Who's ready for the National Clean Energy Summit? Who was running around the Capitol on a Saturday? What are your favorite campaign ads so far this cycle? Reid on!
Nevada First: File Under “Clout and Clouds.” An oil man, a former president and the Senate Majority Leader plan a trip to Vegas. There are a lot of ways this story can end - but none better than "and they host the National Clean Energy Summit!" We’re talking about a meeting of the minds - politics, policy and power. Harry Reid, President Clinton, and T. Boone Pickens. Solar power, wind turbines, and breaking our dependence on foreign oil. Here’s the deal according to Jonathan Humbert, of Channel 8 News: “A landmark clean energy summit is right around the corner, and it will be held right here in Las Vegas. Political heavy hitters are expected to work with industry leaders to shape renewable energy policy and bring much needed jobs here to the valley.” It’s a renewable energy party in Las Vegas - and Harry Reid’s playing host.
How is this possible? “Clout and Clouds” (and Casinos?). That’s Harry Reid’s commitment to making Nevada the renewable energy capital of the world, and his fighting for Nevada in ways only he can. And that’s the great state of Nevada, battle born, with her abundant natural resources, bright sun and environmentally minded citizens. Sen. Reid said it best, “As we know in Nevada, we know the sun shines all the time, the wind blows a lot and we have that steam pouring from the earth that has just been wasted all these many generations.” Let’s harness those resources and break away from the oil oligarchs.
The National Clean Energy Summit is set for August 19th, on the UNLV campus. Attendees who arrive in Hybrid cars or Jet Packs get priority seating.
Must Reid: File Under “Even I Had the Day Off” When the Weekly Reid woke up on Saturday and turned on the C-SPAN (isn’t that what you watch on Saturday morning?), guess whose face graced the screen? Harry Reid. On a Saturday. Thanks to obstructionist Republicans, the Senate convened for a rare Saturday session. On the agenda: the Housing Bill (which had an astounding 8 cloture votes associated with it) and LIHEAP (the low incoming heating assistance bill championed by everyone’s favorite independent, Sen. Bernie Sanders). After President Bush signaled he’d support the Housing bill it passed overwhelmingly.
File Under “Made for TV.” Sadly, LIHEAP didn’t go nearly as well. By a 50-35 margin, the cloture motion failed. You read that right. 35 United States Senators voted against providing millions of dollars to keep low income families, seniors and disabled Americans warm this winter. How many Republicans with tough reelection battles in ‘08 voted against it? 3. And one was Sen. Ted Stevens from oh-so-tropical state of Alaska! Last time the Weekly Reid looked at a globe, Alaska was, like, in the Arctic. Which Senator facing a tough reelect didn’t bother to vote at all? Liddy Dole. Memo to Mark Begich and Kay Hagan and the Obama campaign: find a few of the Alaskans and North Carolinians who stood to receive some of the $96 million the LIHEAP expansion would provide. Put them on TV.
File Under "Business as Usual." On the floor this week, two things are certain. The Republicans will try to block something, and Democrats will have our agenda - both short- and long-term solutions to the energy crisis - subjected to cloture vote after cloture vote. We’ve got the ideas and the solutions. Republicans would rather TALK TALK TALK about the problem.
Reid’s Watching: File Under “New Addition.” You’ve asked for it. We’ve listened. The most popular websites the Weekly Reid links to are campaign ads. So we’ve decided to scour the Internets for the best political ads each week. See one you like? Drop us a line at weeklyreid@harryreid.com. We’ve got two great ones for you this week. First, Mary Landrieu. We don’t talk enough about Sen. Landrieu. She has drawn an opponent this cycle, but she’s proven she’s the best leader Louisiana could ask for - and that doesn’t stop her from having great ads that remind folks of her leadership!
Second, we have Al Franken. One of the best things about AL Franken is that he’s raising good money from a large network of grassroots supporters. This ad shows that he’s much more than a one trick pony. His jokes are great, but his politics are better.
