Category: Congress

First Massachusetts Senate Special Election Poll Out

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It’s Rasmussen, and they say that Democrat candidate Martha Coakley leads Republican Scott Brown by 50% to 41%.

Not particularly surprising.

Obviously special elections are rather quirky affairs, what with turnout being low, but Coakley’s turnout machine worked well in the primary, so I think that this is, absent her doing something really stupid, is in the bag.

There is an interesting point here though: If Brown were to win, the Dems would be down to 59 seats, and the Republican filibuster would hold, which might force the White House and Congress to use reconciliation, which might create a much better bill.

So, which is it, The Lady or the Tiger?

The Masque Slips

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Republican Congressional Candidate Allen Quist has just said that it’s more important to fight Democrats than it is to fight terrorism:

“It’s because I, like you, have seen that our country is being destroyed. I mean, this is — every generation has had to fight the fight for freedom. This is our fight. And this is our time. This is it. Terrorism, yes — but that’s not the big battle. The big battle is in D.C., with the radicals. They aren’t liberals, they’re radicals. Obama, Pelosi, Walz — they’re not liberals, they’re radicals. They are destroying our country. And people all over are figuring that out.”

Well, it’s nice that at least one of them is telling the truth, that they find the quest for power is more important than the well-being of the nation.

Here is the video, you can see that statement at about the 3 minute mark:

Rep. Parker Griffith’s Staff Quits En Masse

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This is not a big surprise, first, they know that they won’t find work with Republicans, and second, they know that if they don’t quit, they won’t ever work for a Democratic Congressman again:

In a sternly worded statement, Griffith Chief of Staff Sharon Wheeler announced the exit of herself, along with legislative director Megan Swearingen, senior legislative assistant Brian Greer, legislative assistant Will Crain, press secretary Sean Magers, legislative correspondent Arinze Ifekauche, legislative correspondent Chase Chesser, staff assistant Mary Lou Hughston, congressional fellows Anjali Shah Kastorf and Leslee Oden and intern Andrew Menefee.

Griffith’s political consulting team has already parted ways with him since he announced over the holiday break that he would switch parties.

(emphasis mine)

The intern quit? The intern?

Dude, when your intern felt compelled to quit, you just got yourself seriously dissed.

Franken Rape Amendment Becomes Law

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The 2010 Defense Authorization Bill was signed into law by Barack Obama about 2 weeks ago, and the bill included Al Franken’s prohibition on defense contractors using binding arbitration to keep things like the rape of their employees by their employees out of court.

Since it’s attached to an appropriations bill, it only runs for a year, so I would suggest a stand alone bill, timed to hit the floor in the June-July time frame to permanently close the loophole.

We’ll see how many ‘Phants want to vote pro-rape a few months prior to elections, particularly given the outrage over the pro-rape Republicans over Franken Amendment in the first place.

Another Endorsement from Your’s Truly

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Marcy Winograd, who is running against Blue Dog Jane Harman in CA-36. I got an email from them, which means that they are hitting the “Q-list” blogs, which is a low cost high reward strategy.

After all, if you want someone’s support, sending an email is a virtually free way of asking them for it.

It should be noted she ran against Harman in 2006, and scored a respectable 37.5% of the vote, and Harman has actually improved as a result of that challenge.

It should be noted though that Harman ran in the 1998 Gubernatorial primary as being, “the best Republican in the Democratic Party,” so improvement is not difficult to achieve.

She is, and remains, a Blue Dog puke.

In any case, she is now on my Act Blue page, as well as having a direct donation page her web site.

Text of letter after break:

Marcy Winograd For Congress


Dear Friends,Marcy Winograd For Congress

If you’re like me, one of your hopes for 2010 is that our government accomplishes a great deal more than it did in 2009.

Frustration has become the norm. Yet as we close out the year, you have a very specific choice to make: Do you allow that frustration to become apathy or action?

Will you support the status quo or those that believe better decisions can and should be made in 2010?

Please help me end 2009, literally and figuratively, by donating to my June 2010 campaign against Blue Dog Democrat Jane Harman in CD 36.

I have been a community activist for decades, fighting for education funding, affordable access to health care, worker and consumer protections, and the environment.

Nothing, however, is more pressing than the issue of jobs. We can and must reinvest in America – converting an economy currently based on making war overseas into one that makes better schools, roads, bridges, railways, and new Green Industries at home.

As we come to the end of the year – you can take action right where you’re sitting by making a decision to end Jane Harman’s 12 year effort to become the Lieberman of the House, largely serving the interests of large corporations and military contractors.

Contribute before January 1 to elect a true Democrat – not one who proudly accepted the label of “best Republican in the Democratic party.”

As I campaign up and down the 36th congressional district (West LA to San Pedro), I hear the same question over and over: “How are you going create jobs?”

