Archive for May, 2015

Comprehensive Immigration Reform – Organizing for Action

COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM LET'S GO

In 2013, the Senate passed a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have strengthened our communities, our economy, and our country's future. Representatives from both sides of the aisle have voiced their support for comprehensive immigration reform, and Americans across the country havent wavered. And yet, House Speaker John Boehner and House leadership refused to even bring the bill up for a vote.

That's why President Obama is taking action where he can to help fix our broken immigration system, strengthen our economy, and protect our communities and families.

The President's executive actions will give parents of American citizens or legal resident children who have lived in the U.S. for more than five years relief from deportation if they register with the government, undergo background checks, and pay taxes. It will also allow immigration enforcement officials to focus resources on deporting felons, not families.

These actions to help reform our immigration system will strengthen our country, grow our economy by up to $210 billion in ten years, and could shrink the federal deficit by up to $25 billion over the next decade.

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Comprehensive Immigration Reform - Organizing for Action

Rappers endorse Hillary Clinton – CNNPolitics.com

An early high-profile endorsement came from Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who announced his own candidacy for the 2016 presidential race on 4/20 last month in a video posted by Rolling Stone, promising to legalize marijuana if he became president.

RELATED: Rapper Waka Flocka Flame blazes new 2016 trail

Waka later endorsed Clinton in an interview with MTV News, proclaiming that "A woman could do it. I've seen my momma raise five boys -- that's super hard, so women can do the same s--- that men could do," adding that he might even help Clinton with her campaign if she helps him promote his newest album, "Flockaveli 2."

Another Clinton endorsement came from Queens rapper Ja Rule, who topped U.S. Billboard charts in the early and mid 2000s.

In an interview with Fox Business, the "I'm Real" rapper said "I like Hillary. But, you know, it's crazy because ... I also think Jeb is a good candidate as well." But Ja quickly added that he's a Democrat, "so yeah, so I would vote Hillary."

And earlier this month, Clinton won a ringing endorsement from legendary rapper Snoop Dogg, who endorsed Texas Rep. Ron Paul in 2012 due to the Republican's stance on marijuana, before voicing support for Obama.

In an interview on Bravo TV, the "Peaches N Cream" rapper said "I'll say that I would love to see a woman in office because I feel like we're at that stage in life to where we need a perspective other than the male's train of thought," and added that he will be voting for "Ms. Clinton."

Back in 2008, Snoop told Larry King that he was torn between Clinton and Obama but this time around, he is unambiguously backing Clinton.

And most recently, the former secretary of state got an enthusiastic endorsement from rapper and actor 50 Cent on Thursday, who had also said that he "likes Hillary" back in 2007, during her primary fight with then Sen. Obama.

Unlike many celebrities who often have a strong allegiance to the Democratic Party, 50 Cent has expressed support for former President George W. Bush in the past, calling him "incredible" and "a gangsta."

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Rappers endorse Hillary Clinton - CNNPolitics.com

Rand Paul seizes political moment with NSA protest …

The Kentucky senator's latest filibuster-style stand against government surveillance positions him as the bane of Big Brother and puts him at the center of a high-profile national security debate as support for the post-9/11 security state seems to be fraying.

Paul's maneuvering is not without risks. Critics, including rivals in the 2016 GOP nominating race, warn his grandstanding is dangerous and is sowing chaos in the Senate that could result in a key spying program going dark at the same time that ISIS is rising, stoking Americans' fears.

READ: Rand Paul wraps 10-hour 'filibuster' over NSA surveillance program

Still, Paul certainly saw as many political opportunities as costs when he spent more than 10 hours Wednesday standing on the Senate floor, shod in sneakers for comfort, railing against the National Security Agency's bulk data collection.

Paul claimed political stardom in the Republican Party by standing up to Big Government and remains wildly popular among his young, libertarian slice of the conservative movement for his ideological convictions.

But he is looking to widen his constituency beyond his traditional base -- and the Republican Party's as well -- and Americans' skepticism over the NSA may help him do just that. Given that he appears to have stalled behind front-runners like Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush in most polls of the Republican race, Paul's White House hopes could certainly benefit from a boost.

At the heart of Paul's case is a claim that the NSA is violating the constitutional rights of Americans by sweeping up vast troves of telephone records in a dragnet designed to allow it to later make connections between potential terrorist suspects.

Authority to conduct the programs, exposed by former government contractor Edward Snowden, is set to expire on June 1 if Congress does not pass new legislation.

