Category Archives: MNMuseTube

For those that do not know, MNMuseTube is a project that I took on a year ago to catalogue and post floor speeches of Minnesota’s Democratic delegation in Congress. Typically, I have taken those videos and posted them here with occasional explanation of the topic or legislation being discussed. While MNMuseTube will be a continued feature here, it will take on a slightly different form. From here on out I will be posting the videos with discussion on Congress Matters. Congress Matters aims to bring the community-based political watch party that we’ve built at Daily Kos to the United States Congress. By watching, learning, analyzing and discussing the daily activities of the Congress, we hope to improve our effectiveness as advocates and activists. We’ll pull … Continue reading →

The Progressive Caucus met this past Thursday, led by Representative Keith Ellison, to discuss what it means to be progressive and highlight the history of progressivism in the United States. I tend to shy away from the label of progressive as it seems too much like a ceding of the term liberal to those who have demonized it. However, my liberalism/progressivism is based upon a strong belief in social justice. A social justice in our economic system that demands we create a basic safety net for those people who find themselves in any number of unfortunate circumstances. I have long held the belief that government in and of itself is NOT evil and can be used as a force for good if managed properly. Perhaps … Continue reading →

Representative Ellison spent some time on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday to discuss predatory mortgages and to debunk the myths surrounding the Community Reinvestment Act. Mr. Speaker, what else are these purveyors of confusion supposed to say? They have had an opportunity to spread deregulation all over. They have declined the opportunity for many years to pass an antipredatory lending bill. They have promoted tax breaks for the wealthiest among us. And now that they have had the opportunity to have a House and a Senate in which their particular caucus was in the majority, they have had a full opportunity to manifest their economic ideas, and what those ideas have come to has been the largest foreclosure crisis since the Great … Continue reading →

Representative Ellison, speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives, voiced his support for The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009. The bill would, among other things, would provide certain minimum standards for consumer mortgage loans. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of long overdue legislation to crack down on predatory mortgage lending. This week the House will consider legislation to curb abusive and predatory lending, a major factor in the Nation’s highest home foreclosure rate in 25 years and the precursor to the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Last week, Ellison spoke out several times in favor of the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act of 2009 even using the time given to the Progressive Caucus. These videos … Continue reading →