Freshman Senators Committee Assignments

[sandnsea]

Newly elected Senators receive their committee assignments. Most interesting - Webb on Foreign Relations is sure to bring not only opposition to the Iraq War, but possibly a more international view than anticipated, one that doesn’t include using our military to protect oil and even opposition to the first Gulf War. Tester on Small Business will be interesting as it puts him in a direct working relationship with that 'loony liberal', John Kerry, which will hopefully build a bridge from the red state mountains to the east coast sea. The fact that Casey is not on the Judiciary is fairly self-explanatory, seems to me to be a clear message that Democrats are not abandoning our core social values.

Sen.-elect Jim Webb, D-Virginia: Armed Services, Foreign Relations, Veterans
Sen.-elect Jon Tester, D-Montana: Banking, Energy, Homeland and Government Affairs, Veterans, Small Business, Indian Affairs
Sen.-elect Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri: Armed Services, Commerce, Homeland and Government Affairs, Aging, Indian Affairs
Sen.-elect Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: Agriculture, Banking, Health Education Labor and Pension, Veterans
Sen.-elect Ben Cardin, D-Maryland: Environment Public Works, Foreign Relations, Judiciary, Budget, Small Business
Sen.-elect Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island: Environment Public Works, Judiciary, Intelligence, Budget, Aging
Sen.-elect Bob Casey, Jr., D-Pennsylvania: Agriculture, Banking, Foreign Relations, Aging, Joint Economic
Sen.-elect Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota: Agriculture, Commerce, Environment Public Works, Joint Economic

http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2006/11/some-freshman-dems-land-plum-committee.html

[karynnj]

1. It will be interesting to see how Tester fits in

Kerry's work on Small Business (and Finance and Commerce) has always been level headed. He is not all that liberal fiscally and if anything has been innovative and pragmatic on Small Business. He and Senator Snowe have worked very well together, so I assume that he will work equally well with a more conservative populist Democrat.

[sandnsea]

2. Joke - thus the quotes

I know, that's why I think it's terrific that Tester is on that committee. He can take back a real view of Senator Kerry that the mountain states aren't getting right now. It can only help the entire party in the long run.

[karynnj]

4. Oops - my fault

I changed mine while you were responding - I missed the joke - I absolutely agree with you that it could at minimum help Kerry sell his ideas to more Senators on how to help Small Businesses.

[sandnsea]

5. No problem

I originally blogged it without the quotes, then realized what it would look like so added the quotes when I posted. I guess I should have added a little 'haha' to it there. I had really been hoping Tester would get on Small Business so they would have a chance to get to know each other. I would really like to see the good government people get together!!

[karynnj]

7. I thought it was CNN's comment - because I jumped

before reading - the last weeks have led me to knee jerk reactions.

[sandnsea]

8. Oh crap

So I don't always post links to my blog because it seems so, I don't know, tacky. It never even occured to me somebody might think that was the CNN story. *sigh* So maybe I need to go get a second cup. :crazy:

[karynnj]

9. It wasn't you - it was me!

I read it and responded - than linked to CNN - not a very sensible order. You including the link was great.

[Mass]

3. Incredible: NYTimes blog forgets Kerry in its list of committee chairmen.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=678#comment-9435

[karynnj]

6. I wrote in a comment noting the error

and asking it be corrected.

[karynnj]

10. They fixed it and added this cute note

"Update: The initial version of this post left out Senator Sheldon Whitehouse in the list of new senators. AND we also left out John Kerry’s committee, Small Business, in the list of chairmanships. We have nothing against New England, seriously. "

[Mass]

11. The chairmanships bother me

There are 3 chairmanships that are assigned to senators 80s and more (Akaka, Byrd, and Inouye). I really would have liked to see some courage from the Democratic leadership so that they become "honorary chair" or something of the sort and that they allow some younger senator to have a chairmanship.

I think it is a problem that will need to be addressed at some point or we are going to lose good senators because they cannot have a leadership role.

[TayTay]

12. It's the Democratic way

The Rethugs did it differently, which is how the House wound up with Tom Delay as Majority Leader. Each way has it's pluses and minuses.

[Mass]

13. The democratic way is seniority on a committee, except for a few committees like

Judiciary and Intelligence.

This does not preclude a little bit of good sense. I wonder what is the ability of any of these three to do their job as chairmen.

[TayTay]

14. Probably pretty good

Byrd is still sharp as a tack. Inouye is not bad. I think Akaka is shaky and might not end up finishing his term.