Chris Good
Recently by Chris Good
Nov 6 2009, 4:03PM
A New Term: Scozzafavaed
In the wake of New York's tumultuous 23rd district special election, a political neologism has arisen: "Scozzafavaed."
It started popping up on blogs this week after Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava was forced out of the race by low polling numbers and a growing campaign by conservatives to paint her as too liberal.
The gist, basically, is that if you're a moderate Republican and the conservative wing of the GOP sets out to get you, and does, you got Scozzafavaed.
Now it's made its way onto Urban Dictionary:
Nov 6 2009, 1:18PM
Lessons From Maine: An Interview With Equality California's Geoff Kors
After voters in Maine repealed the state's legalization of gay marriage this past Tuesday by a margin of 53 percent to 47 percent, California's gay-marriage activists are still gearing up for a challenge to overturn Proposition 8. Some want to put a measure on the ballot in 2010; others, in 2012.
What follows is a lightly edited interview from Thursday evening with Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, one of the principal groups that led the "No on 8" campaign in 2008.
What lessons do you think gay marriage activists can take away from what happened in Maine?
I think we have to really look at the vote and analyze it before we can draw any specific conclusions, but what's clear is, even though we significantly outspent the opposition for the first time, and supporters of equality out-organized the opposition, our side still fell short. So I think one of the lessons to take away from this last election, and from last year on Prop 8, is how far we've moved on this issue in a remarkably fast time.
What follows is a lightly edited interview from Thursday evening with Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California, one of the principal groups that led the "No on 8" campaign in 2008.
What lessons do you think gay marriage activists can take away from what happened in Maine?
I think we have to really look at the vote and analyze it before we can draw any specific conclusions, but what's clear is, even though we significantly outspent the opposition for the first time, and supporters of equality out-organized the opposition, our side still fell short. So I think one of the lessons to take away from this last election, and from last year on Prop 8, is how far we've moved on this issue in a remarkably fast time.
Nov 6 2009, 11:36AM
Pawlenty: Deficit Neutral, Starting Now
Gov. Tim Pawlenty has wrangled with Democrats in the Minnesota state legislature this year to balance the state's budget, and now Pawlenty has proposed an amendment to the Minnesota Constitution that would effectively require state budgets to be deficit neutral, capping new spending in a given budget cycle at the level of revenue that the state took in during the previous cycle.
Nov 6 2009, 10:18AM
After White House Hedging, Double-Digit Unemployment Is Here
Double-digit unemployment is finally here, and it's here in a big way: unemployment jumped from 9.8 percent last month into the double digits, a .4 percent increase to 10.2 percent. At the Business Channel, Dan Indiviglio breaks down the utter bleakness in the numbers.
It's an event the White House has expected, and has been hedging against, all along: they've said since early summer that unemployment may crest over the double-digit mark, and, more recently, as administration officials have brought the good news of 3.5 percent third-quarter GDP growth, they've made some more direct predictions that this would happen.
It's an event the White House has expected, and has been hedging against, all along: they've said since early summer that unemployment may crest over the double-digit mark, and, more recently, as administration officials have brought the good news of 3.5 percent third-quarter GDP growth, they've made some more direct predictions that this would happen.
Nov 6 2009, 5:30AM
The Invisible Primary, 11/6
Tracking the GOP race to 2012
Mike Huckabee leads the foremost 2012 contenders, according to a new Gallup poll, as 71 percent of Republicans said they'd "seriously consider" supporting him for president, while Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin both collected 65 percent, and Newt Gingrich collected 60; Tim Pawlenty said he was "inartful" in suggesting this week that there might be problems with Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) being a member of the Republican Party; he's also proposing an amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would cap state spending; discussing his non-endorsement in NY-23 with OneNewsNow, Mike Huckabee said he was asked by party officials not to get involved; and with tea partiers descending on the Capitol today for a rally/protest, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence addressed the crowd.
Mike Huckabee leads the foremost 2012 contenders, according to a new Gallup poll, as 71 percent of Republicans said they'd "seriously consider" supporting him for president, while Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin both collected 65 percent, and Newt Gingrich collected 60; Tim Pawlenty said he was "inartful" in suggesting this week that there might be problems with Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) being a member of the Republican Party; he's also proposing an amendment to the Minnesota constitution that would cap state spending; discussing his non-endorsement in NY-23 with OneNewsNow, Mike Huckabee said he was asked by party officials not to get involved; and with tea partiers descending on the Capitol today for a rally/protest, Eric Cantor and Mike Pence addressed the crowd.
Nov 5 2009, 4:16PM
Liberals Pledge $3.5 Million Against Dems Who Filibuster
The left's pressure on centrist Democrats has steadily grown since the health care debate began but MoveOn.org and Democracy for America today launched the most direct threat yet: together, they've secured commitments from 66,000 members to donate a total of $3.5 million to support primary challenges against any Democratic senator who joins a Republican filibuster to block an up-or-down vote on health care reform. The groups announced the commitment in a fundraising email to supporters today.
Nov 5 2009, 2:37PM
Dick Armey Is Priceless
New York Times Magazine has a pretty revealing--and entertaining--profile of Dick Armey, the former Republican House majority leader who now chairs Freedom Works, a conservative grassroots organization that's been the major principal group in facilitating the tea party protests this year and, in so doing, has risen to prominence as one of the most influential groups in American politics today.
