NDN Blog

Tomorrow: Tuesday, October 20th at 11 am in Dirksen 406, the nation's leading civil rights groups will join NDN for a press conference on Capitol Hill to announce their opposition to the divisive Vitter-Bennett Amendment aimed at undermining the 2010 Census. The Amendment, proposed by Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Robert Bennett (R-UT), seeks to add an 11th question to the census forms (which have already been printed) that would discourage minority populations from participating in the census and thus threaten the accuracy of the count.

In his letter to Senators urging them to vote "no" on the proposed Amendment, NDN President Simon Rosenberg wrote, 

While the  Vitter-Bennett Amendment may appear innocent, its intent and practical effect on the  census and reapportionment process is not. If enacted the Amendment would almost certainly disrupt an orderly census count next year, eventually found to be unconstitutional, all the while start ing a highly divisive  conversation about race, the Civil War and the 14th Amendment in the  very first year of America's very first African-American President.

NDN joins the following organizations in denouncing the harmful Vitter-Bennett Amendment:

AAJC—Terry Ao, Director of the Census and Voting Programs
CAP – Angie Kelley, Vice President for Immigration Policy & Advocacy
Demos – Tova Wang, Senior Fellow
HNBA – Liz Lopez, Vice President for External Affairs
LCCR – Wade Henderson, President
LDF – Kristen Clarke, Co-Director Political Participation Project
LULAC – Brent Wilkes, Executive Director
MALDEF – Claudine Karasik, Legislative Staff Attorney
NALEO – Gloria Montano Greene, Director, Washington, DC Office
PFAW – Marge Baker, Executive Vice President for Policy and Program

For more information on the census, reapportionment, and this dangerous Amendment, check out NDN's backgrounder on the issue.

As the US Senate gears up to vote on Vitter-Bennett SA 2644, NDN offers commentary and information regarding this pernicious amendment.  

Earlier this year, several Republican senators expressed outrage over the perception that the new White House Administration was playing politics with the Census. The outrage was so deep that US Senator Judd Gregg withdrew his nomination as US Secretary of Commerce citing concerns over this perception to politicize the Census. Now these very same Republican Senators are resorting to the very same techniques they decried earlier this year. This amendment only serve serves to politicize and delegitimize what is expected to be a very nonpartisan process. The result could cost billions of dollars, and will complicate efforts to inform and prepare state and local governments for the changing demography and characteristics of this nation.

From the NDN Blog:

Senators Bennett, Vitter Escalate Their Attack on the Census, Reapportionment, 10/10/2009. Simon Rosenberg summarizes the proposed attempt by Senators Vitter and Bennett to use this amendment as way to racially charge the debate on Census.

The Latest Attack on the Census is an Attack on All of Us, 10/01/2009. Robert Shapiro addresses the importance of an accurate Census, and the impacts of the Vitter-Bennett amendment.

GOP Senator Introduces Bill to Bar Undocumented Immigrants from Reapportionment Process, 9/25/2009. Simon Rosenberg writes about the impact of the Bennett amendment noting that Senator Bennett’s  motives are purely political.

The Coming Battle Over the Census, 8/10/2009. Simon Rosenberg discusses the emerging battle that conservatives will mount to politicize the Census.

Other Media Sources:

Republican Senators Vitter, Bennett Attempt To Force Census To Ask Immigration Status, 10/8/09, Talking Points Memo.

Census chief: Bennett's immigration bill not practical, 9/23/09, Salt Lake Tribune.

Let’s NOT Take A Census!, 10/8/09, The Census Project Blog.

Our Unconstitutional Census, 8/9/09, The Wall Street Journal.

Please join NDN live online today at 12:15 for a conversation with our good friend Governor Bill Richardson about US-Latin American Relations. Just back from his trip to Cuba, the Governor will share his thoughts about the United States' relationship with Latin America. C-SPAN and CNN are covering the event, but you can watch it live online by following this link. You can even submit questions for the Governor and he will answer them in real time. Be sure to tune in at 12:15!

Please join Simon Rosenberg in person here at NDN or live online on TODAY for his monthly presentation of "The Dawn of a New Politics." We'll start serving lunch around noon here in our offices located just a few blocks from the White House and go live with the presentation at 12:15 pm. If you can't make it to NDN for the event, you can always watch the presentation live online. You can even submit questions and Simon will answer them in real time.

As always, these events are free and open to the public. But be sure to RSVP if you plan to come to NDN for the presentation. (No need to RSVP if you're going to watch online.)

Follow this link to preview some of Simon's arguments in the Dawn of a New Politics

What a delusional imange consultant Tom Delay must have! Dancing poorly on Dancing with the Stars doesn't score points with pop-culturites or politicos. I give his attempt to reinvent himself a big laugh and two thumbs down. But don't take my word for it, this video says it all:

Plans for lunch on Thursday? Stop by NDN, either in person or online, this Thursday, September 24th and catch Simon's monthly presentation of "The Dawn of a New Politics." We'll start serving lunch around noon here in our offices located just a few blocks from the White House and go live with the presentation at 12:15 pm. But if you aren't in DC or can't pull yourself away from your desk, you can always watch the presentation live online. You can even submit questions and Simon will answer them in real time.

As always, these events are free and open to the public. But be sure to RSVP if you plan to come to NDN for the presentation. (No need to RSVP if you're going to watch online.) See you on Thursday!

Follow this link to Simon's most recent essays and video to preview of some of his arguments in the Dawn of a New Politics.

There are two ways to get a shout out on the Colbert Report: Do something worthwhile or do something ridiculous. Well, we've been arguing for a while now that Lou Dobbs, with his false claims and absurd rhetoric, is kind of ridiculous-- and shouldn't be on CNN. Looks like Colbert agrees.

Check out this clip from the Colbert Report in which he puts Lou Dobbs clearly in the "ridiculous" category. And be sure to visit our new site DropDobbs.com!

We're getting a big kick out of Joe Wilson's most recent attempt to explain his outburst during the President's speech last week. Check out this video by his wife Roxanne in which she recounts her reaction to "that nut who hollered out," and, among other things, how she fell for Joe at Teenage Republican Camp.

NDN is excited to announce today that a policy we were instrumental in developing has officially gone into effect. The Washington Post reported this morning that the Treasury Department has

formally lifted all restrictions on family travel to Cuba ... along with limits on how much money families can send to relatives on island.

The department also eased regulations prohibiting U.S. telecommunications and satalite linkages between the United States and Cub and licensing requirements for visitors engaged in argicultural and medical sales.

For background information, check out this video of an event NDN hosted in June about this very topic. In the video, Simon interviews Joe Garcia about the future of the U.S.'s relationship with Cuba.

The H1N1 virus we've all come to know as "Swine Flu" has returned just in time for every child, tween, teenager and college-age student to head back to a crowded dorm room, stuffy library, or exposed buffet-style dinning hall. In preperation for back to school and "back to flu" seasons, three federal agencies (Dept of Health and Human Services, Dept. of Homeland Security and Dept. of Education) have teamed up with Sesame Workshop to launch a national public service announcement campaign to promote healthy habits. Check out www.flu.gov for more information about what you can do to keep yourself, your friends, family and co-workers healthy and H1N1-free this "Back to Flu" Season.

To help launch www.flu.gov, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced a video contest, calling for short PSAs that inform and motivate people to take steps to prevent the spread of swine flu. Out of the over 200 submissions, this one is definitely my favorite: