Tag Archives: representatives

87 Senators Sign Letter Urging Obama’s Support of Israel, Media Mostly Mum

On Monday, 87 Senators signed a letter to President Obama affirming their support for Israel while urging his. This comes in response to last month’s highly-publicized flotilla incident in the Mediterranean Sea and the United Nations predictable anti-Israel reaction. A similar letter has been circulated in the House that has apparently garnered 307 signatures. Despite the overwhelming bipartisan outcry — something rather rare in Washington these days to be sure — very few American media outlets bothered to report the news. Fortunately, the Hill published the following Wednesday (h/t Weasel Zippers ): Led by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – and signed by 85 other members of the upper chamber – the letter argues that Israel’s blockade of Gaza was both legal and necessary, and that Israeli commandos were acting in self-defense when they landed on the ship. “[V]ideo footage shows that the Israeli commandos who arrived on the sixth ship, which was owned by the Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation (the IHH), were brutally attacked with iron rods, knives, and broken glass,” the senators wrote. “They were forced to respond to that attack and we regret the loss of life that resulted,” the letter adds. The bipartisan group of lawmakers urged Obama to oppose a resolution in the United Nations critical of Israel. According to JTA.org, a similar letter has been signed by 307 Representatives in the House. Yet, besides the Hill, LexisNexis and Google News searches produced only Agence France-Presse and UPI reporting this news in the States. No newspapers, no television outlets, and no Associated Press. Why might that be? For those interested, full text with signatories of the Senate letter is available here . Readers are advised that too many of the signatures were illegible making it impossible to know who the thirteen Senators that didn’t sign the letter are. Stay tuned. 

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87 Senators Sign Letter Urging Obama’s Support of Israel, Media Mostly Mum

U.S. Moviegoers Will Have Better And Healthier Snack Options

It isn’t quite a surprise to see or do things we traditionally do.  Fried chicken and gravy, pasta and wine, pizza and beer..fruit-vegetable-yogurt and movies??? What?? If Sony executives get their way, U.S. moviegoers will have the  better option of healthier snacks when watching movies. In a recent speech at ShoWest, the country’s largest tradeshow for the movie theater industry, Chief Executive Michael Lynton of Sony Pictures Entertainment  called upon concessionaires to provide betther and healthier options like fruit, granola, yogurt and vegetables with dip instead of high-calorie soda, buttery popcorn and candies. It’s “the right thing to do for our industry, for audiences and for our country,” said Lynton. Lynton’s colleague, Sony’s Executive Vice President for Global Communications Jim Kennedy, attempted to fight the causes of child obesity in his previous post with the Clinton Foundation. With this new intiative, he is telling CNN that Sony is asking theaters to accommodate the 60 percent of parents who feel that their overall moviegoing experience would be improved if there were healthier options available at the concession stand. Nielsen conducted a poll revealing that two-thirds of all moviegoers and three-quarters of parents would be more likely to buy the healthier options if available. Kennedy, himself a fan of a popcorn and M&Ms combo “I go back and forth between the sweet and the salt — though I wish the M&Ms came in smaller bags.” says neither set will suffer. “We’re not asking theaters to stop selling sodas, and we know most moviegoers are unlikely to change their habits. It just makes sense to offer more choices.” “It’s a new source of income for theaters. They’ve already innovated by adding digital technology and more comfortable seats. This is consistent with that level of innovation,” he said. The National Association of Theatre Owners Representatives and several major chains were unavailable for comment. According to SmartMoney.com interview with Warren Miller, senior equity analyst for stock tracking service Morningstar, of every dollar spent at the concession stand, 85 cents is profit. U.S. Moviegoers Will Have Better And Healthier Snack Options is a post from: Daily World Buzz Continue reading

More Americans support health care reform now – Do you?

PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly half of Americans give a thumbs-up to Congress' passage of a healthcare reform bill last weekend, with 49% calling it “a good thing.” Republicans and Democrats have polar opposite reactions, with independents evenly split. The findings, from a March 22 USA Today/Gallup poll conducted one day after the bill received a majority of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, represent immediate reactions to the vote. Americans' emotional responses to the bill's passage are more positive than negative — with 50% enthusiastic or pleased versus 42% angry or disappointed — and are similar to their general reactions. Although much of the public debate over healthcare reform has been heated, barely a third of rank-and-file citizens express either enthusiasm (15%) or anger (19%) about the bill's passage. The Bottom Line – Passage of healthcare reform was a clear political victory for President Obama and his allies in Congress. While it also pleases most of his Democratic base nationwide, it is met with greater ambivalence among independents and with considerable antipathy among Republicans. Whether these groups' views on the issue harden or soften in the coming months could be crucial to how healthcare reform factors into this year's midterm elections. Given that initial public reaction to Sunday's vote is more positive than recent public opinion about passing a healthcare reform bill, it appears some softening has already occurred. http://www.gallup.com/poll/126929/Slim-Margin-Americans-Support-Healthcare-Bill-… added by: current89

