tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78487977480052965192024-02-02T00:17:57.759-08:00Eye on IleanaThis is a new local blog for Florida's eighteenth Congressional district and watching the actions of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the Republican representative who misserves us in Washington.
If you are interested in posting at Eye on Ileana, drop me a line at quinnelk@hotmail.com with some idea of your Democratic and/or progressive credentials and I'll add you as a blogger.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-63770467232486004782009-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:002009-10-22T21:06:16.852-07:00FarewellThis blog is being closed and further updates will be featured on <a href="http://flacongress.blogspot.com/">Florida Congress Watch</a>. Check us out over there.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-9739280591993984392009-09-25T21:24:00.000-07:002009-09-25T21:25:50.524-07:00Good IlleanaDoing the right thing on her <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBilericoProjectFlorida/~3/QCW9EBf0tNE/fl_rep_ileana_ros-lehtinen_slams_un_lead.php">one good issue</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><br />Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) has issued a scathing statement against the new president of the United Nations General Assembly, Ali Abdessalam Treki (who is a former foreign minister of Libya) for recent remarks that seemed to favor the criminalization of homosexuality:<br /><br />The anti-gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance. Congress must demand better by enacting pending legislation that would leverage our contributions to the UN to produce sweeping, meaningful reform of that body.<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-40608266117464313952009-09-03T21:02:00.000-07:002009-09-03T21:08:29.180-07:00From the Blogs<img src="http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/images/subjects/congress.png" alt="Congress" /><br /><br />The latest stories from the Florida blogs...<br /><br />Discourse.net: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/discourse/~3/3kARFO16bFs/roslehtinens_almostfair_health_care_survey.html">Ros-Lehtinen's Almost-Fair Health Care Survey</a><br /><br />Bilerico Project Florida (Nadine Smith): <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBilericoProjectFlorida/~3/FKu_Quuh9o0/rep_ileana_ros-lehtinen_reaffirms_suppor.php">Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Reaffirms Support for Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell</a><br /><br />FLA Politics (spaterni): <a href="http://www.flapolitics.com/diary/3771/florida-one-members-drop-by-to-visit-rep-roslehtinen">Florida ONE Members drop by to visit Rep. Ros-Lehtinen!</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2009/04/worrying-about-institutional-gravities.html">Worrying about the "institutional gravities of Congress"</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2009/04/fl-18-ros-lehtinen-hosts-moveondems-and.html">FL-18: Ros-Lehtinen hosts MoveOn/Dems and enjoys</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-58430209437591759502009-06-17T08:39:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:41:04.195-07:00Capitol Offense: Where Is Congress on the Public OptionToday, I'm joining with Democracy for America, Health Care for America Now and Open Left in supporting the <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com">Stand With Dr. Dean Campaign</a>. The idea is to put pressure on our members of Congress to find out where they stand on health care reform and whether or not they support Dr. Howard Dean's call for a reform that includes a public option. See Dean's statement here:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kytFoPmfycA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.openleft.com/diary/13580/making-a-difference-on-health-care-through-crowdsourced-journalism">Chris Bowers</a> has suggested that we use crowdsourcing techniques to find out where everyone in Congress stands, which also helps pressure them to take the right stand. So here's the plan:<br /><br />1. Contact your member of Congress via e-mail and ask them the following questions:<br /><br />1--Do you support a public healthcare option as part of healthcare reform?<br />2--If so, do you support a public healthcare option that is available on day one?<br />3--Do you support a public healthcare option that is national, available everywhere, and accountable to Congress?<br />4--Do you support a public healthcare option that can bargain for rates from providers and big drug companies?<br /><br />Don't call, do this via e-mail because we want a written response. If they are vague in answering these questions, contact them again and ask for clarification. If they don't answer you, keep contacting them (and have your friends and family contact them) until they do give you the answers.<br /><br />2. Forward the responses to me at quinnelk@hotmail.com. We're going to publish an official response from as many of our members as possible so we know where everyone is. And we'll keep a track of who isn't responding so we know who to put pressure on. Similarly, once we find out who is on board and who isn't, we know who to put further pressure on down the road.<br /><br />3. If you have your own blog, post the responses there, too. The more public pressure we can put on Congress, the easier we make it for them to do the right thing.<br /><br />Here is the public contact info for each of our Florida members of Congress:<br /><br />Rep Gus Bilirakis R FL-9 http://bilirakis.