158 Democrats Vote Against the Minimum Wage

And against a reduction in the death tax, but it's the minimum wage part that hurts. If you haven't turned on a TV in the last 18 hours, the Republicans pulled a brilliant bait and switch - they agreed to let the minimum wage come up for a vote, in a package that would also exempt the first $5 million of an individual's estate or $10 million of a couple's estate from the death tax. Democrats have understandably been screaming bloody murder, but I'm not all that sure if they're angrier about the "principle" of the bill (which hopefully is at worst a wash for small business) than about the fact they got cornered by Rove & Co...brilliantly. This minimum wage hike affect a miniscule number of families, and a large number of suburban teenagers flipping burgers at the Golden Arches (and after reading Fast Food Nation I find myself with a shortage of charity towards McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc.); the estate tax reduction (and can we be honest and admit that claiming this minor adjustment affects the "super-rich" is pathetic? The super-rich measure their wealth not in millions but in billions) benefits small businesses and working farms who are asset rich and cash poor and to whom the estate tax truly is a death tax. Taking a stand on the minimum wage is merely symbolic, but working to alleviate the threat of lost livelihoods for future generations.
Decent coverage from the AP here.
The full roll-call (#425) here.

Pot Calling the Kettle Black?

Kos has polling data showing Cynthia "I Beat Cops and Get Away With It" McKinney losing to a primary challenger in the upcoming runoff (damn fool couldn't top 50% and avoid said runoff). That's a sad day for Republicans - she's the sort of Democrat we all love. But what's really funny is the Kossacks calling her an embarassment to their party...excuse me? She is, but all you moonbats most certainly are too. Y'all are in the same boat. Indeed, I don't think the Democratic Party has had someone to be truly proud of since they lost Scoop Jackson and more recently, Moynihan.

NOTE: One of my readers (and I have my suspicions as to who) playfully asked if by Scoop Jackson I meant the basketball pundit. Hardly. I meant Henry "Scoop" Jackson the senator from Washington for thirty years and a two-time Democratic presidential candidate.

Can't Believe I've Been Silent for So Long!

Okay so honestly, I've been quiet and quit blogging regularly going on two weeks now. But there's something addictive about all of this, especially since it lets me vent the frustration that comes with my daily news fix...

I suppose I could start talking about Israel and keep talking about it all day, but what's most worth noting for the time being is that Hizbullah rockets have hit deeper into Israel than they had previously, some thirty miles south of the Israeli-Lebanon border. These are apparently a new type, but whether or not they have the capability to hit Tel Aviv is at present unclear. AP's got it here; I'll get commentary from other blogs soon.

Two news stories that have been underreported but deserve to be highlighted from Latin America. First of all, in Nicaragua, former Sandinista cauldillo Daniel Ortega looks poised to win his country's upcoming presidential election. Needless to say, he's close amigos with everyone's favor dictator Hugo Chavez. This is also part of a larger trend of political amnesia that's sweeping Latin America (see Garcia's reelection about two months ago, after he already ruined the Peruvian economy in the 80s). What I'm unsure of is whether this is part and parcel of the short-sighted renunciation of neo-liberal economics or something marginally different.

The second and equally disturbing story is that Russia and Venezuela have inked a series of arms deals for military helicopters and and aircraft. Although details, such as models, are hard to come by, the package was apparently valued at more than $3 billion and included 24 planes and 53 helicopters. While Chavez is mum on their purpose, I have a guess: regional intimidation. Reports claim he's been in league with FARC in Colombia, no doubt an attempt to destabilize our strongest ally in the region, and though an all-out war is rather unlikely, such arms deals (which Chavez can clearly afford with oil at its current price) may be a sort of warning shot across the bow of the Colombian ship of state.