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   Dan Savage, the brilliant and foul-mouthed sex columnist, has become one of the most important ethicists in America. Are we screwed?
 The federal government is supposed to issue new rules about debt levels for students in for-profit colleges. In the meantime, the states are working on their own regulations.
 Washingtons budget hawks want to decimate the federal workforce to shrink the deficit. It will have the opposite effect.
 There arent nearly enough counterterrorism experts to instruct all of Americas police. So we got these guys instead.
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February 12, 2009
THURSDAY'S CAMPAIGN ROUND-UP....Today's installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn't generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers. * Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has been tapped for a high-profile gig: giving the Republican response to President Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24. Jindal has been rumored as a likely presidential candidate in 2012. * New York Gov. David Paterson (D) announced yesterday that there will be a special election for Kirsten Gillibrand's vacant House seat on March 31. * Speaking of Gillibrand's vacant House seat, Democrat Scott Murphy, hoping to succeed Gillibrand, has already launched an ad campaign. Murphy, who will face off against Republican James Tedisco, has already spent nearly $250,000 of his own money on the campaign. * A Quinnipiac poll found that Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is, as expected, vulnerable in his re-election bid next year. The poll shows 43% said Specter doesn't deserve another term, while 40% said he does. Oddly enough, Specter enjoys more support from Pennsylvania Democrats than Pennsylvania Republicans. * Democratic Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois is also looking shaky for 2010. A Chicago Tribune poll found only 37% of in-state voters believe Burris should seek a full term. Burris currently enjoys a 34% favorability rating, though a plurality (43%) have no opinion. * If Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) runs for the Senate next year, as has been long rumored, he'll enjoy a slight edge on his likely Republican opponents. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), another possible Senate candidate, is also competitive, but does less well in hypothetical match-ups against former Sen. John Sununu and former Rep. Charlie Bass. * If Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) decides to run for the Senate next year, a new poll shows he's be the overwhelming favorite. Part of this, though, is the result of low name recognition for the Democrats seeking the seat. —Steve Benen 12:00 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (10)
Comments
Oddly enough, Specter enjoys more support from Pennsylvania Democrats than Pennsylvania Republicans. That might suggest he will be more concerned about a primary fight than a general election fight. And that will put pressure on him to constantly maintain two positions at the same time. Specter had the same problem last time around, his biggest competition was in the primary. Posted by: Allan Snyder on February 12, 2009 at 12:14 PM | PERMALINK"Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) has been tapped for a high-profile gig: giving the Republican response to President Obama's speech before a joint session of Congress on Feb. 24. Jindal has been rumored as a likely presidential candidate in 2012." First Palin, then Steele, now Jindal. You'd think the GOP supported affirmative action or something. Call me cynical, but these guys continue to take the electorate for idiots. Posted by: CJ on February 12, 2009 at 12:20 PM | PERMALINKCan't help but wonder why the GOP keeps pushing Jindal front and center. Probably is a variant of the idea that Palin would somehow attract Hillary voters (per Bill Maher: "You want tits? We got younger, perkier tits!") If they think they can get anywhere in 2012 with "You want brown? We got younger, more Southern brown!", they clearly 'misunderestimate' the reason Obama was elected. Posted by: dcsusie on February 12, 2009 at 12:28 PM | PERMALINKIn all fairness, Sen. Burris deserves the benefit of the doubt for now. There's plenty of time to run him out of town on a rail if his legislative actions warrant it. But even though his appointment was clouded by that Blago fool, he himself has done nothing more than have a rather pretenious tomb erected as far as I know so far. Who knows, he might end up being pretty good at the job. Let's wait and see, shall we? Posted by: Curmudgeon on February 12, 2009 at 12:29 PM | PERMALINKMr. Obama now has a very rare opportunity: To tie the mendacious failures of the Bushylvanian Era to everything that's wrong in Louisiana---and leave absolutely no room for Jindal to "straddle the fence." He'll have to march out those tired old GOP talking points---about as seaworthy today as the wreck of the Lusitania---or step up and be counted on Mr. Obama's side of the fence. GOPers are like Borg Sith (or would that be Sith Borg?); they love to deal in absolutes. Mr. Obama can demonstrate the malleability of those absolutes---and quite literally split the GOP.... Posted by: Steve W. on February 12, 2009 at 12:32 PM | PERMALINKMaybe Howdy Doody can perform a televised excorsism after he gives the Republican responce. Posted by: Saint Zak on February 12, 2009 at 1:20 PM | PERMALINKAm I the only one wondering why Paterson didn't just call for a special election to fill the Senate vacancy? Is the Senate so special that a vacancy has to be appointed by the Governor? Posted by: Vince on February 12, 2009 at 1:53 PM | PERMALINKI'm old enough to remember when Arlen Specter *was* a Democrat. Posted by: steveb on February 12, 2009 at 6:34 PM | PERMALINKDidn't Jindal recently say that he was not going to run for President in 2012? Posted by: daniel rotter on February 12, 2009 at 9:58 PM | PERMALINK
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