Politics Daily

Obama: Allies Will Soon Take Control of Libyan Campaign

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T21:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, International, Congress, Conservatives

Facing criticism for taking military action in Libya without first formally consulting Congress, President Obama said Tuesday he is certain U.S. control over the operation would soon be transferred to the allies, news agencies reported.

"I have absolutely no doubt that we will be able to transfer control of this operation to an international coalition," Obama said at a press conference in San Salvador with El Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes, Bloomberg reported.

Members of NATO are meeting to establish a command structure, which will be done "over the next several days," he said.

Democrats Could Lose Senate, Biden Warns Party

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T18:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, 2012 Elections

Democrats are only four seats away from losing control of the Senate to Republicans in 2012, Vice President Biden warned supporters in a online appeal for donations Tuesday.

"I am writing to you today because at a moment when the stakes are highest, Democrats in the Senate face the toughest electoral climate we've seen in a long time," he said in his e-mail from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Politico reported.

"Democrats are defending 23 seats in 2012, five of which are open. Republicans only need to pick up four to take control of the Senate," Biden wrote.

In late January, RealClearPolitics' Sean Trende identified 2012's most vulnerable Democrats as Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Jon Tester of Montana, Missouri's Claire McCaskill, Florida's Bill Nelson, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, and Virgina's James Webb (who has since announced he will not seek re-election). In North Dakota, Republicans have their sights on the seat now held by Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad, who after 24 years will not seek re-election.

Here's Biden's e-mail, posted at Politico:

I am writing to you today because at a moment when the stakes are highest, Democrats in the Senate face the toughest electoral climate we've seen in a long time.

Democrats are defending 23 seats in 2012, five of which are open. Republicans only need to pick up four to take control of the Senate.

President Obama and I believe that government has a responsibility to invest, to give people the tools to make the most of their own lives. But many of today's Republicans have a different vision.

That's why I'm writing to you today. The end of the month's FEC deadline is a crucial test of our strength. By giving to the DSCC, you have the power to prove to the pundits and our opponents that grassroots Democrats are standing together to defend our firewall.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. The DSCC must raise $233,533 by March 31 to build campaign infrastructure. Not meeting this deadline will mean not having the resources to win.

While Republicans in Congress are trying to drag us back to the past, President Obama and I are working to win the future.

We're working not only to create jobs in the short-term, but to make sure our nation can out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the competition in the long-term. To succeed, we need a Senate that's working with us.

Your gift to the DSCC is the best way to ensure just that. More than 90% of donations come from grassroots supporters who are standing with President Obama and me as we work toward an America that works for all Americans.

Click here to give $5 or more to the DSCC. The DSCC has an important FEC deadline on March 31, and it must raise $233,533 to recruit top candidates, build winning campaigns and keep the Senate blue.

Please stand with President Obama and me by standing with the DSCC. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Joe Biden

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Republican Sen. Scott Brown: GOP's Planned Parenthood Cut 'Goes Too Far'

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T15:44:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, House, Democrats, Republicans, Abortion, Congress

Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts has broken ranks with his party over an effort to defund Planned Parenthood, saying the move "goes too far."

"I support family planning and health services for women. Given our severe budget problems, I don't believe any area of the budget is completely immune from cuts," Brown said in a statement Tuesday.

"However, the proposal to eliminate all funding for family planning goes too far. As we continue with our budget negotiations, I hope we can find a compromise that is reasonable and appropriate."

Obama Getting Heat From Left and Right for U.S. Role in Libyan Attacks

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-22T09:32:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Terror, Obama Administration, National Security, Congress, Conservatives, Liberals, Moderates, United Kingdom, France, Military, Barack Obama

President Obama is getting blowback from both sides of the aisle for taking military action in Libya without first formally consulting Congress. Debate in Washington heated up even before reports Tuesday that a U.S. warplane, patrolling Libyan air space, had crashed.

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), a conservative member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Obama's "unilateral choice" to join a U.N.-backed coalition establishing a no-fly zone "is an affront to our Constitution," The Hill newspaper reported. The United States, Bartlett said, "does not have a king's army."

Meanwhile, a CBS News poll shows a full 50 percent of Americans approve of the president's handling of Libya.

Since the intervention started Saturday, U.S. Navy warships have launched Tomahawk missiles at Libyan air defenses, while American warplanes have joined other coalition aircraft in attacking military installations and some Libyan ground troops.

A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed late Monday near Benghazi, but its two crew members ejected and were rescued, the Washington Post and NPR said. Military officials said the plane apparently malfunctioned and was not shot down.

In the Senate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee and a White House ally on some issues, said Congress should have a full debate on the objectives and costs of the U.S. role in the attacks. And Democratic Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia, a moderate, said, "This isn't the way the system is supposed to work."

But earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned pro-intervention lawmakers that setting up a no-fly zone was a major undertaking that would have to begin with attacks on Moammar Gadhafi's anti-aircraft systems.

Traveling with the president in Santiago, Chile on Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney insisted Obama had consulted personally with congressional leaders on the Libyan situation. And last Saturday, Carney said Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough phoned top lawmakers "to inform them of the imminent action" about to happen. "We take very seriously the need to consult with Congress and we have been doing that," Carney said.

Under the Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. But the president, as commander in chief of the armed forces, has authority to take military action in emergencies or in the face of threats to national security. Obama, who was winding up a Latin American trip Tuesday, insists no U.S. ground troops will be deployed and that leadership of the intervention effort will soon be turned over to NATO partners such as Great Britain or France.

For Rep. Dennis Kucinich, that's not enough to justify what the U.S. has done in Libya. The liberal lawmaker called it "an act of war" and said Congress should be called back from a spring recess to decide whether to continue the military action.

On the website Raw Story, Kucinich (D-Ohio) went further, calling Obama's move in Libya "an impeachable offense." The president "didn't have congressional authorization; he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Kucinich maintained.

Kucinich noted that then-Sen. Obama argued in 2007 that "the president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

Kucinich, who has twice run for president as an anti-war candidate, said he was not actually proposing impeachment proceedings but only "raising the question" as to whether grounds exist. In any event, calls for a president's impeachment -- often coming from the far left or the far right on Capitol Hill -- are not unusual. Kucinich himself sought to initiate an impeachment article against President George W. Bush in 2008, but then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn't go along with it.

