Sen. James Inhofe R-OK Distorts a meteorological study.
Two of the three citations Inhofe used to validate his global warming denialism actually argued for the opposite conclusion. Bottom line: Inhofe is inventing facts to justify his fictitious theory of climate change.
But we already knew that, didn't we?
In a related example, The New Flip Fop Maverick
During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called on the U.S. to urgently address climate change, proposing cap and trade legislation and presenting his policies as a break from the backwards views of the Bush administration, which was reluctant to acknowledge the dangers of manmade greenhouse gas emissions.
Now that McCain isn't fighting in the general election, however, he's more than happy to tout the Republican line. He has turned on cap and trade legislation, calling it "cap and tax" and dubbing the American Clean Energy and Security part of a "far left" agenda.
The way he has been waving his arms around, he may have also forgotten he was a . . .
Two of his former campaign buddies get it
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Spencer likes the idea of Rep. Obey D-WI-10 war tax.
And Congress is not much better. To be sure, it votes big supplemental budgets. But it has not done enough to lift restrictions on government activities that apply more to peacetime than to war zones.
The comptroller for the Rumsfeld Pentagon explains.
Why were they in such a flimsy structure? Because of arcane Congressional spending limitations on what is called "minor military construction." There was no money to build the brick structures that might have saved the soldier's, and those of others like him.
Matt has more questions .
At the same time, this highlights a lot of lingering issues about the cost-effectiveness of our approach. Why are we spending a multiple of Afghanistan's total GDP on fighting a war in the country? Couldn't more be done, for cheaper, with cash for bribes and development? How is it that it doesn't take the Taliban years to train competent soldiers?.
Puts the F-22 debate and the PMA scandal in perspective
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I think I remember some problem with banks.
There are two articles out that provide the beginning of an explanation of why even good progressives like Dick Durbin and Barney Frank can't fix our finance system.
This one is for Casual Wednesday, since he is not here. Hah!
However - and there's always a however - I worry that it won't be enough. TED consciously leaves the details to what he hopes will be "strong, competent, and well-informed regulators." Several of his proposals, such as rationalizing Congressional oversight (to eliminate the current situation where the industry can arbitrage between the Senate Agriculture and Banking Committees), should help mitigate the problem of political interference and regulatory capture, but will it be enough?
Can you count the ways your family is too big to fail?
The litmus test is simple. Does Goldman Sachs continue to grow, and continue to be regarded as almost as good a risk as the United States government (Goldman's Credit Default Swap spread is currently around only 70 basis points above that of the United States), because it has demonstrated it is too big to fail? Or, will the government impose a cap on the size of such institutions and require Goldman Sachs to find sensible ways to break itself into pieces - becoming small enough so that it will not be bailed out again next time?
The Rules Committee has the real list.
Would prohibit employees and former employees of organizations that have been indicted of Federal or State election law violations from serving on the Consumer Financial Protection Oversight Board.
This will not be televised.
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Sen. Diane Feinstein D-CA spoke on the floor of the Senate today. The OMB part that caught my ear is here.
One half hour later, Sen. Barbara Boxer D-CA moved to table Nelson/Hatch/Casey.
Are the wheels spinning yet?
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Sometimes he is Jello, sometimes he is a Rock.
"I've got a smile on my face," Democratic Senator John Rockefeller, who has been advocating the Medicare expansion since 2001, told reporters after the talks broke up.
We will have to get a CBO score,again.
Is your head spinning yet?
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Five appropriations bills still to go. Your government in neutral.
Nominations have been pending since March. That means Bush appointed people are still at DOJ.
"We should have," Gonzales says in hindsight, "abandoned the idea of removing the U. S. attorneys once the Democrats took the Senate. Because at that point we could really not count on Republicans to cut off investigations or help us at all with investigations. We didn't see that at the Department of Justice. Nor did the White House see that. Karl didn't see it. If we could do something over again, that would be it."
So remember that lesson learned: Before you do something really cool, make sure no one can investigate you. Especially useful advice in this town.
Previous version: 01:48:38 PM EST Meteor Blades has it, but I am not taking it out!)
Do holds work if your name is spelled S-A-N-D-E-R-S?
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This one from Rep. Joe Barton R-TX-06 is for Casual Wednesday.
This one from ThinkProgress is for KagroX. |
