Politics Daily http://www.politicsdaily.com Politics Daily http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.politicsdaily.com/media/feedlogo.gif Politics Daily http://www.politicsdaily.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Sarah Palin Heading to Israel, Taking Path of Other GOP Hopefulshttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/17/sarah-palin-heading-to-israel-taking-path-of-other-gop-hopefuls/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/17/sarah-palin-heading-to-israel-taking-path-of-other-gop-hopefuls/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/17/sarah-palin-heading-to-israel-taking-path-of-other-gop-hopefuls/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

In what has become almost a rite of passage for aspiring American politicians, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is heading to Israel, where next week she will meet with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and visit historic sites.

Palin, perhaps the most closely watched of all potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates, is scheduled to arrive in Israel Sunday after making a weekend speech to business leaders and politicians in New Delhi, India, the Jerusalem Post and Politico reported Thursday.

She plans to meet Monday with the conservative Netanyahu, and separately with Danny Danon, a pro-settler member of the Knesset. Palin is also expected to tour the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and visit Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus.

As with many politicians in both U.S. parties, strong and unwavering support for Israel is nearly an article of faith for Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee. She has criticized the Obama administration for not being strong enough in backing the Jewish state in disputes with the Arab world and Iran.

Yet she also offended some Jews when she used the loaded term "blood libel" to complain about U.S. commentators who put part of the blame for the deadly shootings in Arizona on harsh right-wing rhetoric. Palin was faulted for posting a map showing vulnerable Democratic districts in cross-hairs.

Palin's trek to Israel follows recent visits by other Republicans with presidential ambitions, including Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour and Rudy Giuliani.

 

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]]>Binyamin Netanyahu - Israel - World LeaderdailyguidanceIsraelPolitics Daily Staff2011-03-17T12:30:00+00:00NPR Sting Video Was Edited to Accentuate Negativehttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/15/npr-sting-video-was-edited-to-accentuate-negative/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/15/npr-sting-video-was-edited-to-accentuate-negative/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/15/npr-sting-video-was-edited-to-accentuate-negative/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

A surreptitious video depicting an NPR fundraiser criticizing Republicans and tea party activists during a meeting with phony Muslim donors was edited, leaving out important context for the controversial remarks.

The sting, conducted by conservative video-maker James O'Keefe, led to the removal last week of NPR chief executive Vivian Schiller, who was not one of those shown in the video but took responsibility for her subordinates' loose talk -- including a comment asserting that the tea party movement is "scary" and "seriously racist."

But an analysis of the full, two-hour video -- a much shorter version lit up the Internet -- shows that NPR fundraisers Ron Schiller (no relation to Vivian) and Betsy Liley also talked positively about Republicans and conservatives during their lunch date with the bogus donors. And they make it clear to the prospective contributors that their money would not influence news coverage.

"There is such a big firewall between funding and reporting," Ron Schiller says in the longer version of the video. "Reporters will not be swayed in any way, shape or form."

NPR reporter David Folkenflik and The Blaze, a conservative news aggregator set up by Fox News commentator Glenn Beck, analyzed the longer O'Keefe tape and discovered the short version had been edited in a misleading way. Some of Ron Schiller's remarks were run out of sequence in the flow of questions and answers.

While Schiller does say the Republican Party has been "hijacked" by the tea party and Christian evangelicals -- and is "fanatically involved in people's personal lives" -- it is evident in the full tape that he is not giving his own view but rather quoting two influential Republicans, according to reporter Folkenflik. Schiller does not challenge those assertions, but they are not his.

"Except for a couple of unfortunate forays [into] political opinion, I think Ron Schiller actually did a fairly remarkably good job of explaining how NPR works and what you can and cannot expect if you contribute money to the NPR foundation," said Al Tompkins, who teaches journalism ethics at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla.

But the first version of the video that showed up on the Internet last week seemed to confirm conservatives' suspicions about a liberal bias at NPR. And the revelations came as Republicans in Congress pushed to cut off federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which allocates financial support to NPR. While Schiller, in the video, said NPR "would be better off" in the long run without federal money, he also said losing the government assistance would be very hurtful in the short term.

Ron Schiller had already announced he was leaving NPR for another job when the video surfaced last week. His departure was then accelerated.

O'Keefe, who employs people he calls citizen journalists for his hidden camera stings, first popped up in 2009 with a video showing a worker for the liberal community activist group ACORN giving improper tax advice to individuals masquerading as a pimp and prostitute. Last year, O'Keefe pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor after being charged with trying to tamper with the phone lines in the New Orleans office of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.)

O'Keefe did not answer requests this week for comment on the editing of the video, Folkenflik said.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidancejames okeefeNPRPolitics Daily Staff2011-03-15T10:58:00+00:00Biden in Russia: Pegs More U.S. Trade to Corruption Cleanuphttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/10/biden-in-russia-pegs-more-u-s-trade-to-corruption-cleanup/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/10/biden-in-russia-pegs-more-u-s-trade-to-corruption-cleanup/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/10/biden-in-russia-pegs-more-u-s-trade-to-corruption-cleanup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

He mangled a couple of Russian names and scolded the government for not dealing more forcefully with corruption, but Vice President Biden got his point across in a speech at Moscow State University: the United States wants to do more business with the Russian Federation.

"Some say, 'How can you say those things out loud and expect to have a better relationship?'" Biden said Thursday in remarks to students, business leaders and politicians. "They are necessary to have a better relationship."

Biden said the United States supports Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization and believes that would bring expanded trade between the two countries. But he said the government must also respect the rule of law. Biden complained that a corporate lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was arrested and died in prison after accusing the police of fraud -- "before even being tried."

Using a teleprompter, he got Magnitsky's name right, but flubbed on the great composer Tchaikovsky and missed on Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an oil tycoon who has been imprisoned since 2003 on charges heavy with political implications.

In the context of the struggles for more freedom in the Arab world, Biden urged "all of you students here, don't compromise on the basic elements of democracy."