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Democrats, Republicans, Independents Differ on Issues That Worry Them Most

Bruce Drake — 2011-03-21T11:51:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Environment, Crime, Health Care, Race Issues, Immigration, Polls, Poll Watch, Independents, Deficit, Jobs, Economy

The top five issues that Americans worry about the most would not surprise anyone -- the economy, federal spending and the deficit, availability and affordability of health care, unemployment and the Social Security system. But one polling snapshot zeroes in on the difference in emphasis that Republicans, Democrats and independents regard as the top issues.

For the overall population, 71 percent say they worry a great deal about the economy, 64 percent name federal spending and the deficit, 58 percent are concerned about health care, 57 percent fret about unemployment and 51 percent mention Social Security, according to a Gallup poll conducted March 3-6.

But looked at along party lines, federal spending tops the list for Republicans at 79 percent, with the economy a close second at 76 percent. The size and power of government is a major worry for 62 percent of Republicans, compared to 48 percent for the overall public. Illegal immigration is another issue higher on the list for Republicans (at 55 percent) than it is for the general public (42 percent).

Democrats put health care at the top of their list with 69 percent saying that's their top worry, followed by the economy at 64 percent, unemployment at 60 percent and Social Security at 53 percent.

Among independents, the order of concerns is: the economy (72 percent), federal spending (65 percent), health care (58 percent) and unemployment (55 percent).

The issue Americans worry about least is race relations, which only 16 percent call a top worry, with the environment second to last at 34 percent. In between, for the public at large, is availability and affordability of energy (46 percent), crime and violence (44 percent), illegal immigration (42 percent), hunger and homelessness (41 percent), possibility of a terrorist attack in the U.S. (40 percent) and drug use (40 percent).

Health care did not break into the ranks of top concerns for Republicans, and a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, conducted March 8-13, shows that it continues to be a polarizing issues, with Republicans strongly opposed to the year-old reform measure and Democrats strongly in support.

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Warren Christopher, Former Secretary of State, Democratic Wise Man, Dead at 85

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-19T14:14:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Obits, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, Barack Obama

Former Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher, who served as secretary of state in the Clinton administration during the bloody ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, died Friday from complications of kidney and bladder cancer. He was 85.

After four years as the nation's top diplomat, Christopher stepped down to serve as a senior adviser to Al Gore's 2000 White House campaign, leading the vice president's legal team during the disputed post-election recount in Florida.

President Obama, in a statement Saturday, called Christopher a "skilled diplomat, a steadfast public servant and a faithful American."

Obama said Christopher was "deeply dedicated to serving his country" during a career that included World War II service in the Naval Reserve, a U.S. Supreme Court clerkship, a law practice in California and Washington, and a role as a much sought-after adviser to Democratic politicians.

"As President Clinton's secretary of state, he was a resolute pursuer of peace, leading negotiations with regard to the Middle East and the Balkans, including the Dayton [Ohio] agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia," Obama said. Christopher was also a U.S. negotiator in the 1981 release of American hostages in Iran.

Former President Jimmy Carter, in his memoirs, called him "the best public servant I ever knew."

Christoper died at his home in Los Angeles, the Associated Press reported.

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Wisconsin Judge Puts Hold on Law Limiting Union Bargaining

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-18T14:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Governors, Law

Hold everything. That Wisconsin law limiting the collective bargaining rights of public workers -- the one that brought tens of thousands of protesters to the Capitol in Madison -- has been blocked from taking effect by a county judge.

Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi issued a temporary restraining order Friday barring the Wisconsin secretary of state from publishing the law -- which would allow it to go into effect, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Sumi said she wanted time to consider a legal challenge, arguing that a legislative committee violated the state's open meetings law when it pushed the bill though on a Republican Party-line vote last week.

House Votes to Cut Federal Funding for National Public Radio

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-17T16:51:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Media, Congress

As expected, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted Thursday to ban federal money for National Public Radio, but the bill might not be taken up by the Senate and faces opposition from the Obama administration.

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.), also would prevent member stations from using taxpayer dollars to pay dues to NPR or acquire programming from it. Stations could still use federal money for administrative expenses associated with day-to-day operations.

The bill passed 228 to 192 in a largely party-line vote.

Stopgap Spending Bill Approved by Senate

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-17T15:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, House, Democrats, Republicans, Congress, White House

The Senate on Thursday approved another stopgap spending bill that cuts $6 billion more from the federal budget and keeps the government running until at least April 8, the Washington Post reports.

The bill passed 87 to 13. The House has already approved the legislation, so it now goes to President Obama, who is expected to sign it.

The bill would give House and Senate negotiators breathing room to try to hammer out a longer-term spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year.

An earlier stopgap bill passed in early March trimmed $4 billion in federal spending

The $10 billion in cuts so far are far short of the $61 billion the GOP-controlled House agreed to trim from the federal budget for the rest of the fiscal year. But the Democratically controlled Senate rejected the larger House bill, and the impasse over the budget has forced Congress to consider short-term measures until a compromise can be reached.

Following Thursday's vote, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said the modest trims would amount to $140 billion in savings over the next decade -- "All in all, a good day's work."

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Hillary Clinton Popular With Public but Finished With Government After 2012

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-17T10:36:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Democrats, Foreign Policy, Obama Administration, Poll Watch, 2012 Elections

Nearly two out of three Americans like the job Hillary Clinton is doing as secretary of state, a new poll finds. But the former first lady and senator reaffirmed Wednesday that she is working her last government job and will get out of politics for good after 2012.

Clinton, interviewed by CNN in Cairo, said she is "moving on" after she completes her fourth year of service in the Obama administration. "I have the best job I could ever have. This is a moment in history where it is almost hard to catch your breath," she said. ". . . There isn't anything I can imagine doing after this that would be as demanding, as challenging, or rewarding."

