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George McGovern has died…
Last week or so I wrote about former Senator George McGovern who had been admitted to a hospice with a deadly disease. Now, at 90 years old, McGovern has died.
McGovern ran for President 3 times and was nominated once, but lost to Richard Nixon. He was a North Dakota’s Representative to the U.S. House from 1957 to 1961 and a U.S. Senator from 1963 to 1981. For 24 years he was one of the leaders of the Democratic Party.
Related articles
- Sen. George McGovern Dies (npr.org)
- George McGovern dies aged 90 (itv.com)
- AP: Sen. George McGovern Dies (npr.org)
- Former U.S. Sen. George McGovern dies at 90 (marketwatch.com)
- George McGovern, proud liberal, dead at 90 (cbsnews.com)
- Former Senator George McGovern dies, aged 90 (usnews.nbcnews.com)
What is it about Republicans and their need to create wars?
Here’s where to look for a World News Daily article by Jamal Abdi: New Senate Push to Pledge Unconditional Support for Israeli “Preventive” War on Iran.
Before reading it, here’s the first couple of sentences:
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is planning to press the Senate next month to pledge U.S. troops, money, and political support to Israel should Bibi Netanyahu launch a preventive war on Iran.
Graham claims his effort would merely make explicit that the U.S. has Israel’s back. But when your friend is drunk, you don’t hand them the keys. If Graham has his way, he will hand Bibi the keys and lend him our car, while the rest of us ride shotgun.
If this gets you at all nervous about creating a new major mideast war at the behest of Israel (and Lindsay Graham), then get ready to write your senator.
Related articles
- New Senate Push to Pledge Unconditional Support for Israeli Preventive War on Iran (fromthetrenchesworldreport.com)
- Lindsey Graham Introduces Bill To Commit US Troops to Israel (dailypaul.com)
- New Senate Push to Pledge Unconditional Support for Israeli Preventive War on Iran (whitenewsnow.com)
- Lindsey Graham alleges Election-Driven WH cover-up on Benghazi, Calls Obama ‘misleading’ or ‘incompetent’ (riehlworldview.com)
- U.S. Senate Joins Bibi In Push For War (addictinginfo.org)
The next time Romney says Obama did nothing to create jobs, introduce him to Mitch McConnell…
Thanks To Connecticut Against Linda McMahon
The President’s Veterans Job Corps Act of 2012 would have spent $1 billion over five years to put veterans to work tending to federal lands, and in the nation’s police and fire departments. Created by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), it was based on FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Republicans say they opposed the bill because there is no proof that it would work. Forty Republican members of the United States Senate betrayed veterans when they decided that denying President Obama a victory was more important than spending $1 billion to create jobs for vets.
It doesn’t matter to most Senate Republicans that the CCC put 2.5 million people to work. When confronted with an actual jobs program for America’s vets, including the 220,000 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the majority of Republicans claimed the plan, which was already offset, was too expensive.
This is all part of Mitch McConnell’s stated goal to let Obama accomplish nothing. In so doing, he has made America worse. Here’s hoping vets in Kentucky make sure he loses the election.
Related articles
- Meet the 40 Senate Republicans Who Betrayed Veterans By Killing $1 Billion in Jobs (politicususa.com)
- Senate Republicans kill veterans jobs bill (dailykos.com)
- G.O.P. Blocks Veteran Jobs Bill (takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Republicans Axe Veterans’ Jobs Bill, Prove Zero Interest In Job Creation (addictinginfo.org)
- Senate veterans jobs bill held hostage by crazy person (dailykos.com)
- Blame It on Mitch (thedailybeast.com)
- Taking Note: Republicans Obstruct Veterans Job Corps Act (takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com)
- Jobs bill for veterans stalled by partisan fight (bangordailynews.com)
What is it about Republicans and Rape?
Tom Smith is running for Senate against Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in Pennsylvania. When the Akin/Ryan/Rape business came up he was interviewed by Mark Scolforo of the Associated Press. Catch this:
SCOLFORO: How would you tell a daughter or a granddaughter who, God forbid, would be the victim
of a rape, to keep the child against her own will? Do you have a way to explain that?
SMITH: I lived something similar to that with my own family. She chose life, and I commend her for that. She knew my views. But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to.. she chose the way I thought. No don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t rape.
SCOLFORO: Similar how?
