Campaigning Uphill with Vic Rawl for US Senate

by: wjhamilton 29464

Tue Mar 09, 2010 at 22:58:52 PM EST

Image, Right, Rawl addresses Spartanburg Democratic Convention.

The tour was uphill because it ran from South Carolina’s coast, where the historic gardens of Charleston are greening towards an explosion of Azaelias, over the sand hills and through the State Capital to the manufacturing cities of the Piedmont.  We gained over a thousand feet in elevation in the course of the day.

It’s also uphill because Vic’s opponent, Jim “Waterloo” Demint is constantly reported to have a campaign fund of over three million dollars.  Our fund, which has doubled in the last 24 hours, is a few million less.  Some people conclude the incumbent’s lead in special interest cash exempts DeMint from having to run a real campaign.

The day began with the campaign website went online with flikr, twitter and youtube feeds.  You can view it's evolving content at www.vicrawl.com.

READ THE EXTENDED TEXT TO FIND OUT HOW THE TRIP WENT

Public Option - Let's Get 'Er Done! The People's Plan

by: wildethangs

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 11:55:02 AM EST

Chad McGowan Drops US Senate Bid

by: Jennifer Read

Wed Feb 10, 2010 at 17:25:21 PM EST

"I've come to the conclusion that now is the wrong time for me to mount a successful campaign for the United States Senate," said McGowan. "The demands of a young family place a premium on every minute. There is nothing more important to me than my wife and three small children. In order to fulfill my duties as a husband and a father, I'll be leaving the race for United States Senate effective immediately."

The Rock Hill attorney thanked his supporters and said he would be offering full refunds to each of his contributors. Since announcing his Senate bid in October, the conservative Democrat has raised almost $250,000, a respectable figure but well shy of DeMint's $3.2 million cash on hand.

McGowan's unexpected departure from the race leaves retired automotive executive Mike Ruckes of Summerville and North Myrtle Beach resident Gary Stephens as the only declared Democratic candidates. However, according to FEC records, neither Ruckes nor Stephens have any cash on hand to wage competitive campaigns.

So will S.C. Democrats be able to field a viable challenger to DeMint in the fall?

Currently, Charleston County Councilman Vic Rawl is weighing a possible Senate bid, but has not formally announced his intentions. Another name being thrown around is current Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod, who is facing a competitive five-way primary battle. McLeod has the ability to self-finance and the campaign infrastructure in place to hit the ground running; however, McLeod's campaign said Wednesday that the Charleston attorney remains committed to the governor's race.

Democrats have until the end of March to find a credible candidate to run in November.

Vic Rawl Considering Run Against Jim DeMint

by: wjhamilton 29464

Mon Feb 01, 2010 at 11:10:32 AM EST

Jim DeMint's destructive and negative campaign against the President and progress for America is generating increasing interest in opposing him in the US Senate.  On Saturday, the Hon. Victor Rawl, former Judge, State Legislator, Industrial Commissioner and current member of Charleston County Council, recorded a YouTube video announcing an exploratory effort to see what sort of interest and support a campaign by him might attract.

You can see the video on YouTube here.

According to a phone call this morning, Rawl is looking forward to talking with South Carolinians from all backgrounds and his many friends from his long career in public service and politics about the issues before the state.

Two Facebook groups were formed to support the exploratory effort:  Draft Vic Rawl for US Senate and Vic Rawl for US Senate.

Rawl joined Facebook this afternoon and you can find him here. Do bear in mind that this is his first outing in social networking and it may take him a little time to get up to speed.

Rawl recorded his video at the Yes to Rational Solutions, No to Fear Democratic event in N. Charleston, utilizing the digital studio set up there.  The studio recorded several videos that afternoon which were transmitted to YouTube immediately, right from the operations center.

HEALTHCARE REFORM FIRE-DRILL, 1-30-2010, MODERATOR: DONNA ELLINGTON

by: wildethangs

Sun Jan 31, 2010 at 20:54:10 PM EST

SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 2010 MODERATOR: DONNA MARIE MILLER ELLINGTON HEALTHCARE REFORM INTERACTIVE EXERCISE

I was excited to be moderating the lively discussion that took place at Democratic Headquarters in North Charleston. It was a Congressional Healthcare Reform Fire Drill! All of us in that room WOULD PASS A HEALTHCARE REFORM BILL ON THAT DAY IN THAT ROOM! This WAS a very participative exercise: fun, energizing, exasperating, and will gave us all some insight into the process our elected officials are going through as they try and push the elephant out of the way, and herd the wayward donkeys along the path to a bill for the President's desk!

