Blogging Blue

Just a few things that caught my eye:

• David Gregory has been named as Tim Russert’s replacement on ‘Meet the Press.’ I think David Gregory is an excellent choice to carry on the tradition of tough, smart, but fair moderating on ‘Meet the Press,’ and I think he’s a more than worthy successor to Tim Russert.
• The ballots are being counted in Georgia’s U.S. Senate runoff election. Obviously I’m hoping for a Jim Martin win, but at this point I don’t think Senate Democrats need to get to sixty seats in order to have a filibuster-proof majority. There are a few moderate Republican Senators (Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine both come to mind) that will likely vote with Democrats on some issues to allow Democrats to avoid filibusters on some issues without needing 60 Democratic votes.
• Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida isn’t running for reelection in 2010, citing a desire to return to work in the private sector and spend more time with his family. Call me a cynic, but I’m willing to be Sen. Martinez’s sagging approval numbers and weak reelection numbers had as much to do with his decision as a desire to return to work in the private sector.
• Who will succeed president-elect Obama as Illinois’ junior U.S. Senator, and who will succeed Sen. Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior U.S. Senator? In New York, my money is on Mayor Byron Brown of Buffalo. I don’t presume to know a lot about New York’s political inner workings, but I know Governor David Paterson is said to be strongly considering appointing someone from upstate New York to Sen. Clinton’s seat. In Illinois, I’m going to go ahead and predict Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. as Governor Rod Blagojevich’s choice to succeed Barack Obama. Rep. Jackson might not have a lot of name recognition outside the Chicago area when it comes to a statewide race, but I’m not sure Barack Obama was too well known outside of Chicago before he launched his U.S. Senate campaign, and that seemed to turn out okay for Obama.
• In light of yesterday’s announcement by the NBER that we’ve been in a recession since December 2007, here’s a cartoon:

  

• Gov. Sarah Palin is still making news, and this time it involves current Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski warning Gov. Palin to leave her U.S. Senate seat alone. Obviously it’s been widely speculated that Gov. Palin is going to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, and I think it’s hilarious to see fellow Republicans attacking Gov. Palin on and off the record.
• I’m still looking for a few brave folks who would like to be active contributors here at Blogging Blue. Sure, this blog may have only three loyal readers, but I’d like to be able to provide those three readers with more than one point of view on any given issue. Shoot me an email if you’d be interested in contributing and I’ll hook you up!

According to the LA Times’ Top of the Ticket blog, president-elect Barack Obama’s choice of Senator Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State may not be Constitutional due to this clause in Article One, Section Six of the U.S. Constitution (emphasis mine):

“No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.”

At issue is the fact that the salary of the Secretary of State has increased since Hillary Clinton became a Senator, thus prohibiting her from becoming Secretary of State unless the salary was reduced to a level that wouldn’t constitute a pay increase for Senator Clinton. This isn’t the first time a president (or a president-elect) has run into this problem. President Nixon was the first president to run into the same problem when he wanted to appoint Ohio’s Republican Senator William Saxbe as attorney general. The solution at that time, since named the “Saxbe fix,” was for Congress to pass another law reducing the pay of the Attorney General so that Saxbe wouldn’t benefit financially from the higher salary he’d previously voted on. Similar fixes occurred for President Jimmy Carter and President Bill Clinton, so it’s not unlikely the same kind of fix could be enacted to allow Sen. Clinton to become the next Secretary of State.

Seeing as how president-elect Obama was once a former part-time constitutional law professor, it’d seem he should have known this would be an issue, but I’m willing to bet he made sure a “Saxbe fix” could be enacted to allow Senator Clinton to serve as Secretary of State before he chose to proceed with offering her the position.

H/T to illyT.

I’m going to go ahead and make a few predictions on who will end up in president-elect Barack Obama’s Cabinet. I won’t be predicting who’ll end up in some of the more obscure Cabinet positions like Interior, Commerce, and HUD (to name a few), simply because I’m not terribly interested in who might end up in those positions.

Having said that, here are my picks:

Secretary of Defense: Robert Gates. I’m inclined to believe President-elect Obama will choose to keep Gates around, at least for a couple more years. Gates has done a good job and deserves an opportunity to continue in his current role, provided he wants to stay.

Secretary of State: Sen. Hillary Clinton. While I’d love to see New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson get the nod here, I think Sen. Clinton is a great choice as well, provided Bill Clinton’s finances aren’t going to be a problem.

