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HUFFPOST HILL - SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2010

HUFFPOST HILL - SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2010

Deja vu all over again all over again. Senate Democrats failed to start debate on a jobs bill. A prominent labor official is under scrutiny. Ethics investigations are being politicized. Obama is putting down the Huffington Post. Jim DeMint is being a wet blanket. And Alan Grayson has a peculiar new ad -- an homage to the Wonder Years intro...if the Wonder Years intro was required by Jessica's Law to knock on its neighbors' doors upon moving to town. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Tuesday, September 28th, 2010:

SENATE AVOIDS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN - For all you macro-masochists hoping to see a government shutdown precipitate an economic tailspin before the election, today's 84-14 Senate vote to move forward with a two-month federal budget will come as a cold shower (but not too cold, lest you enjoy it). The tally was actually 83-15 for about two hours, until Lamar Alexander realized he'd voted the wrong way, came back, and switched to a yes. Overall, according to a summary being circulated among Democratic aides, the CR, as it's known, funds the government at a rate $9 billion less than the FY10 budget. Most of those savings come from the Census, with most of the rest coming from the base-closing commission. (An appropriations spokesman cautioned that the summary we got was informal and not final.)

SENATE FAILS TO CLEAR HURDLE ON ANTI-OUTSOURCING BILL - Hello and thank you for waiting. My name is Avinash Krishnamma but you can call me Steve. How can I assist you with this HuffPost Hill blurb about the Senate voting today 53 to 45 against beginning debate on a bill that penalizes American companies for employing me? Perhaps this Roll Call article will help you with your query: "Democrats decided to try to bring up the bill late last week to give Members another item to run on this fall. The decision to bring up the outsourcing measure came after Democratic leaders decided to put off a debate on extending the Bush-era tax cuts. Tuesday's vote followed a rare Monday night 'live quorum,' which Reid called to try to force a dramatic showdown over the bill." More: http://huff.to/ciZoAj

BUDGET INCLUDES $193,400 FOR BOBBY BYRD'S FAMILY - The strangest line item in the summary of the budget extension that is circulating among Dem staff is certainly the last one: "Provides $193,400 for the survivors of Robert C. Byrd, the late Senator from West Virginia." Say wha? "If you die in office your next of kin gets one year salary. It's in the Senate handbook," said a Democratic aide, explaining the expenditure. It was done for Ted Kennedy's family, as well as the family of any other senator who died in office.

ANDY STERN UNDER INVESTIGATION - AP: "The FBI and the Labor Department are investigating prominent labor leader Andy Stern in a probe of corruption at the Service Employees International Union, according to two people who have been interviewed by federal agents. The two organized labor officials met with federal agents this summer to answer questions about a six-figure book contract that Stern landed in 2006 and his role in approving money to pay the salary of Alejandro Stephens, a former SEIU leader in California who allegedly performed no work. The title of the book is 'A Country That Works.'" http://bit.ly/bRsQ6i

ANDY STERN NOT UNDER INVESTIGATION, SAYS ANDY STERN - "The stories appearing today in the L.A. Times and the on AP are simply false. I have absolutely no reason to believe, and not the slightest indication, that I am being investigated by federal authorities with respect to Alejandro Stephens, or A Country That Works, or for that matter anything else," Stern said in a statement. SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette tells HuffPost Hill that it was standard practice for Stern to approve Stephens' contract and that Stern did speak with federal investigators in 2009 about Stephens but has been given no indication that he himself is being targeted. Ringuette said that the stories felt like they came from NUHW, a rival union locked in the biggest private sector labor election since the 1940s, battling over more than 40,000 Kaiser workers. NUHW folks deny the charge.

A reenactment: http://bit.ly/arfwrL

STERN INVESTIGATION CONTEXT - Union officials who've been wary of Stern lately -- he's on the board of a biowarfare company and talking about putting Social Security money into the stock market, after all -- worry that the pressure of the (alleged) investigations will push him further to the right. Stern is a critical vote on Obama's deficit commission and proponents of cutting Social Security hope he can provide progressive cover. The broader labor movement context is the ongoing war on the West Coast over how to organize workers. The Stern news could effect the NUHW election currently underway by mail in ballot.

HOUSE REPUBLICANS WANT RANGEL, WATERS INVESTIGATION BEFORE MIDTERMS - In other news, Alex Rodriguez wants a human growth hormone ban to take effect AFTER the World Series. AP: "The House ethics committee has a partisan split over setting trial dates for two prominent Democrats, Charles Rangel of New York and Maxine Waters of California. The five Republicans on the 10-member committee want a trial in October, weeks before the midterm elections. They said in a statement Tuesday that the chairman of the ethics committee, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, has been stalling. By holding a trial after the elections, Democrats would avoid headlines that could make the party's ethics record a campaign issue. Rangel and Waters have asked the committee to hear their cases as soon as possible." http://bit.ly/a5mENc

TOMORROW'S PAPERS TODAY - Roll Call: Two years ago, President Barack Obama rode into the White House on a tide of unprecedented voter enthusiasm, writes Roll Call's Jennifer Bendery. But fast-forward to 2010, and you'll find Obama lambasting those same voters for growing complacent, and Democratic lawmakers are quietly endorsing the far harsher tone ahead of a rough election. The Hill: Some Democrats in the Senate are second-guessing President Obama's proposal to permanently extend the middle-class tax cuts passed under President George W. Bush, Alexander Bolton reports.