Earlier, he spoke with Russian opposition leaders at the U.S. ambassador's residence, and also met separately with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. When Putin said to the vice president that he wanted to see visa-free travel between the U.S. and Russia, Biden replied, "Good idea."

During the portion of their meeting open to the press, Biden told Putin it was in the interest of both nations to see "our relationship grow . . . When other countries around the globe have a problem they either go to Moscow or Washington. They don't go to other capitals."

The vice president is in the midst of a five-day trip through Finland, Russia and Moldova.

 

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]]>Tom Diemer2011-03-10T14:15:00+00:00Stung: NPR Execs Caught in Candid Chat With Would-be Muslim Donorshttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/stung-npr-execs-caught-in-candid-chat-with-would-be-muslim-dono/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/stung-npr-execs-caught-in-candid-chat-with-would-be-muslim-dono/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/stung-npr-execs-caught-in-candid-chat-with-would-be-muslim-dono/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

A video made surreptitiously by a conservative sting artist shows phony, would-be Muslim donors meeting with two NPR fundraisers who are caught on the tape making candid, awkward comments about the Republican Party -- and also talking bluntly about the ouster of commentator Juan Williams.

The sting operation, produced by conservative activist James O'Keefe, shows NPR fundraisers Ron Schiller (who has since announced his departure from NPR) and Betsy Liley at lunch with two men masquerading as wealthy Muslim donors. That the NPR people appear to tell the supposed contributors what they want to hear is not an unusual approach for fundraisers.

But against the backdrop of a possible cut off of NPR funding proposed by the GOP-controlled U.S. House, Schiller can be heard saying that "very little of our funding comes from the government." That is correct. "In the long run," he said, "we would be better off without federal funding." That's at least debatable. Then, talking about the GOP, Schiller added: "The current Republican Party, particularly the tea party, is fanatically involved in people's personal lives and very fundamental Christian -- and I wouldn't even call it Christian." In answer to a leading question about the tea party movement, he adds, "Basically, they believe in white, middle America, gun toting -- it's pretty scary. They're seriously racist."

Schiller, who said Tuesday night his resignation as NPR Foundation's senior vice president for development would take effect immediately, went on to say that he was proud that NPR let Juan Williams go last year after Williams said on Fox News he would be concerned if he boarded a plane with fellow passengers in Muslim garb. "He lost all credibility and that breaks your ethics as a journalist." Schiller says.

NPR, in a statement, said: "The fraudulent organization represented in the video repeatedly pressed us to accept a $5 million check, with no strings attached, which we repeatedly refused to accept. We are appalled by the comments made by Ron Schiller in the video, which are contrary to what NPR stands for. Mr. Schiller announced last week he is leaving NPR for another job."

O'Keefe's Project Veritas gained notoriety in 2009 in another covertly made video that showed individuals posing as a pimp and prostitute seeming to get advice on gaming the tax system from a representative of ACORN, a liberal community activist organization. O'Keefe went too far last year when he and three others were charged with attempting to tamper with the phone lines in Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's New Orleans office. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, received three years' probation, a $1,500 fine and 100 hours of community service.

Watch the new video, courtesy YouTube.


 

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]]>acornjames okeefemuslimNPRPolitics Daily Staff2011-03-08T12:50:00+00:00'Daily Show' Hot on the Trail of AWOL Wisconsin Lawmakershttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/daily-show-hot-on-the-trail-of-awol-wisconsin-lawmakers/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/daily-show-hot-on-the-trail-of-awol-wisconsin-lawmakers/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/08/daily-show-hot-on-the-trail-of-awol-wisconsin-lawmakers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Where are the "Wisconsin 14"? "Daily Show" correspondent John Oliver tried to track down the missing Democratic state senators who are frustrating Gov. Scott Walker's bid to curtail the collective bargaining rights of public employee unions.

Monday on the Comedy Central program, the trail led faux reporter Oliver to the "notorious, lawless region" of Illinois, where he was forced to go through a series of checkpoints -- fast food drive-throughs on a tacky commercial strip -- in the "Rockford Province" before finding former Illinois governor (and "notorious former warlord") Rod Blagojevich.

The ex-governor, who is facing a retrial this year on the corruption charges that got him thrown out of office, played it straight. "I don't know where they are," he told the intrepid newshound, adding that the missing senators are "standing up for working people" in Wisconsin. Along the way, Oliver also interviewed a tea party activist who said some of the lawmakers had been spotted at a tavern described as a "Scottish-type Hooters."

Finally Oliver encountered state Sen. Jon Erpenbach in what appeared to be a darkened motel room. While the legislator talked earnestly of the situation in Madison, Oliver peppered him with spoofy, provocative questions ("Why do you hate American democracy?") and then provided a false translation of his responses. "I'm just a typical guy from Wisconsin," poor Erpenbach insisted.

It was all in fun, of course. "The Daily Show" is a fake news program, although it touches on real issues and does some authentic reporting.

Watch the video, courtesy "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart."


 

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]]>comedy centraldailyguidanceJohn Oliverjon stewartrod Blagojevichscott walkerTom Diemer2011-03-08T09:19:00+00:00There He Goes Again: Mike Huckabee Scolds Natalie Portmanhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/04/there-he-goes-again-mike-huckabee-scolds-natalie-portman/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/04/there-he-goes-again-mike-huckabee-scolds-natalie-portman/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/04/there-he-goes-again-mike-huckabee-scolds-natalie-portman/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is having himself quite a week. After suggesting that President Obama is anti-British because he grew up in Kenya (wrong!), Huckabee picked on Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman for supposedly bragging about having a child out of wedlock.

In an interview Monday with conservative talk show host Michael Medved, Huckabee said not every single mom is "making millions of dollars" for a movie role and can afford "nannies, caretakers and nurses" for their kids. It's unfortunate, he said, that "we glorify and glamorize" having children outside of marriage. And he said it's troubling when people see a "Natalie Portman or some other Hollywood starlet who boasts of, 'Hey look, you know, we're having children, we're not married . . .'"

