The House

riverplate · Dec 6, 2008

Not All New Democrats Rode an Obama Tide - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON — The House will be awash in Democrats next year, but they did not all ride in on an Obama tide. A new look at Congressional election results shows that in most of the 71 more competitive House races, the Democrats ran stronger than President-elect Barack Obama did...

Even though the Democrats were doubtless helped by his candidacy in many states, the findings could prove significant for both Republicans and Democrats two years from now. For Republicans, it means the two dozen Democrats who took away Republican seats were not necessarily beneficiaries of an Obama phenomenon, making the newcomers less vulnerable in the midterm elections and complicating Republican efforts to regain the lost ground.

Past election surges like the Republican waves in 1980 and 1994 produced victories by lackluster candidates who were carried along by powerful political tides, leading to their defeat in the next election cycle. That does not appear to have happened in 2008.
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CrewDust · Dec 7, 2008

Cold cash Jefferson is out in LA.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-12-06-jefferson-cao_N.htm

JBigjake · Dec 7, 2008

Cao In The Hou!

CrewDust said: ↑

Jefferson is out http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-12-06-jefferson-cao_N.htm
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And How! (Anh Cao! )
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3259997952/tt0110366

CrewDust · Dec 7, 2008

Kilroy wins OH-15
http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...008/12/07/election.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

No recount will be needed. She did really well with the Provisional ballots.

TheSlipperyOne · Dec 10, 2008

CrewDust said: ↑

Kilroy wins OH-15
http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...008/12/07/election.html?type=rss&cat=&sid=101

No recount will be needed. She did really well with the Provisional ballots.
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Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.

riverplate · Jan 5, 2009

Speaker Makes Room for New No. 1 Democrat - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON — When the 111th Congress convenes Tuesday, Representative Nancy Pelosi will return to her post as House speaker but in an entirely new role. For the last two years, Ms. Pelosi, 68, of California, has been the driving force behind the Democratic Party’s ambitions, using her firm grip on the House to set the agenda. Now she finds herself about to become facilitator in chief, working with her Senate counterpart, Harry Reid of Nevada, to advance the ideals of the nation’s new No. 1 Democrat: Barack Obama.

Ms. Pelosi said she was more than willing to make room at the top, saying she was overjoyed to be working with a fellow Democrat in the Oval Office after two years of butting heads with President Bush on everything from the war in Iraq to children’s health care to overall spending...

Yet even some Pelosi allies predict the coming months could be an adjustment for a speaker who has relished being in command. “She has been queen of her castle for quite a while now and the face of the Democratic Party, and I think she is going to want to continue to be at least the co-face as much as possible,” said one longtime senior Congressional official who did not want to be identified talking about the speaker’s outlook.
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fatbastard · Jan 5, 2009

riverplate said: ↑

Speaker Makes Room for New No. 1 Democrat - N.Y. Times

Ms. Pelosi said she was more than willing to make room at the top, saying she was overjoyed to be working with a fellow Democrat in the Oval Office after two years of butting heads with President Bush on everything from the war in Iraq to children’s health care to overall spending...
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Hmmm, I hadn't realized "rolling over and giving the guy whatever he seems to want with no real argument" was the same as "butting heads"

riverplate · Jan 6, 2009

New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON -- From a former Nixon aide to a former head of Common Cause, a liberal government watchdog organization, the freshman House class of the 111th Congress represents a diverse but decidedly moderate group...

Building on the 2006 class that gave Democrats a majority, this freshman class serves to broaden a moderate coalition considered more conservative on social issues, particularly in the House. The Democratic leadership almost certainly will be mindful — as it was in the 2008 election — of the members’ individual vulnerabilities, especially since several were elected by extraordinarily narrow margins.

Gary C. Jacobson, an expert on Congress and a professor at the University of California/San Diego, described the cumulative impact of the 2006 and 2008 elections: “I think the effect is to move the Democratic caucus somewhat to the right and if it wants to stay as large as it is now, it has to accommodate these folks. You’re not going to see any wild, left-wing policymaking,” he added. “You’re not going to get the Berkeley wish-list out of this crowd.”
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superdave · Jan 15, 2009

nancy Pelosi released a video that contains a rickroll!!! Awesome!!!

ross from st paul · Jan 15, 2009

fatbastard said:

Hmmm, I hadn't realized "rolling over and giving the guy whatever he seems to want with no real argument" was the same as "butting heads"
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I wouldn't let Pelosi or Reid take care of my dog while I'm at work.

And my dog died in September.

I loathe them both.

puttputtfc · Jan 15, 2009

As a resident of Nevada I apologize to both parties for the folly that is Harry Reid.

riverplate · Feb 11, 2009

Democrats Reject Move to Strip Rangel of Chairmanship - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats voted down an attempt on Tuesday to remove Representative Charles B. Rangel of New York as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee during a continuing ethics investigation.

