Week In Review
August 19, 2005
WOMEN WANT THE TRUTH ON ROBERT'S PARTISAN AGENDA
American women and men want open and honest government. But on the issue of its Supreme Court nominee - like so many other issues - the Bush White House chooses to erect a stone wall instead of being open and honest with the American people. The White House has refused to release important memos written Supreme Court nominee John Roberts while he was a top Justice Department official. The only documents provided have been those written by Roberts when he was a 29-year-old conservative firebrand in the Reagan Administration. Still the question remains, will Judge Roberts be an advocate for the basic rights and freedoms of every American, or an activist for an extreme ideology?
What little the White House has decided to make available to the Senate shows that Roberts took extreme partisan positions, on issues ranging from privacy, to civil rights, to equal pay for women. Roberts wrote that a federal court decision that sought to guarantee equal pay for women was "a radical redistributive concept." He strongly objected to and even ridiculed three Republicans members of Congress, including current U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who favored the decision, noting that "their slogan may as well be 'From each according to his ability, to each according to her gender.'" Snowe recently remarked that, "Hopefully, 21 years later, Judge Roberts possesses an openness with respect to issues of gender-based wage discrimination." [Washington Post, 8/16/05; USA Today, 8/16/05; Associated Press, 8/16/05]
The little we know about Roberts' writings on equal pay and Senator Snowe's comments again illustrate why the Senate needs access to the memos Roberts wrote as a top official in the first Bush White House. These documents are critical to understanding the evolution, if at all, of his judicial philosophy. The White House has the power to address these concerns simply by releasing these documents. Only then will the Senate be able to properly carry out their constitutional duty to advise the President on this appointment."
DEMOCRATS TO GIVE AMERICANS A FULL DEBATE ON QUALIFICATIONS
Speculation about whether Democrats will support the Roberts nomination is premature. The hearings have not even begun, and from the looks of current White House cooperation, they may proceed without thorough information held in White House records. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has said talk about Democratic support of the Robert's nomination is "laughably premature" and that "John Roberts must still persuade the Senate and the American people that he is a worthy replacement for Justice O'Connor and the jury is still out on that." The commitment by Democratic Senators to withhold judgment pending a full review of the nominee's record is the only responsible approach to take to the confirmation process. The process is working and must be allowed to continue.
The stakes are too high for there to be a rush to judgment. Want to learn more about Robert's record on Pay Discrimination, employment discrimination, access to reproductive health care and sex discrimination in education? Visit the National Partnership for Women and Families at www.nationalpartnership.org.
SPEAK OUT: WE WANT THE FACTS ABOUT JOHN ROBERTS
John Roberts, the nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, worked in the Solicitor General's office in the early 1990s under the first President Bush. During that time he worked on nearly 80 cases that were eventually argued before the Supreme Court. Senators who will vote on his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court have requested documents pertaining to 16 of those cases. These were cases Roberts worked on as a senior political appointee in the first Bush administration. The cases (which are listed in the FOIA request linked below) deal with important legal issues like civil rights, equal opportunity for all, women's rights, our right to privacy, and access to justice.
The Senators' request for these documents has gone unanswered, despite the fact that the Justice Department has previously released similar records on other nominees. So on Monday we will submit a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act from Governor Howard Dean and anyone else who wishes to be a part of it.
Add your name to our Freedom of Information Act request to get the facts about John Roberts' record here:
http://www.democrats.org/foia
It's rare that a federal agency receives a Freedom of Information Act request from large numbers of citizens acting together. It is unfortunate that the Bush administration's penchant for secrecy requires tens of thousands of Americans to demand access to important information.
The Freedom of Information Act mandates a response within 20 working days. That date will fall just as the Roberts hearings take place next month, in time for Senators to ask substantive questions about his record. Government agencies will sometimes create excuses to not respond to these requests. Administrations with secrets to hide find any way they can to avoid disclosing incriminating information or "slow walk" the release of critical information. This Bush administration continues to be one of the worst in history when it comes to making sure that people have free and open access to information about the business of government and responding to legitimate questions.