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On his Facebook page Friday, Huckabee insisted he did not "slam" or "attack" Portman, but said she was an "extraordinary actor," deserving of the Oscar. "My comments were about the statistical reality that most single moms are very poor, under-educated, can't get a job, and if it weren't for government assistance, their kids would be starving to death," he wrote. "That's the story that we're not seeing . . . " He said he was glad to hear that the pregnant Portman "will marry her baby's father."

In addition to his social commentary, Huckabee is promoting a new book, "A Simple Government," and trying to decide whether to run for the Republican presidential nomination again next year.

Portman, accepting her award Sunday night for "Black Swan," thanked her fiance, Benjamin Millepied, for giving her "the most important role of my life" as a mother.

Huckabee is not the first high-profile Republican politician to stir controversy by taking on a famous actress regarding the ethics of single parenting. In 1992, then-Vice President Dan Quayle criticized a plot line on the popular Murphy Brown television sit-com wherein the divorced title character, played by Candice Bergen, becomes pregnant and decides to have her baby. Quayle suggested single motherhood was being portrayed as just another lifestyle choice. It didn't work out too well for him. The New York Daily News headlined its story: "Quayle to Murphy Brown:You Tramp!"

As to where President Obama spent his formative years, Huckabee said it was just a slip of the tongue during a radio interview: he meant to say Indonesia, not Kenya, which was once under British colonial rule. But then, if he meant Indonesia, why would he think Obama became an Anglophobe . . . Oh, never mind.

 

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]]>Politics Daily Staff2011-03-04T15:50:00+00:00Huckabee Says He 'Simply Misspoke' in Saying Obama Was Raised in Kenyahttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/02/huckabee-says-he-simply-misspoke-in-saying-obama-reared-in-ken/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/02/huckabee-says-he-simply-misspoke-in-saying-obama-reared-in-ken/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/02/huckabee-says-he-simply-misspoke-in-saying-obama-reared-in-ken/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said Wednesday he "simply misspoke" when he wrongly said in a radio interview that President Obama grew up in Kenya, but he offered no apologies. The media, he said, chose to "sensationalize" a slip of the tongue.

Huckabee, a critic of the Obama administration and possible 2012 Republican presidential candidate, explained that he "meant to say Indonesia," not Kenya, in a conversation Monday with WOR Radio talk show host Steve Malzberg.

His statement said the New York Times and other media outlets "ran with the 'sensationalized story' despite being specifically told by Steve Malzburg himself that they were incorrect in their assessment of the sound bite."

Politics Daily, in its account of the interview, noted that Huckabee said Obama's upbringing in Kenya had apparently made the president anti-British -- the consequence of lingering resentment against British colonial rule in the 1950s.

"If you think about it, his perspective as growing up in Kenya, with a Kenyan father and grandfather, their view of the Mau Mau Revolution is very different than ours, because he probably grew up hearing that the British were a bunch of imperialists who persecuted his grandfather."

But substitute "Indonesia" for Kenya -- the slip of the tongue -- and Huckabee's remarks in context no longer make sense.

The president's father was Kenyan, but Obama never even visited his ancestral homeland until after the senior Obama's death there in 1982. His parents were divorced when he was a toddler and he was raised by his mom and maternal grandparents in Indonesia and Hawaii.

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Huckabee on Wednesday said he only discussed Obama's family background because he was asked about the "birther" controversy -- the claim that the president was born outside the United States. "As I have stated in my new book, 'A Simple Government,' and in numerous interviews with dozens of reporters, I don't believe there is an issue with Barack Obama's birth certificate. However, I do believe there are serious issues with the president's policies, and I have been openly opposed to the president's world view."

Huckabee, who has a weekly show on Fox News, said he wasn't surprised that the New York Times and other news organizations made a big deal out of his misstatement. He then took a poke at Obama, saying, "You just can't help but laugh when my simple slip of the tongue becomes a huge story -- and a certain presidential candidate claiming to visit all 57 states, gets widely ignored." (In his 2008 campaign, candidate Obama once said he had visited 57 states with "one left to go.")

It was not Huckabee's first stumble with words. After losing 100 pounds several years ago, he credited a "concentration camp" diet. And he once compared Arkansas politics to a "banana republic." In 1996, he denounced environmentalists as "wacko" and said "they want to tell us what deodorant we can use and what kind of gas to put in our car."

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidanceObama birthObama Kenya IndonesiaTom Diemer2011-03-02T12:25:00+00:00Tucker Carlson Insults Sarah Palin; Bristol's Book Deal Is Realhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/01/tucker-carlson-insults-sarah-palin-bristols-book-deal-is-real/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/01/tucker-carlson-insults-sarah-palin-bristols-book-deal-is-real/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/03/01/tucker-carlson-insults-sarah-palin-bristols-book-deal-is-real/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

It's the month of March, time for Dana Milbank's month of silence about Sarah Palin to end, and the Palin family is helping him by getting back in the news.

First, there's Bristol Palin's upcoming book.

Then, there's Daily Caller Editor Tucker Carlson's snide tweet about Bristol's mom, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential candidate, that's generating plenty of heat among conservative women and Palin supporters.

We'll go with the controversy first.

Sometime last night, Carlson tweeted this: "Palin's popularity falling in Iowa, but maintains lead to become supreme commander of Milfistan"

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Um, nice. You can Wikipedia it and learn that MILF is an acronym for "Mother I'd like to ..." Then check the Twitter search. OK, definitely not nice, Mr. Carlson.

Carlson deleted the tweet, but as we all know, such things live forever once they're retweeted and the screen shot is taken.

Tuesday morning, Carlson tried to blame American evildoer of the week, Charlie Sheen (as opposed to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi? Guess he doesn't Tweet), for his missive. "Apparently Charlie Sheen got control of my Twitter account last night while I was at dinner. Apologies for his behavior," Carlson tweeted.

That's not good enough for many conservative women and Palin supporters.

