Why Rand Paul's 13-Hour Filibuster Matters

WASHINGTON EXAMINER by Timothy P. Carney, Senior Political Columnist (via Fox Nation) - What did Rand Paul accomplish last night? ✧ Besides delaying for a day the vote on President Obama’s nominee to head the CIA, John Brennan, did Sen. Rand Paul accomplish anything besides “blowing up Twitter,” as his cohort Ted Cruz put it? He certainly did. How much he accomplished will be determined, but here are some places to look: [Abreviated] ✧ He got the major media talking; he got many Republicans to express objections to extrajudicial drone killings; he made a conservative case for limiting war powers; he made a libertarian outreach to the anti-war Left; he exposed the craven partisanship of the Democrats [with a few exceptions including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)] and; he made himself a major Republican figure. Read more at Fox Nation...

Related:
Reason Magazine: 3 Takeaways from Rand Paul's #StandwithRand #Filibuster About Drone Strikes
KETV7: 'We had no plan' Read More......

Commentary Magazine: Hagel’s Credibility Left in Shreds

It’s not clear if administration sources that leaked the story that Chuck Hagel had three practice sessions before a mock committee before his actual Senate confirmation hearing were trying to help or hurt the former senator. Hagel’s performance was so shaky that even some of his liberal supporters like Peter Beinart were lamenting on Twitter about his stumbling and bumbling answers to tough questions. That he flopped so badly after being rehearsed speaks volumes about how bad he was. Read more at Commentary...

Will he be confirmed as Secretary of Defense? Read More......

John Kerry sails in Senate voting

1/29/2012, WASHINGTON — The Senate confirmed President Obama’s nomination of Senator John F. Kerry to be secretary of state on Tuesday, handing the Massachusetts Democrat a redemptive career victory that ensconces him in an elite echelon of national leadership nine years after his failed bid for the presidency. The 94-to-3 vote was the final hurdle for Kerry, whose nomination roared through the Senate after Obama’s first choice of UN Ambassador Susan Rice ­encountered stiff GOP opposition and never got off the ground. Read more at Boston Globe... Read More......

Senate Confirms Supreme Court Nominee Kagan

WALL STREET JOURNAL, 8/5/2010 by Naftali Bendavid - WASHINGTON—The Senate on Thursday confirmed Elena Kagan on a 63-37 vote to become an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, with a handful of Republicans joining almost all Democrats in making her the fourth woman to serve on the high court. ∴ When the court's new term starts in October, Ms. Kagan, 50, will join Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor to make up the first three-woman bloc in the court's history. Read more at WSJ... Read More......

Urge Your Senators to Oppose Kagen's Supreme Court Confirmation

NRA (Via email), 8/1/2010 - "The nomination of Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court will be decided next week, when the Senate casts the final vote on her confirmation. ∴ The NRA has announced our strong opposition to Ms. Kagan, due to her long record of antagonism toward the Second Amendment. Based on that record, it is very likely that as a Supreme Court Justice, Kagan would join the Court's minority that just last month issued dissenting opinions claiming the Second Amendment does not guarantee a fundamental right to keep and bear arms. ∴ Elena Kagan represents the second time President Obama has nominated a person to the Court who aggressively opposes our right to keep and bear arms. Her confirmation would pose a direct threat to our rights for decades. ∴ Every vote in the Senate is crucial on this issue. Please take a few minutes and contact your Senators and respectfully ask them to filibuster and oppose Kagan's confirmation." Oregon's U.S. Senators:

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) - DC (202) 224-3753, Salem (503) 362-8102
Sen. Ron Wyden (D) - DC (202) 224-5244, Salem (503) 589-4555

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Doubt continues to grow over Bernanke re-confirmation

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) on Friday morning pledged to vote against Ben Bernanke's nomination to head up the Federal Reserve Board for a second term. ∴ Feingold’s announcement comes amid questions about whether Bernanke has the votes to win confirmation in the Senate. He was easily approved in a 16-7 Senate Banking Committee vote in December. ∴ The chairman has come under criticism from lawmakers in both parties on a range of issues, from the Fed’s efforts to save AIG to the transparency of its books. Read more at The Hill...

