Quote of the Day

“Welcome back to the White House.”

Joe Biden, in reference to Obama's effort to put labor back where it should be. 

F-ing Brilliant

Obama is floating around the idea of appointing Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) to commerce secretary. Why is this sooooo brilliant. Well, the dem governor of N.H. would most definitely appoint a dem senator. Bringing that fateful number of dem senators of 59 (when Franken finally goes to washington) up to 60.

That is the most fillibuster proof majority you can get. That means, the dems senators could bring up a "National wipe your butt in public day" and there is not one thing the republicans can do about it.

Can someone say National Healthcare!!!!!

Circus Is Finally Over

Blagovich is gone. By a vote of59-0 in the Illinois senate. Finally, the curtain has closed on this. 

Other's Obeserving the GOP Going Down In Flames

Nate Silver has noticed what everyone else is starting to see. The swan song for the GOP. 

Thus the Republicans, arguably, are in something of a death spiral. The more conservative, partisan, and strident their message becomes, the more they alienate non-base Republicans. But the more they alienate non-base Republicans, the fewer of them are left to worry about appeasing. Thus, their message becomes continually more appealing to the base -- but more conservative, partisan, and strident to the rest of us. And the process loops back upon itself.

You almost kind of feel sorry for them....almost. 

GOP In Very Serious Trouble

There has been a dramatic shift over the past 4 years. There are many reasons but most of all, the GOP's shallow, unsubstantial, talking-points-heavy style of governing has seriously soured the public against them. 

Gallup has a new poll about the "State of States": about how each state is doing in reference to party affiliation. Looking at the map to show how red/blue states are, the GOP is up the proverbial poop creek with a paddle. The map above shows those trends. It seems the GOP has only about 4 solid states left. Compare the blue to red. Wow!!

GOP had better stop alienating large portions of the population and start trying to become part of our world. The only problem is, they are totally beholden to their base. Which runs directly contrary to the way the majority of our society is trending. 

One possible explanation as to why this won't change anytime soon was at Dailykos. The bigger problem the GOP faces is that the moderates repubs have lost their seats (in both house and senate). This leaves only wingnuts. Wingnuts, too fearful of losing their primary to another more crazier wingnut has no inclination to vote on Dem bills when the vote will be later used as a bludgeon during their primary. 

Basically, they're stuck. 

Coleman Blowing the Case

Yesterday was a bit of a laughing frenzy and Coleman's lawyers shoot themselves in the foot. Coleman's attorneys cherrypicked 6 witnesses for their case and in cross examination one of them witnesses admits he lied about his absentee signature and the other said he went to the polls to vote and didn't cast an absentee vote. 

This is what they got from their witnesses. Via TPM

One of the voters was Douglas Thompson, who admitted under oath that his girlfriend filled out his absentee ballot application for him, signing his name with her own hand and purporting to be himself. His ballot was rejected because the signature on his ballot envelope (his own) did not match the signature on the application (his girlfriend's). The Coleman team's argument appears to be that he is still a legal voter in Minnesota, as the signature on the ballot was his own, even if admitted dishonesty was involved in getting the ballot.

It was so bad that over at Dailykos, some theorize that Coleman is throwing the case so that they can claim the race was stolen from him by Franken. Making Franken the boogeyman as to drum up donations. 

Not a bad conjecture. At the end of the day, Franken is still going to win. 

The Wingnuts Must Hate It

From Time.

Nearly as many House Republicans sought to get their photos taken with Obama as questioned him about the stimulus during their meeting.

Repubs Finally Show Their Partisan Heads

Republicans are finally coming out of their shell shocked caves and continuing their obstructionist attitudes. While Obama is making concessions to try and get as much buy in as possible for the stimulus package, Republicans are picking it apart and saying they are not going to support it.

The politics of it is this: They will gain hardly anything by supporting a democratic bill should it do well and the economy starts to improve. They gain a whole lot more by having the new pres and dem congress holding the bag should it fail. They will go running (yes running) to the cameras yelling "I told you so."

Now, there are many problems but what sticks out for me is a TOTAL lack of leadership on the repubs part. Their leaders don't see the common cause that is there. They need the country's economy to repair itself. They are staring at a depression potential situation that they ochestrated and now show no leadership in trying to get us out.

They don't see the bigger picture (putting the U.S. back on track) they see only the political bet. 

They are betting against Obama, dems, and the U.S. economy.  

Look at what they did today.

Then this morning, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) went for the jugular, urging his members to oppose the economic centerpiece of Obama's first term just hours before the president paid the Republicans the compliment of coming to the Capitol for a private meeting — even before he did the same for House Democrats. 

Obama's aides cast the visit as an outstretched hand — and it got slapped. 

This is why I am so cinical about the repubs. The new breed of repubs is hell bent on the struggle for power and has no vision on what is good for the country. This is why they will continue to live in the forest. They need leadership bad!

