Keith Olbermann was acting like JK has been shut out of

[ginnyinWI]

getting any new committee chairmanships because of his botched joke! That sounded really strange--anybody know anything about it? Who says he wanted another committee anway? And who would be so dumb as to tie that to a botched joke? Was KO even serious? It makes no sense.

[BlueIris]

1. I think KO is playing hard-to-get for now. He'll come back in a minute.

Relax, members of the reality-based community. Keith is just fronting.

[whometense]

2. I heard that line too,

and wan't sure what to make of it at first. I think he was just being snarky, more making fun of the Kool Kids in High School atmosphere in the senate than any personal swipe at JK.

Anyway, that's how I've decided to see it. I'm outraged-out, and I have to more room to be angry with anyone, so I have to believe he wasn't piling on.

[ginnyinWI]

5. and here I was thinking he was in JK's corner

He did a good job of defending him against that latest smear. He usually has a basis in fact, even when talking about something in a funny way. That's why I wondered if he actually heard something. But it just seemed so far-fetched. Shame on him if he was only trying to get a lame joke out of it. Us Kerrycrats are not amused!

[zann725]

18. Even Keith sometimes says things, which I suspect are to please his "bosses."

Usually he DOES support Kerry. He DID support him in an extended segment after the "botched joke" incident.

Or maybe Keith didn't think JK's meager Chair assignment through. If JK DOES plan to run in '08, that planning and announcement would start soon. And to commit himself to a lot of heavy Committee obligations which he can't fulfill properly if he's on the campaign trail, would over-extend him. My guess when I heard he ONLY took the Small Businesses committee position (I also heard he was on the Internet freedom committee as well?)....was just that JK seriously IS planning on running in '08, and that is where his focus will be. He doesm't seem the type to on losing twice...particularly IF he chooses to run again.

[ginnyinWI]

22. yup that's the first thing I thought, too

That he's running again. :) As for KO, I think what they all want to do is find and report on any food fights among party members. Makes for a lively show. But I wish they'd be careful base it on facts.

[TayTay]

26. Senator Kerry has had 4 Committees assignments

since he arrived in the Senate in 1985. Sigh! To wit:

KERRY BACKED FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS UNIT
BOSTON GLOBE, (02-09-1985)
By Walter V. Robinson, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON

Sen. John F. Kerry, who focused much of his campaign last year on criticism of US foreign policy, was selected yesterday for a coveted seat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry, still awaiting other committee assignments, said he is "very, very excited" about the prospect of playing a role in the foreign policy arena.

His selection by the Senate's Democratic Steering Committee means that the committee seat remains in Massachusetts hands. Kerry's predecessor, Paul E. Tsongas, also served on the Foreign Relations Committee.

Kerry, who is an attorney, was also picked for a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. But that appointment was placed on hold yesterday when the Steering Committee realized that another Massachusetts Democrat, Edward M. Kennedy, already sits on Judiciary.

Kerry's selection by his Democratic colleagues must be ratified by the Democratic Caucus and by the full Senate when it returns from recess Feb. 19. But that is considered a formality.

In a telephone interview, Kerry said he also hopes to win a seat on a committee that will permit him to focus on the domestic economy as well as foreign affairs.

As for the Foreign Relations assignment, Kerry said, "My hope is that through the committee I can help to create enough pressure on this Administration to fashion a policy I think is sensitive ansd sensible, and particularly to help in the effort to rethink some of our defense policy in a way that will help influence the way the arms race goes."

Committee Assignments in the 99th Congress (1985-1987)

FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

Richard Lugar, Ind., chairman
Jesse Helms, N.C.
Charles McC. Mathias, Md.
Nancy Landon Kassebaum, Kan.
Rudy Boschwitz, Minn.
Larry Pressler, S.D.
Frank Murkowski, Alaska
Paul Trible, Va.
Dan Evans, Wash.
Claiborne Pell, R.I.
Joseph Biden, Del.
Paul Sarbanes, Md.
Edward Zorinsky, Neb.
Alan Cranston, Calif.
Christopher J. Dodd, Conn.
Thomas Eagleton, Mo.
John Kerry, Mass.

************
LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Orrin G. Hatch, Utah, chairman
Richard Stafford, Vt.
Dan Quayle, Ind.
Don Nickles, Okla.
Paula Hawkins, Fla.
Strom Thurmond, S.C.
Lowell Weicker, Conn.
Malcolm Wallop, Wy.
Charles Grassley, Iowa
Edward M. Kennedy, Mass.
Claiborne Pell, R.I.
Howard Metzenbaum, Ohio
Spark M. Matsunaga, Hawaii
Christopher J. Dodd, Conn.
Paul Simon, Ill
John Kerry, Mass.

