Tuesday Reads
Posted: November 2, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized 63 Comments
Good Morning!!
I’m doing a little surfing for Dakinikat because she’s technologically challenged at the moment. She’s got a fried hard drive, an ancient computer, and a messed-up Blackberry to work with. And she’s got a big presentation to make today. Yikes!
Finally, election day has arrived and all the experts are predicting huge losses for the Democrats. The predictions are so bad, that I almost wonder if we’re being set up to be surprised if the worst doesn’t happen. Today pollster Charlie Cook named eleven more House Democrats who may well lose their seats.
On Monday, Cook announced that he was shifting four Democratic-held seats from the “Toss Up” category into the “Lean Republican” category – including incumbent Reps. Dina Titus of Nevada, Harry Teague of New Mexico and Frank Kratovil of Maryland – freshmen who have been high on the GOP target list practically since they arrived in Washington.
Cook also placed the Arkansas 1st District seat currently held by retiring Democratic Rep. Marion Berry, where Democrat Chad Causey is running against Republican Rick Crawford, into the “Lean Republican” field.
The handicapper now lists 29 seats currently held by Democrats in the “Lean Republican” or “Likely Republican” categories. Republicans need to seize at least 39 Democratic-held seats in order to win control of the House.
Cook is predicting losses of 50 to 60 Democratic seats in the House. In the Senate, Cook predicts gains for Republicans of 6 to 8 seats.
While it is becoming increasingly likely that Republicans will hold all 18 of its own seats, Democrats’ prospects in three of their 19 seats have improved in recent days. Sens. Barbara Boxer in California and Patty Murray in Washington now appear to be headed for re-election, albeit by small margins. In the special election in West Virginia, Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin now holds an advantage. Currently there are 57 Democrats, two independents that caucus with Democrats, and 41 Republican Senators. Post-election, Republicans could hold between 47 and 49 seats to 51 to 53 seats for Democrats. This new outlook means that the odds of Republicans winning a majority in the Senate are now non-existent.
Of course, from a liberal’s point of view it won’t matter all that much, since the Senate seems to give the Republicans everything they want anyway. I have to admit that a part of me will be celebrating if Harry Reid loses–even though everything I read about Sharron Angle gives me the heebee jeebees. According to the Washington Post that race is going to go down to the wire.
Cook also predicts gains of 6 to 8 governorships for the Republicans. I sincerely hope Massachusetts won’t be one of the ones they win–even though I’m not at all thrilled with Deval Patrick.
Just to be ornery, I guess, Nate Silver has dreamed up a scenario in which the Dems can still hold onto the House. It’s pretty far-fetched–but go read it and tell me what you think.
Anyway, we won’t have long to wait until we know how bad the Republican tsunami will be. We’ll be following the results here at Sky Dancing tonight.
In a setback to hopes for the repeal of DADT, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the discriminatory policy will continue for now.
A federal judge in California, Virginia A. Phillips, ruled on Sept. 9 that the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law violated the equal protection and First Amendment rights of service members, and wrote that it had a “direct and deleterious effect” on the armed services. On Oct. 12, she ordered the military to stop enforcing the law nationwide.
The Defense Department asked the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to allow the status quo to continue as the case made its way through the courts. It has narrowed its own process for dismissing openly gay people under the policy. [….]
In the order, Judges Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain and Stephen S. Trott wrote that they were expressing no opinion on the eventual outcome of the case. But they said the government’s request to block Judge Phillips’s injunction should be granted out of deference to the judgment of Congress and the military, and in light of the fact that decisions by four other federal circuit courts finding the law not unconstitutional were “arguably at odds” with Judge Phillips’s rulings.
I really don’t see how a law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation could be constitutional. It’s a shame we can’t just get rid of the thing rather than go on wrangling about it while people’s careers are destroyed. Sigh….
Glenn Greenwald has a great piece up about the latest terrorist scare. Why do these always happen right before an election, I wonder?
