Road Block to Jack Lew's Confirmation

President Barack Obama needs 60 votes to get anything done in the Senate. Sen. Bernie Sanders is on record as saying he will not vote to confirm Jack Lew to be the next Treasury Secretary.

“We don't need a treasury secretary who thinks that Wall Street deregulation was not esponsible for the financial crisis. We need a treasury secretary who will work hard to break up too-big-to-fail financial institutions so that Wall Street cannot cause another massive financial crisis.

“We don’t need another treasury secretary who believes in ‘deficit neutral’ corporate tax reform. We need a treasury secretary willing to fight to make sure that large, profitable corporations pay their fair share in taxes to reduce the deficit and create jobs.

“We don't need a treasury secretary who will advise the president that he should negotiate with the Republicans to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. We need someone who is going to strengthen these programs.

Another big problem with Jack Lew is he doesn't know shit about economics. Just ask Jack Lew.

SENATOR SANDERS: We are in the midst of a horrendous recession right now; 16 percent of our people are unemployed or underemployed. Clearly the immediate precipitating factor was the collapse on Wall Street. Do you believe that the deregulation of Wall Street pushed by people like Alan Greenspan and Robert Rubin contributed significantly to the disaster we saw on Wall Street several years ago?

MR. LEW: Senator, when we discussed it, as I mentioned to you, I do not consider myself an expert in some of these aspects of the financial industry. My experience in the financial industry has been as a manager, not as an investment adviser.

My sense, as someone who has generally been familiar with these trends, is that the problems in the financial industry preceded deregulation. There was an increasing emphasis on highly abstract leveraged derivative products that got us to the point that in the period of time leading up to the financial crisis risks were taken. They were not fully embraced. They were not well understood.

I do not personally know the extent to which deregulation drove it, but I do not believe that deregulation was the proximate cause. I would defer to others who are more expert about the industry to try and parse it better than that.

America is in trouble if we have another crash. Whatever misgivings I have about Tim Geithner, he at least spent his adult life working on economic policy. Lew is a smart Guy who is not qualified to handle an economy going through an L shaped recovery.

World Net Daily Alleges That Obama Is Satan

This is not an article by The Onion. Although, I often do have trouble deciding riding which web site provides the best comedy content. WND ace reporter Aaron Klein did extensive research by reading the conservative Free Republic web site to come to the conclusion that President Barack Obama is Beelzebub.

Those reaching to connect Obama’s fly troubles with the darkest biblical references won’t have much difficulty.

One name commonly used to refer to Satan is Beelzebub, which translates from Hebrew into “Lord of the Flies.”

A posting at the popular Free Republic Web forum discusses Beelzebub and asks, “Is the White House fly infestation evidence of demonic presence and influence there?”

This makes the one word posts and links on InstaPundit read like "War And Peace." Klein must have worked up a sweat visiting all those wingnut web sites to research his investigative story. Well done, Mr. Klein.

Hillsborough County Commission Fails on Domestic Registry

The Hillsborough County Commission voted against a domestic registry for same sex couples. The domestic registry would have allowed straight and gay unmarried partners to have hospital visitation rights and involvement in financial decisions.

The board voted 4-3 against creating a Domestic Partnership Registry for Hillsborough County.

Commissioners Victor Crist, Ken Hagan, Al Higginbothom and Sandra Murman voted against the motion. Commissioners Les Miller, Kevin Beckner and Mark Sharpe voted in favor.

Republican Mark Sharpe put the domestic registry up for a vote. Sharpe deserves praise for bucking his party on this issue. The four nay votes were all cast by Republicans. This was a chance for the commission to lead on gay rights. Once again the commission pandered to conservative intolerance.

Rubio Skips Obama's Inauguration

Sen. Marco Rubio stays classy by missing President Obama's second inauguration. Remember this the next 8,531 times Rubio accuses Obama of not being bipartisan.

Jim Harbaugh Reaction

In a matter of minutes there is a Jim Harbaugh gif to his reaction to the call in the 49ers-Falcons game. This will go viral fast.