JIM DEMINT THREATENS TO HOLD UP SENATE, BLOGGERS SCRAMBLING FOR APT STAR WARS/DARTH VADAR ANALOGIES - As for us, we're going to go with "the unblinking, lidless, Vineyard Vines-wearing eye of Sauron." Roll Call: "Sen. Jim DeMint warned his colleagues Monday night that he would place a hold on all legislation that has not been 'hot-lined' by the chamber or has not been cleared by his office before the close of business Tuesday...[I]n a terse e-mail sent to all 100 Senate chiefs of staff Monday evening, Steering Committee Chief of Staff Bret Bernhardt warned that DeMint would place a hold on any legislation that had not been hot-lined or been cleared by his office before the close of business Tuesday." http://bit.ly/aIpA3r

Sam Stein reports that this is nothing new: "It is my understanding Jim DeMint has had a standing hold on everything throughout this two year process," Senator Jeff Merkley told Sam today. "When I have had amendments on a couple of occasions, I have been told 'Absolutely, we in the Republican leadership are fine but you are going to have to clear it with Jim DeMint because he has a standing hold on everything.' So I'm not sure this is a real change from what he has been doing." http://huff.to/b0anT3

Dr. No has company: http://politi.co/cE8tF7

ELIZABETH WARREN TOOK MONEY TO TESTIFY AGAINST BANKS WHILE HEADING OVERSIGHT PANEL - Conflicts of interest you can believe in! "Elizabeth Warren, named by President Barack Obama to set up the new consumer finance agency, was paid $90,000 this year to be an expert witness in a class-action lawsuit against some of the biggest U.S. banks. Warren, who at the time she did the work was head of the Congressional Oversight Panel monitoring the $700 billion bank bailout, was retained by a law firm that represents retailers suing credit-card networks Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc., and banks including Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. for alleged antitrust violations in setting card processing rates, her financial disclosure forms show." Bloomberg: http://bit.ly/b0n8m7

DAILY DELANEY DOWNER - From Arthur Delaney, another Senate-served slice of sadness: "Siobhan Kolar can't believe that thousands of jobs, including her own with an unemployment advocacy nonprofit called Chicago Jobs with Justice, are on the Senate's fiscal chopping block....'It's totally unbelievable that 26,000 people won't be getting unemployment in Illinois and will be hitting the pantry line,' said Kolar, who lives in Downers Grove, Ill. She said she worked at nonprofits for the past several years before losing her job in May. 'My kids are 15, 14, 12, and 8. When my 14-year-old heard I was going to get laid off, he said, 'Oh, not again.'"

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CHRISTINE O'DONNELL ATTENDED OXFORD, EXCEPT SHE DIDN'T - You know what? We're running out of words. She did something disqualifyingly stupid one time. Read about it here: http://bit.ly/cDmhNz

OVER 400 FUNDRAISERS SCHEDULED IN FINAL WEEKS OF LEGISLATING - Because the Capitol Hill Club isn't going to throw itself a party, people. Politico: "But outside the Capitol, in the private rooms of Washington's top steakhouses, political clubs and Capitol Hill townhouse salons, there is an epic money grab under way, with more than 400 fundraisers for House candidates in the two weeks leading up to Friday's congressional adjournment...Even so-called outsiders, such as GOP Senate nominee Joe Miller of Alaska, are getting in on the money grab. Miller has five fundraisers scheduled over a 48-hour period in Washington this week. Democratic House candidates have roughly 130 events this week, and Republican Senate candidates have about 80 total events scheduled during the two-week period ending Friday." http://politi.co/bZw48s

FILIBUSTER REFORM OCCUPYING FRESHMAN SENATORS - Sam Stein sends word to HuffPost Hill: "A vocal champion of reforming Senate rules, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) appeared to side on Monday with proposals offered by, among others, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) which would put the onus for a filibuster on the minority party getting 40 votes as opposed to the majority party finding 60. Speaking at a Center for American Progress forum on procedural reform, Merkley argued that it was 'absolutely impossible to make the Senate any less deliberative than it is at this moment' before suggesting that the chamber change its rules during the start of its next sessions."

