Good News!!!..............5/01/2005 edition

[Dob Bole]

Last week, I decided to post this thread and list a lot of the good things that have been going on in the progressive community lately. The response was great, and many DUers asked me to do it every week. So here it is yet again...

Happy May Day!!:

Celebrations and demonstrations for worker's rights are taking place all around the globe today:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/02/news/mayday.php

2006 Congressional Election:
All early polls released so far give Democrats an advantage in 2006:
http://www.pollingreport.com/2006.htm


Homosexual Rights:

The Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act went to committee this week in California. It may have enough support to pass this year; the California Democratic Party passed a resolution this month in support of same-sex marriage:

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/04/042505calMarr.htm

A case was filed in Canada this week that, if victorious, would leave only two provinces without homosexual marriage rights:

http://www.365gay.com/newscon05/04/042505nbCourt.htm

Civil Rights and Government:

Last week I reported that Democracy for America erected billboards all over Texas with the following inscription: "Corporations spent millions to send Tom Delay golfing, and all you got was this billboard."

This week, House Democrats win fight over pro-Delay ethics rule changes:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/04/29/ethics/index.html

Former Bush administration employee pleads guilty to misappropriation of funds:

http://www.democrats.com/node/4444

Accused Bush fundraiser in Ohio is busted:
http://www.democrats.com/node/4445

Social Security:

64% Disapprove of Bush's handling of Social Security; 70% are "uneasy about his approach."

http://www.pollingreport.com/social.htm

Finally, BBC had a great feature this week on Vietnam protest music, and how it still influences us today:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4498011.stm

[GetTheRightVote]

1. Thank you for the update.... it's great.

:kick:

[postulater]

2. Other Good News

The release of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker sightings!

[Dob Bole]

4. Good point! Here's a link...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10123046

[imax2268]

3. man...

that was great...

if they MSM only knew what they were missing...

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Lots of good news!

Oh and I have to report that TN democratic governor Phil Bredesen did two great things this past month. He is starting to work with green energy in state parks here (the first nation wide) and he is letting Tn get drugs from Canada to help us out. :) He's still working on TennCare.
So there are little victories everywhere. Anybody else have good news?

[Dob Bole]

17. Phil Breseden news...

http://www.tennessee.gov/governor/index.htm

[ailsagirl]

6. Thanks for the good news round-up... I think it's imperative that

we don't focus solely on the negative (though, God knows, it's hard sometimes) but also look for the positive because there are good things happening as well.

Even the strongest person will sag, and thus become unempowered, when it's nothing but bad news thrown their way. We can't let that happen!!

:patriot:

[tsuki]

7. Thank you Dob Bole. eom

[lonestarnot]

8. Yahoooozzzie Like the newsie! Hope that damn Noe and Adell both

do time!

[CantGetFooledAgain]

9. Thank you! Keep it up...

...and please keep an extra-sharp eye out for good news on the 9/11 Truth front. C-Span's airing of Professor Griffin's talk was a step in the right direction, and I'm hoping (along with many others) that the movement is gaining momentum. (edited for spelling)

[frictionlessO]

10. Good News is good stuff! Now all we needs is our own TV network!

Good job and thanks!

[Disturbed]

11. Looks like you've got a steady gig.

Good work. Thanks

[ultraist]

12. Good news: DUer attended the SoulForce rally

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3581947#3581983

[Liberty Belle]

13. More Good News

CHECKS AND BALANCES

SENATE LEADER’S STANCE ON FILIBUSTER SPARKS PROTEST AT HIS ALMA MATER
PRINCETON, N.J. -- Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's opposition to filibusters has prompted one against him on the campus of his alma mater, Princeton University.

