EPA continues path back to protecting the
environment

post from AMERICAblog News on 07 January 2010 11:44:00 PM. © AMERICAblog News

After the Bush years, a lot of work lies ahead but glad to see there's some progress happening here. The challenge, as always, will be to monitor the situation and enforce the regulations.

The final target that the Obama administration adopts will have huge implications for the regulations state and local officials will have to set in the coming months to meet the new federal requirements. Power plants and motor vehicles are significant emitters of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and other chemical compounds, which form ozone when exposed to sunlight, but sources as small as gas lawnmowers could face restrictions depending on what EPA chooses as its ultimate goal.

Smog exposure is linked to an array of heart and respiratory illnesses. It causes burning and inflammation in sensitive tissues, and can harm wilderness areas and farm crops by stunting the growth of trees and plants.

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Tough Times for Sheriff Joe

post from Talking Points Memo on 07 January 2010 11:37:00 PM. © Talking Points Memo

For weeks TPMMuckraker's Zack Roth has been reporting on the increasingly bizarre and outlandish abuses of power by Maricopa County, Arizona's high-profile Joe Arpaio and the evidence of a federal investigation into those abuses. Tonight comes word that[...]

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Ingraham's suggestion that Obama didn't identify
Al Qaeda as "the real threat" undermined by Obama's comments

post from Media Matters for America - Latest Items on 07 January 2010 11:33:58 PM. © Media Matters for America - Latest Items

Fox News contributor Laura Ingraham claimed that "the number one thing [President Obama's] not doing" to fight terrorism "is identifying what the real threat is" and that in his last weekly radio address, Obama cited "a war against violence and hatred," strongly suggesting that Obama has not addressed the threat posed by Al Qaeda. But in the radio address Ingraham cited, Obama repeatedly referred to Al Qaeda as a target of America's efforts abroad, and Obama has repeatedly used the phrase "war on terror."

Ingraham suggests Obama ignored Al Qaeda in response to failed terrorist attack

Ingraham: In his radio address, Obama "said this was a war against violence and hatred." From the January 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor:

INGRAHAM: The number one thing he's not doing, of course, is identifying what the real threat is. He renamed the war on terror, "overseas contingency operations." Janet Napolitano, remember, said that she didn't like calling it the war on terror. She'd prefer to call it manmade disasters, which was disastrous for her to say that. And then, in the radio address on Saturday, Bill, he said this is a war against violence and hatred. Now, first of all, what does that even mean -- a war against violence and hatred? There's a lot of violence in our own country and there's a lot of hatred in our own country. But we're not at war with that. We're at war with a particular type of enemy that frankly is goal-oriented, and their goal is to establish a global Islamic caliphate.
BILL O'REILLY (host): OK, but he did say that today, he did say that, you know, we're at war with Al Qaeda.
INGRAHAM: No, not really.
O'REILLY: And we're going to do whatever it takes to defeat Al Qaeda. Now, I don't believe that for a second.

Obama repeatedly referred to Al Qaeda in radio address. In the radio address Ingraham referred to, Obama cited his inauguration and stated: "I also made it very clear -- our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred, and that we will do whatever it takes to defeat them and defend our country, even as we uphold the values that have always distinguished America among nations." Obama continued:

And make no mistake, that's exactly what we've been doing. It's why I refocused the fight -- bringing to a responsible end the war in Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9-11 attacks, and dramatically increasing our resources in the region where al Qaeda is actually based, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's why I've set a clear and achievable mission -- to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its extremist allies and prevent their return to either country.

Obama also stated that alleged terrorist Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab "joined an affiliate of al Qaeda, and that this group -- al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula -- trained him, equipped him with those explosives and directed him to attack that plane headed for America." [Presidential Weekly Address, 1/2/10]

Ingraham disagrees with O'Reilly that Obama said "we're at war with Al Qaeda"

Ingraham: Obama did "not really" say "we're at war with Al Qaeda." After O'Reilly stated: "OK, but he did say that today, he did say that, you know, we're at war with Al Qaeda," Ingraham falsely claimed: "No, not really."

