Florida SEN Update

Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio now holds double-digit lead over Governor Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate seat.  There is a new Rasmussen poll that shows Rubio has now jumped to a 12-point lead over Crist in the Florida’s Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, 49% to 37%.

There is another recent poll by Tony Fabrizio that shows Rubio leading Crist, 44% to 30%.

Adding more fuel to the flame, Rubio has agreed to a nationally-televised debate against Crist on Fox News Sunday to be aired next month.  Crist has not yet accepted.

This is getting more interesting by the week.

Recess Appointments

Under the Constitution (Article II, Section 2, clause 2), the President and the Senate share the power to make appointments to high-level policy-making positions in federal departments, agencies, boards, and commissions. Generally, the President nominates individuals to these positions, and the Senate must confirm them before he can appoint them to office. The Constitution also provides an exception to this process. When the Senate is in recess, the President may make a temporary appointment, called a recess appointment, to any such position without Senate approval (Article II, Section 2, clause 3).

In order to extract concessions from the executive branch, senators from both parties routinely block nominees by informing their party’s leadership that they will place a “hold” — or object to a unanimous consent request to speed consideration of legislative business.

To overcome a hold, the Senate must invoke cloture, requiring 60 votes and several days of time-consuming debate. And thanks to Senator Scott Brown, everyone is well aware of what cloture is.

Now, I am not here to debate the merits of Craig Becker, the union lawyer up for nomination for the National Labor Relations Board. That is not the reason for this post.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid used to consider recess appointments “an end run around the Senate and the Constitution” — so much so that he kept the chamber open during breaks to prevent President Bush from making any more of them. But now he’s singing a different tune.

During the Bush years, the President made many recess appointments – 171 to be exact (Bill Clinton made 139). What is at issue is the amount of hypocrisy that is running amuck.

Here are a few reactions from Democratic senators not so long ago.

“It’s sad but not surprising that this White House would abuse the power of the presidency…”

- Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)

“I seriously question the legality of the President’s use of the recess appointment authority…”

- Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT)

The Daily Kos happily reminds us that “One year into the Bush administration, there were 70 appointees awaiting confirmation. One year into the Obama administration, there are 177.” But what it doesn’t tell its readers is that in the first year of the Bush presidency, the Senate was split even among Democrats and Republicans 50-50, with Dick Cheney breaking any ties. By contrast, the first year of the Obama presidency saw Democrats with a 60 seat super majority.

To reiterate, I do not oppose recess appointment, just hypocrisy in action.

Oh When the Saints Go Marching In

Last night was quite the show.  Super Bowl Sunday lived up to its hype as being Must See TV!  Super Bowl XLIV pitted the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts down in Miami.  It was the Colts’ fourth appearance, and the Saints’ first.

I’ve never really been a Saints’ fan.  Growing up in Texas, my entire life has been spent cheering for the Dallas Cowboys – America’s Team.  But with the Cowboys being knocked out of the playoffs, I decided to root for the Saints.

AND THEY WON!  They won big!!  31-17.

My friend @PaulMangano last night said to me on Twitter, “When you start shouting ‘WHODAT?!?’ after the big game, you sound like a bandwagon Saints fan.  Nobody likes a bandwagon fan.”

He raised a very valid point.  But I had to point out to him that earlier in the week I stated that I was going to be a temporary member of WhoDatNation.  You see, I’m a big fan of the city of N’awins.  I go down most years to NOLA for Mardi Gras.

So, while the Cowboys are still my team, last night, I rooted for the city to which I give so much of my money to (Mardi Gras, Southern Decadence, JazzFest, New Year’s Eve, weddings, and other occasions).

So a final congratulations and a big WHODAT! to the Saints.  You deserve it!

Lastly, laissez le bon  temps rouler!!

Good News for the Blade/Agenda?

Is there good news for the family that once was the Washington Blade and is now the DC Agenda?  According to the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA), the former employees of the Washington Blade could become the owners of their former papers, at bargain-basement prices.

As you may recall, early on a Monday morning back in mid-November of last year, it was announced that Window Media had abruptly closed up shop over the weekend.

With the closing, so went use of the name ‘Washington Blade’, it’s URL, and, most importantly, its archive of 40 years of reporting on and for the LGBT community.

February 25, 2010 is the target date for announcing who wins the bids for the Blade and the other publications owned by Windows Media – Southern Voice, David, and genre.com, among others.

According to ProjectQAtlanta,

“In Washington, a $15,000 bid for the Washington Blade came from Brown Naff Pitts Omnimedia, Inc., a company that includes former employees of the Washington Blade who launched D.C. Agenda in the wake of the Blade’s collapse. They include Kevin Naff, the Blade’s former editor, former Publisher Lynne Brown and sales executive Brian Pitts.”