The House ethics committee also voted Tuesday to reauthorize a subcommittee of three Democrats and three Republicans to investigate Mr. Rangel, a Democrat who has served in Congress for nearly 40 years. The investigation began last year at Mr. Rangel’s request, but the subcommittee needed reauthorization because a new Congress was sworn in last month.
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riverplate · Feb 25, 2009

In Chicago House Race, a Free-for-All - N.Y. Times

In a special primary on Tuesday, voters will choose among 12 candidates on the Democratic ballot, six on the Republican ballot and five for the Green Party. Whoever wins the Democratic primary is all but certain to win the special general election on April 7.

But there is no anointed successor to Mr. Emanuel, and no clear front-runner has emerged. The Democratic establishment, perhaps reluctant to appear too heavy-handed in the post-Blagojevich era, could not agree on a single candidate and made no endorsement. That left ward leaders to go their separate ways, and labor unions have split over their backing. Mayor Richard M. Daley has not endorsed anyone, nor has Mr. Emanuel...

The eclectic pack includes: an eye surgeon; a marketing consultant; an airline pilot; a doctor who was born in Poland; a labor lawyer; a psychiatrist who immigrated from Cuba; a college lecturer and economist; and four local elected officials.
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JaredSS07 · Feb 25, 2009

Anyone else watching Tedisco vs Murphy in NY-20?

riverplate · Mar 4, 2009

Democrats Pick Commissioner in Race to Fill Illinois House Seat - N.Y. Times

CHICAGO — Voters selected a county commissioner Tuesday as the Democratic candidate to succeed Rahm Emanuel, who resigned his seat in the Fifth Congressional District to become President Obama’s chief of staff. Mike Quigley, a Cook County commissioner, led the field of 12 Democrats with 22% of the vote, followed by two state representatives, John Fritchey with 18% of the vote and Sara Feigenholtz with 17%.

As the Democratic candidate, Mr. Quigley, who campaigned as a reformer and fiscal watchdog, is expected to be the front-runner in the April 7 special election. The race on the Democratic ballot was intensified partly because neither Mayor Richard M. Daley of Chicago nor Mr. Emanuel endorsed a candidate. Mr. Quigley will face the winner of the Republican Party primary, Rosanna Pulido, and a Green Party candidate.

Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Elections, said voter turnout was low, which he attributed to frustration over the fracas that led former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to resign.
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riverplate · Mar 31, 2009

Special Election in New York Is a Special Case - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON — Voters in a House district in New York will elect a replacement on Tuesday for Kirsten E. Gillibrand, the Democrat who replaced Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Senate after Mrs. Clinton became secretary of state. Even before a vote was cast, the contest has been freighted with all kinds of political significance — an early test of President Obama’s political strength, a verdict on the stimulus package, a do-or-die moment for a new Republican national chairman, an early sign of how the 2010 midterm elections are going to go (never mind that they are 20 months way).

To a certain extent, all this is understandable. The new president has invested some political capital in the Democratic candidate, Scott Murphy. Mr. Obama’s image appears in an advertisement that the Democratic National Committee ran in the upstate district — albeit not often — and Mr. Obama’s name is affixed to thousands of e-mail messages that the national committee sent out urging voters to support Mr. Murphy. And Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has taped a radio advertisement on Mr. Murphy’s behalf.

Michael Steele, the new Republican chairman who is trying to get beyond a rocky start, has identified this race as a top target for the Republican National Committee. He has campaigned in the district twice on behalf of the Republican candidate, James N. Tedisco, a state assemblyman. Mr. Steele has directed money and resources toward winning the seat, which was solidly Republican until Ms. Gillibrand snatched it away from a troubled incumbent in 2006.
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riverplate · Apr 1, 2009

God help us... Another election that's going to drag on and on.

Upstate New York House Race Is Too Close to Call - N.Y. Times

A mere 65 votes separated the two candidates late Tuesday in a Congressional contest in upstate New York that received national attention and was widely seen as a referendum on the Obama administration’s economic recovery efforts.

With all precincts reporting, the Democrat, Scott Murphy, a 39-year-old venture capitalist, led 77,344 to 77,279 over his Republican rival, Assemblyman James N. Tedisco, 58, for the seat vacated by Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand, a Democrat. The turnout was surprisingly strong for a special election.

But 10,055 absentee ballots were issued — and 5,907 received so far, state election officials said — meaning the election cannot be decided until the paper ballots are counted. Moreover, it is likely that the count may not begin until at least April 6, said Bob Brehm, a spokesman for the State Board of Elections.
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riverplate · Apr 8, 2009

Democrat Wins Open House Seat - N.Y. Times

CHICAGO (AP) — Mike Quigley, a Democrat and reform-minded Cook County commissioner, won the Congressional seat that Rahm Emanuel gave up to be President Obama’s chief of staff.