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=212&Itemid=44<br /><br />Rep Allen Boyd D FL-2 http://www.house.gov/boyd/zip_authen.html<br /><br />Rep Corrine Brown D FL-3 http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/IMA/issue.shtml<br /><br />Rep Virginia Brown-Waite R FL-5 https://forms.house.gov/brown-waite/IMA/issue_subscribe.htm<br /><br />Rep Vern Buchanan R FL-13 http://buchanan.house.gov/contact.shtml <br /><br />Rep Kathy Castor D FL-11 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ander Crenshaw R FL-4 https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml<br /><br />Rep Lincoln Diaz-Balart R FL-21 http://diaz-balart.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact<br /><br />Rep Mario Diaz-Balart R FL-25 http://www.house.gov/formmariodiaz-balart/ic_zip_auth.htm<br /><br />Rep Alan Grayson D FL-8 https://forms.house.gov/grayson/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Alcee Hastings D FL-23 http://www.alceehastings.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=104&Itemid=<br /><br />Rep Ron Klein D FL-22 klein.ron.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Suzanne Kosmas D FL-24 https://forms.house.gov/kosmas/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Connie Mack R FL-14 http://mack.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactConnie.ContactForm<br /><br />Sen Melquiades Martinez R FL http://martinez.senate.gov/public/?p=EmailSenatorMartinez<br /><br />Rep Kendrick Meek D FL-17 http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/contact1.shtml<br /><br />Rep John Mica R FL-7 http://www.house.gov/mica/messageform.shtml<br /><br />Rep Jeff Miller R FL-1 http://jeffmiller.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home<br /><br />Sen Bill Nelson D FL http://billnelson.senate.gov/contact/email.cfm<br /><br />Rep Bill Posey R FL-15 http://posey.house.gov/Contact/ <br /><br />Rep Adam Putnam R FL-12 http://adamputnam.house.gov/contact.shtml<br /><br />Rep Tom Rooney R FL-16 https://forms.house.gov/rooney/contact-form.shtml<br /><br />Rep Ileana Ros-Lehtinen R FL-18 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Clifford Stearns R FL-6 http://www.house.gov/writerep <br /><br />Rep Debbie Wasserman Schultz D FL-20 schultz.debbie.web@flsenate.gov <br /><br />Rep Robert Wexler D FL-19 http://wexler.house.gov/email.shtml <br /><br />Rep C. W. Bill Young R FL-10 bill.young@mail.house.gov <br /><br />We'll also post the results of these at the WatchBlogs dedicated to each Republican member and at the Florida Democratic News blog.<br /><br />You can also <a href="http://standwithdrdean.com/">sign the petition on health care here</a>.<br /><br />I'm Kenneth Quinnell and I approve this message.<br /><br />Read more on Florida politics at the Florida Progressive Coalition blog (http://flaprogressives.org) and the Florida Progressive Coalition Wiki (http://quinnell.us/sspb/wiki/).Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-60156889941503942982009-04-07T17:23:00.000-07:002009-04-07T17:25:40.049-07:00Tell the Party of No - "Yes We Can"<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MXZ3oJtfq9w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-2413040625926639842009-01-11T13:23:00.000-08:002009-01-11T13:24:39.826-08:00From the BlogsRe/Creating Tampa: <a href="http://www.recreatingtampa.com/2009/01/06/whos-floridas-most-maverick-rep/">Who’s Florida’s Most Maverick Rep?</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-36772109414281653662009-01-03T20:14:00.000-08:002009-01-03T20:16:18.230-08:00From the BlogsReidBlog: <a href="http://blog.reidreport.com/2008/12/to-do-list-prank-call-ileana-stat.html">To do list: prank call Ileana, stat</a><br /><br />Blast Off!: <a href="http://flprogressive.blogspot.com/2008/12/todays-daily-schadenfreude-ileana-ros.html">Today's Daily Schadenfreude: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen</a><br /><br />Discourse.net: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/discourse/~3/474187005/in_which_i_do_the_inconceivable_and_rise_to_the_defense_of_the_otherwise_indefensible_illeana_roslehtinen.html">In Which I Do the Inconceivable and Rise to the Defense of the Otherwise Indefensible Illeana Ros-Lehtinen</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-17735367721408319682009-01-02T10:56:00.000-08:002009-01-02T10:59:32.832-08:00Thank You from DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QHcC3keIVA4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-30930035629042854752008-11-09T07:43:00.000-08:002008-11-09T08:01:36.570-08:00Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Stripper Pole DanceWish I were making this one up...<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pmJBFH5wT-Q&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pmJBFH5wT-Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-23722535410507327052008-11-06T15:58:00.000-08:002008-11-06T16:00:01.074-08:00A Post-Election Message From Annette Taddeo<blockquote><br />Dear Friend,<br /><br />Thank you for all of your hard work and support throughout this campaign. I will always be proud of what we achieved, and I will always be grateful to you for your support. <br /><br />We never stopped fighting to bring a new beginning to South Florida and our country. We know that the work we did helped elect Barack Obama. We didn’t win the final battle, but we did help make history. <br /><br />On Election Day, more than 100,000 voters in District 18 voted in support of my campaign. You need to know that together we made a difference - we made history, together.<br /><br />In my life, what I value came from only two places: love and hard work.<br /><br />And because I love America, I will continue to work hard for America.<br /><br />I won’t be doing it in Congress, but I will not stop working.<br /><br />We have waited long enough for change. We have waited long enough for the future. We have waited long enough for our American dream to be made real.<br /><br />If we work – if we work hard, if we work smart, and if we work together – we will rebuild the American dream. We will make our own dreams come true. And we will ensure that our children’s dreams come true.