Tag: Congress

One Simple Reason Why the Health Care Law’s Mandate IS Constitutional

Filed in National by on March 24, 2010 25 Comments

First of all, let me say how much better I like writing “Health Care Law” than “Health Care Bill”. But on to the topic, there is a simple but under-reported fact in the whole “The individual mandate is unconstitutional” debate, that, while not new, only came to my attention last night. Last night on Countdown, […]

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Wednesday’s Evening Read

Filed in National by on March 17, 2010 1 Comment

Time Magazine looks at 10 Ideas for the Next 10 Years. Here is Gregory Rodriguez on The White Anxiety Crisis. The Times’ Washington correspondent Giles Whittell looks at the our health care crisis, Obama is bashing on the brick wall of unlogic. Politics editor of The Atlantic Marc Ambinder comments on 3 Reasons Why Republicans […]

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Polling: In Which We Find Republicans Still Have a Problem

Filed in National by on February 13, 2010 32 Comments
Polling:  In Which We Find Republicans Still Have a Problem

It is fair to note that this poll shows a pretty toxic environment for both parties, but it seems clear that if you are a Congressional Dem, you have abit of an edge to build from. And if you are a Congressional repub, the massive media spin (and media lock) isn’t exactly getting you alot of traction. Not yet, at least.

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This Can’t Be Right

Filed in National by on December 28, 2009 85 Comments

The Obama Administration asked for funds to buy a prison in Illinois to transfer Gitmo prisoners to: Rebuffed this month by skeptical lawmakers when it sought finances to buy a prison in rural Illinois, the Obama administration is struggling to come up with the money to replace the Guantánamo Bay prison. As a result, officials […]

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Sometimes Size Doesn’t Matter

Filed in National by on November 21, 2009 2 Comments

Matthew Yglesias has a great look at the size of bills on Capitol HIll and disingenuousness of Republicans who complain about a bill’s length. The bill is long in part because it’s a complicated bill with lots of words in it. But part of the issue is that bills are printed up with large type […]

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Where Did You Hear That Before?

Filed in National by on November 15, 2009 2 Comments

Lobbyists ghostwrote a few, no, several, no, many speeches that uttered during the historic health care debate last week reports The New York Times. Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies. E-mail messages obtained by […]

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Lavelle: Good News, Bad News

Filed in Delaware by on November 13, 2009 5 Comments
Lavelle: Good News, Bad News

The good news: Republican State Representative Greg Lavelle will not throw his hat in for Mike Castle’s vacant Congressional seat, reports The Community News. “I recognize, and others in the GOP who are considering a run for the office must also recognize, that organizing a genuine and effective campaign, including the challenges of raising more […]

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Ethics Document Accidentally Released

Filed in National by on October 30, 2009 8 Comments

A document from the US House Ethics Committee that details ongoing ethics investigations currently in play was inadvertently released reports The Washington Post. The 22-page “Committee on Standards Weekly Summary Report” gives brief summaries of ethics panel investigations of the conduct of 19 lawmakers and a few staff members. It also outlines the work of […]

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CASTLE TO RUN

Filed in Delaware by on October 6, 2009 81 Comments

Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.) will be running for Vice President Joe Biden’s old Senate seat in Delaware, according to a source connected to the congressman, instantly giving Republicans the opportunity to flip a traditionally-Democratic seat in their column.

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Put Up Or Shut Up – More Of This Please

Filed in National by on August 1, 2009 16 Comments

Anthony Weiner (D-NY) hits it out of the park by double-daring Republicans to back up their trash talk about government run health care… by voting on eliminating medicare. It’s about time someone called them out.  Make them put their vote where their mouth is – if they dare.  It’s quite a dilemma for the GOP, […]

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Climate Change Bill Passes, Castle Votes Aye

Filed in National by on June 26, 2009 8 Comments

Here is the roll call on the American Clean Energy and Security Act. Aye: 219 No: 212 8 Republicans voted Aye: Castle (DE, duh) LoBiondo (NJ) Lance (NJ) Smith (NJ) Kirk (IL) Reichert (WA) McHugh (NY) Bono Mack (CA) 44 Dems voted against: Altmire (PA) Dahlkemper (PA) Holden (PA) Arcuri (NY) Massa (NY) Costa (CA) […]

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Thwart Rethug Delaying Tactics By…Speed Reading?

Filed in National by on May 22, 2009 4 Comments

Henry Waxman has come up with a novel way to speed up consideration of climate change legislation currently being slow-walked to death by the Rethugs…a speed reader: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1q1EoglEBY[/youtube] According to the Wall Street Journal, here’s why he might be needed: Committee Republicans, who largely oppose the measure, have said they may force the reading of […]

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GOP Death List (Congressional Version)

Filed in National by on October 23, 2008 9 Comments

This is from US News and World Report: Voter displeasure with the war and economy, coupled with Sen. Barack Obama’s popularity, has the House GOP running for cover. Even though polls have shown that Americans don’t like congressional Democrats any more, a new internal GOP tally of House races suggests a Democratic route that could […]

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