"Conserv women get enuf crap from lib pantywaists. Beltway boys (u ALL know who u are) should watch their mouths. #RESPECT," tweeted conservative columnist Michelle Malkin. "I am not down with @karlrove @tuckercarlson misogynist mockery of @sarahpalinusa. Sick of it."

Conservative talk show host Tammy Bruce also weighed in on Twitter: "Hey @TuckerCarlson time for a *serious* apology to every conservative woman/mother out there #respect"

Over at the Conservatives4Palin blog, Carlson received heat for his apology: "He didn't take responsibility for his comment and he fails horribly at humor. Try again, and Tucker... you're not funny."

UPDATED: Late in the day, Carlson tweeted this mea culpa: "I'm sorry for last night's tweet. I meant absolutely no offense. Not the first dumb thing I've said. Hopefully the last." (Woman UP is doubting it.)

No word from Palin on the tweet-oversy. She's been silent since her Feb. 22 Facebook missive on Libya.

On the book front, Wonkette reported a Bristol memoir might be in the works in early February after a link appeared on Amazon. The link came down the next day.

But Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the book, "Not Afraid of Life," will be published this summer by William Morrow, the same company that published her mom's two books.

Days after John McCain announced Palin as his vice presidential nominee in 2008, the campaigns announced that Bristol, then 17, was pregnant and engaged to boyfriend Levi Johnston. Baby Tripp arrived in late December, but a marriage never materialized. Johnston sought his own fame and fortune by trashing the Palin family, then briefly reunited with his baby mama last summer.

Bristol rebounded from the second breakup with a star turn on the reality ballroom dancing show, "Dancing With the Stars," placing third among the dozen dancing pairs. She used some of her cash to buy a new house in suburban Phoenix.

"Bristol gives readers an intimate behind-the-scenes look at her life for the first time, from growing up in Alaska to coming of age amid the media and political frenzy surrounding her mother's political rise; from becoming a single mother while still a teenager to coping as her relationship with her baby's father crumbled publicly -- not once, but twice," the Times quoted Morrow as saying.

 

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]]>bristol palinbristol palin bookdailyguidancemichelle malkinsarah palintucker carlsontucker+carlson+tweettuckercarlsontweetSandra Fish2011-03-01T16:00:00+00:00Georgia Lawmaker Is Asked: When Will Someone Shoot Obama?http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/25/georgia-lawmaker-is-asked-when-will-someone-shoot-obama/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/25/georgia-lawmaker-is-asked-when-will-someone-shoot-obama/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/25/georgia-lawmaker-is-asked-when-will-someone-shoot-obama/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Talk about lack of civility. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun couldn't have expected this question as he opened the floor for discussion at a recent town hall meeting in the college town of Athens. One unidentified man in the crowd reportedly asked him: "Who's going to shoot Obama?"

The Republican lawmaker said Friday he was "stunned" by the remark and chose "not to dignify it with a response." He said the culprit was an elderly man in the audience.

An Athens Banner-Herald reporter covering the event Tuesday couldn't make out the precise wording in the crowded Oglethorpe Couty Commission chamber, but heard the laughter that followed it. There is some dispute about what exactly happened next.

Broun, a physician in his third term in the U.S. House, didn't answer directly or call out the questioner, according to the Athens newspaper account. "The thing is," Broun said, "I know there's a lot of frustration with this president. We're going to have an election next year. Hopefully, we'll elect somebody that's going to be a conservative, limited-government president . . . who will sign a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare."

Broun spokesman Austin Carson told Salon the congressman's comment about the president was not in response to the offensive question, but rather to a follow-up inquiry about Obama from a different audience member.

Another Broun aide, Press Secretary Jessica Morris, earlier confirmed that the original town hall questioner had asked about shooting the president. "Obviously, the question was inappropriate," she said, "so Congressman Broun moved on" by addressing the GOP budget proposal. The question came after Broun asked who had driven the farthest to attend the event.

However, one witness, Mark Farmer of Winterville, Ga., told Talking Points Memo that Broun himself laughed at the original question. And, according to the website, Banner-Herald reporter Blake Aued said Broun chuckled a little -- although Aued could not fully hear the man's question.

That account is at odds with what Broun said Friday. He called the threatening statement "abhorrent" and said after hearing it he "moved on to the next person" in the room. "I deeply regret that this incident happened at all," he said on his website. "I condemn all statements -- made in sincerity or jest -- that threaten or suggest the use of violence against the President of the United States or any other public official." He said his office notified "appropriate authorities."

A Secret Service spokesman said the agency has investigated the incident and concluded there was no real threat. "We consider the matter closed," said Ed Donovan.

Politico noted that, during Obama's State of the Union speech last month, Broun had posted on Twitter: "Mr. President, you don't believe in the Constitution. You believe in socialism."

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidancerep. paul brounstate of the unionTom Diemer2011-02-25T10:00:00+00:00Biden: Unions 'Not the Problem' in States Facing Economic Woeshttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/24/biden-unions-not-the-problem-in-states-facing-economic-woes/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/24/biden-unions-not-the-problem-in-states-facing-economic-woes/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/24/biden-unions-not-the-problem-in-states-facing-economic-woes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Vice President Joe Biden says unions are not to blame for economic hardship in financially strapped states but are being singled out by Republicans looking for an excuse to enact conservative agendas.

"Public employees are not the problem," Biden said Wednesday night. "The problem goes much deeper."

The vice president, appearing at a Manhattan fundraising event for Rep. Carolyn Maloney, did not make direct reference to the unrest in Wisconsin, where Republican Gov. Scott Walker's bid to roll back collective bargaining rights for public workers has resulted in daily demonstrations.

"We are going to see the economic conditions that they [Republicans] created used as an excuse to fundamentally go after the social agenda that the far right has been trying to accomplish for a long time," Biden said. He planned to meet in Washington Thursday with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and the heads of state-based AFL-CIO organizations.

