Senate Tea Leaves
Gosh, you think this is why Sanctimonious Joe got all complimentary of Obama the other day?
Democratic leaders are discussing a major reshuffling of Senate committee chairmanships, according to multiple sources, and the proposed changes include ousting Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) from his coveted chairmanship.
Lieberman, a former Democrat who supports Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) for president, is likely to lose his gavel on the Homeland Security Committee he has chaired since January 2007, say the sources who see him being replaced by Sen. Daniel Akaka (Hawaii), the committee’s third-ranking Democrat.
The article is more interesting, though, for the changes it describes on other committees, assuming (touch win) Obama does pull this off on Tuesday.
In a change that I think is a marginal improvement over the weak leadership of Jello Jay Rockefeller, DiFi looks set to take over SSCI.
The shift also hinges on Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) stepping down as chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which aides say is included in the proposed changes. Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) would replace him. Byrd, who turns 91 in November, has been hospitalized three times this year and some have questioned if he is capable of leading the committee.
Other moves include Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) taking over the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) taking over the Senate Select Intelligence Committee and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) moving to the helm of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.
There is no set plan to replace Biden, but one source cited Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) as a possibility.
However, another Democratic source said Dodd is likely to hold onto his chairmanship of the Senate Banking Committee and be available to replace Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, should Kennedy’s health fail.
[snip]
Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), who is currently the Democratic Conference Secretary but has only a subcommittee chairmanship, is likely to take over the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, while Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would likely stay chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Leahy still wants the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, sources said, but also wants to be a key player in any Supreme Court nominations from an Obama presidency.
If Dodd does give up the Banking Committee, the responsibility is likely to fall to Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) instead of the next-most senior Democrat, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, who suffered a stroke in December 2006 and returned to the Senate in September 2007.
As for SSCI, DiFi may not always agree with us, but she’s got a lot more backbone than Jello Jay, and her position on Judiciary (which I presume she’ll keep) gives her a more balanced view of what is legal.
I’m also fascinated by Schumer’s pick-up of Senate Rules Committee. I’ve been wondering when he would come and ask for something–having served as DSCC chair two successful elections in a row and lining up to do it again, Schumer’s got a lot of bargaining power (and, with his hands on the purse strings of DSCC, power over those candidates he has helped get elected). So why’s he want Rules?
The big issue, it looks like, is what happens with Dodd–does he stay at Banking to work through the crisis, or does he take over Biden’s plum position at Foreign Relations?
OFF TOPIC- Marcy-
At the risk of piling on….
Have I missed acknowledgement here about this information that AA Genealogy groups have known for a very long time.
http://blog.reidreport.com/200…..usins.html
McCain’s stubborn inability to embrace his American heritage illustrates the core of racism- the denial of truth.
This is an election for change…but it is all of us who will bring it.
One more point about these changes. With Boxer at Environment and DiFi at SSCI and Murray at VA, it would finally show the slow fruition of the year of the woman, as more and more of the women elected in 1992 take on significant Committee leadership positions.
Thank heavens, I never understood what bargain could have kept Lieberman on Homeland Security.
How often was his vote really needed? or was he just there for built-in bi-partisanship.
One change I would like to see but won’t- the semantic replacement of “Homeland”. It evokes a viseral reaction that is unnecessary.
Any mention of Ohio Sherrod Brown?
Sherrod Brown has no seniority. They’ve got a few cohorts of Senators to get to before they get to him–and in his class, I’d expect to see McCaskill and Webb taking on leadership positions in quicker fashion.
Webb would be perfect
Webb has no seniority either, but he has “national security” cred and is farther to the right than Brown. Nor has he Sherrod Brown’s (mixed) reputation as a populist, which I suspect is something the Dem leadersheep and Obama would like to play down. They can’t be seen to rock the boat, a syndrome nearly as widespread among Democratic CongressCritters as it is among “pro” journalists like Ms. Reston at the LA Times. But Brown may help deliver Ohio this election, and help replace the GOP’s Voinovich next term with a progressive Dem, so he can’t be ignored.
It is long past time to demote Kneepads Lieberman. He has held no or few or no hearings over how well the Heimats Sicherheitsdienst has performed, how effectively or corruptly it has been organized, how it has spent its enormous budget, or how it has outsourced essential government services under weak contracts to the private sector. A new broom, and someone willing to wield it, is essential. Otherwise, all of Bush II’s failings will be laid on the Dems’ narrow shoulders. I don’t know Akaka’s record on that score.
