Have you seen the INSANE things that opponents of US-Iran diplomacy have been saying? Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - a sitting member of the House Armed Services committee - said today that the U.S. SHOULD NUKE IRAN. (View the video here: http://bit.ly/1aAbBYn) At a time when the U.S. and Iran have entered historic talks to achieve a peaceful resolution to PREVENT the threat of more nuclear weapons, Hunter opposes the talks and instead wants to start a nuclear war. Hunter says the nuclear military option must be on the table and should include a “massive aerial bombardment campaign” utilizing “tactical nuclear devices” to set Iran “back a decade or two or three.” The American people do not want war, we want our leaders to utilize the power of diplomacy to peacefully resolve the standoff with Iran. We cannot be silent when our elected leaders condone the use of nuclear weapons and the killing of thousands of innocent Iranians. Take a moment to send a strong message to Rep. Hunter that will resonate with all our elected officials.

I am asking you to sign this petition to urge President Obama, Secretary of State, John Kerry and others to do everything in their power to stop the destruction of Susya, a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Demolition orders are to be executed on December 24th, 2013. I lived in Israel for eight years and traveled throughout the West Bank including the village of Susya many times. I have witnessed first-hand the oppressive and inhumane conditions imposed on Palestinians by Israeli military occupation. The confiscation of Palestinian lands to make way for Jewish settlements, destruction of homes, violence against men, women and children, and other human rights violations are not only against International law, but all laws of human decency. The residents of Susya have submitted five different versions of a master plan to Israeli authorities in an attempt to remain on their ancestral lands. Every plan has been rejected for obvious political reasons. Mr. President, on behalf of peace-loving peoples everywhere, we urge you to use all necessary means immediately to stop the demolition of yet another Palestinian village and the displacement of its residents .

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a global trade agreement being secretly negotiated between the US and 12 Pacific Rim countries. Primarily written by former US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, 600 multinational corporations and industry trade groups, the TPP will affect nearly every aspect of Americans’ lives. If passed, it will undermine state, local and federal laws, including those governing food safety, environmental protection, internet freedom, worker rights, democratic sovereignty, healthcare and drug prices, and banking and finance regulation. If passed, the TPP will be a disaster for public health and safety, future sustainability of the world’s food supply and basic democratic principles. Although 600 corporate executives have the text of the agreement on their office computers, only one US Congressman Alan Grayson has seen the text. When asked why it was being negotiated in secret, Ron Kirk, the former US trade negotiator said, "Because if the people knew what was in it, it would never be passed." Billed as a "free trade" agreement, only five of the 29 chapters actually relate to trade. It is really a rigged trade agreement, a corporate power grab so massive that if implemented, it would represent a global corporate coup d'etat making corporations more powerful than governments. After viewing some of the text, Congressman Grayson said, "This agreement hands the sovereignty of our country over to corporate interests." It’s bad enough that Congress and the public have been shut out of these negotiations, while corporations are running the show. But even worse, the Obama Administration wants to ram the TPP through Congress using a Nixon-era process called Fast Track. On November 13, three-quarters of House Democrats sent a letter informing the President that they would oppose Fast Track procedures he has requested that would allow the TPP to circumvent ordinary Congressional review, amendment and debate procedures. “We will oppose Fast Track Trade Promotion Authority or any other mechanism delegating Congress’ constitutional authority over trade policy that continues to exclude us from having a meaningful role in the formative stages of trade agreements,” they wrote. On November 25, the day of President Obama's two high dollar fundraisers, a TPP protest rally was held in a Beverly Hills park with six speakers from labor, environmental, health and food safety organizations. Then 250 people marched to the site of the fundraiser. None of the commuters stuck in rush hour traffic who spoke to protesters had heard of the TPP. When it was explained to them, they were eager to take a flyer. While the Los Angeles Times sent a photographer and a single photo was published, not one of the seven reporters who were sent the press release chose to cover this event, including the two who were embedded with Obama. Further, there has been scant news reporting or editorial comment about the Trans-Pacific Partnership in LA's paper of record. Of the four pieces published in all the four years this agreement has been negotiated, there has not been one article that examines this trade deal in detail. Of the four pieces published, one was an Op Ed puff piece by Secretary of State John Kerry, who is bound to push the Obama Adminstration's agenda. The second piece was a letter to the editor in response from representatives from the Sierra Club and the Communications Workers of America. Another article was coverage of Commerce Secretary's recent trip to Mexico where she responded to questions about the TPP, statements which were left unchallenged by the reporter. Again the Secretary is bound to represent the White House view. And finally there was one lone letter to the editor opposing Fast Track. For an agreement that affects 40% of the world's economy and so many spheres of our lives, this lack of reportage is an egregious violation of the public trust. By its paucity of coverage, the LA Times is blatantly and knowingly neglecting its obligation to provide accurate, well researched and balanced news and opinion about vital government practices. This disregard for the responsibilities of journalism translates to corporate control of what the public may know, or more simply, censorship. The LA Times should abide by the implied social contract with its readers which dictates thorough and up to date journalism about significant local and world events. Times must recognize the importance of the TPP story and begin regular news coverage. The Times is also obligated to allow its readers to be heard by publishing editorial comment on the TPP. Background info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership: www.exposetheTPP.org www.flushtheTPP.org http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-the-top-secret-trade-deal-you-need-to-know-about/

Republicans like Lindsey Graham are attacking the diplomatic deal on Iran's nuclear program negotiated by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. It would make a big difference in getting political acceptance for the deal if former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were to publicly come out and endorse the deal. There is an all hands on deck effort to support the President on this. Silence by Hillary is going to be perceived as a lack of support, not simply staying out of it. There is no neutral on some things. Sign our petition to Hillary urging her to publicly support the diplomatic deal with Iran.

