On the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. this week, members of the House and Senate took time to remember his impact in American history.
Lawmakers featured in this video include: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.; Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; and Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, a Michigan Democrat who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus.
Categories: California, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Nevada, Producer's Picks, Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Race, James Clyburn, History, John Lewis, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Martin Luther King Jr.
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With Senate Democrats vowing to force Republicans into a literal filibuster over the Iraq war rather than a procedural one, House Democrats apparently don’t want to miss out on all of the fun. The leadership in the lower chamber coordinated a series of “one-minute speeches” at the beginning of today’s floor debate.
The Gavel, the blog maintained by the staff of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., published video and pullout quotes of some of the speeches, and Pelosi’s office posted more of them to YouTube. Here are links:
Categories: Maryland, New York, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Iraq, Democrats, Steve Cohen, Keith Ellison, John Hall, Hank Johnson, John Sarbanes, Albio Sires, Russ Carnahan, Frank Pallone, Tom Udall, Zoe Lofgren
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Watch what happens on the House floor when Republicans are lined up to tout an amendment aimed at curtailing federal spending and only one Democrat is there to object (courtesy of the National Republican Congressional Committee).
Here’s the punchline from Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.: “The silence persists on the majority side because they are loathe to defend the spending that is going on here in Washington.”
Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, was one of the Republicans who spoke about the amendment.
Categories: Georgia, Budget, Tom Price
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Bloggers David All and Jerome Armstrong interviewed Rep. Jack Kingston about his selection as the 2006 online politician of the year in their latest episode of the bipartisan, online talk show DomeNation.
“This is to new the new way of reaching out and touching your 600,000 constituents you represent as a congressman,” Kingston, R-Ga., said of blogs, podcasts, online video and other new technologies that he has been incorporating into this work routine.
Kingston, who was All’s boss until a few months ago, said he doesn’t like doing Sunday morning talk shows these days because edgier, albeit politically riskier, alternatives like “The Colbert Report” on Comedy Central are available.
“I do believe that these shows are the future,” Kingston added in a reference to DomeNation. “… [R]ight now in politics, people want the open format, the participation.”
Categories: Georgia, Jack Kingston, Politics, Technology
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Six years into his presidency, George W. Bush is channeling the veto spirit of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Until this week, President Bush had vetoed only one bill. He vetoed his second on Tuesday, rejecting a measure that would have set a timetable for removing U.S. troops from Iraq. And then today, Bush issued a veto threat against a “hate crimes” bill just hours before the Democratic-led House passed it on a 237-180 vote. The legislation would expand the categories of violent acts punishable as hate crimes to those based on the victims’ sexual orientation, gender or disability.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.
All of the veto news this week is reminiscent of the presidency of Bush’s father from 1989 to 1993. The elder Bush clashed constantly with the Democrats who had controlled both chambers of Congress for the better part of four decades. He vetoed 44 bills in four years — all but one of which were upheld.
If this week is any indication of what the current President Bush can expect for the remainder of his second term, it could be a long two years.
Categories: Maryland, Georgia, White House, Civil Rights, Gay Rights, Steny Hoyer, Crime, Vetoes, John Lewis
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