Dear nancy, Good Morning!
There is just soooo much going on ! Get involved, attend a meeting, get on the bus and catch up on a few articles you might have missed !
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Nancy Cunningham
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Texas AFL-CIO is organizing a vigil in solidarity Monday, February 21 | 
On Wisconsin! America's working people are fighting back against layoffs, cuts in services, and attacks on our right to organize. Wisconsin is the most prominent of several hot spots, just as Cairo was the most noted of the people's protests in Egypt. The Texas AFL-CIO is organizing a vigil in solidarity this Monday, February 21, at 6:45 PM. 1105 LaVaca in Austin. Texans are forced to fight to preserve our schools, state services, and jobs. Please join Jobs with Justice in the fight. The events below are planned so far: *February 21, 6:45 PM: Vigil in Austin in solidarity with protesting Wisconsin workers *February 26, 10 AM: Workers Rights Board hearing on the attacks against public workers and state services. Teachers, state workers, and legal services workers will be represented on the panel. Judge Carlos Medrano's courtroom, 410 S Beckley near downtown Dallas. Free, everyone invited! March 9, 7 PM: North Texas Jobs with Justice planning meeting at 2218 E Main in Grand Prairie. Everyone invited! March 14: Teachers' buses to Austin for day of lobbying and rally. Contact us to arrange for your free transportation See our web page www.labordallas.org for details and more actions! |
Texas' electric deregulation cost is tallied in study | 
A report released Monday concludes that electric deregulation has cost Texas residential consumers more than $11 billion in higher rates and that the operator of the state's major power grid, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has been poorly managed and industry-dominated. read on |
Commentary: Perry's actions don't match his rhetoric | 
Ft Worth Star Telegram For instance, during Perry's decade as governor, with Republicans controlling both chambers of the Legislature the last eight years, Texas' budget has grown from $114.1 billion for the 2002-03 biennium to $182 billion for 2010-11. He has championed some mighty expensive projects, most prominently the Texas Enterprise Fund, which since 2003 has allocated $426 million to companies that include the likes of Raytheon, Tyson Foods, JPMorganChase, Lockheed Martin, Facebook and Nationwide Insurance. His Emerging Technology Fund has made more than $340 million in grants. And, oh yes, The Dallas Morning News reported in October that more than $16 million from the Emerging Technology Fund went to companies with officers or investors who gave Perry thousands in campaign funds.
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Democracy Now | Some 30,000 students and public sector workers rallied at the Wisconsin State House in Madison Thursday to oppose  Republican Gov. Scott Walker's bid to eliminate almost all their collective bargaining rights and slash pay and benefits. We speak to John Nichols of The Nation magazine, Madison teacher Susan Stern, and Wisconsin Democratic State Senator Chris Larson. Watch/Listen/Read This week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave a major address calling for Internet freedom around the world. As Clinton condemned the Egyptian and Iranian governments for arresting and beating protesters, former U.S. Army and CIA officer Ray McGovern was violently ejected from the audience and arrested after he stood up and turned his back in a silent protest of America's foreign policy. Ray McGovern joins us from Washington, D.C. Watch/Listen/Read Massive public protests continue to sweep the Middle East and North Africa in countries including Bahrain, Libya, Yemen and Iran-many being met with violent government crackdowns. We speak to Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst at Al Jazeera English, and MIT Professor Emeritus Noam Chomsky. Bishara also discusses the "Palestine Papers," the more than 1,600 secret documents that recorded Middle East peace talks between Israel, the Palestinian leadership and the United States, which were leaked to Al Jazeera and published in January. Watch/Listen/Read | World-renowned public intellectual Noam Chomsky discusses several domestic issues in the United States, including the protests in defense of public sector employees and unions in Wisconsin, how the U.S. deification of former President Ronald Reagan resembles North Korea, and the crackdown on political activists with anti-terror laws and FBI raids. Watch/Listen/Read |
