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05 Jul 2011 21:33

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Politics: “Naming the victim” gets fresh scrutiny after Strauss-Kahn case

  • For a person who has already been violated once, all the media exposure violates them again. We have a strong tradition of defendant’s rights. But if you’re a victim, you have fewer rights than an accused person.
  • National Center for Victims of Crime executive director Mai Fernandez • Offering an argument against the idea of naming the victim in high-profile rape cases like that of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. There’s a good point in this — we do everything to cover the stories of high-profile sexual assault cases — but we never name the victim, even when we note every other detail about their lives, down to their money problems. The tradition of not naming the victim in cases like this one, which stretches back a century, is getting fresh scrutiny in the wake of new details in the Strauss-Kahn case. One guy getting some airtime as a result of these new revelations is Alan Dershowitz, a defense lawyer most famous for the O.J. Simpson trial, who says that the practice saddles the defendant with the presumption of guilt — especially when, as in the case of Strauss-Kahn, they take a perp walk. What do you guys think? Is Alan barking up the wrong tree? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jul 2011 16:16

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Politics: Mike Huckabee gains indirect stake in Pawlenty campaign

  • Sarah Huckabee Sanders joins Pawlenty campaign: And yes, she’s related to that Huckabee — the father and daughter teamed up in 2008 when she was the political director for his presidential campaign. With her dad ultimately opting not to run in 2012 following a boatload of speculation, it seems like she thinks Tim Pawlenty is still a force to be reckoned with in the GOP primaries, despite disappointing early reviews. The Pawlenty campaign has said she’ll be leading their efforts in the Iowa Straw Poll, which Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have already opted not to bother with — it looks clear that Pawlenty’s strategy hinges much more on appealing to social conservatism than either of those two. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jul 2011 20:31

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Politics: Two Senate Republicans budge on raising revenue. Well, kinda.

  • I think it’s clear that the Republicans are opposed to any tax hikes, particularly during a fragile economic recovery. Now, do we believe tax reform is necessary? I would say absolutely.
  • Sen. John Cornyn • Opening the door for the possibility of raising revenue … very slightly. See, Cornyn is OK with changing the tax code so as to fix loopholes in it. But he won’t willingly offer to raise taxes, no ifs, ands or buts. Sen. John McCain is in the same boat, willing to consider “revenue raisers” — without offering details. Now, this all seems like “whatever,” until you realize that this is the closest any members of the GOP have gotten to the idea of raising taxes — or any revenue at all, that is. How pathetic is it that this as far as the GOP has been willing to compromise on this issue? Why should Democrats have to do all the compromising? This isn’t even a step forward. This is like kicking your foot forward a quarter-inch by accident. This redefines movement. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Jul 2011 12:42

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Politics: Looking back: Why Mark Halperin’s quip is really par for the course

  • It would be nice to think that the rapidity of the official reaction had to do with legitimate disapproval. Actually, it is a reflex quickened by practice because what cable news now calls political journalism is set up to produce just this kind of ‘television moment’ and its attendant swirl of attention-getting faux controversy.
  • L.A. Times columnist Tim Rutten • Offering a room-clearing take on the whole situation with Mark Halperin and “Morning Joe.” To put it simply, he doesn’t think it’s actually any sort of controversy of the real kind, but instead an opportunity to create a conversation-of-the-day moment. (Which Halperin’s quip successfully did, by the way.) It’s an idea that started with Fox News but has kinda expanded from there. There’s even a site dedicated to this idea. And well, you know, he’s right. But it makes good TV, and that’s all that matters, right? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

02 Jul 2011 17:49

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Politics: Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton bummed by state shutdown

  • I remember a family meeting 15 years ago, my uncle Ken Dayton looked at our collective family situation improving over the year before. Therefore, our total taxes paid went up. One of my cousins complained about our taxes going up. My uncle Ken looked him square in the eye and said, ‘We should want to pay more taxes. That means we’re making more money.’
  • Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton • Offering a defense of higher taxes amid a shutdown of the state government this weekend. As you might guess, most Republicans don’t think this way … to put it another way, this train of thought trickles down a bit differently for them. Dayton, a Democrat, is having a tough time getting any leverage with the GOP on budget talks. And it bums him out: “Yesterday was probably the worst day in my six months (as governor),” he said today. “Today isn’t much better. It’s quieter. You know, I take this very, very seriously — the effect on peoples’ lives, their livelihoods, the services that people need. People had their vacations planned and taken away from them. So I can’t say it’s fun right now.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

01 Jul 2011 13:23

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Politics: Who’s to blame for the Minnesota government shutdown?

  • T-Paw Multiple liberal groups, including the Democratic National Committee, took shots at Tim Pawlenty’s record as Minnesota governor after the shutdown happened. “Tim Pawlenty failed Minnesota as Governor and now his failures are coming home to roost with a shutdown his policies are responsible for,” the DNC’s note said this morning.
  • not T-Paw However, if you asked Pawlenty himself, the 2012 presidential candidate has a completely different description of events. He blamed Democrats, particularly Gov. Mark Dayton, but noted his fiscal policies will help the state in the long run. “There’s going to be a variety of near-term impacts,” he said, “but the longer-term goal is what is most important here.” source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jun 2011 19:00

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Politics: Timothy Geithner: Don’t believe the hype, I’m not leavin’ guys!

  • I live for this work. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done. I believe in it. I’m going to be doing it for the forseeable future.
  • Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner • Denying the speculation about his possible departure from his post. By the way, has anyone figured out a way to see into next week? We’re not sure if we believe him. That said, he did claim that personal issues were weighing on his mind right now: “I have a family, and my son’s going back to New York to finish high school,” he said. “I’m going to be commuting for a while.” Hope he learns to love Amtrak. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

30 Jun 2011 18:05

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Politics: Report: Geithner may resign following debt limit deal

  • Timothy Geithner’s last rodeo? It’s reported that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner may walk away from his post once a deal is reached to raise the U.S. debt limit. Geithner has served in that position since 2009. (Photo by Moritz Hager, courtesy World Economics Forum) source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

30 Jun 2011 10:37

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Politics: The Senate’s skipping its upcoming recess, working straight through

  • All because of that pesky debt ceiling thing: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the only fireworks members of the Senate would see next week would be strictly of the political kind — all in an effort to solve the pesky debt ceiling issue that’s been dogging Congress for a couple of months. If they can’t figure it out by August, it could have a dire effect on the overall economy, but Republicans want cuts to coincide with any sort of debt ceiling deal. Not every Senator is on board with this recess idea, by the way. We’re feeling less confident about their ability to fix this mess by the day. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

29 Jun 2011 23:49

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Politics: Republican voters apathetic about presidential field

  • What’s more surprising: The fact that they actually included John McCain in the poll? Or the fact that McCain did twice as well as Tim Pawlenty?  source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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