<br /><br />Thank you with all my heart,<br /><br />Annette<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-20222867820136982712008-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:002008-10-31T12:07:54.681-07:00FL-18: Wasserman Shultz in public endorsement of Annette Taddeo for US House; Closing difficult chapter?<div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2XZGHLUxvvYz-ValUVx7zWr0er1eZJb_ioknFMrGkV8QL91NanE_fgwzFIY3YC2hhjWq9JjGYDaVKEEIbhCuhDqO_rnXJ0Dr7CzMocAat_DMSQt-gsUFS6GIJuSQAA6oj2kJwXnoX30/s1600-h/IMGA0016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk2XZGHLUxvvYz-ValUVx7zWr0er1eZJb_ioknFMrGkV8QL91NanE_fgwzFIY3YC2hhjWq9JjGYDaVKEEIbhCuhDqO_rnXJ0Dr7CzMocAat_DMSQt-gsUFS6GIJuSQAA6oj2kJwXnoX30/s400/IMGA0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260579608396509410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">l-r: Annette Taddeo, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Raul Martinez, Kendrick Meek, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Garcia.</span><br /><br />This was a long time coming, and so quite choreographed. A rising star among Democratic congresswomen, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of Florida District 20, stood on a stage in Little Havana on Oct. 23 and publicly endorsed the candidacy of the Democratic challenger to one of Wasserman Shultz’ friends in the House.<br /><br />This is an observation and supposition I’m making without having interviewed her or knowing all the influences that brought her to this new point. I hope it means that she’s decided that Annette Taddeo, a successful businesswoman making her first foray into elective politics, is going to defeat the 19-year veteran, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, in District 18.<br /><br />District 18 is where I live. I campaign some for Taddeo, whose half-Colombian, half-American background is perfect for this district that spans from Key West in the Florida Keys to Miami Beach and a good bulge of Little Havana and downtown Miami on the mainland. The district is majority Hispanic but not quite as Cuban as before, so Ros-Lehtinen, who’s Cuban American, is fighting hard with a mass of TV ads that fail to mention her links to neo-con misleaders and play up her “service” to the district.<br /><br />As I try to persuade some brilliantly intelligent people to vote for Taddeo, they often reveal themselves as having been conned by Ros-Lehtinen’s supposed “service.” They ignore or are unaware of her repeated votes for the Iraq war, for torture, against the expansion of children’s health insurance. Hardly anyone seems aware of her hardline position on Iran, and they profess to admire her ability to get the Miami River dredged. (Big deal – some say it’s the shortest river in the USA, at 4 miles. Though it certainly needed dredging. Took forever. Anyway…) Once in a while they can change their minds after hearing her voting record. More have been swayed by her saccharine manner, and if they go to her office in Washington, they get such a nice cup of coffee.<br /><br />It’s disgusting what dupes we are. How so many of us agree to be bribed by federal dollars. How we vote against our interests. I know, this behavior has been analyzed to hell and gone, and Americans are well established as having a tendency to let their vote be swayed by vague feelings of patriotism or by which candidate presents as a good social pal. Not that we’d ever get close to the snob. But we’ll take our emotional leaning as somehow related to attaining the American Dream, and we throw away our chance to vote for someone who has a solid and intelligent view of our situation. Well, I’m thinking of good old wooden Al Gore there, but he’s not a very good example, since he really won.<br /><br />Let’s get back to what’s publicly known about Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her many months of reluctance to get on the side of Annette Taddeo and her two fellow strong Democratic challengers, Joe Garcia against Mario Diaz-Balart in District 25 (the outer suburbs and the Everglades) and Raul Martinez against Lincoln Diaz-Balart in District 21 (inner suburbs of Miami).<br /><br />This came into the public eye in March, started by the Miami Herald’s featuring it on the front page. This blog picked that up pretty quickly (<a href="%20http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/03/deep-problem-for-south-florida.html%20">first post on March 9</a>) and the story ran repeatedly on Daily Kos and elsewhere in the blogosphere. Wasserman Schultz was regularly creamed for not using her position of influence in the DCCC – Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee – to help the Democrats challenging in her neighboring districts.<br /><br />At one point I was quietly happy about it, because it got Taddeo, Garcia and Martinez much more publicity locally and nationally than the little-known challengers had two years earlier. I know that too well, as I was nominal campaign manager for Dave Patlak, who didn’t quite get 40 percent against Ros-Lehtinen in the 2006 midterm election. We made her spend over $1 million – so there was some satisfaction for that.<br /><br />What was Wasserman Schultz’ justification this year? Best guess was some collegial loyalty among fellow members of the U.S. House. They were all in the business of promoting federal bucks for South Florida and had to act together. There may have been some socializing. She told a skeptical audience once that it was a difficult balance. Not convincing. Many of us walked out because she came down on the wrong side of that teeter-totter. A report from <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/03/in-her-own-words-debbie-wasserman.html">March 21 at this link. </a><br /><br />This affair caused me to think a lot about our political predicament. And it’s not just South Florida. This is all over our beloved country: the invulnerable incumbent. Their districts are so gerrymandered that they worry little about re-election. Wasserman Schultz and her Democratic colleague, Kendrick Meek of District 17, do not even get Republican opponents. Their districts are 70-percent safe Democratic.