Obama: "We are at war against al Qaeda." During his January 7 remarks about the attempted bombing, "Obama stated: "We are at war. We are at war against al Qaeda, a far-reaching network of violence and hatred that attacked us on 9/11, that killed nearly 3,000 innocent people, and that is plotting to strike us again. And we will do whatever it takes to defeat them." [Whitehouse.gov, 1/7/10]

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Open Thread

post from Crooks and Liars on 07 January 2010 11:30:05 PM. © Crooks and Liars

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Red State Update prays for Tiger Woods. That good enough for ya, Brit Hume? This video is not safe for work.

Open thread below...

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Open Thread and Diary Rescue

post from Daily Kos on 07 January 2010 11:16:05 PM. © Daily Kos

This evening's Rescue Rangers are Louisiana 1976, Blank Frank, HoosierDeb, Got a Grip, and YatPundit with vcmvo2 as editor.

The diaries up for rescue tonight are:

In Republicans Ruined Intelligence Community, Steven D quantifies how the ill-conceived counter-terrorism actions of the Bush Administration have made us less able to detect impending assaults. (HoosierDeb)

Bruce Nilles brings the current state of the fight to reduce the use of coal and its destructive mining practices into focus and offers encouragement for the tough fight before us in Coal: Looking Back and Looking Ahead. (Got a Grip)

rhutcheson's well-researched investigative piece introduces us to Chevron's New Heavies who will be defending that corporation in an Ecuadorian pollution case. (Louisiana 1976)

DWG does a little digging and finds that, unsurprisingly, Ben Nelson has trouble selling his vote in Nebraska. (Got a Grip)

In Hummingbirds, Flower Pot Heaters, and Solar Aluminum Blinds, gmoke takes a look at some easy-to-build energy saving devices. (Blank Frank)

Avenging Angel examines this country's current mores on morality and discovers that For Redemption, Tiger Woods Should Become a Republican. (Got a Grip)

Bob Patterson suggests using the slogan, Come visit the Island of Trash! to invite environmentalists to check out the twice-Texas-sized Pacific Garbage Patch. (Louisiana 1976)

cabaretic reflects on tonight's Big College Game in An Apology from a Unapologetic Sports Fan. (YatPundit)

In a persuasive piece Terry Pierson tells Democrats, especially those of his age group, that it's time to go To Battle (2010). (Louisiana 1976)

In Huff Post & Pataki Bash Obama on Terrorism, Fail Miserably, SuperBowlXX constructs a solid rebuttal of the former New York governor's recent salvo. (Blank Frank)

Thought-provokingly mommyof3 takes us back in history to show us that Change Doesn't Come from the Middle. (Louisiana 1976)

jotter has today's High Impact Diaries: January 6, 2010.

sardonyx brings tonight's Top Comments: Featured Writers Edition.

Enjoy and please promote your own favorite diaries from the past twenty-four hours in this Open Thread!

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To My Conservative Friends (or 'Dear Shadow
Government')

post from TPMCafe on 07 January 2010 11:08:00 PM. © TPMCafe

Now is the political season of our disappointment. So many in the pundit class feeling let down after the high hopes of a year ago. Me too. You see, I actually believed in -- and still hope for -- the possibility of post-politics. I was looking forward to working together with my conservative policy wonk counterparts on the basis of at least a shared diagnosis of the problems. But as much as I believe in bipartisanship, I also believe in the facts. Blaming the governing party for the partisan tenor of our political discourse is about as accurate as claiming the economy would be better off without the stimulus. So I feel really let down that our politics are still mired in petty bickering instead of rising to the formidable challenges of our times. It was the debate over "declinism" that got me started on this today, particularly the juxtaposition of a Dan Twining post on Shadow Government and an Orville Schell op-ed in the LA Times.

