Robert Schlesinger November 25, 2009

The Staggering Rise of the Filibuster

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

What to do about the filibuster? Frustration with the fact of having to cobble together 60 votes to pass anything of significance in the senate (and the frequently long odds against doing so) is spurring grumbling about whether a 60 vote filibuster is still a good idea. Filibusters are both well known in history (civil rights) and in contemporary politics, and that combination makes it easy to suppose that finding the votes to overcoming a filibuster has always been a regular step in the legislative process. Not so.

The fact of the matter is that the frequency of filibusters has increased by a factor of 50 since the days of (then Democrat) Strom Thurmond jaw-jacking for 24 hours to stop a civil rights bill. So too has the general use of delaying tactics on major pieces of legislation. Consider some data points.

Peter Roff November 25, 2009

Polls Give Republicans Reasons to be Thankful

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Just in time for the holiday pollster Scott Rasmussen has found yet another reason for Republicans to be thankful.

According to Rasmussen's latest national telephone survey, the GOP has extended its lead in the Congressional generic ballot test to seven points, representing almost a complete flip from just one year ago. Respondents said they would vote for the generic Republican congressional candidate over the Democrat by 44 percent to 37 percent in the next election.

Julia Piscitelli November 25, 2009

5 Reasons for Democrats to Give Thanks

By Julia Piscitelli, Thomas Jefferson Street Blog

Five reasons to give political thanks, Democrat edition.

1. RNC Chairman Michael Steele. He has been behaving like a petulant child about "getting credit" for Republican wins in the New Jersey and Virginia governor's races—throwing himself on the floor and staff out the door over it. We saw smoke coming out of his ears in his post election interview with Gov. Kaine, and in his most recent ouster of an excellent communications staffer at the RNC. Mr. Steele, when you get bad press, you think it is the press secretary's fault, and when you get good press, you think it is because you and your work are inherently interesting. Neither is true.

Bonnie Erbe November 25, 2009

Healthcare Reform's Fate Lies in the Hands of Four Women

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

The fate of healthcare reform in the U.S. Senate seems to be resting with these four women: Arkansas Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln, Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, and Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe.

This new bipartisan gang of four could be key to removing the heavily partisan debate dogging the legislation. Even though I only agree with two of them, I'm thrilled to see women's growing power in national politics. It's something we've all wanted for some time. As the New York Times reported:

When Senate Democratic leaders first went behind closed doors to complete the healthcare legislation, the only women in the room were either committee staff members or officials from the White House. The senators there — Harry Reid of Nevada, Max Baucus of Montana and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut—reflected the Senate's predominant history as an old-boys' club.

Peter Roff November 24, 2009

Nearly Half the Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner Comes From Taxes

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Thanksgiving is a time for family and for reflection, a time to kick back and consider all the ways in which we, as Americans, have been blessed over the previous year. Now, just in time for the holiday the folks at the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation have released a mini-study pointing out one way in which we can be "unthankful."

According to them, nearly half the cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is taxes. Using figures provided by the American Farm Bureau Federation, ATRF's Center for Fiscal Responsibility has determined the typical tax bite comes to just under 41 percent of the total cost of the meal.

Bonnie Erbe November 24, 2009

Neither Liberal Nor Libertarian, and I Dislike Republicans and Democrats Equally

By Bonnie Erbe, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

I normally let my posts go viral without responding to some of the ridiculous exaggerations of my views that end up out there in cyberspace. But there is one blog entry that was filed in response to my last posting that cries out for rejoinder, so here I go.

As noted in that post, I read in the Wall Street Journal that Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid was handing out goodies to senators wavering on healthcare reform. I do believe the Democratic approach to healthcare is a big mistake, and one that will come back to haunt the party if it's able to push thru the so-called public option. The costs to the taxpayer will be so enormous, Democrats will suffer years of losses after it's a fait accompli, as they did when they were labeled the "party of tax and spend" by former President Ronald Reagan.

Mary Kate Cary November 24, 2009

Is Newsweek's 'The Decade in Seven Minutes' Biased?

By Mary Kate Cary, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Here's a topic for your family to get into over Thanksgiving dinner ...

New Year's Eve this year marks the end of the decade. Newsweek has put together a video that summarizes the major news events of 2000 through 2009 in seven minutes.

The video moves quickly and when I watched it I thought some of it was pretty biased, but couldn't catch every little remark, since it rushes through at a breakneck pace. Luckily, the Media Research Center has a partial transcript of it for us and, upon slower examination, the MRC says the video is "sharply partisan and liberal." The MRC is pretty conservative, granted, but I think they're right.

Robert Schlesinger November 23, 2009

Republicans Push European-Style Political System

By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

In their ongoing attempt to purify the GOP, a group of Republican National Committee members are cooking up a resolution which would lay out a 10-point platform against which would-be GOPers would be measured. Excessive divergence--getting more than two issues wrong--would result in excommunication from the party.

This is completely reasonable political party behavior ... in Europe, where parties are much more platform- and issue-driven than here in the United States. And it just makes me ask: Why do these Republicans hate the American political system?

Peter Roff November 23, 2009

Carly Fiorina Aims to KO Barbara Boxer in 2010 California Senate Race

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

California has, for some time, been rather inhospitable to Republicans.

The state where Reagan once reigned is now considered one of the most liberal in the nation. California has not voted Republican for president since 1988. All but two of the statewide elected officials are Democrats. The congressional delegation is majority Democrat. And in the state legislature, one-party Democratic rule is considered regular order.

Once a national symbol of entrepreneurial spirit and the ability of a man or woman to remake themselves into a success on the order of their ability, the state is now mired in a morass of taxation, regulation, spending, and debt that should serve as a cautionary tale for the rest of America. Whether the damage caused by the amalgam of labor unions, trial lawyers, state bureaucrats and career politicians who actually run the state can be reversed depends on the caliber of candidate who can be enticed to enter the arena.