Palin vs. Kerry & Democrats Crumbling Base

Ah, from one loser to another.

So, yesterday, Sarah Palin had an article in the Washington Post, criticizing the Cap & Trade program recently passed by Congress.

Today, Sen. John Kerry has a response at Huffington Post, claiming in essence that she is completely wrong.

Observations:

• They're both right
• Apparently Sarah Palin's ideas warrant a rebuttal from John Kerry
  (but I thought she "didn't matter" any more...)
• Read both articles, and you will be looking at a time capsule of Conservative vs. Liberal

In equally disturbing news, apparently the DNC (Democratic National Committee) is launching a TV campaign ad series specifically targeting moderate Dems, to court them on the health care vote. So, now apparently, the urging of the president, the Democratic leaders in the House, and the entire (liberal) chattering class isn't good enough. They have now activated Organizing for America, the arm of Obama's presidential campaign that got folded into the DNC after the primaries last year, to put "grassroots" pressure on lawmakers and Washington opinion crafters. Why do I find this disturbing? And what does it have to do with Sarah Palin?

It's disturbing because of what it says about Democrats in Congress -- that they are so disunified they need their own electoral machine to campaign them to pass the #1 imperative of their own platform from just 11 months ago.

And it has something to do with Sarah Palin, too: Not only is she clearly remaining viable politically, but she has already said that she plans to campaign in the lower 48 both for Republicans and Democrats who share her views -- this on top of the news that her approval rating among Independents jumped almost 10 points this week. Before anyone jumps all over the "shares her views" comment, here is what she actually cited as her views: limited government, spending restraint, energy independence and strong national defense.

This is getting interesting.

Bits & Pieces - Monday, July 13th, 2009

Bill Clinton really is the first Black president now. Black fraternity inducts Bill Clinton.

It's time to let Hillary take off the burqa. I like this article (titled, Obama's Other Wife) because it takes the "Hillary marginalized by Obama" thread that is going around and brings it into focus, both pointing out that Secretary Clinton doesn't seem bothered by her supporting role, but that it might behoove the president to bring her to the forefront a little more, as he is slowly being caged in by what they call a "White House driven" presidency. In particular they point out that not taking Hillary to Saudi Arabia probably cost the US some concessions that she, and the team at State, probably could have teased out of King Abdullah. (Remembering of course that the Clinton's are pretty tight with the Saudi royal family.)

Sonia Sotomayer's confirmation hearing in the Senate are going on now. Watch here. Overall, I'd say her pre-confirmation campaign has run well, and I expect she will be easily confirmed.

In spite of an overwhelming majority in Congress, Democrats are still eating each other alive over Health Care Reform. Idiots.

President Obama has picked Regina Benjamin as the new Surgeon General.

The political standoff in Honduras is still going on full force, with no concrete results from meetings in Costa Rica this weekend. And someone else agrees with me that the US stance that it was a "coup" is wrong, and this "constitutional order" they are talking about was actually upheld by the "coup." Secretary Clinton herself refused to specifically support Zelaya's return to power, although she did meet with him. Interestingly, the interim president, Mr. Micheletti, seems to have revved up the Clinton Machine to get his own side heard.

Iran's religious elite are still fighting amongst themselves, and it appears that Khamenei may be getting pushed further and further out of the "Ayatollah club". Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri made the following statement: "Those who have lost, religiously and reasonably, the credibility for serving the public, are automatically dismissed, and the continuation of their work has no legitimacy."

The G-8 (really, President Obama) has issued an ultimatum to Iran to comply with demands to cease their nuclear program by September, or we will unchain our attack dog, Israel, and let them obliterate Iran. At least everything's back to normal. I thought for a second we might actually be making some progress toward Middle East peace. I forgot, that's not what anyone wants.

Obama likes nice booty. I say, big deal. I like nice booty, too, and I look at it. Good for you, Barack.

A pretty interesting stand-off between the president and Congress is going on over a signing statement the President issued, indicating he would ignore certain oversight provisions in the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 (H.R. 2346). Both parties of the House quickly rejected this, threatening to cut funding if the president doesn't play by their rules. Signing statements, which are a fairly common presidential side-step of Congress, became a big deal during the Bush administration, when George W. Bush challenged hundreds of laws using signing statements, particularly to ignore regulations concerning the use of torture and the pursuit of terrorist suspects internationally.

CIA Director Leon Panetta has implicated former Vice President Dick Cheney in the CIA torture cover-up, putting additional pressure on Attorney General Eric Holder to launch a probe into Bush-era abuses of power.

MoveOn.org Strikes Again

Apparently MoveOn.org is mad at Rahm Emanuel. They claim that he has endorsed a "trigger" system in health care reform that would create a public option that is "triggered" when private health insurance is not sufficient. Jake Tapper at Political Punch reports that President Obama responded with the following paper statement from Moscow:

"I am pleased by the progress we're making on health care reform and still believe, as I've said before, that one of the best ways to bring down costs, provide more choices, and assure quality is a public option that will force the insurance companies to compete and keep them honest," the president said. "I look forward to a final product that achieves these very important goals."

