Action Update

So, your clicks urging President Obama to to stand up for whales worked! From the Humane Society:

It was a close call, but you made the difference: the attempt to sink the ban on commercial whaling was blocked!

At last week’s international meeting to determine the fate of the world’s whales, some nations and groups pushed for a deal that would have granted authority for Norway, Japan, and Iceland to kill whales. But they couldn’t drum up the support -- and that was because of an outpouring of public concern: You said that all whaling must end.

You told the Obama administration that protecting whales was more important than pleasing whalers, and they listened. Thank you.

Never doubt it for a minute: Your voices were heard.

You weren’t alone: Hundreds of thousands of activists from around the world told their governments to choose policies that protect whales, not kill them.

Together we held the line, and I hope you will celebrate along with me.

Click here to thank Mr. Obama.

Afraid

I fear for President Obama's life. I really do. Not *just* because he's black, but because the extreme right wing is out for blood - literally. The recent "Should Obama be Killed?" poll on Facebook can be seen as the canary in the coal mine, IMO. From Credo:

As racist attacks increase and protestors continue to bring guns to presidential events, it is strikingly clear that President Obama is vulnerable to harm. Are the Secret Service and the FBI doing enough to protect him? Are they confronting those who threaten our president? 

Ronald Kessler, a veteran investigative journalist and conservative who recently authored a book about the Secret Service, notes that funding cutbacks have already left the first African-American president in U.S. history particularly vulnerable. The book, which alleges that the cash-strapped Secret Service is endangering the president by cutting corners, has sent shockwaves through Washington. 

We cannot allow funding problems to weaken the organizations charged with protecting the life of our nation's president. It is time for Americans of every stripe to insist that the Secret Service and the FBI operate at the highest levels of effectiveness. 

I just signed a petition to ask Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to ensure that efforts of the Secret Service and FBI to protect President Obama from escalating threats are expanded and fully funded. I hope you will, too. Please have a look and take action. 

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/protect_obama/?r_by=-2082526-29xgDAx&rc=confemail1 

Not an option

The public option is not optional! Sign here to let Obama know that we will not settle for a health care plan without the public option. Seriously.

Quickie: What's on YOUR food?

Click here to find out which types of pesticides are on the foods you and your family consume each day. While there, click on the Take Action button to urge President Obama to support a safe, fair, and green food system in the United States.

h/t Loveland Magazine

Tell Obama to straighten up on gay rights

From Credo:

Back in the days of the 2008 campaign, Senator Obama promised he would work to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act. But now that a gay couple in California is challenging DOMA in federal court, President Obama has chosen to take action to defend a law that prevents legally married same-sex couples from receiving any federal benefits, or from having their marriages recognized in other states.

The Obama administration now tells us it has no choice but to defend DOMA - after all, it's the job of the Department of Justice to defend every law on the books. But a former Special Assistant for civil rights to President Clinton writes on AmericaBlog that this is far from true: On the contrary, the DOJ is charged with figuring out how to argue a president's policy decisions, not the other way around.

Call bullshit on Obama and Holder by clicking here.

Oh, and this is the link for Obama's plan for LGBT rights. (h/t Vegas710)

Another chance to speak your mind

President Obama is encouraging everyone to tell their healthcare story:

Share your personal story about the importance of health care reform in your life and the lives of those you love.

We will share your stories with members of Congress to build support for health care reform. Here are a few pointers for making sure your story is heard:

Be Personal: This is your story, and should focus on your own life experience, your beliefs, and the changes you hope to see.
Be Specific: The most powerful and memorable stories include specific, real-life examples.
Be Concise: There's no specific limit on the length of your story, but you should try to communicate the essence of your story as clearly and concisely as possible.
Your personal stories can be a powerful call for change. When the lobbyists for the status quo tell Congress to hold back, your personal story will give them the courage to press forward.

Go here to share your story. No story is too great or too small and all should be heard. The stakes are high and the wingnuts are already in a full court press to derail real health care reform. Please share your story today.

Stand up for Health Care

The wingnuts are out in force and ready to kill any health care proposal put forth by President Obama. I am so sick and tired of them bemoaning socialized medicine (of which they know nothing about), insisting the "free market" will make the necessary corrections, and throwing up straw men (Social Security and Medicare) to divert the conversation. While I'm sure I won't feel the President's plan goes far enough, I will stand with him on the basics he is proposing:

*Reduce Costs — Rising healthcare costs are crushing the budgets of governments, businesses, individuals and families and they must be brought under control
*Guarantee Choice — Americans must have the freedom to keep whatever doctor and healthcare plan they have, or to select a new doctor or healthcare plan if they choose
*Ensure Affordable Care for All — All Americans must have quality and affordable health care

Click here to declare your support, too.

Quickie: Public Comment Period

From Planned Parenthood:

President Obama began the process of overturning the Bush administration rule that limits the rights of patients to receive complete and accurate reproductive health information and services. This is huge — as you might know, we've been fighting the rule for months, and I'm just about ready to breathe one heck of a sigh of relief.

But it's not over yet. We still need your help!

In order to overturn the Bush administration rule, President Obama has to allow the public to comment on what he plans to do. That is where YOU come in. It is important that we show the administration that we support the president's proposal. Will you take a moment right now and add your name to the list of people who support reversing Bush's dangerous rule? Thank you, once again.

For background on this issue, click here.

Global Gag Rule & Fair Pay: It's a good day

From Planned Parenthood:

I had no doubt it was going to happen, but I'm going to celebrate anyway. As one of his first official acts in office, President Obama has overturned the global gag rule. Join me in sending him our thanks today.

By overturning the global gag rule, President Obama has taken a tremendous first step toward promoting women's health around the world. Overseas health care providers will now be able to offer counseling, referrals, and services for the full range of reproductive health options to women without fear that the U.S. government will strip them of their funding.

I'm sending our new president a message of thanks on behalf of these providers, the women they serve, and those of us here in the U.S. who have been protesting the global gag rule since the day President Ronald Reagan first implemented it.

Awesome. And, it gets even better: From MomsRising:

We have great news: Last night, the U.S. Senate passed, by a strong majority, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. Since this bill also recently passed the U.S. House, the bill will soon go to President Obama, who has promised to sign it into law.

Thank you -- you helped make this happen! Your nearly 100,000 messages to the U.S. House and Senate; nearly 9,000 resumes to Senator John McCain's office after he refused to support this legislation and said that women don't need fair pay, they need "more education and training"; tens of thousands of petition signatures; and work organizing more than 40 local, in-district meetings with your U.S. Senate offices last year was key to this success.

Take a moment to savor a job well done.

The Fair Pay Act will most likely be the very first bill President Obama signs into law.