We only have a six month window for diplomacy with Iran, and the pro-war crowd wants to derail the process. We need to keep the pressure on Congress to support the President and Secretary of State as they work to complete their task of reaching a permanent peace agreement with Iran. Late Friday night, news broke that Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is working to torpedo President Obama's interim agreement with Iran. We need to stop Rep. Cantor and his crowd from killing PEACE. We are almost to the finish line. We need to make sure our senators and members of Congress support this deal.

Hi, As the first pilot from Lhotsampa people of Bhutan, I was initially a beneficiary of the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB). Soon, however, I became a victim of and witness to the government’s systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing against the ethnic Nepali speaking citizens known as Lhotsampas. Today, after 23 years of statelessness and dispersion, 100 thousand innocent victims are still denied truth and justice. It is heartbreaking that many resettled Bhutanese are committing suicide at an alarming rate (it is highest in America compared to any ethnic group). I believe it is my moral duty to tell the untold stories on behalf of 70 thousand Bhutanese Americans and seek to bring a closure of this great tragedy ever experienced by Lhotsampa people of Bhutan so that healing process can begin. Bhutan's Gross National Happiness (GNH) is too good a concept to be used as PR campaign by the government to cover up the atrocities carried out unto its own people; GNH must be spread for the good of the world based on the foundation of truth. Therefore, I need your help. That's why I created a petition to The United States House of Representatives, which says: "Listen to the untold stories of Lhotsampa people of Bhutan being resettled in America and urge the Bhutanese government to include the remaining Lhotsampas in Bhutan's quest for Gross National Happiness. " Will you sign my petition? Click here to add your name: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/congressional-hearing?source=c.fwd&r_by=9545016 Thanks! Dick Chhetri

I'm tired of our elected officials not looking out for the American interest but the Israeli regime over and over again when it comes to Middle East policies. When you commit us to war its our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, and grand kids that pay the price. This needs to stop as Americans are wakening up to this. No sanctions or war with Iran.

After decades of silence, last night a deal was announced between Iran, the United States and members of the international community. Although it’s just an interim six-month agreement, yesterday’s deal makes military action on Iran far less likely. It’s our responsibility to show our representatives that when they pursue diplomacy, we’re right behind them. The next 72 hours will be crucial. How this deal is received by the public will either create an incentive for leaders to continue to embrace diplomacy, or, if pro-war conservative lobby groups have their way, risks causing them to turn back. Will you join our campaign and show that there is overwhelming public support for diplomacy with Iran by sending a message to every U.S. Senator calling on them to support this deal and give diplomacy a chance to work? Over the last few weeks we’ve seen the impact we’ve been able to make. Our actions helped create the political space for President Obama to speak to President Rouhani and helped ensure that sanctions weren’t raised on Iran during the negotiations. Now, it’s important for all of us to help create the space for efforts like this to happen more frequently--and for this process to lead to a final agreement in six months. It’s our responsibility to show our representatives that when they pursue diplomacy we’re right behind them. President Obama took a risk in pursuing this deal, and now we’ve got to make sure our voices of support are heard in the Senate. Will you act now?

Millions of jobs have been lost due to free trade agreements, People are always complaining about deficits, but never stop to think that off-shoring good paying manufacturing jobs is a major driver of deficits. We are all painfully aware of the millions of jobs lost by NAFTA, and other bad trade deals, and now we are being threatened with new bigger job destroying bills? Just who are our representatives working for, anyway? We don't need more devastated lives. We must convince our reps to vote no on fast track! If a bill is going to tear into our labor force with such fury, shouldn't we at least have the benefit of open, public debate instead of only the fast track mandate of 20 hours and no possibility to amend? If a majority in Congress vote no on fast track, these bad job destroying trade bills would die a natural death, because, like Dracula, they could never survive the light of day. We must convince Representative Garcia to agree to vote no on fast track. Let's work on a way to bring good-paying jobs back to the United States, instead of sending them to Viet Nam or Singapore where the average wage is $2.25 a day.

As a combat veteran, I knowhow the ravages of war effectthe the young who serve their Country. It is high time to cease the shooting and find another way to conduct our brand of Foreign Policy. We have been shooting at other people since the birth of our Nation, and it is time to stop.

To make the world safe for our children.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (commonly known as the Senate intelligence committee) has passed legislation that would require the Administration to publicly report how many civilians and how many “combatants” are being killed in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia by U.S. drone strikes. When the committee passed this legislation, Maine Senator Susan Collins voted no. In order for the Senate to pass this legislation, it’s crucial for Senator Collins to change her position. The CIA has claimed that civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes have been extremely rare. The record of independent reporting says otherwise. But because the CIA has never publicly stated on the record how many civilians it believes are being killed by U.S. drone strikes, the CIA has never been forced to defend its claims on the record. If the intelligence committee provision becomes law, the CIA would have to defend its claims about civilian deaths on the record, and we could have a meaningful democratic debate. Urge Senator Collins to reverse her opposition to telling the public about civilian deaths from U.S. drone strikes.