CitizenSugar -- Breaking News, Together.

Who Is Your Favorite Woman in Power?

LibertySugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:30:33 -0800

Even though there hasn't been a female US president, the country's women in power remind us that leadership isn't just a man's job. Hillary Clinton took on many roles this year: she was a senator from New York, the wannabe leader of the US, the reluctant leader of the PUMAs, and now know she will most likely be the leader of the US State Department. Current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the first African-American woman to serve in the post, traveled around the world signing missile deals with Poland, trying to keep tensions down between India and Pakistan, and playing the piano for the Queen of England.Nancy Pelosi had a good time at the Democratic National Convention before heading back to Washington for a Fall full of bailouts. Sarah Palin's run for vice president made some conservatives give thanks. Another governor, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, got tapped to serve as Obama's secretary of Homeland Security. All the while, Ruth Bader Ginsburg served her 15th year on the Supreme Court presiding over cases about gun control, the death penalty, and Guantanamo Bay. I want to know all you favorites from this year, including your favorite woman in power! Source

Front Page: Report Reveals Few Bailout Restrictions

CitizenSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:00:33 -0800

The Government Accountability Office has concluded that the Treasury Department has no mechanisms to comply with the $700 billion bailout plan restrictions. Speaker Pelosi called the report evidence that the Treasury Department's actions are not accountable to the American taxpayer. — AP
Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss reclaimed his Senate seat after winning yesterday's Georgia runoff. The Democrats will not have a 60 seat filibuster-proof majority. — AP
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged Pakistan to cooperate fully in bringing the Mumbai attackers to justice. While in Delhi she said Pakistan has a "special responsibility to do so." — BBC News

Harvard's endowment, the largest in the US, has taken at 22 percent hit in the last four months. It has lost $8 billion. — AP
Passengers flying out of Los Angeles had to wait nine hours on the ground before take off because the smaller airport did not the staff to process exciting passengers. The original flight would have taken less than five hours. — LA Times

Source

Congress wants business plan from automakers

LibertySugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:15:33 -0800

Congress Wants Business Plan From Automakers Democratic leaders in Congress sidetracked legislation to bail out the auto industry Thursday and demanded the Big Three develop a plan assuring the money would make them economically viable. "Until they show us the plan, we cannot show them the money," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at a hastily called news conference in the Capitol.

Pelosi Says $150 Billion Economic Stimulus Plan Needed

CitizenSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:25:36 -0700

Pelosi Says $150 Billion Economic Stimulus Plan Needed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that a $150 billion economic stimulus plan is needed now because of the faltering economy and she may call the House into session after the election to pass it. Pelosi told reporters that the stock market meltdown, which has caused an estimated $2 trillion loss from pension funds, was a factor in her recommendation for a second stimulus bill. The first relief plan sent out $600-$1,200 tax rebate checks to most individuals and couples this year.

Briefing Book! Secretary Paulson Gets on One Knee For Pelosi

LibertySugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0700

Economy: Wish you were a fly on the wall? Secretary Paulson got one knee before Nancy Pelosi last night. — Politico
Wall Street: What about Main Street? Three ways the Wall Street crisis affects you. — SavvySugar
The Debate: He can predict the future? Premature McCain ad claims he won the debate. — Huffington Post
Fat Cats: What is a fitting punishment for "greedy" bankers? Salary caps from a UK perspective. — newsblog
Biden: If they IMed: Good Joe Biden and Gaffe Joe Biden. — 23/6

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Nancy, Hillary, and Michelle Show Up For EMILY's List

LibertySugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:00:37 -0700

Citizen and I checked out out the EMILY's List event this week, attended by Nancy Pelosi, Michelle Obama, and Hillary Clinton. So what sort of organization attracts all three of these big-name women? EMILY's List is a political action committee that works to get pro-choice Democratic women in office.

The name of the game is talent and money. EMILY is in fact an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" — early money raises the dough, just like yeast! The group pairs seats that are realistically up for grabs with strong candidates, and then helps the women build and run a campaign with very early funding and guidance. Members of EMILY's List receive profiles of the up-and-coming pro-choicers, so they can donate to candidates running throughout the country. Here are pictures of the members in Denver.