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Dallas Peace Center - Chip Pitts :Post 911 Normalizing Crisis Mode The Perpetual Erosion of Civil Liberties and Human Rights | 
Pre-Seminar Lunch with Chip Pitts Have lunch and conversation with human and civil rights expert Chip Pitts. When: Sunday, February 27, 12:30 p.m. Where: Vapiano Italian Restaurant ($8-$12 entrees), 5319 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 100 (Angelica Theater Complex, faces 75 Service Road) Dallas. Contact: Hadi Jawad, 214-392-2939 ________________________________________ Post 911 Normalizing Crisis Mode The Perpetual Erosion of Civil Liberties and Human Rights Chip Pitts, President of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC), and lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School and Oxford University, will discuss: · Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) · Body-scanners and related measures · FBI's stepped-up investigations of anti-war, peace and civil rights groups · Wasteful and ineffective spending by the military/industrial/ surveillance complex · How the decline in the objective rule of law increases room for arbitrary, subjective direction The seminar will also feature Rev. Holsey Hickman, witness to historical erosion of civil liberties; Jesse Garcia, President - LULAC Council 4871 - The Dallas Rainbow Council; Adriana Cadena, Coordinator - Reform Immigration for Texas Alliance; and Khalil Meek, Executive Director - Muslim Legal Fund of America. To Register: Call the Dallas Peace Center 214-823-7793, or email DPC.Zara@gmail.com. No Cost - All are encourage to attend When: Sunday, February 27 Where: SMU Vester Hughes Auditorium, 3145 Dyer St., SMU Contact: Zara Tariq, 214-823-7793. |
Americans Spent Valentine's Day Thanking Spain for Prosecuting Bush Lawyers | 
By David Swanson, WarIsACrime.org On Valentine's Day 2011, yet another U.S. judge agreed with yet another claim that President Obama has the right to protect members of the Bush-Cheney administration from prosecution for torture. But a coalition of human rights groups spent the day visiting the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Spanish colsulates around the United States to share some love for a country that is working to prosecute former top Bush officials for torture. The coalition thanking and encouraging Spain to enforce laws when the United States will not has gathered 8,400 signatures on a letter, a love letter of sorts, to the people of Spain, and has raised $6,000 so far for purchasing newspaper and street advertisements in Madrid.
read on
** photo above of the Dallas group
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North Texas Progressive Book Suggestion | Enga ging the Muslim World By Juan Cole List Price: $17.00 Price: $9.65 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. BUY HERE With clarity and concision, Juan Cole disentangles the key foreign policy issues that America is grappling with today--from our dependence on Middle East petroleum to the promotion of Islamophobia by the American right--and delivers his informed advice on the best way forward. Cole's unique ability to take the true Muslim perspective into account when looking at East-West relations make his insights well-rounded and prescient as he suggests a course of action on fundamental issues like religion, oil, war and peace. With substantive recommendations for the next administration on how to move forward in key countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, Engaging the Muslim World reveals how we can repair the damage of the disastrous foreign policy of the last eight years and forge ahead on a path of peace and prosperity. |
North Texas Democrats : Notes and News | 
Democratic National Committee Events in Collin County Phone Calls for Organization Building and to "Protect our Progress" Thursday, February 24th /6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. DPCC Headquarters /2504 K Avenue, Suite 200 /Plano, TX 75074 (Party HQ located behind the Shell Food Mart at the northeast corner of Park & K Avenue, 3 traffic lights east of 75) Richardson/North Dallas Democrats Tuesday, February 22: 7 PM, Wizards, 747 North Central Expressway Tarrant County Democrats Saturday, February 26 Pancake Breakfast Come join Democrats from all over Tarrant County for a Pancake Breakfast at the new TCDP office. Suggested minimum donation: $5.00 to benefit the Tarrant County Democratic Party Menu: Pancakes, orange juice, milk, and coffee. Some of the local Grassroots Democratic clubs are getting together to host a Pancake Breakfast at the TCDP office to benefit the County Party. This will be fun, folks, so come join your Democratic friends before starting out on your Saturday morning errands/shopping. 