By Ezra Klein -- Washington Post

Last week, the Health Care for America Now coalition celebrated its first birthday. Formed, well, a year ago, with an initial infusion of $40 million and a coalition list that includes MoveOn.org, SEIU, the Campaign for America's Future, and pretty much every other institution even vaguely on the left, HCAN has quickly become the dominant grassroots player on health-care reform. Which is really saying something.  Talk to veterans of the 1994 effort and they will invariably lament the total absence of a liberal ground game. The grassroots energy came primarily from conservative groups and trade organizations.  This time around, we will probably see the first real battle between the online left and the airwave right, but unlike in 1994, it will actually be a fight.

>>See the Full Washington Post Article Here<<

RGA: Republican Governors Association | DGA: Democratic Governors Association 

This article goes to show that the 2010 Elections are going to be contentious!

Read the blog post from CNN Deputy Political Director Paul Steinhauser:

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Republican Governors Association Tuesday announced it raised more than $12.2 million dollars for the first six months of the year.

The RGA's announcement came just hours after the Democratic Governors Association announced that they raised a record-breaking $11.6 million in the first six months of the year.

The RGA also reported having a record $20.4 million cash on hand.

"The RGA's ability to outraise the Democrats despite their control of the White House, Congress and majority of governorships, proves that more people than ever believe a Republican comeback begins with the 39 governors' races that are taking place over the next two years," said RGA Executive Director Nick Ayers in a statement. "Our strong fundraising numbers and record cash on hand put us in position to compete in New Jersey and Virginia this year and in all our targeted states next year."

"Our extraordinary fundraising demonstrates that the 2009 and 2010 governors' races are at the center of the political landscape. The DGA is the only organization devoted exclusively to electing governors who will advance President Obama's efforts to create jobs and fight for the middle class – while also working to ensure a fair redistricting process," said Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, the DGA's chairman, said in a statement. "Our donors reached deep to contribute, and we are grateful for their generosity."

Democrats are looking to hold on to the governor's mansion in both New Jersey and Virginia this year. Money from both the RGA and DGA to both states could be a major factor in the outcome of those contests.

Read the Story at CNNPolitics.com

Reid Wilson, reporter with the "The Hill", writes of a split between liberal and centrist Democrats - is he splitting hairs, or is there an existing/growing divide?  One thing is for sure, if young people in urban communities continue to use their voice more and more in politics, we will start seeing the change we want and need.  Read Wilson's write up of this left/middle split that is the talk of the town in progressive circles:

Cracks in Democratic Party show split between centrists and liberals

Democrats have big majorities in both houses of Congress, but cracks are emerging — both legislatively and politically — that threaten to pit liberals and centrists against each other.

Where President Bush was able to enforce tight discipline on the Republican Conference while his political advisers exercised an iron grip on the national party, President Obama and his advisers have been less able to do so. 

That, political watchers say, is not unusual, especially for a Democratic president.

“The Democrats have always been herding cats,” said Rhodes Cook, an independent political analyst. “They’ve always been considered to be the more diverse party, more racially diverse, more ethnically diverse” and, therefore, more ideologically diverse, he added.

Now that diversity is manifesting itself.

For all its efforts, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been unable to avoid primary challenges against Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), who switched parties at the end of April, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), appointed earlier this year to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In Congress, as the Senate inches forward on healthcare legislation, Democrats have to deal more with Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, than with any Republican lawmaker.

And after cap-and-trade legislation passed the House by a narrow margin, the bill’s fate is more in the hands of Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska), two Democrats with significant oil infrastructure in their states, than with any Republican.

Read more at: TheHill.com

Congratulations to our friends at the National Education Association (NEA), who this past week passed internal resolutions that support sexual equality!  

David Hart at www.tips-q.com writes:

The National Education Association (NEA), is the nation's largest professional employee organization with over 3.2 million  members. Members work at every level of education-from pre-school to university graduate programs. At their national conference this weekend, they adopted a strongly worded resolution on sexual equality. Undoubtedly, this will get the fundamentalists fired up.

