Daily Kos Elections Morning Digest: 5/25

post from Daily Kos on 25 May 2011 09:30:03 AM. © Daily Kos

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Senate:

? IN-Sen: Wonder if Dick Lugar's having second thoughts after Dem Kathy Hochul's victory last night in NY-26. Lugar said he'd vote for the Ryan budget when Harry Reid brings it up later this week, ostensibly to shore himself up against getting teabagged. But he has a legit Democratic challenger in the form of Rep. Joe Donnelly now (who of course voted against the Ryan plan), and he'll be handing him this issue on a silver platter inlaid with gold-pressed latinum.

? MA-Sen: The New York Times takes notice of the Draft Elizabeth Warren movement, and claims that unnamed Democratic officials are trying to get her into the race. I don't even think there's a single blind quote from a single "official" in the whole piece, though (and the DSCC wouldn't comment).

? NM-Sen: New Mexico's new Republican governor, Susana Martinez, said she has no plans to endorse in the GOP Senate primary, even though her Lt. Gov., John Sanchez, just got into the race. But then things got? weird. Maybe not Marty McFly traveling back through time and kissing his mom weird, but still strange. The Fix:

Then she added, somewhat oddly: "To prevent this race from becoming a distraction, Lt. Gov. Sanchez will not be given responsibilities in my administration beyond the select few provided for in the state Constitution." In an interview with The Fix, Sanchez responded, "You probably would have to ask either the governor or her staff to expound on that," and emphasized that he supports her agenda. Sanchez became Martinez's running mate when he won the GOP primary for lieutenant governor last year.

? TX-Sen: A University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll (conducted on the Internet) finds Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst unsurprisingly leading the GOP field, albeit with just 25%. Everyone else is in single digits (and remember that Dewhurst made some remarks a while back suggesting he might not even run).

? WI-Sen: Aaron Blake says his sources claim that GOP ex-Gov. Tommy Thompson is "90% in" the race; meanwhile, other sources seem to think Russ Feingold doesn't want to run. The evidence seems a little thin, though I'm inclined to agree.

House:

? IN-05: Marion County coroner John McGoff, who nearly beat GOP Rep. Dan Burton in the 2008 primary and was part of the six-car pileup that allowed Burton to skate with just 30% of the vote in 2010, will apparently announce today that he's gonna try a third time.

? IN-06: Speaking of Burton, the guy who almost toppled him in last year's primary, fellow Republican Luke Messer, officially announced he'd run for Congress again this year, albeit in the slightly re-drawn 6th CD (which now includes his house). Messer had telegraphed this move for a while, and the 6th is open because Rep. Mike Pence is running for governor.

? MI-11: Come on, really? Now GOP Rep. Thad McCotter says he's thinking about a presidential run? He's not exactly a backbencher, but he doesn't light up the skies, either. I think this just shows how amazingly unimpressive the Republican field is right now, that guys like McCotter and Peter King can even have these conversations without being universally laughed at. (Just to clarify: I'm laughing.)

? SD-AL: This Roll Call piece mentions a Dem name we hadn't heard before, suggesting that Matt Varilek, a staffer for Sen. Tim Johnson, could challenge GOP frosh Kristi Noem.

? WA-??: It's a statewide poll, natch, but we don't even know where Dennis Kucinich might land (when he comes down from Cloud City), so it's fair game: PPP shows his favorables at 19-28 in Washington state. Voters are also opposed to him running there by a 12-39 margin.

Grab Bag:

? Census: An informal (but pretty thorough-sounding) survey by the New York Times of three city blocks (two in Brooklyn, one in Queens) pretty much confirms what everyone in New York, from the Bronx to the Battery, has been saying for months: the Census Bureau undercounted the city. Read the article for the full flavor of the investigation and its findings.

Redistricting Roundup:

? South Carolina: Roll Call says "consensus is building" around a proposed GOP map to redraw the state's congressional districts, in part because the state's lone Dem Rep., Jim Clyburn, seems pretty pleased with things. (We previously discussed the map here.) But other Democrats, including old-new state chair Dick Harpootlian, are pretty pissed off. Indeed, Harpootlian accused the Republicans of engaging in "racial apartheid" by packing black voters. The GOP sounds pretty confident about their plan passing muster with the DoJ, but I'm skeptical that they can avoid drawing a second majority-minority district.

? Texas: This is pretty amazing: Even though the legislative session doesn't end until May 30, Republicans have admitted defeat and now definitively say they will not produce a congressional map of their own! Kel Seliger, the chairman of the state Senate's redistricting committee, says it's "too late to get a map through the process" and says either the courts will draw one, or Gov. Rick Perry will call a special session on another topic and "we will ask to have [redistricting] added to the agenda."

I'm pretty blown away by this, since no one does partisan gerrymandering with more bone-cutting ferocity than Texas Republicans. A last-second map is still possible (as is one later in the year), but am I wrong to be surprised that this issue got shunted to the back burner ? and possibly out of the kitchen entirely? Is Seliger trying to force Perry's hand by holding out the specter of a court-drawn map? Doesn't Perry himself care? Is this all some odd charade? Man, if nothing else, watching the redistricting process unfold nationwide this year has taught me to expect absolutely nothing ? and anything.

