Politics

Congress Links

By Sunlight Foundation & Participatory Politics Foundation

Here are a few articles and blog posts worth checking out today:

• President Obama today signed an executive order creating his promised bipartisan deficit reduction commission. Heading up the commission are former White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles and respected former GOP senator Alan Simpson. (The White House)
• For all the sturm and drang about the effectiveness of the stimulus package, many don’t realize that only a third of it has been spent so far. The Wall Street Journal has a fantastic article explaining what’s coming up next for the stimulus. (The Wall Street Journal)
• If the filibuster causes havoc regardless of which party is in power, why do so many lawmakers love it so much? Jonathan Chait explains. (Jonathan Chait)
• Another common filibuster misconception is that senators have to get up and read out of the phone book, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington-style. In reality, all senators have to do is simply threaten to filibuster. So why can’t Democrats just force filibustering senators to talk? David Waldman explains. (Congress Matters)
• Republican superstar Marco Rubio, who is challenging Florida Gov. Charlie Christ for the GOP Senate nomination, spoke today at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Former Bush speech writer David Frum fact-checks him. (FrumForum)
• Also receiving a rock star’s welcome at CPAC was former VP Dick Cheney who predicted political doom for Obama. (Hot Air)
• Journalist Elizabeth Drew has an exhaustive look at the health care reform process thus far. (The New York Review of Books)

Full post as published by Open Congress on February 18, 2010 (boomark / email).