Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) has spoken out about Republican abuse of the filibuster to obstruct absolutely anything the Democrats want. This time he's criticizing Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) for repeatedly blocking the basic work of the Senate for purely partisan reasons.
The Kentucky Republican battled Democrats on the Senate floor Tuesday to block two nominations to relatively backbench positions -- because he is opposed to a tobacco-related law passed by the Canadian Parliament (that's right, the Canadian Parliament). The use of such delaying tactics is not unprecedented in Senate history, but holding up such minor business stretches the purpose of the Senate's open debate rules to the breaking point.
"This is a perversion of the filibuster and a perversion of the role of the Senate. It used to be that the filibuster was reserved for matters of great principle," said Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) from the well of the Senate. "Some of my colleagues seem more interested in using every procedural method possible to keep the Senate from doing anything than they are in creating jobs or helping Americans struggling in a difficult economy."
(Huffington Post)
"I made Sen. Leahy late for a Judiciary Committee meeting," Franni Franken began. Franni is Sen. Al Franken's wife. "At Christmas during the healthcare debates and Snowmageddon, I brought in my pumpkin bread and freshly baked bread. Everybody really liked it."
Al said 'wait 'til you have her pie' so I recently brought a few in," she continued. "They were all so focused on eating they forgot about the time and they were all late for the Judiciary Committee meeting."
"I'm curious, I can't wait to see it," Franni replied. "I've heard that they've done other comics of politicians, a lot of them. I will say that they never consulted me. I hope they portray him as the hero that I see him as."
Of course, we had to talk about healthcare reform. Franni has always been confident that we'd pass something. I've never shared her faith we'd get anything, I'm way too cynical. While we both agree that we're not going to get a perfect bill, she had this to say:
"I think that once we get healthcare reform passed, everybody will see how great it is."
We agree that once we get something passed, no Republican would dare oppose it like only a few (like Bachmann) would call for repealing Social Security and Medicare.
"I'm just hoping they get it done by recess," she said. "It's the end of March covering Passover and Easter. It'll be nice to have a week off and then a week back in Minnesota."
Although his election was the very definition of "squeaker," Sen. Franken has managed to thread another needle since taking office: he's demonstrated a commitment to working hard on behalf of all Minnesotans while also being a strong advocate for the progressive policies in which he believes.
And now he'll be the closing keynote speaker at this year's Netroots Nation convention in Las Vegas.
The event will, as it has for several years now, bring together basically the entire progressive netroots for several days of panel discussions, trainings, and networking over four days in July.
From the release published by the Netroots Nation team this morning:
Sen. Franken and interested observers saw firsthand what democracy and fair elections are all about last year when his Senate race was the subject of a state-wide comprehensive recount. Since his swearing in, Sen. Franken has been a strong advocate for progressive policies, speaking out in favor of a public option, cutting oil subsidies and slashing interest rates for student loans.
"Even during the recount, we knew Sen. Franken would be a fighter," said Raven Brooks, executive director of Netroots Nation. "Whether he's fighting for health care or education, he's shown that he represents American families and isn't afraid to stand up for strong progressive values."
Organizers say that's why they chose Sen. Franken to close out the fifth annual convention.
Some of you may remember last year's Netroots Minnesota conference, which we put together in conjunction with the Netroots Nation organization. The national conference is due back in the Midwest in 2011, and it would be downright grand if our junior Senator were on hand to help announce that the Big Kahuna is coming to Minnesota next year. But that may be getting ahead of ourselves -- who's up for a Vegas trip this July?
I use the words "interesting" and "fascinating" with what could reasonably be characterized as reckless abandon when it comes to politics -- and with good reason, thank you very much.
This time it's the current state of the health insurance reform effort. Back from the brink of death is the public option, with more than half of the Democratic Senators necessary having already signed on to an effort to pass fixes to the Senate bill via reconciliation in conjunction with the House passing the existing Senate bill verbatim and then "ping-ponging" the fixes over to President Obama's desk.
Got all that?
Sen. Al Franken breaks it down thusly in an email blast sent last night:
This week President Obama asked Congress to stand strong and finish the job of fixing our busted health insurance system. I couldn't agree more, and now we've got a plan to get this done.
I'm calling this strategy "Pledge & Pass," and it's a simple, two-step plan for passing meaningful health insurance reform. I believe it's our job as public servants to actually serve the public, and ending the suffering of millions of Americans under our current system is exactly what our constituents expect and deserve.
