Let’s all go to Washington, DC, and have a Halloween night party!
Let’s celebrate the wonderful Coke/Pepsi presidential election now in progress … and the honest, feisty way our elected reps in Congress have conducted our nation’s business … pay tribute to the bold visions they’ve put forward.
At dusk on October 31, let’s gather on Capitol Hill, trick or treat Congress and party like we’ve never partied before.
Bring mask!
CJ HQ
PS And if you cannot make it to DC then party in front of the Bank of America in your community... outside your city hall... or in the squares.
The lobbying firm Strategic Health Care is hosting a Capitol Hill event titled, "White Trash Reception." Here's a flyer for the um, "event":
"Hey y'all - get gussied up in your Sunday jorts, mullets, and fullets and come on down to the White Trash Reception," the invitation reads:
White Trash Reception
July 19, 2012 5:30 - 9:30 pm
230 2nd Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
Grab some suds and grub with Strategic Health Care! Please RSVP to info@shcare.net
Peggy Tighe, Beth Swickard, Jason Gromley, and Kyah Flickinger
Here's how the lobbying firm describes itself: "Strategic Health Care’s vision is to become the leading health care consulting firm focused all matters where government and health care meet. In order to achieve this (and distinguish ourselves from other firms), we will continue to capitalize on our knowledge of the health care system, our understanding of our clients’ businesses, our ability to anticipate and influence legislative and regulatory issues, and our dedication to efficient and cost-effective client service."
The National Journal contacted Strategic Healthcare's director of government relations to find out if the invitation was legitimate, and the response? It is.
She said the party at the firm's Capitol Hill townhouse gathers lobbyists, Hill staffers and health industry types for some happy hour fun. The firm throws themed parties every couple of months, though past themes have included the decidedly less edgy pirate and cherry blossom varieties.
This reminds me of the foreclosure attorneys office staff that held a party where they dressed in mock "homeless" attire, and even created scenery to depict vacant, foreclosed homes.
If this invitation hadn't been become public knowledge, I imagine the lobbyists would have dressed as stereotypes of the people who won't ever be able to afford healthcare as their states are opting out of medicare expansion.
And as ThinkProgress notes the event particularly stings because health care lobbyists at Strategic Health Care profit from pharmaceutical companies that make their money on expensive drugs that low income Americans of all races frequently have to turn their pockets inside out to pay for.
Luke Rudkowski, Mark Dice & Adam Kokesh team up to take on the most insidious mafia organization in DC, The Federal Reserve. Watch what happens when Luke, Mark & Adam begin innocently filming the outside of The Federal Reserve building on Constitution Ave.
The student day of action occurred on 1T Day, the day that student debt hit $1 trillion dollars, and students on campuses across the country took action to voice their demands. Students at George Washington University hosted a teach-in on student debt outside a campus branch of Bank of America, students at University of Massachusetts, Amherst burned their students loans outside their Bank of America branch, along with students at Yale University, University of Chicago, University of Oregon, University of Texas. And in Bank of America’s home state, UNC-Chapel Hill students delivered demands to stop financing coal to their local BoA branch.
These actions are happening in the lead up to BoA’s May 9th shareholder meeting where environmental and economic justice groups are coming together to ensure that Bank of America stops bankrupting our future.
Ray Lewis, a former captain with the Philadelphia Police Department, joins protesters with Occupy Congress rallying in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Protesters staged a demonstration timed to coincide with the House's return to Washington from its holiday recess.
Lewis is the retired officer who joined in with Occupy Wall Street as NYPD raided Zuccotti Park for the first time last November, and was arrested during the protest that followed.
Eugene Davidovich, of Occupy San Diego conducted the interview with Lewis. Davidovich was one of the protesters kicked off the Greyhound bus in Amarillo while on his way to Occupy Congress.
Lewis was briefly detained by police on at the Capitol, but it was only to ensure that he was not carrying a gun with him, and he was then released.
Lewis discusses what inspired him to join the occupy movement, his thoughts on escalating police violence, as well as the threatening letters he has received from the Philadelphia Police Commissioner, and the Fraternal Order of Police. The retired captain gave those letters to the New York Times, and here's a look at what was in those documents:
The commissioner, Charles H. Ramsey, told Mr. Lewis in a letter dated Nov. 23, 2011 “to immediately cease and desist wearing, using or otherwise displaying any official Philadelphia Police Department uniform, badges or facsimiles thereof or any official departmental insignia.”
Mr. Ramsey continued, “Be advised that I am prepared to take any and all necessary actions to protect the honor and integrity of the Philadelphia Police Department.”
The letter from the Fraternal Order of Police informed “Brother Lewis” that the organization had received a grievance against him.
The motion, the letter said, was based on Mr. Lewis’s “comments and actions on or about Nov. 15-17, 2011, while dressed in a Philadelphia police captain’s uniform at the New York City Occupy Wall Street protest, which also resulted in his arrest.” It was signed by the organization’s recording secretary, Robert B. Ballentine.
Neither letter outlined any plan of action against Mr. Lewis, and it was unclear what action could be taken.
The New York Observer asked the Philadelphia Police, after the news report of the letters sent to Lewis, exactly when was it inappropriate for an officer to wear his uniform when not on active duty:
“It depends on the place, and it depends if citizens regard the officer as acting on behalf of law enforcement,” Lt. Evers told us over phone today.
“Even though Captain Lewis is a retired officer, every officer knows you have to be middle-road with anything. Some people might be okay with him wearing his uniform during the rally, and he certainly has the right to exercise his first amendment rights…but imagine how people would react if this was a Ku Klux Klan rally and an officer showed up supporting it in uniform. People would go crazy.”
Lt. Evers than advised us that the Ku Klux Klan example had been used in the Commissioner’s speach earlier this morning.
So there you have it: it’s up to the police officers arresting you if wearing your uniform while not on duty is illegal, but ethically, it’s equivalent to showing support of the Klan.
