mel watt

Mel Watt, my Congressman, a man whom I've voted for over and over and over again, a man of whom I am usually moderately proud, a man who is a former Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has stated that he's endorsing John Edwards...because he is a White Man.

Can you believe it? I bet you can. I actually bet most people don't really mind it either. But the House of Representatives voted to officially recognize the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.

Update: Still no word from McIntyre or Etheridge. Please call them and see if we can get them to take a position on the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169.) Thanks!

The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.

We have 5 of 7 Democrats from NC onboard, and we need to know if Bob Etheridge and Mike McIntyre are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on HR 2169. Please ask.

If you have a moment, please see if your Congressman is a co-sponsor, and take a moment to call Etheridge (202-225-2731) and McIntyre (202-225-2731), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.

A quick report on our NC Dems and mountaintop removal below…

Welcome to the Edwards Evening News Round Up where even Elizabeth Edwards gets her news about John's campaign!

As should be expected from Republican corporatists, those who profit most from screwing poor people through predatory lending are whining like banshees now that Congress is finally taking on their abusive practices. Their big new worry comes in the form of legislation being proposed by Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the chairman of the House Financial Services panel.

According to The Hill, Frank's bill builds on some excellent work done last session by two of North Carolina's most effective Congressmen, Brad Miller and Mel Watt.

According to the Char-O, Mel Watt is apologizing for saying George W. Bush lied us into war. Granted, it is a parliamentary apology. I imagine that Watt, like so many of us, does believe that Dubya lied us into war in Iraq. I think his apology was required simply because he made this statement during formal congressional proceedings.

All this talk of lying started me thinking about all the lies that George W. Bush has told the American People. There are so many that David Corn wrote a book about them in 2003. Imagine how many volumes could be filled four years later!

Over the past four years, it has been excruciatingly painful to watch the machinations of our Congress inaction. With Republicans in charge in 2004 and 2005, there was nothing the Democrats could do in the House, and what little they could do in the Senate, they didn't. Instead of filibustering to stop the fascist takeover of the Supreme Court, the Senate Democrats chose to keep their "powder dry" for some unspecified battle in the future.

With the 2006 elections, the dynamics shifted completely. Now the Senate can accomplish almost nothing because of obstructionist Republicans like Liddy Dole and Dick Burr. Whereas the House has a workable majority that, in theory, could act decisively on the most important issues of the day.

To be sure, some of that action is happening. Representatives Price and Miller, in particular, are pushing forward to bring some modicum of accountability through their committee work. I appreciate those good efforts.

Unfortunately, those efforts have been met with an increasingly belligerent White House which has no intention of being held accountable for anything. From the outrageous claims of executive privilege around the politicization of the Justice Department to continuing White House involvement in covering for war-profiteers to the new executive order making torture of detainees legal, we have reached a tipping point. Indeed, we have reached the point where all our dry powder must be put to good use.

It is time for the reasonable and reasoned voices of the North Carolina Democratic Congressional delegation to unite in clear and serious action for impeachment of both the President and the Vice President. The integrity of our democracy is at grave risk.

Not sure how I missed posting this, but better late than never.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – The John Edwards for President campaign announced today that all seven members of North Carolina's Democratic Congressional delegation are endorsing Senator John Edwards for President.

The seven North Carolina congressmen endorsing Edwards are Congressman G.K Butterfield (D-1st), Congressman Bob Etheridge (D-2nd), Congressman David Price (D-4th), Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-7th), Congressman Heath Shuler (D-11th), Congressman Mel Watt (D-12th) and Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th).

"I am proud to have the support of these outstanding members of Congress," said Edwards. "They work each and every day to bring North Carolina common sense to Washington and to represent the people of our great state with dignity and honor. I value both their ideas and their friendship and thank them for their support."

The Charlotte Observer has a great piece today by Jim Morrill and David Perlmutt with feedback on "the surge" from most of North Carolina's elected officials in Washington. Surprisingly, Republicans Howard Coble and Walter Jones are consistent in their opposition to the war and have come out against the President's, as yet, unannounced plan.

Opposing the President on Iraq isn't new for Walter Jones or Howard Coble, though Jones has received more attention for his reversal. Mother Jones magazine ran a piece in Feb. '06 by Robert Dreyfuss outlining the events that brought about Jones' "conversion" from a pro-war to an anti-war Republican.

In the November 2, 2006 election, Mecklenburg County, had several very close results in both national and state races, including a 329 vote squeaker in the Kissell-Hayes Congressional election. Scrutiny of the vote totals has revealed an unexplained undervote: a significantly higher percentage of voters than in the past declined to vote for the most prominent races such as those for US House of Representatives. Never in past years had the Congressional races been "outperformed" by downballot races such as for sheriff, county commissioner etc.... but it did happen in 2006. Mecklenburg County includes parts of three Congressional districts. ALL three districts had a significantly higher undervote in Mecklenburg than they did in other counties, and all three races had a significantly higher undervote than they did past years for the same race.

For a look at the data, analysis, and an account of the problems that arose during the recount, please read on...