Here's the plan.
Step 1. United States Senators pledge to fix elements of the bill that are not acceptable to many House members, and the House pass the Senate bill as is.
Step 2. We in the Senate fulfill our pledge to the House, fix the elements that need fixing, and pass this critical legislation through a filibuster-proof budget process known as reconciliation.
This effort breaks all the "rules" we learned about in Civics 101 back in Junior High -- with all these procedural tactics for getting the damned thing done, and the year of posturing and political ninjitsu, who knows how it even relates to all those legislative procedures we dutifully learned were handed down to us by the Founding Fathers?
The bigger point, however, is that it's happening. Finally, after all the recriminations and Tea Party nonsense and polls and media blitzes and everything else -- the effort is finally being undertaken by leaders who are beginning to realize that getting the job done is the best political move of all. And it's forcing Senators and Representatives to work together, even before a conference committee, to make the whole machine sputter, cough, squeal, and finally rumble to life.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) announced two important things today. First, that the jobs bill, the HIRE Act, passed the Senate and awaits President Obama's signature. Second, that he's introduced corporate bankruptcy legislation that protects the workers. Let's begin with his statement about the HIRE Act:
"Today's 70 to 28 vote in favor of creating jobs is a great step forward for the Senate and for Minnesota. Turning our economy around will require real leadership and real commitment. That's what Minnesotans deserve. I'm happy to have taken this first step and I'm looking forward to continuing this important work. We need to incentivize new hires, strengthen our safety net, and get help to Main Street where it's needed most."
(Franken press release email)
Here's what he had to say about the corporate bankruptcy bill:
Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) joined Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) in introducing legislation to curb abuses that deprive employees and retirees of their earnings and retirement savings when businesses collapse. The Protecting Employees and Retirees in Business Bankruptcies Act would make several changes to Chapter 11 bankruptcy law, putting workers interests near the top when companies file for bankruptcy.
"It's critical that employees and retirees are protected when the company they've worked for ends up in bankruptcy," said Sen. Franken. "Minnesotans don't want workers to lose out when a company reorganizes. We've seen that happen too many times, especially on the Iron Range. In this tough economic climate, preserving jobs and retiree benefits must be a priority."
"American workers and retirees who give their lives to a company are too often treated like strangers when their employer files bankruptcy," said Sen. Durbin. "This bill says that if a company goes bankrupt, employees and retirees won't take a back seat to creditors and executive bonuses."
(Franken email press release)
(We need politicians that stand up and take a strong stand - you know, that show a spine. And Al Franken does just that on a LOT of issues - it's great to see Al leading on this issue, too. - promoted by TwoPuttTommy)
Sunday, February 21, 2010, Minneapolis United Labor Center, Al Franken spoke to hundreds of angry citizens about health care reform. They weren't angry at him; the anger is toward the out of touch Congress and it's employer, the insurance industry. Al relayed his story about meeting with the Tea Partiers at the State Fair and said that they were angry, voices from the audience shouted, " We're angry too!
Video of the faces of health care reform:
Al presented an optimistic face commenting that, We cant let the perfect be the enemy of the very good."
Sadly, the so-called Democratic Congressional leadership today claims, "We don't have the votes for the public option." That's Washington speak for the insurance company payoffs are working. Millions of dollars trumps 65% of the American public. Isn't democracy wonderful?
(Reports of the health care reform effort's demise have been greatly exaggerated. - promoted by Joe Bodell)
Over five hundred people -- armed with banners, signs, and stories of health insurance industry abuse -- rallied at the Minneapolis United Labor Center Sunday afternoon to demonstrate that people across the country want Congress to deliver on the change people voted for by finishing comprehensive health care right.
The rally's keynote was delivered by U.S. Senator Al Franken, who earlier this week, had signed on to a letter asking Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to use the budget reconciliation process to pass the public option. Reconciliation would require only fifty Senate votes, plus the Vice-President, and has given many people hope that passage of a public option may still be possible.
In opening remarks, Bill McCarthy, President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, praised Franken for his leadership on federal health care reform and called the Senator "a fighter and champion of Minnesota's working families." McCarthy said "workers across the country are at the mercy of insurance companies' soaring premiums, denied claims and inflated profits. It's time Washington listened to those that elected them, not corporate insurers."
