DGA Chief Says Ignore NJ Polls, Avoids Calling
for Patterson to Run Again

A week or so after hearing from Republican Governors Association executive director Nick Ayers, our latest interview is with Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. A Harvard-trained lawyer, Daschle formerly worked for the National Resources Defense Council and the law firm Covington & Burling. A few years ago, Washingtonian magazine named him one of the city's top 40 lawyers under 40.

The DGA is blessed with a majority of the nation's governors, but therefore must defend plenty of territory in 2010, and in two key races this fall--New Jersey and Virginia. Daschle was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to speak with Fivethirthyeight about the DGA's prospects over the next two years.

Fivethirtyeight.com: According to Pollster.com?s tracking of the race, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine looks to be in serious trouble. What will it take for him to hold this seat, and do you think his bio as a former Goldman Sachs executive is hurting him?

Nathan Daschle: Let me start with the last part of the question first. I don?t think his background is hurting him. To the contrary, Governor Corzine created the first economic recovery plan in the country. Things in New Jersey would be a lot worse if Governor Corzine wasn?t leading the state.

The reason Jon Corzine is going to win is because he?s demonstrated that he can make difficult decisions that will put his state on the right path when this global recession is over. He is a real leader, not just a politician, and that will come through as this campaign gets closer to November. Governor Corzine knows how to handle this economy, he knows the types of decisions he needs to make.

Chris Christie? He has no vision for the state. If you ask him questions about what he would do for New Jersey, he comes back with general statements of criticism about Governor Corzine. That?s not leadership. And I think the contrast on that count is stark and is one that voters will respond to.

Christie started his campaign wanting to talk about one issue?ethics. He?s spent more of his time trying to defend his record on ethics, giving multi-million dollar no-bid contracts to political allies, campaign contributors and the prosecutor who didn?t go after his brother for stock fraud. The more voters learn about Chris Christie, the less they like him. And I think you?re seeing that in the increases in his unfavorables.

I?m not gonna lie: I?d much rather be on the top than the bottom of these polls. But these polls in New Jersey have a history of being wrong.

Early public polls in the state traditionally overstate support for Republicans. In 2004, two polls showed [John] Kerry down 4 points to [George] Bush, and many others showed a close race. Kerry won by 8. In 2005, when Governor Corzine first ran, late polling showed him up by only 4 points. He won by 10 points. In 2006, through late September, public polls showed [Tom] Kean leading [Robert] Menendez for the Senate. Menendez won by 8.

We have to be cautious of early polling results in New Jersey.


538: Creigh Deeds is basically neck-and-neck in Virginia, probably trailing slightly. I?m sure you don?t like hypotheticals, but if Republicans win there and in New Jersey there will be a lot of buzz this autumn--some of it spin from the GOP, sure, but also from the media--about a Republican comeback happening on your watch. Care to respond about that possibility?

ND: If the Republicans win New Jersey and Virginia we?ll be disappointed, no doubt about that. National Republicans have elevated these races to must-wins for a party that has been in the wilderness for a while now. They are calling them the start of their comeback. But look, both of these races are going to be decided based on issues in these states.

In Virginia, I believe Creigh Deeds will win because he is the right candidate for Virginia. He?s right there in the mainstream and exactly the kind of leader people want.

He is the last guy the Republicans wanted to run against. I think they didn?t know what to do with his broad appeal, his governing style in the tradition of Governors Warner and Kaine, and his ability to attract Independents and moderate Republicans who are alienated by Bob McDonnell?s conservative views.


538: David Patterson?s approval ratings are worse than former Gov. Eliot Spitzer?s. Do you want Patterson to run again to hold the seat in New York or do you think Democrats would be better suited with another candidate?

ND: You know, I think right now we?re just trying to make sure he can lead the state through the present turmoil. He has strong support of the DGA, no matter what he decides to do. He?s gonna be focused on economic recovery and governing the state in the near-term.


538: Do you have any indication he may not run?

ND: I have no indications of that, no.


538: As you know, I recently interviewed your counterpart, Nick Ayers. He boasts that the RGA is keeping pace or even exceeding the DGA in fundraising. This is despite the fact you have more governors as surrogates and have more total seats to defend. Is the DGA struggling to raise money and if so, why?

