What is happening with Congress? The United States Senate's left on summer vacation, but the U.S. House reconvenes next week to pass the most recent state assistance spending bill, saving thousands of teacher jobs just before school starts.
What's happening with people in the news? President Obama recently met with Congressional Republicans holding up his nominees for a number of vacant appointments. There have been a couple of notable exceptions. Elena Kagan and James Clapper have now confirmed by the Senate. Kagan will become the newest Justice on the Supreme Court. She gained several Republican votes, but lost Nebraska Democratic Senator Ben Nelson's. Marine General Clapper will become the Director of National Intelligence. General Clapper's predecessors have had enormous challenges. Most recently Admiral Dennis Blair tended to be a bit abrasive and impulsive. Admiral Mike McConnell was doing a revolving door with private industry, and John Negroponte, the first DNI, was often just feeling his way along.
What's happening with legislation in limbo? Proposed bills include: green jobs/climate change/cap and trade, immigration reform, tax and deficit policy, and fixing the filibuster rule. Politics seems to be crowding out these reform measures, after some big pieces of legislation are not the law of the land.
We can celebrate Financial Reform and Health Care Reform as significant victories. The New York Times has said that the Progressive agenda remade DC.
Related links, sent to me by my regular progressive contributor, Jon:
By Carol Gee - 8/6/10Author of:
Southwest Postings, a political blog
What's happening with people in the news? President Obama recently met with Congressional Republicans holding up his nominees for a number of vacant appointments. There have been a couple of notable exceptions. Elena Kagan and James Clapper have now confirmed by the Senate. Kagan will become the newest Justice on the Supreme Court. She gained several Republican votes, but lost Nebraska Democratic Senator Ben Nelson's. Marine General Clapper will become the Director of National Intelligence. General Clapper's predecessors have had enormous challenges. Most recently Admiral Dennis Blair tended to be a bit abrasive and impulsive. Admiral Mike McConnell was doing a revolving door with private industry, and John Negroponte, the first DNI, was often just feeling his way along.
What's happening with legislation in limbo? Proposed bills include: green jobs/climate change/cap and trade, immigration reform, tax and deficit policy, and fixing the filibuster rule. Politics seems to be crowding out these reform measures, after some big pieces of legislation are not the law of the land.
We can celebrate Financial Reform and Health Care Reform as significant victories. The New York Times has said that the Progressive agenda remade DC.
Related links, sent to me by my regular progressive contributor, Jon:
- "Enough right-wing propaganda#," is by Op-Ed columnist E.J. Dionne Jr. at the Washington Post (7/26/10).
- "Why Being Liberal Really Is Better Than Being Conservative#," is from AlterNet (6/10/10). Summary: Liberals and conservatives don't just disagree about specific issues -- we disagree about core ethical values. Can a case be made that liberal values really are better?
- "How Obama Haters May Help Democrats in Midterm Elections#," is by Mark Halperin from Yahoo! News (6/2/10).
- "About 2,300 running for Congress, most in decades#," is from Yahoo! News (6/2/10).
By Carol Gee - 8/6/10Author of:
Southwest Postings, a political blog
Member of Twitter, a social network
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