Attorney General: Rep. Artur Davis. Davis, a former assistant US Attorney and longtime Obama supporter, seems like a logical choice.

Secretary of Treasury: Timothy Geithner. Geithner is the current president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and he seems to be gaining momentum as the logical choice for Treasury now that Larry Summers’ star has started to fade.

Secretary of Energy: Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Schweitzer’s long been a proponent of clean coal and renewable energy technologies, and I think he’d be a smart choice. However, I’d be curious as to whether Schweitzer, who’s wildly popular in Montana, would want to leave his position to move into an Obama Cabinet.

Secretary of Health & Human Services: Dr. Howard Dean. Given the fact that Dean isn’t seeking another term as DNC Chair, he’s definitely available, and I think he’d be a great choice, given how health care reform was his top issue as a presidential candidate.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Tammy Duckworth. In addition to being an Iraq war veteran and a double amputee, Duckworth has served as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs since 2006. She’d be a logical choice.

Looks like they’re having a grand old time, too!

Unfortunately, there’s no audio, which would undoubtedly make a funny clip even funnier.

Credit: witz.org.

NIGHT 1:
First thought - there’s a reason these folks aren’t speaking in prime time. Boy, there’s some really terrible public speakers in the group, and it makes me wonder how some of these folks got elected to public office.

Next thought - Alexi Gainnoulis (Illinois State Treasurer) might be the exception. He gave a nice speech. Short, but well executed. State treasurer probably isn’t his last stop in public office.

Final though - Michele Obama gave a good speech. It was pitch-perfect and sent the right message. It really went a long way towards softening her image.

NIGHT 2:

First thought - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s speech was passable. His speech wasn’t anything special, but he certainly wasn’t as bad as some of the folks I’ve watched. Rep. Tammy Baldwin wasn’t bad either, but again, nothing special.

Next thought - Sen. Hillary Clinton’s speech was absolutely perfect, and it was in my opinion the best speech I’ve seen her give. She cemented her status within the Democratic Party with this speech.

NIGHT 3:

First thought - Brian Schweitzer’s speech was good, but I was really bothered by his body language. He reminded me too much of a bobblehead, and if he’s going to “take it to the next level,” someone needs to tell him to tone down his body language.

Next thought - John Kerry’s speech was a great indictment of Sen. John McCain. I didn’t think Sen. Kerry had that much fight in him, given how he rolled over and allowed himself to be swiftboated in the last election, but he really surprised me.

Another thought - Now I have to preface this by disclosing that I’ve always been a fan of Former President Bill Clinton, but I thought his speech was spot-on. He was unequivocal in voicing his opinion that Sen. Obama is ready to lead, and hopefully this speech will help put to rest the grumblings about party disunity.

Here’s a clip of President Clinton in action:

Last thought - Joe Biden’s speech was a great example of why he was picked to be VP. Sure, his speech wasn’t as rhetorically powerful as Hillary Clinton’s on night 2, but Biden showed the humility, sense of humor, and wit that this campaign really needs.

NIGHT 4:

First thought - I thought Al Gore’s speech was good but not great. Perhaps if the Al Gore of 2008 had been around in 2000, we would not have had to endure 8 years of President Bush.

Next thought - I liked the video montage of Obama that was shown right before his speech. In my opinion it did a lot to show Obama as more of an “average guy” as opposed to the elitist candidate that Republicans are furiously trying to paint him as.

Final thought - Obviously I think Senator Barack Obama gave the speech of his life. I thought his 2004 convention speech was tremendous, but this speech far surpassed that. I was glad to see Obama lay out some specific policy plans while not shying away from hitting John McCain, especially for McCain being out of touch with average Americans.

Here’s one of my favorite segments of Obama’s speech tonight:

Back in June, I blogged about Deb Bartoshevich, a disgruntled supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton who chose to support Republican Sen. John McCain rather than support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. As a result of her decision to support McCain, Bartoshevich was stripped of her status as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, and it seemed that was the end of the story, until this week.

The McCain campaign unveiled a new ad starring Bartoshevich, who claims to be a “proud Hillary Clinton Democrat” who’s supporting Sen. McCain for president. What’s curious to me is Bartoshevich’s claim to be a “proud Hillary Clinton Democrat,” despite her statement earlier today that she no longer considers herself a Democrat:

Later in the news conference, Bartoshevich said she no longer considers herself a Democrat. Asked if she were a Republican, she said: “I am an independent.”

