Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

20 Jan 2010 21:19

tags

Politics: So, post-Scott Brown, what does Obama do next, anyway?

  • I would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements in the package that people agree on.
  • President Barack Obama • Regarding his signature health care bill, which got screwed up by Scott Brown winning the Senate race yesterday. It’s perhaps the largest failure of his presidency so far, but one with a silver lining. Now Obama has an opportunity to push for that bipartisan congress that never really happened. Or maybe the Republicans can just stonewall some more. It’s worth noting a couple of things: The fact that Obama plans to wait until Brown takes office to tackle health care is smart. And, as Andrew Sullivan notes (amazingly), he could totally use this as an opportunity to turn the tables during his State of the Union address next week. We want to see him do that. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jan 2010 11:03

tags

Politics: Newsweek columnist: Scott Brown, another guy with no new ideas

  • Brown offers nothing constructive, nothing coherent, nothing concrete, and no support for anything President Obama has done or plans to do. He’ll fit right in.
  • Newsweek columnist Daniel Gross • Regarding Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott Brown, who he feels has no firm fiscal policy, just like many other Republicans. Gross argues that it seems like the current agenda for many Republicans is something along the line of party pooper for any sort of economic recovery. He’s argued this before in Slate, referring to the party as the “Failure Caucus.” Ouch. He goes further: “In fact, it’s virtually impossible to find an elected Republican official who can speak intelligently and accurately about budget issues.” Painful. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jan 2010 10:30

tags

U.S.: Sign of weakness? Obama’s TSA pick drops out after Senate fight

  • It is clear that my nomination has become a lightning rod for those who have chosen to push a political agenda at the risk of the safety and security of the American people.
  • Transportation Security Administration chief nominee Erroll Southers • Regarding his decision to drop out after a brutal, months-long stalling created by Sen. Jim DeMint. DeMint’s big problem with Southers? He didn’t like the fact that he might unionize the TSA. This nomination became contentious, by the way, after the attempted terror attack in Detroit last month. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jan 2010 21:34

tags

U.S.: Health care’s death knell? Scott Brown is happy to see you, D.C.

  • cause Clearly in a favorable spot due to his status as the 60th-vote blocker in the Senate, Scott Brown took victory over Martha Cloakey in the Massachusetts Senat race tonight.
  • effect Know that supermajority vote the Democrats had for a number of months that ensured they could get some stuff done (and that they wasted)? It’s gone, boys. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Jan 2010 20:45

tags

U.S.: Brown or Cloakey? Twitter freaks out over the Mass. Senate race

Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jan 2010 12:52

tags

U.S.: Today, Democrats are scrambling to save Ted Kennedy’s old seat

  • Teddy always told me when you’re in a fight, there’s nobody like organized labor. You’re about the future. You’re about moving this country forward. You always have been. We can’t go backwards now.
  • Vicki Kennedy • Stumping for state Attorney General Martha Coakley Saturday morning at the Dorchester headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Coakley’s in great danger of losing the race for Ted Kennedy’s old seat to Republican upstart Scott Brown. If Brown wins on Tuesday, the Democrats lose their essential 60th vote. This is a big deal for the left. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 4 Comments • Permalink

15 Jan 2010 01:29

tags

Politics: How did Scott Brown teeter towards the edge of an upset in Mass.?

Weeks ago, Scott Brown was seen as a non-entity in the country’s most liberal state. Now he has a realistic shot of winning Ted Kennedy’s old seat. WTF? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

06 Jan 2010 11:24

tags

U.S.: Reverse carpetbagging? Harold Ford considers N.Y. Senate run

Like Hillary Clinton nearly a decade ago, Ford, a former Tennessee Democratic Rep., moved north and is now considering taking on Kirsten Gillibrand. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jan 2010 09:52

tags

U.S.: Chris Dodd tight-lipped about leaving the Senate; let’s speculate!

  • Financial industry ties Dodd, a five-term senator, is chair of the powerful Senate Banking Committee. Some feel he’s used these ties in interest-conflicting ways, including receiving a nice mortgage from the now-disgraced Countrywide Financial Corp.
  • Weak poll numbers Dodd, despite being a longstanding member of the Senate and once being seen as a presidential candidate, hasn’t been polling well in his home state lately, leading to fears he might lose in the election. Dude probably got scared.
  • What’s next? Let’s just say that Dems can’t like knowing that two senators have dropped out their races within 12 hours of each other. Especially Dodd, who was a health care plan architect. It may help the seat stay Democratic, though. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

05 Jan 2010 20:14

tags

U.S.: Sen. Byron Dorgan, along with his 60th vote, plans to retire

  • The North Dakota senator was seen as super-vulnerable. The clock is ticking on the Democratic supermajority in the Senate, which promises to have many kinks in its armor come November. With Dorgan’s retirement, the seat will likely flip to the Republican column. Even before this, he was seen as one of the most vulnerable senators. Peace, brah. Loved the three terms. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>