I wish Lynne and all of my friends over at the DC Agenda the best of luck in this endeavor.  You continue to make us proud.

No More Dawg for Idol?

The rumor mill is a flutter with talk that Randy Jackson’s days are number on American Idol.  With Paula Abdul already gone, and Simon Cowell leaving at season’s end to bring his X-Factor to the States, Randy will be the last original judge on the show.

Some Hollywood blogs, including Popcrunch have said, “Randy was basically told that there was a very good chance he was not going to be asked back after this season,”  said the tipster. “Now that Simon’s leaving at the end of the season, they are rethinking the roles of the other judges — and that includes Randy…..”

In a strange twist, could we find all three original Idol judges as the judges next year for the American version of X-Factor?

Things that make you go, hmmmmmmmm…

A Snotorious Tsnonami of a Snowpocalypse

What do you get when you mix the anticipation of multiple feet of snow with the interwebs?  Great drink specials!

Yesterday morning, I received a Facebook message from Mark Rutstein, the general manager of Cobalt, one of my favorite haunts.  The message was short, simple, and very to the point, “I wanted to share that we will open early at 1pm today for Snowpocalypse drink specials — $1 Rail Drinks 1-7.”  He concluded with statement, boldly challenging Mother Nature, “We are open all weekend regardless of the weather.”

This man wasn’t messing around!

So naturally, I passed on the information to the DChomos.  Some of them arrived promptly at 1pm, having been sent home early due to the incoming snow storm.  When I arrived at 4pm, the place was fairly crowded.  Keep in mind Cobalt doesn’t usually open until 5pm.  But we Washingtonians like to drink.  Three hours and less than $20 later (somewhat inebriated), I headed to the warmth and dryness that is home.

Now I need to figure out how to dig my way out of my cave for tomorrow to head to the Wadsworth Super Bowl party.  That will be interesting.

inebriated

My Response to McCain on DADT

Senator McCain, in 2008 I voted for you for President, even though you called me a “fucker” on the Senate floor back in 2003.  Today, I wish to take my vote back!

The reason is simple.  Your word no longer stands for anything.  You’re a hypocrite.  In the infamous words of Rep. Joe Wilson, “YOU LIE!”

In October 2006, Senator McCain, you said that the day that the leadership of the military came to and said the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy ought to change, you would “seriously” consider changing it.

In an interview with the former Washington Blade in 2008, you said you would “defer to our military commanders” on the issue.  That happened this week.

Back in 1999, you said,

“I support the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy because Gen. Colin Powell, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, all of the military leaders that I respect and admire came up with this policy … They thought it was the best way to address a very difficult problem within our military.”

And just last year, you said,

“My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position.”

Well guess what Senator McCain?  That too, happened this week.  General Powell has reversed his position.

“In the almost seventeen years since the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed. The principal issue has always been the effectiveness of the Armed Forces and order and discipline in the ranks. I strongly believe that this is a judgment to be made by the current military leadership and the Commander in Chief. It is also a judgment Congress must make. For the past two years, I have expressed the view that it was time for the law to be reviewed by Congress. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I will be closely following future hearings, the views of the Service Chiefs and the implementation work being done by the Department of Defense.”

So you are now drawing a new line.  But so am I.  I will support former Congressman J.D. Hayworth in his efforts to send you off into retirement.  It’s a long shot, but one well worth taking.

Your leadership has grown sour.  Your effectiveness has been diminished.  It’s time for you to go!

The ‘Do As I Say President’

The Washington Post has an article today about Obama criticizing Senate Republicans for delaying confirmation votes.  WaPo quotes the President as saying,

“We’ve got a huge backlog of folks who are unanimously viewed as well qualified — nobody has a specific objection to them — but end up having a hold on them because of some completely unrelated piece of business.”

In his most recent bout of selective amnesia, the President must have forgotten that the rules of the Senate when he was in that chamber have not changed with his appointment as king.  Senate rules allow for a senator to place a hold on a president’s nominee for any reason, at any time.

WaPo goes on to note that the President, when he was the junior Senator from Illinois, exercised this exact same practice at least three times.

In 2005, a year after his election to the Senate, Obama placed a hold on Susan Bodine to lead the Environmental Protection Agency office that oversees Superfund and emergency cleanup programs because the agency had missed a deadline on new regulations for lead paint exposure.

In September 2006, Obama and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) blocked Robert L. Wilkie’s nomination as a Defense Department assistant secretary over a long-delayed Pentagon report on Midwestern wind farms.