Twining tells America to cheer up and recognize its strengths, and Schell gives a balanced but sobering accounting of our strengths and weaknesses. I have genuine sympathy for a lot of Twining's argument; he's right that we shouldn't lose sight of the United States strong strategic 'fundamentals.' But he gives a cursory look at the negatives, and echoes the ubiquitous talking point that the fiscal deficit is our chief problem:

We have plenty of problems at home, from inadequate infrastructure to an underperforming educational system and, perhaps most disturbingly, a growing burden of national debt that, if not corrected, will increasingly undermine our welfare at home and our leadership abroad.

Strategic about the strengths, off-handed about the challenges. So here's my question to my conservative friends, if you read a piece like Schell's, can you tell me we've spent the last year debating the real challenges to the country's position in today's world?

Conservative - Politics - Shadow Government - Conservatism - Parties

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C&L's Late Night Music Club With Little Feat

post from Crooks and Liars on 07 January 2010 11:00:24 PM. © Crooks and Liars

Title: Little Feat Artist: Fat Man In The Bathtub
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Philadelphia C&L'er dswagz put in a request for some Little Feat so we thought we would oblige. This is Fat Man In The Bathtub from 1975. If you have another Little Feat song you'd like to share with the class, please feel free to do so in the comments.

Dswagz also brought to our attention that co-founding Little Feat member Ritchie Hayward is in poor health these days. If you would like to find out more and perhaps show him some love, click here.

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Late Night: The Majestic Snowgrifts of Alaska

Where wingnut welfare meets the con![...]

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Free H1N1 Vaccine Clinics

Link to the Dept. of Health for clinic locations and schedules.

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Polling and Political Wrap-Up, 1/7/10

A couple of new polls hit the news today, some further aftershocks from Retirement Tuesday, and some brand-spankin' new campaign news as we hit the "BCS Title" edition of the Wrap....

CT-Sen: Rasmussen Confirms It--Blumenthal Is A Game Changer
When a new Connecticut Senate poll by the crew over at PPP projected a rout for new Democratic Senate candidate Richard Blumenthal over the GOP field, Republicans might have mollified themselves by proclaiming that PPP, after all, is a Democratic firm. Well, that comfort lasted exactly one day, as the team at Rasmussen released their own Connecticut poll today, and showed Blumenthal in a similarly strong position. He leads Rob Simmons by 23 points, according to the GOP-friendly Rasmussen (56-33), while leading Linda McMahon (58-34) and Paul-ite Peter Schiff (60-24) by wider margins.

CO-Gov: Ritter's Exit Leads To Closer Race, Says Rasmussen
Rasmussen, as is their typical prolific nature, also polled the newly open gubernatorial election in Colorado. In what has to be good news for Democrats, Rasmussen shows a considerably closer contest than existed when Republican Scott McInnis was challenging incumbent Democratic Governor Bill Ritter. When paired with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, McInnis led by just three points (45-42). Against former Senator and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, McInnis leads by six points (47-41) according to Rasmussen. This race became a little clearer today, as Salazar demurred from a challenge, and took the intriguing step of endorsing John Hickenlooper, who has not officially entered the race (and, in fact, had announced yesterday that he would defer to Salazar).

IN OTHER NEWS....

NY-Sen: With the GOP flailing about for a candidate in the wake of the news over the holidays that Rudy Giuliani would not be a participant in the 2010 elections, they might have landed on a semi-legitimate name: Molinari. Specifically, Susan Molinari, who was the longtime representative of the Staten Island-based 13th district now represented by Democrat Steve McMahon. Molinari is being egged on by both Giuliani and her dad Guy Molinari, a former Congressman in his own right and a player in NY GOP circles. In other New York Senate news, if Harold Ford decides to follow through with a primary challenge to Senator Gillibrand, he might have a a little 'splaining to do that his voter registration in the state of New York was not established until after he had already registered interest in running for the Senate seat. He registered to vote on November 23, 2009, which was the same week that Glenn Thrush over at Politico wrote about Ford's possible Senate ambitions.