ND: The RGA has outraised DGA in every election since Teddy Roosevelt was its chair. What Nick didn?t tell you is that for the first time ever, we are virtually tied with RGA at the halfway mark. On the June 30 filing, we were separated by only $600,000.

On top of that, we raised more in the first six months of this year than we have in any similar period in DGA history. The RGA raised less this year than they raised last year. So, our trajectory is upwards, theirs downward. I couldn?t be happier with our fundraising situation.

I?m certain that they will continue to outraise us, but we are winning more races despite being at a financial disadvantage. The bottom line is that DGA and RGA have gone head to head in four races since 2007, and DGA has won all four. They will always have more money, but we have better candidates, better ideas, and better strategies.


538: Minnesota?s Tim Pawlenty has announced he?s not running again, leaving open the possibility that Norm Coleman might get in that race. Do you have any comment about a potential Coleman bid and, with or without him in the race, what are the Democrats? chances of picking up that seat?

ND: I don?t think it really matters. If the GOP recruits him into the race it?s a sign of desperation. Norm Coleman?s popularity after the unnecessarily long Senate fight is very damaged. In fact, when Public Policy Polling released their latest numbers, the headline on the press release was: ?Recount Saga Hurt Coleman?s Future Prospects.? Not only that, Governor Pawlenty is leaving with less than stellar marks. We have a strong crop of candidates running. This is a state that trends blue. Frankly, no matter who runs we will be competitive.


538: President Obama has created some problems for you in plucking Democratic women governors out of office to put in his cabinet. I?m thinking specifically of Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius, who were popular Democratic governors in red states. With them gone, how do you plan to compete in increasingly competitive but still red-leaning states like Arizona or Kansas?

ND: Well, you?re right, I think President Obama has drawn on some of our ranks. Frankly, we find that to be a good development. That?s a compliment to governors that he wants so many of them in his government.

But you?re right it does create a different landscape for us. We need to find a way to replicate that the success of Sebelius and Napolitano. Gov. [Jan] Brewer is having a hard time; she?s beatable. She?s never been elected in her own right. And I think she?s finding herself unprepared for the rigors of being governor. And when she has a record next year to defend, especially with major education cuts, I think that Arizona remains an opportunity.

In Kansas, well, Kansas is going to be tough. We haven?t sorted out our candidate, but Governor Sebelius certainly showed us the path to electing a commonsense leader who can work across the aisle.


538: One technological, data-oriented question that?s of particular interest to me and surely many of our readers: How, if at all, will the DGA access or use the vaunted email and contact lists that the Obama campaign assembled during the 2008 presidential run?

ND: It differs state-by-state based on a number of considerations. I have frequent meetings with the DNC. And I can tell you the White House is very committed to winning these races. They know how important they are not only to the country, but to President Obama?s agenda.

President Obama and Vice President Biden have both traveled to New Jersey on behalf of Governor Corzine. Vice President Biden went to Virginia for Sen. Deeds, and President Obama is scheduled to be there on Aug. 6.


538: I want to ask a question I also posed to the RGA: Can you identify one or two up-and-coming state Democratic leaders we should keep an eye on and that may be 2010 gubernatorial nominees, but whom most of our readers living outside of those states have probably never heard of?

ND: Sure. I think there are couple of 2010 incumbents running for reelection. Gov Martin O?Malley of Maryland is our vice chair and he?s an incredible talent. He has the respect of his peers and has shown his ability to make tough decisions in tough times but without abandoning his principles.

Gov. [Deval] Patrick in Massachusetts is another who has a bright future, who is regarded as a leader in the party.

Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware is absolutely a governor to watch. He?s only in his first year but his peers have a tremendous amount of respect for his skills.

Alex Sink in Florida will be a strong candidate. She?s the chief financial officer, and has statewide appeal and will instantly have a national profile. She?s generated a lot of excitement in Florida, both for her reform-minded approach toward governing and for the way she demands results out of government.


538: Finally, does having a Democratic governor, Tim Kaine, at the helm of the DNC improve the party?s focus on governors? What I mean by that is, how if at all, is Gov. Kaine specifically an asset to the DGA?

