by DemFromCT
...the momentum may be hard to reverse. In the past few days, we've been greeted by historically low polling scores for Bush, equally low polling scores for Congress, high gas prices (and the expected fallout), and a decidedly unfavorable press environment for changing the topic away from the economy. In the meantime, NCLB remains unpopular in CT and elsewhere. From The Day (subscription):
State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal plans to sue the federal government, claiming that the law is an illegal unfunded mandate. Sternberg said she was asked about the lawsuit Monday. She told Spellings that the attorney general is independent from the education department, but that state law in Connecticut provides grounds for a suit.
Blumenthal, who conferred with the delegation after their meeting, said Monday that he would continue to pursue his lawsuit.
“Better manners, same message,” he said. “This meeting yielded vague, soothing happy talk, but no specific commitment to end unfunded mandates. So far, nothing has changed.”
Want a nice sum-up? Here's the UK's Telegraph (I'm glad the paper changed hands a while back) in a story about the Bolton fiasco:
Dissension in Republican ranks is a serious irritant to Mr Bush. His man may yet be confirmed, but, given Mr Bolton's record of outspoken criticism of the UN, Democrats have seen the nomination as "over-reach" and are set on a bloody showdown.
The battle comes as Democrats feel re-energised by signs that Mr Bush is struggling to sell his "domestic revolution" and that he was out of tune with the public mood when he intervened in the "right to die" saga over the brain-damaged Florida woman, Terri Schiavo
....Former colleagues in the State Department, where he served as under-secretary for arms control in Mr Bush's first term, have depicted him as a bully who cannot tolerate people who oppose his opinions.
The attack has dramatically brought into the open the war that raged in Mr Bush's first term between "hawks" and "doves".
He was seen by many in the State Department as a political interloper sent to spy on them and they are now seeking their revenge.
If only our domestic product could summarize as nicely. Now, will any of this affect Frist and the 'nuclear option', or radical Republican attitudes in the WH and Congress? Why should it? They've never been reality-based before.
I think if Democrats can't stop Bolton, that is the signal to the GOP that they can open the floodgates and nominate lunatics who make Rod Paige or John Ashcroft seem capable. This guy is a walking Candid Camera moment. He seems like he is there as a dare to any Democrats or sane Republicans, and those who take the dare are going to be smacked down hard.
Posted by: James | April 23, 2005 at 17:17
Bolton looks to be on life support, but we'll see...
Posted by: DemFromCT | April 23, 2005 at 19:16
To be more clear, I should point out that I don't think the Democrats have done anything wrong in how they have handled Bolton, and if he is confirmed I will not blame them. I think he is there more as a "fuck you" to Democrats than anything else. It would be like Bush nominating Anna Nicole Smith to head the Education Department (although I can't see that big a difference between Anna and Margaret Spellings anyway). I think the real purpose of Bolton is to draw out wavering Republicans and put them on notice that they had better kiss up or lose their primaries.
Posted by: James | April 23, 2005 at 21:58
put them on notice that they had better kiss up or lose their primaries.
the Sen. equivalent of DeLay, huh? Well, Cheney is having a hissy fit and taking names, that's for sure. But this duck is certainly going to be served lame. And it looks like they'll have enough issues with Rs not to worry too much about Ds.
Posted by: DemFromCT | April 23, 2005 at 22:16