Progressive Democrat Newsletter Issue 269

Well, the big news of the week was that the courts overturned California's Hate Amendment. You can read the decision here (PDF). More analysis of the ruling here: Prop 8 Preview: The “Basis” Is The Thing. Be prepared for appeals (I suspect 9th Circuit Court will uphold the decision and then it will go to the Supreme Court. and more efforts by the right wing extremists to restrict the rights of gays. The right wing has never let the law, the courts or logic stand in the way of their ideology. They will keep at this the same way they keep pushing creationism, global-warming denial and other stupid agendas. If you really want to beat this thing, we can't fall into the trap of assuming we've won. To find out more on how to stop the right wing hate agenda, visit Equality California or the Human Rights Campaign.

The other big news is Elena Kagan's confirmation as Supreme Court justice. Needless to say, most Republicans toed the obstructionist line. Welcome Justice Kagan:



Turning to BP's claims of "Mission Accomplished" in the Gulf, don't believe their claims that the spill has suddenly disappeared. Despite their attempts to buy off scientists, scientists are telling us what we all knew: The Oil is NOT Gone

According to National Geographic News, to University of South Florida chemical oceanographer David Hollander, the NOAA estimates are "ludicrous."

"It's almost comical," he said.

Hollander said that while 25 percent can be accounted for (by burning, skimming etc), 75 percent is still unaccounted for.

For instance, the report considers all submerged oil to be dispersed and therefore not harmful, but that's not the case.

One thing is VERY clear...BP continues to LIE to us. And sadly they have bought off some scientists. Listen to the scientists who are not getting money from BP. And while you're at it, boycott BP. If we aren't going to buy their lies, why should we buy their gasoline?

I leave you with two videos of President Obama.

Here's President Obama speaking at a Ford assembly plant in Chicago:



And here is President Obama's weekly address, this week talking about Medicare:




Here is this week's newsletter:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Obama Keeping Another Promise

Target is feeling the heat -- call them now

Boycottorama: A roundup of ongoing boycotts of merit

Three stories from last week I still want to highlight:

Democracy for America Grassroots All-Star Beth Krom for Congress

Solar Power now cheaper than Nuclear?

Major Action Alert: Protect our Health and Stop the Overuse of Antibiotics in Livestock!

New York State Focus: Extended Roundup of Endorsements

New York Focus: Green Power Switch

Staten Island Focus: Hate Crimes on the Rise

Brooklyn Focus: Jesse Strauss Out of his Depth?

Brooklyn Focus: Chris Owens' Statement On Proposition 8 Decision

Brooklyn, NY Focus

Manhattan, NY Focus

Queens NY Focus: Tony Avella for State Senate

Queens, NY Focus

Bronx, NY Focus

Suffolk County, NY Focus

Rochester, NY Focus

New York 19th District Focus: Putnam, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties

NEW YORK STATE FOCUS

Texas Ag: Hank Gilbert Calls for Texas Department of Agriculture Inspector General, Reforms

Dallas County, TX Focus

Austin/Travis County, TX Focus

Houston/Harris County, TX Focus

Texas 10th District Focus: Turn TX-10 Blue

Texas 21st District Focus: Turn TX-21 Blue

TEXAS FOCUS

California Focus: Beth Krom Slams Republican Posturing

California Focus: Republican Schwarzenegger and Democrat Brown: Let Gays and Lesbians Marry now

California Focus: What Else Republican Whitman Could Have Done with Her $100 Million Spending Spree

Southern California Grassroots Alliance

TAKE BACK RED CALIFORNIA

California Focus: Green Power Switch

Orange County, CA Focus

Silicon Valley Area, CA Focus

San Diego, CA Focus

California 11th District Focus: San Joaquin, Alameda and Santa Clara Counties

CALIFORNIA FOCUS

Seattle/Kings County, WA Focus

Rossi wins spot on CREW’s “Crooked Candidates of 2010″...Republican corruption continues unabated

Washington State Focus: Green Power Switch

Progressive Candidates in Washington State

WASHINGTON STATE FOCUS

Virginia Attorney General Cuccinelli SLAMMED by Scientists

Virginia Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello on The Rachel Maddow Show:



Virginia Focus: Green Power Switch

Charlottesville/Albemarle County, VA Foucus

Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania County, VA Focus

Hanover County, VA Focus

VIRGINIA FOCUS

Minnesota Focus: Tarryl Clark for Congress (MN-6)

Minnesota Action Alert: Save the MN Boundary Waters from Sulfide Mining!

