Today in Congress

Today's schedule for Congress.

Branding Irons for Pork

Democrats plan to link lawmakers with the pork they provide to special interests. Republicans had promised to do the same thing -- but never got around to it.

"Earmarks" -- federal spending slipped in by individual Congressmen -- has to be used for a specific project. The spending is referred to as "pork." Most earmarks are slipped in anonymously. The number of earmarks has ballooned under GOP control of Congress -- from 1,500 earmarks in 1994 to 15,000 last year.

The rule change would require a Congressman's name to be linked to the spending.

The link is #1 on incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) agenda. (USAToday)

Mel Martinez Tapped as RNC Chair

CNN reports Sen Mel Martinez (R-FL) (right) is the next Chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Sen Martinez is Cuban-born and was first elected in 2004. Under the plan, he would remain in office while serving as Party Chairman.

It was Sen Martinez's general counsel who created and circulated conservative talking points in the Terri Schiavo case in 2005. The Washington Post quoted some the memo with at the time:

"This is an important moral issue and the pro-life base will be excited that the Senate is debating this important issue." -- Comments in the Schiavo Memo from Senator Martinez's (R-FL) office, April, 2005

The Schiavo case is often cited as the start of a decline in the polls for both President Bush and the Republican Party in Congress. (CNN/WaPo)

The Bridge to Somewhere the Senator Owns Land

The incoming Senate Majority Leader promises to cut the pork -- but there are questions about whether he personally benefited from pork slipped into the 2005 highway bill.

Sen Harry Reid (D-NV) owned land near the location of a bridge he slipped into the bill. From the LA Times:

Reid called funding for construction of a bridge over the Colorado River, among other projects, "incredibly good news for Nevada" in a news release after passage of the 2005 transportation bill. He didn't mention, though, that just across the river in Arizona, he owns 160 acres of land several miles from proposed bridge sites and that the bridge could add value to his real estate investment.

The $18 million bridge is expected to boost real estate prices in the region. (LAT)

Memorializing the Dream

Groundbreaking in Washington, DC today for the Martin Luther King, Jr Memorial.

You can see more about the Memorial's design here -- or take a virtual tour of the Memorial here.

The new memorial will sit in a direct line of sight between the Lincoln Memorial -- where Dr King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech -- and the Jefferson Memorial.

Oh, the Humanities!

Remember former CIA Director George Tenent getting that Medal of Freedom for that "slam dunk" assessment on Iraq?

Get ready for a repeat.

The Washington Post reports getting a low key press release one day after the elections:

"Why so little fanfare? Could it have been because the humanities honorees included Middle East scholars-turned-Bush advisers Fouad Ajami and Bernard Lewis, whose views helped get us into Iraq in the first place?"

Democrats Want a Phased Withdrawal

The new Democratic majority in Congress will push for a phased withdrawal from Iraq beginning as soon as four months from now.

Sen Carl Levin (D-MI), appearing on ABC's "This Week" (see video below) said the US will have to tell Iraq that the US commitment is not open ended and they need to pick up the slack as US forces pull out. (ABC, Reuters/HT: crooksandliars.com for video)

Gibbons Gets Subpoenaed

Police are serving subpoenas on Rep Jim Gibbons' (R-NV) gubernatorial campaign staff. From the Las Vegas Sun:

Metro Police have subpoenaed telephone records of Republican Gov.-elect Jim Gibbons, political strategist Sig Rogich and other witnesses in the investigation into allegations that Gibbons assaulted a woman and tried to force himself on her sexually.

Home and cell phone records of everyone who was drinking with Gibbons and Rogich at McCormick & Schmick's restaurant before the Oct. 13 alleged assault on Chrissy Mazzeo were among the records subpoenaed, sources close to the investigation told the Sun.

Others at the restaurant whose records were subpoenaed, the sources said, include Mazzeo's friend, Pennie Puhek, and two women, Georganne Bradley and Michelle Diegel, who work in a law firm that shares a Hughes Center suite with Rogich's public relations company.

Rep Gibbons won the Nevada Governors race in last Tuesday's elections. (Las Vegas Sun)

Pelosi Endorses Murtha

Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is endorsing Rep John Murtha (D-PA) for House Majority Leader.

"I salute your courageous leadership that changed the national debate and helped make Iraq the central issue of this historic election. It was surely a dark day for the Bush Administration when you spoke truth to power." -- Rep Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), quoted in the Washington Post

Rep Murtha is a decorated Marine combat veteran who first raised the call for withdrawing American troops from Iraq. (WaPo)

Screw You, Wolves!

Gerald Ford has become the longest living US President in history. At 93 years, 121 days old, he surpassed Ronald Reagan's record.

He is reportedly uneaten by wolves, but still delicious. A bit of Dana Carvey and SNL to mark the day:


MP3 File

Iraq Accountability

Democrats are targeting waste, fraud and abuse in their first attack on how the Iraq War's been fought.

Republicans earlier this year quietly eliminated the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. It looked at where the money was going -- and found a lot of it missing.

Democrats plan to bring it back.

When the War Comes Home

washingtonpost.com has a narrated slideshow featuring modern day vets of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars celebrating with vets from previous wars this Veterans Day.

The Bitch Set 'Em Up

Republican activist Grover Norquist knows just where the blame needs to fall for Tuesday's GOP defeats. It's the fault of people who, once attacked, didn't just roll over and take it. From the Financial Times:

“Bob Sherwood’s seat [in Pennsylvania] would have been overwhelmingly ours, if his mistress hadn’t whined about being throttled,” said Mr Norquist. Any lessons from the campaign? “Yes. The lesson should be, don’t throttle mistresses.”

Reason enough to re-air our favorite political ad with subtitles:

Veterans Day Tribute: D-Day

Continuing our weekend salute to veterans, this is the vodcast we presented on the D-Day anniversary in 2006:

Veterans Day: An Air Force Memorial

My dad and his Uncle Herbert were Airmen. They have a new memorial this Veterans' Day. This is a tribute to them and all veterans this week.

Republican Political Advice

Time for some navel gazing on the right? Republicans would have done well this election year to have listened to one of their greatest members -- Teddy Roosevelt -- who helped give them their own "thumpin'" back in the 1912 campaign.

Vaya Con Dios!

A little traveling music for the Republicans exiting stage right....