The more closely I follow political news, the more appreciation I have for the "balance of power," a phrase that Senate Republicans know all too well.
The Obama administration, which boasts 13 million supporters, announced that it was considering Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.)for the position of Commerce secretary, which is good news for Gregg, (61) who's prospects for a 2010 re-election are looking shaky and expensive. As Commerce secretary, Gregg would get to pursue his interest in economic policies and be part of a government that will "amplify" the voice of the people. From his viewpoint and background as a left-leaning Republican, Gregg would have the chance to wield some power from inside the enemy camp, with the downside that Republicans in his home state would hate him forever.
If Gregg defects from the Senate, then the Democrats would hold a 60-seat majority and Republicans would lose filibuster power. Obama would find significantly less resistance while passing through legislation, and Republicans would become the threatened minority like never before.
The question is, where does party loyalty come in? Before the election, Barack Obama and Joe Biden's extremely partisan record showed them to be hardcore Democrats, sticking with their party like glue. Will Gregg follow that line of thinking and remain in the Senate? Or will Gregg, the individual, continue his political career at the expense of the network of people that helped him get this far? Are his ideals and dreams spun from the GOP cloth or his own ambitions, and will history judge him if he does abandon what many see as a sinking ship? Only Time will tell...and Politico.
“I think you will see a White House political affairs shop that will do everything it can to protect and promote the Obama brand, and tries to leverage the Obama brand to impact external audiences in a big broad way, and will then have a trickle-down effect and impact elected officials,” - Chris Lehane, former Clinton aide.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Throwing out the bathwater
My co-worker Jeff was watching this today, the day after the "National Sanctity of Human Choice Day."
Powerful video.
But mainstream America would be offended by this video, according to Terry Mattingly's provocative line of reasoning: otherwise, why can't the CatholicVote people get a network to run their ad?
NPR reported today that "a narrow majority" of American's support abortion, and that the Mexico City Policy was viewed by most as outdated. Robert George, Hadley Arkes, and Francis Beckwith started a website to document recent political action surrounding abortion and keep a watchful eye on his actions. Literature similar to theirs is widespread, and is read by pro-lifers, including some of my teenage friends who joined the March to the Supreme Court (all of them adhere to this ). Some of them admitted they went to the Mall hoping to encounter some counter-protestors. "At one point we thought we saw people with a sign that said "Abortion is a better option!" but when we ran over there, it was some cute girls and "Adoption is a better option." If they want to face some opposition, though, all they need to do is wait.
President Obama, in an "open minded" act, revoked The Mexico City Policy. Lifesitenews reports that 22 of the nation's top pro-life group issued a joint statement In light of the U.S. economy, it seems a strange move to start funding overseas abortions, but Obama may just have the personality needed to push through his agenda and overturn Bush's legacy.
One of Bush's speechwriters, Marc Thiessen, wrote in The Washington Post that “President Obama has inherited a set of tools that successfully protected the country for 2,688 days — and he cannot dismantle those tools without risking catastrophic consequences.”
And that, Politico reports Matt Bennett of Third Way saying, is like trying to keep the baby and get rid of the bathwater.
But in this case, Obama is trying to get rid of the baby as well.
Powerful video.
But mainstream America would be offended by this video, according to Terry Mattingly's provocative line of reasoning: otherwise, why can't the CatholicVote people get a network to run their ad?
NPR reported today that "a narrow majority" of American's support abortion, and that the Mexico City Policy was viewed by most as outdated. Robert George, Hadley Arkes, and Francis Beckwith started a website to document recent political action surrounding abortion and keep a watchful eye on his actions. Literature similar to theirs is widespread, and is read by pro-lifers, including some of my teenage friends who joined the March to the Supreme Court (all of them adhere to this ). Some of them admitted they went to the Mall hoping to encounter some counter-protestors. "At one point we thought we saw people with a sign that said "Abortion is a better option!" but when we ran over there, it was some cute girls and "Adoption is a better option." If they want to face some opposition, though, all they need to do is wait.
President Obama, in an "open minded" act, revoked The Mexico City Policy. Lifesitenews reports that 22 of the nation's top pro-life group issued a joint statement In light of the U.S. economy, it seems a strange move to start funding overseas abortions, but Obama may just have the personality needed to push through his agenda and overturn Bush's legacy.
One of Bush's speechwriters, Marc Thiessen, wrote in The Washington Post that “President Obama has inherited a set of tools that successfully protected the country for 2,688 days — and he cannot dismantle those tools without risking catastrophic consequences.”
And that, Politico reports Matt Bennett of Third Way saying, is like trying to keep the baby and get rid of the bathwater.
But in this case, Obama is trying to get rid of the baby as well.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Political Journalism: Maiden voyage
1/17/09
This past year was eventful both for Obama and for me. He broke through racial barriers to become President-elect and I broke through the age barrier and became twenty-one. As a newly empowered spectator to the chaotic arena of American politics, I doubt that I will have many golden apples to throw out on the track. But hey, if a man with less than five years of political experience can become president than Cate Pilgrim can become a political commentator. Maybe both of us will learn a little bit more about how this country works.
First rule of the blogosphere: If you're going to do it, be informed. With that in mind, I checked out my usual news sources for political coverage. And since Obama is at the top of the food-chain (in a different sense than Bush of course) all the articles were about him. Good place to start.
Wired Magazine reported that in September 2008 60-plus Nobel prize winners were backing Obama – new ways to use energy equals a better economy, right?
Wrong. Or rather, unlikely.
Obama promised &150 billion for research into alternative energy sources, but he never specified where is was going to come from, although it is likely he was planning something along the lines of: slap companies & manufacturers with expensive-to-enforce standards regulating carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse pollutants, and they in turn search harder for earth-friendly alternative energy sources. Voila. A self-supporting system that won’t guzzle government funds. However, the immediate consequences to that are that gas prices would soar and cars would become much, much more expensive. No wonder politicians campaign on vague generalities. Details can be alarming.
Granted, WIRED Magazine isn't exactly the go-to place for political journalism, even if David Goldston, former chief of staff for the US House Committee on Science contributes to them.
So I checked out The New Republic, which advertises itself as "A Journal of Politics and the Arts." Apparently, Obama has been busy trying to mend "a grievously wounded relationship between our arts and our sense of national character."
Wow.
It really pays to have a blog. Otherwise I would never have known that the state of the American arts is at bloody odds with the national character. It's tragic. Ever since the late 1980s our nation has been embarrassingly backward in the arts community. Republican ignoramuses banned Mapplethorpe's sexually enlightened photo art, and censored Serrano's Piss Christ. But there is hope if we transfer Obama's argument that "there are no red states or blue states, just the United States" to the our national artistic psyche. Embrace the truth that art is mysterious and cannot to be narrowly labeled "good" or "bad" but just "American. Thanks for the heads up, Jed Perl (Vogue editor & art critic), and thanks for the Obama quote: "Our art and our culture, our science, that's the essence of what makes America special."
I wholeheartedly agree: Americaness makes Americans American. Possibly you could add a few other things to the essence of what makes America special. Like the fact that kids can get through three years of higher education and still be outraged when a professor assigns work due before class begins, or that those same kids get their political news coverage from fluffy pop culture magazines.
Let's just say it's going to be an interesting year.
This past year was eventful both for Obama and for me. He broke through racial barriers to become President-elect and I broke through the age barrier and became twenty-one. As a newly empowered spectator to the chaotic arena of American politics, I doubt that I will have many golden apples to throw out on the track. But hey, if a man with less than five years of political experience can become president than Cate Pilgrim can become a political commentator. Maybe both of us will learn a little bit more about how this country works.
First rule of the blogosphere: If you're going to do it, be informed. With that in mind, I checked out my usual news sources for political coverage. And since Obama is at the top of the food-chain (in a different sense than Bush of course) all the articles were about him. Good place to start.
Wired Magazine reported that in September 2008 60-plus Nobel prize winners were backing Obama – new ways to use energy equals a better economy, right?
Wrong. Or rather, unlikely.
Obama promised &150 billion for research into alternative energy sources, but he never specified where is was going to come from, although it is likely he was planning something along the lines of: slap companies & manufacturers with expensive-to-enforce standards regulating carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse pollutants, and they in turn search harder for earth-friendly alternative energy sources. Voila. A self-supporting system that won’t guzzle government funds. However, the immediate consequences to that are that gas prices would soar and cars would become much, much more expensive. No wonder politicians campaign on vague generalities. Details can be alarming.
Granted, WIRED Magazine isn't exactly the go-to place for political journalism, even if David Goldston, former chief of staff for the US House Committee on Science contributes to them.
So I checked out The New Republic, which advertises itself as "A Journal of Politics and the Arts." Apparently, Obama has been busy trying to mend "a grievously wounded relationship between our arts and our sense of national character."
Wow.
It really pays to have a blog. Otherwise I would never have known that the state of the American arts is at bloody odds with the national character. It's tragic. Ever since the late 1980s our nation has been embarrassingly backward in the arts community. Republican ignoramuses banned Mapplethorpe's sexually enlightened photo art, and censored Serrano's Piss Christ. But there is hope if we transfer Obama's argument that "there are no red states or blue states, just the United States" to the our national artistic psyche. Embrace the truth that art is mysterious and cannot to be narrowly labeled "good" or "bad" but just "American. Thanks for the heads up, Jed Perl (Vogue editor & art critic), and thanks for the Obama quote: "Our art and our culture, our science, that's the essence of what makes America special."
I wholeheartedly agree: Americaness makes Americans American. Possibly you could add a few other things to the essence of what makes America special. Like the fact that kids can get through three years of higher education and still be outraged when a professor assigns work due before class begins, or that those same kids get their political news coverage from fluffy pop culture magazines.
Let's just say it's going to be an interesting year.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)