Dullest book of 2015

Celebrity biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli longed for respectability and something more than gossipy page turners.  Beginning in the '00s, his books became lifeless and dull.

BECOMING BEYONCE: THE UNTOLD STORY only continues the pattern.



Rebecca panned the book "a dull, uptight bitch named j. randy" and she was actually being kind.

There's no reason in the world this book should have been written, let alone published.

Fan club newsletters for tween Disney TV stars are harder hitting than the soppy, sloppy prose he churns out.


Doubt us?

It's page 182 before Beyonce gets a hit recording ("No, No, No!" with Destiny's Child).

Beyonce isn't even 18 at that point.

So, yes, that means the author has over-invested into her childhood.

It only gets worse.

Everything she does is wonderful.

Nothing about her is ever questioned.

Making a TV movie for MTV, Taraborrelli insists, "forced" Beyonce "to be open to new points of view -- and sometimes even conflict" which he sees as wonderful while failing to grasp that his passage only speaks to someone with serious problems.

He also glorifies her mother slapping her at a store when Beyonce is singing along to her own song -- piped over the store's speakers -- and smiling at a group of young men who are entranced with her.

This bit of violence, out in the open, should have led to parallels of Beyonce's sister's infamous attack on Jay-Z in an elevator.  But Taraborrelli plays that incident for 'understanding' as well.

There's no drama in the book, there's no life in it.


On page 382, he writes:

Cadillac Records was a triumph; not so her next movie -- and her last, to date -- Obsessed.


And that's it in terms of criticism.


He fails to elaborate on why Obsessed wasn't "a triumph."


You'd never know how bad the reviews were because . . . he never quotes them.

You'd never know Beyonce earned a Razzie nomination for that film (Worst Actress).

Time and again, Taraborrelli makes his exalted comments on how wonderful this or that was without ever actually noting -- let alone quoting -- critical reception.

The sole exception is with the film DREAMGIRLS where he briefly notes that the critics praised Jennifer Hudson and ignored Beyonce or slammed her.  He includes one critic -- who slams Beyonce's acting and praises her singing.

And then, as if to atone for a moment of honesty, he rushes to insist:

Beyonce was gratified to win a Golden Globe, but Jennifer won one too.  When Jennifer was nominated for and then won an Oscar, few people were surprised.

A few people might be surprised by that -- specifically that Beyonce won a Golden Globe.

Because, for the record, she did not.

She was nominated for her acting and for co-writing "Listen" -- but she lost for both.


It's a dull and plodding book.


It's also proof that purveyors of trash page turners should never aspire to be  inspirational.

This edition's playlist

1) Janet Jackson's UNBREAKABLE.

2) Sam Smith's IN THE LONELY HOUR DROWNING SHADOW EDITION.

3) Aretha Franklin's ARETHA SINGS THE GREAT DIVA CLASSICS.


4) Sade's SOLDIER OF LOVE.

5) Steve Grand's ALL AMERICAN BOY.

6)  Tori Amos' UNREPENTANT GERALDINES.

7) Cat Power's THE GREATEST.

8)  Stevie Nicks' 24 KARAT GOLD SONGS FROM THE VAULT.

9) Aimee Mann's THE FORGOTTEN ARM.

10) Cloud Nothings' HERE AND NOWHERE ELSE.

Sen. Murray Meets with VA Inspector General Nominee To Discuss Accountability, Better Care for Veterans

Senator Patty Murray is a former Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee and remains a senior member of the Committee.  Her office issued the following last week:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    CONTACT: Murray Press Office

Tuesday, November 3, 2015                                                               (202) 224-2834

Sen. Murray Meets with VA Inspector General Nominee To Discuss Accountability, Better Care for Veterans

Senator Murray meets with Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General nominee, Michael J. Missal

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, met with Michael J. Missal, the nominee for Inspector General at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Inspector General position is critical to oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA Inspector General conducts investigations into allegations of fraud and abuse, reviews management and administration of VA facilities and programs, and conducts evaluations of VA’s activities in order to ensure the integrity of its programs and operations. As someone who has spent her career fighting on behalf of veterans, Senator Murray takes the VA Inspector General position very seriously.

During their meeting, Sen. Murray and Mr. Missal discussed a number of her priorities, including the delivery of mental health services for veterans, a commitment to reducing wait times, and a better way for veterans to get care outside of the VA when necessary.