<br /><br />They don’t benefit from the American tonic of competition. (Remedy: there’s a petition circulating to amend the Florida state constitution to ban political considerations in laying new district boundaries. This must be a priority after this election.)<br /><br />If the two Democrats are invulnerable, the three Republican incumbents have less of a built-in advantage nowadays, though they started out with more solidly Republican districts. Demographic changes have put them in danger, and their three challengers, with strong campaign staffs and decent financing, are evidence that all three Republicans are seen as vulnerable, like their fellows most everywhere in the last months of George W. Bush.<br /><br />Yet it still took forever for Wasserman Schultz to be more open in backing first Martinez, then Garcia and finally Taddeo. She wasted a lot of time being unnecessarily tenacious in backing Hillary Clinton. Then she spoke in favor of Taddeo at a meeting of Florida delegates at the Denver convention, where she somehow also cadged a slot to second Barack Obama’s nomination. Now it’s the last lap before election day, early voting is already under way, and finally Wasserman Schultz is in public at home in Florida before the TV cameras. And not alone.<br /><br />Before I name her companions, here’s the quote:<br /><br /><blockquote>“We need to make sure that we have leaders in the Congress who will stand up and be your voice. To make sure that the middle class ... that they have members of Congress who are in Washington fighting for them. And these three candidates, Raul Martinez, Joe Garcia and Annette Taddeo, are the people that we need to elect so that we can make sure that they do that…<br /><br />“This is the most important election of our lives. We are at a turning point in the United States of America. The wealthy have had their leaders in Washington. The wealthy have been taken care of for a long time. It is time to elect these three candidates to Congress so that we can have a voice for people who have not had one for a very long time.”</blockquote><br /><br />You can see from her words that all three Democratic challengers were in the room with her, Annette Taddeo, Raul Martinez and Joe Garcia, along with Rep. Kendrick Meek. The star in the room was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who for months has been trooping to South Florida doing fund-raisers for Garcia and Martinez. This was her first for Taddeo, I believe, and she also did fundraisers for Garcia and Martinez during a busy day.<br /><br />Taddeo stood beside Wasserman Schultz and served as interpreter for the largely Cuban audience in the Little Havana Center for Activities and Nutrition, a senior center. Joe Garcia handled interpretation duty for Nancy Pelosi, who gave ringing endorsements of all three Democratic challengers, touting Taddeo’s strong business background, Garcia’s work in community organizing and Martinez for his long public service as mayor of Hialeah.<br /><br />It’s time to say Thank You, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. I fervently hope you’re right in guessing that Annette Taddeo is going to win.<br /><br />One last question, though. Those ads that the DCCC is running on TV here … the ones that criticize the Diaz-Balart brothers for their rotten votes in Congress. Why don’t they also mention Ileana Ros-Lehtinen? After all, she voted the same way as the rubber-stamp brothers. The ads run in the very same TV market that serves potential voters for Annette Taddeo. You’re a big wheel in the DCCC. Why, O why, don’t the ads also mention the third rubber-stamper, and maybe give your fellow Democrat a little boost? Why?</div><span class="post-labels"><a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/search/label/Annette%20Taddeo" rel="tag"><br /></a></span>Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-77321173211459540832008-10-20T12:09:00.000-07:002008-10-20T12:12:05.291-07:00FL-18: Annette Taddeo campaigns with big sign<div class="post-body entry-content"> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlzYowImzhy-F9YSY3JKiqz3ETNmP_vmwnNoYsiWzbu_8spQqO3eSKgzcesnjtfQB7C0KedKJ_g_ryuoDHcJbnpCiWiyly7QIMBsWb3RxiwvEUXJvIuH65_B1dhXK1uQS-bVZHRMXBaU/s1600-h/PICT0010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlzYowImzhy-F9YSY3JKiqz3ETNmP_vmwnNoYsiWzbu_8spQqO3eSKgzcesnjtfQB7C0KedKJ_g_ryuoDHcJbnpCiWiyly7QIMBsWb3RxiwvEUXJvIuH65_B1dhXK1uQS-bVZHRMXBaU/s400/PICT0010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259251668942899074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Annette Taddeo with a supporter and TV reporter in front of giant sign on wheels.<br /></span><br />My favorite congressional candidate, Annette Taddeo, campaigned Sunday evening with a lively party at Kaffe Krystal in<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span>Kendall<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span>At the end, clipboards were passed around and quite a few people signed up to be Taddeo Troopers -- volunteers for the final push to election day<span style="font-style: italic;">.<br /></span><br />Regular readers will know that I live in FL-18, which Taddeo is fighting to wrest from the rubber-stamp Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. If you, too, live in FL-18, look for this sign being towed around your neighborhood.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">UPDATE: </span></span></span><span id="EC_role_document" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: Poor Richard;"><span style="font-family: 'Poor Richard';"><span>The Obama campaign chimed in for Annette on Mnday, sending an email to some of us in District 18 urging that we help her campaign.