I find it almost unbelievable that the "green" machine, yourself included has not grabbed onto the geo-thermal power productions advantages over ALL other forms of energy production. The use of geo-themal power (gtp) would solve two major problems we have in this country. As you may or may not know the state of Utah has just built a huge gpt plant that is coming on line. They built the plant in 10 months, yes 10 months at a cost of 40 M-illion, yes that is with an M, to produce energy. The U.S. Geological survey of hot spots around the nation has identified over a thousand different hot spots capable of producing energy from geo-thermal methods through out the U.S. Yet not you or even Al Gore, gives this totally non-polluting, 24/7 power production source more than a glancing comment. Why when we can produce so many power plants from this source in our OWN state of Nevada, have not more gtp plants been built instead of the coal fired plants we now rely on?? Why has not Nevada led the nation in the development of these plants as we already have up and running gtp plants in existence now. Why have you not realized and promoted to the rest of the nation this resource and instituted actions to secure funding for the building of these gtp plants throughout the nation and employed AMERICANS to build them. AMERICANS who need jobs? I don't blame you solely for being slow to pick this up, even Al Gore has only given this source of energy a parting mention in his presentation. Yet we have models of entire countries that are run on geo-thermal power, i.e., Iceland. Remember it costs only 1/10th the cost to construct a gtp plant as opposed to a nuclear plant (H-undreds of B-illions of dollars), produces NO pollution, no radioactive residue, can be built and producing energy in less than 2 years, could in five years lessen the importation of foreign oil to this country by 50 PER CENT!! Where is the leadership in Congress to make this type of energy production a MAJOR component of our energy production NOW, not 5 or 10 years down the road. WE know how to do this NOW, so why not implement it NOW??!! We need the energy, we need the jobs. Why is there no BIG push to see that this energy sector gets all the funding that they need to get on line NOW??!!
I smell another rat with big coal and oil calling the shots. Remember both oil and coal are finite and geo-thermal is not and never will be. Please tell me where is the leadership on developing this source of energy.
Thanks for your time.
no more unnecessary wars
no more lies
no more spin
no more torture of prisioners
we're all in the human race - let's embrace the current challenges and go forward together -
Jesus was a liberal.
He also said that Wall Street runs congress and that the American government sold the people out to the banks and wall street. According to him, this government, democrat and republican, have allowed the shipment of all our industries to China and other countries where Labor is 54cents an hour and that Wall Street will never allow businesses back in America with Clean Air, minimum wage, health and retirement, and all of those other forward policies. He said that America is basically screwed and it is all because congress is tethered to the handouts of Wall street for re-election. It seems that you poisoned the golden goose in America and it can't lay any more eggs. More importantly, you let George Bush have a free hand in Milton Freidman's Chicago economics and Naomi Klein's disaster capitalism.
It is clear that over the past 30 years, the boarders have been open to foreigners to take jobs that are under minimum wage and that Labor has all but stagnated because wall street and congress undermined it. In addition, the free trade agreements have undermined the American labor force and the critical pivot point in the American economy centers around consumer spending which is tied to American Labor's income. The true reason why the housing market collapsed is that the consumer spending failed because Labor was undermined by you bastards. More importantly, there is no saving the American economy when the American worker is going down the drain and has to compete with Chinese workers making 40 cents an hour under free trade agreements.
Who needs terrorists when we have democrats and republicans screwing out country? You guys have killed us all.
His performance has been sad and Minnesotans are not turning on to the guy from New York City. When the disclosures became public about his problems, he lost ground quickly. The latest Quinnipiac poll reports that 20% of democrats intend to vote for Coleman. This spells danger for the entire ballot if Franken gets blown out as it seems he will.
There is a credible primary challenge from Priscilla Lord Faris. She has started late but there is an opportunity.
In all of the rhetoric to protect families and the under current provide our children with safe, secure and loving environments where is the effort to find competent foster parents? Where is the energy and means to provide well for all children?
This is like the good samaritan getting a petition signed that no one should be allowed to beat people up in back alleyways, whilst leaving the beaten man on the side of the road. I am quite sure that the Levite, the Pharisee, the High Priest, all, would have been very willing to sign the petition and would have done so. Unfortunately for the Christian Right and the so called God fearing church goers, the Master, Jesus Christ taught another story...
