Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon

Wednesday is here and we all know what that means, Random Political Thoughts for a Wednesday Afternoon…so without any pageantry or ado…away we go:

McCain vs. Obama. In this corner; Senior Republican Senator and Vietnam veteran John McCain, and in this corner; Freshman Democrat Senator and the next-big-thing Barrack Obama… let’s get ready to rumble. It seems the two opposing Senators are squaring off in a grudge match over efforts to enact a new set of ethics rules after Sen. McCain accused Sen. Obama of being "disingenuous" for reneging on a pledge to help craft a bill that could be embraced by both parties. Following a meeting between the two, Obama sent McCain a letter expressing support for a proposal by Harry Reid (D-NM) and NOT the bipartisan task force that McCain (and other GOP leaders) had suggested. More letters were exchanged between the two and now, on Wednesday, it seems as though both men have made nice-nice. I don’t buy it and think that this little incident will come to a head very, very soon. As always, stay tuned…

Bush: Stop cartoon violence. “President” Bush on Wednesday asked for a suppressing of the violence that has spread regarding anger over cartoons of the prophet Muhammad. The rise in tension is also being blamed for adverse effects on the U.S. and their relationships with Muslims and the Middle East. I honestly don’t have an opinion on this, so I leave it up to you to make up your own minds.

A Challenge to Mayor Nagin: This just got interesting… Audubon Nature Institute CEO Ron Forman announced yesterday that he will join the list of candidates that are lining up to run against incumbent Mayor Ray Nagin this April. Nagin has come under fire for his performance (or lack thereof) in the lead-up and aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and has (seemingly) fallen out of favor with business and community leaders. Forman decided to make the run this past Sunday after supporters persuaded him that he would have the financial support and backing of a multiracial coalition of the city's business, civic and religious leaders. (Nagin seems to be someone who enjoys the spotlight but who has also put his foot into his mouth a few too many times to govern effectively. Stay tuned…)

No Lemmings Allowed. Chairwoman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence (which oversees the National Security Agency) Heather Wilson (R-NM) is calling for a full Congressional inquiry into the Shrub (sorry, my bad) Bush administration's domestic eavesdropping program. said in an interview that she had "serious concerns" about the surveillance program. By withholding information about its operations from many lawmakers, she said, the administration has deepened her apprehension about whom the agency is monitoring and why. (I don’t know what’s harder to believe… that a Republican is not acting like a lemming going over the cliff and is going against the grain of her own party… or that there is someone named ‘Heather’ in Congress… your call)

Asbestos Bill Moving Forward. The Senate voted overwhelmingly (98 - 1) on Tuesday to consider a bill that would halt asbestos lawsuits and create a $140 billion fund for people who suffer from asbestos-related diseases. Great idea and all, but many hurdles remain before the bill can be approved. The incredibly lopsided vote came after Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) dropped an objection and encouraged other Senators to bring the measure to the floor. It should also be noted that the House has a differing bill that would still allow asbestos suits but only if claimants meet certain medical criteria. Stay tuned…

Budget Wars. The administration submitted their budget the other day (all 15 pounds of it) and, not surprisingly, Shrub proposed a defense budget that is the largest ever (and slashed the budget for pretty much everything else) with farmers, teachers and doctors pissed as you know what. Click HERE to see reaction to the administration’s budget from both sides of the aisle. Also in the new White House budget are submissions to eliminate or significantly diminish 141 domestic programs in the next fiscal year.

Nixon who? (Now you would think this story would get a lot of attention, but, with the media being in bed with Bush and Dick – insert own sophomoric joke here – it’s not, save for Keith “ESPN who?” Olberman) On his MSNBC show Tuesday night, KO spoke about Bush Strategist Karl Rove and his attempts to blackmail Republicans into submission over the issue of illegal wiretaps. Seems Rove, according to Conservative magazine Insight is telling Republican Senators and Congressmen that if they don’t see Bush’s way on wiretapping, they will be ‘blacklisted.’ Hmmmm… sounds a lot like something akin to the Alien & Sedition Acts and the dark days of blacklisting during the Joe McCarthy era. Goodnight and Good luck indeed…

Take them as you will…