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unhappycamper
unhappycamper's Journal
unhappycamper's Journal
April 1, 2014
http://a3.img.talkingpointsmemo.com/image/upload/c_fill,fl_keep_iptc,g_faces,h_365,w_652/yffbu9vmj3bhkafpx9oy.jpg
Senate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage
Sahil Kapur – March 31, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT
Senate Democrats are willing to hold repeated votes on legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour if Republicans filibuster it, says the author of the bill.
"I can tell you that if we don't get 60 votes on cloture we're going to come back again and again," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "We're not just going to walk away after one vote. It's too important for that."
On a conference call with reporters Monday, Harkin said Democrats are "close" to the 60 votes needed to defeat an expected filibuster and ensure passage of the bill through the Senate, positing that all but one Democrats are on board. He said he expects a floor vote this week or next.
A minimum wage hike -- a core plank of the Democrats' 2014 agenda -- is backed by three in four Americans, according to a Gallup poll in November. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office found that lifting the wage to $10.10 per hour would boost the earnings of 16.5 million workers while costing about 500,000 jobs by the second half of 2016.
Senate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage (xpost from Congress)
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/tom-harkin-minimum-wage-votehttp://a3.img.talkingpointsmemo.com/image/upload/c_fill,fl_keep_iptc,g_faces,h_365,w_652/yffbu9vmj3bhkafpx9oy.jpg
Senate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage
Sahil Kapur – March 31, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT
Senate Democrats are willing to hold repeated votes on legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour if Republicans filibuster it, says the author of the bill.
"I can tell you that if we don't get 60 votes on cloture we're going to come back again and again," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "We're not just going to walk away after one vote. It's too important for that."
On a conference call with reporters Monday, Harkin said Democrats are "close" to the 60 votes needed to defeat an expected filibuster and ensure passage of the bill through the Senate, positing that all but one Democrats are on board. He said he expects a floor vote this week or next.
A minimum wage hike -- a core plank of the Democrats' 2014 agenda -- is backed by three in four Americans, according to a Gallup poll in November. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office found that lifting the wage to $10.10 per hour would boost the earnings of 16.5 million workers while costing about 500,000 jobs by the second half of 2016.
April 1, 2014
Senate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage
Sahil Kapur – March 31, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT
Senate Democrats are willing to hold repeated votes on legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour if Republicans filibuster it, says the author of the bill.
"I can tell you that if we don't get 60 votes on cloture we're going to come back again and again," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "We're not just going to walk away after one vote. It's too important for that."
On a conference call with reporters Monday, Harkin said Democrats are "close" to the 60 votes needed to defeat an expected filibuster and ensure passage of the bill through the Senate, positing that all but one Democrats are on board. He said he expects a floor vote this week or next.
A minimum wage hike -- a core plank of the Democrats' 2014 agenda -- is backed by three in four Americans, according to a Gallup poll in November. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office found that lifting the wage to $10.10 per hour would boost the earnings of 16.5 million workers while costing about 500,000 jobs by the second half of 2016.
Senate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/tom-harkin-minimum-wage-voteSenate Democrats Threaten Repeated Votes On Minimum Wage
Sahil Kapur – March 31, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT
Senate Democrats are willing to hold repeated votes on legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour if Republicans filibuster it, says the author of the bill.
"I can tell you that if we don't get 60 votes on cloture we're going to come back again and again," said Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. "We're not just going to walk away after one vote. It's too important for that."
On a conference call with reporters Monday, Harkin said Democrats are "close" to the 60 votes needed to defeat an expected filibuster and ensure passage of the bill through the Senate, positing that all but one Democrats are on board. He said he expects a floor vote this week or next.
A minimum wage hike -- a core plank of the Democrats' 2014 agenda -- is backed by three in four Americans, according to a Gallup poll in November. A recent report by the Congressional Budget Office found that lifting the wage to $10.10 per hour would boost the earnings of 16.5 million workers while costing about 500,000 jobs by the second half of 2016.
April 1, 2014
German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has demanded a stronger NATO presence in Eastern Europe. But that makes some in Chancellor Merkel's government uncomfortable. As the alliance moves to reassure eastern allies, Berlin considers its options.
NATO's Putin Conundrum: Berlin Considers Its Alliance Options
By SPIEGEL Staff
March 31, 2014 – 03:29 PM
In last Monday's meeting of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leaders in Berlin, the Angela Merkel spoke extensively about war and peace, including a detailed look at the Ukraine crisis. The chancellor also focused on her telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the role played by US President Barack Obama. When she then turned her attention to NATO, many expected a mild rebuke for Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
With her comments published in SPIEGEL a week ago, in which she urged NATO to show a greater presence on the alliance's external borders, von der Leyen dominated the German news cycle that weekend. Many interpreted her demand as a rhetorical escalation in the ongoing standoff with Russia and there was plenty of criticism, including from Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
But rather than censuring her defense minister, Merkel praised her instead, even lauding von der Leyen's performance in a Sunday talk show, saying she appeared competent and in control. The message to von der Leyen's critics was clear: She is right; NATO has to show a greater presence. In an alliance, that means soldiers and equipment.
The conflict surrounding Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia earlier this month, is entering a new phase. Early this week, NATO is expected to send an initial military signal designed to send a stronger message than the rather limited political and economic sanctions the European Union has levied. "Many allies view Russia's course of action as an historical turning point and the beginning of a new era for the Euro-Atlantic security architecture," German NATO Ambassador Martin Erdmann writes in a classified report. "We are being watched closely."
