Tim Scott's Political Career: Mo Money, No Problems

Notice Goldman Sachs? Club for Growth? Burroughs & Chapin?

This is Tim Scott's career so far. This is the list of people he caters to. This does not include Envirosep ($5,000), the company whose president is Tim Tilley - the Georgetown Port Task Force chair, but please be aware he caters to Tilley.

Imagine that.

Republicans Silent on Bank Of America's Pillaging

Bank of America robbed Americans when they received TARP funds. Their heavy donations to Republicans throughout elections supposedly justified the means. However, enough is enough.

And people are now posed with a question: How much will you take?

Recently, BoA announced they were doing away with 30,000 jobs. That's right... $30,000 jobs. So much for the rich creating them - with low corporate taxes, mind you.

The excuse? Cost cutting.

Now, BoA wants to charge fees for the debit cards.  Instead of really cutting costs by eliminating their huge - and costly - influence in elections, they'd rather go after the customer. Along with other banks doing the same, you'd think these so-called teabaggers would be fed up already with fees, right?

Wrong.

No prominent Republican here in S.C. cares about you. Tim Scott? Hell no. Just look at this example.

H.R. 336

H.R. 336 is a bill that responds to incidents of financial corporations raising interest rates as many as 30 percentage points on credit card users, even when those holding credit cards keep up with their payments and aren't late sending in their checks. If passed into law, the bill would cap annual interest rates for credit cards and other lines of credit in America to 15%, inclusive of fees. Also known as the Interest Rate Reduction Act, this bill would preserve the ability of credit card corporations to make a profit while protecting Americans from usurious financial exploitation.

Rep. Scott has failed to cosponsor H.R. 336. After you read the bill, call Rep. Scott's office at 843-852-2222 and ask him to support it by adding his cosponsorship.

Scott is too busy accepting donations from banks like Bank of America to care about you getting charged a fee for keeping your own money in a bank, especially one that had to borrow your money to keep afloat all the while paying bonuses to CEOs.

Get it yet?

Defining 'Evangelicals' in an Election Year

By Jim Wallis

Here we go again. Presidential elections are coming and the role of “the evangelicals” is predictably becoming a hot political story.

Ironically, voices on both the right and the left want to describe most or all evangelicals as zealous members of the ultra-conservative political base.

Why? Perhaps because some conservative Republicans want to claim a religious legitimacy and constituency for their ideological agenda, and some liberal writers seem hell-bent on portraying religious people as intellectually-flawed right-wing crazies with dangerous plans for the country.

Let me try to be clear as someone who is part of a faith community that is, once again, being misrepresented, manipulated, and maligned. Most people believe me to be a progressive political voice in America. And I am an evangelical Christian.

I believe in one God, the centrality and Lordship of God’s son Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the authority of the scriptures, the saving death of the crucified Christ and his bodily resurrection -- not as a metaphor but a historical event. Yep, the whole nine yards.

I love my liberal church friends, but am more theologically conservative. I have many allies on the religious left, but I am not a member of it. I work closely with brothers and sisters of other faith traditions where we have common concerns, but I will never compromise the truth of my own faith.

I also collaborate with people of no religious affiliation at all, because I believe that religion has no monopoly on morality. But I also believe in evangelism, and have called and led people to faith in Jesus Christ. Like I said, I am an evangelical.

For me (and a growing number of others), it is precisely because we are Bible-believing and Jesus following evangelical Christians, that we have a fundamental commitment to social, economic, and racial justice, to be a good stewards of God’s creation, to be peacemakers in a world of conflict and war, and to be consistent advocates for human life and dignity wherever they are threatened. Because we are all made in the image of God. We are all God’s children.

And, because we are first members of the global body of Christ, before we are Americans, we don’t believe God blesses and loves our country more than others, and that the gospel doesn’t co-exist well with empires.

Millions of evangelicals are neither conservative Republicans, part of the Religious Right, nor members of the tea party, and they don’t believe that Christian “Dominionists” or any other religious group, should take over America -- despite what a rash of recent articles and commentaries have said.

Case in point: In the new book, Left, Right and Christ: Evangelical Faith in Politics, a hefty and provocative read that drops next week, Sojourners’ own Lisa Sharon Harper and co-author, The King’s College professor D.C. Innes, demonstrate that two authentically evangelical voices can hold very different views across a wide range of political, economic, and social issues. Many -- even most -- evangelicals don’t fit media stereotypes and are growing weary of hearing them repeated over and over again, especially from writers who know nothing about us, have an agenda to use or distort who we are and what we believe, or simply should know better.

After the election in 2004, I wrote a book the next year called God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It. Now in 2011, the Right still gets it wrong when they claim that most evangelicals are firmly in their base; and the Left still doesn’t get it when they tacitly agree with the Right’s claim that all the evangelicals essentially belong to the most conservative candidates. But the myth survives. Why? Perhaps because it’s in the interest of people on both sides to keep it going.

The Republicans have a longstanding strategy of using religion for their political purposes, while Democrats are just beginners at their own “faith outreach.” And some liberal writers -- many of whom live in the same zip codes in New York, Washington, D.C., and California -- seem all too eager to discredit religion as part of their perennial habit and practice.

On the one hand we have religious fundamentalists who are eager to use evangelicals, and on the other hand we have secular fundamentalists who want prove that evangelicals are stupid and dangerous extremists. But millions of evangelicals feel stuck and almost invisible in the middle of that political and cultural battle. One of the best responses to the recent articles about evangelicals came from Mark I. Pinsky, author of A Jew Among the Evangelicals: A Guide for the Perplexed and a self-professed “secular liberal,” who has covered evangelicals astutely for many years and counsels his fellow writers and commentators to take a deep breath and stick to the facts.

The facts do belie the stereotypes. Evangelicals run the political gamut from conservative and moderate to progressive and decidedly liberal. To suggest that most evangelicals reside on the far right is simply not true.

Younger evangelicals are more concerned than some of their parents with issues of social justice, human rights, environmental protection, and peace. Evangelicals in black and Hispanic churches tend to be more focused than many of their white co-religionists on economic and racial justice, and related issues such as immigration. Differences do exist between older and younger evangelicals, and between white and ethic evangelical churches. And the evangelical center has shifted significantly over the last decade.

