Evergreene Digest A Journal of Progress for the Rest of Us

• You can now e-mail your lawmakers using Facebook.
• Learn more about how your advocacy group can get a similar tool.

Congress.org

Congress.org has unveiled a new tool, called "Tell Congress," on our Facebook page.

With just a few clicks, you can send a message to your representatives on the important issue of the week. You do not need to be a registered user of Congress.org.

This week (August 8-14), we are looking at the Bush tax cuts, which are due to expire at the end of the year if Congress doesn't act.

To send a message, click on the "Tell Congress" tab on our Facebook page and choose between: Let the Bush Tax Cuts Expire, Extend All of the Bush Tax Cuts or Extend the Middle Class Tax Cut.

When you're done, you can share the tool with your friends on Facebook and post it on your wall to help generate more letters to Congress and amplify your voice.

To learn more about how your advocacy group can get a similar tool, click here.

• Since when is it the place of special interest corporations to determine what public policy should be?
• Tell Google: Don't be evil
• FCC Hearing on Net Neutrality Comes to Minneapolis Thursday August 19

The Pen

Something stunningly outrageous happened this week (Aug 1-7), when Google and Verizon announced they had reached a "deal" for the future of the internet. Since when is it the place of special interest corporations to determine what public policy should be?

Stop Google & Verizon action page:

Actually it has been going on in back rooms all along, a prime recent example being a health care bill written (the one that passed) substantially by Liz Fowler, a former Wellpoint executive, who is now apparently in line to also administrate the bill she wrote (another outrage).

But never before has it been so brazen that two industry giants should publicly declare they have reached a private agreement, and to expect Congress and the President to just fall in line.

They must not. Congress must reject this public carving up of the public interest and instead establish clear principles in law that industry giants must not be allowed to use their power to discriminate access to the internet of the future.

• The GOP is putting partisanship above principle. It's time for them to learn that America won't stand for the "Party of No."
• Tell the Senate: We’ve Had Enough Delay. Stop Republican Obstruction.

Marge Baker, People For the American Way

Last week (August 1-7), the Senate confirmed President Obama's second nominee to the Supreme Court, Elena Kagan. But unnoticed by much of the media, Senate Republicans also blocked a large group of lower court nominees-including a significant number approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Before adjourning for recess, the Senate confirmed four judges, and agreed to move forward on one more. But it refused to act on seventeen more nominees, nine of whom were approved by voice vote or unanimous roll-call vote in the Judiciary Committee.

Led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, GOP Senators even demanded that some nominees be re-nominated by the President, then re-approved by the Judiciary Committee. Although the process can't block confirmation of nominees, it does eat up weeks of time.

Republicans are able to get away with this procedural foot dragging because they think no one will notice. But they're wrong.