ND: It does in a couple of ways. First of all, it?s a signal that the national party recognizes the value of governors. Until last year, governors were the only CEOs in our party, and that?s a really distinct brand. Having Gov. Kaine as party chair is a reflection of that, the value of leadership and executive experience.

Second, he has so many friendships among Democratic governors, and they with him. So there?s a real connection there and an ability to get things done.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/dga-chief-says-ignore-nj-polls-avoids.html

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DGA Chief Says Ignore NJ Polls, Avoids Calling
for Paterson to Run Again

A week or so after hearing from Republican Governors Association executive director Nick Ayers, our latest interview is with Nathan Daschle, executive director of the Democratic Governors Association. A Harvard-trained lawyer, Daschle formerly worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council and the law firm Covington & Burling. A few years ago, Washingtonian magazine named him one of the city's top 40 lawyers under 40.

The DGA is blessed with a majority of the nation's governors, but therefore must defend plenty of territory in 2010, and in two key races this fall--New Jersey and Virginia. Daschle was kind enough to take time from his busy schedule to speak with Fivethirthyeight about the DGA's prospects over the next two years.

Fivethirtyeight.com: According to Pollster.com?s tracking of the race, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine looks to be in serious trouble. What will it take for him to hold this seat, and do you think his bio as a former Goldman Sachs executive is hurting him?

Nathan Daschle: Let me start with the last part of the question first. I don?t think his background is hurting him. To the contrary, Governor Corzine created the first economic recovery plan in the country. Things in New Jersey would be a lot worse if Governor Corzine wasn?t leading the state.

The reason Jon Corzine is going to win is because he?s demonstrated that he can make difficult decisions that will put his state on the right path when this global recession is over. He is a real leader, not just a politician, and that will come through as this campaign gets closer to November. Governor Corzine knows how to handle this economy, he knows the types of decisions he needs to make.

Chris Christie? He has no vision for the state. If you ask him questions about what he would do for New Jersey, he comes back with general statements of criticism about Governor Corzine. That?s not leadership. And I think the contrast on that count is stark and is one that voters will respond to.

Christie started his campaign wanting to talk about one issue?ethics. He?s spent more of his time trying to defend his record on ethics, giving multi-million dollar no-bid contracts to political allies, campaign contributors and the prosecutor who didn?t go after his brother for stock fraud. The more voters learn about Chris Christie, the less they like him. And I think you?re seeing that in the increases in his unfavorables.

I?m not gonna lie: I?d much rather be on the top than the bottom of these polls. But these polls in New Jersey have a history of being wrong.

Early public polls in the state traditionally overstate support for Republicans. In 2004, two polls showed [John] Kerry down 4 points to [George] Bush, and many others showed a close race. Kerry won by 8. In 2005, when Governor Corzine first ran, late polling showed him up by only 4 points. He won by 10 points. In 2006, through late September, public polls showed [Tom] Kean leading [Robert] Menendez for the Senate. Menendez won by 8.

We have to be cautious of early polling results in New Jersey.


538: Creigh Deeds is basically neck-and-neck in Virginia, probably trailing slightly. I?m sure you don?t like hypotheticals, but if Republicans win there and in New Jersey there will be a lot of buzz this autumn--some of it spin from the GOP, sure, but also from the media--about a Republican comeback happening on your watch. Care to respond about that possibility?

ND: If the Republicans win New Jersey and Virginia we?ll be disappointed, no doubt about that. National Republicans have elevated these races to must-wins for a party that has been in the wilderness for a while now. They are calling them the start of their comeback. But look, both of these races are going to be decided based on issues in these states.

In Virginia, I believe Creigh Deeds will win because he is the right candidate for Virginia. He?s right there in the mainstream and exactly the kind of leader people want.

He is the last guy the Republicans wanted to run against. I think they didn?t know what to do with his broad appeal, his governing style in the tradition of Governors Warner and Kaine, and his ability to attract Independents and moderate Republicans who are alienated by Bob McDonnell?s conservative views.


538: David Patterson?s approval ratings are worse than former Gov. Eliot Spitzer?s. Do you want Patterson to run again to hold the seat in New York or do you think Democrats would be better suited with another candidate?