Yesterday, The New York Times reported that “evidence was mounting” that Al Qaeda and Anwar al-Awlaki–the American citizen that President Obama has targeted for assassination without benefit of probable cause or a trial–were behind the “attempted attacks.”
But today, the NYT wasn’t as definite:
American and Yemeni officials still have little hard evidence about who was involved in the thwarted attack. . . . As for who was behind the plot, evidence remains elusive, though officials believe the bombs bear the hallmarks of Al Qaeda in Yemen’s top bomb maker.
Sorry, but I don’t buy anything the government has to say about terrorism anymore. I’ll believe it when I see it. Anyway, here’s Greenwald’s take:
The reality, as today’s version of the NYT makes clear, is that the U.S. has no idea who is responsible for sending these bombs. So in the dark are they that Homeland Security actually blamed two Yemeni schools that don’t even seem to exist, with the only one remotely similar to it being one sponsored by the State Department. But no matter: within a very short time of the attempted attack’s becoming public, U.S. government officials fanned out to anonymously pin the blame on Anwar Awlaki as the Mastermind, and newspapers then dutifully printed what they were told, even though nobody had any idea whether that was actually true. But when you’re trying to justify the presidential seizure of the power to assassinate your own citizens without a shred of due process, what matters is ratcheting up fear and hatred levels against your targets, not evidence or rationality. Just scream TERRORIST! enough times and maybe everyone will forget how tyrannical is your conduct.
To its credit, even the NYT article originally announcing the administration’s accusations that “evidence is mounting” of Awlaki’s culpability stated: “they did not present proof of Mr. Awlaki’s involvement.” How surprising. That same deficiency is true of the general accusation that Awlaki is involved in Terrorist plots as opposed to merely exercising his clear First Amendment right to advocate the justifiability of anti-American violence in retaliation for the violence Americans bring to the Muslim world. But that complete lack of evidence doesn’t deter huge numbers of people from running around proclaiming Awlaki to be a Terrorist and cheering for the presidentially-decreed death penalty based solely on unchecked government pronouncements, so it’s unlikely that the lack of evidence in this case will deter his being widely blamed as the Mastermind for this attack either.
Since I’m writing this post, I’m going to throw in a little sports news. First, the San Francisco Giants have won the World Series. As long as the Red Sox are out of it, I’ll take that result. From NBC Sports: Who are these guys?
Willie Mays never won a World Series in San Francisco. Neither did Willie McCovey. Or Orlando Cepeda. Or Barry Bonds. Or Juan Marichal or Gaylord Perry. Hall of Famers? The San Francisco Giants have had many. But world championships? None.
Before tonight, anyway. Before a lineup full of role players and aging veterans — and one rookie who may one day join the immortals in Giants history — beat the odds in beating the Phillies and the Rangers and now stand as champions of the baseball world.
Good for the Giants. And another curse falls by the wayside. Perhaps the baseball gods have finally forgiven the Giants for moving out of New York.
And in another strange sports story, Wide Receiver Randy Moss, who was recently traded to the Minnesota Vikings from the New England Patriots, has now been waived by the Vikings after Moss shot off his mouth after the Pats-Vikings game on Sunday.
Moss, who cost the Vikings a third-round draft pick, had only one catch for eight yards against the Patriots on Sunday. In four games for the Vikings, he had 13 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Moss, who was fined $25,000 last week for failing to cooperate with the media and make himself regularly available for interviews, stepped to the lectern after the Patriots game but announced he wouldn’t take any questions. He repeatedly expressed admiration for Patriots Coach Bill Belichick and his former team and criticized the Vikings for not taking enough of his game-planning advice.
The Pats got rid of Moss because all he did was whine about not having a contract for 2011. Then he comes back to New England and goes on a tirade about Vikings coaches and how much he misses the Pats. What a crazed basket case this guy is. Some Pats fans actually want him back. I sure don’t.