White House Stands by Bernanke Amid Democratic Opposition
- The White House is standing by Ben Bernanke, saying President Obama is confident he will be confirmed for a second term as Federal Reserve chairman despite emerging opposition. Read more at FOXNews.com... Read More......

Merkeley to vote against Bernanke confirmation

REUTERS, 12/17/2009 - WASHINGTON: Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is likely to pass the first hurdle in winning Senate confirmation to serve another term on Thursday but will face unusually strong opposition as his nomination moves ahead. ∴ Bernanke and the Fed have become lightning rods for anger over financial excesses and government bailouts of Bear Stearns, American International Group, and support for the biggest U.S. banks during the worst crisis since the Great Depression. ∴ With unemployment rates in double digits for the first time in over a quarter century, public resentment over the taxpayer-funded rescue of the banking sector runs high.

"We need to have leadership that understands the goal is not Wall Street profits," Oregon Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley told Reuters on Wednesday. "The focus should be on how do you enable families to thrive and prosper." Merkley said he will vote against Bernanke, the first majority-party Democrat on the 23-member panel to express outright opposition to him. Read more at Reuters...

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Action Item: Call Sen. Merkley today

From Jean Nelson: OUR IMMEDIATE ACTION IS NECESSARY! This Wednesday morning Dec 9, Sen. Jeff Merkley will vote on the nomination of Chai Feldblum, a highly controversial figure, to serve as a Commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). ∴ According to Feldblum, a person’s religious beliefs (what she calls “belief liberty”) can be trumped by “sexual liberty.” When the constitutionally guaranteed right to the free exercise of religion and “sexual liberty” conflict, Feldblum has stated: “I’m having a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win.” ∴ Feldblum ignores the fact that our Founding Fathers came to America to practice religious freedom, not just “believe” it. The First Amendment in the Constitution was created to guarantee and protect this right to practice religious belief. ∴ Urge Sen. Jeff Merkley to vote NO on the Feldblum nomination.

U.S. Capitol Office: (202) 224-3753
State/District Office: (503) 326-3386
Send a pre-composed email through Traditional Values Coalition

Through her writings and speeches, Feldblum has expressed support for polyamory – sexual and non-sexual relationships among multiple partners – both male and female. She wants the government to treat these “relationships” the same as one man/one woman marriage.

In addition to contacting Sen. Jeff Merkley, please ask at least 10 friends to contact their Senators.

Time is of the essence. Call Sen. Jeff Merkley NOW. ∴ We suggest that you tell Sen. Merkley you oppose Chai Feldblum’s nomination to the EEOC because of the threat she poses to your First Amendment right to the free exercise or practice of religion and her radical views on marriage.

Additional Resources:
CBN Interviews Andrea Lafferty on Bizarre EEOC Nominee Chai Feldblum
President Obama's Nominee to EEOC May Cause Stir
Chai Feldblum Is Long-Time Supporter Of Polyamory – Multiple Sex Partners
Obama's radical choice causes commotion
EEOC Nominee Chai Feldblum Hides Bizarre Views
EEOC Nominee Ghostwrites New Liberty Into the Constitution Violates the Free Exercise of Religion
Yet Another Radical Obama Nominee Read More......

Sotomayor confirmed by Senate

Senate votes to confirm Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court on a 68-31 vote. Read More......

Congress: Two major issues, one goes under the radar

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN (via email), 7/14/2009 - THE HILL: "The Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor [yesterday], July 13." Meanwhile... "Health-care proposals are now being presented in both the House and the Senate. President Obama met on Monday with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY), in order to discuss the President's health care push."

XXX

So, does this mean we will have 24/7 coverage and commentary on the Sotomayor confirmation hearings throughout this week while the health care issue goes unnoticed? Almost seem strategic, doesn't it? --bc Read More......

Treasury chief Geithner sworn in

BBC News - Timothy Geithner was sworn in as US Treasury Secretary within hours of the Senate approving his nomination Monday despite personal tax lapses. The vote was 60-34. FWIW: Ten Republicans voted 'yes' and 3 Democrats voted 'no').
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Oddly, the 'Ethics' page at www.whitehouse.gov is being revised...

The ethics section is currently being revised to reflect President Obama's Executive Order concerning Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel, issued on January 21, 2009. Please check back soon.

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