I tell people we must fight for a Green New Deal, modeled after the New Deal of the Great Depression.

There is 200-billion left over from TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) that we can use not to bail out corrupt banks – but for common good: the creation of a sustainable economy.

While some banks may be reticent to accept the TARP funds, the aerospace industry is not. Its association has explicitly asked for 6-billion in TARP to create new jobs.

We can immediately contract with regional aerospace companies, not to build more bombs, but to create jobs in the New Green Economy. We need their engineering know-how and skilled workforce to build rapid transit and develop solar and wind resources that will make us strong and energy independent.

Jane Harman has spent too many years lobbying for weapons contracts, failing to expand the reach of aerospace beyond a permanent war economy.

We have only until Thursday at midnight to show people sitting on the fence that 2010 can be very different.

Help elect a REAL Democrat – a teacher, an anti-war leader, an environmentalist – in California’s June 8, 2010, Democratic Party primary. Contribute before midnight Thursday.

With great thanks for your support,


Marcy Winograd

To donate, please click here.
To get updates, please click here.
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Completely F%$#ing Delusional

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Click for full size

Part of a trend, not a result of selling out American workers

Rahm Emanuel believes that by voting against the Democratic base, you improve the electoral prospects of the Democrats:

White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has been telling Democrats a win on the health issue will reverse the slide in public opinion, just as passage of another controversial proposal, the North American Free Trade Agreement, lifted President Bill Clinton in the polls.

Let’s be clear: Clinton’s popularity did rise after the passage of NAFTA.

It was a part of a trend (see pic). When people finally noticed the passage, a few months later, his ratings fell through the floor, and the Dems lost both houses of Congress.

To be fair, a part of this might have been the collapse of healthcare reform, but NAFTA demoralized labor, and pretty much the entire Democratic base.

A bad bill is worse than no bill, and immeasurably worse than one that passes through reconciliation.

The real problem with Rahm is not that he’s determined to offer succor to right wingers because he believes that it will somehow benefit Democrats, but that he’s wrong, and incompetent.

H/t A Tiny Revolution

Pushback on the House on Healthcare Reform

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Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, has said that the Senate version of the bill is so flawed that the whole bill should be killed, in an OP/Ed that she wrote for CNN.

In addition to a lack of a public option, she lists:

  • The Senate bill keeping the insurance companies’ antitrust exemption.
  • Allowing much higher rates to be charged with older people and people with preexisting conditions.
  • Fewer incentives/penalties on employers who do not supply insurance.
  • The anti-abortion language, which will have the effect of eliminating abortion coverage in insurance nation wide.

It’s unclear as to whether or not she is suggesting reconciliation or not.

Additionally, Representatives Barbara Lee, head of the CBC, and Lynn Woolsey, head of the CPC, are lobbying to kill the bill without a public option.

I would note that part of the dynamic is a push-back against the proposition that the Senate is calling the shots here.

The Senate Passes Obama’s Healthcare Bill

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The vote was 60-39.

Say what you will, but it’s been clear from the start that what Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel have been interested in is Barack Obama signing a bill called “Healthcare Reform,” whether it helped ordinary people or not, and the Senate version fits the description to a “T”.

Obama has already made it clear that he wants the Senate bill to be the one out of committee, as shown by his full throated support of the tax on “Cadillac” insurance plan tax.

It means that, in addition to everything else, the bill is anti-union too, because protecting health care for their workers has been the Unions rear guard action for the past 28 years, ever since Reagan made union-busting cool with PATCO.

So, we will now allow insurance companies to levy a tax on ordinary Americans, and Rahmbama just loves that.

I had rather hoped that a few of the Senate Democrats, and those who caucus with them (I’m talking to you Bernie Sanders) would have had the guts to vote for cloture but against the bill, but no such luck.

At the rate things are going, we will get someone even more batsh%$ insane than George W. Bush in 2012, because there is no Republican on the national scene who is saner than he is right now.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

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Remember Parker Griffith, the DINO Congressman who turned ‘Phant today? (link)

Well he, donated $1,500.00 to Howard Dean in 2004.

He also donated a grand to Harry Reid in 2003, and $500 to Evan Bayh in 2006, and $500 to Harold Ford in 2005.

And yes, I am banging my head against the keyboard over this.

For the other three, I can kind of get, but for Howard Dean, the candidate from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party?

I is confused.

Good Riddance to Bad Rubbish

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What Republicans Said About Griffith in 2008

So, a DINO who said that he would not vote for Pelosi as speaker in 2010, Representative Parker Griffith (AL-5), just made it official and declared himself a Republican.

My guess is that he expects the ‘Phants to win in 2010, and in any case, he won a 52-48 bright red district, and so his reelection is easier.

The Democrats should run the ads that the Republicans ran against him in 2008……over……and over……and over again.