Every journalist who wants to write intelligently about evangelicals should begin by reading the National Evangelical Association (NAE) landmark statement For the Health of the Nation: An Evangelical Call to Civic Responsibility, that spells out biblical commitments on poverty, the environment and climate change, immigration reform, war and peace, the protection of life, and the promotion of family, which should clearly dispel any notion that evangelicals as a monolith adhere to an ultra-right-wing political agenda. Rather, the NAE’s evangelical social and political ethic challenges all outposts along the political spectrum.

The untold story almost nobody covers is that global evangelicals have almost no affinity with America’s religious right or tea party. Even the math from election exit polls, challenge the political stereotypes.

In the 2008 election, Barack Obama won Indiana by 28,391 votes with 160,918 more white evangelicals voting for him than voted for John Kerry in 2004.

• Obama had a 16-point swing among white evangelicals over Kerry, which clearly contributed to his victory in the state.
• Michigan had an 8-point swing among white evangelicals while Colorado saw a 20-point swing.
• Similar shifts in evangelical votes made crucial differences in other swing states such as North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida.

Democrats lost those gains in the 2010 election, proving that political shifts among evangelicals may never be permanent and that many religious voters may be voting more on issues of concern to them, rather than being loyal partisans and party members.

Isn’t that the way it should be?

In the future, evangelicals may likely vote more and more as independents, depending on the issues and the candidates, rather than according to any party loyalty.

It is precisely that kind of moral integrity -- in politics and any other arena -- that should re-define “evangelical” in this or any election.

Jim Wallis is the author of Rediscovering Values: A Guide for Economic and Moral Recovery, and CEO of Sojourners. He blogs at www.godspolitics.com. Follow Jim on Twitter @JimWallis.

Georgetown Port Gets Minimal Coverage After Meeting

I want to first say thanks to those media outlets who came out and covered the first meeting of the Georgetown Port Task Force. For those such as the Coastal Observer and WCIV to dedicate time to the meeting shows just how important getting the port dredged actually is.

Last night, WPDE led their newscast with the Georgetown port. Even better, the story emphasized the ArcelorMittal - Georgetown steel mill.

Why?

It sits on top of the port, that's why.

But there are some misconceptions - or half truths - floating out there. I would like to address one.

Task Force chair Tim Tilley made mention of "potential jobs" created by the port. The numbers used were 42 jobs per 500,000 tons shipped through.

That number, to me, sounds like a low estimate. I think the potential job ratio is far more. I also think Tilley doesn't want to say more because it may cause the tourism faction to become unruly.

Let us all face the facts, folks. The port supports our industry - manufacturing. Secondary? Tourism. I don't see many business owners running from Front Street to export antiques overseas. Nor do they import tourists from the port to their stores.

The media did a fine job getting the message out there in regards of the port needing to be dredged. It could do a better job in putting the focus on who wants it and who doesn't.

Friday at noon in Myrtle Beach: Tell GOP millionaires to pay!

It's time to ask Representative Tim Scott if he's willing to pay his fair share.

Can you ask Rep. Scott on Friday at noon in Myrtle Beach if he'll pledge to support the Buffett Rule to make sure millionaires like him pay their fair share? I'll be there!

He is one of the 136 Republican millionaires currently serving in Congress. But he may pay a lower tax rate than you and most middle class Americans. And here's the thing: He gets to vote on what tax rate he pays.

That's why we're going to Rep. Scott's office in Myrtle Beach at noon on Friday with a petition signed by more than half a million people demanding that millionaires and billionaires like him pay their fair share in taxes. We have one simple request: "Will you pledge to support the Buffett Rule so that millionaires—like you—pay the same tax rate as the middle class?"

Can you help drop off the petition at noon on Friday?

We're going to Rep. Scott's office at 1800 North Oak Street, Suite C in Myrtle Beach.

It's part of the American Dream movement's growing momentum for fairer taxes, where everyone would pay their share toward rebuilding the American Dream. The president's proposal of the Buffett Rule followed closely on the heels of the petition we're delivering. And our ad about "Warren Buffett's secretary" was shown on The Rachel Maddow Show and CNN, and mentioned in the Washington Post. Plus, polls show that two-thirds of Americans support higher tax rates for the wealthy.¹

But nothing will bring this home more than showing up in person on Friday and asking millionaire members of Congress if they're going to listen to their constituents and pay their fair share. It's unconscionable for them to support tax rates that hurt the country by ensuring that millionaires like them pay lower rates than the middle class.

A return to fairer tax rates is an essential piece of the Contract for the American Dream, which so many of us came together to create and support. Now we have a chance to make it a reality, and to demand that the legislators who benefit from unfair taxes do the right thing.

Can you help drop off a copy of the petition at noon on Friday to Rep. Scott, signed by people from your district?

Thanks for all you do.

–Lenore, Carrie, Ryan, Marika, and the rest of the team

Source:

1. "Poll: Tax the rich, corporations," Politico, September 21, 2011
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64017.html

It's a Great Day in South Carolina?

Americans United Says ‘Pulpit Freedom Sunday’ Is A Stunt To Lure Churches Into Illegal Electioneering

Americans United for Separation of Church and State today called on the nation’s clergy to reject Religious Right attempts to turn houses of worship into centers for partisan politicking.

This Sunday (Oct. 2) the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) is sponsoring “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” an event in which evangelical pastors are urged to break the law by endorsing or opposing candidates as they conduct religious services.

“This is an appalling attempt by the Religious Right to turn houses of worship into houses of partisan politics,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Americans attend church for spiritual guidance, not to get a list of candidates to vote for on Election Day.

“I know the Religious Right would like to forge fundamentalist churches into a partisan political machine,” Lynn continued, “but the law doesn’t allow it, and the American people don’t want it.”

The ADF, a legal group founded by TV preachers, insists that pastors should have the right to endorse candidates from the pulpit. But Americans United points out that all non-profit groups in the 501(c)(3) category — whether religious or secular — are barred under federal tax law from using non-profit personnel or resources to intervene in elections.

AU’s Lynn noted that the American people do not support church electioneering. A recent study found that 73 percent of Americans agree that religious leaders should not intervene in elections.

Americans United sponsors Project Fair Play, a project that educates clergy and congregants about the requirements of federal tax law. Through Project Fair Play (www.projectfairplay.org), Americans United makes a variety of educational materials available that explain what houses of worship can and can’t do in the political arena.

In cases of flagrant violations of the law, Americans United reports offending religious institutions to the IRS.

“Church electioneering is illegal, and the people don’t support it,” Lynn remarked. “It’s time for the Religious Right to stop trying to drag churches into backroom politics.”

