Posted by Congress Watcher on December 16, 2008 at 9:53 am · Filed under Senate campaigns
As a resident of New York State, I feel obliged to state clearly that I oppose the idea of appointing Caroline Kennedy to the opening seat from our state in the United States Senate. Caroline Kennedy has no special qualifications for the United States Senate. She has never been elected to any public office, and she doesn’t have any particular policy expertise.
What does Caroline Kennedy have? She has social connections to powerful people because of the family she was born into and because of the family she married into.
Has New York become a Jane Austen novel? Are we an aristocracy now? If Caroline Kennedy gets appointed to the Senate, we will be now.
Posted by Congress Watcher on December 15, 2008 at 7:58 pm · Filed under Senate legislation
This sounds like a joke, but it’s not. John Thune has actually made himself America’s greatest defender of cow farts.
Cow farts, and belches too, are a significant source of global warming. They contain methane and nitrous oxide, both potent greenhouse gases. In spite of the vast amount of evidence that global warming is already causing significant economic damage and humanitarian problems around the world, John Thune doesn’t seem to care much about that. Thune has just introduced S.3741, a bill that would amend the Clean Air Act to outlaw the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating air pollutants that are known to contribute to global warming.
Thune casts his legislation as a defense of farmers. “There are things of greater cause of CO2 emissions in our society a lot of smoke stack industries, automobiles, but to think for a minute livestock production is contributing in a more significant way of global warming and green house gas emissions than other sources I think is really almost laughable,” Thune says, defending his pro-fart legislation. However, if you look at the facts, what Thune so easily derides is not actually laughable at all. Scientific research indicates that the gases cows emit through their flatulence are actually more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. How sad is that? John Thune decided to make himself the cow fart expert of the United States Senate, and he couldn’t even get that right.
Internationally, ruminant livestock like cattle are responsible for more global warming than than cars, trucks, motorboats, and all other forms of transportation are. In the United States, transportation has an edge over livestock as a source of greenhouse gases, but the methane and nitrous oxide from livestock is nonetheless a serious contributor to greenhouse gases in our country, and needs to be dealt with seriously, not ignored.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the farms John Thune is defending are cute little hilly pastures of green grass enclosed with white picket fences, where dairy farmers walk their cows every morning into a little red barn to squeeze their teats by hand. The powerful farmers that have the resources necessary to gain John Thune’s attention run huge industrial agricultural operations where the cattle stand around all day, shoulder to shoulder with each other, knee deep in their own shit and urine. The massive methane emissions in these concentrated feeding operations come not just from the cattle farts, but from immense manure lagoons.
Besides that, the whole question of whether livestock contribute more to global warming than transportation or electrical generation or anything else is nothing more than a red herring when it comes to John Thune’s legislation. The fact is that Senator Thune’s outlaws not just regulation of methane and nitrous oxide, but carbon dioxide as well. S. 3741 doesn’t just apply to cattle. It protects big corporate smokestacks, and gas guzzling sport utility vehicles too.
John Thune is a defender of cow farts. He thinks cow farts are great. He loves cow farts. He defies anyone to try to reduce cow farting.
No wonder no one is standing with Senator Thune on this issue. S. 3741 has zero cosponsors - not even one Republican is willing to support this stinker.
Posted by Congress Watcher on December 10, 2008 at 4:57 pm · Filed under House legislation
Yesterday, U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez, a Democrat who represents the 4th congressional district in Illinois, introduced H. R. 7319. H. R. 7319 is an interesting piece of legislation to pass through Congress, in that it is meant to apply only to 4 individuals - to give them special preference above all other human beings in the eye of the laws of the United States of America.
Specifically, H. R. 7319 gives the special privilege to Simeon Simeonov, Stela Simeonova, Stoyan Simeonov, and Vania Simeonova of being able to claim legal status as permanent residents of the United States. Furthermore, H. R. 7319 declares that four other people from the country of the Simeonovs’ origin will be kept waiting because of this special legislation.
There is nothing in the language of H. R. 7319 that explains why Simeon Simeonov and his relatives should get special preference for immigration. There is nothing in H. R. 7319 that explains even who Simeon Simeonov is - or where he and his three privileged relatives come from.
This bears some special examination. The creation of special laws for particular people is a highly unusual and unethical event. Our nation has procedures for people who want to immigrate, including special procedures for refugees and other people who need protection because of their particular circumstances. Why should Simeon Simeonov, Stela Simeonova, Stoyan Simeonov, and Vania Simeonova not go through the procedures for dealing with such cases?
