Politics 2000

The recent spate of security near-misses is unnerving. First, the would-be reality-show couple apparently crashed the only state dinner the White House hosted this year and posed with dozens of the most important Americans, included President Obama. Fortunately, they were only seeking publicity.

They said they were really invited guests but then went suddenly mute when asked to testify before a Congressional panel. Talking to Congress members could generate publicity.

The Pope was attacked during his annual Christmas Eve mass last night. The female assailant was stopped before any serious damage was done. However, the 82-year-old pontiff was knocked to the floor in the scuffle. He appeared to be unhurt afterward and offered his Christmas message today as scheduled.

Someone tried to ignite fireworks inside a plane as it was landing today. Luckily, the fireworks weren’t lit before anyone could be hurt. The president called for more security tonight. The few pundits working Christmas shifts wondered why the suspected terrorist hadn’t been screened more thoroughly before boarding the plane since he’s on a watch list.

Bubble Boy’s father and mother were sentenced this week to 90 days and 20 days, respectively, in prison. They previously pleaded guilty to filing a false police report. They’ll also serve some probation but there’s no word on whether they’ll have to repay expenses incurred in “searching” for their “lost” son.

On a better note, I hope you enjoyed a Merry Christmas today. Happy Boxing Day to readers from the UK and from Canada. Must be nice to have holidays on consecutive days. New Year’s Day is coming in a week. Kwanzaa starts tomorrow. Have a great weekend.

The U.S. Senate cast its first Christmas Eve votes in more than a century today before adjourning for the holidays. On a party-line vote of 60-39, the chamber approved the health-care reform bill.

The legislation will head to a conference committee next month, although Congressional staffers will try to merge as much as possible the different versions passed by the House and Senate. The roll-call vote was held shortly after 7 a.m. eastern. The vote had originally been scheduled for 8 p.m. Thursday but all the senators agreed to move the vote to the early morning.

Pundits believed the compromise was sparked by an oncoming winter storm that will make traveling home difficult. Republicans can still claim final passage came on Christmas Eve. Not that it’ll matter much. Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning, who will retire in Jan. 2011, did not vote. Democrats achieve their intermediate goal of advancing a bill through the Senate.

The hardest part still remains. President Obama wants to sign a bill before his next State of the Union address. The speech, held before a joint session of Congress, is typically delivered in late January but no date has yet been announced for the address.

The Senate also voted to increase the national debt limit $290 million, from roughly $12.1 trillion to about $12.4 trillion. The stopgap measure ensures the government will continue to function until a more comprehensive bill can be passed next year.

The deficit, the annual amount spent above the revenue received, is $1.4 trillion in 2009. The federal government spent $1.4 trillion more than it received during the last fiscal year. The debt, the sum of all yearly deficits, has surpassed $12 trillion.

Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith announced that he’s moved from the Democratic to the Republican party. The freshman House member blamed Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s adherence to a liberal agenda for his decision.

Rather than be a Blue Dog Democrat in a state that heavily supported John McCain over Barack Obama last year, Griffith joined the GOP. In response, Pelosi stripped Griffith of all of his committee assignments. She’s the speaker; that’s her prerogative.

The balance of power won’t change after one House defection. However, Republicans are hoping more moderate Democrats will decide they either don’t belong in a caucus dominated by progressives or that they won’t get elected again if the “D” is still next to their names.

Under regulations that will take effect next year, airlines will be forced to let passengers to leave sitting planes after three hours. In other words, the horror stories of being trapped in a plane for six hours without food, water or sanity are supposed to be over.

Airline representatives warn that the new rule will result in more cancellations. Apparently, airlines would rather keep people stuck in planes for an indeterminate time without compensation.

Perhaps threatening to leave travelers on airport cots for a weekend–as happened in the northeast last weekend during a big snowstorm–is enough to keep people from complaining about extended time with crying babies and overfilled bathrooms. Perhaps not. Perhaps visiting family in the spring is a better idea.

Finally, welcome to the new visitors from Adgitize. Thanks for reading Politics 2000. I hope you like the site and come here regularly.