The CNN/Opinion Research survey, taken last Friday and Saturday, said 65 percent of respondents had a favorable view of Clinton, including 92 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of independents. Thirty-one percent overall, and six out of 10 Republicans, had a negative opinion. The survey of 1,023 adults had a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Mrs. Clinton, who has been connected with public service for most of her adulthood, said she wants to return to private life, possibly as an advocate for women and children. If she is asked, she said she would not accept another cabinet position or the vice presidency. And she said she would not run for president in 2016. "I have no intention or any idea even of running again," Clinton said.

Watch Wolf Blitzer's interview with Clinton, courtesy CNN.

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Houses Passes Another Stopgap Spending Bill

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-15T16:38:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Congress

The House approved another short-term spending bill Tuesday afternoon, a step in keeping the government open beyond Friday but drawing complaints from some members who want a permanent fix.

The measure passed 271 to 158, with 54 GOP members opposing it, according to news reports. It would keep the federal government running through April 8 while House and Senate negotiators try to hammer out a longer-term spending plan for the rest of the fiscal year. The measure now goes to the Senate for a vote.

An earlier stopgap bill passed in early March trimmed $4 billion in federal spending and provided money to keep federal agencies operating through March 18.

The new continuing resolution cuts some $6 billion, still far short of the $61 billion the GOP-controlled House agreed to trim from the federal budget for the rest of the year. But the Democratically controlled Senate rejected the larger House bill, and the impasse over the budget has forced Congress to consider short-term measures until a compromise can be reached.

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Fox News Adds Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh as Commentator

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-15T12:58:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Media, Governors, 2010 Elections, Conservatives

Former Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh, an influential voice for moderation during his 12 years in the U.S. Senate, has signed on as a political commentator with Fox News.

Bayh, 55, chose not to seek reelection last year -- and his seat was subsequently lost a Republican in November, Dan Coats.

"I'm pleased to offer analysis of public policy and politics to the millions of Americans who get their news from Fox," Bayh said in a statement issued by the network. He will "lend a valuable point of view" and will be part of Fox's coverage of the 2012 presidential race, Fox Senior Vice President Michael Clemente said.

In Indiana, Bayh is a household name. He is a former governor and the son of Birch Bayh, who also served in the Senate and ran for president in 1976, losing the Democratic nomination to Jimmy Carter.

A lawyer, Bayh recently joined the Washington firm of McGuireWoods and became an adviser to the New York-based private equity firm of Apollo Global Management, according to the Indianapolis Star.

Fox News, often criticized for leaning too heavily on conservative Republican commentators, recently suspended former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum from their contributor roles because both are edging toward candidacies for the GOP presidential nomination.

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Poll Shows Faith in Government Plummets; Warning Signs for Republicans Emerge

Bruce Drake — 2011-03-15T11:11:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Polls, Obama Administration, Afghanistan, Poll Watch, Independents, Congress, Economy

While voters may have vented their anger at Washington in last year's elections and altered the balance of power, the public at large is no happier now with the way government is working, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted March 10-13.

Almost half of those surveyed -- 49 percent -- express uncertainty about "our system of government and how well it works" and what it portends for the future. Twenty-six percent said they were optimistic about how well the system of government would serve the nation and 23 percent were pessimistic, with 7 percent undecided.

The 26 percent who expressed optimism represented the lowest number in 35 years.

That compares to February 1999 when 54 percent described themselves as optimistic and 19 percent as pessimistic, with 27 percent uncertain and 1 percent undecided.

The Post/ABC finding comes on the heels of a Gallup poll conducted March 3-6 that showed the percentage of Americans who approved of the way Congress is doing its job dropping to 18 percent, after being in the low 20s in January and February.

Much of the sour outlook appears to stem from public perceptions of the economy, but there are also strong signs of disgruntlement with Republicans, who captured the House last November and strengthened their position in the Senate.

Fifty-three percent do not believe that the economy has begun to recover compared to 46 percent who think it has, with 1 percent undecided. While a majority still holds that view, it is an improvement over December when 57 percent said they saw no improvement.

Forty-nine percent said the economic stimulus program pushed through the last Congress by President Obama and the Democrats had no effect on the economy. Twenty-eight percent said it helped and 21 percent said it had hurt.

Fifty-five percent disapproved of Obama's handling of the economy compared to 43 percent who approved, with 2 percent undecided. That represented an uptick in the percentage of those who disapproved of the job Obama was doing on the economy, and his worst showing since last September.

But that was not necessarily good news for Republicans. Forty-six percent trusted Obama more than the Republicans to do a better job handling the economy compared to 34 percent who believed the Republicans would do a better job, with the remainder answering "both" or "neither."

Those surveyed said Obama represented their values more than the Republicans by a 46 percent to 41 percent margin, with 1 percent undecided. Forty-seven percent said Obama better understood the economic problems people were having than the Republicans, compared to 35 percent who said the Republicans understood better, with the remainder answering both or neither.

ABC polling analyst Gary Langer said, "The drop in trust to handle the economy has occurred chiefly among independents, now drawing away from the GOP after rallying to its side. As recently as January, 42 percent of independents preferred the Republicans in Congress over Obama to handle the economy. Today just 29 percent say the same, and there's been a rise in the number who volunteer that they don't trust either side."

Another possible factor in the overall gloom about government is the continuing war in Afghanistan. Sixty-four percent of Americans do not believe the war is worth fighting, a number that has been rising steadily since last April, when it stood at 52 percent.

Seventy-three percent said the U.S. should withdraw a substantial number of combat troops by this summer. Eighty-seven percent of Democrats held that view, as did 78 percent of independents. Fifty-six percent of Republicans, who have been more supportive than Democrats of the war effort, said the U.S. should withdraw troops.

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Obama Urges Reforms to 'No Child Left Behind'

Christopher Weber — 2011-03-14T12:20:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Education, Obama Administration, White House

During a speech Monday at a Virginia school, President Obama outlined his plan to reboot George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" education law, saying he wants to overhaul in place before the start of the next school year.

The president's appearance at Kenmore Middle School in Arlington was the latest stop in a campaign to give more education-reform power to state and local governments and improve student performance, The Hill reported Monday.

Obama told students that the U.S. economy depends on young people getting an education that leads to a competitive career.

