Bush Tax Cuts

Schumer: Large Appetite To Fight Even If All Bush Tax Cuts Expire

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2010, 12:09PM

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

At a press conference this morning after Senate Republicans blocked a bid to let Bush tax cuts for wealthy Americans expire, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said a large number of Democrats are prepared to continue this fight into next year, even if it means all the Bush tax cuts sunset as scheduled.

In response to a question from TPM, Schumer acknowledged, "there are lots of people in our caucus who do have that appetite. There are some who don't."

As he said that, several members joining him on stage -- Mark Begich (D-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Al Franken (D-MN), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) -- nodded in agreement.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Senate Republicans Block Middle Class Tax Cut

Brian Beutler | December 4, 2010, 11:20AM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Senate Republicans today successfully filibustered two Democratic tax cut bills that would have allowed Bush-era tax cuts benefiting only the wealthiest sliver of the country to expire. The party-line votes were intended by Democratic leaders to put Republicans on the record blocking the extension of tax cuts that would have benefited all Americans in order to secure additional tax cuts for the highest-income earners in America.

Today's result was never in doubt. At a press conference yesterday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who masterminded the votes, characterized today's exercise as part of a long-running argument between Democrats and Republicans -- one that voters will judge on election day in 2012. "This is going to be a winning argument not just for the next one to two weeks, but for the next two years," he said.

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MN-GOV

Minnesota State Canvassing Board Debates The Importance Of Being Frivolous

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2010, 6:24PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

The Minnesota State Canvassing Board just had a contentious two-hour meeting, in their effort to oversee the state gubernatorial recount, in which they tangled with Republican nominee Tom Emmer's lead litigator Eric Magnuson -- a former state Chief Justice who served on the board itself during the 2008 Senate recount. And in a display that would make Oscar Wilde proud, the board spent its meeting at lengthy discourse on the subject of frivolity.

At issue were the very large number of challenges that Emmer campaign observers have made against the local officials' decisions on how to count ballots -- of which the vast majority, over 2,500 of them, have been deemed frivolous by the local officials and counted anyway, under the board's rules.

After much back and forth, the board came to realize that they had to dot every "i" and cross every "t," and laid out a new procedure for the next week -- copies of all challenges deemed frivolous will be provided to the Emmer campaign, with Magnuson promising to seriously cut down the list by the middle of next week, and the board to see the list on Friday. But, Magnuson said, there would still be ballots that they think should get a look.

(As Justice David Stras made clear, the board is not promising to actually look at all such ballots -- just that Team Emmer must have access to them and the chance to review the list.)

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Robert Menendez

Menendez On GOP Tax Cut Posture: 'Do You Negotiate With Terrorists?'

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 2:22PM

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)

At a press conference this afternoon with several Senators calling out Republicans for blocking middle-class tax cuts, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) escalated the Dem rhetoric by comparing the GOP's my-way-or-the-highway posture to the demands of terrorists.

Responding to a reporter pressing Dems to explain why the haven't put forth a compromise that can pass the Senate, Menendez said a quickly negotiated solution might not be in the best interest of the nation.

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2012 elections

PPP Poll: Romney Trails Obama By 9 Points In Massachusetts

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2010, 2:21PM

President Barack Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA)

The new survey of Massachusetts from Public Policy Polling (D) shows President Obama continuing to lead various possible Republican challengers in this deep-blue state -- including former Gov. Mitt Romney, who comes the closest to Obama but still trails by a significant margin.

Obama leads Newt Gingrich by 57%-33%; Mike Huckabee by 57%-33%; and extends his lead to 61%-32% against Sarah Palin. Against Romney, who was governor of the state from 2003-2007 -- and did not seek re-election in 2006 in order to run for president in the 2008 cycle -- Obama leads by 52%-43%.

Obama's approval rating in Massachusetts is 55%, with disapproval at 40%. By contrast, Romney's personal favorable rating is only 40%, with 51% viewing him unfavorably. It should be kept in mind that, in his 2008 run, Romney often courted conservative audiences by contrasting his positions with "the most liberal state in the country" (as it was called in one ad) where he'd been governor.

The survey of registered voters has a ±4.4% margin of error.

Entitlements

No More Third Rail? How The GOP Got Its Entitlement-Slashing Mojo Back

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 1:15PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and John Boehner (R-OH).

One of the most fascinating political conundrums facing the GOP -- whether or how to avoid conservative over-reach -- might play out sooner than expected, when newly elected GOP members come to town. Despite their proclamations that they'll take a humble approach to governing in the next two years -- that they see the election as a referendum on Democrats, not a vote of confidence in themselves -- leading Republicans are already making plans to turn the classic third rails of politics into major political issues. And they're entering their new majority with as much bravado as they had under President Bush, when their last attempt to slash entitlements went down in flames.

"The third rail is not the third rail anymore," Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the incoming House Budget chairman, told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast roundtable with reporters yesterday. "The political weaponization of entitlement reform is no longer as potent as it used to be, and the best evidence is this last election."

Read more »

MN-GOV

Emmer Digs In: MN-GOV Recount 'Merely A Step In The Process'

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2010, 12:37PM

MN Gov candidate Tom Emmer (R)

Minnesota Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer, who entered the state recount trailing Democrat Mark Dayton by 8,770 votes, just held a press conference and admitted that the recount itself would not change the result. Instead, he made a lot of hay over a different issue, attacking the possibility of precincts that have more ballots cast than people who properly signed the registers.

The takeaway here is that the Emmer campaign could potentially file an election contest -- a lawsuit disputing the election result -- on the basis of alleged voter fraud. A possible drawn-out legal contest could result in Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty staying in office in the interim, with the opportunity to work with a newly elected Republican legislature.

"This egregious disregard for election laws calls into question the integrity of one vote per person," Emmer said, "and is, I believe, an assault on the very principles of the American voting system, diluting every legally cast vote. Again, that's when you have more ballots, than supposedly you have people that voted in the election."

He also added: "Remember the recount is merely a step in the process that ensures that there are no other irregularities that must be accounted for."

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Bush Tax Cuts

Poll: Only 26% Of Americans Want All Bush Tax Cuts Extended

Jon Terbush | December 3, 2010, 11:34AM

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)

Riding high on their midterm election gains, Republicans have argued for extending all of the Bush tax cuts due to expire at the end of the year, as opposed to a Democratic proposal to extend them only for Americans' first $250,000 of income.

Despite House Republican leader John Boehner's assertion that Republicans would "stop all the tax hikes" a CBS News poll released Thursday found that a majority of Americans would rather see tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire while extending them for everyone else.

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Fiscal Commission

FAIL: Fiscal Commission Adjourns Without Holding Official Vote

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 11:12AM

The 18-Member Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, Sept. 29th, 2010

After weeks of tumultuous negotiations, the White House's fiscal commission adjourned today without agreement on a controversial plan to reduce deficits by slashing spending and lowering income tax rates.

Recognizing that they'd fail to meet the 14-vote threshold for passage, the 18-member commission ultimately did not take a final vote. However, members announced their positions ahead of today's final meeting, and in the end a majority -- according to Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), 11 in total -- claimed to support the proposal.

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AK-SEN

Miller: Murkowski's Seniority Doesn't Matter ... Because Earmarks Are Done (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | December 3, 2010, 10:35AM

Candidate for U.S. Senate Joe Miller (R-AK)

Republican Joe Miller argued yesterday that expediting his Alaska Senate lawsuit is unnecessary because there's no "evidence at all" that suggests Sen. Lisa Murkowski will lose her seniority if she's not seated by January 3. But even if she did, Miller said, who cares, because the House might ban earmarks anyway.

"What exactly are we getting for it?" he asked.

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Michele Bachmann

Bachmann: GOP Leaders Should Face 'Insurrection' If No HCR Repeal Vote (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | December 3, 2010, 9:52AM

Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), the star of the Tea Party right who recently waged a short-lived and unsuccessful bid for House Republican Conference Chair, says that the House GOP leadership will hold a vote on the full repeal of health care reform -- but if they don't, she says, they should face an "insurrection" within the caucus.

Bachmann made the remarks in an interview with Terence Jeffrey of CNSnews.com, when she was asked whether the leadership would hold the vote.

"If they don't, I think there needs to be an insurrection here in Washington, D.C, against our own leadership--because that is the message that's come loud and clear out of this election: a full scale repudiation and rejection of the federal government takeover of private industry."

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Fiscal Commission

Fiscal Commission's Plan Won't Have Votes To Head To Senate

Megan Carpentier | December 3, 2010, 9:26AM

Former Senator Alan Simpson (R-WY).

The fiscal commission, which already delayed its vote by two days due to internal conflicts, will fail to get the required 14 votes needed to send its report to Congress.

