TODAYSen. Kerry to deliver senate speech on START at 3 pm CSPAN 2

[MBS]

from press release (note the "APPROXIMATELY")


Washington, D.C.— Today at approximately 3:00 p.m., Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) will deliver remarks on the Senate floor about the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START).



WHO: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry



WHAT: Floor Statement on New START



WHEN: TODAY, November 29 at approximately 3:00 p.m.



WHERE: Senate Floor, U.S. Capitol



WATCH LIVE on C-SPAN 2: http://www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN2.aspx

[YvonneCa]

1. Thank you! I saw this just in time...

... :hi:

[karynnj]

2. Thanks,

[karynnj]

3. Kerry up now

[YvonneCa]

4. Damn...

...President Kerry (oops ;) ), that was GREAT! :7

[Luftmensch067]

5. He really is amazing! n/t

[YvonneCa]

8. Wasn't he? Once he got going...

...he just got better and better.

I was SO glad to hear him talk about the message sent to the world if we FAIL to pass New Start. The Obama administration has been working non-stop to actually engage with world leaders at every level. There are HUGE advantages to having Russia working with us. I think some people don't make those connections. When Kerry (or Obama) spell them out, it makes Kyl's position seem pretty ridiculous...not to mention petty. :)


Did you hear the reference to WikiLeaks? :7 Though the leaks can harm US credibility, there is one positive...they show our country engaging to try to solve world problems.

[MBS]

9. Kyl's position is OUTRAGEOUSLY petty

.. and, in putting partisan politics above national security, and above the very survival of the planet.. well, that's not my definition of patriotism, that's all I can say.

[YvonneCa]

14. It's not mine, either. I was glad to hear...

...Senator Kerry talk, at length, about the process of inclusion that his committee afforded Kyl and other Republicans. They were given time and opportunity to participate, ask questions, and have their concerns addressed.

To whine now about not enough time to vote is just shameful.

[karynnj]

6. CSPAN link

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=599216397

He really was incredibly good.

[Luftmensch067]

7. Bless you for the link!

I was hoping to be able to find that.

[karynnj]

10. You are quite welcome - it's easy to find any Senate speech - here's how

Go to this link - http://www.c-spanvideo.org/congress and click on the date you want in the calendar, then click on View Senate (unless you want the House), that gets you to a page where there is a timeline - and you can click on Kerry (or another Senator) - and there he is!

[Luftmensch067]

11. Thank you!

I'll file that away for future use! How is their record on getting a full transcript up?

[karynnj]

12. I'm not sure - that is one of the newer features

and I haven't played with it. You can click on any of the time segments - and it goes near there - which is great for pointing out points.

[Luftmensch067]

13. I'll check it out! n/t

[wisteria]

15. Oh, thank you!!! n/t

[karynnj]

16. Not all MA Senators are capable of brilliant, compelling speeches

Here is today's speech by the one who can't - http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/clip.php?appid=599221007

He is so worked up, he is barely coherent and again is convinced there were no bills that helped the economy. He actually has major trouble speaking at points here -

"NOW, HERE WE ARE, MY OFFER AND MY PROPOSAL IS TO OFFSET THE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE WITH -- I NEED TO TAKE A BREATH HERE, I'M SORRY -- THE OFFSET THEY SUPPORTED YESTERDAY WOULD RESCIND UNOBLIGATED DISCRETIONARY FUNDING."

What is worse is that he was the vote that prevented adding the extension of unemployment benefits to the Food safety bill. Even Matt Viser is over him. He is reporting many of the meandering - off tangent comments in his speech. The commenters are basically tearing him apart. I guess worrying about the estate tax when people are concerned with extending unemployment is not a popular thing to do.

[YvonneCa]

17. I watched it live...

...today. He really is out of his element. :7

[Mass]

18. Yes, but it also reinforces the image that Kerry is out of touch while Brown cares.

People dont hear that he is incoherent. They will never hear the speech. However, they hear he spoke on these issues and is fighting for jobs. In our weird world, his meandering and incoherency make him a regular man.

Here is what went in the paper version of the Globe

Yesterday Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown blocked a Democratic proposal to extend benefits, offering his own plan instead, only to have his effort blocked.
...