Reviewing the Roberts record on these 16 important cases will shed light on whether or not he can separate partisanship and ideology from his responsibilities to the law. Our Senators need the information the White House is withholding to do their Constitutional duty and evaluate whether or not Judge Roberts will be an advocate for the basic rights and freedoms of every American, or an activist for an extreme ideology.
You can read more about the 16 cases and why they are important, and add your name to a formal request for the documents, by clicking here:
http://www.democrats.org/foia
GEORGE W. BUSH'S ROSE COLORED GLASSES:
"I'm Not Worried About Things in Washington."
In a press conference earlier this summer, President Bush declared, "I'm not worried about things in Washington." Apparently, the American people do not have the same pair of rose colored glasses as President Bush. The American people are rightfully worried about shrinking wages, rising "kitchen table costs", and skyrocketing gas prices.
KITCHEN TABLE COSTS: Families Faced Higher "Kitchen Table Costs". "Families are paying much more for "kitchen table costs" including health care and education. Brand name drug prices rose last year by more than twice the rate of inflation, the largest increase in the five years it has monitored prices according to a study released by the AARP. Under President Bush, health care costs for families have skyrocketed almost 50 percent and college tuition has gone up about 36 percent, even taking inflation into account." In fact, health insurance costs are expected to rise by 12.6 percent this year alone--increasing the burden on both employers and employees in making ends meet. [KFF, 2004; College Board, 2004; Bloomberg, 8/15/05]
THE STRUGGLING ECONOMY: "Ellen Westbrook, an employment counselor in Asheville, North Carolina, says she just rolls her eyes when she hears about how the U.S. economy is strong and getting stronger. 'I've seen 300 manufacturing jobs disappear down here in the last three weeks,' she says. 'How can I think the economy is good when I am watching high-paying jobs disappear overseas?'" [Bloomberg, 5/31/05]
GAS PRICES: Americans Face Higher Gas Prices and Their Negative Effect on Economy. Retail gas prices hit another record high over the past three weeks, mirroring a rapid increase in the cost of crude oil. The average price for all three grades rose nearly 22 cents to $2.53 in the three-and-a-half weeks ending August 16. Higher prices for gasoline and other energy products caused inflation to shoot up in July, even as output at the nations' factories, mines and utilities slowed sharply. [Energy Information Administration, 8/16/05; Lundberg, 8/15/05; BusinessWeek, April 15, 2005; AP, 8/16/05]
HOME FORECLOSURES: Home Foreclosures Rose to Yearly High in June 2005--the Latest Figures Available. "The number of properties entering foreclosure nationwide increased to 67,024 in June compared to 62,432 in May. That was the highest number of new foreclosures reported in any one month in 2005, and caused a 7.4-percent increase in the nation's foreclosure rate, with one new foreclosure for every 1,726 households." [PR Newswire US, 7/27/05; http://www.realtytrac.com/]
DEMOCRATS TAKING THE LEAD
You have an opportunity to celebrate the history of American women and their right to vote! On August 26 Americans mark the 85th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Observance of this milestone not only calls attention to this struggle for voting rights but fosters greater appreciation of the rights many women have come to take for granted.
What is Women's Equality Day?
In 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26 "Women's Equality Day." Under the leadership of then-Democratic Congresswoman Bella Abzug (NY), the date was selected to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. The culmination of a 70-year struggle for women suffragists, the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. National Women's Equality Day not only recognizes this historic achievement, but also commemorates the date of a nationwide demonstration for women's rights that took place in 1970. Women's Equality Day serves as a reminder to all Americans of women's continued struggle to gain full equality in the United States. For more information, visit the National Women's History Project.
What can you do to raise the issue of women's equality and voting rights access?
