Senate
Trump Administration Accidentally Appoints Qualified Person
(WARNING: SATIRE) A minor scandal erupted in the Trump White House over the recent hiring of Marcus Greene to the post of Assistant Secretary to the Department of Transportation. Greene is an unusual choice for the Trump administration. A man of Hispanic and African-American ...read more
An Open Letter to the US Senate Regarding Cassidy-Graham
I went to DC this week to take meetings, and in my free time, I decided to advocate against this travesty of a mockery of a sham of a healthcare bill, Cassidy-Graham. Having seen Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speak against it from the Senate Gallery this past Monday, I ...read more
Kamala Harris is Roasting Jeff Sessions on Twitter Right Now
After beating up on Jeff Sessions at the Senate testimony today, Sen. Kamala Harris took to twitter to continue roasting him for his maddening performance that consisted of him apparently not recalling or remembering anything. Harris also took exception to senators attempting to ...read more
And We Return to the Crazy Wing
Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) thinks President Obama needs to be "spanked" and that his "magic wand should be taken away." What? He's had a magic wand all this time? Shouldn't he have used that to get some legislation passed? Watch the madness here: Meanwhile, up in ...read more
They're Still on the Wrong Side of History
I thought the Republicans supported personal responsibility. Wasn't that the deal with the Republican Party? They thought personal responsibility is a good thing. Their reactions to the Supreme Court decisions on same sex marriage and to the Senate's immigration bill make me ...read more
Don't Look Now but Marriage Equality Is Here to Stay
The Supreme Court may or may not be ready to endorse same sex marriage but the country is. This week, Senator Lisa Murkowski joined fellow GOP Senators Mark Kirk and Rob Portman and expressed her support for same sex marriage. I have organized a comedy fundraiser to benefit ...read more
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It Should be Harder to Get a Gun than ...
A kitten yes, but how about an abortion? It has been six months since the Newtown shooting and while we are no where near passing any gun safety bills, the US House of Representatives is poised to take up the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would ban the ...read more
Michele Bachmann's True Lessons
"I was very proud of the fact that I didn't get anything wrong that I said during the course of the debates. I didn't get anything wrong, and that's a huge arena." Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on her 2012 debate performances. When Michele Bachmann (R-MN) announced she will ...read more
How is Mark Sanford a Serious Candidate for Anything?
In about a week, South Carolina will pick between Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch. As we all know, when Mark Sanford was governor of South Carolina, he vanished for a week -- after telling staff he was off hiking the Appalachian Trail, a lie they repeated to the press. ...read more
Tastes Great! Less Filling!
I feel like the gun control debate often comes down to something eerily similar to that old beer commercial where fans of the beverage either supported the first or second claim and argued about it. The Second Amendment reads: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the ...read more
Note to the GOP: You May Not Care that You Lost the Last Election but We Do
It's a great sign that President Obama has been reaching across the aisle to have meetings with GOP members (and Democratic Congresspeople). One thing everyone on the Hill agreed about was the need for President Obama to spend more time on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue, ...read more
My Democratic Bona Fires on my Butt
Seeing as my post supporting Senator Rand Paul's (R-KY) filibuster on Wednesday, received some responses that made me feel like my Democratic bona fides were being questioned, I thoughtI would respond and am am showing them to you. This photo is a tattoo I have. It is the ...read more
More Support for the Filibuster
Richard A. Arenberg has written a much more eloquent defense of the filibuster than mine. He is a former Senate staffer for Senators Paul Tsongas, Carl Levin and George Mitchell (who spent time as majority leader -- all three senators were Democrats.). "The right in the Senate ...read more
The Republicans Are Winning This Round
The Republicans have the upper hand in dealing with the sequester. If 2012 had not happened and their ability to be as incompetent as Democrats not been so clear (or if I were a fan of conspiracy theories, which I am NOT), I might think they planned this. They lost the first few ...read more
In Defense of the Filibuster
Call me a sap but I am going to get this point out of the way immediately. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is one of my all time favorite movies. I LOVE it. When I look at the Capitol, I make sure to appreciate it. Along the same vein is my true appreciation of the US Senate. ...read more
PPP Poll: Colbert Tops List of Potential DeMint Replacements
The Daily Banter Headline Grab. From TPM: Comedy Central star Stephen Colbert is the most popular choice among South Carolina voters to replace retiring Sen. Jim DeMint (R), according to a new poll from Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling. DeMint is leaving the Senate to ...read more
Dark Money Poured Into New Mexico Senate Contest
By Kim Barker and Justin Elliott: Dark money groups flooded Albuquerque’s airwaves in August, aiming to sway a hotly contested U.S. Senate race by making more than half the political ad buys on top TV stations. That fact, gleaned through a review of TV station political ad ...read more
Accidental Honesty, Pretend Surprise and the Media Game
by Ari Rutenberg Editor's Note: Ben Cohen is on vacation for a few days, so I'll been posting in his stead. If there are any topics of particular interest to readers that have not been covered, please let me know and I'll do my best to get something going. Also I love ...read more
Republicans Have Made it Harder to Vote, Easier to Buy Guns
By Bob Cesca: Technically, the U.S. Constitution doesn't guarantee the right to vote. It seems odd, considering all of the various other rights, guarantees and structural details enumerated in the document. That said, there are amendments that provide reasons why certain ...read more
The Impeachment of President Obama Has Begun
By Bob Cesca: During the Clinton administration, and immediately following the Republican takeover of Congress in 1994, the impeachment process began. Not officially, and it wasn't until midway through Clinton's second term when the Republicans finally voted to impeach. In ...read more
The Daily Banter Mail Bag!!! Filibusters, Prometheus and Typos.....
Welcome to this week's edition of The Daily Banter Mailbag! This week Bob, Ben and Chez discuss the use of the filibuster, respond to gibberish emails, review 'Prometheus' and talk about the smearing of public sector unions. The questions!: Bob, I'd love to know how many ...read more
Is the US Capable of Change?
Steve Benen comments on the alarming fact that Americans understand that the Republicans are deliberately sabotaging the economy, but take it out on Obama regardless of his ability to do anything about it: The degree of national cynicism is so intense, many Americans may ...read more
Chart of the Day: The 1% in Congress
A stunning chart that maps the financial wealth distribution in the US as a percentage of Congress and the Senate (via Andrew Sullivan): The notion that the US is a representative democracy is now something of a sick joke - it is a country run by millionaires for millionaires. ...read more
Harry Reid Snatches Defeat From Victory, Part 2,345
Why bother have a Democratic Majority Leader if he does stupid things like echo the dumbest of the dumbest Republican talking points on where Gitmo detainees are to be housed? Honestly, I'm surprised the Senate Dems have been able to push anything through with someone as limp as ...read more
60
In all likelihood, the Democrats will not hit 60 votes in the Senate (but come damn close, including possibly Liddy Dole's seat). But if Sen. Obama wins, I don't think they'll really need to get all that way. Democrats will be at historical highs in the House and Senate, with a ...read more
Q: How Bad Are Things For The Republicans?
A: So bad they couldn't field a candidate in ruby-red Arkansas against a first term Democratic senator. ...read more