A year ago most reporters were writing John Ensign’s political obituary. The Nevada senator had admitted to an affair with a longtime staffer and was under investigation by the feds for payments his parents made to the staffer’s husband to allegedly keep him quiet. Many in Nevada wondered why Ensign didn’t step aside and allow a …
Senate
Old Guard Dems Are Asking Themselves: Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Rep. Jane Harman, a California Blue Dog Dem is going, she announced today, to head up the Woodrow Wilson Center. Also leaving: Senators Kent Conrad and Joe Lieberman.
Staying thus far are Reps. John Dingell, John Conyers and Barney Frank — all of whom have already announced their plans to run again. If this seems rather early, it’s …
The TSA Labor Saga Comes to a Conclusion
Remember when President Obama nominated airport security vet Erroll Southers to run the Transportation Security Administration? And Jim DeMint placed a hold on his nomination because he was worried the guy would allow TSA screeners to unionize? And nothing happened for a long time? And then Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to ignite his …
Ophthalmologist Senator Fights Nanny State Imposition of Non-Blind Pilots
Rand Paul was the sole vote (96-1) against an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill that would make flashing laser pointers at airplanes a federal offense. He explained:
“I think that it is a bad idea to point lasers at pilots,” Paul told The Daily Caller. “There are a lot of states that already
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Is the Mac Back?
Senator John McCain is heading to the White House as I type this to meet with President Obama. I have a story out in this week’s dead tree edition, out early here, on the rapprochement of the former rivals as both trek back to the political center.
Could the Senate Flip in 2012?
In the last three out of five elections one or both of the chambers of Congress has flipped. Are the waves over? And even if they are, could Dems lose the Senate in 2012 anyway?
On the face of it, Democrats have a tough cycle ahead of them. They hold the Senate with 53 seats right now, meaning Republicans only need to flip four to …
Morning Must Reads: Rule
REUTERS/Suhaib Salem
–There are massive renewed protests happening right now in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Al Jazeera English, as it has been for the last four days, is offering exemplary coverage.
–Senator Kerry writes Mubarak must go.
–Massimo writes about the unlikely ascent of Mohamed ElBaradei to opposition …
Morning Must Reads: “Orderly Transition”
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
–Egyptian protests continue in earnest, with a large march reportedly planned for Tuesday. Food is starting to run out.
–As the Obama administration calls for an “orderly transition,” Tony Karon considers where it leaves American interests in the region. They’re
Senate Dems to Test New Comity with Judicial Nominations
On the day he died, Judge John Roll was waiting to speak with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords about getting an additional judge added to the 9th Circuit Court in Arizona. Giffords had been trying to help Roll deal with the massive backlog facing the state’s federal courts. Roll’s death will only worsen the judicial log jam as Arizona grapples …
Morning Must Reads: SOTU
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl2g40GoRxg]
–There’s a bit of State of the Union over-saturation going on, but my impressions were that it largely accomplished what such speeches are intended to: It expressed President Obama’s priorities in vague enough terms that few feathers were ruffled or cages rattled. From a policy …
Morning Must Reads: Priorities
(White House/Lawrence Jackson)
–Rather than offer such gems of wisdom as “Obama Speech to Offer Broad Defense of Priorities,” I’ll just say he’ll be addressing a joint session of Congress tonight at 9 p.m. ET and we’ll have plenty of coverage here on time.com.
–Noam Scheiber thinks Obama has mollified and outmaneuvered big …
The Democrats’ Connecticut Conundrum Retires
“The reason I have decided not to run for re-election in 2012 is best expressed in the wise words from Ecclesiastes,” Joe Lieberman told the gathered crowd Wednesday afternoon in a hotel ballroom in Stamford, Connecticut. “‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.'” For many Democrats, Lieberman’s …
Morning Must Reads: Inward
President Obama and President Hu Jintao of China have dinner in the White House on Jan. 18. (White House/Pete Souza)
—Austin Ramzy writes that despite the grand language of cooperation requisite in a state visit, domestic concerns are likely to push Hu and Obama inward in the near future:
While the two sides will put on a bright
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