GOOD NEWS FROM VIRGINIA...

VIRGINIA HOUSE DEMOCRATS.

Medicaid expansion has PASSED in both the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia. The budget that is on its way to Governor Northam's desk will give nearly 400,000 Virginians access to affordable healthcare, and teachers will get a much-deserved raise!




MARK HERRING.
VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL.

You made Medicaid expansion happen!

So I want to say thank you...

Thousands of Virginians...have organized, advocated, and made the case for Medicaid expansion...re-elected me as Attorney General, elected Governor Northam and Lieutenant Governor Fairfax, and flipped 15 seats in the House of Delegates, and that message was heard loud and clear in Richmond.

Because of dedication...Medicaid expansion is now a reality, and with today's historic vote comes a new era in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Thank you!

Mark

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE JENNIFER WEXTON.

BREAKING: Virginia General Assembly passes budget that expands Medicaid and gives teachers a raise!

I’m really proud of this news, David. My colleagues and I set our differences aside and worked together to truly put Virginians first. Thanks to this bipartisan work, we were able to expand healthcare access to more than 300,000 Virginians who fall in the coverage gap.

I’m overjoyed to be a part of the General Assembly that passed this historic budget. And now that we’ve seen that Medicaid can be achieved here in our Commonwealth, it’s time we take the next step at the federal level.

Thank you,
Jennifer Wexton

A REMINDER ABOUT FREEDOM OF SPEECH: ROSEANNE AND DUCK DYNASTY, TWO OF A KIND.

DO YOU REMEMBER...BLAST FROM THE PAST.

I AM NOT GOING TO ADDRESS ROSEANNE BARRS TWITTER POST THAT LED TO HER BEING CANCELLED BY ABC. IT WAS DISTURBING ENOUGH THAT IT DESERVES ITS OWN ARTICLE. THIS POST ADDRESSES "FREEDOM OF SPEECH," AS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. 

                                                       REMEMBER...

"DUCK DYNASTY" CONTROVERSY, AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH. PT 1.

( FIRST PUBLISHED ON 12/22/2013.)

This past week the A&E network announced that it was suspending Phil Robertson, star of their reality T.V show "DUCK DYNASTY", indefinitely. This action was in response to statements made by Robertson in a GQ MAGAZINE interview to be published in January. Quotes taken from the interview, which indicate he believes Homosexuality to be "Sinful" and not "Logical", were reported in different media outlets to have offended Same-Sex rights activists and groups.

What is written in the above paragraph is considered to be factually accurate, and neither Robertson or GQ has claimed any inaccuracy in the words or quotes reported to be in the body of the interview, or that certain statements were taken out of context. So where is the controversy?

It is amazing that no matter how apparent the flawed reasoning of certain individuals can be, there are those who will seek to justify it. The following is a prime example;

ACCUSATION- BY SUSPENDING ROBERTSON, A&E HAS VIOLATED HIS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

Question- Did Robertson make these statements?

Answer- Yes, that is not in dispute.

Question-- Are Robertsons comments protected by the 1st amendment,

in that he cannot be prosecuted or punished criminally?

Answer- Yes, his words are protected.

Question- Because A&E suspended Robertson, his Constitutional Right to

Freedom of Speech has been violated.

Answer- Absolutely not.

To even have to address this issue is silly, for it has been covered and ruled upon (Judicially), many times.

However, certain political pundits and commentators are trying to score points with the public at large by claiming that the "DUCK DYNASTY" star has been punished contrary to Constitutional Law.

The simple answer to this claim is the following; TO HAVE YOUR RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH OR EXPRESSION VIOLATED, IT MUST DONE BY AN ENTITY OF THE GOVERNMENT. PRIVATE CITIZENS OR GROUPS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH IN THIS PART OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT.

Legally, there are restrictions on how an individual may exercise their right to freedom of speech. Slanderous or Libelous statements can lead to legal sanctions, but that is because the truth of these claims are called into question. Time, Place and Location is also a factor when judging whether or not one has the right to speak or act freely, but that is because such acts may infringe upon the rights of other individuals.

ROSEANNE BARR, LIKE EVERY OTHER PERSON, REPRESENTS THEIR EMPLOYER BOTH ON AND OFF THE JOB. WHILE RACIST SPEECH, (ALONG WITH SPEECH THAT ENDORSES  XENOPHOBIA, HOMOPHOBIA, RELIGIOUS BIGOTRY etc.,) MAY BE PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE TO DONALD TRUMP AND THE "NEW" REPUBLICAN PARTY, MOST AMERICANS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH PUTTING MONEY IN THE POCKETS OF THOSE EMPLOYING THE INTOLERENT, THE IGNORANT, AND THE STUPID. GUESS WHAT? NEITHER ARE THE SPONSORS.

BREAKING: Welle for Congress Earns Endorsement of College Democrats.

Hi David,

Team Welle is excited to announce the endorsement from The College Democrats of New Jersey. This is their first Congressional endorsement in the state before the June 5th Primary Election.

 President, Megan Coyne, announced the endorsement at a Welle Get Out the Vote Rally in Hamilton last night: “With Congressional District 4 being competitive for the first time in years, it is crucial that the party is united behind the strongest candidate possible - Josh Welle is that candidate. He has continuously put public service above self. As a millennial himself, Josh understands the issues that are most important to young people. In Congress, he will vigorously advocate on behalf of this generation whose concerns are often ignored in Washington.”

 

 

The College Democrats of New Jersey encourage and develop the participation of young Americans in the political process and promote the principles of equality, opportunity, social justice, and freedom within a just and strong society. It is so crucial that we listen to and engage with the next generation of leaders in order to address issues of affordable housing, affordable college education, and accessible training for 21st century jobs.

We’re excited to welcome a  coalition of young voters to this campaign.

Service First,

Team Welle

Gibbs the Ghost. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE KEN HARBAUGH.

David,

 

Congress is out-of-session this week, which means our representatives should be getting out in the community, talking to constituents, and holding public events.

Have you seen my representative, Bob Gibbs?

Nope. Me neither.

As we travel around the district, folks have lots of questions for Gibbs:

• Why did you vote to take health care away from 30,000 Ohioans?
• Why did you support a bill that gave large tax cuts to wealthy corporations instead of working families?
• Our roads and bridges are in disrepair. Where are those infrastructure jobs?

But nobody can ask Bob Gibbs anything.

We haven't seen Bob Gibbs advertise any public events in months. He skips the meet-the-candidates nights we attend. He has not agreed to debate. True to form, he’s just not showing up.

Ken Harbaugh is running for Congress because he believes that our representatives have a responsibility to talk to the folks they represent.

We have this old-fashioned idea that our elected officials should be accountable to the people who elect them.

If Gibbs wants to hide from Ohio voters, that is his business. We just don’t think he should hide in the United States Congress.

In service,

Esosa Osa

Chief of Staff