"The most consistent and smartest thinking and writing about progressive politics isn't happening in Sacramento, but being churned out day after day on sites and by organizations like Calitics, Orange County Progressive, and the California Budget Project." - CalBuzz
New Orleans may sink into the sea by 2100. Much of Florida may also be underwater by then. Drought will likely become the norm out West, meaning California could no longer provide the food we depend upon. Las Vegas may become downright inhabitable.
No, I'm not fabricating any of this. These will be the consequences of inaction if we continue to delay implementing the solutions we need to solve the coming climate crisis. But for some reason, may of our supposedly wise lawmakers in Capitol Hill are either willfully ignorant of the facts or downright lying about our future.
Arlen Spector's switcheroo? Maine Senator Olympia Snowe said it best today:
"Ultimately, we're heading to having the smallest political tent in history, the way events have been unfolding. If the Republican Party fully intends to become a majority party in the future, it must move from the far right back toward the middle."
Of course, the GOP's official mouthpieces are spinning like crazy. Their strategy? Paint Spector as a...wait for it...politician. Shocking!
First up was RNC Chairman Michael Steele:
I hope Arlen Specter's party change outrages you. It should for two reasons:
First--Specter claimed it was philosophical--and pointed his finger of blame at Republicans all over America for his defection to the Democrats. He told us all to go jump in the lake today.
I'm sorry, but I don't believe a word he said.
Arlen Specter committed a purely political and self-serving act today. He simply believes he has a better chance of saving his political hide and his job as a Democrat. He loves the title of Senator more than he loves the party--and the principles--that elected him and nurtured him.
Second--and more importantly--Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate. In leaving the Republican Party--and joining the Democrats--he absolutely undercut Republicans' efforts to slow down Obama's radical agenda through the threat of filibuster.
Facing defeat in Pennsylvania's 2010 Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record, and an end to his 30 year career in the U.S. Senate, he has peddled his services--and his vote--to the leftist Obama Democrats who aim to remake America with their leftist plan.
Next up was the National Republican Senatorial Committee, writing:
As we learned today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter has decided become a Democrat in the face of a seemingly insurmountable bid for re-election next year in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, his decision represents the height of political expediency that voters have come to reject from Washington.
Even before his announcement today, Senator Specter's political future was in grave danger, with recent polls showing him trailing former U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey by more than 20 points.....While we are disappointed that Senator Specter has put personal ambition ahead of principles, we are confident that the Keystone State will reject this posturing and elect a new Republican Senator who will stand by his word next year.
Riiiigghhht. Pat Toomey has NO chance of defeating Spector next year. Spector will be re-elected as a Democrat.
What made Spector switch was what has made so many in Orange County and across the country switch....there's simply no room for moderates in the Republican Party. Snowe and the other senator from Maine Susan Collins might be next.
The Democrats fight a lot, the Democratic conservatives drive the liberals crazy and vice versa...but the big tent is what makes the Democrats Democrats.
Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning.
Specter's decision would give Democrats a 60 seat filibuster proof majority in the Senate assuming Democrat Al Franken is eventually sworn in as the next senator from Minnesota. (Former senator Norm Coleman is appealing Franken's victory in the state Supreme Court.)
"I have decided to run for re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary," said Specter in a statement. "I am ready, willing and anxious to take on all comers and have my candidacy for re-election determined in a general election."
He added: "Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right. Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."
Overall, I'm happy. I mean, why shouldn't I be when we will be assured of 60 Senate votes once Al Franken is seated in Minnesota? Still, I have a few reservations.
Sen. Barbara Boxer told a group of bloggers and reporters on Saturday at the CDP convention that she expects a tough race for re-election next year, no matter whom her opponent is.
In response to a question from OC Progressive, she said it didn't matter whether her opponent was Chuck DeVore or former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
"I hope no one runs against me. But I would tell my opponents, 'you are going to face a tough race and I am going to win.'" Boxer said. "[They should] think about it because it's going to be hard."
Boxer also said she believes we should investigate the use of torture during the Bush Administration.
"I like the idea of a truth commission," Boxer said. She said it should be an indiependent body with subpoena power and the power to give immunity, with the results being forwarded to the Justice Department.
First quarter fund-raising reports were released for the 2010 California Senate race, and movement conservative champion Chuck Devore had a dismal quarter.
Chuck only raised $132,000,finishing with more debt than cash,in his quixotic Senate race. Barbara Boxer has $4.6 million in cash on hand.
But what's worse is that Chuck spent $109,272 on expenses, most of it trying to develop a national fund-raising base, using direct mail consultants HSP in Herndon, Virginia.
Direct mail campaigns like this take time to show results, but so far it looks like Chuck's spending more than he's taking in. The totals almost make you wonder if Chuck's campaign is a serious Senate race, or part of a campaign to find a slot on talk radio or in the various organizations funded by right-wing billionaires.
Here's Chuck at the Sacto tea party flailing away at the non-existent movement to reinstitute the fairness doctrine and protect media conglomerates.
Republican social media guru Assemblyman Chuck DeVore has Facebooked, Constant Contacted, YouTubed and Twittered himself into third place in the Republican race to unseat Barbara Boxer in 2010.
According to the Capitol Alert, the Field Poll found that in a hypothetical Republican primary, DeVore comes in third:
Without the governor, Fiorina leads DeVore 31 percent to 19 percent -- but with half the electorate undecided.
Even more devastatingly, 82 percent of the electorate has NO OPINION of DeVore and that includes 80 percent of Republicans.
The coup de grace is that DeVore's results were so dismal, the Field Poll didn't even poll him directly against Boxer, who easily defeats both Schwarzenegger and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina.
Last month, DeVore was awarded the "Shorty Award" for best political use of Twitter, an instant text messaging service.
In remarks at the California Republican convention, former HP executive Carly Fiorina, who left Hewlett Packard with a 42 million dollar golden parachute after being forced out, criticized corporate greed. She also, unsurprisingly, defended executive compensation.
In a speech to College Republicans, she was coy about her plans to challenge front-runner Chuck Devore for the Republican nomination to run against Senator Barbara Boxer in the 2010 Senate race.
Fiorina, in a meeting with California College Republicans just a few moments ago, acknowledged that she is "considering a run for Barbara Boxer's seat" in the U.S. Senate. The room of young Republicans erupted with applause at the mention of Boxer's name. The Senate Democrat is a staunch liberal and the subject of much ire in conservative circle.
Devore also spoke to College Republicans and had a competition with former E-bay executive Steve Poizner over who was most tech savvy. Devore boasted of over 1500 twitter followers and 3,000 Facebook friends.
I asked Tom Harman last year about the Republican plan for the budget. He described it as a "game of chicken", where the Republicans were refusing any new revenue sources, while the Democrats refused to make budget cuts that weren't balanced by new taxes.
Refusing to act responsibly during good economic times has brought us to our current crisis,where our state's credit is shot, we don't have enough cash to pay the bills, and all of our options suck.
Last night we saw that Senator Harman and 11 Republicans had modified their plan. They now have a new driver in their suicidal game.
Republicans have no tangible plans, just the same tired lies and same slogans. False moderate Tom Harman may be the worst of the lot, an aging opportunist who has been bullied into submission.
