links for 2010-12-08

With Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pressing for quick ratification of the New START treaty, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) reiterated again on Wednesday there wasn’t enough time left in this lame-duck session of Congress to consider it.

Kyl — who’s been holding out for more money to modernize the nation’s nuclear research labs, among other things — met with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but there was no public signal of progress afterward.

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Obama and GOP will be lucky to get the tax cut deal done and the federal government continuing resolution

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pushed off a vote to repeal the ban on openly gay people serving in the military Wednesday night, after it became clear he did not have the votes to support it.
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So, it may come up or not tomorrow morning at 8 AM EST depending upon whether Reid has the votes to pass it

The website and personal credit card information of former Gov. Sarah Palin were cyber-attacked today by Wikileaks supporters, the 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate tells ABC News in an email.

Hackers in London apparently affiliated with “Operation Payback” – a group of supporters of Julian Assange and Wikileaks – have tried to shut down SarahPac and have disrupted Sarah and Todd Palin’s personal credit card accounts.

“No wonder others are keeping silent about Assange's antics,” Palin emailed. “This is what happens when you exercise the First Amendment and speak against his sick, un-American espionage efforts.”

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Wow!

Their personal credti cards too?

Better go with cash…..

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he hoped to start Senate debate by Friday on a bill to extend tax cuts across the board for two years.

Mr. Reid, a Nevada Democrat, spoke to reporters after a closed-door meeting with lawmakers from his party to discuss a proposed tax-cut extension bill. He said the package could come to the House floor "in the next day or two." Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.) said earlier he hoped the drafting of the bill could be completed by late Wednesday.

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Doesn't look like START will be approved then or is there still time?

After two unsuccessful statewide campaigns in four years, Ned Lamont says he is strongly disinclined to make another run at Joe Lieberman in the 2012 race for U.S. Senate.

Lamont, 56, who ran for Senate in 2006 and governor in 2010, said other potential Democratic candidates have called to gauge his interest in a rematch with Lieberman.

"I say, 'Well, go for it,' " Lamont said Tuesday. "I've been through the meat grinder with my family."

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If Lieberman wishes to retain the seat, he will need to make a deal with the GOP or change parties

Fox has learned that Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Jay Inslee (D-WA) are crafting a letter to share with the House Democratic Caucus that would try to prevent the Speaker from bringing the tax bill to the floor.

They hope to get 60 signatures on their letter (which is still being drafted) and then force a vote in the caucus. DeFazio says he thinks that if a majority of House Democrats are against this compromise, they shouldn't bring it to the floor.

In other words, they are seeking a majority of the majority to move this and a senior House democratic source indicates they don't know if they have a majority of democrats, saying they haven't whipped this yet..
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It might fail but unlikely.

Hoekstra is the only one of the outgoing Members who seems like a logical choice to take on Stabenow, and he did best in the poll against her. Stabenow led the western Michigan Republican, 45 percent to 44 percent. Fellow Rep. Candice Miller, first elected in eastern Michigan in 2002, would trail within the margin of error as well, the poll discovered. She got 41 percent to Stabenow’s 43 percent. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and two other potential candidates performed less well but could still be competitive as the campaign progresses. Land trailed Stabenow by four points, while former Gov. John Engler trailed by seven points and businessman Tim Leuliette trailed by 17 points.

Nonetheless, PPP found that Michigan voters aren’t enthusiastic about Stabenow’s performance in the Senate. Only 41 percent approved of her work, and 40 percent disapproved.
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If Obama does not have 2012 coattails or loses, Stabenow goes as well