OBAMA REALLY STUCK ON HUFFPOST - "I could have had a knock-down, drag-out fight on the public option that might have energized you and The Huffington Post, and we would not have health care legislation now." :-( http://bit.ly/cRjZI1

This past May: "Still, if you're someone who only reads the editorial page of The New York Times, try glancing at the page of The Wall Street Journal once in awhile. If you're a fan of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, try reading a few columns on the Huffington Post website. It may make your blood boil; your mind may not often be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship." :-| http://huff.to/9ctgFD

In our dreams: "Have you seen Billy Baldwin's Huffington Post blog entry on NATO expansion in the Balkans? Captivating stuff." :-)

Anyway, Mr. President: The public-option fight is over. You won. Can we move on, please?

MANCHIN RUNNING SCARED IN WEST VIRGINIA - With a new Rasmussen poll showing West Virgina governor Joe Manchin trailing John Raese 48 percent to 46 percent in the Mountain State Senate contest, Democratic operatives are clearly taking note of a race that only months ago was considered a shoe-in. A new ad from the DSCC attacks Raese for policy positions it claims are anti-working class. "West Virginia working families, we can do better. And we have to," the narrator declares. Video: http://bit.ly/cKZhCY

Raese is hitting back, accusing Manchin of supporting environmental regulation and being socially acquainted with Barack Obama. http://bit.ly/b9tbtf

ALAN GRAYSON AD RIPS OFF ELIOT SPITZER - Days after unveiling its "Taliban Dan" video, which attacks his opponent Dan Webster's misogynistic policy prescriptions, Alan Grayson's campaign has released a new, less hostile -- but no less weird -- campaign spot. Perhaps more notable than the clips of Grayson frolicking around on a playground is that it is a clear Guche handbag-style knock off of a 2006 campaign spot for Eliot Spitzer. Both ads feature children at play interspersed with talking points written on a chalkboard with the same version of "This Little Light of Mine" playing in the background. Ben Smith: http://politi.co/9uuFhq

Scott McAdams' new ad portrays the Sitka mayor as a working class stiff and touts his work experience as a deckhand in the Bering Sea. Video of McAdams working on a small fishing boat is overlaid with the candidate discussing his modest beginnings, culminating with the disclaimer "I approve this message because after you've been cursed at in Norwegian, you can take on anyone." The schmaltzy jazz music, combined with McAdams' resemblance to a button man from a 40s gangster movie and the gray, stormy setting make this one of the most Dadaesque campaign ads this season. Dave Weigel: http://bit.ly/bn7EKW

Fret no more, Democrats. Mike Dukakis is on the case: "Former Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis, the failed 1988 presidential nominee, recently visited the White House and delivered his strategy for the midterm elections: pound key precincts across the country with the message that Republicans want to implement the same policies that led to the Great Recession." Boston Herald: http://bit.ly/bYsWoy

BECAUSE YOU'VE READ THIS FAR - World War One will end on Sunday. That's nice. http://bit.ly/azy6eW

YOUR FRIENDLY, NEIGHBORHOOD LGBT RIGHTS UPDATE - Congress.org reports that a schism has emerged between grassroots LGBT activists and the Human Rights Campaign. "The split has only grown in the months since, with activists such as [Dan] Choi staging aggressive, low-budget protests to pressure key Democratic leaders, while the Human Rights Campaign has worked quietly behind the scenes in meetings with some of the very same politicians. The tension between those two radically different approaches came to a head last week when Senate Republicans successfully filibustered an attempt to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell...It could also change the face of the movement, widening a split between more aggressive advocacy and inside-the-Beltway lobbying--a rift that has happened to a number of other social movements in U.S. history." http://bit.ly/bVX9Hf

The much-maligned Human Rights Campaign is teaming up with the Courage Campaign to launch a new web venture, NOMexposed.com, that tracks the enlightened activity of the National Organization for Marriage. http://bit.ly/dlChl5

JIMMY CARTER HOSPITALIZED, DOING FINE - "Former President Jimmy Carter is hospitalized in Cleveland after his plane was met by paramedics there when he complained that he did not feel well. Carter had an upset stomach and was taken to Metro Health Hospital "for observation," his spokesperson, Deanna Congileo, said. Carter has been traveling to promote his new book, 'White House Diary.' 'He is resting comfortably and is expected to resume his book tour this week,' Congileo said." AJC: http://bit.ly/cDLLbV

Obama likes "gangster" rap. Fox News is intrigued. Anyone happy to keep their lunch in their stomach should avoid the comments. http://bit.ly/cNS7iD

RAHM EMANUEL WOULD LIKE HIS %@#$^% HOUSE BACK - The Chicago Sun Times reports that the potentially outgoing White House chief of staff won't be able to return to his Chicago home if he runs for mayor of Chicago. Lynn Sweet: "White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel--expected to step down this week to launch a run for mayor of Chicago--tried and failed to persuade his tenant in his Chicago home to move out so Emanuel could move back in, reports my Sun-Times colleague Michael Sneed...Emanuel rented his North Side Chicago home from Sept. 1, 2009 to Sept. 1, 2010--and signed an extension until June, 2011 just six days before Daley announced on Sept. 7 that he would not seek another term." http://bit.ly/b8mj1S

JEREMY THE INTERN'S WEATHER REPORT - Tonight: The bad weather has more or less cleared the area. There is poor weather moving north, just off the coast. No danger for us tonight. Compare to New York, where they're under another tornado watch for this evening. Tomorrow: A cold front will be moving in from the west (the way it should be!). Expect a lot of rain from mid-morning.Thanks, JB!

