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Republican anti choice language in their platform
The 110-member platform panel, meeting today in Tampa, Fla., passed a so-called Human Life Amendment that calls for a ban on abortion, without mention of the more common exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed,” said platform language obtained by CNN. “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”
Other winners from their platform
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
The platform pledges to move both Medicare and Medicaid away from “the current unsustainable defined-benefit entitlement model to a fiscally sound defined-contribution model.
These people are some of the stupidest, most dangerous people on Earth :
GUN CONTROL
The party says it opposes legislation intended to restrict Second Amendment rights by limiting the capacity of clips or magazines or otherwise restoring the assault weapons ban passed during the Clinton presidency.
??????
I am not even going to quote from their bigoted and cynical exploitation of racism via disenfranchising Minority voters for political gain. Truly despicable.
Here we go :
MARRIAGE
The platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage. It backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
That is definitely not forward.
What follows is first - terrible ethics and even worse politics - they oppose Comprehensive Immigration Reform and The Dream Act
IMMIGRATION
The platform makes clear that “we oppose any form of amnesty for those who, by intentionally violating the law, disadvantage those who have obeyed it.” It demands that the Justice Department halt lawsuits against Arizona, Alabama and other states that have enacted tough measures against illegal immigrants. It says federal funding should be denied to universities that provide in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants. It advocates making English the official national language.
Here is our newly released hot off the press platform
We will not allow Republicans to end Medicare and replace it with a voucher program :
The Republican budget plan would end Medicare as we know it. Democrats adamantly oppose any efforts to privatize or voucherize Medicare; unlike our opponents we will not ask seniors to pay thousands of dollars more every year while they watch the value of their Medicare benefits evaporate.
Democrats believe that Medicare is a sacred compact with our seniors. Nearly 50 million older Americans and Americans with disabilities rely on Medicare each year, and the new health care law makes Medicare stronger by adding new benefits, fighting fraud, and improving care for patients. And, over 10 years, the law will save the average Medicare beneficiary $4,200. President Obama is already leading the most successful crackdown on health care fraud ever, having already recovered $10 billion from health care scams. We will build on those reforms, not eliminate Medicare’s guarantees. The health care law is closing the gap in prescription drug coverage known as the “doughnut hole.” More than five million seniors have already saved money – an average of $600 last year – and the doughnut hole will be closed for good by 2020. In short, Democrats believe that Social Security and Medicare must be kept strong for seniors, people with disabilities, and future generations. Our opponents have shown a shocking willingness to gut these programs to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest, and we fundamentally reject that approach.
and We support The Dream Act:
President Obama and the Democrats fought for the DREAM Act, legislation ensuring that young people who want to contribute fully to our society and serve our country are able to become legal residents and ultimately citizens. Although this bill has a long history of bipartisan support, Republicans decided to play politics with it rather
than do the right thing. So the Obama administration provided temporary relief for youth who came to the United States as children, through no fault of their own, grew up as Americans and are poised to make a real contribution to our country
We are the party that respects Women
And that’s why the Affordable Care Act is ending health insurance discrimination against women, and provides women with free access to preventive care, including prenatal screenings, mammograms, cervical cancer screening, breast-feeding supports, and contraception. We understand that women’s rights are civil rights. The President and the Democratic Party believe that women have a right to control their reproductive choices. Democrats support access to affordable family planning services, and President Obama and Democrats will continue to stand up to Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood health centers
Protecting A Woman’s Right to Choose. The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right. Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way.
We are the party that stands for voting rights
Voting Rights. We believe the right to vote and to have your vote counted is an essential American freedom, and we oppose laws that place unnecessary restrictions on those seeking to exercise that freedom. Democrats have a proud history of standing up for the right to vote.
We are the party that does not discriminate
Freedom to Marry. We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples
I am very proud of our party's platform !
I am a Democrat -
I support marriage equality
I am completely pro choice
I support The Dream Act
I support The Employee Free Choice Act
I support raising the taxes of the wealthy back to the Bill Clinton rates
I support a New Stimulus without tax cuts - composed of food stamps, unemployment compensation, and infrastructure
I support fighting climate change by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions
I support bringing our troops home from Afghanistan now
I support Medicare for All but would accept a public option with gratitude
I support protecting the right to vote and oppose Jim Crow legislation
I oppose ending Medicare and replacing it with a voucher program
Those are some of my values.
Now, for too long now, we did not fully focus on state legislatures as we should have.
Let us think about some of the recent repercussions of this: Bob McDonnell and the probe, the Arizona law, the City Manager law in Michigan, the Voter Purge in Florida under Rick Scott, the Jim Crow legislation in Pennsylvania, the cuts in services, the attack on workers' rights to collectively bargain in Wisconsin ,... these are only a few that come to my mind immediately. We absolutely cannot let that happen again; we simply cannot afford to simply cede state legislatures to the Republicans. Those races are important we have learned. Gerrymandering by them usually harms minority voters. It is disgraceful.
We must take back the US House of Representatives. Let us think of some of the problems that we have had : Well, first off, due to the republican extremists, for the very first time in our history, our credit rating was lowered. The republican extremists were specifically named as responsible for the downgrade. Instead of passing The Jobs Bill, they kept voting against Choice, they kept passing Ayn Randian Budgets, they kept voting against The Affordable Care Act, wanting to relitigate that legislation. They prevented us from passing a reasonable budget, from responsibly cutting our defense spending, from raising revenue, ...
Budget bills must originate in the US House of Representatives. It is imperative that we win back the the US House of Representatives.
We must retain the US Senate: If we lose the US Senate, then combined with the US House of Representatives being in Republican Hands, only the President's veto would prevent us from becoming like Greece. and going back to the early 1900's.