OK, I know probably no one else is interested in that story but me. So what news stories and blog posts do you recommend this morning? I look forward to following your links.
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
Mama Lopez
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Hey BB. Great round-up. I’m up late, just finished making a Gouda and doing the endless cleaning cheesemaking requires.
I also voted. I live in WA state so I vote by mail. I was surprised by how many initiatives were on the ballot. Took a lot of reading to understand some of them. I wonder if people do that same kind of reading with the voter handbook?
Anyway, I ended up voting a straight Dem ticket. My two congresscritters are good, Murray and Inslee. The local councillors are also good, and all Dem. Try as I might, I couldn’t find a Green on the ballot, due to the horrible way WA deals with primaries (top two vote getters get on the final ballot).
The one initiative which gave me pause is the one that will institute a state income tax on those making over 200k a year. So a tax on the rich, like it should be. However, it only relieves 20% of the *state* property taxes on everyone else, which go to fund schools mostly. And of my property taxes, only about 1/5 are state, all the rest are local. So basically it would save me 200$ a year. Ohh, and the law gives the local authorities the right to raise their tithes enough to scoop up that 200$ I’ve ‘saved’. I finally decided to vote no when I thought about how in WA state the state government only has to abide by an initiative for 2 years, and then they can change it. And thus, open the door to middle class income taxes. To heck with that.
So I guess I wasn’t progressive enough, I didn’t want to vote for a bad law when a better one could be written.
I’m watching the Iowa Sec. of Agriculture election quite closely. It’s an organic dairy farmer against a big-business Repub. Fingers crossed for the dairy farmer! Here’s some links:
http://www.bleedingheartland.com/diary/4011/iowa-oil-and-agriculture-meet-francis-thicke-candidate-for-iowa-secretary-of-agriculture
http://food.change.org/blog/view/iowas_ag_secretary_the_most_important_election_race_for_foodies
Hey BB, good to see you here.
I guess I am the only one disturbed about Greenwald’s comment regarding Awlaki’s right to advocate anti-American violence as retaliation…I think this quote above is disturbing. To me it is like Greenwald is patting Awlaki on the back, and egging him on. It really bothers me.
But, I must say that I will be glad when this day is over. All this campaign rhetoric has me tired.
Good morning bb. Very nice roundup!
The good thing about Obama being president is that US politics seems to be followed more closely ‘overseas’ than ever before. I don’t remember e.g. the midterms being talked about, explained, and reported on this closely prior to this year’s.
The bad – and sad – thing is that most everybody seems to (still) have been given the exact same talking points. 😦
Everybody have a great voting day!
Pips,
you’re right. German newspapers an magazines are all full of our midterm election. I’ve had a bunch of people asking me what the hell was going on and trying to find out how an why Obama lost his “magic”.
Teh Magic was sharp marketing, he didn’t have a record and many that thought he had magic have lost that magic feeling. I was talking to a nice young man about 26 and he was worried about getting sick, as he had no health insurance. I won’t mention the company he works for (you all know it), but he said they were offering flu shots, how kind of them.
Yep. But the marketing was too sharp. Obama was way oversold.
Nothing is worse than living up to sky high expectations.
Hi bb!
I am burned out from this election cycle since it feels as if we have been in campaign mode since 2008. The two parties do nothing but “jockey” back and forth in their quest to maintain power while the rest of us sit here like slugs.
The very thought of Boehner once again in control of the House is far too depressing to contemplate. The only good thing I can see coming from this (and I am not about to think for a minute this is going to happen) is to finally see the Dems fight back.
Other than that, it is going to be another bumpy two years of infighting and stalemate which is going to hurt the nation owing in a large part to Obama’s refusal to actually get up off his backside and lead.
And yes, I too will vote for Deval. Reluctantly.
It could take weeks to find out who controls the Senate because of close races.
Ugh….I did not think of this.
I’m gonna go vote for Sestak, but I really doubt his chances. I’ll vote for the Dem gov too, but he barely gets my vote (only because of Big Dawg’s robocall).
