Daily Kos

Sessions Getting Nastier over Sotomayor Nomination

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:00:14 GMT

That's a real man bites dog headline, I know, but Sessions has decided to get particularly nasty over an utterly irrelevant issue in the Sotomayor nomination. He's demanded decades worth of paperwork from a Puerto Rican civil rights organization. Sotomayor once served on the board for the group, Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Sessions has demanded reams of documents from the organization that weren't written, edited, reviewed, or approved by Sotomayor, acting in her capacity as a board member. Which White House Counsel Greg Craig pointed out in a letter sent to Sessions.

"Perhaps there is confusion about Judge Sotomayor's role with PRLDEF, and that confusion may account for your unusual interest," Craig wrote. "Let me be clear: On Judge Sotomayor's behalf, we submitted all documents the committee requested of her, and we did so in record time."

To which, Session responded:

"During her time there, the organization took extreme positions on legal issues ranging from the death penalty to abortion to racial quotas," Sessions said in a statement. He said it was "absurd" for the White House to call the documents irrelevant.

Because staff that was not under her control or supervision wrote things that she was not in a position to approve or reject. Gottcha. This is pro forma obstructionism from Sessions, another pathetic attempt to try to drum up some kind of real opposition to Sotomayor and to potentially delay the hearings while they wait for irrelevant documents.

Senator Leahy remains philosophical, saying:

some in the GOP were going to oppose any Obama pick - "even if the president had nominated Moses."

Republicans "were going to object no matter who it was. And several of them have told me that privately," Leahy told The Associated Press in an interview at his Vermont farmhouse.

That would be an interesting nomination fight, Sessions versus Moses. As it is, they aren't going ot be able to stop the Sotomayor nomination. But that won't stop them from being assholes about it for as long as they can, riding that wave of white male privilege into electoral irrelevance.

Obama uses holiday to slap down "naysayers"

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:30:12 GMT

If ever there were a holiday that seems expressly designed to display the gift with language possessed by the current President of the United States, Fourth of July would be it. And with this morning's weekly address, Barack Obama took full advantage of the opportunity presented, not just saluting America's peaks and victories, but reminding its citizens of the dark times and despair as well that the nation has overcome with what he called our "indomitable spirit."

And in passages that echoed his campaign observations about the "unlikely story that is America," he reminded us of how this country, in many ways, a surprising anomaly in history:

We are called to remember how unlikely it was that our American experiment would succeed at all; that a small band of patriots would declare independence from a powerful empire; and that they would form, in the new world, what the old world had never known – a government of, by, and for the people.

He saluted the spirit of America, the will and collaboration that helped us as a country survive the Depression, wars and other challenges. As before, we need that spirit to face our current challenges, he said, and to stake out this generation's place in our history, "understanding that each of us has a hand in writing America’s destiny":

That is the spirit we are called to show once more. We are facing an array of challenges on a scale unseen in our time. We are waging two wars. We are battling a deep recession. And our economy – and our nation itself – are endangered by festering problems we have kicked down the road for far too long: spiraling health care costs; inadequate schools; and a dependence on foreign oil.

He then launched into his trademark rhythmic declarative style, sentence after sentence beginning with the flourish, "Now is the time ...." Now is the time to fix education, to meet the energy challenge, to reform health care, to rebuild our economy. And to those who say all these changes are too ambitious and are ultimately impossible to attain, on this national holiday, the President had a punch-to-the-gut patriotic message:

These naysayers have short memories. They forget that we, as a people, did not get here by standing pat in a time of change. We did not get here by doing what was easy. That is not how a cluster of 13 colonies became the United States of America.

We are not a people who fear the future. We are a people who make it. And on this July 4th, we need to summon that spirit once more. We need to summon the same spirit that inhabited Independence Hall two hundred and thirty-three years ago today.

Yee-haw. Take that, obstructionist naysayer Republicans and weak-kneed Democrats.

Final off-the-wall observation: I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest this may be the first time a President of the United States used the term, "kick back," in an address. Without sounding like an old guy trying to be hip, no less.