Since Tuesday, students and local activists have been giving lengthy talks outside the university's Frist Campus Center protesting the Tennessee Republican's threat to change Senate rules to prevent Democrats from using the filibuster to block President Bush's judicial nominees. Frist Center was built with the help of a $25 million donation from the senator's family.
...
The Princeton readings have included biographies of federal judicial nominees, poetry, founding U.S. documents such as the Constitution, and the Princeton University student phone book.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--filibusterfight-n0428apr28,0,3693153.story?coll=ny-region-apnewjersey

The Official Frist Filibuster Webcam @ Princeton University
http://www.princeton.edu/~petehill/filibuster.html

MOVEON RALLIES DRAW 15,000 PROTESTERS SUPPORTING FILIBUSTER
Yesterday was an incredible day. Over 15,000 MoveOn members came together and spoke out at 192 "Rallies to Stop the Judicial Takeover" – all organized in less than a week by other MoveOn members in all 50 states. The Washington, D.C. event featured a stirring address by former Vice President Al Gore.
It was the culmination of 10 days of intense action to save our courts – and it was a huge success. Two weeks ago, it seemed virtually certain that we would wake up today to find Bill Frist and the radical Republicans pulling the trigger on their "nuclear" scheme to stack the courts. Instead, today Frist is scrambling for more time and grasping for more votes, while national polls show two thirds of the country solidly against him <1>.
.. Today you can take the easy step of printing and displaying a window sign, showing your commitment to protecting the courts. Please put one in your window today:
Click here to download a window sign

MOVEON’’S “ELEPHANTS RAMPAGING AD” STAMPEDES GOP STALWARTS

MoveOn has purchased air time on CNN to run this powerful ad in Republican Senators’ districts. The ad features elephants demolishing the Capitol and warns viewers that “radical Republicans” are attempting to dismantle the 200-year-old filibuster and eliminate checks and balances created by our founding fathers. It applauds a few Republican Senators for standing up to their own party—and urges constituents to ask their Senators to take the same courageous stance.

[Dob Bole]

19. wow...

Thanks for that one too. 15,000?

[Liberty Belle]

21. 15,000 at 192 rallies. Lots of folks are getting mad!

[Liberty Belle]

14. Polls Show Bush popularity is tanking--& half know he's lying

POLLING PLACE
GALLUP: 50% OF AMERICANS NOW SAY BUSH DELIBERATELY MISLED THEM ON WMDS
Editor & Publisher (4/26/05) -- Half of all Americans, exactly 50%, now say the Bush administration deliberately misled Americans about whether Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the Gallup Organization reported this morning.

"This is the highest percentage that Gallup has found on this measure since the question was first asked in late May 2003," the pollsters observed. "At that time, 31% said the administration deliberately misled Americans. This sentiment has gradually increased over time, to 39% in July 2003, 43% in January/February 2004, and 47% in October 2004."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000894970

BUSH’S SINKING POPULARITY
With his Social Security plan in a vegetative state and the Iraq war mired in chaos, the president's poll numbers are tanking. Is he pulling the Republican Party down with him?
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2005/04/29/bush_polls/index_np.html

[Liberty Belle]

15. Some good environmental news

ENVIRO – COURT RULES PESTICIDE MAKERS SHOULD PAY FOR DAMAGES:

American Progress Action – Striking down the Bush administration’s attempt to exempt makers of dangerous chemicals from liability, the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the makers of pesticides and weedkillers “can be sued and forced to pay damages if their products cause harm.” Americans who were hurt or killed by toxic chemicals used to be able to sue the maker of the product in state court, but more recently, “lawyers for the chemical industry convinced courts in much of the nation … that the federal law regulating the pesticides barred such lawsuits in state courts.” Reversing course from the previous administration, the Bush administration adopted that pro-business interpretation of the law, shielding chemical companies from having to pay when their products damaged farmers’ crops or made children sick. Justices Thomas and Scalia dissented from the 7-2 ruling.

http://www.americanprogressaction.org/site/pp.asp?c=klLWJcP7H&b=616769#2

[Dob Bole]

18. thanks

[orleans]

16. i say give the people a paper trail

or these polling numbers won't mean shit. just like last time.

[Dob Bole]

20. Have a kick for lunch...

kick

[Dob Bole]

22. Tuesday kick