Morning, BB. Thanks for the roundup. Many of the key races here in Illinois are going to be so close that I doubt we’ll even know the results by tomorrow. I’m also afraid that a ballot initiative, to be able to hold a recall election for the governor’s office, is going to pass. To be sure, we’ve had, what, 4 governors end up in jail in my lifetime? And another one thrown out on his butt. Still, with an irresponsible press constantly attempting to whip voters into a frenzy on the most petty issues, I fear for the ability of a governor to do the necessary while constantly looking over his (in our case) shoulder should this referendum pass.
And then there’s Alaska and the write in votes.
Hi BB! Nice to see you posting!
Thanks, votermom. Dakinikat has a big day today with a messed up computer and unpredictable Blackberry. I thought I would give her a hand.
Thanks again … I have tummy butterflies already. They shipped the hard drive and the BlackBerry!
That’s great, and good luck. I know you’ll be outstanding.
Dr. Hassan just called. He’s as nervous as me it seems.
With all the attention on the congressional races, many of the governorships in play have been somewhat overlooked.
They also are promised to be swept along with the GOP surge as well and we may very well be facing a GOP stronghold on this nation once again.
Some of these people are so extreme that it defies logic but there it is.
The race for 2012 officially begins as of November 3rd as the “potentials” come out of the woodwork.
Good morning, BB, glad to see you here! Fine round-up of news. I don’t feel any enthusiasm for today’s election but I will go and vote for the dem incumbent for the U.S. House of Reps. Boehner will probably still be our next Speaker anyway.
The way things are going, DADT will probably never be repealed. When we first invaded Iraq I used to get letters from Navy Lakehurst asking me to sign up. I think they just sent them to everyone on the EMT list, but I was way too old to go to war! Besides, they discriminate against me with DADT.
Some of the reserves are on their 3rd and 4rth tours, but no one will talk about the back door draft in fact the Republicans aren’t mentioning the WARS because they have been the WAR hawks and then folks might connect the dots of its cost to the DEFICIT!
Oh, and has anyone seen the Peace orgs? What two WARS and not a protest to bring the troops home? Are the Peace orgs going to do protests after TWO DECADES?
Hi Branjor,
I have no problem voting for my Rep, Ed Markey. It will be harder to vote for Deval Patrick and I may still change my mind.
The only thing I can’t decide is whether to vote to cut the sales tax from 6.25% to 3%. We don’t have as regressive a sales tax here as a lot of states–we don’t pay tax on food or clothing. I just can’t decide what to do on that one.
He, Robert Reich, seems to both “get it” and be able to explain in plain words. Just like Bill Clinton. From an interview in Der Spiegel titled ‘Obama Failed to Connect the Dots’.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,726575,00.html
A small excerpt:
That’s the way I feel. It feels like we’re only voting for which party gets the nicer offices on the hill.
The behavior of Randy Moss reminds me of Terrell Owens. So much talent, but a liability to any team that signs them because of their attitudes.
To me, the biggest question is whether or not the remaining Dems will now feel free to buck the administration. On the important issues, such as health care, Obama let Congress and the lobbyists write the legislation and then whined to the congressional Dems that mean, nasty people were trying to destroy his presidency and if they didn’t support the bill they would be enabling the racists. Ridiculous! So now when Obama tries to hide behind the Catfood Commission as he goes after Social Security, the question is whether any Dem will tell him to shove off.
Sima, How’s it look for Patty Murray? I used to live in WA and I think Dino Rossi would be a disaster.
I’m not Sima, but the Murray/Rossi race is going to be neck and neck. I’ve seen polls at 50-48 in either candidate’s favor and others at 47-47. Both sides have already lawyered up for the recount.
I didn’t vote for either of them. I would never vote for Rossi for anything, but Patti Murray’s form letter reply to my concerns about the health insurance disaster ensured that she didn’t get my vote either. As far as I’m concerned, based on advertisements, Murray’s campaign was just as slimy as any Republican. I wrote in NOTA.