Former SEIU President Andy Stern is the fifth member of the 18-person panel to announce his opposition to the report, making reaching the required supermajority impossible. Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Dave Camp (R-MI) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) are also opposed.

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Melody Barnes

White House's Melody Barnes To Progressives: Don't Jump Off The Bridge!

Ryan J. Reilly | December 3, 2010, 9:03AM

You know that scene in "It's A Wonderful Life" where George Bailey is standing on the bridge ready to end it all? That's where White House Director of Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes sees liberals now, as they await the GOP takeover of the House. In her metaphor, Barnes is a guardian angel of sorts, trying her best Thursday night to pull progressives back from the brink.

Speaking at the American Constitution Society's holiday party at the Center for American Progress last night, Barnes drew parallels between the famous Christmas-themed movie (one of her favorite films) and the situation liberals find themselves in post-election 2010.

Yeah, it's bad, Barnes acknowledged. But, she implored, think of how much worse it would have been if Democrats hadn't been in power at all.

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Defense Spending

Conservatives & Tea Partiers To Congress: Cut Defense Spending

David Taintor | December 3, 2010, 8:41AM

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

It looks like some conservatives and Tea Partiers are ready to go after a sacred cow of Republican politics.

A letter addressed to incoming House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), posted at FreedomWorks, one of the nation's most influential tea party umbrella groups, is urging the Republican leaders to consider cutting defense spending.

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The Americano

Gingrich Reaches Out To Conservative Hispanics At 'Americano' Forum

David Taintor | December 3, 2010, 8:39AM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Former House Speaker and potential 2012 presidential candidate Newt Gringrich is trying hard to reach out to conservative Hispanics, while also calling for comprehensive immigration reform.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Senate Tax Cut Deal Falls Through

Brian Beutler | December 3, 2010, 8:17AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

It's back to plan A.

A tentative agreement between Republican and Democratic Senate leaders to hold four tax cut votes today fell through late last night, over the objections of a GOP member.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Senate Planning Four Tax Cut Votes Tomorrow

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 7:52PM

Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Harry Reid (D-NV)

Jim Manley, spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid confirms that the Senate is planning four tax cut votes tomorrow. As reported here, these will include the two Dem-sponsored plans: middle-income only cuts, and a tax hikes for millionaires.

The Senate will also vote on two Republican-backed plans: one to extend all of the Bush tax cuts for five years, and another to extend them permanently.

This is all contingent upon unanimous consent of the Dem and Republican caucuses. If any senators -- Jim DeMint or Tom Coburn come to mind -- decide to object, then plans change. Reid could file for cloture on the tax cut plans, or they could drop the whole thing.

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MN-GOV

Dayton Withdraws His 42 Frivolous Ballot Challenges -- Attacks Emmer's 2,500

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 6:49PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

In another fun development in the Minnesota gubernatorial recount, the campaign of Democratic nominee Mark Dayton has written a letter to the State Canvassing Board withdrawing all of its ballot-challenges that have been declared frivolous by local officials -- and savaging the campaign of Republican nominee Tom Emmer for issuing a lot more of such challenges than they have.

Essentially, Team Dayton appears to be letting Team Emmer make themselves look bad, and could be trying to ingratiate their own side with the board ahead of a meeting on Friday, which was scheduled ahead of time just to examine this very issue.

"The 2010 Gubernatorial Recount to date has been disrupted by a striking pattern of frivolous challenges to ballots validly cast by lawful Minnesotan voters, with clear expression of voter intent and devoid of any identifying marks," writes Dayton co-lead counsel Marc Elias (who previously served as Dem Sen. Al Franken's lead attorney in the 2008 Senate recount). "I urge this Board to put an end to this unfortunate effort to disenfranchise Minnesota voters."

According to the letter, Team Dayton had only lodged 42 frivolous challenges -- that's right, my fellow fans of absurdist comedy, 42 -- compared to 2,544 from Team Emmer as of the close of business on Wednesday.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Source: Senate Dems Will Likely Force Vote On Middle-Class Tax Cuts

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 5:15PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Senate Democrats are planning to force a vote on the House's just-passed middle-income tax cut bill and a second package to let the Bush tax cuts expire above a new, $1 million tax bracket, according to a Democratic aide.

The move is a sign of the leadership's frustration -- though both packages will likely be filibustered by Republicans, Dems are loath to simply wait for negotiations with Republicans and the White House to end on terms they suspect will be much more favorable to the GOP than to their own party.

At his press conference today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was non-committal about whether this would happen. And though the aide emphasizes that the plan isn't set in stone, it looks like this is the direction Senate Dems are headed. Reid would have to file for cloture tomorrow, resulting in a rare Saturday roll call. Dems would need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster.

2012 elections

PPP Poll: Obama Losing Missouri Against GOPers -- Except Palin

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 5:03PM

President Barack Obama and Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

The new survey of Missouri by Public Policy Polling (D) shows President Obama trailing in the perennial swing state that he narrowly lost to John McCain in 2008 -- unless, that is, the Republicans nominate Sarah Palin or Newt Gingrich in 2012.

Obama was tested against several possible Republican nominees. Mike Huckabee leads Obama by 49%-42%, and Mitt Romney leads Obama by 47%-41%. However, Gingrich only edges out Obama by 45%-44%. And Obama pulls ahead of Palin, by a margin of 46%-43%.

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Tim Pawlenty

Pawlenty: I Wouldn't Have Pardoned Sex Offender -- If New Allegations Are True

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 4:08PM

Tim Pawlenty

Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), who is widely seen as being a potential presidential candidate, has publicly responded to media coverage of a pardon that he and the state board made of a man who had pled guilty to statutory rape many years before -- and is now alleged to have been molesting his own daughter all the while.

Let's round up the information at hand, and get a good look at the circumstances of the case.

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Bush Tax Cuts

House Dems Pass Only Middle Class Tax Cut Bill

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 3:56PM

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Using a wily procedural maneuver to tie Republican hands, House Democrats managed to pass, by a vote of 234-188, legislation that will allow the Bush tax cuts benefiting only the wealthiest Americans to expire.

Democrats were not united on the issue. Twenty voted with Republicans to kill the tax cut bill, as they hold out for extending additional cuts to wealthy Americans -- though 3 Republicans, including Reps. Ron Paul (TX) and Walter Jones (NC) voted for the tax cut extensions. However the outcome will (and was designed to) allow Democrats to draw distinctions between themselves and Republicans during the 2012 election cycle.

President Obama endorsed the plan many months ago, and continues to support it. But divisions within his party, the White House's soft push, and the new political reality after the November election have made it highly unlikely that this legislation will become law. It would need to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, and Democrats lack the 60 votes they'd need to do that.

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Juan Williams

Juan Williams: Extended Jobless Benefits Hurt The Unemployed (VIDEO)

Eric Lach | December 2, 2010, 3:38PM

On Fox News today, Juan Williams, formerly of NPR, advanced an argument about the detrimental effects that extended jobless benefits can have on people. You see, Williams said, these unemployment checks can kill people's work ethic, hurt their values, even harm their sense of style.

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AK-SEN

Judge Allows Murkowski To Intervene In Alaska Senate Lawsuit

Jillian Rayfield | December 2, 2010, 3:38PM

Joe Miller and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

An Alaska judge has allowed Sen. Lisa Murkowski to intervene in Joe Miller's lawsuit against the state over the results of the Alaska Senate race.

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MN-GOV

Mark Dayton To Raise Money With Bill Clinton, George Soros

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 2:54PM

Former President Bill Clinton, gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton (D-MN)

This should just tickle certain right-wingers pink.

As Minnesota Public Radio reports, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton has a very special fundraiser coming up, to help pay for his efforts in the state recount. The headliner at the December 13th event will be none other than former President Bill Clinton.

But that's not all. It will also be held in New York, at the home of George Soros.

Going into the recount, Dayton led Republican nominee Tom Emmer by 8,770 votes, or 0.42%. While this is within the 0.5% needed to trigger a statewide recount, many observers have doubted that Emmer could pull ahead, as Dayton's lead is probably too wide to be reversed barring any surprising discoveries in the hand count. However, a possible drawn-out legal contest could potentially result in Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty staying in office in the interim, with the opportunity to work with a newly elected Republican legislature.

Climate Change

House GOP Abolishes Committee On Climate Change

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 2:05PM

John Boehner

The incoming House Republican majority has taken a first step in streamlining the way Congress operates -- by dissolving the committee that Democrats created specifically to hold hearings on global warming.

The AFP reports:

Democrats immediately assailed what they branded the "very disappointing" decision to dismantle the Select Committee on Global Warming, which did not have the power to approve legislation.

"We have pledged to save taxpayers' money by reducing waste and duplication in Congress," said a spokesman for Republican House speaker-designate John Boehner, Michael Steel.