Update: Well, it looks like they might just vote for it after all. They are so confused, I don't think the repubs know what the other repubs are doing. 

an interesting quote:

 "Boehner already said he wouldn't vote for it, so why are they bothering to meet with the President if they've already decided they will oppose?" he wondered. "Will they even say what they want now or just constantly moving the goalposts?"

Some Good Old Fashioned Diplomacy

Obama gave his first major interview today to Al-Arabya. The most interesting part of the interview is not so much what he said (the usual, Israel is an ally. Iran must not get a nuclear weapon, ya da ya da) it was how he said it. For so long now, we have had a President in cowboy boots trying to play the role of the cowboy with depressing results. Today we saw how a president should act when presenting America to the world.

Some memorable excerpts.

"I have Muslim members of my family. I have lived in Muslim countries," Obama said, according to a White House transcript. "My job to the Muslim world is to communicate that the Americans are not your enemy."

It feels real good to have, as the face of the United States, an individual that is made up of many good parts of the U.S.  Next, he is talking about how he is going to deal with the world. 

"What I told him is start by listening, because all too often the United States starts by dictating — in the past on some of these issues — and we don't always know all the factors that are involved," Obama said. "What we want to do is to listen, set aside some of the preconceptions that have existed and have built up over the last several years. And I think if we do that, then there's a possibility at least of achieving some breakthroughs

Why this is important is because for far too long the U.S. has been a bully. No one ever likes bullys. In fact, over time this dislike and anger turns to hate and you know where that leads? Yes, the dark side. We don't need our president to be a catalyst for other countries' terrorist organizations to grow its members. Numerous reports have been generated as to how Iraq and Bush's failed policies have led to more jihadists to join Al Quaeda's ranks. Now, we might be able to have the world like us again, reducing the numbers that join these groups. 

It feels great to see intelligence and cool handedness in a president.

Here's the Times' take on it

Franken and Coleman Go To Court

Today, 3 judges will decide the future of the Minnesota senate race. Coleman is arguing to try and get rejected absontee ballots reinstated. (weird b/c this is a reversal of the court hearing back in December when Coleman was trying to prevent Franken's attempt at getting rejected ballots reinstated)

Overall, this could take weeks or months. It is a definite uphill climb for Coleman and I hope they reject his argument ASAP. Not so much b/c I don't like Coleman, but more because he has done a 180 since December now that he is on the losing side. 

TPM has a good piece on how the two camps HATE each other. Quite amusing. 

GOP Gets It All Wrong

With news today that some 75,000 more jobs today are going to be cut, the GOP are getting their talking points ready so that they can come out against Obamas stimulus plan. Politico reports that the repubs are trying to straddle a line between opposing the plan but no opposing Obama.

What a bunch of wimps. Obama is going to make some tax cut concessions for the GOP but at the end of the day, the stimulus will be focused on the middle class. What the GOP fails to understand is that there are no jobs for corporate execs if there is no middle class workers keeping the company moving. So, by not supporting the stimulus they risk alienating themselves if this legislation works. Further leaving them deep in the forest.

It's almost as if the new GOP playbook's first chapter is entitled "Shooting yourself in the foot." With Obama owning the bipartisan mantle, dems not that far off, and the taste of Bush's hyperpartisan tactics still in sour in our mouths, the GOP does not want to continue to be holding the "obstructionist" bag. 

What they need to do is promote their tax cuts, understand that they are lucky to get what they are getting, and support the new President's efforts to return our country to what it was 8 years ago.

Kyoto Back in the Limelight

I have been wondering about the Kyoto treaty. This is the treaty, some 30 days into Bush's administration back in 2001, Bush pulled out of after promising to possibly participate in it. Well, it seems it is finally getting its due respect. HRC has nominated  Todd Stern as climate czar.

His history is with the clinton administration as the chief negotiator of the Kyoto treaty back when Bill was president. I feel good about this already. His background. 

"Stern was staff secretary, a sensitive job that makes him the gatekeeper to every piece of paper the President sees and signs. Also for Clinton, he was senior White House negotiator at the Kyoto and Buenos Aires climate negotiations. 

So Stern is an authority on the issue, knows the inner workings of the White House and has a close relationship with the secretary of State. "

I wonder how long it will be before we formally sign the Kyoto Treaty. Link

New Emission Standards, Yessssss

I never really understood Bush's refusal to grant Cali a waver on the EPA's emission standards. I mean, I did know why (he's a corporate whore) but wavers have been granted to cali for many adminstrations. We are at the forefront of the clean air debate. 

Well, in keeping with good campaign promises, Obama is granting the waver for cali and 13 other states. I can't wait to see, over time, our air quality improve and our consumption of energy. 

Check it out.