In Madison on Thursday, Wisconsin Assembly leaders agreed to bring Walker's bill to a vote within a day or so, clearing the way for the measure to go to the state Senate. But in a bid to deny the GOP-controlled Senate a quorum, Democratic members have boycotted the sessions and exited the state. Walker, who says state government is broke, also wants public employees to make bigger contributions to their pension and heath plans.

Walker's office confirmed Wednesday that the governor had engaged in a phone call with a man masquerading as conservative financier David Koch, one of his political supporters. In fact, the prank call came from a left-wing blogger based in Buffalo, N.Y., the Washington Post said. In the call, Walker recounted how he had told his cabinet officers, "This is our moment. This is our time to change the course of history."

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidancelaborscott walkerunionsTom Diemer2011-02-24T11:15:00+00:00Newt Gingrich Challenged by Ivy Leaguer on Extramarital Affairhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/newt-gingrich-challenged-by-ivy-leaguer-on-extramarital-affair/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/newt-gingrich-challenged-by-ivy-leaguer-on-extramarital-affair/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/newt-gingrich-challenged-by-ivy-leaguer-on-extramarital-affair/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich got an unpleasant preview Tuesday night of what may lie ahead -- at least in some unfriendly venues -- if he decides to launch a campaign for president.

Gingrich, speaking at the University of Pennsylvania, was challenged by a Democratic student to square his moralistic stand on social issues with an illicit relationship he had while married in the 1990s, Politico and the Daily Pennsylvanian reported.

"You adamantly oppose gay rights . . . but you've also been married three times and admitted to having an affair with your current wife while you were still married to your second," said Isabel Friedman, president of the Penn Democrats. "As a successful politician who's considering running for president, who would set the bar for moral conduct and be the voice of the American people, how do you reconcile this hypocritical interpretation of the religious values that you so vigorously defend?"

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Gingrich, an outspoken conservative, didn't take kindly to the grilling. "I'll bet almost everyone here can gather the thrust of your question," he told her. "I appreciate the delicacy and generosity in the way it was framed. . . I hope you feel better about yourself."

Gingrich, who has admitted to an affair with a woman who is now his third wife, followed with his take on his political viability. "I've had a life, which, on occasion, has had problems," he said in Politico's account of the speech. "I believe in a forgiving God, and the American people will have to decide whether that [is] their primary concern."

He was also heckled by AIDS demonstrators who marched out of lrvine Auditorium carrying placards declaring, "Global AIDS Budget Cuts Kill," the student newspaper reported. One shouted, "That's a million lives we're talking about!"

Friedman said she didn't regret asking Gingrich the pointed question. "He has offended more people than I did," she said.

But Penn senior Grant Dubler found it "very inappropriate and irrelevant. I would have preferred policy questions."

Gingrich, 67, has said he will announce next month whether he intends to go forward with a campaign for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

 

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]]>dailyguidancenewt gingrichTom Diemer2011-02-23T13:41:00+00:00Will Christine O'Donnell Step Up on 'Dancing With the Stars'? Stay Tuned, She Sayshttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/will-christine-odonnell-step-up-on-dancing-with-the-stars-st/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/will-christine-odonnell-step-up-on-dancing-with-the-stars-st/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/will-christine-odonnell-step-up-on-dancing-with-the-stars-st/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Christine O'Donnell didn't make it as a conservative, tea party-backed Senate candidate in Delaware. But can she cut the rug on "Dancing With the Stars"?

O'Donnell, who once acknowledged dabbling in witchcraft as a teenager, says she's been approached by the ABC hit program about being a contestant on its 12th season. The show, which famously featured Bristol Palin last year, will announce its new lineup next week, according to the New York Daily News.

On her Facebook page, O'Donnell mulled the DWTS offer she said she'd received, but expressed doubts about her ability as a hoofer. "I just got the Official 'Ask' from Dancing With The Stars!!" she posted. "Although I am utterly flattered, my initial thought was to decline, as 2 year old nephew has more rhythm than me, and my two left feet!!"

That would seem like a pretty good reason to say no. But then again, O'Donnell shocked the political world when she upset former Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware GOP Senate primary last year, before losing in November to Democrat Chris Coons. During her campaign, O'Donnell ran a TV spot in which she proclaimed, "I'm not a witch" -- a response to long-ago remarks she made on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" TV show. She later said the ad was a mistake.

O'Donnell wouldn't be the first pol to compete in the televised dance competition. Former Rep. Tom Delay -- recently sentenced to three years in prison for money laundering -- took part in 2009, though he was hampered by a foot injury.

She got plenty advice about the DWTS show on Facebook. On Monday, she wrote that the comments offered "great pro and cons" about her latest possible adventure. "Thank you for your input. Still undecided. Book comes first."

That's right. O'Donnell's writing a book about her experiences running for the Senate last year.

 

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]]>bill maherbristol palinChristine ODonnelldailyguidancedancing with the starstom delayPolitics Daily Staff2011-02-23T10:24:00+00:00Rush Limbaugh Defends His One-Sided Food Fight With Michelle Obamahttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/rush-limbaugh-defends-his-one-sided-food-fight-with-michelle-oba/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/rush-limbaugh-defends-his-one-sided-food-fight-with-michelle-oba/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/23/rush-limbaugh-defends-his-one-sided-food-fight-with-michelle-oba/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Rush Limbaugh thinks his criticism of Michelle Obama's eating habits -- and calling her a hypocrite -- was "highly civil" discourse and he's surprised by the "grief" he got over his comments.

That's what he said on his radio program Tuesday. He started the week by asserting that Mrs. Obama doesn't follow her own healthy eating advice. As evidence, the conservative talk show host cited a high-fat dinner she enjoyed over the weekend in Vail, Colo. -- "feasting on ribs" is the way he put it -- when she could have been munching on roots and berries.

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"Some people are suggesting that my comments were below the belt," the talk show host said. "Well, take a look at some pictures. Given where she wears her belts -- I mean she wears them high up there around the bustline. Isn't just about everything about her 'below the belt' when you look at the fashion sense she has?"