Look on the bright side: House Republicans have clearly acknowledged that the Committee on Global Warming exists, was created by humans, and could be reversed.

RNC

Gingrich: Steele Needs To Shake Up RNC Staff -- Or He'll Lose

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 1:52PM

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), a potential presidential candidate, is voicing some skeptical notes about Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who is facing a large field of potential challenges as he seeks re-election this January.

As CNN reports, Gingrich says that if Steele wants to win another term, he will have to shake up his top staffing at the RNC, and deal with skepticism over the committee's financial situation:

"Chairman Steele has to convince people that he will have dramatically stronger executive director and internal leader, or I think there will be a new leader," Gingrich said.
...
"It's clear that the committee has to pay off a very large debt and the committee has to focus on being dramatically more effective for 2012, and I think that members of the RNC got to make a decision about what the right way is to get to that," he added.

Barack Obama

MoveOn Ad To Obama: Let The Bush Tax Cuts Expire (VIDEO)

David Taintor | December 2, 2010, 1:11PM

An ad from MoveOn, "Obama Back"

Just as Congress prepares to vote on the Bush-era tax cuts, MoveOn.org has a new ad out today, calling for President Barack Obama to return to his bold days as a candidate.

The ad features a montage of people asking Obama to "be the president we fought to elect," and let the tax cuts expire.

Read more »

John Boehner

Boehner Blasts Dems' 'Chickencrap' Tax Cut Vote Gambit (VIDEO)

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 12:43PM

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)

This afternoon, House Democrats will hold an up or down vote on vote on President Obama's plan to extend tax cuts to income below $250,000, and they've figured out a way to prevent the Republicans from pulling procedural tricks that might sink it -- a straight vote on whether or not wealthy people deserve an additional tax break. Today, at his weekly press conference, House Minority Leader John Boehner compared the move to fertilizer.

"I'm trying to catch my breath so I don't refer to this maneuver going on today as chickencrap, alright?' Boehner said. "But this is nonsense."

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Stimulus

Paul Ryan Says No More Tax Cut Stimulus, Either

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 12:20PM

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)

With Republicans set to take control of the House next year, some Democrats on the Hill and in the administration had been hoping that the parties could agree on the sort of stimulus that Republicans typically like: tax breaks. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) says: Don't count on it.

"I don't think so...that's like cash for clunkers, rebates, payroll holidays -- those don't work," Ryan told me after a Christian Science Monitor breakfast roundtable with reporters this morning. "They don't work to grow the economy. they lose a lot of money, they give you an artificial sugar high in the quarter in which they take place, and then they go right back down."

There's a strong consensus among economists that the key to growth is to inject demand into the economy, either by spending or giving people money to spend through tax credits, rebates, etc. Some Republicans do support measures like this. But according to Ryan, they're the minority within the party.

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MN-GOV

Emmer Camp Threatens To Sue County -- For Wanting To Add More Counting Tables

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 12:19PM

MN-GOV candidate Tom Emmer (R)

The campaign of Minnesota Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Emmer is continuing to challenge a whole lot of ballots in the state recount -- and a whole lot of those challenges are being declared frivolous by local officials, making for some very interesting squabbles.

As the Star Tribune reports, in Hennepin County (Minneapolis) alone, Team Emmer has made about 1,600 challenges that have been declared frivolous by local officials. Election manager Rachel Smith made an attempt to speed things up -- which she quickly abandoned, after Emmer attorney Tony Trimble attempted to sue:

To speed things up on Wednesday, Smith asked to add three or four counting tables to the 25 already set up.

Trimble objected, saying if she did so, the campaign would take the county to court. "They can't change the rules," he said.

The state Republican Party also blasted Smith. In a statement, the party said Smith "tried to change the rules in the middle of game to advance the interests of Mark Dayton."

Smith then ditched the idea, saying that it was "not worth the fight."

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The Daily Show

Jon Stewart Ridicules Lame Duck And GOP's 'Audacity Of Nope' (VIDEO)

David Taintor | December 2, 2010, 11:05AM

Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart last night checked in with the 111th Congress, saying that the post-election lame duck session is a "legislative sweet spot."

"(It's) the three weeks out of every two years when people can actually do what's best for the country, because they're not preoccupied with getting reelected," Stewart said. "It's kind of like that five-minute window after you have an orgasm, when you're finally not thinking about sex and can actually get some work done."

Read more »

MA-SEN

PPP Poll: GOPer Scott Brown In Good Shape In Heavily Dem Massachusetts

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 11:01AM

Senator Scott Brown (R-MA)

A new survey of Massachusetts from Public Policy Polling (D) finds Republican Sen. Scott Brown, who won a tremendous upset victory in last January's special election to succeed the late Democratic icon Ted Kennedy, to be in good shape heading into his 2012 re-election bid.

Brown is in front of a number of hypothetical Democratic opponents. He leads Rep. Mike Capuano, who had previously lost the Democratic primary in that special election, by 52%-36%. Brown leads Rep. Stephen Lynch by 49%-30%, leads Rep. Ed Markey by 49%-39%, and leads Gov. Deval Patrick by 49%-42%. In addition, Brown leads Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Ted Kennedy, by 48%-41%.

Brown's approval rating is 53%, to only 29% disapproval.

From the pollster's analysis: "In a sign of how moderate and mainstream Brown's image is, 53% say his views are "about right," something only 32% say of the GOP as a whole. Likewise, 52% think the Republicans too conservative, but only a third say that of Brown. Even 35% of Democrats see Brown's ideology as acceptable, though half do think him too far right."

AK-SEN

Judge Fast Tracks Hearings Over Joe Miller's AK-SEN Lawsuit

Jillian Rayfield | December 2, 2010, 10:49AM

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Joe Miller

An Alaska judge has expedited the schedule for Republican Joe Miller's Alaska Senate race lawsuit, setting arguments for next Wednesday and asking that attorneys on both sides complete any filings as quickly as possible.

Despite Miller's objections, Judge William Carey said: "We need to resolve this matter at this state court level just as soon as we can."

Miller's suit argues that the state acted unlawfully in counting misspelled ballots for write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski. He also alleges that Murkowski's ballots were held to a different standard because they were counted by hand, while his were counted by machine.

Murkowski waged a write-in campaign after losing the Republican primary to Miller, and managed to come out ahead by over 10,000 votes in the general election. Two thousand of those votes went uncontested by the Miller campaign in the initial count.

Read more »

Paul Ryan

Republican Paul Ryan Opposes White House Fiscal Commission Plan

Brian Beutler | December 2, 2010, 10:42AM

Paul Ryan

Incoming Budget Committee chairman -- and fiscal commission member -- Paul Ryan (R-WI) will not be voting for the White House Fiscal Commission's report, he told reporters at a breakfast roundtable hosted by the Christian Science Monitor today.

"Obviously I'm not going to vote for it," Ryan said. "I think I pretty much telegraphed that."

Ryan was at pains to praise the commission's chairmen, Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, for their efforts, but ultimately criticized the plan dramatically -- in particular, he says, because it reinforces President Obama's health care law.

Read more »

Tea Party Caucus

House Tea Party Caucus Members Requested Over $1 Billion In Earmarks

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 10:40AM

Hmm, something seems odd about the House Tea Party Caucus -- the group founded to promote cuts in government spending. As National Journal reports, a new study finds that the caucus' 52 members requested a total of more than $1 billion in this past Congress.

According to a Hotline review of records compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, the 52 members of the caucus, which pledges to cut spending and reduce the size of government, requested a total of 764 earmarks valued at $1,049,783,150 during Fiscal Year 2010, the last year for which records are available.

"It's disturbing to see the Tea Party Caucus requested that much in earmarks. This is their time to put up or shut up, to be blunt," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste. "There's going to be a huge backlash if they continue to request earmarks."

Read more »

2012 elections

DeMint Targets Red-State Dem Senators In Fundraising Email

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 9:42AM

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC)

Sen. Jim DeMint is already hitting the virtual campaign trail for the 2012 Senate races, National Journal reports, with his Senate Conservatives Fund leadership PAC sending out a fundraising email targeting four red-state Democrats who voted against the earmark moratorium.

The targeted Senators are Jon Tester (D-MT), Ben Nelson (D-NE), Kent Conrad (D-ND) and the newly-elected Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who just won a special election and is up for a vote again in 2012. All four of them hail from states that were carried by John McCain in 2008.

"These senators are nice folks but they have ignored the will of the American people and they must be replaced with principled conservatives in 2012," DeMint says in the email. "That's where the Senate Conservatives Fund comes in and it's where you can help."

DeMint then adds that his PAC will need "at least $4 million" for these four targeted races.