ND: You know, I think right now we?re just trying to make sure he can lead the state through the present turmoil. He has strong support of the DGA, no matter what he decides to do. He?s gonna be focused on economic recovery and governing the state in the near-term.


538: Do you have any indication he may not run?

ND: I have no indications of that, no.


538: As you know, I recently interviewed your counterpart, Nick Ayers. He boasts that the RGA is keeping pace or even exceeding the DGA in fundraising. This is despite the fact you have more governors as surrogates and have more total seats to defend. Is the DGA struggling to raise money and if so, why?

ND: The RGA has outraised DGA in every election since Teddy Roosevelt was its chair. What Nick didn?t tell you is that for the first time ever, we are virtually tied with RGA at the halfway mark. On the June 30 filing, we were separated by only $600,000.

On top of that, we raised more in the first six months of this year than we have in any similar period in DGA history. The RGA raised less this year than they raised last year. So, our trajectory is upwards, theirs downward. I couldn?t be happier with our fundraising situation.

I?m certain that they will continue to outraise us, but we are winning more races despite being at a financial disadvantage. The bottom line is that DGA and RGA have gone head to head in four races since 2007, and DGA has won all four. They will always have more money, but we have better candidates, better ideas, and better strategies.


538: Minnesota?s Tim Pawlenty has announced he?s not running again, leaving open the possibility that Norm Coleman might get in that race. Do you have any comment about a potential Coleman bid and, with or without him in the race, what are the Democrats? chances of picking up that seat?

ND: I don?t think it really matters. If the GOP recruits him into the race it?s a sign of desperation. Norm Coleman?s popularity after the unnecessarily long Senate fight is very damaged. In fact, when Public Policy Polling released their latest numbers, the headline on the press release was: ?Recount Saga Hurt Coleman?s Future Prospects.? Not only that, Governor Pawlenty is leaving with less than stellar marks. We have a strong crop of candidates running. This is a state that trends blue. Frankly, no matter who runs we will be competitive.


538: President Obama has created some problems for you in plucking Democratic women governors out of office to put in his cabinet. I?m thinking specifically of Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius, who were popular Democratic governors in red states. With them gone, how do you plan to compete in increasingly competitive but still red-leaning states like Arizona or Kansas?

ND: Well, you?re right, I think President Obama has drawn on some of our ranks. Frankly, we find that to be a good development. That?s a compliment to governors that he wants so many of them in his government.

But you?re right it does create a different landscape for us. We need to find a way to replicate that the success of Sebelius and Napolitano. Gov. [Jan] Brewer is having a hard time; she?s beatable. She?s never been elected in her own right. And I think she?s finding herself unprepared for the rigors of being governor. And when she has a record next year to defend, especially with major education cuts, I think that Arizona remains an opportunity.

In Kansas, well, Kansas is going to be tough. We haven?t sorted out our candidate, but Governor Sebelius certainly showed us the path to electing a commonsense leader who can work across the aisle.


538: One technological, data-oriented question that?s of particular interest to me and surely many of our readers: How, if at all, will the DGA access or use the vaunted email and contact lists that the Obama campaign assembled during the 2008 presidential run?

ND: It differs state-by-state based on a number of considerations. I have frequent meetings with the DNC. And I can tell you the White House is very committed to winning these races. They know how important they are not only to the country, but to President Obama?s agenda.

President Obama and Vice President Biden have both traveled to New Jersey on behalf of Governor Corzine. Vice President Biden went to Virginia for Sen. Deeds, and President Obama is scheduled to be there on Aug. 6.


538: I want to ask a question I also posed to the RGA: Can you identify one or two up-and-coming state Democratic leaders we should keep an eye on and that may be 2010 gubernatorial nominees, but whom most of our readers living outside of those states have probably never heard of?

ND: Sure. I think there are couple of 2010 incumbents running for reelection. Gov Martin O?Malley of Maryland is our vice chair and he?s an incredible talent. He has the respect of his peers and has shown his ability to make tough decisions in tough times but without abandoning his principles.

Gov. [Deval] Patrick in Massachusetts is another who has a bright future, who is regarded as a leader in the party.

Gov. Jack Markell of Delaware is absolutely a governor to watch. He?s only in his first year but his peers have a tremendous amount of respect for his skills.