“Our country makes a promise to care for its veterans long after the war is over, but as we’ve all seen, the VA has failed our men and women far too many times in recent years. That’s why choosing the right watchdog is so critical,” Sen. Murray said. “As the daughter of a World War II veteran and a senior member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I will look to the next VA Inspector General to provide accurate and timely information on how our country can better care for the men and women who’ve served. I appreciate hearing directly from Mr. Missal today, and I look forward to learning more about his plans to move the VA in the right direction as his nomination process continues.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Missal would be the first permanent VA Inspector General since December 2013.

Sen. Murray has spoken on the Senate floor twice on veterans’ issues in recent weeks—to call for an overhaul to the VA Choice Program, and to urge her colleagues to support her bill to help homeless veterans, which passed the Senate and is now awaiting action in the House.

  ###

Kerry Arndt

Press Secretary

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

202-224-0223

kerry_arndt@murray.senate.gov

The House Select Committee on Benghazi (Republican side of the Committee), issued the following:

CIA Head: 'Analysts Never Said the Video was a Factor in the Benghazi Attacks'

October 31, 2015

As the Select Committee’s investigation continues, it has become necessary to clarify the facts and refute the misinformation being spread by those who seek to dismiss and discredit the new evidence revealed in last week’s hearing.


In the course of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s testimony regarding the September 11, 2012, attacks in Benghazi, the American people learned that she:

• Told the Libyan President at 6:49 PM ET on the night of the attacks that “Ansar as-Sharia [sic] is claiming responsibility.” She did not reference a video. (Note: Ansar al-Sharia’s senior leader in Benghazi, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, is the only person who has been arrested for the attacks.)

• Told a member of her family at 11:12 PM ET on the night of the attacks that “an Al Queda-like group” was responsible. She did not reference a video.

• Told the Egyptian Prime Minister at 3:04 PM ET the day after the attacks that they “had nothing to do with the film. It was a planned attack – not a protest. … Based on the information we saw today we believe the group that claimed responsibility for this was affiliated with al Qaeda.”

These private statements are obviously quite different from what Secretary Clinton was saying in public at the same time, and what she was not saying – namely, that a terrorist group was involved and the attack had nothing to do with a video:

• The night of the attacks, at 10:08 PM ET: “Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet.”

• The day after the attacks, at 9:57 AM ET: “Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior, along with the protest that took place at our Embassy in Cairo yesterday, as a response to inflammatory material posted on the internet.”

To explain the glaring difference between what Secretary Clinton was saying in private and what she was saying in public, some have argued that she was simply going by assessments provided by the CIA that changed over time. But this makes no sense. Consider:

• In the hours after the attacks, Secretary Clinton’s private statements never changed, and neither did her public statements. In private, she said terrorists were responsible and the film had nothing to do with the attack. In public, she made no mention of terrorists and repeatedly referred to an internet video.

• Michael Morell, former deputy director and acting director of the CIA, wrote in his May 2015 book The Great War of Our Time that while the CIA knew “the demonstration and violence in Cairo were sparked by people upset over a YouTube video,” intelligence “analysts never said the video was a factor in the Benghazi attacks.” (p. 205-206)

• Morell also writes in his book that CIA analysts “complet[ed] their first full report on what happened” and provided it to “senior policy-makers and to Congress on the morning of September 13.” He continues (bolded text for emphasis):

“The September 13 piece – the first piece to go beyond a simple factual update – said four things. First, that the assault on the TMF [Temporary Mission Facility in Benghazi] had been a spontaneous event that evolved from a protest outside the TMF. Second, that the protest and subsequent attack had been motivated by what had happened in Cairo earlier in the day (there was no mention in the piece of the YouTube video defaming the Prophet Muhammad). Third, that there was evidence of extremist involvement in the attack, and by 'extremists' the analysts absolutely meant terrorist involvement, because extremist and terrorist are synonyms to terrorism analysts. Indeed, the piece reported, that people with ties to al Qa'ida had been involved in the attack. The bottom line here is important: the analysts thought Benghazi was terrorism from the beginning. And whether or not the assault evolved from a protest, it was still very much a terrorist attack.” (p. 218-219)

All of this raises several important questions:

• First, if the CIA and intelligence analysts never even mentioned the YouTube video, why did Secretary Clinton?

