house republicans are cry-babies

Yeah, we said it.

Minority Leader John Boehner and his Republican caucus are being a bunch of cry-babies.

They really want to blame the economic recovery plan's failure in the House on a "partisan" speech by Speaker Nancy Pelosi? Give me a break.

Whatever happened to putting "country first?" Or is that just a campaign slogan for John McCain and the Republicans? Instead of doing the right thing, they took their toys and went home when big, bad Pelosi hurt their feelings.

Only 65 Republicans voted for the bill. 140 Democrats voted in favor. You can see how your representative voted here.

By the way, the stock market took a plunge today as the Dow Jones saw the largest-ever single-day drop: nearly 780 points.

democrats officially nominate first black candidate

After pushing for a roll call vote on the floor of this week's Democratic Convention in Denver, Sen. Hillary Clinton made the unprecedented move to motion a suspension of the rules of the roll call vote and ask for Sen. Barack Obama's nomination by acclamation.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi held a voice vote, and the Democrats nominated for the first time in history a black man to be their candidate in the race to become president of the United States of America.



[Stay tuned... more convention coverage to come.]

"the most respected political figure in america"

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi had nothing but kind words for Sen. Hillary Clinton yesterday as the former presidential candidate returned to Congress.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Clinton “the most respected political figure in America” after her White House run, saying “because of her campaign, the Democratic party is much more energized, much more prepared to win in November and much better prepared to govern in January.”

could congress override bush's veto?

Is it possible for Congress to override President Bush's SCHIP veto?

Some Democrats seem to think so.

The Committee for a Democratic Majority is sponsoring a petition to President Bush and members of Congress. The "tens of thousands" of people that signed support an override of the SCHIP veto. Who else is behind the petition? Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.

In an email for the committee, Sen. Kennedy said "If we can afford the war in Iraq, we can afford health insurance for our children. It's that simple."

The Democrat sounded positive when he said asked supporters to help override the veto in under two weeks.

A vote in the House of Representatives is scheduled for October 18.

Others are fighting to override, as well, including a newly-formed coalition that is running an ad campaign blasting Bush for his veto.

The coalition, which includes the AFL-CIO and MoveOn.org, rolled out a nearly $1 million television ad campaign and is targeting about 20 Republicans to vote to override the president's veto of the bill.

The national ad, sponsored by Americans United for Change, an umbrella group of liberal organizations, is running on cable networks.

It includes images of a baby and other children with an announcer saying "George Bush just vetoed Abby." The coalition also promises to rally activists in districts of another 20 House Republicans over the next two weeks.

According to the CNN article, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is cautiously optimistic about overriding the veto. "We take it one day at a time," she said.

An override is entirely plausible at this point, as more and more Republicans are distancing themselves from the president by deserting him on domestic issues.

cheney in charge

Tomorrow, President Bush is set to undergo a colonoscopy, during which Vice President Dick Cheney will assume the position of acting president.

The medical procedure, according to CNN, will take place at Camp David and is expected to last for 2 1/2 hours, during which time the United States will send another surge to Iraq while declaring war on North Korea and Iran.

So that's an overstatement, but seriously... think about it. President Dick Cheney. It's a scary, scary thought, isn't it?

No wonder Nancy Pelosi says impeachment is off the table.

another bill for bush to veto

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced in an email to supporters that the House of Representatives, under her direction, passed a bill that

requires redeployment of U.S. troops beginning within 120 days of enactment and ending by April 1, 2008. It also requires the President to publicly justify the post-redeployment missions for the U.S. military in Iraq and the number of troops necessary to carry out those missions.

As she notes, this is a responsible way to end the war. Pulling out immediately could prove disastrous, and would be unfair to the Iraqi people. Even though they may prefer an immediate troop withdrawal, it would be extremely irresponsible to begin a full-fledged conflict on their soil and then leave them to pick up the pieces by themselves.

