Thursday Open Thread
Welcome to your Thursday open thread. Do you miss me yet? Today is Festivus, so you can put your airing of grievances below though I’m not sure how it’s different than a normal day. 😛
Remember arrogant Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller? He’s still contesting the results of the election, but maybe not for much longer.
The Alaska Supreme Court has upheld a lower court decision in the disputed U.S. Senate race, saying the state correctly counted write-in votes for Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
It is now up to Miller whether the election is finally over.
The court, in its decision Wednesday, said it found “no remaining issues raised by Miller that prevent this election from being certified.”
A federal judge, who had put a hold on certification to give the state courts time to rule on Miller’s claims, said he would give Miller 48 hours to plead any outstanding issues to him once the high court had ruled.
Do we have Miller to thank for freeing Lisa Murkorwski from voting with Republicans 100%? She voted with Democrats on all the legislation during the lame duck session.
Good news for people who want to see Senate reform.
All Democratic senators returning next year have signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., urging him to consider action to change long-sacrosanct filibuster rules.
The letter, delivered this week, expresses general frustration with what Democrats consider unprecedented obstruction and asks Reid to take steps to end those abuses. While it does not urge a specific solution, Democrats said it demonstrates increased backing in the majority for a proposal, championed by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., and others, weaken the minority’s ability to tie the Senate calendar into parliamentary knots.
Among the chief revisions that Democrats say will likely be offered: Senators could not initiate a filibuster of a bill before it reaches the floor unless they first muster 40 votes for it, and they would have to remain on the floor to sustain it. That is a change from current rules, which require the majority leader to file a cloture motion to overcome an anonymous objection to a motion to proceed, and then wait 30 hours for a vote on it.
“There need to be changes to the rules to allow filibusters to be conducted by people who actually want to block legislation instead of people being able to quietly say ‘I object’ and go home,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
I’m ready to see John McCain talk for hours about how bitter he is and I’d love to see Republicans explain how the rich are better and more deserving than the rest of us.
Tags: Open Thread
Be sure to vote in TPM’s Golden Dukes Reader’s Choice awards. Christine O’Donnell has a sizable lead in her category “Meritorious Acheivement in The Crazy.”
Everyone should go and read the National Journal article that UI linked to about Senate reform. Very informative.
How did we miss Arlen Specter calling Republicans cannibals?
Meconi appointed to a NCCo administrative postion under Clark. High-level, too, according to the linked article. W…T…F.
DeLuca still leads the Senate, Meconi, O’Ditto heads still blame the world, hard core conservatives still think Jesus gives a crap about government, and so on. Doesn’t anybody in politics actually freaking listen anymore?
How effing hard is it to get someone with real integrity in there?
Too hard, apparently.
Here’s a thought-provoking piece which looks at Obama’s taxcut deal as another chapter in the ongoing struggle between different factions of the Democratic Party.
The piece also sheds light on current underlying tensions at DL.
http://www.thedemocraticstrategist.org/strategist/2010/12/obama_cannot_be_an_activist_an.php
Excerpt:
“The arguments among Democrats and progressives over President Obama’s tax deal have revealed disagreements over many things: strategy, tactics, principles, history. But some of the most bitter criticisms have involved matters of loyalty and political character. The deal–and even more, Obama’s testy criticism of “purist” and “sanctimonious” critics of the deal–were seen as insulting Obama’s most fervent supporters. And the insult was compounded because it came from a President whom many activists had once regarded as one of their own. The transformational speaker and former community organizer seemed to be openly disavowing not only his base but part of himself.
In contrast, many of the President’s defenders have said that Obama was always at heart a legislative deal-maker, and that followers who expected anything different had only themselves to blame.
I favor a third alternative: that Obama was indeed disavowing a part of himself, but that he was right to do so. In my book, Ruling Passions, I extensively examined and compared the roles played by three major kinds of political leaders: activists, organizers and legislators. I argued that all three contribute crucial things to democratic politics–but very different things, normally best performed by very different kinds of people.”
Wacky WGMD Curley report:
He announced on his show today that I had been “banned” as a commenter on WGMD forums. One small problem I have not commented on WGMD since 2006 about six monthe before the events that eventually brought me back to New Castle County. Since my return to public discourse I have always used my real name. Some poor schmoe has now been kicked off WGMD because a delusional, homophobic, misogynist thinks he has eradicated me:), For all the things that have either happened to me or that I brought on myself I am far happier than this guy, I feel sorry for him.
It was probably me….LOL
Sorry if it was – but I have not checked yet
Altho you are certainly right about this:
” a delusional, homophobic, misogynist ”
best description I have ever heard of him…………
Sorry if I got you bounced :). He calls people cowards but the night I met him I came into the studio with a friend. it was primary night Gaffney welcomed me but this guy realized who I was and made a comment about my past on air before we were even introduced. I found out about ir later. If he had the balls I would have discussed my past on air with him. He is a true coward! It should be noted that he did not even slither into town until after my public meltdown. BTW i forgot to add racist.
Maybe Harry’s working a deal with Lisa?
What loyalty does she owe to the Republican party?
She’s safe for six years, won a write-in [first time ever?] and would probably be re-elected as a D or R or I.