Woman Of the House

It happened. Nancy Pelosi demonstrated today why she's the most powerful woman in Washington. (Sorry, Hillary.) She hauled the House of Representatives back into session in the middle of their inexplicably month-long summer vacation to pass a $26 billion spending bill that saves teachers' jobs and funds Medicaid payments. House Republican leader John Boehner decried the bill, declaring that it raises taxes and helps only special interests.

Boehner - whose tanning salon bills must really shock George Hamilton - is right on both counts. What he doesn't mention in promoting the former point is that the tax increase is a closed loophole that allowed American businesses not to pay taxes on their foreign operations. As for the latter point, well, teachers and poor people are of special interest . . . to the Democrats who represent them. The bill, which allows money allocated earlier to be spent on law enforcement, is of no special interest to Boehner, who represents people who can afford to send their kids to private school, have good health insurance, and probably live in gated communities with private security officers. There's nothing in it for them.

Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, was on Ed Schultz's show to talk about the bill, and he declared that his union for one, will definitely work hard to elect more Democrats to Congress. This bill isn't going to turn the tide for Democrats and change the dynamic of the midterms, but it will give them a much-needed boost. :-)

That's Right, The Women Are Smarter

Some major breakthroughs in Congress - none of which have anything to do with gay marriage (I'll comment on that later) - took place today.

The Senate approved a $26 billion bill to pay for Medicaid reimbursements and save the jobs of 130000 teachers nationwide after Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) joined Democrats in breaking a Republican filibuster.

At that news, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared her intention to call the House back into session during the August recess so her chamber could pass the same bill and send it to President Obama for his signature. She made it clear that she wanted to get this done.

Meanwhile, Senator Deborah Stabenow (D-MI) introduced a bill in the Senate that could be a game changer for Democrats in the midterms. Senator Stabenow's bill would extend unemployment benefits by twenty weeks and also provide with tax breaks to businesses to encourage them to hire the long-term unemployed. Activists are already working on a plan to hit Republicans with e-mails, faxes and phone calls to get the support of at least two senators to help her bill pass.

If you want something done in Congress, get a woman to do it. :-)