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Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Chambliss sworn in, Burris rejected, and Coleman urged to concede
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vice President Dick Cheney just administered the oath of office to Saxby Chambliss and other members of the U.S. Senate, new and old, who survived the 2008 election season.
Among the missing was Roland Burris of Illinois, the pick of embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
Al Franken of Minnesota wasn’t there, either. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada warned Republican incumbent Norm Coleman that he ought to be thinking hard about a concession speech. With some haste.
Reid used the word “former” to describe Coleman’s Senate status. This from The Hill, a Washington newspaper and web site:
“This is a difficult time for former Sen. Coleman and his family, and he is entitled to the opportunity to concede this election graciously. But we cannot let this drag on forever,” Reid said. “I hope that former Sen. Coleman and all of our Republican colleagues will choose to respect the will of the people of Minnesota.”
Franken’s “term must begin, and will begin soon,” Reid said on the floor on Tuesday. “Even close elections have winners, and I can testify to that.” Reid won reelection against then-Rep. John Ensign (R-Nev.) in 1998 by just 428 votes after Ensign called for a recount.
Coleman is unlikely to cooperate. At a news conference today, he promised a lawsuit that would keep the fight for the Minnesota seat going several more weeks.
“Something greater than expediency is at stake here,” Coleman said. He added: “Democracy is not a machine. Sometimes it’s messy and inconvenient, and reaching the best conclusion is never quick because speed is not the first objective, fairness is.”
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Jeb Bush passes on a 2010 race for U.S. Senate in Florida
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Marc Ambinder of The Atlantic is reporting on his political blog that former Florida governor Jeb Bush has decided to pass on a 2010 race to fill the U.S. Senate seat of the retiring Mel Martinez.
Says the fellow who was always dubbed the smarter Bush brother:
“While the opportunity to serve my state and country during these turbulent and dynamic times is compelling, now is not the right time to return to elected office.
The former governor said he intends to focus on education reform.
Not good news for Republicans in that state.
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Winds of change: The ‘flatulence tax’ and you
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
RedState.com today goes after the alleged “flatulence” tax, a so-far theoretical measure that would slap fees on cows, pigs and the greenhouse gases they produce.
The Business and Media Institute has a fresh piece on the topic as well.
There’s little chance that the measure will pass muster with the Environmental Protection Agency, but farmers across the U.S. have been in a panic.
In November, the New York Farm Bureau issued a warning that such a tax would be costly:
The tax for dairy cows could be $175 per cow, and $87.50 per head of beef cattle. The tax on hogs would upwards of $20 per hog.
Any operation with more than 25 dairy cows, 50 beef cattle or 200 hogs would have to obtain permits. This would cover about 99 percent of dairy production, more than 90 percent of beef production, and more than 95 percent of all hog production in New York, according to USDA statistics.
So far as we know, the pork-and-beans industry — a notorious source of methane, as Mel Brooks proved in “Blazing Saddles” — has fended off all attempts to include its product in the discussion.
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Poythress says he’s raised $300k for governor’s race
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
David Poythress, former state adjutant general and now a 2010 Democratic candidate for governor, sent out a note to supporters late Monday, saying he has raised $300,000 for the contest so far.
Among his details:
— “Our average contribution will exceed $800;
— “Nearly 90 percent of our contributions are from in-state;
— “More than $70,000 was raised in December (post U.S. Senate run-off election);
— “Contributions came from a wide cross-section of Georgia, including Republicans, Democrats, unaffiliated voters, north/south/central Georgia, National Guard family members, trial lawyers, labor, teachers and small business owners.”
Poythress’ $300k is small change in a race that is expected to cost several million. But it’s a start.
The retired general, a former state labor commissioner, also let it be known that he’s met with Brian Schweitzer of Montana, who chairs the Democratic Governors Association, and that he’s named campaign veteran Wendy Davis as his campaign manager.
House Minority Leader DuBose Porter of Dublin, a newspaper publisher, is also expected to seek the Democratic nomination, but probably won’t announce until after the session.
The name of former Gov. Roy Barnes is also hanging out there. We talked to one Democrat who described the possibility of a Barnes candidacy this way:
Last year, he replied, “Hell, no!” whenever asked about a return to the Governor’s Mansion. This year, the answer is “Probably no.” And he’s on a diet.
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Building an argument against tax cuts
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Monday, U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey of Marietta was among the first congressional Republicans to sound off against the $300 billion in middle-class tax cuts proposed as part of President-elect Barack Obama’s economic recovery.
This from Politico:
“Some reports put the tax cut at 40% of the overall package — leaving 60% to come from increased federal spending,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.). “After the latest round of bailouts, many members of Congress, as well as most Americans, have concerns about the federal government spending hundreds of billions that it doesn’t have.”
“Republicans believe tax relief is a great way to get money to people immediately and strengthen our economy,” said RNC spokesman Alex Conant. “But cutting taxing does not justify a blank check for irresponsible spending. Attaching tax cuts to massive new spending that permanently increases the size of the government is not necessarily in taxpayers’ best interest.”