Alex Sink in Florida will be a strong candidate. She?s the chief financial officer, and has statewide appeal and will instantly have a national profile. She?s generated a lot of excitement in Florida, both for her reform-minded approach toward governing and for the way she demands results out of government.


538: Finally, does having a Democratic governor, Tim Kaine, at the helm of the DNC improve the party?s focus on governors? What I mean by that is, how if at all, is Gov. Kaine specifically an asset to the DGA?

ND: It does in a couple of ways. First of all, it?s a signal that the national party recognizes the value of governors. Until last year, governors were the only CEOs in our party, and that?s a really distinct brand. Having Gov. Kaine as party chair is a reflection of that, the value of leadership and executive experience.

Second, he has so many friendships among Democratic governors, and they with him. So there?s a real connection there and an ability to get things done.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/dga-chief-says-ignore-nj-polls-avoids.html

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Good Medicine: Why Not for Everyone

As part of his health care package, President Obama proposed creating an independent commission of medical experts that would determine the medical procedures for which Medicare will pay. The reason is that patients now receive many costly procedures that provide little or no medical benefit. If we can reduce this waste, we can have large savings, while possibly even improving health outcomes. President Obama describes this as promoting good medicine.

He has a case, but there is one problem with this picture. If the plan is to promote good medicine, why are we just doing it for the elderly receiving Medicare? Why don't we want good medicine for everyone?

Specifically, the government could apply the experts' judgments on appropriate procedures to any insurance plan that receives government support.

This would mean that any plan that enrolls patients with government subsidies would be bound by the expert panel's judgment. If we are confident that our experts will be acting based on sound medical evidence, why shouldn't their assessment apply everywhere?

In addition to the "why not" question, there is also a very important reason why we should want everyone else to be treated like Medicare beneficiaries: quality assurance. There is a disturbing tendency among our Washington elites to treat seniors as a species apart. For example, people who complain about high tax rates on the wealthy have no trouble proposing means-testing schemes for Social Security and Medicare that would impose far higher effective tax rates on middle income retirees.

If the same rules for medical procedures were applied to everyone as to the elderly, it would be far less likely that genuinely useful procedures would be excluded from coverage just to save the government a few dollars. With far more eyes on the process, and far more interested parties, we could have much greater confidence that the panel's decisions were really based on sound evidence.

This raises another important issue about these sorts of medical panels: conflicts of interest. Top medical researchers have a bad habit of taking large consulting fees from folks like pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies and insurance companies. In many cases, they even hold stakes in these companies.

These medical experts are undoubtedly all very honorable people. However, it simply is not fair to ask the public to trust the health of their loved ones to a medical expert who got a $50,000 check from a company that stands to profit or lose large sums of money depending on their decision.

Any panel must come with strict conflict-of-interest guidelines. For example, something like a complete ban, for at least the prior five years, on any fees from any company directly impacted by the panel's decision would be a good start.

Of course, strict conflict of interest rules would make it difficult to put together a panel of experts, since virtually all of our top medical researchers routinely accept fees of various sorts from companies in the health sector. The solution might be to put less compromised foreign researchers on these panels until we can produce a crop of domestic researchers with more integrity.

But if the choice is between no panel or a panel comprised of people on the payroll of the drug companies and their ilk, then no panel would be the better outcome. The fact that putting together a conflict-free panel is actually a problem is a testament to the corruption of our health care system. In the country as large as the United States, there should not be any difficulty finding top experts who survive on their salary as a researcher. The vast majority of us survive on considerably less money.

There is one other point about this process that should be beaten back with a sledgehammer. Nothing in this picture has anything to do with rationing. The question here is what procedures government-subsidized insurance will cover. Everyone in the country is free to buy nongovernment-subsidized insurance or pay for any procedure they want out of their own pocket. In that respect, the system is just like the one we have now: If you can afford it, you can get it. Those shrieking about "rationing" are just using scare words to avoid a real debate.

In short, President Obama's plan to weed out ineffective and wasteful medical procedures is a good one. But we should not single out Medicare beneficiaries as guinea pigs in this adventure, and definitely must ensure that the people to whom we entrust our health are not on the industry payroll.

