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17 Aug 2011 00:42

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U.S.: Headline of the day (LA Times)

  • Prediction: Republicans will accept this dare. source

03 Jan 2011 21:00

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Politics: Harry Reid breaks filibuster-blocking record

  • 69% the failure rate of filibusters in the last Congress source

20 Dec 2010 22:08

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Politics, U.S.: McConnell explains Republican approach to legislating

  • There’s much for [Democrats] to be angst-ridden about. If they think it’s bad now, wait ’till next year.
  • Senator Mitch McConnell • Salivating at the prospect of continuing to make life unpleasant for Democrats in the next Congress. McConnell stated in November that the “single most important thing” for Senate Republicans to accomplish was defeating Barack Obama in 2012. Not to overstate the obvious, but man, this guy really gets a kick out of antagonizing Democrats. source

20 Dec 2010 21:35

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Politics: Democrats and Republicans strike deal to expedite judicial nominees

  • 19 judicial nominations will be finally confirmed by the Senate GOP after months of hold up, as part of a deal between party leaders
  • four judges’ names will be withdrawn from nomination (including the controversial Goodwin Liu), as a means of placating Republicans source

21 Sep 2010 18:10

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Politics: Republicans: We’d rather defund the military than let gays serve in it

  • 3 votes short of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the Senate
  • SENATE DEMOCRATS FAILED to overcome a Republican filibuster of the annual Pentagon authorization bill, which contained a repeal of DODT. Since the bill’s passage is required in order fund the US military, it will likely be brought up again at a later date. Two Democrats, Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, voted against the bill, as did the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (for parliamentary reasons). source

21 Sep 2010 12:43

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Politics, U.S.: Sen. Susan Collins votes her conscience. Just kidding!

  • then Susan Collins, the moderate Republican Senator from Maine, previously voted to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell when the bill was in committee.
  • now Collins still opposes the policy, but because Sen. Harry Reid, the Majority leader, won’t allow unlimited amendments on the bill, she’ll be filibustering the repeal effort.
  • “I think it’s the right thing to do.” That’s how Collins feels about repealing DADT, the controversial policy that prohibits openly gay citizens from serving in the military; ending it is “only fair,” she said today. But Reid is limiting the number of amendments that can be added to the bill containing the repeal, and so she’s voting against it. Funny; if you think the bill does “the right thing,” shouldn’t the procedural stuff be a secondary consideration? After all, you came to the Senate to enact effective policy, not uphold Senate procedure. source