The House has already overwhelmingly approved a bill to reform the Patriot Act -- which would curtail but not end the NSA program -- so the notion of reining in government snooping isn't an outlier, even in GOP circles.

But Paul is pushing for more reforms in the Senate version -- and he's willing to let NSA authorities sunset altogether if he can't get the overhaul he is after.

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Rand Paul seizes political moment with NSA protest ...

Michelle Obama welcomes POTUS to Twitter with video …

First lady Michelle Obama welcomed President Obama to Twitter Tuesday night with some impressive moves in a slick new workout video, "FLOTUS-style." As part of her Let's Move! program's #Gimmefive challenge, the First Lady showed off five ways to exercise and stay healthy.

While many have taken the opportunity to greet President Obama's arrival on Twitter:

Few have been quite so inspirational.

Commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Let's Move! program, the #Gimmefive challenge is an effort to "encourage Americans across the country to give out high-fives when they see someone making healthy choices," and to list five things they are doing "to eat better, be more active, and lead a healthier life," according to the Let's Move! website. First lady Michelle Obama started the Let's Move! initiative five years ago as a way to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy habits.

Between jumping rope, lifting weights, and boxing, maybe now we know how Obama got those famously sculpted arms.

Your move, POTUS.

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Michelle Obama welcomes POTUS to Twitter with video ...

Rand Paul bets the campaign on filibuster – Katie Glueck …

Rand Paul seized the national stage on Wednesday with his second Mr. Smith-style speech on the Senate floor, linking his presidential hopes to an effort to halt the National Security Agencys data collection program.

The 10 1/2-hour speech was the big, attention-grabbing moment that presidential campaigns crave, and Pauls advisers saw it as a huge opportunity, even as rivals insisted the move was out of step with the Republican Partys hawkish mood.

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It re-establishes him as the candidate that is willing to buck the Washington establishment for something he thinks is important: to protect individual rights, said Steve Munisteri, a senior adviser to Pauls campaign and the former chairman of the Texas Republican Party. He added, Sen. Paul is the only Republican candidate on the forefront of protecting individual privacy.

A Republican strategist close to the Paul camp put it more bluntly: In a multicandidate field like this, how do you distinguish yourself? How do you break out of the pack? This is one way of doing it: Every other candidate disagrees with [you].

People in Pauls orbit believe that the decision to take to the floor to fight the NSA via a long, filibuster-like speech will galvanize the libertarian base that supported his father, Ron Paul, without turning off more mainstream Republicans. The Paul forces wasted no time fundraising off the event, something sources say will continue, and the campaign revived the #StandwithRand hashtag that Paul made popular with his 2013 filibuster of John Brennans nomination to lead the CIA in order to dramatize his skepticism about the administrations use of drones. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Paul supporters attempted to stage a small, impromptu rally at the Capitol.

But big moves carry big risks, as supporters of Pauls GOP competitors pointed out. Rival campaigns and other Republicans note that times have changed since Paul burst onto the national scene with his filibuster. Now, they say, with the Islamic State on the march, Pauls efforts to restrict the NSA could jeopardize national security. Some predicted the filibuster would backfire, serving mainly to show early-state voters just how out of step Paul can be with the Republican mainstream.

I just dont know if itll generate the same level of energy or enthusiasm, said Robert C. OBrien, a foreign policy adviser to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. Were in a different security situation with the fall of Ramadi. While there are people rightly concerned about the NSA following the law and appropriate rules and regulations, I think people realize we face a very, very serious security threat.

Indeed, the move comes as Paul attempts to moderate his image on defense and foreign policy. For years, Republicans have sought to paint him as an isolationist who excessively prioritizes privacy over security. And on many issues, Paul has backed off or de-emphasized some of the harder-line libertarian views he espoused when he entered the Senate as a tea party insurgent.

But on this one, people in Pauls orbit believe that the public is with him. They note polls that suggest voters prefer a balance between civil liberties and national security and believe that the issue will resonate with young people and voters from the technology sector two groups Paul has been courting. That was reflected on his Twitter feed and Instagram accounts, both of which offered up steady streams of content tied to the senators speech, in keeping with the campaigns digital-first mentality. Paul and his allies also had no problem taking swipes at other candidates Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), for example who dont go as far as he does in taking on the PATRIOT Act.

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Rand Paul bets the campaign on filibuster - Katie Glueck ...