EMILY's List drew an eager crowd of supporters, but vocal opponents came out to graphically protest abortion, too. To see video of one critic of EMILY's List,

What Happened After Hillary's Speech? Awesomeness Ensued

CitizenSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0700

I'm just going to say it: Nancy Pelosi is hipper than me. List of concerts I've been to in my lifetime? Amy Grant, MC Hammer, and Peter, Paul, and Mary. Nancy Pelosi on the other hand, hangs with Wyclef Jean.

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Last night was an embarrassment of Democratic musical riches (if that's a thing.) After the business at the Pepsi Center concluded with Hillary's bang, Liberty and I saw Wyclef Jean perform (he played his guitar with his teeth or tongue, I couldn't tell but either way, uh wow) and got to meet Nancy Pelosi .

Then if that wasn't enough (and as the early bird around here I kept saying, "there's a 12 o'clock at night, too? What?!"), we played "What Would Nancy Do" and headed to the Grammys Rock the Vote after party. And they did — rock that is. To see what happened,

Tale of Two Concerts: Taylor, Bennett, and Rock the Vote

CitizenSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:00:52 -0700

This couldn't have been a more surreal pairing last night — within the span of 20 minutes we saw James Taylor sing "You've Got a Friend," Tony Bennett sing, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and sing a duet together, which was awesome and warranted the held-up cell phone for my mom and then! We headed over to the Rock the Vote concert featuring Fall Out Boy for a whole different scene.

From fancy appetizers and mingling at the James Taylor show (it was an event in honor of Speaker Nancy Pelosi) where Rep. Charlie Rangel was working crowd control with his pretty impressive whistle (Seriously. It stopped people's cocktail chatter dead) to the crazy DJ/laser show/MTV crowd at Rock the Vote, I bet even Buzz's musical sensibilities would have had whiplash.

At Rock the Vote they had you text in why you think it's important to vote, which I did, saying that I wanted John McCain to be my next president (and apparently I got what they thought I deserved as I'm now signed up for some sort of update/alert service. Sigh.) It was awesome and like a crazy dream, and we're still both totally sleep deprived — but hey, if Nancy Pelosi can party like a rock star, well, I'll see if I can keep up.

To see a clip of James Taylor's iconic song live and more photos,

Pelosi Talks About Impeachment and Her Do-Nothing Congress

LibertySugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:00:15 -0700

The first female Speaker of the House has just released a book, Know Your Power: A Message to American Daughters, in which she encourages America women to make their voices heard. Making her voice heard on the new-book-media tour, Pelosi appeared on The View last week to explain that impeachment was off the table because there is no evidence that Bush committed a crime and in this week's Time, readers asked Pelosi ten questions. Here's what the eleven-term Congresswomen from San Francisco had to say about the topics on Americans' minds.

Why have you taken impeachment off the table as an option for President George W. Bush? I took it off the table a long time ago. You can't talk about impeachment unless you have the facts, and you can't have the facts unless you have cooperation from the Administration. I think the Republicans would like nothing better than for us to focus on impeachment and take our eye off the ball of a progressive economic agenda.

Why do the Democrats insist on blocking oil-drilling when we need the price of oil to drop? Even if they drilled every place [in America], it would not have any impact on the price of oil now. You can't increase domestic supply only by drilling. You have to invest in renewable-energy resources. That's all longer term.

To find out if Speaker Pelosi ever votes against her party, and what she thinks about challenger Cindy Sheehan and accusations that her party controls a "do-nothing" Congress,

Bush Readies the Offshore Drill, Should Congress Say Yes?

LibertySugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:00:06 -0700

President Bush thinks offshore drilling might be the Nicorette gum America needs to kick its oil addiction. Yesterday Bush lifted the executive ban on offshore drilling imposed by his father, removing one hurdle for exploration. Bush explained:"This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the US Congress. Now the ball is squarely in Congress's court."Answering Bush, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said:

“Once again, the oilman in the White House is echoing the demands of Big Oil. The Bush plan is a hoax. It will neither reduce gas prices nor increase energy independence."