ND-Sen: In the wake of the retirement of longtime Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, the Democrats might have also landed on a semi-legitimate name: Heitkamp. Heidi Heitkamp, the former state attorney general, is expressing interest in making a Senate bid against the likely GOP nominee, Governor John Hoeven. The two are hardly strangers: Heitkamp actually acquitted herself quite well when they met in a gubernatorial race in 2000, when Hoeven scored a 55-45 victory. Another Democrat is eyeing the race as well, as former Dorgan staffer Kristin Hedger appears interested in a bid.

PA-Gov: This came as a bit of a surprise, if only because it is hard to figure out this gentleman's next move. Jim Gerlach, the suburban Philly Congressman (PA-06) who appeared to be running for Governor from the moderate wing of the party, rather abruptly ended his campaign for Governor today. The immediate speculation dealt with whether or not he would seek re-election. There are at least a few factors that will make Gerlach reluctant to seek re-election: for one thing, it appears that no one has leapt out (at least in these first few hours) upon hearing the news that he is no longer running for Governor. In fact, two candidates, Republican Curt Schroder and Democrat Doug Pike seemed to be pretty clear that they weren't moving. The other factor is he has few resources left in his federal campaign account, meaning he would be starting from a hole, financially.

MI-Gov: There was also a Democratic campaign entrance in another race shaken up by Retirement Tuesday, but it remains to be seen if this particular move is a game changer. In the wake of John Cherry's self-ejection from the race on Tuesday, Democratic state senator Hansen Clarke, a veteran of the state legislature for over a decade, announced for the state in the wake of the Cherry announcement. Clarke has run unsuccessfully for Detroit Mayor, as well.

AR-Sen: Given recent polling, it might not even require a top-tier Republican to claim the Senate seat of Democratic incumbent Blanche Lincoln. As it happens, another mid-tier Republican has entered the fray, although this one will be a familiar face for Lincoln. Jim Holt, a former state senator who got 44% in a challenge to Lincoln in 2004 (and also lost to Bill Halter in their battle for Lt. Governor in 2006), is going to formally announce next week that he is challenging Lincoln for re-election.

NE-Gov: Lost in the flurry of big names hitting the bricks on Retirement Tuesday was another announcement that chilled Democratic prospects in a 2010 election. In the Heartland, Democrats lost their best prospect for Nebraska Governor when former Omaha Mayor Mike Boyle elected not to make a gubernatorial bid this year. That leaves Nebraska Democrats casting about for a serious candidate in what would, admittedly, be a tough race.

FL-Sen: This is probably a sign that your campaign is not going as expected. Amid rumors (one of which, according to Taegan Goddard, began on Mark Foley's facebook page!) that he is about to eject, Florida Governor Charlie Crist felt compelled to shoot down speculation about his exit from the Senate race.

TX-Gov: In another sign that your campaign is not going as expected, there are now reports that Senator John Cornyn is appealing to his Texas Senate mate, Kay Bailey Hutchison, to drop her gubernatorial bid. Hutchison is currently trailing incumbent Governor Rick Perry in a fairly acrimonious Republican primary for Governor.

IA-Gov: It is, indeed, anticlimatic: the leading Republican candidate for Governor, former four-term Governor Terry Branstad, removed the "exploratory" part off of his campaign label, making his challenge of incumbent Democrat Chet Culver official.

THE MONEY CHASE: As will happen all month (expect this to be a regular feature throughout January), campaigns are leaking their warchests at the close of 2009, trying to establish some buzz about their campaigns. One guy that is probably going to get a little buzz for his take is former Democratic Governor Roy Barnes in Georgia, who raised close to three million dollars in the second half of 2009. Meanwhile, another Democratic candidate for Governor is looking good, as Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett raised three quarters of a million of a bucks in his bid for Wisconsin Governor. Meanwhile, in Florida's competitive gubernatorial election, both Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Bill McCollum topped one million for the quarter, but Sink retains a funding lead overall. One House report that will raise some eyebrows: young Republican Armando Gutierrez, who is challenging Alan Grayson in FL-08, reported over three hundred thousand banked in his bid. This is especially intriguing, since Gutierrez has not gotten much love from the GOP establishment in his bid. (H/T: Johnny Longtorso at SSP.