Here's a look at what you may have missed while fretting over the U.S. World Cup defeat this weekend.
* The DC bureau team covering Elena Kagan's confirmation process has a must-read profile of the Supreme Court nominee. The confirmation hearings begin Monday afternoon.
* Christi Parsons is covering President Obama at the G20 Summit in and around Toronto. She notes that "the leaders gathering to offer their views on the best way to prop up the shaky global recovery risk sending a message of disunity and disarray by the time they adjourn Sunday."
* Richard Simon is on top of the developing news of Sen. Robert Byrd's (D) hospitalization. "The 92-year-old lawmaker was admitted to a Washington-area hospital late last week suffering from what a spokesman said was believed to be heat exhaustion and severe dehydration as a result of the high temperatures in the nation's capital."
* Peter Nicholas confirms that the White House is, indeed, planning to mount a challenge to the Arizona immigration law. "Obama administration officials declined to reveal the basis for the suit. But legal experts say the challenge is likely to include the argument that in passing the law, Arizona violated the Constitution by intruding on the federal government's authority to regulate immigration."
* Ken Dilanian has an interesting piece looking at a seeming conflict in the Obama administration's immigration policy. "Even though the president supports the Dream Act -- which would provide a path to legalization for illegal immigrants brought here as children who enroll either in college or the military -- his enforcement bureaucracy continues to pursue deportation cases against the increasing number of students who would be protected by it."
* Simon and Lisa Mascaro report on the progress of energy legislation. "A majority of Democrats appear willing to risk legislative failure, believing a robust summer discussion on energy would establish a stark contrast between the parties before the fall election."
* Writing for the Morning Call, Colby Itkowitz previews how longtime Judiciary Committee member Arlen Specter is approaching the Kagan hearings weeks after losing his primary battle in Pennsylvania. "Arlen Specter is going to be as tough on Kagan as he was on any other of the nominees," Specter's former chief of staff is quoted as saying in the piece.
* The White House chief of staff is a fan of the Boss. Katherine Skiba reports on Rahm Emanuel's annual financial disclosure, which includes a listing of 25 Bruce Springsteen concert tickets supplied by the rocker himself.
Comments
To the Weekend Wrap,
As you folks cover these stories, is it much too ask for some posts on the Swamp or is this blog shutdown on weekends?
Elena Kagan - it will be a slam-dunk that Kagan, a.k.a. Kevin James, will use the Ruth Buzzi Ginsberg approach and not answer any questions. This will be anon-story as she will be confirmed with about 65 - 75 votes.
The G-20 summit - as BO pushes for gov't interference in economies and thus digging our country deeper into debt, other western countries are starting to wisely pull back.
Also, what was BO looking for when he stepped off the plane in Tornoto? Golf Courses.
Any coverage of the violent protests in Toronto? Since it was a violent protest, it must be Tea Party members correct? Wait, no it was bunch of left-wing loons - as usual.
The old Grand Keagle of the KKK is getting ill - let's just hope he stays ill enough to not cast any votes.
I wonder what the DOJ's defense is going to be on protecting the border: "That is our responsibility, so Arizona can't do it; however we (the federal gov't) refuse to do it."
BO's immigration policy is to make every illegal immegrant legal and introduce them to their local democratic precinct captain.
I'm sure the Democrat-Socialist-Flatliner energy legislation will look a lot different than the GOP. The GOP would allow drilling on LAND so as not to have to drill in mile deep water. Also, nuclear and natgas would be a part of the equation. The GOP bill also would not include a tax on carbon, which is a tax on the middle class,in order to take care of a phony problem called Climate Change. BTW, anyone know what Al Gore has been up to lately?
Are any of the environmentalists going to go over to Libya and protest BP for drilling in mile deep water off the coast of Libya?
Specter - he got his just deserts.
As for Springsteen and Rahm - I din't know one could dance ballet to the Boss.
Posted by: Terry | June 27, 2010 9:17 PM
"As you folks cover these stories, is it much too ask for some posts on the Swamp or is this blog shutdown on weekends?"
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Posted by: Terry | June 27, 2010 9:17 PM
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Spot on Terry. And here's another good point from Dave B, made on an earlier thread--
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"Contrast the posting process here ...with that over at Eric Zorn's Change of Subject. There, comments are posted immediately. If a comment is too far off topic, insulting, racist, or whatever, Zorn takes it down. For repeat offenders, Zorn bans 'em, not by screen name, but by IP address. (I can think of several commenters here who would be gone under that policy; you know who you are.) The result is a civil, and often intelligent and illuminating, conversation, unlike what often passes for conversation here."
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Posted by: DaveB | June 25, 2010 3:27 PM
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I said the same thing that Dave B did to Mark Silva, repeatedly, but he was against it. (Tho he never gave a good reason why).
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@ Mike Memoli. The ball's in your court. It doesn't take much to run this thing more responsibly than Silva did. You'd make a lot of folks here happy--plus bring back some who left, add new readers--if you enabled faster posting and banned a couple of trolls.
Posted by: Just sayin' | June 28, 2010 7:33 AM
STILL no DNC Swamp mention of the Blago trial.
A front page Chicago scandal. Involving Obama and top Democrats. And the political blog for a Chicago newspaper ignores it.
Unbelievable.....
Posted by: Laughing at the absurdity | June 28, 2010 9:58 AM
In reference to not appointing candidates to government positions.
By that logic, maybe our Supreme Court Justices should be out their, promising everything, to everyone. They're appointed !! I thought Senator Burris was an excellent choice, appointed by a duly elected Governor. My only regret, is that Senator Burris chose not to run for election. He has served Illinois well, through his entire political career, here in Illinois, unless of course, your a Republican-Libertarain-T.Bagger or you are drowning in denial !! In either case, get in touch with reality !
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | June 28, 2010 11:14 AM
Does the makeup of the Supreme Court truly represent the United States? When Elene Kagan joins the Court she will be part of group that is completely dominated by Ivy League Law Schools, and for the most part the East and West Coasts of the United States. The Chief Justice and 4 Justices (counting Kagan) were born in New York, 2 are from New Jersey, 2 are from California and one was born in Georgia. Six of the members of the Court are Roman Catholic and three are Jewish. There are no Protestant members of the Court even though Protestants make up a majority of the nation's population. All Members of the Court graduated from Ivy League Law Schools. Five from Harvard, three from Yale and one from Columbia. I am not questioning the experience of the Members of the Court. All have had distinguished judicial careers. But do they really represent the country. Harvard, Yale and Columbia are not the only great Law Schools in the country and there are No Members from the Center of the Country. I just find it interesting that recently you have to be from New York, New Jersey and California (8 of 9 members), and graduate from an Ivy League School to be on the Court. As I said before I am not questioning the qualifications of any Members of the Court, but I do find these numbers interesting for whatever it is worth.
Posted by: depot jim | June 28, 2010 12:07 PM