Newsie’s Week in Reviewsies: Loser Bush & Drip Drip Drip DeLay

Democratic Officeholder(s) of the Week!
Blue ribbon goes to… Harry Reid
LMAO!

“The man’s father is a wonderful human being. I think this guy is a loser. I think President Bush is doing a bad job.”

Runners up:

• Bob Matsui Will Have a Federal Building in Sacramento Named After Him
• Congratulations, Senator Kennedy. Thanks for fighting for us., by pop tart Actually, Senator Bayh also deserves some credit on the humvee amendment. Mikluski should get credit for the immigration/small business measure.

Delaware Dem’s Democrat of the Day Series

• Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI 12th)
• Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D-OR)
• Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ)
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI 2nd)
• Rep. Robert Brady (D-PA 1st)

Items (copied, pasted or reworded) from various sources or compiled by me; some commentary is mine.

• Carpetbagger Report has exclusive on Robertson & his “this week” flap
• Abramhoff connections to Bush, Cheney, and Ashcroft
• British Memo Busts Bush
• CAFTA: White House Caught Peddling Corporate Invitations
• Republican power grabbing roundup
• Filibusted Judge’s Wife a Swift Boats Contributor
• U.S. Rep. Don Sherwood caught in an affair and abusing his mistress?
• Photo of Sherwood’s mistress At first glance, I thought it was a Paris Hilton impersonator.
• (Hotline) GOPers “are circling the wagons” around Sherwood. Lucerne Co GOP activist Marge Matisko “defended Sherwood’s reputation” and said: “I don’t know the whole story, and I don’t know that we need to know the whole story.” DCCC officials “refused to comment.” NRCC spokesperson Carl Forti said: “You have an allegation in an incident where there were no charges filed, where the allegations were withdrawn, and it was sent to the newspaper by a political opponent of the congressman who obviously has an ax to grind.” But Wilkes U prof Thomas Baldino said: “Truth is the best antidote for a scandal like this. If there is no scandal, he should have no problem coming clean.” Hannevig said 5/2: “I do agree with Congressman Sherwood that it’s probably a political thing, maybe someone either in the Democratic or Republican parties who want his seat, that let this loose.” Baldino: “He is inviting a challenge in the primary.” Matisko: “When I think about family values, I think about the Don Sherwoods and Rick Santorums of the world. I have complete faith in Congressman Sherwood” (Marcy, Wilkes Barre Times Leader, 5/3). (Newsie: Wingnuttery at its finest.)
• 2 Republicans on Ethics Committee Won’t Particiapte in Any DeLay investigation
• Salon: Golfing with Tom DeLay Must read. Using charity work to funnel money to DeLay’s political machinery is a definite no-no. More than just Jack Abramoff. DeLay’s wife is involved. Excerpt: “tax records show that DeLay’s foundations have spent far more on golf fundraisers than on programs for children.” What a guy.
• US official confirms accuracy of the British memo re: Iraq war
• (Note, with my edits) “Progress” for America holds a news conference at the National Press Club to talk about its ad and grassroots campaign on judicial nominees. Speaking: Brian McCabe, president of Progress for America; Benjamin Ginsberg, chief counsel for Bush-Cheney 2004 and PFA adviser [and Swiftboat Liars for Bush adviser]; and Wendy Long, legal counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network.
• Privatization maestro tries to build support for privatization in academia. Economists tell him to start telling Bush to start telling the truth.
• Ohio GOP’s “Coin-Gate” Scandal.
• Lotts of Confusion Over “Price Indexing”
• Pitts. Post Gazette: Santorum blocked judges, too
• Bombshell: Yet Another Abramoff Investigation.
• Conservative movement tribute to Tom DeLay (Could be a swan song)
• Dropping the dime on Tom DeLay: Who will do the honors?
• DeLay and Scotland…
• Bush or Benefits, Sen. Allen?
• Compare and Contrast: Why Bolton’s Appointment Would Be Counterproductive
• Bolton confirmation? and Why this fight is good for Democrats…from The Next Hurrah
• Did John Bolton abuse his first wife?
• (LATimes, Via The Note) ” . . .[A]administration officials have had to grapple with Bolton’s reputation among his friends as a blunt truth-teller, and among his foes as an undiplomatic loose cannon. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has telephoned Democratic and Republican senators to ask for their support, has emphasized in conversations with at least two senators that as U.N. ambassador, Bolton would be strictly scripted by Washington, three Senate sources said.” “‘We think that we can control him,’ Rice told one senator, two Senate aides said. ‘If he strays from the reservation, he’s out.'”
• Janice Rogers Brown: Just a plain, old-fashioned bigot
• Spokane’s anti-gay mayor, former state senator…is (surprise!) gay
• DemFromCT at Next Hurrah: No Bush Mandate
• Penndit: What? No Mandate? You Don’t Say!
• Press secretary for Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) resigns because of plagiarism
• former House Majority leader Dick Armey has a problem with ethics, too
• (Note) Wal-Mart Watch is out trying to call Gov. Robert Ehrlich (R-MD) on the carpet, saying if he’s going to veto the bill in the Maryland legislature that would require the company to either spend more on employee health benefits or contribute to state health insurance for the poor, at least he should stop taking contributions from the company.
• Cong. Recess Preview, Santorum On Verge of Peeing in Pants, Frist the Dullard, & Third Way
• (WakeupCall) A “longtime adviser” on Pres. Bush: “Bush is a man of integrity, and having to throw in with such a low-life like DeLay is not the Bush family style” (NYDN). (Newsie: Well, both are low-lifes, but whatever…)
• (TheNote) She already had a crowning moment on inauguration day, as she watched her husband take on a second term that she was instrumental in helping him win. Saturday, looking beautiful and with timing somewhere between a high school forensic champion and Chris Rock, the FLOTUS wrote another chapter in her surprise elevation to one of the most popular and media-savvy First Ladies in American history. She also told what our weekend research suggests is the first public joke ever by a First Lady about the President of the United States engaged in intimate contact with a randy male horse.
• (NYDN, by way of TheNote) “I don’t think Frist has the votes,” a GOP aide said. “He’s now in his own corner. If he doesn’t have the votes, he’s really screwed.” (Re: Nuclear option)
• (WakeupCall) “Rather than stay on and embarrass the congressman, I am leaving” — Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) press sec Jim Burns, on plagiarizing material in a newspaper column published under Pearce’s name (AP).