Your morning political update
In South Carolina, Republican Gov. Mark Sanford has tried to refuse $700 million in federal stimulus money for unemployment compensation, requesting that instead it be used to pay down state debt. The move is widely seen as Sanford’s opening move in a bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. But the folks at home don’t like being sacrificed for their governor’s political ambitions.
Jack Bass writes in the Charleston Post and Courier:
“Despite attempts to portray his refusal to accept $700 million in federal stimulus money except to reduce state debt as a principled position, Sanford failed to explain why the federal government should borrow money to pay off South Carolina’s debt. It’s like asking a strapped neighbor to borrow money to pay off your mortgage. The purpose of the stimulus funds is to revive the economy, primarily by creating jobs.
And what state debt is he talking about? Because South Carolina operates under a balanced budget, it appears he’s referring to long term bonds that virtually every state issues for capital improvements.
South Carolina voters are unhappy about his stance. A recent poll conducted by Crantford and Associates, an established firm in Columbia, surveyed 1,382 South Carolina voters and found the once-popular Sanford’s favorable rating among all voters had dropped to 40 percent, with 53 unfavorable, and the rest undecided. In contrast President Obama rated 49 percent favorable and 44 percent unfavorable. More important for Republicans, 54 percent of key swing voters who identified as independents viewed the governor unfavorably, and 56 percent disagreed with his position on the stimulus money.
The basic problem for Sanford flows from his belief that government should operates like a business. The role of a business is to lawfully operate a profitable enterprise meeting consumer demands or desires. The role of government, including South Carolina’s, consists of protecting the citizenry and providing necessary public services to meet their needs, funded by a system of taxation that is adequate and fair.”
Meanwhile, up in Minnesota, Al Franken has won a critical court ruling over Norm Coleman in their struggle for a U.S. Senate seat. Franken has a 225-vote lead, and a three-judge panel has limited additional recounting to 400 outstanding ballots, making a Coleman victory all but impossible mathmatically (those ballots are expected to reflect the tightness of the overall race).
On Election Night, when he still held a very slight lead, Coleman urged Franken not to put Minnesota through the expense and delay of a recount. Now Coleman is threatening to fight in the courts — including the federal system — to potentially tie the case up for years and prevent Franken’s seating. The GOP is complaining that Democrats are somehow stealing this election, but the decisions made in Franken’s behalf have often come from Republican-appointed judges in that state.
According to Minnesota Public Radio:
“Look, the math is the math,” (Franken attorney Mark) Elias said. “Obviously we feel pretty good about where we stand but we’re going to wait until Tuesday for these ballots to be opened and counted because we don’t know what’s in these envelopes.”
And presumably neither does the Coleman camp, but even before the potential 400 are opened, Coleman’s campaign issued a press release that said if the panel bases its final count on this order, Coleman will appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court.
The judges explained they will consider only 400 absentee ballots because the Coleman camp did not prove its case that more should be opened. Coleman’s lawyers asked the judges to presume that Minnesota voters followed the law but the panel said it could not make such presumptions. It said the panel carefully reviewed each ballot to determine if there was evidence that the voter complied with the law.
The panel also called Coleman’s presumptions unreasonable in light of the small number of absentee ballots at issue and that those ballots had already been carefully reviewed as many as three times by state and local election officials.”
In Washington, GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has urged Coleman to take the case into federal court once he exhausts his options in Minnesota. That would deny Minnesotans a voice in the Senate for months if not years, but more important to McConnell, it would deny Senate Democrats a 59th vote.
As that case winds down — maybe — another one develops up in upper New York state. The special election to fill a vacancy in NY’s 20th Congressional District was seen as a test of national trends by both parties. The district is traditionally Republican, with a 70,000-voter GOP advantage in registration, but a Democrat riding the anti-Bush wave and running against a Republican incumbent with moral issues won it in 2006 and held it in 2008.
That Democrat, Kirsten Gillibrand, was appointed to the Senate to fill Hillary Clinton’s term. The Republican candidate to replace her, Jim Tedisco, was a well-known, longtime political figure and state Assembly minority leader. He had a strong lead in early polling, but unknown Scott Murphy quickly closed the gap.
As of this morning, with 100 percent of precincts reporting, Murphy led Tedisco by 59 votes, 77,344 to 77,285.
According to the Albany Times Union:
“With nearly 6,000 absentee ballots that will essentially decide the race as of Monday, the election will not be decided at least until April 13.
As of Monday, 5,907 absentee ballots were received by the state Board of Elections out of around 10,000 mailed, according to spokesman Bob Brehm. Absentee ballots must be postmarked by March 30 and received within seven days for regular absentee ballots or 13 days for military and overseas ballots.”
Even as NY voters were still going to the polls Tuesday, the Republican, Tedisco, had filed suit to challenge the outcome.
