I had some time with John Kerry yesterday at the wake. Here’s my story.
Senate
Ted Kennedy: The Art of the Deal
His reputation was as the fiercest of partisans, but his Senate colleagues, Democrats and Republicans alike, knew a very different Ted Kennedy. Here’s my story for TIME.com on what made him such a successful legislator.
Cash for Clunkers Hits a Rough Patch in the Senate
The House managed to pivot on a dime and quickly pass legislation to expand funding by $2 billion for the surprisingly popular Cash for Clunkers program before adjourning for summer recess last week. The Senate this week is finding such expedited moves rather more difficult. Turns out the program has opponents from both the left and the …
Dodd Has Prostate Cancer
As if things weren’t bad enough for poor ole Chris Dodd, the senior senator from Connecticut today at a press conference at 2pm in Hartford, Connecticut is expected to announce that he has early stage prostate cancer. The Banking Committee Chairman and defacto chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in …
Not So Fast
Just as Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus was heading to the mircophones yesterday to announce that “things are looking good” for his group of six bipartisan negotiators, one of those negotiators, Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi, the top Republican on the HELP Committee, was putting out this statement:
Subject: Enzi: Deal Far From
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Hatch to Vote No on Sotomayor
Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, one of the top Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, today said he would not vote for President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. The decision is a surprising blow to Sotomayor as Hatch not only voted for the last 12 nominees to the bench — Republican or Democrat — but he also …
Graham Becomes 5th* Republican for Sotomayor
When President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor made her rounds on Capitol Hill, one of her harshest critics was South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham who said after that first meeting that he was “deeply troubled” by her nomination. Something must have happened on the way to the hearings last week because on …
Sotomayor’s Aristotle
Most lawyers (and any one who’s seen Legally Blonde) know well Aristotle’s famous phrase: The law is reason free from passion.
Playing Good Cop/Bad Cop with Sotomayor?
The Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are either playing a very delicate game of good cop/bad cop with President Obama’s nominee to the nation’s highest court, Sonia Sotomayor, or they’re fracturing as a conference and a large number of Rs could end up voting for her.
Races to Watch
Yes, there are other races going on outside of the presidential campaign. Here’s a rolling package that will update daily of the top congressional races (I did the Warner/Gilmore race which is not exactly a nail biter but is the Dems most likely pick up in the Senate). And for the trifecta: will Schumer get his 60 seats?
Bailout Second Thoughts
Here’s the latest from me on the financial crisis. An interesting aside: both Gallegly and Murphy were angry at the role politics, particularly presidential politics, played in process so far. When asked if they meant John McCain’s involvement, both were quick to praise McCain for standing up for House Republicans. But nor were …
Senate to Vote on Bailout Wednesday
Looks like the Senate got sick of waiting for the House to get its act together. From Harry Reid’s office:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tonight announced a unanimous consent agreement to move forward on legislation to stabilize the economy, provide middle class tax relief, create jobs, and invest in alternative energy. Tomorrow
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Inside Today’s House GOP Vote on the Bailout
Here’s the latest from a looong weekend of talks. The bill is expected to pass the House today and could pass the Senate as well, though they’re racing against the Jewish Holidays, which start at sundown. If they don’t make it, final passage will likely come Wednesday.
The House vote will be a bit of a nail bite. Though, with the …