Now to get the rest of the Blue Dog coalition and New Democrats to leave the party……If only 1/3 of them lose reelection as ‘Phants, the Dems stay in control, and the party doesn’t have to deal with those reactionary corporatist whores.

[on edit]
It looks like the Republican running for the seat,Les Phillip, is staying in the race too, so expect a primary fight.

[another edit]It looks like the DCCC dropped $1,076,370 on this moron in 2008.

Seriously, nice job Rahm Emanuel and Chris Van Hollen, this one stinks almost as bad as spending millions to muscle out Christine Cegelis and run the hapless Tammy Duckworth up against Pete Roskam in 2006.

60……Until Leiberman Knifes Everyone Again……

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We now have reports that Reid and Obama have managed to cajole Senator Ben Nelson into not filibustering the helathcare bill:

Senate Democratic leaders achieved a breakthrough Saturday in the drive for health overhaul legislation, securing the 60 votes needed to ensure passage after a late-night deal on abortion coverage locked in the support of Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson.

The bill is at best marginally better than what we have now, it might be a bit worse, since the mandate in a monopoly situation is a disaster, and the abortion language allows states to forbid insurance companies to cover abortions.

Let’s be clear, insurance companies don’t customize their plans unless forced to, and over the next few years, this will have the effect of eliminating abortion from insurance coverage, as NOW notes:

Statement of Terry O’Neill, NOW President

December 19, 2009

The so-called health care reform bill now before the Senate, with the addition of Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Manager’s Amendment, amounts to a health insurance bill for half the population and a sweeping anti-abortion law for the rest of us. And by the way, it’s the rest of us who voted the current leadership into both houses of Congress.

The National Organization for Women is outraged that Senate leadership would cave in to Sen. Ben Nelson, offering a compromise that amounts to a Stupak-like ban on insurance coverage for abortion care. Right-wing ideologues like Nelson and the Catholic Bishops may not understand this, but abortion is health care. And health care reform is not true reform if it denies women coverage for the full range of reproductive health services.

We call on all senators who consider themselves friends of women’s rights to reject the Manager’s Amendment, and if it remains, to defeat this cruelly over-compromised legislation.

###

I’ll still be calling my Senators, and asking them to vote against the bill and against cloture.

Obama Gets Revolt from the Faithful on Healthcare

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Which is not particularly surprising, as his behavior has been pretty revolting on healthcare.

It turns out that OFA, originally “Obama for America,” and now “Organizing for America,” just called for a phone bank to support the Nelson/Lieberman healthcare reform sellout bill, and the base decided that they had to wash their hair:

On Wednesday morning, Organizing for America, as Obama’s reconstituted campaign organization is now known, e-mailed its list of 13 million Obama supporters asking them to “call your senators now and help us ‘ring in reform.’”

The campaign yielded 150,000 calls — less than half the number of a similar effort in October — and it prompted a backlash among online and local activists who had logged countless volunteer supporting Obama’s campaign and legislative agenda, but who felt betrayed by recent Democratic concessions in the health-care reform fight.

………

………while some OFA subscribers replied directly to the call-to-action e-mail with angry messages and others asked to be removed from the list entirely.

(emphasis mine)

I had myself removed from the OFA mailing list some months ago, and I do not regret this at all.

Additionally, the latest This Research 2000/Progressive Change Campaign Committee/Democracy for AmericaPoll shows that the public overwhelming opposes the personal mandates in the bill if there is no public option.

Respondents said that they supported a public option 59% to 31%, opposed a madate without a public option 33% to 56%, and that Obama didn’t fight Lieberman hard enough: 63% to 29%.

What a surprise. Hoocoodanode that the American public would object to a tax on breathing with the proceeds going to insurance company executive bonuses?

The real problem here is not that the bill sucks, the problem is that it’s increasingly obvious, as Senator Russ Feingold notes, that Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel thought that forcing people to buy overpriced insurance and overpriced pharmaceuticals was a good way to keep those industries from donating to Republicans, the average citizen be damned:

Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), among the most vocal supporters of the public option, said it would be unfair to blame Lieberman for its apparent demise. Feingold said that responsibility ultimately rests with President Barack Obama and he could have insisted on a higher standard for the legislation.

“This bill appears to be legislation that the president wanted in the first place, so I don’t think focusing it on Lieberman really hits the truth,” said Feingold. “I think they could have been higher. I certainly think a stronger bill would have been better in every respect.”

It seems that Obama’s fetish with signing a bill with “healthcare reform” on it, to the exclusion of any principles, or the need to actually make things better, so he could have a trophy on the wall has bitten him on the butt.

DeForest Kelly put it best when he said, “It’s not enough! You didn’t care as long as you could hang your trophy on the wall. Well, it’s not on it, Captain Mr President, it’s in it.”