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LIGHTNING ROUND: QUID PRO QUO.
- The big news is that the final budget resolution being hashed out in Congress will include an October 15 deadline for passing health care reform, after which budget reconciliation rules will be used. Ezra hears whispers that the same ultimatum will not be used for climate change regulation, however.
- It's obviously too early to be seriously examining next year's Senate races, but it's pretty striking that Arlen Specter is down 21 points against Pat Toomey in a new Rasmussen poll of Pennsylvania Republicans. But given this is Rasmussen, I'd like to see what other pollsters have to say.
- I was going to write something snarky about Newt Gingrich being the appointed "voice of opposition" appearing before a House hearing on climate change with Al Gore and Mark Warner, but compared to founts of wisdom like Reps. Michele Bachmann, John Shimkus and Joe Barton, Newt practically looks well-informed. Then there's Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), who prefers an attempted character assassination of Gore instead.
- The Minnesota state supreme court has settled on a schedule for Norm Coleman's appeal of Al Franken's court victory, the hearing set for June 1. Meanwhile, the DSCC is keeping the pressure on, putting out a "Coleman Obstruction Timeline" that explains why Minnesota still doesn't have a second Senator nearly seven months after Election Day.
- Remainders: Scott Murphy prevails in NY-20; Harry Reid thinks "Judge Bybee has a good professional reputation in Nevada;" Nate Silver games out splitting Texas into five separate states; Laura Rozen has a brief item on National Security Adviser James Jones' potential problems reorganizing the NSC; and Yglesias asks, "since when have conservatives opposed banana republics?"
--Mori Dinauer
COMMENTS (2)
Economic Stimulus. H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, passed 385-35 on January 29, 2008 (Roll Call 25). It would provide about $150 billion in economic stimulus, including $101.1 billion in direct payments of rebate checks (typically $600) to most taxpayers in 2008 and temporary tax breaks for businesses. Creating money out of thin air and then spending the newly created money cannot improve the economy, at least not in the long term. (If it could, why not create even more money for rebates and make every American a millionaire?) The stimulus has no offset and thus increases the federal deficit by the amount of the stimulus because the government must borrow the rebate money. A realistic long-term stimulus can only be achieved by lowering taxes through less government and by reducing regulatory burdens. Marsha Blackburn voted FOR this bill.(Source: The New American – July 21, 2008)
Marsha Blackburn is my Congressman.
She is no conservative.
See her unconstitutional votes at :
http://bluecollarrepublican.com/blog/?p=614
Mickey
Posted by: Mickey | April 24, 2009 6:57 PM
I believe that Rasmussen's election polling is pretty good. It's their godawful issue polling that's the problem.
And Mickey, buddy, you're pretty far out there. I didn't realize that special ed funding and highway funding are unConservative. Why you went into so much detail is also odd--you might as well have copied and pasted every bill she ever voted on that appropriated money.
It is also a bit odd that you'd post it here. Google Alerts must be your friend.
Posted by: Lev | April 24, 2009 7:11 PM