‘Do you solemnly swear … ?’
Here’s an intriguing scenario: Former President Bill Clinton being grilled at wife Hillary’s Senate confirmation hearing about potential conflicts of interest between his globetrotting interests and her role as secretary of state. A number of Republican senators are interested in putting Bill Clinton under oath, according to a report in the Politico. Spouses appear at confirmation hearings all the time, but usually from the first row of the audience, where they nod and/or smile at committee members who’re poised to rip the lungs out of their loved one. In this case the workings of the former president’s international foundation — specifically, its money-raising arm — are grist for discussion. “Seeking donations from foreign governments is definitely concerning,” a Senate GOP told Politico. Of course, other stuff would come up as well, which would make the Hillary-Bill Show from Capitol Hill that much better.
New drug court in Tulsa
The Tulsa County Drug Court has begun a program aimed at helping veterans kick their addictions. The Veterans Treatment Court docket began this week. The head of the Tulsa chapter of Disable American Veterans told the Tulsa World that fallout from active duty is what leads many vets to get into trouble in the first place. Drug courts are an effective way to keep nonviolent offenders out of jail and allow them a chance to turn their lives around. The judge who will preside over Tulsa’s new court says about one-third of the 158 veterans who entered the criminal justice system in October would have been eligible for the program. Tulsa is just the fourth city to implement a drug court for veterans. Kudos and good luck.
What were they thinking?
Was it an absence of wisdom or a simple lack of oxygen that prompted District of Columbia officials to implement a new law allowing bars and restaurants to serve liquor until 5 a.m. the week of Barack Obama’s inauguration, when perhaps four million people — many of them thirsty, no doubt — may flood into the District? Senators Dianne Feinstein of California and Robert Bennett of Utah want the law reversed. They say while increased liquor sales will help businesses, the obvious collateral damage of increased sales of booze could divert law enforcement resources away from the primary job of providing security and managing the crowd’s safety. Indeed, the thought of hundreds of thousands of downtown revelers, fortified by their favorite alcoholic beverage into the wee hours of the morning, is pretty sobering. Time for a strategic, if not hasty, retreat by the city fathers.
Born in the U.S.A.
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Shinseki for VA
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A note about President-elect Barack Obama’s choice to head Veterans Affairs, retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki. Writing for National Review Online, Naval War College Professor Mackubin Thomas Owens argues some mythology has grown up around Shinseki — chiefly, that he was fired by the Bush administration for warning its plan for invading Iraq didn’t include enough troops. “This oft-made charge is simply false,” Owens writes, noting that while Shinseki’s replacement as Army chief of staff was announced before the end of Shinseki’s term, the general served his entire statutory term. As for the general’s warnings about Iraq troop levels, Owens writes Shinseki was “right for the wrong reasons,” believing more boots would be needed for humanitarian operations — not for battling an insurgency, which proved to be the case. None of this suggests Shinseki won’t do a fine job at VA. As a junior officer in Vietnam he lost part of a foot after stepping on a land mine, certainly indicating Shinseki, if confirmed, will bring personal insight and empathy to the concerns of the nation’s veterans.
‘Hardball’ host eyes Senate
You may have read snippets about Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” program, mulling a run for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania in 2010. Matthews would seek the Democratic nomination to oppose incumbent Republican Sen. Arlen Specter. Born in Philadelphia and raised nearby, Matthews was a speechwriter in the Carter White House and an aide to then-House Speaker Tip O’Neill before becoming Washington bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner. He has hosted the cable show since 1997. If Matthews decides to run it’ll be quite a campaign. He knows how to debate, a skill he’ll certainly need with a larger public record — most of it on video — than the average Senate challenger.
‘Hardball’ host eyes Senate
You may have read snippets about Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s “Hardball” program, mulling a run for the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania in 2010. Matthews would seek the Democratic nomination to oppose incumbent Republican Sen. Arlen Specter. Born in Philadelphia and raised nearby, Matthews was a speechwriter in the Carter White House and an aide to then-House Speaker Tip O’Neill before becoming Washington bureau chief for the San Francisco Examiner. He has hosted the cable show since 1997. If Matthews decides to run it’ll be quite a campaign. He knows how to debate, a skill he’ll certainly need with a larger public record — most of it on video — than the average Senate challenger.
Vanishing vets
Used to be, military service highlighted the resumes of the vast majority of members of Congress. No more. The Military Officers Association of America notes this year’s elections likely will continue a trend that has seen the percentage of House and Senate members who served in the armed forces fall since peaking nearly 30 years ago. Then, the association says, 78 percent of the Senate and 74 percent of the House had served in the military. Today the figure is below 30 percent for each. It suggests a context — or lack thereof — in which members of Congress will debate and decide issues affecting the military. While non-veterans certainly can make decisions about funding and deploying the armed forces, there’s an appreciation for the challenges facing the men and women in uniform that’s possible only when someone has worn that uniform themselves.
GOP glimmer
Incumbent U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ runoff victory in Georgia is important for a couple of reasons. First, the Republican’s triumph ends Democratic hopes of gaining 60 seats in the Senate, which would have represented a “filibuster-proof” majority. With 60 votes Democrats could move legislation without fear of being stopped by a Republican filibuster, which is a blocking provision allowed by Senate rules and used by both parties over the years to stop objectionable measures. Second, the Chambliss win gives Republicans a glimmer of cheer after seeing seven GOP seats switch to Democrats in November. Chambliss led a three-way race on Election Day but failed to get the 50 percent needed to avoid a runoff. He won the runoff going away with about 57 percent of the vote to Democrat Jim Martin’s 42 percent. Chambliss credited GOP turnout, spurred by campaign appearances by John McCain and Sarah Palin. While President-elect Barack Obama sent workers to Georgia to help Martin, he stayed away. Looks like a good call, given the size of Chambliss’ victory.
Talking about real money
If you think the current national debt of $10.7 trillion and rising is high, consider that Uncle Sam would be on the hook for $52 trillion if Medicare and Social Security programs were stopped tomorrow, resulting in no more payroll taxes and no further accrual of benefits. The National Center for Policy Analysis points out that the $52 trillion is in current U.S. dollars, not the amount that would be required to pay future benefits. Of course no one’s talking about stopping these programs, but an estimated $9.5 trillion is owed to current retirees, the NCPA says. Factoring in the amount to be owed to those nearing retirement and the tab swells to $20.6 trillion. By 2030, almost half of all income tax dollars will be needed to close a funding gap projected for Social Security and Medicaid. “The longer we postpone reform,” says Andrew Rettenmaier, an NCPA analyst, “the worse the financial picture becomes. Procrastinating will make the cost of reform even more painful.” Are you listening, Barack Obama?
