San Fransisco Chronicle (Free subscription) | 11/16/2009
Senior U.S. and Czech Foreign Ministry officials are holding talks to discuss ways for the Czech Republic to participate in a reworked U.S. missile defense plan. Monday's visit of Ellen Tauscher, the U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and... United States - Czech Republic - National missile defense - Ellen Tauscher - US
California Greening (Free subscription) | 11/13/2009
Everyone in the Green Party is subject to questions about why they would run races that they can not possibly win. When we do reach the level where our presence becomes a factor in a race, then the charges of being a spoiler roll out from the Democrats, especially of the yellow dog breed, as if it were a Pavlovian reaction. Let me recount a story. Sometime in late 2003 or early 2004, Jerry McNerney...
Sacramento Bee (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
New Rep. John Garamendi, wife Patti and grandson Mateo Alliende stand Thursday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, right, on Capitol Hill. Garamendi, a Democrat, won a special election Tuesday in California's 10th District. WASHINGTON – John Garamendi is wasting no time in making his move from Sacramento to Washington. On Tuesday night, he won a special election in California's 10th District. On...
SFist (Free subscription) | 11/06/2009
Filling the void left by Ellen Tauscher, former Lt. Governor John Garamendi was sworn in today "as a new representative in the House for the 10th district representing parts of Contra Costa, Alameda, Solano, and Sacramento counties." Fun! In related lieutenant governor news, Gavin Newsom might not be eying the lesser position as was rumored a week ago . Why? Well, as Melissa Griffin expertly...
Hullabaloo (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Put It On A Bumper Sticker by digby So Andrea Mitchell again spent the morning spinning the election on Tuesday as a terrible defeat for the Democrats that puts their entire agenda in jeopardy. She even went so far as to ask Jim Clyburn: Let me ask you about the election, though, because Nancy Pelosi was talking about this as a victory. How can you with a straight face, I've known you for along time,...
Sacramento Bee (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
Chief of staff will assume state duties as Garamendi takes seat in U.S. House Lt. Gov. John Garamendi will be sworn in today as the new congressman from the 10th Congressional District after winning Tuesday's special election to replace Rep. Ellen Tauscher. Garamendi defeated Republican David Harmer 53 percent to 42.7 percent in a district that stretches from the East Bay to Isleton and Walnut Grove...
San Fransisco Chronicle (Free subscription) | 11/05/2009
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, swore in newly-elected Democratic Rep. John Garamendi on Thursday, two days after Bay Area voters picked California's lieutenant governor to fill the seat vacated this year by former Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Walnut...
AFL-CIO Weblog (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Northeast New York Central Labor Council President Betty Lennon, New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes and union members get out the vote for Bill Owens. New York State AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes and Rep.-elect Bill Owens Last night, on opposite ends of the country, union members helped send two new fighters for working families to Washington. Bill Owens won in a closely contested battle...
STONE SOUP MUSINGS (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Regardless of Republican gloating, I'm not reading too much into yesterday's election. They picked up a couple of governorships in Virginia and New Jersey, but Democrats picked up two seats in Congress, and those two seats might just make the difference in getting health care reform passed. Via Brian Beutler at TPM: The NY-23 seat abdicated by Republican John McHugh (who resigned to become Secretary...
Right From Left (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
The best evidence that the White House was rocked to the core last night by big GOP gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virgina ? The assertion that President Obama watched an HBO documentary about himself . The voters of Maine rejected same sex marriage. Of course, it's a shame that we lost NY-23 , but it was a self-inflicted wound from the GOP leadership and blue-blood heavyweights. Anytime...
Hullabaloo (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Warning Signs by digby Despite the fact that the Democrats gained two seat in the House last night (the winners both endorsing the public option by the way) -- totaling three seats since last November --- the following question is being asked over and over again on TV this morning: Andrea Mitchell: is this going to make it much more difficult for you on the hill to build the coalitions for health...
Alternate Brain (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
I'm sure we're all glad that the RWNJ Carpetteabagger lost in NY-23, but there was another congressional election as well in CA-10 . From yesterday's Firedoglake , links at site: The AP’s Liz “Donuts” Sidoti has a conventional wisdom article out today about the 2009 Election, and not until paragraph six, as an afterthought, is one of the bigger races mentioned: Elsewhere, California...
Open Left (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Rather than being an overwhelming sweep, most elections are a mix of good and bad news for each political party and the progressive and conservative movements in our country, and the 2009 off year elections certainly fits into that category. In the category of the expected, both parties had easy wins: Bob McDonnell won the VA Governor's race in a blowout, while progressive Democrat John Garamendi easily...
Media Matters for America (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
During a Fox & Friends discussion about the outcome of the November 3 elections, an on-screen graphic stated, "Republicans' hope rekindled; Wins send shockwaves thru Congress." In fact, only two races -- in New York and California -- had a congressional seat at stake, and Democrats won both. Fox & Friends graphic says, "Republicans' hope rekindled; Wins send shockwaves thru...
Daily Kos (Free subscription) | 11/04/2009
Well, the off-year elections are now, for all intents and purposes, all over but the shouting. Except for a handful of recounts (I did see a Virginia House of Delegates race that had a 16-vote margin with 100% of precincts reporting), the 2009 election cycle is now in the books. Of course, there will be no shortage of spin during the balance of the week. That said, it has to be pointed out that, despite...
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