What I’d like to know is why Deb Bartoshevich ever considered herself a Democrat to begin with. Does she support a woman’s right to choose? Does she support healthcare for all Americans? Does she support an end to the conflict in Iraq? These are questions I’d love to ask Deb Bartoshevich, because I’d love to know if she’d answer yes to any of those questions. Moreover, if she would answer yes to any of those questions, then I’d love to know how she can support a candidate in John McCain who’s opposed to all those positions.

What’s more, I’d love to know if this is really just a matter of sour grapes because her candidate didn’t end up as the nominee.

So here’s my question…why was Deb a Democrat….does anyone know?

What can I say, I enjoy taking the plunge rather quickly when I get new digs.

When news broke out, I made sure my readers knew about the jaw-dropping decision of a Democratic delegate voting Republican. It’s just, well, unbecoming of being a loyal party member. Then I had dinner with the old man and he mentioned something I can’t get out my head. I’ll pass it along to all of you, since I enjoy sharing my deep political thoughts.

I dropped my fork when my dad suggested that something else might be up with this recent decision. He put some pieces together and came up with a possibility that Ms. Bartoshevich might have been a Republican for far longer than she’d like to admit. While this definitely crosses over into the conspiracy column, it should be thought about. What if Debra was, in fact, deliberately doing this for Republicans? That could mean that some Republicans could have helped her coordinate this politically.

Look folks, the first (and hopefully only) national Democratic delegate who swapped sides happens to be in Wisconsin. Wisconsin is pivotal because, in my opinion, if Obama and the Democrats lose Wisconsin it could be a sign of an election loss. Wisconsin should be solidly blue this November, since Chicagoland’s northern border is in Wisconsin and Chicagoan influence is heavy in the state. Remember, Chicago is within a few hours drive of many key cities, such as Madison and Milwaukee (which is only an hour or so away).

Wisconsin needs to hold blue in order to maintain Obama’s credibility to the rest of the nation. Since we’re in this interesting spot, it doesn’t take too long to acknowledge that some Republicans would go to any length to see the state’s Democratic Party look incredibily foolish. This put a temporary stain on the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and raises eyebrows in those Wisconsinites that might have been leaning towards Obama but just didn’t quite know yet.

My gut tells me that other Democratic delegates from other swing states will be flipping the coin in the future. It was rather convenient that the first one to swap was a delegate from Wisconsin.

According to the Milwaukee JournalSentinel, disaffected Hillary Clinton supporter Debra Bartoshevich - a delegate to the DNC National Convention - is planning on voting for Senator John McCain in November:

She said she planned to vote for Clinton at the convention, but in an Obama-McCain match-up in November, “I will not be voting for Obama. I will cast my vote for John McCain.

Said Bartoshevich: “I just feel you need to have somebody who has experience with foreign matters.”

Never mind the fact that Hllary Clinton’s foreign policy experience seems largely embellished, while Senator McCain’s idea of foreign policy consists of “more of the same” of what we’ve had under President Bush.

She said a series of controversial Obama “associations,” including but not limited to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Chicago developer Tony Rezko, reflected poorly on his judgment. And she echoed the complaints of many of Clinton’s most ardent supporters that Clinton was treated unfairly in the nominating process and by the party.

Hmmmm….I suppose Debra’s got a point, but what about Hillary Clinton’s own “interesting” associates? For example, Clinton took donations from three recipients of controversial 11th-hour pardons issued by former President Bill Clinton in January 2001 as he was leaving office, and let’s not forget Senator McCain’s association with noted anti-Catholic John Hagee and firebrand Rod Parsley.

But what I found most galling about Debra Bartoshevich’s decision to support John McCain is the following quote, attributed to her in the MJS’s article:

“No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her - that’s by Susan B. Anthony,” said Bartoshevich, referring to the famous suffragist.

Bartoshevich uses that quote to justify her unwillingness to support the Democratic Party and its nominee, while conveniently ignoring the fact that the candidate and party she plans on supporting in November has historically ignored women, especially when it comes to reproductive rights. Perhaps if Debra Bartoshevich is going to use a quote, she should at least be consistent when it comes to following the principles it espouses, lest she look like a hypocrite.

But at any rate, enjoy your 15 minutes of fame, Debra Bartoshevich…enjoy it.

Who will it be?