Funny, all that. Since it was Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) who proposed the trigger plan a week ago. While I don't necessarily agree with Snowe on this, she does have a valid concern, stating:

"If you establish a public option at the forefront that goes head-to-head and competes with the private health insurance market ... the public option will have significant price advantages." Snowe said having a government option as a backup would be an approach "that bridges both sides" and gives private insurers a fair chance to meet the requirements of the new law. "I don't think we can entirely depend on the private insurance market to deliver. They haven't delivered thus far, and that's why we're in the predicament we're in today."

It should be noted as well that Snowe was the only Republican on the Finance Committee who would not go on-record opposing the public option. And being pretty much the only Republican that President Obama trusts, I'd listen if I were them. With the swearing in of Al Franken yesterday, Democrats "don't need" the GOP any more, and "don't need" Snowe to rally the moderates. Still, we should listen to the people in Congress who know what they are talking about, and Snowe knows.

Sen. Snowe is on the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Insurance, and is the former chair and ranking member of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Health Care, and two other important subcommittees of the Finance Committee focussed on industry, competitiveness, and growth. With Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), who Snowe works with on a daily basis, pushing over a $1 Trillion dollar estimate (or one third of the current US budget) on health care reform (noting also that Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security already take up half of the US budget), anyone in their right mind should be able to understand that this health care bill -- and its fallout -- will have a ripple effect through the American and the international economy, effect competitiveness, which effects innovation, which effects effectiveness of actual health care.

Let's look at some of the bad news: the evolving reality that $787 Billion dollars in stimulus spending is not really working. The Vice President admitting that they "misread" the economy. Steadily rising unemployment rates causing a panic for another stimulus package. And steadily declining presidential approval ratings, largely based on economic mismanagement. On yeah, not to mention a -19% approval rating for Congress, which is a 20 point jump from this time last year, but still nothing to write home about.

Democrats have about 16 months to get something done, less really, before midterm elections, and if they think they are going to keep their precious 60-vote majority, they've got some 'splaining to do. Spend, spend, spend, spend, and it's not working. Government takeovers of major American industry, and people who gave their lives to these companies are still losing their pensions. Let me re-state my point about mid-term elections: the Democrats that do get elected are going to look a lot more like Republicans than the Democrats you see today. Fiscal hawks are going to have their day in the wake of the largest spending glut in global history. And they better get health care reform taken care of before it all goes down, or it will go down -- in flames.

So, the White House listens to the one and only Republican who is willing to cooperate on health care, and who has enough seniority and enough gravitas to get more of the GOP on board, and maybe stave off a total I-told-you-so smackdown in 2010, and that pisses MoveOn.org off. I knew I took myself off their mailing list for a reason. For those who have inquired over time: these are the left-wing nut jobs I keep saying Democrats need to say goodbye to. MoveOn.org launched a balls-out, no apology hyper-biased campaign to support Barack Obama for President, even going so far as to circulate and support anti-Clinton campaign materials. Now their beloved messiah has turned out not to be a messiah at all, they've started nipping at his heels, too.

There is no more unity among liberals than there is among conservatives right now. President Obama has talked about the "character of this century," which so far seems to be bitter partisanship, dire economic consequences, and the collapse of traditional institutions. I've said this before, and I believe it the more I think about it: a major ideological shift is underway, not just in the two major political parties of the US, but in America overall. 20 years from now I believe we will have seen a major social revolution, and it is starting now, here, with the collapse of what we once believed was "America." (Where being a doctor or a lawyer was the ultimate American dream career.) I personally believe the most American thing about Americans is our ability to adapt to change, to embrace new possibilities and to make the most of adversity. We've talked and heard a lot about how Republicans need to adapt or perish. I think the American system of government overall needs to adapt or perish, and the health care debate pretty much draws in every thread of the discussion.

Ted Kennedy On Health Care Reform

Sen. Ted Kennedy has an article in the Boston Globe today outlining his vision for health care reform in the US. Full story.

Clinton Cold Feet Or More Media Drama?

Today, November 19th, both Politico and the New York Times are reporting that Sen. Hillary Clinton may be reconsidering her interest in becoming Secretary of State under President-elect Obama. Not coincidental, Sen. Ted Kennedy today is reported to have offered Clinton a high-level spot on a Senate health care team, heading a group focussed on insurance coverage. With Kennedy's leverage, Sen. Clinton could rise to a senior level in the Senate, but she faces serious challenges because of seniority rules. Rumors from the usual spate of "anonymous sources" say that Clinton is "agonizing" over the decision, and may reject the offer even if it is given publicly. This seems contrary to events however, as the Associated Press reports today that Clinton herself has hired three lawyers to assist with the vetting process, and Reuters reports that former President Clinton has agreed today to submit to ethics reviews of his financial dealings through the Clinton Global Initiative.

