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Secret Meeting of Soros Progressive
Groups Takes Place in Miami
Washington Free Beacon
A secretive network of left-wing billionaires and their political operatives descended on the luxurious Biltmore Hotel in Miami over the weekend to discuss strategy for the coming elections. The location of the conference had been kept a closely guarded secret by the members and guests of Democracy Alliance (DA), a collection of ultra-wealthy liberal donors formed in 2005. The conference was attended by the biggest names in liberal politics, including billionaire financier George Soros, who has already pledged at least $2 million to Progressive groups this cycle. The actual amount Soros has contributed may be much higher, according to experts. Attendees roamed the grounds at the 150-acre tropical resort on their way to cocktail gatherings and workshops such as “Occupy the Voting Booth” and “The 1 Percent Rule.”
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Labor Board Suspends Rule on Union Elections
The Hill
The National Labor Relations Board suspended implementation on Tuesday of a rule that would speed up union elections. On Monday, US District Judge James Boasberg struck down the regulation. In his ruling, the judge said the labor board only had two members vote on the final rule in December 2011 when it needed three members to form a quorum. In the wake of the court decision, the agency is temporarily suspending the rule's implementation, which went into effect on April 30. Further, Lafe Solomon, the NLRB's acting general counsel, withdrew guidance he sent to the labor board's regional offices and told those offices to follow the old union election rule instead. The agency is still considering its response to the court ruling. Unions have criticized the decision. In turn, business groups are pleased by the decision.
Pelosi Hires ThinkProgress
Anti-Semite for New Media Advisor
Washington Free Beacon
Nancy Pelosi (P-CA), has hired the controversial editor of a blog recently engulfed in scandal over its use of language that Jewish groups have described as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. Faiz Shakir, the editor in chief of the Center for American Progress’ ThinkProgress blog, is set to become a senior adviser to Pelosi and her office’s director of new media. Shakir piloted ThinkProgress through a contentious period during which the liberal online outlet faced accusations of anti-Israel and anti-Semitic bias due to its reporters’ use of the term “Israel firster,” language historically associated with white supremacists. Zaid Jilani, who parted ways with ThinkProgress as a result of the controversy, employed the term on his Twitter feed, writing that “Obama is still beloved by Israel-firsters and getting lots of their $$.”
Somalis, Occupiers, SEIU Unite;
Demand Banks Allow Transfer Streams
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Hundreds of people, incluing an SEIU Local and Occupy MN, marched through downtown Minneapolis on Friday afternoon, stopping traffic and forcing officials to block off several streets and divert traffic. The protest, which began around 2:45pm outside the Wells Fargo Center building, was aimed at getting Minnesota banks to resume business with local money transfer shops, which are used by many Somali-Americans to send dollars to their loved ones back in Somalia. As part of the protest, an unknown number of people also closed their accounts at the bank. The demonstration was tied to a May 11 deadline for banks set by supporters of the Somali money-wiring businesses. They have been pressing Wells Fargo, where many Minnesota Somalis bank, to provide banking services to the struggling money-wiring outfits.
Video: SEIU Guru Asks College
Kids to Promise to Get Arrested
The Blaze
While giving a talk to Georgetown University’s Labor Lab on April 30th, renown community organizer Stephen Learner boasted some peculiar parenting accomplishments, while bringing into question his version of the Jewish tradition of Bar Mitzvah. Lerner began his speech by bragging about his disruption of Washington DC in the Justice for Janitors campaign of the 80‘s and 90’s...He then announced a point of personal importance and pride over the protest: “An important event in my life because my oldest son got arrested for his first time. And it was very big event, [we're] joking now that the leftist bar mitzvah is when your son gets arrested for the first time...” But the legendary SEIU organizer was not content with just his own children’s incarceration, he wanted the students at Georgetown to share in the experience.