Republicans and Independents were welcome and were assigned to the House or Senate.

The Executive Branch, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid were allowed contact their members with proposals for merging the Senate and House Bills ahead of Saturday's date. All options for Passing Healthcare Reform were on the table, EXCEPT FOR NOT PASSING IT!

The Final Healthcare Reform Bill had to be passed before the end of the one hour session. Everyone came prepared to participate and have a good time! FIRED UP! YES WE DID!

PROPOSED SCHEDULE

2:00 Introduction

2:15 Senate and House will convene separately to strategize

2:30 Senate and House will hold joint session and make a decision to A1-A3, B, C, D, E

2:55 BILL READY FOR SIGNATURE AND CONCLUDING COMMENTS 3:00 ADJOURN WITH READY TO SIGN BILL

ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE EXERCISE:

Senator Scott Brown has not yet been seated

Simple majorities will be required in both houses to pass legislation

Be careful not to monkey around too much with the monetary parts so we can assume that the CBO will continue to find the plan budget neutral, because we don't have time to actually mock the CBO process. In other words, you may pass monetary issues thru reconciliation, but please make every effort to intuitively guesstimate that any changes you make in these areas will be approximately equal to whatever you have changed. All options for Passing Healthcare Reform are on the table, EXCEPT FOR NOT PASSING IT!

A. Merge the bills and repass in both the Senate and House

1)with 60 votes required

2)with nuclear fillibuster reduction to require only a simple majority. 3)With a change in the number of votes required to fillibuster.

B. Pass the Senate version of the Bill in the House, with some fix it later agreements

C. Quickly pass a simple, clean, and easy to explain expansion of Medicaid/SCHIP/Medicare using reconciliation. Tell voters you’ve heard them and made the bill simpler while still helping 30 million Americans. D. Create a sugary sweet reconciliation sidecar measure with as many popular ideas as possible to fix the Senate bill (include a public option, Medicare buy-in, and drug re-importation, eliminate Nebraska’s special deal, and fix or eliminate the excise tax).

E. Pass both bills on the same day. Finally, run against Joe Lieberman and the Senate for messing things up, while pointing to how you did everything you could to stand up to the evil insurance companies, and managed, with hard work, to salvage a very decent health care reform package.

The Final Healthcare Reform Bill must be presented and passed by 3:00. Everyone come prepared to participate and have a good time! YES WE CAN! FIRED UP! YES WE WILL!

Thus, the exercise was set up. The day was a rainy one, and the prior sessions of the day's “Say Yes to Rational Discussions, Say No To Fear” events , had been well attended, and discussion had been productive, and thus the day was running longer than expected. Our exercise began about the time we had been scheduled to end. The moderator (me) had preassigned roles to the people on the RSVP list who said they either would be coming or might be coming to the event. Well, you know how the RSVP business goes....people don't always RSVP, and when they do, they don't always show up. Additionally, sometimes they show up, and don't like their assigned roles. All of the above happened.

Being the flexible and good-humored person that I am, accomodations were quickly made so we could get on with the exercise. Shawn Mitchell and I represented the Executive Branch of government for the purpose of the exercise. Other participants were assigned or chose roles in either the Senate or the House. One brave member chose the role of Olympia Snowe. Another refused the role of Joe Lieberman, was given another identity, and then ultimately decided not to participate. It had been 25 or more years since I last taught Human Relations at Trident Technical College, and I had forgotten just how much some adults dislike this sort of participative exercise. Others, thankfully, relish the opportunity.

Two notebooks contained the President's Healthcare Plan, a short summary of the House Bill, and a short summary of the Senate Bill. One notebook was available for the use of the Senators and one notebook was available for the use of the House. Additionally, all participants were provided with paper copies of the aforementioned documents. The participants chose paper and pencil over the use of the notebooks, given the time constraints.

For anyone who might like to set up a similar exercise, I'd certainly recommend letting participants choose their own roles, and also allowing about 2 and a half hours for the exercise.

