In Brief - August 3rd, 2006

Here is today's extended news digest:

• The state Democratic Party has launched a new website to shine some sunlight on Dave Reichert's record in the U.S. Congress. The site carefully examines votes that matter most to Washington families and concludes that Dave Reichert stands consistently with the Republican leaders in Congress - not with the people of the 8th.
• Veteran political observer Charlie Cook (a well known member of the political establishment) is forecasting a Democratic rout this November. He says "the political climate will be extremely hostile to Republican candidates" and believes turnout will favor the Democrats. Cook also notes: "In the House, where Democrats need a 15-seat gain to win a majority, Republicans have 15 seats that the Cook Political Report currently rates as tossups. No Democratic seats remain in that column." The Stakeholder has more.
• The White House, unsurprisingly, is trying to slick up its press briefing room to better package its propoganda.
• Senator Max Baucus of Montana and his family suffered an unfortunate tragedy this week when it became known that his nephew had been killed during combat operations in Iraq over the weekend. Baucus said the family was "devastated by the loss." We extend our deepest condolences to them.
• Montana's other U.S. Senator, Republican Conrad Burns, continues to make a fool of himself by insulting first responders.
• The Senate voted Tuesday to open 8.3 million acres of federal waters in the central Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell voted against, but the bill passed anyway. It now has to be reconciled with the House version, which calls for even more drilling. The Republican controlled Congress really has become a joke. No leadership, no foresight, no planning for a sustainable future, no willingness to hold the administration accountable. Just political games and backwards policies that we don't need.
• Finally, some good news: a federal judge this week barred Secretary of State Sam Reed from enforcing a new law that keeps Washingtonians from registering to vote if their names do not perfectly match identifying information in other government databases.
• Check out this interesting study about online newspaper readership.
• You might also want to take a look at this must read from The Onion: Bush Grants Self Permission To Grant More Power To Self.

There's so much going on in the Lieberman/Lamont contest these days (with the primary less than a week away) that it needs its own subsection. So here goes:

• First, an eye opening video which uses numerous TV clips to show who Lieberman's real allies are: Republicans. You have to see it.
• Here's a nice perspective on why Lieberman is bad for the entire Democratic caucus. Also, Markos explains why an independent Lieberman bid hurts the Democratic Party.
• The College Republicans are so enthusiastic about Joe Lieberman that they want to join his campaign team. And speaking of his campaign team, Joe is reportedly planning a shakeup if he loses the primary. Lamontblog has more.

Finally, here's an inspiring picture, courtesy of the Freewayblogger, that suggests things aren't as gloomy as we might think. According to the anonymous solider who put it up, "The command there loved it!"



If you have something you'd like to add, leave a comment.