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February 14, 2012 8:01 pm | By Jen Herrick
Pew report reveals our real voting problem
The Pew Center on the States’ Election Initiatives today released Inaccurate, Costly, and Inefficient, detailing an astonishing voter registration crisis in this country. “Voter registration is the gateway to participating in our democracy, but these antiquated, paper-based systems are plagued…
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February 14, 2012 6:45 pm | By Miranda Blue
For Valentine’s Day, How About Repealing DOMA?
The Senate is currently tied up by Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who has blocked action on a major transportation bill and the confirmation of an urgent judicial nomination. While it’s stalled, the Senate has the perfect opportunity to take up…
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February 14, 2012 5:26 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: Stop School Bullying this GSA Day!
As you know, PFAW recently celebrated GSA Day 2012 and the work of Gay-Straight Alliances that bringing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight allied people together to stop bullying, homophobia, transphobia and hate, and we called on you to be…
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February 14, 2012 4:14 pm | By Miranda Blue
What War on Women?
This one: Washington Post via Digby
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February 13, 2012 11:08 pm | By Jen Herrick
President Obama calls for DC budget autonomy
The budget proposal that President Obama released earlier today is the first in a series of executive and congressional actions that will fund the government in the next fiscal year. Among the thousands of pages of tables and spreadsheets are…
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February 10, 2012 10:28 pm | By Drew Courtney
Victory for American Women, But the Fight’s Not Over
In a big victory for American women, the White House today ensured that women will have access to free contraception in their insurance plans while it continued to protect religious liberty interests. While today’s news is welcome, what’s stunning is…
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February 10, 2012 10:21 pm | By Miranda Blue
Florida Nominee to Test How Far GOP Will Take Obstruction
As Paul wrote earlier today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has schedule a vote on Monday to break the GOP filibuster of Adalberto Jordán, a Florida judge nominated to fill a judicial emergency on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.…
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February 10, 2012 3:25 pm | By Miranda Blue
Michael Keegan Speaks with Al Sharpton about White Nationalists at CPAC
On Wednesday, PFAW sent out an alert urging the GOP presidential candidates speaking at this week's Conservative Political Action Conference, to denounce the views of a white nationalist leader who had been invited to speak on a panel at the…
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February 10, 2012 2:48 pm | By Paul Gordon
End the Filibuster of Judge Jordán
With Republican obstruction of qualified consensus judicial nominees showing no sign of abating, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has filed cloture on the nomination of Adalberto José Jordán to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The vote to break the…
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February 9, 2012 9:09 pm | By Paul Gordon
The Mechanism of Obstruction Continues
Before Senate Republicans graciously allowed a vote this afternoon on one of the 19 long-pending judicial nominations – just one, mind you – they did something this morning, that, unfortunately has become all too routine in their relentless efforts to…
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February 8, 2012 7:33 pm | By Miranda Blue
Olson: ‘Marriage is a Conservative Value’
Ted Olson, who served as solicitor general under George W. Bush and is now half of the legal team fighting the anti-gay Proposition 8 in California, went on the Rachel Maddow show last night to discuss the marriage equality victory…
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February 7, 2012 9:34 pm | By Peter Montgomery
Appeals Court Rules Prop 8 Unconstitutional, Decision Highlights Role of Judiciary
A federal appeals court ruled today that the California ballot initiative that took the right to marry away from same-sex couples violated the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. The decision, which is stayed temporarily, affirms an August 2010 ruling…
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February 7, 2012 7:20 pm | By Justin
Exposing ALEC in Ohio
Yesterday, community leaders held a press conference in Columbus, Ohio to expose the firm grip that corporations hold on the Ohio legislature made possible by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Through this organization, corporations and special interests sit down…
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February 7, 2012 5:42 pm | By Justin
President Obama Supports Constitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United
Yesterday, President Obama announced his support of a constitutional amendment to reign in special interest money in elections. With his support the growing movement pushing to amend the constitution to overturn Citizens United is gaining even more momentum. The diverse…
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February 7, 2012 5:42 pm | By Justin
President Obama Supports Consitutional Amendment to Overturn Citizens United
Yesterday, President Obama announced his support of a constitutional amendment to reign in special interest money in elections. With his support the growing movement pushing to amend the constitution to overturn Citizens United is gaining even more momentum. The diverse…
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February 7, 2012 5:06 pm | By Paul Gordon
Senators Take to Floor to Protect Americans’ Access to Justice
Several senators are taking the floor today to condemn the needless partisan obstruction that is harming America's judicial system and denying Americans their day in court. With more than 10% of every court vacant or soon to become vacant, the…
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February 7, 2012 4:56 pm | By Miranda Blue
Romney Supports Disastrous Komen Decision on Planned Parenthood
Last week, PFAW president Michael Keegan wrote that even if Mitt Romney declined to take a stand on the controversy involving Susan G. Komen’s partnership with Planned Parenthood, we already “know where he is on this issue” because of his…
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February 6, 2012 8:58 pm | By Miranda Blue
The Judicial Confirmation Crisis in One Easy Chart
We write a lot about the Senate GOP’s unprecedented obstruction of President Obama’s judicial nominees, but it can be hard to effectively convey the extent of the needless gridlock. We hope this chart helps: The dotted line marks 24 days,…
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February 6, 2012 8:43 pm | By Miranda Blue
Sharpton Quotes PFAW on the War on Women
Last week, Susan G. Komen for the Cure faced a tidal wave of public pressure after it announced that it would no longer be working with Planned Parenthood to provide breast cancer screenings to low-income women. The foundation’s excuse –…
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February 6, 2012 8:16 pm | By Miranda Blue
NYT: The Courts as a Political Weapon for the Powerful
As Mitt Romney rightly pointed out in December, one of the most important issues riding on the upcoming presidential election will be the future of the federal courts. Yet, if 2012 is like other election years, the courts will be…