<br /><br />The email said:<br /></span>You can change politics in this country at every level -- up and down the ballot.<br /><br />Our records show that you live in Florida's 18th district.<br /><br />There's a candidate in Florida who's working to bring the change this country needs, and that candidate is Annette Taddeo. Get involved and help bring change now.<br /><br /> <strong>Annette Taddeo</strong> for Congress:<br /> <a title="http://www.votetaddeo.com/" href="http://www.votetaddeo.com/" target="_blank">Visit the website</a><br /><br />Don't wait until Election Day to support Taddeo. Get involved today to make sure Florida has a strong representative to take our country in a new direction.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Obama for America<br /><br />P.S. -- To get involved with Obama for America in your community, visit your state page:<br /><br /><strong><a title="http://.barackobama.com/" href="http://.barackobama.com/" target="_blank">http://.barackobama.com</a></strong><br /></span></span></span></blockquote><span><br />This teamwork is great!</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span> </div> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard"> Posted by <span class="fn">Larry Thorson</span> </span> <span class="post-timestamp"> at <a class="timestamp-link" href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/10/fl-18-annette-taddeo-campaigns-with-big.html" rel="bookmark" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" title="2008-10-20T11:01:00-04:00">11:01 AM</abbr></a> </span> <span class="post-comment-link"> <a class="comment-link" href="comment.g?blogID=32081099&postID=2889334403253705509" onclick="">0 comments</a> </span> <span class="post-icons"> <span class="item-action"> <a href="email-post.g?blogID=32081099&postID=2889334403253705509" title="Email Post"> <img alt="" class="icon-action" src="img/icon18_email.gif" width="18" height="13" /> </a> </span> <span class="item-control blog-admin pid-846329465"> <a href="post-edit.g?blogID=32081099&postID=2889334403253705509" title="Edit Post"> <img alt="" class="icon-action" src="img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" width="18" height="18" /> </a> </span> </span> </div> <span class="post-labels"> </span>Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-41948862711598251062008-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:002008-10-18T21:54:20.001-07:00Fla. Dems Good on Environment, Reps Not So Much<a href="http://capwiz.com/lcv/dbq/vote_info/?command=results&state=FL&chamber=&session=1102&sort=Score%2CName&submit.x=11&submit.y=13&submit=go">The League of Conservation Voters</a> released their scorecards for Congress. Can you guess what the pattern is? Of Florida Republicans, only Ileana Ros-Lehtinen does as good as any Democrat and that's only one person. Beyond that, all Democrats do way better than all Republicans. No shocker there.<br /><br />Alcee Hastings (D), 92%<br />Ron Klein (D), 92%<br />Timothy Mahoney (D), 92%<br />Kendrick Meek (D), 92%<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), 92%<br />Bill Nelson (D), 91%<br />F. Allen Boyd (D), 85%<br />Corrine Brown (D), 85%<br />Kathy Castor (D), 85%<br />Robert Wexler (D), 69%<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R), 69%<br />Vern Buchanan (R), 62%<br />Gus Bilirakis (R), 38%<br />Ginny Brown-Waite (R), 38%<br />Mario Diaz-Balart (R), 38%<br />C.W. Bill Young (R), 38%<br />Mel Martinez (R), 36%<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R), 31%<br />Ander Crenshaw (R), 15%<br />Ric Keller (R), 15%<br />Connie Mack (R), 8%<br />John Mica (R), 8%<br />Adam Putnam (R), 8%<br />Dave Weldon (R), 8%<br />Tom Feeney (R), 0%<br />Jeff Miller (R), 0%<br />Cliff Stearns (R), 0%Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-27068870409274557162008-10-13T11:13:00.000-07:002008-10-13T11:14:54.063-07:00From the BlogsDiscourse.net: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/discourse/~3/417461450/video_taddeo_smacks_down_ileana_roslehtinen_on_social_security.html">Video: Taddeo Smacks Down Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Social Security</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/10/fl-18-another-reason-to-reject.html">FL-18: Another reason to reject the incumbent and vote for Annette Taddeo</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/10/fl-18-annette-taddeo-instructs.html">FL-18: Annette Taddeo instructs incumbent on Social Security</a><br /><br />Daily Kos: <a href="http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/IZ_tGzeoWoY/626922">FL-18, FL-25: Bushraiser III</a><br /><br />Daily Kos: <a href="http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/C1IUOFJM-Tg/626334">FL-18, FL-25: Bushraiser II</a><br /><br />Daily Kos: <a href="http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/RyBL27Dv6OU/626258">FL-18, FL-25: Bushraiser</a><br /><br />Daily Kos: <a href="http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/8XLycEeU2UI/625830">FL-18: Ileana Ros-Lehtinen thinks people don’t like Social Security</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/10/dailykos-takes-up-donation-drive-for.html">DailyKos takes up donation drive for Joe Garcia and Annette Taddeo</a><br /><br />Ybor City Stogie: <a href="http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/three-amigos-vs-dynamic-duo.html">The Three Amigos vs. The Dynamic Duo</a><br /><br />Discourse.net: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/discourse/~3/416421686/local_congressional_race_update.html">Local Congressional Race Update</a><br /><br />AMERICAblog: <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Americablog/~3/415880952/in-florida-ileana-ros-lehtinen-sticks.html">In Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen sticks with Bush/McCain on privatizing