• Second, if the first full intelligence assessment of what happened was not available until September 13, how can it be claimed that this assessment influenced Secretary Clinton’s statements on September 11 and 12? She couldn’t have read it before it was written.

• Third, if intelligence analysts and Secretary Clinton believed from the beginning that Benghazi was a terrorist attack, why did Secretary Clinton not say so publicly until September 21?

• Fourth, Secretary Clinton told the Egyptian Prime Minister on September 12 that “It was a planned attack – not a protest,” but when a reporter asked her on September 18 about the Libyan President saying it was a planned attack, she dodged the question, saying, “the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has said we had no actionable intelligence that an attack on our post in Benghazi was planned or imminent.” Why the dodge?

Secretary Clinton continued to associate the video with what happened in Benghazi in public remarks two and three days after the attacks, including at a transfer of remains ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base with family members of the victims present. But that same day, a State Department official at Embassy Tripoli in Libya wrote an email to colleagues in Washington, D.C., stating that “it is becoming increasingly clear that the series of events in Benghazi was much more terrorist attack than a protest which escalated into violence,” and urging them to “be cautious in our local messaging with regard to the inflammatory film trailer” because “the films [sic] not as explosive of an issue here as it appears to be in other countries …. Relatively few [Libyans] have even mentioned the inflammatory video.”


Here is the email in full, which was referenced in the hearing last week and is now being released publicly for the first time, with appropriate redactions:

From: [redacted]

To: [redacted]

Subject: messaging on the attacks in Libya

Date: Friday, September 14, 2012 6:43:39 AM

Colleagues, I mentioned to [redacted] this morning, and want to share with all of you, our view at Embassy Tripoli that we must be cautious in our local messaging with regard to the inflammatory film trailer, adapting it to Libyan conditions. Our monitoring of the Libyan media and conversations with Libyans suggest that the films not as explosive of an issue here as it appears to be in other countries in the region. The overwhelming majority of the FB comments and tweets we’ve received from Libyans since the Ambassador’s death have expressed deep sympathy, sorrow, and regret. They have expressed anger at the attackers, and emphasized that this attack does not represent Libyans or Islam. Relatively few have even mentioned the inflammatory video. So if we post messaging about the video specifically, we may draw unwanted attention to it. And it is becoming increasingly clear that the series of events in Benghazi was much more terrorist attack than a protest which escalated into violence. It is our opinion that in our messaging, we want to distinguish, not conflate, the events in other countries with this well-planned attack by militant extremists. I have discussed this with [redacted] and he shares PAS’s view.

114th Congress

Baldwin, Blumenthal Call for VA Inspector General Investigation into Security of Veterans’ Personal Information

Senator Tammy Baldwin (above) is a US Senator from Wisconsin.   Her office issued the following last week.

For Immediate Release

Friday, November 06, 2015

Contact: Baldwin (202) 224 – 6225

               Blumenthal (202) 224-6542

Baldwin, Blumenthal Call for VA Inspector General Investigation into Security of Veterans’ Personal Information  

 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, have called for a formal investigation by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) into whether adequate safeguards are in place within the VA to protect veterans’ personal information.  

 

This request was prompted by an April 2015 incident in which a State employee at the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) sent veterans’ personally identifiable information (PII) to an unintended and unauthorized recipient over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ email system. Shortly thereafter, Senator Baldwin’s office reached out to the VA OIG to explore whether there was cause for them to review the incident in Wisconsin. At that time, the VA OIG stated there was no nexus for them to review an incident that appeared to wholly involve a state entity. 

 

However, in their letter, Senators Baldwin and Blumenthal argue there is indeed a federal nexus given that the WDVA—when transmitting veterans’ information—utilizes VA systems, including software and email servers, which include tools to protect veterans’ PII from unintended disclosure. Despite these safeguards the accidental disclosure in Wisconsin still occurred.

 

“While this particular incident occurred in Wisconsin, we believe the issue is one of national importance and request that you conduct a system-wide review of the Department’s practice,” the Senators wrote. 

 

Senators Baldwin and Blumenthal also sent a letter to VA Secretary Robert McDonald requesting information from the Secretary on the process by which VA shares information with non-Agency personnel for purposes of assisting veterans with their claims for service-connection of disabilities. In that letter the Senators request information on how PII is safeguarded on the VA’s e-mail system from inappropriate or accidental disclosure from the VA to a third-party, such as a state department of veterans affairs, or from the third-party to another individual.