I’d also like to know why Luis Gutierrez in particular is interested in creating special immigration law just for these four people. I’ve called the Washington D.C. office of Luis Gutierrez, looking for answers to my questions about H.R. 7319. The aide who answered the phone wasn’t able to give me any information, but referred me to another aide of Congressman Gutierrez, Susan Collins. Susan Collins has yet to respond to the email I sent requesting information about the Simeonov legislation. There are no journalists reporting on H.R. 7319. No bloggers have yet examined this legislation either.
Given the lack of informaton, I am only able to piece the following bits of information together. Simeonov appears to be a Bulgarian name. There are two prominent Simeon Simeonovs currently alive that I’ve been able to find information about. One is a Bulgarian Lieutenant General Simeon Simeonov, the chief of staff of Bulgarian Air Force headquarters, who coordinates with NATO. (Of curiousity is that the Bulgarian Air Force “official” web site should mispell the word “Bulagrian” in the title header.)
I see no reason that the commander of Bulgaria’s Air Force, and his immediate family, should be given special asylum in the United States. There is another possibility, however…
That possibility is Simeon Simeonov, a Bulgarian venture capitalist who is currently working with Polaris Ventures, a capitalist firm with offices in Seattle and Boston, and co-founder of the mysterious Plinky. “We can’t tell you more at this point–you know how it goes–but you can sign up at Plinky.com to keep in touch,” Simeonov says of Plinky.
This Simeon Simeonov doesn’t seem like a good candidate for special immigration help either. He seems to have had no trouble coming to the United States, getting an education here, and working here with lots of powerful companies.
There is what I believe to be another Simeon Simeonov, however, and this Mr. S.S. appears to be in a bit more trouble. Six days ago, it was announced that someone named Simeon Simeonov has been accused of some corrupt real estate dealings as a member of the board of the Bulgarian company Sofiyski Imoti. If there ever was a Simeon Simeonov who was in need of leaving his country and getting special status somewhere else, it might be this guy. But, what would the connection to Congressman Luis Gutierrez be, and who are Stela Simeonova, Stoyan Simeonov, and Vania Simeonova? There’s a Svetoslav Simeonov accused in the Sofiyski Imoti scandal too - so why wouldn’t there be any request for help for Svetoslav along with Simeon, Stela, Stoyan, and Vania?
There’s one other possibility - the author of a book entitled Italia i Bulgarskata kriza 1855-1888. What is that book about? It’s all Bulgarian to me.
I’m beginning to suspect that the name Simeon Simeonov may be as common as a name like Robert Smith would be in England. Given that, I don’t think I’ll get much insight into the special immigration law for Simeon Simeonov and friends proposed by Luis Gutierrez until I get some feedback from his office or the Senate Judiciary Committee weighs in publicly on the matter.
Update: A day later, Susan Collins from the office of Luis Gutierrez still has not responded to my email on this subject.
RI Blue State Bumper Sticker
Posted by Congress Watcher on December 9, 2008 at 11:16 pm · Filed under Senate legislation
The most worthless piece of legislation of 2008 also happens to the only piece of octopus legislation that has ever been considered by Congress.
S. RES. 593, sponsored by senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, congratulates the Detroit Red Wings hockey team for winning the Stanley Cup, “Whereas, since 1952, Red Wings fans have continued the tradition of the `Legend of the Octopus’, throwing octopi onto the ice, each of the 8 tentacles symbolizing the original 8 games needed to win the Stanley Cup”.
NHL officials have banned the practice of throwing a dead octopus onto the ice, but Red Wings fans insist that the octopus throw continue. Maybe the Senate doesn’t need to confirm the practice, but celebrating it in an official resolution? That’s just dumb - and no, the Red Wings don’t need congratulations from the U.S. Senate either. They’re raking in the dough as it is.
The octopus is an elegant animal, celebrated in art. If we’re going to catch octopus, we ought to at least eat them, not just treat them like a joke for jocks.
Posted by Congress Watcher on December 2, 2008 at 3:31 pm · Filed under Senate campaigns
Republican Senator Mel Martinez has announced that he will not run for re-election to the United States Senate in 2010. Like all people who retire from political life, he said that he wanted to spend more time with his family. The truth is, however, that the approval ratings for Senator Martinez are sinking lower, and he would have had a difficult time being re-elected.
