Working Families Party backs…

Working Families Party backs… Byron Brown for Mayor of Buffalo.

A report on wgrz.com says the Working Families Party endorsed Byron Brown for Mayor of Buffalo in this year's Democratic Primary election.

The artice says Working Families Party Party Chairperson Samuel G. Williams claims, “Brown garnered 3302 votes on the working families line when he ran for office four years ago…. (the party has) grown considerably (in the past four years)."

The article posted by Rachel Kingston says Common Council member Mickey Kearns is challenging challenge Brown.

SOURCE:

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=67467

Pot goes to the top...

Pot goes to the top... of the Rhode Island Governor’s Desk.

Libertarian Director of Communications Donny Ferguson blogs about the Rhode Island Senate and House passing what he wrote the law that would allow “compassion centers" to sell medical marijuana.

Governor Donald Carcieri vetoed a similar bill last year. But the vote passing both house of the legislature by huge margins, “(it) suggest a veto will be overrridden this year by the required three-fifths majorities,” bloged Ferguson.

If it becomes law, Rhode Islands would be the third state in the country to approve medical marijuana. The state would be the first east coast state to pass such a bill.

SOURCE:

http://www.lp.org/blogs/donny-ferguson/ri-senate-passes-compassion-bill-allowing-medical-cannabis-for-the-critically-i

It shows more need…

It shows more need… for reform in the New York Senate.

The Green Party of New York says the “Coup” in the New York Senate shows need for reform in the state. It was in a news release dated Wednesday, June 10th.

The Green Party called for immediate overhaul of Legislative procedures and electoral reform. Greenwich Mayor David Doonan said in a news release, "Real reform would require… decrease (in) leadership power by allowing bills to come to a debate and vote without leadership approval - something that is commonplace in most parliaments around the world.”

Doonan proposed, “Pork and earmarks should be banned from bills and replaced with a state bank that provides low-interest loans to municipalities.” Doonan also pitched for public financing of elections.

SOURCE:

http://gp.org/press/pr-state.php?ID=223

No endorsement…

No endorsement… of Judge Sotomayor after a meeting with Senator Joe Lieberman.

The Independent Democrat said in a June 10th news release after meeting with the Supreme Court nominee, “I was struck by her wealth of experience, her depth of knowledge of the law, and her appreciation for the role of a judge.”

But the words in the news release stopped short of saying Senator Lieberman will vote for the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. The news release ended saying, “I... look forward to learning more about Judge Sotomayor."

SOURCE:

http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=314205

Secrets are not nice...

Secrets are not nice... that’s the word from Senator Bernie Sanders.

He says in a news release from Wednesday June 10th the report by the Federal Reserve on aid to banks, investment firms and other financial institutions was “completely insufficient”.

The independent Senator from Vermont said, “Today's report is completely insufficient. It is time for the Fed to name names. The American people have a right to know who received more than $2 trillion in loans from the Fed… This money does not belong to the Fed. It belongs to the American people,”

The Senator called into question what big banks, Obama administration and the Fed are doing with the money. Senator Sanders said in the release, “Are these banks paying back TARP funds to the Treasury Department today, while receiving secret loans from the Fed tomorrow? As long as the Fed keeps this information secret, we will never know.”

SOURCE:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=314217

No photos please…

No photos please… is the request from Senator Joe Lieberman. The Independent Democrat is asking for the “Detainee Photographic Records Protection Act” to pass Congress. The bill would stop the release of photos of American troops abusing detainees.

Senator Lieberman in a joint news release with South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said, "The President has said that the release of the photos of detainees in US custody would 'put our troops and civilians serving our nation abroad in greater danger.' We agree with the Commander in Chief… The release of the photos will serve as propaganda and recruiting tool for terrorists who seek to attack American citizens at home and abroad.”

In a news conference with Senator Lieberman, Senator Graham said the two Senators would stop funding of the war effort in a filibuster if the bill does not pass.

SOURCE:

http://lieberman.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=314061

http://www.cbsnews.com/track/rss/blogs/2009/06/09/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5075386.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=PoliticalHotsheet_5075386