NO REST FOR THE AWAKE - MINAGAHET CHAMORRO

Guam will elect a new non-voting delegate this year and there will also be a change in Adelup, where a new Governor will take over. This means there could be a significant shift in terms of federal-territorial relations for Guam. I don't mean much will change from the federal side, but from Guam, this moment could mean the development of a new approach or utilizing new tools for engaging the federal government on Guam issues. Depending on how you look at the past decade or so there has been some accommodation and some antagonism. From Congresswoman Bordallo, there was quite a meeting of minds over military buildup issues and the US Department of Defense, but that came at the cost of her representing the interests of the people of Guam. Bordallo was well-liked by many of her colleagues and well liked by the US military, but in my opinion, had long become detached from changing attitudes on Guam. When the protests and organizing around Prutehi Litekyan emerged last year, Bordallo w

Ti manggana' Si Russ Fiengold gi i botasion-na gi i ma'pos na sakkan. Annai hu taitai este na tinige' ilek-hu nu Guahu na maolek na ti kumeketu pat ti kumakasao Si Russ. Annai mapedde' gui', ti ha yute' iyo-na principles siha. Ha gu'ot siha, ya ha daggaon maisa gui' ta'lo gi i mimu. ************************** Published on Wednesday, February 16, 2011 by Huffington Post Russ Feingold Launches 'Progressives United' To Combat Corporate Influences In Politics by Amanda Terkel WASHINGTON -- When some senators retire, they decide to take lucrative lobbying jobs. Others go straight to Wall Street. But Wisconsin Democrat Russ Feingold, who lost his re-election bid in November, is continuing on his principled -- and often lonely -- path by starting an organization to combat corporate influence in politics, an effort he hopes will spark "a new progressive movement" that will truly hold elected officials accountable. Launching on We

I posted last week about Al Franken's first amendment that has passed in the US Senate. Named the "Jamie Leigh Jones Amendment" it was meant to keep Federal military contracts away from corporations who force their employees to sign secret arbitration contracts, which prevent them from taking to court anyone who sexually harasses or sexually assaults them, and furthermore prevents them from even suing their companies (should they find this foreclosing of justice a bit unfair). The amendment is named for a woman who had a horrifying experience while working for a military contractor in Iraq. Here is the short version of her story according to Senator Franken's office: When Jamie was 19, she was working for then Halliburton subsidiary KBR in Iraq, where she was placed in a barracks with 400 men. She complained about sexual harassment, but KBR took no action and she was eventually drugged and gang-raped by co-workers. When she tried to report what had happened, KBR loc

Articles from The Nation , by people who are better writers then me, with better access and better resources. They all deal with different aspects of the Convention from police and protestors to recently chosen VP Senator Joseph Biden and his experience: The Most Powerful Man in Denver (You've Never Heard Of) Ari Berman Meet the lobbyist who's behind the Democratic convention. Shiny, Happy People Richard Kim The DNC is all big smiles, good cheer and shopping for souvenirs. Even the protesters can join in. What Exactly is the DNC? Christopher Hayes An extended party for big shots...an extended campaign commercial...a big fundraiser...a media boondoggle. Tailgating in Denver Ari Melber A backstage look at the DNC's kickoff. The Myth of Foreign-Policy Experience Katrina vanden Heuvel Just because Joe Biden has experience doesn't mean that he has the right answers on US-Russia relations.

I have to post this, because its so funny. I just heard it on The Colbert Report (its so nice that they have their writers back), and couldn't stop laughing. There once was a man named Mccain Who had the whole White House to gain. But he was such a hobbyist of boning his lobbyist. So much for his '08 campaign. This, is not the way things are shaping up however, since the lack of "sexiness" to the "lobbyist sex scandal" seems to make it for people a non-issue. But as too few people (in particular pundits) are noting, the "lobbyist scandal" isn't so much about sex, but about the intimacy of John McCain's compaign with lobbyists, and how this will impact his attempt to portray himself as a clean politician, whose maverick status is best defined by his long-standing refusal to engage in generic Washington style corruption. After campaigning so tirelessly against salapen Washington, try your best not to be surprised when you find out the total n