Moving Day For The Senate Is Here

Cuomo Snubs New York Assembly
Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said his first State of the State address would not be delivered from within the chamber of the Assembly. The decision cut loose a nearly century-long tradition in Albany and unsettled some lawmakers. Mr. Cuomo said he would deliver his Speech at a state convention center next to the Capitol, opting for a venue double the size of the legislative chamber. He said he wanted to accommodate a larger audience and would invite members of the public to attend, distr...

Senate plays suite swap as Democrats face job cuts
ALBANY -- After the victory parties, concession speeches, Recounts and Legal Challenges come the boxes and the bubble wrap. The first visible sign of the power shift in the state Senate appears Wednesday, when Democratic and Republican Staffers begin swapping offices. Visitors to the third floor of the Capitol should keep an eye out for workers trundling Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson's belongings from his current office on the southwest corner of the building to the southeastern digs...

Cuomo Explains Moving State of the State
Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo is moving his State of the State Speech out of the Assembly chamber and into the arms of the people. Cuomo announced this morning that he'll deliver the annual address at the Empire State Plaza's Convention Center, a decision he explained on Fred Dicker's Radio Show this morning. "We can only fit the legislators and the Lobbyists," Cuomo said of the Assembly chamber. "What a metaphor for the problem!" Instead of legislators and Lobbyists, Cuomo said he would like to...

Cuomo Moves First Big Speech To Convention Center
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Gov.-elect Andrew Cuomo has shifted the venue for his first major policy Speech from the state Assembly chamber to the Empire State Plaza Convention Center, roughly doubling the capacity with about 1,000 more seats. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says requests for invitations to the Jan. 5 State of the State Address have exceeded the Assembly capacity. Cuomo says he wants more of the public to attend. General admission tickets will be distributed through a lottery...

Shadegg warns House GOP newcomers: Dont betray grassroots like we did
Jon Ward covers the White House and national politics for The Daily Caller. He covered the last two years of George W. Bush's presidency and the first year of Barack Obama's presidency for The Washington Times. Prior to moving to national politics, Jon worked for the Times' city desk and bureaus in Virginia and Maryland, covering local news and politics, including the D.C. sniper shootings and subsequent trial, before moving to state politics in Maryland. He and his wife have two Children and li...

FL-Sen: Nelson Leads All, Except Jeb
Public Policy Polling (12/17-20, Florida voters): Bill Nelson (D-inc): 47 George Lemieux (R): 36 Bill Nelson (D-inc): 44 Jeb Bush (R): 49 Bill Nelson (D-inc): 44 Mike Haridopolos (R): 32 Bill Nelson (D-inc): 46 Adam Hasner (R): 30 Bill Nelson (D-inc): 44 Connie Mack IV (R): 36 (MoE: ±3%) This poll's been out there for a little while now, but with SSP Headline News enjoying an extended Vacation from the blogosphere, I called the boys down at SSP Reclamation Services & Towing to dra...

Answering progressive fears about filibuster reform
The window to change Senate rules opens just one week from now, on January 5th. With that date rapidly approaching, at Daily Kos we are stepping up our efforts to support rules reform with a variety of actions over the next week. You can join those efforts now by signing our petition to make the Filibuster a real filibuster. Based on comments I have seen on blogs and Social Networking sites, there is still some trepidation among Progressives about the campaign to reform Senate rules. Here are ...

Tea Party, Scott Brown Good for GOP in 2010
Since Robert Schlesinger came up with reasons 2010 was good for Democrats, here are as many reasons why it was a great year for Republicans: [See a slide show of 7 reasons 2010 was good for Republicans.] Scott Brown : The election of Scott Brown to the United States Senate was the political “shot heard around the world.” His emergence was perceived as a sign that Democrats had overplayed their hand and that Americans were rebelling against Big Government. During a debate over the ...

Charles Krauthammer: GOP must cap spending but force cuts on Democrats (Video)
Krauthammer thinks the  midterm voter message that swept away the Democrat House majority was  "rein in government, a smaller government, Limited Government and a government of enumerated powers." I think the  Republicans  learned a lesson from what happened with the Gingrich revolution in 1994.  The Republicans were so heady in those days. They thought you could govern from Congress; and they had control of the House and the Senate and they could not. They were defeated...

San Bernardino County to have special primary election in February
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced a special Primary Election for February that would give Democrats the opportunity to pick up another State Senate seat should someone decide to run. Republican State Sen. George Runner Jr. resigned from his position after winning a seat on the State Board of Equalization in the 2010 Midterm Elections. Runner currently represents the 17th District, which cuts across portions of Kern, Ventura, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Runner’...

Georgia Democrats Descend Into Parody and Race Baiting
If you are a Republican, you wear white sheets and attend midnight meetings. That is if you believe Robert Brown. Brown is now, after the decimation of Democrats in Georgia, the highest ranking Democrat in the whole state. He serves as leader of the Democrats in the State Senate. On a local television program in Middle Georgia, Senator Brown was asked about a series of party switchers from Democrats to Republicans. Brown responded, “I mean, what does the wife do then, put on some red she...

New House rules end official commendations
With little fanfare earlier this month, the House passed a commending resolution recognizing the University of Wisconsin's football team for making it to the Rose Bowl. But if the team wins, it's likely to have to go without a pat on the back from the country's 435 House members — at least as far as official recognition goes. House Republicans, who take control of the chamber in January, are planning a rules change that would end most commending resolutions, and in the process could slice ...