However, the Iraqis are not going to meet any of the set benchmarks. And we can't commit to staying over there forever. So this new resolution gives the best solution: have the troops out by this time next year. Bush has nearly a year to redeploy the troops. But will he do it? Or will he pick up his newly-found veto stamp and reject this responsible legislation should it come to his desk?

Meanwhile, over in the Senate, Republicans are beginning to challenge Bush's Iraq policy.

Two prominent Senate Republicans have drafted legislation that would require President Bush to come up with a plan by mid-October to dramatically narrow the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq.

The legislation, which represents a sharp challenge to Bush, was put forward Friday by Sens. John Warner and Richard Lugar, and it came as the Pentagon acknowledged that a decreasing number of Iraqi army battalions are able to operate independently of U.S. troops.

So with House Democrats ready to end the war as soon as possible, and Senate Republicans beginning to stray from the party line, could we have a responsible end to the war in the near future? Or will Bush obstinately veto, veto, veto, leaving a Democrat to clean up his mess in 2009? Only time will tell.

the tax man cometh

In case you haven't already taken care of it, your taxes are due on Tuesday, April 17.

And if you haven't taken care of it already, maybe you can take AlterNet's advice and get a tax refund that does the world some good.

Also, be aware of where your taxes are going. Next time a Republican complains about tax-and-spend Democrats and how taxes will be higher with Nancy Pelosi running the show, remind them that the Democrats didn't think up this war... just the way out of it.

You might also want to tell them that they shouldn't be groaning about financing a war that they supported from the start, while re-electing a president that continually cut taxes for the wealthy during wartime. Perhaps, if they aren't going to end this quagmire they've created, the Republicans should pay even higher taxes to support it. Wouldn't that be ironic?

ntl remembers molly ivins

Molly Ivins, likely the most beloved Texan of our time (at least among we progressives), passed away yesterday at the age of 62. She ended a long battle with breast cancer.

Hailing from Austin, Ivins became successful as a reporter and as a best-selling author and political commentator. Later in her career, she became a wildly popular newspaper columnist. Her numerous awards include the David Brower award for journalism from the Sierra Club, the Pringle Prize for Washington Journalism from Columbia University, the Eugene V. Debs Award in the field of journalism, and election to the Academy of Arts and Sciences. She says of all her accolades, though, one of her favorites is getting banned from the campus of Texas A&M University.

Via Texas Kaos, here's the statement released by Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

"Molly Ivins' biting commentary and fierce wit contributed mightily to the political debate in our nation. Through her more than 40 years as both a political observer and national conscience, she exposed the low points of corruption and the high points of dedicated public service - always with good humor.

"Never wavering in her commitment to populist ideals, she was a courageous voice for peace and opportunity. Molly Ivins faced her final battle with cancer with the optimism and dignity that has always been her signature.

"I hope it is a comfort to her family and friends that so many people share their loss and are praying for them at this sad time."

For tributes to Ivins from Texas bloggers, see the following: The Agonist, Brains and Eggs, Burnt Orange Report, Capitol Annex, Gonzo Muckraker, In the Pink Texas, Eye on Williamson County, Feet to the Fire, Marc's Miscellany, McBlogger, Musings, Off the Kuff, The People's Republic of Seabrook, PinkDome, Rhetoric & Rhythm, South Texas Chisme, Texas Kaos, and Three Wise Men.

Also be sure to read Molly's final column: Stand Up Against the Surge. And heed her advice.

democrats successfully pass "first 100 hours" legislation

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, during the 2006 campaign season, promised that if Democrats were to take back Congress in the election, that they would pass a series of reforms and important legislation within the first 100 hours of convening the session. She came through on that promise.

