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Politics still going strong on YouTube

One of the more interesting intersections between the Internet and politics has been the ascendancy of political videos on YouTube. The phenomenon exploded this fall when the video of former Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) calling a staffer for now-Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) "macaca" likely cost him the election. But the flurry of political clips didn't subside with the election – this week three of the 20 most-viewed videos and three of the 20 top-rated videos feature members of Congress or parodies of them.

Shooting up the charts, for example, is this video of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) positively railing against Republican members of the Senate last week. They were holding up the minimum wage increase bill in hopes of extracting concessions for impacted businesses. Kennedy exploded with anger, asking, "Do you have such disdain for hardworking Americans that you want to pile all your amendments on this? ... What is it about working men and women that you find so offensive that you won't permit even a vote... we don't want to hear any more from [Republicans] for the rest of this session about permitting and not permitting votes in here when you're denying a vote on the most simple concept, an increase in the minimum wage. We don't want to hear any more about that. This is filibuster by delay and amendments. I've been around here long enough to know it when I see it and when I smell it." To get an idea of what Kennedy was so incensed about, check out Congresspedia's page on the minimum wage increase bill, which includes details on the amendments. (The bill, incidentally, just passed a cloture vote and is headed to a final vote on Thursday or Friday.)

House Expands Voting Privileges for Delegates and Resident Commissioner; Further Action on DC Voting Rights Expected

Last Wednesday, the House approved a rule change granting the four House delegates and the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico partial voting rights on the House floor. A similar rule was implemented in 1993 by a Democratic majority, but repealed in 1995 after Republicans took control of Congress. The resolution passed largely along party lines, 226-191.

News Release: Growing Coalition Demands the Army Withdraw Its Subpoena of Journalist Sarah Olson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 29, 2007

CONTACT: Scott Goodstein, Defend The Press, 202-256-8320, email: sgcatalyst AT aol.com; John Stauber, Center for Media and Democracy, 608-260-9713, email: john AT prwatch.org

Growing Coalition Demands the Army Withdraw Its Subpoena of Journalist Sarah Olson

Prominent Journalists, Media Organizations and Thousands of Citizens Defend the Press

Defend the Press and Sarah Olson

We've seen a powerful show of support for our Defend The Press campaign against military intimidation and harassment of journalists including Sarah Olson. In the past 72 hours Defend the Press has been endorsed by a diversity of news media and public interest organizations from Free Press to the Organic Consumers Association, from Mother Jones to Mothering magazines. Some of these organizations have sent emails to their thousands of members urging support for the campaign. Others have posted banners at the top of their websites. The National Press Club issued a news release on behalf of Sarah Olson and other subpoenaed journalists, and endorsed Defend The Press.

Several Measures Opposing Iraq Troop “Surge” Introduced in Congress

In his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, President Bush asked Congress to not condemn his plan to send 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq off the bat, but to "give it a chance" first. In the face of widespread and growing public opposition to both the plan and the war itself, however, many members are voicing their discontent with Bush’s policy, and some are trying to stop it.

Dems, Bloggers and a Four-Year-Old Respond to the State of the Union - In Video!

Freshman senator and rising Democratic star Jim Webb (D-Va.) delivered the main Democratic response to Bush's speech (response text). He spoke of the rising income inequality in America and the growing pressure globalization is putting on the middle and professional classes. He stopped short, however, of offering any detailed plans beyond noting that the House had passed the first minimum wage increase in 10 years. On the foreign policy front, Webb delivered a strong rebuke to Bush's troop "surge" plan:

We need a new direction. Not one step back from the war against international terrorism. Not a precipitous withdrawal that ignores the possibility of further chaos. But an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq’s cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

NEWS RELEASE -- 'Defend the Press' Organizes to Support Reporter Sarah Olson, Subpoenaed in Court Martial of Ehren Watada

Contact: www.DefendThePress.org
Scott Goodstein, Defend The Press, (202) 256-8320
Sarah Olson, Free Press Working Group, (415) 298-5573
John Stauber, Center for Media and Democracy, (608) 260-9713
Email: Editor AT PRWatch.org

SARAH OLSON, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST, FACES PRISON FOR SIMPLY DOING HER JOB

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