| Breaking: Eric Massa to resign
New York's 29th District is losing their Democratic representative and it looks like he will be out much earlier than expected.
Eric Massa to resign from Congress
New York Rep. Eric Massa will resign his House seat on Monday at 5 pm, his office confirmed to the Fix, a move that comes just days after he announced his plans to retire at the end of the year.
In announcing his retirement on Wednesday, Massa denied a Politico report that the House Ethics committee was investigating him over alleged sexual harassment of a male staffer but it was later revealed the committee was in fact pursuing an inquiry into the New York Democrat.
Massa's 29th district takes in a swath of land in western New York and tilts slightly in Republicans' favor. Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) carried the seat with 51 percent in 2008 and George W. Bush won it by 14 points in 2008. (Massa is one of seven retiring House Democrats who represent districts won by McCain in 2008.)
Best wishes as he battles his cancer.
****
Pentagon Shooting
This item came in over my e-mail machine last night. The first indication of a problem was an email alert from Metro stating that the Pentagon Station was closed due to police activity outside. Then we learned that yet another nut job decided to shoot innocent people. Best wishes for a speedy recovery to the officers who sustained minor injuries last night.
Suspected gunman in Pentagon shooting acted alone, officials say
The California man who calmly opened fire on two police officers at an entrance to the Pentagon Thursday appears to have acted alone and was not connected to any terrorist plot, Pentagon police chief Richard S. Keevill said.
The shooter, identified as 36-year-old John Patrick Bedell, was dressed in a business suit and carried two semiautomatic weapons and "many magazines" of ammunition, Keevill said. "He walked very directly to the officers and engaged," Keevill said.
Officers Jeffrey Amos and Marvin Carraway were superficially wounded, one in the shoulder and one in the thigh. Both were treated at George Washington University Hospital in Northwest Washington and released. They and a third officer returned fire at Bedell, critically wounding him in the head, said Keevill, chief of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
So why can't we finally just admit that people like this are domestic terrorists? According to various reports. Bedell was a 9/11 Truther, extreme property rights advocate, believed the government killed John F. Kennedy, grew marijuana, had a thing for Wikipedia and was developing something called information currency. The New York Times has more including his YouTube video and links to some of his rantings. A sample:
Authorities identified the gunman, who was killed in a shootout after wounding two Pentagon police officers, as John Patrick Bedell, 36, and suggested that he " had some issues." Some of those issues appear evident in writings posted on Wikipedia under the username JPatrickBedell, in 2006 and 2007, which speak of the author's interest in "establishing the truth of events such as the September 11 demolitions and institutions such as the coup regime of 1963 that maintains itself in power through the global drug trade, financial corruption, and murder."
It's also worth mentioning that he was brilliant.
Pentagon shooter was a top SJSU engineering student but also 'troubled' with drug problem
The 36-year-old gunman who shot two Pentagon police officers before he was fatally wounded in return fire was one of the best circuit design students at San Jose State University, but also a troubled man with a serious drug problem, the Mercury News has learned.
Disagreeing with your government is one thing. It's admirable and patriotic, despite what the Bush Administration used to tell us when we protested the invasion of Iraq. It's quite another thing to go around endangering and killing public servants and other professionals who are just regular people with regular lives and jobs.
How about a personal moment of silence for people like Vernon Hunter, Stephen T. "Big John" Johns and George Tiller.
****
Health Care Reform tidbits
We have a few bits of news in the on-going war over health care. First -- and this is great news for John McCain -- John McCain wants to start another gang of 14 to derail the reconciliation process (which is not the nuclear option, no matter how many times Fox "News" claims otherwise.)
McCain calls for new 'Gang of 14' to stop Obama push on healthcare
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is seeking bipartisan support to block Senate Democrats from using special parliamentary tactics to pass healthcare reform.
The Democratic strategy of using reconciliation to pass changes to the healthcare bill is reminiscent of Republican attempts to force President George W. Bush's judicial nominees through with a simple majority vote, McCain said Thursday. He implored centrist Democrats to think about the consequences. He even invoked President Barack Obama's own words to make his case.
And McCain reminded Democrats that he was a member of the bipartisan Gang of 14, which stopped Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) from using the so-called nuclear option in 2005.
You see, removing the filibuster entirely was the nuclear option. Using reconciliation for its intended purpose is regular order business. Incidentally, McCain has no takers.
In actual good news for Nancy Pelosi, Bart Gordon has signaled that he is happy with the revisions in the proposal.
