5/31/2005
Tap Er’ Light
by Matt Singer on 3:00 pm.
Craig of MTPolitics is apparently closing up shop. He’s apparently “busy” with such “important” things as “family” and “work.” It’s too bad to see him go, even if he only because it was nice to have a consistently wrong voice in the blogosphere.
You’ll be missed, Craig.
Update – MTPolitics was to Montana’s blogroads what Rocker is to its interstates, especially with his recurring attention to YAMBs (regular readers of Craigs will know what that means), so it is unsurprising to see the farewells from around the rest of the Montana blogs. Check out the following:
- Jeff at Speedkill
- Jack Bogdanski (technically not a Montana blog)
- Sarpy Sam of Nowhere Thoughts
- David of Better Living Through Blogging
- Dave Budge
| Comments (8) | Permanent Link | Categories: general |
Montanans like Democrats More, It Seems
by Matt Singer on 8:53 am.
The latest Lee Newspaper poll shows that Montana voters preferred the most recent Democratic session to the two Republican sessions before it.
Good news.
They also oppose Bush’s Social Security plan 51-31. Lee makes the mistake of saying that when Bush’s name is removed from the plan that it turns into a dead heat. They merely ask people whether people support changing Social Security to allow for private investment. For starters, that’s not really what Bush’s plan does, which only allows for a handful of government-approved options, removing any personal decision making from the “personal” accounts. Second, it’s only one portion of the plan. There are others, like the benefit cuts and the accrual of large deficits, that poll less well. In other words, this isn’t Montana voters being hoodwinked. It’s their response to one portion of a plan and to a plan, as they understant it, as a whole.
This one just may merit some LTEs.
| Comments (9) | Permanent Link | Categories: economic, policy, social security |
Slowly Coming Around
by Lamnidae on 1:22 am.
Both Sen. Burns and Rep. Rehberg have both apparently turned their backs on President Bush’s privatization plans for Social Security in today’s Missoulian. Sadly, it’s taken several months of bad press and now a poll showing that Bush’s private accounts are horribly popular in Montana to force them both off the pot.
Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., are both up for re-election in 2006. Burns said Friday he doesn’t feel comfortable with the Bush plan, and said he’s continuing to work with his colleagues on a solution to Social Security. Rehberg believes Social Security needs to be fixed, but he’s not convinced that private accounts are the way to go, said press secretary Brad Keena.
I guess it takes a 51-31 poll in opposition to the partial privatization of Social Security to get some decisiveness. That’s too bad, given the fact we elect these people to lead, not slowly raise their hands while looking around the classroom to see how everyone else is voting. Nearly 1/5 Montanans depends upon the safety net that Social Security provides, yet it’s only worth protecting to these two when it becomes clear that their jobs are on the line.
| Comments (3) | Permanent Link | Categories: general, republicans, social security, there is no crisis |
5/30/2005
Memorial Day
by Matt Singer on 1:29 pm.
Thank you.
| Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Categories: general |
5/29/2005
Mason-Dixon Poll Out
by Matt Singer on 6:24 pm.
The annual Lee poll has been released. This poll is not, in my experience, the most accurate, but its numbers provide a good adequate baseline for evaluating the upcoming year. The poll ran numbers for approval of each of the statewides and Bush, plus head-to-head matchups with Tester, Morrison, and Lindeen.
Numbers after the jump.
| Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, montana, political, republicans |
5/28/2005
Clinton Has Donors’ Backing
by Matt Singer on 2:22 pm.
Taegan Goddard, oddly relying upon Robert Novak and The New York Post, is writing that Hillary has cornered the fundraising in the East Coast and Midwestern markets.
Not to denigrate the woman, but there are a lot of small donors out there now that can compete if another candidate becomes the choice of the grassroots. In other words, Mark Warner/Wesley Clark, don’t worry, you can still be competitive.
| Comments (31) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, political |
5/27/2005
The Changing Incentive Structures
by Matt Singer on 11:56 am.
In 2000, 36,000 owners of S-Corporations officially received no work income, only profit. David Sirota explains how this rips off Social Security. Back of the envelope calculations show this is worth about a billion a year, assuming things haven’t gotten worse since 2000. I’d suspect that more people are taking advantage of the changes in the dividend tax structure.
This is one more reason why the US really needs to simplify its tax code.
| Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Categories: economic, policy, social security, taxes |
Tester for Senate site is live
by Matt Singer on 10:53 am.
| Comments (0) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, montana, political |
Social Security: Is that still happening
by Matt Singer on 10:46 am.
What with all the sound and the fury over the nuclear option, judicial nominees, and John Bolton, I’d nearly forgotten that the White House still had this silly notion of trying to privatize Social Security.
Lo and behold, I get an email from MoveOn.org seeking stories from people whose lives have been impacted by that federal program. Good luck, brothers and sisters, I doubt you’ll find them, other than some lady in Chicago (or is it Milwaukee) who rips off the government. Honestly, who even receives these so-called “Social Security” benefits?
/snark
So, even though ThereIsNoCrisis.com declared victory yesterday, it seems that the White House may still try to breathe life into this scheme. As Josh Marshall points out, with Bush’s approval rating below 30% on this issue, he may not be the guy to breathe life into it.
If you want to reform Social Security, you’re going to have to send the Democrats.
| Comments (7) | Permanent Link | Categories: policy, social security |
Huh
by Matt Singer on 10:13 am.
This may be a new low for a politician. Arnold Schwarzenegger is apparently selling product placement in his campaign ads. I’m not sure that this is a lower low, just a new one.
| Comments (0) | Permanent Link | Categories: political, republicans |
5/26/2005
Two Perspectives on Women in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
by Liesa on 4:40 pm.