It seems all to often a common thing to hear some intone the "family values" mantra only as a shield to increase adult rights at the expense of the most vulnerable in our society, children. I wonder, do we really care about children? Do we make sure that all children are fed, educated, clothed, housed, washed? Do we anoint them with our finest oils? opportunity, love, understanding, respect, patience, forgiveness? We feel that they cannot make their own choices but we prosecute a 14 year old boy as an adult for murdering a gay school mate that crushed on him http://www.newsweek.com/id/148817
We worry more over whether parents are the "right kind" rather than if they are loving and nurturing. http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/214725/ . Why do we allow the hate mongers to control our debate? We should be asking ourselves serious questions about our society and how to make things work better. How is it christian in any sense of the word to punish children for the actions of the adults around them?
What did Harry Reid do for Nevada this week? What plan of Obama's are people coalescing around? Can you really put a hold on Superman? Reid on!
Nevada First: Help is NOT on it's way. Just how badly damaged is the GOP brand in Nevada? Ignore the “voter’s remorse” many Nevadans are feeling about sending Jim Gibbons to the Governor’s Mansion. Pay no attention to the massive voter registration advantage Democrats now have (60,068 more!). And Mac’s down to Barack in the latest Razz poll? Forget about it. The clearest sign that the GOP brand is crashing faster even than Fred Thompson’s presidential bid - They couldn’t get 675 people to show up to the State Convention. So they canceled it. As Blue Sage Views noted on Friday, the NV GOP needed just .1% of the 390,443 registered Republicans in the state to sign a card (postage paid!). Our convention? 2,500 - and there were plenty more who wanted to come. The GOP reminds the Weekly Reid of Mrs. Fletcher, from those Life Alert commercials in the 80s. It’s fallen - and it ain’t getting up.
Support you can count on. Senate Democrats have done a lot this year to take away the GOP's favorite talking point - that Democrats don’t support the troops. We passed the 21st Century GI Bill. We’ve voted 30+ times to bring this war to an end (more on that below). And just last week, Senator Reid announced he helped secure $194.5 million in funding for Nevada’s military bases. About $80 million of that will go to the National Guard and the Army Reserves. Harry Reid - fighting (and delivering) for Nevada’s veterans in ways only he can.
Must Reid: Look who's walkin' back. The weekend news cycle was dominated by the back and forth and back again over Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s comments to the German magazine Spiegel. In case you missed it, he basically endorsed Barack Obama’s position for withdrawing troops from Iraq. This puts John McCain in a pretty pickle - he keeps saying we must stay to finish the job, leaving only when we’ve secured Iraq, finished the mission and have been asked to go. His is an open ended commitment. If he were to backtrack now...well. To paraphrase the words of a Republican strategist, as quoted in Marc Ambinder’s blog, they're in trouble. (Bonus question: Who was Ambinder's source? Email your guesses here.)
Look. The Iraqi people are coming together around Sen. Obama’s plan. The Iraqi government is coming around to Sen. Obama’s plan. The American people support Sen. Obama’s plan. And, as Sen. Reid said on the Senate floor yesterday, “Even President Bush – who bears the primary responsibility for this incompetently managed war – is now belatedly and gradually moving toward some elements of key Democratic positions – on Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq.” Once again, times are changing. The political landscape is changing. And John McCain is behind the ball.
In related news, John McCain got on the Internet yesterday. All by himself.
Coburn-tastic! The Weekly Reid brought you news of the Coburn Omnibus a few weeks ago. As a recap, the bill is really a package of bills that have passed the House, cleared the appropriate Senate committee and typically have broad support. Pretty much everyone likes them except Senator “Dr. Tom” Coburn. Here’s just a sample of some of the bills packaged in the Coburn Omnibus: The Emmitt Till Unsolved Crimes bill, The Runaway and Homeless Youth bill, The Combating Child Exploitation bill, The ALS Registry bill, and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act. Who’s against helping runaways and the homeless? Who’s for Child Exploitation? How can you possibly put a hold on Superman!?