The Internal Revenue Service is charged with enforcing this tax law provision. Religious groups that have been either sanctioned or investigated include:

Christian Broadcasting Network, Virginia Beach, Va.: TV preacher Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network was stripped of its tax-exempt status retroactively for the years 1986 and 1987 for supporting Robertson’s presidential bid. CBN was required to make a “significant payment” to the IRS, pledge to avoid partisan campaign activities in the future, place more outside directors on its board and implement other organizational and operational changes to ensure tax law compliance.

Old Time Gospel Hour, Lynchburg, Va.: The late Jerry Falwell’s TV ministry lost its tax-exempt status retroactively for the years 1986 and 1987 after a four-year IRS audit determined that the ministry had diverted money to a political action committee. The ministry agreed to pay the IRS $50,000 for those years and to change its organizational structure so that no future political campaign intervention activities would occur.

Church at Pierce Creek, Binghamton, N.Y.: This church lost its tax-exempt status after running newspaper ads in 1992 urging people not to vote for Bill Clinton. Assisted by attorneys with TV preacher Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice, the church sued to get its exemption back but lost in federal court.

Second Baptist Church, Houston, Texas: This prominent Texas church endured a three-year IRS audit after the church was reported to the federal tax agency for alleged involvement with a special project in 1996 designed to encourage members to attend a GOP precinct convention with the aim of electing certain individuals to local committees.

Allen African Methodist Episcopal Church, New York, N.Y.: This church was visited by IRS agents and its pastor, the Rev. Floyd Flake, was asked to sign documents stating that he would not intervene in election campaigns after he endorsed presidential candidate Al Gore from the pulpit in 2000.

Bill Keller Ministries/Live Prayer, St. Petersburg, Fla.: The founder of this ministry was contacted by the IRS, which sent him a list of detailed questions to answer about his political activity, after he issued a “devotional” on the ministry’s website in 2007 asserting that voting for Mitt Romney is the same as voting for Satan.

In addition, in 2006 the IRS issued a report stating that it examined 132 non-profits during the 2004 election cycle. The tax agency noted that “fewer than half” of the entities examined were churches and concluded that in many of the cases, significant violations of the law had occurred. Written warnings were issued in 55 cases.

In 2008, the IRS took the step of sending letters to officials in the national political parties, reminding them that houses of worship and other tax-exempt entities cannot endorse candidates.

Read this press release at au.org »

Rep. Carl Anderson Reminds Forgetful Haley About Georgetown's Port

Tonight at the first Georgetown Port Task Force meeting, we learned Rep. Carl Anderson had to remind Governor Nikki Haley Georgetown County has a port, too.

Haley and her Republican friends seem hellbent on ignoring Georgetown and its port. Sorry, Haley, it's not a great day in South Carolina when we have you as governor.

Thank you, Rep. Anderson, for reminding the forgetful governor about our port. Maybe if it were in Europe, she'd remember. 

Georgetown Port Task Force Presents 'Hooked On Phonics'

The first meeting of the Georgetown Port Task Force was an attempt to educate more than produce. More so, an attempt to educate people who already know the port needs to be dredged.

Chairman Tim Tilley seemed more like a teacher leading a class rather than a person driven to see the port dredged. On top of that, I think Tilley doesn't haven't the proper knowledge to understand one industry who would use the port heavily wasn't provided an opportunity to speak.

However, we hear from Perry Collins, president of Liberty Terminals, in an educational sales pitch. ArcelorMittal - Georgetown would be a likely candidate to hear from because Liberty Terminals has trucks going through the plant - some with material hauled from the port in Wilmington, N.C. The steel mill would also be an excellent candidate to hear from because the port means jobs to Liberty Terminals.

The first meeting was closed to public comment, however, the people attending were dangled a carrot of sorts for next time. A representative from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham's office was in attendance, but I believe instead of thanking them for attending, we need to force the issue and show this port means everything to Georgetown.

We also heard about yet another port study being conducted. Enough is enough.

The port needs dredging. Get the Republicans - who hate federal government - to support a federal port and figure out the stages of dredging.

It's long past due.

MegaVote: SC 1st, 9/26/2011

Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 House: Short-Term Continuing Appropriations House: Cumulative Regulatory Analysis Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Short-Term Continuing Appropriations

Recent Senate Votes

Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 - Vote Passed (70-27, 3 Not Voting) The Senate passed this bill that would provide additional assistance to workers affected by foreign trade agreements. It would also revive the Generalized System of Preferences program that is intended to help developing countries expand their trade. Speaker John Boehner said the House will consider the bill if the president submits trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress. Sen. Lindsey Graham voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Sen. Jim DeMint voted NO......send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Short-Term Continuing Appropriations - Vote Passed (219-203, 11 Not Voting) This bill would fund the government through the first seven weeks of the 2012 fiscal year, which starts on October 1. The bill offsets an increase in federal disaster aid by reducing funding for two Energy Department loan programs. The Senate subsequently rejected the bill and scheduled a vote on an alternate version this week. Rep. Tim Scott voted YES......send e-mail or see bio Cumulative Regulatory Analysis - Vote Passed (249-169, 15 Not Voting) The House passed this bill that would delay the EPA’s implementation of two air pollution regulations. The bill also requires the president to establish a commission to report on the cost of certain EPA regulations. The Senate is unlikely to take up the bill. Rep. Tim Scott voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

Short-Term Continuing Appropriations - H.R.2608 On Monday, the Senate is scheduled to consider a continuing resolution without the House-passed disaster aid spending offsets. Both chambers are likely to recess for the week after the bill is completed.

Georgetown Port Task Force Chair Brushes Off Speaking Opportunity

Recently appointed Georgetown Port Task Force chair Tim Tilley was asked by USW Local 7898 President James Sanderson to attend a Georgetown Rotary Breakfast meeting the morning of the first task force meeting, September 27, 2011. The breakfast is scheduled at 7:30 a.m.

The invitation was brushed off by Tilley's secretary.

Tilley was originally suggested to Sanderson by Georgetown County Administrator Sel Hemingway, respecting the fact Tilley is chair of the task force. But I suppose the thousands and thousands of donated Republican dollars won't allow Tilley to respond to Sanderson.

What's more pathetic is the response. The secretary suggests a Democratic lawmaker. It seems the prejudice against unions is evident. Plus, it seems Tilley can't be bothered by people - even with a simple e-mail.

To me, Tilley isn't worthy of being involved on the task force if he can't speak to the people affected by the lack of dredging.