On Tuesday, Mr. Quigley, 50, trounced the Republican nominee, Rosanna Pulido, and the Green Party candidate, Matt Reichel, for the Fifth Congressional District seat that Mr. Emanuel first won in 2002. With 98% of precincts reporting, Mr. Quigley had 69% of the vote. Ms. Pulido had 24%, and Mr. Reichel nearly 7%.

The district is a Democratic stronghold stretching from Chicago’s wealthy North Side lakefront to neighborhoods in northwest Chicago and neighboring Cook County suburbs. It is about a quarter Hispanic and also has large numbers of residents of Eastern European ancestry.
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riverplate · Apr 24, 2009

riverplate said: ↑

God help us... Another election that's going to drag on and on.

Upstate New York House Race Is Too Close to Call - N.Y. Times
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Democrat Wins Upstate House Seat - N.Y. Times

Nearly a month after a tight Congressional election in upstate New York, the Republican conceded defeat on Friday in a race that had drawn national interest.

The Democrat, Scott Murphy, expanded his lead over James N. Tedisco in the recount, despite a strong Republican advantage in voter registration. As of 4 p.m., the tally was 80,420 for Mr. Murphy to 80,021 for Mr. Tedisco, a difference of 399 votes, according to the state Board of Elections. Mr. Tedisco, a state Assemblyman from Saratoga, conceded defeat in a call to Mr. Murphy and in a statement released Friday afternoon...

The seat was vacated by Kirsten E. Gillibrand after Gov. David A. Paterson appointed her to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton in the United States Senate. The House district covers the rural Adirondack Mountains, south of the Canadian border, to the mid-Hudson Valley, north of New York City.
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purojogo · Apr 25, 2009

riverplate said: ↑

Democrat Wins Upstate House Seat - N.Y. Times
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HOW does the lead expand this much after a recount? (and i don't care about what party won either) I think Bill Maher was the one who once suggested we treat the election machines like we do our ATM machines.....Paraphrasing, from long ago- so allow me some freedom while reminiscing: "NOtice they (ATMs) never give you neither too much nor too little money, just the right amount....and do not lose count of how much you have......If we can do this with our money, we can do at least just as just well with our votes, which may be just as precious"

MasterShake29 · Apr 25, 2009

purojogo said: ↑

HOW does the lead expand this much after a recount? (and i don't care about what party won either) I think Bill Maher was the one who once suggested we treat the election machines like we do our ATM machines.....Paraphrasing, from long ago- so allow me some freedom while reminiscing: "NOtice they (ATMs) never give you neither too much nor too little money, just the right amount....and do not lose count of how much you have......If we can do this with our money, we can do at least just as just well with our votes, which may be just as precious"
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Of course ATMs are run by private entities with an incentive to get it right every time, which elections are run by governments who apparently don't care very much about getting it right (see Minnesota 2008, Florida 2000, etc.).

riverplate · Apr 26, 2009

House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power - N.Y. Times

WASHINGTON — So powerful was Representative John P. Murtha at one time that he used to put up billboards in his Western Pennsylvania district declaring that “the P is for Power.” Few in Congress dared disagree: he doled out or withheld billions in federal money each year for lawmakers’ pet projects, better known as earmarks. Now, however, a string of federal criminal investigations of contractors or lobbyists close to Mr. Murtha, the top Democrat on the defense appropriations subcommittee, are threatening to undermine his backroom clout...

In a private meeting with the chairman of the House appropriations committee, Mr. Murtha, the unofficial leader of the “old bulls” who oversee the subcommittees, was forced to accept a series of new restrictions on his authority to grant earmarks, Democratic aides briefed on the meeting said. In previous weeks he had already acquiesced to another steep cut in the volume of earmarks he dispenses, down by half this year from a few years ago. He had also submitted to new disclosure requirements, including public hearings, that cramp his ability to cut last-minute deals...

While past presidents often courted Mr. Murtha with phone calls and private meetings, President Obama has extended to him no such courtesies.
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purojogo · Apr 27, 2009

riverplate said: ↑

House Heavyweight Feels Threat to Power - N.Y. Times
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Stuff like this makes me like Obama...Standing up even to members of his own party.. (and yeah, even if he is in trouble)

riverplate · Aug 29, 2009

Montana: Congressman Injured - N.Y. Times

Representative Denny Rehberg, Republican of Montana, was hospitalized in stable condition in Helena after a boating accident. Two staff members, a state legislator and another passenger were also hospitalized after their 22-foot boat ran into rocks in the dark, leaving the vessel perched on the side of a steep outcropping.
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riverplate · Aug 31, 2009

Sensenbrenner Has Prostate Cancer - N.Y. Times

Representative James Sensenbrenner, the longtime Republican lawmaker from Wisconsin, will undergo radiation treatment for prostate cancer. A statement issued by his office indicated that Mr. Sensenbrenner was told that the cancer was detected at an early stage and had not spread.

Mr. Sensenbrenner, 66, plans to undergo treatment over the next several months, but his office reported that he intended to keep his legislative schedule, at home and in Washington.
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