Entangled Alliances

photo credit: db™

Ronald Reagan, that master of the quotable quip, once said that the nine most terrifying words in the English Language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help”. But if the Gipper were alive today and in President Obama’s shoes he might well change his mind, since right now there’s only one phrase that should strike fear into the hearts of all, and this time it’s only eight words: “The bill will now move to the Senate”.

Last week America’s first real legislation aimed at tackling climate change – The American Clean Energy and Security Act, better known as the Waxman-Markey Bill – passed the House of Representatives by a razor thin margin of 219-212. It will now move on to the Senate, which is often said to be the place where good legislation is sent to die. Where the House of Representatives is full of progressive reformers, the Senate is full of cautious moderates. Where the House often sees bills passed largely to the whipping efforts of Speaker Pelosi, the Senate is full of obstinate minded grand-standers who won’t be corralled by their party leaders.

It’s no understatement to say that the final bill that lands on Obama’s desk could well determine the future success of world efforts to halt global warming. The problem is, not only is it at risk of being sautéed à la Senate, but it’s not exactly in the best of states after having been through the meat grinder of various House committees. Legislation is often said to be like a sausage – you don’t want to watch it getting made. True to form, the various special interests and lobbyists that virtually own many key committee members have managed to make a meaty mess of the bill as it made its torturous way through the House. And you know what? It wasn’t even the most ideal piece of work to begin with.

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Looks like Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is going to be President Obama’s choice for HHS, following the ignominious withdrawal of Tom Daschle.  Seems to me that Obama never misses an opportunity to make an easy Senate pick-up.  Must be infuriating to be Bob Menendez.

Talking of President Obama, he’s making his first “overseas” trip this week: to Canada.  Meanwhile, Hillary’s touring the Far East, assuring the Indonesians that Obama will find time to visit them eventually.  Don’t remember people being so keen for Air Force One to touch down when it was carrying the Texan…

photo credit: azipaybarah

Meanwhile, Hillary as elder stateswoman is putting into stark contrast the gun-totin’ (literally) ways of her successor.  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whose associations with the NRA are well known, caved in to those dastardly NYC liberals this week and removed the rifles from under her bed (insert lament for Caroline Kennedy here).

Gillibrand is far from the only recently-appointed Senator in the news.  In the never-ending saga of the Illinois Senate seat, Roland Burris, former (i.e. impeached and ousted) Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s choice as Obama’s replacement, is under active investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.  It might only be a matter of time before he is forced out, and Illinois’ senior Senator, Dick Durbin, already seems to be distancing himself.  All this seems to lead credence to Russ Feingold’s suggested 28th Amendment, an end to gubernatorial appointments for empty Senate seats.  This article from The Economist makes the case.

In other news, this week, Facebook was forced into a volte-face regarding its terms of use.  It had unilaterally appropriated the rights to everything you post or write on its site.  It’s only a matter of time, however, before they find some other way to do this.  Generation Y needs to wake up and realise that privacy online is a major issue.  You write something on Facebook, or post the pictures from that drunken party, and it’s in the public domain forever.  Check out the interesting debate going on at the New York Times about the future of ’social spaces’ online.

I’m not going to post every article I think is good, but this article by Steven Pearlstein, Business Columnist for the WashingtonPost is a king among among articles. Read it here.