social security</a><br /><br />Blue Herald 2.0: <a href="http://blueherald.com/2008/10/ileana-ros-lehtinen-finds-time-to-get-her-ass-kicked/">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Finds Time to Get Her Ass Kicked</a><br /><br />Down With Tyranny: <a href="http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2008/10/south-florida-6-candidates-debate-and-1.html">South Florida: 6 Candidates Debate And 1 Gets Caught Up In A Major Bribery Scandal</a><br /><br />South Florida Daily Blog: <a href="http://southfloridadailyblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/ileana-ros-lehtinen-is-criminal.html">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Is A Criminal</a><br /><br />Ybor City Stogie: <a href="http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/ileana-ros-lehtinen-and-george-bush-are.html">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen And George Bush Are Two Peas In A Pod</a><br /><br />Ybor City Stogie: <a href="http://yborcitystogie.blogspot.com/2008/10/ileana-ros-lehtinen-now-supporting.html">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Now Supporting The Great Swindle of 2008</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-40243402818369508912008-10-13T08:07:00.000-07:002008-10-13T08:08:41.237-07:00Another reason to vote for Annette Taddeo<div class="entry"> <p>Michael Froomkin has posted on his superb blog, <a href="http://www.discourse.net/archives/2008/10/state_gop_starts_the_sliming_and_fearmongering.html">Discourse.net</a>, a denunciation of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Florida Republican Party for the slimy mailer going out to Congressional District 18. It accuses us Democrats of surrendering to terrorists — what else do they have in their bag of dirty Republican tricks?!?</p> <p>There’s an image of the mailer at the link above to Discourse.net, and I’ll encourage traffic thataway by not showing the rotten thing on this blog. It’s also being picked up nationally by <a href="http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/terror-party-by-digby-michael-froomkin.html">Hullabaloo</a>, where Digby is encouraging a response by donating to Annette Taddeo’s campaign to unseat Ros-Lehtinen. I’ll second that with a <a href="http://annette2008.com/">helpful URL.</a></p> <p>Though I also live in FL-18, this mailer hasn’t hit me yet. But my dining table is starting to groan under the weight of the lies rolling in from Ros-Lehtinen’s campaign. This weekend came one extolling her for “helping middle class home owners, improve our health care system, invest in alternative and efficient energy sources and facilitate an affordable college education for our youth.” All the stuff she doesn’t do.</p> <p>And there’s a photo of her with her family and the slogan, “Together we will make the necessary changes.”</p> <p>Y’all catch the “changes” that she’s asserting? Beware, there’s no mention of retiring her rubber stamp.</p> <p>By contrast, mailers from Annette Taddeo are factual and persuasive. I can only hope that people have their minds open as they decide how to vote</p> </div>Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-37314742313585856862008-10-12T17:29:00.000-07:002008-10-12T17:32:04.944-07:00Republicans Don't Support Troops As Well As DemsCheck out the latest scorecards from Disabled American Veterans and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?r_id=3483">DAV</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, 100<br />Allen Boyd, 100<br />Corrine Brown, 100<br />Kendrick Meek, 100<br />Robert Wexler, 100<br />Debbie Wasserman Schultz, 100<br />Alcee Hastings, 100<br /><br />Mel Martinez, 60<br />Jeff Miller, 66<br />Ander Crenshaw, 66<br />Ginny Brown-Waite, 66<br />Cliff Stearns, 66<br />John Mica, 66<br />Ric Keller, 50<br />C.W. Bill Young, 66<br />Adam Putnam, 66<br />Connie Mack, 66<br />David Weldon, 66<br />Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 66<br />Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 66<br />Tom Feeney, 66<br />Mario Diaz-Balart, 66<br /><br />Notice a pattern here? All of the Dems have 100%, while none of the Republicans has anything better than a mid-range "D." So much for supporting disabled troops.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.capwiz.com/iava/dbq/officials/directory/statedel.dbq?state=FL&print=yes">IAVA</a>:<br /><br />Bill Nelson, A+<br />Allen Boyd, A<br />Corrine Brown, A<br />Kathy Castor, A<br />Timothy Mahoney, A<br />Kendrick Meek, B<br />Robert Wexler, A<br />D. Wasserman Schultz, A+<br />Ron Klein, A+<br />Alcee Hastings, A<br /><br />Mel Martinez, B<br />Jeff Miller, B<br />Ander Crenshaw, B<br />G. Brown-Waite, B<br />Cliff Stearns, B<br />John Mica, B<br />Ric Keller, A<br />Gus Bilirakis, A<br />C.W. Bill Young, B<br />Adam Putnam, C<br />Vern Buchanan, B<br />Connie Mack, B<br />Dave Weldon, C<br />I. Ros-Lehtinen, A<br />L. Diaz-Balart, B<br />Tom Feeney, B<br />M. Diaz-Balart, B<br /><br />Republicans do a little better on this one, with Keller, Bilirakis and Ros-Lehtinen all getting an "A." Dems still do better, Meek has the lowest grade on our side of the aisle, and he still has a "B." The only "A+" grades amongst Florida's delegation are Dems and the only grades below "B" are all Republicans. Again, which party actually supports the troops?Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-7936176687085206702008-10-10T20:46:00.000-07:002008-10-10T20:49:48.457-07:00FL-18: Annette Taddeo instructs incumbent on Social SecurityThis was a telling moment in this week's forum for congressional candidates. The question was about the future of Social Security. Democratic challenger Annette Taddeo defended it with passion and logic. Then incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen hopped up and asked the audience if they were happy with their return from Social Security.<br /><br />Surprise!