I actually don't think Sen. Kerry got Labor committee. (Teddy K was on that one too.) I think this is where he got Small Business. He held field hearings on Small Business issues in 1985 & 1986. He must have been on the committee in order to do that. to wit:

SMALL FIRMS QUALIFY TAX-PLAN SUPPORT
BOSTON GLOBE, THIRD, Sec. BUSINESS, p 19 (07-04-1985)
By Charles Stein, Globe Staff

Owners of small businesses in New England support President Ronald Reagan's goals of tax simplification and lower tax rates. It is not at all clear, however, that they are willing to give up the tax breaks they now enjoy to get those lower rates.

At a hearing in Boston yesterday run by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), a parade of witnesses defended pieces of the current tax code that Reagan has proposed to eliminate.

**************

SIX NEW MEMBERS SIT ON PANEL
JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, FIVE STAR, Sec. MARITIME, p 22B (01-08-1987)
By ROBERT F. MORISON Journal of Commerce Staff

WASHINGTON

The Senate Commerce Committee officially gained six new members as the 100th Congress continued the business of organizing itself.

Still to be decided is the makeup of the committee's subcommittees. The earlier designation of Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, as chairman of the Merchant Marine Subcommittee, remained the major surprise.

Expectations that newly elected Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who had served on the House Merchant Marine Committee, would be named to the Commerce Committee were not realized.

The other new Democrats named to the Commerce Committee were Sen. John Breaux, La.; John Kerry, Mass., and Brock Adams, Wash.

Sen. Adams was a secretary of transportation in the Carter administration. Sen. Breaux also had prior service on the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.

The new Republican members of Senate Commerce will be Sens. Pete Wilson, Calif., and John McCain, Ariz.

The full committee, chaired by Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., is scheduled to meet Jan. 15 to formalize subcommittee.

********

KERRY NAMED TO A 3D MAJOR SENATE PANEL
BOSTON GLOBE, THIRD, Sec. NATIONAL/FOREIGN, p 73 (12-02-1988)
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff

WASHINGTON

Sen. John Kerry was granted an unusual waiver yesterday to get his third important committee assignment, on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Kerry had originally sought a seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

Kerry stressed in an interview last night that while he had sought the Appropriations Committee assignment, it is "very unusual" that he be given any third committee assignment and that he is "thrilled" with the Banking Committee position.

Kerry said that of the many senators who have sought waivers for third important committee assignments, only he and the outgoing Senate majority leader, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, have received them.

"This is a plus, an extra for Massachusetts," he said. "We had the notion on Appropriations, and we knew it was a gamble. But they could have said no. . . . Instead, I am one of only two senators to get a waiver for a third committee assignment. I am elated."

In addition to the Banking Committee, Kerry also sits on the Foreign Relations and the Commerce, Science and Transportation committees.

The committee to which Kerry was assigned yesterday deals with a variety of important issues for states, including programs for housing, mass transit and urban development, as well as the soundness of federal financial institutions.

The three open Appropriations Committee seats were awarded yesterday to Sen.-elect Robert Kerrey (D-Neb.); Sen. Brock Adams (D-Wash.) and Sen. Wyche Fowler (D-Ga.). In the past, two of those three seats had gone to Southerners. The Appropriations Committee is generally considered the most important committee assignment because it controls the federal purse strings.

Kerry got the job one day after he gave up the chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a post that allowed him to direct thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to other senators.

Kerry credited the newly elected Senate majority leader, George Mitchell of Maine, and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy with helping him to obtain the waiver to get the Banking assignment. Kerry said he had made known his interest in three possible committees: Appropriations, Banking and Environment.

Senator Kerry gave up the Banking committee in 2001, when he was named to the Finance Committee. I have posted news articles on this in another thread.

A LOOK AT DEMOS' SENATE LEADERS
Press-Telegram, AM, Sec. MAIN NEWS, p A6 (12-03-1994)
By Associated Press

Leaders chosen Friday by Senate Democrats:

* Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, 46, low-key and liberal, enjoys a close friendship with President Bill Clinton. But, at his first news conference as leader, he declared Senate Democrats "will not be led" by the White House. He said his selection represented a generational change and wants Democrats to offer "constructive alternatives, not gridlock" in the Republican-controlled Senate.

* Whip Wendell Ford of Kentucky, 70, a 20-year Senate veteran and holdover from the old generation of leadership, was re-elected to the Democrats' No. 2 position. He was more conservative than Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine and protected his home-state tobacco industry. In the new regime, he promised, "When the leader speaks, he has my support."

