After viewing the clip Lori linked to of Chris Matthews schooling right-wing radio host Kevin James in world history and the definition of appeasement?

I totally want to French kiss Chris Matthews.

Want to honor mothers this week? Take a moment to ask your Congressperson to co-sponsor the just introduced Family Leave Insurance Act of 2008 in honor of Mother’s Day.

If passed, the Family Leave Insurance Act (HR 5873) would provide paid family leave to care for a new child, sick family member, treat their own illness, or deal with an exigency caused by the deployment of a member of the military. With the recent passage of Family Leave Insurance bills in New Jersey and Washington, MomsRising.org members have been gaining momentum. Now it's time to bring that momentum to the national level:

http://www.momsrising.org/Cosponsor_FamilyLeaveInsurance

MomsRising.org members are a make-it-or-break-it force on this issue. Frankly, it's going to take some heavy lifting to get the co-sponsors and momentum this bill needs to pass. But it’s worth the effort. The U.S. is way behind the rest of the world on family leave, and this bill can help us catch up. Here are some quick stats:

• A Harvard/McGill University study of over 170 countries found that only four don’t have some form of paid leave for new moms. The four are the United States, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Liberia;


• Paid family leave has been shown to drop infant mortality by as much as 25%; and,


• Paid family leave has been shown to help narrow the wage penalties mothers face.

This is an important moment to help spark real change.

HERE IS WHAT TWO OF THE BILL'S CO-SPONSORS HAD TO SAY:

We hear a lot of talk about family values in Washington. It is time for Congress to stop just talking about family values and take action that families will actually value. The Family and Medical Leave Act has been a tremendous success, but many workers cannot afford to take unpaid leave. To make the offer real, the U.S. should take the next step by providing paid leave to all workers. I am proud to join fellow Representatives Miller, Woolsey, and Maloney in introducing legislation that, if passed, will mean healthier children, stronger families, and more competitive businesses.
-- Rep. Pete Stark

Family-friendly policies like guaranteed paid leave not only help parents balance work and family, but also improve employers' bottom lines. When workers have the ability to take advantage of these family-friendly policies, their employers benefit from increased recruitment and retention rates, decreased absenteeism and improved productivity.
-- Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee.

EMAIL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TODAY TO GET THEIR SUPPORT FOR FAMILY LEAVE:
http://www.momsrising.org/Cosponsor_FamilyLeaveInsurance

With only a third of precincts reporting, what are you doing calling the race?

Shut the fuck up. Put on some reruns of Happy Days or something and go sit in the corner until all the votes have been counted.

I have three words for you: Dewey defeats Truman.

It's not like a Clinton victory in Pennsylvania has any real meaning. She's still behind in total votes. And if she tries to manipulate the superdelegates? I'm gonna load up my musket and march on Washington, bitches.

I love this so much, I'll even forgive them for having forgotten the L in Pennsylvania.

Via Phillyist's Proofreading Philly.

Sweet, fancy Moses, but this debate makes me want to pull my ears off my head and throw them away.

And I'm a Democrat.

It's sort of taken the fun out of having voted today.

Absentee - I'll be out of town for training next Tuesday.

( The remarks of Senator Barack Obama, delivered today at the National Constitution Center here in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. )

Or just watch it here.

It's gonna be Obama.

Barack Obama is going to be the Democratic candidate for President of the United States.

Wow!

While I wish some of his policies had a little more substance, I'm okay with this.

I love how hopeful he makes people, and how many previously disenfranchised voters now feel, what, enfranchised? Franchised? Like they own a Dunkin' Donuts? Whatever.

Now the question is who he'll choose as his running mate.

Edwards would be great, but I don't think he'll do it.

The Democratic governor of Virginia would be a smart pick.

I like Bill Richardson. He's smart and experienced, and he'd help counter McCain's regional appeal. But two minorities on the ticket might scare some of the wrong-er right-wingers into coming out to the polls.

You know what I'd kinda love? Obama-Gore. Not that he'd do it, either.

The only thing that scares me is the possibility of McCain choosing someone like Colin Powell. Or, worse still, Condi Rice (though I can't see McCain aligning himself so closely with an administration with only 30% approval ratings.

It would be nice if Hillary stepped aside real soon now, so the Democrats could start the big campaign right away.

It's now clear that John McCain will be the Republican nominee. I know the election is a long way off, but he's already running neck and neck with Clinton and Obama in national polls. That's because when people think of McCain, they think of the media portrayal as a 'maverick' - they don't think of him as the man who helped George Bush launch the Iraq war.

I just read this memo from VoteVets.org and it really shocked me. It shows that when it comes to the war in Iraq, John McCain has been the president's greatest ally from the get-go - and most striking is the fact that his plan for Iraq going forward is the same as Bush's: Stay indefinitely.

Read this for more info.

Along with a strong message about credit card reform!



I just sent a Valentine to my lawmakers in Congress asking for real credit card reform. It was easy to do, and I hope you will do it, too! Ask the credit card companies for some simple changes to make our cards more fair and our interest rates what we expected them to be when we signed up for the card.

If you agree that card companies need to respect their customers and offer a plain deal at a fair rate, then join me this quick Valentines Day effort! Click here to go to www.CreditCardReform.org to send your card.

A review of the ballots in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize has shown that George W. Bush is the winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. James Baker III has been sent by the Bush Administration to coordinate efforts on the ground.  

The United States Supreme Court in a surprise vote of 5 to 4 have declared George W. Bush the winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, stated that "allowing Al Gore to win the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize violates the spirit and intent of the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Consitution."

Justice Alito was joined in the majority decision by Justices Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, and Chief Justice Roberts.

In a strongly worded dissenting opinion, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated "This court has no jurisdiction over the Norwegian Nobel Committee and thus cannot award the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to President George W. Bush."