Franken took the stage to thunderous applause midway through the rally. Citing insurance industry profits which continue to rise despite a weak economy, Franken told the packed hall "I think you know why they're fighting us." He warned that people "can't let the perfect be the enemy of the very, very good" referencing tea party protesters who picketed outside the hall. Promising to fight to make sure health care costs are lowered and quality goes up for all Americans, Franken concluded saying "All I can tell you is we're going to get this done."
Rally attendees included members of the Minnesota Health Care for America NOW (HCAN) coalition, Organizing for America (OFA), MoveOn, ISAIAH, labor and progressive organizations. Sunday's attendees were united in the need for Congress to rein in corporate greed, create more jobs, protect workers' rights and achieve comprehensive, affordable health care for all Americans.
The rally was part of a week-long nationwide push insisting Congress act now on health care reform and listen to everyday Americans, and not insurance industry lobbyists who have spent record amounts to block health care reform and protect their profits. Sharon Sund of MoveOn told the crowd "enough is enough. Congress has been debating health care reform for over a year. We voted for change and we want results now."
The Minneapolis event precedes a bi-partisan, televised health reform summit scheduled with President Obama on Thursday.
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) joined seven of his colleagues and signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging him to bring a public option to a vote using reconciliation. This always was the only way we were going to pass meaningful healthcare reform out of the US Senate. Hopefully, Reid will follow the lead of the real leaders of the Senate.
"Minnesotans aren't content to wait and see when it comes to fixing our broken health care system," said Sen. Franken. "They're concerned about rising costs and losing coverage. A strong public option is one of the best ways to bring down costs, hold insurance companies accountable, and protect health care coverage for Minnesotans."
(Franken email press release)
Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) also signed the letter.
We've been talking about Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and how little she's done for the people in her district. Compare and contrast with Senators Al Franken (D-MN), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Representatives Jim Oberstar (D-MN) and Tim Walz (D-MN). The email announcement came out on Friday, but I figured why bury this on a late Friday afternoon news dump when nobody's paying attention?
Today [last Friday] U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Jim Oberstar and Tim Walz announced that Minnesota will receive $18.7 million to create jobs and train unemployed workers in industries that are being transformed by technology and innovation. The grants are funded through the Department of Labor (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).
When you consider that obstructionist conservatives like Bachmann and Rep. John Kline (R-MN) incessantly talk about eliminating pork, I wonder what they'd say about this grant to help the people suffering the most from the Republican economic policies of the Bush era?
I'll be the first to admit, I think that David Brooks deserves a special spot in the @$$clowns of Journalism Hall of Shame. The man has been so wrong on so many issues for so long ... Iraq, the economy, elections. I'm always stunned that somebody continues to pay this myopic oaf.
Anyhoo ...
I was prepared to get myself all worked up into high dudgeon when I saw that he'd written a piece on Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) on Politablog. But ... as strange and as philosophically painful as this may seem ... I ackchoo ... I accrue ... I .. gasp ... agree ... gasp ... with David Brooks (there ... I said it) on this particular subject.
Franken has been in office for almost a year now and it has become clear over the past month that he has become a vocal and qualified leader and will continue to be for many more years. Everything started with the Joe Lieberman (Lie-berman) incident.
Thie Lie-berman Incident is when Al wouldn't allow Joe an extra 30 seconds or so when Harry Reid had given him the gavel and the instruction that "nobody" goes over their time today.
Brooks goes on to bring up the incident that Politico hyperventilated over last week in which Al expressed his concern over the White House's leadership of healthcare reform. But Brooks frames it in terms of Al being one of the few Democrats in the Senate with any cajones.
Then he seems shocked that Al has proposed actual legislation that would do some good. This time it's Al's bill to prevent cadmium in children's jewelry. The only thing Brooks fails to take into account is this isn't the only bill Al has proposed.
Apparently there are two David Brooks in the world. Funny that I would agree with the one that isn't the clueless, lying, egomaniacal blowhard. So I guess I still retain my low opinion of the NYT Brooks.
But, go get'em MN Brooks. There are a whole lot of good Brooks from MN ... like the late Herb ...