Reid's Watching: Begich Buzz: New Razz poll has Mayor Mark Begich up 50% - 41% over Alaska’s Founding Father Ted Stevens. The poll was taken after Mayor Begich started airing two new (and awesome) ads.
Other polling updates: Oregon Assembly Speaker Jeff Merkley’s up over Gordon Smith 43% - 41%. That’s an 11 point swing in the last month (in our direction). We’re up 6 in Louisiana, 9 in Colorado, and we’ve all but won in Virginia and New Hampshire.
DSCC’n. In the past, the campaign arm of Senate Democrats - the DSCC - has been a valuable resource for challengers and incumbents alike. The DSCC has the ability to shift large amounts of money around in the final weeks of the campaign - right when races tighten and the attack ads start flying. Well this year, according to both the WaPo and Roll Call, the DSCC is going to be more than just an ad machine - they’re investing in field operations. Great idea. Independent and undecided voters pick a generic Dem in most polls these days - let’s make sure they get out and vote for our candidates.
How many Nevadans are going to sleep easier this week? Guess who showed up and shocked 9 Republicans? What's up with Dina Titus's fundraising prowess? Reid On!
Nevada First: Throwing Lifelines. Last week was a hectic one on the Hill. And while some of our legislative priorities were blocked by obstructionist Republicans, Senate Democrats threw more than one life preserver to the American people. On Friday, the Senate passed a version of the Housing bill. The bill, which was sent back to the House for some additional tweaking, focused on the root causes of the (much larger) economic crisis in this country - home foreclosures. You’ve probably heard Senator Reid hammer home the point on C-SPAN: This bill will keep people in their homes by allowing 400,000 American homeowners to swap their adjustable mortgages with ones backed by the FHA. With stable monthly payments, homeowners can turn their eyes to other pressing matters - like saving for their kid’s college education. President Bush (surprise!) vowed to veto the bill.
What does this mean for Nevada? It means that thousands of Nevadans can sleep a little easier this week. It also means that Nevadans looking to buy a home for the first time can get a credit of $8,000. Senator Reid has made solving the housing crisis one of his top priorities. And while the bill isn’t totally ready, we’re one step closer.
The Investment That Keeps On Giving. Proving once again that he stands up for Nevada’s interests like no one else, Harry Reid announced on Monday a nearly $1.5 million grant for the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization. The non-profit brings together public and private organizations and aides them in the research and development of clean, renewable technologies.
What does this grant mean for Nevada? Jobs, for one. As Sen. Reid works to make Nevada the world leader in clean, renewable energy, more companies will invest in Nevada’s workforce. It also promises to make energy cheaper for Nevadans - and all Americans. Harry Reid’s worked for decades to protect Nevada’s natural resources, and breaking our dependence on foreign oil is just one piece of that puzzle.
Must Reid: Saving the Day. Words cannot explain what happened on the Senate floor Wednesday, nor can they adequately describe the shiver that went down the Weekly Reid’s spine as it watched the roll call vote on the Medicare “Doctor’s Fix” bill. Senator Reid did his best summing up the dramatic events of Wednesday: ““They [the Bush-McCain Republicans] thought they had us beat until the last minute. They didn’t know I started working last Thursday in getting Sen. Kennedy here.” And get him there he did. After a standing ovation, the Liberal Lion - who was there in 1964 when Medicare was born - cast the deciding vote for cloture, thus ending debate on the “Doctor’s Fix” Medicare bill. With Senator Kennedy on the floor and passage of the bill a sure thing, 9 Republicans - 9! - broke ranks, changed their vote and joined a united Democratic caucus in voting "Aye."
Think about the scene (if you haven’t seen it, check it out here). Sen. Kennedy, who got on a plane right after getting a chemo treatment, his immune system weakened, makes a triumphant return to the floor of the Senate to cast the deciding vote saving a program he has long championed. How could you not be moved? The Weekly Reid won’t speculate as to what was running through the minds of those 9 Senators. But it was either that, or more banal things like getting reelected.