Boeing’s High Stakes Strategy to Flee Collective Bargaining with the IAM

Project Gemini

Jim Clyburn Speaks On Georgetown Port

Download Rep. Jim Clyburn - Georgetown Port




Source: South Carolina Radio Network

Construction Costs Up In Result Of Georgetown Port's Lack Of Dredging?

According to an article called "Ports Shouldn't Be Invisible" by Perry A. Trunick, the answer is yes. Jean Goodwin, executive vice president and general counsel for the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA www.aapa-ports.org) says so.

... the federal government controls development of federal navigation channels. Maintenance dredging to keep access channels at authorized depths is funded by a harbor maintenance fee which is paid into the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund. New projects are funded by a combination of federal and local sponsorship, and the local portion can be as much as 60% of the project.

Dredging is not a top-of-mind issue when projects are planned and with much of the money sitting in the trust fund, cargo is paying into the fund in the form of user fees but unlike the highway trust fund, there is no direct connection between the amount appropriated for projects and the amount collected. Users have essentially prepaid for services they’re not getting, comments Goodwin.

When you talk about dredging to your congressmen, their eyes glaze over, she continues. There’s a perception that all ports want infrastructure that only a few are going to be able to use, and that’s not the case. While maintenance dredging is falling behind, ships are getting bigger. Goodwin offered a localized example for the attendees. Not far from the meeting site in Myrtle Beach, SC is the port of Georgetown, SC. That port isn’t getting the money it needs for maintenance dredging, said Goodwin, and because of that, the cost of construction in Myrtle Beach is higher. Goods that could be shipped to a port 10 miles from a construction site must land farther away and be brought in by truck. That’s good for the motor carriers present, she quipped, but moving those goods an additional 120 miles by truck is an unnecessary expense that gets added to the construction costs. 

North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce Supports Georgetown Port Dredging

State Rep Shows Support For Georgetown Port With Legislation, Gets Referred To 'Memorial Resolutions'

State Rep. Carl Anderson of District 103 showed support for port dredging with a piece of legislation.

H. 4336 was introduced in June of this year. Here's a brief description:

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTIONTO REQUEST THE MEMBERS OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO USE THEIR BEST EFFORTS TO HAVE INCLUDED IN THE 2012 FEDERAL BUDGET ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT MAINTENANCE DREDGING OF THE PORT OF GEORGETOWN; AND TO ALSO REQUEST OUR STATE'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO HAVE INCLUDED IN THE 2012 FEDERAL BUDGET FUNDING FOR THE U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING THE DEEPENING OF CHARLESTON HARBOR TO AT LEAST FIFTY FEET SO THAT IT CAN ACCOMMODATE LARGER CONTAINER SHIPS EXPECTED TO CALL AT THE PORT WHEN THE EXPANSION OF THE PANAMA CANAL OPENS IN 2014.

Funny thing. It gets referred to the "Committee on Invitations and Memorial Resolutions" in state house. So, I suppose the need for dredging funds to make a port viable is similar to renaming a building or creating a holiday.

Anderson tried. The people in this town need to realize the port is dead yet.

Clyburn Provides 'Facts' Georgetown Port Task Force Focuses On

Tim Tilley, the recently appointed chair of the Georgetown Port task force, stated in an e-mail the group will focus on facts concerning the port.

I wonder whether Tilley remembers April of this year. Did he read the newspaper during that month?

DredgingToday.com can remind him.

South Carolina does have one congressman who supports the Georgetown port. Sadly, the port is not in his district.

Twice in the past weeks, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., has pointed out that Port of Charleston is not the only South Carolina port that needs funding. The Port of Georgetown also needs attention, he said.

“Please let’s put an ‘s’ on port. Let’s do that, because it is not just about the Charleston port,” Clyburn has said.

Clyburn said that the ArcelorMittal steel mill in Georgetown cannot use the port that is “within a stone’s throw” because of its shallow waters, and instead is shipping through the Port of Wilmington in North Carolina, is “unacceptable.”

The Port of Georgetown has a depth of about 21 feet, more than 6 feet short of its original depth. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said the cost to dredge the Georgetown port to its original 27 feet is $31 million over three years, and another $6 million to $7 million a year to maintain it at that depth.

The reason for the 21 feet? Lack of maintenance. Lack of thought. Lack of follow through. Thanks to Republicans like Henry Brown.

Thanks to Gina Vasselli for shedding more light on the truth.

Tim Scott Becoming GOP's Party Monster

Washington Bureau's James Rosen must be getting GOP kickbacks for this one.

In this story, Rosen pretty much dubs one of South Carolina's miserable excuses of a representative a political party monster.

Now, as the GOP presidential campaign moves into high gear, Scott is hosting Republican candidates at “Tim’s Town Halls” in his congressional district, which, until redistricting changes its boundaries, stretches from Charleston County to include part of Georgetown and Horry counties.

Yes, let's romanticize a failed congressman. He hasn't produced anything for his district. The Georgetown port barely has a pulse and it's taking local leaders to move forward on dredging funds without the "Tim Scott" name on the effort.

Scott says he campaigned on "themes that unite all Americans" all the while forgetting and neglecting working Americans in his district. I would suggest a word is missing: rich.

“I don’t know too many other black folks who think like Tim,” the Rev. Joseph Darby, an influential civil rights leader as head minister at the Morris Brown African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston.

“He represents the aspirations of people in South Carolina with whom I have no affinity and with whom very few people of color have any affinity,” Darby said.

Indeed, among the crowd of 300 people at the forum for Bachmann, only a few were black, one of them Scott’s mother.

Darby said Scott’s stringent criticism of Obama, support for uncompromising GOP stances and embrace of tea party activists have dismayed many of his black constituents.

“The tea party is a new version of the Ku Klux Klan that’s sanitized and more acceptable,” Darby said. “No more sheets – just tea bags and colonial garb.”

SCDWC ANNOUNCES FALL FORUM & SPEAKER

ROCK HILL, SC, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011: Cherie Abee Mabrey, president of the South Carolina Democratic Women’s Council, announced today to the members that Katherine Archuleta, national political director for President Obama’s re-election, will be the special guest at their annual Fall Forum. The Fall Forum will be held on November 5, 2011 at the Clarion Town House Hotel in Columbia. More information will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. 