SMITH: Uh, having a baby out of wedlock.
SCOLFORO: That’s similar to rape?
SMITH: No, no, no, but… put yourself in a father’s situation, yes. It is similar. But, back to the original, I’m pro-life, period.
Perhaps Republicans have no real idea what Rape is… a violent and immoral crime. For the state to have control of a woman’s decisions related to the use of her body is equally as violent, whether psychologically or physically, and just as criminally immoral.
At least we know now that birth out of wedlock is “similar” to rape.
I hope you Pennsylvania folks keep a very good Senator that you are lucky to have… Bob Casey.
(Special thanks to Wonkette for the transcript.)
Related articles
- Pennsylvania Senate Candidate: Out Of Wedlock Pregnancy “Similar” To Rape (outsidethebeltway.com)
- Paul Ryan: Rape Just Another Method Of Conception (outsidethebeltway.com)
- Don\’t Worry, You Won\’t Get Pregnant From Rape (formingthethread.wordpress.com)
- Todd Akin’s Immoral Ethics About Women (bigthink.com)
- Ryan on abortion exceptions: Rape is just another ‘method of conception’ (rawstory.com)
- Do You Get It? (talkingpointsmemo.com)
Wow! Charlie Crist Endorses Obama!
Charlie Crist, former Republican Governor of Florida and now an Independent, has endorsed Barack Obama in an article in the Tampa Bay Times. This could have a major effect on more centrist Republicans at the convention and reduce the influence of the Tea Party. Here’s part of the article:
As Republicans gather in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney, Americans can expect to hear tales of how President Obama has failed to work with their party or turn the economy around.
But an element of their party has pitched so far to the extreme right on issues important to women, immigrants, seniors and students that they’ve proven incapable of governing for the people. Look no further than the inclusion of the Akin amendment in the Republican Party platform, which bans abortion, even for rape victims.
The truth is that the party has failed to demonstrate the kind of leadership or seriousness voters deserve.
Pundits looking to reduce something as big as a statewide election to a single photograph have blamed the result of my 2010 campaign for U.S. Senate on my greeting of President Obama. I didn’t stand with our president because of what it could mean politically; I did it because uniting to recover from the worst financial crisis of our lifetimes was more important than party affiliation. I stood with our nation’s leader because it was right for my state.
President Obama has a strong record of doing what is best for America and Florida, and he built it by spending more time worrying about what his decisions would mean for the people than for his political fortunes. That’s what makes him the right leader for our times, and that’s why I’m proud to stand with him today.
Crist’s endorsement has raised a lot of controversy in the press and everyone wonders how effective it will be.
Related articles
- Florida Republican Charlie Crist Crosses the Aisle and Endorses Obama (delong.typepad.com)
- Fmr. Gov. Charlie Crist Endorses Obama, Slams GOP’s Shift To ‘Extreme Right’ (mediaite.com)
- Charlie Crist endorses Barack Obama. Is DNC speaking role next? (miamiherald.typepad.com)
- FL Gov Crist Endorses Obama As Jeb Bush Attacks GOP (lezgetreal.com)
- Charlie Crist, Who Brought GOP Convention to FL, Endorses Obama (gestetnerupdates.com)
- Charlie Crist, a storm force in Florida politics and political weathervane (miamiherald.typepad.com)
- Former Republican Gov. Crist endorses Obama (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
Thanks to Victoria Lamb Hatch for a clarifying statement on Republican actions…
I often quote other articles on this blog, but rarely do I repost other reader’s comments on posts. However, I was reading a Think Progress article on the Republican proposal to cut social programs but leave military funding alone and found this comment by Victoria Lamb Hatch:
Let’s see — we need to trim the budget. What to cut, what to cut? (thinking)
Should we eliminate military equipment that even the Pentagon says they don’t need? No.
Should we close some tax loopholes that benefit mostly the rich and large corporations? No.
Should we eliminate tax subsidies that go to corporations making billions of dollars in profits? No.
Should we take away school lunches from low-income children, and gut programs like food stamps, Medicaid, and other social services that benefit people who are struggling? Of course. They can’t afford high-priced lobbyists.
I can remember a time when I believed the GOP to be a party with a political ideology that differed from mine. Now I just see them as hateful and cruel.
See what I mean? A clear statement that you can carry to the bank.