Bart Gordon likes new direction of health bill
WASHINGTON - Rep. Bart Gordon, who voted against health-care reform legislation last year, said Thursday that the legislation is moving in the right direction because of changes offered this week by President Barack Obama.
~snip
"I voted against the House bill in November because it expanded coverage but did not do enough to bring down costs. I'm pleased to see the discussion moving in a more fiscally responsible direction now," Gordon said.
"I'm especially pleased the President incorporated my ideas on medical malpractice reform in his proposal, as well as Republican ideas on increasing insurance accountability," he said.
Well at least someone got his pony.
Meanwhile, Bart Stupak is still lobbying for his pony, which happens to be denying women the right to choose what to do with their bodies.
Democratic leaders working to win over abortion opponents for health-care reform
As President Obama makes his final plea for a health-care overhaul, Democratic leaders in Congress are embarking on a delicate strategy to win over abortion opponents, a gambit that could determine whether the legislation becomes law.
~snip
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), the head of the antiabortion contingent, has repeatedly reaffirmed his opposition to the Senate terms, saying that House leaders have all but given up on his vote. "Some people are saying we have to vote for the Senate bill. That ain't going to happen," he said in an interview this week.
But congressional leaders are still working behind the scenes to try to persuade some in the Stupak group. If the leadership loses antiabortion members, most of them Midwestern Roman Catholics who otherwise support the legislation, the only way to compensate would be to add votes from conservative Democrats who previously opposed the measure.
This is really a tough situation, especially when one considers Stupak's grilling of some health insurance clowns about rescission triggers last year.
Unfortunately, this item from Think Progress will probably go unnoticed by the Traditional Media.
Media Leaves Stupak's False Claims About Senate Bill's Abortion Provision Unchallenged
Yesterday, President Obama signaled his support for passing the Senate health care bill in the House alongside a reconciliation package of fixes, but pro-life Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) have pledged to oppose the Senate bill unless Congress strengthens the prohibitions against federal funding of abortion.
Stupak has relied on a fundamentally dishonest interpretation of the Senate bill to argue that it would allow for public funding of abortion, and the media has failed to fact check his assertions. Instead, most reports have covered the dispute between Stupak and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as a he-said/she-said story, adding legitimacy to Stupak's gross misrepresentations
~snip
In fact, the "extensive debate" has been settled. Pages 2069-2078 of the Senate health care bill clearly prohibit federal dollars from funding non-Hyde abortions. Contrary to Stupak's claim, page 2017 (lines 18-21) of the Senate bill give insurers the choice of providing abortion coverage.
This should be the coda to the tragi-comedy du jour, but this will drag on and on and on.
Finally, we have learned that Nathan Deal has decided to stick around in the House specifically to vote against the Health Care Reform bill. That means the Democrats will need 217 216 (this section was written before the Massa announcement) votes to pass a bill. Deal is resigning to run for governor and the state will need to hold a special election to fill the seat. The Atlanta Constitution-Journal has all of the rather confusing details on how that would work.
****
Earmarks and corruption
If you haven't completely tuned out the Republican talking points, you might still think that earmarks are main driver behind the country's immense debt and deficit. Not so. Earmarks make up less than one percent of the total federal budget. The problem is that is still billions of dollars, which is still a boatload of money to almost everyone not in government and members of Congress hold the purse strings.
Earmarks Abuse Feared After Ethics Panel Ruling
WASHINGTON - When Democrats regained control of Congress three years ago, one first step to combat what they called the "culture of corruption" in Washington was to tighten restrictions on earmarks - the notorious financial set-asides that had become a symbol of political favor trading.
~snip
Although investigators found indications that at least two of the members had at least implicitly rewarded donors with earmarks, the committee said that the appearance of a financial reward for donors does not amount to an ethical breach in itself.
"Simply because a member sponsors an earmark for an entity that also happens to be a campaign contributor does not, on these two facts alone, support a claim that a member's actions are being influenced by campaign contributions," the committee, which is made up of five Democrats and five Republicans, concluded in its report.
Riiiiight! And the Inside-The-Beltway crew wonder why the average American distrusts Washington.
****
Record Deficit driven by unemployment
The federal deficit represents the shortfall between government revenues (i.e. taxes) and expenditures. Most of that money comes in via income and corporate taxes. High unemployment and a sluggish economy have translated into another projected record deficit.