"Over the next 10 years, nearly half of all new jobs are going to require more than a high school diploma," Obama said. "So, if you want a bright future, you're going to need a college degree or advanced training."No Child Left Behind has "the right goals," Obama said, but more needs to be done to give parents and educators "what they need to meet those goals."

The White House proposal would require states to set tougher standards but give them more flexibility to meet those standards, with fewer rules imposed by the federal government, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It would offer new incentives for schools to involve parents in their children's education and require staff changes at the worst-performing institutions, the Journal said.

Obama said a good education "begins with parents who are instilling in their kids not only a love of learning, but also the self-confidence and especially the self-discipline and work ethics that are at the heart of success in school and success in life."

The president will call on Congress to pass a new law that does away with "unnecessary federal mandates," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Sunday. "We can't be top-down from Washington; we have to provide much more flexibility."

Duncan said Obama will focus especially on turning around schools that rank in the bottom 5 percent nationally.

The president's plan would build on his administration's "Race to the Top" program, which rewards states with the most "coherent, compelling and comprehensive" approaches to school reform.

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Obama Jokes for His Supper at His First Gridiron Dinner Appearance as President

Annie Groer — 2011-03-13T11:48:00+00:00

Filed under: Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, Democrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Humor, Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin, 2012 President, Harry Reid, al Qaeda, Republic of Dish, John Boehner

Bowing to precedent -- and perhaps the advice of his 2012 campaign staff -- President Obama attended a Gridiron Dinner on Saturday night for the first time since winning the White House.

He had skipped the two previous white-tie banquets and amateur theatricals where some of Washington's top journalists spoof the political/media establishment in song, dance and ridiculous costumes. But on Saturday night, Obama duly snarked for his supper by mocking himself, potential rivals and the tradition-bound club that even in this age of Twitter and You Tube, steadfastly bars TV coverage.

As commander-in-chief, he signaled Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kevin Bennear, one of the club's musically gifted ringer members, to "play that song we talked about," meaning the loud and proud "Born in the U-S-A, Born in the U-S-A" refrain made famous by Bruce Springsteen.

"Some things just bear repeating," Obama said of the lyrics, as if there might be any birthers questioning his citizenship among more than 630 politicians, government and media heavyweights who packed the Renaissance Hotel ballroom for the priciest and most exclusive of Washington's press celebrations of itself. ($300 per ticket, and a fraction of the more than 2,000 expected at next month's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner).

Then, taking aim at his hosts, whose predecessors entertained their first White House guests 126 years ago, Obama ticked off the heady events of 2011 that topped old regimes elsewhere in the world and said, "Look out, Gridiron Club."

The Gridiron Club's 2011 Political/Media Roast and Toast Lyrics

Annie Groer — 2011-03-13T11:43:00+00:00

Filed under: George W. Bush, Senate, House, Democrats, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Dick Cheney, Nancy Pelosi, Ron Paul, Humor, Media, Bill Clinton, Governors, Congress, Conservatives, Harry Reid, Republic of Dish, Barack Obama, John Boehner, TSA Screening, 2012 Elections, Egypt Crisis

Once again, you won't see this costumed spoof on C-SPAN or YouTube, unless someone among the record 633 invited guests at Saturday night's 126th annual Gridiron Dinner surreptitiously captures the singing, dancing and wise-cracking and posts it online.

Of course there's always a chance an adroit cellphone or camera-toting guest will violate club rules, either at the dinner or at Sunday's matinee reprise show, thus busting an image-less tradition in place since 1885.

Say what you will about the irony or hypocrisy of a group of journalists barring media cameras from broadcasting the onstage antics (C-SPAN has been asking to do just that for a quarter century). Only the speeches by President Obama, Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana (cracking jokes for the Republicans) and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sibelius (doing stand-up for the Dems) will be on the written record, although many more details will likely leak out.

In a nod to the times, tweeting, Facebooking and other instant communication about all aspects of the dinner were embargoed until it ended.

So in the interest of semi-transparency, herewith the lyrics from every parody performed
this weekend by nearly 100 journalists and a handful of vocally-blessed ringers with truly great voices.

Don't Stop Believin' (Journey/Glee)

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS singing about Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Obama

DEM CHEERLEADER 1

He came from Ha-wai-i, with hope, change and audacity.
Now two years later and he is on the run.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

In a designer blouse, not long ago she ruled the House. She lost her power, and it's just no damn fun.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

He calls her on the telephone.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Says Nancy, are you all alone?

BOTH

For a moment, they both shut their eyes, and dream on and on and on and on.
What if midterms, had turned out very differently?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

What if red states had turned blue?

CHEERLEADER 1

What if we could, cap and trade and then we'd save the whales.

CHEERLEADER 2

Health care for all,

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Dental too!

BOTH

Don't stop, believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Who are you deceivin'?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

We're cooked.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

We're through.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh oh!
Don't stop believin'.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADERS 1& 2

Dudes, you must be dreamin'.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 1

Farewell.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADER 2

Aloha.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Whoa oh -oh!

CHORUS

Don't stop!

LIVIN' ON A PRAYER (Bon Jovi/Glee)

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Boehner used to work in a bar.
Palin hunts for moose, they're not very far.
Like Russia, they're in her yard.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Bachmann would repeal this whole room.
Newt is back for more, O'Donnell might fly in soon, On her broom.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1 & 2

Now, that we're run by the Tea Party
Let's fire all the unions, make them work for free.
With God and money we rule the House for now,
Just don't ask us how.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 1

Are we screwed next year?

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

Hell yeah! You haven't got a prayer.

REPUBLICAN CHEERLEADER 2

Senate seemed to be so near.

DEMOCRATIC CHEERLEADERS 1 & 2

No way, you haven't got a prayer.

CHORUS

Haven't got a prayer!

TIME WARP (Rocky Horror Show/Glee)

SPEAKER

And now the part, where we sing 'bout ourselves.
I apologize, boss, if this causes any stress.
But fair is fair, and no one is exempt here,
So now it's time, to poke fun at the press.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

I remember, when newspapers were dying
Network ratings in the dumps, it surely looked like the end.
The furloughs were appalling, but then Bloomberg started calling.
We're back in business again.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

There's Arianna on the left.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

Glenn Beck's on the right.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Juan Williams works for Fox now.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1 NPR?