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189 comments Add your comment
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:15 am
Even as NY voters were still going to the polls Tuesday, the Republican, Tedisco, had filed suit to challenge the outcome.
Yep, tout le left-blogisphere was going on about that yesterday afternoon, but I decided not to post about it since I wasn’t sure if this was for real or not. However, FDL had a pretty good take on the “if you can’t beat ‘em, sue ‘em” approach Team Tedisco has taken.
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
7:17 am
Last I heard, Murphy was up 65 votes in NT-20, a district with 70,000
more republicans than Democrats….cool.
oh and, Coleman is a sore loser. (Remember just after the election when he said he wanted to spare MN the trouble of a recount and Franken should just concede….)
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
7:18 am
NY NY NY
Need more caffiene
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
7:21 am
We would all love to hear how funding unemployment insurance “creates jobs,” so that we can laugh out loud about it, so do tell us.
The Repugs already got a victory from NY-20, thee Oblahmi had to mount the floor on his knees and plead with his stooges to elect this hack of theirs, and he all but lost in a Pinko Nation stronghold, geez, embarrassing, isn’t it? Now Acorn can go to work and summon up a couple of hundred “ballots” and further trash the American democratic system of governance.
Like they did in Minnesota.
ew
Bud Wiser
April 1st, 2009
7:21 am
This just in: Justice Department drops all investigations and charges against Ted Stevens (R) of Alaska.
I guess that the Democrats are feeling a little queasy about the possibilities of deeper checking into their own finances, graft, and/or political abuses.
Can anybody say “Chris Dodd”?
Bud Wiser
April 1st, 2009
7:23 am
Please say it isn’t so…..another tax cheat in the Obama camp? BO is starting to look as effective as old Colonel Clink in the “Hogan’s Heroes” TV show.
Bwaaaaaaa
Redneck Convert
April 1st, 2009
7:26 am
Well, I sure hope the two librul Democrats win. We need alot of Change.
Nah. April Fool, everybody.
G
April 1st, 2009
7:27 am
Re: Mark Sanford (Oh, what the hell, add Porky Perdue) These idiots are hastening the eventual demise of Rushpublicants to the status of a super parochial philosophy, espoused only by the intellectually challenged Southerners and those controlled by right wing fundie “Christianity” and the Mormons. Anyone with a brain to think with, and a heart to feel with, will reject this morally bankrupt way of life out of hand.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:28 am
For those interested in what actually happened regarding Stevens.
(for those who aren’t, there’s Bud’s bloviating @ 7.21)
Gregg
April 1st, 2009
7:31 am
This is yet more example of republicans doing not what is best for the country but what is best for the party. There is a big double standard when they talk however they never seem to notice it. I will concede this does happens on both sides at least we (the Democrats) do not double talk on the same day. I work with a guy who says he is no longer a Republican because of the way the party now operates. I wonder if he really means because of who is now in charge of the party. Something to make you think.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:32 am
Bud’s poutrage @ 7.23: Please say it isn’t so…..another tax cheat in the Obama camp?
where “tax cheat” = “we audited a prosperous couple’s lifetime of tax filings and managed to come up with about seven grand worth of stuff they stand to owe, so of course they’re settling that up.”
How likely is it, Bud, that your own lifetime of tax filings would stand up to such scrutiny without anything being amiss? How about the likelihood that any of your conservative heroes would do likewise?
By the way, the “cheating” comes via “insufficient documentation of charitable donations and mistakes in deducting mortgage interest”, per this ChiTrib story.
ESR
April 1st, 2009
7:33 am
I want to personally thank Obama for breaking the drought in Atlanta. I am surprised none of his followers predicted he’d do this for us. I’m thinking it was his connection to Queen Shirley that got him to do it for us. Nothing short of amazing….just amazing what the man can do.
Andy the welcher
April 1st, 2009
7:33 am
Andy got a job, got his own place and moved out of his Mom’s basement, now he won’t have time to troll here 10 hours a day… APRIL FOOLS!!!
ew
Andy the welcher
April 1st, 2009
7:34 am
Obama had nothing to do with it. The drought is over due to Sony’s prayers. Now if “Go Fish” will only pan out…
ew
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
7:35 am
Thanks DB for the link.
Remember the #1 rule – if it comes from the right, it probably isn’t true.
For example…..what’s his name up there called NY-20 a Pinko Nation stronghold. If Pinko Stronghold means 70,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats….the GOP is alot worse trouble than
any of us have imagined!
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:35 am
The Repugs already got a victory from NY-20
Care to explain how the previous Democrat had managed to win that seat, Whiner?
