Quick Hits

I'm just tired of this Democratic majority, when will it end? :) Some of this is 2008 stuff, some not.

• I like that Bill Richardson is going to Darfur and will attempt to get Sudan to agree on a peacekeeping force in the region (I thought they already agreed to it, though). Leaders should go ahead and lead first and run for President later.

• Elsewhere in Africa, Ethiopian forces are gearing up for the final battle with Islamist forces in Kismayo, where they are trapped. The news here is that US forces aren't only patrolling the coast with warships, they're helping the Kenyans at the border. They're also trying to disarm the whole population, with mixed results, especially in Mogadishu, where warlord activity is growing.

• Published reports are that Sen. Obama is in. I liked hearing him say that he told the President escalation would be a mistake. More than anyone on the Democratic side, he perhaps looks the most Presidential, believe it or not.

• Barney Frank called the neglect of New Orleans after Katrina as ethnic cleansing by inaction. I agree with Stoller.

After listening to Frank, I'm a lot less worried that the Democrats are going to fold to right-wing economic interests. Frank understands that political and economic elites have betrayed this country, and is going to reign them in. I wouldn't want to have someone as smart, experienced, and tough as Frank as my opponent, and I certainly wouldn't have needled his character, insulted his intelligence and offended his values for years. Which the Republicans have done. We have a friend in Frank.

David Sirota begs to differ with regard to Sen. Baucus. But I do think that there will be a scaling back of the giveaway of this country to special interests now, with the Democrats in power.

• Pursuant to that, I think this is pretty interesting, that the Democrats in Washington are looking to do the same move on Big Oil and alternative energy that we tried to do in California back in November.

House Democrats are crafting an energy package that would roll back billions of dollars worth of oil drilling incentives, raise billions more by boosting federal royalties paid by oil and gas companies for offshore production, and plow the money into new tax breaks for renewable energy sources, congressional sources said yesterday.

The mantle of "the party of alternative energy" is up for grabs. Democrats ought to grab it. Obviously, the need is urgent.

• Race is still a factor in this country, and if you don't believe it, go down to Louisiana and ask someone about these 7 cops convicted of shooting Katrina survivors on a bridge in the aftermath of the hurricane, and then ask them about this story.

The newly elected mayor of this southwest Louisiana town was found shot to death in a parking lot over the weekend three days before he was to become the town's first black mayor.

The body of Gerald Washington, 57, was found Saturday night in the parking lot of a former high school. He had been shot once in the chest, investigators said.

We're not that far away from the civil rights movement, and we should not kid ourselves that the nation is beyond race. It is very clear that something very fishy happened with this mayor-elect as well as the bridge shooting.

• Kind of a hilarious move by Charlie Rangel, taking Dick Cheney's office in the Capitol away from him. More office shenanigans:



Someone came in and very carefully hand-stenciled that "BIGOT" lettering, making it seem like it was part of Rep. Goode's job description.

• Fucking funny description of a blogger crashing Sen. Lieberman's gala "I'm Back, Baby!" celebration.

• One dude has paid California $200 million dollars in tax amnesty, single-handedly keeping the state above revenue projections. It would be folly to think he's the only one out there. Far too many people who benefited from the promise of America don't want to pay for it.