She is part of the campaign team, based in Chicago, which includes campaign manager Jim Messina, who was deputy White House chief of staff and David Axelrod who reprises his role as chief strategist and top political adviser for the Obama campaign. 
Archuleta was formerly the chief of staff to Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis. She has been on the national stage since President Clinton appointed Federico Pena to Secretary of Transportation; Pena named Archuleta chief of staff in 1996 and 1997. Later in 1997 when Pena became the new Secretary of Energy, Archuleta was named senior policy adviser.
The SCDWC is committed to encourage, support, and empower all Democratic women to achieve their personal political goals. 

SCDWC Is Now Accepting Nominations for their Hall of Fame Award for 2011

Also announced today, the SCDWC is accepting nominations for the Hall of Fame Award. HALL OF FAME AWARDS are sponsored by the SOUTH CAROLINA DEMOCRATIC WOMEN’S COUNCIL to recognize women of South Carolina who have attained outstanding levels of achievement and whose contributions have made a significant effect upon the lives of our citizens.

The AWARD, given annually, will be presented at the SCDWC’s FALL FORUM, November 5, 2011, at the Clarion Town House, Columbia, SC. 

Nominations will be accepted until October 14, 2011. Contact your county party chair, Magy Patten, Committee Chair at magyp@sc.rr.com (843-237-4499) or Cherie Mabrey, SCDWC President at cherieabeemabrey@gmail.com (803-233-2824) for a Nomination Form or additional information.

Do Not Listen To Useless Republicans, Harry Reid

The Honorable Harry Reid
Majority Leader
United States Senate
S-221
United States Capitol

RE: Tim Scott and South Carolina Republican Congressmen


Dear Leader Reid,

As the sponsor and original cosponsors of H.R. 2587, the Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act, Tim Scott and the other Republican congressmen of South Carolina have proven how useless they are in the government setting.

I laugh loudly at how Scott and these Republicans want you to force through a vote on a bill because of their ignorant stance on unions in a state where unions hardly matter.

Rather than push for dredging funds for the Georgetown port - smack dab in Tim Scott's district - these Republicans want to grandstand for their corporate donors.

South Carolina's jobless rate has increased since last month. We have a governor spending tax dollars for European trips that produce no jobs.

These Republican congressmen ought to be asking the Democratic senate leader to support legislation that produces jobs and sustains the ones already in place. However, that's not important.

Winning elections and generating cash for their corporate donors is.

I wouldn't listen to these so-called representatives of the people. I should know. I live here. They don't listen to us.

Sincerely Yours,

Jamie Sanderson
Georgetown, S.C.  29440

Tarryl Clark: Fighting for You

First the Tea Party votes to gut Medicare and now they want to end the basic American right to collectively bargain and the protections that keep us safe at work. Now more than ever, we need more leaders in Congress who are there to fight for our priorities.

We need leaders who will put seniors ahead of tax breaks for Billionaires, make creating good jobs here their top priority, and put our families first, not the special interests.

With your help, I will be that leader in Congress.

I will fight for our priorities when I get to Washington, but I need your help to get there. Contribute $3 today to help me hit my goal of raising another $10,000 by the end of the quarter on September 30th! 

I know how important it is to get Americans back to work and I’ve already made it my top priority. In my day job I am leading a national effort to find ways to put Minnesotans back to work. In his eight months in congress, my opponent Chip Cravaack hasn’t done a thing to create jobs.

You know how critical it is that we have leaders who will fight for our priorities, and Chip Cravaack certainly does not. Your $3 today will help me replace him in Congress and get Washington working on our side again.

Sincerely,

Tarryl Clark

P.S. Our fundraising deadline is just a week away. Any amount you can give will help us hit our goal and send a message to our opponent and his Tea Party friends that their days in Congress are numbered.

'Locked-and-loaded race to the bottom'

The New York Times and Washington Post have joined our fight to stop the gun lobby and their allies in Congress from overriding local laws and forcing every state to accept “lowest common denominator” standards for concealed gun permits.

Check out what they had to say and share these important editorials with your friends and family: 

"The proposed National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 would shred those [state] standards and the public safety judgments behind them, creating a locked-and-loaded race to the bottom in which states with strict requirements, like New York, would be forced to allow people with permits from states with lax screening to carry hidden loaded guns. This trashing of state and local prerogatives is not only unwise but unnecessary." The New York Times, September 18, 2011 Read the Full Editorial

"Many states already have agreements to recognize concealed-carry licenses from other jurisdictions. … These are legitimate choices that would be overridden by a federal legislature that too easily bends to the will of the gun lobby. Nevada, a strong gun-rights state, rescinded its agreement with Utah because Utah does not require live-fire training. Why should Congress overrule that judgment?" The Washington Post, September 20, 2011 Read the Full Editorial

Two of our nation’s most highly respected newspapers are opposed to this reckless proposal because it would endanger the lives of our citizens and law enforcement. And they’re not alone: editorial boards of local papers including the Baltimore Sun, Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Syracuse Post-Standard, Pennsylvania Observer-Reporter and others have also supported the principals of our campaign. And thousands of dedicated supporters like you are helping us take our fight directly to the halls of Congress.

Thank you for helping spread the important message that Congress has no right to rob our states of the ability to protect OUR LIVES with OUR LAWS.

Sincerely,
Mayors Against Illegal Guns

P.S. -- Don’t forget: you can get breaking news and action alerts on this critical issue and read more editorials from around the country at our campaign website: http://www.OurLivesOurLaws.org.

The Fight Continues: Tell Congress The American Jobs Act Will Put Americans Back To Work And Keep Students Learning!

The fight continues to pass President Obama’s American Jobs Act, which would invest billions of dollars to save educator jobs and repair and modernize school facilities.  This week, several NEA members who have lost their jobs traveled to Washington, DC to share their stories with Congress and urge passage of the President’s bill.  Read about their visits.  The need is great and the stories from these members and others across the country about the impact on our students are heartbreaking.  The following excerpts submitted by NEA activists through our Education Votes website are only a small sampling of the struggles taking place in every community:

Wisconsin -- Our school district was forced to reduce graduation requirements and cap the number of credits students can take in high school.  We used to require four credits of all core academic subjects at the high school level.  Now all have been cut to three except English.  Every student was forced to cut one class out of their schedule and in place we have created huge study halls with hundreds of students or given them releases to leave school instead of staying in classes.

