WOAH

So I was about to come out with a new senate ratings update when all of a sudden something crazy happened. It was one of those things I never could have predicted happening and never saw coming. Republican Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania switched sides and became a Democrat today...holy kamole batman.

Specter was going to have a difficult time surviving in the Republican primary because most of the moderates in Pennsylvania registered as Democrats last year. The Republicans in Pennsylvania are actually really conservative and were probably going to select wing-nut Pat Toomey. Now Specter will run as a Democrat and face Toomey (should he still run) in a statewide election with all of his former support available, along with the forces that are the Democratic Party and Barack Obama. Obama has already called him pledging his full support. Apparently Joe Biden was talking to Specter trying to convince him to switch parties. And oh how well it worked.

This is symbolically huge, however, because it just gave Democrats their sixtieth seat (assuming Al Franken is seated, which he will be). 60 is a magic number in the Senate because 60 votes are needed to stop a filibuster. This is really only symbolically important because the Democrats were fairly successful in getting either Specter, Susan Collins of ME, or Olympia Snowe of ME to vote with them already.

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Political News Dump

This post is exactly what the title says it is - a place where I dump a ton of different news stories and write briefly about each one.

Report: Obama Continues Strikes Inside Pakistan

Front-page NY Times: The president has expanded its covert war attacking a militant network seeking to topple the Pakistani government. There's been two missile strikes within the country over the past week.

Obama is using the CIA for this, and I feel it is important for everyone to know about it. Click here for the full story.

Ayers: Obama Presidency Could "Burn Up in the Furnace of War"

The former Weather Underground member and Obama acquaintance tells Fox News sending more troops to Afghanistan is a “colossal mistake.”

“I fear that this brilliant young man, this hopeful new administration, could easily burn their prospect of a great presidency in the war in Afghanistan or elsewhere.”

Full interview to air Monday at 9 pm ET on “Hannity.”

I found it interesting that Ayers is appearing on Fox News for two reasons: (1) I didn't think he would want to be on Fox and (2) I didn't think Fox would want him on. As for what he said, I think he has a good point.

Clooney, Biden to Discuss Darfur

The two will meet in Washington Monday evening to discuss the conflict and the actor's recent travels in the region.

I am happy that the administration is looking into the situation.


Holder Headed to Gitmo

Obama's AG will visit the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay Monday as the administration weighs what's needed to shut it down.

Please, please shut this place down. However, it is important that we don't put so much focus on Gitmo that we forget about other similar camps, like one being currently built in Afghanistan.

Rice to Ink Trio of Memoirs

The former Secretary of State signs a three-book deal with Crown Publishers reportedly worth at least $2.5 million. The first book is planned for 2011, will focus on years in White House.

I won't read them.

Debate Begins on D.C. Representation

Senators start debate Monday on a bill that would give the 600,000 residents of Washington, D.C., their own voting member of the House.

Adding a Democrat would be offset by giving red Utah another seat, bringing the House to 437 members.

I hadn't heard anything about this, so it surprised me. I've always felt that D.C. should have representation, although I find the Utah part of the proposal odd. I understand that there should be an odd number in the House, but why Utah now? I think this should wait until congressional redistricting in 2010, in which case the new seat would go wherever it was needed most.

Bunning Apologizes for Ginsburg Remark

Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning (Republican) has apologized after making some pretty awful comments.

U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning predicted over the weekend that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg would likely be dead from pancreatic cancer within nine months.

During a wide-ranging 30-minute speech on Saturday at the Hardin County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bunning said he supports conservative judges "and that's going to be in place very shortly because Ruth Bader Ginsburg ... has cancer."

"Bad cancer. The kind that you don't get better from," he told a crowd of about 100 at the old State Theater.

There may be a reason why nobody likes him and he is likely to lose re-election if he makes it out of the Republican primary. Meanwhile, Ginsburg is now back on the bench.

Bobby Jindal's Big Moment

Politico: When the Louisiana Governor delivers the GOP response to the president's message to Congress, most Americans will see him for the first time.

A lot of people like Jindal and compare him to Obama. I think they do this because he is a minority and is young. I really don't think Jindal is anywhere near the skilled politican Obama is.

GOP Governors Split on Stimulus

A rift among Republicans over the spending plan goes on full display on Sunday's TV shows. Schwarzenegger: "I think it's terrific and will help us." Crist: “It’s a matter of helping the people." vs. Sanford: "We're digging yet another hole for ourselves." Jindal: "We should be unafraid to stand up on principle...." NY Times: Debate "will go a long way toward shaping how the national party redefines itself...."

Schwarzenegger (CA) and Crist (FL) represent a more moderate wing of the party. Jindal (LA) and Sanford (SC) represent the stubborn right wing of the party. Whether they like it or not, the stimulus money will help their constituents a lot. I don't think the citizens will appreciate this very much. Meanwhile:

Empire State Senators (Schumer and Gillibrand) call on Obama to give their state the stimulus money that several GOP governors say they don't want.

“If any governor -- Democrat or Republican -- leaves stimulus money on the table, then we respectfully request that funds be distributed to New York.”

Schwarzenegger made a very similar comment. If you don't want it, please, let us take it off your hands.

Schwarzenegger Heads Back to the Big Screen

The California governor will make a cameo in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone film "The Expendables." Will be his fourth movie appearance since being elected.

Cool.

