Record number of LGBT & friends running for Party Office 1/7/2008 LA Stonewall Democrats is proud to announce that we have a record number of LGBT individuals (and Stonewall members) running for State and Parish Party offices. From Shreveport to New Orleans and back to Lafayette there will be a STRONG presence in our party from Stonewall Members.
However, many members are in a race to gain their seat - So e-mail Stephen today if you would like to get involved and help our members get elected.
Blue Monday News 5/22/2007 All New Blue Monday News segment - we take on the republicans head first this week - The issue - The Republican Debates! Take a look:
Bobby Jindal MIA - Again 5/17/2007 It is being reported by The Times Picayune that "Bobby" Jindal missed a very important meeting where FEMA Officials were testifying on their readiness for the upcoming Hurricane Season - Jindal is the ONLY Louisiana Member on this committee - and he missed this meeting. What was he doing during this time? Campaigning?
Mary and the Media 5/9/2007 Senator Landrieu: As she readies for a tough re-election campaign, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is pushing two press-friendly bills through Congress.
This week in the NEWS - Bush Vetos the Troops, Edwards hits the airwaves - not for him - but for our Troops, Bobby Jindal gets SPANKED on the floor of the house by Chairman Barney Frank - and then by Governor Blanco and we have the video! - and our CLIP OF THE WEEK has Bill Maher diagnoses Bush.
LeftBlog: Supporting our Troops & Hate Crimes 5/7/2007 While this passed clearly through the house, I am more than a bit concerned that we had members of our delegation who voted against it. It is unbelievable to me how easy rich white men are able to dismiss that hate crimes are real in this country, and that they are a huge and growing problem.
Hate crimes are completely different that regular crimes and don’t for one minute think that they are not. A hate crime is simply when one or more people target a person or persons for often brutal crimes for who they are. Take for example Richard Byrd in Texas. This man was targed because he was black. The white men that attacked him beat him and then tied is body up and hooked the chain to the back of a truck where they drug his body for almost a mile. The entire length of that mile was littered with his body parts.
Or take for example Matthew Shepard. Matthew was a quiet boy, and gay. Two men heard that he was gay and they decided to rob him and “teach him a lesson.” These boys pistol whipped him for over an hour and then they tied his frail and bleeding body to a split rail fense in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. He was found almost 12 hours later. They rushed his nearly lifeless body to the hospital where he stayed alive for a few days… but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
LeftBlog: It's we the people, not the corporations 4/3/2007 60 Minutes took a look inside how this bill was passed in the wee hours of the morning after leaving the vote open for a previously unheard of 3-plus hours. You see, votes are set at only 15 minutes, but not this one.
This bill was lead by former congressman from Louisiana, Billy Tauzin. The initial intension of this bill was good: to add a prescription drug care program to Medicare so that our seniors could stop choosing between life saving medication and putting food on the table. Yet what we got was nothing short of a boondoggle for the pharmaceutical industry.
LeftBlog: The state of health care 3/27/2007 Now many of you will start yelling SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM and all that crap, but that is really hogwash. America has BY FAR the most expensive healthcare system in the WORLD… and yet we do not live longer, in fact by my last check we have a lower life expectancy than 14 other countries (all of those have a single payer type system) and we keep falling. Something is completely wrong here and must be dealt with swiftly. So I ask you, what should we do?
LeftBlog: Who will be our next governor? 3/20/2007 One not to be counted out – Foster Campbell. Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is touring the state both Yesterday and today announcing his candidacy for Governor. And he has some very attractive ideas to show the citizens of this state. Campbell has wide appeal north of Alexandria and has quite a base in Lake Charles as well. With $1 Million in the bank and plenty of time, he is definitely one we should keep our eyes on to see what happens in the coming months. One thing for sure is, Campbell thinks “out of the box” and we definitely need someone at the helm that is going to tackle the problems we are facing and hit them head on.
Campbell announces for governor 3/19/2007 True to the populist mantle he has wielded as a state senator and Public Service Commissioner, Campbell's campaign anchor is a proposal to impose new oil and gas processing taxes in Louisiana and eliminate the state's personal and corporate income taxes.
Campbell said the changes would strengthen the economy by boosting residents' buying power, while also helping businesses and creating a net gain for state coffers. He said it also would force an industry he describes as coddled to pay its fair share.
LeftBlog: A clear, discernable pattern, Part 2 3/13/2007 Case in Point – U.S. Attorney David Iglesias was fired from his job as the top federal prosecutor in New Mexico after rebuffing Republican pressure to speed his investigation of Democratic officials in the state. Now we learn in reports that came out over the weekend that none other than Karl Rove was acting as a “conduit” for these complaints and that he met with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales about them.
LeftBlog: A clear, discernable pattern 3/6/2007 You may remember last year when a series of cuts were being made to programs and funding for services and we pointed out that only a small “incremental raise” was given to the VA system. We covered this on our show “BLUE MONDAYS” (On AOC Channel 15 every Monday night at 9pm) and I also made mention of it here in “The Left Blog” that we were very concerned as we had already had reports coming in from members of our own 256th who were reporting returning home with injuries received while in Iraq and that they were being stonewalled at getting the services they needed to make them whole again. We feared that this was the proverbial “tip of the iceburg”, now it appears that our suspicions were correct.
Landrieu on Bush Visit: "We Need Real Action" 3/1/2007 President Bush visits the Gulf Coast Region on the 18-Month Katrina anniversary and Senator Landrieu calls for immediate steps to advance hurricane recovery.
Al Gore Wins Oscar 2/27/2007 SWLA Democrats congrats Al Gore for winning an Oscar for his documentary an “Inconvenient Truth.” To find our how you can take action visit www.climatecrisis.net. You can watch the video of Al Gore at the Oscars by clicking on Read More.
Boustany makes Floor Speach - "America, Sweet America..." 2/15/2007 Charles Boustany (R-LA7) - "What would happen if we had a failed policy in Iraq?" Well Charles, I expect we'd see something like an uncontrollable insurgency, an ineffective central government, and an intractable civil war between the multiple sectarian groups present in Iraq. Oh.... wait....
Click the link above to read more of the recaps
Senator Kennedy Stands up for Workers 2/2/2007 Senator Kennedy stands with the working Families of Louisiana & blasts the GOP for its attack on working people!
Blue Monday News 1/9/2007 This week we have a great interview with Susan Hamilton of the Lafayette Parish Library Board of Controls where she discusses with Ruth Yeager the plans for the coming years – two new locations and one major renovation. You will definitely want to “check this out.” But first, as always – Progressive News and Commentary by Stephen Handwerk
Here is Part ONE - Click the Link Above for PART TWO.
LeftBlog: A new year, some light at the end of the tunnel? 1/9/2007 I can’t tell you the amount of pride and optimism I have for our country with breaking down yet another barrier for Women, as I saw Speaker of the House; Nancy Pelosi sworn in and take the gavel for the first time. I was basically raised by a single mother in a time where it was extremely difficult for women who have been divorced. Times have definitely changed for the better and I think that the breaking of this glass (actually Speaker Pelosi calls it Marble) ceiling MUST be seen as a good thing no matter what your political views of Representative Pelosi.