New Mexico -- The classroom I was assigned to was a total disaster.  The small office’s ceiling was missing most of its ceiling tiles.  The floor was flooded out into the main classroom.  There was mold and mildew climbing up the few pieces of furniture remaining in the office, the desk’s chair was coated with similar damage and so was the wooden office door.  I had a hard time breathing in that room.  How can I be expected to teach five science classes, while providing relevant lab work, if I cannot even give my students a healthy classroom to learn in?  How can I ensure an equitable and rigorous education for all of my students if I have to fight for every piece of equipment and supplies?  

Washington -- I work at a Title I school where close to 100% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunches.  Both art and music have been cut from our school, technology assistance has been cut from our district in a major way, and now our counselor is only with us two days a week.  Most of our students could use a counselor/psychologist session daily with all that they are dealing with at home, but now that support is not there.  This makes it incredibly difficult for them to learn and stay focused.  Please fund education, it is our future!

Oregon -- Our school district had to cut our custodial staff down to the point that my classroom's trash cans are emptied only every other day.  When my students come into my classroom on the second day, the trash is already full and smelly (our air conditioner is also broken, and the temperature last week hit 95 degrees).  This sends a clear message to students: they aren't valued enough….When we have the support staff we need in our building and school district, kids come into a room that is welcoming and inviting rather than unpleasant and stinky.  Kids don't learn as well as they could when they are distracted by bad smells and temperatures that are too high. 

Saving educator jobs and modernizing schools are investments in our children and our future.  When educators are hired, students win -- they receive more individual attention, more help from counselors, more after-school help, and more opportunities to succeed.  America’s students shouldn’t bear the brunt of our country’s economic crisis.  They deserve manageable class-sizes and modernized and energy-efficient school buildings.

Take Action Today: 

• Tell Congress to put Americans back to work and ensure our children the education they deserve by supporting the President’s American Jobs Act. 

• Share your story  -- We know that budget cuts are happening in schools across the country, but we need your help to gauge the impact these cuts are having on your schools and students.  Has your school moved to a four day school week, cut after-school programs, or dropped foreign languages?  Is your school in need of maintenance or supplies?  Let us know how budget woes are affecting your school.  We’ll use your stories to help put pressure on Members of Congress to do the right thing and focus on creating a great public school for every student.

Envirosep President Faces Huge 'Task' On Georgetown Port

I wonder whether or not Envirosep President Tim Tilley will efficiently lead efforts to secure dredging funds for the Georgetown port... or just put on a show for tourism supporters and allow the port to sit further in demise.

Tim Tilley, chairman of the Task Force, said the first meeting will focus on a “situational analysis,” plus facts on the issues surrounding the port. 

The second meeting will focus on potential solutions, he said in an e-mail. 

“The first meeting will be open to the public, but I’m not sure if there will be time for public comment,” he said. “Key local business personnel are already participating in fact gathering.”

"Situational" analysis? Really? After all the studies and production results before them? Come on. I laugh because throws out the possibility of no public comment - as if he's afraid to hear from people besides those who support tourism.

Tilley, whom I have never seen benefit from the port, will lead a task force to fight for dredging funds - with no direct involvement from two industries who have used the port and sit right on it.

Results await, my dear friends. Results await.

Documents Show Boeing's Union Avoidance

Here's more truth on the Boeing situation:

SEATTLE – Newly uncovered Boeing Co. documents show the company’s own executives believed that “Project Gemini” – their plan to establish a second 787 line in South Carolina – was the highest-risk option for their new Dreamliner jet and the one most likely to fail. 

At the same time, a report by a public interest research group shows that Boeing follows a deliberate strategy of boosting profits by squeezing taxpayers for handouts in South Carolina, Washington and other states. 

The Project Gemini documents and the report on Boeing’s tax strategy were released by Machinists Union District Lodge 751 Friday at the International Labor Communicators Association’s convention in Seattle.

“The Project Gemini documents prove what we’ve suspected all along – that Boeing moved to Charleston to punish our members for exercising their union rights,” said Connie Kelliher, a spokeswoman for District 751.

You can read more here.

Bernie Sanders Asks The Question: Why do Republicans hate Social Security?

Republicans hate Social Security because it has been an extraordinary success and has done exactly what it was designed to do. It is the most successful government program in our nation's history and is enormously popular.

When Social Security was developed, 50 percent of seniors lived in poverty. Today, that number is 10 percent -- still too high, but a testament to the success of Social Security.

Republicans have spent years demonizing Social Security and spreading lies about its sustainability. They want to scare Americans and build support for making drastic cuts to the program or privatizing it entirely. Their long-term goal is to end Social Security as we know it, and convert it into a private account system which will enable Wall Street to make hundreds of billions in profits.

The truth is that, today, according to the Social Security Administration, Social Security has a $2.7 trillion surplus and can pay out every benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 25 years.

Further, because it is funded by the payroll tax and not the U.S. Treasury, Social Security has not contributed one nickel to our deficit.

Now -- in a prolonged recession that has decimated the poor and middle class and pushed more Americans into poverty than at any point in modern history -- we need to strengthen Social Security. That's why I, along with nine co-sponsors, have introduced the "Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act." This legislation would lift the Social Security Payroll tax cap on all income over $250,000 a year, would require millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share into the Social Security Trust Fund, and would extend the program for the next 75 years.

Join me now as a citizen co-sponsor of the Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act.
For 76 years, through good times and bad, Social Security has paid out every benefit owed to every eligible American. The most effective way to strengthen Social Security for the next 76 years is to scrap the payroll tax cap for those earning $250,000 a year or more.

Right now, someone who earns $106,800 pays the same amount of money into Social Security as billionaires like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. That is because today, all income above $106,800 is exempt from the Social Security tax. As a result, 94% of Americans pay Social Security tax on all of their income, but the wealthiest 6% do not.

That makes no sense.

The "Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act" will ensure the long-term solvency of Social Security without cutting benefits, raising the retirement age or raising taxes on the middle class.

Join me and Democracy for America in fighting to strengthen Social Security -- Sign on as a citizen co-sponsor of the Keeping Our Social Security Promises Act.

Social Security is keeping tens of millions of seniors out of poverty today. I can think of no more important issue facing our country today than making sure that Social Security remains strong for generations to come.

Thank you.

-Bernie

Senator Bernie Sanders
U.S. Senator from Vermont

Obama comes out swinging

It's time for millionaires to pay their fair share. Tell your Member of Congress to support the Buffett Rule today!

Ever since the Republican takeover of Congress, extremists have been waging vicious class warfare – on behalf of the rich, against everyone else.

It's hard to believe: after two years of gut-wrenching recession and non-stop budget battles, the richest Americans still haven't sacrificed a single penny.