DiFi’s broom at intelligence could sweep a wide path, but, alas, I fear she is a Blue Dog and is tainted by acquiescence in much of what Bush has done, and that her broom will be restrained by the hands of the many businesses beholden to her ueber-wealthy hubby. The other changes would be welcome. It would be wise to make more of them. We cannot afford “business as usual” anywhere in the government inherited from George Bush, and the Senate should send that message loud and clear.
Meanwhile, and OT, I hope Obama’s IT gurus are getting ready to completely replace the White House e-comms systems. They are past corrupt, are intentionally inadequate, and much of the work they ought to be capable of has been handed over to the RNC or a host of unnamed private contractors. The Senate and House should be prepared to fund a new system pronto — it will cost over $100 million, thanks to corrupt, spendthrift George — just as they should be ready for a new, intense interest by the GOP in compliance with the Presidential Records and Hatch Acts.
You know, one of the reasons they don’t know who will take FRC is because they think Kerry’s got a good shot at SOS.
Jinxola.
Talking about Kerry as SOS….
Just don’t mention that Gore will be the new Climate Change Czar.
Is there a committee of sanctimoniousness, ratfucking, poor me-ism and perennial party sabotage? I’d nominate Joe for that one.
-G
bye bye JOEZOE
see you in 2010 (when we drive a stake thru your heart you slime snake shit)
I think everybody in BOTH parties would cheer if joezoe tortureman jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge
do it for your country, joezoe
Hmmm. No discussion of replacing hapless Harry as Majority Leader?
Well, also no discussion of where Hillary goes.
She way down the list of seniority, but I have a feeling that getting 49% of the primary votes counts for something in seniority…
so many Senators, so few leadership positions
DAMN
why didn’t somebody warn us that it would be this terrible
if we woulda known, we wouldn’t a bothered …
(wink)
I don’t know that Harry is so hapless
that hole the repuglitards are in ???
Harry helped em dig it
remember when mcconnel was bragging about obstructing the Senate ???
so do mcconnel’s constituents
now the repuglitards are warning Americans about one party rule under the Democrats
and Americans are asking “And you think that would be bad thing ???”
I didn’t like the Game Harry was playing
but it DID work
SIXTY SEVEN MUTHERFUCKERS
Except that in playing his game, Harry let the war get expanded and extended, let torture and eavesdropping become government policies, got us two hopeless SCOTUS slots and then topped them off with Mukasey. Protecting the country in 2006-2008, IMHO, was a hell of a lot more important than strategy for Nov. 4.
hey, buddy, could not agree with you more.
harry is a sly devil, in my opinion, and seems to share with obama that poker player’s uncanny capacity to know how to play ‘em.
he’s just impressed the heck outa me many times. many times.
ditto on that one.
is there any discussion about which janitor has to give up a mop closet so joezoe can have an office ???
I ain’t gonna be ready to “Make Nice” with the repuglitards for a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time
and for joezoe torturman
FUCKING NEVER
joezoe can shove his bipartisanship up his fucking ass until it tickles his tonsils
I wouldn’t piss on joezoe if he was on fire
I wouldn’t piss
onin joezoe’s mouth ifhehis teethwaswere on fire.Just offering up the slightly more hateful (and preferred by me) version of that line.
my own personal favorite:
I’d piss on him, not the parts that are on fire, but I’d piss on him
From the same article, ‘Lieberman spokesman Marshall Witmann dismissed the speculation, saying Lieberman “is focused on doing all he can to elect John McCain as president rather than post-election Washington politics.”’
How is that statement designed to promote Lieberman’s interest with the Senate democrats?? People wanted him out when he left the party; there is only more heated sentiment after he glued himself to mccain…
If Biden is president of the Senate, can’t he hold on to his committee chair? That is what Aunt Sarah told me.
LOL
Good one.
I can’t think of two DINO’s who care less about their constituents or good governance than Schumer or DiFink; they’re perfect to continue Senate business as usual.
In fact, if you look at Health and Education’s seniority, it looks like this:
Kennedy (ill)
Dodd (on banking, discussed for FRC)
Harkin (on Ag, probably wouldn’t give that up)
Mikulski (not a great leader)
Bingaman (Energy)
Murray (being talked up for VA)
Reed (being talked up for other things)
Hillary
In other words, it doesn’t take long to get from Kennedy, who has brain cancer, to Hillary, with only Mikulski really in the way.
I gotta think Byron Dorgan will get a committee somewhere. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they set up Hillary to take over Health if anything happens to Kennedy.