The Senate and the House were each called to order. They both opened this session of Congress by setting the rules of the Senate and House to allow a simple majority to be required for passing legislation and removing filibuster. Each chamber discussed a way to reconcile the Bills in the hour allotted. Reconciliation with Amendments proposed by the House to the Senate Bill were chosen as the method to get the job done.

The Senate was concerned about the possibility of a challenge of legislation to the Supreme Court, if States' Rights were not considered in the passage of the legislation. The Senate therefore chose to include an opt-out provision for the states after a mandatory period of two years of participation in the plan.

The House crafted provisions for the Senate to add to their bill through reconciliation amendments which: required that 90% of any insurance company premiums be dedicated to patient care, and allowed only 10% of premiums to be used for profits, added a “people's plan” which would incrementally extend medicare coverage to people lowering the age at which people could buy in, until in 2030, eligibility would be extended to people of all ages who choose to buy-in. Additionally, tort reform was added to help bring down medical costs. The Senate passed the revised Bill and passed it on to the House. The House considered asking the Senate to change the 2 year mandatory participation to 5 years.

After negotiations, the House passed the Senate's Bill with the Amendments (including a 2 year mandatory participation period by the states before they could opt-out).

I was extremely pleased with the outcome of the exercise. It was not a resolution that I could have predicted. Our Senator who chose the role of Olympia Snowe voted with the democratic majority to pass the bill, even though under the rules of the day, her vote was not required for passage. I did not imagine that the House would craft such an ingenious “people's plan” that dove-tailed well with the mandatory 2 year mandatory participation requirement prior to opt-out crafted by the Senate to preclude a possible appeal of the legislation to the Supreme Court. I was happy to see the provision of tort reforms.

http://tinyurl.com/ykjmgjg Google Doc of Obama's Healthcare Plan http://tinyurl.com/yjmcmu7 Google Doc of House Healthcare Bill http://tinyurl.com/ykl3f7e Google Doc of Senate Healthcare Bill

YES WE CAN! FIRED UP! YES WE DID! PASS HEALTHCARE REFORM! 

Brown's Win and the Climate Vote

by: Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 20:03:15 PM EST

The signs of momentum for a clean energy and climate bill outweigh any signs that come from the Massachusetts special election.

DeMint continues to block TSA chief

by: SC New Democrats

Tue Dec 29, 2009 at 10:51:09 AM EST

Democratic leaders endorse McGowan for Senate

by: Jennifer Read

Thu Nov 12, 2009 at 16:17:30 PM EST

Rock Hill attorney Chad McGowan has reeled in the endorsements of several South Carolina Democratic leaders in his bid to become the party's nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010. On Thursday, the McGowan campaign announced the support of a dozen Palmetto State legislators and leaders including:

• Senator Creighton Coleman (D-Farfield)
  
• Senator Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg)
  
• Representative Paul Agnew (D-Abbeville)
  
• Representative Terry Alexander (D-Florence)
  
• Representative Boyd Brown (D-Farfield)
  
• Representative John King (D-York)
  
• Representative Bakari Sellers (D-Bamberg)
  
• Representative James Smith (D-Richland)
  
• Representative Leon Stavrinakis (D-Charleston)
  
• Representative Ted Vick (D-Chesterfield)
  
• Dick Harpootlian, former South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman
  
• Steve Benjamin, Candidate for Mayor of Columbia

“I am so humbled to have the early support of these Democratic leaders,” said McGowan. “Working together, we’ll grow our economy and create the jobs our state needs now and in the future. It’s time to put South Carolina first and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Two other candidates, retired automotive executive Mike Ruckes and North Myrtle Beach resident Gary Stephens, are also seeking the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat. 

Ruckes Release Challenges McGowan on Republican Connections

by: wjhamilton 29464

Fri Nov 06, 2009 at 14:43:13 PM EST

REVISED- NEW MATERIAL AT END OF POST- The Mike Ruckes for US Senate Campaign has called Chad McGowan out for his connections to Republican Politicians and lack of a track record as an active Democrat.  He's challenged McGowan to a Debate. 