3004 W. Lancaster | Ft. Worth | TX | 76107 Mid-Cities Democrats 7:00PM Thursday, February 24th The Dixie House Cafe / 2051 Airport Freeway / Euless TX 76040 map Several candidates for local City Council races have been invited to speak to our group. So far, three candidates from Arlington, Marvin Sutton, Terry Meza, and Chris Hightower have confirmed. We will also be making plans and asking for volunteers for the upcoming Pancake Breakfast at the new TCDP office in Fort Worth and discussing the TCDP Fundraiser featuring Roy Zimmerman, America's leading political satirical songwriter/singer. Check MCD calendar for details. Texas Democratic Women of Collin County. Monday February 28, 2011 is the next General Meeting of Texas Democratic Women of Collin County. Join us at 6:45pm at the Preston Ridge Campus of Collin College, 9700 Wade Blvd Frisco, Texas, Founders Hall, Shawnee Room F148. Action Alert! The February Meeting agenda will be to ACTIVATE for the upcoming Legislative Lobby Days. Members will present information about the state legislative agenda and issues that are important to us as Democrats and Women. Our goal is for members to commit to attend one Lobby Day this legislative session. We will talk about our experiences with previous Lobby Days and why they are so important. |
| Progressive Center 2nd Anniversary Celebration | 
Hear The Progressive Center's plans for 2011 and beyond at a fundraising event to be held on Thursday, February 24 at 7 PM at The Progressive Center in South Side on Lamar, 1409 S. Lamar Street, Suite 1021, Dallas. Complimentary wine and refreshments, music, and progressive fellowship included. Recommended minimum donation is $50 per person, $75 per couple. Please RSVP at this page. |
A Visual History of the Democratic Party | 
This large-scale print is like nothing else available on the history of the Democratic Party. It places each party event in historical context, visualizing a remarkable range of party events, legislation, election results, and leadership to succinctly tell the story of the party. Narratives are displayed within the larger context of party strength by aggregating and annotating data on presidential elections, Congress, Governorships and State Legislatures. The Timeplot provides a new lens into American political history; it is not intended to be absorbed at a glance, but rather to be visited and revisited over time.
buy one here |
Michael Moore creates High School Newspaper | 
From a Michael Moore email: Let's change that! I'm starting something on my site called, "HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER." Here you will be able to write what you want and I will publish it. I will also post those articles that you've tried to get published at your school but were turned down. On my site you will have freedom and an open forum and a chance to have your voice heard by millions. I've asked my 17-year-old niece, Molly, to kick things off by editing this page for the first six months. She will ask you to send her your stories and ideas and the best ones will be posted on MichaelMoore.com. I'll give you the platform you deserve. It will be my honor to have you on my site and I encourage you to take advantage of it. You are often called "our future." That future is today, right here, right now. You've already proven you can change the world. Keep doing it. And I'd be honored to help you. Yours, Michael Moore http://mikeshighschoolnews.com/
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| The G.O.P.'s Post-Tucson Traumatic Stress Disorder
By Frank Rich NY Times | 
SIX weeks after that horrific day in Tucson, America has half-forgotten its violent debate over the power of violent speech to incite violence. It's Gabrielle Giffords's own power of speech that rightly concerns us now. But all those arguments over political language did leave a discernible legacy. In the aftermath of President Obama's Tucson sermon, civility has had a mini-restoration in Washington. And some of the most combative national figures in our politics have been losing altitude ever since, much as they did after Bill Clinton's oratorical response to the inferno of Oklahoma City. Glenn Beck's ratings at Fox News continued their steady decline, falling to an all-time low last month. He has lost 39 percent of his viewers in a year and 48 percent of the prime 25-to-54 age demographic. His strenuous recent efforts to portray the Egyptian revolution as an apocalyptic leftist-jihadist conspiracy have inspired more laughs than adherents.