Millions of Americans have seen jobs disappear, homes foreclosed and retirement savings evaporate. But those extreme voices still demand that EVERY sacrifice come from working and middle class Americans: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, our schools and hospitals, clean water and clean air, and even our jobs.

Finally, President Obama is fighting back. He's proposing the "Buffett Rule,"[1] that would require millionaires and billionaires like Warren Buffett to pay taxes at the same rates as their secretaries. The revenue would fund the desperately needed jobs plan he announced last week.

Will you tell your Member of Congress to support the Millionaire's Tax right now?

http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/1306/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4771

In calling for higher taxes on the rich, billionaire Warren Buffett wrote in the New York Times: "Our leaders have asked for 'shared sacrifice.' But when they did the asking, they spared me. I checked with my mega-rich friends to learn what pain they were expecting. They, too, were left untouched."[2]

Still, you can expect this to be a real fight. The defenders of the super-rich in Congress will dig in with the same ferocious intransigence they do every time 'shared sacrifice' threatens to reach into seven figure incomes. But this time is different: as the 2012 elections draw closer, no one will want to be seen as defender of the super-rich at the expense of the rest of the economy.

When Wall Street collapsed, taxpayers bailed out the big banks. Now the hedge funders, country clubbers and corporate CEOs are doing better than ever. But the rest of us haven't been so lucky.

It's time for the super-rich to repay the favor, and pay at least the same tax rate as us mere mortals, so the rest of the economy can recover.

Click here to tell your member of Congress to support the Buffett Rule millionaire's tax right now.

Thanks for all you do,
Erin McKee
Chair, SC WFP


Sources:
1: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/politics/obama-tax-plan-would-ask-more-of-millionaires.html

2: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/opinion/stop-coddling-the-super-rich.html

Nikki Haley Ought To Live Somewhere Besides South Carolina

Are you tired of Nikki Haley yet? If not, then you ought to check for a hospital bed. Seriously.

Haley is more intent to travel outside of the state of South Carolina rather than in it. The latest escapade?

Texas.

Not for the BBQ either.

Gov. Nikki Haley and two staffers attended a fundraiser Tuesday in Texas hosted by a national insurer licensed in the Palmetto State.

The evening event to raise money for Haley's gubernatorial campaign is the first of two out-of-state trips she will make this week. She will fly to Michigan on Friday for a Republican Leadership Conference.

Auto warranty insurer Ethos Group hosted the 6 p.m. event at its Irving, Texas, offices. Ethos Group has been licensed in South Carolina since November 2009, according to state records. An invitation suggests a contribution of $500 per person to attend the event. 

Nikki Haley, folks. Campaigning for her next term when she hasn't completed the first. Well, I take that back.

She has completed it - if you consider ruining public education and getting involved in national politics while your state dies a term. More like a death sentence.

Federal Children's Watch – Child Poverty Up, President Releases Deficit Reduction Plan, Another Government Shutdown

Child Poverty Reaches an All-Time High
The United States Census Bureau released its poverty and health insurance report last week. A record 16,401,000 children and youth lived in poverty in 2010, an increase of more than three million from 2007, the year before the current economic downturn began.

More than one in five children now live in poverty, a percentage (22%) exceeding the 1995 child poverty level, the year the so-called welfare reform law was passed, for the first time. Despite the claims of some of those running for the Republican presidential nomination, welfare reform has ultimately done nothing to reduce child poverty. What it has done is leave low-income families far more vulnerable today than they were a generation ago.

While child poverty increased 23% since 2007 and poverty among those 18 to 64 years old increased 29%, elderly poverty *fell* by 1%. Federal safety net programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid have largely protected the elderly from feeling the pain of this recession. Children and working-aged people have not been spared. Many in Washington are talking about “reforming” these safety net programs so they provide fewer benefits to fewer people. We disagree and support only reforms that give every American man, woman, and child the same protection we currently give the elderly in challenging economic times.

In good news, we are pleased to report that the number and percentage of children without health insurance has declined over the last decade. In 2001, 8.5 million children (11.7%) were uninsured. Last Year, fewer than one-in-ten (9.8%) children were uninsured, a decline of 1.2 million. At the same time, the percentage of children covered by private health insurance declined by 10 points (62.4% to 52.4%). Federal health care programs have made the difference in protecting children’s health during the recession. The share of children covered by Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program has increased from 25.7% of all children to 37.9%. These programs must be protected from the $1.2 trillion in cuts Congress has to make this year. Click here to send this message to your members of Congress.

The President’s Deficit Reduction Plan
On Monday of this week, President Obama released his plan to reduce the federal deficit by $4.4 trillion over the next decade. The key components of this plan include ending the Bush era tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 a year, imposing a surtax on millionaires so those at the very top of the income ladder can no longer pay a smaller share of their income in taxes than those who work for them, closing corporate tax loopholes, and making cuts to government spending. Click here for more details. While we do not see eye to eye on every decision in this, it represents a serious effort to reign in the federal debt, protects children’s health, safety, and education programs, invests in the future, and ends tax breaks for the wealthy. The federal budget deficit cannot be closed by spending cuts alone. This will lead to deep cuts in children’s programs. Those who benefitted the most from tax breaks in the last decade should return to contributing now at the level they did during the 1990s boom. We applaud the Administration for putting this comprehensive plan out and urge members of Congress to either adopt it or put out their plan to reduce debt by $4.4 trillion.

Another Government Shutdown Looming?
This commentary appeared in Roll Call recently outlining the games members of Congress are continuing to play with next year’s budget. On September 30th, the current fiscal year ends. Currently, the Congress has proposed nothing specific for most children’s programs for next year. Since they do not have a final budget, they will have to pass what is known in Washington as a “continuing resolution” to fund the government past September 30th. Normally, this resolution would eventually be replaced as Congress passes its budget at some point later this year or early next year. However, the leadership of the House is considering setting a hard deadline of November 18th for the resolution to end or the government would shut down. This will happen right around the time Congress takes up the $1.2 trillion in cuts mandated by the debt ceiling agreement passed last month. This is a dangerous situation for children’s programs as some in Congress seemed poised to threaten a government shutdown unless deep cuts in programs, including ones for children, are made and the current low tax rates for millionaires and billionaires are kept in place. We will keep you updated.

Michael Petit
President
Every Child Matters Education Fund

NLRB Scares Businesses: People Ought To Know Their Rights

It's a damn shame we have businesses in this country who are scared to death over people knowing their labor rights.