Sponsored Topics: Medicare - Health care - Barack Obama - United States - Medicine

Read The Full Article:
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CNN Pres: Birther coverage "Legit", MSNBC Pres:
Birthers "Racist". Okay, so how about Buchanan

Crossposted at Daily Kos   It's official. CNN is FOXlite     On Friday, the Southern Poverty Law Center called on CNN to fire Dobbs for trading in "racist conspiracy theories." And some of Dobbs' staff at CNN have told him and network[...]

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e-legit-msnbc-pres-birthers-racist-okay-so-how-about-buchanan

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That Simple

Others have said this. But the best way to understand the 'birther' craze is as a proxy for people who don't want to accept a black man with a Arabic-derived first name as President of the United States. Really as simple as that. Little wonder that it[...]

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Krugman: "the Blue Dogs aren't making sense"

Paul Krugman:

Right now the fate of health care reform seems to rest in the hands of relatively conservative Democrats ? mainly members of the Blue Dog Coalition, created in 1995. And you might be tempted to say that President Obama needs to give those Democrats what they want.

But he can?t ? because the Blue Dogs aren?t making sense.

He then deconstructs what the Blue Dogs are complaining about -- and what they actually want:

So what are the objections of the Blue Dogs?

Well, they talk a lot about fiscal responsibility, which basically boils down to worrying about the cost of those subsidies. And it?s tempting to stop right there, and cry foul. After all, where were those concerns about fiscal responsibility back in 2001, when most conservative Democrats voted enthusiastically for that year?s big Bush tax cut ? a tax cut that added $1.35 trillion to the deficit?

But it?s actually much worse than that ? because even as they complain about the plan?s cost, the Blue Dogs are making demands that would greatly increase that cost.

Hypocrites.

Now, Blue Dogs being Blue Dogs, they probably like being attacked by the New York Times. But, every one of them should be embarrassed by what Krugman exposed.

Over at DailyKos, slinkerwink has an excellent post titled, Tell Democrats Not To Let Blue Dogs Kill Health Reform! We've all got to tell House Democrats not to let that happen. Slinkerwink provides all the names and numbers. The insurance industry is spending millions and millions on lobbying. But, Democratic leaders and members need to hear from real people about the need for real reform.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Americablog/~3/1N7NK4BTOHE/krugman-blue-dogs-arent
-making-sense.html

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Palin to Press: Quit Making Things Up

Palin is many things but “another Huckabee” isn’t one of them. Could Mike Huckabee ever gather the crowd sizes of Sarah Palin? Laughable. Does the media converge wherever Huckabee shows his face? Preposterous. Is there any chance[...]

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http://www.taylormarsh.com/2009/07/27/palin-to-press-quit-making-things-up/

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Lackawanna Mayor on Cheneys call to deploy troops
to his city: I wouldnt expect anything less of him.

Last week, the New York Times reported that, in 2002, Dick Cheney urged President Bush to illegally deploy American troops to the suburbs of Buffalo to apprehend a group of terrorist suspects (the ?Lackawanna Six?). Bush rejected the advice. Reacting to the news, Lackawanna?s Mayor told the Buffalo News that illegal behavior is exactly what he would expect from the Bush administration:

?I wouldn?t expect anything less of the Bush administration,? Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. said in reacting to Cheney?s proposal to send in the troops. ?The federal agents did their job and the Lackawanna police did their job. We didn?t need the military coming in. The community reacted cautiously, and nobody got out of hand or made outrageous statements.? [...]

?If you bring in the military, you create a panic,? Lackawanna Police Captain Ronald Miller said.

Bobby Green, a lifelong Lackawanna resident, said Cheney?s idea was ?kind of crazy.? Andrew Sullivan writes, ?What Cheney was doing here was making a point: that he believes that the president can impose the equivalent of martial law inside the country at any moment he feels it’s necessary, even if it isn’t.? (HT: Raw Story)

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http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/27/lackawanna-mayor/

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Background

As you can imagine, we're getting lots of emails on the 'birther' question this morning. But I thought I would add one point to the issue of what 'natural born' means. Most of the people discussing this are lawyers. And overwhelmingly they seem to[...]

