President Obama made a last-ditch effort Friday to salvage some success from a climate conference in disarray, telling attendees that the world's will to address climate change "hangs in the balance" and insisting any deal must include transparency among nations.
Obama called the emerging agreement imperfect, adding that "no country [...]
When George Bush was president, Republicans were quick to criticize anyone who voted against the defense supplemental bills as being against the troops, even going so far as to call a no vote on defense supplemental bills to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan "treason".
Senate Republicans said [...]
Kucinich panel to investigate Citigroup tax ruling
A House subcommittee said Thursday that it will investigate the Treasury Department's decision to change a long-standing law so that Citigroup could keep billions of dollars in tax breaks.
Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) called Treasury's action a "farce" [...]
Community leaders, residents to urge Sen. Voinovich to give Ohioans the vote they deserve on health care reform.
A group of concerned citizens visited the Office of Senator George Voinovich in Columbus, Ohio today to talk about health care reform. The Senator wasn't available, so we left him a message to' [...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today joined The National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO) to release the Roadmap to End Childhood Hunger in America by 2015. The report outlines nine priorities to address President Obama’s goal of ending child hunger in the U.S. by [...]
Senate Bill 89 heads to Governor Strickland to receive his signature
COLUMBUS – The Ohio General Assembly passed Senator Sue Morano’s Comprehensive Nursing Education Bill (SB 89) today. This bill addresses a critical shortage in nursing educators across Ohio. SB 89 now awaits Governor Strickland’s signature.
President Bill Clinton gave his two cents on the Senate's health care reform bill today. His message: it will be a "colossal blunder" if health reform falls apart amid liberal opposition to the Senate bill.
Clinton, of course, is the last American president to try to overhaul the [...]
Columbus, OH – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today issued the following statement after achieving a bipartisan agreement on H.B. 318 with House Speaker Armond Budish, Senate President Bill Harris and Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro:
COPENHAGEN — With time running out on the stalled Copenhagen climate negotiations, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave new hope that an agreement might still be reached when she announced Thursday that the United States would help raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to enable [...]
A PROCLAMATION
For 12 seconds on December 17, 1903, a wooden aircraft took to the skies above Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, lifting two brothers from Dayton, Ohio, to their place in history. Their singular triumph triggered a revolution in transportation that would bridge the vast distances between [...]
Ohio lawmakers have reached a deal to resolve an impasse over a budget deficit by combining Gov. Ted Strickland's tax cut delay with a pilot project for new construction rules.
The deal was reached late Wednesday. It would avert $850 million in budget cuts to school districts.
The Columbus Dispatch reports that Parsley is claiming to be the victim of a "demonically inspired financial attack":
The Rev. Rod Parsley, megapastor and televangelist, has issued a desperate plea for money, telling his flock that he is facing a "demonically inspired financial attack" that is [...]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) announced a bipartisan amendment to the health reform bill which would protect access to clinical trials for patients with life-threatening diseases. The amendment would prohibit insurers from dropping a policyholder’s coverage if the patient [...]
Hoping to get your tax refund in time to pay off those holiday credit card bills? The Ohio Senate has a message for you: Bah Humbug! The conservatives who control the Ohio Senate still haven't balanced Ohio's checkbook.
Because of them, those counting on an early [...]
Yesterday, Al Gore issued a bold challenge from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, calling on Members of Congress to pass clean energy and climate legislation in the United States by next April 22, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
In an inspiring [...]
The U.S. unemployment rate exceeded 10% in October for the first time in a quarter century. Over 15 million Americans are able and willing to work but cannot find a job. More than one out of every three unemployed workers has been out of a job [...]
If the Ohio Senate fails to act on House Bill 318 by December 31, Ohio's constitution will require Governor Ted Strickland’s staff to begin cutting state aid to local school districts by $50 million per month, the largest education cutback in state history. Learn more and take [...]
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Senate Democrats this afternoon, President Obama said he is "cautiously optimistic" about health care reform's chances for passage.
"I am absolutely confident that if the American people know what's in this bill and the Senate knows what's in this bill, it will pass, [...]
Scheduled for today, the Senate will debate for the first time in American history a proposal to create a single-payer, Medicare-for-all health care system. "In my view, the single-payer approach is the only way we will ever have a cost-effective, comprehensive health care system in this country," said Sen. [...]
Community leaders, residents to urge Sen. Voinovich to give Ohioans the vote they deserve on health care reform.
Columbus, Ohio - On Thursday December 17 at the Office of Senator George Voinovich, community leaders and local residents will ‘Carol for Health Care’ urging Senator Voinovich to [...]
