Mitch McConnell At The Bronx Zoo

Mitch McConnell At The Bronx Zoo

We are not in the US Senate. We are at The Bronx Zoo. The US Senate is governed by the US Constitution. But that document is just a piece of paper at The Bronx Zoo. It might as well be toilet paper at The Bronx Zoo. The Bronx Zoo is Madagascar. There it is all about the basic animal instincts. Food, sleep, sex, and vigorous fights. Fist fights. Tooth fights. Nail fights. Scratches. Gouging of eyes. Tearing up the abdomen. Cleaning the gut. Blood on the lips.

According to the US Constitution the President Of The United States makes nominations to the US Supreme Court. He/she is the only one who does. Otherwise it is not like I don’t know a few people myself.

This is Iran all over again. In the US Senate they read and learn. At The Bronx Zoo there is no read, there is no learn. That the same logic time has proven to have been wrong on Iran does not matter. It is not supposed to matter at The Bronx Zoo. It is not thought, it is instinct. When you see the enemy, or food, you behave a certain way. There is no read, there is no learn. There is no read, period. Instinct is like you flip a light switch. The bulb will behave a certain way. Every single time. As long it is alive.

I have some idea about the thought processes back in Kentucky. There is The Bronx Zoo and then there is The Kentucky Zoo. The Kentucky Zoo is larger, much, much, much larger. Mucho larger.

Kamala Harris Would Be A Great Running Mate

English: San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris speaking at an event (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having a woman president is historic, but not quite enough. I think it is time for a two women ticket. And Kamala Harris would bring California on board. A New York - California ticket would be great for the progressive cause.

Harris is running to be Senator. That makes her federal!

There will also be a generation balance. Also a cultural balance. Hillary is not minority female, only female.

Save Immigration For 2011

Image via Wikipedia

As to what will happen in November of this year is anyone's guess, but Obama has set his mind to make history again by doing the best he can to keep the House and the Senate. If he loses one chamber, the next two years start looking shaky in terms of legislative work.

Passing health care reform was historic, and puts Obama in the FDR league of greatness. Work on financial sector reform also looks promising. Success on health made work on finance easy.

Obama might get tempted to make as much headway as possible on immigration as well. His commitment to the issue is beyond doubt, and the Hispanic caucus might even argue that putting immigration reform front and center will ensure crucial Hispanic turnout. And the Hispanic voters tend to cast the deciding vote.

That might as well be the case, but my instinct tells me the best strategy would be keep the immigration issue alive but saving actual work on it to begin in early 2011, hopefully to be completed by the end of that year, if not earlier. Some of the passions exhibited during the health care debate were to do with a really bad economy. People were hurting and anxious.

Health care reform, financial sector reform, comprehensive immigration reform: these are huge issues, and huge accomplishments when work is completed.

By the end of 2011 though, as Obama gears for his reelection effort, he is going to have to talk deficits and debt loud and clear. He will have to run on the platform that he will have balanced the budget early in his second term. Actually hinting towards that eventuality might be a great theme to keep echoing in the lead up to November this year itself.

A nuanced strategy would be to begin work on immigration this year but barely, so it does rouse Hispanic turnout at the polls, enough to tilt the tide in favor of Obama keeping both chambers, but to do actual work after the election is over. It is because immigration is a volatile issue. The top priority for the rest of this year for Obama has to be to keep the House and keep the Senate.

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A Dirty Bomb Just Went Off In The Gulf
In South Africa They Had Apartheid, In America They Got Immigration
Do I Know Rajiv Shah?
The Obama FDR Parallels
Obama's Got Momentum: He Could Defy History In November
State Of The Union: In Good Hands
Supreme Court Vs. Obama
Iran: An Opportunity

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