The full address can be found beneath the fold, or on the White House website.

This Week in Science

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:16:05 GMT

Last week a group of paleo-biologists from all over the world visited that crowning fundamentalist temple of insular self indulgence, the Creationist Museum. Here there be dinosaurs wearing saddles, toothy raptors peacefully munching veggies next to Adam and Eve, and everywhere you look posters and exhibits lay the blame for mankind's greatest sins on evolution. Some of the scientists chuckled, others were confused, and educated Americans from every political background could only hang our heads in shame-by-proxy:

"It's sort of a monument to scientific illiteracy, isn't it?" said Jerry Lipps, professor of geology, paleontology and evolution at University of California, Berkeley.

There have been many reviews of the creationist theme park and gift shop. Some funny, many informative, and each depressing in its own way. But the most hilarious and -- I'm warning you -- ruthlessly irreverent such article of all time has to be this one.

Meanwhile, Pat Buchanan channeled the ghost of Jerry Falwell in an anti-evolution screed so hoary, so egregiously bad, that it was panned by a number of conservatives.

Any piece that starts like this is going to be good:

It was probably inevitable. Given the mileage progressives got out of slamming the Bush administration for abusing science, conservatives were bound to bring parallel charges against the Obama administration.

Igor Derysh has a brief and critical look at ACES well worth reading:

The bill allows companies to skimp on the set standards of the bill and allows them to miss the milestone goals. That's like telling your child "you're not allowed to drive, but if you drive for less than two hours it's ok."

For all its amazing abilities, the number one mortal flaw in vertebrate physiology is our single, beating heart. Researchers have now identified the master stem cell that could one day be harnessed to grow new cardiac components, or even whole new tickers.

Your Abbreviated Pundit Round-up (Special Sarah Palin Edition)

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 13:00:12 GMT

Saturday punditry, with a twist of Sarah Palin.

Howard Fineman:

I have covered politics for a long time. I can tell when someone is running for president. Sarah Palin is running for president.

Howard, you might be right, but you're wrong about this: she may be running but she's no longer a player.

But you never say "never" in politics, and there are reasons why it’s worth paying attention to what she is up to these days.

Bullshit. That is, unless All My Children and The Young and the Restless are pre-empted.

WaPo:

"We've seen a lot of nutty behavior from governors and Republican leaders in the last three months, but this one is at the top of that," said John Weaver, a longtime friend and confidant of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

Arena/Politico response, all sides of spectrum, none of it supportive:

Sherrilyn Ifill, Professor of Law, U. Md.: Watching this news conference felt like watching a public figure unravel before our very eyes. And it wasn't pretty. This lady was spooked, scared, angry, I thought, and incoherent.

Andrew Rotherham, Co-founder and publisher, Education Sector: I can see political trouble from my house.

Patrick J. Egan, Professor of Politics and Public Policy, NYU: Governing was never her strong suit.

Patrick Dorinson, Political communications strategist and commentator: I am quite sure the media snobs and elitists are ecstatic that they have successfully destroyed her and her family in the process.

Bradley A. Blakeman, Republican strategist, consultant, entrepreneur: The people of Alsaka elected Palin Governor expecting that she would serve an her entire term absent a compelling reason to step aside. She has NOT given a good enough reason in my opinion to step down. This is just another bizarre event in what has become a series of uncomfortable political misteps that raises more questions about her judgment and ability.

David Boaz, Executive VP, Cato Institute: Will we one day say that her presidency was "born on the Fourth of July"? I doubt it.

William Jelani Cobb, Professor of History, Spelman College: This is obviously part of a vast left-wing conspiracy designed to assure Barack Obama a second term and, if Rush Limbaugh is to be believed, several more after that.

Larry J. Sabato, Professor of Politics, University of Virginia: Welcome to Bizarro World. We’ll see what the real, full story is behind this seemingly nonsensical move. But one result is clear: Sarah Palin is no longer a credible candidate for President in 2012.

