Black on Black Discrimination is disgusting

The Republican leadership and members of Congress, along with some Democrats, want to wreck the Iran Nuclear Agreement. The alternatives are war, death, possible nuclear proliferation, and more money for our industrial war machine, as well as separating ourselves from our allies. We've tried isolation and sanctions. It is now time to be serious about peace. This is an opportunity to demonstrate to our allies and to the Middle East that we stand for peace.

After lengthy negotiations, including working closely with both Russia and China, President Obama's Administration is bringing an Iranian Nuclear Limitation Treaty to Congress for ratification. I believe that this is the best possible agreement to be reached on this matter and strongly encourage ratification. Please support this agreement.

This is the final showdown to stop Republicans from starting a war with Iran. The United States, Iran and five other world powers announced a historic deal to dramatically curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for easing international sanctions on Iran. Republicans are trying to sabotage the deal, put us back on the path to confrontation with Iran and start a war – but they can't do it unless Democrats help them. We need to build an impenetrable firewall in Congress to prevent Republicans from passing any legislation to kill the deal and putting us back on the path to confrontation and war. Tell your Senators and Representative to go on record in support of the deal.

Immigration issues currently play a big role in the political climate in the United States. Some are obsessed with what is happening at the Mexican border, but not willing to confront the moral principles that are inherent in this discussion. A good example is that the U.S. government has so far continued to support both Haitian and Dominican governments, while closing their eyes to the vast human tragedy that is unfolding at the Haiti-DR borders. One has to wonder, what do we stand for?

The Obama administration and five other world powers have reached an agreement with Iran. Now, Congress faces a stark choice: Will Congress support peace--or rush America to another war of choice in the Middle East? If Congress rejects a diplomatic solution, while maintaining that allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon is unacceptable, the alternative is military action. Iran is a much larger country, with a much more sophisticated military, than Iraq or Afghanistan. War with Iran would be a deadly, costly quagmire. This should be a total no-brainer for Democrats. Yet right now, too many Democrats are perilously close to joining the Republican sabotage campaign. They're feeling acute pressure from lobbyists who oppose diplomacy and the bite of unrelenting attack ads paid for by war hawks on the right. The American public backs a diplomatic deal with Iran by a 2-1 margin. Non-proliferation, nuclear policy, and national security experts agree that a diplomatic resolution is by far the best way to ensure that Iran never builds a nuclear weapon. And the Obama administration has promised to go all out to defend this hard-won and verifiable deal. MoveOn members have been staunch defenders of diplomacy—and the peace it represents—for years. We've made tens of thousands of calls and generated nearly two hundred thousand petition signatures to let diplomacy with Iran work. Now it's time to protect the deal.

We must put a stop to The Trans-Pacific Partnership. This agreement will greatly empower Corporations by virtually eliminating consumer, health, safety, labor, privacy and environmental regulations.

To give a platform for mainstream middle American citizens across our country who are gravely disappointed in the White House, the Congress and all who are pushing wars in order to keep hegemony over other countries. The price is too high in human lives, degradation of whole countries, and we are creating enemies around the entire world.

There are many problems with the Trans- Pacific Partnership trade deal being negotiated by the Obama Administration, and the consequences for working families in the United States will be devastating. But as bad as TPP will be for the US, the consequences pale in comparison to what will happen if the US removes Malaysia from its official list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders. According to the Huffington Post, “The maneuver would allow the administration to continue negotiating a controversial trade agreement with Malaysia and 10 other Pacific nations. Legislation authored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) effectively bars the U.S. from enacting trade deals with countries deemed ‘Tier 3’ violators of human trafficking standards -- the worst of the worst in the State Department's formal reckoning of governments that facilitate modern-day slavery. “Malaysia earned its spot on that list, alongside Iran and North Korea, from years of human trafficking, including rampant sex slavery and forced labor in the agriculture and the textile industries, according to 2014 State Department documents. Malaysia's electronics industry also is rife with forced labor. This year, mass graves for trafficking victims were discovered in Malaysia near its northern border with Thailand.”

