Archive for the ‘politics’ Category

Am I the only one who finds the Manchin situation distasteful?

Posted: November 9, 2010 by datechguy in politics
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I know that turnabout is fair play but Manchin was elected as a democrat just a week ago. I think it would be dishonorable for him to suddenly switch sides without even giving the Majority he is a part of to demonstrate common sense:

Republicans are making some big promises to try to lure West Virginia Senator-elect Joe Manchin to cross the aisle.

Aside from his pick of committee assignments (likely the Energy and Natural Resources Committee), Manchin might get support for one of his pet projects – a plant to convert coal to diesel fuel that has stalled under Democratic leadership in Washington.

It’s one of Manchin’s pet projects and could mean big money for the state’s coal producers.

I know its politics but I think its bad form all around. Give it at least 6 months.

Voter Fraud in Worcester Ma.

Posted: November 9, 2010 by datechguy in elections, politics
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Martin Soloman bluntly says aloud what I’ve been hearing only in whispers.

Attached is a photo I took when a Neighbor to Neighbor organizer escorted a voter into the booth as an “interpreter” [See above]. Funny; the ballots were bi-lingual so I didn’t see the need for an interpreter. She was coaching voters to vote all “D’s” and on a few occasions she actually had the pen in her hand.

I was almost kicked out by the police officer who was sitting in the room when I took this photo but I told him I’d be more cooperative and sat back down. Soon after this photo the Baker legal team [Charles Baker, Republican candidate for governor] was able to convince the warden and the officer that this woman was not allowed to escort any more voters to the booths. She quickly changed tactics and started sending people in with a sample ballot filled out so the voter would just copy it. Incredible!

well that’s only one example, oh wait:

These “interpreters” were certainly the call of the day. At the location I was working, the “interpreter” was a priest — or some cat with a priest collar on from a church that sounded anything but sacred. I reported him numerous times to the two wardens who did talk to him, but argued with me about him being an interpreter. I informed them that typically interpreters don’t talk with their hands unless they’re in the deaf community. And they usually don’t need polling pens, to interpret, either. I also mentioned that the ballots were bilingual except for the names that were all over the TV, radio, lawn signs, etc. for the past year. None of this seemed to impart any wisdom on the wardens.

Read the whole thing and you won’t wonder why the results were so contrary to the polls around here.

Will Scott Brown become the Fishbait Miller of the Senate?

Posted: November 8, 2010 by datechguy in politics
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When heading toward re-election pols tend to take the feelings of the voters back home a lot more seriously.

In Maine for example Republicans swept statewide elections pretty solidly. It should have an interesting effect on Maine two liberal republicans and the day of their next race comes closer.

In Massachusetts the clean sweep of offices for democrats will likely not be lost on Scott Brown when election day 2012 comes around. The same turnout machine that pushed Patrick et/al will still exist, and may even be aided by national money.

But the dynamic in the Senate has changed dramatically as George Will puts it:

When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had 40 or 41 senators in his caucus, he usually had 40 or 41 votes when he felt he urgently needed them. Beginning in January, with at least 46 senators, he will always have 41 votes when he really wants them.

There are going to be times when Scott Brown is going to want to demonstrate his “independence” from the GOP caucus. With 6 votes to give McConnell will be able to do without Brown, or Collins or Snowe and still stop anything he needs to.

The question is this. Will he gain more sympathy at home opposing the GOP or not. Or to put it another way. We know the machine will be against him no matter what he does, so will he make more points with the electorate with the electorate going left or going right?

Of course he could just do the right thing and do what he thinks is right…

Did I just hear James Clyburn suggest that’s its racist to call him liberal?

Posted: November 7, 2010 by datechguy in opinion/news, politics
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Bob Schieffer just asked Clyburn if he goes higher in the leadership with Pelosi will it make the Democratic Party in the house more liberal.

Clyburn said he defied labels pointing out that he campaigned in more bluedog districts than progressive ones and said people are calling him liberal based on the color of his skin.

I guess no fact and no election will allow some people to drop the race card, let me educate the congressman (who knows these things but is spinning)

1. He was invited to more blue dog districts because those were the seats in danger.

2. He was invited to those seats to energize the black vote that is totally de-energized, so if anyone was basing their judgment of him based on skin color it was his fellow blue dogs.

3. To say in one breath that he is not liberal and then defend health coverage as a fundamental right can only be done when you have a safe seat and an interviewer who will not challenge him.

Let’s be blunt, he owes his election to the fact the district is majority minority (Whites only make up 40% of the electorate) and has the largest percentage of blacks, who vote monolithic democrat, in the state.

No wonder he plays the race card even here. Without that card ironically played by the Republicans in the statehouse to concentrate the black vote as much as possible, he likely doesn’t have the power he holds today.

What a joke.

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