Dan Balz:

But are Palin's rules those of someone with the capacity to seek and win her party's presidential nomination in 2012, as many believe is her ultimate goal, or of someone who has flashed like a meteor across the political skies but ultimately with limited impact? That question was at the center of the discussion among Republican strategists who were baffled by what they had just heard from Alaska.

CBS:

With the stunning news of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s sudden resignation, it is easy to jump to the conclusion that there is "something else out there" that has forced her to make this decision. There might well be, but ever since her return to Alaska after her electoral defeat in November, it has been very clear that she has loathed the new dynamic that has greeted her there.

It isn't that she was fed up with Alaska. Alaska was fed up with her.

William Kristol:

If Palin wants to run in 2012, why not do exactly what she announced today? It's an enormous gamble - but it could be a shrewd one.

Yeah, and I could be considered a shrewd commentator, and a brilliant strategist, too. And pigs could fly. So, put wings on this porker and call it Alaska Airlines. As Sarah goes, so go I.

Jonah Goldberg: Sarah, you're the laughingstock of the Democratic party [and maybe now the Republican Party. Also.] I am, too. but still, even I think you're blowing it.

Green Diary Rescue & Open Thread

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:32:43 GMT

For nearly four decades, since environmental legislation was first enacted, ecp-groups have found the Supreme Court to be more or less favorable to the cases they have brought before it.

Not so with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at the helm.
Adam Liptak writes at The New York Times

Environment Groups Find Less Support From Justices

The Supreme Court heard five environmental law cases in the term that ended Monday, and environmental groups lost every time. It was, said Richard J. Lazarus, a director of the Supreme Court Institute at Georgetown University Law Center, "the worst term ever" for environmental interests.

The court allowed Navy exercises using sonar that threatened whales off California. It limited the liability of companies partly responsible for toxic spills. It made it harder to challenge Forest Service regulations and easier to dump mining waste into an Alaskan lake. And it allowed the Environmental Protection Agency to use cost-benefit analysis to decide how much marine life may be killed by cooling structures at power plants.

Business groups expressed measured satisfaction with the decisions.

"The court does seem to be bringing more common sense back to environmental law," Robin S. Conrad, a lawyer with the United States Chamber of Commerce, said at a recent news briefing.

= = =

The rescue begins below and continues in the jump. (The next Green Diary Rescue appears Sunday at 9:30 p.m.)

= = =

The Cunctator informed us that DK GreenRoots: ExxonMobil Is Still Funding Global Warming Denial Groups!: "From 1998 to 2005, ExxonMobil directed almost $16 million to a group of 43 lobby groups in an effort to confuse Americans about global warming. After being criticized by the Royal Society in 2006, Exxon promised to end funding to groups questioning climate change. In May 2008, Exxon again issued a public mea culpa and pledged to cut funding to groups that ‘divert attention’ from the need to develop and invest in clean energy. Yet, in 2008, while cutting contributions to the most extreme groups, Exxon still funded the National Center for Policy Analysis, the Heritage Foundation, and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, all groups which publicly question or deny global warming."
^{DK GreenRoots}

sarahnity, whose Saturday Frugal Fridays series is always green, went a little further in Saving Some Green by Going Green: "Too often, we think that it costs money to be environmentally friendly. While that can be true, the fact of the matter is that there are plenty of things you can do every day that take little effort and often no upfront costs. There are lots of ways you can change your home or your lifestyle to reduce the amount of energy and other natural resources you consume, but in this diary I want to focus on some of the easiest (and cheapest) changes you can make that will still make a significant difference. The most important thing to keep in mind if you are looking for places to save resources is to first look to where your biggest usage is and try to trim that. If you can save just 2% of the power on something you use 40% of the time, that is going to be a much bigger savings than if you save 50% of the power on something you use 5% of the time. Your goal should be to stop the hemorrhaging before you start worrying about the skinned elbows."
^{DK GreenRoots}

= = =

The Overnight News Digest is posted. Included is the story
Education secretary challenges NEA on teacher pay

Open Thread and Diary Rescue

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:15:38 GMT

Tonight's Rescue Rangers are vcmvo2, shayera, noddem, jennyjem, grog, and ybruti while the jet-lagged editor is dadanation.