read on
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North Texas Progressive Newsletter Nancy Cunningham
Editor
Contact: Nancy This newsletter is a project of the North Texas Progressive , which is an umbrella organization for the Dallas Air America group, which was founded in 2004 to promote and support progressive talk radio and independent media in North Texas. Visit the North Texas Progressive web pages to get more information. Newsletter archive Sponsor the newsletter here ! |
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Get on a Bus to Austin to Rally and Advocate for Immigrant Rights | Dallas Peace Center Get on a Bus to Austin to Rally and Advocate for Immigrant Rights Make your Voice Heard  Come to Austin to rally for real immigration reform and lobby your representatives to fight off a slew of inhumane bills that are being introduced this session. Among them are: HB 22 -- Mandates that public schools check the citizenship and immigration status of public school students and provide the information obtained to the Texas Education Agency. HB 293 -- Removes the eligibility of an individual born in this state to undocumented parents to receive state benefits. HB 464 -- Adjusts the qualifications for resident status by public institutions of higher education preventing undocumented students from obtaining in-state tuition. HB 140, HB 202, HB 178, HB 878, and SB 84 -- Require state contractors or grant recipients to participate in the federal electronic verification of work authorization program, or E-verify, and add a civil penalty. HB 303 -- Provides for the creation of a remittance tax- a fee for money transmissions sent outside the United States. For information on the day's events, go HERE. Important Bus Information Buses will leave Dallas on Tuesday, February 22 at 6:00 a.m. and will return the evening of the same day. Catch the bus in the parking lot of the Cathedral of Hope, 5910 Cedar Springs Rd., Dallas (you may leave your car there all day). To get a seat on the bus, you must register by calling 214-823-7793 (leave a message with your name and phone number), or email dpc.zara@gmail.com and type "Bus to Austin" in the subject line. There is no cost for the bus, but donation are appreciated; RITA is picking up the tab. You will be responsible for your own food and drink.
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Russ Feingold Launches 'Progressives United' To Combat Corporate Influences In Politics | Russ Feingold Launches 'Progressives United' To Combat Corporate Influences In Politics WASHINGTON -- When some senators retire, they decide to take lucrative lobbying jobs. Others go straight to Wall Street. But Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, who lost his re-election bid in November, is continuing on his principled -- and often lonely -- path by starting an organization to combat corporate influence in politics, an effort he hopes will spark "a new progressive movement" that will truly hold elected officials accountable.
read on
http://www.progressivesunited.org/
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CNN journalist, "CSI: NY" actor to give keynote speeches at UNT Equity & Diversity Conference Feb. 25-26 | 
Soledad O'Brien, host of the In America documentary unit on CNN and former host of CNN's morning newscast American Morning, and Hill Harper, who portrays coroner Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on CBS' CSI: NY, will be among the keynote speakers at the University of North Texas' 11th Equity & Diversity Conference Feb. 25-26 (Friday and Saturday). The conference, which has a theme of "Celebrating the Big I.D.E.A.: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access," is aimed at students, educators and professionals who are committed to equity and diversity in the workforce and in higher education. More than 300 have already registered for the conference, which will include sessions exploring mentoring, equal pay, black masculinity, communication skills for student leaders, the teaching of social justice and veterans' transition to civilian student life, among other topics.
info and registration here
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Frontline: COMING TUESDAY: REVOLUTION IN CAIRO Airs Feb. 22nd at 8PM cT | 
We watched as Cairo's young protesters filled Tahrir Square. We continued to watch as pro-government forces on camel and horseback attempted to beat back the protesters and, then again, as the end of President Mubarak's thirty-year rule was announced live on TV. But this week's FRONTLINE special report makes clear just how much we did not see--and still do not fully understand--about this story. In Revolution in Cairo, FRONTLINE's teams are on the ground during those tumultuous days, going inside the youth movement that ignited the uprising and gaining rare access to some of its leaders as they help plan and strategize the endgame with Mubarak. To spend time among these members of the "April 6" movement, and to hear about their years of dangerous underground resistance, is to understand just how remarkable -- and far from inevitable -- those 18 days in Cairo really were.
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