Friday News: Fighting Back Crowds the Front Page

This has been a conflict ridden week in politics.  The conflict obscures good governance.  The biggest fight, of course, is that of reforming the health care system.  The coverage of it eclipses almost everything else in the media.  Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus fought back Thursday against the delaying and obstructing tactics of Republican members of the committee working on health care reform.  And President Barack Obama is remaining very visible as the White House fights against pundit opinions hat he is becoming over-exposed.    But a few other news items are worth noting.

Fighting for 60 -- Massachusetts quickly fought to change the law and fill the vacant seat left by the death of Senator Ted Kennedy.  Paul Kirk, Jr., was then appointed by the governor to be Kennedy's interim replacement.  He will be sworn in Friday.  And Senator Robert Byrd is out of the hospital convalescing at home after a fall at his home that necessitated treatment for "early signs of an infection."  According to a Congressional Quarterly story on Thursday, Senator Byrd said he, "is looking forward to engaging in the upcoming debate and votes on health care reform – one of the most critical issues facing this Congress.”

Governor Paterson will not go without a fight -- The more light shed on this story the more it looks like a no-win situation for Democrats.  New York Democrats at both the state and national level were the ones who pushed the Obama White House to urge Governor David Paterson not to run for reelection, according to Politico on Thursday.  They fear the unpopular governor will be a drag on the ticket in the 2010 elections.  And, though it is still a no-win in approval ratings for members of the U.S. House and Senate, a recent poll revealed an increase of approval from 12 percent to 22 percent, as reported by CQ Politics.

ACORN fights back -- A conservative "sting operation," by filmmakers O'Keefe and Giles against the Grass roots organization ACORN, stands a chance and to ruin the reputation and shut off government funding of this network of  longtime liberal neighborhood groups. The offending ACORN staff members have been fired, an internal investigation has begun, and leaders of the organization are mounting a media and congressional lobbying blitz to try to recover, as reported by Politico.  Republicans are, of course ecstatic about the outcomes and continue to offer de-funding bill amendments to keep the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now story in the public eye.

Fighting for net neutrality -- The new chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski was successful in getting Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison to hold off in her fight against the FCC's implementation of new rules "prohibiting ISPs from selectively blocking or slowing content and application," as reported by CQ Politics on Wednesday.  Chairman Genachowski promised to "address her concerns," as Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

The mainstream media, of course, loves a good fight.  And observers in the public will often fight for the underdog in a conflict.  What has amazed me is the success that Republicans are having in their perpetual fight against Everything Democrat.  They lost most all the recent elections, remain decidedly in the minority, look awful as the "loyal opposition," and still pull down most of the airtime and word space.  I guess it has nothing to do with merit and everything to do with merely the fight.  And here I am sucked into it myself.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Paul Kirk Jr.: Ted Kennedy's Replacement in Senate (time.com)
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• More fights ahead in Congress over health care (seattletimes.nwsource.com)

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