Wingnut Gun Geeks in Brooksville

Gun rights advocates gather in Brooksville, Florida. These people wonder why they aren't taking seriously. Perhaps dressing up in a costume or saying you rather get shot in the face by Dick Cheney then hunt with Joe Biden is why. This like a Star Trek convention for wingnuts.

Rick Scott's Transparency Problem

Tampa Bay Times political reporter Adam Smith perfectly summed up what is wrong with Rick Scott's media strategy. Case in point is the stonewalling of what happened to Scott's former rescue dog Reagan.

It's public relations 101: Dissembling, stonewalling and barking at reporters is no way to kill a story. Instead of simply explaining what happened to the adopted dog Scott touted to the public, his team helped turn what should have been a couple paragraphs at best into a front-page story that spread across the country.

This has been the Scott media strategy for everything. Team Scott withheld information about the TB outbreak in Florida. This ended up having serious health consequences for the public. Team Scott used private email accounts to avoid being held to the Sunshine laws for government transparency. If Scott can't be honest about the location of a pet than what can he be transparent about?

Governor Christie On NRA Ad

Gov. Chris Christie lashes out against the NRA for using President Barack Obama's children in a political ad. Christie points out that his own children have a security detail. Christie says his or President Obama's children don't have a choice about having a security detail.

The NRA is really losing their shit with their crazy talk.

Hillary Clinton is Popular in Florida

Public Policy Polling finds that Hillary Clinton is extremely liked by Florida Democrats.

Hillary's favorability with Democratic primary voters in Florida is 88%

I don't want to play the 2016 speculation games. It is amazing how Mrs. Clinton went from a maligned figure during her husband's presidency to arguably the most popular Democrat in America. It took a lot of mental toughness for her to stay in the spotlight.

Satanists Hold Rally for Dark Lord Rick Scott

This is the greatest news story ever. Satanists will hold a rally thanking Gov. Rick Scott for signing Senate Bill 98. The law allows for a inspirational message to be delivered at a school assembly.

The Satanic Temple will hold the rally at the Governor's Office on January 25th. The Satanic Temple will pitch (I kid you not) their message of Satanic compassion.

“[We believe] that God is supernatural and thus outside of the sphere of the physical. God’s perfection means that he cannot interact with the imperfect corporeal realm. Because God cannot intervene in the material world, He created Satan to preside over the universe as His proxy. Satan has the compassion and wisdom of an angel. Although Satan is subordinate to God, he is mankind’s only conduit to the dominion beyond the physical. In addition, only Satan can hear our prayers and only Satan can respond. While God is beyond human comprehension, Satan desires to be known and knowable. Only in this way can there be justice and can life have meaning,” The Satanic Temple’s website states.

Silly things like this is why we have a separation of church and state. Scott opened himself up for this by pandering to the Christian Right by signing SB 98. Imagine the uproar when a student want to deliver an Islamic inspirational message. It will be protected as freedom of religion under state and federal law.

U.S. Senate Seniority Ranking

Patrick Leahy goes into the 113th Congress as the ranking Senator. The ranking member is the President pro tempore of the United States Senate. That makes Sen. Leahy the third in line to replace the President under the Constitution.

The seniority ranking of the rest of the Senate.

1. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt. Jan. 3, 1975

2. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah Jan. 3, 1977

3. Max Baucus, D-Mont. Dec. 15, 1978

4. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. Dec. 27, 1978

5. Carl Levin, D-Mich. Jan. 3, 1979

6. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa Jan. 3, 1981

7. John Kerry, D-Mass. Jan. 3, 1985

8. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa Jan. 3, 1985

9. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Jan. 3, 1985

10. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va. Jan. 15, 1985

11. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md. Jan. 6, 1987

12. Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala. Jan. 6, 1987

13. John McCain, R-Ariz. Jan. 6, 1987

14. Harry Reid, D-Nev. Jan. 6, 1987

15. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Nov. 10, 1992

16. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. Jan. 5, 1993

17. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Jan. 5, 1993

18. James M. Inhofe, R-Okla. Nov. 30, 1994

19. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Feb. 6, 1996

20. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. Jan. 7, 1997

21. Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill. Jan. 7, 1997

22. Tim Johnson, D-S.D. Jan. 7, 1997

23. Jack Reed, D-R.I. Jan. 7, 1997

24. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La. Jan. 7, 1997

25. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. Jan. 7, 1997

26. Susan Collins, R-Maine Jan. 7, 1997

27. Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo. Jan. 7, 1997

28. Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y. Jan. 3, 1999

29. Michael D. Crapo, R-Idaho Jan. 3, 1999

30. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del. Jan. 3, 2001

31. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich. Jan. 3, 2001

32. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. Jan. 3, 2001

33. Bill Nelson, D-Fla. Jan. 3, 2001

34. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska Dec. 20, 2002

35. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J. Jan. 3, 2003

36. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. Jan. 3, 2003

37. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Jan. 3, 2003

38. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn. Jan. 3, 2003

39. John Cornyn, R-Texas Jan. 3, 2003

40. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. Jan. 3, 2003

41. Richard M. Burr, R-N.C. Jan. 4, 2005

42. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Jan. 4, 2005

43. David Vitter, R-La. Jan. 4, 2005

44. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. Jan. 4, 2005

45. John Thune, R-S.D. Jan. 4, 2005

46. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. Jan. 18, 2006

47. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md. Jan. 4, 2007

48. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt. Jan. 4, 2007

49. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio Jan. 4, 2007

50. Bob Casey, D-Pa. Jan. 4, 2007

51. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. Jan. 4, 2007

52. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. Jan. 4, 2007

53. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Jan. 4, 2007

54. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. Jan. 4, 2007

55. Jon Tester, D-Mont. Jan. 4, 2007

56. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. June 25, 2007

57. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. Dec. 31, 2007

58. Mark Udall, D-Colo. Jan. 6, 2009

59. Tom Udall, D-N.M. Jan. 6, 2009

60. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. Jan. 6, 2009

61. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. Jan. 6, 2009

62. Mark Warner, D-Va. Jan. 6, 2009

63. Jim Risch, R-Idaho Jan. 6, 2009

64. Kay Hagan, D-N.C. Jan. 6, 2009

65. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Jan. 6, 2009

66. Mark Begich, D-Alaska Jan. 6, 2009

67. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. Jan. 22, 2009

68. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. Jan. 27, 2009

69. Al Franken, D-Minn. July 7, 2009

70. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va. Nov. 15, 2010

71. Chris Coons, D-Del. Nov. 15, 2010

72. Mark S. Kirk, R-Ill. Nov. 29, 2010

73. Dan Coats, R-Ind. Jan. 5, 2011

74. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. Jan. 5, 2011

75. Jerry Moran, R-Kan. Jan. 5, 2011

76. Rob Portman, R-Ohio Jan. 5, 2011

77. John Boozman, R-Ark. Jan. 5, 2011

78. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa. Jan. 5, 2011

79. John Hoeven, R-N.D. Jan. 5, 2011

80. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Jan. 5, 2011

81. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. Jan. 5, 2011

82. Rand Paul, R-Ky. Jan. 5, 2011

83. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. Jan. 5, 2011

84. Mike Lee, R-Utah Jan. 5, 2011

85. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. Jan. 5, 2011

86. Dean Heller, R-Nev. May 9, 2011

87. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii Dec. 27, 2012

88. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. Jan. 3, 2013

89. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., Jan. 3, 2013

90. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. Jan. 3, 2013

91. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn. Jan. 3, 2013

92. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii Jan. 3, 2013

93. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M. Jan. 3, 2013

94. Tim Scott, R-S.C. Jan. 3, 2013

95. Tim Kaine, D-Va. Jan. 3, 2013

96. Angus King, I-Maine Jan. 3, 2013

97. Ted Cruz, R-Texas Jan. 3, 2013

98. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Jan. 3, 2013

99. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. Jan. 3, 2013

100. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.

Summers & Krugman On Canadian Panel

Lawrence Summers and Paul Krugman were on were in Canada in 2011 to talk about the slow recovery of the United States economy. Summers was slightly more optimistic thanKrugman about the recovery. Both Summers and Krugman agree that the recovery has been horrible.