NATO's Putin Conundrum: Berlin Considers Its Alliance Options
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/nato-looking-for-appropriate-response-to-putin-a-961692.htmlGerman Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has demanded a stronger NATO presence in Eastern Europe. But that makes some in Chancellor Merkel's government uncomfortable. As the alliance moves to reassure eastern allies, Berlin considers its options.
NATO's Putin Conundrum: Berlin Considers Its Alliance Options
By SPIEGEL Staff
March 31, 2014 – 03:29 PM
In last Monday's meeting of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leaders in Berlin, the Angela Merkel spoke extensively about war and peace, including a detailed look at the Ukraine crisis. The chancellor also focused on her telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the role played by US President Barack Obama. When she then turned her attention to NATO, many expected a mild rebuke for Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
With her comments published in SPIEGEL a week ago, in which she urged NATO to show a greater presence on the alliance's external borders, von der Leyen dominated the German news cycle that weekend. Many interpreted her demand as a rhetorical escalation in the ongoing standoff with Russia and there was plenty of criticism, including from Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD).
But rather than censuring her defense minister, Merkel praised her instead, even lauding von der Leyen's performance in a Sunday talk show, saying she appeared competent and in control. The message to von der Leyen's critics was clear: She is right; NATO has to show a greater presence. In an alliance, that means soldiers and equipment.
The conflict surrounding Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia earlier this month, is entering a new phase. Early this week, NATO is expected to send an initial military signal designed to send a stronger message than the rather limited political and economic sanctions the European Union has levied. "Many allies view Russia's course of action as an historical turning point and the beginning of a new era for the Euro-Atlantic security architecture," German NATO Ambassador Martin Erdmann writes in a classified report. "We are being watched closely."
April 1, 2014
Russian lawmaker Alexander Chekalin adds the Crimea flag to the collection of regional flags in the Russian Federation Council building.
The Sympathy Problem: Is Germany a Country of Russia Apologists?
By Ralf Neukirch
March 31, 2014 – 05:37 PM
Is it acceptable for a person to be sympathetic towards or have an understanding for Russia's actions in Crimea? Are Moscow's claims justifiable? Did the West provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin? For weeks, this debate has dominated the public discussion in Germany like no other. Generally, foreign policy remains a niche topic for experts. Russia has proven to be the exception.
The Crimean crisis has been the main issue in newspaper editorials and the topic of discussion on talk shows for weeks now. On websites, Crimea is leading in clicks and has emerged as the dominant issue in Internet forum discussions. Nothing, it seems, is as polarizing as the question of whether Moscow's annexation of Crimea was a justifiable reaction to NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe or if it was acting in violation of international law, thus making any sympathy for the move unacceptable.
Those expressing understanding for Russia's move are clearly dominating the Internet forums and talk shows. One former German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, even declared that the situation in Ukraine is dangerous "because the West has gotten so terribly worked up about it." The question of whether Putin's actions were legitimate didn't even seem to interest him. "I find it entirely understandable," he said. Another former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, admitted that he himself hadn't always respected international law.
Soft-Heartedness
The long line of general forgiveness extends from Philipp Missfelder, the foreign affairs spokesman for the parliamentary group of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, to German feminist intellectual leader Alice Schwarzer, from the left-wing to middle-class households and even deep into the conservative camp. Armin Laschet, who heads Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has even warned against anti-Putin populism. Be they people who simply romanticize Russia, those with a penchant for realpolitik, those nostalgic for the Soviet Union or just armchair leftists, there are so many people seemingly sympathetic to the annexation that many are scratching their heads and asking if Germany is a country of Russia apologists.
The Sympathy Problem: Is Germany a Country of Russia Apologists?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/prominent-germans-have-understanding-for-russian-annexation-of-crimea-a-961711.htmlRussian lawmaker Alexander Chekalin adds the Crimea flag to the collection of regional flags in the Russian Federation Council building.
The Sympathy Problem: Is Germany a Country of Russia Apologists?
By Ralf Neukirch
March 31, 2014 – 05:37 PM
Is it acceptable for a person to be sympathetic towards or have an understanding for Russia's actions in Crimea? Are Moscow's claims justifiable? Did the West provoke Russian President Vladimir Putin? For weeks, this debate has dominated the public discussion in Germany like no other. Generally, foreign policy remains a niche topic for experts. Russia has proven to be the exception.
The Crimean crisis has been the main issue in newspaper editorials and the topic of discussion on talk shows for weeks now. On websites, Crimea is leading in clicks and has emerged as the dominant issue in Internet forum discussions. Nothing, it seems, is as polarizing as the question of whether Moscow's annexation of Crimea was a justifiable reaction to NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe or if it was acting in violation of international law, thus making any sympathy for the move unacceptable.
Those expressing understanding for Russia's move are clearly dominating the Internet forums and talk shows. One former German chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, even declared that the situation in Ukraine is dangerous "because the West has gotten so terribly worked up about it." The question of whether Putin's actions were legitimate didn't even seem to interest him. "I find it entirely understandable," he said. Another former chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, admitted that he himself hadn't always respected international law.
Soft-Heartedness
The long line of general forgiveness extends from Philipp Missfelder, the foreign affairs spokesman for the parliamentary group of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, to German feminist intellectual leader Alice Schwarzer, from the left-wing to middle-class households and even deep into the conservative camp. Armin Laschet, who heads Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in the populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has even warned against anti-Putin populism. Be they people who simply romanticize Russia, those with a penchant for realpolitik, those nostalgic for the Soviet Union or just armchair leftists, there are so many people seemingly sympathetic to the annexation that many are scratching their heads and asking if Germany is a country of Russia apologists.
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