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p

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This Week in Congress

In the House, courtesy of the Office of the Majority Leader:

First Vote of the Week... Monday 6:30 p.m.
Last Vote Predicted... Friday p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 27, 2009

On Monday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for Morning Hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (22 Bills)

1. H.R. 3219 - Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009 (Rep. Filner - Veterans' Affairs)
2. H.R. 1293 - Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009 (Rep. Buyer - Veterans' Affairs)
3. H.R. 2770 - Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations Enhancement Act of 2009 (Rep. Filner - Veterans' Affairs)
4. H.R. 3155 - Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act (Rep. Michaud - Veterans' Affairs)
5. H.R. 509 - Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Rep. Brown (SC) - Natural Resources)
6. H.Res. 288 - Recognizing the importance of park and recreation facilities and expressing support for the designation of the month of July as "National Park and Recreation Month" (Rep. Barrow - Natural Resources)
7. H.R. 1376 - Waco Mammoth National Monument Establishment Act of 2009 (Rep. Edwards (TX) - Natural Resources)
8. H.R. 556 - Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act (Rep. Farr - Natural Resources)
9. H.R. 1121 - Blue Ridge Parkway and Town of Blowing Rock Land Exchange Act of 2009 (Rep. Foxx - Natural Resources)
10. H.Res. 616 - Congratulating the Louisiana State University baseball team for winning the 2009 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College World Series (Rep. Cassidy - Education and Labor)
11. H.R. 1035 - Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Amendments Act of 2009 (Rep. Grijalva - Education and Labor)
12. H.J.Res. 44 - Recognizing the service, sacrifice, honor, and professionalism of the Noncommissioned Officers of the United States Army (Rep. Skelton - Armed Services)
13. H.R. 2034 - Rural Homeowners Protection Act of 2009 (Rep. Clay - Financial Services)
14. H.R. 3300 - To amend the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the Federal Credit Union Act to provide more effective reviews of losses in the Deposit Insurance Fund and the Share Insurance Fund by the Inspectors General of the several Federal banking agencies and the National Credit Union Administration Board (Rep. Driehaus - Financial Services)
15. H.R. __ - Extending the Federal Flood Insurance Program (Rep. Frank - Financial Services)
16. H.R. __ - To amend the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 to require the Federal Emergency Management Agency to consider reconstruction and improvement of flood protection systems when establishing flood insurance rates (Rep. Matsui - Financial Services)
17. H.R. 2623 - To amend the Federal securities laws to clarify and expand the definition of certain persons under those laws (Rep. McCarthy (CA) - Financial Services)
18. H.R. 2529 - Neighborhood Preservation Act (Rep. Gary Miller - Financial Services)
19. H.Res. 593 - Recognizing and celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the entry of Hawaii into the Union as the 50th State (Rep. Abercrombie - Oversight and Government Reform)
20. H.Res. 373 - Expressing support for designation of the month of September as "National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month" (Rep. Bachmann - Oversight and Government Reform)
21. H.R. 3072 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9810 Halls Ferry Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the "Coach Jodie Bailey Post Office Building" (Rep. Clay - Oversight and Government Reform)
22. H.Res. 483 - Supporting the goals and ideals of Veterans of Foreign Wars Day (Rep. Kline - Oversight and Government Reform)

TUESDAY, JULY 28, 2009 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK

On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:30 a.m. for Morning Hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (11 Bills)

1. H.R. 3325 –To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to reauthorize for 1 year the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance program and the Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security program (Rep. Tanner – Ways and Means)
2. H.R. 1803 - Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 (Rep. Nye - Small Business)
3. H.R. 1807 - Educating Entrepreneurs through Today's Technology Act (Rep. Thompson (PA) - Small Business)
4. - Extending the SBIR Act of 2009 (Sen. Landrieu - Small Business)
5. H.R. 1665 - Coast Guard Acquisition Reform Act of 2009 (Rep. Cummings - Transportation and Infrastructure)
6. H.Res. 508 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the general aviation industry should be recognized for its contributions to the United States (Rep. Fortenberry - Transportation and Infrastructure)
7. H.R. 2093 - Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009 (Rep. Pallone - Transportation and Infrastructure)
8. H.R. 1752 - To provide that the usual day for paying salaries in or under the House of Representatives may be established by regulations of the Committee on House Administration (Rep. Brady (PA) - House Administration)
9. H.R. 2510 - Absentee Ballot Track, Receive, and Confirm Act (Rep. Davis (CA) - House Administration)
10. H.R. 2728 - William Orton Law Library Improvement and Modernization Act (Rep. Lofgren - House Administration)
11. H.R. 2749 - Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (Rep. Dingell – Energy and Commerce)

H.R. 3326 – Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2010 (Rep. Murtha – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)

H.R. 3269 - Corporate and Financial Institution Compensation Fairness Act of 2009 (Rep. Frank – Financial Services) (Subject to a Rule)

* Conference Reports may be brought up at any time.