Not so bright.

PRESS CHEERLEADER 2

Is that Jul-i-an Assange there?

PRESS CHEERLEADER 1

No, he's not that insane.

BOTH

But thanks, Jules, your leaks were our gain.

CHORUS

We're back in business again.

REPORTER

I took a flogging, before I started blogging,
Each morning I write tweets, then switch to video.
I like to write at Starbucks, it's like the newsroom 'cept it don't suck,
Maybe I'll go to work at Patch, and cover 'burbs in Kokomo.
Politico sent out a news alert, in just one hour it's the thirty-third.
The cycle never stops, 24-7 in the know.
Enrollment's up in J-school. We're the cool kids but not that cool.

DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICANS CHEERLEADERS AND REPORTER

So welcome to Gridiron, my friends.

CHORUS

Welcome to Gridiron, again.
Wel-come to Grid-iron, a-gain.

KNOCK AROUND BARACK (Rock Around the Clock, Bill Haley)

Cast portraying Republican Reps. Eric Cantor, Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, Darrell Issa

CANTOR

House went up 63, thanks a lot Barack
Six more seats in the Senate, thanks a lot Barack
Boehner's now the Speaker, and the Dem's are still in shock
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
Pick your spending cuts, and come with us
We'll put it all in an Omnibus

RYAN, McCARTHY, ISSA

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
We're gonna block block block it's our bedrock
We're gonna rock gonna rock our great big voting bloc

CANTOR

When health care dies, and earmarks flee
We'll owe a debt to the tea par-ty

TRIO

We're gonna move Obama to the right
We're gonna mock mock mock his election fright
We're gonna talk, gonna talk, and then we might indict

CANTOR

Republicans will have our way
We'll protect your wealth when you pass away
We're gonna knock Barack around the clock
It's just a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna block, gonna block Barack around the clock.

CHORUS

We're gonna block Barack around the clock
It's a recipe for more gridlock
We're gonna knock, gonna knock Barack around the clock.

A BOEHNER MEDLEY (From: Johnny Angel, Shelley Fabares, and It's My Party, Lesley Gore)

Cast portraying John Boehner

LEAD SINGER

Johnny Boehner (GIRL GROUP: Johnny Boehner), he's our Speaker (he's our speaker)
He's got charm and grace and such élan
We Republicans are thrilled
That he's our No. 1 man

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), how we love him (how we love him)
He's the one who some of us adore
How we hold our breath when votes
Are counted on the House floor

He gets headaches
All his ducks in a row
Shot down by his own folks
No wonder that he smokes
In his loafers, and his bright-colored ties
At least he wears a shirt
While others online flirt

Johnny Boehner (GIRLS: Johnny Boehner), we still love him (we still love him)
He's so orange, suave and doctrinaire
If his convictions have to die
At least he'll do it with flair

ALL SHOUT: LOOK! HERE HE IS NOW!

BOEHNER (It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To)

Nobody knows just how hard it can be
Keeping a caucus in line;
Right wingers go their own way.
They pay their speaker no mind.

I'm try'n to show them some leadership here
Some gravitas and some gu-uts;
How did I end up in bed
With all these Tea Party nuts?

It's my party and I'll cry if I want to,
Cry if I want to, Cry if I want to;
You would cry too if it happened to you.

LADIES OF MAINE (Lady of Spain, Eddie Fisher)

Cast portraying: Republican Sens. Jim DeMint; Sen. Rand Paul; Sen. Olympia Snowe

DUET

Ladies of Maine, we abhor you
Loyalty means nothing to you
How could you work with those yahoos?
Just when we needed you most?

Stimulus money, how could you?
Gays and abortion, why would you?
Tea party's now aiming for you
Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast.

CHORUS:

Ladies of Maine, you'll be toast

REPUBLICAN MEMOIRS (Paperback Writer, The Beatles)
Cast portraying George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, and Dick Cheney

BUSH

Hey Dick and Rummy, did you read my book?
It took me DAYS to write, you should take a look
it's based on my mem'ry of decider days
how I got Saddam,
Even when I learned that he had no weapons

CHORUS

He had no weapons

RUMSFELD

Iraq's my story and I do confess
How because of YOU it became a mess
Paul Bremer, Condi Rice and Colin too
Screwed the whole thing up
Never told me that we needed more troops there
Needed more troops there

CHORUS:

Needed more troops there...troops there....troops there...

CHENEY

Mine will come out soon and then I'll settle scores
Like Iraqi prisoners you'll be on all fours
Al Qaeda's working to destroy this place,
Still a real grave threat
But Obama knows that we did the right things

CHORUS:

We did the right things

BUSH, RUMSFELD, CHENEY

If you really like them you can have our rights,
We can make a movie for you overnight.

BUSH: Brad Pitt, RUMSFELD: George Clooney, CHENEY: and Matt Damon too.

They can play our parts
Just as long as they can make us look macho
Make us look macho

CHORUS:

Make them look macho...macho...macho

FINGER IN THE WIND (Candle in the Wind, Elton John)

Cast portraying GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham

MCCAIN:

Gays in the military
Used to never bother me at all
I was happy once letting
The Joint Chiefs make that call
And on immigration,
You know my old stance was withdrawn
And my message, it became:
"Hey Juan, get off my lawn." [shout this line]

And it may seem to you I lived last year
With my finger in the wind
Never knowing what to cling to
'Cause I had to win
And when it comes to all your judgments
Frankly, I don't give a damn.
I still have my Senate seat
And my best friend, Lindsey Graham

CHORUS
He still has his Senate seat
And his best friend, Lindsey Graham

LEADER OF THE PAC (Leader of the Pack, the Shangri-Las)
Cast portraying Mitch Daniels and Girl Group

SPOKEN:

MITCHETTE 1

Is she really gonna give to HIM ?

MITCHETTE 2

Well, there she is. Let's ask her.

MITCHETTE 1

Betty - Is that Mitch's PAC you're supporting?

BETTY:

Mm-hmm

MITCHETTE 2

Gee - it must be great giving to Mitch.
Is he doing anything for you?