* Conference Secretary Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, 58, loud and brash, grew up and still lives in Baltimore, whose blue-collar neighborhoods she knows inside and out. She is known as a supporter of the space program and a protector of the middle class. She is moving up from assistant floor leader and is replacing Sen. David Pryor of Arkansas, who did not seek re-election.

* Chief Deputy Whip John Breaux of Louisiana, 50, from the small Cajun town of Crowley, is a conservative who often works with Republicans. This year, he was a leader of the Mainstream Coalition, a bipartisan group of senators trying to craft a compromise healthcare reform bill.

* Assistant Floor Leader Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, 52, is a populist who campaigned vigorously against the GATT trade agreement as a sellout of American workers. He's a harsh critic of Wall Street's leveraged buyouts and junk bonds and complains every time the Federal Reserve raises interest rates.

* Steering Committee Chairman John Kerry of Massachusetts, 50, first became known in 1971 as an organizer of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He served as lieutenant governor under Michael Dukakis and was elected to the Senate in 1984. He's used his chairmanship of a Foreign Relations subcommittee to investigate drug-dealing by dictators in Central America and the BCCI international banking scandal. He takes over the Steering Committee, which controls committee assignments, from Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii.

Committee assignments of the 106th Congress
Aerospace Daily, Vol. 189, Issue. 34, p 268 (02-22-1999)

SENATE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE

Republicans: Democrats:

Richard C. Shelby (Ala.),
Chair J. Robert Kerrey (Neb.), Ranking Democrat
John H. Chafee (R.I.)
Rochard H. Bryan (Nev.)
Richard G. Lugar (In.)
Bob Graham (Fla.)
Mike DeWine (Ohio)
John F. Kerry (Mass.)
Jon Kyl (Ariz.)
Max Baucus (Mt.)
James M. Inhofe (Okla.)
Charles Robb (Va.)
Orrin G. Hatch (Utah)
Frank Lautenberg (N.J.)
Pat Roberts (Kans.)
Carl Levin (Mich.)
Wayne Allard (Colo.)

Does this help?

[karynnj]

14. I suspect it was simply a certain ignorance on assignments

Kerry made no attempt to get a leadership position in November 2004. Now, you have Hillary moving down from the leadership - which signals she wants to run. Imagine the joke never happened, what would the situation have been? There was no way they were ever going to reward his actions.

Kerry would likely have been hit with an extention of the heyjohn attack. (Look at the unwarranted Dean attack - and consider Dean had the position where his charter was to do exactly what he did. Kerry, with KAP, developed a unique parallel organization to support candidates. This is the act of an outsider. Look at his Iraq position - again outsider.

As to getting another committee - they would have to take it away from someone else. The leadership is not with him on Iraq - so there is no way they would give the least controlable Senator additional power there. (I assume they prefer Biden or Dodd at SRFC)

[_dynamicdems]

19. We are viewing this from the perspective of people who want JK to run for President in 2008, but KO

was only pointing out an irony: Kerry stays the same and Lott is rewarded.

Senator Kerry is in a very good position in the Senate and it is probably the position he wants. He is somewhat of a maverick and you are correct in that the leadership would not have rewarded his actions even if the joke controversy never happened. They rarely give him credit for anything.

You're right about the leadership not wanting him to have any more power on Iraq and the military. But that doesn't really matter. This hasn't stopped him from speaking out and taking action in the past and I doubt it will stop him in the future. I'm looking forward to Kerry and Webb having some serious dialogs on Iraq, since Webb is on those committees.

[JI7]

3. i think JK should go on KO's show

not to talk about the joke even though it may come up. but just to talk about serious issues with one of the few non whores out there.

[_dynamicdems]

4. I got the impression KO was a little disgusted with Democrats for

being so political. He sounded like he thought Kerry deserved better treatment. Then he contrasted Kerry's "lateral" move with the Repugs elevation of disgraced former Leader Trent Lott to a position of power. Before he went to a break, KO said he'd be bringing someone back to discuss irony. While Kerry wasn't mentioned again, the spotlight was on Lott being promoted and the contrast was already set up.

He really didn't seem to be snarky toward Kerry, but a little shocked that Dems were treating him the way they did over a botched joke. Remember his strong defense of John Kerry? No, I don't think this was a pot shot at Kerry, but a raised eyebrow at Democratic Senate Leadership.

[ginnyinWI]

6. that makes more sense

It would be typical of KO to be commenting against the established leadership more than an individual. Thanks--I'm more cheerful now.