Mrs. Obama's healthy eating initiative for children, "Let's Move," has been a target for conservatives like Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who see it as a move by the Obama administration toward a "nanny state" in America. The first lady is taking on childhood obesity by campaigning to convince kids and their parents to eat healthier foods.

To critics, such as Limbaugh, that means she should relegate herself to the strictest of dietary regimens -- "roots, berries and tree bark" is what he suggested on Monday.

In the Washington Post, columnist Dana Milbank said Limbaugh apparently thinks Mrs. Obama is a "big, fat idiot" -- referencing the title of a book by Al Franken that took Limbaugh to task for his physique and his politics. "The first lady's detractors don't have a legitimate beef," Milbank wrote. "She's never told people to cut out junk food; she's suggested they eat junk less and exercise more."

No comment from the first lady.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidancehealthy eating habitsmichele bachmannrush limbaughSarah PalinTom Diemer2011-02-23T08:31:00+00:00Haley Barbour Won't OK Klan-Linked Mississippi License Platehttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/22/haley-barbour-wont-ok-klan-linked-mississippi-license-plate/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/22/haley-barbour-wont-ok-klan-linked-mississippi-license-plate/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/22/haley-barbour-wont-ok-klan-linked-mississippi-license-plate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour now says if a proposal to issue a license plate honoring a Confederate general -- who became an early leader of the Ku Klux Klan -- ever reaches his desk, he won't approve it.

Earlier this month, Barbour sidestepped the issue when asked about the special tag that would commemorate Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Civil War general and later a Klan member. It's not going to happen, he said. In answer to a reporter's question about whether he would condemn those advocating for the new plate, the Republican governor also said he wasn't in the business of denouncing people -- in this case the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

But in an interview in Iowa with Mike Glover of the Associated Press, Barbour revisited the issue, noting that he said "accurately this is not going to happen. The bureaucracy denied it, the legislature won't pass it, and if the legislature passes it, it won't become law because I won't sign it."

Barbour told the AP he denounces the Ku Klux Klan, but isn't interested in making it personal, whether an individual has "been dead 100 years or not." Forrest quit the 19th Century Klan when the secretive organization turned to violence, according to historical accounts.

Barbour, who is considering a run for president, was in Iowa -- the state holding the first 2012 caucus -- to assure Republican activists he is serious about a national campaign. He told the AP he does not think he carries any political baggage related to race issues.

Now 63, Barbour says he was "school kid" during much of the civil rights movement and is focused these days on the progress the South had made since those turbulent times in the 1960s.

He caught flak earlier this year when he credited a group called the White Citizens Council with keeping the Klan out of his hometown of Yazoo City. He later backtracked, saying, "My point was my town rejected the Ku Klux Klan, but nobody should construe that to mean I think the town leadership were saints either. Their vehicle, called the 'Citizens Council,' is totally indefensible, as is segregation."

 

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]]>dailyguidanceHaley Barbourku klux klanNathan Bedford ForrestTom Diemer2011-02-22T11:26:00+00:00Ohio Gov. John Kasich Apologizes to Police Officer He Called 'Idiot'http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/17/ohio-gov-john-kasich-apologizes-to-police-officer-he-called-id/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/17/ohio-gov-john-kasich-apologizes-to-police-officer-he-called-id/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/17/ohio-gov-john-kasich-apologizes-to-police-officer-he-called-id/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ohio Gov. John Kasich apologized Thursday to the police officer he called an "idiot" during a speech last month.

The governor met briefly at his office with Officer Rob Barrett, extending an apology to him and to law enforcement as a whole for his comments, according to WCMH-TV, the NBC affiliate in Columbus.

Kasich "apologized for using the term and said it was a wrong choice of words and a bad example," said Jim Gilbert, head of Columbus police union, who was also in the meeting. "The governor looked at me and apologized and said that he holds law enforcement in high regard."

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The meeting, closed to media and the public, lasted only a few minutes.

In a YouTube video that has made the Internet rounds, Kasich is seen last month repeatedly describing a police officer who ticketed him for a traffic violation as "an idiot." Kasich was cited for passing too close to an emergency vehicle.

Officer Barrett told the Republican governor he could face an arrest warrant if he didn't show up in court.

"He's an idiot," Kasich said in the speech to state workers. "You just can't act that way."

The governor initially tried to apologize to Barrett over the phone, but the officer requested that Kasich meet with him in person, Gilbert told the Columbus Dispatch.

Also Thursday, Columbus Police released an official statement saying cruiser video shows that Barrett acted professionally during the traffic stop.

"Officer Barrett's actions were consistent with the division's core values of professionalism, respect, integrity, discipline, and enthusiasm, and reflect positively on himself and the Division of Police," the statement said.

Barrett has been ordered not to speak publicly about the incident.

Kasich paid an $85 fine for his infraction.

Watch portions of the Kasich speech last month:

 

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]]>Columbus Police UnionDailyguidanceRob BarrettTraffic StopYoutubeChristopher Weber2011-02-17T19:00:00+00:00Crash Pad Congressmen: Lawmakers Sleeping in Offices May Be Breaking Rules, Watchdogs Sayhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/15/frugal-lawmakers-sleeping-in-offices-may-be-breaking-rules-watc/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/15/frugal-lawmakers-sleeping-in-offices-may-be-breaking-rules-watc/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/15/frugal-lawmakers-sleeping-in-offices-may-be-breaking-rules-watc/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Who was that weird guy wandering around in his bathrobe in the halls of the Rayburn House Office Building the other night? Oops, never mind, it's a congressman.

With a growing number of House members saving money by sleeping in their Capitol Hill offices, a watchdog group has asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to determine whether they're breaking the rules, or unfairly enjoying a tax-free benefit, with their rudimentary free housing.

"House office buildings are not dorms or frat houses," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). "If members didn't want to find housing in Washington, they shouldn't have run for Congress in the first place."