Obama's "Unconstitutional" Nobel Prize
If you were worrying that the Right might be running out of subjects from which it could gin up phony controversies, rest assured that they are always hard at work coming up with new, innovative, and ridiculous scandals ... like the idea that' [...]
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), today announced $6,286,000 in federal funds to support infrastructure and manufacturing research and development projects in Ohio. The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has awarded funding for three new Ohio research projects in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and [...] Join us this Thursday for a vigil in Toledo.
This is the 4th in a series of Interfaith worship services and vigils highlighting the importance of healthcare reform from a faith inspired perspective.
What: Let Our Light Shine; Let Our Voices Be Heard
When: Thursday, December 17th at [...]
Greg over at the Plum Line has the best description that I've seen of the sides that are being taken over the current state of the Health Reform legislation:
There’s a debate raging in the blogosphere about whether the Senate bill has been so watered down that it’s time to' [...]
The White House Internship Program provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office and prepare them for future public service opportunities.
The Summer [...]
Vice President Joe Biden says he's confident Sen. Joe Lieberman will come around, but says everyone is engaging in "gamesmanship" to get the maximum leverage from the bill.
Today Biden appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," defending his old Senate colleague as "a great guy."
But Biden said "honest to god" [...]
Physicians' Group Wants Research Barriers Removed
The leading national doctors' group has now endorsed the medical use of cannabis and called for more research into the drug's potential. The move by the American Medical Association, the largest and most prestigious organization of physicians with nearly 250,000 [...]
The President talks about the importance of loosening access to credit and the necessity of financial regulatory reform in remarks following his meeting with financial and banking leaders at the White House.
Watch It:
[...]U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced the Senate passage of $27,434,900 in funds that will invest in critical programs and services across Ohio. The funds were included in the Fiscal 2010 Omnibus Appropriations Act, which combined several individual appropriations bills that had yet to be fully [...] New era: Health authorities open brothels to male prostitutes
Men may now join the ranks of Nevada’s brothel prostitutes, after a unanimous decision today that added language to health codes so male sex workers could be tested for infectious diseases.
Men were previously barred in Nevada from the oldest profession [...]
In lieu of another “War on Christmas” panic, it seems that the conservative culture war of December 2009 will be over James Cameron’s much-hyped, almost-as-much-anticipated blockbuster “Avatar.”
John Nolte, the editor of Andrew Breitbart’s influential “Big Hollywood” site, was first out of the gate with a [...]
In 1995, Joe Lieberman co-sponsored legislation to curtail use of the filibuster.
Now, in 2009, he's single-handledly using the threat of a filibuster to delay and disrupt the legislative process.
It's time for Joe to listen to Joe, and let Connecticut residents have a voice on health insurance reform.
Watch [...]
Congressman Dennis Kucinich took part in a protest outside the White House this weekend:
Speakers urged Americans to take to the streets in opposition to what they called the escalation of an unnecessary war that has killed soldiers and civilians.
"The message is clear: We have money for war [...]
Watch It:
"Good, solid B-plus," the president said.
Explaining, he said, "we have inherited the biggest set of challenges of any president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
"We stabilized the economy, and prevented possibilities of [...]
Watch It:
[...]Watch It:
[...]Without one Republican vote, the House passed a financial reform bill that attempts to control the excesses of the financial services industry - while also letting them escalate many of the same crazy practices that led to this crisis.
The Republicans, of course, thought the bill was too stringent.
House Passes [...]
House Ban on Acorn Grants Is Ruled Unconstitutional
The federal government must continue to provide grant money to the national community organizing group Acorn, a federal court ruled Friday, saying that the House violated the Constitution when it passed a resolution barring the group from receiving federal dollars. [...]
Ohio state representative Kathleen Chandler introduced a bill this week that would establish a program to protect the confidentiality of domestic violence victims. The bill would amend current law to "establish an address confidentiality program for individuals who reasonably believe that they are in danger [...] In his weekly address, President Obama applauded the House for passing financial reform legislation and called on the Senate to continue working toward meaningful reform that stands up for consumers, sets clear rules of the road for businesses and investors and restores a sense of responsibility and accountability to both [...]
Hacked e-mails show climate scientists in a bad light but don't change scientific consensus on global warming- FactCheck.org
In late November 2009, more than 1,000 e-mails between scientists at the Climate Research Unit of the U.K.’s University of East Anglia were stolen and made public by' [...]