McGowan was scheduled to address the next meeting of the Charleston County Democratic Executive Commitee on November 18, 2009 but will have to reschedule due to a conflict with a fundraiser.  Lowcountry Democrats have been discussing his bid for several weeks.  A recent article about McGowan in the Charleston City paper avoided substaintive answers on Helthcare Reform, Energy Legislation and Abortion.  See the article at http://www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/mcgowan-enters-senate-race-wants-results/Content?oid=1459813

Today's press release reads as follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Who is Chad McGowan?
Who is Chad McGowan? He hasn't really said. In a statement to the (Charleston) Post and Courier he talked about his support and agreement with Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican his wife donated to. In another interview he said he was a conservative. His voting record shows he voted in REPUBLICAN primaries not Democratic primaries, including the 2008 Republican Presidential Primary. Is this a Democrat? Why is he running in the Democratic primary? But what really matters is where does he stand on the issues important to South Carolina? he just hasn't said! We urge him to stand on the issues in a frank, forthright debate with Mike Ruckes.

Who is Mike Ruckes?
Mike is the son of southern sharecroppers and as a member of the working middle class supports REAL middle class values. Mike has promised to support real ongoing healthcare reform, work to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, work for alternate energy solutions to end our dependency on foreign oil, work to better our educational system and fight for the middle class. Mike will stand up for the values that are important to South Carolinians, not the special interests like trial lawyers, corporations and the rich. We need Mike's voice in the US Senate not another Lindsey Graham. we need a real choice between a TRUE Democrat and Senator Jim Demint who has disgraced South Carolina too many times!

Mike Ruckes for US Senate,  www.mikeruckes2010.com

Chad McGowan's Senate Campaign website, which didn't have any substantive issue oriented material at the time I last checked can be found at http://www.chadmcgowan.com/ from which a twitter feed and facebook updates can be accessed. Perhaps SC Progressives need to engage him in the electronic realm to determine what his positions actually are.

DeMint is clearly a menace to the State and Nation, but a serious run against him will require all the resources of the Democratic Party and the capacity to engage both the progressive base, moderate liberals and whatever is left of the middle class still capable of recognizing its own economic and social interests.  It's no longer possible to TV your way into public office and DeMint should have the money to buy the airwaves when FOX news isn't mainlining into the minds of the teabagger fringe for free.  Winning takes people, lots of them.  We've built that machine and we need to be careful with how we use it.

The Opt-Out Public Option! Is that an Option?

by: robertdobbs

Tue Oct 27, 2009 at 01:36:40 AM EDT

I don't see this as an option to get the public option into the legislation but a way in which politicians without a spine can say they tried and when your State chooses not to participate, millions of Americans will once again go without coverage.

Why compromise, what is good and right should stand upon its own merits and be decided up or down.  But now, Democrats have shown their own splits (and lack of intestinal fortitude) as far as the public option and how the Health Care Insurance Industry still calls the shots in Washington.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) and possible 2012 Presidential candidate has already formed an opinion, even though two Progressive Democrats are U.S. Senators and Democrats have a large influence in the state.  Pawlenty stated when asked this question: "But you would lead a charge in your state to opt out if that was an option available?
PAWLENTY: I think so because I don't like government run health care."  Minnesotans without health care should thank the Governor for already deciding not to assist them and allow a public option.

Include in the downsides to the Opt-Out Public Option is that it will not achieve universal competition, a factor that President Obama stated he wanted in health care reform. You can guarantee that South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford will opt out because of the Republican/Libertarian Governor's stance on the Stimulus Package and his participation in the Stimulus only came through force by the State Supreme Court.

Democrats need to realize the Republicans won't even put aside their political wrangling to pass the unemployment extension without creating a ruckess over ACORN and the Real Estate Tax Credit and you seriously think they will allow any sort of public option-whether it is opt out or not?  

Is there public support for the public option?  A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that support for a government-run health-care plan to compete with private insurers has 57% supporting the government ran health care plan and 40% opposing the plan, with 56 percent of Republicans support this type of public option.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/10/20/GR2009102000148.html?sid=ST2009101902502

Keith Olbermann came up with the new catch phrase for the public option as "Medicare for Everybody".  So why should Democrats cave on this all important issue of health care?  Why do we allow our politicians to constantly cave to the corporate masters and put the lives of everyday Americans at risk in the interest of the health car insurance industry?  We need this done right the first time and not get a "water down" bill that will basically put everyone were we are at now, but probably further in the control of the health care insurance industry.  

Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-NY) office released an internal study showing that 151 members of Congress "currently receive government-funded; government-administered single-payer health care — Medicare." Of those 151 members, 55 are Republicans who also happen to be "steadfastly opposed to Americans getting the public option.

Included on Weiner’s list are anti-public option crusaders Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Sen. Orin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), and Rep. Peter King (R-NY).

The list of Congressional recipients of Medicare who also oppose the public option is below:

Rep. Ralph M. Hall
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett
Rep. Sam Johnson
Rep. C.W. Bill Young
Rep. Howard Coble
Sen. Jim Bunning
Sen. Richard G. Lugar
Rep. Don Young
Sen. Charles E. Grassley
Sen. Robert F. Bennett
Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch
Sen. Richard C. Shelby
Rep. Jerry Lewis
Sen. James M. Inhofe
Rep. Ron Paul
Rep. Henry E. Brown
Sen. Pat Roberts
Sen. George V. Voinovich
Sen. John McCain
Rep. Judy Biggert
Sen. Thad Cochran
Rep. Harold Rogers
Rep. Dan Burton
Rep. Howard P. "Buck" McKeon
Rep. Frank R. Wolf
Sen. Christopher S. Bond
Rep. Michael N. Castle
Rep. Joe Pitts
Rep. Tom Petri
Sen. Lamar Alexander
Rep. Doc Hastings
Rep. Cliff Stearns
Rep. Sue Myrick
Rep. John Carter
Sen. Mitch McConnell
Sen. Jon Kyl
Rep. Phil Gingrey
Rep. Nathan Deal
Rep. John Linder
Rep. Kay Granger
Rep. John L. Mica
Rep. Walter B. Jones
Sen. Jim Risch
Rep. Ed Whitfield
Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner
Rep. Virginia Foxx
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite
Sen. Saxby Chambliss
Sen. Michael B. Enzi
Rep. Elton Gallegly
Rep. Donald Manzullo
Rep. Peter T. King
Rep. Ander Crenshaw

So members of Congress, if your health care insurance plan and your public option are good enough for you, why do millions of Americans have to suffer with the "table scraps" you are willing to give them?

GOP Senators are Blocking Extension of Unemployment Because of ACORN and Real Estate Tax Credit

by: robertdobbs

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 01:13:41 AM EDT

That's right, the unemployment extension bill is being held up by the Republicans so they can argue about ACORN, again, and attempt to get a Real Estate Extension Tax Credit.  These two issues should be seperate from the unemployment extension bill.  

The unemployment extension bill continues to sit and good Americans, who have lost their jobs, now have to sit and wait, while their benefits are or have ran out.  These Republicans clearly don't care how the unemployed are going to feed their families, pay their necessary bills, mortgage, etc.

Why would they care, they have excellent Federal Benefits and salary.

It is time for every American to stand up to these crooks and liars and get action for the MILLIONS who need help.  They can pass cash for clunkers in 1 week, but helping millions of Americans whose unemployment benefits that have or going to run out, doesn't matter.

Here is the copy of the Democratic Senators Press Conference today:

http://nelp.3cdn.net/7b88b5c7188c9d8e79_nim6bn5rf.pdf

Friend or Foe of the Unemployment Extensions:

http://hubpages.com/hub/voting-records-on-unemployment-insurance-extensions-recession-2008-2009

Contact Your U.S. Senator:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

GOP Senators Now are Blocking Extension of Unemployment Insurance

by: robertdobbs

Wed Oct 14, 2009 at 15:21:35 PM EDT

Republican Senators are now blocking the unemployment extension that Democratic Senators were attempting to get passed this week.  Dow Jones is reporting that Senate Republicans' plan to stall debate on the bill (H.R. 3548) -- which was expected to hit the floor this week -- because they object to its primary funding mechanism: an extension of the federal unemployment surtax for an additional 18 months.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the Democrats in the Senate, attempted to speed up the normal chamber procedures to take a quick vote on the measure to extend unemployment compensation due to the fact that millions will exhaust their benefits without hope of employment due to the still declining job market.  However, Republicans in the Senate, lead by Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, have now utilized stalling tactics by demanding more time to consider the bill and add amendments to it.  The main sticking point is because the Republicans object to unemployment's primary funding mechanism: an extension of the federal unemployment surtax for an additional 18 months.