Oh. The president vetoed the bill. Thankfully, House and Senate Democrats brought enough Republicans on board to rebuke (for the fourth time in two years) Mr. 28%. One more thing: if the 69-30 original roll call vote looks weird to you, it does to the Weekly Reid as well. Who would have missed this vote? Someone seeking to avoid casting a vote that would placate the base of his party, yet enrage average Americans? Yes! John McCain - missing yet another vote.
Who has your back? Pop quiz: What are three things Democrats are doing to solve our energy crisis? What are the three things Republicans are doing? For the former: standing up to greedy speculators (bill coming this week), investing in renewable energy (see above), encouraging oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres of federal land they already have access to. For the latter: … Um. Nothing? Unless you count giving tax breaks to oil companies for NOT drilling on the 68 million acres of land they already have and lining the pockets of oil executives for NOT investing in renewable energy.
Bush-McCain Republicans in the Senate must think the oil companies need more power and influence over our energy policies. And they must think that Americans are going to continue shelling out $4+ for gas. Democrats are working to lower has prices by combating speculation - Bush Republicans should join their Democratic colleagues in supporting the bill.
Reid’s Watching: Money Money! Fundraising numbers are slowly trickling in, and we’ve got good news. Our two Nevada Congressional challengers, Dina Titus and Jill Derby, turned in great quarters. Dina raised over $575,000 (her opponent raised a disappointing $418,000) and Jill over $280,000. Jill also raised more than her opponent. Read those two sentence again: both of our Congressional challengers raised more money that their opponents. Think Nevada's ready for change?
On the Senate side, Kay Hagan raised $1.6 million. With her serious (and much needed?) ad blitz, Sen. Liddy Dole spent more money than she raised - and her cash on hand dropped by nearly half a million bucks. What’s Kay got going for her? A lot of grassroots support - and an opponent who can’t seem to break 51% in any reelection poll.
Which agency lifted a moratorium this week? Know what the Coburn Omnibus is? What was the first casino on the Strip? Reid On!
Nevada First: Filed Under "That'll Show 'Em." Last week, we brought you the news of the opening of the Ausra plant in Las Vegas (Remember? It builds components for solar thermal power plants). Hot on the heels of the opening of the plant - more good news for Nevadans and renewable energy fans across the country. The Bureau of Land Management lifted a moratorium on the development of solar plants on public lands (3/4 of Nevada's land is managed by the BLM). Why the sudden change of heart? Two words: Harry Reid. Nevada's senior senator was a vocal opponent of the moratorium. And someone at BLM must have seen his ire coming, because they never gave Sen. Reid the customary heads up. He read it in the paper.
But there's more at work here than just a simple clerical error. The Bush administration refuses to fully pursue viable options for renewable energy. Two weeks ago, Bush-McCain Republicans blocked a bill that gave tax cuts to American innovators and entrepreneurs who developed clean and renewable alternatives to foreign oil. The Republican Party of Bush and McCain refuse to stand up to Big Oil and would rather line the pockets of oil executives than lower gas prices for American Families. They'd rather fill their campaign coffers with contributions from oil executives than invest in renewable energy. Now that the BLM has realized the error of their ways, will Senate Republicans follow suit?
Filed Under "Odds and Ends." Harry Reid had a busy recess (as the LV Sun notes). In Reno on Wednesday, Sen. Reid met with representatives from the various agencies working to ensure Nevada is prepared for this year's wildfire season. Meetings like this are one of the most important things Sen. Reid can do for the state - bringing stakeholders together to share ideas and coordinate activities.
Did you see this interactive map of the Las Vegas strip? Scroll through the years and watch as the Strip blossoms from a "desert stop over town for GIs" to the glitz and glamor capitol of the West (Sorry LA).
The newest voter registration numbers were released this week. And it's official - the momentum and enthusiasm the caucuses stirred up continue. We now have a 55,560 voter registration advantage. Help our congressional challengers talk to each one of these new voters - Dina Titus and Jill Derby.
