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June 23, 2011 2:50 pm | By Omari
Rep. Cummings Continues to Fight Foreclosure Crisis
Rep. Elijah Cummings, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform committee, sent a letter on Tuesday to the panel’s chairman, Darrell Issa, pressing the leader to subpoena six mortgage servicing companies. This is Cummings’s fourth letter to Issa…
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June 23, 2011 2:06 pm | By Omari
NLRB Proposed Rule is a Victory for Middle Class
Workers, labor unions, and the American people celebrated a tremendous victory for middle class values on Tuesday when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a proposed rule protecting workers’ rights by eliminating excessive delays in workers’ votes on forming…
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June 23, 2011 1:29 pm | By Nichole
Jose Antonio Vargas and the DREAM Act
Need more evidence for the necessity of the DREAM Act? Check out acclaimed journalist Jose Antonio Vargas’ New York Times piece about his life as an undocumented immigrant. Vargas, who came into this country at the age of twelve, didn’t…
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June 22, 2011 7:04 pm | By Paul Gordon
Wal-Mart, Class Action, and Rules Without Remedies
One of the daunting realities of modern life is that we as individuals are confronted by far more powerful corporations. When we want to buy a product, get a job, or seek to hold a large corporation accountable for its…
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June 22, 2011 6:26 pm | By Coral Kennelty-Cohen
Menendez Introduces Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill
Senator Robert Menendez, along with Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senators Richard Durbin, Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer, and John Kerry, today introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011. The bill creates a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who…
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June 21, 2011 9:48 pm | By Miranda Blue
YEO Network Meets with Obama Administration
UPDATE: The White House has posted some great video interviews with YEOs. Last Friday, 200 members of People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network visited the White House to talk with Obama administration officials and meet the…
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June 21, 2011 7:49 pm | By Peter Montgomery
Huntsman Backer Seeks Gay Money with False Claim on Civil Unions
PFAW President Michael Keegan's recent Huffington Post commentary pointed out that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, the latest to throw his hat in the GOP presidential ring, is more conservative than his media-generated image as a moderate. Here’s more evidence supporting…
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June 21, 2011 7:46 pm | By
Huntsman Polishes His Magic Mirror to Show GOP Voters Whatever They’re Looking For
Just who is Jon Huntsman? At this stage, he is whatever anyone hopes that he will be. As he prepares to officially join the gaggle of GOP presidential candidates, his campaign strategists seem to have adopted an "all-things-to-all-people" approach: play…
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June 20, 2011 8:19 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: DADT repeal survives Senate committee
Last week, I reported the need for vigilance over Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) repeal given pending action on the FY12 Defense Authorization bill in the Senate Armed Services Committee. Thankfully, the challenges we faced in the House did not…
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June 20, 2011 8:02 pm | By Jen Herrick
UPDATE: DC approps subcommittee action, 5 days left before White House rally
Last week, I reported on the introduction of the new DC appropriations bill and challenges DC may face in the House. We cleared the first committee hurdle, but the bill is still a problem, and by no means is DC…
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June 17, 2011 5:47 pm | By Paul Gordon
This Time, the Roberts Court Keeps the Courthouse Doors Open
The Roberts Court is notorious for too often seeking excuses to close the courthouse door and keep individuals from vindicating their rights. So yesterday’s unanimous opinions in Bond v. US and Smith v. Bayer were refreshing.In Bond, the Court ruled…
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June 17, 2011 3:10 pm | By Paul Gordon
Has Roberts Repudiated His Umpire Analogy?
Inside yesterday’s Supreme Court opinion in Smith v. Bayer lies a repudiation of much of the far right’s propaganda about judges. The severely flawed analogy of a judge interpreting the law with an umpire calling balls and strikes is one…
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June 17, 2011 2:49 pm | By Paul Gordon
Indictments in Maryland Voter Suppression Case
On Election Day last year, while the polls were still open, Maryland Democrats received telephone calls late in the day telling them that Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley had won reelection, so they could "relax" (i.e., not vote). It was soon…
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June 17, 2011 2:15 pm | By Miranda Blue
The Company Rick Perry Keeps
Last night, People For's Peter Montgomery went on MSNBC's The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell to discuss Texas Gov. Rick Perry's newest big project: a prayer rally cosponsored by the American Family Association. As it happens, our Right Wing Watch…
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June 16, 2011 4:55 pm | By Jen Herrick
PFAW and AAMIA react to DC approps, reaffirm support for White House rally
Last week, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton hosted a press conference on Capitol Hill in defense of her city. Speaking out against several policy riders that have been passed or threatened by conservatives in Congress, Delegate Norton, DC Mayor Vincent…
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June 15, 2011 9:12 pm | By Jen Herrick
Vermont teenager uses One Voice to make it better
Last week, Brian and I met a Vermont teenager named Josh Klein.My name is Josh Klein, and I am 14 years old. I am not a bully, and I have never been bullied, but I have seen kids get beat…
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June 15, 2011 8:40 pm | By Coral Kennelty-Cohen
Issa: “You Can Have Opinions” But They Aren’t Valid
Recently, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) has been working very hard to silence those who don’t agree with him, from choosing the minority’s witnesses for them to now discouraging them from responding to questions that Issa doesn't want answered. At today’s…
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June 15, 2011 4:20 pm | By Jen Herrick
Empathy and The Loving Story
As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama let us know who he would be selecting as judicial nominees. You know, Justice Roberts said he saw himself just as an umpire. But the issues that come before the court are not sport.…
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June 15, 2011 3:32 pm | By Jen Herrick
Department of Education takes another stand for LGBT youth
In October and December of 2010, the Department of Education took a stand for LGBT youth by issuing guidance to address bullying in schools, especially as it relates to federal education anti-discrimination laws. One of those laws, Title IX of…
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June 15, 2011 1:55 am | By Miranda Blue
Judge Won’t Vacate Prop 8 Decision, Rejects Argument that Gay Judge was Biased
Yesterday, proponents of California’s Proposition 8 went before a federal judge to argue that the ruling overturning the discriminatory law should be thrown out because the judge who issued it is gay. Today, they were handed an epic takedown. In…