Barack Obama

TPMDC Saturday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 4, 2009, 1:08PM

Obama: Global Coordination Needed For Global Crisis
In this weekend's YouTube Address, President Obama discussed the work of the G-20 leaders to fix the global economy:

"Ultimately, the only way out of a recession that is global in scope is with a response that is global in coordination," said Obama. "That is why I'm pleased that after two days of careful negotiation, the G20 nations have agreed on a series of unprecedented steps that I believe will be a turning point in our pursuit of a global economic recovery."

RNC Video: Obama Inherited A Fiscal Crisis, Is Making It Worse
In this weekend's RNC YouTube, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) gives the GOP's rebuttal on the budget -- and concedes the White House's point that the problems it is facing are inherited, rather than of its own making:

"There is no doubt that President Obama inherited a fiscal crisis," said Ryan. "But the question is, is he fixing it or is he making it worse? The President's budget, which passed the House and Senate this week, will make the crisis much, much worse."

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The Sunday Show Line-Ups

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 7:58PM

Here are the line-ups for the Sunday talk shows this weekend:

• ABC, This Week: Dr. Susan Rice, Ambassador to the United Nations.

• CBS, Face The Nation: Treasury Sec. Tim Geithner.

• CNN, State Of The Union: General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson; Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN); Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI); and former General Electric CEO Jack Welch.

• Fox News Sunday: David Axelrod, Senior Adviser to the President; Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC); and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

• NBC, Meet The Press: General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson.

NY-20

Murphy Picks Up 198 Votes As County Fixes Errors -- Tedisco Camp Claims More On The Way

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 5:15PM

A few moments ago we posted that the state's totals in NY-20 showed Democrat Scott Murphy and Republican Jim Tedisco were exactly tied, at 77,225 votes each. But no longer -- in the latest numbers from one county, Scott Murphy has picked up a net 198 votes.

The Albany Project first reported that Murphy had picked up the votes in Washington County, and I have now confirmed it with Donna English, the Republican election commissioner in the county. (Counties in New York have both Dem and GOP election commissioners, working together.)

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NY-20

The Current Numbers In NY-20: A Tie!!!

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 4:40PM

And the current leader in NY-20 is...nobody. It's a tie!

The Schenectady Daily Gazette reports that the numbers right now, as the counties go through the standard procedure of proofreading their spreadsheets, are 77,225 votes for Democrat Scott Murphy, to 77,225 votes for Republican Jim Tedisco.

Murphy led by 65 votes on election night, then 25 votes Wednesday afternoon, and Tedisco might have taken a small lead yesterday. The numbers are still in flux, as some counties are still checking everything out -- who knows, these numbers could even be out of date right now, minutes after it was reported.

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Budget

Conservative Democrats Wanted Billions Cut From Budget

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 4:01PM

I spent some time on the phone earlier today with aides to Mike Johann and Ben Nelson and it turns out there's very little ambiguity: Johann's motion would have resulted in a budget that all-but-froze non-defense discretionary spending, and two high profile Democrats supported it.

Here's how it would have worked.

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MN-SEN

Coleman Won't Say Whether He's Spoken With FBI About Kazeminy

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 3:53PM

Here's another fun new dimension to Norm Coleman's legal adventures -- and it's not directly related to the election contest.

During an interview with MinnPost.com yesterday, Norm was asked whether he'd spoken with the FBI about the Nasser Kazeminy case, which involves allegations that a donor paid a large amount of money to a consulting firm where Coleman's wife worked, with the aim of funneling the money to Norm himself.

And here's what happened:

"I can't say anything," he said. "We want this matter to be fully reviewed and fully investigated because nothing happened and we are looking forward to that taking place." And on that note, we arrived at Coleman's car and he ended the conversation by turning and putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Too many questions," he said, laughing.

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Michele Bachmann

Bachmann Amendment Against Non-Existent Plot To Replace Dollar Gaining Support

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 2:29PM

Here's your daily dose of everyone's favorite Republican House member, Michele Bachmann from Minnesota.

Bachmann has now picked up some new cosponsors in her efforts to amend the Constitution to forbid the use of a foreign/global money as the legal tender of the United States: Trent Franks (R-AZ), Peter Hoekstra (R-MI), and Kenny Marchant (R-TX). She now has a total of 34 cosponsors, in addition to herself as the primary sponsor.

Of course, there is no such threat to replace the dollar as America's currency. Even if a global currency of some kind were adopted -- and even that isn't in any way a sure thing -- it would be for international exchanges and reserves, not for domestic use.

Check out the full list of cosponsors, after the jump.

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MN-SEN

Coleman Gearing Up For Appeals: "This Is Not Judicial Fast Food"

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 2:11PM

Norm Coleman and the GOP are continuing to lay the groundwork to keep this drawn-out legal process going even longer, as the election court is to rule some time fairly soon that Al Franken is the winner of the race.

Norm appeared on Fox News today:

Norm reminded viewers that there will not be a certificate of election right after the court rules, as it will have to be appealed to the Minnesota Supreme Court: "Listen, it's taken a long time, but this is not judicial fast food."

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Don Young

Don Young's Prescription For Ted Stevens: Run For Governor!

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 1:36PM

The state of Alaska is providing with one of those great entertaining moments from a mostly one-party state: When members of the same party, in this case the Republicans, start openly ripping each other apart.

Congressman Don Young has broken from the calls by Sarah Palin and the Alaska Republican Party, who say that Democratic Sen. Mark Begich should resign because he was only elected through the botched prosecution against Sen. Ted Stevens. After Stevens was convicted of several felony counts, Begich went on to narrowly win the election -- but now the Justice Department has dropped all the charges in light of prosecutorial misconduct. Young doesn't like the result, but it is what it is.

Young is going a bit further, however, and making a suggestion for another way that Ted Stevens could make a political comeback: Running for governor in 2010. This would presumably involve Stevens running against Sarah Palin, a giant of her state's politics. Now why would Young suggest such a thing?

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Budget

Environmental Groups Applaud the Budgets

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 1:33PM

Much of this weeks budget drama centered around what it will portend for clean energy legislation. At the end of it all, though, environmental groups are fairly united behind the final products.

Josh Dorner of the Sierra Club says, "We aren't putting out a statement about passage, but obviously we are very excited that both the House and the Senate delivered the president what he needs, more than ample room to do whatever he wants to do on clean energy."

Steven Biel, Greenpeace's Global Warming Campaign Director, echoes that sentiment. "It's good that they've included the reserve fund [for clean energy legislation]," Biel says. "It represents political momentum in the right direction.... You've got senators from coal and oil producing states voting to support cap and trade."

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Budget

Third Way Agrees With More Liberal Groups: Hooray for the Budget

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 1:04PM

Grassroots progressive groups are beginning to chime in with reactions to House and Senate Budget resolution, and they're all pretty positive. Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future (CAF) said, "The economic recovery package and this budget are needed to begin moving us in a dramatically different direction. This budget represents transformational change."

For a time, anyhow, CAF had dedicated itself to opposing the obstructive efforts of conservative Democrats in the Senate, and they may be encouraged by the fact that only two such Democrats (Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson) voted against the bill.

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Budget

Boehner: We're Right, MIT Scientist Is Wrong

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 11:59AM

Yesterday, John Boehner's office told us Republicans would be standing by their claim that cap and trade legislation would cost American households an average of $3,128 a year--even though John Reilly, the scientist upon whose study they based that estimate, told them their calculations were wildly off.

Now Boehner's made it official by releasing a "Leader Alert" explaining their fuzzy logic.

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NY-20

DCCC E-Mail: GOP Accuses Us Of Trying To Steal NY-20 -- After They Stole The Presidency In 2000

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 11:56AM

DCCC has sent out another fundraising e-mail, responding to an NRCC e-mail that claimed Dems were trying to "pull a Franken" and steal the NY-20 special election.

The new e-mail, authored by Paul Begala, takes the form of forwarding the original NRCC e-mail -- though with the links to the NRCC's donation page disabled, of course -- and marveling at the accusation:

Yup. The same party that stole an entire Presidential election in 2000 and is right now still trying to steal a Senate race in Minnesota just sent this outrageous e-mail to their supporters. They're accusing us of trying to steal the too-close-to-call special election in New York's 20th District, even though Democratic candidate Scott Murphy led the vote count on Election Night!

I just had to forward their e-mail so you can see what we're up against. Read it below!

It's possible that Republican Jim Tedisco may have actually taken a lead, as the counties are going through the standard process of correcting initial errors in their spreadsheets -- and again, this doesn't include any absentee ballots. But at the time the NRCC sent out that accusation that Dems were trying to steal it, Democrat Scott Murphy was in fact ahead in all available counts.

Check out the full Begala e-mail, after the jump.

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George W. Bush

Poll: Bush And Cheney Still Unpopular

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 10:13AM

A new Gallup poll tests how former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney have fared in public opinion since they left office. The answer: Badly.

Bush's favorable rating is only 35%, with 63% unfavorable. Cheney is at 30% favorable to 62% unfavorable.

Bush's popularity had been inching up a bit over the course of the 2008 campaign and as he was on the way out -- up to a high of 40% favorable and 59% unfavorable in early January -- but his numbers now are back near the all-time low of 32% favorable and 66% unfavorable from April 2008.

Budget

Bayh and Nelson: We Prefer a GOP Budget

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 9:21AM

I noted earlier that two of the Senate's most conservative Democrats--Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson--voted against the Democrats' budget. That's not terribly surprising. The resolution wasn't vulnerable to a filibuster, their votes weren't strictly necessary, and, whether they were ideologically opposed to the measure that passed, or adhering to the demands of their conservative constituents, or bending to the whims of special interests, voting "no" allows them to say they voted "no" without necessarily wedding themselves to an alternative proposal.

Enter Mike Johanns, the freshman Republican senator from Nebraska whose amendment preventing the Senate from passing climate change legislation through the reconciliation process passed on Tuesday.

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Afghanistan

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 3, 2009, 9:03AM

Obama Seeking International Agreement On Afghanistan
President Obama is meeting with NATO leaders today in France and Germany, seeking international backing for his new plans for Afghanistan and Pakistan. And so far he is picking up support, as French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at their joint news conference today: "We completely support the new American strategy in Afghanistan."

