Collection o thoughts

• So Burris is going to be seated. He's got the ego to be Senator, and will probably be a satisfactorily mediocre Senator who will stumble around and avoid being in the room when bad stuff goes down. It will be interesting to see how he is treated by the caucus -- what committee assignments he gets; if he is shut out of anything with potential for homebound bacon, that could be a sign that the Senate Democrats want to leave him open to a challenge in 2010. How much do they kneecap his ability to point to accomplishments should a primary arise?
  
  
• There's irony aplenty in New York when you think of it. Somebody from out of state is leaving her Senate post for a job that wasn't really her goal. A guy who didn't mean to become governor now has to choose between people who probably weren't expecting the chance to become Senator. You may as well spin a wheel at this point.
  
  
• Majority leader Harry Reid frankly came to my attention when he got Jim Jeffords to leave the Republicans and caucus with the Democrats, giving his party control of the Senate for nearly two years. That got me through a lot of bad decisions, and his habit of being outmaneuvered. However, at this point, his abject failure to deliver consequences to Joe Lieberman for his Benedict Arnold act, foolish mishandling of the Burris mess (the appointment was always legal, only because the law moved too slowly to catch up to Blago), and typical spinelessness makes Reid a drag at a time when we need effective, quick change. He does occasionally show some chutzpah, but usually doesn't, and I think his time as Majority Leader should be closing. What's more, his high partisan profile is probably not helping him in his 2010 re-election, what may well become a rough fight. In any case, let him concentrate on his seat, and turn the job over to a Demcorat who knows how to crack heads (in my ideal world, Schumer comes to mind).
  
  
• You know, I live in Barney Frank's district, and I certainly don't see all the pork i'd expect to see from the Chair of the Appropriations Committee. what gives? Where's the Barney Frank highway service area, etc.?
  
  
• Pursuant to my post the other day, I really would like to see every RNC Chair candidate asked the following question: "What are the reasons that lead you to believe Ronald Reagan was a superior president to Abraham Lincoln?"
  
  
• Pension abuse is just one more reason we need an effective opposition party in Massachusetts. Another reason is that without some grownups in charge, whiny conservatives who chose a risky 401k will probably take out their frustration by bankrupting public pensions during a referendum. Half of them believe that the state's fiscal imbalance is entirely due to legislative salaries and teacher health care, anyway.
  
  
• Speaking of pensions, it still amazes me that public employees can lose their pensions if convicted of certain crimes. I mean, if somebody has $50,000 taken out of the paycheck over the years, and are convicted of something, they essentially lose that money. How is that not a large fine?
  
  
• I'm going to the Inauguration. Thasss right, got tickets and the whole deal. I may post some video when I get back. Maybe not. Currently plan to wear a shirt and tie, my town DTC shirt, my Dean Iowa knit cap, and some good boots. Don't know where I'll be going that night, and I'm open to ideas.