 

An online version of this release can be found here.

###

Isakson Highlights Senate’s Accomplishments for Veterans Ahead of Veterans’ Day Holiday

Senator Johnny Isakson (above) is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.  His office issued the following last week:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 5, 2015
Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
Lauren Gaydos, 202-224-9126

Isakson Highlights Senate’s Accomplishments for Veterans Ahead of Veterans’ Day Holiday

Applauds broad, bipartisan support for continuing to work together to help veterans

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today highlighted the committee’s work on behalf of our nation’s veterans in the 114^th Congress ahead of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday.

 

In an open letter to members of the Senate, Isakson noted that while the work Congress has done so far this year “should be viewed as a mere down-payment on what we owe the men and women who have bravely and selflessly served in the military,” Congress has made real, bipartisan progress in serving veterans and reforming the VA.

 

“The Department of Veterans Affairs is without question an agency in crisis, rocked by scandals, plagued by a culture of corruption, and having lost the trust of many who need and rely on VA’s benefits and services,” wrote Isakson. “Although a tremendous amount of work remains to be done – by VA and by Congress – to address the serious and widespread issues at all levels of this agency, I am pleased that we have been able to work together to begin making the changes necessary to ensure that veterans will be well served moving forward.”

See below for the text of the letter, including a full list of the legislation the Senate has passed to serve veterans as well as the oversight activities the committee has done so far this year. Click here for a PDF copy of the signed letter. 

 

Dear Colleague:

 

As we approach Veterans Day and reflect on the vast contributions of all who have worn the uniform in defense of our country, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I wish to highlight the progress that we collectively have made this year on their behalf.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is without question an agency in crisis, rocked by scandals, plagued by a culture of corruption, and having lost the trust of many who need and rely on VA’s benefits and services.  Although a tremendous amount of work remains to be done – by VA and by Congress – to address the serious and widespread issues at all levels of this agency, I am pleased that we have been able to work together to begin making the changes necessary to ensure that veterans will be well served moving forward. These strides could not have been taken without your commitment to making our nation’s veterans a top priority:

 

• Enactment of numerous laws to improve, reform, and reauthorize programs at VA (Public Laws 114-2, 114-19, 114-25, 114-31, 114-41, 114-58), including:

 

• The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, to help address the serious problem of veteran suicide.

 

• Numerous provisions to improve the Veterans Choice Program, by allowing more veterans to qualify to receive health care in their community, increasing the pool of non-VA providers eligible for the program, and extending the limitation on the provision of care in the community beyond 60 days to allow veterans to continue treatments that can span many months.

 

• The Veterans Identification Card Act of 2015, to allow all veterans to more easily provide documentation of their military service.

 

• Provisions to ensure completion of the hospital construction project in Denver, Colorado, in a fiscally responsible manner by ensuring that VA would identify and utilize existing appropriations to complete construction.

 

• Provisions to reform VA’s construction program to prevent cost over-runs and mismanagement by mandating that any VA construction project over $100 million will be managed by the Army Corps of Engineers or another non-VA Federal entity.

 

• Provisions to provide VA flexibility to reorganize existing funding to avoid a possible VA budget shortfall in certain health care accounts.

 

• Provisions to extend authorization for VA to continue to carry out certain current programs, including VA’s caregivers programs, homeless programs, adaptive sporting programs, and vocational benefits for members of the armed forces with severe injuries.

 

• Filling vacant leadership positions at VA with permanent leaders:

 

• Senate confirmation of Dr. David Shulkin to be the Under Secretary for Health, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

 

• Senate confirmation of LaVerne Council to be the Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

 

• Striving to increase accountability of VA employees at all levels:

 

• Committee approval of legislation to expedite removal or demotion of delinquent or underperforming VA employees (S. 1082) and to prevent VA from awarding bonuses to employees found to have committed misconduct (S. 627).

 

• A bipartisan call from the Veterans’ Affairs Committee for the Secretary to hold accountable executives involved in a multi-million dollar scheme to abuse VA’s relocation program, leading to the resignation of the Under Secretary for Benefits.