Weather Trivia! Tropical cyclones (including hurricanes) will fall apart as soon as they hit cold water: Their wind speeds die down, though they can still produce a lot of rain. They also lose their distinctive cyclonic appearance. To the naked eye in space, the transformation from a tropical to an extra-tropical cyclone can be defined by what punctuation-like shape? You have until Friday afternoon. Winners get their names featured. In case of tie, winners will be listed in order of who has the best insult of Eliot. Sticks and stones, JB!

COMFORT FOOD

- That "Sunny D and rum" lady has been autotuned. It's INCREDIBLY catchy. Summer '11 anthem for sure. http://bit.ly/cv4QBe

- Goodness those dolphins are beautiful! So majestic! Such natural grace! It's as if they... oh wait they just collided. http://bit.ly/aUmd8s

- This dog really needs to calm down. Seriously, dog, calm down. Calm down dog. DOG!! CALM DOWN!!!! http://bit.ly/9d5rvh

- A man. A man with an iPhone. A man who likes pizza. That's about it. http://bit.ly/atZ55a

- A guy dressed up as Iron Man and danced like a maniac in Brooklyn. This, of course, would be the seventh weirdest thing you're likely to encounter on your typical day in Brooklyn. http://bzfd.it/aVbY0f

- This video has EVERYTHING. http://bit.ly/9eaARn

- Reader Mary sends along these x-rays of a python digesting a rat. http://bit.ly/coYmVK

- You probably shouldn't play poker with this ninja. This ninja specializes in throwing playing cards in a lethal fashion. Come to think of it, don't hang out with ninjas. http://bit.ly/dxtCf4

- Buses can take you to somewhere new. Buses can also entertain rednecks. http://bit.ly/bZnzjh

- There are many reasons why you shouldn't binge drink. One reason is that you might black out. That's bad because a dog might make out with you. http://bit.ly/bV424a

TWITTERAMA

@MattGertz: Sarah Palin has spent more time on Dancing with the Stars than on This Week, Meet the Press, and Face the Nation. Combined.

@DukeStJournal: Will Rahm go for the sympathy vote and try the "Vote for me and put a roof over my head" campaign strategy?

@FakeAPStyleBook: Change the datelines of your articles to 8/67/5309. Tommy Tutone needs some love.

THE TUBE

TONIGHT: Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway is on Hardball. Newly minted HuffPoster Howard Fineman is as well. Sherrod Brown and Dick Durbin are on The Ed Show. Charlie Crist and Levi Johnston are on the Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell.

ON TAP

TONIGHT

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Ken Buck (R-Colo.) is in town for some lucrative glad-handing. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jon Kyl (R-Ariz),

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Tim Burns (R-Pa.) lost round one against Mark Critz but is undeterred, apparently. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) will be on hand [Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street SE].

7:00 pm: Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) invites you to chow down with him for a measly $2,400. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) makes an appearance [The Caucus Room, 401 9th Street NW].

TOMORROW

12:00 pm: Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) would have a friend who spells his name "Geoff."...That hippie. Geoff Werth and Matt Brow host a lunch fundraiser for the Oregon lawmaker [Charlie Palmer Steak, 101 Constitution Ave NW].

12:00 pm: Single-issue voters especially dedicated to the cause of holistic healing should probably back another horse. Pat Meehan (R-Pa.) takes a break from campaigning for Joe Sestak's House seat to attend a fundraiser hosted by reps from AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson and Jonson [Carmine's, 425 7th Street NW].

5:00 pm: You couldn't find more crazy in one place if you brewed it in a clawfoot tub in your basement. Steve King (R-Iowa) attends a reception and dinner in his honor with Lamar Smith (R-Texas).

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm: Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) solicits $2,000-plus donations for his Senate campaign. That's a lot of bottles of wine from your state-sanctioned liquor store [Cornerstone Government Affairs, 300 Independence Ave SE].

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm: John Hall (D-N.Y.) will probably rake in a fair amount of dough at his evening reception. Too bad he'll have to spend it all on the, like, 50,000 pickles needed for guest-of-honor Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) mandatory Schumwhich [Johnny's Half Shell, 400 North Capitol Street NW].

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

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