Rank and file members of the House have offices in one of three buildings adjacent to the Capitol -- the Rayburn, Longworth or Cannon -- and most of the suites have bathrooms, sinks and perhaps even a kitchenette. In the past, a handful of pennypinchers would sack out on sofas or air mattresses in their offices to avoid paying rent in Washington -- which can run $1,500 to $2,000 monthly for a one-bedroom -- or simply to show the folks back home what little they cared about the culture of the capital.

In some cases, crash pad congressmen say they do it to save time: "The job requires late nights and early mornings, and a short commute lets me focus on the work that's important to my constituents," Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) told Politico.

But it's gotten endemic this year, according to the citizens group. Crew said at least 33 representatives -- all men -- have been identified in news reports as crashing in their offices. The frugal fellows trek off to the House gym for their showers and shaves. They hail from as close to Washington as Delaware and Virginia, and from as far away as California and Arizona. Five of them represent Arizona districts, reportedly including freshman Rep. Ben Quayle, son of former Vice President Dan Quayle.

CREW questioned whether the austere lifestyle violates a ban on using taxpayer resources -- a congressional building's facilities -- for anything other than performance of official duties, which probably doesn't include sleeping and bathing. In addition, the watchdogs argued that the lodgings constitute a taxable benefit, just as legislators' reserved parking spaces at the Capitol are imputed taxable income.

Since most House members commute from their districts, many of them have the burden of assuming both a house payment and monthly rent -- or in some cases two house payments. They make $174,000 annually, but most maintain their primary residences and families in their home districts and travel back and forth throughout the year. Some save by sharing spartan apartments near the Capitol.

But CREW seemed unsympathetic to the money-saving or workaholic arguments. "If legislators are going to treat their offices as dorm rooms, at the very least they should pay the appropriate taxes," Sloan said. "In any event, it brings discredit upon the House for members of Congress to sleep in their House offices, making it more difficult for housekeeping, maintenance and construction crews to do their jobs. And really, who wants to run into a member of Congress in need of a shower wandering the halls in sweats or a robe?"

The official ethics office has not said what action, if any, it will take.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>Capitol Hill rentscrash padCREWDan QuaylehousingMike QuigleyTom Diemer2011-02-15T16:10:00+00:00Ex-Rep. Chris Lee, Wife in Retreat While Craigslist Ad-Placer Yesha Callahan Speaks Outhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/13/ex-rep-chris-lee-wife-in-retreat-while-craigslist-ad-placer-ye/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/13/ex-rep-chris-lee-wife-in-retreat-while-craigslist-ad-placer-ye/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/13/ex-rep-chris-lee-wife-in-retreat-while-craigslist-ad-placer-ye/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

And now, just in time for Valentine's Day, news of two women in the Craigslist congressman's tumultuous life: Michele Lee, his anguished spouse, and Yesha Callahan, who placed the "women seeking men" personals ad that derailed a promising political career and could wreck his marriage.

Mrs. Lee, 44, rushed from Buffalo to the ultra-posh and private Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida, "hoping to work things out" with ex-Rep. Chris Lee, 46, the New York Post reports. The second-term New York Republican abruptly quit the House on Wednesday just hours after Gawker.com broke the story that he had lied about being a divorced lobbyist in a personals ad. He also sent a shirtless muscle photo of himself to the woman who placed the ad.

The "humiliated" wife and her hard-partying, millionaire second husband, 46, are said to be holed up at the same exclusive club where the fallen lawmaker's father, Patrick Lee, owns a $4 million home.

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"'She's crushed -- this was supposed to be her prince charming,'" the Post quotes a friend of Michele. She fretted over his "extended solo stays in Washington," and urged him to spend more time in Buffalo, said another pal. Her first marriage to a high-school sweetheart ended after he cheated on her, according to the Post. The Lees have a young son.

"She picked a bad boy twice, which is a shame, because she's a smart woman without a mean bone in her body," a friend told the Post. "She's absolutely humiliated. She was so proud of him and what he'd accomplished."

Patrick Lee was said to be livid, having warned his son about his after-hours partying well before the Craigslist story broke. The elder Lee was "particularly enraged" over the "sloppiness of the situation" and the beefcake photo, reports the Post, which referred to Michele as "a woman porned." Patrick Lee pushed for immediate resignation "to curtail any extended embarrassment for the family," the source said. "He said, 'End it quick.'"

Meanwhile Callahan, 34 -- who anonymously outed Lee on Gawker and TheLoop21.com then went public in The Washington Post, now offers a cheeky, somewhat profane essay titled "Owning My ----" about the flap, complete with a winsome head shot, on her flyblackchick.com website.

"Sure, I'm the bad woman," she purrs, noting that some have accused her of "enticing" Lee to send her the infamous shirtless photo.

"Excuse me for not realizing 'Do you have something that doesn't look like a JCPenney Ad' is considered enticing nowadays. Maybe I'll use it more often. Maybe it'll keep me off of Craigslist. Maybe it'll yield me a financially & emotionally stable man. I mean anything is possible right?"

She chided "all of you holier than thous out there" for suggesting that anyone seeking dates on Craigslist should expect raunchy responses.

"The same people you're meeting from Match, E-Harmony, OkCupid and whatever other high priced service you want to use, guess what...they're all on Craigslist too!" she wrote. "And if you're looking for a job, may I suggest the job ads as well...There you go, my unpaid advertisement for Craigslist."

"Also, to set the record straight, Gawker didn't pay me & I didn't ask to be paid," writes the University of Maryland faculty specialist and mother of a young son.

In a pre-emptive strike against anyone digging into her past, she offers this intel:

"If it makes you happy to go back YEARS in my history and find a state tax lien that has been satisfied, some parking violations, a few days in jail *GASP* over stupid ---- and the recent Federal lawsuit regarding the previous name of my site, then knock yourselves out. Call every local newspaper or news channel. Shout it from the rooftops if it makes you feel better. Just don't slip and fall, I don't need another lawsuit because you broke your ------- neck while doing it. Tonight I will sleep fine. Tomorrow I will sleep fine. Hopefully those people who live lily white lives with no blemishes will sleep fine as well."

