Growing up in Germany, I have seen the benefits of a strong social safety network for a resilient economy (and that economy was helped by the US Marshall Plan - this is my thanks - let the same generosity be returned back home)

We've always been told that spying on the citizens is a prerogative of the totalitarian states such as Communist or Nazi regimes. And we always thought and been told that this could not happen in US. That was before we learned a true scope of the NSA programs, including spying on heads of our allies among other 35 states, as well as monitoring phone calls and e-mails of tens of millions of people in different countries around the world and probably most of the citizens of this country. Now after initial shock and disbelieve most people must have realized that the illegal spying was going on for a long time, in violation of court orders, not just by NSA, and that FISA law is one big loophole. Yet, there was still some hope that things might change and that legislature will wake up from coma of narcissistic greatness and trans of patriotic propaganda and will close the loopholes that took away rights guaranteed by the American Constitution that they swore to uphold and defend. That all has changed on Thursday last week (October 31, 2013) when a bill that would validate NSA’s harvesting of phone, e-mail records cleared the Senate Intelligence Committee and progressed to the full Senate. If the FISA Improvements Act will become law, “Congress effectively will be validating expansive powers that have been claimed by the NSA and upheld by a court--but never explicitly written into statute—to harvest the phone and e-mail records of millions of Americans”(Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-bill-would-validate-nsas-harvesting-of-phone-e-mail-records-privacy-advocates-say/2013/11/02/aa24932e-4310-11e3-a751-f032898f2dbc_story.html). Please, sign this petition and send the strong message to the Congress and President that they cannot take from us our Constitutional Rights. Say 'No' to legalization of warrantless blanked phone and e-mail wiretapping. For more information visit http://screwedbylawyer.tumblr.com/post/66067056140/spying-without-borders-to-become-the-law

I am afraid for our country. I am a Korean Vet. and I am ashamed of the way we have allowed the Washington elite to treat us (you and me) It may not do any good BUT it will show them we are united......

Great news! Senate Majority Harry Reid and his colleagues just took the historic step of eliminating the filibuster for most presidential nominations -- which was being abused by a minority in the Senate to obstruct every recent qualified judicial nominee. The New York Times called it "the most fundamental shift in the way the Senate functions in more than a generation." This change will stop the courts from being hamstrung by vacancies. It will also prevent outrages like the recent filibusters that stalled enforcement of basic election rules by the Federal Elections Commission and that tried to make the Federal Communications Commission nominee promise not to require disclosure on political ads. Federal judge nominees and executive-office appointments can now be confirmed as the Constitution intended: under the principle of majority rule. The filibuster will still be in place for legislation and Supreme Court nominations, which is a real problem that still needs to be addressed, but this is a landmark step towards a functioning government. Nearly 6,000 Californians like you signed petitions to Senators Feinstein and Boxer urging them to pass filibuster reform – and they ended up providing the two critical votes. Sign the petition to thank them: http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/thanks-for-reforming

The next budget showdown—which may be just six weeks way—could result in a "grand bargain" that cuts Social Security and Medicare benefits. We can't let that happen. Senator Tom Harkin has submitted a common sense plan to expand Social Security. He needs co-sponsors to that plan. This petition is to request that our Senators from the state of Colorado join in and co-sponsor Senator Harkin's plan and improve Social Security not cut it.

Social Security works. It should not be a bargaining chip nor cut. Now is the best moment to actually expand and improve Social Security. Senator Tom Harkin has proposed just such a bill that would immediately increase benefits to seniors, improve the COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments) to reflect the real costs faced by seniors and would extend the financial lifetime of the Trust Fund by phasing out the current taxable cap of $113,700 so that payroll taxes apply fairly to every dollar of wages. Please support this bill.

The Social safety net is what guarantees civilization.

More than 60% of San Francisco voters just rejected Props B and C. In doing so, voters demonstrated that ritzy condo projects for the ultra-rich, like 8 Washington, are not what our community wants or needs. The cost of living in San Francisco has spiraled out of control, but Mayor Lee refuses to take meaningful action. He's under the influence of the wealthy and well-connected, who continue to push expensive, new developments where only the richest San Franciscans can afford to live, driving up prices and forcing working families out of the city. The mayor must start representing everyone who lives in San Francisco, not just the rich. He needs to start fighting for an affordable city. Raise your voice and tell him.

Democracy isn't simply, "One Person = One Vote". The fundamental principle behind our Democracy is the notion of Equal and Fair Representation. This is essential and foundational to a Democratic society. However our election process has devolved into a system that forces and manipulates our Representatives into a skewed ability to listen to their constituents and forces them to listen instead to the special interests and select few who can get them elected or re-elected. Let's join together to put an end to this system that pits our wallet against the wallets of Million and Billionaires and completely undermines our representatives ability to listen to us with respect and equality. I believe that the political climate is ripe now for a big change in how we elect our representation.

1911 was the last time Congresspeople were added to this body. Since then we have almost tripled our population. To have a representative government we need a reasonable ratio between those making the laws and those being governed. This is a graphic of the ratio over the last century: https://scontent-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/405470_343792848966205_1186479552_n.jpg

My father taught me fairness, justice and opportunity is the bedrock or our society. He said we are our brothers keeper. But our Republican Governor does not subscribe to these ideals. His decision to stop Public to Assistance to single unemployed people , his reduction to educational funding of public schools, his refusal to extend MA to to the working poor, his push to restrict a citizens right to vote and his lack of protecting our environment has caused pain and suffering to millions of our citizens. The good news is he has to run for reelection and we can say NO. It's time to change to a Democratic Governor. Volunteer to help defeat Tom Corbett.

Countless times in our nation's history, we've seen the amazing power of democracy - how ordinary people, often without much money, joined together to bring about lasting change. In Citizens United, the Supreme Court opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate money in elections by declaring that corporations are people and money is speech. Now, our democracy is at grave risk of becoming nothing more than an auction-one in which the We the People will always be outbid. Corporations are not people. They do not breathe or eat or sleep. They do not dance or fall in love or raise children. They do not go bowling or fight in wars or get cancer. They do not vote. Yet now they threaten to trample democracy by claiming constitutional protections that were intended only for actual people. The ruling must be overturned, and a constitutional amendment is the best way to do that. Millions of voters across the country have expressed their outrage at the Citizens United decision by voting on ballot questions and it's time for Philadelphians to get the chance to express our outrage too. Right now the Citizens United ballot question is bottled up in the Law and Government Committee. Please sign this petition so we can convince City Council to let Philadelphia voters have our say.