Republican Obstructionism

Christy’s right, now is not the time for Republican obstructionism over key executive branch legal appointments. The Republican Party’s opposition to Harold Koh and Dawn Johnsen are a fine balance between pro-forma culture war flash backs and the latest manifestation of opposition to constitutional checks and balances and the rule of law. In either event, it’s political obstructionism at best and the reanimation of zombie Bush/Cheney-ism at its worst.

Koh and Johnsen should be confirmed swiftly. Republicans who obstruct should be lambasted in the public, by the public, by the press, and by Democrats.

Shorter Dodd Challengers

Shorter Rob Simmons & Sam Caligiuri:

It’s disgraceful that Chris Dodd took money years ago from employees of companies now receiving federal bailout money. And since all of you AIG employees now have extra money in your pocket thanks to that returned Dodd check, you can make your donations out to our campaigns via check, money order, or credit card.

In all seriousness, this is what Simmons actually said:

“I don’t feel that I have any constraints on me,” Simmons said.

That’s for sure. During his career in Congress, Simmons has accepted more than $1 million from PACs and individuals associated with finance, insurance and real estate.

I tried again with Simmons. Does all this talk about Dodd being a lying weasel mean that you will reject the kind of contributions that the senator’s critics are slamming him for?

“I’m a private citizen right now. I’m not a member of the Senate. I’m not the chair of the powerful banking committee, which oversees this disaster to the economy,” Simmons said.

“I will make that judgment when the time arrives.”

And Caligiuri isn’t even sharp enough to realize the grenades he’s throwing at Dodd might bounce back his way:

 “I haven’t thought about that,” Caligiuri responded when I asked whether he planned on refusing any money from anyone.

Dodd is going to have to run a real race this cycle. But as long as he’s up against buffoons like these, I like his odds.

On Triple Counting

It seems judgmental DC reporters are making a lot of the fact that Organizing for America’s 642,000 delivered signatures to Congress is based on triple counting each signatory and sending a copy to both members of the Senate and the Representative for that person’s home district.

Guys, this is not triple counting. For a citizen to lobby the delegation that represents him or her, that person must contact three offices. If they only contacted one, two offices would not have been reached.  This is how the legislative branch is structured in the US government. To put it a different way, lobbying Congress is not like lobbying the White House; citizens can’t just send one email or fax to have achieved what they’re trying to do. OFA is enabling citizens to successfully lobby all the people who represent them. It’s not a number dodge, it’s how the system works.

NYT on Dodd Credit Card Legislation

The New York Times editorial board gives Chris Dodd’s credit card legislation very high marks and urges the Senate to pass it swiftly and without reduction in its regulatory powers. Dodd blogged about the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act (Credit CARD Act) at Huffington Post recently. Dodd also did a live video chat at My Left Nutmeg, Connecticut’s main progressive community blog.

The Credit CARD Act will apply far greater restrictions to how banks treat their credit card customers, both while they are clients and when they are being recruited to be card holders. Additionally the Act gives customers far greater protections against usurious rates and unfair policies that aim to punish people for minor mistakes and small outstanding balances from larger initial debts.

The Senate Republican caucus is going to fight tooth and nail against any legislation that makes life harder for the credit card industry. But it’s critical that Dodd and the Democrats stand up for this good piece of legislation and not let conservatives water it down in the slightest. In these tough economic times, we can’t let working Americans be taken advantage of by unscrupulous credit card companies. For a man who is reviled by his opponents on the right for being a friend of the banking industry, it’s deeply satisfying to see Dodd do what he’s always done – stand alongside working Americans and protecting their interests from predatory banks and lenders. The great irony is that while the Rob Simmons, Kevin Rennie, Sean Hannity and the NRSC unfairly attack Dodd for being a friend of the banks, they and their Republican buddies in the Senate be fighting to protect the interests of their friends and campaign contributors in the credit card industry against Dodd’s progressive legislation. And, of course, they will do this with a straight face.

Rising Star

The New York Times has a pretty good profile of Rep. Chris Murphy, one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party and a politician who will likely be the first part of a new generation of leadership from my home state of Connecticut. I think Murphy is the first clear successor to Chris Dodd, John Larson, and Rosa DeLauro.  Since Connecticut is a state that has only seven federal offices, people tend to spend a lot of time waiting for the previous generation to move along. A new generation is coming and Murphy has a bright future in front of him.

Educating on Employee Free Choice, Part 27

Back in February, Senator John Kerry had a great op-ed in The Herald News on how the Employee Free Choice Act will be a boon for small businesses around the country. Today small business owner Terri Monley has an op-ed in the Denver Post making the case for Employee Free Choice as a tool for rebuilding the economy. Monley writes:

Small Business Administration data show that small businesses are less likely to go bankrupt in states with higher unionization, and that’s a big reason why I support the Employee Free Choice Act. It’s a simple formula for me and my business: When more workers have better jobs with higher wages, then more money is going into the local economy. That’s more money that will go to my business, and more money that I will then spend with other small businesses in Colorado.

