How Sweet It Is

The virtual political earthquake this week--or what President Bush likes to call "a thumping"--put some truly progressive Senators in line for important Committee chairs. There's Patrick Leahy at Judiciary and Tom Harkin at Agriculture, Edward Kennedy at Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and Carl Levin at Armed Services. But one of the biggest policy divides when it comes to shifts of Committee Chairs is at Environment & Public Works. Barbara Boxer will take control from James Inhofe of Oklahoma--a longtime denialist when it comes to the very existence of global warming. "He thinks global warming is a hoax and I think it is the challenge of our generation," Boxer said yesterday. "We have to move on it." Thanks to a good thumping we're going to see some sanity prevail in Congress.

Comments (18)

1. Well, one thing for sure....

   whatever legislation comes out of those committees, will have to be FULLY embraced by the Left and can't be called "half-hearted" or "too centrist" and will have no excuse for it being unpopular.

   Good luck to all the new Chair-people.

   Posted by Mask at 11/10/2006 @ 2:27pm

2. Hopefully no one from the Supreme Court dies or retires in the next two years. If a justice leaves the court in that time, would the judiciary committee stop Bush from putting another roberts/alito on the bench? I don't think they'd have the cajones. It would be a disaster if it was a liberal or moderate judge who was replaced.

   Posted by urmygyro at 11/10/2006 @ 2:41pm

3. Katrina just doesn't get it. Nothing is going to happen for the next two years. Bush has the veto, the Dems will have to kiss Joe Leiberman's ring on every vote or have to suffer a Cheney tie-breaker, the Republicans are using this to remove themselves from the font of the news while the Dems floudner and all of the top Dems will be campaining for President and screwing each other. Rove leaves nothing to chance and these idiots are once again dancing to his tune.

   Posted by wredner at 11/10/2006 @ 2:41pm

4. BTW, the "Trotsky vs Stalin" fight over "Who TRULY represents the Revolution?" has begun....

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-dickinson/ dean-is-god-down-with-de_b_3 3828.html

   Posted by Mask at 11/10/2006 @ 2:52pm

5. GYRO

   I dont know, isnt stevens 86/87? how much longer do you think he has the stamina for?

   And what is wrong with Roberts or Alito?

   If Ginsberg former chairwoman of some committee for the ACLU can be nominated and approved for the court....why not a construcionists jurists?

   Posted by CPT at 11/10/2006 @ 3:00pm

6. Posted by WREDNER 11/10/2006 @ 2:41pm | ignore this person

   That is certainly insightful, it is possible.

   Though i wouldnt say that Rove wanted this outcome

   Posted by CPT at 11/10/2006 @ 3:03pm

7. It didn't take long for the resounding thumping to be somehow defined as part of Rove's master plan. Taking the chairmanships away from the most radical GOP congressmen like Inhofe and Stevens, jut to name a few, will break the grip the right wing has had on all policy. Even if the Dems get vetoed on their initiatives, they have the first chance in at least 4 years to assert themselves again, and not be defined by Rove. The GOP will no longer be able to have their secret meetings, DeLay arm twisting, Sensenbrenner taking the gavel, turning off the microphones, and turning out the lights to present legislation as a fait accompli, with no input from the other side allowed. It won't be easy, but this time they can actually claim a mandate. Unlike Bush's 50+1 percent photofinishes and Supreme Court declarations in his favor. They have actual political capital this time. In 2004, Bush cockily said he had it, then found out he didn't when he tried to privatize Social Security and hit the wall. Let's hope they use it well. The GOP screwed the pooch, with plenty of help from the Bush administration. Fortunately, the voters figured it out this time. The blossom's gone. Now it's just a turd.

   Posted by proudlib at 11/10/2006 @ 3:08pm

8. The Democrats have a share of the power now & I'm all for holding them fully accountable. Yes, I am a liberal, but not blindly loyal to any party.

   I agree with Tom Hayden that the Democratic victory gives those of us who want a speedy end to the Iraq War a better chance of success. The Democrats must not cave in to those in their own party who want half-measures and will take forever to get out. That mindset in Vietnam cost hundreds of thousands more lives, Vietnamese as well as American, after it was clear we couldn't win.

   Give peace a chance!