And Obama joined with other Democrats in October 2007 to block the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky to the Federal Election Commission. Von Spakovsky later withdrew; Wilkie and Bodine were eventually confirmed.

So once again, the Lecturer-in-Chief tells us that the rules that apply to us, do not apply to him.

DADT and The Right

In spite what John McCain and Senate Republicans on the Armed Services Committee (minus Sen. Susan Collins) would have you believe, not all supporters of the Grand Ole Party are opposed to repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

Below are just three examples since the conclusion of the hearings yesterday.  Two are from conservative columnists and one is about a senior Senator who is a devout Mormon.

This is not to say that my entire party is in support of this Obama initiative, just to show that we are changing hearts and minds — one heart, one mind, one day at a time.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT)

Sen. Hatch said today that he’s open to repealing DADT, a key signal that the repeal might get true bipartisan support.  Maine Senator Susan Collins already supports the repeal.

Hatch told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that he doesn’t agree with most of the arguments against repeal. “I just do not believe in prejudice of any kind,” he said.

Charles Krauthammer, on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier 02/02/10

“I think it is a good idea and I think the Administration’s approach, which is a gradual approach, is the right one – which is to study how to do it over a year, and then to implement it over years.

“Remember when the armed forces were racially integrated in 1948, it was over five years.  Now I don’t think these are equivalent entities, but in terms of adaptation, you are going to want a period of time.

“The mores in the country have changed, certainly in the last 16 years, and certainly among the young.  I think it’s a form of discrimination that’s out lived itself.

“The British, Australian, and Canadians, who have serious armies, have already done this.  I think we ought to study how it should be done in the most reasonable way, but I think it’s a good idea to get it underway and get it started.”

Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard, on Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier 02/02/10

“I also think personally that this is a policy that’s outlived its usefulness.  I don’t think that there is a reason that a proud patriotic gay or lesbian American shouldn’t be able to serve, shouldn’t be able to choose to put his or her life at risk in order to defend the country.

“You’ve heard these horror stories about Arabic linguists who haven’t been able to serve or have had their service cut short because of their sexual orientation when you’ve got a deep need for that kind of skill set in the military.  On its surface, it doesn’t make any sense.

“But I also agree that this will take time.  It will take a lot of time.  As this process moves forward, people need to be very clear about the implications.”

More on DADT Hearing

Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee met to discuss a myriad of military issues, mostly pertaining to the budget. But the last hour of the four-hour session dealt specifically on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, a Clinton era policy and law. The hearing room was packed, and quite star-studded. Lt. Daniel Choi was there, as was MSNBC prime time queen Rachel Maddow.

The political gay left and right were also among those present. I saw members of Stonewall Democrats, GOPROUD, and a few other Log Cabin Republicans other than myself.

In testimony today Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the military is seeking a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on military service by openly gay personnel.

Gates said that he fully supported the President’s decision, and Mullen took the additional step in say that he personally was in support of lifting the ban.

Gates went on to say that should the law be changed, the military needed to review the issues associated with properly implementing a repeal of DADT.

I don’t think a full repeal is something that can happen over night. But it is also that something that shouldn’t take four or five years to implement, as it did with racial integration. I applaud the Secretary’s desire to get it right the first time around. In answering a question of why it would take a working group a year, Gates said that the group would mitigate and manage any negative impact that would come from any repeal. He said we must get this right and that there needs to be minimal disruption of the forces. He went on to say that the branches must proceed in a manner that examines all issues.

Admiral Mullen was more passionate. He said it was the right thing to do; that it came down to integrity. He went on to say in his prepared remarks that there are people on both sides of the debate that speak as if there is no debate.

I was really disappointed (but not surprised) by the comments and line of questions from the Republican senators.

Senator McCain said that he was disappointed in by Secretary Gate’s statement. George Senator Saxby Chambliss said that the ‘live and let live’ motto offered by Colorado Senator Mark Udall is exactly what DADT offers. Sadly, he is terribly mistaken.

Maine’s Senator Susan Collins asked if openly serving allied forces in Afghanistan and Iraq caused any trouble for morale or troop cohesion, to which both Gates and Mullen said that it had not. Furthermore, Adm. Mullen said that NATO allies have said there is no impact on military effectiveness on allowing gays to serve

Mullen expressed his personal view against the policy in the hearing. The policy is likely to remain in place, however, pending a review that is expected to take up to a year. While repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” will require a vote in Congress, Gates did say that enforcement of the current policy will be conducted “in a fairer manner.”

Click here to find the prepared statements for Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Micheal Mullen.