Gallup Poll: Americans Support Healthcare Bill’s Passage

PRINCETON, NJ — Nearly half of Americans give a thumbs-up to Congress' passage of a healthcare reform bill last weekend, with 49% calling it “a good thing.” Republicans and Democrats have polar opposite reactions, with independents evenly split. The findings, from a March 22 USA Today/Gallup poll conducted one day after the bill received a majority of votes in the U.S. House of Representatives, represent immediate reactions to the vote. Americans' emotional responses to the bill's passage are more positive than negative — with 50% enthusiastic or pleased versus 42% angry or disappointed — and are similar to their general reactions. Although much of the public debate over healthcare reform has been heated, barely a third of rank-and-file citizens express either enthusiasm (15%) or anger (19%) about the bill's passage. The Bottom Line – Passage of healthcare reform was a clear political victory for President Obama and his allies in Congress. While it also pleases most of his Democratic base nationwide, it is met with greater ambivalence among independents and with considerable antipathy among Republicans. Whether these groups' views on the issue harden or soften in the coming months could be crucial to how healthcare reform factors into this year's midterm elections. Given that initial public reaction to Sunday's vote is more positive than recent public opinion about passing a healthcare reform bill, it appears some softening has already occurred. http://www.gallup.com/poll/126929/Slim-Margin-Americans-Support-Healthcare-Bill-… added by: current89

Dennis Kucinich to vote yes on Health Care bill.

U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich waited until Democrats had won last November’s health care reform vote before casting his ballot against it on the House of Representatives floor.. This time around — pressured by everyone from President Obama to Moveon.org — the Cleveland Democrat had no luxury to dawdle before taking a stance. He just announced at a Capitol news conference that he’ll vote yes on the bill’s latest draft. “I have doubts about the bill,” Kucinich said. “This is not the bill I wanted to support. . . However, after careful discussions with President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, my wife Elizabeth and close friends, I’ve decided to cast a vote in favor of the legislation.

Liberals say bill without public option won’t pass

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Liberal Democrats in the House say that a healthcare reform bill that doesn’t include the so-called public option won’t pass.

President Barack Obama, as well as his press secretary and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius signaled Sunday that they were open to a healthcare bill that didn’t carry the public option. But their remarks have sent liberal Democrats into a tailspin, and haven’t drawn much backing from Republicans in Congress.

The public option would create a public insurance carrier that would be handled by the government and compete with private insurance companies, likely driving down premiums and negotiating lower payments for drugs and services.

“A bill without a public option won’t pass the House,” Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) told Politico for an article published Tuesday. “Not only are they weakening their proposal, but they are also weakening their hand. This is legislative subtraction by subtraction.”

The Congressional Black Caucus echoed Weiner’s remarks in a private letter to Obama’s health secretary, the site says.

“To take the public option off the table would be a grave error; passage in the House of Representatives depends upon inclusion of it,” wrote Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Barbara Lee (D-CA).

The three Democrats also included a list of 60 members of Congress who say the bill must contain a public option.

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Liberals say bill without public option won’t pass

"Clunkers" program slows car gifts to U.S. charities

The popular “cash-for-clunkers” program is boosting U.S.

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"Clunkers" program slows car gifts to U.S. charities

American Idol Executives Shower Kara DioGuardi with Praise

Fans are split on whether or not Kara DioGuardi’s return to American Idol is a good thing. But show executives are reacting to the news like the judge is the second coming of Simon Cowell.

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American Idol Executives Shower Kara DioGuardi with Praise

Kate Major to Dish on Jon Gosselin Romance

There are two sides to every story.

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Kate Major to Dish on Jon Gosselin Romance

Jordan Scott Accuses Stephenie Meyer of Plagiarizing Breaking Dawn

While Twilight was a hit, and the buzz over New Moon is off the charts, controversy over the final two films in the Twilight Saga continues to grow.

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Jordan Scott Accuses Stephenie Meyer of Plagiarizing Breaking Dawn