Michael Steele

RNC Candidates Meet The Tea Party At D.C. Debate

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 2, 2010, 9:40AM

RNC chairman Michael Steele

Four of the many candidates seeking to replace Michael Steele at the head of the Republican National Committee took a break from the behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing of an RNC chair race yesterday to make their case to the tea party. Whether the tea party paid attention is still anyone's guess.

Former Michigan GOP chair Saul Anuzis, former Ambassador and Missouri GOP chair Ann Wagner, former RNC chair Mike Duncan and recently departed RNC political director Gentry Collins gathered for a debate of sorts before an audience of tea partiers hosted by FreedomWorks in Washington. Of the four who appeared, only Anuzis and Wagner are official candidates, though Collins is expected to jump into the race officially at any moment. Duncan's appearance was something of a surprise, though he clearly came prepared to mount a run at the job he lost to Steele in 2009.

The movement that has come to define the Republican Party this year was invited by members of the GOP establishment to play a part in electing the chair. Establishment types hope that by bringing the tea party to the table, they can unite a party still fractured somewhat after nasty primaries. The debate featured a number of questions about how to go about doing that -- but few answers.

Read more »

Michael Steele

Another RNC Official Exposes Fundrasing Fails

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2010, 6:26PM

Chairman of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele

Michael Steele's Republican National Committee is leaking frustrated officials like a sieve. For the second time since the Republican Party's epic wins on Nov. 2, one of the professionals at the RNC has bailed on the committee while offering a behind-the-scenes view of a total fiscal collapse.

The Washington Post reports Boyd Rutherford, chief administrative officer, sent a letter to RNC political staffer Derek Flowers today warning him that the "that many of those who provided political services to [the RNC] during the 2010 election would not be paid this week as originally planned."

The reason, according to the letter, is a "cashflow challenge" at the committee. Now Flowers, who the Post reports had planned on staying at the RNC until the many vendors that served the party this year were paid, will "in fact be leaving the RNC today."

The RNC told the Post that all the debts will be "paid in a timely manner," but Steele's growing chorus of detractors will likely point to the letter as yet another example of the committee's gaffe-prone chairman failing to properly manage the less exciting aspects of his job -- like fundraising.

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Food Safety

FAIL: Senate Dems' Unconstitutional Mishap Could Kill Food Safety Bill

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2010, 5:57PM

Democratic Senators Harry Reid, Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin

In what amounts to an epic constitutionality #fail, Senate Democrats may have blown their chances to see their food safety bill signed into law.

The U.S. constitution requires that any revenue-raising bill must originate in the House of Representatives. To honor this provision, the Senate often finds a discarded old House bill, strips it bare, and uses it as a "shell" and passes it back to the House.

They somehow forgot to do that this time.

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MN-GOV

Dayton Camp Claims Lead Increases In MN-GOV Recount, As Team Emmer's Ballot Challenges Mount

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 4:46PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

Here is the latest update on the Minnesota gubernatorial recount, where Democratic former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton entered the recount leading Republican state Representative Tom Emmer by 8,770 votes.

(See here for an overview of their methodology, and both the necessary caveats and points in its favor, plus a primer on the issue of how ballots that are challenged by a campaign end up being handled.)

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MO-SEN

PPP Poll: Dem Sen. McCaskill Faces Tough Race In 2012

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 4:00PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)

A new survey of Missouri from Public Policy Polling (D) shows a close race in 2012 for Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

McCaskill was tested against three potential Republican nominees, with all trial heats ending up within the margin of error: Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder leads McCaskill 46%-44%; McCaskill edges former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman, who just declared her candidacy today, by 45%-44%; and former Sen. Jim Talent, who lost to McCaskill in the Democratic wave year of 2006, leads her 47%-45.

The survey of registered voters has a ±4.3% margin of error.

A key number here is that President Obama's approval rating in this perennial swing state is currently at just 43%, with 52% disapproval. McCaskill's approval rating as a senator is also only 43%, with disapproval at 44%.

START treaty

Kyl: Dems Cave By Monday Or No START Treaty

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2010, 2:34PM

Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

Republicans say no Senate business until tax cuts are extended and the government is funded -- presumably on terms favorable to the GOP. That apparently includes the START treaty. And now the man leading the resistance to ratifying the treaty during the lame duck says Dems have until Monday to come to terms with Republicans on those two issues.

"If the taxes all can't be resolved and voted on and completed and spending for the government for the next ten months completed by like next Monday, I don't know how there's enough time to complete START," Kyl told The Hill.

Remember, Kyl isn't just the driving force opposing START ratification. He's also the Senate Republicans top tax cut negotiator in bipartisan discussions with the White House. Some suspected that his participation would lead to a compromise involving ratification, but that will only happen if Republicans say so.

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Michael Bennet

Sen. Bennet Caught By Mic: 'It's All Rigged' (VIDEO)

Eric Lach | December 1, 2010, 2:25PM

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)

Whoops, hot mic. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) was caught by a microphone on the Senate floor yesterday, telling a colleague "this stuff's rigged" and badmouthing his party's strategy for the lame duck session.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Lieberman: Senate Has 60 Votes To End DADT (VIDEO)

David Taintor | December 1, 2010, 2:07PM

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT)

On the heels of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the Pentagon calling for a repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) told MSNBC today that he's "convinced" the Senate has more than the 60 votes required to get it done -- provided they have enough time to debate the bill.

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MO-SEN

GOPer Steelman Launches Campaign Against Dem Sen. McCaskill In Missouri

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 1:07PM

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Senate candidate Sarah Steelman (R-MO).

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), who first picked up her seat for the Democrats in 2006, now has her first official challenger for 2012, with former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman announcing her run.

Steelman was previously elected Treasurer in 2004, then lost the 2008 Republican primary for governor, in which the party establishment had supported her opponent. She has reportedly been encouraged to run by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

Steelman sounded some Tea Party-style notes in her announcement, saying in part that her campaign is about "stopping the Washington elites from making America more like a European country instead of recognizing that people still flock to America because they know they can build a better life for their families."

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Democrats

House Dems To Press Ahead With Middle-Class Tax Cut Vote

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2010, 12:43PM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Speaker Of The House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

While White House and congressional negotiators meet to break the tax cut gridlock, and the Senate is frozen in place under a blanket Republican filibuster threat, House Democrats will press ahead with a vote tomorrow morning to extend tax cuts on middle-income alone.

At his weekly press availability, House Majority Leaders Steny Hoyer (D-MD) predicted that the measure would face still resistance from the GOP, but would not interfere with broader compromise negotiations.

"What we have agreement on is being held hostage by what we do not have agreement on -- that is the taxes for the wealthiest Americans," Hoyer said. "One of the things that was discussed yesterday with the president was that where we can find common ground, we ought to move on it. We ought to move forward."

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Don't Ask Don't Tell Supporters And Opponents Seize On Pentagon Study

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2010, 12:19PM

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Yesterday's highly anticipated release of the Pentagon study testing military views on a possible repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell served, as most expected, to bolster the case for supporters of repealing the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the U.S. military. But so far, it has done little to stifle the continuing opposition to the ban from some quarters in Congress.

Even before the report came out, ban supporters like Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) dismissed it as nothing but a political exercise aimed at giving cover to President Obama and his allies in the gay and lesbian community.

So far, those on the fence about repealing DADT haven't said whether the report has changed their mind one way or the other. But Democratic supporters of repeal -- led in the Senate by Majority Leader Harry Reid -- have made it clear they view the report as the beginning of the end of the argument on DADT.

"The report is just common sense," Reid told reporters on Capitol Hill yesterday. "It's been shown time and time again that having gays in the military does not hurt the military, it improves the military and adds to recruitment possibilities."

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War On Christmas

Inhofe Won't March In 'Holiday Parade' Unless They Add 'Christmas' To Name

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2010, 12:14PM

Jim Inhofe

Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe (R) says he won't participate in Tulsa's annual Holiday Parade Of Lights until the "forces of political correctness" put "Christmas" back in the title. "I'm not going to ride in a Christmas parade that doesn't recognize Christmas," he said.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Polls: Plurality Want Bush Tax Cuts On Wealthiest Americans To Expire

Marc Kilstein | December 1, 2010, 11:53AM

President Obama holds a bi-partisan meeting at the White House on July 27, 2010.

With the Bush tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year, Democrats and Republicans are squaring off in Washington over how best to handle the issue-- extend the middle-class tax cuts while allowing the cuts for the wealthy to expire, or extend the tax cuts for all Americans, regardless of income.

And as the divide in Washington has become more clear, two new national polls suggest the American public is also split. Both polls, however, show a plurality of Americans don't want tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to be extended.