Happy Valentine's Day, ladies.

As for the buff ex-Congressman who described himself to Callahan in one e-mail as a "fit, fun and classy guy," well, Happy VD to you, too.

 

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]]>Christopher LeeChristopher Lee CraigslistCongressman CraigslistMichele LeeValentines Dayyesha callahanAnnie Groer2011-02-13T10:32:00+00:00House Republicans Botch Second Bill as New Majority Is on Tough Learning Curvehttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/10/house-republicans-botch-second-bill-as-new-majority-is-on-tough/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/10/house-republicans-botch-second-bill-as-new-majority-is-on-tough/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/10/house-republicans-botch-second-bill-as-new-majority-is-on-tough/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

For a second day, the new House Republican majority botched a bill that leaders were so certain would pass they put it on a fast-track procedure that required a two-thirds vote for approval.

The measure, a demand for a $179 million repayment from the United Nations, fell short of that super-majority on Wednesday. In setting themselves up for failure, the GOP leadership violated a well-known Capitol Hill rule: Don't allow a bill to go to the House floor unless you are certain ahead of time that you have sufficient votes for its passage.

"We have been in the majority for four weeks," House Speaker John Boehner told the New York Times after the U.N. bill missed the two-thirds mark by 25 votes. "We are not going to be perfect every day."

A less than perfect day got worse early Wednesday evening when New York Rep. Christopher Lee, a Republican, resigned his House seat. That came after a racy, shirtless photo showed up on the Internet from a Craigslist posting in which Lee appeared to be advertising himself to an unnamed single woman.

Lee, who is married, was in his second term. But 87 Republicans are freshmen -- many aligned with the conservative tea party movement -- and it seems they don't take direction very well.

The U.N. bill should have been a no-brainer for the Republican leadership: a claim that the United States had overpaid the international organization and should be reimbursed. But at least some of the money being demanded has been pledged for security improvements at the U.N. headquarters in New York City. And the threat to those funds turned Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) and one freshman Republican against the measure, Bloomberg reported.

King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) joined with most of the Democrats in denying the legislation the votes it needed. The embarrassment came one day after more than two dozen Republicans defected during a House roll call that ended up seven votes short of passing extensions of surveillance provisions in the Patriot Act.

Boehner, an Ohio Republican in his 11th term, served as minority leader before succeeding Rep. Nancy Pelosi as speaker after the GOP captured the majority last November. He is expected to bring both of the challenged bills back for second votes -- this time using parliamentary procedures requiring only a simple majority.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>chris leecraigslistdailyguidanceJohn Boehnerpeter kingTom Diemer2011-02-10T12:54:00+00:00'Forcible Rape?' Republicans Take Puzzling Language Out of Abortion Billhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/04/forcible-rape-republicans-take-puzzling-language-out-of-abort/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/04/forcible-rape-republicans-take-puzzling-language-out-of-abort/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/04/forcible-rape-republicans-take-puzzling-language-out-of-abort/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

House Republicans have dropped language from an anti-abortion bill that critics said sounded like an attempt to redefine rape.

The offensive phrase, "forcible rape," was used in legislation seeking to permanently ban use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions. It allows exceptions for pregnancies caused by incest or when the life of the pregnant woman is endangered. The original language also permitted an abortion exception for cases of "forcible rape," which angered women's groups who thought the term suggested some rapes were not forced.

The bill was quickly amended to cover all cases of rape, so as not to suggest that some types of sexual assaults -- statutory rape of someone underage, for instance -- were not covered.

A spokesman for chief sponsor Rep. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) told the Washington Post the dropped language had been "misconstrued."

The bill, called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, would simply write the "Hyde Amendment" -- an existing year-to-year ban on use of government money to pay for abortions -- into permanent law. That way, the prohibition would not need repeated reauthorization by Congress.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>dailyguidanceforcible+rapeforciblerapegop+legislation+to+redefine+rapegoplegislationtoredefinerapeincestraperape+legislationrapelegislationTom Diemer2011-02-04T10:55:00+00:00Senators Police Each Other in Discouraging Gun Talkhttp://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/01/senators-police-each-other-in-discouraging-gun-talk/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/01/senators-police-each-other-in-discouraging-gun-talk/http://politicsdaily.com/2011/02/01/senators-police-each-other-in-discouraging-gun-talk/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Senate Democrats are promoting a bill to get money flowing for improvements and maintenance at the nation's airports, but they're trying hard to keep their rhetoric grounded in a time when civility is the byword on Capitol Hill.

The legislation is an attempt to reauthorize operations for the Federal Aviation Administration and free up $8.1 billion from an development trust fund that's fed by passenger fees and a fuel tax. The measure is expected to go before Senate this week, so the FAA can stay in business without another temporary extension of funding, according to Generalaviationnews.com.

But before any votes were cast, a well-meaning language monitor got involved in the debate. At a news conference Monday, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) implored fellow senators not to hold up the aviation bill over individual amendments, the Daily Caller reported.

"Everyone," Schumer promised, "will get their shot." Oops. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, standing nearby, interjected: "Their chance." And Schumer quickly corrected himself: "Their chance."

The sensitivity to use of language is no laughing matter. It comes in the aftermath of the deadly shooting spree in Tucson last month. Words like "job killer," for instance, have faded from the lexicon on Capitol Hill. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) played down his mid-course correction of Schumer. "Chuck Schumer and I are habitual teasers of each other," he said.

Update: Hope for swift passage of the aviation bill ran up against a roadlbock Tuesday as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told Republicans he would try to attach a rider aimed at repealing the health care law. The Republican-run House approved repeal legislation last month, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wouldn't bring the issue before the Senate. That won't stop senators like McConnell from trying to do it by amendment.

Folo Tom Diemer on Twitter http://twitter.com/tomdiemer

 

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]]>Chuck Schumerdailyguidancejay rockefellerTom Diemer2011-02-01T15:25:00+00:00