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March 6, 2009 6:49 pm | By Marge Baker
Rebuild and Renew America Now
Yesterday, People For the American Way joined a growing coalition of organizations in support of President Obama's budget priorities. While People For doesn't "do" health care or housing or the environment, we do "do" equal opportunity and justice for all…
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March 5, 2009 10:55 pm | By Tanya
Voter Caging Bill Introduced in the Senate
Today, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), along with 10 of his colleagues, re-introduced his bill – the “Caging Prohibition Act” – that if enacted, would prevent political operatives from removing eligible voters from voting lists based on inaccurate and unreliable information.…
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March 5, 2009 5:39 pm | By Stacey Gates
Rush’s Greatest Hits
I couldn’t resist the urge to get in on the rush. (I know, I know.) The latest in the Limbaugh saga: he’s invited President Obama on his show for a “one-on-one debate of ideas and policies.” Although I suspect President…
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March 5, 2009 4:05 pm | By Marge Baker
Report from the Judiciary Committee
I’m sitting in the Senate Juduciary Committee executive meeting where Senator Leahy confirmed what we had been hearing — despite the fact that David Ogden’s nomination to be Deputy Attorney General was reported out on a vote of 14-5, with…
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March 4, 2009 11:08 pm | By Drew Courtney
Rove, Miers to Testify
In my office, CNN is blasting the news that Karl Rove and Harriet Miers have agreed to testify before Congress, under oath, about the Bush Administration's firing of US Attorneys. Both will give depositions to investigators from the committee, and claims of…
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March 3, 2009 11:21 pm | By Ben Betz
Republican Senators Make Threats on Judges, Try to Force “Bipartisanship” at Gunpoint
From Poltico: President Barack Obama should fill vacant spots on the federal bench with former President Bush's judicial nominees to help avoid another huge fight over the judiciary, all 41 Senate Republicans said Monday. ... "Regretfully, if we are not…
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March 3, 2009 10:40 pm | By Drew Courtney
On Fair Courts and Big Coal
Today in the Supreme Court, a case was argued that makes a pretty compelling case for a fair and independent judiciary. Robert Barnes at the Washington Post did a good overview yesterday. Caperton and his little coal company sued a…
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March 3, 2009 10:35 pm | By Marge Baker
The Party of NO Targets the Courts
Just last week I wrote about the Republicans as the Party of NO after their reflexive and not very wise decision to prevent two DOJ nominees, Elena Kagan and Tom Perrelli, from being voted on in Committee. This week they…
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February 27, 2009 11:19 pm | By Drew Courtney
Court Rejects State Secrets Claim in Wiretapping Suit
There was good news today from the federal court of appeals in San Francisco today: The Obama administration has lost its argument that a potential threat to national security is a good enough reason to stop a lawsuit challenging the government's…
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February 27, 2009 3:36 pm | By Willard
Remembering Barbara Jordan
Every February, People For the American Way, along with the rest of the country, celebrates Black History Month. And this year, more than ever, it's humbling to see just how far our nation has moved. And how far we still…
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February 26, 2009 10:31 pm | By Willard
Justice Stevens moderates panel on Marbury v. Madison
Today, at an event sponsored by the First Amendment Center and the Supreme Court Fellows Program Alumni Association, Justice John Paul Stevens, the Senior Associate on the Supreme Court, moderated a discussion with the authors of a new book, The…
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February 26, 2009 6:12 pm | By Marge Baker
The GOP as the Party of No
I just came back from an executive meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee where once again the Republicans are demonstrating a reflexive and not very wise strategy of just saying NO. Senator Leahy, chair of the Committee was trying to…
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February 24, 2009 10:16 pm | By Jen Herrick
DC has a 200-year long line at the polls…but not for long
Long lines at the polls on Election Day are a problem not to be ignored. But imagine if you had been standing in line to vote since 1801. That’s where you’ll find the nearly 600,000 Americans living in DC. Thankfully,…
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February 20, 2009 5:43 pm | By Willard
The Obstruction Strategy
On Wednesday night, I was thrilled to represent People For the American Way members and activists at a small White House reception. When meeting the President and First Lady, as well as Vice President Biden and his wife Jill, it…
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February 13, 2009 11:08 pm | By Drew Courtney
News From Newark
Readers of blogs like Towleroad and GayPolitics may have come across a story this week about Newark, Delaware City Councilman Ezra Temko, who pushed anti-discrimination legislation through the council, and came out in the process. What you might not have…
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February 13, 2009 9:15 pm | By Paul Gordon
Hardly the End of DOMA.
Late last week, you may have seen headlines about a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit who ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. For anyone in favor of equal justice under law (and…
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February 13, 2009 6:00 am | By Willard
Rumors of their death…
Even before November's election, gallons of ink were being spilled to report the demise of the Religious Right. But, as Mark Twain might have said, rumors of the Right's death have been greatly exaggerated. A small incident that was mostly…
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February 12, 2009 10:30 pm | By Ben Betz
Best Post on Glenn Beck Ever.
I can't do it justice with a synopsis. Click and read:To attack Obama's New Deal, Beck invokes Henry Ford -- the Nazis' friendBy David Neiwert at Crooks and Liars
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February 11, 2009 12:28 am | By Stacey Gates
Solicitor General Nominee Elena Kagan Sails Through Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing
Pres. Obama’s Solicitor General nominee and Harvard Law School Dean Elena Kagan went before the Senate Judiciary Committee today and anyone looking for fireworks was certainly disappointed – committee Republicans held their fire. That’s probably due in part to the…
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February 6, 2009 7:21 pm | By Ben Betz
Dealing With the Right’s Big Lies
We here at People For have been making the case since the November elections that even though the results were devastating for the Republican Party, they actually strengthened the Radical Right and increased its influence within the GOP. Republicans in…