The Associate Press reports further:

[Former President] Clinton has agreed to release the names of several major donors to his charitable foundation and will submit future foundation activities and paid speeches to a strict ethics review, said Democrats knowledgeable about the discussions.

They also said that Clinton would step away from day-to-day responsibility for his foundation while his wife serves and would alert the State Department to his speaking schedule and any new sources of income.--AP

The same article notes that while ex-President Clintons financial dealings and foreign connections have caused a great deal of concern over the course of Sen. Clinton's presidential campaign, and now in the vetting process for Secretary of State, it is not out of the ordinary. The article notes that former President George H. W. Bush has continued to do speaking engagements and raise money for charity and humanitarian relief while his son has been president, with no major fallout or calls of conflict of interest. All credible sources also claim that the Clinton vetting (which some insiders call "the project" due to the sheer volume of information to be scoured) is going smoothly, with all players acting in a cooperative and forward-thinking manner.

Neither President-elect Obama nor Sen. Clinton have made a statement about the situation. Sen. Clinton said Tuesday, "I've said everything I have to say on Friday." --AP. On Friday, Sen. Clinton said in a press conference, after her Chicago meeting with Obama, "I'm not going to speculate or address anything about the president-elect's incoming administration. And I am going to respect his process and any inquiries should be directed to his transition team" --CBS. Similarly, on Sunday, Nov 16th, while Obama confirmed his meeting with Clinton, he remained tight-lipped about their discussion, saying, "You know, she is somebody who I needed advice and counsel from. She is one of the most thoughtful public officials that we have. Beyond that, you’re not getting anything out of me Steve." Additionally, the LA Times reports that Sen. Clinton had no "immediate reaction" to Kennedy's offer to head a Senate working group on insurance coverage, which combined with the outstanding evidence that her SecState nomination is headed smoothly forward, would suggest that the media is jumping at shadows, and capitalizing on headline-grabbers more than on reality. Clinton's star power alone creates non-stop speculation on her motives and means, and Cabinet posts do not happen overnight. Initial reactions that Clinton is a shoo-in for the job, would be well-received internationally, and would excel in the post are more likely to be true. Leaving the Senate, and her independent constituency for the more restrictive environment of a Cabinet post is certainly a factor to consider, however, it seems more likely Clinton (and perhaps Kennedy) are allowing leaks about "reservations" in order to create an alternative narrative in the (unlikely) event that Hillary does not pass the vetting process. It is my feeling that she would not have agreed to it if there was any chance of it failing, and as I have said, that the media is simply creating its own headlines.

The Lion Roars, the Lioness Stakes New Territory

Amid rumors that Obama may have to back-burner Universal Health Care legislation in favor of more pressing energy and economic concerns, Sen. Ted Kennedy appeared in the Senate yesterday, November 17th, for the first time in six months and announced that he plans to introduce a health care bill early in the year. Battling a malignant brain tumor himself, the Lion of the Senate makes a perfect poster boy for health care reform. Kennedy and his staff have been working on a health care reform package all summer, with the Mass. senator working from his home in Hyannis Port:

Kennedy has continued to conduct Senate work from his home in Hyannis Port, working with Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt to extend the federal rules allowing Massachusetts to continue its healthcare plan and crafting a major national service program with Kennedy's colleague and friend, Senator Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican. Kennedy has also held video conferences with his staff and fellow members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, which Kennedy chairs, to discuss the panel's upcoming agenda.--The Boston Globe

Early speculation said that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) would be a natural choice to spearhead healthcare reform in the Senate. Her work in the 1990's and before, as well as her 2008 presidential campaign focussed heavily on Universal Health Care. However, signs point heavily to the idea that Sen. Clinton may be headed to the State Department as the country's top diplomat, Secretary of State. NY state politicians are already lobbying New York Governor David Paterson to be tapped to replace Clinton in the Senate. And, ironically, the vetting of Bill Clinton is underway by Obama's transition staff, more than likely a public show to give reassurances. There is little doubt that President-elect Obama was fully aware of the whole ball of wax that comes with the Clintons, and a private agreement would have been reached before Obama's media-lockdown was eased enough to let the Clinton rumors out. Interestingly, even the conservative media is pitching for Sen. Clinton, often saying, it is Hillary that is getting the job, not Bill. His vetting is a formality, and should not be given precedence over Sen. Clinton's qualifications.

If anyone has the power in the Senate to push health care reform to the top of the agenda it is Sen. Kennedy. The Lion of the Senate may well have returned on queue to lobby his own influence on the Joe Lieberman situation. Regardless, it is clear from the court Kennedy has assembled around himself that he is gathering a power base to shuttle health care issues through the Senate. Likely, one of Sen. Clinton's few reservations about leaving the Senate is health care, and her ability to lobby an independent platofrm in favor of reform. With Kennedy arriving, and taking the standard from her, she is freed to pursue her own goals, and to move on to an active role in the incoming administration.