BETTY

Uhn - uhn

MITCHETTE 1

By the way, where'd you meet him?

SUNG:

Betty:

I met him at the O-M-B
He read tax code and rules to me
You get the picture?

MITCHETTES

Yes, we see

BETTY:

So now I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC.
(Motorcycle Noise)
Some folks say he's a true heavyweight (Mitchettes: weight, weight)
Though he may come from a really dull state

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that he comes from a really dull state?)

BETTY

They said he had no height
But I fell for his might
That's why I give to the AIMING HIGHER PAC
(Motorcycle Noise)
One day I might want somebody new (Mitchettes: new, new)
But till then Mitch will just have to do

MITCHETTES

(Watcha mean when ya say that ya might want somebody new?)

BETTY

My Hoosier's plans are grand
But sometimes he seems bland

CHORUS

But still she gives to the AIMING HIGHER PAC

THE IMPOSSIBLE TWEET (The Impossible Dream, from Man of La Mancha)

SARAH PALIN character

To tweet the un-thought-about tweet
To own my own name through trademark
To scorn those who opine against me
To shoot caribou on a lark

To give those at C-Pac the shaft
To star in reality shows
To bear the unbearable liberals
To blog about things I don't know

This is my quest
To side-step the press
To run if I want to
Not under duress

To fight for the right
And to lay waste the left
To be willing to refudiate
Without knowledge or heft

And I know if I only stay true
To my Tea Party base
That my books and my speeches will sell
If I just show my face

CHORUS

And her world will be richer for this
Who needs work or an office to seek

PALIN

I'll rise as a modern-day Shakespeare
To tweet the un-thought-about tweet

I'VE SEEN EVERYONE (I've Been Everywhere, Hank Snow)
Cast portraying Karl Rove and various GOP presidential candidates names in the song

ROVE

Well, back in the day, you know
They called me the ARCHitect
I had a certain knack for knowin'
Who the people WOULD elect

But this time I dunno unless
There's someone I've missed
And, listen, man, I've looked at
Every hopeful on the list!

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen...
Romney, Huckabee, Christie, Giuliani
Johnson, Huntsman, Daniels and Pawlenty
Roemer, Cain, DeMint, Santorum
Trump, Bush, Bachmann, Barbour and Bolton
Perry and Pence and Palin and Paul
Gingrich, too, I've seen 'em all.

Tim is excitin' -- NO, not very
But HE's got Red Hot Smokin' Mary
Cain's an expert with a pizza
Mitch, he's shorter than Scalia
Haley hopes he can win it all,
And history'll get an overhaul.

I've seen every one, man
I've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man
I've seen every one.

I've seen ...
Huckabee at his weekly weigh-in
Sarah Palin out surveyin'
Eye of Newt and chin of Romney
Guy in drag, that's Giuliani
Mitt, he's drivin' fast and far
With man's best friend strapped to his car.

John McCain, I guess he's history
What he's thinkin', it's a mystery
Where the heck is Harold Stassen
Guess he's pushin' up the grass..an'
Someone mentioned Alan Keyes

CHORUS (Shouted)

Not again!! Oh, spare us please!

CHORUS

We've seen every one, man
We've seen every one, man
Sure as the mornin' sun, man
They all wanna run, man
Egos by the ton, man

ROVE

I've seen every one.

EVERYTHING's COMING UP ROSES (Gypsy)

Cast portraying Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid

PELOSI

Things are swell!

REID

Things are fine!

PELOSI

Harry's still got his JOB, I got mine

REID

Now we're back.

PELOSI

Frick and Frack.
REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses!
PELOSI

Lost the House
REID

That's okay

PELOSI

Running things was a drag anyway

REID

Budget cuts? Not for us

PELOSI

Honey, we would be holding our noses!

REID

Who needs winning! Power's lost its lus-TER

PELOSI

My head was spinning!
REID

It's our turn to filibus-TER!
PELOSI

We give up! To the right!
REID

Let them get 60 votes every night!
PELOSI

Our stimulus ... will stimulate!
REID

Any year now! Just you wait!
PELOSI

There's really nothing left for us to do!

REID

Nancy, everything's coming up roses for me and you!
PELOSI

Boehner's in charge; let's see how much that he can do!
BOTH

The mess that we left him will mess up his Tea Party!
CHORUS

Everything's coming up roses for you and for me!

JUST LIKE A LIBERAL (Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman)

Cast portraying Howard Dean

HOWARD DEAN

Nobody feels any change
Since that election night Chicago - it's all the same!
Everyone supposed, we knew `The One' we chose
But lately we seen the emperor has no clothes
Now we're wondering: Who's that man?

(refrain)
He looks just like a lib-ral
Yes he does and he writes books just like a lib-ral
Yes and his knee jerks just like a lib-ral
But he works with ... the Re-pub-li-CANS

John Boehner's his new friend
Can you believe they cut the rich man's tax again?
What were those campaign pledges worth?
Quell the oceans, heal the earth
Don't ask don't tell the country of your birth
End the war, close Guantanamo - "No we can't!"

(refrain)
He's so cool just like a lib-ral
Yes he is Harvard Law School just like a lib-ral
Suffers us fools, just like a lib-ral
SOLOIST and CHORUS: But he rules with Republi-CANS

MY FAVORITE FRIENDS (My Favorite Things from "The Sound of Music")

Cast portraying Sec. of State Hillary Clinton and global leaders named in the skit:

(Spoken) Oh, no! We said WHAT about WHO?

How dare that Wiki-Leaks publish our super-secret cables? Can you imagine
a world where diplomats say what they really think about foreign leaders?

Well it would certainly make it more fun to listen to Hillary Clinton. Here
comes our frequent-flying secretary of state now.