* Motions to go to Conference should they become available.      

* Possible Motions to Instruct Conferees.

In the Senate, courtesy of the Secretary of the Senate:

No schedule available.

Committee events of note:

• Mon, 7/27, 3pm. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security: H.R. 743, the "Executive Accountability Act of 2009"
• Tue., 7/28, 10am. House Transportation & Infrastructure Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment: The Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Ash Slide: Evaluation of Potential Causes and Updates on Cleanup Efforts
• Tue., 7/28, 10am. Joint Economic Committee: Current Trends in Foreclosures and What More Can Be Done to Prevent Them
• Tue., 7/28, 10am. Senate Judiciary Committee: Nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, Assoc. Justice, Supreme Court of the United States
• Tue., 7/28, 2pm. House Oversight & Government Reform National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee: From Hard Drives to Helicopters: What’s the Plan for Withdrawal of U.S. Assets from Iraq
• Tue., 7/28, 2:30pm. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security: Prosecuting Terrorists: Civilian and Military Trials for GTMO and Beyond
• Wed., 7/29, 10am. House Foreign Affairs Committee: New Challenges for International Peacekeeping Operations. Witness: Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations

• Wed., 7/29, 2pm. House Homeland Security Committee: Beyond Readiness: An Examination of the Current Status and Future Outlook of the National Response to Pandemic Influenza
• Thu. 7/30, 9:30am. Senate Armed Services Committee: Nomination: Fmr. Rep. John McHugh, Sec. of the Army
• Thu., 7/30, 10am. House Veterans' Affairs  Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations: The Implications of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Limited Scope of Gulf War Illness Research
• Thu., 7/30, 1pm. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties: Proposals for Reform of the Military Commissions System
• Thu., 7/30, 2pm. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution: S. J. Res 7, a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to the election of Senators

The House will keep the wheels turning on Monday and Tuesday with another full plate of suspensions. That usually ticks people off, when they know there are so many important issues they'd rather see the House spending its time on. And normally, I'm able to point them to committee activity and explain that this is what the House occupies its time with when Members are traveling back and forth from their districts, or busy in committee with all that "real" stuff everyone wants them to be working on. But you may also notice that the committee schedules are a little on the light side, too. That's because the real action will be in an all-day meeting of the House Democratic Caucus on Monday, meant to air out all the issues they can on the health care reform bill, go through it section by section, answer Members' questions and concerns the best they can, and try to see if they can work things out such that they can move forward with the markup in the Energy & Commerce Committee and even possibly get to a floor vote at the end of the week -- which may mean over the actual weekend. The odds are on the slim side for a floor vote, to be sure. But they're getting better for at least moving ahead with the markup.

On the floor for sure later in the week are a few bills likely to spark at least some fireworks. The Defense appropriations bill, like all the approps bills this year, will undoubtedly draw Republican protest over restrictions on amendments. And as an added bonus, probably another resolution from Jeff Flake (R-AZ-06), targeting the PMA lobbying scandal, and indirectly (but not very indirectly) the Defense subcommittee chairman, Jack Murtha (D-PA-12).

On the Senate side, there's actually nothing penciled in on the calendar. The Senate did finally finish with the Department of Defense authorization bill that had occupied them for the past two weeks or so. I would anticipate that they'd be moving on to appropriations bills ASAP. The much-anticipated Finance Committee markup of the Senate version of the health care bill is not firmly on anyone's radar just yet, and the prospects for a Senate vote before the recess are virtually nil.

Full committee schedule appears below.

Read The Full Article:
http://feeds.dailykos.com/~r/dailykos/index/~3/Ht4uDzPFx3Q/-This-Week-in-Congress

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