Tierney said the committee is considering "ALL our options here

You mean yet another sternly worded letter? Or another contempt citation that the justice department will ignore?

There's really only one solution to this. Let us pray that Democrats having been fooling us all along and are really playing for the October Surprise impeachment proceedings.

Please excuse me if I remain more than a bit skeptical.

Posted at August 1, 2008 3:47 PM in response to Defying Subpoena, DoD Orders Sexual Assault Program Chief Not To Testify Before Congress

This is fantastic news! And no, I don't mean that like idiotic.

Hopefully the NRSC will think they have a legitimate shot here and dump a few million that they don't have into the very expensive NJ (meaning Philly & NYC) media market. They don't have a chance in hell to beat Lautenberg with a Beltway-ensconced lobbyist, regardless of what Dick Zimmer did 12 years ago.

Posted at June 9, 2008 9:08 PM in response to Poll: Dem Sen. Lautenberg In Tight Race In New Jersey

This would be worrisome, except even the best case scenario won't put Clinton over the top. If she continues after June 3rd and after Obama has clinched (which he will do next week no matter the MI/FL situation), she will have no more excuses and will lose all of her remaining credibility. She can challenge, but nobody will listen and the Clinton legacy will be reduced to a running joke about sore losers.

Now I must assume the Clintons would like that to happen to them, which is why I think it will be over next week.

Posted at May 30, 2008 2:35 PM in response to Ickes: Uncommitted Delegates Must Stay Uncommitted

Here are two glaring problems with Rendell in my opinion:

1) He's not particularly popular in PA. Rendell is a classic Philly machine pol, which means he brings with him an extensive patronage apparatus and can effectively pull the Philly suburbs. Problem is, machine veterans often lose popularity quickly once they reach prominence. Strings have to be pulled, deals made, shady connections nurtured to get into power, and those tend to be exposed over time. Also, big policy decisions tend to be made without much accountability in such an atmosphere, and this has hurt Rendell over the years, especially among independents.

2) Since Rendell is a machine politician, he would be a horrible fit for Obama's change-themed campaign. It would be a sign that the anti-corruption rhetoric is merely that, just words, and will deeply undermine a major advantage against McSame.

Posted at May 22, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Obama Begins Veep Selection

Ms. Johnson, I offer my condolences. You are doing the best you can to cover up a scandal in which you likely had no knowledge of. Your weak justifications clearly indicate a shell-shocked state of fighting off a coming whirlwind. However, I understand that the powerful higher-ups in your organization were responsible for this insidious and reprehensible maneuver, not you, and you should not be subjected to be thrown in front of the angry mob during your organization's day of reckoning.

I will second the suggestion of another commenter and kindly urge you to get out of that rat's nest at WVWV before you damage your reputation.

Posted at April 30, 2008 4:49 PM in response to Nonprofit Women's Voices Women Vote Stops Suspicious N.C. Robo Calls

Please pardon the potentially naive question, but why do we keep focusing on insurance coverage in the health care debate? Isn't the goal of the health care system is to provide care, and isn't insurance just a method of managing the costs for that care and spreading financial risk?

A major reason our system is so broken is that too many intermediaries and financial interests get in the way of doctor-patient relationships. It seems to me like the reforms being discussed merely bring more bureaucracy into the picture and don't take steps to alleviate this underlying inefficiency.

I am not necessarily saying that a single-payer system is the only feasible solution, but I sense that keeping the conversation bogged down within the framework of financial management is hurting the drive for every American to receive adequate health care.

Posted at February 4, 2008 10:38 AM in response to Krugman Wrong on Obama and Mandates