The Real Problem with The Senate's Small-State Bias

The Real Problem with The Senate
(click on above link for awesome piece)

This is an analytical report/study/article (complete w/ awesome graphs!) detailing just how campaign contributions from corporations influence policy-making, w/ special detail on the current healtchcare reform initiative, and committees writing legislation, and why certain house/senate members - by name - are "in the way." Also included: a complete list of the source of campaign funds for all 100 senators follows below. - sj

here's an excerpt:
"As you all surely know, the Senate is not a terribly democratic institution. A voter in Wyoming -- population 533,000 -- has about 70 times more ability to influence the Senate's direction than one in California -- population 36.8 million. And the lack of representativeness can be particularly acute when the Senate is conducting business at the committee level. Max Baucus's Table for Six, for instance, which may very well determine the fate of efforts to reform health care, is made up of members who collectively represent about 6.5 million people, or around one-fiftieth of the country's population.

This in and of itself is problematic for Democrats, since there is a correlation between the size of a state and how Democratic it tends to vote in elections for national office, although the relationship is not as strong as you might posit (Rhode Island, Delaware and Hawaii are small states too). The bigger and more structural problem, however, may have to do with the ways that small-state senators raise funds, and in turn, whose interests they are beholden to."

"...This goes a long way toward explaining, however, why the Senate tends to be more protective than the House of corporate interests -- be they in the form of bank bailouts, tax breaks, or whatever else (consider, for instance, that H.R. 1424 -- the second take on the bank bailout -- was approved with the votes of 74 percent of the Senate but just 60 percent of the House). We don't need vague notions about the "cultural" differences between the two chambers to explain this -- they have mostly to do with where the money is flowing in from."

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"Hear Ye, Hear Ye! I hereby declare all Birthers should be aborted!"

This is great stuff. Praise jesus for the new technological age, internet, bloggers, and those of us who have just plain ol' had enough. No more espousing your horrendous ideals, or perpetuating your dirty deeds and getting away with it. Someone will be there to call you on it. - sj


Elected Birthers on the Hill
by Mike Stark
University of VA Law Student, a Marine, and a Citizen Journalist
from Huffington Post
July 27th, 2009

Thanks to FireDogLake and Campaign Silo for giving me the opportunity to do this work!

Check out this video: several Republican Congressman tell me they don't believe Barack Obama is an American. Several dodge the question. Others offer weak-tea justifications for kinda-sorta believing Obama is a natural born citizen, Constitutionally fit to hold the office of President of the United States of America. Only one, Trent Franks of Arizona, gives a correct and clear answer, but even he can't help himself from suggesting that Obama is facilitating Jihad and turning America into a socialist state.

Folks, this is what it has come to. The most powerful people in the world -- nationally elected legislators responsible for setting policy for the most powerful country on earth -- are lining up with cuckoo-bat-shit-crazy elements of the lunatic fringe.

And they have to. It's their base.

So... with the Republican Party completely untracked from the rails of sanity...

Have we finally found our answer as to why George Bush got elected twice?

Why we went to war against a nation that hadn't wronged us?

Is it any wonder we can't get sane environmental policies passed?

Is it any wonder we can't get the fundamental rudiments of civil society like health care for all, childhood nutrition and effective anti-poverty measures through Congress?

All of a sudden, bailing out billionaire bankers while dithering on health care reform starts to make sense, doesn't it?

Joe Sestak to challenge Specter in next year's primary?

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Joe sestak, it appears, with only one completed term as a Representative in the US House, is ready to go toe to toe with Arlen specter in next year's primary for US Senator. I've met Joe a few times, as he represents those of us who live in PA's 7th District, and while his personality/speaking voice is a bit too measured and strange for my taste (yeah, that's the worst thing I can say about him), he's a superb and effective Democrat. Much more so than Specter is or could be. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer called him the most productive freshman member of congress the year before last. Read more about him here. Perhaps his biggest victory so far (surely one of the more satisfying things from the 2006 election) is him beating up on Curt Weldon, the tragic, unamerican, Republican House Member who "led" the 7th District for two decades, and mercifully ended his dysfunctional career. Maybe he can do the same to Arlen "the Clown" Specter. - sj

From Huffington Post, yesterday...

Rumors that Rep. Joe Sestak, (D-PA) intends to challenge Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) in the Pennsylvania Democratic primaries have been confirmed, TPMDC reported today. The site received a handwritten note from Sestak to a supporter asking for donations. Sestak's sister, Meg Infantino, who works for Sestak for Congress, confirmed the report.

Specter is planning to run for re-election next year after recently switching parties to avoid a primary challenger in the Republican field.

Sestak confirmed that he intends to throw his hat in the ring in a conversation today with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's "The Situation Room." Said Sestak:

"Wolf, I personally have made a decision that I intend to get in this race with one other item. I haven't sat down and had the time to sit down with my 8-year-old daughter or my wife to make sure that we are all ready to get in."

Sestak emphasized that he is not worried about clashing with the White House, although President Obama has thrown his weight behind Specter and has vowed to campaign for him. Sestak noted that he had not been contacted by the White House and expressed dissatisfaction with the administration's decision to line up behind Specter