It appears that Sri Srinivasan is probably going to be confirmed to the DC Circuit, or at least he made it through a hearing without any real sign of trouble. That matters. If it turns out that Barack Obama is about to appoint people for the other three DC Circuit spots, that would matter too, but it hasn't happened yet, so I guess a rumor of it isn't quite all that. Also, the Senate did confirm one appeal court judge. All of that matters.
I'm not yet convinced that beating the filibuster on the motion to proceed to the gun bill matters.
That's what I have. What do you think mattered this week?
Saturday, April 13, 2013
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Does putting out budgets matter? Probably not. Also the story about the alleged evil doctor fellow in Philly went national, I think it could matter in terms of abortion politics in state legislatures. That is it will fire up GOP legislators and advocacy groups to pass more laws limiting access to abortion.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I'm stumped to come up with something that matters.
You were mentioned in the debut episode of Up w/ Steve... that matters. The segment was on the Invisible Primary.
ReplyDeleteI just worked my way through the episode and he did say it. Long live plain blog!
DeleteNo Friday baseball post, so I'll say the A-Rod hush money incident matters. Not really; but rather in that it shows how far out of control the PED-era has gotten in baseball. Out of control in the sense that the commissioner's office seems to have no idea how to reign in the TMZ-ification of the sport.
ReplyDeleteAs for the A-Rod story itself, yeah, well, whatever. Bigger picture, the A-Rod narrative is sobering for MLB: young star out of the gate, early whispers of illegal activities, long, successful career that accumulates enemies (as most anyone in the public eye that long will), inevitable unraveling. The PED generation sets up perfectly for the ritual disintegration of baseball's best assets, its stars.
You said a while ago Jonathan that baseball needed to take a stand on the PED era one way or another, and it needed to do so soon. I think you're absolutely right about this. The disintegration of A-Rod's equity is perhaps the finest illustration of that point.
As you often point out, in the US Senate, unlike the House, one seat means a lot. So if Scott Brown is really serious about running for the Senate from NH, that could be significant, even granted that (1) the "carpetbagger" charge could be a serious handicap, and (2) Shaheen does not now look like one of the most vulnerable Democratic senators.
ReplyDeleteYou think a Left/Libertarian state with the pride of NH's live free or die mentality is going anywhere near a carpetbagger centrist republican? I don't think so.
DeleteNew Hampshire is full of people who fled Massachusetts -- ostensibly for tax purposes -- live right over the border, commute into MetroWest and the northern suburbs of Boston.
DeleteThe average NH Republican is no longer some flinty rural type, rearranging the rocks up in Coos. The average NH Republican is, in fact, a carpetbagger.
Scott Brown will do fine if he runs.
As both a Masshole and a transplanted Mainiac, i can say, I'd be SHOCKED if Scott Brown was able to mount much of a campaign in NH if he couldn't win in MA.
DeleteIf there's a serious primary fight, Brown will have problems with being not conservative enough. He's already voted for magazine capacity limits, for example. And he has a very moderate record on fiscal issues.
DeleteNorth Korea matters. Well sort of North Korea, but mostly China. The change a state dept. was welcomed by Chinese leadership because HRC was perceived as a difficult negotiating partner, not a terrible thing for her going into 2016, but probably a welcome change as the top diplomat. This NK idiocy offers a chance for China and the US to strengthen their relationship as this is the US's first real bargaining chip in a while.
ReplyDeleteAlso on the domestic front, I'll say guns matter and the debate matters. I just wish the Senate would put something on the table that would make it more difficult for people to make illegal gun sales. Make it a felony to be caught making a straw gun purchase. The truth is studies show that most of the illegal gun sales in this country come from Straw sales and from Federal Firearm Licensees making illegal sales. We can absolutely do something about that. Tighten enforcement and make the punishment greater. How hard is that?
The Red Sox leading the division totally matters after 10 games. Let's just wrap this up 152 games early.
Per the gun argument, maybe we could have a head of the ATF in the next 3 and a half years to enforce.
DeleteThe Senate Judiciary Committee passed a measure last month that would make straw purchases a felony. Grassley voted for it, but I won't be surprised if most of the folks who were so incensed over Fast and Furious come out against it.
DeleteTurns out, gun owners get something from the Senate background check bill: http://youtu.be/sKOGfQW_LAk
ReplyDeleteAnd Obama gets background checks that even his own DOJ says will be ineffective.