Senator Sanders

Veterans Cemeteries The federal government opened three new veterans' cemeteries this year, but thousands of military veterans still live hundreds of miles away from a possible final resting spot alongside fellow vets. Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced a measure that would raise burial payments to $745. "Helping to make sure our veterans have an appropriate final resting place is the very least we as a country can do to thank them for their service," Sanders told USA Today. LINK

Veterans Day There are a number of Veterans Day celebrations going on today. At noon, Clinton Community College will hold a brief ceremony with guest speakers. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will be in Randolph for the unveiling of the global war on terror memorial. Sen. Sanders will join more than one hundred veterans and guests in Newport for dinner and a speech, WPTZ and Fox 44 reported. LINK and VIDEO

Federal Reserve Senate Banking Committee Chairman Dodd, calling the Federal Reserve an ''abysmal failure'' at regulation, introduced a bill to strip virtually all of its power to regulate banks. Legislation by Rep. Ron Paul would require the Government Accountability Office to audit the Fed. Sen. Sanders, who sponsored a Senate version of Mr. Paul's bill, attacked the Fed for being beholden to Wall Street. ''People are frightened,'' Sanders told The New York Times. ''How do you explain to them that the Fed has spent $2 trillion to help many of the same banks that got us into this crisis in the first place?'' LINK

Too Big to Exist Peterson Institute Senior Fellow Simon Johnson told Bloomberg radio that Dodd's proposal is like "repainting the deck chairs on the Titanic" He described as "brilliant" Sanders' legislation to make the Treasury secretary determine if financial institutions are too big to fail and take steps to break them up. "That's it, that's the legislation. That's what you got to do." Johnson added that Thomas Hoenig, president of the Kansas City Fed, "is on exactly the same page as Bernie Sanders saying these big banks are way too big...and you need to break them up now."

Too Big to Fail Last week, a miracle happened on Capitol Hill. A huge problem for the country, a multi-trillion dollar problem for the country was pointed out, diagnosed and prescribed treatment in a bill that was exactly two pages long. It was by Sen. Sanders.... It said the government has to disclose which financial institutions it considers too big to fail [and]...then gives the government a year to break those institutions up...That little two-page bill make as lot of sense to me," Rachel Maddow said on MSNBC, "probably way too much to actually get very far on Capitol Hill." VIDEO

Too Big Lloyd C. Blankfein, chief executive of Goldman Sachs, on Tuesday defended Goldman against proposals to break up the biggest banks. Some lawmakers, including Sen. Sanders, have proposed breaking up big banks to reduce the risks to the financial system in case of future bank failures, according to The New York Times online and Bloomberg. LINK and LINK

Casino Capitalism Sen. Maria Cantwell introduced legislation on Tuesday that would empower state gaming regulators and attorneys general to probe unregulated derivatives trading. The measure, cosponsored by Sens. Ron Wyden and Sanders, would allow the state authorities to "take appropriate action to protect citizens from practices which can harm the foundation of our economy," the Bureau of National Affairs reported.

Health Care -Clinton Former President Bill Clinton urged Senate Democrats to put aside their differences and pass a health care overhaul bill, saying that "this is an economic imperative." Sen. Sanders told MSNBC that Clinton's point was that "we have got to bring cost containment to the health care system so that we are more competitive, economically, around the world." VIDEO

Health Care - Abortion A bill passed the House last week with just two votes to spare included an anti-abortion provision. "I find it impossible to believe that we in the Democratic Party are going to do this," Sen. Sanders told USA Today after Democrats attended a meeting with Clinton. "I cannot conceive in a million years of the Democratic Party rescinding rights that women have struggled for for decades and making it more difficult for them to exercise their right to choose. It ain't going to happen," Sanders told MSNBC.

Health Care - Independents The two independent members of the Senate are holding their line on what they believe the public option should be. Bernie Sanders believes the public option should carry everybody and keep costs down. Joseph Lieberman believes if you allow a public insurance option to happen you create a huge government entitlement program. The two Senate independents, both who caucus with the Democrats, are taking almost the right and the left view of this issue, MSNBC reported. VIDEO

Clinton on Energy "He talked about health care and he talked about energy," Sen. Sanders told Talking Points Memo. "Above and beyond health care, one of the points that he made is that we can substantially grow the economy and create decent paying jobs if we tackle the energy issue and transform our energy system." LINK

International

Afghanistan Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton are coalescing around a proposal to send 30,000 or more additional American troops to Afghanistan, but President Obama remains unsatisfied with answers he has gotten about how vigorously the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan would help execute a new strategy, administration officials told The New York Times on Tuesday. LINK

National

U.S. Loses Fraud Case The U.S. government lost the first major criminal trial spawned by the financial crisis as two former Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers were acquitted of securities fraud. Some prosecutors had viewed the case as a blueprint for future charges against Wall Street executives. The two men, Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin, were accused of lying to investors -- telling them they were optimistic about their funds, while privately worrying they were all but dead, The Wall Street Journal reported. LINK

Vermont

Vermont Economy The recession in the Green Mountain state will bottom out in the fourth quarter of 2009 but linger into 2010, with normal growth rates not anticipated until 2011 at the earliest, according to the New England Economic Partnership. The Associated Press reported that, according to the study, Vermont's overall unemployment rate has been declining since it peaked at 7.4 percent in May. But the state has also experienced a greater percentage decline in payroll jobs than the region as a whole, with those declines expected to continue through the second quarter of next year. LINK

Veterans Court The state of Vermont is starting a special court for veterans who can trace their legal problems to their war service. The Barre Times Argus says the Jail Diversion, Trauma Recovery program will be run with the help of a $2.1 million federal grant. Proponents say the court will offer a more compassionate, and ultimately more effective, method of dealing with veterans suffering from service-connected mental health conditions. LINK

Northern Border A Maine man has been nominated to become the federal co-chairperson of a commission that aims to create jobs and boost the economy in the northern reaches of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. The White House announced Tuesday that it has nominated Sandy Blitz of Hudson for the new position with the Northern Border Regional Commission, AP reported. LINK