The rescued diaries

Username4242 posts great pictures (along with very informative text) of the candidates for Bonus Dinosaur of the Week! My five favorite finds. (ybruti)

WIds presents in Palin's Poetry a free verse transcription of the surprising speech today by Alaska's soon-to-be former governor. (ybruti)

arendt reflects on various schools of thought on human behavior discusses how these differing schools are personified in many interactions on dKos in Increasing the gap between impulse and action. A thought-provoking diary. (vcmvo2)

Casual Wednesday writes this contribution to the week's environmental diaries about the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming in DK Greenroots: Considered Forthwith. (vcmvo2)

blue meme, in the aftermath of the "PR" disaster yesterday at the Washington Post, wonders Did the WaPo violate the Lobbying Disclosure Act? (vcmvo2)

count takes a look at recently released information and asks Employment data: OH YEAH? (shayera)

Something the Dog Said continues his series First Amendment Friday 10 - Hustler V Falwell with an analysis of this important free speech case. (grog)

I love OCD relates the hard work and mental challenges of dealing with a parent with dementia in The Greatest Generation - A Caregiver's Story. (grog)

mspicata channels Billy Mays in this attempt to bail out California: Golden State Blowout Sale!!!! (grog)

gjohnsit offers up a real solution to the mess in California with A progressive solution to California's economic crisis. (jennyjem)

Avenging Angel summarizes the mounting evidence against the former Vice President in DOJ Confirms Cheney's Key Role in CIA Leak Case. (jennyjem)

JohnCos gives a personal example of just how low the political discourse has sunk in They Called Him A Coward... (jennyjem)

Deep Brain Diarist reflects on a time of recovery and gives an update of his condition after having Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery -- Part 3. Two Years Ago Today! (noddem)

Tasini shares the story of Victory At SmithField: An Independence Day Symbol. After 17 years of fighting for their rights, workers at a pork plant have won the rights to which we are all entitled. (noddem)

The regular extras

jotter has High Impact Diaries: July 2, 2009.

BeninSC has Top Comments - Sanford and DeMint.

The reminder

Please use this as an Open Thread as well as your chance to promote your favorite diaries of the day. Respectful engagement is most welcome here. Please keep in mind that each Diary Rescue's daily purview extends from 3pm PST yesterday to 3pm PST today.

Shamelessly self-promote or pimp for a friend in this Open Thread!

Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 7/03/09

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:46:05 GMT

I was busy most of the day, but I heard that something might have happened with regard to the 2010 elections. Some sort of a candidate announcement. Might have been a governors race? Perhaps someone here can fill me in....

MN-Gov: Apparently, Norm Coleman IS Serious About This
Norm Coleman is obviously trying to resemble one of those sandy-bottomed childrens toys that you keep knocking over, only to see it rise again to your endless amusement/frustration. According to this article, a Coleman advisor is saying that he is actively discussing a 2010 gubernatorial bid with Republican activists. This comes, of course, less than 72 hours after he finally conceded the 2008 Senate race, in which he was defeated by Democrat Al Franken.

OH-Gov: Poll Confirms Softening of Strickland's Position
A new poll from Quinnipiac shows that the state's financial dire straits have had a political effect on the state's first-term Democratic governor, Ted Strickland. Once considered in a strong position for re-election, Strickland now leads his potential GOP rivals by single digits. Strickland holds a one-point edge over former Senator Mike DeWine (41-40) and a five-point edge over former Congressman John Kasich (43-38). In early May, Quinnipiac had Strickland leading both GOP candidates by double-digit margins.

NATIONAL: The Dire Straits of Republican Governors
As Sarah Palin jogs off into the sunset (for now), Kyle Munzenreider of the Miami New Times has a pretty solid read on a topic that will probably unleash a little healthy weekend schaudenfreude in these parts: the shockingly swift descent of the Republican governors, once considered to be the bedrock upon which the GOP resurrection would be built. The gallery of GOP gubernatorial drama alone is worth the visit.

