This week's Democratic radio address

Congressman Nick Rahall, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, delivers this week's Democratic Radio Address. Chairman Rahall discusses Democratic efforts to provide relief for Americans at the pump, and those of George Bush and John McCain to rally behind the oil industry's agenda.

Click here to read the transcript of Chairman Rahall's address.

Republican ’values’ harming America

You might recall John McCain's shameless flip-flopping on the issue of torture last February. (In a nutshell: John McCain was for banning torture before he was against it.) Luckily, there are still folks in Washington willing to say what should be obvious to everyone:

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The use by the United States of harsh interrogation methods against suspected terrorists has stained the country's image and is putting US soldiers' lives at risk, experts said here Wednesday.

"If we use torture when we question prisoners, we forfeit the right to demand that anyone treat our soldiers decently if they are taken prisoner," former army intelligence officer Stuart Herrington told AFP at a forum on the use of torture in interrogations.

"If we engage in that kind of activity, we put our soldiers at increased risk," he said.

Click here to read the full article.

SurveyUSA poll: Lunsford within striking distance

SurveyUSA just released a poll on Kentucky's Senate race. They find that Bruce Lunsford is doing astonishingly well:

KY Senate Race: McConnell and Lunsford Start Off Neck and Neck

Incumbent Republican US Senator Mitch McConnell leads Democrat Bruce Lunsford by 4 points in a poll with a 4.0 percentage point margin of sampling error, according to this SurveyUSA poll conducted exclusively for WHAS-TV Louisville, WLEX-TV Lexington, and WCPO-TV Cincinnati.

McConnell can't be very happy to learn that Lunsford is within the margin of error in this poll. Ol' Mitch shouldn't be too surprised though; his partisan obstructionism in the Senate is surely one reason why Kentuckians are opting for Lunsford.

More Republican obstructionism

Today's New York Times addresses the Republicans' obstructionism over energy policy:

Given a chance to do something important about global warming, the Senate fell flat on its face earlier this month when it could not even produce enough votes to have a good debate. It can begin to redeem itself, by approving a bill to extend vital tax credits for renewable fuel sources like wind and solar power.

...The Republicans say they believe in fiscal responsibility; this bill responsibly exchanges one set of tax breaks for another. They say they believe in technological innovation, which this bill encourages. They say they believe in creating new jobs, which a robust wind and solar industry would do.

If they believe all that, they should stop being stubborn and approve the House bill.

You can read the entire piece by clicking here.

This week's Democratic radio address

Jeff Alberici, an eight-grade teacher in New York, husband and father of three, delivered this week's Democratic Radio Address:

"Democrats are trying to change things, but Republicans only want more of the same old ideas that got us into this mess in the first place," Jeff Alberici, of Auburn, New York, said in the Democratic Party's weekly radio address today. "More of the same isn't working for my family, and I bet it's not working for yours."

...With the costs of gas, food and health care "skyrocketing, even with a second paycheck, things are no easier," Alberici said.

"My wife and I don't talk that much in public about politics, but we are both proud Democrats," Alberici said. "Democrats understand what families like ours are going through, and they're trying to make things better."

Click here to read the entire transcript of Alberici's address.

Democrats working to balance the budget

Here's the story via the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON --The chairman of the House Budget Committee said Saturday that a 2009 spending blueprint passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress will restore funding for health care, energy and education while leading to a balanced budget by 2012.

Rep. John Spratt, D-S.C., said the budget plan rejected proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and would broaden the Children's Health Insurance Program. The plan would also add nearly $5 billion to the Veterans Affairs health care system in 2009, he said.

In his party's weekly radio address, Spratt promised the bill would address skyrocketing fuel prices by spending more on home energy assistance for low-income families. "As for funding for alternative fuels, renewable energies and other energy initiatives, our budget provides $7.7 billion," he said.

Click here to read the entire article.