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- Broken Senate Roundup: The confirmation process is untenable and Obama would be a fool not to make good on the perfectly reasonable threat of recess appointments; Republicans whine about the Senate parliamentarian they brought in to replace the guy who says any single senator can introduce a public option amendment during reconciliation; Jim Bunning's public hissy fit is not going over well around the country; and Sen. Michael Bennet's (D-CO) proposed reforms are music to my ears.
- There seems to be no end to this streak of "Rahm Emanuel is the center of the political universe" reporting, but hopefully Noam Scheiber's profile will lay to rest the myth that Emanuel is responsible for whatever problems the administration of Barack Obama is facing. In short, Emanuel is the "anti-Cheney" who, despite leaving "fingerprints" throughout the administration, "one is struck by the number [of Obama initiatives] that resist his designs."
- I've written in the past that the presence of the Tea Parties, among other factors, throws a bit of uncertainty into the midterm elections picture, which is why it's worth looking at the interpretation of yesterday's Texas primary that the Tea Party movement is a "paper tiger." The short answer is that in Texas, yes, the Tea Party candidates were paper tigers. And why? Because what Tea Party candidate is going to knock off Ron Paul, virtual patron saint of the movement? What Tea Party candidate is going to knock off Rick Perry, who has given rhetorical support to Tea Party causes like secession and rejecting stimulus dollars? It's only where the Republican incumbent is not giving vocal support to these causes (i.e. Charlie Crist) that the Tea Partiers, even if they aren't fielding a candidate bearing the moniker, are going to support the candidate (Marco Rubio) who does.
- Speaking of the midterms, increasing attention is being given to the bad political map Democrats find themselves in, given that they're defending a number of House seats in very conservative districts. But while that implies a Republican advantage -- I don't disagree -- it does not necessarily mean a very conservative Democrat couldn't hold the seat, such as Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK), who is maintaining a 51 percent approval rating in a district where only 27 percent approve of President Obama. It's not that these Democrats are particularly cherished members of the caucus, but their presence does make it much less likely that we'll be swearing in Speaker Boehner next year.
- Is there any politician who rivals Mitt Romney in terms of sheer opportunism and shallowness? Whatever audience he has, he tailors his message for them and hopes no one notices. Whatever policy he favors, he's willing to chuck it when it becomes a liability for him. Others get away with this, too, but no one since perhaps John McCain enjoys the same favorable media environment as Romney, one which regards Romney's paper-thin beliefs with complementary superficiality. But unlike John McCain, Romney has the support of the conservative movement, who sincerely believe that we're now witnessing the emergence of the "real" Mitt -- serious about policy and ready to lead.
- Remainders: I wasn't sure how to respond this latest Breibart nonsense, but fortunately the Internet came through in the clutch; "John Boehner" makes some astute observations about Democrats and Republicans; the genius of Roger Ailes is that his ear is uniquely tuned to the concerns of Real Americans who watch Fox News; Michele Bachmann's sense of self-preservation might make her drop ridiculous conspiracy theories, but it won't make her a more dependable representative of her district; I wonder what color the sky is in Karl Rove's ethical world; I thoroughly endorse this effort to add more Thomas Hobbes to our political blogging; America's schoolchildren might avoid getting their education from the Discovery Institute; and other Republican priorities include moving the nation's capital to Simi Valley, making Reagan president-for-life.
--Mori Dinauer