If we don’t make cuts across the whole spectrum AND return to taxes on corporations and the wealthy to bring back our economic health, then we might as well toss the two-party system into the trash.
The House has voted to take away your privacy – what do you do now?
Yesterday, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed CISPA – the Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Protection Act – by a vote of 248-168. CISPA now goes to the Senate.
CISPA gives the government, including military spy agencies like the National Security Agency (NSA), virtually unlimited powers to capture our personal information — medical records, private emails, financial information — all without a warrant or proper oversight.
Tell Your Senators: Stop CISPA.
And this is not just a Democrats vs. Republicans thing…Civil liberties groups and progressives unanimously opposed the bill, but so did Ron Paul.
President Obama warned the House that he will veto the bill because it does not protect our privacy, but they ignored his warnings.
Let’s hope he doesn’t have to. Get word to the Senate now.
Why do they call these “Debates?”
I spend a lot of my time lately watching the House of Representatives on C-Span and the Senate on C-Span 2. In the last few weeks as the subject of the deficit and the National Debt dominate the programming when the two houses are in session (rarely on Mondays or Fridays while they are “traveling”).
So, on the three days a week that they are working, what do our “representatives” do?
Take away the committee hearings, many of which are not available to us, although C-Span works very hard to show as many as possible, and we are left with something they call “debates.” I don’t know about you, but I was in the Debating Club as a teenager and I have a pretty good idea of how a debate is structured. These alternating speeches by members of either house are really a series 
of statements conveying the points of view and policies that their parties have frozen into unchangeable position.
This is upsetting, because if one member comes up with a new idea, or an explanation of how history shows one action working and another failing… the great benefit of actual experience… the conclusion of the speech does not bring forth a discussion on those points from the opposition. Instead, we hear another speech 
ignoring the opposition’s points which, at its conclusion, faces the same ignorance by the other side.
So these alternating presentations do nothing to allow one side to convince the other of the value of a position. THEY ARE NOT LISTENING TO EACH OTHER! I have no idea why they go on with this farce… much less why they do it in front of us. the frustrated public that actually does listen, contacts their representatives’ offices, but rarely gets changes that they are looking for… often in large majorities of 
responders.
To top it off, the Congressmen and Senators of each side take their points of view, often very different, and constantly say “this is what the majority of Americans want.”
I’ll bet the majority of Americans would really like them to listen to each other and to the public and come up with real solutions to real problems.
I rest my case.
Related articles
- As Debt Debate Continues, a Poignant Prayer Opens up the Senate (blogs.abcnews.com)
- Rand Paul: Debt Ceiling Filibuster! (gunnyg.wordpress.com)
- Debating Taboos (nader.org)
- Sen. Orrin Hatch Displays Gilligan’s Island Portrait To Senate In Tax Debate (mediaite.com)
Jobs Bill Killed!
This was sent to me this morning in John Case’s Daily Mailing:
Another Jobs Bill Killed via Open Congress : Blog by Donny Shaw on 6/23/11
On June 6th, the Senate opened debate on the Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011, a bill to reauthorize and expand a long-running and consistently successful job-creation agency, the
Economic Development Administration. The EDA has traditionally enjoyed bipartisan support, and this reauthorization bill was introduced with bipartisan co-sponsorship and passed out of committee without any dissent from Republicans. But after two weeks of debate, the bill was unanimously filibustered by Republicans and has now been pulled from the floor.Like the last jobs bill to die in the Senate, the bill was bogged down and ultimately killed by dozens of controversial and unrelated amendments that were submitted to it. Senate rules do not requireamendments to be germane to the bill they are submitted to, so individual senators can choose to use any bill to force a vote on any of their pet issues. By the time the EDA bill was killed, 99 amendments had been submitted, and the list read like an overview of current hot-button political topics. The amendments included everything from raising the debt ceiling, to repealing health care reform, repealing financial regulatory reform, expanding offshore oil drilling, and more.
This problem of non-controversial bills being killed by controversial amendments has its roots in a deal on procedure that Democratic and Republican Senate leaders agreed to at the beginning of this session.
