Bayh: Timing of my announcement could be positive for Democrats

By GottaLaff

Evan Bayh and Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker had a conference call with county Democratic Party chairs today.

Timing is everything:

Bayh said the timing of his announcement could be a positive for Democrats. The source said that Bayh told the call that the lack of a primary would mean that the Republican party candidates would attack each other on their own, with no Democrats to get in the way. [...]

"He said, 'if this goes to the state committee then we'll have selected a candidate without a divisive primary,'" the source told me this evening.

In other words:

Bayh and Parker suggested on the call that not having a public vote on who Indiana's next Democratic nominee for Senate will be could be a positive come November.

Bayh and Parker "made a point to steer clear" of talking about specific candidates to replace Bayh as the nominee, the source said. Parker said another of the "positives" about not having a primary was that the state party has "a deep bench" of candidates to choose from if they are called on to select a nominee, the source said.

Asked about his comments on the call, Parker told me he he didn't say a lack of a primary was a good thing. He told me he said on the call that "the process isn't perfect but our nominee will be chosen before the Republican."

See? He's a hero now... of sorts... at least he thinks so. Give yourself a pat on the back, Ev. I doubt if anyone else will.

We'll have to wait and see if he's right.

Olympia Snowe: Slow down, you move to fast, you've got to make the stalling last

By GottaLaff



Feelin' schmoozy:

"Yes, I do have misgivings because I understand that there are a lot of unintended consequences," Snowe told The Hill. "We haven't had this bill laid down in its entirety so it makes it difficult, I think, to make a decision on a bill in such a short timeframe." [...]

"Given the enormity and complexity, I don't see anything magical about the Christmas deadline if this bill is going to become law in 2014," Snowe said.

Here's why: People are dying. Magical enough for you?

Health Care Now: Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend, Part 2

By GottaLaff

My very caring, impassioned 72-year-old Twitter pal, who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, would like to share his feelings about getting a decent Health Care Reform Bill passed, now. I am more than happy to oblige.

But first, a personal note from 42bkdodgr:

Many of you may wonder why I chose to use the “ 72 year old friend” as the introduction to my Special Comments. I selected the moniker so readers could see that from my age and life experiences I give a different perspective to the issues of today.

Now for his Special Comment:

This is the Moment

The Democrats have worked hard with the Republican members of the Senate and their own conservative members to try an reach an accord in drafting a HCR bill.

With recent comments made by Sen. Joe Liberman, Sen. Ben Nelson and Sen. Chuck Grassley, it has become more and more apparent to me, with each passing day, the Democrats will not get the 60 votes needed to pass a true HCR bill. I believe every Republican will vote against any HCR bill presented, nor will the Democrats get all their own members to vote in favor.

We know that when the Republicans are in power they pay little or no attention to the health care needs of the people. Look what they did in 2003: They passed an unfunded $400 billion dollar Medicare Drug bill that resulted in increasing the country’s deficit and cost senior citizens thousand of dollars.

Majority Leader Reid, the American people started out on this journey with you, as the song goes with “High Hopes”, and now you are at the point of another song titled “This is the Moment”. If real health care reform isn’t enacted now, it could be another 20 years before it is addressed again.

Bear in mind Sen. Reid, President Obama’s original goal was to have a strong public option, coverage for all Americans, ending rejection for pre-existing conditions, eliminating the donut hole gap in prescription drug coverage, prohibiting insurance companies from imposing annual and lifetime caps on benefit payments, and limiting premium discrimination based on gender and age.

So where are you, Senator Reid? Do you accept a whittled down HCR bill, or do the Democrats take the bull by the horns and use the Reconciliation procedure to pass a real medical reform bill? Let the Republicans scream and yell, they will do it anyway, no matter how you shape the bill.

Many thanks again for another pointed, relevant piece, 42bkdodgr. You never fail to say what so many of us are thinking and feeling, and your perspective is invaluable.

Part One here.

Sarah Palin skips town at crucial time

By GottaLaff

Get out your Where's Sarah? buttons. She's at it again:

With just one week left before the Alaska Legislature adjourns for the year, the conflict between Gov. Sarah Palin and lawmakers over taking federal economic stimulus money is the dominant issue left. [...]

There's still a chance that bills will pass increasing the state minimum wage, requiring parental notification when a teenager gets an abortion, expanding Alaska children's health insurance for lower-income families and stopping the state, including the Permanent Fund, from investing in companies doing business in Sudan, the African country whose government has been blamed for genocidal killing in the Darfur region.

Legislators will also vote Thursday on approving the governor's appointees, including attorney general Wayne Anthony Ross, who has proven controversial but is still likely to be confirmed. [Laffy Note: My posts here and here explain why I'm about to stick a sharp object in my eye]

Palin herself will be leaving Alaska this week to attend the Vanderburgh County Right to Life dinner in Evansville, Ind. on Thursday, as well as an event for special-needs children. Fairbanks Republican Rep. Jay Ramras questioned her leaving town right at the end of the session, when critical decisions are being made.

"There are some concerns (in the Capitol) about the focus of our chief executive because she's taken a speaking engagement in Indiana for a 36-hour period with only 72 hours left in the legislative session," Ramras said.

Palin, who has barely left Alaska during the legislative session, is clearly irritated.

"I'll be gone for one day. I already have been on record with lawmakers on this. I told lawmakers, you know what, 'Please, don't make me feel that I have to ask you permission, lawmakers, to leave the capital city,' " Palin said.

There's an old show biz phrase, Shooty McMouthOff: Timing is everything.

These ain't no stinkin' late V.P. picks

By GottaLaff

This is the norm:

Let's be clear: Early picks are the exception, not "late picks." Most selections over the past 25 years have taken place the week before the conventions, so if Obama's and McCain's picks are "late," it's only because the conventions are late. Blame the International Olympic Committee, if you must.

1980 Bush (R) -- July 17, during the Convention (July 14-17)
1984 Ferraro (D) -- July 12, the week before the Convention (July 16-19)
1988 Quayle (R) -- Aug. 16, during the Convention (Aug. 15-18)
1988 Bentsen (D) -- July 12, the week before the Convention (July 18-21)
1992 Gore (D) -- July 9, the week before the Convention (July 13-16)
1996 Kemp (R) -- Aug. 10, two days before the Convention (Aug. 12-15)
2000 Lieberman (D) -- Aug. 7, the week before the Convention (Aug. 15-17)
2000 Cheney (R) -- July 25, the week before the Convention (July 31-Aug. 3)
2004 -- Edwards (D) -- July 6, three weeks before the Convention (July 26-29)

Take another look at that list. How many of those became veeps? And who were they?