You have to see it to believe it: I worked on Capitol Hill long enough to know that most Congressional hearings have nothing to do with gathering information; they’re dog-and-pony shows intended to showcase an issue. I’ve never seen one actually converted into a union rally before – especially with the blessing of the Committee Chairman. If union thugs are willing to boo, hiss, and | Read More »
You’ve heard the horror stories about the wasteful projects in the House version of the Obama-Reid-Pelosi debt bill. You heard about reseeding the mall, and funding ‘stimulative’ contraception. But did you know that the Senate has a whole raft of new items in their version of the bill? Here’s a taste: • $20 million “for the removal of small- to medium-sized fish passage barriers.” (Pg. 45 | Read More »
What’s the best way to pay tribute to a Lion of the Senate? For some, it seems to be to rubber-stamp his top legislative priority when it seems his career in public office is nearing its end: Senators on both sides of the aisle as well as operatives on K Street were candid that [Ted] Kennedy’s half-century push for universal health care could receive a | Read More »
I’ve written several times about the soap opera in New York, where Democrats secured a majority in the Senate, but were prevented from taking control of the body by several dissidents. Most notably, Democratic State Senator Ruben Diaz — a Pentecostal Minister — refused to go along with the Democratic leadership without a promise that gay marriage would not come to the floor for a | Read More »
The Wall Street Journal: Mr. Franken started the recount 215 votes behind Senator Coleman, but he now claims a 225-vote lead and suddenly the man who was insisting on “counting every vote” wants to shut the process down. He’s getting help from Mr. Ritchie and his four fellow Canvassing Board members, who have delivered inconsistent rulings and are ignoring glaring problems with the tallies.
It’s not hard to imagine that if Al Franken maintains his narrow lead after absentee ballots are counted this weekend in the Minnesota Senate race, Senate Democrats may try to seat him before state officials declare a winner. Given the circus surrounding Roland Burris, Democrats may even take advantage of the distraction to seat Franken while media attention is elsewhere. John Cornyn says it won’t | Read More »
I’ve spoken with a Senate source regarding the process by which Roland Burris will (or won’t) be seated in the U.S. Senate. First off, have a look at Rule 2 of the Senate: The presentation of the credentials of Senators elect or of Senators designate and other questions of privilege shall always be in order, except during the reading and correction of the Journal, while | Read More »
I’m torn. …once you allow for the fact that fame is an important qualifier in determining a Senate appointment, it opens all sorts of doors that were previously shut, barricaded, and under 24-hour armed guard. Which is why I’m officially calling for Gov. David Paterson to name Lou Reed as the next junior Senator from New York. The former lead singer/songwriter of the Velvet Underground | Read More »
Did the headline put your stomach in knots? I thought so. But after McCain-Feingold (I), McCain-Lieberman, and McCain-Kennedy, it was inevitable that eventually Senator McCain would engage in a bipartisan reform effort that would make conservatives happy, right? Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) are putting their band of reformers back together and hitting the halls of Capitol Hill in pursuit of their | Read More »
Roll Call reports on a letter to Harry Reid put together by Republican leader Mitch McConnell, and signed by all Republican Senators: A feisty Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Friday that while he looks forward to working with President-elect Barack Obama in the coming months, Republicans will continue to demand that they be given the ability to amend legislation or will filibuster bills | Read More »
Al Franken’s team seems awfully dismissive of the vote that appears to have resulted in the re-election of Norm Coleman to the U.S. Senate. From Roll Call (subscription only): The Coleman campaign maintains the Senator won the election by 215 votes, while the Franken campaign said the race starts over today tied “zero-zero, with 2.9 million to go.” The state of Minnesota has spent millions | Read More »
Roll Call reports that Norm Coleman has informed John Cornyn that he is no longer a candidate to head the National Republican Senate Committee in the next Congress: Sen. Norm Coleman (Minn.) called Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) Thursday afternoon and told him he was dropping out of the race for National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman to focus on the recount in his 206-vote win over | Read More »
Harry Reid has met with Senator Joe Lieberman to discuss Lieberman’s place in the Democratic conference. And instead of stripping him of his committee chairmanship, the two are expected to talk again: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) declined to strip Sen. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) of his Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chairmanship Thursday afternoon, but after the two met behind closed doors, Lieberman’s | Read More »
It seems that the Minnesota Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is headed for an automatic recount under the state’s election law. There seems to have been little trouble with the count in Minnesota, increasing confidence that Coleman’s slim lead will survive any fair scrutiny. Al Franken’s lawyer however, has already declared that the count is suspect. And the sole evidence appears to | Read More »
A Senate source informs RS of the following: Democrats in charge of the building where ballots are stored in Portland are trying to get the press to leave the building – they say there is a flood. This is an extremely convenient time to experience a flood. Anyone in Portland have better information of what’s going on? Update: I see Matt Lewis is hearing the | Read More »
The latest polling from Minnesota shows Al Franken falling far behind in his bid to upset Norm Coleman. It seems that his salacious writings, his record of lawbreaking and hypocrisy, and his negative tone is taking its toll. With that in mind, Franken has gotten his wife — whose struggle with alcohol make her a deeply sympathetic figure — to reintroduce him and testify to | Read More »
If there’s one person who’s likely to lose his job as a result of the indictment of Ted Stevens, it’s Congressman Don Young (R-AK). Young is under investigation by the FBI over his ties to Veco, as Stevens is. It would be no surprise at all if Young is indicted, too. And while Stevens is blessed to face a slew of challengers in the primary | Read More »
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