign, which is built around his conservative credentials and promise to reign in government spending and lower taxes. Walker has even created what he calls a "brown bag movement" built around his promise to cut state spending.

Neumann said he, not Walker, was actually the more fiscally conservative candidate. Neumann accused Walker and other Republicans of straying from the values of limited government in recent years.

Neumann said if elected governor, he would limit annual spending increases to no more than 1 percent less of the rate of inflation, which he said would have led to $4 billion that could have been used for tax cuts. He said some areas would be allowed to grow at a faster rate, but he refused to be specific about what would be cut.

"I'm not going to go into specifics because if we do that's all we'll talk about," Neumann said. "I'm going to stay at the 30,000-foot view."

Walker said as governor he would propose a balanced budget that also cuts taxes, but he has also refused to say specifically what he would cut to do that and address a projected $2 billion budget shortfall.

The winner of the Sept. 14 Republican primary will advance most likely to face Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the only major Democrat in the race.