Ginsburg was joined in her dissent by Justices Breyer and Stevens.

In a separate Dissenting Opinion, Justice Souter wrote, "This is just stupid. I quit."

The Department of Homeland Security have now staked out Gore's Tennessee home in order to detain him until after the prize is awarded next month. James Baker III will be in attendence at the awards ceremony to receive the award in the former vice president's absence.

How I love Daily Kos.

Alberto Gonzales is the first Attorney General who thought the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth were three different things.

- Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL)

Right now, the U.S. Senate is preparing for a vote that could have major consequences for gays and lesbians across America. If they approve President Bush's nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the Federal bench, they'll give tremendous power to a man who once helped remove a woman's 8-year-old biological child from her custody in part because the mother was a lesbian.

Southwick even signed an unnecessary additional brief in the case saying that losing her child was the possible consequence of the mother's "choice." This kind of misinformed bigotry has no place in our nation's highest courts.

I hope you'll join me in speaking out at: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/campaign/southwick/

What's SCHIP, and why should I care about such a wonky sounding acronym?

SCHIP is the State Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal block grant program that provides critical funding to states so that they can give health coverage to millions of children whose families cannot afford it. Yes, it may sound wonky, but when 1 in 9 children in our country are without any healthcare coverage, we need all the wonky sounding policies we can get to cover more kids. SCHIP is essentially a state health insurance program that covers children who are falling through the healthcare cracks.

Congress needs to reauthorize this important healthcare program by September 30th so millions of children don't lose coverage. With public support behind them, Congress can cover all children.

Health coverage saves lives, as Families USA reports, "Uninsured children admitted to the hospital due to injuries were twice as likely to die while in the hospital as their insured counterparts." Yet, according to the Children's Defense Fund, a baby is born uninsured every 47 seconds, even though it costs less to provide health insurance coverage to children than any other age group.

Take action: click here to e-mail your representatives about this important issue.

Breastfeeding in public now officially legal in Pennsylvania.

"The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race."

Thus wrote Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., in the Supreme Court's majority opinion on school integration.

Oy.

We're so screwed.

The recent news about the Supreme Court, and Dick Cheney, is almost overshadowed by the wonderful idea of giant penguins roaming the earth!

I just signed a petition in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling that was a huge blow to equal pay for equal work, and I hope you will too.

The Supreme Court just told Lilly Ledbetter, a 60-year old mother of two, that even though, for years, she was paid between 15% and 40% less than her male counterparts on the management team (a fact she learned late in her 19 year career), she could not make a claim of workplace discrimination. Why couldn't she make a claim? Lily Ledbetter learned about the pay discrepancies too late. The court ruled that claims must be made within 180 days after the pay is set. But how many of us know what our co-workers make? In fact, it's illegal to ask in many states.

Justice Ruth Ginsburg wrote the dissenting opinion for the 5-to-4 decision, and in it she asked Congress to overturn the ruling and clarify the intent of the law. Several Congressional leaders are already stepping forward to counter this outrage by drafting new fair-minded legislation. Let's get behind them so they can pass this legislation immediately.

Tell Congress, "We need equal pay for equal work -- it is good law, make it enforceable!"

Sign the petition and then pass it on to friends so we can build support for the Congressional leaders who are stepping forward to right this wrong. Frankly, they need our help -- because as the Washington Post reports, business groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, are applauding this dangerous, short-sighted ruling.

Citizen voices are going to be crucial to giving leaders the political capital they require to fix this problem. Here's what several of the key leaders who are fighting for us have to say about the ruling:

"Yesterday's Supreme Court decision reflects a poor understanding of the real problems with long-term pay discrimination," said Senator Harkin. "Most new employees feel less comfortable challenging their salaries, and it is very difficult to determine when pay discrimination begins. Furthermore, a small pay gap tends to widen over time, only becoming noticeable when there is systemic discrimination over a period of years. I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to ensure every worker receives the paycheck he or she deserves."

"Unless Congress Acts, this Supreme Court ruling will have far-reaching implications for women, and will gravely limit the rights of employees who have suffered pay discrimination based on their race, sex, religion or national origin. All Americans deserve equal pay for equal work and it is our responsibility to get this right," said Senator Clinton.

"This week's Supreme Court decision sends a dangerous message about the value of pay equity in this country. It is unacceptable that women and others would be limited in their opportunities to stand up for themselves and for their families. I am proud to team up with my colleagues to right this wrong," said Senator Mikulski.

"As Justice Ginsburg suggests, the ball has now fallen into Congress' court and we intend to address this ruling," said Representative George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. "The Supreme Court's narrow decision makes it more difficult for workers to stand up for their basic civil rights at work and that is unacceptable."

Want to read more about it? Here are some good articles:

• Washington Post


• CNN Money


• New York Times

Thank you!

Oh, man, am I tired.

I didn't fall asleep til 1 AM, #2 woke up hungry at 3 and 5, and the alarm went off at 5:30. Worked at the polls from 6:30 AM til 7 PM, for half of that time with #2 in my arms or in the Bjorn, so my arms, shoulders and back are sore.

This afternoon, two cops showed up at the polling place. They'd gotten a call that the poll workers were wearing t-shirts promoting one of the mayoral candidates.

Was the caller just rabble-rousing, or had they mistaken a voter for a poll worker? Because none of us were wearing t-shirts of any kind, let alone t-shirts promoting a particular candidate (which would be illegal). Shouldn't the cops be out stopping real crimes?

#2 was a popular addition to our polling place, and The Toddler was also a hit when he stopped by for a visit. I do love my boys so.

Tonight I got some video of #2 giggling with his Auntie Lindsey, but I am too tired to deal with posting it. Perhaps tomorrow.