Organize a voter registration drive in your community. Empower people to make a difference by helping them utilize their most powerful tool: their vote. Make every voice count by organizing a voter registration drive at your neighborhood supermarket, shopping mall, or town square.
Celebrate at your Democratic club or civic organization with a luncheon or speaker. Help educate women and men in your community by inviting a local woman leader to speak - a mayor, state legislator, or successful businessperson might inspire your group to get active. Want ideas for events? Visit the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, www.sewallbelmont.org, to view activities at the headquarters for the National Women's Party.
Organize a letter writing campaign. Encourage friends and colleagues to write letters to their local papers raising awareness of Women's Equality Day and encouraging support for efforts to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. Also, be sure to keep the DNC's Voting Rights Institute's report on the 2004 election in Ohio in mind as you write those letters to the editor.
Inform yourself and other women in your community about the issues Democrats are fighting for. Sign up for the Women's Vote Center Week in Review and tell a friend to sign up too! Tell your friends about the Week in Review at http://www.democrats.org/page/invite/wir.
Sponsor a book discussion or movie viewing. Work with civic organizations and young women's groups to discuss a book on women's suffrage or host a viewing of Iron Jawed Angels [link http://iron-jawed-angels.com/], a recent HBO film about the struggle for women's right to vote.
YOU ARE INVITED! WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP FORUM ANNUAL ISSUES CONFERENCE
It's time for the annual DNC Women's Leadership Forum Issues Conference. Women leaders will gather in Washington, DC on Sept. 28-30 to here the latest in polling, planning and purpose from the Democratic Party. Also offered are communication trainings and more information on getting involved in revitalizing our local and precinct level outreach in your community. To learn more and register for the conference, visit http://www.democrats.org/wlfconference.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
QUOTES FROM WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS COMMITTING TROOPS TO BOSNIA:
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"[The] President...is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning...I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.
DNC, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003
WOMEN WANT THE TRUTH ON ROBERT'S PARTISAN AGENDA
American women and men want open and honest government. But on the issue of its Supreme Court nominee - like so many other issues - the Bush White House chooses to erect a stone wall instead of being open and honest with the American people. The White House has refused to release important memos written Supreme Court nominee John Roberts while he was a top Justice Department official. The only documents provided have been those written by Roberts when he was a 29-year-old conservative firebrand in the Reagan Administration. Still the question remains, will Judge Roberts be an advocate for the basic rights and freedoms of every American, or an activist for an extreme ideology?
What little the White House has decided to make available to the Senate shows that Roberts took extreme partisan positions, on issues ranging from privacy, to civil rights, to equal pay for women. Roberts wrote that a federal court decision that sought to guarantee equal pay for women was "a radical redistributive concept." He strongly objected to and even ridiculed three Republicans members of Congress, including current U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), who favored the decision, noting that "their slogan may as well be 'From each according to his ability, to each according to her gender.'" Snowe recently remarked that, "Hopefully, 21 years later, Judge Roberts possesses an openness with respect to issues of gender-based wage discrimination." [Washington Post, 8/16/05; USA Today, 8/16/05; Associated Press, 8/16/05]
The little we know about Roberts' writings on equal pay and Senator Snowe's comments again illustrate why the Senate needs access to the memos Roberts wrote as a top official in the first Bush White House. These documents are critical to understanding the evolution, if at all, of his judicial philosophy. The White House has the power to address these concerns simply by releasing these documents. Only then will the Senate be able to properly carry out their constitutional duty to advise the President on this appointment."
DEMOCRATS TO GIVE AMERICANS A FULL DEBATE ON QUALIFICATIONS
Speculation about whether Democrats will support the Roberts nomination is premature. The hearings have not even begun, and from the looks of current White House cooperation, they may proceed without thorough information held in White House records. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has said talk about Democratic support of the Robert's nomination is "laughably premature" and that "John Roberts must still persuade the Senate and the American people that he is a worthy replacement for Justice O'Connor and the jury is still out on that." The commitment by Democratic Senators to withhold judgment pending a full review of the nominee's record is the only responsible approach to take to the confirmation process. The process is working and must be allowed to continue.
