Here's the scorecard, incidentally.
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'Six for '06' agenda
The House passed on Thursday the final piece of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's session-opening agenda promised by Democrats during the midterm elections that led to their majority control of Congress. The six bills and the votes for approval were:
Putting in place recommendations of the Sept. 11 commission -- 299-128
Increasing minimum wage -- 315-116
Expanding federal support for stem cell research -- 253-174
Lowering prescription drug prices for Medicare -- 255-170
Cutting interest rates on college student loans -- 356-71
Ending tax breaks for oil and gas producers -- 264-163
They're going to get steamrolled when they bitch because if you're not advancing the agenda, she's gonna make you look bad.
I'd feel better about that if the Senate majority weren't so fragile that a single disgruntled Democrat could tip things the other way if his (or her) feelings get too bruised by something Pelosi does in the House.
I'd feel better about that if the Senate majority weren't so fragile that a single disgruntled Democrat could tip things the other way if his (or her) feelings get too bruised by something Pelosi does in the House.
That's Reid's job. All Pelosi can do is run the House. There are still (necessary) checks, but if she keeps advancing legislation and it gets shot down by veto or the Senate, then you can make that stick come election time.
You get a ton of political good will by saying: "I promise to do these six things in the first 100 hours of Congress" and then doing them.
It's funny how people think Pelosi is going to blow her wad, or what will happen with the next 100 hours or worrying about the Senate. She's one of the savviest politicos since Lyndon Johnson was a congressman. She will frame the debate so that you will be obliged to take a stand.
When the Repubs tried to stall the Ethics bill by giving Bush line-item veto powers on it (instead of rejecting it outright - which would have been terrible politically), she threatened to attach it to the minimum wage bill (which had the broadest poll support).
The fact is there are democrats in Congress that need to have their toes stepped on. That energy panel was not something she thought up overnight. I have no doubt that her inside group of strategists were planning on doing an end-run on Dingell as soon as they got past their first 100 hours. It had to happen to work on any kind of energy bill or global warming.
"Showing the country she can set an agenda, a B,'' he added. "But for an open legislative process in the House so far, it's an F or an F-minus.''
This means the last Republican congress must have gotten an X, or possibly a Z-minus.
You know, I had lots of deep meaningful things to say about all of the posts today, or at least about hodgeberries, but then I got to this:
I haven't made any definite plans, but I'm pretty sure I'll be in SF in that timeframe, too.
and now the highpitched squeeeing in my brain is drowning everything else out.
Mac gets to see snow!
But yay for Mac getting to see snow!!!
Mac has now seen snow falling twice, but not until this morning did he see snow still on the ground. There was just a dusting on cars and the non-concrete ground, but he was FACINATED! "this snow
very good."
but he was FACINATED! "this snow very good."
Heehee! He can have all my snow in the future!
Blarg. Have to wait two whole weeks more for salon appt. This is what I get for not calling sooner.
Aw. Mac makes me tear up.
You know what I am liking? The Naked Trucker and T-Bones show on Comedy Central. I'm a bit primed to like it, I admit, but the NYT likes it too! Anyhoo, if you've nothing better to watch, it gets my "Recommended!"
