The Nation Political Events 2009

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/104272/12_biggest_controversies_of_2009

Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court, putting her in position for confirmation next week.

The vote was 13-6, with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina the only Republican to support Sotomayor, President Barack Obama’s first high court nominee.
Shame on the republicans in the senate who voted no.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=axxzXTA8WUo8

Attorney General Holder Secretly Visits Mosque in Los Angeles

Attorney General Holder Secretly Visits Mosque to Plot
That mosque was not chosen by accident.

UPDATE: Masjid ibn Al Khattab was an interesting choice for Holder. Al Khattab is in a rather shabby section of town. It is right across the street from the USC campus and is the place of worship for USC students who are Muslim. They may have their own gatherings on campus, but when they wish to formally attend a mosque, they attend Al Khattab. The USC student Muslim student group is one of the most radical in the state. Al Khattab is controlled largely by the Nation of Islam. It was built by Saudi Arabia - overtly - and celebrates the Saudis with murals inside the mosque.

How many shuls and and churches have senior members of BO's adminstration visited? Just askin. This has become a venal obsession.


Eric Holder makes quiet visit to mosque to meet with Muslim Americans

Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. made a well-publicized visit to Los Angeles this week to announce stimulus grants to help fight drug trafficking and to help the victims of domestic violence. But in a quieter event not announced to the news media or public, Holder stopped at a mosque to meet with Muslim American youths.

“The point was to engage the Muslim community here in Los Angeles and make sure they understand this administration’s commitment to work with that community,” Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The relationship between the Muslim American community and the department has come under increasing strain. This year, a coalition of the nation’s largest Muslim organizations issued a statement demanding that the Obama administration address FBI actions, including what they described as the “infiltration of mosques,” the use of “agent provocateurs to trap unsuspecting Muslim youth” and the “deliberate vilification” of one of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organizations.
11:54 AM | July 17, 2009
Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. made a well-publicized visit to Los Angeles this week to announce stimulus grants to help fight drug trafficking and to help the victims of domestic violence. But in a quieter event not announced to the news media or public, Holder stopped at a mosque to meet with Muslim American youths.

“The point was to engage the Muslim community here in Los Angeles and make sure they understand this administration’s commitment to work with that community,” Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The relationship between the Muslim American community and the department has come under increasing strain. This year, a coalition of the nation’s largest Muslim organizations issued a statement demanding that the Obama administration address FBI actions, including what they described as the “infiltration of mosques,” the use of “agent provocateurs to trap unsuspecting Muslim youth” and the “deliberate vilification” of one of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organizations.

Thursday’s meeting was at 4 p.m. at the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation, a mosque and community center near USC, said Dafer Dakhil, the foundation’s director. It lasted about an hour, during which Holder gave prepared remarks and answered questions from an invited audience of about 200 people ages 18 to 33.

Questions posed at the event covered such topics as concern about law enforcement profiling of Muslim Americans, the sanctity of mosques, hate crimes and the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, Dakhil said.

“The attorney general got to meet face to face with a generation of Muslims born and raised in this country,” he said. “He didn’t have to depend on what he reads in the papers or what his staff tells him. He got to see them face to face. . . . I don’t believe that ever took place in the previous administration.”

Published: July 17, 2009 at 9:45 PM
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LOS ANGELES, July 17 (UPI) -- Attorney General Eric Holder, while on a trip to Los Angeles to announce stimulus grants, visited a mosque to meet youths, a spokesman said Friday.

Holder traveled west to speak about federal money to help fight drug trafficking and to help the victims of domestic violence. A less-publicized visit was to meet Muslim American young people.

"The point was to engage the Muslim community here in Los Angeles and make sure they understand this administration's commitment to work with that community," Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller told the Los Angeles Times.

The Thursday meeting was partially to warm up relations between the Muslim American community and the Justice Department, officials said.

A coalition of large Muslim organizations called for the Obama administration to address FBI actions. The coalition said some of these alleged actions were the "infiltration of mosques," the use of "agent provocateurs to trap unsuspecting Muslim youth" and the "deliberate vilification" of one of the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organizations

........


Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. made a well-publicized visit to Los Angeles this week to announce stimulus grants to help fight drug trafficking and to help the victims of domestic violence. But in a quieter event not announced to the news media or public, Holder stopped at a mosque to meet with Muslim American youths.

“The point was to engage the Muslim community here in Los Angeles and make sure they understand this administration’s commitment to work with that community,” Justice Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

The relationship between the Muslim American community and the department has come under increasing strain. This year, a coalition of the nation’s largest Muslim organizations issued a statement demanding that the Obama administration address FBI actions, including what they described as the “infiltration of mosques,” the use of “agent provocateurs to trap unsuspecting Muslim youth” and the “deliberate vilification” of one of the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights organizations.

Thursday’s meeting was at 4 p.m. at the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation, a mosque and community center near USC, said Dafer Dakhil, the foundation’s director. It lasted about an hour, during which Holder gave prepared remarks and answered questions from an invited audience of about 200 people ages 18 to 33.

Questions posed at the event covered such topics as concern about law enforcement profiling of Muslim Americans, the sanctity of mosques, hate crimes and the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba, Dakhil said.

“The attorney general got to meet face to face with a generation of Muslims born and raised in this country,” he said. “He didn’t have to depend on what he reads in the papers or what his staff tells him.

..................
The Justice Department did not notify the media about this stop during his two-day trip to California that highlighted the DOJ’s efforts to fight crime on the Southwest border and protect women from violence. Holder spent about an hour at the Omar Ibn Al Khattab Foundation where he delivered prepared remarks and answered questions about hate crimes and the Guantanamo Bay prison before approximately 200 people ages 18 to 33, foundation director Dafer Dakhil told the paper.