In exchange for Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV] keeping bills open to amendments, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell [R, KY] and his caucus agreed to not mount filibusters of bringing bills to the floor as a matter of routine. As a result, the Democratic majority has been able to hold debates on their legislative agenda, but the Republicans have also been able to turn every debate into an attempt to repeal health care reform.The Senate Majority Leader has almost complete control over what bills get brought up for debate, so it is the case that most Republican issues stand no chance of being voted on this session outside the amendment process. But the Senate can’t vote on every contentious political topic for every bill, so Reid has to make a decision when to cut off the amendment process and start moving towards passing the underlying bill. In this case, Reid allowed two Democratic amendments and two Republican amendments to be voted on before filing a motion to end debate and move forward towards passage. But since most senators didn’t get to have their pet amendments voted on, they voted against
he motion to end debate and essentially forced a filibuster. Even Sen. James Inhofe [R, OK], an original co-sponsor of the bill, voted for the filibuster.And so gridlock prevails, even on the one issue that everyone claims to care about — job creation. Just another example of why Americans have less confidence in Congress than any other institution in American society.
Things you can do from here:
– Subscribe to Open Congress : Blog using Google Reader
– Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites
So the next time Mitch McConnell complains about Obama not doing anything to create jobs, send this article to his office and ask “Why?”
Why I love (and support) Bernie Sanders…
As the debate over deficits ramped up in Washington today, Sen. Bernie Sanders laid out the compelling case not to slash programs for working families. Any deficit reduction package must rely on new revenue for at least half the reduction in red ink, he added in a major address in the Senate. Sanders spoke at length about what caused deficits (wars, Wall Street bailouts, tax breaks for the rich) and how to shrink them (more revenue from the wealthiest Americans to match spending cuts). He urged fellow senators not to yield to Republican congressional leaders who “acted like schoolyard bullies” when they walked out of budget negotiations. And he urged President Obama not to accommodate them again on the backs of working Americans, the poor and the Elderly. He summed up the situation in a letter to the president that had been signed by more than 18,700 people by the time he completed his speech.
Related articles
- Bernie Sanders: Make the Rich Pay Off the Deficit (usnews.com)
- Will you help Bernie Sanders expose the Koch Echo Chamber? (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- Bernie Sanders: An Extraordinarily Unfair Budget (via Dandelion Salad) (reclaimamericafromthelunaticfringe.wordpress.com)
- Bernie Sanders: An Extraordinarily Unfair Budget (dandelionsalad.wordpress.com)
- Bernie Sanders & Prescription Meds- You nailed it! (smartsass2.wordpress.com)
- This Week in Congress (dailykos.com)
- Stop the Koch Brothers Tell Others What They Are Doing (iflizwerequeen.com)
- Bernie Sanders: Republicans Have Obstructed! Obstructed! Obstructed! (dandelionsalad.wordpress.com)
I’m a West Virginia Senior and my Congresswoman, Shelley Moore Capito, Voted Against ME…
U. S. House Republicans Pass Budget Hurting Seniors
Capito Votes with Party, Abandoning WV Seniors
Shelley Moore Capito
Today, West Virginia Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito sided with House GOP leadership and voted to dramatically cut Medicare – the long-running health care program for seniors.
She has it upside down!
The cuts would radically change Medicare by turning it into a voucher program. These cuts would reopen the prescription drug “Donut Hole” forcing seniors to pay more for their medicines.
“It is outrageous for Capito to vote for these radical cuts,” said West Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio. “These cuts to our seniors will cause great hardship in West Virginia. These cuts will mean thousands of dollars to our seniors – forcing many to choose between health care and food. Shelley Moore Capito needs to stand up for West Virginians instead of the House Republican leaders’ radical agenda. I commend Democratic Congressman Nick Rahall for speaking out against this bill.”
