Despite Orrin Hatch's equivocation on self-abuse and Andrew Cuomo's quest for man parts to kick, there were many non loin-related items catching our attention today. The pro-enunciation wing of the White House celebrated Larry Summers' impending departure. Blanche Lincoln's vote against beginning debate on DADT repeal is further proof that she might be the worst thing to come out of Arkansas since Wal-Mart. And Lisa Merrcouwskee's write-in bid is faring even worse than her standing among the Republican caucus. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, September 21st, 2010:
LARRY SUMMERS LEAVING WHITE HOUSE IN NOVEMBER - That's all she mumbled for the administration's most curmudgeonly senior aide. The White House is confirming that Bloomberg News was right and Summers will be gone and re-ensconced at Harvard by the end of the year: " His departure will leave Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner as the only member of President Barack Obama's original top-tier economic team. Summers, 55, and the president have discussed his future plans, according to one person. Administration officials are weighing whether to put a prominent corporate executive in the NEC director's job to counter criticism that the administration is anti-business, one person familiar with White House discussions said. White House aides are also eager to name a woman to serve in a high-level position, two people said. They also are concerned finding someone with Summers' experience and stature, one person said." http://bit.ly/a9V1at
REPUBLICANS SUCCESSFULLY FILIBUSTER DADT REPEAL, DREAM Act - Taking a page out of the "Texas-Oklahoma game called on account of too many screaming dudes" playbook, the Senate today failed to end debate on a defense authorization measure that would have INCREASED the size of our armed forces. By blocking the defense authorization bill from moving to the Senate floor, Republicans accomplish the objective of stalling DADT repeal AND blocking the Senate from considering the DREAM Act, which would give young, undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship if they enlist in the military or enroll in college. Republicans objected that Harry Reid was limiting the number of amendments that could be offered. But Reid had pledged to work with Republicans to allow amendments. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin took to the Senate floor following the defeat to condemn the GOP's "procedural ruse." http://huff.to/cmFOwX
Lamar Alexander, Richard Shelby and John Thune all put the screws to Scott Brown during the cloture vote and he eventually buckled, quickly voted and headed out the center door, rather than the one where reporters were huddled, as he normally does.
White House DADT Effort Whacked By Advocates - Repeal proponents dogged the administration for a meek attempt to push DADT across the finish line. Does this even count as lifting a finger? "The National Defense Authorization Act is a good bill that is important for the overall health and well being of our forces, especially given the ongoing campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world," Shin Inouye the White House's "director of specialty media" said in a statement to reporters last night. "This legislation received bipartisan support in the House and in the Senate Armed Services Committee and the President hopes it receives similar bipartisan support in the Senate." That's it.
DISCHARGED VETS ON HAND TO WATCH DEFEAT - Brian Humbles of Alexandria, Virginia was serving as a chief hospital corpsman in Oceana, Virginia when, after 22 years of service, he was wrongfully accused of molesting a patient. While it was later proved that the accusations were without merit, Humbles, under immense pressure from an agent at the Navy Criminal Investigation Service, admitted to being bisexual. (Doesn't that violate the "Don't Ask" part?) He was quickly discharged for the admission. Humbles told HuffPost's Lucia Graves he was very disappointed by today's vote. "I'm gay, I'm black, and I'm Christian," he said in an interview at the Capitol Tuesday, "and having someone say you can't serve because of who you live your life with, that's very degrading."
Can't a guy anonymously spew bile in peace these days? From the blog Joe My God about a comment on the DADT vote that read "All Faggots Must Die:" "The above comment was left today by 'Jimmy' on my post about the DADT cloture vote. The IP address *appears* to resolve to the neighborhood of GOP U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss' Atlanta office. The ISP is "United States Senate." I'm confident that the JMG internet sleuths can get to the source.Here's the IP: 156.33.20.72. Get busy, geeks!" The geeks indeed got busy: it came from a Senate address outside Atlanta. http://bit.ly/cpk24g
Tonight in Roll Call: After years of sending their regrets, Republicans are increasingly RSVPing "yes" to gay causes, Roll Call's Bennett Roth writes. Prominent party lobbyists and activists will be attending or lending their names to two such events Wednesday, and some observers are interpreting it as evidence of a growing change in attitude among at least some in the party. -- AND -- With a new poll out today showing Russ Feingold trailing Ron Johnson by 11 points, Roll Call's Tricia Miller reports on the Wisconsin Senate race from the ground.