Must Reid: Filed Under "Forecast for DC." Sen. Reid took the the Senate floor yesterday to lay out a road map for this four-week work period. In a nutshell: "Everything you guys blocked two weeks ago? We're going to revisit that. Plus: lowering gas prices, PEPFAR, Consumer Product Safety, DOD Authorization, DOD Appropriations, and The Coburn Omnibus" (more on that below). The forecast for the month of July in DC is hazy, hot and humid. Bush-McCain Republicans won't find relief from the heat in hallowed halls of the United States Senate. We're holding their feet to the fire.
Filed Under "Gotta Know When to Fold 'Em." Sen. Tom Coburn has placed a hold on hundreds of bills this year - bills that deal with minor legislative issues and typically have broad support. The Weekly Reid isn't going to bore you with an analysis of the legislative philosophy of Sen. Coburn; basically, it appears he simply doesn't like government or governing. Sen. Reid has found a workaround. Ryan Grim of the Politico writes, "In a stroke of legislative creativity that may have no precedent, Reid could lump all of the bills into one package and bring up the Coburn Omnibus for a single vote. Coburn can still object, but the broad popularity of the bills means that there would likely be more than enough support for veto-proof passage." How's that for thinking outside the box? Harry Reid: Giving 'Em Hell.
Filed Under "FISA Fight." Miss the fireworks on July 4th? Want to see more? Just mention FISA or retroactive immunity in a political circle. Then sit back and enjoy the show. The bill is likely to come up for a vote this week, and Harry Reid will vote against it. Although the bill is likely to pass, Sen. Reid cannot support the retroactive immunity for the telecoms.
Reid's Watching: Filed Under "Big Time Attention." The Udall cousins, Mark and Tom, are hoping to bring their Democratic "New West" philosophy to the Senate in 2008, and they got a major press boost on Monday from the New York Times. Know what's great about winning these two races? They'll bring with them the Udall commitment to protecting the natural resources of the West - a longtime priority of Sen. Reid.
Filed Under "On The Air." Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich is up statewide with two new ads, "Path" and "Energy Leader." Mayor Mark's making a whole lot of noise up there. Alaskans say "North to the Future" but the Weekly Reid says "North to Victory." Help the mayor keep these ads up on the air.
This is it - the final election to decide which Senate candidate we as a community want to direct our energy, enthusiasm, and dollars towards.
I am proud to announce that the two Senate challengers who received the most votes in round one are ... Al Franken and Tom Udall!
Now, it's up to you to vote in the final round, and decide which one of these two outstanding candidates gets to send two emails to the GiveEmHellHarry.com list, helping him build the resources needed to win this fall and reach our 60 Senator filibuster-proof majority.
Click here to vote in the final voting round, before the July 28th deadline!
As a Member of Congress and Attorney General of New Mexico, Tom Udall has earned a reputation as a principled leader who has the integrity to do what is right for New Mexico. In the House, Tom has established himself as a leader on key issues - writing and passing a bill to establish a national renewable energy standard, voting against the Iraq War, working to expand preventive health care, attempting to increase well-deserved benefits for veterans, and acting as a champion of small businesses owners.
You might know Al Franken as an award-winning comedian and author. You might know him as the host of Air America Radio's "The Al Franken Show," the network's flagship program that helped put progressive talk radio on the map. But, here's what's most important for you to know: Al Franken stands by his principles and leads by his values. As the founder of Midwest Values Political Action Committee, he raised over $1.1 million for Democrats across Minnesota and around the country. Now he is putting all of his energy into being elected to the United States Senate, and representing the progressive values of all Minnesotans.
Click here to vote in the final voting round, before the July 28th deadline!
I can't wait to see which Senate challenger you choose to help us reach our 60 Senator filibuster-proof majority. But, whoever you choose, this much is true:together, we will finish what we started in 2006 and deliver a mandate for change in 2008 that Republicans can't lay a finger on.
I am writing to you all and especially Harry Reid to find out if you might have any help or suggestions for the Arizona Congressional CD 1 race for Cong. Rick Renzi's spot, which will be vacated soon with his court case for dishonest service.