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bjyah3WVXTg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bjyah3WVXTg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />How out of touch can she be? This was on a day when the stock market tanked after tanking the day before. Big headlines. No hint that Ros-Lehtinen saw the foot heading for her mouth, even though it was hers.<br /><br />One of Annette Taddeo's top qualifications for Congress is that she's not a politician, but rather a successful owner of a thriving business providing language services. More of her sort of expertise is badly needed in the U.S. House, and out with the unthinking rubber-stamps who need to look at their scripts to know what to say.Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-15439441523749565882008-10-09T18:41:00.000-07:002008-10-09T18:43:04.922-07:00Miami Debate<a href="http://video.nbc6.net/player/?id=736581">Video of the Miami congressional candidates debate with Annette Taddeo, Joe Garcia and Raul Martinez</a>.Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-2257321229439600602008-10-06T20:30:00.000-07:002008-10-06T20:51:28.040-07:00Great New Ad From Annette TaddeoCheck it out:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OfsY1swN1T0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OfsY1swN1T0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-40183935407801894642008-09-30T15:03:00.000-07:002008-09-30T15:14:00.442-07:00FL-21, FL-25: Good news for Martinez and Garcia campaignsHere we are at five weeks to election day – meaning three weeks to start of early voting – and the momentum looks positive for the Raul Martinez and Joe Garcia challenges to the Diaz-Balart rubber-stamps.<br /><br />Very proud, the Martinez campaign announced a promotion by one of the handicappers on Tuesday. No longer “lean Republican” to the<a href="http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.blogspot.com/2008/09/2008-house-ratings_30.html"> Rothenberg Political Report</a>, this race in FL-21 now is “Pure Toss-Up.”<br /><br />” The race's inclusion as one of only ten races in the country ranked as ‘Pure Toss-Up’ signifies that this race is more competitive than ever,” the Martinez campaign said.<br /><br />That doesn’t make it easy. Incumbent Lincoln Diaz-Balart has run an ad about as sleazy as they come, and Raul Martinez is <a href="http://raul2008.com">asking donors</a> to help in the stretch to Election Day. You can see how Miami’s Channel 10 skewered the ad in a <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/09/sofla-house-races-plagued-by-false-tv.html">post a few days ago</a> on this blog.<br /><br />And at Joe Garcia’s shop – also contending with gross distortions from Mario Diaz-Balart’s ads – they’re announcing good news from another of the handicappers, Real Clear Politics, which is calling the race in FL-25 one of the most competitive House races in the country.<br /><br />This race, according to the Rothenberg Political Report (linked above), is still in the “lean Republican” category. But there’s yet another piece of good news for Joe Garcia. Mario DB is polling below 50%, which is a classic sign of trouble for incumbent members of Congress. If I recall correctly, this has been true for several months, so the incumbent has not done himself any good with his crummy ads (also linked in the same post as for Raul Martinez).<br /><br />Here’s part of a statement from the Joe Garcia campaign:<br /><br /> <blockquote>A poll that was conducted by a non-partisan firm was recently released that shows Mario Diaz-Balart is only getting 45% support, and that Joe Garcia is polling within the margin of error. As you know, “polling under 50 percent generally spells trouble for incumbents.” [Rasmussen Reports, 9/22/2008].<br /><br /> This explains why MDB is running scared and has resorted to lying about Joe Garcia's record of fighting for Florida's families. The fact that a career politician like Mario Diaz-Balart is polling below 50% provides proof that South Florida is ready for a change. The poll also states that Joe Garcia's favorability is higher than Mario Diaz-Balart’s.<br /></blockquote><br />Don’t forget that <a href="http://joegarcia08.com">Joe needs money</a>, too.<br /><br />Speaking of momentum, my favorite Congressional candidate, Annette Taddeo in FL-18 where I live, is advertising on radio and TV, so I expect her to start taking big bites out of incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. Taddeo is getting help from the national Democratic Party establishment, having been promoted to the Red to Blue list of top Democratic challengers, and her internal polls have shown for months that the incumbent has meager support. Once voters see and hear the ads for Taddeo, they will realize there’s a powerful challenge and bid Ros-Lehtinen an unfond farewell.<br /><br />Taddeo has been getting coverage in <a href="http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2008/09/taddeo-to-ros-1.html">the Miami Herald</a> and in <a href="http://www.keysnet.com/news/story/25004.html">the Florida Keys</a>, so the word is getting out. Now it’s time to step on the gas, and that’s what the campaign is doing. You can pitch in with money and time. Sign up at <a href="http://annette2008.com/">Annette2008.com</a>.Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-69252285190257620862008-09-25T19:52:00.000-07:002008-09-25T19:54:36.959-07:00Meet the Patriot Corps Staffer Assigned to the Taddeo Campaign<img src="http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/patriot-corps/2008-pc-headshots/kento-azegami.jpg" alt="Kento" /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.progressivepatriotsfund.com/patriot-corps/meet-the-2008-patriot-corps.html">Kento Azegami</a>: "I am a sophomore at Portland State University, majoring in Political Science. I am happily engaged to my boyfriend Kyle. In 2004 I worked, as a campus organizer for the 21st Century Democrats Young Voter Project. I've interned with Basic Rights Oregon and worked as a lead canvasser for Larry Galizio for State Representative. I have served as President of the College Democrats of Portland State University and as the President of the Oregon Federation of College Democrats."Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-25799011007914969492008-09-25T18:09:00.001-07:002008-09-25T18:09:38.264-07:00First Ad Up from Annette Taddeo<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8F3Oje9VBhA&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8F3Oje9VBhA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />In Spanish:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep6qT1n2o1Q&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ep6qT1n2o1Q&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-74807448287902418962008-09-24T21:17:00.000-07:002008-09-24T21:19:41.713-07:00From the BlogsIncertus (Brian): <a href="http://incertus.blogspot.com/2008/09/annette-taddeo-better-democrat.html">Annette Taddeo: A Better Democrat</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/09/candidate-annette-taddeo-and-us-rep.html">Candidate Annette Taddeo and US Rep Hilda Solis on the economy</a><br /><br />madfloridian: <a href="http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/2753">Jeb Bush, Ileana Ros Lehtinen, and Orlando Bosch...strange companions</a><br /><br />Miami-Dade Dems: <a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/2008/09/good-prospects-for-three-democrats-in.html">Good prospects for three Democrats in South Florida congressional races</a>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-82271597937063075362008-09-22T15:08:00.000-07:002008-09-22T15:09:01.728-07:00Taddeo Not Happy About Bailout<a href="http://openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=8396">They aren't happy</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote><br />We will not be forced into acting on a $700 billion bill without even examining what the bill does. The American people need protection so that this emergency does not turn into a boondoggle give-away to corporate insiders. Congress should send President Bush a bill that includes transaction standards, independent oversight, protections for homeowners, and constraints on excessive executive compensation.<br /><br />The bill is inadequate because while doing nothing for homeowners, it gives the Treasury Department a blank check for Wall Street - it authorizes purchases "on such terms and conditions as determined by the [Administration]." There would be no guidelines, no standards, no conditions. The Treasury would be permitted to purchase assets at any price it wanted, even if it provided a huge profit to the same corporate entities that got us into this mess in the first place, entities like commercial banks, investment banking firms - even hedge funds -- that have acted recklessly or worse.<br /><br />I oppose, and call on Ileana Ros-Lehtinen to oppose - the Bush Administration's proposed legislation giving the Treasury the power to spend up to $700 billion to buy "mortgage-related assets" from U.S.-based financial institutions, until the proposed bill is strengthened to protect homeowners, and to protect the American taxpayer from sweetheart deals, cronyism and outright waste.<br /><br />Finally, if the bailout is to be expanded to cover foreign-headquartered companies, then our allies must share the burden. Unfortunately, after seven and a half years of Cowboy diplomacy and a war in Iraq based on lies, we have little if any leverage left with our allies. They have no desire and little incentive to help us in our moment of need. It is time for a new beginning.<br /></blockquote>Professor Rexhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11374968423825724660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7848797748005296519.post-11276810297716092302008-09-22T11:24:00.000-07:002008-09-22T11:25:24.266-07:00Candidate Annette Taddeo and US Rep Hilda Solis on the economy<div class="post hentry"> <a name="7926982534254462980"></a> <h3 class="post-title entry-title"> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/scripts/pokkariPlayer.js?ver=2008010901"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/syndication/write_player?skin=js&posts_id=1290507&source=3&autoplay=true&file_type=flv&player_width=&player_height="></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/scripts/url.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://blip.tv/scripts/AC_OETags.js"></script> <a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/Miamibeachlarry-CandidateAnnetteTaddeoAndUSRepHildaSolisOnTheEconomy719.wmv" onclick="play_blip_movie_1290507(); return false;"><img alt="Video thumbnail. Click to play" src="http://blip.tv/file/get/Miamibeachlarry-CandidateAnnetteTaddeoAndUSRepHildaSolisOnTheEconomy719.wmv.jpg" title="Click to play" border="0" /></a> <br /></h3> <div class="post-body entry-content"><center><div id="blip_movie_content_1290507"> <a rel="enclosure" href="http://blip.tv/file/get/Miamibeachlarry-CandidateAnnetteTaddeoAndUSRepHildaSolisOnTheEconomy719.wmv" onclick="play_blip_movie_1290507(); return false;">Click to Play</a> </div> </center><div class="blip_description">Annette Taddeo, Democratic challenger in FL-18, and U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis, CA-32, address the economic crisis in remarks near downtown Miami. Building in background is office of Foreclosure Relief System.</div> </div> <div class="post-footer"> <div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"><span class="post-author vcard"> </span><span class="post-labels"><a href="http://miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com/search/label/US%20House" rel="tag"></a> </span> </div></div></div>Larry Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04284375501317089828noreply@blogger.com