On November 10, the Center for American Progress [CAP] plans to host a “conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a range of issues, including Iran, Israeli-Palestinian relations, regional concerns, and ways to strengthen the partnership between Israel and the United States.” [1] Huffington Post reported that the Israeli government and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee successfully pressured CAP to invite Netanyahu to speak, despite Netanyahu’s disavowal of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which CAP has supported. CAP has “long been seen as a mouthpiece of the Democratic Party,” the article noted, adding that CAP founder John Podesta was once chief of staff to President Clinton and is now chair of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. [2] CAP’s Netanyahu event as planned is closed to the public; only “invited” media outlets and reporters will be allowed to attend. [3] Given CAP’s relationship to the Democratic Party, the “conversation” between Netanyahu and CAP is obviously a matter of public interest. Urge the Center for American Progress to open its planned meeting with Netanyahu to all media outlets and reporters and to members of the public by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.americanprogress.org/press/advisory/2015/10/27/124317/advisory-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-joins-cap-for-discussion-on-israeli-foreign-and-domestic-issues-u-s-relationship/ 2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/netanyahu-center-for-american-progress_56301482e4b0631799100532 3. https://www.americanprogress.org/press/advisory/2015/10/27/124317/advisory-israeli-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-joins-cap-for-discussion-on-israeli-foreign-and-domestic-issues-u-s-relationship/

If we stand for anything, we have got to stand together against all forms of racism. Let's start by making sure that no one with ties to white supremacist groups is allowed to hold public office. Intolerance and hate have no place in our society, especially in our government!

I am curious what others think of eliminating cursive writing skills from teaching standards. I think that cursive writing is an important part of education. It is an advanced form of communication. It is conducive to thinking compared to printing block letters, for example thinking in words and not in letters. It has not been encouraged, maybe because the teachers were looking for legibility or neatness.

My nephew is trapped in Dubai. He wrote me: "With no passport and no visa it is impossible to find a real job. Normal companies will not hire me. Basically I'm living here as an undocumented alien. People, that I work for, pay me only what they feel like, if they pay me at all."

No one else will listen. We are sick and dying like Our Fellow Brothers and Sisters of Camp Lejeune

The powers of government should be clearly stated and defined. Catch-all clauses like this are what leads to the destruction of our liberties. Help me ensure the future freedoms of our children!

Debate questions have been submitted in advance for years. Giving them time to tweak and memorize the 'answers' isn't a debate and we need to elect someone who can think on their feet.

We need real rent reform now. For far too long, average working Americans have seen their wages stagnate while the costs of living have skyrocketed. In order to better regulate rental and real estate prices, we need legislation to protect renters from unreasonable price hikes. Additionally, those entities that do not require private housing should be excluded from investing, speculating or otherwise interfering with actual humans gaining and attaining shelter. To this end, I propose that all metropolitan areas enact rent ordinances that limit affordable housing prices to no more than 1/3 the monthly income of one person working at minimum wage for a one bedroom unit. If there is a family of at least one adult and one child, or one employeed adult and one unemployeed adult, the rental price is to be tagged at no more than 1/2 of a single income based on full-time employment at minimum wage. The number of units to be considered for these pricing regulations shall be directly proportionate to the number of individuals living below $40,000/year in each metropolitan area. For example, in one city with an overall population of 500,000 people, and population of 300,000 people earning at or below $40,000/year, the number of affordable rental units shall be no less than 300,000. Additionally, there needs to be an immediate expansion of public housing units throughout the US. We need a jobs program and the capital to provide for the entire population of Americans living at or below the poverty line with adequte housing opportunities. This means a country-wide building project in all major and minor population centers to build additional public housing units. Housing is a basic human right. It is not a commodity to be traded on the stock market.

We need to have our opposition to this war of choice in Syria registered with the President. We have done similar blunders before in Vietnam and we must not repeat the same mistake. It may be good for the Military Industrial Complex but is not good for the country. For the first time we have a diplomatic process to control the situation in Syria and possibly come up with a consensus solution for this killing to stop. All players are on the table and have declared that they would be working towards finding a political solution to the Syrian Civil war. President Obama must put all his energies in seeking a political resolution to the crises instead of doing something this dangerous as inserting US Forces in Syria. Once one of our soldier is killed, both/all sides would blame one another but we would have lost a serviceman and then we send in more to punish the guilty and so on. Let us nip this one in the bud and tell President Obama that this is not a wise move and stop/withdraw any deployment of US Forces from Syria.

Millions of Americans are unemployed and need jobs. Even if it costs Apple twice as much to make its products in America, Apple's profits would only be modestly affected since its profit margins are so high. With state subsidies, tax incentives and other support, the margins would still be high, dollars exported for manufacturing would stay in America and one of America's iconic companies would be supporting Americans. It's a win-win.

To put an end to Unnecessary and questionable additives in processed food.

D.C. recently announced a proposal to redevelop the Park Morton public housing community at the Bruce Monroe Park in the Park View neighborhood in NW D.C. The community can't afford to lose Bruce Monroe Park. The park includes basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, a pavilion, a dog run and a community garden. The park is highly used and loved by the whole neighborhood. This is not an issue of choosing Park Morton redevelopment OR keeping the Bruce Monroe Community Park. There are alternative options to redevelop Park Morton and keep Bruce Monroe Community Park. For example, the old Hebrew Home site is close to Park Morton and has key qualifications, like close proximity to a school and rec center as well as public transportation, grocery stores, a public library, and more. Another option would be to develop a number of the smaller and abandoned properties on Georgia Ave instead. The city of D.C. should: 1. Meet Park Morton families’ immediate needs now. 2. Take Bruce Monroe Park off the table as a first build site. 3. Reconsider alternative sites like the Hebrew Home site or additional options along the Georgia Ave. corridor. Everyone deserves open space to play in, feel the sun on our faces, and talk with our neighbors. We should use this as an opportunity to build a stronger neighborhood.