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Book Review: 'The Waxman Report' by Henry Waxman

"The Waxman Report" explains, at least, how Congress can work, and it is fun to read. You finish it with gratitude to the voters of Beverly Hills and nearby areas who keep returning this ornery fellow to the House to challenge entrenched special interests.

Happy Fourth!

Fired Up! Missouri - 4 hours 24 min ago

Ed Emery furious about accurate descriptions of Wednesday's birther meeting

Fired Up! Missouri - 6 hours 1 min ago

Randy Turner has the response from Rep. Ed Emery (R-LaMars).

I am obliged to protect the liberties of the citizens of District 126 and of Missouri. Toward the fulfillment of my obligations as a citizen and an elected official, I attended a meeting on the evening of July 1st to investigate whether the U.S. Constitution and the integrity of Missouri's election process were adequately protected.

I had never met or heard of Dr. Orly Taitz before and was the only legislative member in attendance. Consequently, I was immediately surrounded by reporters whose questions appeared intent on intimidating me for my interest and proving that the question of ballot qualification was a non-event. I don't know if I have ever experienced as many reporters at a non-event.

I discovered that Dr. Taitz - constitutional attorney, dentist, and real estate agent who speaks five languages - had spent both time and money and traveled extensively, personally investigating the ballot qualification issue. She also produced considerable documentation of her investigative discoveries. The attendant media, on the other hand, seemed completely content with the integrity and reliability of the internet in dispelling the concerns of their readers. The press displayed absolutely no interest in the claims of multiple given names, plethora of social security numbers, and total lack of transparency being attributed to a sitting President. Little wonder that the press has lost nearly all of its former credibility and power.

I have not defined a position on the ballot qualification question and said so when twice inquired of directly at the meeting. I did discover that I will have to do my own investigation; the media will not. That was appallingly clear!

Words escape me.

Palin announces she'll leave office by end of month

CNN - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 11:00pm
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to announce Friday that she will not seek a second term, a Republican source close to Palin tells CNN.

Advocacy Groups Should Halt Attacks on Moderate Democrats, Obama Says

The Washington Post - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 11:00pm
President Obama, strategizing yesterday with congressional leaders about health-care reform, complained that liberal advocacy groups ought to drop their attacks on Democratic lawmakers and devote their energy to promoting passage of comprehensive legislation.

Analysis: Once Again, the Enigma That Is Sarah Palin Plays It by Her Rules

The Washington Post - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 11:00pm
Sarah Palin demonstrated once again yesterday that she is one of America's most unconventional politicians, following an unpredictable path to an uncertain future.

Sarah Palin to Resign as Alaska Governor, Citing Probes and Family Needs

The Washington Post - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 11:00pm
Sarah Palin, the Republican Alaska governor who captivated the nation with a combative brand of folksy politics, announced her resignation yesterday in characteristic fashion: She stood on her back lawn in Wasilla, speaking into a single microphone, accompanied by friends and neighbors in baseball...


Sanford spending weekend with family in Florida

CNN - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 1:36pm
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford left the Governor's Mansion on Friday to visit with his family in Florida, his office said.

Napolitano in Pakistan to talk homeland security

CNN - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 12:41pm
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, on a visit to Pakistan, discussed with Pakistani leaders the fight against terrorism, as well as how the two countries share information, she said Friday.

Disney adds robotic Obama to attraction

CNN - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 12:34pm
He looks like President Barack Obama, speaks like him, and even gestures like him, but he is not exactly the president of the United States.

Why does Roy Blunt keep avoiding a discussion of his time in the House Leadership?

Fired Up! Missouri - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 8:20am

On the Mark Reardon Show yesterday, Roy Blunt praised himself for the approval ratings Congress enjoyed when he was running the show with Tom Delay and Dennis Hastert, pushing through the George W. Bush agenda. No one would pretend that Congress as a whole has spectacular poll numbers these days, but Blunt has a very selective memory polling numbers from his last decade in Washington.

