Feed.TheHungryHead.com
The U.S. Chamber’s very bad lobbying day.
June 4, 2009 Politics, U.S. Law and Policy No CommentsThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce really stepped in it yesterday.
The multi-million dollar corporate group flew in hundreds of CEOs and
other businesspeople to pressure your senators into doing nothing to
help working people. But boy, did it not go well for the U.S. Chamber.
Two of their priority senators both issued public statements after
meeting with the U.S. Chamber saying that they are open to debate on
labor law reform - exactly what the U.S. Chamber is fighting against.
Let’s seize this opportunity. Write to your senators now and let them
know that they should stand with working people, not the greedy CEOs
represented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/chamberlobbying
The U.S. Chamber is backed by some of the biggest corporations in
America. Now they’re spending millions of dollars to stop corporations
from being held accountable.
Just yesterday the U.S. Chamber placed a newspaper ad in Washington, DC
riddled with lies, hypocrisy, and misconceptions about the Employee
Free Choice Act. In short, they’re fighting to make sure only greedy
CEOs can have contracts - and that working people can’t.
But the U.S. Chamber’s CEO lobby day went so poorly that we a chance to
push back and make clear to the senate that working people need help -
and they need it now.
Send your message to the Senate now.
http://action.seiu.org/page/speakout/chamberlobbying
Thanks for all you do.
In solidarity,
Michael Whitney
Change that Works
SEIU.org—-
Introducing Judge Sonia Sotomayor:
May 28, 2009 Obama, Politics, U.S. Law and Policy, Women No CommentsBorn and raised in a South Bronx public housing project to Puerto
Rican parents, Sotomayor has distinguished herself in academia, as a
big-city prosecutor, and as a leading figure on the federal bench. If
confirmed, Judge Sotomayor would start with more federal judicial
experience than any new Justice in 100 years.
First appointed to the Federal District Court by President George
H.W. Bush, and then elevated to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals by
President Bill Clinton, Judge Sotomayor is widely admired as one the
finest legal minds in America today. As a trail-blazing Latina whose
career has spanned nearly every aspect of the law, Judge Sotomayor will
show fidelity to the Constitution while bringing to the Court a common
sense understanding of how our laws affect the daily realities of
people’s lives.
Fire them
April 8, 2009 Finance, Politics No CommentsNew letter from MoveOn.org
I say we can only see what is in those cooked books ONLY WHEN THOSE WHO CAUSED THE MESS ARE REMOVED FROM HIDING THOSE BOOKS.
They only stand in the way of a full investigation. As for paying them to stay, that’s absurd.
They broke it, want taxpayers to fix it before they will let the banks flow again.
They are the problem, not the solution. Fire them, claw back the bonuses, and lets get to the business of looking over what is buried in those toxic assets they want to sell the government.
okay now the letter:
Last week the Obama administration took tough, decisive action with the
auto industry, forcing the resignation of the CEO of General Motors.
The president knows that we can’t trust the same folks who got us into
this mess to help lead us out.
It’s time to do the same for the banks. And the best way to start is by
firing Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis. He’s the worst of the worst.
Lewis’s poor management helped ruin his company and our economy.
Shareholders are calling him “reckless” and citing “disastrous missteps.”1
Worse, Lewis accepted $45 billion in taxpayer bailout funds, but instead
of using all the money to get the economy going again, he let $3.6 billion
go to bonuses for top execs.2
There can’t be real reform on Wall Street until the CEOs who brought down
the banks we had to bail out are long gone.
Can you sign our petition asking Treasury Secretary Geithner replace the
leadership at bailed out banks–starting with Ken Lewis? Clicking here
adds your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/lewis//o.pl?id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
The petition says: “We can’t trust the same people who got us into this
financial mess to help lead us out. Replace the leadership at the
bailed-out banks, starting with Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis.”
Lewis is the CEO of the biggest bank in the United States.3 If Secretary
Geithner forces him to resign, it’ll send a strong message to the rest of
Wall St.: The era of zero accountability is over and reckless behavior
that puts our economy at risk won’t be tolerated.
Of all the folks who helped bring about the recession, Lewis is one of the
worst:
* Shareholders say he helped drive the company into the ground. Bank of
America has lost billions–and 90% of its value–in part because Lewis
“hastily arranged the ill-considered acquisition” of Merrill Lynch.4
* Even after the crisis, he hasn’t changed his ways. He ensured that
high-level staff received bonuses–despite recent announcements that
the bank was laying off another 35,000 employees.5
* On top of all this, he’s fighting against more rights for workers.
Three days after receiving $25 billion in bailout money, Bank of
America brought together powerful banking interests to figure out how
to defeat the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that makes it easier
for workers to form unions.6
Ken Lewis has got to go. And we need to look closely at the other
bailed-out banks that may need new leadership too.
Our friends at Service Employees International Union (the country’s
fastest-growing union) have been leading this campaign for a few
weeks–and they’re building momentum quickly. If hundreds of thousands of
us act, together, we’ll be impossible to ignore. Please sign today!
http://pol.moveon.org/lewis//o.pl?id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
Thanks for all you do.
–Daniel, Patrick S., Eli, Lenore and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Investment group calls on BofA to fire Ken Lewis,” WCNC, March 5, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51294&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
“Union to B of A: Fire Ken Lewis or Risk a Shareholder Revolt,” Talking
Points Memo, March 5, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51295&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
2. “Thain tells investigators BofA’s Ken Lewis knew of bonuses,” CNN
Money, February 20, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51285&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
3. “Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis scores another deal,” Fortune, September
15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51289&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
4. “Investment group calls on BofA to fire Ken Lewis,” WCNC, March 5, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51294&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
5. “Ken Lewis, What’s Really in Your Company’s Best Interest?” SEIU Blog,
February 12, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51290&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
6. “Bailout Recipients Hosted Call to Defeat Key Labor Bill,” Huffington
Post, January 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51292&id=15895-9659800-jPqmlRx&t
Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 5 million
members–no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny
staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
Member of the European Parliament DANIEL Hannan
March 27, 2009 Politics No CommentsDevalued Prime Minister Gordon Brown
He is upset yet very composed while he gives Gordon Brown a dose of reality as we (meaning the G-20) “sail” into these economic trouble waters together.
