Thursday's Starting Lineup
Good Thursday morning. We've waited long enough: Finally today, the House will take up a resultion supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day (Which reminds your editor he's got to deal with his own mother).
Here's today's Starting Lineup, previewing the people who will matter in politics today:
BRITISH VOTERS: Not our usual topic of conversation, but British voters head to the polls today to choose a new government. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour Party is in serious jeopardy of losing its governing authority, thanks to a strong challenge from the Conservative Party and a surprise uprising by the Liberal Democrats.
In 3 American-style debates, a first in British history, the Liberal Democrats' Nick Clegg sought to define his party as the new kid on the block, unbeholden to the special interest groups the older parties had to placate. Cameron has focused his sharpest words on incumbent Brown, while Brown has cast his 2 rivals as dangerous choices.
Conservatives lead every poll, according to a compilation by our colleague Mark Blumenthal. But whether they score a majority of seats in Parliament is much less likely; Conservatives would need 326 seats for an outright majority. Then, the question becomes whether Cameron is willing to acquiesce to Clegg's major concern -- electoral reform.
We'll find out when polls close at 5 p.m.
DHS SEC. JANET NAPOLITANO: The investigation into a failed attempt to bomb Times Square last weekend is uncovering new evidence that shows a Pakistani-born American citizen had help from overseas. The speed with which the investigation is progressing should be a feather in the cap of the Obama WH, but that's not the reigning media narrative.
Instead, questions are mounting as to why Faisal Shahzad was allowed to board an Emirates Air plane that made it as far as closing the door before he was taken into custody. Shahzad used his own name to fly, and he had been on at least one no-fly list since earlier that day; meanwhile, he's been on at least one watch list since '99, CBS News reports.
As connections to foreign plotters grow, GOPers are acting skeptical of law enforcement's decision to Mirandize Shahzad. But if the party ever looks for another scapegoat, they might turn to DHS Sec. Napolitano, whose department runs the older list on which Shahzad appears, as well as the TSA, which came close to letting his plane take off.
We couldn't help but notice, when word leaked earlier this week that Pres. Obama had begun interviewing SCOTUS justices, that Napolitano's name wasn't on the list. Of course, interviewing her during a security investigation and amidst an oil spill in the gulf would be politically tone deaf. Napolitano may lose a seat on the high court simply because the timing just doesn't work out.
SEN. BOB BENNETT: Bennett is back in the Beehive State this week, skipping Senate votes in a last-ditch attempt to save his long career. The 3-term incumbent has told Senate Maj. Leader Mitch McConnell, his close friend and confidante, not to expect him in DC unless absolutely critical.
In fact, Bennett may not be in DC, in an official capacity at least, much longer. Polls show he is likely to lose the nominating convention, and badly, to a slate of delegates who are angry with the state of the nation, and who are as willing to take it out on incumbent GOPers in the primary as they are energized to beat up on Dems.
Bennett is bringing out the big guns on convention day, enlisting ex-MA Gov. Mitt Romney and fellow Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), but the numbers don't look good. Bennett has to break 60% to win the GOP nomination outright -- a virtual impossibility -- and has to finish within the top 2 finishers to make a primary runoff. A poll of convention delegates published last week had Bennett in third place.
Just want to say your article is astounding. The lucidity in your post is simply impressive and i can assume you are an expert on this field. Well with your permission allow me to grab your rss feed to keep up to date with succeeding post. Thanks a million and please keep up the good work.
I am not sure that I follow what the last person was saying in their comment.