HILLARY CLINTON, singing:

A thin-skinned French MIDGET who goes by Sar-KO-zy
A dirty old man that they CALL Berlus-CO-ni
A nut job named KARzai who we must defend
These are a few of my favorite friends

Kim JONG-il's a drunken delusional FAT man
MedVEDev and Putin are Robin and BATman
In a Mafia state run by Russian made-men
CHORUS: These are a few of my favorite friends

Germany's MERK-el is timid and NER-vous
QuaDAffi's had sexy UKRAINian nurses
Prince ANdrew's bad language can SOMEtimes offend
CHORUS: These are a few of her favorite friends

After long flights
When this job bites
When I'm feeling bleak
I simply imagine my favorite friends
When they see their WI-ki leak

IT WAS NEWS TO ME (You Belong to Me)

Cast portraying CIA Director Leon Panetta:

PANETTA

See the pyramids along the Nile.
Authoritarians were just our style.
Revolutions brewing all the while
How was I to see?

Tunis, Cairo, those kids ran amok
Hid their plans where we would never look
A very secret place they call Facebook
It was news to me.

Could it be that after all those years
Of giving tyrants cash and guns and gear
Egypt, Bahrain all that oil so dear
Won't belong to us?

CHORUS

Won't belong to us!

_________________________________________________

TSA MEDLEY (Heigh-Ho from "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs" and Give up the Funk)

TSA SCREENER

Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! To frisk you we must go! We'll reach way down and grope around!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho.

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! We'll goose you 'til you glow!
We're going to look, in every nook! Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

If you say NO, say NO! To X-Ray you must go! And we'll divulge your every bulge!
Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

Heigh-ho Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho! This may feel kind of low!
If it's a pain, then take the train! Heigh Ho! Heigh-Ho

HARRIED AIR TRAVELER

You got a late flight to catch, you're in line, losing time
There's a whole lot of waitin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)
You feel a hand on your waist, moving 'round, slidin' down
There's a whole lot of feelin' goin' on (Heigh-ho!)

Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk! (Heigh-ho!)
I know my rights! (Heigh-ho!)
Stay outta my tights! (Heigh-ho!)
When did the courts (Heigh-ho!)
Let you into my shorts? (Heigh-ho!)
Yo, screener punk! (Heigh-ho!)
CHORUS: Don't touch my junk!
_____________________________________________________________

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW (from the Wizard of Oz)

Cast portraying Health Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and characters from The Wizard of Oz

SECRETARY SEBELIUS

Somewhere over the rainbow
Mandates lay.
We made sure they won't start 'til
After Election Day.

Somewhere over the rainbow
Cost curves bend,
And the savings we promised
Will cause the debt to end.

But if you have a slacker son
Who's sitting home upon his bum,
He's covered.

And if conditions pre-exist,
You won't lack coverage due to risk.
Don't you just love this?!

Somewhere over the rainbow
Folks will see
A better system if it's fine
with Justice Kennedy.
Some day they'll thank us, yes they will,
But only after
They...get...very ... ill.

TRIANGULATE (Twist and Shout)
Cast portraying Bill Clinton

Well, take it from Bubba now (CHORUS: take it from Bubba)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: tri-ang-u-late)
Fake it, fake it, Obama now (CHORUS: fake it Obama)
For me it worked great. (CHORUS: It worked great)

You're going to look so tight (CHORUS: look so tight)
You're going to look so slick (CHORUS: look so slick)
Play the left against the right now (CHORUS: left against right)
Just like I did in 96 (CHORUS: ninety-six)

[8-bar dance break]

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah, (squeal)

Well, it's really not that hard now (CHORUS: not that hard)
Tri-ANG-u-LATE! (CHORUS: triangulate!)
Your opponents aren't that smart now (CHORUS: not that smart)
You know they'll take the bait (CHORUS: Take the bait, oooh!)

You're a silver-tongued devil, (CHORUS: silver-tongued devil)
There's no one so deft (CHORUS: none so deft)
You can own the whole center now (CHORUS: own the whole center)
If you freak out the Left (CHORUS: freak out the left!)

CHORUS

Aaah, aaah, aaah, aaah

"MAKE IT STOP" ("Start Me Up" Rolling Stones)

RED CHEERLEADER 1

Yeah we started up
So long ago you thought we'd never stop
Since we started up
You wondered when the show would ever stop

We've been on so long
Bill Daley's nappin' on a table top
Seventh course is done
Alan Greenspan's beggin'make it stop, make it stop, make it, make it, make it stop

We've made you ladies sigh
We've made you grown men cry
We singe but never fry
Sometimes we're cute, sometimes we're mean
Sometimes out meaning is impossible to glean

CHORUS

Time to stop
Time to stop

"THE GRIDIRON PLAYERS'' ("Livin' on a Prayer" Bon Jovi)

BLUE CHEERLEADER 1

They got some nerve to stand up on stage

They're barely employed, they don't act their age
They lust for . . . your gaffes

They been from Dogpatch to Camelot
Coverin' politicians some were clean some not
For tellin' truth to power they're OK but -- for laughs
Is this all they got?

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

CHORUS

Whoa-oh the Gridiron players
Whoa-no they don't have a prayer
They got a band, pretty costumes to wear
But whoa-no they don't have a prayer

"THE GRIDIRON-RON'' ("Da Doo Ron Ron," Crystals)

RED CHEERLEADERS; BLUE CHEERLEADERS; OLD NEWSBOY;
GOOD-GIRL & BAD-GIRL GROUPS
RED CHEER 1

Tonight we showed the world the way to get along

RED DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

RED CHEER 2

Just drink a glass of wine and sing a silly song

CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
RED DUET

Strange bedfellows
Dancing dosi-dos
'Til the curtains close
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron

BLUE CHEER 1

Sebelius tried sell us medicine

BLUE DUET

At Gridiron-ron at Gridiron
BLUE CHEER 2

Mitch Daniels rocked us like a crazy man
CHORUS

At Gridiron-ron, at Gridiron
BLUE DUET

Monday we will fight
But we're friends tonight
By the rosy light
Of Gridiron-ron of Gridiron

OLD NEWS

We started up the show in 1885
CHORUS

The Gridiron-ron, the Gridiron

OLD NEWS

Some of us remember 'cause we're still alive

QUINTET

At Gridiron, son, at Gridiron

QUINTET

O say can you see
Sweet Civility
Baby 'tis of thee
We sing at Gridir'n at Gridi-ron

CHORUS REPEATS VERSE

O say can you see . . .