In it, Armey tells writer Michael Sokolove a lot about his ideas...and those, in turn, tell us something about the movement he's now part of. For one, he says that "The largest empirical problem we have in health care today is too many people are too overinsured."
In it, Armey tells writer Michael Sokolove a lot about his ideas...and those, in turn, tell us something about the movement he's now part of. For one, he says that "The largest empirical problem we have in health care today is too many people are too overinsured."
Nov 5 2009, 1:02PM
Swine Flu Politics: Health Reform Takes Hits Over Flu Vaccine
Criticism of the Obama administration's handling of swine flu vaccines has bled into another area of politics: the Democratic push for health care reform.
The administration has come under attack recently for reports that swine flu vaccines would be delivered to two of the most maligned classes of people in American politics--Guantanamo Bay detainees and Wall Street executives--before the rest of the country could get them.
The administration has come under attack recently for reports that swine flu vaccines would be delivered to two of the most maligned classes of people in American politics--Guantanamo Bay detainees and Wall Street executives--before the rest of the country could get them.
Nov 5 2009, 10:51AM
Crist's Dilemma
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has had a tough time distancing himself from President Barack Obama, avoiding the president when he visited the state last week, and even telling reporters he didn't know Obama was going to be there.
Wednesday, he told CNN that he never endorsed the $787 stimulus package, which he publicly supported during its journey through Congress. It's become somewhat of an albatross for him: his primary opponent in Florida's Senate race, the conservative Marco Rubio, has called attention it repeatedly.
Wednesday, he told CNN that he never endorsed the $787 stimulus package, which he publicly supported during its journey through Congress. It's become somewhat of an albatross for him: his primary opponent in Florida's Senate race, the conservative Marco Rubio, has called attention it repeatedly.
Nov 5 2009, 9:45AM
2010 Leanings: Generic House Ballot Sways Back To Democrats
Over the summer, as conservative energy came to its anti-tax, anti-spending, anti-stimulus crescendo amid a wave of town hall and tea party-style protests, Republicans started overtaking Democrats in generic House balloting--polls that ask people, regardless of the candidates they may get to choose from, which party they're likely to vote for in House of Representatives races in the 2010 midterms.
No less than 10 polls in August and September had Republicans leading, and one Rasmussen survey had Republicans lup by 7 percentage points. Lots of polls had Democrats ahead, too, and the average, according to Pollster.com, never quite swung into Republicans' favor--but, for a moment in August, it was very close.
No less than 10 polls in August and September had Republicans leading, and one Rasmussen survey had Republicans lup by 7 percentage points. Lots of polls had Democrats ahead, too, and the average, according to Pollster.com, never quite swung into Republicans' favor--but, for a moment in August, it was very close.
Nov 4 2009, 3:08PM
No Health Care In '09? Says Who?
Senior congressional Democrats told ABC News today that getting health care done by the end of the year is unlikely. This, of course, would be a blow to the White House and to Democratic leaders trying to get their bill done before another blown deadline--first it was August, then it was the end of the year, and now...
But who, exactly, is saying there won't be reform by the end of the year?
ABC quotes a senior Democratic leadership aide on background as saying, "Getting this done by the end of the year is a no-go," plus two other "key Congressional Democrats," without specifying which chamber any of the three work in.
But who, exactly, is saying there won't be reform by the end of the year?
ABC quotes a senior Democratic leadership aide on background as saying, "Getting this done by the end of the year is a no-go," plus two other "key Congressional Democrats," without specifying which chamber any of the three work in.
Nov 4 2009, 1:58PM
Axelrod: NY-23 Is A Reminder For Blue Dogs
Senior White House adviser David Axelrod just made an appearance on MSNBC, and, as host Andrea Mitchell asked him about the elections last night (which, by the way, are being cast by some as an "awful day" for President Obama) and their implications, Axelrod noted that Democrat Bill Owens' surprise victory in New York's conservative 23rd district might pull some Blue Dog Democrats more in line with the president's agenda:
I think as the Blue Dogs welcome their new colleague Congressman Owens and remind themselves that he's the first Democrat to hold that seat in 140 years, since Ulysses S. Grant, and that he campaigned on the Obama program, they'll have to say, 'You know what, we're onto something here if we stick with the program...'
Nov 4 2009, 12:26PM
The Other Maine Vote
Voters in Maine disappointed liberals and civil libertarians last night with a vote to repeal the state's legalization of gay marriage, but they also approved something that should make those civil libertarians happy: a provision that will allow for state-approved medical marijuana dispensaries.
The medical marijuana provision passed somewhat resoundingly: 58.6 percent to 41.4 percent, as of this morning, with 93 percent of precincts reporting. It makes Maine the third state with legalized pot stores for medical-marijuana patients (along with Rhode Island and New Mexico), and it's the first state to approve them via a ballot initiative.
The medical marijuana provision passed somewhat resoundingly: 58.6 percent to 41.4 percent, as of this morning, with 93 percent of precincts reporting. It makes Maine the third state with legalized pot stores for medical-marijuana patients (along with Rhode Island and New Mexico), and it's the first state to approve them via a ballot initiative.
