Where does Nancy Johnson stand on social security?

The Democratic Congreessional Campaign Committee did alittle research on Nancy Johnson they don't seem to know where she stands on privatizing Social Security.

Johnson told the National Taxpayers Union in 2004 that she supported "individual retirement accounts" and answered "Yes" to the following statement:

3. SOCIAL SECURITY CHOICE. I recognize that Social Security will default on its obligations to future retirees unless fundamental reforms are made. Therefore, I will work and vote for a system of Social Security Choice that will allow younger workers to have the choice of investing much of their Social Security taxes in regulated individual retirement accounts. Current retirees and those nearing retirement would not have any change in their Social Security benefits. Social Security Choice will give younger workers ownership of their Social Security accounts, with higher rates of return and better benefits than are possible under the current system.

Yet, in the AARP's 2004 candidate questionnaire Johnson claimed she OPPOSED privatization through private accounts.

It is essential that we guarantee the basic benefits which Social Security provides. I do not support privatizing Social Security. Voluntary private accounts as a supplement to the existing system are an option that should be studied and considered. They may provide an opportunity for more income for future retirees in addition to the guaranteed basic benefit most seniors now enjoy. However, voluntary accounts cannot and must not replace the existing system. But Social Security reform is important because Congress must also address longstanding inequities in the current system. I am a cosponsor of bills that would repeal the government pension offset, the windfall elimination provision, and other unfair adjustments that reduce Social Security payments to deserving seniors.

I think this is what conservatives might call a flip-flop. Has she been hanging out with Kerry?
Why hasn't the media question her about these inconsistent statements?

Blumenthal challenges No Child Left Behind law

Finally someone calls the No Child Left Behind illegal and is doing something about it.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Tuesday the federal lawsuit will contend the law illegally and unconstitutionally requires states and communities to spend millions more than the federal government provides for test development and school reform programs.

"This law is outrageously wrong. It's bad education policy, but it's also blatantly illegal," Blumenthal said.

Hopefully other states will jump on the bandwagon. We'll keep an eye on this case as it develops.

(NOTE: Blumenthal was on the Al Franken Show Friday talking abou the case and we'll post the interview soon)

Bush's popularity is taking a nose dive

Things are not looking good for the president and the republican controled congress. These are the worst poll numbers I've ever seen and with the rising oil prices and no end in sight to the war in Iraq, it doesn't seem like things are going to get any better for him any time soon.

The Republican president's job approval is at 44%, with 54% disapproving. Only 37% have a favorable opinion of the work being done by Congress, according to an AP-Ipsos poll.

Bush's job approval was at 49% in January, the same month in which he was sworn in for a second term, while Congress' was at 41%.

Where are the democrats? This is a perfect opportunity for them to step up to the plate and put for an agenda like the republicans did with Gingrich in the 90s.

Australia has their own Shiavo case

I can't make this stuff up.
Quick, send Randall Terry and Tom DeLay over there! We must keep Maria alive!

Clinton in Rome

No boos for Bill...

Along the streets, people starting yelling "Bill, Bill, Bill," and a few shouted "U.S.A.!" One shopkeeper raced out with a photograph of Mr. Clinton on a past visit.

The Rowland timeline

I can't wait for the "made for TV" movie. I want to play the role of the guy who installs the hot tub...

Tell CT House Speaker James Amann to stop using stall tatics

This is just crazy. We have a civil unions bill that passes easily through the senate but some out of step DEMOCRATS want to stop the bill from becomming law?

House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, opposes civil unions and said passing the bill would simply lead to gay marriage.

"I strictly, 100 percent believe that marriage is between a man and a woman," Amann said. "I know this building. If anybody thinks they will go away after we pass civil unions, they are fooling themselves. They'll come back next year for marriage."

Later in the article, Amann uses a poor excuse for stonewalling this bill.

Amann knows most Democrats favor the bill and wants to bring it to the floor for a vote, but he first wants to send it to the legislature's Planning and Development Committee for further review. That's because the law, if passed, would affect cities and towns that issue the civil union licenses.

