Good week for the Dems

Democrats should have a Couple of Good Weeks

By Rod Pennington

This should be a good week for Democrats. With the number of concessions the Democrats made in the Finance Reform bill it is likely they will have the 60 votes needed for passage. It will be close and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid may have to wait until West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin appoints a replacement for Senator Robert Byrd, but this looks like a done deal.

Also in the Senate, Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan will be confirmed easily. The only question at this point is how many Republican votes will she get?

Both sides want to extend unemployment benefits; the hang up is how to pay for them. Democrats want to add the $34 billion to the deficit but the Republicans want to use unspent “Stimulus” money and not add to the national debt. This will get worked out and quickly; it is now less than 4 months until the November election and everyone wants this one.

Three big “Wins” will make it easier for Democrats to return home for the August Recess and face their constituents. A few of them might even muster the courage to hold a town hall meeting or two. After the pounding they took last summer during the height of the healthcare reform many have been reluctant to meet the voters in an open forum.

However this may do it for this session. The Republicans are unlikely to let any additional legislation pass between now and November.

The Democrats are also leaving a very large piece of legislation unfinished – the budget. This could open the door for some very nasty campaign commercials this fall.