Canadian Firm Eligible for $50M in
Stimulus for 2 Nevada Solar Plant Jobs
NevadaJournal.com
The company behind the recently opened Silver State North solar plant is eligible to receive up to $50 million in federal tax credits under the Obama administration’s “stimulus” legislation, even though the plant created only two full-time jobs. According to a Department of Interior memo, Enbridge Energy Partners, a Canadian-based company with extensive energy holdings in the US that purchased the Southern Nevada plant from Arizona-based First Solar, “can apply for payments of up to 30 percent of the eligible costs of the project -- approximately $50 million.” Construction of the Silver State North plant, overseen by First Solar, employed 350 people. Now owned by Enbridge, the plant only requires two full-time employees for operation. Silver State North began service on Monday, May 7.
Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed Against AZ County Sheriff
AP/FOX News
As defiant as ever, get-tough Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio faces a federal court showdown over charges that deputies on his trademark immigration patrols racially profiled Latinos in violation of civil rights law. After months of negotiations failed to reach a settlement over the allegations, the US Justice Department took the rare step Thursday of suing. The main issue that caused talks to break down last month was federal officials' insistence that Arpaio agree to a court-appointed monitor for the department. Arpaio objected, saying it would undermine his authority. "I am not going to surrender my office to the federal government," a visibly angry Arpaio said at an afternoon news conference. "I will fight this to the bitter end." The lawsuit means that a federal judge will decide the escalating, long-standing dispute.
Union with Obama Ties Rents Offices for Occupy DC
The Washington Examiner
A labor union with strong ties to President Obama is helping make the Occupy Wall Street movement a more permanent fixture in the nation's capital, moving Occupy DC into office space the group can use to organize and grow through the presidential election. The Service Employees International Union, one of Obama's most vocal supporters among labor groups, is paying $4,000 a month for three offices the Occupy protesters will use for at least the next six months to plan future demonstrations, organize and host workshops. The offices are at the Institute for Policy Studies, a nonprofit Progressive group headquartered at 16th and L streets NW, amid the major law firms, trade groups and lobbying shops that Occupiers have spent the past seven months denouncing.
Police Failed to Investigate Pedophile
Gang for Fear of Appearing Racist
The London Telegraph
Police and social workers in Britain were last night accused of failing to investigate an Asian pedophile gang for fear of being perceived as racist, allowing them to prey on up to 50 young white girls. The nine men from Rochdale were yesterday convicted of abusing five vulnerable teenagers after plying them with alcohol, food and small sums of money in return for sex. However, the true number of victims, who were "passed around" by the gang, is likely to be nearer to 50, police have admitted. Greater Manchester Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have now apologized after they failed to bring the case of the first victim to trial following her cry for help in August 2008. One 13 year-old victim became pregnant and had the child aborted while another was forced to have sex with 20 men in one night, Liverpool Crown Court heard.
Labor Union Cash Floods States
to Preserve Political Influence
The Hill
Unions poured millions of dollars into state-level battles to beat back legislation that would limit labor’s political power. Annual financial reports filed with the Labor Dept. by national and local unions show they gave nearly $16 million in contributions to more than a half-dozen umbrella groups. The funds flowed into California, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin, and were used to battle against measures that would curb workers’ collective bargaining rights, institute right-to-work laws or limit the use of union members’ dues to pay for political activity. Many of those proposals were put forward by Republican-controlled state legislatures and GOP governors who were elected in the 2010 landslide. Unions said the state-level spending has helped them hone their voter turnout machine.
Soros to Lead $100 Million Effort
to Aid Progressives, Democrats
The New York Times
Major liberal donors including George Soros are preparing to inject up to $100 million into independent groups to aid Democrats’ chances this fall. But instead of going head to head with the conservative “super PACs” that have flooded the presidential and congressional campaigns with negative advertising, the donors are focusing on grass-roots organizing, voter registration and Democrat turnout. The departure from the conservatives’ approach, which helped Republicans in 2010, partly reflects liberal donors’ objections to the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which paved the way for super PACs and unbridled campaign spending. But in interviews, donors and strategists involved in the effort said they wanted to exploit what they see as the Democrats’ advantage in grass-roots organizing.
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