What about Hillary as Sect. of Health and Human Services?
Heaven forfend! She who must be obeyed is in with big pharma. Conflict of interest.
Modify that description of Mikulski: TOAD. She is the worst. She & Inouye should not be allowed to call themselves Democrats.
Now that Senator Tubez will probably be gone, Mikulski can claim the prize for “Worst Temper” and “Worst Senator to Work For” in the annual contest held by Washingtonian magazine.
OK and i think that’d just stink~
i didn’t want her in the White House because of her insider connections to insurance and big pharma. i don’t trust her, never did and think she’d suck royally being anywhere NEAR health related issues.
I’ve been rethinking my feelings about Fourth Branch. I’m sure that both Biden and Obama are above exploiting that legacy, but it is so satisfying to think of Cheney, Addington, and Palin gnashing their teeth at the thought of Biden.
Do we know what happens to the man-sized safe?
The Safe, no doubt, already has another secure location. It will depart as part of “BushCheney Presidential Records” (hypocrisy is a defining attribute for Big Dick, not a failing, though there is no need for mortals to parse whether that means Bush’s presidential records or Cheney’s).
I suspect, though, that Big Dick will make sure that George assigns him custody, rather than allow The Safe(s) to be trundled down to the SMU campus, where Karl Rove’s duties include overseeing the presidential library.
OT-I’m watching mccain on teevee. I think he’s getting too much sun, but he looks pasty white next to Crist…
Everybody looks pasty and white next to Crist
All he needs is a cape and he’s ready for Halloween as George Hamilton in Love at First Bite.
Feingold also belongs to the class of 1992, and should soon be in line for a major committee. He went on Intelligence in 2006 — and that committee is rotational and even in terms of party — I believe right now he is ranking to DiFi.
I assume Harkin keeps Agriculture, and Boxer keeps her Environment/Energy committee. Reid has said he wants to step down in 2009 — that was back in early 2007 when he was trying to persuade Hillary not to run for President, but instead to let him bless her to be the next Majority Leader, a position not based on Seniority. I wonder if that is still on? Her major competition would be Durbin, currently assistant Majority Leader, but I doubt if two Senators from Illinois should be, or would be selected to be in the Presidency and a major leadership position. Anyhow, if Reid steps down, he would be due a committee — and Durbin probably would be in line for something nice other than Majority Leader. Good chess game.
Agree. Durbin, with Dorgan, is the one fairly senior person out there still due a committee.
I think they’re trying to find a way to do this without giving Russ a committee (though I woudl die happy if he got SSCI). Though remember, DiFi has two months seniority on him, since she came in for a replacement seat so got to start in November.
I don’t know that Harry will step down yet. Being Majority Leader could help him in 2010.
“I don’t know that Harry will step down yet. Being Majority Leader could help him in 2010.”
Harry is almost 70, and he says in a number of places, he wants to retire at the end of this term. He was elected in 86, and thus would be 73 or so when he retires. Said on C-Span that he wanted to retire while he was still healthy so he could write another book, and have a few years to enjoy doing some other things — what, I don’t know.
Can’t help thinking that if a particular plane had not crashed, we would be talking about what Committee Paul Wellstone would get to chair — class of 90. If you think Russ is a hard fit — just imagine Paul as sufficiently senior to be due his dues.
depends on outcomes
what if we get 67 senate seats, and impeach scalia, alito, roberts and thomas
If Barack Obama gets to appoint 7 Supreme Court Justices without ANY imput from repuglitards, what would you say then ???
I’m not happy with the game, but we paid the price
I want the payoff
That would be great, but I’m not holding my breath that we get all those.
it’s a negotiation
you gotta start high …
If the Dem Senate leadership doesn’t pitch Lieberman over the side, then the base will go completely bananas. This turncoat has done all in his power to advance the neocon GOPers. His vote whether it makes 60 or not, is just no longer needed or wanted. He needs to be exiled to Republicans if they would even accept such a duplicitous fool.
Hillary has stated that she’s not interested in SCOTUS (read it somewhere, some time ago, no linky), but if she’s not being talked up for a Chairmanship, or majority leader, is an appointment to the bench not out of the realm of possibility?
OT
Marcy,
TPM has an update on your McC Campaign attacks story, addressing the timeline..
http://tpmelectioncentral.talk…..tpm_ke.php
Oh, we are back to the same problem…just on the left side of the aisle.
I want to believe that senority means more than stale regugitation of ideas they finally want to enact. Let our senior Senators show the halls of power the glow that comes from creating an atmosphere of governance that listens to new ideas, new approaches, new voices and is willing to learn from the wider world of American thought. May daily Cspan become interesting, provocative and important!
We just heard Michael Pollan at Oberlin last night explain and elaborate his NYT Open Letter to the Next President.
Will Sen. Harkin find the joy, the hope and the sense in Pollan’s ideas for American agriculture?
Will he start working now for a new farm bill for the new America? (Pollan said there is talk suggesting not to wait for 4 years.)
Will Obama return to the days of First Lady Elenore Roosevelt and replace 5 acres of the White House Chemlawn with a kitchen garden; appoint a green chef and a White House Farmer?
Will the FDA facilitate green dietary changes in the schools?
oh wow, could you believe that interview with pollan? i was so impressed. and to think obama read his nytimes piece and was so impressed and enthused… i got yet another (coming at a clip these days) wild flutter of inspiration and …yes, HOPE!
glad you caught that.
“Will Sen. Harkin find the joy, the hope and the sense in Pollan’s ideas for American agriculture?
Will he start working now for a new farm bill for the new America? (Pollan said there is talk suggesting not to wait for 4 years.)
Will Obama return to the days of First Lady Elenore Roosevelt and replace 5 acres of the White House Chemlawn with a kitchen garden; appoint a green chef and a White House Farmer?
Will the FDA facilitate green dietary changes in the schools?”
Harkin will represent Iowa, you can be sure of that. They may well modify the Farm Bill which Bush vetoed — and thus the old one is on a CR for the time. He will not move all that far away from Corn Based Ethanol, though he will look at alternative feedstocks for the Ethanol plants. He is big on Wind Turbines — very big. Harkin was one of those who laughed Mike Dukakis out of Iowa during the 1988 caucus, when he suggested that Iowa look into raising Belgium Endive. I don’t think things have changed much since then.
Iowa Agriculture is Big Big Business — and suggestions for change need to be proposed as a strictly business proposition. If your land is $2000 or more per acre, and you are paying long term interest on it, and your operation requires a million in equiptment, which you have mortgaged, and to operate efficently you need at least 1200 acres either owned or rented, you are not in the kitchen garden business. There is lots of interest in going organic — but only if the numbers add up. Recent ag news is that since the financial meltdown, the bottom is out of the premium organic market, both in veggies and meat.
Harkin is a good Progressive, but he is also the Senator from Iowa.
Lieberman?
He’s like Price in Stalag 17.
Also, it looks like there’s some Cabinet List-Making going on, too – I’d really like to see whomever is the Nation’s Foremost Prosecutor get placed as AG. Not a Political Pick, so much as the Best Law and Order Pick.
Imvho, We need an AG who will rid Justice of Politics, and Enforce the Laws of Our Nation, Equally for Everyone – Serving and Protecting the Public Trust in Our Government.
Stalag 17? Chess game indeed. If Kneepads Joe is Price, the spy “from” Cleveland, OH, does that make McCain Col. von Scherbach and Graham Cracker Sgt. Schulz?
Personally I’d like to see Feingold as AG.
Recognizing that he has stepped in doodoo I think that there could be a role for Spitzer in DOJ.
Edwards too
we got a chance to rehabilitate a lot of the people who were demonized by the repuglitard slime machine
and if we cause a few more repuglitard hissy fits, that works in our favor too
after the repuglitard preformance during mcsame’s campaign suspension, America’s tolleance for repuglitards is DROPPING LIKE A ROCK
being the eddie haskell party ain’t working for the repuglitards any more
I don’t know how Edwards and Spitzer’s images can be rehabilitated but they are two very smart people and can contribute a great deal.
Not gonna happen. Not only are a couple people already in the running (including Janet Napolitano, whom bmaz has convinced me would be a superb choice) but Russ wasn’t exactly the most enthusiastic supporter of Obama this year (I think out of loyalty to the old McCain).
I’d love to see it. But not gonna happen. I’m just going to take solace that Russ will be in charge of SSCI in 2010, when DiFi becomes CA’s governor.
Don’t say that! If she’s going that way, I’m hoping Markos runs for her seat.
You’re right to follow bmaz on this, but neither is freep out to lunch on Fitz, who is definitely headed up the DOJ ladder.
Obama’s sense for the appropriate leadership gesture [You may not have liked it, and I too think he got it wrong; but it played a part in the FISA deal.] suggests head of OLC, including the responsibility for advice and initiatives on national security tools. It would fit with what he was doing before being appointed USA for the Southern Illinois District.
That appointment would send a number of important signals, and both obviously greatly needed, including:
as to the Obama administration’s returning the DOJ to its proper role; as to committing to a ‘return’ to nonpartisanhip and professionalism [I’m sure many would disagree, but I think since Ike the only truly non-partisan AG was Janet Reno, whose reputation has suffered a lot from how scrupulously she and Bill Clinton maintained firewalls, ironically leaving her vulnerable to the machinations of the Gingrich/Delay/Lott dominated Congress]; as to the DOJ careerists being left to attend to the necessary purging of all the Libertyheads & Regencyheads, in an effort to avoid criticism for it being driven from the White House; as to reviewing and re-energizing the DOJ professional conduct guidelines; re-building the DOJ back to its former strong commitment to pursuing business crimes [which goes to one of Fitz’ strengths, and presents as scary a prospect to the GOP’s lobbyist and business insider support as any other]; and as to committing to placing the US government’s intelligence apparati, which Hayden’s immaturity and lack of vision-thing, and McConnell’s channeling Bill Casey into empire building, have turned into an out of control beast, back within the Rule of Law model.
[I also think that those who imagine him at the head of whatever the Obama White House and Congress devise in the way of a ‘truth reconciliation’ commission are underestimating the degree to which he is fatally conflicted out of that role – which I don’t mean in any bad way.]
I might not be out to lunch, but I’m sure this is all waaaaaay over my pay grade
if I had to chose, I’d let Mary pick the senate leadership, and Sara pick the cabinet
that’s about as close as I wanna get to filling those positions
I do know we need to conduct a massive purge in our government
if you got regency law school or federalist society on your resume, GET THE FUCK OUT
I’m sure Mary and Sara could come up with something that fits those strict parameters
I’ll vote against her in the primary.
We can do better than that for governor. Maybe we can bring back Jerry Brown – he isn’t a DINO.
As I would hope everyone would.
And I realize she isn’t that popular in CA anymore. Still.
Jello Jay is even worse than I realzed in DiFi Inc. (DFNK on the NYSE) is an improvement!
As a californian, NO effing way DiFi in the Guv seat.
DiFi as California’s governor “not going to happen”
they just don’t get us left coasters
no way, no day
the first thing I want obama to do is executive order;
“torture is illegal and has been illegal, all questionable and marginal practices are to stop immediately and will be revued for prosecution”
I would not mind if he left out the prosecution part of the executive order but he MUST stop torture immediately
the second thing I think he has to set his mind to is a “fairness doctrine”
he will have NO honeymoon and he needs to get them on board right away if he is to get any play from the media
Obama is gonna have a LOOOOOOOONG honeymoon
the repuglitards are gonna throw their hissy fits
And America is gonna slap them like children
can’t wait till the first repuglitard calls for Obama’s impeachment
we’ll probably tar and feather that fucking dickhead
then we can parade him around the country on a fucking rail as a warning to other repuglitarded people
Fitz ???
*gasp* … HoJo removed from his seat of power ?
… say it ain’t so, Joe …
In all honesty, Whitehouse would make a great, historic even, AG.
The Rank and File at DoJ Trust and Respect him. It’s early enough in his career that he can afford to make the committment neccessary to wade-into the Everyday Working Culture of DoJ, and Re-shape it with his Principled Character from the Inside. Also, his Senate Seat could be ’safely’ replaced.
And, We could Trust him to ‘keep it clean’ when interacting with the Executive.
When Mueller steps down, 2010 at the latest, I hope Comey is given all due consideration for Director of the FBI. He plays hard, but he’s a G-Man’s G-man – he would Crush Corruption in America.
I don’t disagree strongly with the first part of your comment, but frankly Nadler would be a better boss, and I’d much prefer to see Whitehouse grow out of his gadfly role into the SJC chair job.
As to the latter, Comey showed he had a huge pair more than once, and there’d be some arguable benefit on the departmental morale front; but his other public conduct, indeed his conduct overall, and his parachuting out of the DOJ and into Boeing, suggests some political, or at least semi-political, ambitions. He’d be interesting as a FISA court judge, particularly as chief.
Lockheed Martin
ooh, another good point. like that one.
I am betting the democrats accept liarman’s ‘apology’ and leave him be
I sure hope pelosi was not just rattling sabers when she warned that joe was short lived if we didn’t need him
What does Pelosi have to do with the Senate?
Lieberman deserves to lose his “gavel”. He did this to himself. Accountability is a good thing
some more tea leaves
“endangered species”
“Did President Bush hurt the GOP Brand
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
you just keep telling yourself that
meanwhile, out here in Cali, DiFi ain’t as popular as she once was
we already know she doesn’t care what we think
why would we allow her to become governor ???
O/T, but I think that Michael Tomasky in the Guardian has been reading bmaz (although he doesn’t do the follow-through that bmaz can do).
This was just posted at TruthDig. It is about vote rigging using computers.
http://www.truthdig.com/avboot…..ting_lies/
I’ve said since day one, bmaz for AG; if he can handle the pay cut.
*g*
Hey Bmaz Republican Strategist Michelle Laxalt thinks the Stevens decision will be trumped on appeal. Chris Matthews kind of agreed.
Under video highlights
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
I was interested to find SCSI has posted its by-laws online now.
better late than never ???
would you be appeased for my forgetfulness if we let you pick the house leadership, ew ???
how about a couple of those seven supreme court appointments I’m hopin to see …
hey, ew; perhaps the reason schumer is interested in senate rules is an expectation that the remaining republicans will be hell bent on bending those rules?
just a thought.
Oooohhhhhhh… tea leaves.
Among my favorite things ;-))
Patty Murray would be good on Vets.
But if Jello Jay moves to Commerce, doesn’t that give him control of the Toobz….? Hmmmm… that SSCI background, then on to control the toobz… kinda makes my tummy swish and lurch a bit.
Ew/All did you see and hear this heated encounter between D Strategist Bob Shrum and R Strategist Ed Rogers? Damn
Ed Rogers Senator Obama “has never done anything hard in his life” He repeats the line
Bob Shrum gets pissed “somebody from the south should not be saying that a black person has never done anything hard in his life”
Ed Rogers repeats “Obama has never done anything hard in his life”
Go listen
Closing arguments: McCain vs. Obama
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/
Somebody should ask Rogers what the fuck “hard” he has ever done in his life. Little pompous prick. He is a two bit right wing bag man living in a $20 million dollar house. See also here for more on the “Hickory Hillbillies”. Total little banty rooster prick Rogers is.
I would challange Ed Rogers to walk (run) in Obama’s shoes for a year or two… Maybe he’d lose a few pounds…
a waste of moisture
Sorry but I think this clip along with many things that McCain is saying about Obama wanting “to redistribute the wealth” is terrifying to the majority of the fat cats. Many rich folks are running scared…willing to run back at the crowd with all the guns blazing.
they might be running scared, but most of em ain’t rich any more (rimshot)
people ain’t listening to shrum and rogers any more (cept for some repuglitard suckers) I never had much respect for shrum to begin with, and Digby skewed rogers a long time ago
remember when Jon Stewart destroyed crossfire ???
tweety and the shouters are almost over
it started out as an inside view of politics for junkies like us, but then the money guys came in, and now cable news as we know it is dead
Rachel Maddow is the future of video journalism. I saw a cambell brown interview; cb is gonna do a show that resembles Rachel, but without the partisan rancor
RIGHT …
what fookin “rancor” was she talking about ???
repuglitarded morans making fools of themselves ???
it ain’t Rachel Maddow’s fault that Frum’s mother raised a disgusting shit of a human being
like it or not, the future of main stream media is gonna fall somewhere between Rachel Maddow and The View minus Rosie
America is sick of the shouting bullshit matches, and even tweety is beginning to be irritated by his phony cackles
I don’t create, I just foresee …
On MSNBC After ED Rogers says that Obama ” he will raise taxes on all of us” BoB Shrum says “it’s a lie, it’s a lie, Ed it’s a lie and I am not going to let you say it, it’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie, it’s a lie” Seven times I have never heard anyone say “it’s a lie” so many times in a row
Yeah, what the heck.
I mean, everyone I know speaks to 100,000 people on a weekly basis, raises millions of dollars ($5 million/day in Sept!), and can switch from Pakistan policy to Wall Street bailouts without pausing. Piece. Of. Cake.
/snark
stole this from HuffPo
12 million
that’s close to 10%
or maybe it ISN’T (cue scary music)
anybody think mcsame has a chance with more than 125 million votes ???
we might see 140 million
It’s a lot more than 10% in the swingers that matter, save PA and MO (it’s close to 40% in some states).
So while I think McCain will close this some, I think it will happen too late to matter in the EV.
Foreign Policy’s site has an interactive list of cabinet potential recommendations that is fun to fool with — State, Defense, Energy and Homeland Security mostly — plus a little contest where you can submit your own lists.
Looked at the whole list, and interesting addition to my own lists — Strobe Talbott. He’s heading Brookings these days. They asked Grover Nordquist to send a list — and he recommended his brother. Good lord, another of them!!! Anyhow for something, Talbott is quite acceptable.
Another interesting list making is in the current edition of the New York Review of Books — they asked all their regular writers to offer policy suggestions as well as personnel. In particular, I recommend Timothy Garton Ash’s essay — so excellent.
The Hill had another story that suggested…
Dodd to Health to carry on Kennedy’s work (they are best buds) while he is sick
Reed to head Banking
Kerry to head Foreign Relations
Dodd has a lot of cards in this game too
Also, bringing the Connecticut for Lieberman Party and the GOP together qualifies as bringing two parties together, just not the two that matter. Adios Senator Wrong N. Disloyal.
“Also, bringing the Connecticut for Lieberman Party and the GOP together qualifies as bringing two parties together, just not the two that matter. Adios Senator Wrong N. Disloyal.”
I have been trying to think of something totally classical for Lieberman, should he want to make amends — and I have come up with a Freshman exercise in History 101 — I think the exercise was created by Yale’s History Department. The whole thing required a short essay on what actually happened to Henry at Canossa in 1077. There are a number of documents regarding King Henry standing in sack cloth and ashes outside the Papal Palace barefoot in the snow, begging the pope to end his excommunication. The whole point of the essay is to evaluate the documents, and argue your own thesis as to what really happened at Canossa.
When the exercise was used with a winter class, some wag would always try to prove the thesis by putting on sack cloth and testing how long they could stand barefoot in the snow. Anyhow, my thinking is that come January maybe there will be snow in DC, and Lieberman could repeat Henry’s (actually mythic) act in a fairly public place. (And yes, the Pope lifted the excommunication.)
I’d settle for pillories and stocks.
I was gonna vote for tar and feathers. then pillories and stocks.
http://crooksandliars.com/
Obama in Raleigh North Carolina today
“Lately he’s called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can give some tax relief to the middle class. I don’t know what’s next. Next week he’ll be calling me a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Look, that’s his choice. That’s the kind of campaign he chooses to run. But you have a choice, too.”
Now that is downright hysterical
DiFi’s broom at intelligence could sweep a wide path, but, alas, I fear she is a Blue Dog and is tainted by acquiescence in much of what Bush has done
She most certainly is. I can’t believe they would give her that committee. It makes me ill to think. The woman votes with the republics more often than she votes with the dems. Good lord.
tainted by war profiteering.
Sanctimonious Joe got all complimentary of Obama the other day
“guys? heh, heh (grins sheepishly). I didn’t really mean any of that stuff. it’s going to be OK, right?”
Joe, they’re just not that into you anymore.
if you’ve got some spare time (and expendable brain cells), check this out:
Look, I get the over confidence thing.
But since it looks like Obama’s campaign is gonna run through the finish line, I just have to say that if McCain wins this election vote fraud like the world has never seen will have occurred.
I saw the piece about Kerry being up six, and, being from Ohio I saw up close and personal the shenanigans they pulled here. Kerry was blowing Bush away in the exit polling and eventually ‘lost’ the state?
Didn’t believe it then, and I don’t believe it now.
But Kerry never had the potential electoral college numbers Obama does now; it is statistically impossible for him to lose all six swing states he currently leads in.
No way McCain legitimately gets all the undecideds to break for him in all six states.
No way.
And should that shit happen, we should take to the streets.
Peacefully, of course.
O/T via TPM
full story over at fivethirtyeight
crazed dumbasses,i used to live in Miami,hateful place
Joe Scumborougho,with meek Mikka,keep repeating over ,and over,AND OVER again ad NAUSEUM….OBAMA BOUGHT THE RACE
fukyouJoeandMeekMikka
I saw that as well, and he’s so full of crap…
I seem to miss all this crying when Rethugs held the money advantage.
sore effing LOSERZ and Mikka what a disgrace to your dad YOU ARE….tool
At least Obama is paying for it (if one wants to say that) and isn’t trying to steal it like the goopers do. god, what jerks!
WE are paying for it,with OUR DOLLARZ its called democracy
Oh but it’s fine to steal it. Or worse off have the Supreme Clown Court appoint you. The republics should call the whaaaaambulance.
A win for Obama is a bargin….How much has bush cost Joe Scumborougho?… I would guess a lot more than Obama will.
absolute tool,fascist murdering dipshit….imo
So, for Republics, buying the race is bad but cheating to win is not.
and i am losing my mind
Sorry if I’m being thick, but I’ve read this entry twice and I don’t see what the source of these quotes is. Where can I read the complete article that EW is quoting?
Here’s the link.
Link to The Hill is fourth word in post.
24 – “Feingold also belongs to the class of 1992, and should soon be in line for a major committee. He went on Intelligence in 2006 — and that committee is rotational and even in terms of party — I believe right now he is ranking to DiFi.”
I don’t see much better things to come with DiFi Chairing – but Feingold would be great. Which is why it won’t happen. And if DiFi is seriously thinking of a Gov run, as has been hinted, it’s not the best committee to have constant turnover at the helm. But I’m sure no one will let prudence get in the way of Dem political maneuvering – after all, they haven’t so far.
“And if DiFi is seriously thinking of a Gov run, as has been hinted, it’s not the best committee to have constant turnover at the helm. But I’m sure no one will let prudence get in the way of Dem political maneuvering – after all, they haven’t so far.”
Currently the Intelligence Committee is designed that way. No one serves more than an 8 year term, and the rules require that the republicans and democrats have equal membership…with the chair going to the majority party. One 9/11 Commission recommendation was to change this — but it hasn’t been changed.
I deeply respect Feingold…consistent.
Emptywheel: “With Boxer at Environment and DiFi at SSCI and Murray at VA, it would finally show the slow fruition of the year of the woman”
Just because Diane Feinstein is a woman doesn’t mean that she’s a feminist. Just because she’s a Democrat doesn’t mean shit. She is in fact a war profiteer and a prime enabler of Bush’s assault on the Constitution. Feinstein’s loyal support of Lieberman and her neo-con voting record are ample proof that she is nothing but a Blue Dog DINO.
118 – I understand the rotation and I think that’s not such a bad thing for various reason. I can see it either way – but I do think they need to be more than 1 deep on each party on briefing – I think the NSAct should be changed on that, but why bother to change it when they just invent things like a “Big Four” that doesn’t exist in the legislation.
My bigger concern was that if DiFi is going to make a run at Gov then aren’t you looking at an election in 2 years in CA? With some extra time in state to campaign? Of course, maybe the rumors of her running for Gov are all just talk.
Lindsay Beyerstein is in the Campaign Silo!
Dems Set to Strip Lieberman of Chairmanship
Why would Schumer want Rules?
from Wikipedia: “responsible for . . . credentials and qualifications of members of the Senate, including responsibility for dealing with contested elections.”
And if the need arises to end the tradition of 60 votes to invoke cloture . . .
I would like the CA Secretary of State Debra Bowen to enter the gubernatorial primary, but we need another strong woman to challenge DiFi if she tries to run for reelection to the senate again. Boxer already is preparing for a focused challenge the RNC is underwriting when she is ready for reelection as well. DiFi could work as a consultant to the national conference of mayors. I was surprised Kathleen Brown’s candidacy had no sequel; maybe another run is in store.
Most of the tealeaves in the post are noteworthy for people who are students of the processes involved. However I prefer to defer to current events, though I have some definite preferences if there is an opportunity to discuss pow wow style after the electoral college votes, or if the election seems real and final instead of the chicanery of the past several elections. I wonder how clear the outcome will be; there is one county in FL already refusing to send by modem its votes for tally, promising to delay statewide validation of the election results until the courier delivers that county’s results several days following the election; I think that is Hillsborough county, but have yet to find the link. Too early to tell if that will matter in the scale of the events approaching. Our county is predicting that as in the primary we will set a record for proportion voting, the registrar is citing above ninety percent as a prediction. I think we have targeted some key positions in prior writing, it is important who directs ISOO, for example, who is at OLC, and, as writers are observing in several locales, the current policies about G8 divulgation, or serial meetings which expose favored leaders to variant sets of ‘facts’, is a defect in the historic way the current administration took advantage of legislature rules.
Why Schumer at Rules? Rules is where they predetermine the outcome of many things — like whether amendments will pass with majority or 60 votes, whether amendments will be offered at all, etc. It’s a leadership position without the title and the public focus (and that’s the odd part of Schumer wanting it; he’s a famous publicity hound).