Rep. Elton Gallegly must go

By GottaLaff

(click on image to enlarge)

For the first time in a very long time, there is a chance to replace Elton Gallegly in the U.S. House of Representatives (I live in Ventura County out in SoCal).

Tim Allison is our man, and he's commented here at TPC, plus we've struck up an e-mail relationship. I will do what I can to get his name out there, starting with this brand spankin' new endorsement.

Meet future U.S. Representative Allison:

Allison Wins the First Major Endorsement in 24th District Congressional Race

Today, the Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council announced their endorsement of Tim Allison for Congress. The Building and Construction Trades Council represents 32 affiliated unions with more than 6,000 members in the Tri-Counties. This is the first significant endorsement provided to any candidate in the race for the 24th Congressional District.

In an event billed as "Tacos with Tim", candidate Tim Allison met today with union members to hear their concerns about jobs and the economy and to announce this important endorsement. The event was held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers hall in Ventura.

Steve Weiner, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Tri-Counties Building and Construction Trades Council had this to say, “Tim Allison is the best candidate in the race for Congress and we enthusiastically endorse his candidacy. In these difficult economic times, Tim understands the need to jumpstart the economy and create jobs. Tim Allison will make a great member of Congress and our members will work hard to help him get there.”

Tim couldn't have been prouder:

“I am proud to accept this endorsement from the Building Trades Council and its 32 unions and 6000 members. We must get this economy back on track while creating good jobs for the working men and women of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties” said Allison. “As a member of Congress, I’ll work hard to jumpstart the economy, reform healthcare and improve education. Constituents in our district deserve no less.”

Go get 'em, Tim! I'm behind you 100%.

Leaked memo: House Democrats Target 29 GOP Seats

By GottaLaff

Via Taegan:

According to a leaked memo, DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) plans to target 29 House Republicans from districts won by Barack Obama last November.

Democrats privately say "they expect to lose a handful of seats to the GOP in next year's midterms and the memo acknowledges that the average midterm loss for a ruling party in a midterm is 30," reports Politico.

"Nonetheless, he paints a picture of an unusually unpredictable cycle and thinks Dems could do much better than average if President Obama's popularity stays sky-high and the party targets vulnerable Rs."

Oliver Willis Tweeted: Good news for John McCain.

17 socialists, 1 dufus

By GottaLaff

Hide the kids! Duck and cover! Call the cops! Help! Fire!

Rep. Spencer Bachus, the top Republican on the Financial Services Committee, told a hometown crowd in Alabama today he believes there are several socialists in the House. [...]

But he said he is worried that he is being steered too far by the Congress: "Some of the men and women I work with in Congress are socialists."

Asked to clarify his comments after the breakfast speech at the Trussville Civic Center, Bachus said 17 members of the U.S. House are socialists.

He didn't name them.

Does anyone remember an "S" after anyone's name? Does anyone remember why Bachus got elected? Does anyone believe that Bachus can count to 17?

Sponsors of PAC disclosure law miss own deadline

By GottaLaff

So much for that:

CQ Politics: "Scores of lawmakers missed a deadline to start disclosing their ties to political action committees as required by law. Some of them were sponsors of the law that imposed the new requirement."

Why, here they are now!

“We are doing our best to make sure that everybody out there knows about their requirements under the law,” said FEC Commissioner Ellen L. Weintraub, a Democrat. “It may have fallen off people’s radar screens.” [...]

They include: Reps. John P. Murtha , D-Pa., who controls the Majority PAC; Todd Tiahrt , R-Kan., who runs Heart PAC; Peter J. Visclosky , D-Ind., with Calumet PAC; Alan B. Mollohan , D-W.Va., with Summit PAC; C.W. Bill Young , R-Fla., with Victory Political Action Committee; and Marcy Kaptur , D-Ohio, with the TrueDem Leadership Fund.

Two other Appropriations Committee members filed late: Sen. Patty Murray , D-Wash., tied to M-PAC; and Rep. David R. Obey , D-Wis., who has the Committee for a Progressive Congress.

Time to get your radar equipment fixed, guys.

Orszag: House, Senate budget blueprints like Obama's

By GottaLaff

On track:

White House Budget Director Peter Orszag said Wednesday that the budget blueprints being taken up by the House and Senate almost mirror the proposal put forth by President Obama.

"If you look at budget resolutions in both House and Senate, they are from the same family as the president's budget," Orszag said. "The resolution may not be identical twins, but they are certainly brothers who look an awful lot alike."

Orszag said the administration was "very pleased" that the budget plans of Rep. John Spratt (D-S.C.) and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the chairmen of the budget committees in their respective chambers, have the same four priorities that the president's plan has: healthcare, energy, education and deficit reduction.

Orszag praised Spratt's and Conrad's proposals for cutting the $1.8 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2009 by more than half by 2013 and including a healthcare reserve fund.

Obama's plan sought to do the same, Orszag noted. [...]

But while Orszag highlighted the similarities between the plans' goals, he acknowledged differences in their approaches. The Obama plan spelled out how the administration would pay for the reserve fund, seen as a down payment on healthcare reform, by including a budget line for new tax revenue from limits on itemized tax deductions. The House and Senate proposals haven't specified how they will pay for the fund.