Nov 4 2009, 11:15AM
They've All Got Books
If you want to run for president in 2012, write a book. All three of the top potential GOP candidates--Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney--will be going on book tours to promote theirs between now and the 2010 elections, a time where they'll be looking to beef up their influence and image, take in PAC donations, and generally get some face time out in America, where they'll have to campaign for real, sooner or later, if they want to be president of the United States.
We've heard a lot recently about Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue: An American Life," and the publicity tour she announced yesterday on her Facebook page. It'll include book signings across the nation (Palin says she "hope[s] to cover as much of the country as I can") plus, she also hopes, appearances on Bill O'Reilly, Barbara Walters, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, Tammy Bruce, and others.
We've heard a lot recently about Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue: An American Life," and the publicity tour she announced yesterday on her Facebook page. It'll include book signings across the nation (Palin says she "hope[s] to cover as much of the country as I can") plus, she also hopes, appearances on Bill O'Reilly, Barbara Walters, Sean Hannity, Greta Van Susteren, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, Tammy Bruce, and others.
Nov 4 2009, 9:59AM
Palin Offers Encouragement to "Citizen Candidates" Of The Future
Sarah Palin's horse may have not won in New York's 23rd district special election last night, but she offered encouragement for the future Doug Hoffmans of the world in a message posted to her Facebook page last night, about half an hour after multiple networks had called the race for Democrat Bill Owens.
Palin wrote:
Palin wrote:
Nov 4 2009, 9:21AM
Question of the Day: Who's The Big Winner?
Republicans swept in Virginia and took the governor's mansion in New Jersey...but Democrat Bill Owens upset conservative darling Doug Hoffman in New York to stymie the hopes of grassroots conservatives across the country. Who was the big winner on Tuesday night?
BONUS #1: President Obama invested himself in most in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, and Democrat Jon Corzine lost. Was this a referendum on him? If so, what does it say?
BONUS #2: What does Hoffman's loss mean for the grassroots conservative movement?
BONUS #1: President Obama invested himself in most in New Jersey's gubernatorial race, and Democrat Jon Corzine lost. Was this a referendum on him? If so, what does it say?
BONUS #2: What does Hoffman's loss mean for the grassroots conservative movement?
Nov 4 2009, 12:11AM
Christie: No More Negative Campaigns
Chris Christie (R) spent most of his acceptance speech thanking people and talking about how it's time for reform in Trenton, but at the end of the speech he made a poignant critique of his opponent, Gov. Jon Corzine (D), and the negative campaign he ran against Christie (though without naming the Democratic incumbent).
"The talking heads...have said you cannot win an election in New Jersey without being personally negative, without doing smear attack ads on the character of your opponent. Now in February when I announced [my candidacy] or governor, I said I knew that this campaign would get into the gutter, and I would not follow my opponents into that gutter," Christie said.
"The talking heads...have said you cannot win an election in New Jersey without being personally negative, without doing smear attack ads on the character of your opponent. Now in February when I announced [my candidacy] or governor, I said I knew that this campaign would get into the gutter, and I would not follow my opponents into that gutter," Christie said.
Nov 3 2009, 11:12PM
Corzine Concedes: Democrats Have An Agenda To Carry Forward
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine (D) actually managed to rally the crowd during his concession speech tonight, and he did it by talking about the national Democratic/progressive agenda--which was somewhat fitting, given that New Jersey was supposed to be the race most apt to be called a referendum on President Obama and his party.
Corzine delivered an applause line when he said his loss "does not mean...the Democrats across this state, across this country, don't have an agenda to carry forward. It's important that we fight for health care, it is important that we make sure our children have the kind of education that I know New Jerseyans want, it's important that we fight for collective bargaining and the rights of labor."
Corzine delivered an applause line when he said his loss "does not mean...the Democrats across this state, across this country, don't have an agenda to carry forward. It's important that we fight for health care, it is important that we make sure our children have the kind of education that I know New Jerseyans want, it's important that we fight for collective bargaining and the rights of labor."
Nov 3 2009, 9:55PM
McDonnell Accepts: It's About Jobs
Bob McDonnell's campaign acceptance speech, as his campaign had been, was about jobs in Virginia. No jabs at President Obama or health care or anything going on in Washington, really. Some general conservatism and one line about keeping taxes down, but mostly just jobs in Virginia.
After running down a list of thank-yous that included RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Missisippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), McDonnell listed the people he'd met throughout the state that were looking for more job creation and opportunity, and got into his ethos:
After running down a list of thank-yous that included RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Missisippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), McDonnell listed the people he'd met throughout the state that were looking for more job creation and opportunity, and got into his ethos:
Nov 3 2009, 6:11PM
Election Livestream
The latest results and data on the 2009 elections. To follow the 79 most informative Election Night Twitterers, check our our list here.
12:16 Networks calls NY-23 for Democrat Bill Owens, and Democrats take control of the seat for the first time in over a hundred years. The latest results, with 88 percent of precincts reporting, have Democrat Bill Owens at 49 percent, Conservative Doug Hoffman at 46 percent, and since-withdrawn GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava taking five percent.