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
7:35 am
Also making news — though you’d hardly notice it because of the gag order on the current Vice President — was Joe Biden and his comments to the Lackawanna County Hibernian Club last week. Given that it was a private function and not a single reporter is assigned to cover him, he felt free to remark that maybe Tim Geithner was not the best man to head the Treasury Department: “I mean, sheesh! Compared to this guy, George W. Bush looks like a Harvard MBA!…Huh?”-AmSpec
Hehehehehe
G
April 1st, 2009
7:36 am
Re: Al Franken, Al will be seated within a few weeks. If the Rushpublicants insist on taking it to the Feds (weren’t they all “State’s Rights” people just yesterday?)…they’ll be in for a real surprise.
District Courts will laugh them down…and the SCOTUS won’t even hear the case.
Andy the welcher
April 1st, 2009
7:38 am
Yep they’re all about state’s rights until they need the Guvamint… then they’re not…
ew
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:38 am
Mrs. G, I happened to hear Nina’s coverage of this on Morning Edition. It made me proud to know that we have an Attorney General who puts the brakes on prosecutorial misconduct, even when such chicanery stands to benefit “our side.”
Because of course there is no “our side” and “their side” when it comes to abuse of power and judicial misconduct; it’s either wrong or it isn’t.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:39 am
“the SCOTUS won’t even hear the case.”
You have a lot more faith in the GOP-held court than I do, but I guess that’d be the way to bet.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:40 am
Speaking of Biden, Whiner, did you ever find the Whitey tape? er, I mean, the proof that Joe’s daughter is a cokehead?
Or aren’t you blabbing about that any more?
G
April 1st, 2009
7:42 am
Re: Scott Murphy, Frankly, to be perfectly honest, this is a win even if Murphy loses narrowly. This is a solid conservative district, and should have been a slam dunk for the GOP. The fact that they may lose it, to a Progressive nonetheless, really shows how angry people are with the GOP.
Sure, people may dislike the Democrats, but they HATE the Rushpublicants.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:47 am
“This is a solid conservative district, and should have been a slam dunk for the GOP. ”
Since Whiner won’t tell, I will–the only reason we got a Dem in there last time is because the Gooper running against her was literally beating his wife, and this was revealed less than two weeks before the election.
G
April 1st, 2009
7:50 am
DB,G,
>>Because of course there is no “our side” and “their side” when it comes to abuse of power and judicial misconduct; it’s either wrong or it isn’t.<<
Double true.
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
7:51 am
Mrs. Godzilla April 1st, 2009 7:35 am Thanks DB for the link. Remember the #1 rule – if it comes from the right, it probably isn’t true. For example…..what’s his name up there called NY-20 a Pinko Nation stronghold. If Pinko Stronghold means 70,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats….the GOP is alot worse trouble than any of us have imagined!
“Republican,” Bwahahahahahahaha-
U.S. House New York 20 Gillibrand (democrat) 177,667 62% Treadwell (Republican) 109,644 38%
Duhzilla strikes again.
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
7:52 am
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapHNY/H/20
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
7:54 am
DB, Gwinnettian- Care to explain how the previous Democrat had managed to win that seat, Whiner?
DimBulb- Look, stunt dummy, perhaps you should rethink this question for a moment, no?
Out of the kindness of my pure Conservative heart, I give you a mulligan.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
7:57 am
Whiner, I was speaking of how the GOP lost it in the first place, in ‘06. I realize you’re rather thick, so I’ll spot you this one.
And “Conservative heart” is an oxymoron, but thanks for the laugh.
williebkind
April 1st, 2009
7:58 am
Mrs G.: If the Republicans do not vote for their party then it is simply letting their party know they have lost their direction. However,liberals never admit their party is controlled by whackos and want to destroy the constitution. They keep voting the same liberal socialist whackos into office…am I wrong commrade?
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
8:00 am
Another fact for our short-bus rider: there are no open primaries in NY, you have to register as a Rep or a Dem to vote in the primaries. Which is why party affiliation matters there, and why it’s been mentioned more than a few times in the NY-20th race.
williebkind
April 1st, 2009
8:03 am
Hey our King Obama did not look so confident without a teleprompter while addressing the Europeans. But he did add he was looking forward to seeing the Queen. Hmmm sounds like a bird of the same feather want to flock together. LONG LIVE THE KING!!! ewww…
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
8:05 am
AGAIN **** I REPORT YOU WHINE*****
There are 70,000 more registered Republicans in that District
Your post at 7:51 heartily underscores that the GOP failed AGAIN to
get their own registered voters to vote for their own candidate.
he hehehheehee
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
8:06 am
Willieb’s wisdom: But he did add he was looking forward to seeing the Queen.
You’d have preferred he say “No way I’m meeting with that theivin’, nasty old ho’?”
mike
April 1st, 2009
8:07 am
DB –
“And “Conservative heart” is an oxymoron, but thanks for the laugh.”
Right, because people who don’t share your political views are bad people. How progressive!
