Your weekly dispatch from the world of higher education....
The New York Times reported last week on Reid’s “brutish style” and “uncompromising control” over the amendments process in the Senate. Why are more people finally catching on to Reid’s flagrant disregard for Senate customs? In part because conservatives aren’t the only ones complaining. Democrats such as Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota — who wants to repeal Obamacare’s medical-device tax — and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York — who has waged a highly publicized campaign to reform the way the military handles sexual-assault cases — have been denied votes on their proposed amendments to various bills. Gillibrand had hoped to attach her sexual-assault amendment to the defense-appropriations bill that passed in December, but no amendments were allowed. Klobuchar has called for “a more open amendment process” because she’d like a vote on repealing the medical-device tax.We all watched as frustrated politicians on both sides of the aisle complained that there were more than 300 bills "sitting on Harry Reid's desk," so it seems less than reasonable to focus on legislative accomplishments by first-term GOP senators who were apparently very busily working on legislation that then ended up mired down by Reid. Even House Dems were urging Reid to pass their bills in the Senate. To no avail.
Your weekly dispatch from the world of higher education....
Bobby Jindal is Indian-American, but you’ll never hear him describe himself that way. Marco Rubio insists he’s an “American of Hispanic descent.” And Ted Cruz “certainly” identifies as Hispanic, but he didn’t run for office as “the Hispanic guy.” These Republican lawmakers, along with African-American conservative favorite Ben Carson, look poised to make the 2016 GOP presidential field the party’s most diverse ever. They are all mulling over White House runs as the GOP continues to struggle with minority voters and as racial tensions over police conduct have captivated the nation.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren told CNN she has been treated differently as a woman in the clubby upper chamber — echoing the general sentiments of her colleague Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who wrote about sexism in the Senate in a recent book. During a wide-ranging interview on the Colorado campaign trail—where she was stumping for endangered incumbent Sen. Mark Udall—CNN asked Warren whether she had experienced any different treatment as a woman. "Yes," she said. Would she elaborate? "Nope." But was it surprising? "Not really, I wish it were," she told CNN. "But it's hard to change these big, male dominated institutions. What I am very happy about is that there are now enough women in the United States Senate to bring change to that place and I think that's just powerfully important." There are now 20 women in the senate. Warren added: "You know, others have said it before me. If you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu." Warren's comments did make one clear case: women will be treated as equals when there continue to be more women in the Senate.
Her most recent job experience (other than performing her duties as Miss New York and competing in the Miss America pageant) was three months as an "education" intern with Planned Parenthood. Her profile says that she presented programs in local schools regarding mutual respect and self-esteem. Is this how the country's leading abortion provider is insinuating itself into the lives of school children?
Martha Robertson, the Democrat who's challenging Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, this fall, got a big boost Monday when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named her to its "Red to Blue" program -- signaling that she's one of the top Democratic House challengers in the country. The Democratic campaign committee selects challengers for the Red to Blue program when they've shown strong ability to raise funds, build a campaign and present a credible alternative to voters.
Barack Obama's presidential campaign has been fined $375,000 by the Federal Election Commission for violating federal disclosure laws, Politico reports. An FEC audit of Obama for America's 2008 records found the committee failed to disclose millions of dollars in contributions and dragged its feet in refunding millions more in excess contributions.
The Senate passed a pork-laden Sandy Relief bill: Hurricane Sandy relief bill “pork” complaints is reportedly a sticking point fiscally conservative lawmakers. The $27 billion relief legislation crafted to offer Super Storm Sandy disaster aid will reportedly be stalled until after the Congressional session, which ends...
It may seem counter-intuitive, but Upstate New York (the NY flyover country) is a key to holding the House, and will form a core of Operation Counterweight. In 2010, Republicans picked up several seats upstate; redistricting has caused the loss of one upstate seat (and...
Via Jazz Shaw, NY redistricting is finalized and Ithaca -- part of retiring Maurice Hinchey's district which disappeared -- now is part of the district of Republican Congressman Tom Reed (campaign website). I don't know a lot about Tom, but I'll be finding out for sure,...
Bob Turner won the race for the Congressional seat vacated by Anthony Weiner. (Oh, what a night.) Redistricting in NY State looks to eliminate his district, something that was anticipated even before Turner's victory. So Turner is striking back, and has just announced plans to run against...
The United States will be boycotting the "Durban III" conference:The US on Wednesday announced it will not attend the 10-year commemoration of a global UN conference on combating racism because past meetings have included “ugly displays of intolerance and anti-Semitism.”The Obama administration made the announcement...
Amity Shlaes, my favorite living writer, is being recruited to run for the Senate in New York by Adam Brickley of The Dogcatcher Project. Brickley notes that "With Shlaes in the race, we can apply serious pressure on Gillibrand to explain her stunning about-face on...
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) was right to insist on greater financial accountability and fraud prevention in the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (history of text changes here).The Zadroga Act had all the hallmarks of the type of government spending which, without vigilance, gave rise to...
I have some labels for them:Loser RINOs: Mike Castle, Charlie Christ, Bob InglisEgomaniacs: Michael BloombergAstroturfers: Nancy Jacobson, Mark McKinnonTalking heads: David Brooks, Joe Scarborough, Mika BrzezinskiDemocrats: Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN)Coffee Party The Group Which Cannot Be Mentioned By...
Harry Reid's comment that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand was the "hottest" in the Senate has generated reaction ranging from "there he goes again" to "sexist!"When I posted first thing this morning about it, I guess I fell into the "there he goes again" crowd (Someone Tell...
Via The Politico, Reid calls Gillibrand the 'hottest' member at fundraiser:Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had an unusual form of praise for New York's junior senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, this morning at the fundraiser Mayor Bloomberg hosted for him at his townhouse - referring to her...