“The Attorney General got to meet face to face with a generation of Muslims born and raised in this country,” Dakhil told The L.A. Times. “He didn’t have to depend on what he reads in the papers or what his staff tells him. He got to see them face to face. . . . I don’t believe that ever took place in the previous administration.”
................


http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/07/attorney-general-holder-secretly-visits-mosque-to-plot.html
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/07/holder-makes-quiet-visit-to-local-mosque-to-meet-with-muslim-americans.html

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/07/17/Attorney-general-visits-youth-at-a-mosque/UPI-18351247881517/
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2295173/posts

http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/07/17/holder-made-unannounced-visit-to-la-mosque/


Mary Jo Kopechne, it was forty years ago today

Sarah Palin Quits No More Governor of Alaska July-03-09

In bowing out as Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin harkened back to her high school basketball days - although there was no sign of the "Barracuda," as she was nicknamed for her ability to cut through the opposing team's offenses. In a hastily called press conference on the eve of a three-day holiday, Palin presented herself as a point guard exhausted by the "full court press from the national level." The 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee explained how the metaphorical point guard should respond. "She drives through a full court press, protecting the ball, keeping her head up because she needs to keep her eye on the basket, and she knows exactly when to pass the ball so that the team can win," Palin said. "And I know when it's time to pass the ball for victory." Or take a timeout.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090704/us_time/08599190866900

Al Franken Minnesota Senate Race Bean Count is Over Jun-30-09

Norm Coleman concedes Minnesota Senate race to Al Franken
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/senate/index.html?inline=nyt-org

Hurricane Katrina Photo

http://www.katrinadestruction.com/images/main.php

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal Articulate Smart Delivering the Republican Response February-24 2009

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is articulate and intelligent how he glosses over some facts. In his delivery speech to president Barack Obama state of the union speech and talking about it is all about the individuals and not the government and how wonderful things were done by individuals and not by the government in his beloved state of Louisiana he forget all together the billions of dollars that were spent by the Feds to save, assist and rebuild the hurricane Katrina devastated city of New Orleans and coastal area.

Barack Obama Stimulus Package February 2009

I believe Obama said tonight that he included the tax cuts for the middle class. I think that is different from the Bush tax cuts that were for the rich. There may be some concessions, but not of the magnitude that they want. I think Obama going to the people will a payoff. I intend to make my one call to the only republican in my state who publically came out against The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This is an email that I received on The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Creating Jobs, Cutting Taxes and Investing in Our Country’s Future

The United States is facing its deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression, one that calls for swift, bold action. The goals of this legislation are the same as they have been from day one: to strengthen the economy now and invest in our country’s future.

This legislation will create and save jobs; help state and local governments with their budget shortfalls to prevent deep cuts in basic services such as health, education, and law enforcement; cut taxes for working families and invest in the long-term health of our economy. We do all of this with unprecedented accountability, oversight and transparency so the American people know their money is being invested responsibly.

“The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 combines two essential ingredients needed to bring our economy back to life,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii). “We will create four million jobs in the near-term, and invest in America’s future by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure for the long-term. In addition, this bill includes more than $301 billion to aid state and local governments as they struggle to meet increasing demand for social services amidst plummeting tax revenues. As we address this crisis, we must never lose sight of our responsibility to avoid wasteful spending by providing strict accountability and oversight measures. We must invest this money quickly, but also wisely.”

“Millions of Americans will get back to work and our economy will get back on track with the job-creating tax cuts and smart investments in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.). “Working families will get a financial boost, small businesses will finally catch a break, and the whole country will reap the benefits of a growing green energy sector, revitalized schools, and higher-quality health care. This bill has been carefully crafted to produce meaningful improvements to our economy in the short term, and to improve America’s fiscal strength and stability for the future.”

To accomplish these goals, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $888 billion in investments and tax cuts. Of this total, $694 billion will enter the economy by the end of Fiscal year 2010, meaning that 78 percent of the monies allocated will reach the American people by September 30, 2010, providing an immediate boost to the overall economy and creating an estimated four million jobs.

The Act provides for the following critical investments:

• Tax cuts for Working Families - $247 billion
• Job-creating Investments in Infrastructure and Science - $165 billion
• Job-creating Investments in Health - $153 billion
• Job-creating Investments in Education and Training - $138 billion
• Job-creating Investments for an Energy Independent America - $82 billion
• Job-creating Tax Cuts for Small Businesses - $21 billion
• Helping Americans Hit Hard by the Economic Crisis - $72 billion
• Law Enforcement, Oversight, Other Programs - $10 billion

Tax Cuts for Working Families include:

- $142 billion in Making Work Pay tax credits will provide ninety-five percent of American workers with up to $500 in extra cash in their paychecks; married couples filing jointly can receive up to $1000 total.
- $15 billion in tax cuts for families will give cash back to parents through an expansion of Earned Income Tax Credit for families with three or more children, additional marriage penalty relief for couples, and increased eligibility for the Refundable Child Tax Credit for lower-income families.
- $4 billion in tax cuts for homeowners will facilitate new home purchases with enhancements to the existing $7,500 homebuyer tax credit.
- $17 billion in one-time payments to seniors, disabled veterans and others will provide an immediately usable payment of $300 to seniors on Social Security, low-income recipients of Supplemental Security Income, disabled veterans and veterans on pensions, Railroad Retirement beneficiaries, and others who may not qualify for the Making Work Pay.
- $70 billion in Alternative Minimum Tax relief

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20090209070757AAKwxq6

National Political Events February-10 2009

Leahy Proposes Panel To Investigate Bush Era
U.S. Attorney Firings Among Issues

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday called for a "truth commission" to investigate controversial actions of the Bush administration, including the politically inspired firings of U.S. attorneys, the treatment and torture of terrorism suspects and the authorization of warrantless wiretapping.