Here’s what Capito did to screw her Senior constituents like ME:
End Medicare As We Know It. “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]
Republican Plan Brings Back “Donut Hole” Coverage Gap for Prescription Drugs. (this is extremely important to me as a Senior who takes 1 different pills a day and two different insulin shots) Ryan’s plan brings back the coverage “gap in Medicare prescription drug” benefit. [Associated Press, 4/06/11]
Congressional Budget Office: GOP Budget Raises Health Costs for Retirees. “Most future retirees would pay more for health care under a new House Republican budget proposal, according to an analysis by nonpartisan experts for Congress that could be an obstacle to GOP ambitions to tame federal deficits. […] The budget office gave two reasons future retirees can expect to pay more. First, private plans would cost more than traditional Medicare because of such factors as higher administrative costs. Second, the federal contribution would grow more slowly than health care cost inflation, leaving a bigger gap for beneficiaries to pay.” [AP, 4/6/11]
AARP: Budget Undermines Vital Programs for Older Americans. “Among its provisions, the proposal would drive up costs for people in Medicare, take away needed coverage for long-term care from millions of older and disabled Americans and reduce critical help for seniors facing the threat of hunger.” [AARP press release, 4/7/11]
GOP Budget Would Almost Double Healthcare Costs For Seniors. “The Republican congressman’s proposal to privatize Medicare would mean a dramatic hike in U.S. healthcare costs for the elderly, an independent analysis finds. Seniors would pay almost double — more than $12,510 a year.” [LA Times, 4/7/11]
And Capito keeps sending me e-mail about all the great things she is doing for West Virginians! Whenever I send her e-mails about the things I’d like her to support, she follows the Tea Party Line instead. All it means is I’ll work twice as hard to get her out of office… if it means using this blog and my radio show weekly on WSHC.
Shelley, you suck!
Related Articles
- Capito Will Not Run for Senate (politicalwire.com)
- Republicans continue assault on consumer protection (americablog.com)
- Ryan budget plan passes House; only 4 GOP reps vote no (firstread.msnbc.msn.com)
Bernie Sanders on the Republican Budget Proposal
He makes it SO clear! Everyone should hear him. The Republicans are building a world for the Rich by funding it with the scraps the Middle Class has been left with. And after that, what will we be left with? Does NOTHING sound familiar?
Take 12 minutes and listen to Bernie:
Related Articles
- Bernie Sanders: An Extraordinarily Unfair Budget (via Dandelion Salad) (reclaimamericafromthelunaticfringe.wordpress.com)
- Bernie Sanders: An Extraordinarily Unfair Budget (dandelionsalad.wordpress.com)
- MSNBC’s Cenk Uygur Confronts Sen. Bernie Sanders On Dem Recoil In Budget Battle (mediaite.com)
- Reason.tv: Bernie Sanders’ War on Chinese Bobbleheads! (reason.com)
Show support for the Wisconsin 14…
Andrew Leonard pointed out in a Salon article today that the real value of the 14 Democratic State Senators in Wisconsin who are carrying out their Northern Illinois stall is that they have given the whole country time to see what is really happening in the US Economy. Here’s a clip from his article:
The question of who has won or lost Wisconsin, ultimately, will await the next election. But after mulling Hall’s McClatchy article, it’s clear that no matter what the outcome, those renegade senators did achieve a very real thing. They gave the entire nation the time to take a close look at what’s happening — to really examine the figures on pension funds and the role of unions, both private and public, in the U.S. economy. We have the chance now to compare the Republican political agenda with reality. Will we take it?
If you want to thank these heroes for their ongoing stance in support of collective bargaining with public employee unions… with the preservation of unions themselves… here are their e-mail addresses. Let them know they have the support of the majority of Americans.
Sen.carpenter@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.coggs@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.Cullen@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.hansen@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Holperin@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.jauch@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.Larson@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.lassa@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.miller@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.risser@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.taylor@legis.wisconsin.gov,
Sen.Vinehout@legis.wisconsin.gov, Sen.wirch@legis.wisconsin.gov
Related Articles
- Solidarity Is More Than Shouting Slogans, So Lend a Hand! (beavercountyblue.org)
- Rachel Maddow Says Wall Street Journal Story on Possible End of Wisconsin Standoff Was ‘Bad Reporting’ (mediaite.com)
- Jauchstrap returns briefly to Wisconsin (apostleislands.wordpress.com)
Republicans lose…
But they’ll bring it up again…
This from the Herald Mail:
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Related Articles
- US Sen Schumer: ‘No Way’ Senate Will Vote To Repeal Health Law (forexlive.com)
- Repeal Of Affordable Care Act Falls 13 Votes Short In Senate (outsidethebeltway.com)
- Senate votes on Affordable Care Act repeal: Rejects it (dailykos.com)
- GOP senators force vote on health law repeal – Washington Times (news.google.com)
- “All Senate Republicans appear ready to repeal health care law” and related posts (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com)
- Senate Republicans forcing a vote on health law (boston.com)
Republicans Hide Health Care Law Benefits From Their Constituents
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Related Articles
- GOP steps up health care offensive (cnn.com)
- Not many House Republicans rejecting health benefits on principle (cnn.com)
- Senate to vote on repeal of health care law – USA Today (news.google.com)
- GOP Plans To Force Vote On Health Care Repeal (huffingtonpost.com)
- US judge deals new blow to Obama health reform (alternet.org)
- Senate schedules Wednesday vote on repeal of health-care law (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
- Obama Open to ‘Tweak’ of Health Care, Not Repeal (abcnews.go.com)
- “Scott calls halt to federal health care law implementation” and related posts (postonpolitics.com)
So the Senate is at work AGAIN today… on a SUNDAY… Don’t you feel bad for them?
