Day: October 18, 2013

Cory Booker Becomes Fourth Elected African American Senator In US History!

Ronald Leave a comment

Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker has become the fourth elected African American Senator in US history, as a result of a special election to fill the unexpired time in the term of the late Senator Frank Lautenberg.

Booker will have to run for a full term in November 2014, but would be heavily favored, since he won the seat at an odd time for an election by the margin of about ten points.

So Booker follows Edward Brooke (R) of Massachusetts (1967-1985); Carol Moseley Braun (D) of Illinois (1993-1999); and Barack Obama (D) of Illinois (2005-2009) in being elected.

Senator Tim Scott (R) of South Carolina, appointed to fill the vacancy left by resigning Senator Jim DeMint in January of this year, will face election in 2014, and is considered likely to retain his seat in the US Senate.

Two others were temporary appointments—Roland Burris (D) of Illinois (2009-2010), who replaced Obama; and Mo Cowan (D) of Massachusetts ( four and a half months in 2013), who replaced John Kerry.

And Mississippi had two Republican Senators during Reconstruction who were African American, and were selected by the state legislature—Hiram Revels (1870-1871) for about one year; and Blanche Bruce (1875-1881) for a full six year term.

Booker would be seen as likely to have a long, productive career in the US Senate, and be a potential Presidential candidate in the near and far future!

The Tea Party Threat To Conservative Republican Senators In 2014

Ronald Leave a comment

The Tea Party Movement is now threatening conservative Republican Senators coming up for re-election in 2014, who they regard as not conservative enough, including

Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
Pat Roberts of Kansas
Thad Cochran of Mississippi

It is not as if any of these five Senators are flaming liberals, or even know what the word “moderate” is, but to the Tea Party Movement, they are RINOS (Republican In Name Only).

The effect of the right wing attack on these Senators is that some, or all of them, may be replaced by more extremist candidates, and in some cases, Democrats might win the seats.

And it makes the idea of cooperation and “crossing the aisle” in the future even more unlikely, and makes stalemate and gridlock the long term future in the Senate, as well as it already is in the House of Representatives.

Imagine having to root for these Senators to keep their seats, or their possible replacement by Democrats, by far the better scenario!

Such is the craziness of the Tea Party Movement, and its disastrous effect on American politics! It needs to be rooted out as a cancer that must be eradicated as undermining the American future, and bringing us back to the 19th century!