11:58 Christie's speech is about the "out of control" government in Trenton, corruption, and Corzine's negative campaign: "talking heads...have said you cannot win an election in New Jersey without being personally negative, without doing smear attack ads on the character of your opponent. Now in February when I announced [my candidacy] for governor, I said I knew that this campaign would get into the gutter, and I would not follow my opponents into that gutter."
12:16 Networks calls NY-23 for Democrat Bill Owens, and Democrats take control of the seat for the first time in over a hundred years. The latest results, with 88 percent of precincts reporting, have Democrat Bill Owens at 49 percent, Conservative Doug Hoffman at 46 percent, and since-withdrawn GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava taking five percent.
11:58 Christie's speech is about the "out of control" government in Trenton, corruption, and Corzine's negative campaign: "talking heads...have said you cannot win an election in New Jersey without being personally negative, without doing smear attack ads on the character of your opponent. Now in February when I announced [my candidacy] for governor, I said I knew that this campaign would get into the gutter, and I would not follow my opponents into that gutter."
Nov 3 2009, 5:14PM
NY-23: Who Spent What?
New York's 23rd district has been a quirky race all around, and, with all the national attention it's drawn, so too has come a good deal of national money. With only one House race happening in '09, where else would it go?
It's also being looked at as an ideological microcosm for the rest of the country, meaning interest groups had a point to prove in this contest, and that's exactly what they tried to do--with money.
So here's a breakdown of who spent what in New York's 23rd district, and who the major players were:
It's also being looked at as an ideological microcosm for the rest of the country, meaning interest groups had a point to prove in this contest, and that's exactly what they tried to do--with money.
So here's a breakdown of who spent what in New York's 23rd district, and who the major players were:
Nov 3 2009, 1:33PM
Spinning The Spin
While we're sifting through the Election-Day spin from pundits and analysts and waiting for the real, true-to-life, partisan spin later tonight from politicians and our beloved Democratic and Republican parties, well, we may as well spin that spin. The Awl offers up a checklist of things to watch for in the Sea of Spin:
Nov 3 2009, 12:59PM
MoveOn Pressures Centrist Dems On Health Care
If centrist Democratic senators were having a tough time deciding how to vote on health care, MoveOn.org is trying to provide them with a nudge: it's hitting Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA) with radio ads in their home states, plus direct-mail pieces pressuring those two plus Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
So far, progressives have backed off pressuring Democrats directly--their strategy has been more to attack insurance companies and remind everyone of the public option's popularity--but now, as we approach the time when senators will have to cast their votes, MoveOn at least has gotten a bit more aggressive.
So far, progressives have backed off pressuring Democrats directly--their strategy has been more to attack insurance companies and remind everyone of the public option's popularity--but now, as we approach the time when senators will have to cast their votes, MoveOn at least has gotten a bit more aggressive.
Nov 3 2009, 10:36AM
Bush Bounces It
Last night, President Bush threw out the first pitch at game three of the Japan Series (the Japanese analogue to our own World Series), and, well, his arm apparently isn't what it used to be: the former president bounced the pitch before it reached home plate.
Bush has a pretty good track record of first pitches, and, to date, this appears to be the first one he's bounced.
In 2001, buoyed by the swell of patriotism that abounded in Yankee Stadium, Bush delivered a strike from the mound in game three of the World Series. Before the game, Derek Jeter warned him: "Don't bounce it, they'll boo you."
Bush has a pretty good track record of first pitches, and, to date, this appears to be the first one he's bounced.
In 2001, buoyed by the swell of patriotism that abounded in Yankee Stadium, Bush delivered a strike from the mound in game three of the World Series. Before the game, Derek Jeter warned him: "Don't bounce it, they'll boo you."
Nov 3 2009, 10:07AM
Obama To Meet With Lincoln
So reports TPMDC's Christina Bellantoni: President Obama will meet with Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) in the Oval Office this evening at 5:15, as voters are casting ballots in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York, presumably to talk about health care. Lincoln is one of the Senate's cluster of centrist Democrats, who are thus far still considered swing votes on health reform, though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) plan for a compromise public option--one that lets states opt out of the program--seems to be gaining momentum (Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who is perhaps the toughest sell the public option besides Joe Lieberman, indicated in an interview with MSNBC on Friday that he thought Reid's opt-out plan could pass).
Nov 2 2009, 4:13PM
Video: Guantanamo Detainees Talk About Experience, After Release
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has represented Guantanamo Bay detainees as they challenge their detentions in court, has put together a video following former detainees, post-release. The five men talk about their time in the prison, physical and sexual abuse they endured, and their returns home to the UK:
Nov 2 2009, 3:30PM
What If Hoffman Loses?
National conservative figures got involved in New York's 23rd district special election, and they got involved in a big way. As Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence points out, they eventually succeeded in muscling the Republican candidate--the pro-abortion-rights, pro-same-sex-marriage Dede Scozzafava--out of the race with a slew of endorsements, money, and criticism.
Now we are left with a race between Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, upon whom the hopes and dreams of the conservative movement are pinned. He's an acolyte of Glenn Beck's 9/12 quasi-tea-party movement: having signed Beck's 9/12 candidate pledge, he's an official 9/12 candidate--part of a (possibly) new breed of conservative that sits to the right of the national GOP, and which, could, some think, rise to prominence in 2010 if grassroots conservatives sustain their energy...and if that energy is something candidates can thrive on enough, at least, to think that they have a legitimate shot at winning seats in the House of Representatives.
So what if Hoffman loses?
Now we are left with a race between Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman, upon whom the hopes and dreams of the conservative movement are pinned. He's an acolyte of Glenn Beck's 9/12 quasi-tea-party movement: having signed Beck's 9/12 candidate pledge, he's an official 9/12 candidate--part of a (possibly) new breed of conservative that sits to the right of the national GOP, and which, could, some think, rise to prominence in 2010 if grassroots conservatives sustain their energy...and if that energy is something candidates can thrive on enough, at least, to think that they have a legitimate shot at winning seats in the House of Representatives.
So what if Hoffman loses?
Nov 2 2009, 12:35PM
Mem-wars: More Americans Want To Read Rice's Book Than Palin's, Bush's
Sarah Palin's memoir has the buzz--it even has a liberal-authored spoof on the way--and President Bush has been out of the public eye since flying away in a helicopter on the day of President Obama's inauguration, meaning his upcoming book will be the first that most Americans have heard from him in the past nine montyhs.
But more Americans actually want to read former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's upcoming memoir, according to a poll by Vanity Fair and CBS.
But more Americans actually want to read former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's upcoming memoir, according to a poll by Vanity Fair and CBS.
Nov 2 2009, 10:43AM
Decision Time?
Since Gen. Stanley McChrystal submitted his assessment of the war in Afghanistan to the Pentagon in September, President Obama has been weighing it, meeting frequently with his national security team for deliberations on the 40,000-troop request--and, all the while, waiting for Afghanistan to hold its run-off election on November 7. It gave the president more time to make his decision, avoided introducing an element that could affect Afghan politics, and would have given him firmer footing on which to announce his new policy--namely, knowing who Afghanistan's next president would be.
Now that run-off election won't happen: President Hamid Karzai's challenger, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew over the weekend and Afghanistan's election commission has subsequently declared Karzai the winner. Obama's time frame has been thrown off. Perhaps this means he'll announce his decision soon; perhaps it doesn't.
Now that run-off election won't happen: President Hamid Karzai's challenger, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew over the weekend and Afghanistan's election commission has subsequently declared Karzai the winner. Obama's time frame has been thrown off. Perhaps this means he'll announce his decision soon; perhaps it doesn't.
Oct 30 2009, 4:36PM
The Little-Guy Agenda
The Obama administration came into this summer with a sweeping plan for financial regulation--its proposals for how to prevent another meltdown after the mortgage crisis and the wave of bank failures that led up to President Obama's inauguration and continued to dominate discussion during his first months in office.
Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rolled out a package of proposals that included the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, regulation of derivatives, and an answer to "too big to fail"--setting up government regulators as a stopgap against gigantic banks taking on too much risks.
Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner rolled out a package of proposals that included the creation of a Consumer Financial Protection Agency, regulation of derivatives, and an answer to "too big to fail"--setting up government regulators as a stopgap against gigantic banks taking on too much risks.
Oct 30 2009, 4:06PM
Orszag: Yeah, It Was The Stimulus
In a non-political, budget-wonk kind of way, Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag tells Black Enterprise in an interview that, yes, according to other people's projections, the stimulus package was responsible for all 3.5 percent of the GDP's third-quarter growth, which was reported yesterday. From the interview:
How much of the current growth in the third quarter is the result of stimulus-related activity spurred by the federal government?
Well, the overall growth rate was 3.5% and you can take a variety of models. For example, Goldman Sachs suggests that the Recovery Act added 3.3%. Mark Zandi [economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com] says 3.6%. The President's Council of Economic Advisors also says 3.6%. The Congressional Budget Office gives a range of between 2% and 5%. So, average that and call it 3.5%. Basically, they're all in the 3% to 4% range. Therefore one could say that all the growth in the third quarter is attributable to the impact of the recovery act. Another way of putting is, without the recovery act--given these estimates of its impact--the economy would have been flat rather that growing during the third quarter.
Oct 30 2009, 1:45PM
The Protesters Are Back
Not that they ever officially left, but Politics Daily's Shahzad Chaudhary reports an uptick in anti-war protest activity as President Obama weighs his options in Afghanistan, including more arrests at the Capitol this year than last:
With waning public approval of the Afghanistan war, however, antiwar groups have noticed an increase in support. "We've had a lot of decentralized action in October," said Gael Murphy, co-founder of Code Pink.
Antiwar actions such as the committee hearing protest, in which Blome and Hubert participated in earlier this month, have slowly started to reemerge. So far this year there have been eight official "disruption of Congress" arrests, compared with only four in all of 2008, according to Capitol Hill Police. These types of protests are likely to increase, said Murphy.
Oct 30 2009, 11:03AM
Polls: Lincoln, Bayh Could Face Campaign Troubles If They Oppose Public Option
Two Senate Democrats who represent swing votes on health care are also up for reelection in 2010, and polls commissioned by a liberal campaign group show they could be in trouble if they vote with Republicans to block health reform that contains a public option.
The Progressive Campaign Change Committee, a group dedicated to electing liberal lawmakers, has released polls testing the health care waters for Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Evan Bayh (D-IN), and both surveys, conducted by Research 2000, show that Democrats and independents will be less likely to support them in 2010 if they join a filibuster.
The Progressive Campaign Change Committee, a group dedicated to electing liberal lawmakers, has released polls testing the health care waters for Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) and Evan Bayh (D-IN), and both surveys, conducted by Research 2000, show that Democrats and independents will be less likely to support them in 2010 if they join a filibuster.
Oct 29 2009, 4:20PM
Grijalva: Progressives Will Push For Changes To House Bill
Liberal Democrats in the House of Representatives can get behind the health care bill Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled today, but they'll press Democratic House leaders to make changes to it, according to one of the leaders of the House Progressive Caucus.
Progressive lawmakers are "obviously disappointed" that Pelosi's bill didn't include a stronger public option, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), one of two co-chairs of the House Progressive Caucus, said in a phone interview.
"There's a level of satisfaction that we've brought [the public option] back from the dead, but a level of disappointment that it's not what we think the mechanism should have been," Grijalva said.
Progressive lawmakers are "obviously disappointed" that Pelosi's bill didn't include a stronger public option, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), one of two co-chairs of the House Progressive Caucus, said in a phone interview.
"There's a level of satisfaction that we've brought [the public option] back from the dead, but a level of disappointment that it's not what we think the mechanism should have been," Grijalva said.
Oct 29 2009, 2:27PM
House Bill Wins Over Progressives
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's newly unveiled health care package isn't as ambitious as what most progressives have called for, but they're praising it as a big step toward passing a reform package that includes a public option.
"Today, House leadership proved it is on our side with a bill that makes health care much more affordable, ends egregious insurance industry abuse, and injects real choice and competition with the inclusion of a national public health insurance option," said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for Health Care for America Now!, the conglomeration of liberal interest groups that makes up the progressive-advocacy side of the health care debate.
"Today, House leadership proved it is on our side with a bill that makes health care much more affordable, ends egregious insurance industry abuse, and injects real choice and competition with the inclusion of a national public health insurance option," said Richard Kirsch, national campaign manager for Health Care for America Now!, the conglomeration of liberal interest groups that makes up the progressive-advocacy side of the health care debate.
Oct 29 2009, 1:47PM
Stimulus Spending, Before Your Very Eyes
The government watchdogs at the Sunlight Foundation have released a new iPhone 3GS/Android phone app that uses the phones' "augmented reality" function--which is probably the spookiest technology that exists today, outside the guided-missile acumen of predator drones--to conjure floating representations of stimulus contracts, wherever you are.
Oct 29 2009, 12:20PM
Obama Praises Deficit-Neutral Public Option
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's public option isn't quite what President Obama originally stumped for, but he congratulated the Speaker on including one in the House health care package she unveiled today at the Capitol--and on keeping the bill deficit neutral as she did it.
From his statement on the bill, released this morning by the White House:
From his statement on the bill, released this morning by the White House:
Oct 29 2009, 11:00AM
Pelosi: Health Care Bill Reduces Deficit, Spends More Than Senate Bill
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says the conglomerated House health care reform bill--rolled out today at a news conference outside the Capitol--will be deficit neutral, a key qualification for getting moderates on board.
"The bill is fiscally sound, will not add one dime to the deficit," Pelosi proclaimed.
"The bill is fiscally sound, will not add one dime to the deficit," Pelosi proclaimed.
Oct 29 2009, 10:30AM
With Billions In The Balance, Clinton Tells Pakistan To Step It Up
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been in Pakistan this week, and, in a meeting with editors in Lahore, she essentially accused Pakistan's government of knowing where al-Qaeda leaders are and choosing, of their own volition, not to go after them. From Bloomberg:
"Al-Qaeda has had safe haven in Pakistan since 2002," Clinton told a group of editors in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. "I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn't get them if they really wanted to. Maybe that's the case; maybe they're not gettable. I don't know."
Oct 28 2009, 2:00PM
Afghanistan Poll: Good News For The White House, A Split Decision For McChrystal
An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll today found that the public now supports sending more troops to Afghanistan...and not only that: a resounding 58 percent majority thinks it's best for President Obama to delay his final decision until after Afghanistan holds its presidential run-off election on November 7.
All this is good news for the White House: the American public supports Obama in exactly the two areas in which he faces political opposition. The left doesn't want more troops, while the right (embodied most recently by Dick Cheney and John McCain), have attacked the president for waiting too long to decide. Evidently, the public doesn't agree with either group of critics.
But the poll reveals more complex opinions on exactly how many troops to send and what mission they should undertake.
All this is good news for the White House: the American public supports Obama in exactly the two areas in which he faces political opposition. The left doesn't want more troops, while the right (embodied most recently by Dick Cheney and John McCain), have attacked the president for waiting too long to decide. Evidently, the public doesn't agree with either group of critics.
But the poll reveals more complex opinions on exactly how many troops to send and what mission they should undertake.
Oct 28 2009, 12:01PM
Schwarzenegger Sticks It To Assemblyman, Acrostic Style
Just a little eff you to to an ornery assemblyman from California's governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger sent a letter to the California Assembly on October 11 promising a veto of Assembly Bill 1176, which would deliver some state funding to San Francisco for waterfront restoration...and the first letter of each line spells out a special message, presumably for the bill's author, Democrat Tom Ammiano, who yelled "You lie!" at Schwarzenegger when the governor stepped up to the podium during an unannounced visit to a San Francisco Democratic Party gala earlier this month.
