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Although Congress is in recess, many members of the Senate will, of course, be attending Ted Kennedy's funeral in Boston. When they reconvene in Washington after Labor Day, Kennedy's passing will have a number of important practical ramifications in addition to the symbolic ones so much in discussion today. These will impact many of the big policy decisions coming this fall. While nothing is formal yet, Senate insiders expect something like the following scenario to occur. Chris Dodd, currently the chairman of the Banking Committee, would succeed Kennedy as chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, an instrumental position in the health care fight and a move that would formalize what has for some time been an informal arrangement. Dodd and Max Baucus, who would remain Finance Committee chairman, would become the key Senate figures on health care. Tim Johnson is next in line to replace Dodd atop the Banking Committee, an important spot for obvious economic reasons and also because the Senate is expected to take up financial services regulation early next year. But Johnson has suffered health problems of his own, so the chairmanship may go to Jack Reed, a low-profile figure who is well thought of by colleagues and fluent in matters of finance (a rare trait among Democrats). Even if Johnson assumes the chairmanship, Reed is expected to play a much larger role.

There's been so much talk of "balls and strikes" at today's Senate hearing that one could be forgiven for imagining that Sonia Sotomayor is auditioning to lead an umpiring crew for Major League Baseball, and not to join the Supreme Court. At his 2005 confirmation hearings, current chief justice John Roberts also talked a lot about "balls and strikes." What gives? And who's responsible for the annoying judges-as-umpires meme? The answer, I believe, is Karl Rove. As I learned while reporting this piece on Rove's history of dirty tricks, one way that Rove flipped the Alabama Supreme Court from being mostly Democratic to mostly Republican (in Alabama judges are elected) is by propagating the notion that judges ought to be like umpires--i.e., limited to rendering impartial (non-empathetic?) judgment. When Rove showed up in Alabama in the early 1990s, the trial bar dominated the political landscape. His pleasingly simple and easy to grasp "umpires" formulation resonated deeply, and in short order Republicans came to dominate. In fact, they still do. (Sadly for Karl, it's probably the nearest he'll ever get to his "permanent majority.")
 
There was a time before the GOP collapsed, when people automatically assumed Rove was behind everything. Today, he can't get credit for anything. So in the spirit of calling 'em like I see 'em, let's pause to acknowledge Rove's achievement. It's so great that the Democrats have stolen it!

The headline over at Talking Points Memo right now is "60!" in reference to Al Franken's pending arrival in the Senate, reflecting the fact that Democrats now have 60 seats, a filibuster-proof majority. At least on paper. In reality, it's not quite so simple. A quiet concern in the White House is the logistical difficulty of getting Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd, both of them long absent with serious health issues, to the Senate floor to cast a vote. This is putting additional pressure on conservative Democrats like Evan Bayh to toe the party line, and raising the importance of  Olympia Snow and Susan Collins, considered to be the two most gettable Republicans on issues like health care.

If you're a baseball fan, then you know that steroid-pumping quitter Manny Ramirez returned last night from a 50-game suspension, imposed for testing positive for drugs associated with a performance-enhancing cycle. Actually, Manny has not completed his suspension, but the rules allow him to begin his comeback in the minor leagues, so he suited up with the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, the Albuquerque Isotopes (not to be confused with the Springfield Isotopes). The Ramirez steroids scandal is the biggest in pro sports this year. But on SportsCenter last night, there was a moment of politico-athletic scandal serendipity when it was reported that one-time Obama Commerce Secretary nominee Bill Richardson, who withdrew amid an ethics scandal, attended the game and pronounced Manny's joining the Isotopes "a fantastic day for New Mexico"...the circumstances of this "fantastic" turn of events being, let's remember, the entirely just punishment of an epic cheat who has forever tarnished baseball. Nice going, Bill! Ramirez went 0-for-2 with a strikeout. But on balance, I think Richardson proved himself the bigger sad sack.

UPDATE: A spokesman for Richardson e-mails to say that SportsCenter was wrong--Richardson never said it was a "fantastic day" for New Mexico. Richardson was at the game, but he didn't make any such comment, the spokesman said.

Today's explosive news that lazy Red Sox turncoat (and current LA Dodgers slugger) Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games after violating Major League Baseball's drug policy is already tearing up talk radio--but unlike previous baseball stars who came under suspicion of steroid use, Ramirez is probably going to avoid a congressional subpoena. Though Congress has actively investigated baseball's drug culture, the locus of that activity--the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee--won't be taking up the issue. I called the committee's chairman, Edolphus Towns, to ask whether he planned to look into the Ramirez drug suspension or whether he was going to pass on it, as he did Alex Rodriguez's admission of steroid use earlier this year. He's passing. "Chairman Towns is continuing to focus on the stimulus, the financial bailout, getting Americans back to work, and passing legislation to strengthen the federal workforce," his spokeswoman told me.

Don't know if this is a reflection of the Democratic Congress or simply a reflection of our popular culture, but Congress is simply teeming with celebrities today. On the House side alone, Josh Groban and Linda Ronstadt testified, and Martin Sheen, Bradley Whitford, and Richard Schiff all appeared for a press conference--and those are just the ones I happened to spot. The other day, well-traveled, tantrum-throwing wide receiver Terrell Owens testified. Nobody really even noticed. Once upon a time, celebrity testimony was a big, big deal. In 1981, when Jack "Quincy M.D." Klugman testified before a House subcommittee in support of orphan drug legislation, it rated a front-page story in The New York Times. Today's celebs are lucky to make CongressDaily.

Double-Late-Breaking, Friday-Afternoon Analysis: I enjoyed Rick Santelli¹s rant as much as anyone. Financial news has found its Howard Beale . It¹s likewise amusing to see the White House snap back at Santelli, as Marc just wrote about. Leaving aside the obvious hypocrisy (Santelli didn¹t get worked up when his bank-exec neighbors got bailed out), here¹s a less obvious bit: The stimulus also contains a huge mortgage-related giveaway to wealthy types exactly like the pit traders in Santelli's audience. Buried on page 111 is a clause raising the "jumbo-conforming limit" on government-backed mortgages from $625,500 to $729.750 in rich areas like New York, Washington DC, and Santelli's home of Chicago. This is a big deal because Fannie and Freddie are the only ones buying mortgages anymore, so it will have the effect of driving down interest rates on really big mortgages. (Good breakdown here ) The Regular Joes on whose behalf Santelli seemed to be ranting don¹t take out $730K mortgages.

But I¹ll bet CNBC anchors do. If I were Robert Gibbs, I would point this out. I might even have some fun by dubbing the provision " the Santelli Clause" to drive home the point.