ESR
April 1st, 2009
8:07 am
I hope the confictor worm doesn’t infiltrate teleprompters. Do we know that Obama knows sign language, are we sure?
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
8:07 am
Dim Bulb- Did McCain beat his wife too?
NY20 Oblahma 88,102 McCain 83,403
You libs are losing it, bwahahahahaha.
bozos
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
8:09 am
You can shriek and pull your hair all you want, Duhzilla, Obozo begged for this klown, begged for him, on his knees.
50/ 50 split, bwahahahahahaha.
losers
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
8:11 am
people who don’t share your political views are bad people
I didn’t say that. I said that people who self-identify as “conservatives” have no heart.
I guess I could’ve added the conditioner that I’m speaking of the modern, Limbaugh-listening, Cheney-supporting version of conservative and not in the broad sense of social or fiscal conservatism.
Remember, this is Whiner I was replying to–you want to fix the perception I have, work on that guy, not me.
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
8:11 am
Actually, comrade Willie, I suggest you fasten your seatbelt.
We have only just begun to elect liberals and progressives…..conservatism is in an “exile” of their own making.
The GOP is split in half and y’all are losing control.
Steele did a heck of a job with all that RNC money didn’t he?
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
8:13 am
teleprompter….tee, heheheheh
still?, hehehehehe
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
8:15 am
Hey, I see a challenge developing here, we got 4000 absentee ballots from a “solid Republican” district yet to be counted, with the majority of those being military, the military usually having enough sense not to vote for the surrender monkeys.
Should be a walk for Tedisco, right?
Now let’s watch ACORN do it’s thing.
ew
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
8:16 am
Did McCain beat his wife too?
No, he just cheats on her.
Taxpayer
April 1st, 2009
8:18 am
I like the way the conservatives (Republicans) are running their minority party. Keep up the good work and don’t change a thing. I see that Sanford is learning the hard way that his constituency has priorities that differ from his. Sanford just needs to hang tough though and stick to his principles. After all, it’s for their own good. Then, it looks like the fans of all things Palin are in for yet more disappointments. She’s apparently been making some of her fellow party members a little upset with her and now they’ve done gone and uninvited her from one of their biggest fundraisers and invited Newt in her place. You see, Newt knows how to work that crowd even better than old Rush does. Pay attention, Rush, and learn something. First, Newt paid homage to the party’s lord and master, or at least to his bones, with a film honoring his greatness. Then, to really lock things up, he went and kissed the Pope’s ring and promised to never ever mess with little boys, oops, I mean he promised to never ever get himself another divorce ever again so he could be forgiven and granted entry into PapalLand — a subsidiary of Michael Jackson’s NeverLand. Stay tuned for more on that story in coming months. It should prove to be quite the showdown between two four-letter words — Newt v. Rush. Who will yield claim to the coveted crown of Alpha Conservative (Republican). Meanwhile, on the election front, we have a serious contender for Gore’s title of person to say But, I DID win, I DID win, I DID win the most times without taking a breath. Let’s hear it for the Republican party’s own favorite, Norm Coleman…Coleman…Coleman. I’m sure he’ll go down in the history books as the one that cost the taxpayers the most tax dollars for a loser’s cause. At least he can say that he fought all the way to the bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter, bitter end. Let’s hear it for Norm and the Republican Party. Now, don’t you wish this had been an April Fool’s joke instead of a joke pulled on we the people by a pack of fools this April. Let’s hear it for the Grand Old Pathetic ones.
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
8:18 am
Acorn…..Acorn???? nuts…..heheheheheee
I Report/ You Whine
April 1st, 2009
8:21 am
G- I don’t think Bookman deleted that first comment for the P word, zipperhead, but you keep trying until he leaves your little masterpiece up for posterity.
We should all be so proud of your efforts!
Mrs. Godzilla
April 1st, 2009
8:21 am
No wait….Re: Steele a loss or very narrow win for DiscoT was part of his plan!
ESR
April 1st, 2009
8:23 am
Ahhhhhh, good ol’ liberals. You can’t beat ‘em when they’re sober but you have to when they’re drunk.
mike
April 1st, 2009
8:27 am
“I didn’t say that. I said that people who self-identify as “conservatives” have no heart.”
What a silly and intolerant thing to say. You sound like Jerry Falwell did, accusing those who don’t share your beliefs as being immoral.
I thought that liberals claimed that they were tolerant. I guess in your case, it is tolerance for those who share your views.
DB, Gwinnettian
April 1st, 2009
8:32 am
Mrs G @ 8.18, yeah.
ACORN.
I’d like to think it was just fringe wingers who got hysterical over this organization but let’s not forget that a fish rots from the head back:
“We need to know the full extent of Senator Obama’s relationship with ACORN, who is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.“