Speaking with Reardon, Blunt pointed to Congress' approval ratings after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which were indeed high. What he didn't mention were all those numbers from, I dunno, the time when Roy Blunt was in charge. Using data posted at PollingReport.com for four national polls, I pulled data from four key points in time:

  1. January 2003, when Tom Delay picked Roy Blunt to be the GOP Whip
  2. September 2005, when Roy Blunt became acting Majority Leader, replacing Tom Delay
  3. February 2006, when House Republicans replaced Blunt with John Boehner
  4. Now (or very recently)

Looking at the numbers, it's clear that people had a relatively high opinion of Congress after the 9/11 attacks, as Blunt said.  But then look what happened when Roy took the reigns. 

 

 

The numbers are all a little different because of different question language and different sampling techniques, but the trend is consistent across the four polls.  Things got worse when Roy Blunt was in charge. In three of the polls, the numbers were worst in the months when Blunt was continuing the Tom Delay legacy as Majority Leader.  And in every poll, Congress' disapproval ratings were as bad or worse when Blunt was in charge.

Some perspective seems in order.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Latest Congressional approval ratings
The questions in the different polls are asked somewhat differently, so you can read the wording and full trend data here.

  • FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll: Approve 41, Disapprove 49
  • Gallup: 37-57
  • NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 29-57
  • CBS News/New York Times Poll: 28-55

Blunt became Majority Whip on January 3, 2003

  • FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll: 33-47
  • Gallup: 49-40
  • NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 42-39
  • CBS News/New York Times Poll: 35-48

Blunt became Majority Leader on September 29, 2005

  • FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll: 30-52
  • Gallup: 29-64
  • NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 28-57
  • CBS News/New York Times Poll: 31-57

Blunt Ousted as Majority Leader on February 21, 2006

  • FOX News/Opinion Dynamics Poll: 29-55
  • Gallup: 25-65
  • NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll: 29-56
  • CBS News/New York Times Poll: 28-61

King: Volunteers fill gaps in inner-city D.C. schools

CNN - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 7:16am
Tora Burns leads her classroom with an infectious smile, patiently teaching her young pupils about the benefits of recycling -- and then a catchy little tune to try out at home with their siblings and parents.

Kit Bond wants us to thank George W. Bush for Iraq

Fired Up! Missouri - Fri, 07/03/2009 - 7:05am

Thanks a bunch, George. We really couldn't have done it without you.

DHS Cybersecurity Plan Will Involve NSA, Telecoms

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
The Obama administration will proceed with a Bush-era plan to use National Security Agency assistance in screening government computer traffic on private-sector networks, with AT&T as the likely test site, according to three current and former government officials.

McCain, Feingold Team Up Again Over FEC

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
Seven years after their landmark campaign finance legislation became law, Sens. John McCain and Russell Feingold are reuniting under the banner of spending reform at a time when restrictions have come under fire both in the courts and at the embattled Federal Election Commission.

Obama, Party Tout Lower Figure for Health Reform

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
Senate Democrats and President Obama, trying to assuage fears about the cost of health reform, yesterday touted new estimates that put the price tag for one bill at $611 billion over the next decade.

Court Filing Shows Evidence Cheney Swayed White House Response to CIA Leak

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
A document filed in federal court this week by the Justice Department offers new evidence that former vice president Richard B. Cheney helped steer the Bush administration's public response to the disclosure of Valerie Plame Wilson's employment by the CIA and that he was at the center of many...

Sanford Didn't Improperly Use State Money, South Carolina Officials Say

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford did not improperly use state money to pay for trips to New York and South America to see his Argentine mistress, state law enforcement officials concluded yesterday, as the governor reiterated that he has no plans to step down despite mounting pressure to do so.

Justice Dept. Seeks More Time to Review Report on Interrogations

The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
The Justice Department asked a federal court yesterday for two more months to review an internal CIA report on the agency's interrogation program before releasing a new version of the document to the American Civil Liberties Union, which has sued to make it public.

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The Washington Post - Thu, 07/02/2009 - 11:00pm
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