FDR - Part 1

By running for and winning re-election in 1944, Roosevelt ensured that a Democrat would be in the White House until January 20, 1949. Whether it would be him was an open question, considering his declining health (he was secretly suffering from melanoma). Arguably, the Roosevelt Era did not really end until 1968, with the election of Richard Nixon and the Republican adoption of the "Southern Strategy". Up until that point, Democrats had won seven of the past nine Presidential elections; only Roosevelt's Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower, was able to win election in 1952 (and re-election in 1956). In that period of time (1932-1968) Democrats controlled Congress except for two occasions, both of them the result of low approval ratings for President Truman: 1947-1949 and again from 1953-1955. In the former instance, the Republican takeover of Congress was seen as a precursor of Truman's impending loss to Republican Thomas Dewey in the Presidential election of 1948. Instead Truman narrowly won re-election and Democrats recaptured both houses of Congress. In 1952, President Truman was again suffering from low popularity, this time from the protracted war in Korea. Dwight D. Eisenhower ran for and won the Republican nomination for President (secretly bargaining with California Governor Earl Warren to appoint him to the first Supreme Court seat that opened up in return for his tacit support). Eisenhower and Republicans would go on to win the White House and Congress, the first time since 1932. It would be short-lived. Eisenhower lost both houses of Congress in his first midterms, and while he would go on to win re-election in 1956, he had to contend with House Speaker Sam Rayburn and Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson, two of the most influential Congressional leaders in U.S. history.

R.I.P. Brittany

I've already done a tribute to Bea Arthur this year, and today I found out that Brittany Murphy died. She played the lovable sidekick on "Clueless" and went on to star in "Spun", "8 Mile", and "Girl, Interrupted" among many other movies. She also collaborated with international DJ Paul Oakenfold. Who knew this multi-talented actress could sing too?

More Republican Idiocy

Read this POLITICO Arena: David Mark's response to 'You be the strategist: How might the Dems minimize their loses in 2010 and what might Republicans do to help them?Plus, The Jobs Summit: A little less conversation; A little more action (please? But what sort of action?)'. Also, the interview with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) is comical, giving his non-response to the questions asked. Instead of giving a thoughtful answer that would provide a positive response or a direction for the Republican Party, he essentially echoes the Republican talking points of "no, no, no" and "everything the Democrats do is bad." He claims that Keynesian stimulus to the economy failed, even though it has saved countless teachers, firefighters, and police officers from being fired by state and local governments. At every road construction site in Bakersfield there is a sign that reads: "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." Seems like it's working to me...

The Media Tries to Create Another Scandal

So let me get this straight: Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat, nominates his long-time staffer - whom he recently started dating - for a U.S. Attorney slot in Montana along with five other qualified individuals, and gave no preference as to who should get the job. She was so qualified for the post that she was narrowed down by an independent panel before she took herself out of the running because she and Baucus decided they wanted to live together in Washington. Not only were the two of them separated from their spouses, but Baucus and his estranged wife had split amicably and have decided to divorce after 25 years of marriage. How is this a scandal?

Baucus is being compared to South Carolina's Republican Governor Mark Sanford, who left his state to visit his mistress in Argentina and left everyone in the dark as to his whereabouts, including the state's Lieutenant Governor. "Hiking in the Appalachian trail" has now become a euphemism in the political lexicon for seeing one's mistress. Oh, and South Carolina's First Lady was completely in the dark about his betrayal of their marriage vows. No wonder the South Carolina Legislature has now begun impeachment proceedings against Governor Sanford. Baucus was also compared to Nevada's Republican U.S. Senator John Ensign, who also cheated on his wife. Ensign's betrayal went a bit deeper, though - the woman he cheated on his wife with was married to his chief of staff - a double whammy. And after the scandal went public, it was revealed that Ensign's parents gave a "gift" of tens of thousands of dollars to the couple. This scandal has a chance to mushroom a bit bigger, because Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma - also a Republican - helped Ensign in this tawdry little affair and may have tried to help him hush it up. It should also be noted that Ensign was a member of the Senate Republican leadership before this scandal broke.

Perhaps Baucus shouldn't have nominated his girlfriend for a U.S. Attorney slot, but it's not as though she wasn't qualified. He had a long-running professional relationship with her dating back to 2002, so he had an opportunity to see her work ethic. He is also a longtime U.S. Senator from Montana and presumably chose her because he knew she could do a good job for the people of Montana, which is backed up by the fact that she was one of three people that made it to a narrowed-down list of possible nominees. Seems like the media is desperate to create a "scandal" where there is none, perhaps to balance out their coverage of very real Republican scandals.