Considering the current oil crisis, Bush thinks America has no choice but to take advantage of its own resources. Opponents fear environmental impact, and say the plan would take a decade to produce results, while ignoring alternative energy priorities. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says oil companies should explore the 68 millions of acres already available. Should Congress follow the President's lead? Source

Bush Readies the Offshore Drill, Should Congress Say Yes?

Yay! America must take advantage of all its oil resources, while trying to kick the habit.

Nay. Long-term solutions should help us kick our oil addiction, not feed it.

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Should Stations Be Required to Present Diverse Viewpoints?

LibertySugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 10:00:47 -0700

The House of Representatives will most likely not debate a Republican proposed bill to outlaw the "Fairness Doctrine." The FCC stopped using the Fairness Doctrine, which attempted to ensure equal airtime for different perspectives on controversial issues, during the Reagan Administration. Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested Tuesday that Democrats would rather revive the federal policy of forced evenhandedness.

Critics of the Fairness Doctrine argue that it violates the First Amendment. Instead of facilitating complex debates, equal opportunity resulted in no opportunity for controversial discussions. Some of Speaker Pelosi's opponents worry that if the doctrine is revived, this chilling effect would extend to commentators like Rush Limbaugh. Small stations, which cannot afford a counter to Rush, would simply not talk about tough issues.

Should the Fairness Doctrine be put to rest, as there surely is no lack of space in the radio and cable television sphere? Can we rely on the viewers to judge a station's bias — and how bias is too bias?

Source

Pelosi on Clinton's Defeat: "I'm A Victim of Sexism Myself All The Time"

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:55:28 -0700

Pelosi on Clinton's Defeat: "I'm A Victim of Sexism Myself All The Time" Said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) discussing Tuesday morning whether sexism played a significant role in the defeat of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. "Is there sexism? Probably so," said Pelosi. "Is it responsible for the defeat? I really wouldn't have the scientific knowledge, all of the information to know that. But I do think that being a woman has a positive upside in the campaign, probably offset by more sexism. I don't know. Of course there is sexism, we all know that. I mean but it is a given, it is a given."

Ad-Rageous: San Francisco Values a No-No in Republican Race

CitizenSugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:30:10 -0700

The Republican Party loves values, unless they're of the "wearing-Spandex-ritzy-party" variety. I did not know "San Francisco Values" meant "neon dance party." I'm clearly out of the loop. Check out this dance, dance revolutionary ad from Missouri Republican Sam Graves.

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OK, I get conservative social ideas, and I even jive with making sure voters know who's raising funds for whom, but y'all? I'm not entirely sure who would "approve this message." It's like a karaoke video with a much smaller budget. (Though I dig the middle dancer's cowboy hat!)

Should Nancy Pelosi Be Voted Out of Congress?

LibertySugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:00:27 -0700

Peace activist and mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq, Cindy Sheehan has filed papers to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this November. Angered by the fact that Pelosi has not commenced impeachment proceedings, nor moved to swiftly bring home the troops or support a single payer health care system, Sheehan says that Pelosi has ignored the will of her progressive constituency, San Francisco.Speaker Pelosi’s spokesman countered that Pelosi is working for things that are possible. An impeachment trial, he said, would be “divisive” and prevent Congress from solving other challenges. But, considering impeachment isn’t Sheehan’s only concern, do you think she is right when saying Pelosi, who has been elected to 10 terms, should be more in touch with her constituency? Do you think Cindy Sheehan has a chance of winning? Should she? Do you consider Sheehan's mission of the last couple of years, a positive one? Do you agree with her?Source

Should Nancy Pelosi Be Voted Out of Congress?

Yes! America needs real people in office that represent the people, not their contributors.

No. By being a pragmatic representative of SF, and the country, she gets more done.

No. Sheehan's intentions may be good, but an extreme approach only hurts liberals.

No way. What qualifications does this publicity-hungry woman have?

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Election Baggage Postpones Colombia Trade Agreement

LibertySugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:30:41 -0700

Congress just denied President Bush by voting to delay consideration of the controversial trade agreement with Colombia until after the November election.

President Bush wanted Congress to approve a not-too-expansive trade pact with Colombia. But, this being an election year, a simple trade issue has become a vehicle for back and forth about jobs, the economy, and national security. The agreement was also problematic for the Democratic presidential candidates, who rely on the support of organized labor and large corporations.