 

• Increasing oversight of VA’s activities:

 

• Establishment of a policy of conducting regular business meetings with the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Committees on Veterans’ Affairs and VA’s leadership team at the VA headquarters to discuss veterans’ healthcare and benefits challenges and potential solutions.

 

• Field hearings on rampant mismanagement of the construction of the new Denver VA Medical Center and on problems with the Veterans Choice Program.

 

• Oversight hearings on the Veterans Choice Program, VA opioid prescription policy, women veterans, veteran homelessness, toxic exposures, and mental health care.

 

• Committee oversight visits to VA facilities in Louisville, Kentucky; Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; Tampa, Bay Pines, and Gainesville, Florida; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Anchorage, Alaska.

 

Although I believe this represents true progress, this should be viewed as a mere down-payment on what we owe the men and women who have bravely and selflessly served in the military.  There is much more that must be done to bring true accountability at VA and to transform it into an organization worthy of those it serves.  I remain steadfast in my commitment to address the systemic problems at VA and look forward to continuing to work with all of my colleagues to reform this agency for those who have served and have sacrificed on behalf of our entire nation. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Johnny Isakson

Chairman

 

###

 

The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.

Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.

   

Senators Introduce SAVE Benefits Act to Boost Social Security and Other Critical Benefits for Seniors, Veterans

Senator Tammy Baldwin (above) is a US Senator from Wisconsin.   Her office issued the following last week:

For Immediate Release                                                           

Thursday, November 05, 2015

Contact: press@baldwin.senate.gov 

              (202) 224-6225

                                                                        

Senators Introduce SAVE Benefits Act to Boost Social Security and Other Critical Benefits for Seniors, Veterans

 

Without legislation, Social Security recipients, veterans face rare, zero cost-of-living increase in 2016

 

Bill would end tax subsidies for million-dollar corporate bonuses to give 70 million Americans emergency relief

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, United States Senators Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai'i), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to boost Social Security and other critical benefits for seniors, veterans and other Americans following last month's announcement that there will be a zero cost-of-living adjustment in 2016.

 

"Every month, thirty percent of Wisconsin's seniors depend on Social Security as their only source of income. This means they are relying on a promise that must be kept," Senator Baldwin said. "Congress must take action, as we have in the past, to keep our promise and I am proud to support this emergency payment to make sure seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and other Americans are able to make ends meet."

 

Although the cost of core goods and services is projected to rise next year, millions of Americans will see no increase in the benefits they rely on to make ends meet. Meanwhile, CEO compensation for the top 350 firms increased by 3.9 percent last year. The Seniors and Veterans Emergency Benefits Act (SAVE Benefits Act) would give about 70 million seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and others an emergency payment equal to 3.9 percent of the average annual Social Security benefit, about $581 - the same percentage raise as the top CEOs.

 

A $581 increase could cover almost three months of groceries for seniors or a year's worth of out-of-pocket costs on critical prescription drugs for the average Medicare beneficiary. The bill would lift more than 1 million Americans out of poverty. The cost of this emergency payment would be covered by closing a tax loophole allowing corporations to write off executive bonuses as a business expense for "performance pay." The substantial additional revenue saved by closing the CEO compensation loophole would be used to bolster and extend the life of the Social Security and Disability trust funds.

 

"If we do nothing, on January 1st, more than 70 million seniors, veterans, and other Americans won't get an extra dime in much-needed Social Security and other benefits. And while Congress sits on its hands and pretends that there's nothing we can do, taxpayers will keep right on subsidizing billions of dollars' worth of bonuses for highly paid CEOs," Senator Warren said. "Giving seniors a little help with their Social Security and stitching up corporate tax write-offs isn't just about economics; it's about our values. Congress should pass the SAVE Benefits Act today to give a boost to millions of Americans who have earned it."

 

“I believe that ‘Honor thy mother and father’ isn’t just a good commandment to live by, it’s good public policy to govern by,” Senator Mikulski said. “This legislation will help 1.1 million seniors, veterans of Social Security age and federal employee retirees in Maryland so they aren’t left out in the cold when it comes to the Social Security benefits they’ve earned and deserve. An adjustment in 2016 Social Security benefits for seniors will go a long way when it comes to visits to the doctor, putting food on the table or a roof over head. I will continue to fight so that seniors, veterans and federal employees have a government on their side.”

