The end to this election saga means that Democrats will now have a 60-seat majority that should theoretically allow them to block filibusters and pass whatever kinds of crazy commie legislation they want. However, a key stumbling block to this new found electoral dominance is the fact that the Democratic caucus is a bunch of weenies.
Democrats will need all the votes they can get to pass the Waxmen-Markey bill, which is the country’s first set of laws trying to stem the tide of climate change. Tom Friedman has a great column today pointing out that, while the bill kind of stinks and it is absurd we couldn’t do better, it is critical that the Senate pass it and pass it quickly. If reading isn’t really your thing, his key points are that the U.S. government needs to do SOMETHING to prove it is serious about climate change and that this bill is better than nothing.
Rolls over What? Eh? We are doing this now? Reaches forcomputer, sound of empty bottles breaking. OK, let’s see what’s in the news
Bernard Madoff, the mastermind behind the biggest financial swindle in history, was sentenced to 150 years behind bars for what his judge called an “extraordinarily evil” fraud. Madoff’s ponzi scheme cost investors something like $13 billion and shook the nation’s faith in its financial and legal systems. But he is going to jail! The recession is over! Right? The big question is if it is possible that a fraud of that scale was perpitrated by one man or if Madoff is taking the fall for his sons and other employees. Also, have you gotten this far without knowing what a Ponzi scheme is?
Did you know that there was a coup in Honduras? No? You probably haven’t heard about it because they all Twitter in Spanish or something. I don’t really understand what is going on, but there is a good breakdown of the issue in today’s New York Times op-ed page.
The House passed the $900 billion stimulus package on what was an almost party-line vote. The bill now moves to the Senate, where good legislation goes to die. However, it appears likely that more Senate Republicans are willing to support the bill so it may have an easier time passing. I gave you your talking points on this yesterday. Slate pointed out that USA Today has a great little outline of what is contained in the bill. Read it and say things like, “Everyone is talking about infrastructure, but the $53.4 billion to support science facilities, high-speed Internet and other energy programs are what really could transform the US economy.” THAT will make you cool, I think.
Republicans are trying to figure out who they are at the RNC winter meeting. If I might suggest something to my differently inclined brethren, don’t go in this direction.
You know what I miss from the campaign? Profiles about how awesome Obama is that include lots of great behinds the scenes Obama porn. What’s that? No suit jackets in the Oval Office? He likes to keep the thermostat really high? Business casual? Aloha zen? Yes, that’s what daddy likes…
On what I can only assume was a dare, The Wall Street Journal has an Op-Ed from Rush Limbaugh over how he would structure a bipartisan bailout bill. He is not an economist, but he does use the word “porkulus.”
To get the taste out of my mouth I turned to Kristof, who is advocating for a high-level commission to investigate torture, secret detention and wiretapping.
And finally, because we have a duty to our readers to provide as much pirate-related news as we can find, BBC magazine has a great article about how exactly pirates get paid their ransoms for the ships they hijack.
Snow is blanketing much of the Northeast and Midwest today and I am left to ponder how it really wasn’t that long ago that reports of snow would send me into a frenzy of checking the local news for school cancellation reports. Now I don’t notice it unless it is enough to prevent me from opening my front door.
The House of Representatives is voting on President Obama’s$900 billion stimulus package *titter* today. Republicans are pushing back against the bill because they feel it focuses too much on spending and not enough on tax cuts. Obama spent yesterday trying to drum up Republican support. The whole thing does have an element of farce; For example, the title of the USA Today article is “Obama faces first test of bipartisanship pledge,” that same article also features the line, “The measure is sure to pass .” If you want to know why the Republicans are upset, read this Times article which details how Democrats are using the stimulus as an excuse to push through a lot of welfare and health care policies which have been stalled for years. If you are a Republican, you can argue how this crisis is no time to railroad through partisan proposals. If you are a Democrat, point out that Republican tax cuts and deficit spending helped get us into this mess and don’t forget to add that “NEENER NEENER NEENER WE WON THE ELECTION.”
Novelist John Updike passed away yesterday at the age of 76. Can’t say I am familiar with any of his work so i will leave i to the New York Times to handle the obit. I will also add him to the list of recently deceased famous writers I probably should have read already.
What’s that? An Islamic terrorist group has overthrown a US-backed government? Quick, dispatch a few aircraft carriers and tell the Marines to saddle up… Oh wait, Africa you say? Never mind.
Twentieth Century Fox has assembled a creative team to transform 1980s TV series “The A-Team” into a summer 2010 film. I love it when a plan comes together.
So, it has been a few days huh? Well last week I was in DC celebrating a historic event and a great day for our country. It was day that a lot of people thought wouldn’t come, but a few faithful who worked hard and truly believed were rewarded when [LAME ASS ARIZONA CARDINALS JOKE].
Tough crowd. Anyway yes, we have been on a bit of a sabbatical for inauguration and then post-vacation work craziness.
What kind of world has Obama inherited? Yesterday about a dozen companies announced layoffs totally around 75,000 jobs. What is most significant about these job cuts are that they aren’t affecting the usual banking and real estate industry, the ax is falling across large swaths of manufacturing, retailing and information technology, taking out workers from New York to Seattle. Expect to see more cuts as companies take stock of 2008 and begin implementing 2009 plans.
Thankfully, the Senate has saved us! They have confirmed Timothy Geithner as President Barack Obama’s Treasury secretary by a 60-34 vote. Though there were threats about derailing his nomination because of some tax issues in his past, not even the US Senate is stupid enough to force a protracted battle over a Treasury Secretary nomination with a staggeringly popular President during a financial crisis.
Since he not only has to save the US economy but also the entire world, President Obama did an interview with Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language satellite TV network in which he stressed that the US ‘not your enemy.’ Woo! Public Diplomacy totally rocks! Anyone know why he didn’t do Al Jazeera?
Good news? You say you want good news? How about the fact that Bill Kristol is no longer a columnist at the New York Times? That’s right, his last day was yesterday – you won’t have old Bill Kristol to kick around anymore. Who are we kidding? He friggen loved it and is moving over to the Washington Post to continue his liberal-enraging, correction-requiring brand of commentary. Thank god, I, like every other blogger ever, was terrified about not having Bill Kristol columns to make fun of every week. That might force me to think, or possible to do some actual research!
As a bonus, head after the jump to see a hilarious Kristol image from our archives.
The Minnesota Supreme Court yesterday declared Al Franken the winner of the state’s hotly contested 2008 U.S. Senate race. It has been eight months since the November elections and both sides have been locked in legal battles while the state has gone without a second Senator. Republican Norm Coleman officially conceded the election and Franken will be sworn in next week. For those keeping track, Norm Coleman has now lost elections to this guy and this guy.
So, it has been a few days huh? Well last week I was in DC celebrating a historic event and a great day for our country. It was day that a lot of people thought wouldn’t come, but a few faithful who worked hard and truly believed were rewarded when [LAME ASS ARIZONA CARDINALS JOKE].
