Unemployment Benefits Finally Approved

Friday, July 23, 2010
Published at Downwithtyranny.blogspot.com
Yesterday the House voted one last time -- so that their bill and the one the Senate finally passed this week would be identical and Obama could sign it, retroactively sending missed insurance compensation checks to over 2.6 million Americans thrown out of work by the very policies put forward by the conservatives who voted against unemployment insurance! ...

Interestingly, every single Republican the Blue America candidates are running against voted in opposition to the extension: Michele Bachmann, John Boehner, Calvert, Campbell, and, of course, North Carolina crackpot Virginia Foxx. Ah... yes, crackpot Virginia Foxx... I called Billy Kennedy what the folks in western North Carolina think about Foxx's anti-family antics.

He told me that around 9,300 of her constituents "have lost their jobs due to outsourcing to cheaper labor in China."

"Her reasoning is that the government cannot possibly be expected to help those who are desperate to find jobs because it will add to the deficit.

But Virginia Foxx, the richest House member from North Carolina, doesn't worry about her personal tax cuts breaking the bank. She supports huge tax breaks that are extended to the richest Americans, even if the government has to borrow money to pay for it.

The unemployment benefits extension cost $34 billion. Virginia Foxx opposes it. The tax breaks for the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans cost more than one trillion dollars, all of which is borrowed money. Virginia Foxx supports them.

The big tax break windfall Virginia Foxx supports didn't go to most Americans. It didn't go to Americans who work hard days and long hours. It went to the bankers, big oil executives, crooked Wall Street traders, and... Virginia Foxx.

The way I see it, we just can't afford Virginia Foxx's tax break. And we can't afford Rep. Foxx any more either.

Too few jobs have been created in the past 10 years, and good people looking for jobs can't find them. But why should Virginia Foxx care? She's got hers. And you're paying for it.

I'm calling Virginia Foxx out on this hypocrisy. It's clear that she's out of touch, and it's time she took a peek outside those thick walls of Washington and came home to struggle to make ends meet like the rest of us."

Billy Kennedy to Virginia Foxx: I'm off the Porch

Kennedy Liveblogging Thursday morning at Daily Kos

Thursday, July 15, 2010
Published at DailyKos.com
You all know where Virginia Foxx stands on helping out working families in these tough times, right? She's voted no to any stimulus spending; voted no on modifying bankruptcy laws to help folks avoid mortgage foreclosures; voted no to assisting workers whose jobs were lost due to globalization; voted no on restricting employer interference in union organizing; voted no on a minimum wage increase; and voted no on regulating the subprime mortgage industry. Of course that's just the tip of the iceberg....

Now we can all decide to just roll our eyes when Virginia Foxx gets so fired up about the poor getting a bite of the pie that she proposes an amendment to a homeland-security appropriations bill that says Katrina victims can't use government-issued debit cards to purchase Louis Vuitton handbags or we can decide to get off the porch and actually do something about it.

I've chosen the latter. That's why I'm running hard to beat Virginia Foxx this November. The future of North Carolina's Fifth Congressional district is at stake, but so is the future of all American workers. more...

Candidate comes to Green Drinks

www.wataugademocrat.com

Watauga Democrat
Published: July 14, 2010
BOONE -- Congressional candidate Billy Kennedy was on hand at Green Drinks Tuesday evening, emphasizing his campaign's green stance. Kennedy, who is running against longtime incumbent Virginia Foxx, says, if elected, he'll help put legislation in place to make green home upgrades more accessible.

Green Drinks, social networking for Boone's environmentally savvy, happens the second Tuesday of each month. This month's meeting was at Peppers Restaurant, sponsored by Building Performance Engineering. For more, check out our photo album!

Club For Growth — Making Trouble In Michigan, North Carolina... And Across America

DownwithTyranny.blogspot.com
Published: July 6, 2010
Last week, under pressure from the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation, Republican members of Congress began signing on to a "discharge petition" which would force immediate action on legislation to completely repeal the recently passed health insurance reform law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010).

The Club for Growth's government affairs director Andy Roth emailed Republican members with an implied threat that support for repeal "will be considered as a key vote on the Club's annual congressional scorecard," one of the "gold standards" in conservative rankings. Representative Virginia Foxx promptly signed the discharge petition last Tuesday.

Congressional candidate Billy Kennedy issued the following statement:

"Once again, our incumbent Congresswoman shows that she is much more interested in satisfying extremist and powerful special interests than she is in helping the hard working people of Western North Carolina. More...

Billy Kennedy Criticizes Rep. Foxx's Call to Repeal Health-Care Reform

VILAS, N.C. - Last week, under pressure from the Club for Growth and the Heritage Foundation, Republican members of Congress began signing on to a "discharge petition" which would force immediate action on legislation to completely repeal the recently passed health insurance reform law (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010).

The Club for Growth's government affairs director Andy Roth emailed Republican members with an implied threat that support for repeal "will be considered as a key vote on the Club's annual congressional scorecard," one of the "gold standards" in conservative rankings. Representative Virginia Foxx promptly signed the discharge petition last Tuesday.

Congressional candidate Billy Kennedy issued the following statement:

"Once again, our incumbent Congresswoman shows that she is much more interested in satisfying extremist and powerful special interests than she is in helping the hard working people of Western North Carolina.

"Rep. Foxx has signed on to radical legislation that would immediately repeal every provision in the new health-insurance reform act. A repeal of the bill would return us to the days when insurance companies could refuse to sell insurance policies to people with preexisting conditions. A repeal would mean insurance companies could once again kick people off their health insurance policies when they get sick. A repeal would mean children could no longer stay on their parents' insurance until age 26. A repeal will reopen the Medicare Part D 'Donut Hole,' putting our seniors back into a situation where they can't afford essential medicine.

"There are problems with the health care bill, and I am committed to fixing those problems, but we shouldn't throw the good parts out of the bill just to score political points in an election year.

"I support an optional Medicare buy-in for all Americans at cost. An optional buy-in would not add to the federal deficit, and people could choose to buy a Medicare plan or buy an insurance policy from a private company.

"Repealing the reforms to health-insurance delivery in this country is definitely the wrong direction for the 5th District and for all North Carolinians."

Help us win the DFA Grassroots All-Star Endorsement

The Kennedy campaign has been hard at work this weekend at events all over the district. We hope you are enjoying a great holiday with your family and friends.

We just got some exciting news, and we need your help right now! 

Democracy for America has just announced the voting process for their Grassroots All-Star endorsement, and Billy is in the running.

Please take a minute to vote for Billy, and help us win this important endorsement. 

Click on this link to cast your vote, and help make Billy Kennedy one of DFA's Grassroots All Stars. Once you are at the page for voting, filter the candidates by candidate name, and choose Billy Kennedy.

According to an email just released by DFA Political Director, Charles Chamberlain, the All-Star endorsement brings at least $25,000 and over 2,500 volunteer hours in support of the winning candidate. But not just any candidate can earn it.

DFA is looking for the right non-incumbent progressive challenger for the U.S. House of Representatives with the most broad-based support from our members nationwide. Let's show them what Western North Carolina progressives can do. 

Vote for Billy Kennedy today!

Happy Independence Day!