Category Archives: law
Health care reform passes
So, against all expectation, the Democratic Party managed to hang together and finally pass the comprehensive health care bill. As a lifelong Democrat, I am flabbergasted. I was certain they’d find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of … Continue reading
The rising threat to music of the home taping phenomenon
This video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3jkUhG68wY&feature=player_embedded) is a hilarious take-down of the music publishing industry’s allegation that personal filesharing is “killing” music. Part of the fun is figuring out the early 1980s references. Also, I would totally buy a flag that had that … Continue reading
David Brooks is disingenuous, delusional, or an idiot
Today, David Brooks had a column on the Op-Ed page of the New York Times. It’s pretty much a standard Brooks piece, bemoaning the lack of civility in Washington today. It is wrong on its facts and wrong on its … Continue reading
Reconciliation, in 90 seconds or less.
This video gives an explanation of the process of reconciliation vis a vis the health care bill. It’s brief, lucid, and informative. Needless to say, it won’t get airplay or attention. *sigh*
Our (Even More) Broken Senate
News comes that Senator Richard Shelby has placed a blanket hold on Obama administration appointments, apparently as part of a plan to extort pork for his state. With Scott Brown having been seated, the chance of cloture on these holds … Continue reading
A well-deserved smack-down on trials of terrorists
Adam Serwer at TAPPED has a nice response to Richard Cohen’s latest hyperventilating bed-wetting over the upcoming trial of several terrorists. I’m disappointed that NYC has successfully lobbied to have the trials held elsewhere, though I’m glad that the main … Continue reading
Another Democrat making sense
So why isn’t any of the so-called leadership — in the Capitol or in the Oval Office — listening? On the Huffington Post, Paul Begala offers his own, lucid take on the choice facing Democrats: Pass the Senate bill, or … Continue reading
What the heck is reconciliation?
(a) The rite in the Catholic Church formerly known as penace. (b) A process whereby congressional resolutions are harmonized with the budget. Under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, it provides a procedure to consider (certain types of) bills without … Continue reading
The Democratic playbook
in convenient cartoon form. I got this via Ezra Klein’s fantastic blog, but apparently it’s by Tom Toles.
My congressional lobbying
I haven’t really gotten involved in haranguing my elected representatives before, but the possibility of health care reform is so tantalizingly close — and the apparent drift of the Democratic so-called “leadership” is so grindingly predictable and frustrating — that … Continue reading
