  |
Information | |
ARCHIVES
February 2010
January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 |
By Steven L. Taylor
According to the AP, Alabama senator releases holds on Obama nominees. Apparently, Senator Shelby received the PR he wanted. Whether it will have any effects on the Redstone Arsenal explosives lab or the tanker contract for the Mobile area remains to be seen. Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
News that Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) will join a Republican filibuster of a nominee to the National Labor Relations Board leads me to the following proposal for the Senate: How about if a Senator has a reason to object to a given nominee that said Senator would, oh I don’t know, maybe take the floor and try to, well, persuade the other Senators that the nominee is, well, not worthy of the job. If one’s argument and evidence is powerful enough, perhaps one could actually form a majority contra the nominee. I know, call me crazy. BTW, it may well be that the nominee, Craig Becker, deserves to be blocked. However, one would think that persuading the majority of the Senate of this fact one way or another is not unreasonable. Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
Via the LAT: Ukraine’s Yulia Tymoshenko under pressure to concede in presidential race
It’s not just the Election Commission that is saying that Yanukovich won,but international observers as well:
Nevertheless, Tymoshenko appears to be unwilling to concede and is seeking a court fight over the results according to an NPR report this morning. Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
Via the BBC: ‘Time tight’ to get electoral reform referendum through
Well, waiting until almost literally the last minute might have obviated that problem. Indeed, as Matthew Shugart noted last week: Labour first promised that they would address electoral reform in 1997. Seeing as how they have held the government since that time, one could argue that they had time to address the issue prior to now. Two other things to note from the piece: 1. Prime Minister Brown is facing a bit of back bench revolt, as up to 40 members of Labour plan to vote against the bill. For American readers the notion that members of the majority party might buck leadership is unremarkable. However, in the UK it is a far more dramatic event. 2. The story notes “Conservatives say the existing method is fair and ‘keeps extremists out’.” However, the proper translation of such a proclamation is “we fear we would lose seats if reform were passed.” Now, certainly, that being the case it makes perfect sense for the Conservatives to oppose change. However, arguing that an electoral system might let other political actors into office that the existing system is leaving out is to argue that the existing system is not fully representative of the population. The degree to which the objection by the Conservatives is actually about fringe groups being let into Parliament is dubious anyway, as the alternative vote (explained here) is not a system that will increase the changes that small factions will be able to win seats. Really, if a fringe party cannot currently win a plurality in a given constituency, how in the world will it win an absolute majority? Indeed if a party could win an absolute majority, even based on second and third preferences in a district it would, by definition not be a fringe or “extremist” party. No, the Conservatives’ fear is that the alternative vote will aid Labour and/or the Liberal Democrats. Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
It also has a sort of 1970s sfx/TV intro vibe. There’s also a bit of Warhol in there. alt 365.39 Sphere: Related ContentFiled under: photoblogging | Comments/Trackbacks (0) |
By Steven L. Taylor
By Steven L. Taylor
365.39 (2/8/10) Sphere: Related ContentFiled under: photoblogging | Comments/Trackbacks (0) |
By Steven L. Taylor
Via the BBC: Pro-Moscow Yanukovych ‘to win Ukraine election’
And in Costa Rica, also via the BBC: Laura Chinchilla to be Costa Rica’s first female leader
Interestingly, when Solis ran against Arias back in 2006 the elections was extremely close and the issue of CAFTA ratification (the Centra Amercan Free Trade Agreement with the US–i.e., a free trade policy) was very much a contentious one. It is interesting that four years later (and especially given the global economy) that there has been such a shift in public sentiment. Although clearly that was only one amongst many factors. Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
365.38 (2/7/10). The seven month drought commences. Congrats to the Saints! Sphere: Related ContentBy Steven L. Taylor
Via the BBC: Ukraine votes in tense presidential election run-off. Via WaPo: Costa Rica votes, could elect 1st woman president. Sphere: Related Content |
blog advertising is good for you Blogroll
Advertisement
|
Powered by WordPress
(in red)
You know, I’ve been saying that this could really backfire on him and this state. Alabama already gets way more in taxpayer dollars than we contribute, and Shelby’s little stunt could turn the eyes of the nation toward that.
Now, I’m not a bitter U.S. Congressman or Senator with a (D) next to my name, but if I were… Alabama would have a lot less overall federal funding in the very near future. Call me crazy, but it doesn’t appear that the Democrats have much (if anything) to lose by not pandering to Alabama.
Dirty politics? Yes. Completely unheard of? I sure hope so, for Shelby’s sake and for ours. Something tells me it’s not.
Comment by Alabama Moderate — Tuesday, February 9, 2010 @ 4:26 pm