Rossi is a disaster. I wish he’d stop trying and give it a rest, maybe let an honest republican try (is there one?).
I think Murray will pull it out. I think it might be one of WA states famous hand counts, though, and go all the way to court.
Just a flyby because I’m headed out with the dogs for a hike but couldn’t pass up the chance to say good morning to such a fine group. And great roundup BB — so happy to see you here. I don’t know why I forget to read Glenzilla on my own, but thanks especially for linking to him today.
Okay, off to stretch my legs on our favorite trail along the Housatonic River and then vote. Curious about the mood around the voting booths today.
Tweetie is not in love any more!?! 😆
Tweetie is not in love any more
Right on schedule!
What does he mean, ‘since campaigning’? He did the teleprompter and elitist stuff then too. Yeesh.
Hi, I’m a Tea-Partier
I am off to do my civic duty and though my enthusiasm is taking a break, I am not about to vote for any candidate who thinks that the Repub agenda to thwart each and every issue proposed by the Dems be obstructed because they are more interested in the election of 2012.
People need help. The nation is bleeding. Yet these yahoos have nothing more in mind that clearing the field for some nimrod running two years hence. Forget about that.
If the letdown from Obama’s indifference so far is leaving most of us with a sense of gloom, the GOP agenda is nothing short of criminal. Turning your backs on the needs of the public in order to gain the power you feel is your due should not be rewarded.
A congress person in my area didn’t go with his program on a couple of things and got hell for it. The comment was that this person was representing the district and their interests, but the big party folks, were trying to do some big bullying. I think to teach that person a lesson would be counter productive, we must look at all congress people individually and see if they are doing the work of the people, and I am not going to blame one for what others did.
Who would have thunk, Tweetie lost that loving tingle up his leg…
On Women
Women Could Get Free Birth Control With Health Reform Law
Women could soon be entitled to free contraception, thanks to the health reform law. That’s right, free birth control pills, free intrauterine devices, free patches, and free vaginal rings. As part of the law, a panel of experts will decide over the next few months which services will be offered free to women including maternity care, pelvic exams
, and—more controversial —contraception.
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/on-women/2010/11/01/women-could-get-free-birth-control-with-health-reform-law
A tweet almost got me on this story. I was, nah, did we get the ‘President Obama Stupak Presidential Executive Order’ wrong, did he not pass those Jane Crow Laws??? Then I read the story and HE DID, HE DID, only now they are trying to fool us into believing that he did some thing wonderful with the deceptive head line ‘Women Could Get Free Birth Control With Health Reform Law’ .
My ‘quotes’ aren’t taking?
And in giving this, they’ll take something else away… and they’ll likely charge high enough increased premiums that it would have made more sense to just BUY the DRUGS.
My insurance starting in January will provide free preventive care, but essentially now provides NO name-brand drug coverage, a higher deductible, only $1500 coverage for scans like MRI, and much higher premiums. And preventive care is only preventive until it finds a disease (like high cholesterol). Then monitoring the disease is no longer preventive.
So, I’m sure this new coverage will go the way the “preventive” care coverage goes.
I found out I had a 250 drug coverage deductible on top of the increase in premiums (the highest ever) and I also have to pay a higher cost for brand name medication.
Too many ways they can get money out of me, and I am still planning on my trip to Canada to get my refills, I will say I am from the wealthiest country in the world that can see fit to give its people Heath Care but can finance TWO BUSH NEVER ENDING WARS…that are continuing with our Nobel Peace Prize President Obama.
Open season for our health insurance starts next month and I am not looking forward to it. I think to myself “how can it get worse?” knowing full well that, yep, it’ll get worse. We really need to get some folks into power who will fix this mess, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Good to read you!
Hi bb, good to see you! Thanks for the morning roundup.
Honk!