On July 2, Hillary Clinton sent a letter to Haim Saban, a major Clinton donor and fundraiser, expressing her “alarm” over the “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction movement,” which she called “a global effort to isolate the state of Israel by ending commercial and academic exchanges.” Clinton asserted that “we need to make countering BDS a priority.” Clinton’s letter failed to make any distinction between Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. [1] The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is campaigning to erase the distinction in U.S. policy between Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank, under the guise of “combatting the global BDS movement.” As part of this campaign, AIPAC recently pushed language through Congress that defines the “global BDS” which the U.S. should oppose as including boycott, divestment, and sanctions against enterprises in “Israeli-controlled territories” – that is, enterprises in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. J Street and Americans for Peace Now opposed the AIPAC provision. [2] The Obama Administration denounced the provision, saying, “by conflating Israel and 'Israeli-controlled territories,' a provision of the Trade Promotion Authority legislation runs counter to longstanding U.S. policy towards the occupied territories, including with regard to settlement activity…The U.S. government has never defended or supported Israeli settlements and activity associated with them and, by extension, does not pursue policies or activities that would legitimize them.” [3] By condemning “BDS” without distinguishing between Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank, Clinton is supporting – whether intentionally or not – the AIPAC campaign to erase the distinction between Israel and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. It is unlikely that major media will successfully press Hillary to clarify her position unless the issue is raised by another candidate. A recent study found that 45% of Democratic “opinion leaders” said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who criticized the Israeli occupation and mistreatment of Palestinians, while only 23% said they would be less likely to vote for such a candidate. [4] Urge Bernie Sanders to say that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are not Israel by signing our petition. References: 1. “Clinton 'alarmed' over calls for Israel boycott, urges bi-partisan action,” Barak Ravid, Haaretz, July 6, 2015, http://www.haaretz.com/1.664694 2. “Inside AIPAC's Quiet Campaign To Blur Israeli Settlement Lines,” Jessica Schulberg, Huffington Post, 5/28/2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/28/aipac-israel-settlements_n_7461038.html 3. “White House Blasts Trade Bill Provision That Aims To Protect Israeli Settlements,” Jessica Schulberg, Huffington Post, 6/30/2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/30/trade-bill-israel-settlements_n_7700814.html 4. “Israel losing Democrats, ‘can’t claim bipartisan US support,’ top pollster warns,” David Horowitz, Times of Israel, July 5, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-losing-democrats-cant-claim-bipartisan-us-support-top-pollster-warns/

In a referendum on July 5, Greek voters overwhelmingly rejected demands from the “troika” of its official creditors for even more austerity measures. [1] But the question of whether there can be a fair agreement and an end to the financial chaos being imposed on Greece now hangs crucially on whether the European Central Bank will support Greece’s banking system while negotiators try to reach an agreement. [2] Members of Congress are speaking out about what is being done to Greece, including Senator Bernie Sanders [3] and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chairs Keith Ellison and Raul Grijalva and House Democratic leaders Rosa DeLauro and Jan Schakowsky. [4] Urge President Obama and Members of Congress to demand that the ECB support the Greek banking system while negotiations continue to achieve a fair agreement by signing and sharing our petition. References: 1. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/06/opinion/paul-krugman-ending-greeces-bleeding.html 2. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/eyes-ecb-greek-no-vote-092209741.html; http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/now-destiny-of-struggling-greece-banks-lies-in-the-hands-of-european-central-bank/articleshow/47956280.cms; http://news.yahoo.com/greece-still-cash-starved-decisive-no-bailout-vote-050303610--finance.html 3. http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-statement-on-greek-austerity-vote 4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-weisbrot/congress-imf-greece_b_7716422.html

Greece is experiencing a financial crisis imposed by the hardline austerity demands and dangerous brinkmanship of its official creditors, especially the International Monetary Fund [IMF]. The IMF is a US-taxpayer financed institution. President Obama [1] and US Nobel-prize winning economists Paul Krugman [2] and Joseph Stiglitz [3] have criticized the IMF policies which have led to this crisis, which is coming to a head this week with threats that Greece may be forced to default on its debt and leave the Euro if Greek voters don’t approve new austerity demands, including cuts to public pensions and raising the retirement age. Urge your Representative and Senators to make a public statement against what the IMF is doing to Greece by signing our petition. References: 1. “Obama joins ally list on Greek austerity relief,” http://news.yahoo.com/obama-joins-ally-list-greek-austerity-relief-033040983.html 2. “Greece Over the Brink,” http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/opinion/paul-krugman-greece-over-the-brink.html 3. “Europe’s Attack on Greek Democracy,” http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/greece-referendum-troika-eurozone-by-joseph-e--stiglitz-2015-06