House Dems name new chairs for key budget committees
As Connecticut heads into the worst Budget session in history, House Democrats announced Wednesday new leadership for their two top budget-writing committees. “We have the basis for a terrific team,” said House Majority Leader J. Brendan Sharkey of Hamden. The House chairmanships of the Appropriations and the Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees became vacant following Rep. Cameron C. Staples' decision not to run for Reelection and Rep. John C. Geragosian's being named a state aud

O'Donnell: "The plan was to crush me"
Former Delaware Senate Candidate Christine O'Donnell issued a remarkable statement Wednesday night, accusing both political parties in Delaware and the Vice President of the United States of trying to destroy her Political Career through charges she misused campaign funds. O'Donnell, who the Associated Press first reported is now under federal investigation for allegedly using Campaign Contributions for personal expenses, is firing back at the establishment in both parties. Read the original P...

Bonner takes Ethics chair
Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) will serve as chairman of the House Ethics Committee in the 112th Congress, finalizing the list of Republican committee heads for next year. Bonner had served as ranking member on the secretive panel during the past two years. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset Politico 44 Bonner started the cycle working closely with Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the committee’s chairwoman, the two ended up openly clashing over the pace of ethics trials for Democratic Reps. C...

Retiring Republican Congressman Tells New GOP House Members: Dont Betray Grassroots Like We Did
The Arizona Republican ran for majority leader in 2006 but was beaten by John Boehner, the Ohio Republican who has been Minority Leader since the fall of 2006 and is now set to take the gavel from Democrat Nancy Pelosi in one week’s time. Shadegg, who in 2006 was the choice of National Review magazine and the conservative blog Redstate, is going home to Arizona. He decided to retire after 16 years in office. Shadegg, 61, has a unique perspective on conservative Republican politics. He came...

A possible deal on nominations reform
Ezra Klein believes that Democrats and Republicans may be able to cut a deal on Senate rules about nominations; it seems that Mike Lee, incoming GOP senator from Utah, currently holds the 2005 GOP position that Judicial Nominations should not be subject to the Filibuster. I think it's highly unlikely that such a deal could be made. As long as there's a non-zero chance that Barack Obama might be nominating a Supreme Court justice in the future, especially one to replace one of the current conse...

Iowa GOPer Branstad: Impeach Justices For Gay Marriage? I Have No Role In That
Gov.-elect Terry Branstad (R-IA), who will be leading the critical first presidential Caucus state, is not commenting on the hot-button issue of whether the state Supreme Court justices who legalized same sex marriage in his state should be impeached -- after he'd previously urged the legislature in strong terms to pass a Constitutional Amendment undoing the decision. This past November, Iowa voters removed three state Supreme Court justices who had faced up-or-down retention Elections, and wh...

GOP sold out
In this past election the Democrats appeared to be more inclusive and the Republicans appeared to be more exclusive, driving away any group that might be associated with traditional social values (“State GOP chief pleads to keep job,” Dec. 28). Guess who stayed home? What is more worrisome than the election losses is that Republican Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour seems to have learned nothing from it. Now the Democrats will be emboldened to take back Scott Brown’s seat. - Thomas ...

Poll Watch: CNN/Opinion Research Political Survey on Barack Obama and Congress
CNN/Opinion Research Political Survey on Barack Obama and Congress Apart from whether you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president, what do you think of Obama as a person? Would you say you approve of him or disapprove of him? Approve 73% Disapprove 22% Among Democrats Approve 94% Disapprove 5% Among Republicans Approve 42% Disapprove 49% Among Independents Approve 73% Disapprove 21% In general, do you hope that Barack Obama’s policies will ...

Crist leaving office after political blunders
Tallahassee, Fla. | Outgoing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will linger in some short-term memories for his failed independent Senate run and his pardon of dead rock star Jim Morrison. People thinking longer term will recall a Governor who persuaded Republicans and Democrats to work together but blundered away his potential for success at the national level. Mr. Crist, who leaves office Tuesday, enjoyed widespread popularity for much of his term. He built a reputation as a national leader on climat...

20 Democrats and Republicans to watch in 2011
Each year, there tend to be a few politicians that garner a fair share of the political headlines. Some based on their position like President Obama and others based on their comments like former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. There are good and bad reasons that elected officials generate those headlines. 2011 will be important in two regards: 1)it will be a year where the results of 2010 will be reviewed and election outcomes will produce legislative consequences and 2) 2011 will set the stage fo...

Obama uses recess appointments to fill Justice post, four ambassadorships
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama on Wednesday appointed the first U.S. ambassador to Syria since 2005, using a Recess Appointment to bypass opposition from Senate Republicans. Because he was appointed while the Senate is in recess, Robert Ford, a career diplomat, will not need Senate confirmation. But he can serve only until the end of the next session of Congress, which will likely be in December 2011. Ford's nomination was held up by a group of GOP senators who complained that the a...

Obama appoints five officials whose nominations had stalled
WASHINGTON — President Obama has bypassed the Senate and directly appointed four ambassadors whose nominations had been stalled or blocked by lawmakers for months. The White House said yesterday that Obama would use his power to make Recess Appointments to fill Envoy posts to Azerbaijan, Syria, and NATO allies Turkey and the Czech Republic. Recess appointments are made when the Senate is not in session and last only until the end of the next session of Congress. They are frequently used w...

Stephen Sweeney stepping down from Gloucester County freeholder board
Stephen Sweeney is one busy guy. As president of the New Jersey Senate, the Gloucester County Democrat travels throughout the Garden State, shepherds party lawmakers into line, and alternately battles and compromises with Gov. Christie. He has stepped in as acting Governor twice in the last year, most recently while Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno have been out of state following last weekend's snowstorm. He holds a full-time job as an organizer for Ironworkers Union Local 399 and also serve...