Sebelius: No Talks on HHS

The Kansas governor says she hasn't had any talks with Obama on taking over the Department of Health and Human Services. "There really isn't anything to tell. I haven't had any meetings about the position."

Believe her if you will.

Rulings Diminish Coleman's Chances

A series of court rulings have dealt the Republican long odds for overturning Franken's lead. And/But: He could still be laying the ground for another appeal.

I've been reading about Coleman suffering setbacks for over three months now. This is ridiculous, as is this:

RNC Gives $250,000 to Coleman Recount

FEC reports show the party has invested a quarter of a million dollars in the fight over Minnesota's contested Senate seat. The funds were given to the Republican Party of Minnesota on Jan. 26.

It must be so frustrating to live in Minnesota.

Citigroup Possibly Headed For Nationalization

WSJ: Citigroup is in talks with federal officials that could result in the government substantially expanding its ownership of the bank.

Meanwhile: NYT reports Obama aides will begin taking a hard look at the financial condition of the country’s 20 biggest banks this week.

Plus: Federal regulators deny plans to nationalize any bank but announce they will launch an effort to get more money to banks on Wednesday.

Citigroup is dead. My guess is that the federal government is going to have to nationalize some banks, turn them around, and try to privatize them again as quickly as possible.

Alright, that was a massive dumpage. My apologies. Have a nice day.

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Obama's First Three Days In Office

Obama's First Three Days

Day-yam! The man gets to work fast!

Day #1. Obama becomes President of the United states.

I found it interesting that the Vice President is sworn in to office before the President.

Rahm Emanuel (Chief of Staff) signs a memorandum ordering all agencies and departments to stop all pending regulations until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the Obama administration.

This deals with regulations that Bush put into effect during the last few weeks in office. Law allows sixty days before these can go into effect. Obama wants to stop these last minute deals.

Controversial late rules by the outgoing Bush administration include allowing the carrying of concealed weapons in some national parks and prohibiting medical facilities from receiving federal money for discriminating against doctors and nurses who refuse to assist with abortions or dispense contraceptives based on religious grounds.

It may be hard for him to do this, but it is possible. Possible ways include:

1. Passing a law that allows an incoming President to have say on last-minute regulations.
2. The Senate can pass a law that overrules the President's orders. Basically, they would pass a law making illegal what an order allows.
3. I believe the Senate can get rid of these orders with a 2/3 vote, but I'm not sure. Truthfully I am a little confused on this entire subject.

The Obama administration also requested a continuance in the military commissions trials scheduled for this week. Basically this stops the trials of Guantanamo detainees for 120 days, which gives the administration time to change the way detainees are put on trial. He wants them in U.S. Courts instead of military coutrts, so as to give them their due process. Tuesday morning the judges granted the request.

Oh ya, click here for a picture of his new ride...THE BEAST!

Day #2. Ethics Reform Day

Obama started the day by calling foreign leaders, including many Middle Eastern leaders.

He also issued some regulations.

1. He will freeze his White House senior staff pay at current levels to the full extent allowed by law ... The President and his staff recognize that in these austere times, everyone must do more with less, and the White House is no exception.

2. In the Executive Order on Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Personnel, the President, first, prohibits executive branch employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists. Second, he closes the revolving door that allows government officials to move to and from private sector jobs in ways that give that sector undue influence over government. Third, he requires that government hiring be based upon qualifications, competence and experience, not political connections.

3. The President instructs all members of his administration to operate under principles of openness, transparency and of engaging citizens with their government. To implement these principles and make them concrete, the Memorandum on Transparency instructs three senior officials to produce an Open Government Directive within 120 days directing specific actions to implement the principles in the Memorandum. And the Memorandum on FOIA instructs the Attorney General to in that same time period issue new guidelines to the government implementing those same principles of openness and transparency in the FOIA context.

4. This order ends the practice of having others besides the President assert executive privilege for records after an administration ends. Now, only the President will have that power, limiting its potential for abuse. And the order also requires the Attorney General and the White House Counsel to review claims of executive privilege about covered records to make sure those claims are fully warranted by the Constitution.

That last one is key because it no longer allows members of President Bush's administration to claim executive privelege when they are put on trial, which is what they have been doing with the justice department scandal. Basically, they will have to give over documents and be more transparent with what happened.

Day #3. Guantanamo Must Close!!!!!! Waterboarding Must Stop!!!!!!

More regulations!! These ones I love.

1. Close the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay within a year and establish a process by which the U.S. government figures out what to do with the remaining detainees.

2. Create a task force to recommend policies on handling terror suspects who are detained in the future. Specifically, the group would look at where those detainees should be housed since Guantanamo is closing.

3. Require all U.S. personnel to follow the U.S. Army Field Manual while interrogating detainees. The manual explicitly prohibits threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding, a technique that creates the sensation of drowning and has been termed a form of torture by critics. However, a Capitol Hill aide says that the administration also is planning a study of more aggressive interrogation methods that could be added to the Army manual - which would create a significant loophole to Obama's action Thursday.

Obama also met with military officials to talk about the process of withdrawing from Iraq, which he pledged to do within 16 months while he was on the campaign trail. I won't forget your campaign promises Obama.

In other administration news, the following cabinet members have been confirmed by the Senate:

Steven Chu as energy secretary
Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary
Ken Salazar as interior secretary
Janet Napolitano as secretary of homeland security
Peter Orszag as head of the White House budget office
Hillary Clinton as secretary of state

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