Obama's Day Ahead: France And Germany
President Obama and Michelle Obama arrived this morning in Strasbourg, France, at about 4:45 a.m. ET. AT 5:35 a.m. ET he met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and at 6:35 a.m. ET the two briefly addressed the press pool. He held a town hall at 7:25 a.m. ET. At 9 a.m. ET the Obamas will leave for Baden-Baden, Germany, with Obama meeting Chancellor Angela Merkel at 9:45 a.m. ET. Obama and Merkel will address the press pool at 10:45 a.m. ET. President Obama and Michelle Obama will attend the NATO Concert at 1 p.m. ET, and President Obama will attend a NATO leaders working dinner at 2:15 p.m. ET. The Obamas will depart from Germany, going back to Strasbourg, at 5 p.m. ET.

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Budget

Senate Drama Over Too--Now, Conference Drama!

Brian Beutler | April 3, 2009, 7:49AM

Last night the Senate passed their own budget resolution, too. The roll call is here--the final tally was 55-43 with two familiar Democrats (Evan Bayh and Ben Nelson) joining the Republicans, all of whom voted no. This allowed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to demagogue a little bit:

Over bipartisan opposition, Democrats in Congress passed a budget that clears the way for massive amounts of spending.... Although Democrats rejected several efforts to control spending, create jobs and cut the debt, Senate Republicans were able to slam the door on using the fast track process to jam through a new national energy tax. The strong bipartisan vote on this issue should serve as a clear warning to those involved in crafting the final budget: Americans vehemently oppose a new national energy tax that would hit them every time they flip on a light switch, watch TV, or drive the family car.

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Budget

House Budget Drama Finally Over

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 7:22PM

The House GOP budget was up for a vote a few minutes ago and it...failed miserably; 137 in support, 293 (including 38 Republicans) against. Those are the only 38 Republicans in the House who don't think we need a spending freeze and tax cuts for the rich at this particular historical moment. However, none of those 38 civic-minded souls voted for the Democratic budget, which just passed 233-196.

How do I know that? Because as with the stimulus bill, zero Republicans voted with the Democrats on this major agenda item. Not surprisingly, though 20 Democrats voted with the Republicans against the Democratic resolution

I'll post roll calls later tonight or tomorrow, depending on when they become available.

Late update: Roll call on the GOP budget here, on the Democratic budget here.

Arlen Specter

Will the Republicans Filibuster Dawn Johnsen?

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 6:48PM

On Tuesday, the New York Times reported that Republicans are weighing the possibility of using their much-beloved filibuster to block Obama judicial and DOJ appointees.

The current Republican focus is on a pair of nominees: Mr. Obama's first selection for a federal appeals court seat, David F. Hamilton, and his choice to head the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department, Dawn Johnsen. (By coincidence, the two are in-laws.)

But will they actually prevent an up or down vote? Democrats say early signs are troubling.

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MN-SEN

Klobuchar To Cornyn: How Would Texas Like Having Only One Senator For Years?

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 6:42PM

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) -- who has been Minnesota's one and only Senator since the first week of January -- appeared on MSNBC today and fired back at NRSC chairman John Cornyn for saying this week that it could take "years" to resolve her state's disputed Senate race:

KLOBUCHAR: Well, one of the other things he said, David, he said that we could go in Minnesota with one senator for years. And I would love to know how Texas would like that. I think that Minnesota would prefer to make its own decisions. I think we have a process that's taken a while. I think it's a fair process. It's going to--after these votes are opened up, Norm Coleman will make a decision about whether he wants to go up to the Minnesota Supreme Court. There's a process in place for that. Then I'm hoping it's done.

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NY-20

The NY-20 Absentee Ballots: A Potential Tie?

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 5:56PM

The NY-20 special election is now going to come down to the absentee ballots. For one thing, the Election Night numbers between Democratic candidate Scott Murphy and Republican Jim Tedisco are in a virtual tie as the vote totals are still being double-checked, but this does not take into account any absentee votes. So the next question becomes: Who exactly were the absentee voters?

This afternoon, with the assistance of TPM intern Versha Sharma, I called the various counties to get the breakdowns of how many of the returned absentee ballots have been from registered Democrats, registered Republicans, unaffiliated voters or people from any of the minor ideologically-driven parties that exist under New York's fusion-voting system.

So here's where we stand: From over 6,600 ballots that have been returned so far, Republicans are about 45%, Democrats 33%, with unaffiliated voters and minor parties making up the balance. Still more ballots can arrive in the mail between now and the deadline -- April 7 for most absentee voters, April 13 for overseas and military ballots -- but at this point the percentages probably won't change significantly.

And the bottom line answer, as you will see, is every bit as frustrating as the current status quo.

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John Boehner

House Democrats Respond to GOP Climate Change Distortions

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 5:47PM

House Democrats are hitting back against GOP distortions of climate change legislation and, more specifically, an MIT study on which we've reported extensively.

Earlier today Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA)--chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming--released a report on Republican energy and climate distortions called "Wrong in so many ways." The document (which can be read here) addresses four common Republican arguments about climate change legislation, including the controversy over the MIT study:

Rep. Boehner and others don't mention that revenues from a carbon pollution control program could be returned to consumers, or used to invest in clean energy jobs and cost-saving energy efficient technology. So it focuses on all the costs and ignores the benefits. It's just more of the same, tired arguments from a party out of ideas on energy policy.

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Robert Gates

Gates: We've Only Spoken to Obama About Don't Ask, Don't Tell One Time

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 5:42PM

Last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised some eyebrows (however briefly) by saying on Fox News Sunday that the administration had no immediate plans to move forward on President Obama's promise to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell. "I think the president and I feel like we've got a lot on our plates right now," Gates said. "Let's push that one down the road a little bit." Watch:

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NY-20

The Current Leader In NY-20 Is...???

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 5:34PM

Here's a quick alert in the NY-20 special election. As of right now, the leader in the vote totals is...we don't know.

PolitickerNY reports that Republican candidate Jim Tedisco has taken a lead of 12 votes, as the counties have gone through the standard process of checking for errors in their spreadsheets. These errors are a standard occurrence, by the way, and are usually very small and break about evenly. But in an election this close, they can have a real effect.

Meanwhile, the state elections board has given TPM their own most up to date numbers, with Democratic candidate Scott Murphy ahead by six votes. It looks like PolitickerNY has some data that the state doesn't -- and the state could very well have something that PolitickerNY doesn't.

Murphy led by 65 votes on Election Night, then by 25 votes yesterday afternoon. And who knows what it is now, or what it will be tomorrow.

In any case, this election is really going to come down to the more than 6,000 absentee ballots, which haven't been counted at all yet.

Budget

Specter Votes for Spending Freeze After Voting for Stimulus

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 3:53PM

The McCain substitute amendment (a.k.a. the McCain budget) failed predictably on the Senate floor earlier. As with the Republicans' alternative stimulus bill, nearly ever member of the GOP voted to scrap the Democrats' plan in favor of a much more conservative option. The final tally was 60-38, with Sens. Collins, Corker, and Snowe voting with the Democrats. Sen. Arlen Specter, usually identified as a swing Republican, voted for the mid-recession spending freeze after having voted for a $700 billion stimulus bill intended to combat the economic downturn.

You can see the full roll call here.

Newt Gingrich

Gingrich: Obama Waging "War Against Churches"

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 3:53PM

In a new appeal to the Christian right, Newt Gingrich told OneNewsNow that President Obama's proposed changes to the charitable deduction for top earners amounts to a "war against churches and charities," deliberately designed to discourage the successful from donating money to churches and make us all dependent on the government.

"I think there's a clear to desire to replace the church with a bureaucracy, and to replace people's right to worship together with a government-dominated system," said Gingrich.

The proposal itself is to lower the deduction that people making over $250,000 receive for itemized charitable contributions, from its current 33% or 35% down to 28%. Obama has defended the proposal by saying: "I'm assuming that that shouldn't be the determining factor as to whether you're giving that $100 to the homeless shelter down the street."

What's next? Will we be hearing that Obama intends to ransack the Notre Dame cathedral, and convert it into the Temple of Reason?

Torture

Is Truth and Reconciliation Dead in the Water?

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 3:42PM

Yesterday, the website Consortium News published an article by Charlotte Dennett pouring some cold water on the hope many liberals have that Congress will form a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate Bush-era torture and other instances of wrongdoing. Dennett reported that, at a meeting with Sen. Patrick Leahy, the Judiciary committee chairman had said the idea was dead in the water. "[I]t's not going to happen," Leahy reportedly said.

Today, Leahy released a statement addressing that article: "In contrast to reports circulating on the Internet, Leahy said he is continuing to explore the proposal."

"I am not interested in a panel comprised of partisans intent on advancing partisan conclusions," Leahy said. "I regret that Senate Republicans have approached this matter to date as partisans. That was not my intent or focus. Indeed, it will take bipartisan support in order to move this forward. I continue to talk about this prospect with others in Congress, and with outside groups and experts. I continue to call on Republicans to recognize that this is not about partisan politics. It is about being honest with ourselves as a country. We need to move forward together."

That leaves open the questions of Senate math--will any Republicans support the formation of such a commission?--and whether the committee will exercise any of its other options. As Daphne Eviatar wrote in the Washington Independent "Leahy and the Senate Judiciary Committee could still initiate a comprehensive inquiry into the role of the Justice Department in potentially illegal conduct under the Bush administration.... There's no need for a truth commission to get the investigative ball rolling."

I'll follow up with Dennett and will let you know what I find.

John Boehner

Republicans: We Stand By Our Distortion of MIT Study

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 1:53PM

Republicans won't be changing their story on the cost of climate change legislation anytime soon. I just spoke with Michael Steel, spokesman for John Boehner, about the letter the House Minority Leader received from M.I.T. scientist John Reilly. By way of background, Reilly wrote to Boehner yesterday and gently informed him that he and other Republicans had "misrepresented in recent press releases" an M.I.T. study, which estimated that a cap and trade program would likely cost the average family $340 per year. The GOP is claiming, based on the same study, that the legislation would cost the average family $3,128 per year.