OK here's how all the major players played it:

Pelosi: The Speaker of the House preempted Bush's plan to force a vote, by unilaterally (and legally) changing the rules of the House. The existing rules required the House to vote on a bill submitted by the president within 90 days. But, Pelosi played her cards, saying that she would not allow a vote until the president agreed to increased economic aide for Americans. So today, the House voted to delay.

Condi Rice: The secretary of state played the national security card on this one. She said that it is imperative to relations with US ally Colombia, and other US interests in South America, that the bill be approved immediately. Oh, well.

To find out where the presidential candidates, an ex prez, and other high-profile surrogates stood on the deal,

Front Page: More Troops for Afghanistan, Pelosi Calls for Boycott, UK Troop Reductions Stalled

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:54:03 -0700

President Bush asked NATO allies to send more troops to Afghanistan in a speech delivered before a big NATO summit. Bush quoted Sarkozy saying, "As [French] President Sarkozy put it in London last week, we cannot afford to lose Afghanistan. Whatever the cost, however difficult, we cannot afford it, we must win. If we do not defeat the terrorists in Afghanistan, we will face them on our soil." NATO-led forces currently number 47,000 troops. France has already answered the call for more — Prime Minister Francois Fillon said that his country would send several hundred more troops.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is calling for President Bush to boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Pelosi has just returned from a visit with the Dalai Lama. She said, “the president of the United States, if he is going to give credibility to the Chinese government, he should also take the time to say to them we are very concerned, not only about human rights, which are a very important value to us, but we are also concerned about our trade situation.” Pelosi says a high profile boycott of the opening will send a message without affecting the games. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already announced she will be skipping the ceremony.
British Prime Minister Gordon Browne announced the draw-down of British troops from Iraq will be postponed given the recent violence in Basra. The plan was to reduce the number of troops from 4,000 to 2,500 this spring. Browne said, "In the light of the last week's events, however, it is prudent that we pause any further reductions while the current situation is unfolding. It is absolutely right that military commanders review plans when conditions on the ground change."

Pentagon Denied Gay Rep's Request to Travel with Partner

LibertySugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:00:53 -0700

The Pentagon initially denied Representative Tammy Baldwin's request to bring her domestic partner with her on a fact-finding trip to Europe over the Easter recess. As usual, the delegation traveled on a military flight. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi petitioned Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, before the trip was approved.

At the center of the story is the definition of "spouse." According to the House guidelines, members of Congress can travel with spouses so long as there is room, and protocol requires it. The same goes for an adult child; however, Congress must be reimbursed for the second guest. Baldwin and her partner have exchanged vows, but her home state of Wisconsin does not recognize same-sex marriage.

Apparently Secretary Gates told Speaker Pelosi that it was up to her to make an exception. To see what happened,

Front Page: More From bin Laden, Obama's Passport, Pelosi

CitizenSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 07:00:36 -0700

Another new audio message allegedly delivered by Osama bin Laden urges Muslims to join the insurgency in Iraq, calling it the best way to support the Palestinians. He makes the tie between the two saying, "The nearest jihad battlefield to support our people in Palestine is the battlefield of Iraq." The statement was released on al-Jazeera TV, and comes just a day after he threatened Europe in a similar audio recording. The newest statement says of attempts at peace talks, "Palestine cannot be retaken by negotiations and dialogue, but with fire and iron."

Two employees have been fired from the State Department and another reprimanded for improperly opening electronic information from the passport file of Senator Barack Obama. The announcement came yesterday detailing three separate occasions of unauthorized access, in January, February, and March. The events are being called "imprudent curiosity," and there are no details yet as to reasons for the breach, or why the announcement only reached top officials and Senator Obama after the third occasion.
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi arrived in northern India this morning for talks with the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan government-in-exile. Pelosi sharply criticized China saying, "If freedom-loving people throughout the world do not speak out against China's oppression in China and Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak on behalf of human rights anywhere in the world. The situation in Tibet is a challenge to the conscience of the world." The comments came during a meeting with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. Pelosi noted that she was voicing her personal opinion and not US policy. The meeting comes amid violence surrounding Tibetan protests against China.