First a progressive perspective from Alternet The Curse of the Pregnancy wonders why Padme’s pregnancy is portrayed as somthing so bad and limiting to her participation in the film.
Despite the futuristic age in which she lives, things aren’t much brighter for Padme, whose pregnancy renders her oddly helpless. Though supposedly a member of the Galactic Senate, she does little more than sit listlessly in an oversized living room watching the passing hovercraft and the multiple sunsets, waiting for her belly to grow and for Anakin to come home. The only thing that changes are her outfits.
Second what the conservative Focus on the Family’s film critic has to say about the role of women in the movie:
Padmé wears a strapless nightgown in two scenes. A well-endowed alien female (she has long appendages growing out of her head, but otherwise looks human) attends a Coruscant social event wearing a revealing, flimsy white dress. A young Jedi woman’s outfit shows some cleavage as well.
The difference is clear. Conservatives think of women as sinful tempations that need to be controlled instead of active participants in life. Their policies are aimed at controlling these dangerous images instead of encouraging women’s participation in society.
| Comments (3) | Permanent Link | Categories: general |
Tester and Pearl Jam
by Matt Singer on 8:34 am.
Courtney Lowery covers both at New West.
| Comments (6) | Permanent Link | Categories: general, montana, political |
5/25/2005
Tester in Missoula
by Matt Singer on 4:34 pm.
Jon Tester just came through to announce his campaign. At the Missoula stop, he spoke briefly about war on the working class that had occured that has been turning more and more Montanans into the working poor. He spoke about the need for better representation in DC on Amtrak, on farm issues, on transportation issues. He spoke at the College of Technology, highlighting his commitment to working families.
He was joined there by Senator Carolyn Squires; Reps. Kevin Furey, Tom Facey, Dave Wanzenried, and Dave McAlpin; and Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam’s drummer who grew up in Jon’s hometown of Big Sandy.
To support the campaign, head over to ActBlue.
| Comments (4) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, montana, music, political |
Brown is the New Bolton
by Liesa on 1:48 pm.
Bush has nominated California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown to a district level court appointment (often a feed position for a later Supremee Court appointment) but Brown’s record reflects a lack of commitment to fundamental personal freedoms and a lack of calm professionalism. Justice Brown’s tendency to inject her out-of-touch political and philosophical views into her judicial opinions and her disregard for mainstream legal values like medical privacy are well known. She is far from the respectful, moderate judge most of us want on the bench.
| Comments (22) | Permanent Link | Categories: general |
My Endorsement: Jon Tester
by Matt Singer on 12:56 pm.
If it has not been clear enough, I support Jon Tester for US Senate. As I wrote previously, this is not to denigrate the other candidates. Hell, it isn’t even to denigrate Conrad Burns. I simply think Jon would make a great US Senator, just as he’s made a great Montana Senator and Senate President.
That said, I’m going to ask people to support him as well. He’ll be added to the list of candidates on the left and I’m going to let you donate right here, front and central:
Go!
Anyone else looking to link to an easy donation page can find one at http://actblue.com/list/jontester
| Comments (3) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, montana, political |
More on Tester: Video and Photos
by Matt Singer on 10:59 am.
If you’re looking for more on Jon Tester, check out KTVQ’s story, which includes a link to a clip of their TV coverage.
Tester’s hometown paper, The Havre Daily News, has coverage as does The Billings Gazette, complete with pictures.
Update – Kos likes this campaign.
| Comments (9) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, montana, political |
Tester Endorsed by “dumb wheat farmer”
by Matt Singer on 9:56 am.
Mike at the Last Best Place thinks he’s found the real thing.
| Comments (0) | Permanent Link | Categories: democrats, general, montana, political |
Campus Progress Summer Conference
by Matt Singer on 9:38 am.
For any students out there, and I know there’s more than a few of you in the readership, I would urge considering attending CampusProgress’s National Student Conference this summer. Registration is free and low-cost housing is being pushed.
Plus, you’ll get to see me moderate a panel that includes Ruy Texeira. I’ve heard rumors that Bill Clinton will be speaking, but that might just be to introduce me.
Honestly, though, the speakers there is a great list. Asheesh Siddique of Princeton, of the filibusterers, and Steve Gilliard will be there. So will a number of people from the Center, including John Podesta and Judd Legum. Paul Begala, Donna Brazile, Thomas Frank, Michael Tomasky, and Katrina vanden Heuvel will also be there. Should be a good place to meet people and learn and network a bit.
| Comments (0) | Permanent Link | Categories: general, political |
Only Thing Worse than Celebrities Discussing Politics
by Matt Singer on 9:13 am.
Matthew Yglesias is not impressed by Sleater-Kinney’s blog. Fair enough. One thing I found while listening to the radio, I believe to Budweiser’s True Music ads or something like that, is that interviews with musicians about their music unedited for listeners sound really, really horrible. I discovered the same when hearing an interview with System of a Down this weekend. Generally these people are intelligent. Let’s just say the media interview is not their ideal medium. So, blogging may not be either.
Being a music writer must be difficult.
| Comments (0) | Permanent Link | Categories: cultural, music |
‘06 v. ‘00: The Senate
by Matt Singer on 9:07 am.
2000 in Montana was a rough cycle for the Democrats. Bush beat Gore by 25 points. At the statewide level, we watched what we thought were competitive (and even likely wins) races in the Senate, House, and Governor’s races evaporate. Fair enough, we held our own down-ballot, holding a majority of Constitutional statewide offices and making gains in the Montana legislature, but for most Democrats, there was a question of whether we had been relegated to permanent minority status in a state where Democratic giants once rose to the national stage. As we learned in 2004, that wasn’t the case, but the question remains, having witnessed 2000, what lessons can we learn for 2006?
| Comments (2) | Permanent Link | Categories: Conrad Burns, democrats, montana, political, republicans |