Who will run for the open seat in the Senate from Florida in 2010? The only registered candidate so far is Dave Roberts, an independent tax accountant. The address for his campaign web site was at http://home.earthlink.net/~gohomemel/ - but now Mel has decided to go home, and the web site is blank. Is Dave Roberts going home too?
We don’t know what Democrat will run for the emptying Martinez seat, but it wouldn’t take much to be an improvement on Mel Martinez, who scored only a 6 percent progressive legislative score from Progressive Patriots. That’s out of a 100 point scale.
That’s failing times ten. Good riddance, Senator Martinez.
Posted by Congress Watcher on December 1, 2008 at 8:19 am · Filed under House campaigns, Senate campaigns
Election 2008 is just about to begin…
(no, I’m not a month late with this)
…in Louisiana and Georgia.
In Georgia, there’s a runoff Senate election where bad-old Senator Saxby Chambliss (Zero Percent Progressive voting record) faces James Martin. The voting there ends today.
In Louisiana, there’s a delayed general election for the seat of increasingly progressive yet evidently corrupt U.S. Representative William Jefferson. Jefferson will be the Democratic choice, running against Republican Anh Cao and Green Party Malik Rahim in voting that will take place on Saturday.
Go home, George Sticker (Bumper)
Posted by Congress Watcher on November 26, 2008 at 5:27 pm · Filed under Senate campaigns
Barack Obama’s out of the Senate, and Illinois is out half of the voice it ought to have in that chamber of the U.S. Congress. The sooner a replacement is found, the better - but who?
Let’s look to the Progressive Patriots legislative scorecard for the last two years to see who from the Illinois delegation to the House of Representatives might make a good junior U.S. Senator.
A couple of Representatives who ought to be out of the running: Melissa Bean and Dan Lipinski have low scores on the progressive scorecard - they failed to stand for progressive legislation a majority of the time.
Two other Representatives offer a more positive record. I’d pick Jan Schakowsky or Danny Davis. They have the highest progressive ratings of all the members of the Illinois delegation, at 90 and 81 percent, respectively.
Posted by Congressional Aid on September 25, 2008 at 8:13 am · Filed under House legislation, Personalities
Yesterday, Representative Candice S. Miller of Michigan said that she was not inclined to listen to her constituents, who are overwhelmingly in opposition to the $700,000,000,000.00 corporate giveaway emerging in Washington. “I appreciate all of the input that I’m getting from my constituents, but I’m just not reacting to that — I can’t until I understand it better and feel comfortable with my vote. And I’m not sure how I’m going to be voting yet.”
If you live in Candice Miller’s district, you might want to know that.
Posted by Congressional Aid on September 19, 2008 at 4:12 pm · Filed under House campaigns, Personalities
A staffer with the Bob Lord for Congress campaign sent me a communication today suggesting that I might want to write a little something about how that kooky John Shadegg fella pronounces the word nuclear “nookyular”… just like George W. Bush!
I have to admit, it is kind of funny, at least in a juvenile student council race sort of way. But you know, I think I wouldn’t mind so much if John Shadegg said “nookyular” just like George W. Bush, so long as…
… he didn’t support an unnecessary, deadly and costly war in Iraq, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t oppose a woman’s right to control her own body, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t support the erection of a massive unwarranted surveillance network, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t have the annoying tendency of characterizing American military adventures as holy wars, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t bust the budget with unnecessary military spending on outlandish weapons systems that even the military said it didn’t want, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t cut benefits for the soldiers he sent overseas to be shot at and bombed, just like George W. Bush
… he didn’t try to argue that global warming is a hoax, ignoring the clear research findings on the subject just like George W. Bush
If John Shadegg hadn’t worked so hard with George W. Bush to send this country barreling in the wrong direction, I wouldn’t really mind how he pronounced the word “nuclear.” Heck, if he had paid enough attention to science, the budget, our veterans, and the actual available intelligence on international affairs, he could add entirely new vowels to our language and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.
John Shadegg’s pronunciation is forgivable. His policies are a disaster.
Now Speak Cherokee Bumper Sticker
Posted by Congressional Aid on September 11, 2008 at 12:25 pm · Filed under House campaigns, campaign gear
Rahm Emanuel, the current occupant of the Illinois 5th District congressional seat, has spent his time in Congress looking out for the interests of corporations and undercutting the constitutional freedoms of citizens. Alan Augustson, mounting a challenge through the Green Party, offers a people-first, pro-freedom, anti-torture platform that a progressive can support with confidence.
If you live in the 5th District of Illinois, show your support for the Augustson campaign with a Free Augustson for Congress Yard Sign.
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