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Wednesday, November 7, 2007
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Political Wire: "Sen. Hillary Clinton's lead in the New Hampshire presidential primary race has fallen to its lowest level of the season, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey. Clinton leads with 34% support, followed by Sen. Barack Obama at 24%, John Edwards at 15%, and Gov. Bill Richardson at 8%."
Andrew Sullivan: "Ron Paul and the young William F. Buckley: Derb spots the big difference: there is none. Which is why today's incarnation of National Review is so often unrecognizable from the spirit and political philosophy that founded it."
"2008 pres"
6:05:09 PM 
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Political Wire: "From the latest Evans-Novak Political Report: 'Republicans are in a presidential quandary after the performance of former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN) on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday. There is no party favorite, and Republican insiders are still waiting for somebody to step forward.' In fact, 'he may have seriously wounded himself with his handling of the abortion issue... Thompson unequivocally stated he opposed a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution, which is a plank in the Republican platform. Without prompting, he then attacked the idea of criminalizing abortion and locking up mothers who procure abortions -- images that are used as scare tactics by the pro-choice lobby. Throughout the long discussion of the topic, Thompson was incoherent at best and thoroughly objectionable to his party's pro-life base at worst.'"
Talking Points Memo: "Pat Robertson lays hands on Rudy."
"2008 pres"
4:59:12 PM
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The U.S. House of Representatives has voted 361-54 to override President Bush's veto of H.R. 1495: Water Resources Development Act of 2007, according to The Pueblo Chieftain. From the article:
The House approved what could become the first override of a President Bush veto Tuesday, with Republicans joining Democrats in challenging the president over a $23.2 billion water resources bill that addresses pressing infrastructure needs while offering hundreds of home district projects. "I must respectfully disagree with President Bush's veto of this important and long overdue water resources development act," said Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the top Republican on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in explaining the rare rebellion of the GOP faithful toward the president. The vote was 361-54, well over the two-thirds majority needed to negate a presidential veto. The Senate, which approved the bill 81-12 in September, could cast its override vote as early as Wednesday...
"The House sent a strong message to President Bush today by voting to overturn his misguided veto of the Water Resouces Development Act," Salazar said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. "WRDA authorizes the construction of the conduit for Pueblo and Otero counties, which is critical to the public safety in the lower Arkansas Valley. Already communities have received notice that they are not in compliance with (federal) EPA safety standards." Among Colorado's seven representatives, only Republican Doug Lamborn voted not to override. Salazar joined fellow Democrats Mark Udall, Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter and Republican Marilyn Musgrave in supporting the override. Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican candidate for president, did not vote...
The Water Resources Development Act includes hundreds of Army Corps of Engineers projects, although a large chunk of the proposed funding would go to the hurricane-hit Gulf Coast and the Florida Everglades. Lawmakers from both parties representing those areas stressed that Bush was misguided in trying to kill the bill. "Without a Water Resources Development Act, which is seven years overdue, we are seeing our coastline disappear," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-La.
The few critics pointed out that the Army Corps now has a backlog of $58 billion worth of projects and an annual budget of only about $2 billion to address them. "We simply can't continue to add to the backlog of projects that are already out there," said Rep. Jeff Flake., R-Ariz. The bill, the first water system restoration and flood control authorization passed by Congress since 2000, would cost $11.2 billion over the next four years and $12 billion in the 10 years after that, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Flood protection projects along the Gulf Coast, including a 100-year levee protection in New Orleans, would cost about $7 billion if fully funded. The bill approves projects but does not fund them. It would authorize the construction of navigation improvements for the Upper Mississippi River, at an estimated federal cost of $1.9 billion, and an ecosystem restoration project for the Upper Mississippi costing $1.7 billion. The Indian River Lagoon project in the Florida Everglades would be funded at about $700 million. Addressing the issue of wastefulness in past Army Corps projects, the bill calls for an independent peer review process of all Corps projects costing $45 million or more. The Senate is expected to approve the veto override by a comfortable margin. Last month, some 20 Senate Republicans, including conservatives such as David Vitter, R-La., and Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., wrote Bush urging him to support the bill. "Hurricane Katrina and the Interstate 35 bridge collapse in Minnesota are two recent examples of the dangers in under-investing in our nation's key infrastructure," they wrote.
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
6:24:37 AM
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From The Fort Collins Coloradoan, "What is the value of clean water? Perhaps a more pertinent question is what is the value of contaminated water? The proposed uranium mining in Weld County will adversely impact our environment. The extent is not completely known, but the historical record is clear; uranium mining leaves behind contamination. The Larimer County Medical Society was petitioned by physicians as well as residents in our county to look at the issue of uranium mining. On July 15, the LCMS Board of Directors passed a resolution that opposes in-situ and open-pit mining of uranium in our county. Because of the multiple contaminants (uranium, radium, selenium, lead, vanadium, molybdenum, nickel, cadmium, arsenic, etc.) that are disturbed in the mining process and, the fact that these mining operations are dangerously close to population centers, it is critical to shut down this process before any damage is done."
"2008 pres"
5:59:56 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 1:41:22 PM.
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