Posted on Categories Uncategorized

PBC News & Comment: Argument, or Abuse? Senate Tweaks Filibuster Rules

Timid Democratic Leader Harry Reid brokers minor changes to Senate filibuster rule, enabling next round of GOP obstruction through 2014A group of younger senators led by Jeff Merkley of Oregon promoted a more musculur plan to limit abuses by the GOP minority, but Reid and old guard members wimped out.

–one likely victim will be Sen. Feinstein’s assault weapons ban, which she re-introduced today

–school cops in Fontana, CA will be issued assault rifles in a largely futile attempt to have “good guys with guns stop bad guys with guns”

–Obama nominates tough ex-prosecutor Mary Jo White to run SEC, and Richard Cordray to full term at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

–Sen. John Kerry switches seats to be confirmed by the committee he has served on for decades; Prof. Zunes makes the case against Kerry

–fallout over Hillary Clinton’s evasive answers to the committee yesterday continues; read this commentary by Prof. Juan Cole of U Michigan

–Cole also has honest comments about Israel’s treatment of Palestine

–House Armed Services Committee criticizes sex scandal at Lackland AFB

–the broke city of Oakland agreed to a $250,000 consulting deal with Bill Bratton, former chief in Boston, NY and LA who promotes stop-n-frisk

–LA’s police department is improperly using a system called “Stingray” to monitor cellphones in non-terrorism cases

–SF Mayor Ed Lee has double standard for “official misconduct” in hands-off approach to embattled director of housing authority