Mikulski to Run Again

by: Isaac Smith

Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 02:39 PM EST

It looks like she'll be running for a fifth term in 2010. David Nitkin argues that she'll have an easy time of it, and I agree: Although I've been frustrated at Mikulski's recent towing of the Bush administration line on Iraq and domestic surveillance, chances are that those issues will recede with Barack Obama in the White House and we begin to wind down our presence in Iraq and roll back the Bush-era violations of civil liberties. Furthermore, Congress over the next year or two will be dominated mostly by work on the economy and health care, two areas where Mikulski's record is sterling. By the time the next election rolls around, any Democrat who had hoped to mount a primary challenge from the left will have nothing to go on against Mikulski. Meanwhile, the Maryland Republican Party will be throwing everything it has at Frank Kratovil and Martin O'Malley, so Mikulski will likely only get token opposition from the GOP.

Dealing With Joe Lieberman: Where Do Cardin and Mikulski Stand?

by: Isaac Smith

Wed Nov 12, 2008 at 02:11 PM EST

While Barack Obama is working on his transition to the White House, there's a new conflict brewing in the Senate, over whether to oust Joe Lieberman as Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. As you know, Lieberman's record of hard right-wing stances on critical issues like Iraq and Iran led to his defeat by Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary in Connecticut in 2006; he then left the Democratic Party and won the general election, largely with Republican support.

Since then, he has acted mostly as a thorn in the Democrats' side: From failing to conduct proper oversight of the Bush administration to campaigning for John McCain and impugning Barack Obama's patriotism, Lieberman's sole use to the Democrats in the last two years has been to provide the 51st vote for Democratic control of the Senate. With last week's election boosting the Democratic caucus to at least 57 (Lieberman included), however, Democrats have far less incentive to treat him as a member in good standing. Thus, Majority Leader Harry Reid has been openly discussing the possibility of removing Lieberman from Homeland Security and giving him another, less prestigious, committee assignment; a vote on the matter is scheduled for next week.

The question for us is, where do our Senators, Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, stand on Lieberman's status? On the one hand, turning against a Senate colleague is not easy, given the tradition of that body; on the other, it's clear that Lieberman, despite some liberal leanings on domestic issues, is a Republican in all but name, and it would be foolish to have someone like that, who also has a history of attacking his party's leadership, in charge of conducting oversight on an Obama administration. So far, I've seen nothing that indicates where either Senator would go; Mikulski, as far as I know, stayed neutral during the Lieberman-Lamont battle, and Cardin wasn't in the Senate at the time. Do any readers have any information in this regard?

The proposed taxpayer-funded bailout of Wall St. - what can we expect from some local politicians?

by: MurlandGuy

Sun Sep 21, 2008 at 04:14 PM EDT

September 19th: Our financial markets are in free fall and we must take bold, bipartisan action to restore predictability and confidence to our economy. I am looking forward to reviewing details of the bailout proposal, but Congress will work quickly with the Administration to provide the tools that are necessary to ensure our nation's economic security.

Once the immediate crisis has eased, we must closely examine how our financial system was allowed to become so vulnerable in recent years. Any examination must include the effects of deregulation, deficit spending, the trade deficit and our over dependence on foreign energy sources. Once the dust settles, we must take decisive action that will prevent the type of financial collapse that we have witnessed in recent weeks and restore fiscal soundness to our economic system.

Make the call for health care!

by: Jason Rosenbaum

Tue Aug 12, 2008 at 11:12 AM EDT

With the worsening economy continuing to be the top issue for most Americans, this hope for change isn't hard to understand. American health care spending is projected to reach a full 1/5th of our GDP by 2015, which means by then, we'll be spending twenty cents of every dollar we make on health care. Health care premiums have risen 86% between 2000 and 2006 while wages only rose 20%, putting the strain on working families. Health care costs continue to be the #1 cause of bankruptcy in America.

Americans are paying $217 million for health care per hour. Meanwhile, insurance industry profits have risen 1,000% in the past five years.

According the to Government Accountability Office, health care reform is necessary to keep our country on the right track:

"Rapidly rising health care costs are not simply a federal budget problem," the GAO report says. "Growth in health-related spending is the primary driver of the fiscal challenges facing state and local governments as well. Unsustainable growth in health care spending also threatens to erode the ability of employers to provide coverage to their workers and undercuts their ability to compete in a global marketplace."

Quite simply, with rising health care costs (including $50 billion per year to pay for insurance industry advertising) being born out by working families and American businesses, health care is a top economic concern. To keep American workers at their best, and to keep American business competitive in the world, something has to change.