HATCH TOUCHY ABOUT MASTURBATION - Does Orrin Hatch agree with Delaware Republican Christine O'Donnell that it's not possible to masturbate without lust, and that therefore self-love is adultery? We'll never know, but Jen Bendery tried to get it out of him today as he headed in for a Republican lunch. "Do you think that it's a good pre-election strategy for Democrats to link Republicans to the Tea Party movement?" Bendery wondered. Sure, why not, Hatch said. "They're good people. They're just angry." Really? There's nothing you'd take issue with? "You've got people like...O'Donnell out there talking about masturbation and that that's, you know, the ills of the country," Bendery noted. "I mean, that's going to represent your party? That's okay with you?"
Hatch: Oh, come on. That--that-that--that's--I'm not meaning to pick on you, but that's not even a legitimate question.
Bendery: But--
Hatch: I like you. Don't get too mad.
LIEBERMAN BRAVELY TRAVERSING THE AISLE FOR UPPER-BRACKET TAX CUTS - The Connecticut senator believes the best way to solve the impasse over whether to extend the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans is to assemble a war party of pasty old rich white dudes. "All I'm saying now is that this is a place where we really do need -- it's an awful word --but we need another gang. We need a bipartisan gang to come to a bipartisan agreement on tax cuts," Lieberman said to TPM's Brian Beutler: http://bit.ly/atQyOX
HOUSE DEMS SUPPORTING BUSH CUTS DON'T EVEN REPRESENT ANY RICH PEOPLE - From Arthur Delaney: "Most House Democrats who want to keep the soon-to-expire Bush tax cuts for the wealthy represent districts where the share of taxpayers rich enough to pay higher taxes under President Obama's tax plan is below the national average... 'Why are they doing this?" said CTJ's Steve Wamhoff in an interview with HuffPost. 'The polls are against them. It's not poll-driven. It's not in the interest of their constituents. It's baffling.'" http://huff.to/bgKzcU
It's not very baffling to David Roberts: "Politicians are disproportionately and overwhelmingly responsive to the minority of Americans who have lots of money." http://bit.ly/9xm814
Hoyer's Freudian Omission Of Tax Cuts - When asked what legislation, other than the continuing resolution and the small business bill, he expected the House to address before it adjourns, Hoyer ticked off the NASA authorization bill, the health bill for 9/11 responders, and the child nutrition bil. Several reporters were surprised he didn't mention the tax bill. "I should have," Hoyer said. "I should have mentioned the tax bill." Hoyer insists it just slipped his mind. "Chairman Baucus, as you know, is working actively on this. And I said this last week, I reiterate, I want to see what the Senate can do. I think that will have a great effect on what members here believe ought to be done or can be done."
House In Next Week - Politico reported yesterday that the House may leave at the end of the week, but Steny Hoyer said at his pen-and-pad today that they'll be in next week. (In Politico's follow up, they write that Hoyer "insists" the House will be in next week, as if to say, Who you gonna believe, us or the guy who controls the floor schedule?) The two stories are now running on top of each other on their site:
"Steny Hoyer insists House will stay through next week" http://politi.co/czI4uB
"House may adjourn by end of week" http://politi.co/bFPcQr
DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - From Arthur Delaney: "The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing today on welfare reform. Kay Brown of the GAO testified that 15 years after Congress trimmed the welfare safety net, caseloads rose modestly in 37 states but FELL in 13 even as poverty surged in 2009. As for the people who've moved on from TANF: "Research on how families are faring after welfare reform has shown that, like those who receive TANF cash assistance, families that have left welfare, either for work or for other reasons, tend to remain low income and most depend in part on other public benefits."
Here's what Gordon Berlin of the MDRC had to say about the looming demise of the TANF Emergency Fund: "Emergency Fund authority expires in nine days, likely leaving employed individuals without work, employers without employees, and communities without the economic multiplier effects that spur broader economic activity." http://bit.ly/aprGVC [FROWN]
TAX TALK THURSDAY - Max Baucus said today after the caucus lunch gathering that no decision had been made yet on how to proceed on the tax debate. "Well, we're going to know the answer to that question later this week. Sen. Reid is going to be talking to Sen. McConnell later today about that, trying to set it up. We're also going to address that issue Thursday in our Thursday caucus. We didn't even get into that today."