Republicans, however, say Congress shouldn’t add to record deficits. Yesterday, Brown proposed extending unemployment benefits by paying for them with funds authorized by Congress, but not spent by federal agencies.

“Are we going to do it from the bank account, or are we going to put it on the credit card?’’ Brown said on the Senate floor last night. He added, “I’ll use the bank account. Let’s use money that’s already in the system and put it to good use immediately.’’

But Massachusetts’ Democratic senator, John F. Kerry, countered Republicans aren’t concerned about the deficit when it comes to extending tax breaks for the wealthiest households.

“It’s inexcusable to kill unemployment benefits for people who have been working their whole lives until the economy hit the skids,’’ Kerry said in a statement.

While I agree with Kerry on that, this makes Brown look like somebody who is trying to get solutions passed, while Kerry does not seem. We dont get any explanation while Brown's solution is not good.

While Kerry's focus on foreign policy is remarkable, it leaves people in the state (some at least) with the idea that he is there because he wants to succeed to Clinton and does not care about the state. We need him to speak more about these issues and we need urgently to have people to go after him and start running against him. I understand that he cant do speeches and work on everything, but some of these issues are too important to let other people deal with them.

[karynnj]

19. Thanks for telling us what made the print Boston Globe

From the comments in the online version, they were pretty solidly against Brown - with many saying things pretty close to Kerry's statement. But the online version gave a big taste of how convoluted and meandering (to use Viser's word) Brown was and importantly spoke of Brown also speaking of the real need to make the tax cuts permanent.

I get what you say and I agree with you that people don't understand the Senate enough to know foreign policy is not just something Kerry has always been interested in, but as the Chair of FR it is his job. However, he has contributed a lot to the various jobs bills via his positions on Commerce, Small Business and Finance. Brown is actually just grandstanding. He completely ignored the committee structure. It was he, who did not even try to go to the HELP committee to try to get support which would not have happened. He just had a tantrum on the floor.

It may be that he should try to do more town halls in MA on the economy - he did some excellent ones in late 2008 - before and after the election to very good response and he appeared to enjoy it. The hardest part though is figuring out how to get them real coverage. (I think back to a weekend when Brown visited with supporters somewhere and Kerry had a serious town hall in the Lowell area that Tay Tay posted about. Brown's had NO CONTENT, but was reported everywhere. Kerry answered every question brought up in a serious respectful way - and it was not covered much of anywhere other than one excellent blog. Same with Kerry's awesome town hall on healthcare in September 2009 - which was not covered because the lunatics did not take control and he answered a question from one.)

[Mass]

21. Not only town halls. Go on local TV shows (I know the political editors are rather horrible,at least

in the Boston area). Do interviews on local radios. Make clear to people you care about these issues that are their daily life. (BTW, the Herald and the RW local papers have been making fun of Kerry's fundraiser as grandiose and useless. More of the "Kerry is out of touch" meme.

A good example of how it should be done: (OK, I am a big fan of Patrick)

http://www.wbur.org/2010/12/01/unemployment-benefits-5?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+wbur_news/boston+(News:+Boston)

BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick says Sen. Scott Brown needs to see the underprivileged people in Massachusetts as he weighs a vote on extended unemployment benefits.

Congress is weighing an extension, which Brown supports, but he wants it paid with cuts in other budgeted programs rather than by expanding the budget deficit.

“We can’t keep spending and borrowing with no regard for the future,” Brown said in a video message to supporters. “We must be fiscally responsible and provide for the needs of our citizens without putting more debt on the credit card.”

The Democratic governor told WTKK-AM on Wednesday it’s “outrageous” Brown and his fellow Republicans are holding up an array of legislation while they push for an extension of Bush-era tax cuts — which would be paid with deficit spending.

The Democratic governor says the benefits are needed to help people survive, while the tax cuts will benefit the already-wealthy.

Patrick says the vote is a “question of national character.”

[politicasista]

22. Maybe "Basic Black"

They have good discussions/issues related to Boston and MA (and on a national level). They have had state reps and candidates for Council-At-Large on there. His former aide Ayanna Pressley was really good on there as a guest panelist.

http:/www.basicblack.org

Maybe The Callie Crossley Show for radio. She is sometimes a panelist on Basic Black and it looks like her show caters to a Boston, New England audience. (via Twitter page http://twitter.com/CallieCrossley).