"We stand by our analysis," said Steel.

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Budget

What's in McCain's budget?

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 1:36PM

A quick update on McCain's budget. His office hasn't sent out any related materials yet, and haven't released a statement, but a quick perusal of its terms over at Thomas reveals a few interesting details.

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Chris Dodd

DSCC Chair Menendez "Absolutely" Supports Dodd, Predicts Re-Election

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 1:04PM

The Hill reports that DSCC chairman Bob Menendez is fully standing behind Chris Dodd and predicts he'll be re-elected, despite the poll this morning showing Dodd behind Republican candidate Rob Simmons in a landslide:

Q: "Does the DSCC still support Chris whole-heartedly in light of these new numbers, and do they surprise you?"

Menendez: "Are you serious? Chris Dodd is going to be re-elected. He's a great senator."

Q: "So the DSCC still supports him all the way?"

Menendez: "Absolutely."

Budget

Byrd: Don't Pass Health or Energy Reform via Reconciliation

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 12:17PM

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), the Appropriation Committee chairman, has sent a letter to his colleagues articulating his opposition to using the budget reconciliation process to pass health care or climate change legislation.

"I oppose using the budget reconciliation process to pass health care reform and climate change legislation.... As one of the authors of the reconciliation process, I can tell you that the ironclad parliamentary procedures it authorizes were never intended for this purpose."

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Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: "Do We Want To Be Free, Or Do We Want To Be Slaves?"

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 12:07PM

Michele Bachmann did an interview posted yesterday at the right-wing blog Atlas Shrugs, where she talked about the danger of a global currency and other Obama economic policies. And she made this bold declaration: "And so we need to once again decide, do we want to be free, or do we want to be slaves? We have to make that decision. And I know I've made my choice, you've made your choice. And we have to act in concert if we want to make sure that we can hold on to what we have."

On the plus side, there was a point in the interview where Bachmann continued hearkening back to the American Revolution -- as she did during her fiery interview with Sean Hannity last week, when she said America was reaching the point of "orderly revolution" against Obama's Marxism -- but this time she was abundantly clear that she meant people needed to organize against Obama in elections:

The best thing that we can do, I believe, is to inform the American people what's at risk and what's at stake, and a better way forward. And if we can convince them -- because all we have right now is we can do that -- then perhaps we can turn this around in 2010, and at least stop the progress President Obama has made, continue to inform the American people, and make sure that his first term is his last term. And then we have to be extremely bold, if we are fortunate enough to win the presidency in 2012.

(Via Dump Bachmann.)

Rush Limbaugh

Cantor: Crisis? What Crisis?

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 11:28AM

It's hard to tell if Eric Cantor's testing a new message, or if this is the new Republican line on the Democrats and the state of affairs in the country, but Politico reports that, at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast this morning, the House GOP whip, said Democrats are "overreacting, as they often will, to crisis."

But back to this morning. Cantor told participants that "Doing too much has huge, huge pitfalls," better, in other words, to err on the side of doing too little.

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Arlen Specter

Specter Launches Preemptive Attack Ad Against Toomey

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 11:28AM

Arlen Specter isn't waiting for Pat Toomey, the former GOP Congressman who nearly defeated him in the 2004 primary, to officially enter the race this time -- he's already going on the air with an attack ad.

The ad blasts Toomey as a credit-default swap trader who favored less oversight of Wall St. and putting Social Security in the stock market, and now wants a "bonus" in the form of a U.S. Senate seat:

Toomey has said he's "very likely" to run, but hasn't officially launched his campaign. That said, he's been speaking to conservative activists -- even appearing with Joe The Plumber against the Employee Free Choice Act -- and a candidacy really appears to be a foregone conclusion. So Specter isn't waiting.

MN-SEN

DSCC's New Petition: "Give It Up, Norm"

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 11:22AM

The DSCC is moving out a new publicity push in the never-ending Minnesota Senate race, with a new Web petition: "It's time to give it up, Norm."

(Click image to enlarge.)

The DSCC has also sent out an e-mail promoting the petition to its supporter list, authored by Paul Begala:

But Norm Coleman didn't like that result, so he took it to court. And now when even his own lawyers are predicting he'll lose, Coleman's threatening to keep appealing to more and more courts.

How many more recounts does Norm Coleman want? How many more delays? How much longer will the Republican Party hold Minnesota's Senate seat hostage?

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (2)
Topics: MN-SEN

John Boehner

MIT Scientist: Republicans Misusing My Climate Change Paper

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 10:53AM

I just got off the phone with John Reilly--the M.I.T. scientist whose study of the costs of cap-and-trade legislation has been badly abused by House Republicans--and he gave me a complete rundown of his unfortunate involvement in climate change politics.

Here's a brief timeline of events:

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Budget

26 Democrats: Climate Change Should Be Filibustered

Brian Beutler | April 2, 2009, 10:28AM

As I reported last night, the Senate went on record yesterday against using the reconciliation process to pass climate change legislation. Most high-profile Democrats say they had no plans to do that anyhow, but yesterday's vote (67-31) almost certainly forecloses on the option altogether. The roll call just went up belatedly on the Senate website (owing, perhaps, to a backlog of votes) and I want to highlight the 26 Democrats who voted with the Republicans. With this vote they committed themselves to the idea that climate change legislation should be subject to a filibuster, and their large numbers suggests, perhaps, significant opposition to passing any major reform legislation (read: health care) through reconciliation.

Full list below the fold.

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CT-SEN

Poll: Dodd Way Behind, Thanks To AIG Scandal

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 9:36AM

The new Quinnipiac poll from Connecticut has some truly ghastly numbers for Chris Dodd in the wake of the AIG bonus scandal, with him trailing former Republican Congressman Rob Simmons by a whopping 50%-34% margin, running behind GOP state Sen. Sam Caliguiri by 41%-37%, and trailing possible GOP candidate Tom Foley, a businessman, by 43%-35%.

Only 33% of registered voters approve of Dodd's performance as a Senator, with 58% disapproving. When asked whether they approve of Dodd's performance as Senate Banking Committee chairman, only 21% of registered voters approve, and 69% disapprove. Only 32% agree that he is honest and trustworthy, with 54% saying he is not.

On the bonuses themselves, 39% say they blame Dodd "a lot," and 35% blame him "some." And when asked who deserves the most blame for the bonuses, Dodd is in a statistical tie for first with George W. Bush: Bush 28%, Dodd 27%, Tim Geithner 20%, and 7% Barack Obama.

A Democratic source tells TPM that Dodd will improve as he regains support among Democratic voters, and that people are going to have a lot of negative reactions this close to the AIG scandal. We'll see what future polls have in store.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 2, 2009, 9:02AM

G-20 Leaders Reaching Outlines Of Agreement On IMF, Regulations
The G-20 leaders have reportedly agreed to give more than $500 billion to the IMF, in order to help governments struggling because of the financial crisis, along with stronger financial regulations to avoid another crisis in the future, though details remain to be hammered out. "I'm not saying that everything is sewn up. It isn't," said UK Business Minister Peter Mandelson. "I mean there are arguments, or some tensions over precisely what resources we're talking about."

Obama's Day Ahead: The G-20 Summit In London
President Obama met with South Korean leaders in London at 3 a.m. ET this morning. At 3:30 a.m. ET, he attended the G-20 leaders breakfast. At 4:50 a.m. ET, he attended the G-20 summit's opening plenary session. At 8:25 a.m. ET he attended the G-20 leaders lunch. At 9:30 a.m. ET he will attend the afternoon plenary session. At 10:35 a.m. ET he will meet with leaders of Saudi Arabia, and at 11:30 a.m. ET he will meet with leaders of India. At 12:45 p.m. ET, he will hold a news conference.

Read more »

John Boehner

Republicans' Fuzzy Cap-and-Trade Math

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 6:57PM

Via Brad Plumer of The New Republic comes this article from the St. Petersburg Times throwing some cold water on the Republican party's allegation that the Democrats are planning to institute a "light-switch tax" that would cost every American household $3,128 annually. The punchline is this: The Times got in touch with John Reilly, one of the authors of the study the GOP cited as the source of that number, and he said, "It's wrong in so many ways it's hard to begin."

As we noted earlier, "light-switch tax" is a tendentious renaming (or misnaming) of "cap-and-trade legislation", which would price and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But where did the GOP come up with that price tag?

Read more »

Budget

No Reconciliation for Climate Change Legislation

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 6:21PM

It was probably never gonna happen, but now it's official. Climate change legislation will not be passed through the budget reconciliation process. The Johanns amendment, which explicitly prevents such a move, just passed on a 67-31 vote. We'll get you a roll call when it's available, including the names of the significant number of Democrats who voted with the GOP. Expect to find the usual suspects on that list. And more!

Late update: I should note that the budget resolution isn't law and this amendment applies to this budget resolution and this budget resolution only. You shouldn't draw too many conclusions from that, of course, but it's probably important to note, amidst all of this arcana, that the Senate hasn't foreclosed on the option for all budgets in the future.

Barack Obama

Poll: Obama Gets High Approval In Foreign Policy

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 6:01PM

As President Obama embarks on his overseas trip to the G-20 summit, a new Gallup poll finds that his approval on foreign affairs is a solid 61%.

One interesting thing is that this number is actually higher than the 54% approval in foreign affairs that Obama registered a month and a half ago, contrary to the usual expectation that these figures would go down as the honeymoon period wore off.

On the other hand, disapproval has also increased, from 22% to 28%. The movement here was not been from approval to disapproval or undecided, but from undecided to approval or disapproval, as Obama has just begun actually doing things in foreign policy.

Mike Bloomberg

Bloomberg Robocall: He Supports The Obama Health Plan

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 5:52PM

Here's yet another example of a politician tying himself to President Obama: Here at the TPM office in New York City, I just got a robocall from Bloomberg for Mayor, letting me know that Mayor Mike supports the Obama health care plan.

The call was read by a man with a working-class New York accent, letting me know how well Bloomberg and Obama get along: "Like President Obama, Mayor Bloomberg knows it's time to put politics aside, so we can work together on health care now." (The quote may be off by a word or two as I jotted it down quickly, but you get the idea.)

Bloomberg is of course running for re-election this year in a heavily Democratic city, during a time of Democratic resurgence, but he himself is not a Democrat. He was elected twice as a Republican, and became an independent in 2007.

Budget

McCain: I Have A Budget, Too!

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 5:34PM

John McCain is taking a page from House Republicans and, in about an hour, will be introducing an alternative budget of his own. It's a move that might just rankle Judd Gregg--who, as chairman of the Budget Committee, and the guy who would normally make these decisions, opted not to go that route.

We should have more details once it comes to the floor, but in the mean time, recall that during his presidential campaign, McCain called for a one year non-military discretionary spending freeze. That's in contrast to the House GOP budget which calls for a five year freeze. Economic conditions in the country have gotten worse since the November election, though, and Republican cries for spending cuts have grown louder, so it's possible that he's has doubled down or more on this idea.

NY-20

DNC: NY-20 Result An Affirmation Of Obama, Shows GOP In Disarray

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 5:25PM

The DNC has now put out their memo/press release analyzing the NY-20 special election: "Murphy's lead following yesterday's balloting shows that the Republican Party has no new ideas, is tied to the failed policies of the past and that it is in disarray and faces an uphill battle in local and state elections in 2009 and 2010."

The DNC also declares it a win for Obama: "This race became a referendum on President Obama and his leadership of the country and handling of the economy. Murphy's showing in an overwhelmingly Republican district is affirmation of the direction the President is leading the country."

Read more »

Joe Lieberman

Reactions to the Waxman-Markey Climate Change Bill

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 4:56PM

Yesterday, we reported on the unveiling of new House climate change legislation co-authored by Henry Waxman, and Ed Markey. Since then, a bit more info's trickled in, particularly from the Senate.

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) told the Washington Post "we don't have 60 votes"--that's no surprise, but it's also an important statement by the Democratic whip, at a time when the party is grappling with the question of budget reconciliation.

Read more »

MN-SEN

Coleman: I'll Be Appealing Quickly

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 4:49PM

Appearing on Fox News radio with Brian Kilmeade, Norm Coleman himself confirmed that he'll be appealing his case -- which his legal spokesman had announced yesterday, after the election court handed down a ruling that seriously damaged his efforts to get his campaign's list of previously-rejected absentee ballots put into the count:

Some fun quotes, after the jump.

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NY-20

The Latest Dirt From NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 3:56PM

Here's a quick roundup of some news from the NY-20 special election:

• As the standard process of proofreading the vote spreadsheets has been conducted, Democrat Scott Murphy's lead over Republican Jim Tedisco has actually shrunk from 65 votes to 25 in the latest AP numbers. These sorts of human errors are commonplace, and are usually very small and break about equally -- but in a race this close, they can be consequential.

• The Washington Post reports that Democrats have privately predicted a Murphy win by 210 votes, when all the absentee ballots are counted. This is based on making projections for the home counties of the absentees, from the percentages for each candidate in the Election Day tally. But here's a counter-example: when some previously-rejected absentee ballots in Minnesota were opened up and counted this past January 3, Al Franken ended up doing far better than geography alone would have predicted. It really does come down to which side had the better absentee ballot operation.

Read more »

Bailout

Frank to Treasury: Do Foreign Banks Get Preferential Treatment?

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 3:43PM

Looks like we may soon be learning more about the preferential treatment major banks may have enjoyed in the wake of the AIG bailout.

Last week, we noted Rep. Spencer Bachus's efforts to bring to light the issue of smaller U.S. banks that are allegedly being stiffed on their loans to an AIG subsidiary even as major CDS counterparties (some of them foreign banks) were paid off in full. Bachus is the ranking member on the House Financial Services committee, and he aired his concerns at a hearing and in letters he sent to both Geithner and Barney Frank, the committee chairman.

After we reported this, the Wall Street Journal dug up a couple examples of just this issue, one of which occurred in Bachus' district.

Now, it seems, the committee is taking some steps toward investigating Bachus' complaint.

Read more »

NY-20

New York House GOPers -- All Three Of Them -- Voice Support For Tedisco

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 2:33PM

The NRCC has just released this statement from New York's GOP Congressional delegation, predicting a win by Jim Tedisco in NY-20:

Washington - Today, the members of New York's Republican Congressional Delegation - Reps. Peter King, John McHugh and Chris Lee - released the following statement regarding the status of the special election in New York's 20th Congressional District:

"With the election not yet certified, and the Republican advantage among absentee ballots not yet counted, we are confident that Jim Tedisco will be the next Congressman from New York's 20th Congressional District. We look forward to welcoming Jim as our colleague and working with him to address the critical issues facing upstate New Yorkers."

It's worth stopping here for a moment and considering the fact that New York, with 29 total House members, only has three Republicans in the bunch. After the 2000 elections, before the GOP brand completely crashed in the Northeast, that number was 12 Republicans out of 31. So obviously, these three guys want to have some company and rebuild their party.

NY-20

Democrat Murphy Predicts Win In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 1:40PM

Scott Murphy, the Democratic candidate in the super-close NY-20 special election, has put out this statement predicting victory:

"Eight weeks ago, we were down over twenty points and they said this couldn't be done. The election results proved something very different," said Murphy. "The voters of the 20th Congressional District made clear they want a leader with proven business experience who will work across the aisle to bring common sense solutions to Washington.

"Thanks to our unbelievable grassroots supporters who helped build this amazing campaign in just eight weeks, we've defied the odds and we won a majority of votes cast Tuesday.

"We are confident that once all the absentee ballots are counted, we will expand our lead and we will go to Congress and partner with Senator Gillibrand and President Obama to create jobs and turn our economy around."

Read more »

Budget

Republicans: Let's Privatize Medicare!

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 1:27PM

One of the fun little tidbits in the Republican Budget roll out today is here:

The substitute gradually converts the current Medicare program into one in which Medicare beneficiaries choose the most affordable coverage that best suits their individual needs. For individuals 55 or older, Medicare will not be changed (other than income-relating the prescription drug benefit): the budget preserves the existing program for these beneficiaries. To make the program sustainable and dependable, those 54 and younger will enroll in a new Medicare Program with health coverage similar to what is now available to Members of Congress and Federal employees.

This is an idea that's been kicking around in conservative circles for some time, and it's an expensive one. Well, it's expensive unless you're an insurance company, in which case it's extremely lucrative. The goal is to phase out Medicare over time by providing new seniors with the health insurance options available under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The FEHBP provides relatively high quality care, and most working-aged people would probably prefer its options over the ones provided by their employers. But Medicare provides similar quality of care while containing the costs of administration, and those costs are much higher at private insurance companies.

There's more like this in the GOP's budget report. And, if you're interested in legislative language for some reason, the resolution itself is here.

NY-20

DCCC Fundraising E-Mail: Stop The GOP's Legal Tricks -- "Just Look At Al Franken"

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 12:29PM

The DCCC has now released their own fundraising e-mail for the aftermath of the NY-20 special election, preparing for the legal fight ahead. Like the NRCC's e-mail, they too invoke the specter of Al Franken -- but for much different reasons:

We've seen these kinds of tactics before - just look at Al Franken who is still fighting for his seat in the Senate after November's election. We already have a legal team on the ground but we know this is going to be extremely expensive! We need your help again and we wouldn't ask again if it wasn't so critical.

The NRCC referred to Franken as an example of the Democrats stealing an election, in order to bring in some cash. And for the Democrats, Franken is also a useful fundraising theme, as a martyr of the GOP's dirty tricks to keep a rightfully-elected Dem out of office.

Full e-mail after the jump.

Read more »

Budget

Ryan: Spending Flat for Decades Under Our Plan

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 12:24PM

The House Budget Committee Republicans have put out this graph purporting to predict government spending as a percentage of GDP for the next 50 or so years. Unsurprisingly, they presume that spending will skyrocket under Democratic budgets as designed by Democratic presidents and congressional leaders who haven't been elected yet, but that spending will decrease under Republican governance.

This level of detail is remarkable, given that Ryan himself seems to have been unable to say how big near term deficits would be under his plan just two days ago. (Incidentally, Ryan's budget, which we've obtained pegs the 2010 deficit at just under $1 trillion.)

Interestingly, now that the Republican plan has been made into legislation, it can be analyzed by the CBO, so we'll see what they have to say about it. We've just gotten a hold of the GOP's Budget resolution (i.e. the Ryan substitute) and some supplemental information and we'll provide links to PDFs shortly.

Late update: I swapped out the original graph for one that contains a separate "projection" (read arbitrarily drawn line) based on the GOP alternative.

NY-20

NRCC: Dem Claims Of An NY-20 Win "Wishful Thinking"

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 12:13PM

The NRCC released a memo predicting victory in the NY-20 special election, and claiming a major defeat for the Obama agenda:

While the absentee and military vote count will not occur for several more days, we are confident that Jim Tedisco will ultimately become the next congressman from New York's 20th Congressional District. While a "top White House official" (read: Rahm Emanuel) took time off from his busy schedule of dealing with the economic crisis, the G-20 Summit in London, and managing the day-to-day operations of General Motors to claim that the outstanding absentee count somehow favors the Democrats that sounds an awful lot like wishful thinking.

Both parties are publicly predicting that the absentees will favor their candidate. Obviously, one of them will be proven wrong -- and quite frankly, it's not implausible that both sides are engaged in wishful thinking to some degree.

Some more tidbits from the memo, after the jump.

Read more »

MN-SEN

The Longest Election In Minnesota History -- In 16 Minutes

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 11:47AM

Our friends at The Uptake have released this video summing up the issues in the Minnesota recount and litigation since Election Night -- condensing five months of legal morass into 16 minutes:

Al Franken is well known to be a Grateful Dead fan, so it's worth saying this: What a long, strange trip it's been.