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WikiLeaks

McCain: New York Times Shouldn't Have Published WikiLeaks Info

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 11:37AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is criticizing the New York Times for printing the WikiLeaks documents, containing leaked diplomatic cables from the State Department. And while McCain fully admits that the information would be available whether the Times published it or not -- such as on The Guardian or the WikiLeaks site itself -- he says the Times is still doing damage by printing the stuff.

As Howard Kurtz reports at the Daily Beast:

"I wish The New York Times had chosen not to," McCain says in an interview. "It's harmful to the United States of America and our national security interests. Their argument is that it was coming out anyway. But there's a certain imprimatur of The New York Times that gives it a certain degree of respectability."

He pauses for a moment. "You know," he adds with a chuckle, "my relationship with The New York Times is such that anything I say about them will not be taken too seriously." McCain is referring in part to his denunciation of the paper for a 2008 article that implied, based on unnamed sources, that he had a romantic relationship with lobbyist Vicki Iseman. (The Times, in settling a libel suit by Iseman, said it did not intend such a conclusion.)

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich: Julian Assange Is An Enemy Combatant (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 11:04AM

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA)

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has joined in on the conservative hard line against WikiLeaks head Julian Assange -- saying that he should be treated as an enemy combatant. In addition, Gingrich has added his voice to those praising Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, if only as a means of damning President Obama by comparison.

During an appearance last night on Greta Van Susteren's show, Gingrich was asked about Assange's statement that Clinton should resign, due to the practice of having diplomats gather intelligence.

"Two quick thoughts: The WikiLeaks guy should be in jail for the rest of his life," said Gingrich. "He is an enemy of the United States, actively endangering people, and he's gonna get a lot of folks killed. And I think that's a despicable act, and we should treat him as an enemy combatant, and as an absolute enemy of the United States."

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AK-SEN

Joe Miller's Security Firm Won't Be Charged For Handcuffing Journalist

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2010, 10:39AM

Tony Hopfinger (right) and William Fulton (inset)

DropZone Security, a private security team hired by Republican Joe Miller for an October town hall, won't be charged for handcuffing and detaining Alaska Dispatch editor Tony Hopfinger.

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John McCain

McCain Spox: Senator 'Misspoke' When He Said Defense Secretary Never Served In Military

Evan McMorris-Santoro | December 1, 2010, 10:32AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

A spokesperson for Senator John McCain (R-AZ) says the preeminent veteran in the U.S. Senate "misspoke" yesterday when he said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates never served in the U.S. military.

McCain dismissed Gates' claim that repealing the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian service members would have little or no effect on military readiness in an interview with NBC News yesterday by suggesting that Gates doesn't really know what ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell will mean for fighters on the ground. McCain, who continues to be opposed to repealing DADT, stated that Gates was not an objective expert on the matter because he's "a political appointee who's never been in the military."

In truth, Gates served in the Air Force as a second lieutenant for two years starting in 1967. (That was the same year McCain, a Navy pilot, was injured in a fire aboard the aircraft carrier Forrestal in the coastal waters off Vietnam.)

McCain spokesperson Brooke Buchanan told TPM that McCain knows that Gates served in the armed forces and "simply misspoke" when asked about DADT by NBC News.

"Obviously Senator McCain is aware of Secretary Gates' many honorable years in service," Buchanan said in an email.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Tax Cut Negotiators Meeting This Morning

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 10:19AM

Treasury Sec. Timothy Geithner

The bipartisan group set to negotiate the issues surrounding the expiration of the Bush tax cuts is set to meet at 10:15 a.m. ET, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The roster:

• Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner

• Director of the Office of Management and Budget Jacob Lew

• Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee

• Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ)

• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), the incoming ranking member of the House Budget Committee

• Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), the likely next Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.

RNC

Dick Cheney Hosting Fundraiser For RNC Challenger Maria Cino

Eric Kleefeld | December 1, 2010, 10:01AM

Former Vice President Dick Cheney

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is putting his clout behind one of the challengers to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, CNN reports, and will co-host an upcoming fundraiser for former Bush administration official Maria Cino:

Cheney's daughter Mary assisted in organizing the fundraising committee.

Cino served as a top Commerce Department official and Deputy Transportation Secretary under President Bush. She also worked at the RNC during Bush's two terms and managed the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

The fundraiser will be held at the Virginia home of GOP strategist Mary Matalin and is hosted by several veterans of Bush-Cheney world, including former RNC chairman Ed Gillespie, former New York Rep. Bill Paxon and former administration aides Melissa Bennett and Emily Lampkin.

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Fiscal Commission

'Moment Of Truth'? Fiscal Commission Unveils Final Report

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2010, 9:41AM

The 18-Member Commission on Fiscal Responsibility, Sept. 29th, 2010

Below is a copy of the White House Fiscal Commission's final report, somewhat hilariously titled "Moment of Truth."

According to the panel's chairmen yesterday, today's deficit-reduction recommendations aren't dramatically different from those in their much-ballyhooed draft report: It still contains cuts to Social Security, and eliminates tax expenditures to broaden the tax base and dramatically flatten the system, making the top-bracket tax rates drop dramatically.

The commission was supposed to vote on a final package today, per the executive order President Obama signed when he created the commission. But dissent on the commission delayed the unveiling of these recommendations, so the vote will happen Friday.

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Republicans

DADT No More? Republicans Threaten To Block All Dem Initiatives

Brian Beutler | December 1, 2010, 9:15AM

Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Just hours after Democrats and Republicans agreed to bargain on tax cuts, and fewer hours still after Defense Secretary Robert Gates implored Congress to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year, word leaked that Republicans aren't really interested in any of it -- a major repudiation of Gates' authority.

According to a letter delivered to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid this morning, Republicans will block all debate on all legislation until the tax cut impasse is bridged and the federal government has been fully funded -- even if it means days tick by and the Senate misses its opportunity to pass DADT, an extension of unemployment insurance and other Dem items.

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John McCain

McCain Praises Feingold On Senate Floor: This 'Will Be A Much Poorer Place Without' Him

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2010, 8:42AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

Outgoing Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) received a heap of praise from a Senate colleague with whom he had an unlikely partnership. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) praised Feingold, who lost his election to Republican Ron Johnson: "I have to confess I think the Senate will be a much poorer place without Russ Feingold in it."

"I know that in my next term I will experience fewer occasions of inspiration because of the departure of Russ Feingold, a man whose courage and dedication to the principles that guided his Senate service often inspired me," McCain said.

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Steve King

Steve King: People Will Die Thinking About Estate Tax If We Don't Act (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | December 1, 2010, 8:42AM

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is quite concerned that if the estate tax is reinstated after December 31, there will be "people that are on their death bed, families gathered around the death bed, making life and death decisions by looking at tax liabilities."

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Bush Tax Cuts

Dems Torn Over Schumer Plan To Raise Taxes On Millionaires Only

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2010, 8:07PM

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

At an undisclosed White House meeting yesterday with Senate Democratic leaders, President Obama pushed back on a controversial, but politically potent tax cut plan that has knocked Republicans off message in recent days.

Pushing hardest for the new approach was Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the third ranking Democrat in the Senate and the Dems' new point man for combining message and policy. He proposes to create a new tax bracket above the $1 million income threshold, and let Republicans decide whether to fight to the death to give those people a tax cut. It's the one compromise that polls well and wrongfoots the GOP at the same time.

"Republicans are worried about this proposal because it would expose that they are fighting for millionaires instead of the middle class," said Schumer's spokesman Brian Fallon in a statement to me.

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Fiscal Commission

Deficit Commission Stumbles Toward Finish Line

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2010, 6:06PM

President Obama meets with the leaders of his bipartisan debt commission, Democrat Erskine Bowles, on left, and former Republican Sen. Alan Simpson, on right.

After a series of events that a fiscal commission source called "strange," the chairmen of the White House panel announced today that they'll delay a vote on the final recommendations until Friday -- two days after December 1, when President Obama required the commission to wrap up their work.

The 18 members of the commission were scheduled to meet in open session yesterday. But with members still deeply at odds, and without a final draft in hand, that meeting was closed to the public at the last minute, leaving staffers and commissioners scratching their heads.

At a press conference today, the co-chairs of the commission -- Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles -- first claimed they'd met the deadline Obama set for them, then shrugged off the fact that they'd missed that deadline, and finally sought to reduce the already low expectations that a significant number of commissioners would vote for the final product.

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Bush Tax Cuts

Tax Cut Negotiation Team Set By Congressional Leaders

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2010, 5:17PM

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)

Congressional leaders from both parties have announced who they will be dispatching to participate in the tax cut negotiations President Obama announced earlier today.

Democrats have selected Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD) and Sen. Max Baucus (MT) for the negotiations. Republicans have chosen Rep. Dave Camp (MI) and Sen. John Kyl (AZ). The White House delegation will consist of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and White House Budget Director Jack Lew.

All were announced this afternoon by their respective partisan leadership.

If President Obama has his way, the team will determine how to create a bipartisan *compromise between* Democrats who want to allow the tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans to expire and Republicans who want them extended for everyone. Obama announced the bipartisan negotiations after meeting with top leaders from both houses of Congress at the White House today.

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MN-GOV

Dayton Campaign: Our Lead In MN-GOV Recount Has Grown By 205 Votes

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 5:05PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

The campaign of Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton just held a press conference, claiming that his lead in the recount has now grown by 205 votes, as of earlier this afternoon.

Going into the recount this week, Dayton led Republican nominee Tom Emmer by 8,770 votes, or 0.42%. While this is within the 0.5% needed to trigger a statewide recount, many observers have doubted that Emmer could pull ahead, as Dayton's lead is probably too wide to be reversed barring any surprising discoveries in the hand count. However, a possible drawn-out legal contest could potentially result in Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty staying in office in the interim, with the opportunity to work with a newly elected Republican legislature.

At the press conference, Dayton recount director Ken Martin said that in the precincts that have been recounted thus far -- representing a bit over half of the total votes -- Dayton has gained 271 votes, to Emmer gaining 66 votes, for a net Dayton gain of 205, and a current lead of 8,975.

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

McKeon, Wilson Call For 'Comprehensive Oversight' Of DADT Report

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 2:46PM

Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)

Reps. Buck McKeon (R-CA) and Joe Wilson (R-SC), who will hold key chairmanships on military policy in the next Congress, have released a joint statement on the Pentagon report calling for the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military -- with these two House Republicans instead calling for "comprehensive oversight" of the recommendations.

McKeon will be the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and Wilson will be heading up the subcommittee on Military Personnel. They note in their statement that they were briefed earlier today on the contents of the report, which said that there would be no serious disruption from an orderly repeal.

As McKeon says: "Today's briefing and the release of the Pentagon's report are the first steps in what should be a comprehensive process to study whether implementing these recommendations would undermine military readiness or negatively impact the war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq."

Wilson chimes in, as well, strongly opposing any effort to pass the repeal immediately, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for: "Using the last days of a lame duck Congress to hastily repeal 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' would be highly irresponsible. Today's Pentagon report must be thoroughly examined by the committees of jurisdiction to determine potential impacts on military recruitment, readiness, and morale. Lawmakers and military leaders need to have as much information as possible before any action is taken on such a significant military policy."

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Repeal Amendment

Cantor Urges 'Open Mind' On VA Legislature Plan To Blow Up The Constitution

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2010, 1:45PM

Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor is part of a class of Republicans who say they want to change the country fundamentally -- and to that end, Cantor isn't dismissing a plan by legislators in his home state of Virgina to blow up the Constitutional system and replace it with one that would give state governments veto power over federal laws.

For several weeks now, conservative legal circles have been buzzing with Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell's plan to amend the Constitution so that a 2/3 vote of the states could overturn overturn any federal law passed by the Congress and signed by the President. Howell first floated the idea in a September Wall Street Journal op-ed he co-wrote with Georgetown University law professor Randy Barnett.

"At present, the only way for states to contest a federal law or regulation is to bring a constitutional challenge in federal court or seek an amendment to the Constitution," the pair wrote. "A state repeal power provides a targeted way to reverse particular congressional acts and administrative regulations without relying on federal judges or permanently amending the text of the Constitution to correct a specific abuse."

The pair say the plan is a response to the federal overreach created by "two 'progressive' constitutional amendments adopted in 1913" -- the 16th Amendment creating a federal income tax and the 17th Amendment allowing for the direct election of U.S. Senators, which were previously appointed by state legislatures.

Undoing both those amendments has been a key tenet of tea party rhetoric for a while now.

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Barack Obama

Obama: Geithner And Lew Will Try To Break Through Tax Cut 'Logjam'

Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2010, 1:30PM

President Obama on CNN

In his remarks following today's summit with Democratic and Republican leadership, President Obama announced that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Budget Director Jack Lew will "work with representatives of both parties to break through this logjam" on tax cuts. "I've asked the leaders to appoint members to help in this negotiation process. They agreed to do that. That process is beginning right away," he said.

Obama called the meeting "productive," and though he acknowledged the two parties did not agree on the tax cuts issue, "there was broad agreement that we need to work to get that resolved before the end of the year."

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2012 elections

PPP Poll: Palin Narrowly Leads GOP Field -- And Performs Worst Against Obama

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 1:25PM

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin (R)

The new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) suggests that Sarah Palin continues to hold a narrow national lead in the Republican presidential field -- and that she is also probably their worst possible candidate against President Obama in the general election.

The numbers: Palin 21%, Gingrich 19%, Romney 18%, Huckabee 16%, Ron Paul 5%, Pawlenty 5%, Thune 3%, and Daniels 2%. The survey of national Republican primary voters has a ±4.9% margin of error.

In the previous poll, from all the way back in June, Romney led with 25%, Huckabee had 22%, Palin was in third with 19%, followed by Gingrich at 15%, and Ron Paul 6%.

As for the general election, PPP's numbers released Monday showed Obama leading Palin by a solid 51%-42%. By contrast, he only edged out Romney by 47%-46%, led Gingrich 49%-43%, and led the lesser-known Marco Rubio by 48%-37%.

DSCC

Patty Murray Accepts DSCC Chairmanship

Jillian Rayfield | November 30, 2010, 12:43PM

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) has accepted the chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, two sources have confirmed to TPM.

Read more »

Bush Tax Cuts

House Republicans: Tax Cuts For Everybody -- Or No Tax Cuts For Anybody

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2010, 12:19PM

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)

Incoming Republican House leaders told reporters this morning that House Democrats who are promising a vote on extending only the Bush tax cuts for middle class earners are rejecting the will of voters who cast ballots for a Republican-led House Nov. 2.

"I don't know what Speaker Pelosi didn't hear in this last election," Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), who chairs the GOP transition team, told reporters. "But she sure didn't hear the American people."

Walden accused Pelosi and other Democratic leaders of presenting their tax cut extension plan -- which would allow the Bush cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire, thus saving billions in deficit spending -- in a way that would deny Republicans a chance to amend it. Walden and other Republican leaders gathered at the press event said they represented a bipartisan majority in favor of extending all the cuts and they continued to say that they weren't interested in any plan that didn't do that.

"No tax increases for nobody," Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), incoming chair of the House Republican caucus, told reporters. "It's poor grammar, but it's great economics."

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RNC

PPP Poll: GOP Voters Say Fire Steele From RNC Chair

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 12:18PM

RNC Chair Michael Steele

The new national survey from Public Policy Polling (D) has bad news for Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele: A strong plurality of GOP primary voters, just shy of a majority, want him gone.

The poll asked: "Would you like to see Michael Steele continue as chairman of the Republican Party or would you rather he was replaced?" The result was only 23% to have him continue, against 47% who want him replaced. The survey of national Republican primary voters has a ±4.9% margin of error.

Oddly, as PPP's Tom Jensen notes, the party's successes have done nothing to help Steele -- things have only gotten worse. In the previous PPP survey from July, 27% wanted him to stay, and only 28% wanted him replaced.

It should be noted that the RNC chairmanship is not up for popular vote, but is an insider's game voted on by the committee members. On the other hand, these numbers suggest that there is no popular constituency that might persuade the insiders to keep Steele around -- and if numerous press reports are to be believed, it's the insiders who really have it in for him.

Bush Tax Cuts

McConnell Slams Democratic Proposal To End Bush Tax Cuts For Millionaires

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 12:02PM

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

Going into today's leadership meeting with President Obama at the White House, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) drew the battle lines against Democrats in a floor speech this morning, attacking Dem proposals to have the Bush tax cuts expire on incomes of over $1 million.

As The Hill reports, McConnell slammed a proposal from Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), though he did not directly name Schumer according to the prepared remarks. McConnell fired back, saying that this was a purely political move to raise taxes on businesses.

"Some Democrats now say they only want to raise taxes on businesses that make more than $1 million a year," said McConnell. "Where did that number come from? Well, it turns out this figure has no economic justification whatsoever. Nowhere will you find a study or survey which indicates that raising taxes on small businesses with over $1 million in income will create jobs or help spur the economy."

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Democrats

Dems Have An Ace In The Hole In The Tax Cut Fight But Won't Play It

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2010, 11:38AM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) with Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Charles Schumer (D-NY)

For weeks now, Republicans have been intoning darkly about the possibility that Americans will see a historic tax increase if Congress (read: Democrats) and the White House don't act. At the same time, they've come out strongly against just about all of the compromise proposals Democrats have put forward to prevent the Bush tax cuts on the middle class from expiring.

The implication is that Republicans are willing, if it comes down to it, to let all the tax cuts expire at the end of the year, and pin it on the Democrats. But what if Democrats turned those tactics right back on the GOP:? They could hold firm on their framework -- which would allow the top-income tax cuts to expire quickly -- and then unload on the Republicans if January 1 comes and taxes rise.

Not that it matters: They're not gonna do it.

Read more »

Eric Cantor

Cantor: I'll Tell Obama He Was Repudiated In Election (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 10:42AM

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)

Appearing on Greta Van Susteren's show last night, incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) offered a preview of how today's summit at the White House might turn out -- and it won't exactly be friendly.

Van Susteren asked how they would react if President Obama doesn't agree to their demand to prevent any and all tax increases -- that is, to preserve the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts, as they apply to the top income brackets.

"Well, I mean, Greta, we're going to the White House tomorrow to say to the president, look, you know, we've had an election that, frankly, I don't think many of us have experienced in the time we've been here in Washington that's been so dispositive," said Cantor.

"There was, as Paul said, an outright repudiation of the direction that this administration's been taking us over the last two years. So it is where -- it is up to the president to say, look, we're not going to agree on everything. But one thing we can agree on was that this election was about the people saying it's time for Washington to deliver results, and priority one's got to be more jobs for more Americans."

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2012 elections

PPP Poll: Bloomberg Unpopular With Republicans, Democrats And Independents

Eric Kleefeld | November 30, 2010, 9:58AM

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

A national survey released Monday from Public Policy Polling (D) suggests that New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I) would not start out with any broad national appeal if he were to mount a third-party run for president in 2012. What's more, the ex-Republican Bloomberg would take more votes from the GOP nominee's column, helping President Obama.

In two-way races, Obama leads Mike Huckabee by 48%-45%, leads Sarah Palin by 51%-42%, leads Newt Gingrich by 49%-43%, edges out Mitt Romney by 47%-46%, and leads Marco Rubio by 48%-37%.

With Mike Bloomberg thrown in for a three-way race with Romney, Mayor Mike gets only 11%, with more of it apparently taken from the Republican column. As a result, Obama's lead grows to 44%-38%, plus Bloomberg's 11%.

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Roadmap for America's Future

Tea Partiers Get Seat At Table To Pick Next RNC Chairman

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 30, 2010, 9:14AM

RNC chairman Michael Steele

With a host of candidates lining up to challenge embattled RNC chairman Michael Steele, one large group of voting RNC members' is bringing in FreedomWorks -- the branch of the tea party run by Dick Armey -- to help with the vetting of candidates.

Solomon Yue, an RNC member from Kansas and a co-founder of the RNC's Republican National Conservative Caucus (a 26-member group of the RNC's 168 voting members that has adopted much of the tea party's rhetoric and message), laid out his plan to bring FreedomWorks and the average tea partier into the process of selecting the next chair in a telephone interview with TPM.

Yue said including tea partiers in the vetting process was required to find the right person for the job. The next RNC chair "doesn't have to be a tea partier," Yue told me, but he or she "needs to be tea party compatible."

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Health Care

An Error By Dems May Allow The Lawsuit Against Health Care Reform To Succeed

Brian Beutler | November 30, 2010, 8:44AM

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, (third from left), Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (center), Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (third from right) and others observe a moment of silence

Conservative foes of the Affordable Care Act want the federal courts to smother the new health care law in its crib. They've argued that Democrats failed to erect the proper safeguards to protect the legislation from being stricken down entirely by the courts. And when a Virginia district court judge rules in the coming days on the Constitutionality of the law's insurance mandate, he'll also have to decide whether none, some, or all of the law must go with it.

The obscure term of art here is "severability".

Quite often, legislators include what's known as a "severability clause" in their bills. These are meant to protect the bulk of a law in the event that a small portion of it is determined to be unconstitutional. That small portion must go, or be changed, but pretty much everything else is allowed to stand.

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Pay Freeze

Dems Split On Obama Plan To Freeze Federal Pay

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 8:40PM

President Obama, House Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats

Congressional Democrats are divided once again over an olive branch President Obama extended to the GOP. Progressive members are openly questioning his proposal to freeze federal pay through at least 2012, while their conservative counterparts support the plan, aligning themselves with Republican members who are already pressing Obama to move further to the right.

"[I]t would have been far preferable for the White House to have included this as part of a comprehensive proposal, instead of singling out the hard working men and women of the federal workforce," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in a statement to reporters this evening. "By focusing exclusively on federal employees, the Administration runs the risk of reinforcing the myth, pushed by some for politically convenient but cynical reasons, that America suffers from a federal government comprised of unproductive and overpaid civil servants. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Van Hollen's the incoming ranking member of the Budget Committee, but also represents a large number of federal employees. That said, he's not alone.

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DCCC

House Dems Send Steve Israel To DCCC

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 29, 2010, 8:03PM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

House Democrats have formally appointed Rep. Steve Israel (NY) to head their campaign efforts next year. The move has been expected for weeks and puts Israel -- a one-time Blue Dog -- in charge of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as well as at the head of rebuilding their shellacked majority in the face of a resurgent GOP.

"Congressman Israel has demonstrated extraordinary capabilities in recruiting candidates, in attracting resources, and in communicating core Democratic values for middle class and working families," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will head the House Democrats as Minority Leader in the next Congress, said in a statement. "In his new role as DCCC Chairman, his practical experience in running and winning in difficult districts will provide critical leadership for Democrats to regain the majority in 2012."

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Joe Miller

Miller: I Can Sue Over This Election But Murkowski Can't!

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2010, 6:03PM

Republican candidate for US Senate in Alaska Joe Miller

In the latest filing in the lawsuit over the Alaska Senate race, Joe Miller argues against Sen. Lisa Murkowski's motion to intervene in the suit, because she has not shown that the state cannot "represent her interests adequately."

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Gays in the military

Poll: Majority Of Americans Support Gays Serving Openly In Military, Tea Party Largely Opposed

Marc Kilstein | November 29, 2010, 4:54PM

DADT protestors in Washington, DC

According to a newly released Pew Research Center survey, 58% of Americans are in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces. Among those "who agree with the Tea Party," however, only 38% share the sentiment.

Over the last few years, public opinion on the issue has changed very little-- considering Pew's surveys on the question since 2005, "roughly 60% have consistently favored permitting homosexuals to serve openly in the military." Only 27% of the latest survey's respondents oppose allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve.

While a majority of self-identified Democrats (70%) and independents (62%) are in support of allowing gays to serve openly in the military, Republicans are divided-- the survey finds 40% in favor, while 44% are in opposition. Republican respondents split once more when those who "agree with the Tea Party" are considered distinctly from those "who disagree with the Tea Party." Only 38% of Republicans and Republican leaners who agree with the movement support allowing gays to serve openly, while 48% are opposed. A majority (52%) of Republicans and Republican leaners who disagree with the Tea Party (or have no opinion of the movement) support allowing gays to openly serve in the armed forces.

Pew's findings echo a mid-November Quinnipiac poll that found 58% of respondents favoring a repeal of "Dont Ask, Don't Tell," a law prohibiting gay men and women from serving openly in the military. A more recent November 18 McClatchy-Marist survey suggested a narrower opinion gap: 47% of registered voters said DADT should be repealed, while 48% suggested the law should remain in place. In that survey, 30% of Tea Partiers favored repeal, while 66% opposed it.

Though the issue of gays in the military remains in the public eye, a recent Gallup survey suggests it is not a top priority for Americans-- only 32% of survey respondents indicated it was a "very important" issue to address during Congress's lame-duck session. The estate tax was found to be the issue of greatest concern to respondents, as 56% indicated it was a very important issue.

The margin of error for Pew's latest survey is ±3.5 percentage points.

MN-GOV

Team Dayton: We Extended Our Lead On Day 1 Of Recount -- By 37 Votes

Eric Kleefeld | November 29, 2010, 4:22PM

Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton

The campaign of Minnesota Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Dayton has just made an announcement on the first day of the recount so far, telling a press conference that they have expanded their lead over Republican Tom Emmer, according to their calculations.

Dayton recount director Ken Martin said that with 21% of the total ballots now recounted, they estimated that they have gained 88 votes, to Emmer gaining 51 votes, for a total increase in their margin of 37 votes. Dayton went into the recount already ahead by 8,770 votes, out of about 2.1 million total ballots. (Both candidates will probably gain votes in the recount, due to the tendency to discover ballots that were too lightly marked for the optical-scan machines, but are easily recognized by the human eye.)

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Chuck Schumer

Dem Plan To Raise Taxes On Millionaires Only An Expensive Proposition

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 4:20PM

Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)

Dem senators and congressmen are still kicking around a politically deft tax cut compromise: create a new tax bracket at the million-dollar mark, and tax any income in excess of that amount at Clinton-era rates. The idea's been out there for months, and has won the endorsement of politically savvy Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for an obvious reason: it turns the tax cut fight into a fight about who's on the side of millionaires.

But it comes at a high price. Democrats were hoping to allow the tax cuts to expire for all income above $250,000. That would still lead to large budget deficits over 10 years, but it would save about $700 billion over the GOP's proposal to extend all the cuts permanently. The question for proponents of the new plan is: How much of that $700 billion in savings do you lose if you raise that threshold from $250,000 to $1 million? The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities ran the numbers for Jonathan Cohn and the results are eye-popping.

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MN-GOV

Reports: GOPer Emmer's Campaign Challenging Ballots In MN-GOV Recount

Eric Kleefeld | November 29, 2010, 3:14PM

Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer (R)

The ballot challenges are starting to roll in for the Minnesota gubernatorial recount -- and more of them coming from Republican nominee Tom Emmer's campaign than from Democrat Mark Dayton's, apparently. That said, things still appear to be going smoother than they did in the last statewide recount, from the long and drawn out Senate race in 2008.

The Star-Tribune reports:

According to Hennepin County election manager Rachel Smith, shortly after the recount began the Emmer representatives started filing an increasing number of challenges to would-be Mark Dayton votes that table judges deemed frivolous.

In some precincts "every third or fourth ballot" was challenged by the Emmer camp, Smith said.

...

Dayton lawyer David Lillehaug, asked about reports of frivolous challenges by Emmer representatives, showed a reporter a copy of a ballot from a Minnetonka precinct that an Emmer representative challenged because the oval was not completely filled in. The ovals appeared to almost completely blacked out and the challenge was deemed frivolous.

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Barack Obama

Everyone Hates Obama's Pay Freeze Plan... Except Republicans

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 2:48PM

President Obama speaks at a bipartisan White House gathering with Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) in the background.

The early reviews of President Obama's plan to freeze federal worker pay are in -- and it gets a resounding "F" from just about everybody outside of GOP leadership.

Michael Linden, a budget expert at the liberal Center for American Progress, said the plan is small potatoes that risks driving away valuable civil servants with little budgetary upside.

"Bluntly doing it this way, we risk cutting off our nose to spite our face," Linden said in a phone interview. "We risk not hiring good people, we risk not giving a raise to people who deserve a raise, and we miss not cutting the pay of those who deserve a pay cut."

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WikiLeaks

Gibbs On WikiLeaks: Stealing And Disseminating Classified Info Is A Crime

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2010, 2:18PM

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addressed the release of State Department cables by the website WikiLeaks in a press conference today, noting that President Obama "was -- as an understatement -- not pleased with this information becoming public."

"Open and transparent government," Gibbs continued, "is something the President believes is truly important. But the stealing of classified info and its dissemination is a crime."

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Bush Tax Cuts

House Vote On Middle-Income Tax Cuts Likely This Week

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 2:05PM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

House Democrats are likely to hold a vote later this week on a tax plan that would allow the Bush tax cuts for high-income earners to expire at the end of the year, according to multiple aides.

Nothing's final, and the timing could change, as it often does. But Dem leaders will attempt to settle on a date at a private meeting on the Hill tonight.

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Hillary Clinton

Clinton On WikiLeaks: We're Taking 'Aggressive Steps' To Hold Those Who Stole The Cables Responsible

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2010, 2:00PM

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today strongly condemned the release of State Department cables by WikiLeaks, saying that there "is nothing laudable about endangering innocent people, and there is nothing brave about sabotaging peaceful relations between nations."

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Barack Obama

Obama: Pay Freeze Is Part Of 'Broad Sacrifice' Necessary To Cut Deficit

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2010, 12:36PM

President Obama announced a two-year pay freeze for all federal employees today, describing it as part of a "broad sacrifice" necessary to help cut the deficit, which "must be shared by the employees of the federal government."

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Barack Obama

Obama's Federal Worker Pay Freeze Was Blasted By Democrats Months Ago

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 12:14PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama proposed a two year freeze on federal employee compensation today, just ahead of a Tuesday post-election meeting with the GOP leaders. The proposal was originally put forward by Republicans in recent months -- and slammed by Democrats.

The move is reminiscent of Obama's call for a freeze on non-defense discretionary spending in the days after Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) won deceased Sen. Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in a special election earlier this year. The gesture resulted in no meaningful counter-gesture from the GOP and the administration's natural allies questioned the move. It's likely to be no different today.

In recent months, Democrats have attacked Republicans for proposing federal pay and hiring freezes, and experts have derided the idea of attacking massive budget deficits with small-fry initiatives like this one.

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MN-GOV

Minnesota Recount Part II Kicks Off Today

Eric Kleefeld | November 29, 2010, 12:00PM

MN-GOV candidates Tom Emmer (R) and Mark Dayton (D)

Minnesota is beginning its gubernatorial recount today -- its second statewide recount in two election cycles, following the even closer and heavily litigated Senate race from 2008.

Democratic nominee Mark Dayton leads Republican Tom Emmer by 8,770 votes, or 0.42%. While this is within the 0.5% needed to trigger a statewide recount, many observers have doubted that Emmer could pull ahead, as Dayton's lead is probably too wide to be reversed barring any surprising discoveries in the hand count. For example, the 2008 Senate recount resulted in a net margin shift of only a few hundred votes between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken.

However, a possible drawn-out legal contest could potentially result in Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty staying in office in the interim, with the opportunity to work with a newly elected Republican legislature.

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Peter King

Peter King: Declare Wikileaks A Terrorist Organization

Eric Kleefeld | November 29, 2010, 10:07AM

Rep. Peter King (R-NY)

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), the incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has called for tough measures against Wikileaks in the wake of the latest publication of diplomatic communications -- namely, that they be declared a foreign terrorist organization.

As The Hill reports:

"I am calling on the attorney general and supporting his efforts to fully prosecute Wikileaks and its founder for violating the Espionage Act. And I'm also calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to declare Wikileaks a foreign terrorist organization," King said on WNIS radio on Sunday evening.

"By doing that, we will be able to seize their funds and go after anyone who provides them help or contributions or assistance whatsoever," he said. "To me, they are a clear and present danger to America."

Question: Would King feel the same way about people who have been entangled with the IRA?

John McCain

John McCain: Time For Regime Change In North Korea, But Don't Ask Me How (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 29, 2010, 9:50AM

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

John McCain has a plan for North Korea. To deal with the impudent northern half of the Korean Peninsula, McCain suggested yesterday that it might be time to dig into the Bush administration playbook for the Middle East, circa 2003. On CNN's State Of The Union, McCain called for "regime change" in Pyongyang as soon as possible -- though he didn't say how exactly anyone would go about it.

One option appears to be off the table in McCain's mind, a military strike like the one America used the last time "regime change" was bandied about by high-profile Republicans.

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START treaty

Collins: The Bushes Should Green Light START Treaty

Brian Beutler | November 29, 2010, 9:43AM

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)

Today in outrageous new benchmarks for bipartisanship, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) says she'd be more likely to vote to ratify the START Treaty if former Presidents, George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush were to speak out in support of it.

"It would be wonderful if President [George H.W.] Bush would come out for the treaty. That would be so powerful and definitely help," Collins told the Washington Post.

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House Energy & Commerce Committee

Meet John Shimkus: Anti-Climate Science GOPer Who May Head House Energy Panel

Eric Kleefeld | November 29, 2010, 8:43AM

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)

As we survey the Republicans set to take charge of House committee chairmanships, we can see how some of them have said the darnedest things. For example, just look at the possible next chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL).

The committee's current ranking GOPer, Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), endangered his bid for the chairmanship this past June, when he publicly apologized to BP for the way they were cajoled into setting up a $20 billion escrow fund to compensate victims of that whole underwater oil geyser in the Gulf of Mexico.

But let's take a look at Shimkus, who is a key alternative candidate to Barton for that chairmanship, and his pronouncements on climate policy and other issues -- and how environmental catastrophes cannot possibly happen, because God will not allow it.

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ME-GOV

Maine Gov.-Elect Under Fire For Hiring 'Extremist' Tea Partier

Jillian Rayfield | November 29, 2010, 8:39AM

Paul LePage and Tea Partier Pete Harring

Maine Gov.-Elect Paul LePage (R) hasn't even taken office yet, but he's already ruffling some feathers with his staffing choices.

LePage, a conservative Republican, has been taken heat for appointing Pete Harring to his transition advisory team. Harring, also known as Pete The Carpenter, is a leader of the Tea Party groups the Maine Refounders and Paint Maine Red, and is known for posting on Paint Maine Red that "liberals are like slinkys and that's because they bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs."

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