Holiday Weekend Open Thread
* Senator Patrick Leahy made a pretty interesting claim in an interview yesterday, saying Republicans privately told him they’d oppose President Obama’s pick for Supreme Court “no matter who it was.” GOPers would have objected “even if the president had nominated Moses,” Leahy cracked.
* Hmmm, maybe Dianne Feinstein should have a chat with Kay Hagan? Senator Hagan has now announced her support for a public health care option after pressure from her left. Feinstein, you’ll recall, recently said criticism from the left “does not move me one whit.” Hagan, by contrast, appears to listen to arguments on all sides…
* Yesterday I noted that Harry Reid is already lowering expectations for what Dems will accomplish with their 60 votes. Turns out Reid recently described his leadership style in a way that could further diminish confidence. “I don’t dictate how people vote,” Reid said. “I’m not very good at twisting arms.”
* Bradford Plumer says that Nancy Pelosi is tougher.
* This won’t surprise you, but the Obama administration is delaying release of that big 2004 CIA torture report because of the “sensitivity of the information.”
* ABC News has scheduled a roundtable chat this Sunday that’s just so refreshing in its ideological diversity. Oh, and still more airtime for Liz Cheney!
* Paul Krugman warns that Obama could be another F.D.R. — and not in a good way.
* Why is the Democratic National Committee spending cash on ads attacking a GOP Senator who was just comfortably re-elected less than a year ago?
* Weaker Tea Parties? The Republican National Committee, John Boehner, and Newt Gingrich are among GOP leaders who don’t appear to be signing on for the Tea Party Movement’s next round.
* And have a terrific holiday weekend, everyone. Back first thing Monday morning.
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Hey Greg, isn’t the other Senator from KY up for reelection? Maybe they are trying to bring McConnell’s numbers down in anticipation of that race. Especially because the incumbent is batsh*t crazy if I am right. So they bring McConnell’s numbers down, then whomever comes out of he primary they will have made McConnell toxic to him by then hopefully and they can paint him as just being a puppet for McConnell and the GOP whereas the Dem will be an “independent voice”. I can see the strategy behind it but they better hit McConnell harder than that. Especially if the economy starts turning around.
Oh and to everyone else if I don’t get to talk to you have a safe and happy 4th of july weekend.
Read Krugman. So it would seem he wants Obama et al to provide a bigger stimulus. Somebody tell me how to do that without creating even bigger deficits and a bigger national debt that someone must eventually pay. I suppose bankruptcy will be an option. Just look at what individuals do when they get in over their heads. PK, please tell us who to tax or who to borrow from. If we just print the money it’s devalued and we have inflation. Government does not produce wealth and this administration is NOT stimulating the private sector from whence wealth is generated. Since we got out of the depression by having a war, I suppose Obama could get us involved on one. The only trouble is nukes don’t leave much behind in the way of infrastructure as a basis for economic development.
Sarah – we loved you so.
Many of us will have an extended Independence Day celebration with her resignation..
Everyone is speculating that Sarah’s doing this to prepare to run in 2012.
God help us all.
She never ceases to amaze, daze and confuse.
Greg I know you are on well deserved vacation but you gotta give us an update on this one. Its too rich to pass up!
As Josh has noted, the narrative quickly moved from “inexplicable” and (versions of) “batshit crazy” to “strategy with foresight”. From Kristol, that’s predictable damage control/propaganda. From the commercial media, it’s probably zest for the heroic or fairytale storyline (think Princess Di or Michael Jackson) and also from the queasiness that three decades of serious ref-working has encouraged. In either case, nothing admirable going on here.
Taking a peak over at redstate, it appears the troops, weary, underfed, and tired of their bleeding and fungus-infected feet are getting a tad unhappy with each other.
Greg ! – your site is presently bringing up a google malware warning
Think Progress notes a Blumental piece that might point to an “other shoe” situation… http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/03/palin-hockey-arena-scandal/
From the “Seams, Coming Apart at” category (and this was BEFORE her announcement today)… http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MjdlZDRkNGUxOGY2NTA2NzQ0MGU1YzlmNzBhMmY0ZDU=
So, who do we owe the thank you to? Vanity Fair? Did it push her over the edge?
Re TP’s Blumental cite: Sure seems like Home Improvements is the standard AK way of paying bribes. Shovel-ready stimulus projects.
The motivation question…why this decision/announcement and why now? Two possible answers from me. You folks might have more… 1) acutely attentive to media coverage, Sarah concluded that her only present option was to go big-time rogue again. And I’ll point out that it worked – on all the cable channels, her face has replaced Michael Jackson’s… 2) she got word the news was soon going to break that further revelations from Mark Sanford would mention her name.
I am surprised that this blog seems to shut down every week end. Maybe it is to save money. But the Palin resignation should have produced a thread.
The only thing shocking about Leahy’s announcement is that it should shock anyone. That whole “distinguished colleague” meme died for most of the senate Republicans years ago. They no more respect Democrats as equals than Lord Germain respected Sam Adams, and would just as readily vote a non-conservative to the court as you would a vote a pimp for police chief.
The grown-ups stopped running the Republican senate caucus back when Bob Dole retired. The people running it now need to be spanked regularly until they learn adult manners.
Re Palin, Digby asks the rhetorical question which is certainly a puzzle to me as well…
“I guess the base loves her so maybe all she has to do is run the megachurch and teabagger circuit for the next three years to get the nod. Who knows what the path to GOP leadership is these days?” Indeed. Perhaps the Super Blue computer, running Chaos formulas, might help us answer this question but I personally think even God has given up on them and has consequently and justly sent the present pestilence.
I suppose we ought to note today that an old tea bag, previously used once or twice or thrice, makes for a rather unsatisfying beverage. Over at freeperland, they are bravely insisting on the joy of hefting up a dead thing.
Palin is about as likely a candidate for president as a do nothing senator whose prior experience was as a community organizer. OMG, it can get worse.
She could find no joy in the prospect of governing in a world without Michael Jackson. Didn’t see much point to it anymore…
jzap – Not a bad thesis, given their mutual enchantment by beams from the moon. But to be fair, I had a similar response when Hunter terminated.
TEA – stands for Taxed Enough Already – it is not a right nor left movement. It’s for fiscally responsible government. The elitist attacks on it here are laughable.