Nancy Pelosi has recently declared health care expansion to be #2 on her list of legislative priorities, right after ending the Iraq war. In the past month, tens of thousands of Americans have told us they want quality, affordable health care for all. Now it's time to ask Congress.

So, Congress, which side are you on? Are you with us for quality, affordable health care for all? Or are you with the insurance companies, working to preserve our broken system?

We've set up a quick and easy way for you to contact your Members of Congress and ask them if they support our vision for health care reform. Just click here and enter in your phone number and address. Choose the elected official you want to talk to and in a few moments, we'll call your phone and connect you automatically.

Over the next few weeks, we want to make 100,000 calls to Congress, asking every Member which side they are on. We need your help to do it, so please click here to call!

Once your done with your call, tell us what happened so we can keep track of where Congress stands. As of today, we're proud to announce Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA), are with us. The rest, so far, are unknown. You can see the full list here.

Health care is a priority for the American people. It's a priority for Nancy Pelosi. It's up to us to make sure it's a priority for Congress as well. Please take a moment, call your Members of Congress, and ask them which side they are on.

Oh, and if you have a blog or website, you can help spread the word about this campaign by embedding the widget you see above on your site. Just copy and paste the code here.

Barbara Mikulski Hinting at Re-Election Again

by: Eric Luedtke

Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 09:35 AM EDT

Barbara Mikulski on the next eight years:

"I want to be there to help Barack Obama get elected, I wanna be there for him on inauguration day, I want to be there to vote for his spectacular agenda, I wanna be there for his first term, I wanna be there for his second term."

That sound you hear is a half dozen prominent state policians groaning as they come to realize their ambitions are thwarted for the tme being.

Funny Comic on Mikulski and FISA

by: Eric Luedtke

Thu Jul 10, 2008 at 09:45 PM EDT

From Rob Tornoe at PolitickerMD:

FISA Failure, Dems Capitulate

by: Eric Luedtke

Wed Jul 09, 2008 at 06:54 PM EDT

Bush' version of the FISA bill, with telecom immunity, passed the senate 69-28. And again, Ben Cardin was on the right side of the issue and Barbara Mikulski was on the wrong side. I was an Mfume supporter during the last primary, but I've been very impressed with Cardin since he took office. I just wish Mikulski weren't playing the moderate so much now. Whenever she does retire, getting a bona fide progressive elected to that seat needs to be priority number one.

Side note: Clinton voted against immunity, while Obama voted for it. Of course, Clinton now has the luxury of not running a campaign, but it's another pro-Hillary notch in my book. I started the primary season not really believing her or trusting her, and she's slowly managed to earn my respect. She'd make a great majority leader...

FISA Vote Tomorrow in Senate

by: Isaac Smith

Wed Jul 09, 2008 at 01:55 AM EDT

It seems a little quixotic at this point, since it looks like the Senate will vote overwhelmingly in favor of the "compromise" on warrantless wiretapping and telecom immunity that will sweep the whole matter of the Bush administration's abuse of its surveillance powers under the rug, but we should let our Senators know that this vote to amend FISA is important, and one that we will remember. (For the record, Ben Cardin is against retroactive immunity, while Barbara Mikulski is in favor.)

Cardin, Benjamin L.- (D - MD)	Class I
509 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4524
Web Form:    cardin.senate.gov/contact/
Mikulski, Barbara A.- (D - MD)	Class III
503 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4654
Web Form:    mikulski.senate.gov/mailform.htm

I'm also going to throw in Barack Obama's contact info; as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, he should know that this is not an issue he can falter on and still claim the mantle of change:

Stopping the FISA Capitulation in the Senate

by: Isaac Smith

Tue Jun 24, 2008 at 11:38 PM EDT

Saqib Ali makes the request on Facebook:

...call Senator Mikulski asking her to support a Filibuster of immunity for warantless wiretapping: (202) 224-4654.

More info here. Hopefully Sen. Mikulski will not vote with the Bush Administration again on this matter.

Senator Barbara Mikulski Can Kiss My Shiny Metal Ass

by: msaroff

Fri Feb 22, 2008 at 05:34 PM EST

A week or so ago, I sent an email to my Senators regarding the FISA update and Telco immunity.

I congratulated Ben Cardin, and castigated Senator Barbara Mikulski for their votes on telco immunity, which is really all about covering up the misdeeds of the Bush administration.

Here is her response, and my comments, which I'm not sending, because it won't do any good: