To support this site, please make your purchases through my Amazon link.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Bush already backtracking on Soc. Sec.
The heat is on the Bush administration right now to deliver on Social Security and what do they do? Backtrack and hedge their bets. The Washington Post's Jim VandeHei and Jonathan Weisman report in a very well-written article.
Don't underestimate the President; he's gotten out of sticky situations before. Nevertheless, momentum is moving away from him now and he's running scared. Democrats need to enjoy it while they can because the battle will only get harder.
President Bush is privately expressing support for limits on the cost and risk of partially privatizing Social Security, in an effort to mollify nervous Republicans and win over dubious Democrats, according to White House aides and congressional Republicans. [emphasis added]The key to this graf is that VandeHei and Weisman are willing to tell their readers the truth: George W. Bush is in favor of privatization, not personalization (or whatever else they want to call it). The two crack reporters continue:
Bush, who plans to make Social Security the centerpiece of tomorrow's State of the Union address, has privately told GOP lawmakers and aides that he would support phasing in changes to the system to keep deficits under control over the next several years and push individuals who opt for private accounts into more conservative investments, such as bonds, as they near retirement to mitigate long-term risks, the sources said.The crux of this piece: Bush is already so concerned that his plans for privatizing Social Security can't pass that he's moving to funny accounting methods to try to woo fence-sitters.
Don't underestimate the President; he's gotten out of sticky situations before. Nevertheless, momentum is moving away from him now and he's running scared. Democrats need to enjoy it while they can because the battle will only get harder.
I fought the AP and I won!
David Espo has an interesting article on the AP wires at this hour on the new CBO report on Social Security. The central point of the report is that the program's trust fund, originally believed to run out in 2042, will now survive at least until 2052, a vast improvement.
When I checked Yahoo! News, to my chagrin the headline to the article read as follows: "Social Security to Be Depleted by 2052." Not only was this disingenuous (the trust fund will run out that year, not the program itself), it belies the point of the article. Social Security is getting safer, not less secure.
I promptly called the national desk of the Associated Press to demand a correction (as I had successfully done in the past). I explained to three people in the New York bureau exactly how this headline not only conflicted with Espo's article but was more importantly untrue. To my surprise, they agreed.
After making a follow up call to the Washington bureau, I was pleased to find that the headline on the electronic wire was changed within minutes. What's more, the new headline is not swayed by the Bush administration's indoctrination. On both Yahoo! News and AP.org, the new headline reads "New Soc. Sec. Estimates More Optimistic."
It's not often that a small blogger can effect change in a news organization the size of the Associated Press. Tonight is proof that anyone with the will to fact-check the mainstream media can ensure that the American people are not bombarded with the President's spin.
When I checked Yahoo! News, to my chagrin the headline to the article read as follows: "Social Security to Be Depleted by 2052." Not only was this disingenuous (the trust fund will run out that year, not the program itself), it belies the point of the article. Social Security is getting safer, not less secure.
I promptly called the national desk of the Associated Press to demand a correction (as I had successfully done in the past). I explained to three people in the New York bureau exactly how this headline not only conflicted with Espo's article but was more importantly untrue. To my surprise, they agreed.
After making a follow up call to the Washington bureau, I was pleased to find that the headline on the electronic wire was changed within minutes. What's more, the new headline is not swayed by the Bush administration's indoctrination. On both Yahoo! News and AP.org, the new headline reads "New Soc. Sec. Estimates More Optimistic."
It's not often that a small blogger can effect change in a news organization the size of the Associated Press. Tonight is proof that anyone with the will to fact-check the mainstream media can ensure that the American people are not bombarded with the President's spin.
Minnesota watch
Could Democratic Senator Mark Dayton be in trouble? CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) reports:
Dayton needs to start raising his profile in the state and more importantly begin to bring in substantial campaign funds. The Gopher State may have gone for John Kerry in 2004, but the margin was not large enough to call this an easy win for Dayton. If you want to give the Senator support, visit MarkDayton.org.
The Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE reports, "Minnesota Sens. Mark Dayton and Norm Coleman both took hits to their public image in the past year, with their job approval ratings falling below 50 percent, according to the latest Minnesota Poll. Dayton, a Democrat who's up for reelection next year, took the heaviest blow: His approval rating declined by 15 points in a year, from 58 percent to 43 percent. The approval rating for Coleman, who just began his third year in office, fell by 7 points, from 54 to 47 percent." That is a "sharp turnaround for both senators, who had healthy increases in their approval ratings the last time their performance was measured in a Minnesota Poll, in January 2004."[The original article can be found here].
Dayton needs to start raising his profile in the state and more importantly begin to bring in substantial campaign funds. The Gopher State may have gone for John Kerry in 2004, but the margin was not large enough to call this an easy win for Dayton. If you want to give the Senator support, visit MarkDayton.org.
Oy!
From the AP:
[Update 10:23 AM Pacific]: MSNBC reported that Clinton has not been taken to a hospital and she plans to deliver her afternoon speech as previously planned.
Sen. Hillary Clinton collapsed during an appearance here Monday before delivering a speech on Social Security.Let's pray for her safe recovery.
Colleen DiPirro, president of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, told WBEN-AM radio that Clinton told the crowd she was feeling weak and had had a stomach virus. Clinton started to speak then collapsed, DiPirro told the radio station.
Clinton was scheduled to speak Monday at a Catholic college despite protests from anti-abortion groups and reluctance from the Catholic diocese. She was expected to discuss health care, not her pro-choice stance on abortion — the cause of the protesters' anger.
Several hundred people were waiting to hear that address. There were also hundreds of protesters waiting at the college.
[Update 10:23 AM Pacific]: MSNBC reported that Clinton has not been taken to a hospital and she plans to deliver her afternoon speech as previously planned.
Trump "invests" political contributions wisely
CQ Weekly's Daniel Link and Michael Teitelbaum take a gander at Donald Trumps political donations in the Jan. 31 issue of the magazine (page 214; no link available). They write:
Between his third wedding and the start of the third season of “The Apprentice” this month, Donald Trump seems to be everywhere again. His hard-charging business mystique is well-known, but we don’t hear much about his big-giving political style. In politics, as in business, Trump is a big spender. In the past six years he has bestowed $77,000 in direct and non-federal contributions on political party committees — and has spread that largess fairly evenly among them. Smartly, too: His only donation to a Democratic presidential candidate in the 2004 primaries was $2,000 to John Kerry (he also hedged that bet with a $2,000 gift to President Bush.) And he gives strategically: He sent $5,000 to Mark Foley, the GOP congressman for West Palm Beach, Fla., the locale of Trump’s Mar-a-Largo estate. He also sent $4,500 to Harlem’s Charles B. Rangel, the House’s top tax-policy Democrat. Trump is not the only “Apprentice” cast member on the federal donor rolls. George H. Ross, his tough right-hand man, gave $2,000 to the Kerry campaign — though the other boardroom bully, Carolyn Kepcher, gave nothing. Neither did former Clinton appointee and contestant turned C-list celebrity Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.Link and Teitelbaum report that Trump split his money between the two parties relatively evenly ($34,400 for the Dems, $31,750 for the GOP), though he gave $9,000 to the Democratic leadership and no money to the Republican leadership. Even for someone who (amazingly) doesn't watch "The Apprentice," this is still interesting stuff.
A must read article
Kudos to patachon over at dKos for finding this piece:
U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote :patachon has provided the entire piece, but if you'd rather buy it from the Times, click here.
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror
by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)
WASHINGTON, Sept. 3-- United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.
According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.
The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.
From the comments section...
Reader John D. passes this along:
I know this is off topic, but I thought I'd help spread the news about the new Pacific Northwest Portal - the new information gateway and media center for progressive Oregonians, Washingtonians, and Idahoans.The site has been up in the links section under Oregon blogs for some time. It's a great resource, so check it out.
View a "newswire" for each state as well as the nation, and check out the top 4 headlines from 12 different blogs - 4 from Washington, 4 from Idaho, and 4 from Oregon - including Basie!
The site also includes a directory of progressive sites in the northwest and a very comprehensive list of newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations for each NW state.
Check it out at www.nwportal.org.
Quote of the Day
As chosen by Taegan Goddard:
"We will build a statue for Bush. He is the symbol of freedom."
-- Ali Fadel, the new mayor of Baghdad, quoted by the New York Post. Fadel's predecessor "was gunned down Jan. 4 when militants opened fire on his armor-covered BMW as it traveled with a three-car convoy."
2008 Watch
Evidently, it is never too early to begin campaigning for the Presidency. Just ask these two politicians:
Democrats aren't the only ones jockeying for position. The GOP field could be just as wide open, leaving room even for a man from "liberal tax-achusetts."
One of President Bush's most vocal opponents in the Senate is weighing a 2008 run for the presidency.Link.
U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., told the Tiger Bay Club of Volusia County on Friday that he'll decide whether to run after "going around the country" working to return a Democrat to the White House.
Democrats aren't the only ones jockeying for position. The GOP field could be just as wide open, leaving room even for a man from "liberal tax-achusetts."
The road to the 2008 Republican presidential nomination runs through Upstate South Carolina.South Carolina, of course, is home to the first primary following Iowa and New Hampshire; it is also the state in which George W. Bush slowed John McCain's momentum en route to picking up the Republican nomination. Although Romney's bid began quite poorly with a lackluster speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention, money talks, and it appears as though he gave a lot of it to South Carolina pols.
At least that's what Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and several other leading Republicans appear to be counting on.
A political action committee founded by friends and supporters of the Republican governor donated $43,000 to 57 state candidates and party organizations in the run-up to the 2004 election, according to filings at the state Ethics Commission.
More than 40 percent of that money, donated by the Commonwealth PAC, went to Upstate politicians and party organizations.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Congratulations to all Iraqis
Sunday was one great step towards Democracy.
Association of State Democratic Chairs recommends endorsement of Fowler
In a bid to block Howard Dean, the executive board of the Association of State Democratic Chairs recommended the endorsement of Donnie Fowler. Adam Nagourney of the New York Times has the story:
The recommendation, to be voted on by the entire association on Monday, reflected turmoil among Democrats as Dr. Dean seeks to portray his election on Feb. 12 by the Democratic National Committee as inevitable, and his opponents move to rally around a candidate to block him.This race is certainly shaping up to be hotly-contested, and though Dean is on the inside track to victory, it is far from over. For more information, check out the major candidates' sites:
[...]
The association had sought to keep all its members from making an endorsement in hope of arriving at a consensus. But Dr. Dean picked off some influential chairmen - in particular, Scott Maddox of Florida - in a move that added momentum to his bid but stirred resentment among some state party leaders.
Dr. Dean's allies played down the significance of the vote, suggesting it was a gesture of respect for Mr. Fowler's father, Donald Fowler, a former Democratic chairman. One of his associates said Dr. Dean would rather face Donnie Fowler than Martin Frost, the former representative from Texas and a former head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, who Democrats said emerged this weekend as the third of the top three candidates.
They said they viewed Mr. Frost, 63, given his stature and experience, as a stronger challenger for the job than Mr. Fowler, who is 37.
Is the Bush payola illegal?
The Washington Post's Christopher Lee sets to the task of answering this surprisingly difficult question:
The GAO is investigating the Armstrong Williams case to see whether the Education Department acted improperly and illegally. It is unclear how they will rule, however. Check out the piece though; it's a must read for Monday.
There is a 17-word, one-sentence provision in federal law that appears to warn federal agencies away from hiring public relations firms -- the sort of arrangement that recently landed the Education Department in hot water with Congress.Lee explains that the aformentioned 1913 law is difficult to enforce due to its perceived ambiguity. As currently read, the statute dictates that while it is illegal to produce propaganda labeled as third-party reporting (such as the fake video news releases by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), it is difficult to prove guilt in less obvious cases.
"Appropriated funds may not be used to pay a publicity expert unless specifically appropriated for that purpose," states the provision in the U.S. code.
Such language seemingly would have put the kibosh on the Education Department's $1 million-plus contract with the public relations firm Ketchum Inc. to promote President Bush's No Child Left Behind law, an effort roundly criticized by some in Congress as propaganda. After all, the Education Department is not like, say, the Defense Department, to which Congress grants millions of dollars each year specifically for military advertising and recruiting.
Alas, it is not that simple.
The GAO is investigating the Armstrong Williams case to see whether the Education Department acted improperly and illegally. It is unclear how they will rule, however. Check out the piece though; it's a must read for Monday.
Religious groups to oppose GOP on immigration
All too often, the left takes the alliance between conservatives and the religious as a unchangeable fact, though in reality this is not the case (check out Jim Wallis' God's Politics for a more thorough discussion of this topic). As the AP's Suzanne Gamboa reports, for instance, religious groups have come out in opposition to a new GOP proposal on immigration.
Several faith-based groups oppose a Republican-sponsored immigration and border security bill that could move quickly through the House with a spending package for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.It is imperative to the ultimate success of the Democratic party for liberals and progressives to be willing to align with the religious right when possible, and the issue of immigration appears to be one upon which the groups can find agreement. The two-party system in this country does not need to be based on religiosity, nor does abortion have to be the only issue that matters to the pious. If the left can reach out on immigration, care for the downtrodden and hungry, and other such issues, the Republicans' already tottering 51% majority will melt away.
The groups say the bill sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner proposes asylum law changes that would hurt refugees fleeing religious persecution and should be debated in full committee hearings.
[...]
Richard Parkins, director of Episcopal Migration Ministries, said Sensenbrenner's asylum provisions are based on a false premise that the threat of terrorism is reduced by making asylum benefits less accessible.
[...]
Other religious groups opposing the asylum changes are the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service and World Relief, a program of the National Association of Evangelicals. They are joined by Human Rights First and Amnesty International.
Bushies lose $9 billion in Iraq
Talk about mismanagement!
How can $9,000,000,000 just get lost? Before the Congress approves another $80 billion for Iraq, George W. Bush must explain to the American people how the poor leadership within his administration led to the loss of $9 billion.
The U.S. occupation authority in Iraq was unable to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to government ministries, which lacked financial controls, security, communications and adequate staff, an inspector general has found.Link.
The U.S. officials relied on Iraqi audit agencies to account for the funds but those offices were not even functioning when the funds were transferred between October 2003 and June 2004, according to an audit by a special U.S. inspector general.
The findings were released Sunday by Stuart Bowen Jr., special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. Bowen issued several reports on the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), the U.S. occupation government that ruled Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004.
How can $9,000,000,000 just get lost? Before the Congress approves another $80 billion for Iraq, George W. Bush must explain to the American people how the poor leadership within his administration led to the loss of $9 billion.
The road is cleared for Corzine in NJ
Although recent polling from Quinnipiac College indicates that either US Senator Jon Corzine or acting Governor Richard Codey could easily defeat major Republican challengers, a bruising primary battle between the two could have derailed the path to victory. The situation in New Jersey has changed, however, as the AP's David Porter reports:
Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who took office after his predecessor revealed a gay extramarital affair, has decided not to seek election to the post, a close adviser said Sunday.New Jersey should be an easy win for the Democrats this year. The real test between the two parties will occur in Virginia as both parties forward competent and charismatic leaders. Make sure to check in with Basie! for full coverages of both races.
Democratic Assemblyman John McKeon said Codey made up his mind Friday night, when he notified his family and political allies.
"I think he's at peace with it," McKeon said. "The fact he's decided not to run adds to his credibility as a stabilizing force during a tumultuous period in our political history. In my view, it was a very courageous decision."
Codey is expected to make an official announcement Monday and endorse Sen. Jon Corzine, the only declared Democratic candidate in the race. A spokesman for Codey did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press Sunday.
Edging towards peace in the Middle East
The recent flow of news out of Israel has been almost wholly positive, and today's story is no different. The AP's Peter Enav reports from Tel Aviv:
Israel will transfer security control over several West Bank towns to the Palestinians in coming days, Israel's defense minister said Sunday, hours after he met with a top Palestinian security official to work out the details of Israel's troop redeployment.The news out of Iraq is unfortunately not as positive today as Iraqis head to the polls. AP's Mariam Fam writes from Baghdad:
Israel has informed Palestinian officials that it is ready to withdraw gradually from all West Bank towns and to return to positions it held before the outbreak of fighting in September 2000, said Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat.
Such a pullback is part of the long-stalled "road map" peace plan, which both sides now say they are ready to implement.
Iraqis voted Sunday in their country's first free election in a half-century and insurgents made good on threats of violence, launching three deadly suicide bombings and mortar strikes at polling stations across Iraq. At least 17 people were killed, including five policemen.Hopefully peace can emerge in both Israel and Iraq within the near future. I am certainly praying for it.
Casting his vote, Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi called it "the first time the Iraqis will determine their destiny." The country's mostly ceremonial president, Ghazi al-Yawer, said it was Iraq's first step "toward joining the free world."
Despite the heavy attacks, turnout was brisk in some Shiite Muslim and mixed Shiite-Sunni neighborhoods. Even in the small town of Askan in the so-called "triangle of death" south of Baghdad — a mixed Sunni-Shiite area — 20 people waited in line at each of several polling centers. More walked toward the polls.
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Sunday morning talkshow lineup
For those interested...
For the record, that's 6 Republicans and 3 Democrats, not to mention 9 pro-Bush Iraqis. Fair and balanced lineups, I guess.
FOX NEWS SUNDAY: Sens. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.Link.
THIS WEEK (ABC): Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Rice.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sens. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) and Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), and Rice.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.).
LATE EDITION (CNN): Sens. John W. Warner (R-Va.) and Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.); former Iraqi Governing Council members Ahmed Chalabi and Adnan Pachachi; Jalal Talabani, secretary general of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan; Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak Rubaie; Barham Salih, Iraq's deputy prime minister for national security; Ken Pollack of the Brookings Institute; retired Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong; retired Maj. Gens. James Marks and Don Shepperd; former Coalition Provisional Authority adviser Brett McGurk; pollster John Zogby; Iraq out-of-country voting program members June Chwa of Detroit and Jeremy Copeland of Maryland; Feisal Istrabadi, Iraq's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, and Rice.
For the record, that's 6 Republicans and 3 Democrats, not to mention 9 pro-Bush Iraqis. Fair and balanced lineups, I guess.
The Bush Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine
That's how Tom Wolfe views Bush's inaugural speech:
The president had barely warmed up: "There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants ... and that is the force of human freedom.... The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. ... America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one..." when - bango! - I flashed back 100 years and 47 days on the dot to another president. George W. Bush was speaking, but the voice echoing inside my skull - a high-pitched voice, an odd voice, coming from such a great big hairy bear of a man - was that of the president who dusted off Monroe's idea and dragged it into the 20th century.Tom Wolfe is the author of many books including most recently I Am Charlotte Simmons.
"The steady aim of this nation, as of all enlightened nations," said the Echo, "should be to strive to bring ever nearer the day when there shall prevail throughout the world the peace of justice. ...Tyrants and oppressors have many times made a wilderness and called it peace. ...The peace of tyrannous terror, the peace of craven weakness, the peace of injustice, all these should be shunned as we shun unrighteous war. ... The right of freedom and the responsibility for the exercise of that right cannot be divorced."
Oy Vey
A rocket or mortar hit the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad late Saturday on the eve of Iraq's landmark elections, killing two people and wounding four, a U.S. Embassy official said.Link.
One round fell into the Embassy's compound in the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The U.S. military said an explosion at the site was being investigated.
Embassy spokesman Bob Callahan confirmed the embassy had been hit in an attack and said there appeared to have been casualties, but could give no details.
The second official then confirmed that two had been killed and four injured.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two casualties, as well the many injured survivors.
Schwarzenegger embraces special interests
When Arnold Schwarzenegger ran for Governor a year and a half ago, his campaign made strong indictments against the "special interests" that controlled Sacramento. As The Los Angeles Times' Jordan Rau reports, the Governor has apparently changed his mind and is now freely aligned with special interests.
While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared war on Sacramento's "special interests," he has helped one of California's most effective business lobbies — car dealers — accelerate to new levels of influence in the Capitol. Dealerships are among the most regulated sales industries in the state, with lemon laws that dictate precisely how they may market their products and a state board that can ban dealers from moving within 10 miles of another showroom peddling the same make of car.Schwarzenegger is a deft politician, and the sooner the people of California realize this, the better off they will be.
Still, they have always made good mileage in Sacramento, going back to when Los Angeles dealer Holmes Tuttle was one of Ronald Reagan's earliest boosters and closest confidants. And in the last year, their political machine has been souped up.
After the dealers and the rest of the auto industry helped underwrite Schwarzenegger's 2003 gubernatorial campaign, giving him more than $1 million through his first year in office, the Republican sided with dealers last year by killing their most hated piece of legislation, which would have restricted their loan practices.
The dealers played a central role in the passage of Proposition 64, which limits lawsuits against businesses. Dealers financed a third of the campaign's $12-million cost, and Schwarzenegger stumped for it in the final weeks of the fall election.
Jobs to arrive in Portland?
The Portland economy has been one of the slowest in the state to recover from the Bush recession, and though it is beginning to turn around, job growth has not yet met the demand. A new major addition to the Port of Portland could change that, however. The Oregonian's Alex Pulaski reports:
Toyota solidified its ties with Portland on Friday, unveiling a $39 million auto-processing facility on the Willamette River's east bank.With the losses of the major container shipment companies, many warehousing and industrial jobs were lost in the city. With the addition of Toyota, and possibly other companies in the near future, it is very possible that many of these high paying jobs will return to the city. It is incumbent upon new Mayor Tom Potter to foster strong relationships with Asian companies to try to lure them to the Rose City so the economy can grow and people can have good jobs.
The offices, shop areas and massive parking lot on 85 acres at Terminal 4 will enable Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. to funnel one of every four of its U.S. imports through the Port of Portland. After Long Beach, Calif., Portland is the company's leading gateway to this country.
The Port of Portland, with 358,000 autos imported last year by Toyota, Honda and Hyundai, is the West Coast's top vehicle port.
Friday's opening ceremony was a welcome celebration for the Port. The public agency lost two of its three trans-Pacific container lines last year. But it continues to attract less lucrative bulk cargo and automobiles, linking Asia with the Midwest through rail lines.
American Nazi party sign taken down
Just one day after the Salem Statesman Journal reported on an adopt-a-road sign sponsored by the American Nazi Party, reader Notorious J.E.S. from over at BlueOregon.com informs us that the sign is gone. Cara Roberts Murez has the whole story in this morning's Statesman Journal:
A pair of signs proclaiming that the American Nazi Party has adopted a road in rural Salem are gone.As reader Eric notes, freedom of speech should not be abridged in this case or any other, and one solution could have been for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to perform cleanup on the miles before and after the Nazi sign as a sign of protest. While I don't condone people taking the law into their own hands by removing the signs, I understand their position and do not fault them for their feelings.
Marion County commissioners have not changed their stance on allowing the group to participate in a volunteer litter cleanup program, but the signs were vandalized this week and won’t be replaced unless Nazi party members pay to have the county install new ones.
Commissioners and county staff, meanwhile, have been inundated with angry e-mails and phone calls from people in Salem and all over the United States wondering why the county allowed the group to sponsor cleanup on a stretch of Sunnyview Road NE between Cordon Road and 82nd Avenue.
“It’s been a wide variety of people — walks of life and also geographically,” said Marion County Public Works Director Jim Sears. “How would I characterize it? It was pretty intense.”
Friday, January 28, 2005
Chertoff advised CIA that some torture is legal
President Bush already lost one nominee to head the Homeland Security Department (a position I and others like to call the "Defender of the Homeland"). Is he in risk of losing another? The trio of David Johnston, Neil A. Lewis and Douglas Jehl do the tough reporting in a story in Saturday's New York Times.
Michael Chertoff, who has been picked by President Bush to be the homeland security secretary, advised the Central Intelligence Agency on the legality of coercive interrogation methods on terror suspects under the federal anti-torture statute, current and former administration officials said this week.Johnston, Lewis and Jehl indicate that Chertoff should have no trouble being confirmed by the Senate regardless of these policy recommendations. Most likely the Democrats will reserve their most stringent attacks for Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales who held a much more central role in crafting America's torture policy.
Depending on the circumstances, he told the intelligence agency, some coercive methods could be legal, but he advised against others, the officials said.
Mr. Chertoff's previously undisclosed involvement in evaluating how far interrogators could go took place in 2002 and 2003 when he headed the Justice Department's criminal division. The advice came in the form of responses to agency inquiries asking whether C.I.A. employees risked being charged with crimes if particular interrogation techniques were used on specific detainees.
Bush trade deficit derails US economic growth
President Bush might not believe a burgeoning trade deficit matters but he's simply wrong. Just ask the Commerce Department:
Perhaps its time for the President to start fostering the type of economy that creates jobs in America, not overseas. The only way for him to do that is to begin telling the truth to the American people, and bribing journalists is not a good start.
Economic growth slowed in the final quarter of 2004 to levels not seen in two years, the Commerce Department reported today, capping a nonetheless expansive 12 months for the American economy.Link.
The department estimated that the gross domestic product, the measure of overall economic activity in the United States, grew at a rate of 3.1 percent in the October-to-December period versus an anticipated rate of 3.6 percent and a 4 percent rate in the previous quarter.
For the year, growth came in at 4.4 percent in the advance estimates released by the department.
The culprit in the final quarter, the department said, was the country's trade deficit.
Perhaps its time for the President to start fostering the type of economy that creates jobs in America, not overseas. The only way for him to do that is to begin telling the truth to the American people, and bribing journalists is not a good start.
A Kansas Democrat in the Senate?
It could happen...
As Chris Bowers notes, if Brownback leaves the Senate, Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius could appoint a member of her own party, meaning Harry Reid just might have a little easier job.
Speculation reaches us from a well-placed source that President Bush’s thoughts may be turning to his buddy, Sam Brownback, as a possible next Bank president.Link.
[...]
We reckon that a Brownback candidacy would play well with Bush’s base at home (there'd be rejoicing in the Corner); disastrously with pretty much everyone abroad.
Not sure how seriously Brownback is being considered, but worth watching…
Update: In Kansas, they're wondering whether they might need to start looking for a new senator...
As Chris Bowers notes, if Brownback leaves the Senate, Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius could appoint a member of her own party, meaning Harry Reid just might have a little easier job.
Friday afternoon humor
This 2001 article ought to make your Friday a little better:
In the issues of December 16th 2000 to November 10th 2001, we may have given the impression that George Bush had been legally and duly elected president of the United States. We now understand that this may have been incorrect, and that the election result is still too close to call. The Economist apologises for any inconvenience.The Economist, "An election correction," November 15, 2001
Quote of the Day
As chosen by CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service):
"My grandfather believed Social Security should be simple, fair, guaranteed, earned and available to all Americans. ... He was adamant that Social Security was an insurance program, not an investment plan or a welfare plan."
-- James ROOSEVELT Jr., grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who signed Social Security into law in 1935.
Oy
An Army helicopter crashed in southwest Baghdad on Friday night, and the fate of the crew was not immediately known, a U.S. military official said.Link.
U.S. military officials do not believe the helicopter was hit by hostile fire, Lt. Col. James Hutton said.
The OH-58 Kiowa helicopter usually carries a crew of two pilots and is unlikely to carry large numbers of passengers.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the men who were in the helicopter. Let's pray that they are delivered into safety.
This is not in the spirit of remembrance
Yesterday, hundreds of people converged on Southern Poland to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. This morning, The Salem Statesman Journal runs this troubling story:
Today, I am not proud of my state.Marion County has allowed a Portland-area skinhead group to adopt a rural Salem road as part of a volunteer litter clean-up program.
The signs proclaiming that Sunnyview Road NE between Cordon Road and 82nd Avenue is sponsored by the American Nazi Party NSM were installed Monday.
County officials say they were legally advised that excluding the organization would violate a constitutional right to free speech. Their choices, they said, were: allow the group to join the program, remove all of the signs from the program or refuse the group and risk a lawsuit.
Commissioner Sam Brentano said he wanted to turn the organization down anyway and face whatever lawsuits came.
He was outnumbered by commissioners Patti Milne and Janet Carlson. The commissioners did not vote on the issue, but gave staff direction by consensus.
No Child Left Behind leaves several children behind
Spelling Bees are supposed to be a fun way to help children to learn creatively (just watch the hilarious documentary Spellbound to get an impression). Now, evidently, they might be unlawful.
The Republicans really wrote a great law here. Really.
Karen Adams always enjoyed receiving her invitation. The WPRI-TV news anchorwoman and Lincoln resident looked forward to penciling in the school district’s spelling bee in her appointment calendar.Link.
But there’s no note in her calendar this year. The Lincoln district has decided to eliminate this year’s spelling bee -- a competition involving pupils in grades 4 through 8, with each school district winner advancing to the state competition and a chance to proceed to the national spelling bee in Washington, D.C.
[...]
The administrators decided to eliminate the spelling bee, because they feel it runs afoul of the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The Republicans really wrote a great law here. Really.
Alan Keyes considering another losing bid
Illinois Republicans are beginning to rue the day they invited Alan Keyes to their state. The Chicago Sun-Times' Michael Sneed runs a story that's sure to delight the state's Democrats.
Rumble is former Republican U.S. Senate candidate/nightmare Alan Keyes is eyeing a bid for governor.Sometimes, Republicans just make it too easy for the Democrats. It doesn't happen often, but it's fun to watch when it does.
Let us pray for deliverance.
Keyes, whose religious and political views give moderate GOPers the shakes, is not only back . . . he's conducting the first meeting of his "Cook County United" gathering of 40 to 50 of Cook County's best conservative activists in his Loop office tonight!
Don't miss dinner.
A Nixon to challenge a Clinton
Potential foes are beginning to line up for Hillary Clinton in New York as the Democrat prepares to seek a second term in the Senate. Already, an ambitious District Attorney (no, not Law and Order's Fred Thompson who is a former Senator himself) has decided to challenge Hillary. Now, a relative of Richard Nixon has joined the mix. The New York Times' Michael Slackman reports:
The prospects of a Kennedy-Cuomo clash ended when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said this week that he would not run against Andrew M. Cuomo for state attorney general. But now New Yorkers face the possibility of another clash of political families, this one pitting Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton against Edward F. Cox, a son-in-law of President Richard M. Nixon.California might be the land of celebrity politicians, but New York is getting closer. Connecticut, not wanting to be left out, could find itself with a celebrity politician soon.
Mr. Cox, who married Tricia Nixon in the Rose Garden when her father was president, has told friends and Republican Party insiders that he is considering running against Mrs. Clinton in 2006, they said.
Mr. Cox, 58, was busy making funeral arrangements for his mother, Anne, who died on Tuesday, and he referred questions to a friend who is his adviser. The friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mr. Cox is out there "testing the waters."
Thursday, January 27, 2005
John Kerry on Meet the Press on Sunday
This is a huge scoop for Russ.
In his first television interview since the presidential election, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) will appear live on "Meet the Press with Tim Russert" for the full hour this Sunday, January 30, 2005.Link.
The exclusive interview will cover a wide range of topics including the day's historic elections in Iraq, the senator's own trip to the region, his view on Bush's second term agenda, and his plans for his political future.
Sen. Kerry's last "Meet the Press" appearance on April 18, 2004, came thirty-three years after his very first appearance on the program as a spokesman for Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Earlier in the campaign cycle, Sen. Kerry announced his intentions to run for the Presidential nomination on "Meet the Press" on December 1, 2002.
Big surprise: Another Bush payola scandal
As if it weren't enough that word finally reached the American people that the administration bribed at least two columnists in return for positive coverage, yet another case of Presidential impropriety has emerged. The progressive online magazine Salon.com breaks the huge story:
One day after President Bush ordered his Cabinet secretaries to stop hiring commentators to help promote administration initiatives, and one day after the second high-profile conservative pundit was found to be on the federal payroll, a third embarrassing hire has emerged. Salon has confirmed that Michael McManus, a marriage advocate whose syndicated column, "Ethics & Religion," appears in 50 newspapers, was hired as a subcontractor by the Department of Health and Human Services to foster a Bush-approved marriage initiative. McManus championed the plan in his columns without disclosing to readers he was being paid to help it succeed.Someone needs to go to jail for this. Frankly, in previous administrations someone in the President's inner circle would at least get fired for the breach of the public's trust, but with a media that has been beaten in to submission by the right wing spin machine (that is those who haven't been bought), no one is probably going to get caught for this. It's sickening.
Responding to the latest revelation, Dr. Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at HHS, announced Thursday that HHS would institute a new policy that forbids the agency from hiring any outside expert or consultant who has any working affiliation with the media. "I needed to draw this bright line," Horn tells Salon. "The policy is being implemented and we're moving forward."
[...]
To date, the Bush administration has paid public relation firms $250 million to help push proposals, according to a report Thursday in USA Today. That's double what the Clinton administration spent on P.R. from 1997 to 2000. Shortly after Williams' contract came to light, the Democrats on the Committee on Government Reform wrote a letter to President Bush demanding that he "immediately provide to us all past and ongoing efforts to engage in covert propaganda, whether through contracts with commentators, the distribution of video news releases, or other means." As of Thursday, a staffer on the committee told Salon, there had been no response.
WaPo: GOP skeptical of Bush plans
The array of GOP voices speaking out against some of George W. Bush's plans have been well documented around the blogoshpere, from comments by moderate Republicans like Arlen Spector and Rob Simmons to conservatives like Bill Thomas. Now The Washington post runs a front page article by Mike Allen detailing the division in the President's party.
When President Bush flies to this mountain resort Friday to meet congressional Republicans, he will encounter a party far less malleable and willing to follow his lead than it has been for the past four years.Check out this entire must-read piece. It delves into all of the important issues surrounding Bush's difficulties in his second term and is well-written.
Bush is accustomed to getting his way with Congress and finished his first term without suffering a major defeat. But mid-level and rank-and-file Republicans have begun to assert themselves on issues including intelligence reform, immigration and a major restructuring of Social Security, the centerpiece of his second-term agenda.
[...]
Such independence was much rarer when the party's prospects for keeping control of Congress were tied to Bush's political health, and his reelection was everyone's priority. But now that Bush has run his last campaign, he is being bolder in calling for legislative action than many lawmakers who must run every two years are willing to be.
That leaves the success of his second-term agenda very much in doubt.
Bush could easily raise taxes by $164 bn.
But the question is will he?
If Bush truly wants to half the deficit during his term -- something he's pledged to do regardless of the nation's skepticism -- he will need to raise new revenue somewhere. These suggestions are not abrasive and could begin to cut the deficit. Let's hope the President shows some sensibility and acts on this report.
Abusive tax shelters, inflated deductions and other misdeeds cost the U.S. Treasury little when compared with money lost because some employee benefits and wages escape taxation.Link.
The government could collect $164 billion more in tax revenue over the coming decade if it changed laws that exempt some employee benefits from the taxes that pay for Social Security and Medicare, according to a study released Thursday by the congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.
The panel, which provides technical expertise to tax committees, detailed six dozen changes that could increase the amount of money flowing into the U.S. Treasury, including ways to close the gap between taxes owed and taxes collected.
If Bush truly wants to half the deficit during his term -- something he's pledged to do regardless of the nation's skepticism -- he will need to raise new revenue somewhere. These suggestions are not abrasive and could begin to cut the deficit. Let's hope the President shows some sensibility and acts on this report.
Bush finally gives up bid to allow media monopolies
President Bush, through his proxy Michael Powell, attempted for the last four years to limit the regulations on media ownership to the point that monopolies would all but be expected. Today, however, the President shifted course. The New York Times' Stephen Labaton has the scoop:
It is not often that this blogger agrees with the President, but when credit is due, it must be given. Kudos to President Bush, even if his action was forced by the political situation.
The Bush administration has decided to abandon the effort by Michael K. Powell, the outgoing chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, to relax the regulations that have prevented the nation's largest media companies from growing bigger and entering new markets, government officials and industry lawyers briefed about the decision said today.After considerably limiting the freedom of press through systematic bribes and payola, the Bush administration finally gave in to the will of the American people and ensured that the media would remain free -- for now.
In a final slap at Mr. Powell, the Justice Department will not ask the United States Supreme Court to consider a decision last year by a federal appeals court in Philadelphia that sharply criticized the attempt to deregulate the rules and ordered the commission to reconsider its action.
Big media companies have been urging the administration to get involved in the case. But its decision not to recommend that the Supreme Court take the case sharply reduces the odds that the justices would intervene. The court had set next Monday as a deadline for the parties to file their initial papers in the appeal.
Officials said one reason the administration decided not to seek Supreme Court review is that some lawyers were concerned that the case could prompt the justices to review related First Amendment issues in a way that could undermine efforts by the commission to enforce indecency rules against television and radio broadcasters. Over the last year, the agency has issued a record number and size of fines, and has been pressed by some conservative and other advocacy groups to be more aggressive.
It is not often that this blogger agrees with the President, but when credit is due, it must be given. Kudos to President Bush, even if his action was forced by the political situation.
Polling the next Chief Justice
Pollster John Zogby takes to the task of finding out who Americans want to be the next Chief Justice (not that this matters, of course, because it's the decision of the President and Senate). Here's what he finds:
Also making the list: Alberto Gonzalez, John Ashcroft and former Senator (and current Law and Order "District Attorney" Fred Dalton Thompson.
Sandra Day O’Connor tops a list of potential Chief Justice nominees should ailing Chief Justice William Rehnquist retire, a new Zogby International poll reveals. The survey also shows the High Court's two most conservative justices not faring quite as well individually, but polling a slightly higher combined 21% to O'Connor's 18%. Zogby International polled 944 likely voters from December 17 to 21, 2004. The margin of error is +/- 3.2 percentage points.Link.
O'Connor was the top pick from a list of Republicans considered possible Chief Justice nominees. The list included everyone from sitting associate justices to long-shots like outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Giuliani placed second, the favorite of 14% in the poll.
Associate Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, who, along with Rehnquist, make up the most conservative grouping on the Court, took a combined 21% in the poll—Thomas taking 13% and the remaining 8% going to Scalia. Both men have been at the center of frequent speculation as possible successors to Rehnquist.
Also making the list: Alberto Gonzalez, John Ashcroft and former Senator (and current Law and Order "District Attorney" Fred Dalton Thompson.
Despicable
Not much I can say about this:
Female interrogators tried to break Muslim detainees at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay by sexual touching, wearing a miniskirt and thong underwear and in one case smearing a Saudi man's face with fake menstrual blood, according to an insider's written account.
A draft manuscript obtained by The Associated Press is classified as secret pending a Pentagon review for a planned book that details ways the U.S. military used women as part of tougher physical and psychological interrogation tactics to get terror suspects to talk.
It's the most revealing account so far of interrogations at the secretive detention camp, where officials say they have halted some controversial techniques.
Economist: Bush's rhetoric doesn't match reality
The Economist is not a particularly liberal publication, though is it not particularly a fan of George W. Bush (it endorsed John Kerry in 2004). In its coverage of the President, the periodical tends to be evenhanded and fair, so the article in this week's issue entitled "Shock and Awe" is noteworthy.
Yet the gap between Mr Bush's rhetoric and what is actually happening, or is likely to happen, is embarrassingly wide. The day after his “freedom speech” his officials fanned out to explain that he didn't really mean anything specific. In Iraq things are not going according to plan—if indeed the administration actually has a plan (see article). Tax reform has been sidelined to a commission, with action this year, next year, sometime. His attempt to privatise part of the Social Security system is in trouble even before it starts.Check out the whole piece (it's free) and to get an idea of the degree to which this President will go to deceive the nation. Pass it on to your friends, as well, because the Economist carries a lot of weight in the arena of political discourse.
The gap between ambition and follow-through at home can partly be blamed on the fact that Mr Bush has yet to start revealing the details of his policy. But in foreign policy, the contradiction looks well established. Neo-conservatives, who loved the inauguration speech, claim that Mr Bush is undermining it through the people he has appointed. Condoleezza Rice, the newly confirmed secretary of state, needs watching. Bob Zoellick, her chosen number two, seems to know far too many foreign ambassadors. As for Nicholas Burns, touted for number three, he lives in Belgium. And now Douglas Feith, one of the few neocons with real power, is leaving the Pentagon “for personal reasons”.
NY County DA to challenge Hillary
A day after New York state GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik announced his intention to try to convince Rudy Giuliani to run against Hillary Clinton for the United States Senate, a new Republican voice emerged from the fray. New York Daily News' Joe Mahoney reports:
Pirro could turn out to be a solif candidate for the Republicans, but most likely it will be to no avail. Hillary unsurprisingly maintains strong support in the New York City area. More unusually, she also has a base in upstate, something no Dem in the state has had for some time.
Unless Giuliani enters the race, don't expect too much from this race; even if Rudy does run, smart money is still on Hillary to prevail.
When Sen. Hillary Clinton runs for reelection in 2006, her opponent might just be another high-profile attorney from Westchester.Giuliani is almost undoubtedly not running against Hillary. The former New York Mayor has his sights set on a run for the Presidency, and a bruising political battle against Hillary Clinton -- one he very well might lose -- would only inhibit his chances at gaining the GOP presidential nomination.
Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro is considering challenging the former First Lady, according to political insiders.
The GOP crimefighter, who is running for reelection this year, is not publicly discussing plans for higher office.
But Pirro has a dizzying fund-raising schedule and the enthusiastic backing of Gov. Pataki. "We love Jeanine," said a source in Pataki's camp.
Pirro could turn out to be a solif candidate for the Republicans, but most likely it will be to no avail. Hillary unsurprisingly maintains strong support in the New York City area. More unusually, she also has a base in upstate, something no Dem in the state has had for some time.
Unless Giuliani enters the race, don't expect too much from this race; even if Rudy does run, smart money is still on Hillary to prevail.
Katherine Harris reenters the limelight
Representative Katherine Harris, who as Florida Secretary of State fudged enough records to slip George W. Bush into the White House, is planning a bid for the US Senate this year. Standing in her way is popular former astronaut and current Senator Bill Nelson, so Harris will have to raise substantial amounts of money for a campaign. As a result, the Florida Republican has been forced to take money from some extremely shady sources. Adam C. Smith of the St. Petersburg Times has the story:
While raising money in New York on Dec. 12, she received 10 $2,000 checks from people related to or connected to a New York rabbi and campaign fundraiser dubbed "the Brooklyn Bundler" who was indicted on charges of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal money intended for disabled children.Anyone who would take money from a man indicted for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from disabled children does not deserve to serve in the halls of Congress. Katherine Harris should be ashamed. Even further, she should be run out of office (a real possibility considering she only got 55% of her district's vote after spending $3.4 million).
The donors came mostly from Brooklyn, N.Y., but also from executives of an Iowa slaughterhouse that was at the time facing allegations of inhumane treatment of animals.
PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan campaign finance information service, on Wednesday noted the bundled contributions to Harris and how they follow the fundraising practice used for years by Rabbi Milton Balkany. His ability to deliver campaign checks to politicians years ago earned him the nickname the Brooklyn Bundler.
Balkany also has emerged as a controversial political player. Last year federal prosecutors opted to defer prosecution of Balkany for allegedly misappropriating $700,000 in federal grant money, after he agreed to pay back the money and accepted travel restrictions. The politically connected rabbi and private school leader also was implicated, but not charged, in a case involving bribery of federal prison officials to improve the living conditions of certain prisoners, according to the New York Daily News.
Rx Drug reimportation a possibility?
The pharmaceutical industry "invested" millions of dollars in GOP campaigns in 2004 in the belief that their immense profits would diminish should Democrats take power. PhRMA's greatest fear: a prescription drug reimportation plan that would allow American consumers to pay the fair international price rather than an inflated domestic one. Now it appears that their investment might not pay off despite GOP wins. Bloomberg has the story:
Eight U.S. representatives and senators, including five Republicans, introduced a bill that would allow Americans to import cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries. Yesterday, Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine won a promise from Majority Leader Bill Frist for a hearing on their own proposal.The GOP is simply wrong on this issue. The Democrats know this. The American people know this. Even some Republicans know this. It's time for drug companies to stop bilking the American people, and if the President isn't willing to do anything about it, he and his party will be held to account in 2006.
``We have for the first time people in the Senate and in the House who are on the same page,'' Representative Gil Gutknecht, the Minnesota Republican who wrote the House bill, said today at a press conference at the Capitol in Washington. ``This is a new day in this whole debate.''
Lawmakers are responding to pressure from voters and state governors dismayed by U.S. drug prices that are rising 10 percent a year, while governments in Canada and elsewhere keep prices as much as 70 percent lower. Ten governors, including four Republicans, last week wrote to Frist, a Tennessee Republican, urging passage of a drug-importation measure. [emphasis added]
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Dems to act on Bush payola
President Bush has promised to end the practice of paying journalists in return for favorable coverage, but as I have argued previously, this is too little too late. House Democrats, mindful that Bush's feet must be held to the fire, are taking proactive steps to ensure that the President will indeed hold true to his promise. CNN has the story:
Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill Wednesday designed to stop what they termed taxpayer-funded "covert propaganda campaigns" violating a provision included in annual appropriation acts since 1951.Propaganda is a detriment to the American Democracy, and unless action is undertaken soon, dire consequences will surely ensue. The Democrats are on the right track here, but they must create an effective method of conveying this drive to stamp out corruption and bribery to the American people.
Under the new bill, dubbed the Federal Propaganda Prohibition Act of 2005, the prohibition on propaganda would become a permanent part of federal law.
Federal agencies would also have to notify Congress about public relations, advertising and polling contracts, and the funding sources of all federally funded public relations materials would have to be disclosed.
[...]
The group also released a investigative report prepared by Democratic committee staff that found the Bush administration spent more than $88 million on contracts with public relations agencies in 2004, a 128 percent increase from 2000.
Bush faces GOP opposition to new initiatives
President Bush has laid out an ambitious second-term agenda in an effort to drastically change America's social contract, but overreaching has long been the bane of Presidents, from FDR to LBJ, Richard Nixon to Ronald Reagan.
Josh Marshall has already documented the many instances of GOP defections on Social Security privatization. Now The New York Times sets to the task of examining attacks by some Republicans on two of the Presidents other initatives: Clean-Air and Immigration. To begin, Michael Janofsky writes "Climate Debate Threatens Republican Clean-Air Bill":
The GOP as a whole might be wedded to corporations and thus stringently opposed to regulation, but individual members -- including conservatives the likes John McCain, Judd Gregg and John Sununu -- are staunch conservationists. As a result, it might be impossible for the President to ram through another measure to curtail environmental law.
On another issue, the President could see defections from the right rather than the left. In Thursday's paper, The Times' David D. Kirkpatrick writes about George W. Bush's immigration woes.
Josh Marshall has already documented the many instances of GOP defections on Social Security privatization. Now The New York Times sets to the task of examining attacks by some Republicans on two of the Presidents other initatives: Clean-Air and Immigration. To begin, Michael Janofsky writes "Climate Debate Threatens Republican Clean-Air Bill":
The Congressional battle over how to reduce air pollution from power plants began anew on Wednesday with consideration of the approach most favored by the White House.Though the Republicans increased their numbers in both houses of Congress, they are far from possessing overwhelming majorities. As a result, even a handful of fainthearted members of their caucus can derail even the most well-planned political moves. Such is the case with reshaping the Clean Air Act.
But after three hours of testimony on that initiative, the Clear Skies Act of 2005, it was obvious that nothing had diminished the concerns that scuttled an earlier version of the legislation. Indeed, one co-sponsor conceded that without major compromises, the new bill was most likely doomed.
"If everybody's hunkered down, it's the same old story we've had for the last five or six years," said the lawmaker, Senator George V. Voinovich, Republican of Ohio. "Then it's goodbye."
The GOP as a whole might be wedded to corporations and thus stringently opposed to regulation, but individual members -- including conservatives the likes John McCain, Judd Gregg and John Sununu -- are staunch conservationists. As a result, it might be impossible for the President to ram through another measure to curtail environmental law.
On another issue, the President could see defections from the right rather than the left. In Thursday's paper, The Times' David D. Kirkpatrick writes about George W. Bush's immigration woes.
The battle within the Republican Party over immigration policy was joined Wednesday as President Bush vigorously promoted his proposal for a guest worker program and conservatives in Congress introduced an alternative proposal to tighten immigration restrictions.Bush won in 2004 on the basis of overwhelming conservative support, and his approval rating is in fact still buoyed by the right. Nonetheless, in order to govern he must at least make token gestures to the center, such as this immigration initiative. This puts him in an extremely difficult situation. George W. Bush might be one of the most deft politicians in the nation -- indeed only Bill Clinton more of a knack for connecting with the multitude of Americans -- but on these two issues, even he might not succeed.
At a news conference, President Bush said again that he considered his guest worker proposal "a priority" even though Senate Republicans left it off their list of top goals. "A program that enables people to come into our country in a legal way to work for a period of time, for jobs that Americans won't do, will help make it easier for us to secure our borders," Mr. Bush said, adding: "I know there is a compassionate, humane way to deal with this issue. I want to remind people that family values do not end at the Rio Grande border."
Party conservatives, however, have strenuously opposed a guest worker plan since Mr. Bush introduced the idea in 2001, even staging a losing revolt over its inclusion in the party platform at the 2004 Republican convention. Many conservatives call the president's ideas "amnesty" - a term Mr. Bush disputes - because his plan includes ways for currently illegal immigrants to obtain temporary worker permits.
Ethics problems hit Oregon Ways and Means Chairman
Charges of ethical problems relating to campaign financing for State Rep. Dan Doyle (R) have been swirling around the state of Oregon for some time, but they reached a climax today as the Joint Ways and Means Chairman was forced to resign. The AP's Brad Cain reports:
State Rep. Dan Doyle resigned as co-chairman of Legislature's powerful budget committee Wednesday after a state investigation into his campaign finance report.A corrupt Republican... you don't say! Doyle is innocent until proven guilty, of course, but if it turns out that he was purposefully misleading in his campaign finance filings to divert funds, he should go to jail.
The announcement came from House Speaker Karen Minnis, who said Doyle asked to be removed from the Joint Ways and Means Committee so he could "devote his full attention" to the investigation.
[...]
On Monday, the secretary of state's office began investigating whether Doyle had diverted re-election campaign money to personal use, which is prohibited by state law.
State investigators also are looking at whether the Salem Republican intentionally made false statements on his campaign finance report — which would be a criminal offense under state election laws.
Feith out at Defense
President Bush has avoided doling out any responsibility for the mess in Iraq -- Don Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz kept their positions, Condi Rice was promoted, George Tenet was rewarded with the highest honor in the nation -- but it appears as though one member of the administration is finally being kicked out of office: Douglas Feith. Here's the Financial Times' take:
Douglas Feith, the controversial undersecretary for policy responsible for postwar planning in Iraq, announced on Wednesday that he would leave his position this summer.Perhaps it's time for the entire civilian team at the Pentagon to move on.
Commenting on Mr Feith’s planned resignation, Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, said on Wednesday, “Regretfully, he has decided to depart and he will be missed...I hope he will stay until an appropriate replacement is found.”
Mr Feith and Paul Wolfowitz, the number two man at the Pentagon, are both controversial advocates of the Iraq war.
If Mr Wolfowitz resigns or moves, one candidate touted as a replacement is Stephen Cambone, undersecretary for intelligence. Mr Cambone has been instrumental in pushing Mr Rumsfeld’s goal of transforming the military.
Bush says no to more payola
In the wake of the scandals surrounding the Bush administration's bribes to journalists such as Armstrong Williams, a furor -- however small -- is emerging amongst those who believe in the freedom of the press. The AP reports that the President today attempted to assuage these people's fears.
This is one of the worst scandals in recent memory and it is a blight upon the Presidency. Bush and his cronies must be investigated because it is indeed illegal to submit the American people to propaganda. If they are not, the freedom of the press in this country will be placed in serious jeopardy.
President Bush on Wednesday ordered his Cabinet secretaries not to hire columnists to promote their agendas after disclosure that a second writer was paid to tout an administration initiative.Frankly, this is too little, too late. It probably would have been too late even if the President did this weeks ago when the Armstrong Williams case came out, but now that a second case has emerged, it's obvious that this is merely a political move without any real significance.
The president said he expects his agency heads will "make sure that that practice doesn't go forward."
"All our Cabinet secretaries must realize that we will not be paying commentators to advance our agenda. Our agenda ought to be able to stand on its own two feet," Bush said at a news conference.
This is one of the worst scandals in recent memory and it is a blight upon the Presidency. Bush and his cronies must be investigated because it is indeed illegal to submit the American people to propaganda. If they are not, the freedom of the press in this country will be placed in serious jeopardy.
Florida heats up
CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) reports that the gubernatorial race to succeed Jeb Bush in Florida is becoming one to watch in 2006.
The Orlando SENTINEL reports that "at least three Florida Democrats appear ready to run for governor next year, but few other clear signals emerged from a closed-door gathering of party leaders" on Monday at the home of Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla. About a dozen Democrats met "to explore ways to avoid free-swinging primary contests in the 2006 elections." However, the paper said, "Strong indications are that U.S. Rep. Jim Davis of Tampa, state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua and Lawton 'Bud' Chiles III of Orlando, son of the late, two-term Democratic governor, are planning to run, according to those who attended. Betty Castor, who lost the U.S. Senate race to Republican Mel Martinez last November, joined the meeting by conference call and told participants she 'remains very interested' in the governor's race, participants said."The original article is available here [free subscription required].
Gordon Smith in the Conscience Caucus?
Joshua Micah Marshall over at Talking Points Memo has been keeping track of the so-called "Conscience Caucus," the group of Republicans in opposition to the privatization of Social Security. Josh writes today that there might be a new member in this group: Oregon's own "moderate" Republican Gordon Smith.
From today's CQ ...When I called the Smith office this morning regarding his position on Social Security, the answer I received was somewhat ambiguous. Nevertheless, the quotes provided in the CQ piece give me hope that Smith isn't on board for privatization/
A second moderate Republican on the Finance Committee, Gordon H. Smith of Oregon, would not commit to supporting Bush’s plan, and added that the administration has not marketed it well.Sen. Smith: If you can protect me, you have my vote. Otherwise, I'm in the Caucus. I may even get a TPM T-Shirt out of it.
...
"I’m philosophically open to [Bush’s plan]; I’m not signed up to it,” Smith said.
Both Snowe and Smith said they like the idea of “add-on” Social Security personal accounts funded from a source other than Social Security’s payroll tax revenue.
...
"A lot of us expressed that the White House started the debate, but the media and the other side are finishing the debate,” Smith said. “He needs to go back on offense.”
New bill could finally land DC representation
The District of Columbia, with a population larger than that of Wyoming, does not have a voting member in the House and has no representation in the Senate. A new bill from a Utah Congressman would change that, though. The Ogden Standard-Examiner's Heidi Burton reports:
Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, wants the District of Columbia to get representation in Congress -- but only if Utah gets a fourth seat in the bargain.It's time for the District of Columbia to finally gain the representation it deserves. Hopefully this bill, or one like it, will draw the bipartisan support necessary for passage.
Bishop is co-sponsor with Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., of a bill that would give the district a seat in the House of Representatives in return for another Utah seat.
"It would give us the extra seat we should have had at the turn of the decade," Bishop said. "I'm looking at it very selfishly. I want the extra seat for Utah. ... It's probably not the grandest of motives I've ever had for a bill."
Utah narrowly missed earning another seat based on the population census of 2000. Utah is bound to get another representative or maybe two after the next census, Bishop said, but this bill would speed up the process.
New Ed. Secy. in line with James Dobson
It was almost comical when James Dobson came out last week in opposition to SpongeBob Square pants for alleged homosexuality (it's a cartoon), earning him the name "SpongeDob Stickypants," but it's outrageous when the nation's Education Secretary engages in similar activity. The AP reports on this first act by Margaret Spellings, the new Ed. Secy.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles.There is really something wrong with these people.
The episode of "Postcards From Buster," which has not yet run, shows the title character, a bunny named Buster, on a trip to Vermont, a state that recognizes same-sex civil unions. The episode features two lesbian couples, although the focus is on farm life and maple sugaring.
Oy.
A U.S. military transport helicopter crashed in bad weather in Iraq's western desert Wednesday, killing 31 people, all believed to be Marines, while insurgents killed five other American troops in the deadliest day for U.S. forces since the Iraq war began.Link.
Militants waging a campaign to derail Sunday's election carried out at least six car bombings and a flurry of other attacks on schools to be used as polling stations, political party offices and Kurdish sites, killing or wounding more than two dozen people.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these soldiers.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Another Bush payola scandal emerging
This is perhaps the most corrupt administration since Warren Harding, maybe since Ulysses S. Grant. President Bush has proved that graft isn't dead. Tonight's news, however unsurprising, shows once again that there are no limits this administration's malfeasance.
Word leaked out this month that the administration bribed conservative commentator Armsrong Williams to promote its No Child Left Behind law. When pressed by a reporter, then-Secretary of Education Rod Paige admitted that this practice was standard. Howard Kurtz breaks a story in Wednesday's Washington Post which indicates that Bush's payola -- secretly paying members of the media for coverage -- is more widespread than previously believed. In "Columnist Backing Bush Plan Had Federal Contract", Kurtz leads:
Word leaked out this month that the administration bribed conservative commentator Armsrong Williams to promote its No Child Left Behind law. When pressed by a reporter, then-Secretary of Education Rod Paige admitted that this practice was standard. Howard Kurtz breaks a story in Wednesday's Washington Post which indicates that Bush's payola -- secretly paying members of the media for coverage -- is more widespread than previously believed. In "Columnist Backing Bush Plan Had Federal Contract", Kurtz leads:
In 2002, syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher repeatedly defended President Bush's push for a $300 million initiative encouraging marriage as a way of strengthening families.This activity by the Bush administration is worse than unconscionable; it's illegal. Kudos to Kurtz for outing this portion of the scandal, but more must be done. The American people must know exactly how many people were paid for favorable coverage. My guess is that when they do find out the staggering amount of bribery that has taken place, a mere apology -- which we have yet to receive -- will not be sufficient.
"The Bush marriage initiative would emphasize the importance of marriage to poor couples" and "educate teens on the value of delaying childbearing until marriage," she wrote in National Review Online, for example, adding that this could "carry big payoffs down the road for taxpayers and children."
But Gallagher failed to mention that she had a $21,500 contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to help promote the president's proposal. Her work under the contract, which ran from January through October 2002, included drafting a magazine article for the HHS official overseeing the initiative, writing brochures for the program and conducting a briefing for department officials.
Specter continues to clash with conservatives
One of the major reasons why I supported Arlen Specter was that I believed he would be a much more palatable Judiciary Chairman to moderates and liberals than the uber-conservative Jon Kyl. As it turns out, I was right. Check out this piece entitled "Specter adds more fuel to the fire" by The Hill's Alexander Bolton:
In less than a month, new Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has already exasperated social conservatives and frightened members of the business community with controversial staff hires, statements and policy positions.Specter is doing an amazing job so far as Judiciary Chairman: just look at how enraged the right is at his actions. Although some Democrats don't like to admit it, a moderate Republican is preferable to a conservative one.
The start of Specter’s tenure as chairman, following a blow-up last year over public comments he made questioning the confirmation of anti-abortion-rights judicial nominees, may augur a rocky future for Specter, whom many conservatives dislike for being too centrist.
But despite their concerns, leading conservatives say they will suspend final judgment on Specter until he is given a chance to manage the confirmation proceedings of President Bush’s court nominees.
Activists on the right are buzzing about two recent controversial hires by Specter: Hannibal Kemerer, a former assistant general counsel with the NAACP, and Carolyn Short, who is married to Joe Torsella, who ran as a Democrat in Pennsylvania for Congress. Specter hired both to serve as counsels on the committee.
Especially irksome to conservatives is a report filed with the Federal Election Commission showing that Short donated $500 to Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) 2000 campaign.
And many conservatives view the NAACP as overtly partisan. Departing from the tradition of past presidents, Bush had refused to meet with the group because of its ties to Democrats.
Greens and neocons united on oil conservation?
Slate's Robert Bryce writes about this highy unusual alliance.
The alliance of hawks and environmentalists is new but not entirely surprising. The environmentalists are worried about global warming and air pollution. But Woolsey and Gaffney—both members of the Project for the New American Century, which began advocating military action against Saddam Hussein back in 1998—are going green for geopolitical reasons, not environmental ones. They seek to reduce the flow of American dollars to oil-rich Islamic theocracies, Saudi Arabia in particular. Petrodollars have made Saudi Arabia too rich a source of terrorist funding and Islamic radicals. Last month, Gaffney told a conference in Washington that America has become dependent on oil that is imported from countries that, "by and large, are hostile to us." This fact, he said, makes reducing oil imports "a national security imperative."Ending America's dependence on Middle East oil should be one of America's top priorities, regardless of the ideological bent to which it is attached. If environmentalists can ally with the neoconservatives on this issue, far be it from anyone to complain.
Bushies predict record deficit
These people expect us to believe that they'll half the deficit?
If you figure in the cost of the war, the CBO predicts next year's deficit at a whopping $448 billion, the highest ever. This is worst fiscal record in the history of America.
The White House will project that this year's federal deficit will hit $427 billion, a senior administration official said Tuesday, a record partly driven by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Link.
The official, among three who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said the estimate was a conservative one that assumed some higher spending than other analysts use. Last February, the White House projected that the 2004 shortfall would hit $521 billion, only to see it come in at $412 billion.
[...]
Even so, the number was among a blizzard of figures released Tuesday that illustrated how federal deficits remain a problem that Bush and Congress must reckon with.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that thanks to tax cuts and hurricane aid passed since its last calculations in September, the 10-year deficit had worsened since then by $503 billion, not counting war expenditures [emphasis added].
If you figure in the cost of the war, the CBO predicts next year's deficit at a whopping $448 billion, the highest ever. This is worst fiscal record in the history of America.
Martin Frost lays out new endorsements
The Burnt Orange Report has the story:
Martin Frost now has 15 public endorsements of DNC members. Today, Frost announced the endorsement of 14 of the 15 of the Texas DNC members along with the endorsement of New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid (also a DNC member).For more information on the DNC Chairman race, check out Jerome Armstrong's Cattle Call. Although Jerome has Frost moving down, these endorsements could help him become the anyone-but-Dean vote.
The 14 Texas DNC members endorsing Martin Frost are as follows:
Chairman Charles Soechting, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, Hon. Yvonne Davis, Hon. Senfronia Thompson, Commissioner Oscar Soliz, Mayor Ron Kirk, Gabrielle Hadnot, Vice Chair, Norma Fischer Flores, Jaime Gonzalez Jr., David Holmes, Sue Lovell, John Patrick, Betty Richie and Bob Slagle
Colorado GOP Chairman on the way out
2004 was a spectacular year for Western Dems, especially in Colorado. Conversely, it was a very bad year for the GOP in many of the region's states below the Presidential level. As a result, heads are beginnning to roll.
For more information about the region's politics, check out my interview with Gary Hart.
The head of Colorado's Republican Party announced Tuesday he won't seek another two-year term in March.Link.
Ted Halaby's announcement came just months after the GOP lost control of a Senate seat and a House seat and, for the first time in 42 years, both houses of the state Legislature. Many party officials blamed Halaby, party chairman since 2003, for the November losses.
For more information about the region's politics, check out my interview with Gary Hart.
Political Trivia of the Day
Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, D-N.Y., lives on a houseboat on the Potomac called the Unsinkable II. He says the original Unsinkable sank.From CQ Weekly's Midday Update [free email service]
Quote of the Day
"Like any consumer out there, marijuana users want the most bang for their buck..."Link [via Hotline's Wake-Up Call].
-- Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force Sgt. John Flood on the increase in sales of Canadian marijuana in the United States.
Swiftvet liar to run against Kerry
Is there no end to the insanity of these men?
These guys need to get a life.
The co-author of the Swift Boat veterans' book that attacked Sen. John F. Kerry plans to move to the Bay State this year so he can challenge Kerry for his Senate seat in 2008.Link.
"I'm going to do it," said Jerome Corsi, 58. "I've got serious political aspirations now."
Corsi, who has had to apologize for inflammatory comments he made about Islam, the pope and Judaism, lives in New Jersey but plans to establish residency in Boston this spring.
Though not a veteran himself, Corsi co-authored "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry."
These guys need to get a life.
Robert Kennedy bows out of NY AG race
In a sad day for "Camelot"-afficionados and progressives around the country, Robert Kennedy, Jr. has changed his mind on a possible run for Attorney General in New York. The Times' Jonathan P. Hicks reports:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmental lawyer and the son of the onetime senator from New York, said on Monday that he had decided not to run for state attorney general after having considered a bid for several months.His famous name and stunning resemblance to his father aside, RFK, Jr. would have been a great star within the Democratic party on his own account. Hopefully he'll consider a bid in the future.
Mr. Kennedy said he had concluded that a successful campaign would have left him too little time with his wife and six children and he was unwilling to make that sacrifice. He said he had spent the last few weeks conducting meetings with politicians throughout the state and other members of the Kennedy family before making his decision.
In a two-hour interview at Mr. Kennedy's sprawling home here, he insisted that his decision had nothing to do with the prospect of his running against his brother-in-law Andrew M. Cuomo, who is getting a divorce from Mr. Kennedy's sister Kerry.
Bush says no to more border agents he promised
President Bush frequently invokes the memory of 9/11 to help advance his policies, from action in Iraq to tax cuts for the wealthy. Ironically, when it comes to Homeland Security spending -- something actually necessary for the prevention of further terrorist attacks -- he won't invoke the attacks and in fact is willing to shortchange key programs. USA Today's Mimi Hall reports on one such major cut.
President Bush will not ask Congress for enough money to add 2,000 agents to patrol the nation's borders in his 2006 budget, even though he signed a bill last month authorizing the increase.Putting feet on the ground to ensure terrorists cannot infiltrate the country is inefficient? That must be the same reason why the country is spending $280,000,000,000 in Iraq and Afghanistan but not nearly enough on port security.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday that Bush's new budget, to be released in early February, will propose a "good incremental increase" in the number of agents. But he made it clear the number would not approach 2,000. The new agents were to be the first hires toward doubling the size of the force over five years.
As part of a sweeping intelligence bill passed in December, Congress called for nearly doubling the size of the Border Patrol by adding 10,000 agents over five years. The agency has about 11,000 agents; 90% work along the southern border with Mexico.
But in an interview with USA TODAY, Ridge scoffed at the notion of adding so many agents and said it would be an inefficient use of precious homeland security dollars.
Monday, January 24, 2005
Insurance industry to oppose Bush on taxes
The insurance industry has long been pro-Republican and supported both of George W. Bush's bids at the White House. It would thus come as a suprise to many that the industry will fiercely oppose any bid by the President to overhaul the tax code in favor of investments. CQ's Jill Barshay reports [no link available]:
The GOP’s supply-side tax agenda to spur savings and investment will probably have the side effect of killing the core of the life insurance industry. The White House has floated the idea of eliminating taxes on savings in any form. If that were to happen, Americans would have little need for the tax-sheltered savings products that make up two-thirds of the insurance business. Call it collateral damage.Jonathan Weisman and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum reported in The Washington Post in December that any tax reform effort won't begin in earnest until 2006 due to widespread opposition, and the President's efforts at privatizing Social Security are foundering with limited GOP support and strong opposition from the Democrats and AARP. The War in Iraq isn't going particularly well, and the dollar is as weak as ever. This is not the way George W. Bush wanted to start to his second term.
[...]
No business — not housing, not retail, not health care — is more vulnerable or stands to lose more than insurers if President Bush succeeds in overhauling tax law. Even a mere tweak in the tax code instead of a wholesale rewrite might squash the industry, which collects $389 billion a year in premiums and annuity purchases and makes an additional $170 billion a year off its reserves and other investments.
[...]
[Former Oklahoma governor and insurance industry lobbyist Frank] Keating is warning that inchoate ideas swirling about Washington to slash taxes on savings might be “calamitous for the nation.” He vowed to be “very aggressive this year” fighting to preserve the special status that has long benefited insurers.
Companies that own large chunks of the insurance industry, such as General Electric Co. and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., are retaining lobbyists for the coming fight. Also joining in are the trade associations for independent insurance agents who sell policies and annuity contracts.
Bush already concerned Soc. Sec. plan won't pass
The New York Times' Edmund L. Andrews and Richard W. Stevenson write that the administration is already so worried about their ability to pass any legislation to privatize Social Security that they have gone back to the drawing board -- even before any legislation has been introduced. They write,
The Bush administration, facing opposition from Democrats and unease among Republicans over its plan to overhaul Social Security, is looking at new ideas for cutting future benefits that would hit wealthy retirees harder than those in the middle or bottom ranks of wage-earners, people involved in the discussions say.Cutting benefits, even for the wealthy, could be a non-starter for AARP and other groups dedicated to the survival of Social Security. The President must thus have the full support of his entire Republican base to ensure passage of his privatization plan, though as David D. Kirkpatrick and Sheryl Gay Stolberg write in another Times piece in Tuesday's paper, Bush's Evangelical base might not be on board yet.
[...]
Over the last few weeks, the White House has seen the debate over Social Security take off, but not always in ways that appear helpful to Mr. Bush's goal of quick action to create personal investment accounts within the retirement system and deal with its long-term financing problems.
A coalition of major conservative Christian groups is threatening to withhold support for President Bush's plans to remake Social Security unless Mr. Bush vigorously champions a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.It's tough to be the President...
The move came as Senate Republicans vowed on Monday to reintroduce the proposed amendment, which failed in the Senate last year by a substantial margin. Party leaders, who left it off their list of priorities for the legislative year, said they had no immediate plans to bring it to the floor because they still lacked the votes for passage.
But the coalition that wrote the letter, known as the Arlington Group, is increasingly impatient.
120,000 troops to remain in Iraq for 2 more years
Although the administration would have the American people believe that there is an exit strategy for Iraq -- that the US Armed Forces will be able to leave at some point in the future -- all indications are that there is no end in sight to America's involvement in the country. Bradley Graham writes on page 1 of The Washington Post that troop strength won't even diminish in the next two years.
The U.S. Army expects to keep its troop strength in Iraq at the current level of about 120,000 for at least two more years, according to the Army's top operations officer.America cannot leave its troops in Iraq indefinitely. Although the General's candor is appreciated -- the administration is loath to tell the American people the entire truth -- Americans would be happier if he could give them any idea as to when the troops will come home.
While allowing for the possibility that the levels could decrease or increase depending on security conditions and other factors, Lt. Gen. James J. Lovelace Jr. told reporters yesterday that the assumption of little change through 2006 represents "the most probable case."
Recent disclosures that the Pentagon plans to beef up training of Iraqi security forces and press them into action more quickly has fueled speculation that the Bush administration could be preparing to reduce the number of U.S. troops significantly this year. As more Iraqi troops join the fight, the thinking goes, U.S. troops could begin to withdraw.
But Lovelace's remarks indicated that the Army is not yet counting on any such reduction. Indeed, the general said, the Army expects to continue rotating active-duty units in and out of Iraq in year-long deployments and is looking for ways to dip even deeper into reserve forces -- even as leaders of the reserves have warned that the Pentagon could be running out of such units.
Another $80 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan?
The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan are going so well that the Bush administration is asking for another $80,000,000,000.
I suppose this means that the administration's pledge that the war, occupation and rebuilding in Iraq could be paid for oil revenues isn't going to happen.
The Bush administration plans to announce Tuesday it will request about $80 billion more for this year's costs of fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, congressional aides said Monday.Link.
The request would push the total provided so far for those wars and for U.S. efforts against terrorism elsewhere in the world to more than $280 billion since the first money were provided shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, airliner attacks on New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The package will not formally be sent to Congress until after President Bush introduces his 2006 budget on Feb. 7. But the aides, speaking on condition of anonymity, said White House budget chief Joshua Bolten or other administration officials would describe the spending request publicly Tuesday.
I suppose this means that the administration's pledge that the war, occupation and rebuilding in Iraq could be paid for oil revenues isn't going to happen.
AARP prepares to battle Bush
While George W. Bush is seeing a number of key Republicans voice stong pessimism over his Social Security plan, GOP defections aren't his only problem. As the President prepares his attempt to dismantle the entitlement program through privatization, AARP is beginning a concerted effort to block him, as the Christian Science Monitor's Linda Feldmann notes:
Bill Novelli doesn't like headlines that frame the debate over Social Security as a "clash of titans" - his own 35.6 million-member AARP, of which he is CEO, versus the Bush administration. He says President Bush has done a "very good thing" by putting Social Security on the national agenda.Check out the whole must-read piece as it sums up AARP's opposition to this plan perfectly. If you're interested in the blogosphere's reaction to Bush's privatization attempt, visit ThereIsNoCrisis.com.
But as the Democratic Party still finds its way in a world of larger Republican majorities in Congress and a second Bush term in the White House, the nation's largest lobby group for senior citizens has become the de facto leader in the battle to preserve what it considers essential elements of the program.
As the Bush White House and key Republican leaders discuss the twin goals of ensuring Social Security's long-term solvency and promoting the concept of an "ownership society" by allowing workers to put some of their payroll taxes into personal or private accounts, the plan that AARP is developing may end up being the lead alternative.
"We are not interested in confrontation with any party or any administration. We are interested in cooperation," Mr. Novelli told reporters at a Monitor breakfast Monday. "But having said that, we are dead set against carving private accounts out of Social Security money, and this is our No. 1 legislative agenda." [emphasis added]
Quote of the Day
"Anybody who is against that obviously must be a communist."Link.
-- Rep. James Gibbons, R-Nev, on the $40 million in corporate money spent on inauguration parties.
Central banks moving towards the Euro
This news bodes very poorly for the future of the US Dollar.
President Bush might want Americans to believe that budget and trade deficits in the hundreds of billions each year don't matter, but today's news show that his lack of restraint could have dire consequences on the nation's economy. If the Dollar dies, blame must land squarely on the President. The buck stops there.
Central banks are shifting reserves away from the US and towards the eurozone in a move that looks set to deepen the Bush administration's difficulties in financing its ballooning current account deficit.Link.
In actions likely to undermine the dollar's value on currency markets, 70 per cent of central bank reserve managers said they had increased their exposure to the euro over the past two years. The majority thought eurozone money and debt markets were as attractive a destination for investment as the US.
The findings emerge from a survey of central bank reserve managers published today and conducted between September and December of last year. About 65 central banks, controlling assets worth $1,700bn, took part and the results showed a marked change in attitude over the past two years.
President Bush might want Americans to believe that budget and trade deficits in the hundreds of billions each year don't matter, but today's news show that his lack of restraint could have dire consequences on the nation's economy. If the Dollar dies, blame must land squarely on the President. The buck stops there.
Tony Blair hires a Clintonista
The Sunday Times in London reports that Clintonista pollster Mark Penn has been commissioned by the Tony Blair campaign as a key advisor as the Prime Minister seeks to expand Labour's strength in the country. Their reporters David Cracknell and Andrew Porter write:
[Edited at 11:59 PM Pacific]: Misspelling of Tony Blair in headline corrected.
TONY BLAIR has recruited the American polling expert who masterminded Bill Clinton’s re-election to the White House.For those interested in American consultants' roles in foreign elections, check out Spinning Boris, a movie based on the true story of a group of Republican consultants hired in Boris Yeltsin's 1996 Russian Presidential bid. With a great cast of Jeff Goldblum, Anthony LaPaglia and Liev Schreiber, it's one movie any political nut shouldn't miss.
Mark Penn has been giving the prime minister advice for the past few months. Such is the secrecy of his role, few in government knew of the input from the Washington-based expert.
The move is being seen as a clear signal that Blair is concerned that he and new Labour have lost much of the appeal that attracted traditional Tory voters in the past two landslide victories.
Penn helped Clinton push tough messages on crime and the economy — not the usual strong points of the centre-left parties. His position also throws into doubt the continued influence of Blair’s long-standing pollster Lord Gould.
[Edited at 11:59 PM Pacific]: Misspelling of Tony Blair in headline corrected.
Hutchinson to run for Arkansas Governor?
The 2006 Arkansas gubernatorial races is shaping up to be one of the most tightly fought races in the nation. There are already machinations that former Democratic Presidential candidate General Wes Clark will make a bid, and Attorney General Mike Beebe (D) and Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller (R) appear to be running as well. Now it appears as one more name might be added to the mix.
Arkansan Asa Hutchinson said Sunday he is resigning from a top-level post at the Department of Homeland Security, saying "it's an appropriate time now for a change" following four years as a federal manager.Link.
Hutchinson said he was submitting a letter of resignation to President Bush on Monday, making his departure effective March 1. He said he informed White House chief of staff Andrew Card and Homeland Security Secretary-designee Michael Chertoff of his decision over the weekend.
[...]
Hutchinson, 54, a former U.S. congressman from Fort Smith, said he has not decided what he will do next, although he has been widely mentioned as a potential candidate for Arkansas governor in 2006.
"I hope to make some decisions fairly quickly," he said. "I'll be looking at a broad range of options from the private sector whether it be a law practice or other options in the private sector and also will continue to examine future opportunities for public service."
Hutchinson said "all options are on the table," including a run for governor.
The world remembers Auschwitz
Tomorrow is will be a bittersweet day for many. Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the most notorious of all of the Nazis' concentration camps in which Hitler tried to exterminate the Jews, Gypsies and countless others. Shlomo Shamir of Ha'aretz writes on how the world community will mark the day.
It is important to remember never to forget. Hopefully Monday's event will help all of us do just that: remember.
If I can pass on just one item to you, it would be this: Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen by Michelle McCann, a non-fiction book for children that carefully and deftly deals with the Holocaust. Due to issues of disclosure, I must inform you that the subject of this book, Luba Tryszynska-Frederick, is a cousin of mine and my family played a role in the book's production (though no immediate family member benefits from sale of the books).
Here is a review from Amazon.com:
"The evil that destroyed six million Jews and others in those camps is one that still threatens all of us today." This statement by Kofi Annan at a press conference at the weekend is the main message of Monday's special session of the General Assembly commemorating the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp at [Auschwitz].I'm finding it difficult to opine on this subject. It's not often that I am at a loss of words, but this is one such instance.
"The global community must ensure that such horror never occurs again," Annan said.
The special all-day session, defined on Sunday as a historic event, will be attended by the representatives of 30 senior UN members and leading intellectuals.
The event has been meticulously planned to ensure the international community would rally around it and be fully represented at the session.
Among the participants will be the foreign ministers of European countries, including German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and the foreign minister of Luxembourg, Jean Asselborn. Luxembourg is now serving as president of the European Union. The foreign ministers of France, Canada, Argentina and others have also announced their participation.
Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom will represent Israel, while U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will represent the United States.
Among the speakers will also be Congressman Tom Lantos, who is a Holocaust survivor, as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Eli Weisel.
The climax of the session is expected to be a cantor chanting the Hebrew prayer mourning prayer "El malei rachamim." This will be the first time a Jewish prayer has been uttered in the General Assembly. The cantor will also sing Israel's national anthem, "Hatikvah."
It is important to remember never to forget. Hopefully Monday's event will help all of us do just that: remember.
If I can pass on just one item to you, it would be this: Luba: The Angel of Bergen-Belsen by Michelle McCann, a non-fiction book for children that carefully and deftly deals with the Holocaust. Due to issues of disclosure, I must inform you that the subject of this book, Luba Tryszynska-Frederick, is a cousin of mine and my family played a role in the book's production (though no immediate family member benefits from sale of the books).
Here is a review from Amazon.com:
From Publishers WeeklyTo get a better idea of this beautifully illustrated tale, visit this section of the Amazon site. I may have a biased opinion of the book, but I truly believe it is a worthwhile read.
A Holocaust heroine emerges in Tryszynska-Frederick's account of being a prisoner at Bergen-Belsen, which McCann judiciously relays in the third person. A Polish Jew, Luba had endured two years in Auschwitz, where her infant son had been taken from her upon arrival; believing that Luba was a nurse, the Nazis sent her to Bergen-Belsen in the winter of 1944 to look after their wounded. She hears the sounds of crying on her first night there, and discovers 54 Dutch babies and children in a field, left to freeze to death. Determined to save them, she obtains food and clothing for them and, just as amazingly, persuades innumerable adults to keep their presence a secret. When the British liberated the camp, 52 of the children were still alive.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Snowe backs away from Bush Soc. Sec. plan
In an appearance on a Sunday talk program Maine Republican Olympia Snowe -- a key member of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees Social Security -- did little to convey support for the President's plan to dismantle the successful program. As Mike Allen reports in Monday's Washington Post, the Senator in fact displayed significant doubt as to whether any major overhaul needs to take place.
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, a moderate on the Finance Committee who will be at the center of negotiations over Social Security legislation, yesterday became the latest Republican to express reservations about President Bush's plans, saying that voters are leery and Congress must act cautiously.With so much opposition to Bush's plans, GOP consultants are now attempting to invoke two leading Democrats in calling for privitazation. As The Post's Jonathan Weisman reports, though, such a strategy is disingenuous at best.
"There is a lot of fear among seniors," Snowe said on CNN's "Inside Politics Sunday."
[...]
Snowe's skepticism could force notable changes in the package, Bush's most ambitious domestic goal for his second term. Republicans said that getting her onboard will make it easier to recruit a few Democrats, who will be needed to get a big enough margin to satisfy Senate rules.
With their push to restructure Social Security off to a rocky start, Bush administration officials have begun citing two Democrats -- former President Bill Clinton and the late senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan -- to bolster their claims that the retirement system is in crisis.Bush's Social Security plan, not yet even fully unveiled to the public, is becoming less likely to be enacted everyday.
But the gambit carries some risk, Bush supporters say. Clinton's repeated calls during his second term to "save Social Security first" were specifically to thwart what President Bush ultimately did: cut taxes based on federal budget surplus projections. Likewise, internal Treasury Department documents indicate that Moynihan, a New York Democrat who was co-chairman of Bush's 2001 Social Security Commission, expressed misgivings about the president's push to partially privatize Social Security.
Ways and Means Chairman: There is no crisis
The Washington Post's Mike Allen writes in today's paper that the Democrats are making a concerted effort to convince the American people that Social Security is not facing a "crisis." He writes,
Democratic Party leaders are urging members to discuss future Social Security shortfalls as a "challenge" rather than a crisis, and assert that Bush is trying to manufacture a crisis to justify making changes that many Democrats say are unnecessary.Now a powerful Republican -- whose support is essential to passage of any Social Security reform bill (including the President's bid to dismantle and privatize the program) -- has come to the aid of the Democrats in this game of semantics. Reuters Adam Entous reports:
A top Republican lawmaker on Social Security issues on Sunday called the retirement system's finances a "problem" rather than a crisis, distancing himself from the crisis terminology used by the White House in seeking public support for private accounts.Republicans are jumping ship left and right on this issue as they do not want to risk losing their control of Congress due to a botched attempt at privatization of Social Security. The plan is not yet dead, but its chances of being enacted are decreasing every day.
"I think 'problem' really is what we're dealing with," House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas told NBC's "Meet the Press," when asked if he agreed with the assessment of President Bush and other top administration officials that the system was in "crisis."
New poll: President Bush becoming very unpopular
The Republican-leaning polling outfit Rasmussen Reports has a new tracking poll that does not bode well for the President. They write of their latest poll:
Here's the trend:
Forty-four percent (44%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. Fifty-four percent (54%) disapprove.Link [via Jerome].
Seventy-seven percent (77%) of Republicans give him their Approval along with just 14% of Democrats and 37% of unaffiliated voters.
During 2004, reports on the President Job Approval were based upon surveys of Likely Voters. Typically, a survey of Likely Voters would report a Job Approval rating 2-3 points higher than a survey of all adults.
On Election Day, the President's Job Approval was at 52%. During all of 2004, the President's Job Approval ranged from a high of 57% in early January to a low of 48% on May 17.
Here's the trend:
Approval Disapproval
Jan 23 44 54
Jan 22 43 55
Jan 21 44 54
Jan 20 44 54
Jan 19 46 52
Jan 18 48 50
Jan 17 48 50
Dems meet in Sacramento to discuss new Chair
On Saturday, Democratic activists from all around the West Coast converged on Sacramento to help decide who will become the next party chairman. The Los Angeles Times' Mark Z. Barabak writes up the meeting.
The race for Democratic Party chairman came west Saturday with seven contestants, including two former congressmen and former presidential front-runner Howard Dean, auditioning for the chance to lead the country's minority party over the next four years.The line of the day must go to former Texas Congressman and Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Martin Frost:
Addressing a small audience of Democratic insiders — 65 of whom will cast ballots next month — and an audience of several hundred onlookers, the hopefuls sounded several common themes. They bowed to the party icons of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. They promised to cede not an inch of ground to Republicans in any precinct in any state.
And each of them, mindful of their audience, pledged to do more to empower party activists at the state and local levels.
"We have to break the consultant culture in Washington," said former Rep. Martin Frost of Texas, who until recently was a part of that Beltway culture as a 13-term member of Congress. (Frost lost his seat in November as a result of the controversial redrawing of his state's political lines, a move engineered by Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a fellow Texan.)Check out the whole piece for complete coverage.
Johnny Carson dies at age 79
The AP's Jeff Wilson pens the obituary.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family.Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79. "Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable. There will be no memorial service."
Sotzing would not give further details, including the time of death, the location or the cause of death.
The boyish-looking Nebraska native with the disarming grin, who survived every attempt to topple him from his late-night talk show throne, was a star who managed never to distance himself from his audience.
His wealth, the adoration of his guests — particularly the many young comics whose careers he launched — the wry tales of multiple divorces: Carson's air of modesty made it all serve to enhance his bedtime intimacy with viewers.
"Heeeeere's Johnny ..." was the booming announcement from sidekick Ed McMahon that ushered Carson out to the stage. Then the formula: the topical monologue, the guests, the broadly played skits such as "Carnac the Magnificent."
A Clinton back in the oval office?
And could this Clinton be Bill? US News and World Report's Washington Whispers column sees a possibility:
Here's the long shot of the year: Congressional Democrats will OK a constitutional amendment allowing naturalized citizens like California Gov. Arnold Schwarzen egger [sp] to run for president if Republicans help kill the 22nd Amendment barring third terms, thus clearing the way for another bid by Bill Clinton and, presumably, President Bush. Right now it's the talk among political strategists, but look for it to spread on Capitol Hill when Sen. Orrin Hatch reintroduces his plan to let naturalized citizens run for president after 20 years.I'm not certain how good such a deal would be for the American Democracy, but it's interesting to read about possible high-stakes poker between the two parties.
A road to peace in the Middle East?
The AP's Lara Sukhtian, based in the Gaza bureau, reports today on a startling and promising new development in the relations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Israeli military is willing to suspend operations against Palestinian militants if they call off attacks, Israeli leaders said Sunday, signaling a shift in position that could help pave the way toward a cease-fire after more than four years of fighting.It sounds like both sides are finally weary enough to begin speaking with one another in earnest, a requisite for any real peace plan. Though the negotiations are only in their early stages, today's news could herald a first step towards peace between these two peoples.
The announcement, by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, came as Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said he was closing in on a truce deal with Islamic militants and called on Israel to respond positively to a truce.
Abbas has been in Gaza since last Tuesday pressuring militant groups to halt their attacks on Israeli targets. Abbas hopes a truce will lead to the resumption of peace talks.
A triumph for Democracy
Viktor Yushchenko was officially sworn in as President of Ukraine today signalling that America does not necessarily have to invade a country for real Democracy to take hold.
Today marks a great day in the history of Democracy. Let's hope that the January 30 elections in Iraq will prove as worthy of commendation.
Viktor Yushchenko was sworn in as president of Ukraine on Sunday and called his inauguration "a victory of freedom over tyranny," capping a dramatic rise to power on the back of two months of massive street protests sparked by fraud-plagued elections.Link.
The pro-Western reformer Yushchenko declared that the former Soviet republic was "now in the center of Europe" and praised the crowds of supporters who kept up demonstrations for weeks in Kiev's central square demanding a fair vote.
"The heart of Ukraine was on Independence Square," Yushchenko told tens of thousands of people in the square. "Good people from all over the world, from far away countries, were looking at Independence Square, at us."
"This is a victory of freedom over tyranny. The victory of law over lawlessness," he said, standing in front of an orange banner erected on the Independence Monument's rotunda, a reference to the campaign color that led the winter's demonstrations to be called the "Orange Revolution."
Today marks a great day in the history of Democracy. Let's hope that the January 30 elections in Iraq will prove as worthy of commendation.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Sunday morning talkshow lineup
For those interested...
For the record, that's 11 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Fair and balanced lineups, I guess.
FOX NEWS SUNDAY: Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), and U.S. ambassador to Iraq John D. Negroponte.Link.
THIS WEEK (ABC): Sens. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.); former Vermont governor Howard Dean (D); and Negroponte.
FACE THE NATION (CBS): Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Negroponte.
MEET THE PRESS (NBC): Rep. Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) and Negroponte.
LATE EDITION (CNN): Sens. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Charaa; Adnan Pachachi of the former Iraqi Governing Council; former labor secretary Robert B. Reich; Forbes Inc. CEO Steve Forbes; and Negroponte.
For the record, that's 11 Republicans and 5 Democrats. Fair and balanced lineups, I guess.
Iraq War veterans begin to speak out
With the situation in Iraq rapidly deteriorating and American casualties continue to grow (not to mention the scores of Iraqis killed daily), it was inevitable that a number of veterans of the war would begin to speak their peace. The New York Times' Neela Banerjee writes about two such groups of soldiers in Sunday's paper:
Sean Huze enlisted in the Marine Corps right after the Sept. 11 attacks and was, in his own words, "red, white and blue all the way" when he deployed to Iraq 16 months later. Unquestioning in his support of the invasion, he grew irritated when his father, a former National Guardsman, expressed doubts about the war.Banerjee reports that the two groups are growing rapidly and becoming increasingly vocal. Though it's not time to withdraw all troops from Iraq, this administration must come up with an exit strategy immediately (something it should have done before the war) so Iraq does not become this generation's Vietnam.
Today, all that has changed. Haunted by the civilian casualties he witnessed, Corporal Huze has become one of a small but increasing number of Iraq veterans who have formed or joined groups to oppose the war or to criticize the way it is being fought.
The two most visible organizations - Operation Truth, of which Corporal Huze is a member, and Iraq Veterans Against the War - were founded only last summer but are growing in membership and sophistication. The Internet has helped them spread their word and galvanize like-minded people in ways unimaginable to activist veterans of previous generations, who are also lending help.
Gregoire shines in Dems weekly address
Christine Gregoire, fresh off of her win in Washington state, was chosen to deliver the Democrats' weekly radio address and she didn't disappoint.
America's newest governor, Democrat Christine Gregoire of Washington, chided President Bush on Saturday for shortchanging the states and urged the former Texas governor to remember their financial needs.Link.
The Democratic Governors' Association picked Gregoire to respond to President Bush's weekly radio address to the nation. She took office on Jan. 12 after winning by just 129 votes out of 2.9 million cast. Her Republican rival wants the courts to overturn the election and order a revote.
Gregoire wished Bush well as he enters his second term, but then lit into him. Many of the states' gravest problems are a shared responsibility with Washington, D.C., but the federal government continues to let down the statehouses, she said.
[...]
Gregoire cited homeland security, transportation, health care and education as areas where federal mandates are heaped on the states without a corresponding flow of money and help.
In the war on terror, she said, "Candidly, there is too much talk and too little action coming out of Washington, D.C.
Schwarzenegger no longer trusts the electorate
Los Angeles Times' Robert Salladay pens an extremely interesting analysis piece in today's paper examining a major shift by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In "Gov.'s Trust Is Limited", Salladay writes:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has crafted a political career around the notion that voters know best. "Trust the people," he said in his State of the State address.This hypocricy could lead to devestating effects for the Governator. As George Skelton writes in the Times' Op-Ed section, Schwarzenegger's lack of trust in the electorate could lead to a diminished belief in him.
But to Schwarzenegger, some decisions by the people appear less equal than others. Three ballot measures passed by California voters have become inconvenient to the governor as he tries to balance a budget that has an $8.6-billion shortfall.
Those propositions require a certain level of spending on schools, guarantee money for roads and freeways, and impose government spending restrictions that Schwarzenegger himself promised would forever end the state's money problems.
But the governor wants to tinker with those laws this year, causing Democrats in the Capitol to question his commitment to the people — and to agreements he made with legislators just a year ago.
The question political insiders are starting to ask about Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is potentially one of the most damaging that can be asked about a politician. Can you believe him? Can you trust him? Will he keep his word?Check out this piece if you're interested in California politics or if you just want to see how actors (and I use this term lightly) don't necessarily make good governors.
[...]
A celebrity governor can get away with a lot. But he can't get away with becoming known as a guy whose word isn't good.
Trust. Integrity. They're a politician's stock in trade — more important even than "reform."
DeFazio moving up in the world
Oregon's Congressional delegation, completely unchanged since 1999, has finally parlayed its increasing seniority into prime committee assignments in the 109th Congress. In March, GOP Representative Greg Walden was named Chairman of the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. In December, Democratic Senator Ron Wyden was selected to join Republican Gordon Smith on the powerful Finance Committee, making Oregon the only state with two members on the committee. Today, Ellyn Ferguson reports in The Salem Statesman Journal that another of Oregon's members of Congress has been selected for a key post.
Rep. Peter DeFazio is taking on traffic-cop duty during this Congressional session to free billions of dollars for mass transit and highways that have been tied up in budget gridlock since 2003.DeFazio worked hard to get this post, becoming the first Oregonian with a significant role in steering money to the state since Mark Hatfield retired as Senate Appropriations Chairman in 1997, and his district and the state as a whole will benefit greatly from his selection.
The money is part of a highway bill that would dole out funding to states during the next six years. The bill ultimately is about generating employment through transportation construction jobs and aiding economic development by moving goods and people, said DeFazio, D-Springfield.
To be closer to the action, he has traded his seat as the senior Democrat on the aviation subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the top Democrat seat on the panel's highways, transit and pipelines subcommittee.
The switch makes him one of the committee's "Big Four" members responsible for trying to get a final version of the bill passed.
Portland metro economy growing, albeit slowly
Oregon's economy, one of the weakest in the nation for more than four years, began to turn around near the end of 2004. The Oregonian's Brent Hunsberger reports that at least part of that growth came from the Portland metropolitan area.
[Update 9:23 AM Pacific]: Salem's economy appears to be growing as well. The Salem Statesman Journal has this story in today's paper.
The Portland-Vancouver area's unemployment rate dropped to 6.1 percent last month, its lowest December reading in four years, according to figures released Friday by the Oregon Employment Department.The Portland metro area, long marred by a soft economy, is finally beginning to rebound, but much more needs to be done. Perhaps the city's new mayor Tom Potter, working in tandem with his City Council and Metro Council President David Bragdon, will be able to develop a plan to fully utilize the many unique aspects of the region. At the current rate of growth, however, something must be done.
For all of 2004, though, job growth in the metro area came at a much slower pace than it did in the rest of Oregon. The numbers show that Portland-area employers increased payrolls by 1.2 percent between December 2003 and December 2004, compared with the 2.2 percent growth in nonfarm payroll statewide during the same period.
About two-thirds of new jobs last year in Oregon were created outside the state's biggest metro area, home to half the state's population.
[Update 9:23 AM Pacific]: Salem's economy appears to be growing as well. The Salem Statesman Journal has this story in today's paper.
December numbers show that Salem's economy took a step forward in 2004, the Oregon Employment Department reported Friday.
About 800 fewer people were unemployed in December compared with the same time in 2003. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by about 1,000 jobs compared with a year earlier.
Mary Lee Wright, a regional economist for the state, said that the average job gains during the entire year likely will turn out to be higher than those December-over-December numbers. The state plans to issue more definitive numbers for 2004 this spring, once it looks more closely at tax records.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Enron continues to rob Oregonians
While it is commonly believed by many that Enron's days of mistreating consumers and investors alike are over, the energy firm continues to bilk thousands of unsuspecting people. Willamette Week's Nigel Jaquiss reports:
Over the past seven years, Portland General Electric has collected nearly $7 million in local taxes from Multnomah County customers—and put the money right into Enron's pockets rather than county coffers.
Over the past seven years, Portland General Electric has collected nearly $7 million in local taxes from Multnomah County customers—and put the money right into Enron's pockets rather than county coffers.
While PGE is in the news these days because of its proposed sale to an out-of-state buyout firm, it's still owned by Enron, the bankrupt Texas energy giant.Perhaps its time for the federal government to put all of its weight into an investigation into Bush's friends and benefactors at Enron, some of whom still haven't been indicted.
The information about PGE's tax collections recently surfaced in a battle between the Utility Reform Project, a consumer advocacy group, and PGE.
The Reform Project previously documented that PGE collected more than $700 million from Oregon ratepayers to pay state and federal income taxes since being acquired by Enron in 1997. Enron kept virtually all of that money.
New documents PGE recently turned over to Dan Meek, the Reform Project's attorney, show Enron also stiffed Multnomah County.
Ahmed Chalabi to be arrested?
According to Reuters, yes...
Iraq's interim defense minister said on Friday the government would arrest Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi after the Eid al-Adha holiday on suspicion of maligning the defense ministry.Chalabi is a crook whose alliances shift almost daily. His imminent arrest is based on allegation that he swindled his bank out of $500 million. What's more, he helped dupe America into attacking Iraq. It's about time he spends time in a jail cell.
"We will arrest him and hand him over to Interpol. We will arrest him based on facts that he wanted to malign the reputation of the defense ministry and defense minister," Hazim al-Shaalan told Al Jazeera television.
The satellite channel quoted Shaalan as saying Chalabi would be handed to Interpol over his conviction in absentia by a Jordanian court in 1992 of embezzling millions from Petra Bank, whose 1989 collapse shook Jordan's political and financial system.
A coterie of wealthy liberals to fund left-leaning think tanks
While the GOP is able to rely on think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Entrerprise Institute to produce a generation of educated and well-paid conservative pundits, until recently the Democrats have not had such a luxury. With John Podesta's founding of the Center for American Progress, America's left began to catch up with the right's extensive infrastructure. Now, with the suppor of some very rich people, the progressive network might finally be able to reach parity with its conservative adversary. E.J. Kessler reports this week in Forward [free subscription required]:
A handful of ultra-wealthy Jewish liberals are resolving to do battle with conservatives by providing a big infusion of cash to progressive think tanks and idea mills.This is truly good news for the progressive movement in America. Though the ideals of campaign finance law are necessary, it is equally important to realize the extent of conservative's grip on the country -- and how this is greatly based on their impressive levels of spending.
New York-based financier George Soros, Cleveland insurance king Peter Lewis and Oakland, Calif., banking magnates Herb and Marian Sandler made the pledge at a meeting in San Francisco last month.
[...]
A report in The Financial Times quoted an unnamed source with knowledge of the San Francisco meeting as saying that the wealthy donors would put more than $100 million over 15 years behind the effort to bolster and expand the network of liberal institutions.
During the 2004 election, Soros, Lewis and the Sandlers comprised three of the top four donors to so-called 527 committees, giving $23,450,000, $22,997,220 and $13,008,459, respectively, according to the Web site of the Center for Responsive Politics. The funds were seen as playing a key role in minimizing the impact of the Bush campaign's large fund-raising advantage over the Kerry camp.
Jewish groups to oppose restrictions on abortion rights
Although the Jewish community makes up only a small portion of America's population (between 2.5% and 3% of the country), when it speaks in near-unanimity on an issue, lawmakers tend to listen. Accordingly, the recent move by leading Jewish organizations -- including some in the Orthodox community -- to actively oppose Republican attempts to curtail abortion rights is quite significant. Forward's Ori Nir and E.J. Kessler report [free subscription required]:
America's two largest synagogue movements and several major national Jewish agencies are joining a campaign to oppose attempts to outlaw abortion, arguing that reproductive rights are a religious freedom.Nir and Kessler also write that Jewish groups are considering opposition to Bill Frist's invocation of the so-called "nuclear option," which would prohibit filibusters on judicial nominations. For all of the talk of a great migration of America's Jewry to the GOP, such a shift has yet to happen (and it's doubtful it ever will).
The campaign was launched this week by the National Council of Jewish Women on the 32nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. It features a letter to members of the U.S. Senate, signed by hundreds of rabbis, saying that the "faith based" decisions they help families make on whether to abort pregnancies "should not be circumscribed by government."
Most signatories on the letter are Reform or Conservative rabbis, NCJW President Marsha Atkind noted. Several Orthodox rabbis also will sign, she said. That would be significant, because most Orthodox rabbis adhere to a doctrine that bans abortion, except when a pregnancy threatens the mother's life or health. Orthodox umbrella groups typically abstain — as they did in this case — when coalitions of Jewish groups take collective positions on abortion. One Orthodox rabbi who said he supports the overall message of the letter but would not sign it, Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah in Washington, said that although rabbinic law prohibits abortion "as a baseline," there are "many nuances involved in this," which create the potential for government involvement to jeopardize the ability of a rabbi to counsel congregation members on abortion.
The ethics of the blogosphere
The AP's Anick Jesdanun seems to think that bloggers simply do not have any ethical standards. In "Blogger Influence Raises Ethical Questions", Jesdanun writes:
The fact is that the AP and other mainstream outlets are frightened by the power of blogs and appear willing to do anything to undercut their credibility.
So far, many bloggers resist any notion of ethical standards, saying individuals ought to decide what's right for them. After all, they say, blog topics range from trying to sway your presidential vote to simply talking about the day's lunch.It is completely improper for Jesdanun to besmirch the name of many a good blogger simply because some in the blogosphere have acted unethically. I, along with many others, have taken the oath pledging that I have never received money for favorable coverage. Kos had a large disclaimer on his site when he was affiliated with the Dean campaign. Jerome shut down MyDD entirely.
Blogging is more like a conversation, and "you can't develop a code of ethics for conversations," said David Weinberger, a prominent blogger and research fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society. "A conversation with your best friend would become stilted and alienating."
The fact is that the AP and other mainstream outlets are frightened by the power of blogs and appear willing to do anything to undercut their credibility.
A Katherine Harris opponent speaks out
E.J. Kessler passes on this brilliant piece from Katherine Harris detractor Jan Schneider.
Rep. Katherine Harris is angling for appointment to the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security, according to the Jan. 10 Herald-Tribune.Check out the rest of the piece because it's well worth reading.
This is the same Katherine Harris who, last fall, raised the specter of phantom terrorists trying to blow up the power grid in Carmel, Ind. Myriad authorities -- from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the governor of the state and virtually every local official -- disclaimed any such threat. Either Harris was engaging in blatant campaign fear-mongering in reckless disregard for facts, or she revealed top- secret information for partisan purposes. Whichever, her behavior casts serious doubts on her judgment and qualifications for this committee assignment.
Harris also recently exhibited an embarrassing lack of interest in the matter of homeland security during a nationally televised congressional debate on the 9/11 commission reform bill. In plain view of C-Span cameras, she laughed and chatted on the House floor throughout the session. The tape is available from C-Span, and an abbreviated version can be seen at www.thecanoodle.com.
New poll bodes poorly for Dean
Taegan Goddard has the scoop:
A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds Howard Dean is fighting "a tarnished image in bid for Democratic chairmanship. Just 27% of party backers view the Vermont ex-governor positively, down from 48% a year ago. But he's less of a lightning rod for Republicans than during his presidential bid; 37% view him negatively, down from 58% in January 2004."I knew that Dean is not the most popular member of the Democratic party, but I never knew it was this bad.
Michael Powell out at the FCC
The man most famous for attempting to deregulate controls on ownership of the media while increasing the moral regulations on television (think "nipplegate") is set to leave the Federal Communications Commission. The AP's Ted Bridis reports:
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael K. Powell, who generally wielded a light regulatory hand as the nation's chief media watchdog but collected some of the largest indecency fines against U.S. broadcasters, plans to step down, two agency officials and others said Friday.Although this news might not temper liberals' discontent at the administration, it will certainly make this inaugural week more bearable.
[...]
Powell, a champion of deregulation who critics say is too pro-big business, rose from commissioner to chairman when Bush took office in 2001. His term was to run until 2007.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
WaPo comes close to calling Bush a liar
In the journalistic game of insinuating someone is a liar without explicitly saying it, President Bush is often spared the indignity of having his integrity impugned. Such is the case of Glenn Kessler and Robin Wright's Washington Post piece entitled "Analysts Note Gap Between Bush Rhetoric And Reality."
President Bush's soaring rhetoric yesterday that the United States will promote the growth of democratic movements and institutions worldwide is at odds with the administration's increasingly close relations with repressive governments in every corner of the world.Perhaps a time will come when the media are sufficiently confident to call a spade a spade and admit the the American people that their President is unable to tell the truth.
Some of the administration's allies in the war against terrorism -- including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan -- are ranked by the State Department as among the worst human rights abusers. The president has proudly proclaimed his friendship with Russian President Vladimir Putin while remaining largely silent about Putin's dismantling of democratic institutions in the past four years. The administration, eager to enlist China as an ally in the effort to restrain North Korea's nuclear ambitions, has played down human rights concerns there, as well.
Bush's speech "brought to a high level the gap between the rhetoric and reality in U.S. foreign policy," said Thomas Carothers, co-author of a new book, "Uncharted Journey: Promoting Democracy in the Middle East."
"The rhetoric is seamless, but the policy is very muddled. In fact, the war on terrorism has pushed the U.S. to be friendlier with nondemocratic regimes," said Carothers, director of the Democracy and Rule of Law Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
SpongeDob Stickypants joins Mullah Jerry Falwell
First we had the radical cleric Jerry Falwell and now this from James Wolcott:
I hereby decree that Dr. James Dobson--founder of Focus on the Family; man of faith; fanatic; fool--be hereby known throughout the land as SpongeDob Stickypants.If they go after Bert and Ernie, that'll be the last straw. Oh wait...
Why? the people beg to know.
Here's why.
SpongeDob Stickypants. His next target: the disquieting bond between Yogi and Boo-boo.
Grassley: "We might fail" on Social Security
Two key Republicans in the House -- House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Bill Thomas (CA) and Rep. Jim McCrery (La.), chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security -- have signaled this week a disbelief that Bush's Social Security plan will ever come to fruition. Now a powerful voice in the Senate has joined them. The Des Moines Register's Jane Norman reports:
A revamp of Social Security that could affect the retirements and payroll taxes of millions of younger workers faces tough going in Congress, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley acknowledged Wednesday.The window of opportunity is quickly closing for passage of this measure and leading Republicans are rapidly abandoning ship. Things might turn around for the President soon, but I wouldn't count on it.
[...]
"We might fail," he added. "I don't think we can be held guilty if we try and fail."
Tobacco banned in Bhutan
Slate's Eric Weiner reports on this quirky move by this quirky nation:
So, how has Bhutan managed to pull off a nationwide smoking ban while other nations dither? Bhutan is a Buddhist nation, and many Buddhists believe smoking is bad for their karma. Then again, Sri Lanka and Thailand are also predominantly Buddhist, and plenty of people smoke there.So could other countries follow this trend in banning tobacco?
The answer lies not in Bhutan's religion but in its famous quirkiness. This is a country that has elevated contrariness to a national trait. Convention says an impoverished yet stunningly beautiful nation like Bhutan should welcome tourists with open arms—and count the dollars. Yet Bhutan restricts the number of foreign tourists (about 9,000 last year) and charges fees of $200 per day. Convention says that gross national product is the best measure of national progress. Yet Bhutan is aiming for another mark: What it calls "gross national happiness." If Bhutan were a celebrity, it would be Johnny Depp—reclusive, a bit odd, but endearing nonetheless.
Bhutanese officials say that, by banning tobacco, they hope to set an example for the rest of the world. Ireland recently banned smoking in public places, though the sale of tobacco remains legal. Other European countries, such as Norway, are enacting less-stringent smoking bans.At least this is a start.
In most of Asia, though, the trend is toward more smokers, not fewer, as countries rush to emulate Western habits and as tobacco companies look east for new customers. Once again, Bhutan finds itself the exception to the rule.
Fox News' coverage of the inauguration falls apart
You must check out this clip from OliverWillis.com. It's priceless.
[Update by Jonathan Singer at 12:27 PM Pacific]:
We have always known that Fox News' reporting is blatantly partisan -- remember when Carl Cameron made up a negative story against John Kerry -- but it's nevertheless enjoyable to see their bias in plain sight for the American people. The "reporter," sounding like a spinmeister trained by a hatchetman like Ralph Reed, Ari Fleischer or Dick Morris, made a complete fool of herself as she continuously toed the line for the Bush administration.
I understand that Fox News has essentially no sense of journalistic ethics; this goes beyond their normal actions, though.
[Update by Jonathan Singer at 12:27 PM Pacific]:
We have always known that Fox News' reporting is blatantly partisan -- remember when Carl Cameron made up a negative story against John Kerry -- but it's nevertheless enjoyable to see their bias in plain sight for the American people. The "reporter," sounding like a spinmeister trained by a hatchetman like Ralph Reed, Ari Fleischer or Dick Morris, made a complete fool of herself as she continuously toed the line for the Bush administration.
I understand that Fox News has essentially no sense of journalistic ethics; this goes beyond their normal actions, though.
Bonus Quote of the Day
"The combination of higher birth rates and more immigration makes the United States the healthiest of developed nations. This is not a crisis."Link.
-- Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives and a supporter of private accounts.
Florida: The key battleground of 2006?
George Bush may have won Florida by a relatively comfortable margin in November, but that doesn't mean the state won't be hotly contested next year. As the St. Petersburg Times reports, the state's senior Senator has just announced that he will seek a second term, making the race one of the premier campaigns in the nation.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, long rumored to be considering a run for governor of Florida when Gov. Jeb Bush steps down next year, said Wednesday he will not, and instead will seek re-election to the Senate in 2006.With the Senate race heating up, it appears as though the gubernatorial race could be one to watch this year as well. The Miami New Times reports that a Kennedy heir might be in the mix to succeed Jeb Bush.
"I love the Senate. I have hit my stride," Nelson, a Democrat, said in a meeting with reporters Wednesday evening. "I love the senators; I love having the privilege of representing the people of Florida in the Senate.
"I'm running for re-election, and the good Lord willing and the people willing, I'm going to continue to represent Florida."
"My whole life I was introduced as someone else," Anthony Kennedy Shriver quipped to the well-heeled crowd before him at a Toronto benefit dinner this past fall for his Best Buddies foundation. "I grew up the nephew of President Kennedy. Then I was the nephew of Senator Kennedy. Then I was the son of Sargent Shriver," he continued wryly. "Now I'm the brother-in-law of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Well, I have good news for you all: I continue to be a Democrat. I'm not a Republican!"Check out the whole piece -- it's well-worth reading with interesting information on this rising star in the Democratic party and an interview to boot.
As comforting as that declaration might be to long-time admirers of the Kennedy clan, it's even more reassuring to Democratic Party officials. Shriver, who has called Miami Beach home since 1992, is increasingly looking like the Democrats' best chance for taking Florida's gubernatorial seat from the term-limited Jeb Bush in 2006. And though that election might still be nearly two years away, party insiders, desperate for some new blood and fresh faces worthy of the national stage, are already trying to persuade Shriver to commit to running.
Quote of the Day
"I did not intend to say that it was Buzz Aldrin and Neil Young who were the first two men on the moon."Link.
-- Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
The next purple teletubby emerges for conservatives
What on earth are they thinking about?
I suppose there's nothing wrong with letting the right chase an imaginary dragon.
On the heels of electoral victories barring same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.Link.
[...]
In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, [SpongeBob] has become a well-known camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick and likes to watch the imaginary television show "The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy."
Now, Dr. [James C. Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family] said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity."
I suppose there's nothing wrong with letting the right chase an imaginary dragon.
Another shoe falls in the Social Security debate
Just a day after House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-CA) called the President's Social Security plan "a dead horse," yet another leading Republican indicated that the proposal will not come to fruition. The Washington Post's Jonathan Weisman writes,
By bringing in so-called "tax reform" -- which in reality is a bid to rid the nation of progressive taxation -- the GOP could make their Social Security bill so controversial that it becomes completely unpassable. This goes beyond overreaching. By making a bill so large and complicated, opposition to any given part could inhibit passage of the entire bill.
In reality the President has put his party in a very difficult situation. The expectations are that he will be able to enact sweeping legislation, and anything short of an overhaul of both Social Security and the tax code will not be viewed as a complete success (given his "mandate"). What's more, the Democrats have no incentive whatsoever to comply with the Republicans because their party can gain no political clout from these policies' implementation and, above all, the American people do not support these measures.
The GOP is running scared right now (read Josh Marshall's take on this) but they don't have anywhere to turn. The Democrats ought to let them rile a little longer before doing anything too rash. It might not be a time to gloat, but it's certainly not a time to excessively fret, either.
A key House Republican leader on Social Security said yesterday he has begun exploring ways to finance a restructured Social Security system other than through diverting payroll taxes from current beneficiaries.Expanding the scope of the conflict can, at times, enhance the chances that a given piece of legislation will pass. The 1986 tax reform bill, which is often cited as one of the greatest legislative successes in recent memory, began as a bid to reform one segment of taxation before being expanded to affect most areas of taxation. In many cases, though, this is not the case.
The comments by Rep. Jim McCrery (La.), chairman of the Ways and Means subcommittee on Social Security, signaled a significant step away from President Bush's Social Security plans. And they fleshed out a point alluded to by House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) on Tuesday: To break the partisan stalemate on Social Security, Republicans may have to finance their proposed personal investment accounts through some mechanism other than the 12.4 percent Social Security tax.
By bringing in so-called "tax reform" -- which in reality is a bid to rid the nation of progressive taxation -- the GOP could make their Social Security bill so controversial that it becomes completely unpassable. This goes beyond overreaching. By making a bill so large and complicated, opposition to any given part could inhibit passage of the entire bill.
In reality the President has put his party in a very difficult situation. The expectations are that he will be able to enact sweeping legislation, and anything short of an overhaul of both Social Security and the tax code will not be viewed as a complete success (given his "mandate"). What's more, the Democrats have no incentive whatsoever to comply with the Republicans because their party can gain no political clout from these policies' implementation and, above all, the American people do not support these measures.
The GOP is running scared right now (read Josh Marshall's take on this) but they don't have anywhere to turn. The Democrats ought to let them rile a little longer before doing anything too rash. It might not be a time to gloat, but it's certainly not a time to excessively fret, either.
Another Dem drops out of the Arkansas Gov. race
The Hill's Hans Nichols reports today that the Democratic field is narrowing in Arkansas as both parties seek to find a standardbearer that could lead them to victory in the 2006 gubernatorial contest. In "Ross will not run for governor", Nichols leads thusly:
With these two heavyweights on the Democratic side possibly battling to be able meet either Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson or Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller, the Arkansas gubernatorial race will be one to watch this cycle.
Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) will not run to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2006, ending weeks of speculation about a potentially bruising primary in Arkansas.Nichols mentions that this should leave the nomination Attorney General Mike Beebe's for the taking, though this might not be the case. As reported a week ago, former presidential candidate General Wes Clark is seriously considering a bid for the Democratic nomination as well.
Ross, who won a seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee this year and is fast emerging as one of the party’s fundraising stars, told his staff of his decision yesterday morning.
With these two heavyweights on the Democratic side possibly battling to be able meet either Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson or Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller, the Arkansas gubernatorial race will be one to watch this cycle.
Dems to delay Rice nomination to State
Condi Rice may have passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a 16-2 vote but that doesn't assure her of easy confirmation in the entire body. As the AP reports, it appears that her nomination might be bogged down very soon.
Senate Democrats intend to delay Condoleezza Rice's confirmation as secretary of state at least until next week rather than grant her Inauguration Day approval, a spokesman said Wednesday.This might merely be a symbolic act, but the times might be calling for such an act.
"There are a number of Democrats not on the committee that want to have a chance to debate her nomination a couple of hours," said Manley, a spokesman for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.
Is it time to start worrying about inflation?
Perhaps...
Inflation and relatively slow growth! That sounds like the stagflation that did Jimmy Carter in.
Consumer prices jumped 3.3 percent last year as the biggest surge in fuel bills in 14 years pushed up inflation at the fastest pace since 2000, the government reported Wednesday. But in a sign that some relief may be on the way, retail prices fell by 0.1 percent in December, driven lower by the largest one-month drop in energy costs since July.Link.
The Labor Department said the 3.3 percent increase last year in its Consumer Price Index, the most closely watched barometer of inflation, was the biggest annual jump since a 3.4 percent rise in 2000. In 2003, consumer prices had risen just 1.9 percent.
The acceleration in price pressures last year was led by a 16.6 percent jump in energy costs, the biggest annual gain in 14 years — since an 18.1 percent surge in fuel bills in 1990, when supply disruptions related to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait roiled world oil markets.
Inflation and relatively slow growth! That sounds like the stagflation that did Jimmy Carter in.
African Americans not helped by Bush's Soc. Sec. plan
CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) runs an important story, however unsurprising, that the President's plan to dismantle Social Security would not in fact help the African American community:
The Congressional Black Caucus today contested President Bush's assertion that his proposed Social Security overhaul would help African Americans.For more information on the President's dreadful plan, check out ThereIsNoCrisis.com.
On Jan. 11, Bush said diverting some of Social Security's payroll taxes into individual investment accounts would help black Americans create wealth to pass on to their heirs. Bush noted that black males have lower life expectancies than white males and women. Because of that, he said, Social Security is "inherently unfair to a certain group of people. And that needs to be fixed." But the Congressional Black Caucus said Bush's remarks overlooked black Americans' greater reliance on Social Security's survivor and disability benefits. While only 12 percent of the U.S. population, blacks are 17 percent of those receiving disability benefits, according to a research report for the group. Black children make up 22 percent of all children receiving survivor benefits, which go to widows, widowers and minors under age 18 who lose a parent. Social Security payroll taxes support all parts of the program, not just retirement benefits.
What a relief!
Gasoline prices in Oregon have dipped below the national average for the first time in recent memory, AAA Oregon/ Idaho officials said Tuesday.Link.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Oregon was $1.80, compared to $1.81 per gallon nationally.
Hoyer backs Frost for DNC Chair
From the Frost campaign...
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) - the 2nd-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives, chair of the DNC's Democratic Business Council, and a former Democratic leadership liaison to the Democratic National Committee - today endorsed former Congressman and former Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Martin Frost to be the next DNC Chair.Not a major surprise, but it's nevertheless interesting.
"Martin Frost is one of the most successful political strategists and organizers in either Party because he is as innovative as he is pragmatic," Hoyer said. "He focuses on the bottom line - beating Republicans - and he challenges conventional wisdom and embraces new strategies to get it done. That's how he reinvented the DCCC after the debacle of 1994, leading Democrats to the historic victories that drove Newt Gingrich out of Congress. No one in this race can match his track record of successfully building and managing Democratic Party operations at all levels."
Bloomberg in fierce battle for reelection
According to a newly released poll, nominally Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in a fight for his political life as he seeks a second term in New York. Although he doesn't trail any Democrat, his numbers are nonetheless very low. Here are the details:
For coverage of all of the important races of 2005 and 2006, check in with Basie!
- Bloomberg 43, former City Councilman Fernando Ferrer 43
- Bloomberg 43, Council Speaker Gifford Miller 38
- Bloomberg 44, Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields 39
- Bloomberg 43, U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner 36
- Bloomberg 46, U.S. Council member Charles Barron 31
For coverage of all of the important races of 2005 and 2006, check in with Basie!
Linc Chafee in trouble in Rhode Island
The Senate's last remaining Rockefeller Republican appears to be in serious jeopardy of keeping his seat in Rhode Island, according to a new poll. Lincoln Chafee, a liberal on most issues -- though a member of the GOP -- would lose handily to the state's Democratic Governor should the election be held today. The Providence Journal's Scott McKay reports:
A public opinion survey commissioned by U.S. Senate Democrats shows Republican incumbent Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee to be vulnerable to a Democratic challenge in 2006, especially if the candidate is U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, of Warwick.It is a bit early to begin doling out endorsements, but I would tend to support Chafee over his Democratic rivals due to my belief in the importance of comity between the two parties (I supported moderate Republican Arlen Specter this year, for instance). The race might be long away, but it will certainly be one to watch in 2006.
The poll numbers released yesterday by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee show Langevin with 52 percent, Chafee at 32 percent and 17 percent undecided, said Cara Morris, spokeswoman for the committee.
[...]
The poll also tested two other Democrats who have expressed an interest in running against Chafee -- Secretary of State Matthew Brown and Sheldon Whitehouse, the former attorney general. The Democratic committee refused to release those numbers, but party sources -- and Chafee's staff -- said those results showed the senator with a big lead over Whitehouse and an even larger margin over Brown.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Bill Thomas (R-CA): Bush's Soc. Sec. plan "a dead horse"
Though some believe Bush's plan to dismantle Social Security is a forgone conclusion, but as it begins to move to Congress, Republicans in both houses are becoming increasingly pessimistic about the possiblity of passage of a bill. The Washington Post's Mike Allen and Jonathan Weisman report on one such high-ranking Republican's qualms:
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) predicted yesterday that partisan warfare over Social Security will quickly render President Bush's plan "a dead horse" and called on Congress to undertake a broader review of the problems of an aging nation.So what does Thomas suggest as one alternative to Bush's plan?
Thomas, one of Capitol Hill's most powerful figures on tax policy, is the highest-ranking House Republican official to cast doubt on the president's plan for creating individual investment accounts. He said that as an alternative, he will consider changes such as replacing the payroll tax as Social Security's financing mechanism and adding a savings plan for long-term or chronic care as "an augmentation to Social Security payments."
[...]
Thomas's comments, which took the White House by surprise, reflected some Republicans' view that the White House has mishandled the plan's rollout and that a fresh start is needed to allow a chance for getting Democratic support.
Speaking two days before Bush's second inauguration, Thomas said Bush's plan as it has been described "cannot, given the politics of the House and the Senate," win passage in both chambers.
Perhaps most provocatively, Thomas said lawmakers should debate whether Social Security benefits should differ for men and women, because women live longer. "We never have debated gender-adjusting Social Security," he said. A House leadership official said that not even Republicans on Thomas's committee would vote for that idea. Thomas also said the system might take into account the need of blue-collar workers to retire younger than office workers.With the GOP this divided, it's very unlikely that passage of Bush's Social Security plan will come any time soon -- if it is ever passed at all.
Headline of the day
Stewart and Couric to anchor CBS News?
It sounds like CBS chairman Leslie Moonves won't rule out such a pairing. Arthur Spiegelman has the story for Reuters:
While Moonves said he has not ruled out a return to a single anchor, it would have to be "a very special person." He added, "Maybe it is reinventing the wheel but it is something we are trying to do. There is going to be a very different show than the show that is on now."Now that's network news I would watch.
He refused to comment on reports that he had spoken to Katie Couric, the popular co-host of NBC's "Today" show or that he was trying to enlist comedian Jon Stewart, who hosts a newscast parody on cable TV, as a commentator.
But he said he wanted to draw a younger audience to the news, and both Couric and Stewart are popular with television's key audience demographic, viewers aged 18 to 49.
Gonzales confirmation to be delayed
Though all signs indicate that Alberto Gonzales already has the necessary votes in the Senate to become the next Attorney General, his confirmation might not come so soon. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) reports:
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected to prolong the fight over Alberto R. Gonzales, President Bush's nominee to be attorney general, currently scheduled for a panel vote tomorrow. Under a Judiciary Committee rule, anyone can ask for a one-week delay on an item before the panel; Democrats plan to invoke that rule if the committee actually musters a quorum to meet tomorrow. Gonzales is widely expected to win the committee's approval -- and ultimately to be confirmed by the full Senate -- but he continues to face criticism for his role in developing the administration's legal strategy on detained terror suspects. A few panel Democrats are expected to vote against Gonzales' nomination, possibly including Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Charles E. Schumer of New York. On CBS' "Face The Nation" on Sunday, Kennedy said he was "leaning against" Gonzales. "I wasn't satisfied with his responses."Gonzales, like many of Bush's other second term nominees, is a relatively controversial figure, despite having the votes for confirmation. Given his meager record on human and civil rights, it's very understandable that the Democrats plan on delaying his confirmation, even if it would only be a symbolic act.
Iraqi candidates slain
Oy.
Gunmen shot and killed three candidates running in Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, officials said Tuesday, as a suicide bombing killed two people outside the offices of a leading Shiite political party.This is most likely not the most effective way to hold a truly Democratic election. I certainly hope and pray things start improving in Iraq, but with each such attack I'm becoming increasingly pessimistic.
With insurgents trying to ruin the election, officials announced that Iraq will seal its borders, extend a curfew and restrict movement to protect voters during the balloting. President Bush spoke Tuesday morning with Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, the latest in a series of conversations between the two leaders on Iraq's efforts to ensure maximum participation in the election.
Two of the slain candidates belonged to Allawi's political coalition, the Iraqi National Accord, a member of the group said.
Lack of funds curtails anti-tobacco effort's efficacy
Now this is surprising. A sharp cut in funding to Oregon's anti-tobacco program leads to fears that the program willno longer be effective in helping people quite use of the substance.
If this is an issue about which Oregonians care deeply, perhaps it's time for the state legislature to begin thinking realistically and consider raising tobacco taxes to provide sufficient funds to the program. It's that simple.
According to the state, about 75,000 Oregonians have quit smoking cigarettes since 1996, when voters increased tobacco taxes. Youth smoking also has dropped significantly since then, with a 51 percent decrease among middle-school students.Link.
Advocates now worry that declines in tobacco use are slowing.
The state's prevention budget is one-third of what it was two years ago. Lawmakers might need to continue the trend as demand for health services and costs of care grows faster than the state's revenues.
If this is an issue about which Oregonians care deeply, perhaps it's time for the state legislature to begin thinking realistically and consider raising tobacco taxes to provide sufficient funds to the program. It's that simple.
Liberal talk radio adds another voice to the mix
In preparation for an immenent gubernatorial bid in Ohio, a famous former mayor of Cincinnati has taken to the airwaves spreading his liberal agenda in an entertaining style. The AP has the story:
Jerry Springer's new radio talk show doesn't have guests who get in fist fights or blurt foul language.With Air America rapidly spreading across America -- often replacing Rush, O'Reilly and other such hacks -- the emergence of a liberal Springer show might indicate the beginning of the end of the right wing's domination of talk radio.
Springer promised to provide unabashed liberal views to counter the positions of President Bush in the first airing Monday of his radio show in Cincinnati, where he once served as mayor.
The new face of the GOP in the South
There is a new star rising over Alabama and it appears as though he could defeat incumbent Governor Bob Riley in the Republican primary: Roy Moore, the so-called "10 commandments judge."
If the Republicans believe that the man most qualified to be Governor of Alabama is most famous for dumping a two ton statue of the ten commandments in a courthouse, so be it.
A new poll shows Roy Moore with a lead over Gov. Bob Riley in the race for the 2006 Republican gubernatorial nomination, a potential boost for the former chief justice should he decide to run for the office.Link.
A Mobile Register-University of South Alabama poll of likely Republican primary voters shows Moore with a lead of 8 percentage points over Riley in a hypothetical primary matchup. Moore drew support from 43 percent of respondents, while the governor garnered 35 percent.
[...]
Ousted from the Alabama Supreme Court over his refusal to follow a federal judge's order to remove a Ten Commandments office from the court building, Moore has been traveling the country speaking to conservative organizations and religious groups.
If the Republicans believe that the man most qualified to be Governor of Alabama is most famous for dumping a two ton statue of the ten commandments in a courthouse, so be it.
Bobby Kennedy Jr. to run in New York?
Bobby Kennedy Jr., a spitting image of his father, is strongly considering a bid to run for office in New York. The AP's Marc Humbert reports:
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has talked to top state Democrats about a possible run for New York attorney general in what could turn into a race against his estranged brother-in-law — Andrew Cuomo, according to people familiar with those conversations.For Democrats looking for someone who can overcome the "charisma gap," look no further than RFK Jr. Kennedy is qualified, telegenic and has the ability to evoke nostalgia in just about anyone (save for an heir of Sirhan Sirhan or Richard Nixon). This just might be the beginning of a great political career.
Among those consulted by Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and son of slain New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, are Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and current Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, said the people familiar with the talks. They spoke only on condition of anonymity.
[...]
Kennedy Jr. has been active in New York politics and briefly considered running for the U.S. Senate seat won by Clinton in 2000. The seat was held by the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who announced in late 1998 that he would not run for re-election.
Monday, January 17, 2005
The President supports ideology over arithmetic
Slate's Chris Suellentrop explains why this President cares more about ideology than arithmetic when it comes to the Social Security debate:
You may be surprised to learn that the president views Social Security reform as a philosophical question, the kind of groovy give-and-take subject that's appropriate for drug-induced dorm-room bull sessions. But understanding why he framed the subject that way is critical to understanding the impetus behind Social Security privatization. Opponents of personal Social Security accounts have been trying to knock down the president's plan—to the extent that he has one—by tackling it as a mathematical puzzle and carefully explaining that the numbers don't add up. "There's no Social Security crisis," is one version of this argument, explaining how relatively minor changes in benefits and taxation can preserve the system in its current form. The other is to poke holes in the arithmetic of privatization. Slate's founding editor, Michael Kinsley, went so far as to offer a logical proof of how privatization would fail to fix Social Security. But submitting the answers to a math test during a philosophy exam is a sure way to flunk.Check out the rest of the piece. It's well-worth reading.
Explaining how both the "Social Security crisis" and the "privatization solution" rely on faulty math misses the point of the president's plan entirely. Like supply-side tax cuts, Social Security reform is a subject on which conservatives prize philosophy—or, if you prefer, ideology—over arithmetic.
A potentially tragic event is averted
Today my family and I were joined by about 150 people in downtown Sacramento to celebrate the life of my great aunt, Rita Brandeis Singer. As we found out today via The Sacramento Bee, a potential tragedy was averted this week:
Rita Singer, the state water resources attorney who died last week at age 89, almost became part of a tragedy days before her death. Sheriff's homicide detectives say Rita's Carmichael home was broken into by murder suspect James Schanrock soon after he allegedly killed stockbroker Dennis Conrad. Rita was spending her final days in the hospital with pneumonia. Her house was empty.I'm grateful that my aunt Rita passed peacefully and was not attacked by Conrad.
The situation in Iraq declines further
Oy.
Insurgents kidnapped a Catholic archbishop and targeted security forces in a series of brazen assaults Monday that killed more than 20 people. A suicide bomber attacked U.S. Marines in Ramadi, where insurgents also beheaded two Shiite Muslims and left their bodies on a sidewalk.
The top U.S. general in Iraq predicted violence during the Jan. 30 national election but pledged to do "everything in our power" to ensure safety of voters. As part of a crackdown on insurgents, U.S. troops arrested more than 100 suspects over the past three days, U.S. officials said.
Bush still lacks a clear mandate
For all of the talk about George W. Bush's mandate and political capital, the polling indicates that the American people are as divided about the President as they were when he first took office after losing the popular vote. Richard Morin and Dan Balz write about the most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll indicating this trend on page one of Tuesday's paper.
President Bush will begin his second term in office without a clear mandate to lead the nation, with strong disapproval of his policies in Iraq and with the public both hopeful and dubious about his leadership on the issues that will dominate his agenda, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.Regardless of any claims made by the PR department of this administration (and this includes talking heads on Fox News and other such surrogates), the President does not have a mandate. Even on the issue of Social Security, a program that the President has claimed is in a "crisis," Bush is opposed by a majority of Americans. Perhaps it's time for the mainstream media to realize this in their coverage of the administration's attempts at overreaching.
On the eve of Thursday's presidential inaugural ceremonies, the survey found few signs that the country has begun to come together since Bush defeated Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) two months ago. The president has claimed a mandate from the election, but the poll found as much division today as four years ago over the question of whether Bush or Democrats in Congress should set the direction for the country.
Fewer than half of those interviewed -- 45 percent -- said they preferred that the country go in the direction that Bush wanted to lead it, whereas 39 percent said Democrats should lead the way. During the first months of his presidency, after the bitterly disputed 2000 election, Americans said they preferred Bush to take the lead by 46 percent to 36 percent.
Touch screens not nearly as effective as paper ballots
For all of the talk about ATM-like touch screen machines being simpler and more accurate than any other type of voting machine, in reality, this is just not the case. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Jeremy Milarsky reports on this important story [via the Political Wire]:
Florida's touch-screen voting machines performed better in the Nov. 2 presidential election than they did in the March primary, but were still outmatched by older voting devices that use pencil and paper ballots, according to a South Florida Sun-Sentinel analysis.Oregon, which uses optical scan ballots through the mail in every county, doesn't appear to have the problems faced by Florida, Ohio and other states. Perhaps these trouble spots should learn from the Beaver State and stick to paper ballots...
Voters using the ATM-style voting machines in November were 50 percent more likely to cast a flawed ballot or have an unregistered vote in the presidential race, compared to voting machines employing simple paper ballots.
I'm off to Sacramento for the day
A memorial service will be held in Sacramento today for my great aunt, Rita Brandeis Singer. She was nearly 90 at the time of her passing. If you would like to read about her astounding life -- in which she was one of two women in her graduating class of 1938 from University of Michigan's Law School and she worked in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of Interior and the state of California Dept. of Water Resources -- check out The Sacramento Bee's extensive obituary penned by Edgar Sanchez. I'll be back in Claremont later this evening, at which time blogging will resume.
Could the strain on the military split the right?
During the protracted campaign season that ended in November, the GOP appeared unified behind the President's ability to defend the nation down to nearly every last member. As the situation in Iraq has continued to deteriorate placing added strain on the military, even some Republican leaders and leading conservative voices have joined the handful of mavericks in questioning the President's policies. The Los Angeles Times' Ronald Brownstein reports on this important story:
The strains on the volunteer military from the war in Iraq are now unsettling as many Republicans as Democrats — and exposing an enduring contradiction in President Bush's agenda.The GOP has been seen by most Americans as the party most able to defend the country at least since the 1972 election in which George McGovern ran substantially to the left of Richard Nixon on the war. As the effects of this administration's jingoistic policies become evident to the nation, however, it is entirely possible that people will begin to realize that invading multiple countries -- only to have to occupy them for many years -- actually makes the country less safe. If this indeed occurs -- and Brownstein's article seems to indicate that we're at least in the early stages of such a realization -- the right might become as fractured as the left following the Vietnam War, leading to a renaissance for the Democratic party.
Conservative defense analysts and GOP legislative leaders are raising alarms over the pressures that Iraq is imposing on the military, especially the part-time Army National Guard and Reserve. With growing urgency, these critics argue that the Pentagon is relying too heavily on the citizen-soldiers of the Guard and Reserve in Iraq because the administration has refused to enlarge the size of the full-time military enough to meet new demands.
[...]
Most strikingly, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) this month urged an increase in the active military and condemned lengthy deployments that he said were compelling Guard and Reserve volunteers to effectively "serve in the permanent forces."
Today we remember Martin Luther King, Jr.
He was a great man who was willing to stand up for an oppressed people and thus gave everyone in this country liberty. Though we set aside today as a day of remembrance for Martin Luther King, Jr., every day we must remind ourselves of the good he stood for and make sure his dreams for a better America come true.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Democrats to turn to the religious left for support
After faring relatively poorly during the November election, the Democrays have decided it's time to ally themselves with a potentially powerful ally: the religious left. The New York Times' David D. Kirkpatrick reports:
Democrats, reeling from the Republicans' success at courting churchgoers, are focusing new attention on a religious and political anomaly: Jim Wallis, one of the few prominent left-leaning leaders among evangelical Protestants.This is clearly prescient and well thought out move by the Democrats. While this might not lead to immediate success for the party, it will begin the process that could lead it back to power in the country.
At the start of the Congressional session, Senate Democrats invited Mr. Wallis to address their members at a private session to discuss issues. A group of about 15 House Democrats invited him to a breakfast discussion about dispelling their party's secular image. And NBC News has enlisted him to appear as a guest during its inauguration coverage opposite Dr. James C. Dobson, one of the most prominent evangelical conservatives.
Last week, Mr. Wallis's publisher, a religious imprint of HarperCollins, released his new book, "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It," moving it up from a publication date this spring to coincide with the inauguration. It immediately jumped to the top of the best-seller list at Amazon.com, where it hovered between No. 2 and No. 7 over the weekend.
I'm back in Claremont
School will be starting Tuesday, but blogging should nonetheless continue as always.
Oregonians won't sign up to go back to Iraq
A month ago, The Oregonian's Mike Francis reported that Oregon's National Guardsmen were dying in Iraq at a rate nearly triple that of the national average. It thus comes as no surprise that Oregonians are not reenlisting to go back to Iraq upon their return to the states. Harry Esteve, also of The Oregonian, reports on this development.
Oregon Army National Guard soldiers who served in Iraq are opting to leave the military at a rate significantly higher than normal, according to preliminary numbers released to The Oregonian.The situation in Iraq is rapidly deteriorating and our troops have frequently indicated their reluctance to sign up for additional tours of duty. Perhaps it's time to fix the policies regarding Iraq or otherwise begin devising an exit strategy.
Fewer than half -- between 180 and 190 -- of the Iraq veterans in the Oregon Guard's 1st Battalion, 162nd Infantry, which came home in April, decided to re-enlist. Typically, Guard retention rates hover around 80 percent.
"That's a huge hit," said Col. Mike Caldwell, public affairs director for the Oregon Guard, who got a first look at the numbers last week. Since September of 2004, 49 percent of eligible 1st Battalion soldiers have said they would sign up again.
A mandate resistance for Bush on Soc. Sec.
It looks like the American people do not support President Bush's plans to dismantle Social Security. According to a new CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, a majority of Americans oppose Bush on Social Security:
Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling Social Security?Link.
1/7-9/2004: 41 approve, 52 disapprove
3/2002: 47 approve, 40 disapprove
7/2001: 49 approve, 35 disapprove
3/2001: 49 approve, 31 disapprove
Saturday, January 15, 2005
GOP might not have the votes to kill the fillibuster
Although Senate Republicans have inched closer and closer to ridding their chamber of any and all good will across the aisle, it appears as thought their latest attempt might just fall short of the necessary votes. The Washington Post's Charles Babington does some heavy reporting in this story:
The Senate Republican leader's threat to outlaw filibusters of judicial nominees is running into significant resistance from his party's moderates, who may be poised to quash the GOP's most potent and controversial option for dealing with Democratic opposition to conservative judges.It is certainly not clear that the Republicans don't have the necessary votes to invoke the so-called "nuclear option;" just the same, it's not clear that they do either. If this measure is indeed defeated, it will not only enhance the standing of the Senate Democrats, it will also be a victory for Democracy.
A handful of party centrists have expressed varying degrees of opposition to the idea of changing Senate rules to bar filibusters of judicial nominees, including those to the Supreme Court. With Republicans holding a 55 to 45 majority, they can lose no more than five colleagues on the issue, assuming that the Democrats and independent Sen. James M. Jeffords (Vt.) stay united, as many expect.
In recent interviews and statements, four Republican senators have expressed deep reservations about the "nuclear option." At least two others appear to be leaning against it, although less definitively, and several have refused to state a position publicly.
Bush: No accountability is necessary on Iraq
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post today, President Bush informed the American people that no one in his administration should be held to account for the mess in Iraq. Jim VandeHei and Michael A. Fletcher write up the interview on page one of Sunday's paper:
President Bush said the public's decision to reelect him was a ratification of his approach toward Iraq and that there was no reason to hold any administration officials accountable for mistakes or misjudgments in prewar planning or managing the violent aftermath.How this man believes that no one should be held accountable for the mess in Iraq is beyond me. Read the rest of the interview to get an idea of how far off President Bush is from the world of reality.
"We had an accountability moment, and that's called the 2004 elections," Bush said in an interview with The Washington Post. "The American people listened to different assessments made about what was taking place in Iraq, and they looked at the two candidates, and chose me."
With the Iraq elections two weeks away and no signs of the deadly insurgency abating, Bush set no timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops and twice declined to endorse Secretary of State Colin L. Powell's recent statement that the number of Americans serving in Iraq could be reduced by year's end. Bush said he will not ask Congress to expand the size of the National Guard or regular Army, as some lawmakers and military experts have proposed.
Kulongoski stands up to Bush on conservation
Now that the Democrats appear to be surging in Oregon, picking up seats in both houses of the state legislature and winning control of the state Senate for the first time in a decade, Governor Ted Kulongoski seems more confident in defending Oregon from attacks by the federal government. The Oregonian's Joe Rojas-Burke reports on one way the Democrat is speaking his mind:
Gov. Ted Kulongoski, on the heels of a fiery Monday speech at the statehouse in which he criticized federal environmental policies, told the Bush administration Friday he would sue unless federal agencies make hydropower dam operations less destructive to salmon.Greens and outdoorsmen (hunters and fishermen) do not always see eye to eye on all issues, but when they do it can lead to great successes for the Democrats (just look at this year's results from Montana and Colorado). By combining the goals of the environmentalists with those of the fishermen in the state, Kulongoski just took a giant step towards ensuring his reelection -- and perhaps a giant leap towards helping the Democrats retake the state House of Representatives in 2006.
Kulongoski's action adds considerable weight to the side of fishing and conservation groups, which are challenging the administration's recent conclusion that federal dams in the Columbia Basin pose no threat of driving endangered salmon to extinction.
Kulongoski on Friday said he was "gravely concerned" the administration's approach to salmon protection "abandons any effort to achieve recovery of Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead populations."
I'm all iced in
In my last full day in Portland before heading back down to Claremont for a wonderful school year, it looks like I'm iced in here in my house. I still might try to make it to Costco later on, though. Blogging to commence shortly.
Friday, January 14, 2005
Democrats finally believe it's a time to win
As the Democrats continue through the process of choosing a new Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, The New York Times Adam Nagourney reports that they are finally focusing on winning rather than ideology. He writes:
But for all the talk about ideas and issues by symbols of two sides of the Democratic spectrum, the fight to lead the Democratic National Committee is increasingly being viewed by Democrats less as a measure of where to go ideologically and more as an old-fashioned test of logistics, management skills and popularity.McAuliffe did a fantastic job bringing the Democrats to near parity with the Republicans in terms of fundraising and infrastructure so now it's time for someone with the forsight and tactical expertiece to help the party win across the nation. It's about time the party members began chosing on ability rather than ideology.
For all the talk about abortion, gay marriage and national security, the 447 Democratic committee members who will choose the next chairman on Feb. 12 seem more concerned now over how Republicans outgunned them in November, despite the efforts of Terry McAuliffe, the departing chairman, which were widely applauded by Democrats.
And as seven potential candidates prepare to appear before Democratic leaders at a forum in St. Louis on Saturday, party officials are making clear they are looking for someone to make them competitive over the next four years.
Several members of Congress begin Gubernatorial bids
Now that Congress passed legislation that would enable its members to transfer their Congressional campaign funds to statewide races, quite a few members of Congress have decided to test the waters for gubernatorial races. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) notes this interesting development:
CQ Politics Weekly reports that several House members are positioning themselves for certain or possible runs for governor in 2006. Republicans Jim Nussle of Iowa, C.L. "Butch" Otter of Idaho and Jim Gibbons of Nevada have taken official steps to enter the races in their states. This week, two others -- Ray LaHood of Illinois and Mark Green of Wisconsin -- said they are considering gubernatorial bids. Also seriously considering a statehouse run is Republican Tom Osborne of Nebraska. Democrats Jim Davis of Florida and Mark Udall of Colorado, and Republican Bob Beauprez of Colorado, are among others who also have been mentioned as possible candidates for their states' top jobs.Runs by Nussle, LaHood, Green and Beauprez could all lead to possible pickups for the Democrats in the House, so this news could come as a boon to new DCCC Chair Rahm Emanuel.
FCC begins investigation into administration's payola
For the first time since Michael Powell took over the reigns of the Federal Communications Commission, it appears as though the agency is taking an action that is neither highly ideological nor blatantly partisan. The AP's Genaro Armas reports:
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission ordered an investigation Friday into whether conservative commentator Armstrong Williams broke the law by failing to disclose he was paid by the Bush administration to plug the president's education agenda.In this case it is also incumbent upon the feds to investigate the role of the administration in this, not merely make Williams the scapegoat. If all indications prove true, this is standard practice for the Bushies, so this scandal could prove as damaging to the President as Iran-Contra or Monicagate.
The investigation relates to provisions that require disclosure of such arrangements, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said in a brief statement.
Also Friday, two Democratic senators asked the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, to review whether any other federal agencies have paid commentators to support the administration's agenda.
Quote of the Day
"I haven't ruled anything out."Link.
-- Wes Clark responds to calls for him to run in 2008.
Evolution no longer a theory in Georgia
Religious zealots who had affixed stickers on a Georgia county's textbooks claiming evolution is merely a theory, not a fact saw defeat in court today. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Kristina Torres and Bill Rankin report [free subscription reqd.]:
A federal judge ordered the immediate removal of evolution disclaimers from Cobb County textbooks Thursday because they convey an unconstitutional endorsement of religion.Chalk this one up as a win for the 20th century.
U.S. District Judge Clarence Cooper said the stickers, which call evolution "a theory, not a fact," violate both the U.S. and Georgia constitutions.
Affixed to textbooks in 2002, the disclaimers send "a message that the school board agrees with the beliefs of Christian fundamentalists and creationists," Cooper said.
The stickers might be small in size compared with the numerous pages of material on evolution in Cobb textbooks, he said, but "the message has an overwhelming presence."
Oregon's economy begins moving in the right direction
It's been a rough four years for Oregon's economy, but it appears as though the situation is finally beginning to improve. The Oregonian's Brent Hunsberger reports:
Oregon's economy ended 2004 on an upswing, adding more jobs than usual for December and trimming its unemployment rate from 7.2 percent to 6.8 percent, state economists said Thursday.Tempering this positive news are the signs that perhaps this economic recovery is not nearly as staggering as one might think.
Two reports from the Oregon Employment Department capped a year of mostly good signs -- the best since Oregon's three-year downturn in late 2000.
Oregon's economy expanded by more than 34,000 jobs, the biggest year-over-year growth since 1999, the Oregon Employment Department said. Nearly every major industry expanded. The state's unemployment rate dropped almost a percentage point, and its 2.2 percent job growth rate will likely put it in the top 10 when other state figures are completed next week, state economists said
Still, the economy is flashing caution signals as it moves forward. Most of the jobs gains came in the first half of the year, and the most rapid growth was outside the Portland area that's home to about half of the state's residents.The fact remains that the unemployment rate is one and a half points above the national average and the state still maintains a net loss of 17,000 jobs. As I've written earlier, maybe the President should spend a little more time trying to create jobs and a little less time dismantling the Social Security program.
While Oregon's unemployment rate inched closer to the national rate of 5.4, it likely will still rank as one of the two highest in the nation, as it has for 41 consecutive months through November.
Jobless claims reach three-month high
Didn't the President say this is the best economy in American history?
Maybe the President should spend a little more time trying to create jobs and a little less time dismantling the Social Security program...
In a [...] report, the Labor Department said that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose by 10,000 last week to a three-month high of 367,000. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly fluctuations, rose to a three-month high as well of 344,000.Link.
But analysts cautioned that the jobless figures often produce misleading signals in holiday weeks. They noted that payroll job growth has been strong in recent months, translating into 2.2 million new jobs for all of 2004, the best performance in five years.
Wall Street, however, was worried by the rising number of layoffs as well as rising oil prices and an earnings forecast from General Motors that was viewed as disappointing. All the concerns helped push the Dow Jones industrial average down 111.95 points to finish the day at 10,505.83.
Maybe the President should spend a little more time trying to create jobs and a little less time dismantling the Social Security program...
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Frost picks up support in his DNC Chair bid
Howard Dean might be the frontrunner in the race to chair the Democratic National Committee but it appears as one of the major "anti-Dean" candidates has just picked up a nice endorsement. The AP reports:
The man in charge of rebuilding the Democratic Party after Richard Nixon's 1972 landslide Republican victory is backing Texan Martin Frost for the party's chairmanship.Frost might not be the biggest name in the race, but with experience heading the DCCC (at a time when the party picked up seats in the House), he could be a very effective party chairman.
Bob Strauss called Frost, a former U.S. House member, "the winning strategist, innovative organizer and proven spokesperson" Democrats need to rebuild and win.
[...]
Strauss, a Texan, led the DNC after Nixon beat Sen. George McGovern for a second term. Republicans also gained 12 seats in the House that year. Strauss' work led up to the 1976 election of Jimmy Carter, who was the last Democratic president to carry Texas.
"I know how tough it is to take over a party after a tough election and so does Martin Frost," Strauss said in a release issued by Frost.
Paige admits administration payola is standard
Michael Dobbs -- who recently survived the tsunami in South Asia while vacationing with his family -- reports on an extremely interesting development in the Armstrong Williams payola scandal. In "Education Chief Defends Payments to Pundit" he writes:
If it is not yet clear to the American people that this administration is wholly unethical in its dealings with the media, hopefully they will now realize the degree to which the Bushies will go to push their radical agenda. Perhaps an investigation by the agency's inspector general -- coupled with an impending investigation by a bipartisan Senate subcommittee -- will enlighten the American people further.
Only when reporters are forced to sign the oath swearing that they have never received money in return for favorable coverage should this story go away. The blogosphere will have to be very aware in the coming months to make sure this does not continue to happen in this country.
Education Secretary Roderick R. Paige yesterday defended payments to a conservative black commentator to promote the No Child Left Behind law as a standard "outreach effort" to minority groups who stand to benefit most from the Bush administration's showcase education program. [emphasis added]This is the standard policy? Did the Secretary of Education just admit that it is standard policy to bribe journalists in return for positive coverage? ...?
If it is not yet clear to the American people that this administration is wholly unethical in its dealings with the media, hopefully they will now realize the degree to which the Bushies will go to push their radical agenda. Perhaps an investigation by the agency's inspector general -- coupled with an impending investigation by a bipartisan Senate subcommittee -- will enlighten the American people further.
Paige, the nation's first African American education secretary, said in a statement that he was deeply disturbed by the publicity surrounding the $240,000 contract. He announced an investigation by the Department of Education's inspector general to clear up any unresolved issues so as not to "sully the fine people and good name of this department."It is not clear to what extent this scandal will be revealed to the public. It is incumbent upon every major media outlet to ensure that they reporters are not on the dole from the administration -- or any outside group, for that matter.
Only when reporters are forced to sign the oath swearing that they have never received money in return for favorable coverage should this story go away. The blogosphere will have to be very aware in the coming months to make sure this does not continue to happen in this country.
Senate Committee to investigate Ed. Dept. policies?
On a day in which an FCC Commissioner called for investigations into the payola scandal surrounding bribes paid to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams, two key Senators -- one from each side of the aisle -- have called for their own investigations. The AP's Ben Feller reports:
Leaders of a Senate committee have asked the Education Department to turn over records of recent years' public relations contracts, while reminding the education secretary of a federal ban on "propaganda."The Williams deal stinks and is a blight upon the nation and the constitution. If nothing is done, the first amendment right to freedom of press will lose much of its meaning.
The request came after revelations that the Bush administration had paid a prominent black media commentator, Armstrong Williams, to promote the new education law that had been strongly supported by President Bush.
[...]
"Given our jurisdiction over the funds involved, we would appreciate your careful review of the contract with Ketchum and the payment made to Mr. Williams," said Sens. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, in a letter to Education Secretary Rod Paige.
And they want to reform Social Security?
The Economist provides this interesting graphic that shows Social Security probably doesn't need to be reformed any time soon:
The fact is that Social Security won't be taking up much more of the nation's GDP in 75 years than it is today, though Medicare will. As a result, there's really no reason to destroy Social Security today just because the President believes there is a crisis.
Link.
Bonus Quote of the Day
"Nobody likes opposition, and nobody likes criticism. But simply because the U.S. is big and because the U.S. is strong, it is important that we be particularly open to the views of other people, and the views that sometimes are different from our own."From CQ Today's Midday Update, a free email service.
-- Former Sen. JohnDANFORTH, R-Mo., outgoing U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
FCC member calls for Armstrong Williams investigations
It would come as a great surprise to this blogger if the FCC indeed opened an investigation into the Armstrong Williams case, but it's good to see the idea at least being discussed.
Just as a reminder, I have taken the oath not to take money in return for my services as a blogger.
A member of the Federal Communications Commission said Thursday the agency should investigate whether conservative commentator Armstrong Williams broke the law by failing to disclose that the Bush administration paid him $240,000 to plug its education policies.Link.
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, a Democrat, said the agency has received about a dozen complaints against Williams.
"I certainly hope the FCC will take action and fully investigate whether any laws have been broken," Adelstein said at the commission's regular monthly meeting.
None of the other commissioners responded to his statement during the meeting. Afterward, both FCC Chairman Michael Powell, a Republican, and David Solomon, who heads the agency's enforcement bureau, declined to comment.
Just as a reminder, I have taken the oath not to take money in return for my services as a blogger.
Quote of the Day
"Because sometimes the devil you know is better than -- winning."Link.
-- The Daily Show's Lewis Black last night, on Dems who want Terry McAuliffe to remain chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
Baseball to finally enact a more stringent steroids policy
It has taken many years and much embarrassment for the sport, but Major League Baseball has finally enacted a real steroids policy. The AP's Ronald Blum reports:
Baseball players and owners have agreed to a tougher steroid-testing program, and it includes penalties for first-time offenders.It may have taken threats by Congressional leaders such as John McCain to cajole the MLB into action, but it's nonetheless good to see the league doing something. Steroids are a problem in sports today and reflect poorly upon our country. Perhaps the sport's image in the country might finally begin to improve again.
A first positive test would result in a suspension of up to 10 days and the penalties would increase to a one-year suspension for a fourth positive test, a high-ranking team official said on condition of anonymity.
Under the previous agreement, a first positive test resulted only in treatment, and a second positive test was subject to a 15-day suspension. Only with a fifth positive test was a player subject to a one-year ban under the old plan.
Women in combat?
This blog very rarely links to articles in publications like the New York Post and the Washington Times, but exceptions are occasionally made. Such is the case for this article by the Times' Rowan Scarborough:
The Army said yesterday it is "premature" to say whether the service will ask for changes in rules forbidding women in combat, a day after President Bush said firmly that he opposes changing the rules against assigning women to ground combat.It would be interesting to see some polling on the American people's feelings towards women in combat.
Not One Damn Dime Day
Evidently, a few Americans are unhappy that the President won reelection. Some of them have decided to put their dislike of this administration into action. USA Today's Craig Wilson reports on this interesting development:
There's a movement afoot, and the interesting thing is this: No one knows where it began.Very interesting...
It's called "Not One Damn Dime Day," and it means just that. Proponents urge Americans not to spend any money on Jan. 20, Inauguration Day, to protest President Bush's policies in Iraq and the estimated $30 million to $40 million cost of the inauguration.
You might already have received the plea in your morning e-mails. If so, it probably was sent to you by friends or family, because the e-mail encourages everyone to share the contents with as many people as possible. And people have.
The message is simple: "Those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending."
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Uber-neocon Daniel Pipes not renominated by Bush
Daniel Pipes, one of the most ideological and radical of the neoconservative clique, has apparently fallen out of favor with the Bush crowd. The man who claims to provide "commentary and analysis on Militant Islam and the Middle East" (this was about as moderate of writing of his I could find) will not be renominated by the President to a post within the administration. Forward's E.J. Kessler reports:
In an apparent victory for radical Muslims and the left wing of the American foreign policy establishment, President Bush has failed to take any action to renominate Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes to the board of the United States Institute of Peace.How a man who believes the only way to true peace in the Middle East is through complete Israeli military conquest [link] could be on the board of the US Institute of Peace is beyond me. Apparently, it was also beyond him, too.
Bush appointed Pipes, a conservative Middle East analyst and syndicated columnist who has drawn the ire of some Muslims, to the publicly funded institution on August 23, 2003, after a Senate hearing on the matter ended without the presence of a quorum necessary for a confirmation vote. The controversial recess appointment ended in early December with the closing of the previous Congress. The institute has removed Pipes's name from the list of board of directors posted on its Web site.
Pipes did not have a peaceful tenure at the institute, which was created by Congress "to support the development, transmission, and use of knowledge to promote peace and curb violent international conflict," according to USIP's mission statement. Last March, he clashed with the organization, lambasting it in his column for hosting a conference with a group, the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, that Pipes charged employs personnel who are Muslim "radicals."This is clearly not a move to the center for the Bush administration; other neocons such as Wolfowitz have retained their posts. Nevertheless, it's a boon to sane government for a radical ideologue like Pipes to be out of a leadership role.
Bob Shrum finally quits the game
It's amazing that a consultant who is 0 for 8 in Presidential contests -- a man whose most famous moment was a concession speech delivered by Ted Kennedy in 1980 -- could continue getting jobs in politics. Finally, this man is taking himself out of the game. The New York Times's Katharine Q. Seelye reports:
Bob Shrum, one of the dominant Democratic political strategists and speechwriters of the last three decades, said Wednesday that he was ending his formal consulting career and moving to New York, where he would write and teach at New York University as a senior fellow.There is no reason to make one man a scapegoat for the losses faced recently by the Democratic Party in Presidential contests. That having been said, Shrum is at least partly responsible to the losses by Al Gore and John Kerry. As such, it's good to see him making room for a new generation on strategists.
"I wanted to reflect on what I've done, not just keep doing it," Mr. Shrum, 61, said in an interview. "And I wanted to draw lessons from what I'd seen and draw implications for the future."
He leaves Washington with a mixed record, having served as an adviser on 26 winning Senate campaigns, perhaps more than any other consultant, but also eight losing presidential campaigns, which may also stand as a record.
A tough day in Iraq for the Bushies
After The Washington Post reported this morning that the failed search for WMD in Iraq has finally been ended, the White House was forced to respond today. The AP's Katherine Pfleger Shrader has the story:
The White House acknowledged Wednesday that its hunt for Iraqi weapons of mass destruction — a two-year search costing millions of dollars — has closed down without finding the stockpiles that President Bush cited as a justification for overthrowing Saddam Hussein.If it's not one thing for this administration, it's another. In an somewhat unrelated story, the White House is now trying to lower the expectations for democratization in Iraq. Jennifer Loven reports in the AP:
[...]
The Iraq Survey Group — made up of as many as 1,500 military and intelligence specialists and support staff — is ending its search of military installations, factories and laboratories where it was thought that equipment and products might be converted to making weapons.
The White House sought Wednesday to lower expectations for Iraq's elections, suggesting that there could be little or no voting in the most unstable provinces and that polling is likely to be disrupted in places by violence.The spinmeisters in the administration may try to convince the American people that the lack of WMD doesn't matter or that a sub-standard, quasi-Democratic Government is sufficient, but they must not be allowed to dupe the American people. It is incumbent on the media of this country to report to the American people that Bush and his cronies have met very few of their promises in Iraq. If they don't, the nation will be seriously damaged.
"The election is not going to be perfect," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "This is the first time Iraqis will be able to freely choose their leaders. It's for a transitional government, and it's one of three elections that will take place over the course of this year."
Separately, Secretary of State Colin Powell said American troops will begin leaving this year as the Iraqi army, national guard and police force take on a larger security role.
Air America in; Rush Limbaugh out
It's always good to see when the tides are turning in the right direction (or in this case, the left direction) [via TPM]:
Right wingers might want people to think that Air America is failing, but the fact is that the liberal radio network is growing by leaps and bounds. As per the Air America website, the network is now on more than 40 stations across the country, and that number is constantly increasing. This trend, along with the emergence of other nationally syndicated liberals like Ed Schultz, indicates that right wing domination of talk radio might be on the decline.
A southern Vermont-based radio station will trade in the rhetoric of Rush Limbaugh and other conservative talk show hosts for the liberal commentary of Air America next week.Link.
WKVT-AM 1490 in Brattleboro will replace four of its weekday syndicated conservative talk shows on Jan. 17 with programs from the fledgling liberal radio network Air America, which launched in March.
The station will be the second in Vermont to broadcast Air America programs, which include shows hosted by comedian Al Franken and actress Jeanne Garofalo.
[...]
The Air America programs will replace daily radio shows hosted by Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Howie Carr and Joy Brown, Case said.
Right wingers might want people to think that Air America is failing, but the fact is that the liberal radio network is growing by leaps and bounds. As per the Air America website, the network is now on more than 40 stations across the country, and that number is constantly increasing. This trend, along with the emergence of other nationally syndicated liberals like Ed Schultz, indicates that right wing domination of talk radio might be on the decline.
KY State Senator abandons GOP
It doesn't happen often, but it's certainly interesting when someone becomes so fed up with the GOP that he or she has to leave the party (a la Jim Jeffords). As the AP reports, a state legislator in Kentucky has done just that.
A state senator whose party switch 5 1/2 years ago helped the GOP take control of the chamber said Wednesday he will leave the Republican Party over its actions in a disputed election.This may just be a symbolic act, but to the people of Kentucky, I'm sure this move was quite significant. Kudos to Mr. Leeper for putting his convictions into action.
Sen. Bob Leeper said he will register as an independent later this week.
His protest came after Senate Republicans voted to seat the GOP candidate who received the most votes in a Jefferson County election in November, even though courts have ruled Dana Seum Stephenson did not meet constitutional residency requirements.
A great woman has passed
I do not usually reprint entire articles on this site, but this morning will be an exception. My great aunt Rita Brandeis Singer passed away on Monday and The Sacramento Bee's Edgar Sanchez has written an exceptional obituary recounting her life. He writes:
Rita Singer wanted to work forever.Rita was an amazing woman, and all of her family, friends and community will miss her greatly.
The attorney for the state Department of Water Resources in Sacramento enjoyed her job so much, she waited until she was 85 to retire in 2001 - a move forced by a debilitating stroke.
"Rita was just a wonderful person," said Katherine Spanos, a senior staff counsel for the Department of Water Resources. "She had an incredible spirit and enthusiasm for anything she did."
As a counsel for the department for 23 years, Ms. Singer counseled staff on issues ranging from the impact of water development in the Sacramento River Delta to other environmental issues dealing with water law.
An advocate of women's rights, Ms. Singer also supported civil rights. And she was a strong backer of Planned Parenthood and the Jewish Federation of Sacramento, among other groups.
"My aunt was always looking to make the world better," said her nephew, Dr. Karl Singer.
In a 1999 interview with The Bee, Ms. Singer said retirement wasn't on her mind.
"If you enjoy your work, why retire?" she said. "I love my work and can't imagine doing anything that would be as interesting or enjoyable."
Rita Singer was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1915.
She and her parents immigrated to the United States when she was an infant.
She grew up in Detroit and graduated from law school at the University of Michigan in 1938.
"I went to Washington, D.C., to find a job," Ms. Singer said in a 1993 interview with the Bee. "When I applied at the first place, they asked if I could type. I was discouraged."
At one point during World War II, Ms. Singer worked in the Dominican Republic for a New York agency that relocated Jewish families from concentration camps to New World nations.
"Mostly (they went to) Latin America," she said. "It was a very exciting time in my life."
In the mid-1940s, she married Fred Brandeis. The couple moved to Sacramento in 1948, after Ms. Singer - then Rita Singer Brandeis - accepted a post with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs in California's capital. Her husband, a former journalist, became a high school teacher in Davis.
In the 1960s, Ms. Singer became an in-house attorney for the U.S. Solicitors Office, and was assigned to advise on water issues for the Bureau of Reclamation.
"Dealing with engineers in those days was a learning experience," she once said. "They didn't think a 'lady lawyer' could understand ... arcane concepts."
In 1978, she became a special consultant for the state Department of Water Resources. She retired as a senior staff counsel in 2001.
Ms. Singer was preceded in death by her husband in 1981. The couple had no children.
Ms. Singer left her Carmichael home for the last time on Jan. 5 when she was hospitalized with heart problems. She died five days later.