Don't know much about the issues (i.e. START treaty) anymore because the politics in the South is a mess. :hide:

[YvonneCa]

23. Hey, you! ...

...:hi: Missed you. :)

[politicasista]

24. Hi,

Miss you all too. In lurk mode because not up to speed on the latest issues of the day/week as many are here :), so have not had anything meaningful to add. :hi:

[YvonneCa]

25. That's okay. Hi's are...

...good. :)

[politicasista]

28. Yes they are

:hi:

[Luftmensch067]

29. Hi from me, too!

You should pipe up more often. You think I ever know what I'm talking about here? :-)

[politicasista]

31. LOL. Thanks

will do again soon. :hi:

[Mass]

26. I like her, but it is one out of many radio and TV shows that need to be attended to by the dems

Obviously, some local events may make this uncomfortable for some Democratic state leaders.

A couple bad news, however:

1/ a PPP poll showing Brown ahead of other candidates. http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/ I would not make too much of this poll because they really lacked imagination when finding Democratic candidates and it is way too early anyway to have a poll that makes sense. But this shows an action needs to be started by Democratic activists to make clear that Brown is not good for the state.

2/ The media continue to love him. This morning, our NBC affiliate was touting that he was proposing a law concerning unemployment benefits and was having cross party line appeal. (just after a piece explaining he has to give up his office -Kennedy's one-- because McConnell wants it ) Not a word of the fact that he is the senator that objected to the bill in the first place. Given this, it does not matter that his speeches are incoherent. He comes out as caring on the issue. Democrats need to take back the lead on this. We have 10 democratic congresspeople. It does not need to be Kerry. But can one of our Democratic delegation go after Brown.

[politicasista]

27. Makes sense

don't know much about the media in MA (and don't have a dog or cat in the fight, but it's interesting) cause in TN, the media, news politics overall is well, boring. There is no accountability for national pols or anything. Nothing but ignorance.

Lately, when MA DUers (not in this nice group) complain about their displeasure towards Kerry regarding the yacht, TSA drama, and having dough (slang for money :)), they can always have (or trade) my senators Alexander and Corker (but keep Brown) and see how GOP politics really operates.

As I said, no accountability just ignorance and comic relief. Granted there were Blue Dogs as reps, but they got replaced with a gospel singer, a faux Obama hating nurse, and a spousal abuser, child support paying dodger. (To make the long story short, it's Teabaggers and TN trying to be the next AZ).

That's yucky about the media and Brown in MA. Hopefully one or two can go after him because he needs to be exposed before re-election.

[karynnj]

32. This makes sense to have some one (or even someones) who does this

and they need to make it completely issues based.

It also makes sense that the person should definitely not be Kerry. he will have to get Brown on some pieces of legislation and Brown seems very thin skinned - and seems more likely to consider listening if he likes someone. In addition, Kerry really is at a point where he deserves to be the elderly statesman. It was very generous of him to have acted as an "attack dog" for Obama, but it came at a price. As the former nominee, he really did not have to do that - especially in the primaries. The idea that he would do that now makes no sense for his own career, reputation and popularity. It would not even be fair to ask him to do so - and where he really could help is in defining to MA what Democratic positions and goals are. That helps whoever is attacking Brown, point to a vision that Brown does not share.

Even having Patrick attack Brown would make more sense - he is in Massachusetts and well positioned to speak of how (whatever Brown did) hurts the state - likely with numbers.

[politicasista]

33. Yep. Patrick would be good

Still appreciate what the Senator did for Obama. It may have come at a price (the Clintons still popular in MA?), but someone had to do it.


Good post. :)

[karynnj]

34. Thanks - as were your comments on media

:hi:

[politicasista]

35. No problem

:hi:

[beachmom]

30. I read in an article about Reid that he and Ensign have a deterrence agreement.

They don't attack each other as two Senators representing the same state. What are Sen. Kerry's views on this? I really don't know how it works. Do most Senators from different parties but the same state refrain from directly attacking each other?

[YvonneCa]

20. I agree. That is my worry, too. We here watch for...

...substance. Many watch for the horserace, the 'show' and the 'who's up, who's down' factor. And the media reinforces them rather than us.