Resolutions B-13 (Racism, Sexism, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identification Discrimination) and I-13 (Civil Rights) set forth NEA's opposition to the discriminatory treatment of same-sex couples and its belief that such couples should have the same legal rights and benefits as similarly-situated heterosexual couples. The Legislative Program is in accord: NEA supports "obtaining, preserving, and strengthening basic civil and human rights under law," and specifically calls for "passage of a federal statute prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression." Section IV ( b ). In implementation of the foregoing policies, the Representative Assembly adopts the following action plan with regard to same-sex couples:

NEA will support its affiliates seeking to enact state legislation that guarantees to same-sex couples the right to enter into a legally recognized relationship pursuant to which they have the same rights and benefits as similarly-situated heterosexual couples, including, without limitation, rights and benefits with regard to medical decisions, taxes, inheritance, adoption, and immigration.

NEA does not believe that a single term must be used to designate this legally recognized "equal treatment" relationship, and recommends that each state decide for itself whether "marriage," "civil union," "domestic partnership," or some other term is most appropriate based upon the cultural, social, and religious values of its citizenry.

NEA will support its affiliates in opposing state constitutional and/or statutory provisions that could have the effect of prohibiting the state and its political subdivisions from providing the same rights and benefits to same-sex couples as are provided to similarly-situated heterosexual couples.

NEA will take such actions as may be appropriate to support efforts to ( a ) repeal any federal legislation and/or regulations that discriminate against same-sex couples, and ( b ) enact federal legislation and/or regulations that treat same-sex couples and similarly-situated heterosexual couples equally with regard to social security, health care, taxation, and other federal rights and benefits.

NEA recognizes that the term "marriage" has religious connotations and that same-sex marriages may not be compatible with the beliefs, values, and/or practices of certain religions. Because of its support for the separation of church and state and the right to religious freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, NEA supports the right of religious institutions to refuse to perform or recognize same-sex marriages.

The Executive Committee will monitor the implementation of this New Business Item, and keep NEA affiliates informed of actions taken to achieve its objectives.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2009

Statement from the President on the 45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act

Forty-five years ago today, President Johnson signed into law historic legislation that moved America closer toward fulfilling the dream of our founding – a dream of opportunity, equality, and justice for all.  The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended legal discrimination, helping grant all Americans equal justice under the law – no matter what their gender or the color of their skin.

The Civil Rights Act was born during Freedom Summer 1963, but its passage was only possible because generations of Americans of all backgrounds stood up, sat down, and marched in freedom’s cause. Once it was signed into law, a renewed pledge was made to all Americans not to deny any man a seat at a lunch counter, not to deny any woman an opportunity in the workplace, and not to deny any child a chance to make the most of their God-given potential.

But while the Civil Rights Act opened doors of freedom and opportunity, we know that far too many inequities and barriers remain in the African-American community and across this country.  And we must continue to break down these barriers in our laws, our policies, and our hearts so that we can not only fulfill the full promise of the Civil Rights Act, but perfect the union that our founders created two hundred and thirty-three years ago this week.

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Monica Davey and Carl Hulse l New York Times

6/30/2009

After nearly eight months of waiting, almost 20,000 pages of legal briefs, and millions of dollars in election costs, Al Franken emerged Tuesday as the next United States senator from Minnesota, ending one of the most protracted election recount battles in recent memory.

Mr. Franken, 58, a former comedian and author, could be seated in the Senate as early as Monday, leaders there said, providing Democrats with something they had long hoped for: 60 votes, and thus at least the symbolic ability to overcome filibusters.

Norm Coleman, a Republican who had held the seat for a term, conceded on Tuesday afternoon, hours after the Minnesota Supreme Court issued a ruling in Mr. Franken’s favor, the latest in a series of findings that had left Mr. Franken ahead in the count. In weeks past, some Republican leaders had urged Mr. Coleman to press on to the federal courts if need be, but those calls faded Tuesday.

>>Click here for article link<<