Democrats

Deep Ties: Obama Ran Daschle's Campaign — Tom Daschle is no ordinary appointment. Not just because of his experience, or relationships, or prestige. The connection between Daschle and Obama is deep, and Daschle's influence in Obama's campaign is more significant than most realize. That's because Obama, to a point, was actually running Daschle's campaign. The sophistication and brutal efficiency of the Obama team is, in some ways, a historical accident. In general, politicians who have served at the national level for a mere two years cannot amass the top-level staff talent to run a serious campaign. And that should have been all the truer in a year... [Tags: 2004 elections, appointment, democrats, dick gephardt, efficiency]

Gridlock for the Auto Bailout; Trouble for 'Candidate 5' — By Ben Pershing On top of all the ills currently plaguing Detroit and the auto industry, you can add bad political timing, as the bailout is percolating through the system just as congressional Republicans a) feel that they owe President Bush nothing, and b) desperately want to distinguish themselves from the ruling Democrats. The result is c) gridlock, as the bailout package cleared the House comfortably last night but faces a much rockier road in the Senate. Maybe this is just standard practice, as Congress often appears hopelessly stuck right before a breakthough allows them to go home for the... [Tags: auto industry, bailout package, breakthough, congress, congressional republicans]

Making The Military Brass Lean Left? — By Patrick AppelHilzoy wonders how Obama will change the composition of the military:Obama's choices to date...raise the serious possibility that he could end (or at least mitigate) the Republican tilt of the senior officer corps. They have already experienced life under George W. Bush, and by all accounts, they did not care for it. But their distrust of Democrats might easily have prevented them from seriously considering drawing the obvious conclusion from Bush and Rumsfeld's trashing of the armed forces. If Obama can get past that hurdle, he could, just possibly, cause a very significant change. I don't expect that... [Tags: armed forces, choices, composition, democrats, distrust]

Frank Rich: The Brightest Are Not Always The Best — IN 1992, David Halberstam wrote a new introduction for the 20th-anniversary edition of "The Best and the Brightest," his classic history of the hubristic J.F.K. team that would ultimately mire America in Vietnam. He noted that the book's title had entered the language, but not quite as he had hoped. "It is often misused," he wrote, "failing to carry the tone or irony that the original intended." Halberstam died last year, but were he still around, I suspect he would be speaking up, loudly, right about now. As Barack Obama rolls out his cabinet, "the best and the brightest" has... [Tags: 20th anniversary, accolade, america in vietnam, anniversary edition, barack obama]

Democrats back stopgap aid for automakers — The compromise plan would divert $14 billion from an existing fund to avert possible bankruptcies. To pass, GOP and White House support are needed Congressional Democratic leaders agreed Friday night to a stopgap compromise to keep the Big Three U.S. automakers afloat into early next year by diverting about $14 billion from an existing fund to retool their factories, according to senior aides.... [Tags: aides, automakers, bankruptcies, compromise plan, democratic leaders]

The Georgia Runoff — Marc provides a guide to its meaning: Should Republicans have reason to crow about their chances in 2010? On the one hand, there's no Bush on the ticket. Ok, there might be one, but he'll be in Florida, and besides, he's not THAT Bush. Two: the Democrats are in charge, and Republicans will have something to rally the base with. Three: ... three is a "but."  But... more Republican retirements are expected, including at least two in blue states (Chuck Grassley of Iowa and George Voinovich of Ohio.)... [Tags: blue states, bush, chuck grassley, democrats, george voinovich]

The GOP Rebounds? — Nate Silver analyzes Chambliss's victory:...while proportionately lower black turnout tells part of the story, Chambliss also appeared to gain with white voters.In certain ways, this is an awkward time for a Democrat to be running for office. On the one hand, with the imminent end of George W. Bush's term in office, and the fact that Barack Obama has effectively been serving as shadow present -- Obama is generating between two and three times as much news coverage as Bush according to Google traffic metrics -- it has already become harder for Democrats to pin our country's problems on the... [Tags: awkward time, barack obama, chambliss, democrat, democrats]

Nate Silver: Chambliss Win Gives GOP 2010 Strategy — I tend to think that we should not be too dismissive of Saxby Chambliss's win in Georgia tonight. Although the outcome was expected, and although runoffs and special elections sometimes behave in idiosyncratic ways, moving from a 3-point margin of victory on November 4 to a 15-point margin of victory a month later is a significant accomplishment. ... But while proportionately lower black turnout tells part of the story, Chambliss also appeared to gain with white voters. In certain ways, this is an awkward time for a Democrat to be running for office. On the one hand, with the imminent... [Tags: accomplishment, awkward time, barack obama, democrat, democrats]

Georgia Senate Seat — Saxby Chambliss' runoff victory in a race that didn't turn out to be close at all (the latest figures have him beating challenger Jim Martin by a lopsided 58-43%, with voter turnout around half of what it was in last month's general election) has killed the Democrats' hopes of having the 60 members they would need to stop a filibuster in a Senate. But as anyone who has ever been majority leader can tell you, having 60 members has never been the same as having 60 votes. It is far easier to hold your members together as a blog when... [Tags: blog, challenger, democrats, filibuster, general election]

