Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I'm personally thankful for a lot of things...really too numerous to mention...but I think it can all be summed up thusly: I'm thankful for living in this nation, at this point in history, born into a position to help be an element for change.

And just 'cause I don't like the woman, today reminds me of this great clip: Sarah Palin pardoning a turkey, and then giving an interview right in front of the continuing slaughter. I love the look of the guy behind her..."Um, should I wait? Does she realize how incredibly ironic this is? Well, they aren't paying me to stand around..."

Wednesday

What My Blog Is All About

Recently there's been some drama as an indirect result of what I do here...and in the course of said drama, it became clear to me my object might not be as clear to the readers as it is to me.

My goal with this blog is to provide information. I strive to keep things fairly balanced, in that I present both sides (as with my post on the casino amendment in recent weeks, for instance). I do this by reading what one side says, then summarizing it on this blog with links. Then, I do the same with the argument against the issue.

Do I put in editorial comments now and then with these summaries? Yes. Yes I do, especially when I feel passionately on a subject. I'm not claiming to be completely unbiased or that I'm presenting a white-washed, edited-by-my-boss product. However, I try to do my best to keep them from clouding the position summary.

After I've done the informational segment, I generally go into detail what I feel on the topic and why. That's just my opinion...I usually work in a line to the effect of "That's my take, now go read up on it yourself." I don't think I've ever presented my little soap box messages as the truth on a subject, nor have I posted ONLY my opinion and passed it off as information.

It's pretty simple. A lot of people do what I do...and really, the professional services do it better (which is why I link to them all the time). But what a lot of the professional news companies can't do so well is present issues with a local perspective, from a living room that probably isn't much different than yours.

That's what this blog is all about.

Tuesday

Senate Votes for Cloture on Health Care

On Saturday night, the US Senate voted on cloture for their version of the healthcare bill, allowing it to move onto a real debate without fear of filibuster.

The concern on a controversial bill like this is once it hits the Senate floor for debate, a Senator opposing the bill filibuster it. This would prevent the bill from even being debated, never mind voted on. All the opposing Senator has to do is speak on and on about whatever occurred to the Senator (once, a Senator filibustered by reading a phone book). No one wanted to bring it to the floor until they had achieved cloture, a procedure where 3/5 of the Senators had voted in the bill should be debated without being filibustered.

They pulled it off though, those crafty Democrats. 60-39. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats voted for cloture after threatening not to. Bernard Sanders of Vermont also sided with the Democrats.

Now onto Step 2: Debating, amending, and passing the bill. This is where you come in!

Write, call, or e-mail your Senators. In Ohio:

George Voinovich, Republican

Washington, DC Office
524 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-3353

Central OH
37 West Broad Street
Room 310
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (614) 469-6697
Fax: (614) 469-7733


Southeast OH
78 West Washington Street
P.O. Box 57
Nelsonville, OH 45764
Phone: (740) 441-6410
Fax: (740) 753-3551


Southwest & Dayton Area
36 East 7th Street
Room 2615
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 684-3265


Northwest OH
420 Madison Avenue
Room 1210
Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: (419) 259-3895
Fax: (419) 259-3899


Northeast OH
1240 East 9th Street
Room 3061
Cleveland, OH 44199
Phone: (216) 522-7095
Fax: (216) 522-709
Fax: (513) 684-3269


Sherrod Brown, Democrat
Web Contact Form

Washington, DC Office
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC
20510
(202) 224-2315

Northeast OH
1301 East Ninth St., Suite 1710
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
p (216) 522-7272
f (216) 522-2239

Southwest OH
425 Walnut Street, Suite 2310
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
p (513) 684-1021
f (513) 684-1029

Central OH
200 N High St. Room 614
Columbus, OH 43215
p (614) 469-2083
f (614) 469-2171

Northwest OH
205 West 20th St. Suite M280
Lorain, OH 44052
p (440) 242-4100
f (440) 242-4108


So have at it! Call up the office (in DC or closest to you), write a letter, or use the web form to be all electronic and speak your mind on the topic! Tell your representatives how to represent you!

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