By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
A bunch of prominent liberal activist groups and blogs have formed a new PAC which aims to "use primaries to hold incumbents to account," according to the group's press release, challenging "vulnerable members of Congress who side with corporate interests instead of constituents."
When Republicans were ascendant, groups like Club for Growth aimed to start weeding out insufficiently conservative lawmakers, targeting them in primary races. The strategy worked in a sense: There are certainly few moderate Republicans left standing.
So is Accountability Now PAC, as the new group is called, a liberal version of that strategy? They insist not. We'll see.
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
In the wake of widespread Internet comparisons of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with Kenneth the Page from NBC's comedy 30 Rock, the actor who plays Kenneth weighed in last night with a response to the response to the ... well, click below and you'll see.
Maybe the GOP should just give in and establish a "30 Rock Primary," which could come around the time of the Iowa straw poll. In order to be the GOP nominee, you have to be perfectly mimicked by someone from 30 Rock Or maybe the GOP would prefer it the other way around ...
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
President Obama will, reportedly, soon announce an Iraq withdrawal plan that will get most U.S. troops out of the Middle Eastern quagmire in 18 months (19 months, if you date it from his inauguration). "Most" is a critical and elastic word here: 30,000 to 50,000 U.S. troops will apparently remain that country a bit longer.
There are warnings of grumbling from the left ends of the grassroots: Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination in no small part because of the Iraq war and he promised to get our troops out within 16 months.
Everyone needs to take a deep breath and give the president some room on this one.
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Dick Durbin said today that Roland Burris should resign, and he's right, of course.
But he also admitted that he can't force Burris out. The fact is that virtually the only person who can force Roland Burris out is Roland Burris. And I for one am not holding my breath.
The problem Durbin and his Democratic colleagues face regarding Barack Obama's replacement is that he is in fact no Barack Obama. If anything, Roland Burris is the anti-Obama. (A thought pops into my head: What will Obama do if, while making his way to the podium in the House chamber this evening, he is confronted by his successor?)
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
I know, I know President Obama isn't giving a "State of the Union" address this week; he's simply speaking to a joint session of Congress about the state of our Union. That's clear, right?
With that important distinction out of the way, here are some firsts and other bits of trivia about State of the Union speeches (or whatever we want to call them):
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
60 Minutes had an interesting piece last night looking at the debate over whether or not to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18. I guess I must be getting old as I viewed the scenes of college students trying to drink themselves to death with bemusement rather than the enthusiasm I would have undoubtedly exhibited at their age (and for several years thereafter).
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