Bookworm Room

Some of us thought, “Yay, Barney Fwank is leaving.”  Sure, we know that his constituents will elect someone equally liberal to fill his old seat, but that person will lack Barney Fwank’s seniority. Sadly, others with Fwank’s seniority remain behind in the House of Representatives.  So it very much looks as if, to fill the [...]

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Those in the know are saying that tonight will be bye-bye to someone big in Congress.  This could be interesting.

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Apparently the passions that burned in voters’ breasts in 2010 have yet to burn themselves out in 2011.  In a very Jewish district (Jews!  The Democrat stalwarts!) Republican Bob Turner took over Anthony Weiner’s seat (although I hope he disinfects it well before he sits down on it). This election bodes well for 2012, to [...]

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Weiner was tap-dancing so fast for the last few days he made Fred Astaire look like a piker.  We all knew he was lying.  Today finally saw the denouement:  more photos (some x-rated), more texts, more women, and a full confession.  The only thing missing was the one thing the American people deserved:  a resignation. [...]

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I haven’t been blogging about far Left judicial activist Goodwin Liu, but if you’ve been following the story on your own, you’ll be happy to know that the Senate Republicans successfully filibustered his nomination — a reminder, as if we need one, that the filibuster is an important tool for allowing the minority in Congress [...]

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At it’s most basic level, the War Powers Act of 1973 gives a president sixty days of latitude to start a war.  At that point, he has thirty days to obtain Congressional permission to continue the war.  For purposes of this post, I’m going to assume (correctly, I think) that the United States’ involvement in [...]

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I mentioned last week that House Republicans, in an effort to use social networking better, are running a competition that sees members compete to optimize various social networking media.  My long-time blogfriend Lorie Byrd worked to help Renee Ellmers, a true Tea Partier, get elected, is now working to help her in this contest. I [...]

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The GOP has recognized that, as much as anything, the next election starts on the new media.  In order to get House GOP members on board with new media, they’ve instituted a contest by which GOP representatives compete for the most YouTube links, twitter friends, etc.  In other words, to win the contest, GOP reps [...]

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My well is dry today, as you’ve probably noticed, but I can highly recommend this article about Rep. Eric Cantor. Hat tip:  Soccer Dad, who isn’t blogging right now, but who is still paying attention.  (Once a political junkie, always a political junkie.)

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Years ago, NPR did a story about the disgraceful way in which President Bush used executive orders to circumvent Congress.  Shame on him!  Sadly, I can’t find that story (although, maybe, if I had the time and patience to weed through 8 years of NPR archives I could.)  I just remember the anger about those [...]

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Are the wheels coming off the bus, or are we witnessing the most brilliant, and dangerous, political theater in our life times? Here’s what it looked like a few days ago:  the President caved on maintaining the current tax rate, leaving Republicans triumphant.  In exchange, it seemed as if the Republicans were extending unemployment benefits, [...]

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Although Congress is in lame duck mode, it’s still a Democrat-led Congress in both houses, so much so that Dems can, technically, pass anything they want without Republican votes.  That’s why I found these two headlines so funny, one of which places all blame on Republican shoulders, and one of which pretends that the Dems [...]

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We’re looking at a potential financial meltdown, and the lame duck Congress manages to find the time to send Obama a bill to mute the volume on TV commercials.  Is it any surprise that Americans are absolutely and completely disgusted with Washington?

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I am something of a sybarite.  Not in a big way, but in a little way.  I like two creature comforts:  a very comfortable bed (a liking that grows more important as I get older and suffer from fairly chronic insomnia) and I like to have my own bathroom, complete with all the amenities.  Give [...]

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I think Nancy’s new motto should be “La, la, la!  I caaan’t hear you!”

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Some ads are so bad they’re good.  And some ads are so bad . . . they’re just really, really bad.  Lisa Murkowski’s first stab at her write-in campaign seems to have fallen into the latter category. It’s karma that her ad is so, so awful.  This is a woman who inherited a seat, and [...]

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My mother has announced her voting position this November, and it can be summarized as “a plague on both their houses.”  A Democrat since she came to this country, she is disgusted by the Obamites, and cannot in good conscience vote the Democratic ticket.  However, she told me that she believes that Republicans are virtually [...]

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[I didn't take notes at the meeting I'm about to describe.  If you were there and did take notes or have a better memory than mine, and if you find any mistakes in what I wrote, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I'LL CORRECT MY POST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.] I just returned from a Carly [...]

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My friend Lorie Byrd is working for the Renee Ellmers campaign in North Carolina against Democratic incumbent Bob Etheridge.  The fact that Lorie works for Ellmers, on its own, is an excellent recommendation. Renee’s stand on the issues, her affect (style matters), and the nature of her opponent also elevate her to the status of [...]

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Every two years, like clockwork, Marinites return the execrable Lynn Woolsey to Congress.  She’s so bad — by which I mean such a loopy Leftist — that I didn’t vote for her even when I was a Democrat.  I was a moderate; she was, and is, a nut case.  But still she wins, regularly sweeping [...]

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Yesterday, weary and depressed, I linked to Charles Krauthammer’s most recent post, one that has him posit a Machiavellian Obama who has succeeded in laying the groundwork, not only for the transformation and, inevitably destruction of America, but also for his own reelection, so that he can cement his gains irrevocably.  A youthful reader, Zurvan, [...]

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Oh, how I wish I could vote in Alabama.  First Dale Peterson, and now Rick Barber, whose campaign video you must watch.  And then watch again.  And then send to your friends: It will not surprise you, I think, to learn that Barber is a Marine Corps veteran. Hat tip:  American Thinker

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In a time of economic uncertainty, which is not helped by runaway government spending, you might be surprised (happily or otherwise) to learn where your Senator or House member stands when it comes to pro-growth policies.  I was not at all surprised to learn that my representatives — Woolsey, Boxer and Feinstein — are busy [...]

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I met Mickey Kaus a few years ago at a blogger’s gathering.  He is precisely as Jonah Goldberg describes him:  middle aged, a little disheveled (albeit quite attractive), and hostile to BS.  I don’t agree with his political views, but he is smart, honest with himself and others, and he’s not an axe-grinder.  Democrats, Californians [...]

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A brief history:  Obama promised that the health care debate was so important, it would be carried on C-SPAN.  That did not happen.  Obama promised that any proposed bill on health care would be placed on a website for public comment far in advance of the vote.  That did not happen.  Obama promised that he [...]

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