LISA MURKOWSKI TO BE STRIPPED OF TOP COMMITTEE SPOT - With horse-head-in-bed-like swiftness, the Senate Republican caucus will move tomorrow to remove Lisa Murkowski as the ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. CNN: "Republicans will also vote to elect a replacement for Murkowski in the leadership. She resigned Friday as vice chair of the Senate GOP conference. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman, John Cornyn, R-Texas, told CNN this is, 'the appropriate thing to do. When you chose not to accept the judgment of the primary voters and run as a write in... it has consequences.' Another Republican came out of the Senate GOP lunch and told CNN it was clear Murkowski has virtually no support among her colleagues anymore. That senator spoke on condition of anonymity, in order to speak freely about a private meeting." http://bit.ly/duyOhP
The Hill turns 16 today!
BARRASSO RUNNING FOR VICE-CHAIR OF REPUBLICAN CAUCUS - With Lisa Murkowski abandoning her number four spot in the Republican caucus to run as a write-in candidate, the Wyoming senator John Barrasso is looking to take her place. "It is loud and clear - Americans are tired of a government that spends too much, borrows too much and grows bigger every day," Barrasso said in a release imbued with all the creativity and insight one might expect from a statement about a job elected exclusively by other senators, "I am running for Vice Chairman because we must fight even harder against Washington's wasteful spending and intrusion into our lives."
Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) is gathering signatures for a letter to Nancy Pelosi asking for an up-or-down vote on extending all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Pelosi, no doubt, is eagerly awaiting Kingston's input.
Don't be bashful: Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill
TODAY'S TERKEL TAKEDOWN - Amanda Terkel: "In a discussion with a small group of bloggers and journalists on Monday, President Clinton took down the GOP notion that a government shutdown would be a good idea if they win back the majority in November: '[F]irst of all, they can't, unless they just shut off appropriations -- they'll have to pick a fight. And you see what happened last time: It didn't work out very well for them.' He also said he sympathized with many of the Tea Party activists who are frustrated with the economy, but called out the leaders of the movement, which he called 'ultra-right-wing corporate interests that want to break the power of the federal government so they can dominate the future of the country.'" http://huff.to/9DrNLv
WHITE HOUSE CHIDES GROUP THAT FAVORS DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES - As if railing against the underfunded "professional left" weren't enough. Sam Stein: "The White House jumped on a story Tuesday morning showing that the firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld was hosting a fundraiser on the night of the November elections for the Republican Party's congressional and Senate campaign committees. The piece, published by Politico, made the case that K Street is positioning itself for an oncoming GOP wave. The White House and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), in contrast, suggested that this was evidence of the GOP leadership confirming an unholy alliance with the special interest community. Lost in the back-and-forth was the fact that despite hosting an election night fundraiser for the NRSC and NRCC, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, has pretty much been bankrolling Democrats for the past year and a half. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, almost three-fourths of the $1.2 million in donations made by employees of the firm in the 2010 cycle have gone to Democratic candidates." http://huff.to/ajiRdQ
ONLY 24% OF ALASKA VOTERS CAN SPELL -- AND WILLING TO VOTE FOR -- 'MURKOWSKI' - A new Rasmussen poll indicates Lisa Murkowski has a Mount Mckinley-level climb ahead of her to win reelection. The survey finds Joe Miller earning 42 percent with Murkowski only receiving the backing of 27 percent of respondents. What's more, Democratic nominee Scott McAdams isn't benefiting from a split conservative vote. In fact, he seems to be suffering from Kendrick Meek syndrome, only earning 25 percent. Maybe if Murkowski fortifies herself with some of Don Young's mooseburgers (see below) she might have a fighting chance. http://bit.ly/dfVCZB
Joe Miller, who rails against the federal government like it said something about his mama, was at one point a beneficiary of its largess. "U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller, who in a recent Project Vote Smart survey opposed federal spending on agriculture, is acknowledging receiving farm subsidies during the 1990's from land that he owned in Kansas. Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto said Miller, who is from Kansas, purchased the farmland in 1990 when he was in the Army and essentially rented it out to be farmed, finally selling the last of the 140 acres that was being farmed in 1998.DeSoto's acknowledgment follows the Alaska Dispatch, based on a Freedom of Information Act request with the USDA, reporting that Miller received more than $7,000 in federal farm subsidies for the Kansas land over a seven year period. The USDA has yet to fulfill a FOIA request made by the Daily News for documents on Miller's farm subsidies but DeSoto said he does not believe that the subsidies received would have amounted to much more than the reported $7,235." Anchorage Daily News: http://bit.ly/9j52rA
Chris Coons has a solid lead over Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. The county executive has a commanding 54 percent to 39 percent lead over his opponent and human Polly Pocket Christine O'Donnell, according to a Fox News poll. http://fxn.ws/cmlsWq
Politico's gossip writer Kiki Ryan is celebrating her b-day at Nonna tonight at seven
ANDREW CUOMO AND HIS FRUITLESS HUNT FOR TESTICLES TO KICK Carl Paladino's swipes at Andrew Cuomo have apparently riled the Big Apple AG so much that Cuomo is demanding his campaign strike back. Daily News: "'If a guy says you have no cojones, how do you punch him back, call him an a--hole?' the Democratic gubernatorial candidate fumed in a secret talk to his team, one insider said.