The Republican-minded U.S. Chamber of Commerce plans to do something about it... sue!

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce could have filed suit against the National Labor Relations Board anywhere.

But the business group chose Charleston as the place to fight the agency's new rule requiring employers to display posters about employees' rights to unionize because that's where it believes it has the best chance to win. 

That's right. This bozo group - that funnels money to Republicans like sugar to a kid - wants to censor facts, stopping workers from knowing what is true and not true.

In a statement Tuesday, the NLRB said it has the requisite rulemaking power and said the rule, "which is available at no charge on the NLRB website, is simply intended to inform employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act, just as other workplace posters inform employees of their rights under other laws."

As of November 14, 2011, most private sector employers are required to post a notice advising employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. The 11-by-17-inch notice should be posted in a conspicuous place, where other notifications of workplace rights and employer rules and policies are posted. View the final rule in the Federal Register.

The posters are available below for download and printing. Copies also are available from any of the agency’s regional offices. In addition, employers should publish the notice on an internal or external website if other personnel policies or workplace notices are posted there.

For further information about the posting, including a detailed discussion of which employers are covered by the NLRA, and what to do if a substantial share of the workplace speaks a language other than English, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.

Poster Downloads

• Employee Rights Under the NLRA poster, 11 x 17 version (pdf)
• Employee Rights Under the NLRA poster, two-page 8.5 x 11 version (pdf)

Rich Politicians Against Raising Taxes on the Rich

A group of Patriotic Millionaires released a video challenging several of Michigan’s prominent millionaire politicians and 36 of their Republican Millionaire Politician colleagues for their opposition to the Buffett Rule.  
 
The message of the video is simple: Millionaire Politicians who vote for themselves over their country are unpatriotic and unworthy of the offices they hold. 



So long as these Millionaire Politicians oppose the ‘Buffett Rule,’ they oppose the well-being of all Americans. Rather than gladly doing their patriotic duties, properly carrying out their legislative and constitutional responsibilities, they have instead voted to give themselves more money.

Take a moment to watch the video and find out why far-right politicians steadfastly put self before country.

Thanks for all you do,
Chad Cyrowski and the entire Progress Michigan team

P.S. Here is a list of the Michigan Millionaire Politicians featured in the video. Here is a complete list of 136 Millionaire Politicians opposing the Buffett Rule.

Americans Say NO CUTS to Social Security & Medicare

GOP Efforts to Satisfy Tea Party Extremists Threaten Jobs, Disaster Aid

From the Progress Report - September 21, 2011:

We warned you last week that Republicans and their job-killing agenda were back with a vengeance. Today, House Republicans put a measure up for a vote that would’ve threatened tens of thousands of American jobs. However, in a hugely embarrassing loss for Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), the plan was defeated after a bipartisan revolt caused the measure to fail on a vote of 195-230.

Here’s a rundown of what exactly caused the revolt and why it’s time for the Republican leadership to stand up to the Tea Party.

WHAT: The must-pass bill to keep the government funded and open after Sept. 30 when the current funding bill runs out.

Attached to the bill was a highly controversial measure that gives the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund additional funding to pay for both recent disaster relief efforts and recovery projects from disasters that may have happened years ago — but only by stealing $1.5 BILLION from a successful job creation program to “offset” the spending to help disaster victims. Strangely, Republicans steal $1.5 BILLION from the jobs program, but only offset $1 BILLION in disaster funding.

THE JOBS REPUBLICANS WANT TO KILL: The program they want to steal $1.5 BILLION from, the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Program, has already created approximately 40,000 American jobs by spurring American manufacturing in 11 states across the country. The program, if it remains fully funded, stands to create at least another 50-60,000 American jobs in states like Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Louisiana, Illinois, and Michigan.

It’s also estimated that the advanced vehicles manufactured as a result of the program will also save us a whopping 311 MILLION gallons of gasoline.

WHY DEMOCRATS REVOLTED TODAY: They were strongly opposed to the GOP’s insistence on deep cuts to a vital jobs program in return for emergency disaster funding — especially at a time when Republicans refuse to ask Big Oil and billionaires to pay their fair share.

In addition, the Republican leadership in Congress all voted for $120 BILLION or so to rebuild Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade, but now they want us to choose between helping Americans recover from natural disasters or helping Americans recover from our jobs crisis. That’s not the kind of choice we should have to make in America.

WHY REPUBLICANS REVOLTED TODAY: In an embarrassing setback for the House Republican leadership, 48 Republicans voted against the GOP’s own bill. But these Republicans didn’t revolt because they were concerned that the bill cut funding to an important jobs program. They revolted because the bill didn’t cut spending enough and because Republicans had promised not to move large omnibus spending bills when they came power after the 2010 election.

The defeat was all the more embarrassing because Boehner is reported to have threatened Republicans earlier in the day today:

Speaking to a closed meeting of House Republicans Wednesday morning, the Ohio Republican made it clear to his GOP colleagues that he was ready to move to strip members of committee assignments if they defy the leadership on the government funding measure headed for a vote this evening.

A BIPARTISAN ALTERNATIVE TO HELP DISASTER VICTIMS: Just last week, the Senate passed a bill providing about $7 BILLION in new disaster funding that was not offset by cuts to a jobs program or anything else. This proposal passed the notoriously gridlocked Senate on a bipartisan vote of 62-37, with fully TEN Republican senators voting in favor of it.

Last week, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA) asked Boehner to bring this bipartisan plan up for a vote in the House:

Families across the country have endured hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires. Federal, state, and local officials have prepared for these natural disasters, responded immediately, and assisted those left to clean up the damage.

In these times of crisis, it is our responsibility in Congress to support local communities and aid in their recovery. Today, the Senate upheld its responsibility; now the House must do the same.

House Republicans are setting a dangerous precedent by requiring that disaster aid be offset, especially when Americans are struggling to rebuild their homes, businesses, and communities. Speaker Boehner must allow a vote on the Senate-passed bipartisan bill without further delay.

IN TWO SENTENCES: The Tea Party extremists controlling the GOP and their obsession with spending cuts are threatening both American jobs and vital aid for disaster victims. It’s time for GOP leaders to stand up to the Tea Party and start working with Democrats to do what’s best for our country instead of trying to satisfy an out-of-touch group of Tea Party extremists.

SC Comptroller Eckstrom: 'Jon Friggin' Mormon Huntsman'