Via Three Wise Men, we learn that the following reforms were passed under the new Democratic-controlled Congress in the first 100 hours:

• Slap a "conservation fee" on oil and gas taken from deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico; scrap nearly $6 billion worth of oil industry tax breaks enacted by Congress in recent years; and use the money instead to fund renewable resources. Passed Thursday. Speaker Pelosi is also creating a House panel on global warming.
• Lower interest rates on federally subsidized student loans from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent in stages over five years. Passed Wednesday.
• Make the government bargain directly with drug companies with the aim of reducing prices of prescriptions for Medicare beneficiaries. Passed Jan. 12.
• Expand government-financed embryonic stem cell research. Passed Jan. 11.
• Raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour over 26 months. Passed Jan. 10.
• Bolster terrorism-fighting efforts with more cargo inspections. Passed Jan. 9.
• Democrats also won approval of internal House rule changes dealing with ethics, lobbying and budgeting. They were passed on Jan. 4-5. (Today they also passed much-needed new rules dealing with House pages!)

NTL commends the House of Representatives for enacting these reforms, already accomplishing more in the first 100 hours than was accomplished under the previous Republican-controlled 109th Congress. Unfortunately, still according to TWM, the president "is expected to veto the stem cell research funding, Medicare Part D reform, and cuts to oil and gas subsidies once they reach his desk."

H.R. 5 to Reduce Interest Rates on College Loans

Congressman Tim Bishop, D-New York, was on C-SPAN this morning to discuss H.R. 5, the College Student Relief Act of 2007.

As promised by Speaker Pelosi, H.R. 5 is part of the Democrats' "first 100 hours" agenda. It amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 using a "phased-in" approach to reduce the burden of college expenses by gradually decreasing the interest rate charged for student loans.

Here are some highlights of the the C-SPAN broadcast:

• The interest rate, currently set at 6.12%, will be reduced to 3.4% by 2011.
• The cost of the bill is estimated at $6 billion over 5 years.
• As required by the newly passed paygo rules, the cost of the bill cannot increase the deficit. Its cost will be offset by reducing guarantees to lenders.
• Because of the paygo requirements, the cut in rates is not permanent, but it is the intent of the Democratic leadership to make eventually make the rate cuts permanent.
• The bill is "closed rule" meaning no amendments are allowed.
• Bishop sees this as the first in a series of legislation designed to make college more affordable by the group most squeezed by the recent increase in college tuition costs - the middle class and upper middle class.
• The Senate bill equivalent will be introduced by Senator Kennedy.
• The rates do not apply to current loans. They will be in effect for loans originating after July 1, 2007.

The bill is scheduled for debate on the floor of Congress later this morning.

west texas congressman considered to head intelligence committee

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-El Paso) may have a shot at being appointed chairman of the House Intelligence Committee when the new Congress convenes in January.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the incoming Speaker of the House, has said that she will look past the ranking Democrat on that committee, Rep. Jane Harman of California. Today, Pelosi announced she will not appoint Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida, formerly the front-runner for the position.

Tuesday's decision came despite Hastings pleading with colleagues to ignore the "sometimes venomous attacks" stemming from a bribery investigation in the 1980s.

Hastings, then a federal judge, was acquitted of the criminal charges that resulted from the probe, but he was later impeached and removed from the bench by Congress.

Texas Democrat Reyes is the third ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee and is now the most likely pick to chair the committee in the Democratic Congress.

pelosi officially speaker; hoyer elected majority leader

House Democrats spoke unanimously today in electing Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California to the highest ranking position in Congress, Speaker of the House.

Her choice for Majority Leader, Rep. John Murtha, was beaten out by Maryland Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer. Hoyer won the secret-ballot vote 149-86. Pelosi and Hoyer pledged to put aside differences and move Congress forward with the new Democratic majority. Said Hoyer: "The Republicans need to know, the president needs to know and the country needs to know our caucus is unified today."

North Texas Republican Rep. Joe Barton of Ennis dropped out of the race for minority leader, leaving Republicans to decide between Rep. John Boehner of Ohio and Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. That vote will be held tomorrow.

Read more on the leadership elections at Three Wise Men.

rumsfeld resigns

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld tendered his resignation today in the wake of the Democrats taking control of the House and possibly the Senate in yesterday's midterm elections.