The stakes are too high for there to be a rush to judgment. Want to learn more about Robert's record on Pay Discrimination, employment discrimination, access to reproductive health care and sex discrimination in education? Visit the National Partnership for Women and Families at www.nationalpartnership.org.
SPEAK OUT: WE WANT THE FACTS ABOUT JOHN ROBERTS
John Roberts, the nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, worked in the Solicitor General's office in the early 1990s under the first President Bush. During that time he worked on nearly 80 cases that were eventually argued before the Supreme Court. Senators who will vote on his lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court have requested documents pertaining to 16 of those cases. These were cases Roberts worked on as a senior political appointee in the first Bush administration. The cases (which are listed in the FOIA request linked below) deal with important legal issues like civil rights, equal opportunity for all, women's rights, our right to privacy, and access to justice.
The Senators' request for these documents has gone unanswered, despite the fact that the Justice Department has previously released similar records on other nominees. So on Monday we will submit a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act from Governor Howard Dean and anyone else who wishes to be a part of it.
Add your name to our Freedom of Information Act request to get the facts about John Roberts' record here:
http://www.democrats.org/foia
It's rare that a federal agency receives a Freedom of Information Act request from large numbers of citizens acting together. It is unfortunate that the Bush administration's penchant for secrecy requires tens of thousands of Americans to demand access to important information.
The Freedom of Information Act mandates a response within 20 working days. That date will fall just as the Roberts hearings take place next month, in time for Senators to ask substantive questions about his record. Government agencies will sometimes create excuses to not respond to these requests. Administrations with secrets to hide find any way they can to avoid disclosing incriminating information or "slow walk" the release of critical information. This Bush administration continues to be one of the worst in history when it comes to making sure that people have free and open access to information about the business of government and responding to legitimate questions.
Reviewing the Roberts record on these 16 important cases will shed light on whether or not he can separate partisanship and ideology from his responsibilities to the law. Our Senators need the information the White House is withholding to do their Constitutional duty and evaluate whether or not Judge Roberts will be an advocate for the basic rights and freedoms of every American, or an activist for an extreme ideology.
You can read more about the 16 cases and why they are important, and add your name to a formal request for the documents, by clicking here:
http://www.democrats.org/foia
GEORGE W. BUSH'S ROSE COLORED GLASSES:
"I'm Not Worried About Things in Washington."
In a press conference earlier this summer, President Bush declared, "I'm not worried about things in Washington." Apparently, the American people do not have the same pair of rose colored glasses as President Bush. The American people are rightfully worried about shrinking wages, rising "kitchen table costs", and skyrocketing gas prices.
