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08 Feb 2012 10:01

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Politics: Must-read of the week: The Washington Post’s “Capital Assets” series

  • In case you haven’t seen this, the Post’s coverage of how members of Congress are directing spending to places where it benefits them personally is pretty impressive. Examples: Sen. Richard Shelby helped push more than $100 million in earmarks to help rebuild Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and much of that money went to nicen up an area directly around an office building he owns in the city, which has risen in property value as development has increased. (Watch the video; it syncs up with a map of Tuscaloosa.) He’s not alone. Congressmen around the country directly or indirectly benefited from millions in spending that, at the very least, might give them a nicer view around their property — or in other cases, benefited their family members. The Post did a lot of great work on this piece, and it shows. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Jul 2011 00:56

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Politics: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: Obama faces confirmation headaches

  • Until President Obama addresses our concerns by supporting a few reasonable structural changes, we will not confirm anyone to lead it. No accountability, no confirmation.
  • Sen. Richard Shelby • Offering an ultimatum about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, particularly in regards to its leadership. Obama recently chose former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray as his pick — a slight over noted financial industry critic Elizabeth Warren, but one that will nonetheless face a tough Senate  confirmation battle. The GOP wants to push a five-member commission structure for the organization, but while Obama may offer concessions to please Republicans, that particular idea is off the table. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

12 Oct 2010 01:19

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Politics, U.S.: Maybe if you win TWO Nobel Prizes, then you’ll be qualified

  • good Peter Diamond, nominated by Obama to serve in the Federal Reserve, just won the Nobel Prize in economics. Congratulations!
  • bad GOP Sen. Richard Shelby is blocking his nomination (thus preventing him from serving), because he’s “unqualified.” source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 5 Comments • Permalink

28 Apr 2010 20:12

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U.S.: Financial reform debate’s a go in the Senate, finally

  • Forget the full Senate vote. They shook hands on it. In what’s a pretty big #(&(@&& deal, Democrats and Republicans in the Senate agreed to bring financial reform to the floor. BBC notes that a vote failed three days in a row, but eventually went through after Democrats nearly forced an all-night session. Republicans claim they won some concessions, though. While Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, who’s been working with bill mastermind Christopher Dodd, says he still disagrees with many parts of the bill, but has been promised that Republican amendments would be considered. So that’s something. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink

27 Apr 2010 23:31

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Politics: Deal or no deal, 60th vote for Senate financial reform debate in sight

  • If backdoor haggling goes on too long, Sen. George Voinovich will vote yes to get the ball moving. Many GOP senators might be ready to break ranks to make the financial reform bill happen, according to Voinovich. He says he knows how long it should take for a deal to go through, but if one doesn’t, he’ll play vote number 60. By the way, Senators Richard Shelby and Chris Dodd say they’re close to a deal, but Sen. Bob Corker (who knows the score) says they’re not as close as they say. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Apr 2010 10:27

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Politics: The status of the financial reform bill: Look beyond today

  • today With both sides at an impasse, it’s unlikely that the bill will clear a key Senate procedural vote today.
  • later However, both sides are optimistic they’ll get the votes to make this thing actually happen. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

25 Apr 2010 11:51

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Politics: Chris Dodd and Richard Shelby seeing more of each other lately

  • I hope tomorrow we can get those votes; we may not, but I hope we do because we need to move forward.
  • Sen. Christopher Dodd • Regarding his push for a financial reform bill. He hopes to pull at least one Republican over with a bipartisan bill. Sen. Richard Shelby is currently working with him to make it happen. For what it’s worth, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell thinks it’s going to happen. “We don’t have a bipartisan compromise yet, but I think there’s a good chance we’re going to get it,” he says. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

12 Feb 2010 09:44

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Politics: Richard Shelby apparently the antithesis of bipartisanship

  • “We were stuck. I just feel like we weren’t getting anywhere.” Sen. Christopher Dodd has had enough of Sen. Richard Shelby’s crap, apparently. Shelby, a.k.a. the guy who held up 70 of Obama’s appointees to win pork for his state, has been holding up Dodd’s plans for a financial industry reform bill. So, instead, Dodd’s going to work with freshman Sen. Bob Corker, which should make things interesting for the Senate Banking Committee. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Feb 2010 21:39

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U.S.: Richard Shelby released those Obama nominee holds. Why?

  • shelby The Alabama senator says that his demands were met, so he released most of the 70+ holds, barring a few unnamed ones.
  • obama The president’s staff says that none of Shelby’s demands were met, so somebody is lying here. We wonder who that might be. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Feb 2010 12:09

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Politics, U.S.: Richard Shelby turns the Senate into his personal gridlock

  • 70 Obama nominees blocked over an Air Force tanker deal source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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