Motley Moose – Archive

Past meets present: where the dream has not yet been realized but is closer than it was 50 years ago.

Rarely seen footage from the March on Washington from “Nobody Turn Me Around: A People’s History of the 1963 March on Washington” by Charles Euchner (h/t DeniseVelez)

From senior White House advisor, Valerie Jarrett:

This Wednesday will mark 50 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech at the base of the Lincoln Memorial; a moment which served to punctuate a movement that changed America.

To honor this occasion, President Obama will be joined Wednesday, August 28th, by President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton, members of the King family and other civil rights leaders and luminaries at the Let Freedom Ring Commemoration and Call to Action event at the Lincoln Memorial, to commemorate Dr. King’s soaring speech and the 1963 March on Washington.  

As we mark this important anniversary, we reflect on what the Civil Rights Movement has meant for the country, and perhaps most importantly, the hard work that lies ahead as we continue to pursue the ideals laid out by Dr. King, and sought by the hundreds of thousands of Americans who marched through our nation’s capital fifty years ago.

For more information on the 50th Anniversary Let Freedom Ring Ceremony and Call to Action Event at the Lincoln Memorial please visit http://officialmlkdream50.com/august-28/.

~

UPDATED: From the White House, President Obama’s speech at the Let Freedom Ring rally. (Transcript).

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People who care deeply about Wisconsin have had every reason to feel despair about what has happened to our great state over the past three years.  But on Thursday, a river won an important battle and that win can lead the way for a return to the values from our past.

This is what a winning river looks like

John Lewis At March On Washington: ‘I’m Not Going To Stand By And Let The Supreme Court Take The Right To Vote Away’

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) – who was the youngest speaker during the March on Washington in 1963 – delivered a passionate address about the importance of protecting voting rights at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial fifty years later, as thousands gathered to celebrate the anniversary of the historic event on Saturday.

Read More: WaPo Editorial: Fighting for the Franchise

Read More: DOJ to Texas: Voter Suppression Will Not Stand

Read More: Unfinished Business Marks March On Washington 50th Anniversary

A Guide To The Nation’s Most Vulnerable Governors

Democrats Jerry Brown and Andrew Cuomo look like safe bets for re-election in California and New York, respectively. And, despite the pending retirement of Rick Perry, Republicans are confident of maintaining their hold on the governor’s mansion in Texas.

But Florida, Pennsylvania and Illinois all feature embattled incumbents whose reelection campaigns will easily cost tens of millions of dollars. Michigan GOP Gov. Rick Snyder could also face a real contest.

In all, 36 states will be voting for governor in 2014. All but a handful will feature incumbents favored for re-election.

OOPS: Obamacare Opponent Is Very Impressed With The Law He Hates So Much

After [Kentucky public health workee Reina] Diaz-Dempsey explained that he will either qualify for tax credits to buy insurance through Kynect (the state’s new insurance marketplace) or an expanded Medicaid pool in October, the man seemed pleased and mused, “This beats Obamacare, I hope.”

Kynect is actually one of the statewide insurance marketplaces at the heart of Obamacare, and the Medicaid expansion is another provision that stems from the health reform law. But Diaz-Dempsey doesn’t tell the man that – figuring the connection to Obamacare might actually dissuade him from pursuing coverage in a state with terrible public health demographics, where one in every five adults is uninsured.

Read More: Parts of ACA More Popular Than The Whole

Black Lung Has Been On The Rise For Years, But A Long-Delayed Rule Might Finally Stop It

As cases of black lung surge in coal country, the Obama administration may finally be moving forward with a long-delayed rule to protect coal miners from the deadly disease. On Thursday, a notice posted on the administration’s Office of Management and Budget website said a final version of the rule was sent to the White House on Wednesday.

The new rule, first proposed in October 2010, aims to reduce miners’ exposure to coal dust. The dust causes the irreversible and potentially fatal black lung disease, which has been on the rise in recent years. The rule would seek to tighten allowable levels of coal dust exposure, as well as require continuous personal dust monitors for miners and change how companies monitor dust exposure.

Republicans being Republicans …

New Jersey Senate Candidate To Single Mothers: Stop Relying On Food Stamps And Go To Work!

Six Colorado Counties Will Vote To Secede And Form North Colorado

Senator Claims Pentagon Policy Allowing Gays To Marry Harms Straight Couples

GOP Sen. Coburn: Obama Getting ‘Perilously Close’ To Impeachable Offenses

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From the White House – Weekly Address

In his weekly address, President Obama notes that while college education has never been more important, it has also never been more expensive, which is why he proposed major new reforms this week to make college more affordable for middle class families and those fighting to get into the middle class.

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From President Barack Obama, via email … “A Personal Mission”

Hello, everybody —

Michelle and I know exactly how tough it can be to pay for higher education. By the time we finished paying back the loans we took out to go to college and grad school, I was on my way to being a U.S. Senator.

I believe that anyone who works hard should have the same opportunities that our educations gave us. That’s why, as President, I’ve made it a personal mission to make higher education more affordable — and why I’m going to be visiting school campuses later this week.

Learn more about why this is the time to take action.

The facts are clear. Over the past three decades, the average tuition at a public four-year college has more than tripled. At the same time, many state governments are actually reducing their support for education, and many middle-class students are getting stuck with the tab. Today, the average student taking out loans to pay for education graduates with more than $26,000 in debt.

Just tinkering around the edges won’t be enough: To create a better bargain for the middle class, we have to fundamentally rethink about how higher education is paid for in this country. We’ve got to shake up the current system.

That’s why, starting Thursday, I will be embarking on a bus tour to offer my plan to make college more affordable, tackle rising costs, and improve value for students and their families. My plan includes real reforms that would bring lasting change. They won’t all be popular with everyone –including some who’ve made higher education their business — but it’s past time that more of our colleges work better for the students they exist to serve.

Over the past four and a half years, we’ve worked to put college in reach for more students and their families through tax credits, improving access to financial aid, and new options that make it easier to repay those loans.

But if we’re going to keep the doors of higher education open to everyone who works for it, we need to do more — much more. And that’s exactly what I’m going to be talking about this week.

So learn more here, then help to spread the word:



http://www.whitehouse.gov/share/college-affordability

Thanks,

President Barack Obama

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