Is there a person who would be a better US Senator than Elizabeth Warren ? I know of no one. And Tammy Baldwin would be fantastic ! Claire McCaskill is not my favorite Democrat but she is a real Democrat, in my view, (ie not Ben Nelson or Joe Manchin), and in any event, Akin cannot be allowed to win.
I believe that we have a legitimate shot at winning the US House back (on the President's Coat tails) and retaining the US Senate and the Presidency. The first will be the hardest and is the most unlikely. However, we must do everything we can to win as many state legislatures and governorships as we can.
The most effective way of doing this is voting straight ticket Democratic Party.
Make it easy on yourself. You know the issues. You know what our party stands for.
You know what their party stands for. As Lawrence O'Donnell pointed out, the first vote by even bad dems is the right one : for our Leaders in the US Congress.
I want to see Nancy Pelosi return to the Speaker's chair. Boehner has no control over his caucus and cannot count votes or get anything reasonable out of them. Majority Leader Cantor is a major reason why.
So, please, consider making it easy on yourself and vote straight ticket Dem !
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As is our custom, we provide voter registration information for three states in the Tuesday Night Edition of Obama Nightly News. We have shared how to register and how to vote in every hotly contested swing state already. We are returning, if you will, to the scene of our past crimes !
Today, we decided to pick Virginia, Florida, and North Carolina.
North Carolina was an obvious choice since our convention starts there today.
Virginia is a neighboring state and is a swing state. Hence, it seemed to make sense to pick Virginia this week.
Florida is the closest swing state in polling that we are favored to win.
Florida
Florida
To register to vote in Florida, you need :
6.Provide your current and valid Florida driver’s license number or Florida identification card number. If you do not have a Florida driver’s license number or a Florida identification card number then you must provide the last four digits of your Social Security Number. If you do not have any of these items, you must write “none” in the box or field.
8.You must be registered for at least 29 days before you can vote in an election
The book closing dates for the 2012 election cycle are:
January 3, 2012………………Presidential Preference Primary
July 16, 2012……………………Primary Election
October 9, 2012………………General Election
On election day, to vote you need :
Florida requires a valid picture identification and a signature to vote. The following photo IDs will be accepted:
◦Florida driver’s license
◦Florida identification card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
◦United States passport
◦Debit or credit card
◦Military identification
◦Student identification
◦Retirement center identification
◦Neighborhood association identification
◦Public assistance identification
If your photo identification does not contain your signature, you can show a second ID that does. For example: your student photo ID + your debit card.
call Florida’s Voter Assistance Hotline at 1-866-308-6739.
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Virginia
Virginia
Get registered to vote with your current name, at your current address, by 22 days before Election Day.
To be registered for the November 6th, 2012 General Election, you must be registered no later than October 15th, 2012.
More info :
FIRST TIME VOTERS
If it’s your first time voting in a federal election in Virginia, be sure you bring one of the following types of identification containing your current and complete name and current address:
◦A current and valid photo ID (for example a driver’s license); OR
◦ A current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that shows name and address; OR
◦ Another government document that shows name and address (for example, a voter card).
ALL OTHER VOTERS
Make sure you bring one of these forms of identification in order for your vote to count:
◦A Virginia voter registration card
◦A valid Virginia driver’s license
◦A military ID
◦Any Federal, Virginia state or local government-issued ID
◦An employer issued photo ID card
◦A Social Security card
◦A student ID from a Virginia Public School
◦A student ID from any Virginia college or university
◦A copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check or paycheck that has your name and address
◦For other acceptable forms of identification see here
Note: Any voter who forgets to bring acceptable ID to the polls may still vote, but will be required to submit the ID to the local electoral board by noon on Friday following the election, by fax, e-mail, mail, or in-person.
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North Carolina
Our first state for our voter registration today is North Carolina.
The Voter Registration Process
To vote in North Carolina, a person who meets the qualifications above must sign and complete a voter registration application. When completing a voter registration application, be sure to provide your full name, residential address, date of birth, and citizenship status. In addition, do not forget to sign the form. Failure to complete a required field on the form will delay the processing of the application. After completion, send the form to the appropriate county board of elections. In order to vote in an election, the form must be received by the voter registration deadline.
If an application is complete, the county board of elections will notify registrants of their precinct and polling place assignments by mail (voter card). Voter registration applicants, who have met the voter registration deadline, should expect to receive their voter card within 1 to 2 weeks. The voter card is a non-forwardable mailing. If a voter card is returned by the postal service as undeliverable after two attempts, then an applicant’s voter registration may subsequently be denied. Applicants should contact their county board of elections if they do not receive their voter card within two weeks. Note: The applicant must have transmitted the registration application by the registration deadline; otherwise, the voter card will not be mailed until after the completion of the election.
Voter Registration Deadlines
The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is 25 days before the day of an election
These people are not friendsof democracy :
What Constitutes A Vote
Pursuant to Section 301 (a)(6) of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, codified as 42 U.S.C. § 15481(a)(6), and N.C.G.S. § 163-182.1(b), the State Board of Elections has developed these standards and procedures to define what is a vote and when that vote should be counted in circumstances in which voting systems are unable to determine the voter’s intent with respect to a marked ballot.
Curse them for that !
What ???
That is troubling - to say the least.
:
on election dayIf this is your first time voting in a federal election in North Carolina, you may be asked to show ID before you can vote on Election Day. Identification may include (but is not limited to):
◦A North Carolina driver’s license
◦Another valid photo ID
◦A current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, or other government document that shows your current and complete name and current address.
If you’ve previously voted in a federal election in North Carolina, you don’t have to bring an ID with you to the polls.
If you have additional questions about voting in North Carolina, please contact: Elections Division: (919) 733-7173 or (866) 522-4723; elections.sboe@ncsbe.gov
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Link to Transcripts and Documents.