   Posted by EnviroVarmint at 11/10/2006 @ 3:52pm

9. FREI, did you catch this tidbit?

   Adjust font size:

   LONDON, England -- Climate change could devastate the global economy on a scale of the two world wars and the depression of the 1930s if left unchecked, a top economist has warned.

   Introducing the report by Nicholas Stern, the British government also said Monday that former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who is now a vocal environmental advocate, is to serve as one of its advisers on the issue.

   The report's main argument is that the benefits of coordinated action around the world to tackle global warming will greatly outweigh any financial costs.

   But Stern, a former World Bank economist, who wrote the report commissioned by ministers, concludes that ignoring climate change could lead to huge economic upheaval.

   "Our actions over the coming decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, later in this century and in the next, on a scale similar to those associated with the great wars and the economic depression of the first half of the 20th century," he said.

   ---

   I don't think this guy is a lib extremist.

   Posted by crabwalk at 11/10/2006 @ 4:22pm

10. Here's an HILARIOUS juxtaposition....

    read Ms vanden Heuvel's post above....

    and Ari Berman's newest "All About The War".

    She's claiming all these "progressives" taking over the Committees shows some tidal wave of liberal leadership....and he's discussing how the "anti-war" guys are pushing Jack Murtha as Majority Leader.....who's "pro-life" and pro-gun!

    Posted by Mask at 11/10/2006 @ 4:27pm

11. Frei & Crab

    Folks can debate "warming" until they are blue in the face. Frankly if the scientific community has come so near to complete consensus...its good enough for me. Be that as it may, it cannot be disputed that humans affect CO2 levels as we release GIGATONS of CO2 into the atmosphere. The oceans have managed to absorb some a larger than usual amount and as a result are becoming acidic...the pH of the oceans is going down and endangering ocean ecology.

    Posted by leftofcenter at 11/10/2006 @ 4:35pm

12. ooops...forgot the link

    http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15654293/

    Posted by leftofcenter at 11/10/2006 @ 4:35pm

13. I voted Working Families Party this year.

    I am proud to say that avery candidate they endorsed won, and won big.

    Posted by alvinbrock at 11/10/2006 @ 11:54pm

14. Posted by ALVINBROCK 11/10/2006 @ 11:54pm

    Here I was thinking it was "the war in Iraq"...or even "economic morality" (according to Ms vanden Heuvel)...

    and the whole time, what won it for the Democrats was...

    the endorsement of the Working Families Party!

    hehe

    Posted by Mask at 11/11/2006 @ 07:36am

15. "Misleading. The hoax of global warming is that it is caused by humans and can be solved by humans. that part of the equation is being exploited by those who advocate a world government."

    Posted by FREIHEIT 11/10/2006 @ 1:56pm

    Those damn world government conspiracy scientists, from all over the world. The way they observe actual trends and project, based on sound scientific evidence, they obviously have a political agenda.

    -------------------------------

    Posted by MASK 11/11/2006 @ 07:36am

    Wow. Another pointless obsfucation, based on twisting someone elses words into something you think is worth arguing.

    Too bad you're only arguing with yourself.

    Eric

    Posted by Malcontent at 11/11/2006 @ 10:40am

16. That mindset in Vietnam cost hundreds of thousands more lives,

    This isn't Vietnam though. Since you're so interested in lives ...let's compare.

    3,200 soldiers killed in 3 years.

    3,500 abortions per DAY.

    -There is cause for concern.

    Posted by Sliver at 11/11/2006 @ 11:15am

17. Posted by SLIVER 11/11/2006 @ 11:15am |

    SLIVER, the War in Vietnam ended when we stopped sending troops there.

    How EXACTLY do you "end abortion"?

    Posted by Mask at 11/12/2006 @ 09:48am

18. Posted by MALCONTENT 11/11/2006 @ 10:40am

    Eric....apparently, I'm arguing with YOU...as you respond to anything I post.

    ALVIN trying to play up how "his side" won "the Revolution"...like everybody else. "Victory has a 1000 fathers, defeat is an orphan". And what we've seen lately (in less than a week) is EVERYBODY claiming the Dem victory is "theirs"...from the DLC, to the Blogosphere, to the "progressives", to the "centrists", to the "anti-war folks", to the "economic justice folks", etc., etc., etc.

    Posted by Mask at 11/12/2006 @ 09:51am