The Illinois House of Representatives voted 114-1 today to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The matter now goes to the state Senate, which will try the case and decide whether to remove Blagojevich from office.
The 2008 employment numbers reinforce Barack Obama’s call Thursday for swift, bold action to stimulate the economy. The United States lost 2.6 million jobs last year, the largest drop since 1945. More than 1 million of those jobs have been lost in the past two months. More than 11 million Americans are now unemployed, and the unemployment rate is 7.2 percent, the highest level in 16 years.
But the urgency for action doesn’t mean Congress should rubber-stamp a stimulus package. Lawmakers need to make sure that the spending is smart and really will boost the economy. For example, some lawmakers and economists argue that Obama’s plan to provide a $3,000 tax credit to businesses for every job created and, possibly, for jobs spared would be difficult to administer and could lead to abuse.
While joining the crowd making sport of Caroline Kennedy’s “you know” and “like” habit, the New York Times’ Maureen Dowd pushed back at the harsh reaction to Kennedy’s self-promotion to get the appointment to New York’s open Senate seat. She wrote: “I found it bizarre that when Caroline offered to use her magic capital – and friendship with Barack Obama – to help take care of New York in this time of economic distress, she was blasted by a howl of ‘How dare she?’ People are suddenly awfully choosy about who gets to go to the former home of Jesse Helms, Strom Thurmond and Robert Torricelli.” And, we could add, Larry Craig, David Vitter, Ted Stevens, David Durenberger, Bob Packwood. . . .
Dowd concluded: “It isn’t what your name is. It’s what you do with it. Or, in the case of W., don’t.”
What does God, via televangelist Pat Robertson, see for 2009? Socialism and hyperinflation, but also a second-quarter economic rebound. And “if I’m hearing Him right, gold will go to about $1,900 an ounce, and oil $300 a barrel,” Robertson said in his annual prophecies. Robertson also predicted that Islam will weaken and Russia will form a coalition to control Mideast oil supplies.
Those who would scoff at Robertson should note that he correctly predicted 2008 would bring $150-a-barrel oil, $1,000-an-ounce gold and a recession.
As for President Barack Obama: Because of the bad economy, “he’ll be able to get anything he wants,” Robertson said.
The hearings on whether to dismiss charges against Wichita abortion doctor George Tiller have been a painful reminder of how dysfunctional the Kansas Attorney General’s Office used to be. Testimony has shown how the office of crusading former Attorney General Phill Kline mishandled abortion records and may have misled a judge into obtaining those records. This week’s hearings put a humiliating spotlight on the adulterous affair of Kline’s replacement, former Attorney General Paul Morrison, and whether his lover, who worked for Kline and opposes abortion, pressured Morrison into filing charges. “Palace Intrigue on the Prairie” is how a Tiller attorney titled this soap opera. In comparison, current Attorney General Steve Six is boring. Actually, he’s rather boring compared with nearly anyone. And that’s a nice change.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has said that she isn’t interested in the commerce secretary job. But columnist Bonnie Erbe, blogging for U.S. News & World Report, still thinks that Barack Obama should pick Sebelius to replace Bill Richardson. “She wouldn’t be as much fun for reporters, but she’s an incredibly capable person and beloved governor who deserves to be in the Cabinet,” Erbe wrote. “She played an important role in the Obama campaign and would boost the number of women in top administration jobs.”
The Illinois House of Representatives voted 114-1 today to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The matter now goes to the state Senate, which will try the case and decide whether to remove Blagojevich from office.