From The White House Blog responding to Minority Leader Boehner's op-ed in today's Washington Post:
Today, House Minority Leader John Boehner has an op-ed in the Washington Post. Unfortunately, what we heard from Congressman Boehner was more of the same, status quo, business-as-usual policies that led us to this crisis.
Just' [...]
The US House of Representatives was expected Friday to pass the most sweeping regulatory overhaul of the financial sector since the Great Depression of the 1930s, a key goal of President Barack Obama.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has described the 1,300-page measure, a centerpiece of [...]
Whether it is George W. Bush’s “too big to fail” Wall Street Bailout fraught with Reagan-era economic theory or last January’s Wall Street-centric stimulus that bypassed Main Street, there is growing recognition in Washington, DC that 2010 demands a 2010 solution.
While conservatives are stuck on Wall [...]
A PROCLAMATION
More than 60 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, declaring the "inherent dignity" and "equal and inalienable rights" of all human beings as the "foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." This self-evident truth guides us today. Although [...]
When I was first elected to serve in the House of Representatives, I made a promise to Ohioans that I would not accept the Congressional health insurance plan until all Americans had affordable health insurance. Even though I'm serving in the United States Senate now, I'm keeping [...]
Representative Jennifer Garrison, who is running for Ohio Secretary of State in 2010, took a direct shot at her Republican opponent, Sen. Jon Husted, by introducing legislation to restrict state lawmakers’ mileage reimbursements to only trips made between the Ohio Statehouse and their [...]
By the standards they utilize each and every day, this conspiracy should be obvious to any Teabagger or Beckerhead shouldn't it?
' [...]"You know, [...]
A [...]
t was just six weeks ago that House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) decided he was fed up with empty, meaningless congressional resolutions. These largely symbolic measures are taken up all the time -- it's been routine fare for years -- [...] 
A new Rasmussen Reports survey in Ohio shows John Kasich (R) leadings Gov. Ted Strickland (D), 48% to 39%, with 11% still not sure who they would vote for.
Strickland currently wins support from just 69% of the state’s Democratic voters [...]
Plouffe backs Fisher in Ohio Senate primary
Barack Obama's former campaign manager is taking sides in a high-profile Democratic primary.
David Plouffe sent a fundraising appeal Wednesday to supporters of Ohio Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, the frontrunner for the state's Democratic Senate nomination, calling Fisher "a [...]
This week, the Ohio Senate is considering Senate Bill 162 - legislation that will raise telephone rates. And this industry-backed legislation would actually LOWER what you get in return from your phone company!
About 40 activists braved freezing rain to show their support for Health Care Reform at a candlelight vigil in Grandview last night.
Many participants held signs in support of the inclusion of the public health insurance [...]
After days of secret talks, Senate Democrats tentatively agreed Tuesday night to drop a government-run insurance option from sweeping health care legislation, several officials said, a concession to party moderates whose votes are critical to passage of President Barack Obama's top domestic priority. In its place, [...]
Insurance coverage for diabetes, autism approved in House votes
The Ohio House on Tuesday, Dec. 8, approved separate bills requiring health insurance companies to provide coverage for diabetes and autism.
House Bill 81, approved 57-39, would require that coverage be provided for diabetes equipment, supplies, medication, diabetes medical nutritional [...]
Public Provides Thousands of Ideas to Spark New Administration Initiatives
U.S. Rep. Zack Space’s 3rd Annual Brave Servicemember Card Campaign has again proven to be a huge success, this year pulling in nearly 11,000 cards which will be delivered to troops serving overseas. The cards were prepared by schoolchildren, community organizations, and others from all over Ohio’s [...] 
Abortion Takes Center Stage (Again)
A month ago, House leaders were forced into a corner by conservative Democrats insisting that health reform legislation include language prohibiting abortion coverage on the exchange. This week, the scenario is threatening to play out again in the upper chamber, where [...]
Representative Dennis Kucinich
“America is in the fight of its life and that fight is not in Afghanistan -- its here. We are deeply in debt. Our GDP is down. Our manufacturing is down. Our savings are down. The value of the dollar is down. Our trade deficit is up. [...]
Senator Moves to Hold Up Bernanke Confirmation; The New York Times
Dave Harding, ProgressOhio, User from Belpre, OH, Dennis Spisak, Nation Of Gandhis, One Oar in the Water, Brian Rothenberg, Executive Director, Doug, Bret Thompson, ProgressOhio, Geoffrey Sea, Vanessa, OHliz, User from Columbus, OH, User from Youngstown, OH, Lorraine Bieber, David Lore, Licking County Pro-Active Citizens, Jane Schiff, Michael Collins