No?
I guess I don’t either. I spent an hour or so watching them debate the START treaty this afternoon… actually debating an amendment or two which are NOT going to get on the bill (they’ll be voting on amendments at 3:00… that’s when I’ll turn it on 
again)… and was amazed at how frightening it is to have politicians control nuclear weapons. I had to turn the TV off while Senator Kyl was trying to find things to blame Obama on in this treaty… and, of course, to complain about being forced to work when they should be home celebrating Christmas.
Will they get this through by tomorrow or Tuesday? We’ll see. The Republicans are great stallers here and want to take up as much 
time as possible (and there are some judicial appointments that are taking up space in the Senate minutes as well) and perhaps we will have to leave until the January term begins and the Dems have less Senators and no control on the House. As Driftglass told Bluegal on their on-line broadcast Wednesday, the Republicans are hostage taking thugs that will use all kinds of crap to make important legislation either die or get watered way down. They hold our security hostage and the Dems and Obama are knuckling under. Do you hear the alarm going off?
I didn’t notice if Manchin has shown up today, but I’m not sure it matters. I hate to say it, but I think everything has been pre-decided. We’ll find out when the votes are over, but I don’t think we’ll be surprised.
Anyway, I hope you are having a nice Sunday and, if you prefer the Senate to a football game or an afternoon movie, I hope you are entertained… and not taken in.
Related Articles
- McConnell Will Oppose START Treaty, But Two Top Lawmakers Predict Passage (politicsdaily.com)
- Parties at Odds on START Treaty Support (online.wsj.com)
- Senate Republican Leader to Oppose Missile Treaty – New York Times (news.google.com)
- McConnell: I can’t support START; Update: Deal reached on budget (hotair.com)
- Senate votes down McCain amendment to the START treaty (cnn.com)
- Senators clash on arms treaty as pressure grows (reuters.com)
- In letter to Senate, Obama says New START pact won’t limit missile defense – Washington Post (news.google.com)
- US Senate rejects bid to kill Russia treaty (newsinfo.inquirer.net)
- Obama invokes Reagan to push START treaty (reuters.com)
- START Treaty Wins Backing of GOP Senators Snowe, Collins (politicsdaily.com)
- Congress rushes to finish bills before holidays (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
From Andrew Leonard in this morning’s Salon:
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Related Articles
Staying out of the weather and watching the Congress…
It’s been snowing steadily since nine this morning and, while the dogs love walking around in it, I’m looking for reasons to stay inside today. One of those reasons is to watch the Senate debate the START treaty, which is not even close to the action in the tax cut extension debates earlier on, and flipping back to the House of Representatives who nearly completed debate on the rule for taxes when Rep. McGovern (D-MA) pulled the bill off the floor. Lawmakers are uncertain if they have enough votes to bring the tax bill to the floor. 
Before the debate on the tax bill starts, the House first needs to pass the rule on how the debate and votes will go, with a simple majority vote. If the rule passes, the will be three hours of general debate and one amendment to change the 
inheritance tax provisions in the bill. For the last two hours, though, nothing has happened and the House is now out. The Democrats were supposed to go into a closed meeting, but the word from CSpan is that the Closed Meeting has been delayed. Whether or not they come back this evening, I don’t know.
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which the House voted to end yesterday, went the to Senate and lost. The Senate has failed to get past a 
roadblock on a bill that would repeal the policy banning gay men and lesbians from serving openly in the military. The procedural vote failed, 57-40, and was mostly along party lines. Sixty votes were needed to move forward.
All in all, it has been pretty dismal in Congress today.