Before the stroke that ended her career, Ms. Singer had been an avid tennis player, hiker and skier.
"But all those activities ceased after the stroke," said her friend, Marcia Steinberg, adding that Ms. Singer also resigned as a part-time, volunteer pro-tem judge for Sacramento County. She had heard small claims matters for at least 10 years.
In retirement, Ms. Singer continued to read extensively while receiving special care from attendants in her own home.
One of her caregivers, Maria Serrano, became "like a daughter to her," Steinberg said. "Maria became devoted to her."
Statesman Journal: Oregon the model for bipartisanship
Just when a major paper writes that bipartisanship doesn't exist, it's great to see that comity between members of the two major parties can be achieved. The Salem Statesman Journal's Editorial Board notes a prime example of bipartisanship in America: Oregon's Senators Ron Wyden (D) and Gordon Smith (R).
Many politicians claim that they cross political lines to get things done or that they work well with their opponents. Too few really do. That's what makes Wyden and Smith remarkable. Their Democrat-Republican relationship is so genuine, but so rare, that they are the nation's only such senators who regularly hold joint town hall meetings.The Democratic/Republican split of Senate seats doesn't always work for a state, but when it does, everyone benefits.
That collegial approach may have helped Wyden gain appointment to the Senate Finance Committee, where he joined Smith. Oregon now is the only state with two senators on that powerful committee.
Certainly, Oregon can look to Smith and Wyden for help on Medicare, Medicaid and other financial issues bedeviling the state and nation.
America can look to them as an example of how our government can overcome partisanship and divisiveness: When you put aside your past differences, it's amazing what you can accomplish -- together.
Supreme Court delivers major ruling
Although this year will be rife with controversial rulings by the United States Supreme Court, few decisions by the Justices could have as wide-ranging effects as the case in which it ruled today.
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that federal judges have been improperly adding time to criminals' sentences, a decision that puts in doubt longtime sentencing rules.Although juries will now deliver sentences, the Court also found that previously delivered sentences should not be thrown out.
The court, on a 5-4 vote, said that its ruling last June that juries — not judges — should consider factors that can add years to defendants' prison sentences applies as well to the 17-year-old federal guideline system.
The justices refused to backtrack from the 5-4 decision that struck down a state sentencing system because it gave judges too much leeway in sentencing. But the high court stopped short of striking down the federal system.
Is America winning the War on Terror?
Americans are not particularly optimistic about the War on Terror, according to a new poll. The National Journal's Wakeup Call has the story:
A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll shows 37% of adults think that the U.S. and its allies are winning the war on terrorism, 20% believe the terrorists are winning and 42% believe neither side is ahead (release). In 10/01, 42% believed the U.S. was winning, only 11% thought the terrorists were winning, and 44% believed neither side was ahead.5% fewer Americans believe the country is winning the War on Terror than immediately after the 9/11 attacks. That's stunning.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Wes Clark to run in Arkansas
Will he be known as General or Governor if he wins? US News and World Report's Washington Whispers doesn't answer this question, but it does report on this development:
Chatter is getting louder in Arkansas that former NATO boss and Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark will run for guv in 2006. Associates say that his presidential run, as well as his friendship with the Clintons, is boosting his name recognition in the state. They also say that he's hooked on politics and still considers himself a potential future presidential candidate, reports our Suzi Parker. Since the election, he's stayed active, using his presidential E-mail list to reach out to supporters and future donors through his political action committee, WesPac, Securing America's Future.With Undersecretary of Homeland Security Asa Hutchinson and Lt. Gov. Win Rockefeller both planning on making a bid for the GOP nomination, the Arkansas Governor's race will be one of the premier matchups of 2006. Check in with Basie! for continued coverage of the campaign.
Does bipartisanship exist?
The editorial board of The Hill in Washington, DC seem to believe the answer to this question is no. I certainly hope they're wrong.
Bipartisanship -- true bipartisanship -- is necessary for good government. Although parties should not compromise their core beliefs, partisan comity is nonetheless essential to a thriving democracy. I tend to agree with the ed board that the 109th Congress will have a lack of harmony between the parties; this is disappointing. Further, it is a detriment our progress as a country.
This newspaper is not antipathetic toward partisanship; it is an essential element of democratic politics. But we like to point out ironies, and this is a peach.Link.
Hill leaders say they want bipartisanship, but their actions show that they recognize that they must keep party discipline and prevent their members from working with the other side. Bipartisanship appears to mean little more than an expectation that your opponents will cross the aisle toward you with hand of friendship outstretched.
Bipartisanship -- true bipartisanship -- is necessary for good government. Although parties should not compromise their core beliefs, partisan comity is nonetheless essential to a thriving democracy. I tend to agree with the ed board that the 109th Congress will have a lack of harmony between the parties; this is disappointing. Further, it is a detriment our progress as a country.
The House GOP doesn't know how to use email
File this one under humor. Jonathan Kaplan and Hans Nichols of The Hill call this article "Snafu@mail.house.gov":
A miscue by a member of Majority Whip Roy Blunt’s (R-Mo.) staff has scattered the private e-mail addresses of several dozen House Republicans far and wide.If they can't figure out how to properly send an email, I'm not sure I want them running the country.
Instead of concealing them in the blind-copy window of a widely distributed e-mail, the staffer put them in the “To” window. As a result, hundreds of staffers and The Hill obtained the e-mail addresses and now know who chose to go by the monikers “Thucydides,” (Rep. Richard Baker [La.]) “TheBigA,” (Rep. Ander Crenshaw [Fla.]) and “Banjoplayer” (Rep. Joe Knollenberg [Mich.]).
Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.), who doubled up his old college football number as his e-mail name (3030), said he would decide whether to change it “depending on how many new friends I make as a result of this disclosure.”
The CIA to begin closely vetting books by agents
In a move that could make it more difficult for analysts in the CIA to write scathing attacks on the agency, a new policy has been developed to make the vetting process more stringent. The Washington Post's Walter Pincus reports:
The CIA is revising its procedures for clearing the publication of books or articles by currently employed analysts and case officers in the wake of controversy generated by the best-selling book, "Imperial Hubris: How the West Is Losing the War on Terrorism."Although it is clearly important for the CIA to ensure that the nation's confidential secrets are not leaked in a best selling book, it is also important to allow whistleblowers to speak their peace to the American people. If this move silences the CIA's internal detractors, America might become a less safe nation.
Written by a then-active senior analyst who had headed the Osama bin Laden task force, "Imperial Hubris" criticized Bush administration terrorism policies and became an issue in the presidential campaign when it came out last summer. Although the author was listed as "Anonymous," he was subsequently identified as Michael Scheuer, who retired in November.
Before the book was published, Scheuer, as an employee, cleared it with his bosses at the Counterterrorism Center (CTC), where he was then working, and with the Directorate of Intelligence. The manuscript was not reviewed by the CIA Publications Review Board, a small staff that regularly must approve works of former employees.
The new procedures, which are expected to be completed soon, would require all manuscripts and other materials to be reviewed by the review board's staff, which would work with a current employee's superiors on determining what would be cleared for publication.
America unbanned in Mississippi
A public library in Mississippi may have tried to ban Jon Stewart's America The Book, but apparently that ruling will not stand. CNN reports:
A library board reversed a ban on comedian Jon Stewart's best-selling satirical book, which it had passed because of its image of Supreme Court justices' faces superimposed on naked bodies.As John Grisham noted to Jon Stewart last night, being banned is often a positive sign of recognition. Mark Twain and others have been banned, so Jon was in good company.
The Jackson-George Regional Library System board of trustees was criticized by local residents and in e-mails from out of state after it banned "America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction" last month. The trustees had said they objected to the image.
But the board voted 5-2 Monday to lift the ban, and the book was returned to circulation in the system's eight libraries Tuesday.
Look for Hillary to oppose Bush's HSA nominee
Forward's E.J. Kessler passes along this news in his political blog Campaign Confidential:
President Bush has nominated HRC Whitewater nemesis Michael Chertoff for the post of Homeland Security chief. If the past serves as pattern, she will vote against him.Kessler notes that Clinton was the only senator to vote against Chertoff when he was nominated as Assistant Attorney General. She was also the only senator in opposition to his appointment as a Federal Judge. I suppose she's still mad about Chertoff's baseless inquiries into Whitewater.
First looks at Kulongoski's State of the State
Oregon's Democratic Governor Ted Kulongoski delivered the State of the State in Salem today (to watch the speech, watch Part 1 and Part 2 from KGW). It appears as though the initial reviews are positive:
[Update January 11, 11:11 AM Pacific]: Here are some more views on the Kulongoski speech
[Update January 11, 1:18 PM Pacific]: Here's one more take
- KATU, Portland's ABC affiliate
- KEZI, Eugene's ABC affiliate
- KGW, Portland's NBC affiliate
- Bend.com
- The AP
[Update January 11, 11:11 AM Pacific]: Here are some more views on the Kulongoski speech
[Update January 11, 1:18 PM Pacific]: Here's one more take
The coalition becomes a little less willing
Pretty soon, we'll be the only ones left in Iraq.
During the Presidential debates, Mr. Bush did not want Americans to forget the support of Poland. Perhaps he will, though, when they pull out completely this year, along with Ukraine (and maybe even England).
Ukraine's outgoing President Leonid Kuchma has ordered a withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Iraq.Link.
He said his government should draw up plans to withdraw the 1,600-strong contingent in the first half of 2005.
The decision follows an incident in which eight Ukrainian and one Kazakh servicemen were killed while defusing a bomb in Iraq.
The Ukrainian troops are under the command of the Polish contingent, which is also likely to withdraw.
During the Presidential debates, Mr. Bush did not want Americans to forget the support of Poland. Perhaps he will, though, when they pull out completely this year, along with Ukraine (and maybe even England).
Rep. Weiner: Divert inauguration money for troops
Now this is the type of idea I could support:
Rep. Anthony Weiner wants President Bush to cancel next week's inaugural party-fest and use the $40 million to give soldiers in Iraq extra pay or better equipment.This is some great thinking from a man who could be the next mayor of New York City.
In a letter sent to fellow Congressional members, Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) notes that two former U.S. presidents — President Roosevelt and President Wilson — opted to scale down their inaugural parties when America was at war.
Portland Public Schools attacked in report
Years of funding cuts, rotating superintendents and poor policies have evidently taken their toll on Portland Public Schools, once one of the best school districts in the nation. As Paige Parker reports in The Oregonian today, a new report details the district's deficiencies.
A dysfunctional central administrative office has created an unequal school system for many Portland Public Schools students, especially minorities, poor children and students who speak little English, a team of consultants has concluded.As someone who attended one of the more favored schools in the district, I can let you know that there were (and I assume are) great discrepancies in the level of education even within the school. Although poor administration might lead to poor results, the fact is that the greatest problem afflicting the nation's schools is the lack of funding. Until we adequately fund our schools, they're not going to educate our students as well as we want them to.
The findings -- reported to school board members Monday -- came from a yearlong study conducted at the board's request by the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University.
[...]
The report criticized everything from the district's phone system to teacher recruitment, but the consultants stopped short of calling for a complete overhaul of the central office. Portland's central administration initiates major academic changes, oversees the hiring and firing of teachers and other employees, and tracks how the district spends public money.
Just how bad was the Democratic loss in 2004
Charlie Cook has some interesting insight that suggests the Democrats didn't do quite as bad as many others in the mainstream media might have you think.
This is exactly how I view the past two elections, so it's great to see my opinion validated by the nation's top non-partisan political analyst. The fact is that the Democrats didn't get beaten by a wide margin; rather, the election was extremely close. Had the party nominated a candidate who didn't lack the ability to connect with the American people, the Dems would have won (and the Senate loss in the South would not have been nearly as acute).
Hopefully this meme begins to take hold across the nation so the Dems don't just think of themselves as perpetual losers for the next decade...
As Democrats prepare to select a new party chairman next month, they should think not only about what went wrong in 2004 but about what went right. After all, a party that carried 19 states in four consecutive elections (with a total of 248 electoral votes, just 22 short of the 270 needed to win) is not fundamentally broken, it just needs some work. But for 118,599 votes out of the 5.6 million cast in Ohio and 119 million votes cast nationwide, a different half of America would be despondent today and another group of people would be headed to Washington to celebrate the presidential inauguration.[There's more, but you need to have the free subscription to view the rest. To sign up for Cook's Off to the Races column, click here.]
By taking a full assessment of their condition, Democrats are more likely to make the most needed changes without throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
[...]
No doubt a big part of the Democrats' problem has been in candidate selection. Given the narrowness of the Democrats' two losses in 2000 and 2004, one wonders how the party might have fared had they not nominated stiff, aloof candidates who would be uncomfortable at backyard barbecues in all but the very finest of homes. Nominating a candidate who was capable of saying that he voted for funding for the war before he voted against it -- a remark that Bush presidential adviser Karl Rove later said was "the gift that kept on giving" -- makes one wonder how a less flawed candidate might have fared.
This is exactly how I view the past two elections, so it's great to see my opinion validated by the nation's top non-partisan political analyst. The fact is that the Democrats didn't get beaten by a wide margin; rather, the election was extremely close. Had the party nominated a candidate who didn't lack the ability to connect with the American people, the Dems would have won (and the Senate loss in the South would not have been nearly as acute).
Hopefully this meme begins to take hold across the nation so the Dems don't just think of themselves as perpetual losers for the next decade...
Bush finds his Homeland Security chief
The AP's John Solomon reports:
President Bush on Tuesday chose federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff to be his new Homeland Security chief, turning to a former federal prosecutor who helped craft the early war on terror strategy.Chertoff's resume also includes a time as the Senate Republicans' chief investigator into Whitewater. Nonetheless, according to the AP's Donna De La Cruz, Chernoff has received praise from both sides on the aisle in the past.
[...]
Chertoff headed the Justice Department's criminal division from 2001 to 2003, where he played a central role in the nation's legal response to the Sept. 11 attacks, before the president named him to appeals court position in New Jersey.
Monday, January 10, 2005
I've taken the oath
I swear that I have never taken money -- neither directly nor indirectly -- from any political campaign or government agency -- whether federal, state, or local -- in exchange for any service performed in my job as a journalist (or commentator, or blogger, or whatever you think I should be called).
WaPo: Major GOP opposition to Soc. Sec. Reform
In an extremely interesting front page article in tomorrow's Washington Post, the crack team of Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen report that the President does not enjoy the unanimous support of Congressional Republicans that might be necessary for passage of widespread reforms to Social Security. They write:
Most alarming to White House officials, some congressional Republicans are panning the president's plan -- even before it is unveiled. "Why stir up a political hornet's nest . . . when there is no urgency?" said Rep. Rob Simmons (Conn.), who represents a competitive district. "When does the program go belly up? 2042. I will be dead by then."With the Democrats solidly in opposition to any GOP plans, the President would doubtless need his entire party caucus united. As such, with up to 40 Republicans in opposition to Bush's plan to gut the program, Social Security might just be able to survive a few more years.
Simmons said there is no way he will support Bush's idea of allowing younger Americans to divert some of their payroll taxes into private accounts, especially when there are more pressing needs, such as shoring up Medicare and providing armor to U.S. troops in Iraq.
Rep. Jack Kingston (Ga.), a member of the GOP leadership, said 15 to 20 House Republicans agree with Simmons, although others say the number is closer to 40. "Just convincing our guys not to be timid is going to be a big struggle," he said. "It's going to take a lot of convincing," which he said can be done.
Haaretz: Sharon, Abbas to meet
In a signal that the situation in the Middle East might begin to improve, Ariel Sharon has agreed to have a meeting with the newly-elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel's Haaretz newspaper has the scoop:
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was planning to telephone Palestinian president-elect Mahmoud Abbas today to congratulate him on Sunday's election victory. Government sources in Jerusalem said on Monday that arrangements were being made for a meeting between Abbas and Sharon in the coming days.Perhaps this could be the start of something good.
Abbas said on Monday that Palestinians "extend our hands to our neighbors. We are ready for peace, peace based on justice. We hope that their response will be positive," and he called for a resumption of peace talks based on the internationally-backed road map peace plan.
Reuters: Yushchenko officially wins
This is some great news for Democracy.
It's always great to see a Democracy work as it's supposed to.
Ukraine's Central Election Commission formally declared on Monday that liberal Viktor Yushchenko won last month's presidential election with 51.99 percent of the vote, paving the way for him to take power.Link.
Yushchenko's Moscow-backed opponent, former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, received 44.2 percent. He has contested the poll, which was held after the Supreme Court threw out an earlier vote, declaring it was rigged.
It's always great to see a Democracy work as it's supposed to.
The GOP's paid hatchetman speaks out
Armstrong Williams, the conservative pundit paid by the administration to propagandize speak favorably about the No Child Left Behind law let The Nation's David Corn know something very interesting.
"This happens all the time," he told me. "There are others." Really? I said. Other conservative commentators accept money from the Bush administration? I asked Williams for names. "I'm not going to defend myself that way," he said. The issue right now, he explained, was his own mistake. Well, I said, what if I call you up in a few weeks, after this blows over, and then ask you? No, he said.It's no big surprise to this blogger that this administration frequently pays conservatives to shill its message. As Kos notes, "Until names are named, we can assume every conservative pundit is on the White House's payola rolls."
Traficant's case is finally over
Jim Traficant, an embarrasment to the state of Ohio and the Democratic Party, has exhausted all appeals in his bid to regain his seat in Congress. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) notes this interesting development:
The Supreme Court today announced it would not hear an appeal from former Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., D-Ohio, who was convicted in 2002 on charges of bribery, obstruction of justice and fraud. Traficant was sentenced to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and $150,000 in fines. After Traficant was convicted, but before he was sentenced, the House voted 420-1 to expel him. He was one of just five members ever expelled and only the second member since the Civil War. In his lawsuit, Traficant argued his criminal conviction and expulsion from the House violated his Fifth Amendment protection against "double jeopardy," or being tried twice for the same crime. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Traficant last year, saying that "under Traficant's argument, a representative's criminal prosecution by the executive branch would immunize that representative from discipline imposed by Congress."It's a good day in America when justice is served. Democratic or Republican, all corruption should be stamped out of Washington.
Wyden, Smith begin touring the state
Oregon's two Senators, Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Gordon Smith, began a tour of the state together on Sunday night with a townhall meeting in Portland. As The Oregonian's Edward Walsh notes, the main topic was Social Security:
Appearing at the first in a series of town meetings they will hold around the state, Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Gordon Smith agreed the Social Security system faces growing financial problems as the huge baby boom generation nears retirement.While the somewhat centrist Smith has yet to stake out a position on the President's Social Security reform, it's great to see Wyden -- a consummate moderate -- come out strongly against the bill. If Senators like Wyden, Max Baucus (D-MT) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) -- moderate Dems who have in the past given much-needed support to the President's agenda -- maintain their opposition to this bill, the Democrats just might be able to save the program.
But Wyden flatly rejected Bush's call to allow younger workers to use a portion of the Social Security payroll tax to establish private accounts that could be invested in the stock market.
Administration officials contend that the private accounts would generate enough income to make up for a reduction in Social Security benefits that are necessary to keep the system solvent.
"For the life of me, I cannot see how we are going to solve the concerns of Social Security with privatization," Wyden said.
America banned in Mississippi
In a somewhat unsurprising move, Jon Stewart's America the Book has been banned in areas of Mississippi. The AP reports:
Library officials in two southern Mississippi counties have banned comedian and faux cable news anchor Jon Stewart's best-selling America (The Book).That's not the way to run a library.
Officials say they banned the satirical textbook in eight public libraries last month because they objected to an image of the faces of the U.S. Supreme Court justices superimposed on nine naked bodies.
This move by Goss will make the country safer?
This makes no sense whatsoever.
Tenet may have been a poor Director of Central Intelligence, but this post-9/11 meeting was simply good policy. Goss, in an effort to expel all things Tenet, has unfortunately just chosen to get rid of a good program for the sake of partisanship. Is the nation safer because of this?
The daily 5 o'clock meeting at CIA headquarters that for the past three years has coordinated tactical counterterrorism operations involving senior CIA, FBI, Pentagon and Homeland Security Department officials has been cut back by new CIA Director Porter J. Goss to three a week, according to current and former administration and intelligence officials.Link.
The sessions were initiated by former CIA director George J. Tenet because of the failures of coordination among intelligence agencies before Sept. 11, 2001. He used the sessions to push the agencies to carry out specific activities, whether at home or abroad. The meetings were continued by Tenet's former deputy, John E. McLaughlin, while he was acting director and initially by Goss.
Tenet may have been a poor Director of Central Intelligence, but this post-9/11 meeting was simply good policy. Goss, in an effort to expel all things Tenet, has unfortunately just chosen to get rid of a good program for the sake of partisanship. Is the nation safer because of this?
Quote of the Day
As chosen by Taegan Goddard of the Political Wire:
"My conclusion is that the press is biased -- biased in favor of conflict... Conflict comes first, regardless of whether the press is covering a Democrat or a Republican."This quote is on the money. While I think certain segments of the media tend to be biased in one direction or the other, in general, the media do have a bias in favor of conflict. Why else would anyone cover Scott Peterson?
-- Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, quoted by the Washington Post on his new book Taking Heat.
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Democrats aligned against Bush initiatives
Democrats may have been fooled by Bush's calls for "bipartisanship" in the President's first term, agreeing to wasteful tax bills, the Medicare Rx bill and No Child Left Behind, but it appears as though they won't fall prey to this ploy again. The Washington Post's Dan Balz reports on this development in Monday's issue in an article entitled "Democrats United in Plans To Block Top Bush Initiatives":
The fact is that most Americans believe that Social Security is a good program and has done much good for the country; they don't want to get rid of it. If the Democrats are able to (rightly) frame this as a battle for the program's life, they just might be able to win back a significant portion of the blue collar voters that left the party two decades ago.
As President Bush prepares for his second term, Democrats in Washington and around the country are organizing for a year of confrontation and resistance, saying they are determined to block Bush's major initiatives and thereby deny him the mandate he has claimed from his reelection victory last November.Balz notes something extremely important here. By being unified in their defense of programs like Social Security, the Democrats might actually be able to go on the offensive against the Republicans.
[...]
In part that mood reflects the reality that Democrats are even more of a minority party than they were when Bush was sworn in four years ago, their ranks smaller in both the House and Senate and their ability to influence the legislative agenda sharply diminished.
But the unity of purpose also underscores a hardening of attitudes among Democrats -- from elected officials and strategists to grass-roots activists and party constituencies -- that Bush's domestic agenda presents opportunities to divide the GOP, break apart Bush's winning coalition and recapture some of the voters who supported Bush last fall. [emphasis added]
The fact is that most Americans believe that Social Security is a good program and has done much good for the country; they don't want to get rid of it. If the Democrats are able to (rightly) frame this as a battle for the program's life, they just might be able to win back a significant portion of the blue collar voters that left the party two decades ago.
Democrats meet to choose their new chief
Terry McAuliffe did a very respectable job bringing the Democratic Party to parity with the GOP in terms of fundraising and central infrastructure, but now that his term has expired, the Dems must find a new chief. The AP reports on a meeting in Georgia that sought to shed some more light on the campaign to head the DNC.
Seven candidates for chairman of the Democratic National Committee promised Saturday to address the concerns of Southern voters, saying they had learned the lessons of the past two elections.Check out the whole piece if you're interested. Also of note is Jerome Armstrong's DNC Chair Cattle Call over at MyDD.com.
[...]
Each of the candidates addressed questions on how the Democratic Party can attract women, black and minority voters. None offered to change the party's positions, but all suggested the party needs to focus the issues more.