We have here in Arizona, Yavapai CD #1, a candidate for Cong. Rick Renzi's seat-- HOWARD SHANKER is extraordinary-- bright, quick, informed, can respond intelligently on his feet, has integrity and concern for PEOPLE.
I am hoping you might have a suggestion as to how to get him more attention in this race, where the Dem Pty has chosen a "puppet" candidate. Attorney Shanker is building support similar to Barack Obama's, but without the large sums of money. He is someone worth fighting for, as he's already shown in his private citizen's life of defending the Indian Nation, the environment, small under-privileged children...to name but a few.
Would you be able to give some constructive assistance or suggestions or AZ CD 1 residents who might be helpful?
Beverly Smith
my children and grandchildren go thru a New World America depending on foriegn countries for energy and oil! Look what is happening now. I made a mistake. I want America to be traditional and the America our
Four Fathers meant it to be. Not a Socialistic Country depending on others! I am not the only one that feels this way, you just don't care
how we feel! All of you in the Senate who oppose drilling, are driving around on the gas that US American tax payers have paid for. It's no
sweat off your back, next time you fill up, think about those who can't
now. Is that how you are going to squeese the middle class out! Let
them drill where there is oil and start taking care of America like you
mean it!! or we need a NEW SENATE.
1) The Bush Administrations commited a crime when they asked for records form telecommunication companied with out a warent.
2) The Telecommunication companies commited a crime when they gave the Bush Administrations records with out a warent.
Now you have a FISA Compromise bill that will wipe clean any crimes that have been comitted.
Please do not let this happen Senitor Reid. P
lease use your power as Senate Majority Leader to pull the
FISA "compromise" bill from the floor which will ultimately
grant retroactive immunity to telecommunication companies
who spied on Americans.
Robert Steele Read More »
From the beginning I've wanted GiveEmHellHarry.com to be driven by you. Now, I need you to make a choice. Which Senate challenger do you want to hear from and raise money for?
You've raised ten of thousands of dollars for candidates - close to $1,000,000 in 2006 - and directly helped Democrats take back the Senate. But today, the tables are turning - you're going to tell us who to raise money for. It's time for you to choose where we as a community direct our energy, enthusiasm, and dollars.
Click here to vote in the first round, before the July 10th deadline!
To pump up the excitement even more, we're going to have two rounds of voting - first round voting starts now, and ends on July 10th - and second round voting starts right after that. The winner of the second round will get to send two emails to the GiveEmHellHarry.com list, helping them build the resources needed to win this fall and reach our 60 Senator filibuster-proof majority. But hurry! The deadline to vote is July 10th.
Vote before the July 10th deadline!
I'm looking forward to seeing which Senate challenger you pick. But I'm especially looking forward to throwing our support behind that challenger, and getting even closer to a 60 Senator Democratic majority.
So, what are you still reading this for? Vote today!
Nevada First: Gas Expands. In the Weekly Reid's AP Chemistry class, Mr. Campion mentioned off-handedly that we should buy our gasoline early in the morning - especially during the summer months. Why? Because, he said, gas expands in high temperatures. So there's actually more gas in a gallon bought at 60 degrees at 6 am, than there is in a gallon bought at high noon, when the mercury has risen to 80. Made sense to the cash starved high school drivers in the class. Apparently, it also made sense to a number of Las Vegans - where morning temperatures in the summer months are, naturally, much higher than out east. They calculated they're spending $100 bucks a year for gasoline they didn't get. The law suit may not go anywhere, but it just goes to show - not much gets past Nevada's consumers.
Air Traffic Control. Last week Senator Reid met with the heads of several major airlines. The topic: rising fuel costs and the airlines reduced service to tourist hot spots - like Las Vegas. With record high unemployment in Nevada, boosting the state's tourism is the surest way to bolster the struggling economy. Sen. Reid - standing up for Nevadans and delivering in ways only he can - urged Senate Republicans to join Democrats in a bill to aimed to combat rising fuel costs by fighting oil speculation, "From Nevada's perspective, the sooner people can afford to travel again, the sooner our state will be on the road to economic recovery." Truer words have never been spoken. Sadly, Bush-McCain Republicans care more about protecting the status quo than they do about providing relief for Americans working to make ends meet. They essentially blocked the bill last week (see below).