 

"After a lifetime of hard work, all seniors deserve the opportunity to live healthy, full, and financially secure lives, and many rely on small annual increases to their Social Security benefits just to get by. Now is no time for them to go without this adjustment, especially with so many still struggling." Senator Murray said. "Instead of allowing the biggest corporations to benefit from wasteful and egregious tax loopholes, we should be prioritizing ways to help seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities have a fighting chance to make ends meet."

 

"It is unacceptable that millions of senior citizens and disabled veterans did not receive a cost-of-living adjustment this year to keep up with their rising living expenses. At a time when senior poverty is going up and more than two-thirds of the elderly population rely on Social Security for more than half of their income, our job must be to expand, not cut, Social Security," said Senator Sanders. "At the very least, we must do everything we can to make sure that every senior citizen and disabled veteran in this country receives a fair cost-of-living adjustment to keep up with the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs and health care."

 

"Millions of retirees and Americans with disabilities rely on Social Security for the majority of their income. And our veterans deserve the monthly benefits they've earned for their service to our country," said Senator Brown. "When these benefits don't keep up with the cost-of-living, vulnerable Americans are stuck making tough choices just to get by each month. The SAVE Benefits Act would provide a needed boost for seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities so they can make ends meet." 

 

"Ask any senior in Connecticut and they'll tell you prices and rent and taxes are going up. So it's insulting for Social Security to fail to provide a simple cost of living increase this year," said Senator Murphy. "This bill makes a simple, common sense trade - ask millionaires to take a little smaller bonus in exchange for seniors being able to pay their bills next year."

 

The SAVE Benefits Act is supported by AFL-CIO, AFSCME, Alliance for Retired Americans, The ARC of the United States, B'nai B'rith International, Campaign for America's Future, Center for Community Change, Center for Effective Government, CREDO, Daily Kos, Democracy for America, Economic Opportunity Institute, International Brotherhood of the Teamsters, Justice in Aging, MoveOn.org, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, National Council of La Raza, National Organization for Women, OWL-the Voice of Women 40+, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, Social Security Works, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, UltraViolet, and VoteVets.

 

A PDF fact sheet about the bill is available here, and text of bill is available here.

 

View an online version of this release here.

###

Highlights

This piece is written by Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Kat of Kat's Korner, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Mike of Mikey Likes It!, Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Ruth of Ruth's Report, Marcia of SICKOFITRADLZ, Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends, Ann of Ann's Mega Dub, Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts and Wally of The Daily Jot. Unless otherwise noted, we picked all highlights.


"The United States of Narcissism?" -- most requested highlight by readers of this site.

 "Favorite Disney movie," "One Hundred and One Dalmations," "Sleeping Beauty," "The Princess Diaries," "that darn cat!," "Freaky Friday," "Candleshoe," "Minnie Mouse and Mickey," "Return From Witch Mountain," "Safety Net Scissorhands (The Watcher In The Woods)," "The Strongest Man In The World," "THIS JUST IN! THE PINOCCHIO CAMPAIGN!" and "Will the Blue Fairy save her?" -- Disney theme posts.

 "Cancel Blood and Oil already," "Show I miss the most today?," "Arrow and spin-offs," "quantico," "Marvel Agents of SHIELD," "Empire," "The Muppets," "You want to fight? So be it" and "ARROW goes to hell" -- Betty, Ann, Stan, Rebecca, Marcia and Mike cover TV.

  

"Fake ass Jill Stein" and "The passing of a War Criminal" -- some Iraq coverage from Elaine and Mike.

"The death of Swans Commentary" -- Trina calls it.

"Who would I support for president?," "Hillary grabs her Sista Soulja moment?," "Jane's Addiction needs to record "Been Caught Lying"," "She signed what?," "Guess who now cares about Hillary's 'damn' e-mails?," "Hillary just got more disgusting," "Hillary's very own Iran-Contra," "Seriously?,"

"THIS JUST IN! THEY WANT HER TO ACT SOFTER!" and "The softer side of Cranky?," and 

"THIS JUST IN! CRANKY ENDORSED -- BRIEFLY!" and "Cranky's used to men breaking promises" -- political race coverage from the community.

 "Sam Smith's new album out now!!!!" and "Janet" -- Elaine and Kat cover music.

"Peanuts" -- Stan goes to the movies.

 "a dull, uptight bitch named j. randy" -- Rebecca offers a book review.