President Bush and Rumsfeld apparently agreed to allow a "fresh perspective" on Iraq after many Republicans were unseated, presumably because of their support of the botched war. CNN pundit Lou Dobbs says that Rumsfeld does not have any regrets about Iraq and has not conceded any policy failures.

Prominent Democrats and varied critics within the military and from elsewhere have called for Rumsfeld's resignation for weeks. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the next Speaker of the House, confirmed today that she was happy to hear of the resignation and considered it "a signal of hope" for change in Iraq.

Bush has nominated former CIA Director Robert Gates, currently the president of Texas A&M University, to the position. Rumsfeld will continue serving in his capacity until the Senate can confirm his successor in January. "If confirmed by the Senate, I will serve with all my heart, and with gratitude to the president for giving me the opportunity to do so," Gates said.

congratulations speaker pelosi and new democratic house of representatives

Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California is expected to be elected the first ever female Speaker of the House in history on the heels of the Democratic Party gaining control of the United States House of Representatives. The Democrats have confiscated Congress from the Republicans, holding on to every single incumbent seat and earning a greater majority than the Republicans won in 2004. "Tonight is a great victory for the American people," Pelosi said. Pundits agree that this year's midterm election was a referendum on Iraq, the culture of corruption and Republicans turning a blind eye to concerns such as health care and education.

anti-semitism: from seattle to malibu

Yesterday, Academy Award winner Mel Gibson went to rehab after his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The police report indicates that during his arrest, Gibson launched into a "profanity-laced tirade" against Jews. He also claimed to own Malibu and shot a sexist remark at a female officer.

As star blogger Arianna Huffington suggests, "the Gibson Affair" was a defining moment for Hollywood. One might expect a tidal wave of press releases condemning Gibson's remarks from the Hollywood elite, but no such thing has happened yet. Huffington encourages other actors and movie execs to ostracize Gibson and separate the extremists like Gibson from the rational thinkers.

This incident comes after Friday's hate crime in Seattle, where one woman was killed and five others were critically injured. All of the victims were Jewish.

Police said the gunman had been arrested without a struggle inside the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, where the shooting took place, and was being questioned by police.

The gunman is a U.S. citizen, and police said initial contacts with him by phone while he was inside the building indicated that he was a Muslim.

Amy Wasser-Simpson, the federation's vice president, told the Seattle Times in a story on its Web site that the man got past security at the building and shouted, "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel," before he began shooting.

Since the attack, authorities are precariously monitoring Jewish organizations and synagogues in Seattle. The Reuters article also indicates that extra precautions are being taken at mosques in case of a retaliatory attack.

As the Israel announces plans to expand the ground war in Lebanon as long as a rocket threat to northern Israel is present, global critics have voiced their concern about the fragile situation in the Middle East. Many have called for a ceasefire, including Senator Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican. The European Union is also expected to order a ceasefire, with the possibility of sending troops to the region to encourage peace. Others, including President Bush, support Israel's right to self-defense but warn that Israel should take care not to harm Lebanon's fledgling democracy.

In a joint statement, key House Democrats Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland condemned Hezbollah and urged the return of the kidnapped soldiers. The statement went on to recommend that the Palestinian Authority take similar action in Gaza.

Those who finance, direct, or otherwise support acts like these need to understand that they have produced an extremely dangerous situation and that they are responsible for the consequences. Israel has an inherent right to defend itself, and the United States supports our ally.

Unfortunately for Israel, the world judges its actions harshly. Vocal critics point to the contrast between the number of Lebanese dead and the number of Israeli dead. "The Bunker Blog," a highly-acclaimed diary of events from an Israeli perspective, informs us that this difference in numbers is because of Hezbollah's determination to use Lebanese civilians first as shields and then as propaganda, and documents these comments by a Shia Muslim from Lebanon:

After Israel left Lebanon, it did not take long for Hezbollah to have its say in other towns. Received as successful resistance fighters and armed to the teeth, they stored rockets in bunkers in our town as well. The social work of the Party of God consisted in building a school and a residence over these bunkers! A local sheikh explained to me laughing that the Jews would lose in any event because the rockets would either be fired at them or if they attacked the rockets depots, they would be condemned by world opinion on account of the dead civilians.