Related Articles
- Panic at the Disco?: Tax Bill Pulled From House Floor (nicedeb.wordpress.com)
- Democrats hold up tax bill consideration (dontmesswithtaxes.typepad.com)
- Tax cut deal hits “bump” in House (dailykos.com)
- Senate prepares to vote on tax-cut extension (abclocal.go.com)
- Kyl Still Trying to Kill Treaty (politicalwire.com)
Overnite: Patty Murray is victor in Washington state… Opponent Rossi concedes.
This was good news. Adding one more Democrat to the Senate majority makes us, thankfully, not dependent on Joe Lieberman
At a news conference last nite, Murray thanked Dino Rossi and his family, saying he had been gracious in defeat. Murray said her priorities in a fourth term will include securing tax cuts for the middle class and helping the Boeing Co. win a lucrative Air Force refueling tanker contract:
“Now we have to get to work. I want to make sure Washington state has what it needs to get its economy back on its feet.”
The only state not finalized on the Senate is Alaska, but that will not help the Democrats. It will be a slap in the face to Sarah Palin if Murkowski‘s write-in campaign beats Tea Party candidate and Palin endorsee Joe Miller. It looks like that will happen by a large margin.
Related Articles
- Murray beats GOP’s Rossi in Wash. Senate race (msnbc.msn.com)
- Claudia Kauffman and Dino Rossi concede to Joe Fain and Patty Murray | Election Results (pnwlocalnews.com)
- Murray holds on to Dem Senate seat in Washington (cnn.com)
- Murray Wins (talkingpointsmemo.com)
- US Sen. Murray of Washington state wins 4th term (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
The Denver Post has called Bennet (D) over Buck (R)…
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Related Articles
- Bennet wins Senate race in Colorado (americablog.com)
- Bennet hangs on in Colorado (washingtonmonthly.com)
- Colorado Election Results 2010: Ken Buck & Michael Bennet Are Neck-And-Neck (huffingtonpost.com)
Want to know your Senator’s record on Support for the Arts?
The Senate Report Card has been made available by The Americans for the Arts Action Fund and it is quite revealing. Statistics cover the previous year (which is why Robert Byrd…one of only three Democrats on the Failing list… appears, and why Scott Brown in Massachusetts has an incomplete) and are quite revealing.
Go HERE to see the list and grades.
Related Articles
- Sarah Palin Targets Scott Brown (bostonist.com)
- Where is Scott Brown? (bostonist.com)
How the Senate Voted Last Year (Thanks to Congress.org)
Here are the most asked-about votes of 2010 with links to how your lawmakers voted:
1. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Reconciliation
Passed (56-43, 1 Not Voting)The Senate passed the final version of a bill to overhaul the nation’s health care system in March using a procedure known as reconciliation, which allows the Senate to bypass a filibuster with a simple majority.
The bill mandates that individuals buy health insurance with exceptions for certain religious groups and those who cannot afford coverage. Those who do not buy insurance will be subject to a tax.
Under the bill, beginning in 2014 insurance companies cannot deny coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions, and cannot drop coverage of people who become ill. In addition, a section of the bill makes the federal government the sole originator of student loans.
2. Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
Agreed to (60-39)The Senate passed the final version of the financial regulation reform legislation in July. The bill creates new regulatory procedures to assess risks posed by large financial institutions and facilitate the orderly dissolution of failing firms that pose a threat to the economy.
It will also create a new federal agency to oversee consumer financial products, bring the derivatives market under significant federal regulation and give shareholders and regulators greater say on executive pay.
3. Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act
Agreed to (61-39)The Senate passed this bill in August to provide $16.1 billion to extend increased Medicaid assistance to states and $10 billion in funding for states to create or retain teachers’ jobs. The cost of the programs will be offset by changing foreign tax provisions, ending increased food stamp benefits beginning in April 2014 and rescinding previously enacted spending.
4. Nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court
Confirmed (63-37)The Senate confirmed Elena Kagan to be an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in August. The former dean of Harvard Law School, Kagan had served as Obama’s solicitor general since March of 2009 and was the first woman to hold the position. She replaced Justice John Paul Stevens, who had been appointed by President Gerald Ford in 1975.
5. 2011 Defense Authorization, Cloture
Rejected (56-43, 1 Not Voting)The Senate rejected this attempt to start debate on the 2011 Defense spending bill, which would authorize $725.7 billion in discretionary funding for defense programs. The bill would have also repealed a 1993 law that codified the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy banning military service by openly gay men and women.