Orszag said that adjustments were "natural" during the legislative process...

More details here.

Poll-itics: Obama ahead, Dems ahead edition

By GottaLaff

Obama 320 McCain 218

Senate Dem 55 GOP 45

House Dem 239 GOP 196

GOP blocks Medicare, Conyers subpoenas Bush/Cheney transcripts and more

By GottaLaff

Congress whatnots and thingamajigs -- First, Senate Republicans are fraidy cats, says Harry Reid:

Final action came as Senate Republicans narrowly blocked passage of a separate Medicare bill, which had sailed through the House only days before but fell one vote short of the 60 needed to invoke cloture.

The stalemate means physicians with elderly patients face an automatic 10.6 percent cut in Medicare reimbursements effective July 1. Pacing the floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) angrily accused Republicans of putting the government-backed health program at risk and vowed to force a second vote on the issue as soon as the Senate returns from the Fourth of July recess.

“During the next 10 days, think how you are going to vote the next time,” Reid said, openly taunting President Bush for his weak standing in the polls.

“How in the world could anybody be afraid of him vetoing a bill?” Reid asked. “How you can go home and say, 'I voted no because this weak president, with the weakest political standing since they’ve done polling, I voted because I was afraid to override his veto.' Oh, come on.”

Next, Conyers wants interviews and so much more:

House Judiciary Committee John Conyers has issed a subpoena to the Justice Dept. for the unredacted interviews with President Bush and Vice President Cheney on former CIA operative Valerie Plame, as well as numerous other documents sought unsuccessfully by Democrats for years.

Conyers is also seeking FBI notes of interviews with some top former White House officials, including Karl Rove, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Scott McClellan, Dan Bartlett and Andrew Card.

The committee also wants unreleased memos from DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, including an Oct. 23, 2001, memo related to use of American military forces to combat terrorism within the United States.

In addition, Conyers is seeking any materials in DOJ's possession related to the 2002 New Hampshire "phone jamming" incident, the firing of a U.S. attorney in Minnesota, the department's civil rights activities, and "selective prosecution" of Democratic politicians such as former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman.

Whew! 'Atsa lotta wanna!

But you know what they say, ask not, want not.

House of Representatives: Ayes and Nays

By GottaLaff

Two House votes. First:

In response to record oil and gasoline prices, the House of Representatives on Thursday approved 402 to 19 legislation directing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use its authority, including the agency's emergency powers, to "curb immediately" the role of excessive speculation in energy futures markets. [...]

"The American people should not be punished at the pump for the actions of oil speculators," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Next:

The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected legislation that would have required energy companies to develop oil and natural gas supplies on federal leases they have held for years or be denied future drilling access on government acres.

The legislation was an effort by the Democrats, who control the House, to show voters they were trying to do something to tackle record gasoline prices. Lawmakers will be on their Fourth of July holiday recess next week and will face angry constituents upset about pump costs.

Our government at work.

G.O.P. candidate for Congress dies

By GottaLaff

This just isn't the Republicans' year(s):

Francis H. Powers, a retired Wall Street executive who was recently selected by Republican leaders in Staten Island as their candidate for the Congressional seat being vacated by Representative Vito J. Fossella, died on Saturday at his home in Staten Island.

Mr. Powers, who was 67, died in his sleep of natural causes, family members said. His death came less than a month after he became the Republican candidate after other potential candidates decided not to run. [...]

[H]is fund-raising work played a major role in party leaders’ selecting him to run for Mr. Fossella’s seat.[...] Mr. Powers made it clear to party leaders that he would spend a significant amount of his own money in the race, his first bid for office.

It gets worse:

Mr. Powers’ death leaves Republicans in the Congressional district, which also includes part of Brooklyn, with a new set of political challenges. The decision to endorse Mr. Powers came after a long and dispiriting process for party leaders, who had initially hoped to get one of the island’s Republican elected officials to run for the seat. [...]

The Republicans consider the seat crucial, particularly since it has been in Republican hands for nearly three decades. The race is already receiving attention far beyond the district because it provides Democrats an opening to increase their majority in Congress. Party leaders believe they have the best chance in years to capture the seat.

Headlines From The Foreign Affairs Hearing On Iraq

Guess the presidential campaign is sucking all the cable time up, no room for serious s**t like this.

Iraqi Parliamentarians Denounce The Bush-Maliki Permanent-Occupation Deal

At Rep. Bill Delahunt's (D-MA) foreign affairs subcommittee this afternoon, the U.S. Congress heard for the first time from Iraqi parliamentarians. The two legislators --Sheikh Khalaf al-Ulayyan from Sunni Anbar Province and Prof. Nadeem al-Jaberi from Shiite Baghdad -- vigorously denounced the forthcoming U.S.-Iraq long-term-security deal negotiated between the Bush administration and the Nouri al-Maliki government.

