DailyKOS reports Sen Jeff Merkley is once again taking up the cause of filibuster reform:
Merkley's plan wouldn't abolish the filibuster, it would make the opposition have to actually work to achieve it by forcing obstructing senators to talk, to stand up on the floor of the Senate and publicly declare and explain their opposition to a bill or nomination.
Merkley attempted to get this reform passed at the beginning of the year, but he was thwarted by...Read the rest
Let’s get this part straight: Being in this country without “proper” documents is not illegal. If you want something allegorical, think of someone stopped by the cops with a bag full of twenty-dollar bills — and up the street, a bank has been robbed. That person is not guilty of anything; he can be accused of a crime, but he’s not guilty until he admits it or is convicted in court. He could be innocent, after all; he could have picked up the bag of loot that the actual robber dropped when he heard the police sirens. He could have robbed a different bank. We don’t know, so he’s not guilty.
Had he been caught in mid-robbery, then we could say “He’s a robber” with almost no doubt. And if...Read the rest
Holy carp, this may be the most intimate duet ever put on film. I was blushing throughout.
I knew of Rita Coolidge first as Kris' gorgeous wife with one of the greatest voices ever. She's never been the star that her talent deserves; pop music can be like that. Here, she & Kris sing one of his best songs (Kristofferson's work in the 60s & 70s was amazing).
Check out the two campaign logos above. Both refer to SB 633, which would give final control over what can be planted in Oregon to the Dept of Agriculture (I adamantly oppose this bill). Both groups involved in the campaign to get this through the 2013 Legislature, or not, have adopted the same slogan:
"Protect Oregon's Farmers"
I'm surprised we don't see this duplication of messages more often, but during electoral campaigns, that would be disastrous. One side or the other would have to rejigger their campaign. In this case, the Yes side already has another slogan that is their primary: "Good Neighbor farmers". For the Yes campaign, the "Protect" message is secondary. The "Good Neighbor" message is a bit bizarre — 633 takes decision-making away from farmers, neighbors or otherwise, and gives it to the Dept of Ag in Salem — but at least they have their nice and friendly "Yes" message.
The No campaign is succinct and clear: "STOP SB 633!"
Here is Robert's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in April 2013. His wife, Cindy, was one of two people murdered with a stolen weapon, and he wants to see gun owners held responsible for keeping their weapons secure.
I started this blog in 2009 after realizing that my name, T.A. Barnhart, had become a brand. Not exactly on a par with "Apple" or "McDonalds" but, within the tiny universe that is Oregon progressive politics, people knew me, knew what I stood for, and knew that I was someone who worked hard for progressive causes. Even when my view of the world or an issue differed from other peoples, my views were respected. Usually. So I started a blog, added a Facebook page, spent the 2011 Legislative session in Salem doing video reports, and generally doing very little to promote and grow this blog.
That changes today. Political writing in Oregon is split between the newspapers, which lack the resources to be more than generalized sources of sensationalized headlines...Read the rest