Like most of us, Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) is concerned about the White House's lack of leadership on healthcare reform. Frankly, I'm irate and if Al got mad, that'd be fine by me. Sam Stein of Huffington Post wrote this fact-based upon post based upon anonymous sources:
Shortly after Barack Obama addressed a Senate Democratic caucus meeting and urged them to push health care reform forward, one of the chamber's most progressive members took the president's closest adviser aside and asked him why the White House wasn't doing more to help.
Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) put pointed health-care-related questions to senior adviser David Axelrod following Obama's speech, multiple sources tell the Huffington Post. He was echoed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-V.T.) The gist of their concern was that the administration has not shown enough leadership to get legislation passed through Congress in the wake of the party's defeat in the Massachusetts Senate election. Franken insisted that "he really needed to know if the White House was going to lead," according to one Democratic aide.
Okay, this sound reasonable. Al's concerned, that's good. He stated those concerns to Axelrod ... all good.
Al Franken lays into David Axelrod over health care bill
Being good regurgitators of Republican talking points, Manu Raju and Andy Barr (no relation to the Good Andy Barr who worked for Franken) push the "Angry Al" meme that all Republicans love to push.
Here are the breathless details from their anonymous sources (... maybe just taken from Sam Stein?):
Sen. Al Franken ripped into White House senior adviser David Axelrod this week during a tense, closed-door session with Senate Democrats.
Five sources who were in the room tell POLITICO that Franken criticized Axelrod for the administration's failure to provide clarity or direction on health care and the other big bills it wants Congress to enact.
The sources said Franken was the most outspoken senator in the meeting, which followed President Barack Obama's question-and-answer session with Senate Democrats at the Newseum on Wednesday. But they also said the Minnesotan wasn't the only angry Democrat in the room.
"There was a lot of frustration in there," said a Democratic senator who declined to be identified.
They use words and phrases like "ripped into", "tense", "angry", "most outspoken", "appeared to trigger Franken's anger" to describe Franken.
Politico already has low journalistic standards, but the last three paragraphs of the post really shows what kind Republican stenographers Raju and Barr truly are:
Franken - a comedian turned liberal talk show host - vowed to keep a relatively low profile when he arrived in the Senate over the summer after a protracted legal battle with former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman. But he has developed a reputation among his colleagues as one of the more aggressive personalities on the Hill.
Last November, after Tennessee Republican Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander authored an op-ed in a local paper defending their opposition to a Franken amendment, Franken confronted both men on the floor - and grew particularly irritated with Corker.
He lashed out at Corker and a staff member in a follow-up meeting about the matter, several people said. Franken also clashed with South Dakota Sen. John Thune, No. 4 in GOP leadership, last month in a scathing speech during the health care debate, and staffers have reported other run-ins.
"Let me tell you, I had a very nice seat at the State of the Union address," Franni Franken began. Franni is Sen. Al Franken's wife. "As I was walking to it I saw a young man sitting in the aisle on the steps. Because I visit Walter Reed (Army Medical Center), I have met many, many wounded warriors and I could tell that he had a prosthesis (prosthetic leg). By the way, they make them so well these days that's it's pretty hard to tell, but I could because of all the wounded warriors I've met."
"So I said, obviously you're sitting somewhere in this section and I think you'd probably fit better, be more comfortable, in my seat. Here you go, have my ticket," she continued. "So we exchanged tickets.
Franni was very, very happy that President Obama had made jobs creation one of his top priorities.
"Al promised that creating jobs would be his first, second and third priority," she said. "He's introduced his cash for jobs bill which is modeled on a very successful Minnesota program."
How can you tell when a Republican is lying? In new media terms it's when they type something on their keyboard. The Fightin' 101st keyboard wing of the Minnesota Republican Party, Minnesota Democrats Exposed, is at it again. This time they are spreading a lie that MN Secretary of State Mark Ritchie was Al Franken's guest at the State of the Union.
I personally know this to be a lie because I am going to be talking to Franni Franken about her experience at the SOTU. Aaron Landry has the scoop:
The Minnesota GOP has been shopping around the lie that Mark Ritchie was Al Franken's "guest" at the State of the Union last night. Of course, it's completely false. That doesn't stop Luke Hellier, however:
He links to this piece with the Politico which says:
Did Michael Brodkorb call someone at Politico trying to plant this lie? Was it Luke Hellier?
Politico is not known for it's responsible journalism. They are perfectly happy citing single anonymous sources if the news is breathless enough.
