Just POlitics

Bush re-nominates judges
Senate ‘nuclear option’ likely

President Bush re-nominated 20 judges that will push a showdown with Senate Democrats over filibustering of judicial nominees.

"To replay this narrow and completed debate demonstrates the Bush administration's failure to craft a positive agenda for the American people," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid.

Senate Majority Leader Majority Leader Bill Frist welcomed the nominees and said that he hoped to confirm the nominees or get an up and down vote for each one on the floor of the Senate. Frist stressed that he hoped he could accomplish that through diplomacy with the Senate Democrats. Reid indicated that would not be possible.

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and member of the Judiciary Committee, said that for 200 years, judges have passed on a straight majority vote, by which all of the filibustered nominees would be confirmed.

Democrat responses were to indicate that Bush was not interested in cooperating with Democrats and that his pledge to do so was disingenuous.

Nuclear option

Senate Republicans have suggested taking up what is known as the ‘nuclear option,’ which would change the rules of the Senate so that it does not take 60 votes to end a filibuster. The change of the rules is similar to the rule changes proposed by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) when the Republicans were in the minority and delaying Clinton appointments.

Frist has stated that he has the votes to pass the changes to the rules.

Kojo Annan troubles

The son of Secretary General Kofi Annan has come in for strong allegations that he had more than passing activity in creating contracts for his company to handle the Oil-for-Food program according to AFP:

"…a fax distributed Monday in the Senate showed that the younger Annan had informed his superiors in Cotecna that during the UN General Assembly in September 1998 he had put in place "machinery, which will be centered in New York, that will facilitate the continuation of contacts established and assist in developing new contacts for the future."

The fax also noted Kojo Annan's activities during a summit of non-aligned countries, especially representatives of Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.

Kojo Annan told Senate investigators Friday that he Kojo Annan that he could not recall the nature of the "machinery" he had mentioned in his memo, why it was to be based in New York and why it would be global in nature.

Dean vs. Clinton?

Stories are continuing to be bantered about that there is a real dislike between Howard Dean and the Clinton camp. Adding to this is the mention in U.S. News and World Report's "Washington Whispers" that Dean respects what Newt Gingrich did for the Republican Party and blames Bill Clinton for the demise of the Democrat Party.

Hillary today announced that she looked forward to working with Dean in the passage of her legislation cosponsored with Sen. Boxer called “Count Every Vote.”

The argument is that Dean would not have gotten the DNC nomination without backing from the Kennedy-Kerry faction. Ted Kennedy recently delivered a blistering speech that argued that the Democrats have not lost elections because of their left-wing positions. Kennedy further believes that Iraq will turn into the quagmire that he hopes for and that Democrats will win easily soon.

Dean’s transition

Howard Dean announced his transition team at the Democrat National Committee:

DNC TRANSITION TEAM

Tina Flournoy – Head of Transition

Tina Flournoy has been actively involved in Democratic Party politics for nearly 20 years. She is Assistant to the President of the American Federation of Teachers, focusing on public policy. Flournoy was the finance director for the Gore for President Campaign, political director for Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman, and deputy campaign manager for the 1996 Clinton/Gore re-election campaign. She was counsel to the DNC and general counsel for the 1992 Democratic National Convention. Flournoy has also served as staff director and co-chair of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, and now serves as a member of the Committee. She has been a DNC member since 1996.

Alexandra Gallardo-Rooker

Born in Mexico City, Gallardo-Rooker became an American citizen in 1990. As a member of the Communications Workers of America, Local #9400, Gallardo-Rooker first became involved in the labor movement, devoting her life fighting for the rights of workers everywhere. She was elected First Vice-Chair for the California Democratic Party in 2001, and is currently a DNC member.

Ben Jeffers

Jeffers served as the Chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party from 1997 through 2003. During his tenure as Chair, Louisiana re-elected both of their Democratic U.S. senators and replaced a Republican governor with current Democratic Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. Jeffers is a former member of the DNC and has served as Chair of the DNC Southern Caucus.

Joe Johnson

A political veteran, in 1988 Johnson served as deputy campaign manager for both Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Presidential campaign and later Michael Dukakis’. From 1987 to 1992, Johnson served as executive director of the Rainbow PUSH coalition, while also working on Douglas Wilder’s successful election as Virginia’s first African American governor. Johnson most recently served as senior advisor to Virginia Governor Mark Warner and today runs his own political consulting firm.

Maura Keefe

Keefe served as a senior advisor to the DNC during the 2004 election cycle and was responsible for the largest surrogate program in the history of the DNC. Keefe has previously worked with Dean as a senior advisor during his 2004 presidential campaign. From 1993-2000, Keefe served as press secretary and chief of staff to United States Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-C).

Lindsay Lewis

Prior to his appointment at the DNC as the new finance director, Lewis served as Finance Director for Dean’s grassroots organization, Democracy for America, after working in the fundraising department at Dean for America. A member of the finance team for Chris Van Hollen's successful 2002 congressional campaign, Lewis was a fundraiser for Democratic Leader Representative Richard Gephardt from 1992 to 1999.

