Assorted snark, where have I been and congratulations edition

I've been blogging about objectivity in the classroom and Diana DeGette today at SquareState.

Congrats to Drinking Liberally for being bipartisan and popular. And congrats to CoCo, Wash Park Prophet, Progress Now Action, Colorado Media Matters, ColoradoPols and Coyote Gulch for also being very popular.

Diana DeGette: Change America's course in Iraq

A press release from the congresswoman states, in part:

"Today I had the opportunity to support legislation that will change America's course in Iraq," said Rep. DeGette. "The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act shows that Congress is no longer a rubber stamp for President Bush's failed Iraq policy."

H.R. 1591 is legislation that will, for the first time require the President to:
• Set an August 2008 deadline for the removal of U.S. forces from Iraq.
• Enforce established readiness standards for the deployment of U.S. combat forces.
• And certify on July 1, and October 1, 2007 that the Iraq government is meeting political and military benchmarks.

The President has indicated that he will veto HR-1591 if the bill makes it through the Senate.

Bill Ritter continues efforts to help southeast counties

Two days ago Governor Bill Ritter directed aid to help southeast Colorado dig out. Now he's asking Colorado's congressional delegation to put some pressure on the federal government. A press release states, in part:

"Livestock producers in southeastern Colorado and the region need help immediately... Specifically, livestock producers need Congress to fund emergency programs that will assist in recovering the costs of livestock feed, the value of lost livestock, disposal of livestock carcasses, and costs associated with the rescue of livestock immediately following the storms."

Tom Tancredo "misstates the facts"

The hysteria is the same, but the fiction is new:

Rep. Steve Cohen said Tancredo's press statement, under a headline that says Cohen was rejected "because of his race," misstates the facts. He never asked to join the caucus and was never rejected, he said.

DeGette, Dems pass CLEAN Energy Act of 2007

Like their colleagues in the Colorado legislature, national Democrats are making renewable energy an early priority. Today's press release from Congresswoman Diana DeGette states:

"Today Congress took the first real step towards giving our nation a 21st Century energy policy," said DeGette. "For too long, the only type of energy plan Republicans advanced involved drilling in the Arctic or giving more handouts to Big Oil. This bill starts to correct those shortsighted policies by repealing taxpayer funded giveaways to oil companies and redirecting that money towards clean renewable energy."

The bill, the CLEAN Energy Act of 2007 (H.R. 6), takes important steps towards a smarter energy future by:

1. Repealing $14 billion in subsidies given to the largest oil companies and investing those funds in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

2. Ensuring oil companies that were awarded the 1998 and 1999 leases for drilling pay their fair share in royalties.

3. Closing loopholes and ending giveaways for Big Oil in the tax code and in the 2005 Energy bill.

4. Creating a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to invest in clean, renewable energy resources and alternative fuels, promote new energy technologies, develop greater efficiency and improve energy conservation.

Whine and Vote No continues in Washington DC

Colorado Confidential has a Whine and Vote No update. Let's just say that Colorado's Republican congresspeople aren't crossing the GOP line much.

DeGette-Castle bill met with rightwing deception

Yesterday, the House passed CD1 representative Diana DeGette's Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. And the far right responded with lies. KOA's Gunny Bob even told listeners stem cells from amniotic fluid are the "[s]ame type of stem cells that you get out of an embryo." Wrong.

I've called George Bush the "Wishing Makes It So" President. And some days it appears much of the GOP has joined him. On Iraq. On global warming. On healthcare. They see the same facts as everybody else. They just don't care. To them, dogma trumps truth.

House passes DeGette-Castle Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act

The vote was 253 to 174.

DeGette gains support of freshmen legislators, scientists

A press release from Colorado CD1 representative Diana DeGette states that today "Democratic Members of the 110th Congress' Freshmen class will join the lead sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act (H.R.3), Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO) to discuss their support for the bill. Many of these new Members campaigned on expanding stem cell research and have signed on as original cosponsors to the bill."

President George W. Bush used the only veto of his administration to dismiss DeGette's first attempt at the legislation.

Recently, some have tried to portray the work of Dr. Anthony Atala of Wake Forest University as a way to render embryonic stem cell research unnecessary. From CNN:

Stem cell researchers reacted with enthusiasm and reservations to a report that scientists have found stem cells in amniotic fluid, a discovery that would allow them to sidestep the controversy over destroying embryos for research. Researchers at Wake Forest University and Harvard University reported Sunday that the stem cells they drew from amniotic fluid donated by pregnant women hold much the same promise as embryonic stem cells.

But yesterday Atala blasted that assertion in a letter, which was provided to me by DeGette's office. Atala wrote:

"I understand that some may be interpreting my research as a substitute for the need to pursue other forms of regenerative medicine therapies, such as those involving embryonic stem cells. I disagree with that assertion... It is essential that National Institute of Health-funded researchers are able to fully pursue embryonic stem cell research as a complement to research into other forms of stem cells.

The right has a long history of twisting science to meet its own ends. (Remember The Competitive Enterprise Institute?) It appears that neither DeGette or the newly elected Congress is going to let partisan politics stand in the way of research that may save millions of lives.

What are you doing for the next 100 hours?

The 100 Hours Agenda I mentioned here is online here.

Ken Salazar presides over the Senate

Democratic Colorado Senator Ken Salazar presided over the opening of the 110th Congress at the Senate today. Democratic goals for the first 100 hours include impeachi... Just kidding. According to The Washington Post:

Democrats have given themselves a mere 100 hours to break the bonds between lobbyist and lawmaker, boost homeland security, raise the minimum wage, fund stem cell research, lower prescription drug prices, slash student loan interest rates and free the country from its dependence on international oil.