The middle class is disappearing in this country as top executives keep most of the money for themselves. CEOs are making 344 times more than the average worker. In the United States, productivity is up nearly 20 percent between 2000 and 2006, profits have doubled, and yet most workers have not been able to share in that prosperity. It doesn’t do me or my business any good for some executive at AIG to make another $1 million. But when average workers are doing better, then they are going to spend that money locally. That’s how we improve our economy.

…

Under the Employee Free Choice Act, federal labor law exemptions for many small businesses will not change. But if more workers in the community are in unions, those are workers who are in better jobs. They’re also customers who will be spending more in their local economies, where we need help the most.

Monley’s piece is a good reminder that while Big Business is deploying a dozen anti-American worker outfits to scare people about the Employee Free Choice Act, the people who are paying attention know this is about the sort of economy we’re building in America. It’s a question of whether all the power should be in the hands of the CEOs at big corporations or if workers and small businesses should have the ability and opportunity to succeed too. Fundamentally this is a question of who the rules that govern the economy should work for: the powerful executives or the workers who drive the American economic engine?

Her Uppance May Come

Via Todd Beeton, there’s a nice follow-up twist on the calls from some Alaska Republicans for Senator Mark Begich to resign so Ted Stevens can have a special election. Congressman Don Young thinks the seat is Begich’s to keep and there’s no recourse for him to be removed now. But Young suggests that his long-time colleague should close out his career with a run for Governor:

“Personally I’d like to see him run for governor, and that’s my personal feeling,” Young told the Alaska Public Radio Network on Thursday. “So, we’ll see what happens down the line. He probably won’t, but I think that would be a great way to cap off a great career as being the governor of the state of Alaska.”

The back story is that this statement from Young is about Sarah Palin getting her come uppance.  Palin came to power in Alaska riding a wave of reformist criticism of Alaska’s old guard Republican elected officials. Last cycle she targeted Young’s seat by having her Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell primary Young. Palin was strongly behind Parnell and obviously Young took it personally. Don Young, despite being surrounded by clouds of scandal of his own, beat Parnell by 304 votes in the GOP primary last August.

Stevens and Palin have had a rocky relationship of their own. This press conference from July, in which Palin dodges endorsing Stevens and Stevens points out that they don’t really like each other, is a classic. Arjun Jaikumar points out that Palin called on Stevens to resign his Senate seat following being convicted of seven federal felony corruption charges. So there’s no love lost between Palin and Stevens — but her call for Begich to resign is probably a lame effort to repair her bad relationship with Stevens.

Frankly, I think if Stevens does run for Governor (which I don’t think he’ll do), he could give Palin a tough race. There will undoubtedly be a lot of sympathy for Uncle Ted, while Palin wears out her welcome with national campaign stops on the state clock.

Marriage Equality in Iowa

This is fantastic news. The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that struck down as unconstitutional a law from 1998 that limited marriage to being between one man and one woman. This ruling ensures that there will be total civil marriage equality in the state of Iowa.

Overruled Blog has a great, key passage from the ruling.

Iowa Code section 595.2 is unconstitutional because the County has been unable to identify a constitutionally adequate justification for excluding plaintiffs from the institution of civil marriage. A new distinction based on sexual orientation would be equally suspect and difficult to square with the fundamental principles of equal protection embodied in our constitution.  This record, our independent research, and the appropriate equal protection analysis do not suggest the existence of a justification for such a legislative classification that substantially furthers any governmental objective.  Consequently, the language in Iowa Code section 595.2 limiting civil marriage to a man and a woman must be stricken from the statute, and the remaining statutory language must be interpreted and applied in a manner allowing gay and lesbian people full access to the institution of civil marriage.

I’d bold the whole paragrah because it’s so powerful, but that doesn’t really help things. Basically the Iowa Supreme Court is saying that homophobes and bigots have zero standing to put people in a separate class based on their sexual orientation.

The Alaska Comedy Brigade

The stand up comedians of the Alaska Republican Party were out in force.

AK GOP Chair Randy Ruedrich:

The Alaska Republican Party further believes that current Senator Mark Begich should resign his position to allow for a new, special election, so Alaskans may have the chance to vote for a Senator without the improper influence of the corrupt [Bush] Department of Justice.

The only reason Mark Begich won the election in November is because a few thousand Alaskans thought that Senator Ted Stevens was guilty of seven felonies. Senator Stevens has maintained his innocence and now, even the Department of Justice acknowedges [sic] it’s [sic] wrong doing.

A special election will allow Alaskans to have a real, non-biased, credible process where the most qualified person could win, without the manipulation of the Department of Justice.

“We’ll look forward to the complete story presenting itself and clearing Senator Stevens name.,” Ruedrich said.

Gov. Sarah Palin:

Gov. Palin is with Ruedrich. “I absolutely agree,” she said in a written statement through a spokeswoman.

Shorter Alaska Republicans:

Thanks to the Obama administration’s commitment to honoring the rule of law by voiding the indictment of Ted Stevens, it is only right and fair that Senator Mark Begich ignore the rule of law, void his election and resign.

The really funny thing? Even Alaska’s Republican senior Senator Lisa Murkowski disagrees with Palin and Ruedrich’s laugh-lines. She responded to these statements: “that is not an option.”