Speculation has already begun in earnest, and while I don’t proclaim to be an expert on the inner workings of Obama’s VP search, here’s my thoughts on some possibilities.

General Wesley Clark - Maybe I’m crazy, but I see Wesley Clark as more of a Secretary of Defense in an Obama administration than as the Vice President. Clark has a lot of great military/defense experience, but I don’t see him bringing much to the table as a campaigner.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson - Let me preface this by saying Bill Richardson was my initial pick out of the entire Democratic field. However, as much as I love Bill Richardson as the Vice President on Barack Obama’s ticket, he did make some pretty critical mistakes on the campaign trail, and he never really came across as being as funny and charismatic as I’ve heard he can be. I think Richardson would be an interesting choice for Secretary of State.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer - Brian Schweitzer’s star is on the rise. He’s a hugely popular Democratic governor of a red state, he speaks fluent Arabic, and he has some expertise when it comes to energy issues. I think he’s a dark horse, but he’s someone who bears serious consideration.

Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius - Sebelius has a good record of bipartisanship in Kansas, and her presence on Obama’s ticket might help Obama shore up his numbers with women.

Virginia Senator Jim Webb - Senator Webb would bring some defense credentials to the table and could possibly help swing Virginia, which is already trending blue, into the Democratic column in November. Webb’s main drawback is his propensity for saying what’s on his mind without first thinking about what he’s saying. He’d be a good “attack dog,” but at the same time, you don’t want your campaign’s attack dog going off the reservation.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton - Yeah, I went there. Now I’ve not been a fan of the kind of campaign Clinton has run during the primaries, but I still can’t deny the tenacity and proven skills as a campaigner and fundraiser that she’d bring to the table as Obama’s Vice President. Obviously there’s a lot of baggage that would need to be sorted out, namely Bill Clinton’s role if Hillary were offered the VP spot, but she certainly wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world.

So the Democratic primary race is over (at least so it seems), resulting in history being made. For the first time in our nation’s history, an African-American stands as a nominee for president for one of the two major political parties. What happened yesterday was historic, and I hope it’s just the first of many “firsts” for Barack Obama.

Last night, Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain had their chance to speak on Obama winning the Democratic nomination, and here are my thoughts on the speeches by each of the candidates last night:

Senator Hillary Clinton:

I thought her speech was all about maximizing her leverage, in hopes she can force Barack Obama’s hand to ensure she ends up as the Vice Presidential nominee. Clinton’s constant emphasis on how much of the popular vote she won, as well as her call for her supporters to go to her website and tell her how they want her to proceed, smacks of someone who doesn’t really want to give up, but who realizes her campaign’s over, whether she likes it or not. Overall, I thought she did a good job of speaking to her crowd, but there was an obvious lack of energy, with the exception of a few key moments in her remarks. In all, the speech seemed to be more about Hillary Clinton than it was about the Democratic Party or Barack Obama, and it smacked of the kind of narcissism that has become a hallmark of the Clintons. Hillary seems to think she was owed this nomination, and even now, when faced with the reality that she’s not the nominee, she seems to be unwilling to concede with grace, class, and humility.

Senator John McCain:

Now sure, it’s no secret John McCain isn’t the most gifted orator around, but his delivery was flat and seemed uninspired and perhaps a bit forced. I’ve had a chance to read the text of the speech, and while it’s not a terrible speech, it most definitely suffered from McCain’s poor delivery. I also found his attempts at humor to be somewhat sophomoric and maybe just a bit creepy. As noted by my good friend Sam over at Brazen Maverick, McCain’s laugh sounds a lot like Peter Griffin’s from the Family Guy. I was wholly unimpressed with McCain’s speech, and he’s certainly not going to win this election if he continues to give uninspired, unimpressive performances like the one he gave last night.

Senator Barack Obama:

I think Obama did a tremendous job of being both conciliatory towards Hillary Clinton while on the flip side going on the offensive against John McCain. Obama’s a gifted orator, and that fact was amplified when his performance was compared with John McCain’s. What I liked most about Obama’s speech were the subtle - and not so subtle - jabs at John McCain. I’m glad Obama’s showing some fire and “returning fire” when he’s come under attack, because that’s one concern that a lot of folks - including myself - had regarding Obama.

And my line of the night belongs to Senator Obama, who referenced John McCain’s attacks on Obama’s relative lack of experience:

“I honor, we honor the service of John McCain, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.”