It was probably bound to happen sooner rather than later. Alabama’s fifth district is one of the few in the South held solidly by Democrats since Reconstruction thanks to economic development on the backs of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the military’s Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Flight Space Center. But in recent years …
Congress
What is the Abortion Compromise?
In addition to getting a sweetheart deal for his home state, Ben Nelson also got Harry Reid to offer more than the Casey abortion language in the manager’s amendment. In addition to providing stronger conscience protections for medical institutions and health workers opposed to abortion, and expanding adoption tax credits, the manager’s …
Democrats Hope to Spend Now to Save (Their Seats) Later
A story from me about the logjam of spending Congress will spend the next three weeks chewing through. The spending issue is becoming increasingly sensitive, especially since three Blue Dogs — fiscal conservative Dems who usually come from swing districts — have now announced their retirement. CW states that Dems weren’t likely to lose …
Obama’s Human Resources
As the White House jobs summit gets under way today, here’s a story looking at congressional efforts for a jobs stimulus bill. Given the GOP tarnish on the last stimulus bill, members have pushed back hard at the suggestion that any future efforts might be labeled a stimulus. “I wouldn’t characterize it as a second
stimulus,” House …
In the ArenaRepublican Party
Republican-not
E.J. Dionne has an interesting column today on the Republican party’s Senate strategy of forcing a cloture vote on everything, even on the few provisions they support. A few months ago, I wrote that the G.O.P. had become a party led by nihilists. This is further evidence of that. I have doubts about some of the legislation the Democrats …
UPDATE: Nonsense
Someone needs to explain to a few conservative bloggers what satire looks like. Your first clue might be when it mentions dates that are in the future.
Where in the World Is Pervez Musharraf?
Turns out he’s on Capitol Hill! The General, as George W. Bush so famously called him, and Pakistani strong man is visiting the United States for an extended period of time. Eagle-eyed AFP correspondent Olivier Knox spotted him near Russell Senate Office Building this morning, coterie in tow.
What’s he doing here? Apparently …
In the ArenaBarack Obama
Latest Column
On the need for Barack Obama to renew his domestic policy focus. This column could easily have been longer, and I know there will be some disagreement over the positions I favor. Here are a few notes and further explanations:
1. On the carbon tax and the inadequacy of cap-and-trade, here’s a terrific paper by Elaine Kamarck putting …