Oct 28 2009, 11:08AM
Ad Watch: Seniors Group Launches Multi-State Ad Against Democratic Health Reform
The 60-Plus Association, a conservative seniors group (which retains Pat Boone as its spokesman), has dedicated $2 million to running an ad against Democratic health reforms in eight states over the next week, pressuring moderate senators who will cast swing votes in the Senate on health care.
The subject of the ad: cuts to Medicare spending.
The subject of the ad: cuts to Medicare spending.
Oct 28 2009, 10:05AM
Steele Still On Board With Scozzafava
As high-profile Republicans (other than Newt Gingrich) flock to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district special election over the Republican in the three-way race, Dede Scozzafava (R) still has one prominent supporter besides the former Speaker: Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.
"I support the republican nominee as the republican party chairman, and that's the way it should go, right?" Steele told NBC's Chuck Todd this morning during an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe (video here--fast forward to 4:55).
"I support the republican nominee as the republican party chairman, and that's the way it should go, right?" Steele told NBC's Chuck Todd this morning during an interview on MSNBC's Morning Joe (video here--fast forward to 4:55).
Oct 28 2009, 5:30AM
The Invisible Primary, 10/28
Tracking the GOP race to 2012
Sarah Palin got an advance of $1.25 million for her memoir; Levi Johnston, meanwhile, says he plans to "leak some things" on Palin; the former Alaska governor also encouraged her supporters, via Facebook, to rally around the Republican Governors Association and the GOP's gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia; Rick Santorum addressed a FreedomWorks event in North Carolina and said Americans are living in "fear" in the Obama era; and Newt Gingrich criticized GOP support for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district as a "purge."
Sarah Palin got an advance of $1.25 million for her memoir; Levi Johnston, meanwhile, says he plans to "leak some things" on Palin; the former Alaska governor also encouraged her supporters, via Facebook, to rally around the Republican Governors Association and the GOP's gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia; Rick Santorum addressed a FreedomWorks event in North Carolina and said Americans are living in "fear" in the Obama era; and Newt Gingrich criticized GOP support for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district as a "purge."
Oct 28 2009, 5:00AM
Hurtling Toward 2010, 10/28
The 2010 midterms are just around the corner (sort of). Here's what's happening:
In the '09 races...Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman got some more help as the Club for Growth cycled in a new ad for him in New York's 23rd district special election, as part of a $300,000 media buy announced last week; a Neighborhood Research poll commissioned by the Minuteman PAC finds Hoffman leading the race with 34 percent; a Washington Post poll shows Republican Bob McDonnell leading Democrat Creigh Deeds 55-44 in Virginia's gubernatorial race; SurveyUSA, meanwhile, has McDonnell up 58-41; Rasmussen finds Republican Chris Christie ahead of Gov. Jon Corzine (D) 46-43 in New Jersey; and in 2010 news...the National Republican Congressional Committee added 32 candidates to its Young Guns program; a Ron Paul supporter in Nevada launched a PAC opposing Sue Lowden, one of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) Republican challengers; and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is attracting some negative attention for calling a female Fed advisor a "K Street whore."
In the '09 races...Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman got some more help as the Club for Growth cycled in a new ad for him in New York's 23rd district special election, as part of a $300,000 media buy announced last week; a Neighborhood Research poll commissioned by the Minuteman PAC finds Hoffman leading the race with 34 percent; a Washington Post poll shows Republican Bob McDonnell leading Democrat Creigh Deeds 55-44 in Virginia's gubernatorial race; SurveyUSA, meanwhile, has McDonnell up 58-41; Rasmussen finds Republican Chris Christie ahead of Gov. Jon Corzine (D) 46-43 in New Jersey; and in 2010 news...the National Republican Congressional Committee added 32 candidates to its Young Guns program; a Ron Paul supporter in Nevada launched a PAC opposing Sue Lowden, one of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) Republican challengers; and Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is attracting some negative attention for calling a female Fed advisor a "K Street whore."
Oct 27 2009, 5:10PM
The Weirdest Political Video On The Planet
In case you're wondering where to find the weirdest political videos on the planet, look no further than ACORN Man--a crudely rendered digital superhero who consorts with Missouri Secretary of State and U.S. Senate candidate Robin Carnahan (D), as well as fellow hero SEI-Ultra (a metonymy for the Service Employees International Union), to discuss secret payoffs and the construction of an underground lair, all in a computerized monotone:
Oct 27 2009, 12:55PM
Grayson Says Something Offensive...For Real This Time
Democrats had a good lighthearted chuckle when Republicans started calling for Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) to apologize after he suggested that the GOP health care plan was for Americans "to die quickly." Things got a little weirder when he launched a website called Names of the Dead to list Americans who've died because they don't have health insurance--a noble goal in progressive eyes...but sounds like a zombie movie. Now, he's really done it: in a month-old radio interview that's now making the rounds, he calls Linda Robertson, an advisor to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, a "K Street whore." This one will probably stick.
Oct 27 2009, 12:18PM
More Help For Hoffman
The Club for Growth will start airing its second ad for Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district special election, which has become the hottest off-year race in the country as conservatives have flocked to support Hoffman over GOP candidate Dede Scozzafava in their three-way contest with Democrat Bill Owens.
The Club launched its first ad for Hoffman last week, comparing him to the Republican Scozzafava; the new ad seeks to marginalize Scozzafava, asserting that the race "comes down to two very different candidates"--Hoffman and Owens.
The Club launched its first ad for Hoffman last week, comparing him to the Republican Scozzafava; the new ad seeks to marginalize Scozzafava, asserting that the race "comes down to two very different candidates"--Hoffman and Owens.
Oct 27 2009, 11:29AM
The Yes Men Get Sued
It's all fun and games until somebody files a civil complaint.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed suit yesterday in federal district court against The Yes Men, the group of pranksters who perpetrated the fake Chamber press release last week claiming the business group had reversed its climate-change stance and announced support for Democratic cap-and-trade policies in a speech by its president at the National Press Club.
The Chamber says it filed the suit after its lawyers asked The Yes Men to dismantle a fake Chamber website it set up for the prank, which uses the Chamber's logo, and the pranksters refused.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed suit yesterday in federal district court against The Yes Men, the group of pranksters who perpetrated the fake Chamber press release last week claiming the business group had reversed its climate-change stance and announced support for Democratic cap-and-trade policies in a speech by its president at the National Press Club.
The Chamber says it filed the suit after its lawyers asked The Yes Men to dismantle a fake Chamber website it set up for the prank, which uses the Chamber's logo, and the pranksters refused.
Oct 27 2009, 10:44AM
Fox's Ratings Bump--Don't Just Credit The White House War
Business Insider has a comparison of Fox News ratings since the White House launched its campaign against the network, and it finds Fox's audience share among cable networks has grown nine percent in the past month. CNN, meanwhile, is now last among the cable news networks in prime time viewership.
The same ratings-bump phenomenon happened for Rush Limbaugh, whose ratings have hit record highs in some markets since the White House made him a target.
Rush's bump actually started before Democrats launched their organized campaign against him, which began during the first couple days of March with a coordinated effort to refer to him as the leader of the Republican Party. Improved ratings were reported around that time--including a 45 percent gain in New York and a 30 percent gain in LA--and were posed as evidence that the White House's campaign had backfired. But the numbers were actually from February, when tensions were mounting but the White House/Democratic messaging effort hadn't yet begun in full.
The same ratings-bump phenomenon happened for Rush Limbaugh, whose ratings have hit record highs in some markets since the White House made him a target.
Rush's bump actually started before Democrats launched their organized campaign against him, which began during the first couple days of March with a coordinated effort to refer to him as the leader of the Republican Party. Improved ratings were reported around that time--including a 45 percent gain in New York and a 30 percent gain in LA--and were posed as evidence that the White House's campaign had backfired. But the numbers were actually from February, when tensions were mounting but the White House/Democratic messaging effort hadn't yet begun in full.
Oct 26 2009, 4:40PM
Insurers: Reid's Compromise Is A Roadblock
While Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is praised by the left today for, as they're explaining it, a gutsy maneuver to get a public option to the Senate floor, health insurers are casting his plan for a public option that lets states opt-out as exactly the opposite. The public option, even with the opt-out clause, is a "roadblock" to national health care consensus, they say. Here's the statement issued this afternoon by America's Health Insurance Plans President and CEO Karen Ignagni:
Oct 26 2009, 4:27PM
Liberals Cheer For Reid's Plan
It's not a full-on public option for the whole country, but liberals say they're happy with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's announcement that he'll seek to bring a health reform bill to the floor with a public option that lets states opt out of the government-run insurance plan.
Oct 26 2009, 3:39PM
Pawlenty Endorses Hoffman
It's the latest trend for Republicans--endorsing Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd district special election--and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is now the latest to announce his support.
Pawlenty sent the following statement today to the conservative blog RedState, which got the exclusive:
Pawlenty sent the following statement today to the conservative blog RedState, which got the exclusive:
Oct 26 2009, 1:58PM
White House: We're All On The Same Page Here
The White House wants you to know: President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are on the same page when it comes to the public option.
Reid is trying to finalize a health reform bill that will get the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, and he's reportedly weighing the inclusion of a public-option provision that would create a government-run health insurance plan but give individual states the ability to opt out.
The White House evidently wanted it known that this does not contradict its own stance on the public option--and to reinforce its denial of a report that it was seeking to weaken the public option--as Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer posted the following statement on the WhiteHouse.gov blog last night:
Reid is trying to finalize a health reform bill that will get the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster, and he's reportedly weighing the inclusion of a public-option provision that would create a government-run health insurance plan but give individual states the ability to opt out.
The White House evidently wanted it known that this does not contradict its own stance on the public option--and to reinforce its denial of a report that it was seeking to weaken the public option--as Deputy Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer posted the following statement on the WhiteHouse.gov blog last night:
Oct 26 2009, 11:34AM
Romer: Health Reform Can Save Us From Bush
Christina Romer, the chairman of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, will push for health care reform in a speech at the Center for American Progress today, and excerpts of the speech have been released. In it, she poses health care as a long-term fiscal necessity--something government must do in order to address federal deficits.
Copyright © 2009 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All rights reserved.