There is no doubt that Muslim extremists in Gaza and Lebanon are anti-Semitic. There is no doubt that Americans citizens that perpetrate hate crimes against Jews, such as the attack in Seattle, are anti-Semitic. Now it seems that even Mel Gibson, once accused of anti-Semitism because of his religious affiliation and his film The Passion of the Christ that purportedly portrayed Jews in a negative light, is indeed anti-Semitic. As the old adage goes: in vino, veritas.

I second Arianna Huffington's call for a separation between rational people and extremists. As shown in Seattle, extremism is also a domestic issue. Even in America, there are people with the despicable worldview of a terrorist in the Middle East. We must work to distance ourselves from extremism, lest we lend credence to anti-Semitic opinion at home and abroad.

Reading the horror stories of the survivors of the Qana bombing, any rational person's instinct is to criticize the tactics Israel is using to take on Hezbollah. Then a thought arises: will this criticism come across as part and parcel of the anti-Semitic worldview of the Gibson crowd?

Which is yet another reason Gibson needs to be ostracized: his lunatic ravings make it all-the-harder for legitimate criticisms of Israel's methods to be expressed and to be heard with uncluttered ears.

Legitimate criticism is healthy and warranted. Unhealthy and unwarranted are comparisons of Israel's self-defense tactics to the oppression of Nazi Germany, as proclaimed recently by protestors in Los Angeles and London. Anti-Semitic tirades by Hollywood stars are inappropriate and revealing of character. Obviously, hate crimes against any particular group are tragic and should not go unpunished. But what do this weekend's events say about the state of things? Anti-Semitism, quickly becoming a real problem again in Europe, is making a repeat performance stateside and the events unfolding currently in the Middle East are only adding fuel to the fire. Where are all of the rational thinkers?

Is the Voting Rights Act Still Needed in Texas?

The Supreme Court's decision on redistricting in Texas (see "Supreme Court Rules on Redistricting" below) highlights the importance of the Voting Rights Act.

The Voting Rights Act, passed in a 1965 and amended 10 years later, targets states with a long history of racial discrimination at the ballot box and three states, including Texas, with large populations with limited English skills. The law will expire next year unless Congress votes to extend it.

Until last week, Congress was prepared to vote on the issue, and most observers assumed it would pass. But several Texas Republicans in the House of representatives balked, saying they wanted to change the law.

What kind of changes?

A rebellion broke out, mainly over two issues: the law's special requirements for certain states and districts, mostly in the old segregated South, and the law's requirements that foreign-language ballots and interpreters be provided in precincts where substantial numbers of voters are struggling with English.

So where does that leave the bill?

The vote has been indefinitely delayed, causing fear among some that Congress will drag its feet until the law expires.....

"I don't think we have racial bias in Texas anymore," declared Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock.

Yeah, and when a sixty-five-year-old southern white man tells you that you can take it to the bank.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bob Ray Sanders thinks the court's decision increases the liklihood that the act will ultimately be passed:

Well, the one positive in the Supreme Court's ruling in the Texas redistricting case was that one of the gerrymandered districts -- the 23rd, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso -- must be redrawn because it did violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting minority voting strength.

I argue that the impact of minority voters was lessened in at least two other districts affected by the Republican's 2003 redistricting plan. That includes blacks in southeast Fort Worth [emphasis mine].

But the court allowed those districts to stand. The court's declaration that the 23rd District violates the law takes away the Republican argument that there are no vestiges of voting rights discrimination in Texas. Once again, the Supremes have made it official.

All of that sounds encouraging, but let's face it-- with GOP approval by the African-American community hovering somewhere around minus two percent, the Republicans aren't worried about wooing the black vote.