Working Recess. The Senate broke for it's July 4th Recess on Friday, and while staffers in DC gleefully show up to work in the recess uniform (lots of polo shirts and linen), Sen. Reid's days are just as packed in Nevada as they are when he's in DC. On Monday, he officially opened a solar thermal power manufacturing plant in Las Vegas. The plant is the first of it's kind in North America, and will be capable of producing 700 megawatts of energy each year. After he pressed the button to start the production line, Sen. Reid said, "Nevada is poised to be a leader in the clean energy revolution. This facility will help position our state as the premiere place to invest in these new technologies. As the factory expands operations and we continue to invest in clean energy, we'll create thousands of good-paying jobs and keep our outdoors pristine for future generations."
On Tuesday, Sen. Reid made a stop at the Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Fusion Center, a state of the art center that serves as a collection point for information that will aide first responders during a crisis or natural disaster. The whole idea of a centralized data sharing clearing house makes the Weekly Reid smile. First Responders are true American Heroes, and we need to provide them with the best tools possible.
Must Reid: Block, Block, Block, That's All You Do. Senate Democrats had a number of high priority pieces of legislation to pass last week, but as usual, the Bush-McCain Republicans had different priorities.
Rather than punish speculators who are driving up oil prices, obstructionist Republicans chose to walk in lockstep with the President and fill the coffers of Big Oil.
Rather than ensure doctors who participate in Medicare get paid this week, Bush-McCain Republicans chose to protect the special interests who bankroll their reelection campaigns. Our (bipartisan) bill stopped the pay cut doctors would take, expanded funding and access to preventative care, and ended higher co-payments for mental health services. It passed the House OVERWHELMINGLY (355-59), with broad bipartisan support. Did we mention it was bipartisan? The Republican bill? It did nothing to end the over payments Medicare is making to private interests.
Rather than provide relief for the millions of American families facing foreclosure, Bush-McCain Republicans chose to stand up for the very same people who've crushed the American Dream for so many families. The roadblock the housing bill hit last week centered around language the House dropped in the version it passed. Republicans refused to vote on the bill without it. Rather than getting the bill passed quickly - and in the process helping the thousands of Nevadans facing foreclosure - Republicans refused to budge.
When will they learn? Maybe when they get an earful from their constituents back home. And maybe when they're forced to vote on these bills again next week.
A Moment of Sanity. There were a few bright spots in the Senate last week. We passed supplemental funding bills for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and for urgent domestic needs. We got the 21st Century GI Bill passed (and signed by the President yesterday). The bill will help our returning vets readjust to civilian life and ensure they can afford a quality education. The domestic spending bill will extend unemployment benefits to the victims of the failed policies of the Bush-McCain economy. In a week full of partisan bickering and Republican obstruction, it was nice to see some good done for those who deserve it most.
Reid's Watching: It's a bird! It's a plane! It's.... What's the surest way to raise some dough for a struggling Republican candidate and motivate the Democratic base? Bring in Air Force One. Today, President Bush will attend a closed door fundraiser for interim (not incumbent) Senator Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi). Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove - one of Senator Reid's favorite challengers - is making this race very competitive. Remember what happened last time a high profile member of the Bush Administration flew into Mississippi to raise money for a tanking candidate? Travis Childers - the Democrat - won. Local Democrats are reminding Mississippians that a vote for Roger Wicker is a vote for the failed policies of George W. Bush. Help the Governor offset the W. money by contributing here.
Nipping at her (Tar) Heels. CQPolitics.com profiles Kay Hagan's race against Liddy Dole, and notes, "fluctuating polls over the month and a half since state Sen. Kay Hagan won the May 6 Democratic primary have raised questions about how solid and secure Dole is in her status as the favorite." Kay may have spent a bunch of money in the primary, but she came out much stronger than anyone would have thought. She's going to win this race, and inside-the-beltway press like this helps raise her profile in the national press.
Have a great week! Tune in next Tuesday for another edition of the Weekly Reid!
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