KITCHEN TABLE COSTS: Families Faced Higher "Kitchen Table Costs". "Families are paying much more for "kitchen table costs" including health care and education. Brand name drug prices rose last year by more than twice the rate of inflation, the largest increase in the five years it has monitored prices according to a study released by the AARP. Under President Bush, health care costs for families have skyrocketed almost 50 percent and college tuition has gone up about 36 percent, even taking inflation into account." In fact, health insurance costs are expected to rise by 12.6 percent this year alone--increasing the burden on both employers and employees in making ends meet. [KFF, 2004; College Board, 2004; Bloomberg, 8/15/05]
THE STRUGGLING ECONOMY: "Ellen Westbrook, an employment counselor in Asheville, North Carolina, says she just rolls her eyes when she hears about how the U.S. economy is strong and getting stronger. 'I've seen 300 manufacturing jobs disappear down here in the last three weeks,' she says. 'How can I think the economy is good when I am watching high-paying jobs disappear overseas?'" [Bloomberg, 5/31/05]
GAS PRICES: Americans Face Higher Gas Prices and Their Negative Effect on Economy. Retail gas prices hit another record high over the past three weeks, mirroring a rapid increase in the cost of crude oil. The average price for all three grades rose nearly 22 cents to $2.53 in the three-and-a-half weeks ending August 16. Higher prices for gasoline and other energy products caused inflation to shoot up in July, even as output at the nations' factories, mines and utilities slowed sharply. [Energy Information Administration, 8/16/05; Lundberg, 8/15/05; BusinessWeek, April 15, 2005; AP, 8/16/05]
HOME FORECLOSURES: Home Foreclosures Rose to Yearly High in June 2005--the Latest Figures Available. "The number of properties entering foreclosure nationwide increased to 67,024 in June compared to 62,432 in May. That was the highest number of new foreclosures reported in any one month in 2005, and caused a 7.4-percent increase in the nation's foreclosure rate, with one new foreclosure for every 1,726 households." [PR Newswire US, 7/27/05; http://www.realtytrac.com/]
DEMOCRATS TAKING THE LEAD
You have an opportunity to celebrate the history of American women and their right to vote! On August 26 Americans mark the 85th anniversary of the 19th amendment to the Constitution, giving women the right to vote. Observance of this milestone not only calls attention to this struggle for voting rights but fosters greater appreciation of the rights many women have come to take for granted.
What is Women's Equality Day?
In 1971, the United States Congress designated August 26 "Women's Equality Day." Under the leadership of then-Democratic Congresswoman Bella Abzug (NY), the date was selected to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920. The culmination of a 70-year struggle for women suffragists, the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote. National Women's Equality Day not only recognizes this historic achievement, but also commemorates the date of a nationwide demonstration for women's rights that took place in 1970. Women's Equality Day serves as a reminder to all Americans of women's continued struggle to gain full equality in the United States. For more information, visit the National Women's History Project.
What can you do to raise the issue of women's equality and voting rights access?
Organize a voter registration drive in your community. Empower people to make a difference by helping them utilize their most powerful tool: their vote. Make every voice count by organizing a voter registration drive at your neighborhood supermarket, shopping mall, or town square.
Celebrate at your Democratic club or civic organization with a luncheon or speaker. Help educate women and men in your community by inviting a local woman leader to speak - a mayor, state legislator, or successful businessperson might inspire your group to get active. Want ideas for events? Visit the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, www.sewallbelmont.org, to view activities at the headquarters for the National Women's Party.
Organize a letter writing campaign. Encourage friends and colleagues to write letters to their local papers raising awareness of Women's Equality Day and encouraging support for efforts to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act. Also, be sure to keep the DNC's Voting Rights Institute's report on the 2004 election in Ohio in mind as you write those letters to the editor.
Inform yourself and other women in your community about the issues Democrats are fighting for. Sign up for the Women's Vote Center Week in Review and tell a friend to sign up too! Tell your friends about the Week in Review at http://www.democrats.org/page/invite/wir.
Sponsor a book discussion or movie viewing. Work with civic organizations and young women's groups to discuss a book on women's suffrage or host a viewing of Iron Jawed Angels [link http://iron-jawed-angels.com/], a recent HBO film about the struggle for women's right to vote.
YOU ARE INVITED! WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP FORUM ANNUAL ISSUES CONFERENCE
It's time for the annual DNC Women's Leadership Forum Issues Conference. Women leaders will gather in Washington, DC on Sept. 28-30 to here the latest in polling, planning and purpose from the Democratic Party. Also offered are communication trainings and more information on getting involved in revitalizing our local and precinct level outreach in your community. To learn more and register for the conference, visit http://www.democrats.org/wlfconference.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
QUOTES FROM WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS COMMITTING TROOPS TO BOSNIA:
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"[The] President...is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning...I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Contributions or gifts to the Democratic National Committee are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Click here to unsubscribe from this mailing list.
DNC, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington DC 20003
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