Come on, you can't be serious? It's pretty obvious that Amann is against civil unions, gay marriage, and possibly gays in general but the last thing he's thinking about is how the passage of this bill will affect the cities and towns that issue the liecenses.
It's time for people in CT to put pressure on their house reps to pass this bill as is and have Rell sign it. Hopefully this will turn out to be a big political issue in'06 as it's time to hold the politicians accountable for their actions.

Did Johnson overlook a DeLay violation?

Hey Maloney, are you taking notes?

Back in 1995, the year of the Republican "revolution" that brought his brother to power, Randy DeLay first turned up as a lobbyist employed by Cemex, the Mexican cement monopoly suspected of illegal economic "dumping" of its product in the United States. He joined with the powerhouse Texas law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski to protect Cemex from sanctions. Meanwhile, Tom DeLay wrote articles and circulated letters among his congressional colleagues, urging the Commerce Department to refrain from punishing Cemex for trade violations.

In the usual course of congressional procedure, the House Ethics Committee -- then chaired by Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn. -- applied a fine coat of whitewash to this apparent violation, ultimately dismissing the complaint against DeLay. But a question still lingered: Why would Cemex, represented by one of the best-connected and most skillful lobbying law firms in the country, require the costly services of a two-bit Houston lawyer like Randy DeLay?

Rep. Johnson a candidate for Ways and Means chair

From Roll Call

I'm reading it but I can't believe it!

The Vatican announces that Cardinal Law to lead in a mass celebrating Pope John Paul II?

You gotta be fucking kidding me right? This is the same Cardinal Law who resigned in disgrace because of his role is the sex abuse case. They pick HIM to lead in a mass? This is fucking crazy! What a SLAP in the face to every person who was sexually molested by a priest.

The Vatican announced Thursday he will lead one of the daily Masses celebrated in the pope's memory during the nine-day period that follows the funeral, called Novemdiales. The service will be held Monday at Rome's St. Mary Major Basilica, where Law was appointed archpriest after leaving Boston.

Talk about having no accountability. The Vatican and the Catholic Church should be ashamed of themselves...obviously they have learned nothing from the sex scandal.

More bad news for the President

You know things are bad when your own party is turning on you.

Seems like the republicans really miscalculated the public's support when they got involved in the Schiavo case.

The Schiavo case has opened another rift. Though Mr. Bush and Republican congressional leaders acted to maximize the opportunity for reinserting Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, 39% of Republicans said removing the tube was "the right thing to do," while 48% said it was wrong.

What's really going to hurt as summer approaches the President is the economy with the oil prices steadily rising...

The economy remains a concern for all Americans. Amid rising gasoline prices -- ranked as the second-most-closely watched issue of recent weeks after the Schiavo case -- 53% of those surveyed disapprove of the president's handling of the economy, up from 47% in January. The national mood has darkened somewhat in recent weeks, as 51% say the country is heading "on the wrong track" while just 34% say "in the right direction."

Here's how the senators voted

Here's a breakdown on the senator's vote on the civil unions bill that passed last night (pdf file).

CT senate backs civil unions bill

It's so nice to live in a Blue state.

Here's my favorite part of the article:

Half the Senate's 12 Republicans and all but three of its 24 Democrats voted for the measure. The bipartisan vote puts Connecticut on a path to become the first state to approve civil unions without court intervention.

Bill to allow civil unions up for vote in CT

This is a very important vote for civil unions in CT and it's happening now.

I'll post more once the vote is over.

Rowland defendants demanding dismissal

From The Connecticut Post

They're asking for a dismissal on most of the charges? Ah...I dont' think so.

Bush approval rating lowest ever for 2nd-term President

From Editor and Publisher

FYI: Clinton's approval rating was higher than Dubya's at this point in his presidency.

Chris Shays' town hall meeting

Rep. Chris Shays (R) held a town hall meeing in Darien on Sunday night. Seems like there was a pretty balanced panel with deputy Social Security commissioner James Lockhart and AARP President Marie Smith offering their views on the privitizing Social Secutiry.

Here's my favorite quote from from Shays:

"I am not going to impose my beliefs on Americans if they don't buy off onto it because this is too huge a program."

This is a political way of saying that he isn't totally sold on the whole notion of privatizing social security. I don't awlays agree with Shays but I really admire him as a Republican who doesn't aways walk the party line or drink the kool-aid.