[Democrafty]

7. That's how I read it, too. n/t

[cadmium]

8. He was pointing out an absurdity. JK should definitely go on his show nt

[_dynamicdems]

16. Absolutely! I think he should too. n/t

[BlueIris]

24. Oh, dude, don't tease me by loading me up with that image.

You have NO idea how frustrated I am right now. JK and KO together on the same screen...aguahgakghgdisat!@@$!%@^!!! That's too much hotness right there.

[Inuca]

9. Just a thought....

What about JK not WANTING any additional committee chairmanship in order not to be TOO busy? Hint, hint....

[_dynamicdems]

17. Quite true.

I just found it interesting that KO made the statement he did because (to me) it implied that he thinks Kerry should be treated better by the party, that Kerry has done a lot for the party.

Yeah, I think JK's got plenty on his plate. Expecially IF... ;)

[Mass]

10. This is BS. No committee chair was available that was in reach of Kerry anyway.

The two only ones that were free are Environment and Banking or Rules (given Sarbanes and Jeffords resignations) and Kerry is not on these committees.

Committee chairmanships are attributed by seniority in the committee and Kerry is 3rd in Commerce and Foreign Relations. Short of 2 people resigning in any of these committee, he is not going to get it. He may have been speaking about committee assignment, however. There were opening in several committees where Kerry could have seem a natural match (like intelligence or environment). However, I wonder if he would have wanted more seats or if he has more important things in the works.

If he was talking about leadership position, it is another issue, but I am not sure that Kerry wanted one anyway.

[TayTay]

11. Ahm, Sen. Kerry has the committee assignments he wants

He is on Foreign Relations and is now #3 Dem on that Committee. He has been on SFRC since he arrived in the Senate in 1985. He will Chair the East Asia and Pacific Affairs sub-committee here.

Kerry also has a seat on the Commerce Committee, another committee that he has been a member of for a long time. He chairs the sub-committee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness.

Sen. Kerry got the assignment to Senate Finance in 2001. This very powerful Committee, which writes the tax code of the United States, is a real plum assignment and everyone who enters the Senate wants a seat on this committee. (See Schumer, Chuck or Clinton, Hillary) Sen. Kerry is in charge of the Long Term Growth and Debt Reduction sub-committee. (Ahm, this committee deals with the problem of America's burgeoning debt and how to reduce it.)

The Senator is Chairing the Small Business Committee. Again, he has been a long-time member of this committee and has actually chaired it before, when the Dems were in control briefly in 2001-2002.

Ahm, these are prestigious and plum committee assignments given to serious legislators who know what they are doing. I don't get the recent stuff about Dem leadership. This *is* Dem leadership, on the committees. I think stupidity has begun to run rampant in the wake of the giddy Dem win.

[MBS]

12. good to hear

I hadn't seen his name on the early lists for foreign relations committee, and I'd been puzzled and worried about that.

[Mass]

13. I think some people think the SB Committee is not important and that it is

something Kerry got because it is not important. They do not realize to what point this committee touches to everybody's daily life. Amazing, but true.

As for the leadership positions, I do not get it either, but I guess some people see that as important because those are the people who get to be in the news (or at least some think so).

[MH1]

15. I think you're right, and

I think that it would be a huge benefit to Democrats and to the country to elevate the visibility of their work for small business.

One reason a lot of people in my area shy away from voting Dem is because they think Dems are "anti-business." The situation is actually more complex than that. The tough thing is that certain typical Dem positions, like raising the minimum wage, are widely seen as putting a burden on small biz. This is a problem that Dems really need to deal with, and especially JK, given his position on that committee. It may be that they really need to change the way they write the laws to make it easier for small biz while still achieving the liberal social goals such as raising the minimum wage. I am sure Kerry understands this. I am not sure how well other Dems do.

Ah, but anyway we are talking about real work now, not photo ops and presidential campaign speculations, so who in the media would pay attention anyway?

[_dynamicdems]

21. He's also had a lot of success with this committee.

Without small business, we are all at the hands of the big corporations.

And it is interesting to note how JK's other interests enter into the realm of small business. While the Repugs argue that an increase in the minimum wage will hurt small business and thus our economy, Kerry knows better. And his proposals on health care actually take much of the burden for health care off small business. He has a good understanding of our economy from the bottom up. I was really looking forward to hearing his speech on the economy in Faneuil.

[Vektor]

25. Regarding the small business committee...

Isn't he "ranking member"?
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:smoke:

[SouthernBelle82]

20. Wasn't he just

put on the small business committee?

[kerrygoddess]

23. No actually

he has been on the committee for 21 years - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=4758