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orning-Digest:-5-25

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Closed-End MLPs Offer Simplified Tax Filing

post from Jutia Group on 25 May 2011 09:22:06 AM. © Jutia Group

Source: JT Long of The Energy Report

In the past several years, MLP returns have exceeded S&P 500 performance. Kevin McCarthy, chairman and CEO of Kayne Anderson’s four closed-end funds, says MLPs are attractive to investors who seek income and total returns. Although 2011 performance has lagged due, in part, to concerns about possible MLP-taxation changes, Kevin explains why a widespread change in the taxability of pass-through entities is highly unlikely in this exclusive interview with The Energy Report.

Companies Mentioned: Alerian MLP Index James River Coal Co. Kayne Anderson Energy Development Co. Kayne Anderson Energy Total Return Fund Kayne Anderson Midstream Energy Kayne Anderson MLP Investment Company Massey Energy Company

The . . . → Read More: Closed-End MLPs Offer Simplified Tax Filing

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Obama Congratulates Hochul, While Debbie
Wasserman Schultz Cites Medicare

post from Taylor Marsh on 25 May 2011 09:20:18 AM. © Taylor Marsh

“The voters of this district have sent me to Washington because I said I’m willing to fight for them on Medicare, make sure the lobbyists pay for their fair share and get our budget under control,” she said. “Whatever happens[...]

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serman-schultz-cites-medicare/

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NY-26: Hochul Wins by Tarring Corwin with GOP
Medicare Phase-Out Budget

post from Firedoglake on 25 May 2011 09:10:13 AM. © Firedoglake

Democrat Kathy Hochul's victory in NY-26 last night shows the impact of a tremendous House GOP overreach, one that could easily cost them control of the chamber next year.[...]

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I don't like being lectured by well dressed, well
coiffed people

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 25 May 2011 09:07:49 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

slouching imperiously around a table - telling me that Medicare is unrealistic in its present form. You know what else is unrealistic - being lectured by a man and woman whose weekly clothing allowance and haircare allowance cost more in two weeks[...]

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Krugman Decoded

post from Docudharma - Front Page on 25 May 2011 09:04:05 AM. © Docudharma - Front Page

Crossposted from The Stars Hollow GazetteI often find it's better to read him bottom to top, like stack language or a blog.The 'elite' economists are arrogant morons-If Greek banks collapse, that might well force Greece out of the euro area - and it's[...]

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NPRA Supports Cost-Benefit Analysis of EPA
Regulations

post from What IS Right for Virginia on 25 May 2011 09:01:46 AM. © What IS Right for Virginia

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2011 -- Charles T. Drevna, president of NPRA, the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association, welcomed action today by the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Energy and Power Subcommittee approving the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act of 2011.

The measure ? sponsored by Reps. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) ? would require an interagency committee to analyze how certain significant regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency impact America's global economic competitiveness, electricity and fuel prices, employment, and reliability of electrical supply. The study would also analyze costs and benefits of such regulations on consumers, small businesses, state and local governments, labor markets and agriculture.

Drevna said: "Conducting a cost-benefit analysis of EPA regulations is an important first step to identify burdensome regulations that do little or no good but can inflict tremendous harm on American families, workers and businesses. Such unwise regulations can increase costs for products American consumers rely on, weaken our nation's economic and national security, cost workers their jobs, and make our nation more reliant on imported products.

"While studies are always helpful in identifying problems, we hope Congress moves forward to eliminate EPA regulations that have already been shown to cause far more harm than good, and will follow with action after new studies further document harmful regulations. We believe the people's elected representatives in Congress should ensure that the best interests of the American people are served by preventing regulatory excesses by federal agencies."

SOURCE National Petrochemical & Refiners Association

CONTACT: David Egner, +1-202-552-8485, media@npra.org Web Site: http://www.npra.org

NPRA Supports Cost-Benefit Analysis of EPA Regulations

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Reichwing, Bigoted, Militaristic 'Israel First'

Sovereignty?It matters

If a foreign power can tell America ?what we shall do, and what we shall not do,? George Washington once wrote to Alexander Hamilton, ?we have Independence yet to seek, and have contended hitherto for very little.?
- Steven Groves

"The U.S. Congress humiliates itself by expressing greater admiration for and loyalty to this foreign leader than their own country's. And because this is all about Israel, few will find this spectacle strange, or at least will be willing to say so. ... In any event, please remember that you must not speak of the immense power of the Israel Lobby lest you reveal yourself to be a conspiratorial hatemonger. I hope that's clear."
- Glenn Greenwald in Salon

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Gonzales Expresses Regret over Firing Scandal

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says "I feel disappointment in myself" over the events leading to the US Attorney firing scandal. [...]

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Dems Tell GOP: Say You're Sorry

With Chrysler paying back it's $7.6 billion federal loan six years early, Democrats are taking the opportunity to demand an apology from Republicans who bashed the deal as a waste. And they're taking particular aim at Mitt Romney over his 2008 NYT Oped:[...]

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