IL-Sen/IL-Gov: Could Kirk's Statewide Plans Get Scuttled By Right-Wing?
Mark Kirk has taken most of his abuse lately from the political left, in particular for his somewhat dangerous attempt to give Barack Obama and the Democrats a swift kick in the knees by telling China that America's government could not be trusted. Now, he is taking on water on the starboard side. Yep, the right-wing in his state is less than thrilled that he was one of eight Republicans to support the President on last week's very tight Clean Energy vote.

NV-Sen: Heller Looking Less Likely As A Senate Challenger in 2010
Barely a week after John Cornyn insisted that a Republican challenger to Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid was forthcoming, the main target of the NRSC's recruitment efforts seems to be intent on staying put. Dean Heller, who has served northern Nevada in Congress since 2006, has not made up his mind definitively, but the signs are pointing towards him not running for statewide office in 2010. This is doubly good news for Democrats, since not only does this mean that he is unlikely to challenge Reid, but it also means that he is unlikely to challenge incredibly vulnerable GOP Governor Jim Gibbons. Top Republicans seem resigned to a Heller non-candidacy: John Thune, now in the Senate leadership, simply said of Heller, "I think he likes the job he has."

Top 10 reasons for Palin resignation

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 03:06:07 GMT

Feel free to add your own theories in the comments.

Palin secedes from office. Also.

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:20:21 GMT

So Sarah Palin has resigned. From four colleges. From her job with the Oil & Gas Commission. And now finally, from her job as governor.

Highly unusual for someone once so determined to climb the political ladder that she stayed on in Texas to deliver a speech to the Republican Governors' Association, even as she went into labor with her fifth child. But, hey, that's Sarah. Also.

Now, my first thought was that she merely meant that she was tired and wanted to recline, but alas, she left little doubt about her actual intentions with her extended, often rambling speech, during which the local waterfowl laughed repeatedly.

Palin's first draft, by the way, reportedly began: "When in the course of human... stuff... (also)."

It's truly been an amazing few weeks for the America, as we found out that GOP governors celebrate Father's Day with adultery, and July 4th by resigning from office.

This is a pretty amazing abdication of responsibility, I must say. I think back to John McCain's flaky "suspension" of his campaign over the financial crisis, and when you put it side by side with Palin's freak-out, I'm really astonished that they were ever considered a legitimate presidential ticket. How she ever made it all the way through field dressing a moose without getting bored and quitting, I'll never understand.

But then again, this was someone who probably winked because she couldn't commit to finishing a blink.

I'm appreciative, at least, that she went out in a blaze of glory, with one last incoherent blast of public word spray. I think I'm seeing starbur... ah, screw it. I don't feel like finishing that sentence.

Best of luck to you in whatever you do next, Sarah. Rumor has it that you quit for an offer of $50 an hour to go pick lettuce in Yuma for the whole season. But I think you can't do it, my friend.

The Worst Health Care Reform Money Can Buy

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:40:49 GMT

This will shock you, I know, but corporate interests have signficiantly outspent consumer groups in the health care reform debate.

In the first three months of 2009, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more money on lobbying since 1998 than any other company, trade association, or advocacy group, and the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhARMA)--the No. 6 all-time spender--paid lobbyists a combined $22.5 million to promote their interests.

Meanwhile, prominent champions of the public insurance option spend very little on lobbying or campaign contributions. Families USA, a self-described consumer watchdog dedicated to health care issues, for example, has spent a mere $10,000 on lobbying this year and only $32,000 total in 2008. Health Care for America Now (HCAN), a national network that unites doctors' associations, consumer groups and other activists, spent $80,000 last year. And the National Health Council (NHC), which has remained mum on this issue but supported putting pressure on insurers to cover pre-existing illnesses, has not spent any money on lobbying since 2007.

Of these more prominent organizations, in fact, only the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is a major lobbyist--$4 million spent so far this year and $158.8 million since 1998--but the group has not publicly endorsed or rejected the president's proposed legislation.