These Republican Senators clearly do not care about the millions of Americans that have exhausted their unemployment benefits and have not secured employment to to regional economic conditions that have not produced additional employment as promised.  This legislation was passed by the U.S. House on September 23, 2009, and these arrogant politicians now are slowing the process down!  They have done nothing for almost 20 days and sat on this legislation.  Maybe considering they are making $174,000 plus automatic pay increases every year clouds their thinking and causes them to forget about the millions of Americans who are trying to keep their power on, food for the children, and heat their homes.  But why would they care, typical Americans cannot donate millions of dollars to their campaign coffers.

Now is time to stand up and make these Republican Senators phones, email, and faxes blow off the charts with responses.  Everyone needs to make every contact possible to every Republican U.S. Senator's Office and have your voices heard.

Use this link to find the Senators:

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Unemployment insurance extension stalls in Senate!

by: robertdobbs

Mon Oct 05, 2009 at 15:52:17 PM EDT

I cannot believe the Senators would become so entrenched and in a sense, arrogant, concerning the MILLIONS who have exhausted their unemployment extension benefits.  With Senator Shaheen attempting to give all states 4 weeks and the states above 8.5%-13 weeks will essentially kill the bill and cost more time, which the good people out of work don't have.

When the U.S. House of Representatives debated the issue of covering all states for 4 weeks of unemployment extension during floor debate in the last week of September, and they resolved to keep the minimum rate at 8.5 percent to ensure their $1.4 billion proposal did not add to the deficit. Any attempt to raise that number would likely require lawmakers to raise the unemployment tax from $14 a year to something much higher and probably cause this bill, S. 1699, and HR 3548 to stall or worse, die!

What needs to occur is to pass the 13 weeks now (S. 1699) for the states above 8.5% and create another bill to extend the other states the additional 4 weeks.  Those who have exhausted their benefits in high unemployment states are in dired straits and it seems that Congress has no problem giving themselves an automatic pay increase, current salary of $174,000.

Write and/or contact your Senators to vote yes for the unemployment extension bill currently in the Senate (S. 1699).

Contact Congress  

Congress, specifically the Senate, has forgotten the term "We the People" and who actually elects them. We need to put the heat on them and make them truly do the "People's Work".  This has went on since August 7, 2009, in the Senate and they had ample time to be prepared for this bill.  The House was able to push through HR. 3548.

Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (S.1699)

by: robertdobbs

Thu Oct 01, 2009 at 05:34:30 AM EDT

Senator Reed’s legislation builds on two other bills he authored and introduced in August to extend unemployment compensation programs through 2010, and help preserve jobs and prevent future lay-offs:

The Assistance for Unemployed Workers Extension Act (S. 1647) would extend several current-law unemployment compensation programs through 2010.  The bill amends the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008, to extend unemployment insurance benefits for an additional 13 weeks in states where unemployment has averaged at least 8.5% over the last three months.  These high unemployment States are: AL, AZ, CA, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, ME, MI, MS,MO, NV, NJ, NC, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, TN, WA, WI & WV.

The Keep Americans Working Act (S.1646) establishes a temporary work-share program that allows employers to reduce the hours of their workers for some period of time and for the workers to receive proportionate unemployment benefits for those reduced hours to lessen the impact on them and their families.  

We need everyone to get on their respective Senator's to get this passed.  The original bill has sat since August 7, 2009, and the States need this bill to assist the massive amount of people still laid off.

So contact the following to ensure a vote happens this week:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid-Washington Office-(202) 224-3542

Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus-Washington Office-(202) 224-4515

Chad McGowan Gearing Up for U.S. Senate Run

by: Jennifer Read

Tue Sep 29, 2009 at 10:20:58 AM EDT

Rock Hill attorney Chad McGowan told the York County Democratic Party's Executive Committee last Tuesday that he plans to run for Republican Jim "Waterloo" DeMint's U.S. Senate seat in 2010.

Reportedly, McGowan plans to launch his campaign in early October and will take a year off from his job at McGowan, Hood & Felder to pursue the Democratic nomination.

At the moment, his campaign website is still under construction.

McGowan's entrance into the Senate race is a positive sign for S.C. Democrats. He's a successful litigator with the financial resources and time to mount a credible challenge to the incumbent, who's currently sitting atop a respectable $2.6 million war chest.

McGowan will face retired automotive executive Mike Ruckes in the Democratic primary.