Steve McMahon

Steve McMahon is a media consultant and strategic advisor to Democratic candidates for federal and statewide office and is a founding partner of McMahon, Squier, & Associates. McMahon worked as a political strategist and media consultant and has worked on Presidential, Senate, Gubernatorial and Mayoral campaigns across the country, and was a principle strategist for Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign as well as his race for DNC Chair.

Tom McMahon

Tom McMahon has worked in Democratic politics and government for almost 15 years and most recently served as executive director for Democracy for America. Prior to joining Democracy for America, he served as a deputy campaign manager for Gov. Howard Dean's presidential campaign. President Bill Clinton appointed McMahon as the White House liaison at the United States Information Agency and as a public affairs officer at the Department of Defense.

Tom Ochs

A former partner at the media firm Squier, Knapp, Ochs, who managed Dean’s campaign for DNC Chair, Ochs currently works with Steve McMahon and Mark Squier at McMahon, Squier & Associates. He has worked at every level of political campaigns - from advance to campaign manager –and has consulted on various campaigns, including those of Senators Bob Graham and Evan Bayh and Governor Ann Richards. In 2000, Ochs served as senior advisor to DNC Chair Joe Andrew and consultant to the 2000 Democratic National Convention. He has also served as political director for the New Democrat Network.

Mona Pasquil

A native of California, Pasquil most recently served on the senior staff for the Kerry Edwards presidential campaign as director of community outreach. A longtime leader in the Asian Pacific Islander American community, Pasquil previously served as political director for Governor Gray Davis, California political director for Gore/Lieberman 2000, deputy CEO for the 2000 Democratic National Convention, western political director in the Clinton White House, western political desk and director of Asian Pacific affairs at the DNC. She is a current DNC member.

Mame Reiley

Reiley serves as director of Virginia Governor Mark Warner's political action committee, One Virginia, and is current chair of the DNC’s Women’s Caucus. She has also worked as a grassroots activist as a part of several social justice movements, including civil rights, rights for migrant farm workers, and voting registration initiatives. Reiley has served as a member of the DNC and the Women's Caucus for the past 11 years.

Democracy for America

You may wonder what is to become of the organization Howard Dean started to transform the Democrat Party, Democracy for America. It seems that organization will continue despite Dean becoming Chairman of the Democrat National Committee. It will continue under the direction of Dean’s brother.

Here is their press release announcing the changes:

Democracy for America Announces Jim Dean as New Chair

BURLINGTON, VT--Today, Democracy for America (DFA) announced that Jim Dean - Governor Howard Dean's brother - will take over as the chair of the organization. This comes on the heels of Governor Dean's election as the Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

"I am looking forward to helping to guide the next chapter of Democracy for America," said Jim Dean. "Howard and his team have started a national grassroots movement that is empowering its membership and revitalizing our democracy. Democracy for America has a knack for finding and supporting socially progressive, fiscally responsible candidates who can win even in the reddest states."

In addition, Tom Hughes will be DFA's new executive director. Hughes most recently served as the political/field director for DFA. Prior to joining DFA, he was the field director for Governor Dean's presidential primary campaign in New Hampshire. In 2002, he managed Doug Racine's campaign for Vermont governor. And in 2000, Hughes worked on Al Gore's presidential race. He also served as the executive director of the Vermont Democratic Party in 1998.

"Governor Dean always says that Democracy for America isn't about him. It's about all of us working together as a community," said Hughes. "I couldn't be more proud of Governor Dean or the Democracy for America's activists who helped elect him Chair of the Democratic National Committee. We are starting to take our Party back. And, we are ready to take our country back."

DFA, which was founded by Governor Howard Dean in March 2004, is a political action committee building a grassroots network of socially progressive and fiscally responsible activists and candidates running for all levels of office--from school board to the United States Senate. Through the use of grassroots tactics, coalition building strategies, activist trainings and on-line support, DFA is fighting against the right-wing's divisive policies and corporate interests. DFA is giving ordinary people the power to reform their political system.

A Democrat forum

The Washington Post covers the Democrat Policy Committee’s hearings and how this is the vehicle that Democrats will use to be the disloyal opposition to President Bush:

These are frustrating times for the Democratic Party, shut out of power in the White House, the House and the Senate. Democrats don't have power to call hearings, to subpoena witnesses or to move legislation.

But they still have the power to raise a ruckus. And one of their best vehicles for raising a ruckus is the Democratic Policy Committee, a taxpayer-funded entity established by law and given the power to hold meetings, pay for witnesses' travel and, on a good day, get coverage from C-SPAN.

 Techies favor Democrats

Employees of Google gave $207,650 to federal candidates for the 2004 elections, nearly all of it to Democrats. Techies contributions resulted in 53 percent going to Democrats, said the liberal Center for Responsive Politics, a group that tracks campaign spending and contributions.

Microsoft was the biggest tech donor, with its political action committee contributing $3.1 million last year, 60 percent to Democrats.