Minimum Wage

I know we are enjoying Fitzmas and all the other Republican outrages. But I just wanted to stand up and say something good about our party and one of the best reasons to be a Democrat I can of think . The Senate today defeated a proposal to raise the Minimum wage. It lost 47-51. All Democrats voted for it. Only four Republican did . But there is even more. Of the four Republicans voting yes, Three are vulnerable 06 incumbents including our favorite Rick Santorum[he must be scared] So if anyone ever again tells you there is no difference between the two parties. I have it right here in the Congressional Record.
Here is the Roll Call if you feel like either thanking or admonishing your Senators

Democrats Voting Yes:

Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Bayh, Ind.; Biden, Del.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Byrd, W.Va.; Cantwell, Wash.; Carper, Del.; Clinton, N.Y.; Conrad, N.D.; Dayton, Minn.; Dodd, Conn.; Dorgan, N.D.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Feinstein, Calif.; Harkin, Iowa; Johnson, S.D.; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Lieberman, Conn.; Lincoln, Ark.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Nelson, Fla.; Nelson, Neb.; Obama, Ill.; Pryor, Ark.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Salazar, Colo.; Sarbanes, Md.; Schumer, N.Y.; Stabenow, Mich.; Wyden, Ore.

Democrats Voting No

None.

Democrats Not Voting

Corzine, N.J.; Inouye, Hawaii.

Republicans Voting Yes

Chafee, R.I.; DeWine, Ohio; Santorum, Pa.; Specter, Pa.

Republicans Voting No

Alexander, Tenn.; Allard, Colo.; Allen, Va.; Bennett, Utah; Bond, Mo.; Brownback, Kan.; Bunning, Ky.; Burns, Mont.; Burr, N.C.; Chambliss, Ga.; Coburn, Okla.; Cochran, Miss.; Coleman, Minn.; Collins, Maine; Cornyn, Texas; Craig, Idaho; Crapo, Idaho; DeMint, S.C.; Dole, N.C.; Domenici, N.M.; Ensign, Nev.; Enzi, Wyo.; Frist, Tenn.; Graham, S.C.; Grassley, Iowa; Gregg, N.H.; Hagel, Neb.; Hatch, Utah; Hutchison, Texas; Inhofe, Okla.; Isakson, Ga.; Kyl, Ariz.; Lott, Miss.; Lugar, Ind.; Martinez, Fla.; McCain, Ariz.; McConnell, Ky.; Murkowski, Alaska; Roberts, Kan.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Smith, Ore.; Snowe, Maine; Stevens, Alaska; Sununu, N.H.; Talent, Mo.; Thomas, Wyo.; Thune, S.D.; Vitter, La.; Voinovich, Ohio; Warner, Va.

Others Voting Yes

Jeffords, Vt.

"We All Live in Richard Pombo's District"

Here's a brilliant piece from kid oakland explaining precisely why we need a democratic congress.

One of the reasons that Manhattan and Austin and Madison and Santa Monica are such "hot beds" of liberal campaigns and causes is that we already have good representation in Congress. I mean, if we all lived in Richard Pombo's district the first thing we'd all do is work to kick the bastard out. Well, as true as that may be, I've got some bad news:

We all live in Richard Pombo's district.

As long as the GOP holds the House of Representatives it's as if guys like Richard Pombo and Tom DeLay are in our backyards having a barbeque with their cronies. Polluting the air. Gutting environmental regulation. Putting a steady stream of pro-corporate, anti-gay, anti-woman legislation before the nation. As it stands, there's nothing we can do about it. They own the House, and as long as they do, everything else we do politically in this country is like putting a band-aid on an artery.

I urge you to read the whole thing. Later on in the essay, he talks about how progressives from safe Democratic districts need to innovate and help take back the swing districts. I would suggest that SNAPPAC is just such an innovation.

Scott Kleeb for Congress

I had the pleasure of meeting with Scott Kleeb, graduate of Yale Grad school and candidate for congress in Nebraska's 3rd district. Scott is the newest SNAPPAC-endorsed candidate. I found him to be a very nice guy, with compelling reasons to run for congress. He talked about how his grandparents got electricity in 1947, and how government is supposed to "empower people and set a bold new course for our communities."

Scott is also a brave man. He's running in a heavily Republican district, where six Republicans are competing for their party's nomination. This is the 50-state strategy manifest. As they say "You can't win if you don't run." Good on him.

The SNAP interns that work for his campaign next summer will be lucky: they'll be working on the front lines of the Democratic congressional insurgency, for a young candidate, on a grassroots-focussed campaign.

Shame

Another outrage got buried over the weekend, since the bill conveniently took place on a Friday night:

The House of Representatives descended into bedlam Friday as Republican leaders kept a five-minute vote open for more than 40 minutes -- and arm-twisted two of their members to switch their votes -- to pass a new energy bill.

The bill, which would offer incentives for oil companies to build new refineries, sparked angry accusations by Democrats that GOP leaders were abusing House rules to squeeze through the controversial measure.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, asked at one point: "Doesn't this make the House a banana republic?"

Democrats chanted "shame! shame!" as the presiding speaker announced that the measure, in response to the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, had passed on a 212-210 vote.

Further evidence of why America needs a shift of power in the House. Seriously, kick the bastards out. This type of bullshit has gone on long enough.

Ignoring Iraq

Chris Bowers and Kos Comment yesterday on the alarming indications that the DCCC is to simply leave the Iraq War out of the Democratic platform going into 2006. It's alarming for a few reasons, which Bowers and Kos point out:

1. Ignoring Iraq worked great in 2002.

2. Support for the war is collapsing.

3. It's a moral issue - the longer the war goes on, the more pointless bloodshed there will be.

Now, I think that withdrawal should be the Democratic platform. The Dem leadership might not feel that they can build consensus around this position. Fine. They don't have to talk about withdrawal. They have to say something about Iraq, though.. Just keep up the pressure. Put the ball in the Republicans' court. Demand a strategy. After all, it will ultimately be up to Bush to decide to withdraw from Iraq, and we can't let the GOP get ahead of us on this.

I'm worried because I feel that the Democrats are poised for a sweep in 2006, but the leadership doesn't have the vision to sieze the opportunity. Howard Dean, where are you?

I'll have more to say about this later.