Yowza. All that money spent to keep us getting lousy health care. Or, rather, paying exorbitant costs for insurance and prescription medications--there isn't a lot of actual "care" involved in those pursuits. Is it likely to make a difference with our (ahem) public servants? Nate thinks so, after doing some of his famousl number crunching:

The insurance industry's influence appears to swing about 9 votes against the public option. Whatever number of senators wind up supporting the public option, add 9 to it, and you'll have a decent ballpark estimate for what the level of support might be if not for insurance industry contributions...

The single senator who's position on the public option is most likely to have been changed by lobbying money is Mark Warner of Virginia, who has already raised $69,000 from insurance industry PACs in spite of having been in the Senate for less than six months. Absent industry money, the model estimates about a two-thirds likelihood that Warner would support the public option; with it, the model thinks the chances are very low. Indeed Warner has been mum on the public option to date.

Ranking next on the list is Harry Reid, who has taken some $78,800 from insurance industry PACs and who has also yet to articulate a position on the public option in spite of his status as Majority Leader. If the model is right, Reid's noncommittal stance on the issue might be better conceived of as tacit, if somewhat soft, opposition. Following Reid is Kent Conrad of North Dakota, who has floated a compromise bill that would replace the public option with a co-op system, a version of which the Senate Finance Committee appears likely to adopt.

There are many issues in which I think a "with us or against us" attitude is short-sighted and politically damaging. On health care, it's different. It's us, the consumer, the people who are having to shell out all this money for health "care" vs. the people taking all of our money and giving us shoddy product. And then taking all that money and pouring it into lobbying the people who are supposed to be representing our interests.

Nine votes, many of them on the Finance Committee, conveniently. Mosey on over to slinkerwink's action diary, and make a call or two to the Senators on the Finance Committee. They'll also all probably be home for the 4th recess, and will be having townhalls and constituent meetings. Ask them point blank, are they with us, or against us? Are they among those nine Senators who will be swayed by campaign contributions from industry PACs, or are they looking out for us? (That's a really good question to ask in a public setting.)

Cheers and Jeers: Mutton and Hard Cider Friday!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:30:51 GMT

From the MASSACHUSETTS-ANNEXED FRONTIER TERRITORY OF MAINE...

The Declaration of Independence: Brittle Parchment of Liberty

If you are going to sever ties to your Commonwealth through bloody struggle, it is considered polite to write down why. Nobody wants to get three years into a revolution only to realize the whole thing was a Three’s Company-esque misunderstanding. The Declaration of Independence was the laundry list of grievances stating America’s case for freedom. Its accusations against the King ranged from egregious ("He has plundered our seas, burnt our towns and ravaged the lives of our people") to the trifling ("Sometimes when he sees us at a party he acts like he doesn’t know us"). But proud men would not take up arms against the Crown solely because the King had "erected a multitude of new offices." The authors of the Declaration knew they would also have to appeal to man’s higher nature, to stir men’s souls. They needed something with some zazz. Enter a hot-shot tobacco executive from Virginia, Thomas Jefferson.

His task would be to synthesize the unique brand message of America down to something that would captivate the hard to reach "12-28 ragtag militia" demographic, all the while not offending traditional "Butterchurn Moms." His first attempt at a Preamble was:

-
AMERICA. A is for All the tea they taxed. M is for the Minutemen they shellaxed..."
-

It tested poorly. But his rewrite would be win-win:

-
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
-

In a scant 35 words, Jefferson had given the nation the kind of positive brand identity that tendered moot the issue of whether or not we had to live up to its ideals. Still, knowing the inherent contradiction between their noble words and the reality of a slave-owning nation, Jefferson and the Founders wisely decided to strike from the Declaration of Independence the phrase "or your money back."

---From America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction

Happy 233rd Birthday, America, We The People luv ya. The original Cheers and Jeers from July 4, 1776 starts in the Commonwealth of There's Moreville... [Washington's sword: Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Liberty Bell: Gong!!]

Move over Mark Sanford...

