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NEWS
UPDATE & OPEN THREAD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER
23, 2009. By a 60-39 vote, US Senate
Democrats blocked GOP
filibuster plans and now advance the Dem's health
care reform legislation to the floor for debate. In
response to critics who claimed nobody knew what was
really in the bill, the Democratic leadership posted
the 2,074-page bill on the Senate's website (note:
it's about the same length as Sarah Palin's book).
The real fight will come after floor debate is finished,
when Senator Joe Lieberman has vowed he will switch
sides and vote with the GOP to block cloture if the
final bill contains a public option ... A new Boston
Globe poll shows Attorney General Martha Coakley holds
a wide lead in the Dem primary for the open US Senate
seat. The numbers: Coakley - 43%, Congressman Mike
Capuano - 22%, venture capitalist
Steve Pagliuca - 15%, philanthropist Alan Khazei -
6%. The winner of the Dem primary on December 8 is
all but certain to defeat State Senator Scott Brown
(R) in the January general election ... In North Dakota,
a new Zogby poll shows Governor John Hoeven (R) would
defeat US Senator Byron Dorgan (D) by a lopsided 55-36
vote. Hoeven has not yet decided on whether he will
challenge Dorgan next year ... Former NYC Mayor Rudy
Giuliani (R) is now apparently leaning towards running
against interim US Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D)
in 2010, instead of running for Governor, according
to conversations Giualiani had with close associates
last week ... In California, a new Rasmussen poll
shows US Senator Barbara Boxer (D) leading centrist
former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R) by a
46-37 vote. Boxer also leads conservative State Assemblyman
Chuck DeVore (R) by a nearly identical 46-36 vote
... US Senator John McCain (R) may have trouble with
his party's conservative base, if conservative former
Congressman J.D. Hayworth challenges him in the GOP
primary. The latest Rasmussen poll shows McCain leading
Hayworth 45-43 vote, with anti-immigration activist
Chris Simcox at 4% ... Finally, my best wishes to
all for a happy thanksgiving.
11.23.09
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