Minnesota Focus: Green Power Switch

Progressive Candidates in Minnesota

MINNESOTA FOCUS

Oklahoma Focus: Jeff Jones for Oklahoma District Attorney, District 10

Illinois Focus: Bill Foster for Congress

IL-Gov: A bit of good news, or, Showing how government CAN spur economic growth:



Illinois Focus: Green Power Switch

ILLINOIS FOCUS

Oil Spill in Michigan Getting worse: Michigan Oil Spill Evacuations From Carcinogenic Benzene...what will it take for us to end our addiction to oil??? You can take the first step: Michigan Green Power Switch

Michigan Focus: Underdog Race of the Year in MI-08!!

Progressive Candidates in Michigan

MICHIGAN FOCUS

New Jersey Focus: Now that Christie has vetoed women's health: The Fight for Women's Health Goes On

New Jersey Focus: Camden is closing its whole library system. Permanently.

New Jersey Focus: Sustainable Cherry Hill

New Jersey Focus: Environmental Score Card Shows Big Dip in Scores

New Jersey Focus: Green Power Switch

Sussex County, NJ Focus

Florida CFO Alex Sink's Florida Housing Help Website

Florida Focus: Kendrick Meek (FL-Sen):



Help out a teacher running for Congress - FL 16

PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES IN FLORIDA PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES IN FLORIDA

Broward County, FL Focus

Orange County, FL Focus

Pinellas County, FL Focus

FLORIDA FOCUS

Joe Sestak (Senate Candidate) and Bryan Lentz (PA-7):



PA-07: Analysis from a Local Angle

Pennsylvania Focus: Green Power Switch

Progressive Candidates in Pennsylvania

Lancaster Co. PA Focus

PENNSYLVANIA FOCUS

CO-SEN: Stunning Denver Post Poll Shows Romanoff Has Pulled Ahead - What's It Mean for Progressives?...I have not endorsed in this race, but Romanoff is widely considered the more progressive of the two.

CO-Gov: Money woes, UN-nuttery plague Republicans...the Colorado Republicans are becoming crazier by the minute!

Progressive Candidates in Colorado

Boulder County, CO Focus

Larimer County, CO Focus

Douglas County, CO Focus

Jake Williams for Colorado House of Representatives

COLORADO FOCUS

Georgia Focus: Green Power Switch

Atlanta, GA Focus

Fayette County, GA Focus

Coweta County, GA Focus

GEORGIA FOCUS

Oops...looks like Sheriff Arpaio broke the law again: No Probable Cause for Reza's Arrest by Arpaio...With this kind of incompetence, it is no wonder Sheriff Arpaio's watch is the only part of Arizona where crime is actually going up!...if you want to help get rid of this incompetent, corrupt racist, there is now a People Against Arpaio Facebook page.

Arizona Focus: An "unprecedented slate of highly qualified Indian candidates for office in Arizona"

Can Arizona elect a real progressive to replace McCain?

Arizona Focus: Green Power Switch

Progressive Candidates in Arizona

ARIZONA FOCUS

Wisconsin Focus: A Tale of Two Candidates

Wisconsin Focus: Green Power Switch

FAIR Wisconsin 2010 Endorsements

WISCONSIN FOCUS

North Carolina Focus: Democracy America Endorses Elaine Marshall for NC-Sen

North Carolina Focus: Green Power Switch

North Carolina Focus: NC-5 District Focus (Stokes County, Statesville, Surrey County, Iredell County, Watauga County, Yadkin County)

NORTH CAROLINA FOCUS

Kansas Focus: Kansas behind in wind power...WHY???

KANSAS FOCUS

Tennessee Focus: Q&A with Ben Leming for Congress, TN-6

Tennessee Focus: Green Power Switch

TENNESSEE FOCUS

Nevada Retirees Take on Sharron Angle

Nevada Focus: Green Power Switch

NEVADA FOCUS

Iowa Focus: Green Power Switch

IOWA FOCUS