Michele Bachmann

Bachmann Talks Up Anti-Global Money Amendment, Gets 30 Cosponsors

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 11:36AM

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) appeared on Glenn Beck's TV show yesterday, to talk up her proposed constitutional amendment to stop the Obama administration from replacing the dollar with a global currency:

Bachmann boasted that she's picked up 30 cosponsors so far, to which Beck replied: "I can't believe that you've only got 30 cosponsors. I mean -- how is it you could walk around going, "I just -- this is just, hey, save the dollar.' And only 30 people are willing to say, 'Eh that sounds like a good thing, let's give that a shot.'"

Read more »

Budget

Paul Ryan: Obama's Budget Exploits Our Problems

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 11:01AM

More budget news to come, but in the mean time, here's Paul Ryan himself paving the way for the introduction of his budget, some of the basic details of which can be found here.

Budget

House GOP Budget: Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Offshore Drilling

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 10:29AM

Speaking of Congressional Budget Committee Ranking Members Who Write Op-Eds, Paul Ryan, Judd Gregg's House counterpart, has a piece of his own in the Wall Street Journal. In it, he summarizes the bottom line of the budget (or the counter-part to the non-budget budget) he plans to release today. More on that very soon, but here's what to expect:

• A budget that nixes all non-military federal discretionary spending for five years amid a recession.
• A budget that deploys "more clean and renewable energy sources free of greenhouse gas...by opening exploration on our nation's oil and gas fields, and by investing the proceeds in a new clean energy trust fund, infrastructure and further deficit reduction.
• A budget that creates two tax brackets--10 percent for income below $100,000 and 25 percent for every dollar above that--and that cuts corporate income tax rate to 25 percent.

Late update: At the end of his op-ed, Ryan writes, "[i]n the recent past, the Republican Party failed to offer the nation an inspiring vision and a concrete plan to tackle our problems with innovative and principled solutions. We do not intend to repeat that mistake." Hmmm. He wouldn't be talking about this and this, would he?

Budget

Gregg Says Obama Budget Creates "Light-Switch Tax"

Brian Beutler | April 1, 2009, 10:11AM

Judd Gregg (R-NH), Barack Obama's erstwhile Commerce Secretary designate, is also the Senate Budget committee's ranking member, and has taken to the pages of the Washington Post to criticize his former almost-boss for authoring what his headline calls "a budget to beggar us".

Gregg writes, "all American families will get stuck with a new 'light-switch tax' on electricity bills that is in the president's budget." The Post seems to be doubling down on its policy of letting op-ed writers lie in its pages. There is, of course, no such tax in the president's proposal or the budget resolution, and nor could there be. Obama's proposal contemplates revenue from a cap-and-trade bill, and there is a deficit neutral reserve fund for future climate change legislation in the resolution, but even that section was amended last night to provide that any increased energy costs would be offset by cap-and-trade revenue.

Read more »

NY-20

NRCC Fundraising E-mail: "Don't Let'em Pull A Franken"

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 9:59AM

The NRCC has has sent out a fundraising e-mail suggesting a full-scale legal fight in the NY-20 special election, with the subject header, "Don't Let'em Pull A Franken." Key quote:

We need your support to ensure we can overcome the Democrats' legal maneuvers.

Democrats have almost succeeded in stealing the election in Minnesota and seating Al Franken. We cannot allow them to manipulate electoral results to seat another tax-troubled liberal.

We need your support to make sure the will of the residents of New York's 20th district prevails in the final outcome.

Full e-mail after the jump.

Read more »

Michael Steele

Steele: Republicans Should Be Like Me -- "Unconventional, Unpredictable"

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 9:44AM

The Baltimore Sun reports that Michael Steele told a GOP fundraising event in his home state of Maryland that the Republican Party needs to stop all the infighting -- and be more like himself.

Steele told the crowd that Republicans should be "unconventional, unpredictable...to do from time to time the unexpected."

Steele also noted the flack he's taken as chairman. "Someone told me this whole chairmanship thing would be a cakewalk," he said, adding that he's managed to "tick off" a lot of people.

NY-20

Kaine And Steele Both Predict Win In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 9:14AM

Both national party chairmen have issued statements predicting victory for their guy in the NY-20 special election, and an affirmation of their party's policies.

Here's last night's statement from DNC chairman Tim Kaine:

"Scott Murphy embraced President Obama's message of change and his plans to fix our economy and create jobs, and as a result he stormed from more than 20 points down to winning a majority of votes cast tonight. Scott's performance tonight in an overwhelmingly Republican district, where Republicans enjoy a registration advantage over Democrats of more than 70,000, represents a repudiation of the failed politics and policies that Republicans continue to embrace. We are confident that when all the ballots are counted, Scott will expand his lead and become an ally to President Obama in Congress who will help the President create jobs and turn our economy around."

Read more »

Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | April 1, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama And Brown Point To Unity In Economic Crisis
During their joint press conference earlier today, President Obama and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown assured the public that the world would not fall into the trap of protectionism that exacerbated the Great Depression: "That is a mistake that we cannot afford to repeat." Brown also pointed to the G-20 summit itself as a sign of consensus among world leaders: "As President Obama has said, never before has the world come together in this way to deal with an economic crisis."

Obama In London For G-20
President Obama is in London for the G-20 summit. At 3:05 a.m. ET he met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and the two held a press conference at 5:15 a.m. ET. At 6:45 a.m. ET he met with Russian leaders. At 8 a.m. ET he met with British Conservative Party Leader David Cameron. At 9 a.m. ET he is meeting with Chinese leaders, and at 12:35 p.m. ET he will meet with the Queen of England. At 1 p.m. ET he will attend a reception for G-20 leaders, and at 3:30 p.m. ET they will hold a working dinner.

Read more »

NY-20

NRCC Chairman: More Votes To Be Counted In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 11:52PM

NRCC Chairman Pete Sessions just put out a statement looking forward optimistically in NY-20 and playing the spin game, boasting that their man Jim Tedisco has closed the gap in a tough, Democratic-held district:

"As the latest vote totals reflect, there still remain thousands of absentee and military ballots that have to be counted. Rest assured that Republicans will ensure that the integrity of the election is protected and every vote is counted. As it stands now, there is a Republican advantage in the number of absentee and military ballots that have been returned.

"With that being said, Jim Tedisco has closed the gap in a district that has come to exemplify Democratic dominance in the Northeast in recent elections. That is a testament to the strength of Jim's campaign and the effectiveness of the Republican message of fiscal responsibility and accountability that Americans are demanding in the wake of the AIG scandal.

"Less than 150 days ago, President Obama carried New York's 20th District, and former Congresswoman Gillibrand was handily reelected in this district by a margin of 62-38 percent, despite the fact that her Republican opponent spent $6 million trying to defeat her. For the first time in a long time, a Republican candidate went toe-to-toe with a Democrat in a hard-fought battle over independent voters. This was hardly a common phenomenon in 2008, particularly in the Northeast."

The claim that more Republicans have turned in absentee ballots could very well be true -- but it's not quite complete, either. The unaffiliated voters in this district have leaned heavily Democratic in recent elections -- thus the Dem wins in a district where the GOP has a big registration advantage on paper. And if that pattern continues, it won't be good news for them.

As for Tedisco closing the gap, it needs to be remembered that he led in all the polls against his lesser-known opponent, until very late in the race.

But it really is too early to know how this will all turn out.

NY-20

DCCC Chairman Van Hollen Predicts Victory In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 11:33PM

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen has put out this statement regarding tonight's deadlocked special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat -- predicting that Murphy will only expand his lead as the absentee ballots are counted, and pretty much declaring victory:

"From 21 points down to securing a majority of the vote tonight, congratulations to Scott Murphy who ran an extraordinary campaign focused on his record as a successful businessman who helped to create jobs and his strong support for President Obama's economic recovery act. As votes continue to be counted, we're confident that Scott Murphy will expand his lead.

"Scott Murphy's strong showing in this district where Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 70,000 represents a rejection of the obstructionist agenda and scare tactics that have become the hallmark of House Republicans."

At this point, the race really comes down to which party had the better absentee ballot operation. Van Hollen is voicing a confident tone here.

NY-20

What's Next In NY-20: The Courts

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 11:26PM

Frequent readers of this site might recognize the next steps in New York's 20th Congressional District, where tonight's special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat has left Democratic candidate Scott Murphy leading Republican Jim Tedisco by 65 votes with 100% of precincts in: Courtroom proceedings, as the lawyers sort their way through absentee ballots.

The key issues here is that the Republican Party filed a legal complaint today to contest the election results, before the polls even closed -- which is not actually unheard of in New York, I've been told by state board of elections spokesman Bob Brehm.

Ballots have already been impounded tonight, for safekeeping. A hearing has been scheduled for this coming Monday, at which the candidates and the government will hammer out the procedures for counting, challenging and resolving ballots -- and you can bet the absentees will play a major part in this.

"There are statutory processes for canvassing and re-canvassing," Brehm explained, "and basically they're on hold until the court can set up a calendar that is mutually agreeable."

Read more »

MN-SEN

Reid Spokesman: He Awaits Resolution For Franken In Minnesota Courts

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 9:11PM

The national parties are giving their reactions to today's big legal developments in Minnesota.

Jim Manley, the spokesman for Harry Reid, issued this statement:

"Sen. Reid is looking forward to the final resolution of this case by the Minnesota courts so that Al Franken can finally be seated as the new senator from Minnesota."

Pay close attention to the specific mention here of the Minnesota courts. This would appear to say that Reid believes Franken should be seated after his expected victory at the Minnesota Supreme Court -- and that this shouldn't wait for federal appeals.

Read more »

NY-20

Tedisco: If I Win, I Win; If I Lose, I Win

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 7:29PM

Gregg Levine at Firedoglake has two intriguing posts up about the latest developments in the NY-20 race, the ramifications of which we're still parsing through over here. Gregg writes, "The Dutchess County Clerk's Office has confirmed to FDL that Tedisco's people have filed an ex parte motion in order, the effect of which would be to investigate and overturn today's election results, should the outcome not be to Republicans' liking."

Peculiar! Here's a link the filing. One key section Gregg cites reads:

Ordering the respondent New York State Board of Elections and the Commissioners thereof to certify the name of James Tedisco as elected to the public office of Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 20th Congressional District, in Dutchess, New York, at the Special Election held therefor on the 31st Day of March, 2009, or alternatively enjoining the improper issuance of a certificate of election for the said public office.

It's unclear whether this is a major development, or a procedural maneuver that will go nowhere. We're trying to get more information and context--New York state election law turns out to be rather complicated! I've placed calls to the Murphy campaign, the DCCC, and the New York State Democratic party, and nobody seems to know what to make of this just yet. Perhaps significantly Jim Tedisco spokesman Adam Kramer writes to say that the motion was filed in the New York State Supreme Court by the state Republican party, and not by the Tedisco campaign.

We'll post updates as they come in.

Budget

Quick Evening Reading about the Budget

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 7:19PM

Just a quick budget update, the Senate did ultimately pass the Thune amendment, which, in its original form, was aimed at preventing climate change legislation from increasing gas and energy prices. However, Barbara Boxer swooped in unexpectedly and made some changes of her own, which allowed the Thune amendment to pass harmlessly.

Meanwhile, Judd Gregg, suddenly concerned with the national debt, introduced a measure that would have prohibited the congress from voting on anything in any way related to the budget that "shows an increase in the public debt, for the period of the current fiscal year through the next 10 years, equal to or greater than the debt accumulated from 1789 to January 20, 2009." But it failed 43-54 with Democrats Jon Tester and Ben Nelson voting with the Republicans.

The more interesting proposal, though, was introduced by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-NE), and would explicitly prevent the Senate from using reconciliation to pass climate change legislation. It hasn't been voted upon yet, but when that happens, we'll let you know.

MN-SEN

Coleman Legal Spokesman Makes It Official: We Will Appeal

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 6:51PM

On a conference call with reporters just now, held in the wake of the election court's ruling to review only 400 ballots for possible inclusion -- and explicitly rejecting Coleman's calls for leniency in the standards and the burden of poof -- legal spokesman Ben Ginsberg made it absolutely clear: "If these rulings stand in any final order of the court, if it will give us no choice but to appeal that order to the Minnesota Supreme Court."

Ginsberg followed up on his previous ridicule of the court's February 13 ruling that required strict standards for letting ballots in -- which he would refer to as the "Friday the 13th Ruling" -- by giving this one a new name: "The Almost April Fool's Day Ruling."

Ginsberg said the court was "subsumed with its own logic" to require strict standards, despite local officials on Election Day being much more permissive. When asked when he realized the court would not bend, Ginsberg said: "Our recognition that the court was not going to change came roughly 97 minutes ago, when we got the order."

"I gather we fundamentally disagree with them," he said later. "And that's why there are appellate courts."

Read more »

MN-SEN

In Blow To Coleman, Minnesota Court To Review Only 400 Ballots For Possible Opening

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 5:38PM

The Minnesota election court has just handed down a much-awaited ruling, laying out which previously-rejected ballots might just be counted yet -- and though it's unclear right now whose votes are whose, it doesn't look all that good for Norm Coleman.

The court reviewed 980 copies of rejected absentee ballots that both campaigns had submitted to the court arguing they should be counted under the law. We don't know the exact proportions, and Coleman alone had submitted more than that. Of those, the court has individually selected 400 of those for final review of the originals. But even all 400 of these won't be counted: "To be clear, not every absentee ballot identified in this Order will ultimately be opened and counted."

The ballots will be delivered to the Secretary of State's office by noon Monday, and those that are cleared for inclusion will be counted the next day.

So what kinds of ballots will be counted, and what processes went into determining this?

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Budget

Progressive Caucus Goes Where Senate GOP Won't

Elana Schor | March 31, 2009, 5:10PM

As TPMDC has previously noted, Senate Republicans don't see the need to offer an alternative budget of their own this week -- even as they blast the priorities President Obama has outlined.

But the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is taking that leap, presenting an alternative budget that includes cuts to outdated weapons projects and defense procurement initiatives as well as a new 0.25% tax on all stock trades that would offset the staggering cost of the financial bailout.

The details of the progressives' budget are available after the jump -- and worth cheering, given the recent news that the CPC is struggling to get a literal foot in the door at the White House.

Read more »

Jim Inhofe

Inhofe: This Bill Does Nothing To Address Climate Change (Which I Don't Believe In)

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 4:28PM

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) doesn't much care about greenhouse gas emissions, but that doesn't stop him from taking full advantage of his platform as the ranking member on the Environment and Public Works committee. For instance, just today he commented on climate change legislation--unveiled by Henry Waxman and Ed Markey in the House, not the Senate--with customary good cheer:

"I look forward to a full, open and honest debate over the 600-plus page Waxman-Markey climate tax bill," Senator Inhofe said. "It appears that this legislation is yet another version of the same story: a job-killing tax increase on American consumers that jeopardizes America's energy security, while doing nothing to address climate change. In short, it's all economic pain for no climate gain."

That bolded section ought to come with an asterisk at the end of it--because as he made clear...also today, he doesn't actually think climate change exists. Watch it:

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NY-20

Both Parties Playing Expectations Game In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 3:38PM

It's clear that both parties expect a close race in today's special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat, because they're both downplaying expectations -- though Dems seem just a bit more confident.

The DCCC has released a detailed memo talking about all the obstacles they face here: The big GOP advantage in voter registration, Republican state House Minority Leader Jim Tedisco's name identification against the first-time Dem candidate Scott Murphy, and the early views from pundits that they would have a tough time holding it.

On the other hand, the memo boasts of just how far Murphy has come: "After more than $2 million in negative advertising against Murphy, how did NY-20 become competitive in eight short weeks? Quite simply, he ran a better campaign." They also credit Murphy's support for the Obama agenda, as having taken him this far: "This campaign was a fight between Murphy's message of bipartisan progress on the economy and Tedisco's embrace of Republicans' 'just say no' obstructionism."

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Bailout

The Second Scariest Number You'll Hear Today

Elana Schor | March 31, 2009, 3:34PM

Bloomberg reported a frightening fact this morning: The U.S. government has spent committed nearly as much on to bailing out financial firms -- $12.8 trillion, when you total up guarantees and loans given by the Treasury, Fed, and FDIC -- as the nation's entire $14.2 trillion domestic product.

But that's not the only eye-popping bailout number that was released today. In a Senate Finance Committee hearing today, panel chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) noted that the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) has put taxpayers on the book for at least $2.9 trillion. That number is almost equal to the U.S. government's total spending during the 2008 fiscal year, which you can find in Table 5 of this document.

Baucus described the bailout as a shadow U.S. budget "dedicated solely to saving the financial system, and that is truly surreal."

KY-SEN

Bunning: My Fundraising Is "Lousy," But Getting Better

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 2:27PM

Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), who has been in a face-off with his national party leadership and has openly accused them of trying to force him into retirement, told local reporters back home that his fundraising for this past quarter has been "lousy."

Remember that Bunning, who only won by 51%-49% in the very Republican year of 2004 and could be in a tough race again, has said that his fundraising has been sabotaged by his party leadership spreading rumors that he might retire, along with a possible primary challenge from state Senate President David Williams. Bunning has also singled out his co-Senator, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, for continuing to raise money for himself even though he was just re-elected and Bunning is approaching his next race.

On the bright side, Bunning said the fundraising pace has picked up just recently: "Maybe I finally have convinced everybody, in spite of my leadership, that I am running."

The most recent FEC filings showed Bunning with only $149,991.09 cash on hand as of December 31, 2008. We'll find out soon enough what he has now.

Markey: Some Emissions Permits Likely Will Be Given Away

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 2:17PM

Elana reported below on Greenpeace's efforts to push the House's climate change debate to the left, noting some of their early reactions to the Waxman-Markey legislation unveiled today.

Greenpeace also highlights one politically difficult question that was left unanswered by Waxman and Markey: Would emissions credits be given away free to fossil-fuel-burning businesses, or auctioned off to raise money for green transit and/or taxpayer rebates?

As it happens, Markey addressed that very question today during his conference call with reporters. His answer was somewhat vague--he refused to announce any goals about the proportion of emissions he'd like to see sold at auction, for instance. But he did note that, in the final bill, "what is most likely to happen is a combination of the two"--some will be given away, the rest will be auctioned.

That won't please Greenpeace, and it's not what Obama asked for, but if Markey's saying that now, it's likely that there's no way around it.

Michele Bachmann

Poll: Americans Oppose Non-Existent Threat Of Replacing Dollar

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 1:41PM

Keep in mind that this would hardly be the first time that public opinion turned on things that weren't true. It can very often be more important what voters think is being proposed, rather than what is actually going on.

The pollster's analysis acknowledges: "At issue is not replacing the money in Americans' wallets but what currency will be the world standard against which all other monies are measured." But the questions themselves don't clearly make this distinction for the respondents, asking about the proposal "to replace the dollar with a new global currency."

To a degree, this was a deliberate choice, Scott Rasmussen told TPM. "I was really curious where the suspicion level was going to be on this particular question," said Rasmussen, noting that this is a story that hasn't been discussed or explained very much, and where public opinion is very fluid.

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Environment

Greenpeace: Waxman-Markey Climate Bill Not Strong Enough

Elana Schor | March 31, 2009, 1:40PM

The climate change draft bill released today by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) goes further than the White House in terms of its emissions targets -- but the plan also tacks right in some notable ways, as Greenpeace is noting in its newly released response.

Steven Biel, director of Greenpeace's U.S. global warming campaign, raised questions about two elements of the Waxman-Markey plan and called for it to be "strengthened" by Congress.

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Budget

Boxer Calls Out GOP on Reconciliation Hypocrisy

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 1:35PM

A few minutes ago on the floor of the Senate, Barbara Boxer called out Republicans for their... call it 'selective opposition' to the budget reconciliation process.

Boxer chairs the Environment and Public Works committee, and spent the early afternoon fending off Republican attempts to explicitly prevent the Senate from using reconciliation to pass climate change legislation. We'll try to get that document she submitted for the record and when we do, we'll post it here.

Budget

Republicans: We Don't Want Reconciliation...Or Cap-and-Trade

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 1:14PM

The floor debates on the budget continue in both chambers today. A couple things we'll be looking out for--Republicans should be offering an amendment at some point have offered an amendment that would "prohibit the use of reconciliation in the Senate for climate change legislation involving a cap and trade system." Right now, reconciliation instructions are only included in the House bill, but they may well be imported to the Senate bill in conference.

Meanwhile, Senator John Thune has introduced an amendment that would "prohibit the collection of funds from any future cap and trade proposal if that proposal would increase electricity rates and gasoline prices for American households and businesses."

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Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi: Climate Legislation by July (We Hope)

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 12:56PM

Following up on Elana's post about the Waxman-Markey legislation, I just got off a conference call with Ed Markey himself and Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the climate change process. The goal, Pelosi said, was to have the bill passed by July--but she conceded that the goal, and the separate task of bringing Republicans aboard, will be a challenge.

The plan the Democrats put forward is pretty ambitious, at least by the standards of the U.S. Congress, but that means much less coming from the House than it would from the Senate, which is the real choke point for all of this stuff. One way around that roadblock is, famously, the reconciliation process. But the authors of this legislation--no wilting violets, they--signed on to a letter to President Obama saying, "using the budget reconciliation process, which curtails Senate filibuster rights, could arouse regional distrust and make reaching agreement harder."

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Budget

Dems Bringing Web Ad Against House Republicans' "Budget" To TV

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 12:06PM

The Democratic National Committee has just announced that they'll be taking a recent Web ad to television, attacking the GOP's "budget" -- which crashed after it became clear tat the unveiling that there were no actual numbers, just talking points.

The Web-ad-turned-TV-ad shows cable TV pundits ripping into the budget announcement -- indeed, the commentators seemed angry that the House Republicans were wasting everybody's time:

The DNC will be airing the ad on DC cable -- essentially making this an effort to boost the visibility of the attack among the Washington media set, going into the budget votes expected to take place this week.

NY-20

It's Anybody's Guess Tonight In NY-20

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 11:52AM

It's Election Day today, in the special election for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's former House seat in upstate New York. Democratic candidate Scott Murphy may be the slight favorite -- a recent Siena poll gave him a four-point lead -- in a campaign that many outside observers originally thought could be a likely pick-up for the GOP. No matter which way it turns out -- we'll find out after the polls close at 9 p.m. ET -- expect it to be close.

Republican candidate Jim Tedisco, the state House minority leader, began this race two months ago with high name recognition, while Murphy was an unknown businessman making his first bid for office -- indeed, a Siena poll from a month ago put Tedisco ahead by 12 points. Both national parties have been actively involved with the race, with the NRCC spending over $800,000 and the DCCC putting in about $590,000 -- plus $820,000 from the National Republican Trust PAC for Tedisco, and $245,000 on Murphy's behalf from the SEIU Local 1199. Murphy himself has out-raised Tedisco's campaign, and in all the money spent is about even on each side, totaling roughly $5 million.

Among Democrats, the mood is generally one of cautious optimism, while Republicans are uncertain -- and of course, both sides are staying focused on their ground game. The bottom line here is that it's impossible to fully predict turnout in a special election -- it must be earned, vote by vote.

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Environment

Waxman to Unveil Climate Change Bill Today, Going Further Than Obama

Elana Schor | March 31, 2009, 10:50AM

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) are rolling out their proposal to cut carbon emissions today, and early leaks of the plan suggest that the duo is prepared to ensure that the Obama administration is not the most liberal player in the climate change debate.

Waxman and Markey's bill will set targets of a 20% reduction in emissions by 2020, compared with Obama's proposed 15% cut, and an 83% reduction by 2050, a more ambitious goal than Obama's planned 80% trimming. This is more than just a numbers game: By moving the goalposts further left than the White House, the two House Democrats set the stage for a meaningful compromise on climate change ... but can it happen this year?

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Bobby Jindal

Alaska GOP Senator Smacks Jindal: "Monitoring Volcanoes is Critically Important"

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 9:44AM

"Recently there were some comments made about federal spending for volcano monitoring being wasteful," Murkowski said from the Senate floor, without naming Jindal directly. "I can assure you that monitoring volcanoes is critically important to the nation and especially to my home state of Alaska."

In Jindal's speech, he said: "While some of the projects in the bill make sense, their legislation is larded with wasteful spending. It includes ... $140 million for something called 'volcano monitoring.' Instead of monitoring volcanoes, what Congress should be monitoring is the eruption of spending in Washington, DC."

The massive eruptions from Mount Redoubt were serious enough to cancel all airport service in and out of Anchorage for several hours -- even though the city is about 100 miles away from the volcano. Memo to Bobby Jindal: "Volcano monitoring" in some parts of the country is not all that dissimilar from "hurricane monitoring" on the Gulf Coast.

Budget

GWOT Retired, Long National Nightmare Over

Brian Beutler | March 31, 2009, 9:22AM

Our long national nightmare is finally over (probably), and we may have an anonymous bureaucrat in the Office of Management and Budget to thank for it. Last week, it was reported that he (or she) sent a memo to the Pentagon suggesting that the White House had had enough with the term Global War on Terror (GWOT) and would henceforth prefer the term Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO).

Soon enough, though, reporters got wind of it and administration officials--OMB chief Peter Orszag and Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell--began walking the claim back.

But today, none other than Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirms it: Whether a directive's been issued or not, the administration has dropped GWOT from its lexicon.

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 31, 2009, 8:58AM

Poll: Americans Don't Blame Obama For Economy
A new ABC/Washington Post poll finds the public agreeing with the Obama administration that it has inherited the problems it has to deal with. Only 26% of Americans think the Obama administration deserves blame for the current economic problems, compared to 80% who blame banks and businesses, 70% who blame the Bush administration, and 72% who blame consumers. President Obama's approval rating remains high at 66%, with 60% approval on the economy specifically.

Obama Going To London For G20, Biden In Washington
President Obama and Michelle Obama are headed to the United Kingdom for the G20 summit. They left Washington early this morning, and will arrive in London in the evening. Vice President Biden is in Washington today, just back from his trip to Latin America, and will be planning an upcoming event of the Middle Class Task Force, and will make phone calls to House and Senate members to discuss the budget.

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Timothy Geithner

Poll: Geithner's Approval Numbers Just Barely In The Black

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 5:39PM

A new Gallup poll finds Americans are closely divided on Tim Geithner's performance, with a large amount of undecideds, as well.

The numbers: Approve 42%, Disapprove 40%. Democrats approve at 61%, Republicans disapprove with 63%, and independents are nearly the same as the overall top-line numbers.

From the pollster's analysis: "It is not a good sign for Geithner, perhaps, that he receives significantly lower approval ratings than does his boss. In the same poll in which Geithner receives 42% approval, Obama receives a 64% approval rating (and a 30% disapproval rating)."

Rush Limbaugh

DNC Rolls Out Anti-Limbaugh Billboard

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 5:07PM

The DNC has unveiled its new anti-Rush Limbaugh billboard, set to be put on display tomorrow in Limbaugh's home town of West Palm Beach:

(Click image to enlarge.)

The slogan, "Americans didn't vote for a Rush to failure," was the winner of a contest held by the DNC, in which Democrats across the country submitted their ideas for the DNC to pick from.

Bailout

More on the Double-Standard Debate: Did GM Concede More?

Elana Schor | March 30, 2009, 4:45PM

Jed Lewison, writing at Daily Kos, observes that GM's Rick Wagoner isn't the only CEO at a bailed-out company to be asked to step down by the government -- a counterpoint to the double-standard question raised today by Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), and numerous media outlets (including TPMDC).

It's true that the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve asked Robert Willumstad to resign after three months in AIG's top spot, and that Fannie and Freddie's CEOs were also asked to resign last year.

Here's where those cases diverge from GM: the government controlled the majority of AIG when it ousted Willumstad and had already placed Fannie and Freddie directly into conservatorship when it booted their CEOs. The government also has become a leading shareholder at Bank of America and Citigroup, while taking the discrete step of lending money to GM ... while planning on showing the door to upwards of half of GM's board in the coming days.

None of this is intended to take a side in the double-standard debate that TPM readers have dismissed as a false equivalency -- merely to observe that it would be equally false to compare the circumstances behind Wagoner's resignation to those behind the AIG and Fannie-Freddie departures.

Will the Grassroots Drop their Anti-Blue Dog Campaigns?

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2009, 3:57PM

On Friday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid laid the smackdown on progressive grassroots groups that are marshaling their efforts against a group of conservative Democrats. But did the grassroots get the message?

It's becoming difficult not to conclude just that. When reports of Reid's statements broke, I put out calls to some of the more high-profile groups--including Campaign for America's Future (CAF), MoveOn, and Americans United for Change (AUC)--and the response has been...telling.

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MN-SEN

Minnesota Dems To Cornyn: Texas Doesn't Decide Who Represents Us In The Senate

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 3:49PM

The Minnesota DFL Party just put out a scathing press release regarding NRSC chairman John Cornyn's statement that the legal processes surrounding the disputed Senate election could last "years." The release declares: "Minnesotans, not Washington (or Texas), will decide who will represent them in the U.S. Senate."

Key quote from party chairman Brian Melendez:

"Former Senator Coleman's own attorney acknowledges that he'll lose his lawsuit. And apparently, the national Republicans have even less faith in his appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court. But once Coleman's state appeals have run their course, the game is over. If he keeps filing more lawsuits, then he can do it after Senator Franken gets sworn in."

MN-SEN

Minnesota Analyst: Cornyn's Threat Of "Years" Without Senator Could Backfire On State GOP

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 3:23PM

There's one thing that has be asked about NRSC chairman John Cornyn's bold statement that it could take "years" to resolve the Minnesota Senate situation: While it would obviously benefit D.C. Republicans to keep Al Franken out of the chamber, wouldn't this also trigger a huge backlash against the state GOP?

I asked Prof. Lawrence Jacobs of the University of Minnesota what sort of problems it could create for the state Republicans, if the national party were to keep the state without full representation for such a long time. And here's what he said:

Senator Cornyn's strategy may make political sense for Washington Republicans eager to maintain their leverage through the filibuster. But this national strategy could backfire in Minnesota against state Republicans coming into a big 2010 election year. Usually, the president's party loses seats in the Midterm election but a backlash against Minnesota Republicans could hurt them in the race for Governor and for the competitive congressional races for the seats currently held by Michele Bachmann and by first year Representative Erik Paulsen.

It should be noted that this isn't really Cornyn's problem -- there is no Senate election scheduled for 2010 in Minnesota. But could such an impasse really imperil Bachmann? Nooooooo!

Barack Obama

Levin: Detroit & Wall Street Held to Different Standards -- But We Can't Dwell On It

Elana Schor | March 30, 2009, 2:10PM

It's an admittedly over-simplified question, but one that's lingered in the background today after the Obama administration insisted on the resignation of GM CEO Rick Wagoner: Is the government insisting on stronger concessions from Detroit than it is from Wall Street, despite the latter's receipt of a far bigger taxpayer bailout?

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) just told reporters that he believes there has been "a double standard for a long time in terms of the treatment of the financial industry, compared [with] the way the auto industry has been treated. It's something we've fought against ... but something we've got to live with and deal with."

Levin added that it would be a distraction to lament banking CEOs' ability to keep their jobs while boasting managerial records nearly as dismal as Wagoner's (Bank of America chief Ken Lewis and Citigroup chief Vikram Pandit are the names that often spring to mind).

When the senator was asked if he advised the president not to fire Wagoner, however, Levin offered a curious demurral:

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MN-SEN

Franken: We Will Be Seated -- And By "We," I Mean "Me"

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 1:58PM

Al Franken addressed the Minnesota Young DFL convention in St. Paul on Saturday, thanking everyone, especially young voters and supporters, for all their help in bringing him to his super-narrow win:

"First of all, thank you. You know, when you win by 225 votes, it's fair to say that no effort really went to waste," said Franken, as the audience laughed. He then thanked everyone for all the great victories that Minnesota Democrats had in electing Barack Obama, increasing their majorities in the state legislature, and sending their five House members back. "And yes -- we took Paul Wellstone's seat back," he added, before being answered by applause.

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Bailout

Obama Urges Congress to Revive 'Cash for Clunkers' Proposal

Elana Schor | March 30, 2009, 12:56PM

As he rolled out one last reprieve for the nation's troubled automakers, President Obama also restarted a legislative push that ran out of gas during last month's stimulus talks: a $10,000 rebate offer to car owners who traded in their old models for more fuel-efficient wheels.

The "cash for clunkers" plan was originally proposed by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA), at a total cost of about $16 billion. It was dropped from the stimulus amid GOP opposition, but Obama said today that he would "work with Congress to identify parts of the recovery act that could be trimmed to fund such a program and make it retroactive starting today."

Could that strong presidential endorsement give the rebate plan the momentum it needs to win quick congressional approval? Stay tuned...

Late Update: Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), who sponsored a $4,500 version of the "cash for clunkers" rebate alongside Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME), has just released a statement promising to work quickly on complying with the president's request:

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Senate '10

DSCC Fundraising E-Mail: Republicans Are "Betting Against America"

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 12:21PM

Check out the opening line of this new fundraising e-mail from the DSCC, officially authored by DSCC chairman Bob Menendez, seeking to bring in some last-minute cash for the end of the quarter:

Dear Friend,

The Republicans think that betting against America is the way to beat us on Election Day. I know that betting on you is a surefire way to prove them wrong.

(Emphasis in the original.)

The Democrats are now running on flag-waving and running down the other guy's patriotism. What an amazing time we live in.

Auto Industry

GM & Chrysler Kept Lobbying to Continue Their Unworkable Business Decisions

Elana Schor | March 30, 2009, 12:10PM

The Obama administration's candid "viability assessments" of GM and Chrysler emphasize one unsurprising but unfortunate theme: Both auto companies have contributed to their own financial demise by relying on gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs instead of cultivating more fuel-efficient cars.

Here's the relevant excerpt from GM's White House status report:

GM earns a disproportionate share of its profits from high-margin trucks and SUVs and is thus vulnerable to energy cost-driven shifts in consumer demand. For example, of its top 20 profit contributors in 2008, only nine were cars.

And the administration's take on Chrysler was even more grim:

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NY-20

Tedisco Denies Calling Stimulus Bill "Pork" -- Have You Ever Heard Me Say It?

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 11:57AM

Check out this obviously uncomfortable exchange between Jim Tedisco, the Republican candidate in tomorrow's special election for Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat, and a reporter from this past Thursday night. Tedisco tried to deny that he'd referred to the stimulus bill as pork -- even though he and his campaign have done so on multiple occasions.

Tedisco was asked about two things, essentially -- characterizing the stimulus bill as containing $300 billion in pork or wasteful spending, and his attack that Dem candidate Scott Murphy should have read the whole bill due to the AIG bonus flap:

For the record, a Google search shows Tedisco or his campaign spokesman being directly quoted using the word "pork" here and here. Indeed, before he had officially announced his opposition to the bill, he had been referring to aspects of it as "Washington-style, Mickey-Mouse pork barrel politics at its worst," in this press release on his campaign's Web site.

Check out the relevant transcript, after the jump.

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Budget

Conrad: Let's Kick Reconciliation Can Down the Road

Brian Beutler | March 30, 2009, 11:31AM

The budget reconciliation flame wars continue today, with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad reiterating once again his aversion to using the process as a vehicle for health care reform legislation. In a conference call with reporters, Conrad, for the first time, moved beyond simply reiterating his aversion to the tactic and addressed the fact that reconciliation may be the only hope for reform. But he still hasn't addressed the merits of the plan proposed by reconciliation supporters.

Here's what he said:

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Auto Industry

The Double-Standard Question Haunting Today's Detroit Announcement

Elana Schor | March 30, 2009, 10:56AM

President Obama is about to administer tough medicine to GM and Chrysler, giving them 60 days and 30 days, respectively, to formulate workable plans for financial survival -- in addition to securing the resignation of GM CEO Rick Wagoner.

Wagoner's departure hardly comes as a shock, given that the once-mighty General Motors began its current swoon under his stewardship. But Michiganders and Wall Street analysts alike are pointedly asking the same question Josh raised last night at the TPM mothership: Why did the Obama administration call for Wagoner's head but allow ineffectual banking CEOs to stay on the job and the government dole?

Here's how Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (MI), the third-ranked House Republican leader, put it to Reuters:

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NY-20

Gillibrand Robocalls For Murphy In Special Election

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 10:18AM

Kirsten Gillibrand has recorded a new robocall getting out the vote for Scott Murphy, the Democratic candidate in tomorrow's special election to fill her old House seat:

"Scott Murphy will work with me and President Obama to get our economy moving again," said Gillibrand. "This is going to be a very close election, and Scott needs your support."

This past Friday's Siena poll, which showed Murphy taking a four-point lead after having trailed throughout the campaign, gave Gillibrand a favorable rating of 76% to only 18% unfavorable, and Obama had a favorable of 65%-28%. So as much as robocalls are normally pretty annoying things, having Gillibrand call and name-drop Obama might not be such a bad idea.

MN-SEN

Cornyn: Minnesota Senate Seat Could Take "Years" To Resolve

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 9:50AM

The Minnesota election dispute has now lasted for almost five months, with the seat vacant for the last three of them -- but that might just be the beginning, with NRSC chairman John Cornyn telling the Politico that it could take "years" to resolve.

Cornyn, of course, is promising Republican resistance to any potential effort to seat Al Franken while Norm Coleman continues to challenge the result. And Cornyn is clear that this means Franken can't be certified the winner if Coleman takes it to the federal courts, not just at the state level. But Cornyn seems to be going into new territory when he says it could take "years" to fix this thing.

TPM asked DSCC communications director Eric Schultz for comment. "Republicans have made it clear they will hold this Senate seat hostage in order to pursue their political agenda - at the hefty expense of Minnesota having full representation in Congress," said Schultz. "We're all awaiting the three-judge panel to return its verdict, and once they do, we will have yet another confirmation that Al Franken won the election - and hopefully he can get to Washington to do the job he was elected to do."

Auto Industry

TPMDC Morning Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 30, 2009, 9:00AM

Obama Rolling Out Restructuring of Auto Industry -- And Boardrooms
President Obama is set to roll out his new terms for aiding the auto industry, with some big changes already in the works -- most notably, the administration has demanded and received the resignation of General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner. The government is also calling for Chrysler to partner with Italian automaker Fiat, and for GM to come up with a new business plan, after the government has rejected the proposals from both companies.

Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will be speaking at 11 a.m. from the Grand Foyer of the White House, delivering remarks on the new plan for the auto industry. At 12:15 p.m. ET he will meet with Robert Gates. At 3 p.m. he will sign the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, and at 5:30 p.m. ET he will meet with the House Democratic Caucus.

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NY-20

The Latest From The NY-20 Special Election

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2009, 6:39PM

The media has quickly coalesced around a consensus that this Tuesday's special election for Kirsten Gillibrand's old House seat is the first real electoral test for President Obama.

Indeed, there are many important issues here, like the stimulus bill and the Republican case that the AIG bonuses can be blamed on the Dems. But the White House's own clout is now in the mix, thanks to the recent endorsement by President Obama of Democratic candidate Scott Murphy, and the radio ad from a few days ago starring Vice President Biden.

So here are some recent updates:

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Barack Obama

TPMDC Sunday Roundup

Eric Kleefeld | March 29, 2009, 1:04PM

Obama: Afghanistan Is "America's War"
In his interview on CBS' Face The Nation, President Obama was asked whether the Afghanistan War was now his war. "I think it's America's war," said Obama. "What we want to do is to refocus attention on al Qaeda. We are going to root out their networks, their bases. We are gonna make sure that they cannot attack U.S. citizens, U.S. soil, U.S. interests, and our allies' interests around the world."

Petraeus: "I Wouldn't Necessarily" Agree With Cheney That Obama Is Making Us Less Safe
Appearing on CNN's State of the Union with John King, Gen. David Petraeus was asked his opinion of Dick Cheney's comments that President Obama's decisions were increasing the risk of a terrorist attack. "Well, I wouldn't necessarily agree with that, John. I think that, in fact, there is a good debate going on about the importance of values in all that we do," said Petraeus, outlining his own opposition to torture.

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