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Obama Calls for Passage of Workplace Fairness Act for Women

Politics Daily Staff — 2011-03-12T16:33:00+00:00

Filed under: Senate, Democrats, Republicans, Education, Energy, Congress, Barack Obama

President Obama, who has two young daughters, pressed Saturday for passage of a bill meant to make it easier for women to have their day in court when they feel employers are underpaying them simply because of their gender.

Obama, in his weekly address, said he was disappointed when the Senate fell just short of approving the Paycheck Fairness Act last year. He urged Congress to take another crack at it and vowed, "I'm going to keep up the fight to pass the reforms in that bill."

The legislation would treat gender discrimination involving wages in the same manner as discrimination related to race, age or disability -- effectively opening up another avenue for court challenges. Many business interests oppose it because they fear a flood of litigation.

"At a time when folks across this country are struggling to make ends meet -- and many families are just trying to get by on one paycheck after a job loss -- it's a reminder that achieving equal pay for equal work isn't just a women's issue. It's a family issue," Obama said. "It is something I care deeply about as the father of two daughters who wants to see his girls grow up in a world where there are no limits to what they can achieve," he said.

Women have made great strides, he said. For instance, they are now more likely to attend college than men. Yet American women are also more likely to live in poverty and still earn only 75 cents for every dollar made by male workers, the president said.

For the Republicans Saturday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) talked about energy costs as the price at the pump for motorists continues to rise in part due to the crisis in Libya. Murkowski acknowledged the upheaval in oil-producing Libya and the middle east. But she said the U.S. needs to produce more of its own energy from the Gulf of Mexico, the Rocky Mountain states and Alaska. "Our own shortsightedness and restrictions have played a role" in the cost increases, she said.

Watch video of Obama's remarks.

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Congressional Approval Drops Below 20 Percent, Poll Finds

Christopher Weber — 2011-03-11T16:40:00+00:00

Filed under: House, Democrats, Republicans, Poll Watch, Congress, Conservatives

Americans' approval of the job Congress is doing is on the decline again, hitting 18 percent this month after inching above the 20 percent mark in February, according to a new poll out Friday.

The Gallup survey found that Congress' approval rating is "essentially back to where it was just after last November's midterm elections."

Following a historical trend, voters' approval bumped up slightly when the new Congress took office in January, giving the GOP control of the House. Americans generally feel better about their representatives on Capitol Hill immediately following power shifts. But this year it didn't last.

Friday's approval (or disapproval) numbers fall evenly along party lines, with just 20 percent of both Republicans and Democrats giving thumbs up to Congress, according to Gallup. Fifteen percent of independents approve.

Since Gallup began tracking the measure in 1974, congressional approval has averaged about 34 percent. Since 2008, however, Congress' approval rating has been below 20 percent in 15 of 39 months, including a record-low 13 percent last December.

Read the complete results of Gallup's new poll here.

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Wisconsin Governor Signs Bargaining Bill, but Wider Political War Looming

Tom Diemer — 2011-03-11T13:33:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Humor, Budget, Governors, Video, 2012 Elections

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Friday signed a controversial bill sharply limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers, but it will take months, maybe years, to sort out the winners and losers.

Walker, a Republican who sought changes limiting the clout of unions, also rescinded the layoffs of 1,500 mid-level state employees who were threatened with job losses because of a budget crunch and a stalemate on the bargaining bill, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Walker said the reforms, which also demand larger pension and health care contributions from workers, will save $30 million and put the state on a path to fiscal health.

Wisconsin Fight: Bill Limiting Unions Passes in Messy Process

Tom Diemer — 2011-03-10T18:40:00+00:00

Filed under: Democrats, Republicans, Budget, Governors, 2010 Elections, Jobs, Economy

A three-week stalemate that saw angry protests, the flight of Democratic state senators to a neighboring state and even a take-down tackle of one lawmaker by police came to an end Thursday as the Wisconsin Assembly gave final passage to a bill stripping public workers of key collective bargaining rights.

Democracy is often a messy thing -- and that has been on display in Madison on an almost dally basis, leading up to Thursday's conclusive 53-42 vote. Last week, Democratic legislator Nick Milroy, whom authorities did not recognize, was wrestled to the ground by police as he tried to enter the closed Capitol.

"Yeah, it was a living and breathing democracy," acknowledged Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who is fighting a similar bill in Columbus.

Events in Wisconsin have demonstrated that elections have consequences -- and also that state government can often touch people's lives in a more direct and personal way than the federal government in far-off Washington. For weeks, thousands of citizens on both sides of the labor rights issue flooded the Statehouse in an effort to hold lawmakers accountable.

Already, Wisconsin Democrats have filed recall petitions aimed at eight GOP senators who supported Republican Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to curtail collective bargaining rights and require larger public employee contributions to pension plans and health care plans. Walker is expected to quickly sign the approved bill into law.

The hard feelings came to a head Wednesday night when the Wisconsin Senate, in a parliamentary maneuver, removed budget provisions from the bargaining bill so it could be passed with fewer than the 20-member quorum required for spending measures. Fourteen Senate Democrats left the state last month and camped out in Illinois to deny Republicans the quorum they needed to act on the "Budget Repair" bill.

With protesters shouting "You are cowards" and "Shame," the slimmed-down bill passed 18-1, with not a single Democratic senator in the chamber. It was taken up Thursday by the State Assembly, which had to concur with the Senate changes. But final passage was delayed by another noisy protest as police removed dozens of pro-labor demonstrators, the New York Times and the Associated Press reported.

Ryan, who joined a recent demonstration in Columbus against the collective bargaining bill pending in Ohio, followed the events in Wisconsin with a hopeful eye. "We are living with the consequences of an election where a lot of people didn't vote and a handful of people probably voted for the other guy," he said, suggesting that some Democratic voters switched sides in the Republican wave last November.

Events in Ohio and Wisconsin, he said, have "energized and mobilized what I think is a sleeping giant -- and that is the American work force." Ryan believes the political pendulum is about to swing again toward his party, but Democrats "need to get back to these bread and butter issues."

"We may lose this battle," he said of the pro-union side, "but we may ultimately win the war."

Watch the scene in Wisconsin Senate Wednesday night, courtesy of the MacIver Institute and YouTube.

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