59 > 60
Without 60 in the Senate, Democratic leadership can actually step up to the plate and take a hard line via reconciliation -- passing a better bill in half the time -- without pissing off the moderates and centrists who got their chance to make a deal (but didn't work fast enough).
From here, a 59-seat Democratic majority looks better than a 60-seat one: it represents an undeniable mandate, but thanks to the Republicans' Philosophy of No it is exempt from the filibuster rule in much the same way a 55-seat Republican majority was under Bush. Reconciliation is now the only viable option to pass major policies, and it will be used.
Cheers from England!
Since arriving in Cambridge on Friday, I've been completely without web access, so please excuse my radio silence. The scenery and sociability here is wonderful, and there's much to share about the contrasting political experience already.
They are allowed to say "the world would be better if every Republican was to be shot" in polite conversation, and it has been said to me multiple times.
The fact that anybody in America can be taken seriously when saying, "I earned this money, the government has no right to give it to somebody else who didn't work as hard as I did," is extremely disturbing here, as is the fact that we have a system of immigration that has nearly created an apartheid state (their words, not mine) vis-a-vis our Hispanic population.
Despite the apparent left-wing-type attitudes around here, there's a hotly contested general election coming up in March which threatens to oust Gordon Brown's Labour party in favor of the Conservatives.
In at least one aspect, they face some of the same basic issues we do w/r/t issues of proper representation. For us, it's expected and understandable that the Senate is in no way, shape, or form based on population. However, their House of Commons seems to be underpinned by the idea of proportional representation based on population -- yet the system of seat redistribution seems to somehow fail to ensure balance. I'm working out the specific implications of this now.
Dodd and Dorgan to Retire
Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Byron Dorgan (D-AZ) are out. That's right, out. And while Arizona's senatorial politics are beyond my experience, right here in my home state of Connecticut I can tell you that the Dodd decision is big.
Greg Sargent at The Plum Line is kind enough to point out some really very hopeful poll results that indicate how good a decision Dodd's departure is for both him and for Democrats in general. The guy replacing him, our frankly beloved attorney general Richard Blumenthal, leads every GOP candidate by at least 30 points. I like this. I like this a lot.
Because, Of Course, Transgender Persons Have No Diversity
Focus on the Family on Obama's appointment of Amanda Simpson (h/t Political Animal):
"This isn't like appointing an African-American in order to try to provide diversity and right some kind of discriminatory wrong," [Matt Barber, associate dean at Liberty University,] said. "This is about political correctness."
Apparently, it's also not at all like appointing a straight white male to do the job you want him to do (check out the pictures that run 1) along the top and 2) along the side). On that note, please try to find it funny, and not sad, that the only black person on that site is Lloyd Marcus, the president of the NAACPC (in which the extra "C" stands for "Conservative").
It also appears he's one of like, four total people acting under the auspices of the NAACPC (their names are listed at the top; only he and his wife are actually of color, despite the organization's name). Classy excerpts from the site's lone article (also by Lloyd Marcus):
Coming from the project, Obama's Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's story is inspiring. Ironically, the success of Obama, a black, and Sotomayor, Latina, epitomizes the availability of the American Dream to minorities as well as the greatness of America. [...]
Despite Sotomayor's heartwarming story, Republicans MUST have the courage to say "NO!" to this radical, extreme left, agenda-driven nominee.
Like Sotomayor, I too lived in the projects. Allow me to share the tale of why I am a proud black conservative. [...]
So when I hear politicians pandering to the so-called poor of America, it turns my stomach. I've witnessed the deterioration of the human spirit, wasted lives and suffering that happens when government becomes "daddy."
Brilliant! Politically correct! Inoffensive!
“Never Stop Cowering”
That ought to be the headline of this post from Doug Powers:
Grand Opening of the ‘Come On Al Qaeda, We Dare Ya!’ Tower in Dubai
Is this really necessary?