Will Luke Hellier have 2nd or 3rd degree burns from his pants catching on fire?
Twenty-five "Minnesotans for Peace" (including myself) are setting off today for Washington D.C. where we plan to exercise our First Amendment right to "Peaceable Assembly" (before the Supreme Court and the corporations take that right away). We will also exercise our throwing arms a little, too, as we deliver our message in less conventional ways along with other Creative Voices for Non-Violence. We may even take a cue from Muntazer al-Zaidi and throw our peace shoes at the White House!
Of course we'll also be busy with more conventional meetings with our elected congresspersons and Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, pleading with them to take more active roles. (It does not appear that Congress has even declared war, as the Constitution requires.) We'll each be carrying tombstones with the names of Minnesotans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. We've dripped red paint to look like blood and hand-stenciled our group t-shirts. We also sent the following letter to President Obama last week asking for a meeting with him as there is only so much one can say on a shoe and under international law, it's incumbent on all citizens to do what they can to stop torture and other war crimes. At the very least, we will try to be near where Obama gives his State of the Union speech so we can represent the views of the majority of average citizens who want the wars and the war crimes to end.
January 15, 2010
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear President Obama:
On January 26 and 27, over 20 Minnesotans will be traveling to Washington D.C. to participate in the Peaceable Assembly campaign, a national campaign to demand alternatives to U.S. militarism.
We are requesting a meeting with you or a designated staff person as we vigil at the White House on Tuesday, January 26 between 10:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. We ask that you or your designate contact us to arrange this meeting. As citizens, we have the right to speak to our elected officials, including those making these decisions at the highest level.
Your request to spend a record $708 billion for Defense Department funds next year, as well as another $33 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is unconscionable and unacceptable. We call on your administration to 1) cut off funding for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and 2) carry out a prompt end to U.S. combat engagement, and an orderly, prompt withdrawal of all U.S. forces and bases from these countries. -Peace and security in the region will not be gained through a military solution. Former Minnesotan Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, reports that $1,000,000 (the cost to put one U.S. soldier in Afghanistan for a year) would fund the opening of 20 to 30 schools providing education for thousands of Afghani students.
Please meet with us while we are in Washington in order to explain your exit strategy, which must include a plan to provide aid and reconstruction of these countries. Your request to spend nearly $1 trillion on war, death, and destruction is not going to bring peace and prosperity to anyone - in the United States or abroad.
We are suffering through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and spending those funds on war will further damage our economy. It's outrageous to waste so much of our national wealth on war when so many other needs are pressing.
Thank you for your prompt response. You may contact our delegation through: Marie & John Braun (address and contact info) Minneapolis, MN 55412.
Sincerely,
Marie Braun Mary Percich Coleen Rowley
John Braun Angelo Percich Delia Jurek
Diane Haugesag John Schmid Rebecca Kramer
George Pridmore Mickey Patterson Steve Clemens
Ward Brennen Vicki Andrews Joe Palen
Maxine McNamara Mel Thorson Bill Habedank
Grace Kamrath Sue Ann Martinson Audrey Wesley
Duane Kamrath Ann Turner Robert Palmer
We've witnessed how easy it was to start the wars and how very difficult it is to end them. Heaven only knows how many meetings with elected leaders, these last eight years, how many millions of letters, postcards and e-mails have been sent! We've worn out our shoes marching for peace! We've stood in summer and winter with banners and signs over highways and on bridges. We've even snowblogged for peace. We supported political campaigns promising hope and change and we even voted thinking it might help. There's probably a creative limit to what one can do with old shoes and snow, and we, the people, are not so foolish as to believe that we can compete with the big money of the profit-driven military industrial complex or other special interests for war but we remember these words of (former Minnesota cub reporter) Molly Ivins and we must try.
"We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous... We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, "Stop it now!"
"Let me tell you, I had a very nice seat at the State of the Union address," Franni Franken began. Franni is Sen. Al Franken's wife. "As I was walking to it I saw a young man sitting in the aisle on the steps. Because I visit Walter Reed (Army Medical Center), I have met many, many wounded warriors and I could tell that he had a prosthesis (prosthetic leg). By the way, they make them so well these days that's it's pretty hard to tell, but I could because of all the wounded warriors I've met."
Did Michael Brodkorb call someone at Politico trying to plant this lie? Was it Luke Hellier?
