... I'm not telling.
Shaking off the rust.
News:
* Of course the Ryan Budget is back. Did you expect anything different?
* Elizabeth Warren in Senate leadership. Fall to my knees weeping with joy moment. I want this woman moving legislation, not out on the campaign trail. You going to leave the Senate in the hands of Dick Durbin? Stop raiding the talent.
* The Gruber affair. God who cares. Despite the whirling of the rightwing poutrage machine, it's really just business as usual.
* Climate as a 2016 campaign issue. Coral Davenport, NYT has a good look. So does Greg Sargent. The spin will be different by then, but the problem will surely remain.
* Rumors of a Keystone veto. Good. Keystone is but a symptom of the overall climate problem, but it's nice when the President puts his money where his mouth is. One overlooked problem though: They're going to put that crap on trains that might roll through your hometown. Bad things happen when they blow up. Be careful what you wish for.
* Once again, the DOE green company loans (i.e. Solyndra) made the taxpayers a profit. This was ignored the first time it was pointed out, I don't expect parades with the release of new numbers. But one can dream.
Good Reads:
Mike Grunwald, on the US-China climate agreement. It's not that they wanta, it's that they hafta:
It’s because the economics of coal keep getting worse. The costs of pollution controls are getting higher, and cleaner alternatives are getting much cheaper. Solar prices have dropped 80 percent in six years. Even fossil-friendly Republican states like Oklahoma and Georgia have been swapping out coal plants for wind and solar plants—not to reduce emissions, but to save money.
The costs of renewables are reaching parity now, and will continue to grow cheaper - especially if China goes on a green binge to clear the air.
E.J. Dionne Jr., on the impending SCOTUS Obamacare follies. The punch is in the last paragraph. Not the first time I've seen this sentiment, and the implications are very scary indeed.
Here’s a hypothetical for you: First, the Supreme Court issues a ruling that installs a conservative president. Then, he appoints two conservative Supreme Court justices who then join with three of their colleagues to make mincemeat of the greatest achievement of a progressive president elected by a clear majority. If such a thing happened in any other country, would we still call it a democratic republic?
Here's another from Linda Greenhouse at NYT. "Politicians in robes." Got everyone's attention this morning.
Jonathan Cohn points out that Obama is having a great week, what with the Ebola-free America and climate progress and all. Gallup sees it, someone tell the Villagers, hmmmmkay?
Josh Barro goes to More Tax Cuts! Kansas. The race to the bottom continues, as revenue shortfalls brought on by massive tax cuts threaten, well, every public service imaginable. But they voted for it, so... what can you do except stand back and watch?
Ed Kilgore addresses the pundit CW myths that have popped up after the Dempocalypse last week. Moral of the story, as always, don't believe the spin. The truth is a lot more complex than the clickbait.
Bob Reich says Hillary need to get on the populist wave. I think she knows that. But good piece regardless.
Joan Walsh on the Landrieu gambit reveals a bigger problem (or, the biggest problem, really): Democrats chasing votes they'll never get, and turning off your real supporters as a result. There is a reason people don't bother to turn out at midterms, and you're looking at it.
Life in My Red State (yes, Michigan is a red state at the state level, as the Rise of the Meekhof is going to prove in very short order):
* "Religious Freedom" will be paired with any attempt to give the LGB (but not T!) community equal rights, so it looks like we might just pass on it for now. House Dems put their foot down, much applause for that.
* The feds may have to step in again eventually when it comes to our Legislature's bigotry towards LGBT. Sad that it takes so long.
* The NRA is the first "sponsor" to cash in during Lame Duck 2014.
* Aramark is still a problem, but I doubt you'll see the issue raised by pols. The Comcast of food service, they donate to Dems too, probably the reason why outside groups had to make it an issue in the election. Anyhoo, we still have protests over the food and now reports of moonshine being made from supplies in the Aramark kitchens.
* Next up: A huge tax increase to fix the roads. D's, do not be surprised if (when) R's use it against you in the next election. Kinda the way things work around here, but you should know that by now.