Wearing a dark suit, a red tie and wire-rimmed glasses, al-Jaberi couched his arguments against the deal in Iraqi sovereignty. "The Iraqi government right now does not have the full reign of its sovereignty, because of the thousands of foreign troops that are on its land," he said through a translator. "And perhaps the Iraqi government does not have as of yet sufficient tools to run its own internal affairs. Therefore, I ask the American government not to embarrass the Iraqi government by putting it in a difficult situation with this agreement."

and

Iraqi Parliamentarian: The U.S. Invasion Led To 'The Destruction Of The Country.'

and

'Rest Assured There Are No Threats On Iraq'

Finally-

Iraqi Parliamentarian: The Surge Didn't Work

Florida GOP'ers bow out of congressional debates

By Paddy


I'm doing a awful lot of laughing at the Republicans today. These chickens have been so entrenched in South Florida politics that they're probably having vapors over having to defend their seats. Click on the link to read about all the scrambling and uh, lying they did to get out of the debates.

Miami's three Cuban-American Republicans have scrapped plans to participate in a series of debates with their Democratic challengers.

The South Florida AFL-CIO, which in recent years has hosted debates for mayor and governor, planned three debates next week for the nationally watched races. But the Republicans said this week they're not going, throwing the bipartisan nature of the event into doubt.

The union -- which endorsed the three incumbents in 2006 -- says the events will go on next week as scheduled. All three Democrats, who represent the first significant challenge to the incumbents, say they plan to attend and suggested the GOP'ers were reluctant to spar face-to face.

Wednesday Links For Thee

Howard Wolfson is talking and I am nauseated.

Oil price passes $130 a barrel

Lost parrot tells veterinarian his address

McCain Media Consultant McKinnon Resigns

The New York Times reports Sen. John McCain's "chief advertising strategist," Mark McKinnon, "announced Tuesday that he was resigning, following through on a vow he had made months ago not to work against the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama." The AP adds that McKinnon "said last year that he didn't want to work against an Obama candidacy. Electing Obama 'would send a great message to the country and the world,' McKinnon said at the time, although he added that he intended to vote for McCain."

Ground Zero Responders Found To Have Elevated Anxiety Levels

Israel Holding Peace Talks with Syria

The Hill: Panel nixes Bush order on earmarks
House Democrats have escalated their shoving match with the White House over so-called “air-dropped” earmarks.

Police say at least 11 killed by gunfire in Baghdad

What's behind the battle over the new G.I. Bill?

White House Denies Planning Iran Attack

A rumor that the Bush Administration is planning to launch an attack on Iran drew a swift denial from the White House. The AP reports the White House flatly denied a report published in the Jerusalem Post yesterday that alleged President Bush plans to attack Iran before the end of his term.

Rep. Boehner backtracks on ’08 prediction

By Paddy


HA! /chris matthews laugh

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is backing off his bold prediction that Republicans will gain seats this November.


A confident Boehner told reporters in April that once voters heard the Republican message, the GOP would put on a strong showing in the fall.

“I think we are going to gain seats this year. Period,” he said at the time.


Six weeks and three special-election losses later, a spokesman for Boehner attempted to tamp down expectations.


“This is going to be a better year for Republicans than people think,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said on Monday. “We hope to pick up seats — that’s the goal.”

Saturday Morning Round UP

Need coffee and breakfast. On the good side, it looks to be starting out as a really pretty day.

Obama's On-the-Wall Endorsement

US House speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Iraq

Jerry Springer talks ethics in commencement address

Candidates must focus on the young

Late Senator figures in 2008 presidential furor

Radio Hosts Gleefully Try to Taint Jurors

Ted Nugent could be the NRA's rambunctious new Charlton Heston

Alabama Sheriffs Feed Inmates on $1.75 a Day

More McCain Campaign Staffers Out Because of New Ethics Policy

IPhone rivals can't compete

Harkin: McCain too 'military'

Super Delegate Rep Pete Stark Jumps On Obama Bandwagon

You guys are slacking!!! I said I wanted 5 by the time I got back!! Oh well, I 'll give you a few more hours. Meanwhile, Rep Stark is a fiesty nice addition.

Rep. Pete Stark is throwing his endorsement and support as a Democratic National Convention superdelegate to presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.

"I could've supported either, but I think he has captured the imagination of the American public, I think he's responsible for bringing millions of new voters, new Democrats into the party, and I haven't seen that kind of movement among young voters since I first ran and saw (George) McGovern do the same thing in 1972," the 18-term incumbent Democrat from Fremont said Thursday.

Obama now seems "on his way to capturing the nomination," Stark continued, and "with the greatest respect for Senator Clinton and her service, I just think we're at a point now where we can begin a move to unify the Democrats — which is why I've held out this long — and bring us to focus entirely on (apparent Republican nominee John) McCain."

Remember this?

Mississippi Democrat wins House seat

By GottaLaff

Miss. Democrat wins House seat in GOP stronghold

Democrat Travis Childers wins a U.S. House seat in Mississippi's deeply Republican 1st Congressional District.

Childers defeated Republican Greg Davis in a special election to fill the final few months of a two-year term in Congress. The seat was vacated when Roger Wicker was appointed to the U.S. Senate after Trent Lott resigned.

The win allows Democrats to add to their 235-199 majority in Congress — if only for a few months until November's general elections.

Childers, Davis and two other candidates face off again in November's general election.