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text below Continue reading Obama Visits Berlin and Millions Watch “World Class” Speech…

While C-Span is covering Senator Barack Obama’s speech live from Germany today at 1 p.m. EST, I’ve got to wonder why two other stops on his itinerary were cancelled. Spiegel Online has the update:

++ Visit to US Military Bases Cancelled ++
1:42 p.m.: SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Obama has cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl US military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday. “Barack Obama will not be coming to us,” a spokesperson for the US military hospital in Landstuhl announced. “I don’t know why.” Shortly before the same spokeswoman had announced a planned visit by Obama.

Click here To check out photos of Obama’s visit to Germany

Another segment of a July 11th, 2006 interview conducted by Generation Engage when I was the Democratic congressional candidate from Virginia’s 1st District. The Iraq quagmire was a major issue in the campaign and two years later the occupation continues.

The election of Barack Obama is now our nation’s hope to bring an end to the failed policies of the Bush administration and a stop to further delays in the departure of U.S. forces from Iraq.

After over seven years of failed Republican energy policies the price of gasoline, home heating oil, electricity, and natural gas are all at pocketbook breaking levels for all but the wealthiest Americans. The “Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008: gave members of the U.S. House the opportunity to provide some much needed relief to working Americans.

The DRILL Act, was designed to require energy companies to move decisively to increase domestic oil production on the over 68 million acres of American oil-producing land that is already leased, available, and idle. Combined the area available, right now, is the size of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and most of Maryland.

Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act - (244-173, 18 Not Voting) “The House failed to attain the necessary two-thirds margin needed to pass this bill that would have required energy companies to drill for oil and gas in areas where licenses have already been acquired.”

• Robert Wittman VA-01 VOTED NO
• Thelma Drake VA-02 VOTED NO
• Bob Goodlatte VA-06 VOTED NO
• Eric Cantor VA-07 VOTED NO
• Frank Wolf VA-10 VOTED NO
• Tom Davis VA-11 VOTED NO

Since it’s inception in 2005, I have been impressed with the the work done by the Progressive States Network. With an agenda that involves increasing democracy, growing the economy, rewarding work, valuing families and strengthening communities, PSN provides forward-thinking change makers including legislators, journalists and bloggers information needed to articulate and expand the progressive movement.

Through events put on by the Progressive States Network, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with some of the most dynamic leaders of the progressive movement sweeping the country. The following is their take on what’s happened in the recently concluded session and special session of the Virginia Legislature.

Virginia

For the first time in modern history the two houses of the legislature were controlled by different political parties, leading to gridlock on a number of issues and resulting in a relatively unproductive legislative session.  In fact, the majority of time clocked by legislators this year was in special session.  The regular session has been over since the middle of March, but lawmakers kept coming back to try to reach agreements on crucial issues.

Transportation deadlock:   After a court ruling early in the year that struck down the regional funding mechanism for transportation projects, lawmakers have failed to come to a compromise on how to patch a $375 million hole in the road maintenance budget and also fund needed road building in northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.  The governor’s plan for $1 billion in statewide tax increases was killed in the House, which prefers either fees generated only in the areas that will get the spending, or a proposal to fund transportation through off-shore oil and natural gas drilling fees.

Continue reading Virginia’s Legislative Session Roundup From Progressive States Network…

h/t to The Political Carnival

h/t MoveOn.org