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:03:09 GMT

Meet the GOP's newest favorite wingnut from South Carolina, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint:

DeMint Supports Honduras Military Coup

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) has come out in support of the military coup in Honduras, chastising President Obama in a statement for what he calls "a slap in the face to the people" of that country.

You can sort of understand DeMint's position here. At the rate they're going, the only way the GOP is going to get back in power anytime soon is through a military coup.

Late Afternoon/Early Evening Open Thread

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:10:05 GMT

Coming up on Sunday Kos ...

Next week, Presidents Obama and Medvedev will meet in Moscow to negotiate a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. Plutonium Page will discuss the treaty and the role it plays in the complicated path to Global Zero.

Just in time for the holiday weekend, DarkSyde will review some of the amazing spin-offs from gunpowder in a Brief History of Fireworks.

The Republican Party will try to start some July 4th fireworks this weekend with an ad (of questionable accuracy) targeting vulnerable Dems for their vote on the American Clean Energy Act. Steve Singiser looks at the factual issues with the ad, and some of the more curious targets of the NRCC's attacks.

SusanG will take a look at two first-hand accounts of dealing with the housing market: the controversial and ethically challenged book by New York Times finance reporter Edmund Andrews, Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown, and Gimme Shelter by Mary Beth Williams, a rollicking account from a freelance journalist of a three-year journey trying to buy a home in New York City.

DarkSyde and DevilsTower team up for a foray into the convoluted world of financial markets and unregulated derivatives in "Bids and Bubbles."

NRCC gives us a shout out

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:26:04 GMT

Every two years, Republicans try this crap. And every two years, people look at each other and say, "what the hell is a 'daily cause'?"

“Tom Perriello’s national energy tax vote was the defining moment of his short career,” NRCC spokesman Andy Sere said, adding that voters in his district who once thought of him as “that nice young man … is actually a smug globalist who cares more about his Daily Kos cred than the farmers, laborers and middle-class families in his district.”

Dear NRCC,

How many candidates with "Republican cred" have won recently?

Hugs and kisses,

kos

Palin spokeswoman: "This is a fighting move"

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:52:10 GMT

A few minutes ago, Megan Stapleton, Sarah Palin's spokeswoman, seemed to suggest Andrea Mitchell's sources who claim Palin is "out of politics, period" are wrong:

FOX ANCHOR: Was today's presentation from Governor Palin the opening salvo in the campaign for the presidency of 2012?

PALIN SPOKESWOMAN (CHUCKLING): I won't go so far as saying that. What I will say, though Stuart, this is a fighting move. This is a move that says 'okay, enough. I'm not going to keep hitting my head against this wall. I'm not playing politics as usual. You go play that game, I'll go play it another way and on another court.'

She is saying, 'no, you know what, I believe in national security, I believe in energy independence, I believe in supporting our troops. It's not getting done, and I can't do it and make a difference where I am right now behind the governor's desk, so I'm going to go around the governor's desk, and I'm going to make that difference, outside -- outside government.'

FOX ANCHOR: Meghan, it sounds a lot as if you are saying she's going to get out there and campaign in the lower 48. You are her spokeswoman, do you know specifically of some plan that she has to do that?

SPOKESWOMAN: No, there's no plan other than, of course, as she mentioned in her speech, she is going to get out there, and she's going to rally behind the candidates who what those same ideals and values.

That question is whether the spokeswoman meant candidates in 2010 whose support could help Palin win the 2012 nomination, or whether she meant she will support 2012 candidates. 2010 certainly seems a bit more likely given the tenor of her other comments.

Update (2:58PM): On the other hand, Palin's spokeswoman did characterize the announcement as saying "I'm going to make that difference, outside -- outside government." Obviously, resigning puts Palin outside government, but was the spokeswoman talking about the near-term, or was she saying Palin never hopes to return to government?

Update (3:10PM): bluedonkey08 pretty much nails it:

You know (3+ / 0-)

Sometimes I think it's not worth trying to understand what she says. Your sanity will appreciate it.

I was just saying something similar to a friend.

Update (4:05PM): Politico reports she will give "serious consideration" to a 2012 run, according to a close friend. That's PalinDrama for ya!