According to the WSJ, Democratic strategists and leaders are pushing Obama to shake up his inner circle.
Among the complaints: Mr. Obama conveyed an incoherent message that didn’t express what Democrats would do over the next two years if they retain power; he focused more on his own image than helping Democratic candidates; and the White House picked the wrong battle when it attacked Republicans for using “outside” money to pay for campaigns, an issue disconnected from voters’ real-world anxieties.
All to which I can only say “duh”. That’s how Obama inc rolls…. Figure it out Dems, in 2010 thy name is Hillary …what was done to her in ’08 is what was planned for you as well ….we tried to warn you …but noooooooooooo
Wow!
“On the Hill, there’s this sense that there are three [political] parties, the president, Democrats in Congress and Republicans in Congress.”
I can that’s a pretty astute observation, although Obama has tried the team game just in the last couple of weeks, and I don’t think it was helpful. (Maybe he helped Barbara Boxer)
Another great quote from that article:
Don’t tell me its finally dawning on the Dems that Obama only cares about himself! Quelle surprise. His closest advisers are outside political consultants rather than members of his cabinet or his party? What would you expect?
We ignored what voters were actually feeling and thinking,” this strategist said
You can’t make this stuff up…. breaking : 2+2= 4
It would be funny if it wasn’t completely pathetic.
If so, they’re stupider than I thought. That FACT has been apparent since 2008.
Wow BB – that WSJ article is really interesting and packed with quotable quotes.
I urge everyone to read the entire article.
The rats are scrambling.
Sorry, but I don’t buy anything the government has to say about terrorism anymore. I’ll believe it when I see it.
And not even then…what , no Bin Laden tapes? and they call this an election??
Or are they only generated when the GOP is already in office?
Nice round up BB !
Mornin’ BB
Hi kat!
Have to vote this evenin’ Son is a new voter so we’ll be taking him tonite.
I’m at the University this afternoon and will vote on the way home. I just feel obligated and that’s about it.
Following is an article posted at DU by someone that I believe to be a paid Obama fluffer. Its a couple of days old so I apologize if you have seen it before.
OBAMA AND CLINTON – Agony and Serenity
“Where Clinton agonized, Obama analyzed. It was clear that Obama has started to think seriously about how he will navigate a Washington with many more Republicans in it. But nothing about him suggested that he viewed the impending arrival of those Republicans as evidence that he needed to radically rethink his presidency.”
http://nationaljournal.com/columns/political-connections/obama-agony-vs-serenity-20101028
If Obots like this comparison between Obama and Clinton they are even more removed from reality than I realized.
Why, oh why, are they always comparing Obama to Clinton? They should be comparing him to Bush. It’s so frustrating. The only thing that Clinton and Obama have in common is that they both ran as Democrats.
Thanks for the link, Dee. Yes. ObamaNation is delusional at best.
I think this comparison is legiti because it is about giant mid-term losses.
True. Bush was a lame duck by the 2006 mid-terms. I guess I just have Obama/Clinton fatigue. I am so tired of ObamaNation constantly comparing the two. It’s like they have blinders on and can see nothing else. The more apt comparisons are Republican presidents, or Jimmy Carter, IMO.
BB – thanks for the round-up. Good to see you here and this group of commenters!
Bodes well for future great reads!
Good luck today Dak!
great roundup B.B. hope you are all over the cold.:)
Thanks Boston for the update. Love it when a teams wins the series for the 1st time. Let the citizens have a joyous celebration. I’m with you wondering about the predicted blowout. If its not as bad as predicted, Obama can claim victory. I hope Reid goes and we keep Senate. Otherwise, I now believe in the power of checks and balances more than ever. Maybe we’re seeing an end to the 2 party system. It won’t happen through the Tea Party since the Republicans are hiding behind them apparently. Hopefully, they’ll realize that. Evolution.
Good luck to Dakinikat in her presentation. I hope its before a legislative committee in charge of picking new financial leaders for our country. I have a dream.