Fist Pumps and Filibusters
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Who's the bluest of them all? Harry Reid: Off the Fence. What's the the Leader's Netflix Queue? Reid On!
Nevada First: Blu-vada. Some of you may have seen this on Friday, but it's worth another read. Jon Ralston - the Chuck Todd of Nevada Politics - opined on the possibilities of a Blue Nevada in November. Jon's analysis is spot on - For the first time in a generation, Democrats out number Republicans (by nearly 60,000). Our state party - under the leadership of Congressional District 2 candidate Jill Derby - employs the best political minds Nevada has to offer. And let's face it, John McCain isn't exactly Nevada material. He's for Yucca, he's against gaming(!), and he's actually going to be on the ballot as George W. McCain. Independent, he is not.
What you've all been waiting for. On Friday, Senator Reid endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama, citing Senator Obama's ability to inspire millions, to bring new people in to the process, and to make the fist pump hip. Today, he explained to Molly Ball from the Las Vegas Review Journal why he thinks Nevada is Obama's to win. Here at the Weekly Reid, we've been watching the nomination battle with keen interest. As a result of the 54 contests held between January 3rd and June 3rd, we have a stronger party, a more engaged and enthused party, and - more importantly - a larger party. But don't tell John McCain - he's got no idea what's about to hit him.
Must Reid: 492 Pages of Republican Shenanigans. The Republicans in the Senate have filibustered our agenda a record 74 times since Democrats took control in January 2007. They're on track to break the one-year record (which they set last year). But even they're getting sick of plain old filibuster. Last Wednesday, they sunk to a new low. In classic Republican chicanery, they dusted off a procedural maneuver not used in a decade. The obstructionist Bush/McCain Republicans forced a reading of every single syllable in the 492-page Global Warming Bill. Every. Single. Syllable. It took nine hours. Why? They must have had some problem with the bill, right? Wrong! They were objecting to judicial confirmations. Our oceans are rising, our forests are burning, our rivers are flooding, and Washington, DC is experiencing its earliest heatwave in recent memory. And the Republicans are concerned about Judicial nominations? Which do you think matters more to most Americans? The first Reid-ier to correctly calculate the carbon footprint of the Wednesday's Republican tomfoolery gets a Give 'Em Hell Harry T-Shirt. Leave your comments below. And then, read this "day in the shoes" account of Senator Reid's Difficult Wednesday.
Shakedown Street. AAA reported Tuesday that gas now averages $4.02 per gallon. That's a jump of 20 cents in just one month. On Friday, unemployment jumped 10% from what it was a month ago. The economy has lost nearly 500,000 jobs this year. Seven long years of the Bush Administration's buddying up with the oil industry, handing out tax breaks their closest friends and pretending the middle class doesn't exist has led us to this: The greatest shakedown of the American family in our nation's history.
Democrats to the rescue with the Consumer First Energy Act (vote today!). What'll it do? Roll back the $17 billion in tax breaks the oil companies don't deserve. Stand up to the oil oligarchs in OPEC. End market speculation. And, three words: Windfall Profit Tax.
The Consumer First Energy Act is an important first step. We can't erase seven years of failed economic policies with one vote. But we can, and should, expect Republicans to recognize the squeeze Americans are feeling with sagging employment numbers, rising food costs and skyrocketing gas prices. As Democrats, we're offering solutions. Are Senate Republicans willing to buck the trend set by Bush and McCain? Tune in!
Reid's Watching: The Battle for the Right. What do you get when you pit a Republican congresswoman - connected with a massive White House scandal - against a "True Conservative" willing to win at any cost? The New Mexico GOP Primary! Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce finally finished their campaign to see who could "out-Bush" the other. Pearce won; but the big winner is Tom Udall. Tom steps into the general election ring with a clear head and his fists up. Steve Pearce, on the other hand, has been knocked down a few times and is nursing a pretty serious cut above his right eye. Help Tom finish the bout (and end this poor boxing metaphor) by throwing a few dollars into the ring.