Related Articles
- Honoring Elena Kagan (whitehouse.gov)
- Majority Of Senators Backing Elena Kagan On Eve Of Final Supreme Court Confirmation Vote (huffingtonpost.com)
I don’t think Raese gives a damn about West Virginia…
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Related Articles
- Is John Raese Married? (politicsdaily.com)
- WV-Sen: Manchin opens up wide lead over Raese (dailykos.com)
- Sarah Palin Endorses John Raese For Senate In West Virginia (blogs.abcnews.com)
For our Friends in Kentucky…
I received this in the email:
Bill,
My adult son Michael committed suicide in July, after three years fighting an addiction to prescription painkillers. This is a painful story, a personal story. It’s not easy for me to share.
But I decided to share my story for Jack Conway, because I want to prevent another family from having to suffer what my family went through.
In response, Mr. Paul directly insulted me, calling my story “creepy.”
My son’s life was not “creepy.” And my baby grandson sure isn’t “creepy.” Both are blessings, as his second child due in February will be also.
When Rand Paul attacks people who are suffering instead of offering solutions, it shows he doesn’t understand Kentucky.
And that’s why I’m asking you to help me defeat Rand Paul and elect Jack Conway — someone who has tackled drug abuse as Kentucky’s Attorney General and actually understands Kentucky families.
Watch the video I did for Jack Conway today, and share it with your friends:
Sometimes I hear people say Rand Paul just has a few wacky ideas, and he won’t really hurt anyone. Well, it hurts my family — and thousands of other families in Kentucky — when Rand Paul just dismisses life-or-death issues in our state.
It’s a shame Rand Paul reacted that way, but this issue is bigger than he is. Kentuckians deserve someone in the United States Senate who understands them and who will fight for them. I know Jack Conway is that person.
That’s why I’m asking for your help to beat Rand Paul and elect Jack Conway — start by watching the video of my story and sharing it with those you know.
Thank you for hearing me out, and thank you for supporting Jack Conway.
Sincerely,
Mike Donta
Ashland, KY
We’ve been hearing lots of things about Rand Paul’s attitude toward his potential citizenry if he is elected… and it is not pretty. Kentucky has a bad habit of inflicting unusually negative Senators and Representatives on the rest of us (Mitch McConnell and his public revelation that they will only vote NO to any Democratic proposed legislation). Mike Donta’s story is one of many.
Related Articles
- KY-Sen: Rand Paul attacks his own plan to raise Medicare deductibles (dailykos.com)
- KY-Sen: Big Dog to campaign for Conway (dailykos.com)
- Rand Paul vs. Pregnant women and newborns (dailykos.com)
- Rand Paul: Medicaid has turned into welfare (salon.com)
- Chris Matthews’ Bullying Interview with Jack Conway (crooksandliars.com)
Sorry, Senator Dorgan… No Cloture on Overseas Business Bill
Requiring a 60 vote plurality to avoid filibuster on the Senate bill S.3816 to tax overseas investments to keep jobs from being taken away from our shores (see yesterday’s post “Why it’s important that we get behind Senator Byron Dorgan…“), the opportunity to correct a real problem was killed by a when only 53 Senators voted for Cloture. This fell seven votes short of allowing the bill to even be discussed by the Senate.
Along with the Republicans who all voted this out was that traitor to the Middle Class Joe Lieberman (Asshole – CT) who is, hopefully,
going to be retired at the end of his term. A vote against this bill really indicates who may be in the pockets of big corporations that refuse to pay taxes to the country they made their mark in as they give 50¢ an hour jobs to Mexicans and the Chinese. I’m beginning to think that some of the Teaparty complaints may have some validity (it’s too bad they are so stupid about so many other things.)
_____
Note: It has just been announced that former President Jimmy Carter has been hospitalized in Cleveland, OH. The former President has been on a book tour where he has been making three or more appearances a day… possibly draining on an 86-year-old.
We wish President Carter our best and hope he is back out on the tour soon.
Related Articles
- Why it’s important that we get behind Senator Byron Dorgan… (underthelobsterscope.wordpress.com)
- What’s A Filibuster? (seeingtheforest.com)
- Dorgan criticizes Lieberman actions (politico.com)
