A new Rasmussen survey finds that 58% of Republicans are less likely to vote for Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who's up for re-election in 2010, because of his vote in favor of the economic stimulus bill (Feb. 11, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%). Of the independent voters, 48% are less likely to vote for him, and 27% are more likely.

Overall, 47% of Pennsylvania voters support the stimulus bill as proposed by Pres. Obama and congressional Democrats; 41% oppose it, and 12% are not sure. 52% said it was at least somewhat likely that the bill will end up making things worse instead of better.

Over at RCP's Politics Nation, Mike Memoli has the details and the statement by Senator Gregg, along with the just released statement from WH Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

Are you a much maligned (and perhaps recently bailed out) Titan of Wall Street looking to get away from it all? If so, I've got a deal for you: how about renting New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine's house in The Hamptons for the summer. It'll only cost you $900,000.

According to Newsday, "The 6,200-square-foot, six-bedroom, 5.5-bath home is on a gated property. The 6.64-acre spread includes a heated gunite pool, a Har-tru tennis court and more than 500 feet of ocean frontage along Gibson Beach."

Corzine is a former Master of the Universe who did well enough to buy himself a Senate Seat and then a Governorship. What better place to relax while you anxiously await the details of Tim Geithner's plan to have US taxpayers pony up more even more cash and assume more risk to fix the system you helped bring to its knees?

Camille Paglia's assessment of Obama's first weeks:

Why in the cosmos would the new administration, smoothly sailing out of Obama's classy inauguration, repeat the embarrassing blunders of Bill Clinton's first term? ...

Surely common sense would dictate that when Congress is doling out fat dollops of taxpayers' money, due time should be delegated for sober consideration and debate. The administration's coercive rush toward instant action, accompanied by apocalyptic pronouncements of imminent catastrophe, has put its own credibility on the line.But aside from the stimulus muddle, Obama has been off to a good start. True, I was disappointed with the infestation of the new appointments list by Clinton retreads and slippery tax-dodgers. Nevertheless, I was very impressed by Obama's relaxed, natural authority with military officers on Inauguration Day... I applauded the signal Obama sent to the world by starting the closure of the Guantánamo detention center.

As it happens, I too mostly like Obama's early and, I think, balanced war-on-terror moves.   But the most important component of those moves, so far, is symbolic.  (Guantanamo has not actually been closed, and many key aspects of detainee treatment are still to be resolved.)  Note that the two things Paglia is most impressed by have to do, first and foremost, with image.

What about the substance?

(more...)

Nothing like a little dust up on the Internets. This time it's Clive Crook vs. Paul Krugman. Crook hit Krugman in a recent Financial Times column. Krugman responded on his blog. Today Crook responded to Krugman's response.

New national poll from Democracy Corps shows that 60% of those surveyed support the stimulus plan, while 33% are opposed. Last month those numbers were 62% and 28%, respectively, demonstrating that the popularity of the stimulus has eroded a bit over the last month but retains majority support.

Fifty-eight percent approve of the job Obama is doing as President, which is slightly higher than the 55% approval Obama registered in the Democracy Corps poll last month. However, Obama's disapproval rating has risen even more, going from 20% last month to 27% this month, giving a decline in his net positive rating this month but is still at a healthy +31%.

Overall, Obama's job approval is at 64.2% in the RCP Average.

A new PPP poll finds Rep. Paul Hodes (D) with the best favorability ratings among potential 2010 Senate candidates (Feb. 6-8, 1326 RV, MoE +/- 2.7%). The seat will soon be vacated by Judd Gregg (R) if he is confirmed as Commerce Secretary; and Bonnie Newman (R), who was chosen by Gov. John Lynch (D) to replace Gregg in the Senate, has said she won't run to keep the seat in 2010.

Favorability Ratings
Republicans (fav/unfav/not sure)
Ex-Rep. Charlie Bass - 33/37/30
Ex-Sen. John Sununu - 46/43/10

Democrats
Rep. Paul Hodes - 42/34/24
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter - 43/40/17

Head-to-Head Matchups
*Hodes 40 - Bass 37 - Und 23
*Hodes 46 - Sununu 44 - Und 10

*Bass 43 - Shea-Porter 42 - Und 15
*Sununu 46 - Shea-Porter 45 - Und 9

President Obama, who ran on a promise of bringing change to the stale politics of the past and reforming the broken culture of  Washington, releases a statement heaping praise on Congressman John Dingell for becoming "the longest serving member in the history of the United States House of Representatives."

Fascinating new study from the Project for Excellence in Journalism showing that while the overall number of media outlets in DC has declined only slightly in recent years, the composition of who's doing the job of covering Congress and the administration has changed rather dramatically.

First, look at the trend among "mainstream media" organizations accredited to cover Congress:

Furthermore, the number of organizations maintaining bureaus in Washington DC (either individual or corporate bureaus) has shrunk from 622 in the mid-1980's to just 294 last year.

So if the US mainstream media presence in DC is shriveling up, then why is the overall number of media outlets inside the Beltway staying roughly the same? The answer: specialized trade publications/newsletters and an explosion of international media:

I'm not sure what any of this means, but it certainly is a pronounced trend. Part of the explanation may be that the international media took such an intense interest in the candidacy, campaign, and now administration of Barack Obama. Without his appearance on the scene, the number of Washington-based foreign correspondents might be far fewer.

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, otherwise known as the House ethics committee, announced yesterday that an investigative subcommittee has been reauthorized in the 111th Congress to look into potential impropriety by Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.).

More than a month into the new session, the reorganized committee -- with new leadership -- will begin again to look at Rangel's ethical issues, which we recently reported on here. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in November that the report would be completed by the close of the 110th Congress, which was January 3.

The investigation remains incomplete, and Rangel still chairs the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, much to the chagrin of House Republicans. Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) introduced a privileged resolution that would have forced Rangel to step down from Ways and Means until the ethics committee completed its report. The House voted last night to table it, however -- thereby killing it.

Carter, the Republican Conference Secretary, said yesterday that he was not out on a witch hunt for corrupt politicians, but rather he was attempting to save the good name of Congress.

"It worries me that the public perceives a body made up of hard-working men and women on both sides of the aisle in such a negative light," Carter said. "Mr. Rangel has many issues hanging out there and still is in charge of writing the tax laws in this country as chair of the House committee."

When asked at a press conference before the vote, Carter said no Democrats had told him privately that they support his efforts. None supported him publicly either, as almost all Democrats voted to table the bill, and those that didn't voted "present." Almost all Republicans voted to consider Carter's resolution.