Federal deficit on pace to surpass last year's $1.4 trillion record
The 2010 federal deficit is on pace to top last year's record budget shortfall of $1.4 trillion, according to a Congressional Budget Office report.
The independent budget office said Thursday the deficit for the first five months of the fiscal year, which started in October, was $655 billion, an 11 percent increase over the deficit five months into fiscal 2009.
The larger deficit so far is due almost entirely to a drop in tax revenue. The level of government spending was unchanged from last year to this year, but tax receipts went from $861 billion to $796 billion.
The story goes on to say that this represents 11 percent of the country's gross domestic product, a level unseen since right after World War II when the country started paying off the debt created by the largest war in human history. It also points out that Executive Branch advisers expect the deficit to fall to about four percent of GDP in the next decade as the economy improves and the Bush-era tax cuts expire. Still, Congress will need to cut expenses, raise taxes, and grow the economy in the next few years to create a surplus and pay off the debt. Despite the initial start up costs, that is exactly what the health care bill likely will do -- create thousands of jobs.
****
Armenia genocide hearing
By tradition and logic, the President generally takes the lead on foreign policy. The only foreign policy powers granted to Congress in the Constitution is to declare war and ratify treaties. The logic is that the country should present one strong voice to the rest of the world while maintaining a check on the power of the executive. Sometimes, however, Congress can spark a serious diplomatic row under the best of intentions and leave the President to clean up the mess.
Over Turkish protests, House panel calls killing of Armenians 'genocide'
A congressional committee voted Thursday to label as "genocide" the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians, shrugging off a last-minute warning from Obama administration officials that it would alienate Turkey, a key U.S. ally.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on the eve of the hearing to express concern, administration officials said. In addition to straining U.S. relations with Turkey, the resolution could also endanger a recent rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, State Department officials said.
~snip
The Turkish government was so infuriated by the vote that it recalled its ambassador for consultations. It warned in a statement that the move "could adversely affect our cooperation on a wide common agenda."
The central problem, of course, is that Turkey refuses to recognize a dark chapter in its past. Armenians claim that the deaths of 1.5 million people in 1915 was a premeditated act by the Ottoman Empire, one of the Central Powers during the war. Turkey is the successor state to the Ottoman Empire. Turkey claims that the deaths were just part of the suffering and famine that goes along with war. CNN has an interesting discussion here.
See also:
Armenian Reaction
Turkish Reaction
****
Friday two-fer
The Most Important News of the Day™ has a fun double shot to get you through the weekend.
CW does not watch the Oscar Awards and usually only sees an Oscar nominated flick by accident or random chance. In fact, the last two films he saw in a movie theater were Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Coraline. His movie wishlist for this year is limited to Clash of the Titans and possibly Alice In Wonderland. Still, CW and the Capitol Hill News team recognize that this is important or something. So, courtesy of The Center for Responsive Politics, we present the influence of Hollywood in Washington Politics.
OpenSecrets.org Announces Winners of Money-in-Politics Oscars
On Sunday, movie lovers and fashion enthusiasts will tune in to watch the 82nd annual Academy Awards. The glamorous gowns and handsome suits cost a pretty penny, but most do not realize that a portion of celebrities' paychecks aren't destined for their own silk-lined pockets -- but rather politicians' pockets.
~snip
The cash totaled at more than $400,000, with 87 percent of this money going to identifiably Democratic candidates and political committees, and 2 percent going to Republican candidates and political committees.
Almost $65,000 of that came from Jeff Bridges and his wife. Thanks, Jeff.
And finally from California, we present this fun fact from the state assembly via Talking Points Memo:
Gay Sacramento Pol: Ashburn Is A Regular At Gay Hotspots
The openly gay mayor of West Sacramento says that he's spotted state Sen. Roy Ashburn (R), who has racked up a consistently anti-gay voting record over the years, at gay clubs a number of times.
Interviewed by CBS13, the station that reported that Ashburn was at a Sacramento gay club before being arrested for DUI -- with a man in the car -- early Wednesday morning, Mayor Christopher Cabaldon said:
"To live a secret life and at the same time be attacking exactly the people who you're one of -- but that you're too ashamed to admit -- that's the hypocrisy that I think for folks, whether you're gay or not, is just unacceptable in politics."
The story even includes a link to the mayor's interview.
The lesson to take away from this is that you can hate teh gay but be gay yourself as long as you have "(R)" affixed to your last name. Have a gay old time this weekend. |