'We have all this stuff [on Paladino] and we're on the defensive,' Cuomo groused, the insider added...The counterattack planning session came after Paladino issued a taunting letter that questioned Cuomo's manhood, ripped his pop's performance as governor - and taunted him to 'for the first time in your life be a man.'" http://bit.ly/9u3kAc
"The Peacewalker" shows HuffPost DC his back tat, sez "I just got out of jail" http://yfrog.com/7eyi6pj
NEW GINGRICH VIDEO A VERITABLE POTLUCK OF GOP TALKING POINTS - In a new online video aimed at drumming up support for his "American Solutions" PAC, Newt Gingrich touches upon nearly every GOP fear-based talking point this side of our woefully porous border. Speaking over music normally reserved for the "to this day, members of the 101st Airborne have a hard time looking back on Bastogne" portion of History Channel documentaries, Gingrich tells the camera: "Y'know, I don't remember any time in American history where we've had such a threat to our basic way of life. A genuinely radical secular, socialist machine ramming things through with no regard for American values or the beliefs of the American people." http://bit.ly/aLP6kT
Also the conservative Citizens for the Republic has debuted "Mourning in America," a play on Ronald Reagan's iconic "Morning in America" spot from his 1984 reelection campaign. "Today, 15 million men and women won't have the opportunity to go to work, business is shuttered, 2,900 families will have their homes foreclosed by nightfall," the narrator, who sounds a bit like a Pillsbury spokesman on NyQuil, declares. Also, note the stoned looking boy waving the American flag who appears in BOTH the Gingrich and "Mourning" videos. http://youtu.be/_YXqf_6ug54!
BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - Here are some schoolchildren singing 'Imagine.' http://bit.ly/aPq865
Ted Kaufman will chair a Judiciary Committee hearing tomorrow to examine the effectiveness of of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act. Please note that you can't bring outside food or drink into Judiciary Committee hearings and that beer won't be served after the 7th panelist to mitigate rowdiness.
If the FERA act hearing doesn't give you the adrenaline rush you're looking for, try heading over to the Rules Committee tomorrow at ten. The panel will examine the role of the filibuster in today's Senate.
@YahooNews: Sept. 21 is International Day of Peace, World Alzheimer's Day, World Gratitude Day & National Pecan Cookie Day
LAWMAKERS WANT YOU AND YOUR STINKY SELF OUT OF THEIR OFFICES - "Security concerns, swelling crowds and the wish to keep the public at some remove mean average people aren't allowed to hang out in the Capitol for long...Instead, a standard tour now means spending a half hour or so under the same roof as the lawmaking House and Senate and the rest of the time in the $600 million Capitol Visitor Center, a massive secure structure built underground and next to the real thing...'In the summertime, because of the high humidity and how hot it gets here, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol,' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said during a ceremony celebrating the opening of the 580,000 square-foot visitor center in 2008." AP: http://bit.ly/cmNkGY
Young Democrats of America will be hosting an event this Thursday to mark the day when certain provisions of health care reform are set to kick in. Reps. Chris Murphy and Tom Perriello will be on hand. 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm at The Dubliner (4 F Street NW).
JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Tonight: Enjoy the cooler weather while you can, friends. Expect temperatures in the mid-to-upper 60s with a hint of crispness in the air. It's a good night for peacewalking. Tomorrow: It'll get hotter, as the jet stream will bring warmer air from the south. High-80s, and may hit 90 in the city. It will also be quite humid. And, as always, heat and humidity means pop-up thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Bring an umbrella for the last full day of summer. Thanks, JB!
COMFORT FOOD
- A Dictaphone was wrapped in a package and mailed with the record button on. This animated short illustrates what it heard. http://bit.ly/a2IXBT
- Perhaps this reporter forgot about his "Not Being Eaten By A Camel 201" course at J school. http://huff.to/avYKcb
- Surprisingly, this cat doesn't seem to care that it's being gift wrapped. http://bit.ly/bsTO44
- The Twitter fail whale given the artistic treatment it so richly deserves. http://bit.ly/bBLEjM
- The bed intruder song dude has moved his family to a safer location. http://bit.ly/b5XzCQ
- This dad REALLY likes Justin Beiber. http://bit.ly/aQz8Jd
- Gorgeous time-lapsed video of clouds rolling in and out of San Francisco. http://bit.ly/aFKeMy
SPECIAL 'AMERICA'S NASTY TWERPES BREAKOUT' TWITTERAMA
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THE TUBE
TONIGHT:
ON TAP
TONIGHT
7:00 pm: Even as Vampire Weekend and Arcade Fire maintain their stranglehold on Pitchfork's column inches, Britain's indie mainstays The Klaxons roll on. They perform at 9:30 Club [9:30 Club, 815 V Street NW].
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm: Everyone knows the Capitol Hill Club is a bastion of Oakley's sunglasses, folding captain's chairs, NFL mudflaps and Miller Light. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) hosts a Tailgate Reception at the GOP club [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Mike Lee (R-Utah), the Republican vying to replace Bob Bennett in the Senate, is in town for a fundraiser. He'll be joined by an explosion of pastiness: Mitch McConnell (R-Ky), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Jason Chaffetz. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is listed but we'd be awfully surprised if she showed [National Republican Senatorial Committee, 425 2nd Street NE].
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Mike Oliverio (D-W.V.), who defeated Rep. Alan Mollohan in the Democratic primary, attends a fundraiser thrown by some of the politicians he railed against during the race. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Jay Rockefeller (D- W.V.), Carte Goodwin (D-W.V.), Nick Rahal (D-W.V.) and Gov. Joe Manchin are all scheduled to attend [Bistro Bis, 15 E Street NW].
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: Jon Barela (R-N.M) attempts to buttress his effort to unseat Martin Heinrich with a fundraiser featuring an appearance from John Boehner (R-Ohio) [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].
6:30 - 8:00 pm: Even House leaders need to be reelected. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) solicits donations at DNC HQ [Democratic National Committee Headquarters, 430 South Capitol Street SE].
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm: Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) hosts his annual "Annual Southern Arizona Fall Fiesta." He told Roll Call recently that he can't find a decent burrito in D.C. So he's flying in a taco chef who's bringing his own tortillas. Really. [American Legion Hall Post #8, 224 D Street, SE].
TOMORROW
8:30 am: Newt Gingrich needs money to fight anti-colonial forces, particularly African ones. He hosts a fundraiser for Tom Price's (R-Ga.) Voice for Freedom PAC [Location TBD].
8:30 am: Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) wants your money. Bad [Capitol Decisions Inc, 101 Constitution Ave NW].
9:00 am: Vernon Buchanan (R-Fla.) hosts a fundraiser at the Capitol Hill Club. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is scheduled to attend [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: George Miller (D-Calif.), probably more worried about maintaining his HELP chairmanship than securing reelection, nevertheless hosts a fundraiser [Phoenix Park Hotel, 520 North Capitol Street NW].
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: In case you've never had a mooseburger, Don Young (R-Alaska) will gladly grill you one for $2,400 [The Home of Frank Young and Anna Young, 625 E Street SE].
6:00 pm: Ain't no party like a North Dakota party 'cause a North Dakota party don't stop! Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.) passes the hat with some help from his state's two senators Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) [Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill, Washington Court Hotel on Capitol Hill].
Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffingtonpost.com), Ryan Grim (ryan@huffingtonpost.com) or Nico Pitney (nico@huffingtonpost.com). Follow us on Twitter @HuffPostHill (twitter.com/HuffPostHill). Sign up here: http://huff.to/an2k2e