Republicans win crucial Georgia Senate seat — ATLANTA (Reuters) - Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss easily won a run-off election in Georgia on Tuesday, denying Democrats the chance for a 60-seat "super majority" in the Senate that would have enabled them to pass legislation virtually at will.... [Tags: democrats, georgia senate, legislation, republican, republicans]

Democrats Plot Series of Quick Legislative Victories — WASHINGTON - Democratic congressional leaders, eager to trumpet that change has come to Washington, are looking to enact quickly a series of popular bills in January in such areas as renewable energy, children's health care and embryonic stem-cell research. The top priority remains an economic stimulus package. But Democrats also want to tackle rapidly an array of bills they consider "low-hanging fruit." Those measures won considerable bipartisan support in the last Congress, but were vetoed, filibustered or otherwise blocked by the Republican White House and its allies in the Senate and House.... [Tags: allies, array, bipartisan support, congressional leaders, democrats]

Few moderates left in GOP — Pew: Democrats Conservative: 25 Liberal: 34 Moderate: 37 Republicans Conservative: 68 Liberal: 4 Moderate: 25 Independents Conservative: 30 Liberal: 20 Moderate: 45 The GOP has become completely radicalized, taken over by its conservative wing, while Democrats are much more of a big-tent party. Sure, it leads to some internal conflict, but better that than the regional rump party the GOP is fast becoming.... [Tags: conservative wing, democrats, gop, independents, internal conflict]

Rove Defends Bush's Low Approval Ratings Leaving Office: People "Tire" Of A Presidency (VIDEO) — In an interview with Karl Rove this morning, Matt Lauer brought up President Bush's recent interview with Charlie Gibson, where the president stated, "I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me." Lauer goes on to address Bush's low approval ratings and ask Bush's Brain, "What went wrong?" Rove sighs and avoids the question, but when pressed Rove responds, "Look... at the end of eight years --Republicans or Democrats, when they've had the White House-- people tire of it." Rove then tries to move past the question. The relevant question starts at 4:15 in the clip below. WATCH:... [Tags: approval ratings, barack obama, brain, charlie gibson, democrats]

GOP Senator Pleads With Democrats To Bail Out Detroit — The auto industry's most prominent Republican backer is pressing Democratic leaders to take swift action this month to help the nation's car industry, arguing that doing nothing would have devastating economic consequences. "I believe we must work swiftly to allow the domestic automotive industry to gain access to emergency assistance," Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) wrote to House and Senate Democratic leaders on Monday. "The risk in doing nothing is too great," he wrote.... [Tags: auto industry, automotive industry, backer, car industry, democratic leaders]

Will redistricting help Democrats? — Beginning in 2010, the number 722,000 will rule state-by-state congressional politics. When the Census Bureau finishes counting Americans, it's expected to find that the U.S. population will have increased from about 281 million in 2000 to 315 million. Many states will face reapportionment based on about 722,000 residents per district — gaining or losing seats in the House of Representatives according to the states' populations as determined by the 2010 census...... [Tags: census bureau, congressional politics, democrats, house of representatives, population]

Jeff Madrick: The Republican Presidential Recession Record — Here's the count. You decide. Dwight Eisenhower: 2 recessions Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford: 2 recessions Ronald Reagan: 1 recession George H.W. Bush: 1 recession George W. Bush: 2 recessions Here are the Democrats: John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson: no recessions Jimmy Carter: one recession, the briefest of the era Bill Clinton: no recessions Eight to one: As I say, you decide.... [Tags: bill clinton, democrats, dwight eisenhower, ford, george h w bush]

Paulson: Treasury Devising More Lending Programs — U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Monday that more programs are being developed to stimulate lending but warned a severe financial crisis is stubbornly persisting.Democrats Weigh $500 Billion Stimulus... [Tags: democrats, financial crisis, henry paulson, stimulus, treasury secretary henry paulson]

Texan Of The Year — Dreher nominates Ron Paul:The same GOP establishment that mocked and reviled Dr. Paul now lies shattered. Who believes in this Republican Party anymore? The party destroyed itself with its own unprincipled recklessness, both in foreign and fiscal policy. And it has ruined its reputation among the young - the most ardent of Dr. Paul's supporters, incidentally - who are far more likely to identify with the Democrats.Out of this destruction, some creative young conservatives may rise up and decide to take back the Republican Party. Perhaps they'll run against the overweening power of the federal government and in favor of... [Tags: dallas morning news, democrats, dr paul, federal government, fiscal policy]

Another RNC Candidate — Republicans just don't get it. Katon Dawson, the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, the latest candidate to throw his hat into the ring to become the next head of the Republican National Committee, is disappointed that his party is out of power. He agrees that it needs new ideas and direction. His solution? Renew our commitment to our Party’s timeless principles...by reconfirming our commitment to be the party of smaller government, lower taxes, individual freedom, strong national security, respect for the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, the importance of family and the exceptionalism of America. Sounds familiar, doesn't... [Tags: dawson, democrats, exceptionalism, gays, god]