“If we don’t act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double-digit unemployment,” President-elect Obama on Saturday in his weekly radio address.

As if clairvoyant in separate statements released last Friday afternoon, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio voiced their concerns on passing what is likely to be the largest spending bill in the the nation’s history without extended committee and floor debate.

“We agree with President-elect Obama that taking action to turn the economy around is job one. We also agree, though, that every dollar needs to be spent wisely and not wasted in the rush to get it spent,” Senator McConnell said. “And we hope that Democrats in Congress don’t attempt to shut the American taxpayer out of this process by trying to pass a bill that hasn’t been the subject of bipartisan review and that hasn’t been available for public inspection.”

“Let’s be clear,” said Congressman Boehner, “it is essential that this legislation be debated in a fair, open, and honest way. Congress should have public hearings in the appropriate committees, the text of the measure should be made available online for the American people to review for at least one week, and it should be free from special-interest earmarks.”

That the GOP is dragging its feet on the economic recovery stimulus package isn’t that shocking but to hear House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer suggest that the House of Representatives isn’t likely to pass an economic stimulus bill by President-elect Barack Obama’s first day in office is a tad disconcerting.

There’s something about Steny, I don’t quite understand. Why the lack of urgency? The Democrats had previously said they wanted a bill ready for President Obama to sign immediately on entering office. Now the time frame for the House to pass a bill “is hopefully certainly by the end of the month,” Congressman Hoyer said on Fox News Sunday. The timetable is now out of the House by the end of the month and pass the Senate by the mid-February recess. It’s not like the economy isn’t convulsing. 4Q08 GDP likely contracted 4.3%, retail sales are plummeting, unemployment is likely to surpass 7% within the month, the commercial real estate bubble is about to hit and yet Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle seem not to grasp the urgency of the matter nor the need for swift action. The longer we wait, the greater the climb out of the morass. The era of indecisive Democrats is over. Can someone please tell Steny Hoyer that?

Return to Main

The Minnesota State Canvassing Board will declare Democrat-Farm Labor candidate Al Franken the winner in the Minnesota Senate race tomorrow by a margin of 225 votes over incumbent GOP Senator Norm Coleman. However, the Coleman campaign has indicated that it will challenge the certification, contending the recount should have included about 650 absentee ballots it says were improperly rejected in the initial count. Meanwhile, Senator Chuck Schumer, the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says Al Franken should be seated in the U.S. Senate when it convenes on Tuesday. More from CNN.

Return to Main

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani has addressed the Arab world, calling on its leaders to hold an emergency summit and take a stance to stop the aggression on Gaza.

He said it is useless seeking the UN’s help unless Arab leaders listen to their people, who have been taking to the streets for over a week.

Return to Main

“This is the privilege of a lifetime.” – Michael F. Bennet on being selected to the United States Senate

I’ll say. And with privilege does come obligation and responsiblity. My sense, and it’s a hunch more than anything else, is that Michael Bennet will do well as a United States Senator. Call it noblesse oblige if you want. I say this because David Sirota of Open Left is mystified by the darkhouse pick and thinks we’re living in a “golden age of aristocracy.” I see David’s point but I’m not sure it is historically accurate. There has always been a political class in the United States and there will always likely be one but I don’t think our current era has some greater share of bluebloods in government. Mr. Bennet may be the son of a diplomat and a university president but he has been successful in his own right in both the private and public sector. By most acccounts, Mr Bennet has done an admirable job in improving Denver’s public schools. But to be honest, I am more excited about Mr. Bennet’s wife, Susan Daggett and what she brings to the equation. (more…)