Have a great weekend! Tune in next week for another edition of the Weekly Reid!
Nevada First: Blu-vada. Some of you may have seen this on Friday, but it's worth another read. Jon Ralston - the Chuck Todd of Nevada Politics - opined on the possibilities of a Blue Nevada in November. Jon's analysis is spot on - For the first time in a generation, Democrats out number Republicans (by nearly 60,000). Our state party - under the leadership of Congressional District 2 candidate Jill Derby - employs the best political minds Nevada has to offer. And let's face it, John McCain isn't exactly Nevada material. He's for Yucca, he's against gaming(!), and he's actually going to be on the ballot as George W. McCain. Independent, he is not.
What you've all been waiting for. On Friday, Senator Reid endorsed the candidacy of Barack Obama, citing Senator Obama's ability to inspire millions, to bring new people in to the process, and to make the fist pump hip. Today, he explained to Molly Ball from the Las Vegas Review Journal why he thinks Nevada is Obama's to win. Here at the Weekly Reid, we've been watching the nomination battle with keen interest. As a result of the 54 contests held between January 3rd and June 3rd, we have a stronger party, a more engaged and enthused party, and - more importantly - a larger party. But don't tell John McCain - he's got no idea what's about to hit him.
Must Reid: 492 Pages of Republican Shenanigans. The Republicans in the Senate have filibustered our agenda a record 74 times since Democrats took control in January 2007. They're on track to break the one-year record (which they set last year). But even they're getting sick of plain old filibuster. Last Wednesday, they sunk to a new low. In classic Republican chicanery, they dusted off a procedural maneuver not used in a decade. The obstructionist Bush/McCain Republicans forced a reading of every single syllable in the 492-page Global Warming Bill. Every. Single. Syllable. It took nine hours. Why? They must have had some problem with the bill, right? Wrong! They were objecting to judicial confirmations. Our oceans are rising, our forests are burning, our rivers are flooding, and Washington, DC is experiencing its earliest heatwave in recent memory. And the Republicans are concerned about Judicial nominations? Which do you think matters more to most Americans? The first Reid-ier to correctly calculate the carbon footprint of the Wednesday's Republican tomfoolery gets a Give 'Em Hell Harry T-Shirt. Leave your comments below. And then, read this "day in the shoes" account of Senator Reid's Difficult Wednesday.
Shakedown Street. AAA reported Tuesday that gas now averages $4.02 per gallon. That's a jump of 20 cents in just one month. On Friday, unemployment jumped 10% from what it was a month ago. The economy has lost nearly 500,000 jobs this year. Seven long years of the Bush Administration's buddying up with the oil industry, handing out tax breaks their closest friends and pretending the middle class doesn't exist has led us to this: The greatest shakedown of the American family in our nation's history.
Democrats to the rescue with the Consumer First Energy Act (vote today!). What'll it do? Roll back the $17 billion in tax breaks the oil companies don't deserve. Stand up to the oil oligarchs in OPEC. End market speculation. And, three words: Windfall Profit Tax.
The Consumer First Energy Act is an important first step. We can't erase seven years of failed economic policies with one vote. But we can, and should, expect Republicans to recognize the squeeze Americans are feeling with sagging employment numbers, rising food costs and skyrocketing gas prices. As Democrats, we're offering solutions. Are Senate Republicans willing to buck the trend set by Bush and McCain? Tune in!
Reid's Watching: The Battle for the Right. What do you get when you pit a Republican congresswoman - connected with a massive White House scandal - against a "True Conservative" willing to win at any cost? The New Mexico GOP Primary! Heather Wilson and Steve Pearce finally finished their campaign to see who could "out-Bush" the other. Pearce won; but the big winner is Tom Udall. Tom steps into the general election ring with a clear head and his fists up. Steve Pearce, on the other hand, has been knocked down a few times and is nursing a pretty serious cut above his right eye. Help Tom finish the bout (and end this poor boxing metaphor) by throwing a few dollars into the ring.
Have a great weekend! Tune in next week for another edition of the Weekly Reid!
