Honoring America’s African American men and women of the Armed Forces was the theme in the Capitol’s rotunda as members of Congress, former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Robert Gates celebrated the 60th anniversary of President Truman’s Executive Order which integrated the U.S. Armed Forces. Prior to the start of the event, patriotic anthems played including “God Bless America” and “America the Beautiful” with a Revolutionary War procession kicking off the ceremony.

The speakers spoke of President Truman’s actions in signing Executive Order Number 9981 as “remarkable and worthy of praise,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Defense Sec. Robert Gates said “no aspect of black American’s quest for justice and equality under the law has been nobler than has been called the fight for the right to fight.” Gates said that in commemorating the 60th anniversary of the integration of the U.S. Armed Services, it reminds us of what it took to get there and “yet how much remains to be done,” said Gates.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) honored two African Americans who served in World War II. Captain Spencer Moore and Sergeant A. Williams Perry, who had been Buffalo soldiers of the 92nd infantry division in World War II were recognized for having served in racially segregated units. While speaking Moore said “God truly blessed us with the leadership of President Truman.” Moore posed the question though at the end of his speach that led to the standing ovation of the audience “What took us so long to live up to our creed?” said Moore.

After receiving a standing ovation, former Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke of the effects that Truman’s Executive Order had on him personally. “When I went in [to the Armed Forces] they no longer cared whether I was black or white, immigrant or not, the only thing my commanders ever told me from 1958 to the rest of my career was ‘can you perform?’ And that’s all we have ever asked for and throughout our history we have demonstrated, we can perform, let there be no doubt about it,” said Powell.

Powell’s remarks concluded when he stated “let us remember that there is still minorities in our country, African Americans, Hispanics others who are not in the military who are still looking for that dream who still need to be helped, let us not rest on our laurels. Let’s not rest on our laurels as long as there is one kid out there who grows up wondering ‘can I dream in America? Can I go to the very top?’ The answer has to be yes you can.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called global warming and energy policy “the issue of our time” at a press conference where she urged President Bush to relieve high gas prices by opening the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Pelosi said the SPR is 97 percent full, the highest it has ever been, and that Americans deserve access to gasoline purchased with their tax dollars. Pelosi, who made a similar request to Bush ten days ago, added that gas prices would have lowered by now if Bush had acted when she originally asked. Pelosi repeatedly stated that despite having two oil men in the White House, gas prices remain over $4.

Continuing, Pelosi said Bush’s energy policy have caused price spikes and discussed the democratic DRILL (Drill Responsibly In Least Lands) Act, an act that advocates increased developments in energy alternatives and minimal drilling. She noted that calls for off-shore drilling by Republicans will take ten years to enact and only lower prices by $0.02. Pelosi said this route would cause the average family to spend $57,000 on gas in the next decade. She called Bush’s solution to high energy prices a “hoax” and said a majority of Americans agree that increasing the development of alternative energies is a good way to decrease prices while building new jobs.

In reference to increased violence in Afghanistan, Pelosi criticized the White House for initially turning its attention towards Iraq, allowing the situation in Afghanistan to worsen. She said Democrats in Congress demand accountability from the military and the Executive Branch, adding that Bush is now realizing the commitment that is necessary to fight extremism in Afghanistan.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says that the economy is a “bread and butter” issue and that republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain will continue Bush policies that have negative consequences for the middle and lower class. (1:18)

 

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Support for democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama was expressed during a news conference held by the Democratic National Committee. DNC Chairman Howard Dean thanked former democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for bringing inspiration to the democratic primaries and motivating millions of voters to vote for the Democratic Party. This gratitude was echoed by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), saying that it is now clear that the United States is ready to have a woman president.

Pelosi and Dean emphatically stated that electing republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain would be comparable to a third Bush term. Dean said that McCain has voted with Pres. Bush’s policies 95 percent of the time, a higher percentage than any other senator has. Pelosi said that economic stability has been “sucked out of our economy,” by the top one percent of the United States due to Bush’s economic policies, causing the middle and lower class to fall behind. Pelosi said that McCain would continue to support these destructive procedures through taxes that support the wealthy. Pelosi repeatedly stated, “We do not need four more years.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) described the climate in the Senate as “surreal,” saying that republicans have disrupted debate on topics that are crucial to Americans like gas prices, renewable energy, and torture. Reid said Obama will lead the United States in a new, needed direction and that McCain is a “flawed candidate.”

Speakers strongly stated that Obama will win in November will be attributed to Americans’ dissatisfaction with republican policies. Despite a long primary election, Chairman Dean said he has “every confidence” that the party will unite. Pelosi added that woman and blue-collar voters, two demographics that voted strongly for Hillary Clinton, have the most to benefit from Obama and the most to lose from McCain.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks at the groundbreaking of the United States Institute of Peace headquarters. Pelosi speaks of a world worth living for a all men and women for all time. The USIP helps the United States move toward a more respectful, generous and peaceful world. (0:42)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks at the groundbreaking of the United States Institute of Peace headquarters. Speaking about former President John F. Kennedy’s commencement remarks at American University, that the United States will never start a war, we will do our best to build a world of peace. Kennedy’s words summarized his foreign policy, to build a world where the weak are safe and the strong are just which carries over to the USIP. (0:48)

 

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Democratic congressional primary contender Shirley Golub (D-Calif.) sent one of her representatives to the steps of the Capitol building dressed as a chicken to protest the decisions made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during her time in office. Golub’s goal was to demonstrate the uselessness of electing another “chicken” to the House of Representatives. Golub is running against Pelosi in the upcoming California congressional democratic primary.

Golub’s chicken ranted on the west steps of the Capitol yelling different anti-Pelosi sentiments, such as, “Where are all the congressmen? Did they all fly the coop?” and “Shirley Golub sent me here to demonstrate what its like to send a chicken to Congress.” When the chicken was asked why he was protesting, he said that Pelosi was being a chicken about the war in Iraq and impeachment, and even claimed to be one of her cousins.

Democratic congressional primary contender Shirley Golub (D-Calif.) sends a representative dressed up as a chicken to protest the policies of her opponent, Nancy Pelosi, on the Capitol steps. Golub’s representative posed with tourists and said Pelosi had acted “like a chicken” about impeachment and the war in Iraq, and claimed he was actually Pelosi’s distant cousin.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says that both Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) have a good chance to win the Democratic nomination. (0:40)

 

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Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says that big oil companies should have been cut off from government subsidies when the price of oil passed $30 or $40 per barrel. (0:25)

 

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