Originally, the Republicans thought that they had widespread support within their own party for renewal, and saw this as a chance to highlight their support of minority rights to the Latino community. It's just bad timing that almost simultaneously the Supreme Court is telling us the GOP diluted Latino voting strength to win a few seats to Congress.

House Majority Leader John Boehner says the VRA will be back.

...[Boehner] a Ohio Republican, said Congress would return to the matter after a weeklong July 4 recess. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said party members were "holding our fire and patiently waiting for the Republicans to work out their politics."

So do you think all those pundits, who spent days trying to convince us that the debate over Democratic plans for withdrawal from Iraq were signs of party disunity, will be highlighting the Republican missteps on the Voting Rights Act? No, neither do I.

carter out of touch on israel

Former President Jimmy Carter recently lashed out against Israel in USA Today. A former Carter employee, Ira Forman responded in Washington Jewish Week calling Carter's erroneous claims detrimental to Israel's and his own image.

Carter has long been known for his one-sided reading of the Arab-Israeli conflict. But even by Jimmy Carter’s standards, this article is breathtaking in its willingness to ignore facts, bend reality and invent history to fit a twisted analysis of the conflict.

He describes Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s unilateral withdrawal plan as one “which would take about half of the Palestinian West Bank and encapsulates the urban areas within a huge concrete wall ... .”

Where does he get this stuff? Olmert’s government has not produced any definitive unilateral withdrawal plan. However, every report of possible plans assumes that if there continues to be no Palestinian peace partner, then Israel will withdraw its population behind the security fence — taking in about 8 percent of the West Bank.

Moreover, it is astonishingly disingenuous to talk about concrete wall encapsulating Palestinian urban areas. Of the seven cities that the Palestinian Authority lists as having more than 100,000 people, only in Jerusalem will concrete barriers run through the middle of urbanized land.

The National Jewish Democratic Council points out that the Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco, still fervently supports Israel's endeavour. Pelosi and the majority of the Democrats continue to maintain voting records supportive of Israel. The Republicans tend to support Israel, as well. Rep. Pelosi spoke before Congress after Prime Minister Olmert addressed a joint session and spoke in favor of Israel.

We just heard on the floor of the House a speech that was a triumph of hope, optimism, and peace. Mr. Prime Minister, it was sad for us to hear you reflect upon Prime Minister Sharon - our thoughts and prayers are with him; our hopes and dreams are with you.

And those dreams as you say are not enough. We have to work to make the future better and to continue with what Israel strives for. Many of us believe that in the 20th century, many bad things have happened, but one of the great ones, a shining moment, was the establishment of the state of Israel. In recognizing the state of Israel immediately, President Truman not only identified our country with yours, he brought luster to our great country as well.

This is a commitment of values, a commonality of interests in terms of peace and democracy. You are a friend in the region, and a friend to the world. The cooperation that you spoke of, the hope, not hate, that you strive for, is a mission that we all share.

In a nutshell, President Carter doesn't know what he's talking about on this issue. In other ares, he may be an expert, but his claims about Israel hold no water. Ira Forman is the executive director of the NJDC and served as field director for the 1976 Carter-Mondale campaign in Ohio. Forman admits that Carter is a reputable individual with flawed views on Israel.

As someone who once worked for Jimmy Carter, it brings me no pleasure to criticize the former president. His commitment to such praiseworthy projects as Habitat for Humanity brings much credit to his post-White House years. No one disputes his right to criticize Israel. Few pro-Israel activists will argue that Israel is always right.

President Carter unfairly damages Israel's worldwide image when he resorts to distortions and falsehoods about her actions. He damages any realistic prospects for reviving the peace process when he ignores the deeply dysfunctional nature of Hamas ideology and policies. But perhaps the most tragic outcome of his charges is the damage it does to his own reputation and legacy.

President Carter should continue in his great works that have established his reputation as a fantastic post-presidency president. Unfortunately, he is not really known as the go-to guy for foreign policy and it looks as if it needs to stay that way.