I’ll probably die seeing women underemployed.

Too bad, so sad, yeah right.

One of the tenets of the peak oil theory is that prices will be artificially low until just before we run out. I’ve always felt we should tax the living hell out of gas and use the revenue for infrastructure improvement. The high price would force people to begin to change their behavior. This is a subject Chu in the past has been consistent about and I was disappointed that he is backpedaling.

On an encouraging note gas consumption hasn’t risen back to pre $4.00/gal levels. Maybe people ARE changing their ways.

are you thru with Chu?

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Do you honestly think the US Public would stand still for that? Remember there has to be public support for such a thing, and I doubt it would be forthcoming particularly in this economy.

I am just so thrilled that Hillary will be S.O.S. I have only heard a bit of the hearing today. Does anyone know if C-Span will be replaying it tonight?

looks like they got their talking points from the RNC during the lunch break.

and does anyone take Vitter seriously? on anything?

I thought that type of “solicitation” was illegal?

These republicans never fail to make me ill…..

http://www.gallup.com

Rollins also classified Bush as one of the “worst presidents ever” (on CNN)

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/13/rollins.obama/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

“The inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African-American president, cannot come quickly enough for the vast majority of Americans.

This young man with the keen disciplined mind and the buffed body begins a presidency with high hopes, goodwill and a never-ending list of problems left on the Oval Office desk by George Walker Bush, the ever-confident occupant of that high office who seems like the dinner guest who will not leave.

In all my years around Washington as an observer and as a member of several administrations, I have rarely witnessed an event as bizarre as President Bush’s farewell press conference yesterday.”

snip

“President Bush is not a crook either. And even more importantly, I don’t believe he is dishonest or an incompetent. The mistakes of his presidency were caused by overconfidence, bad information or a certain arrogance that was still fully on display yesterday.”

I understood the concept. In the view of some initial skeptics (including me, to be honest), the appointment would unfold in one of two ways. In the first, she and Obama would be simpatico on the issues, she would provide him her sage advice and counsel, and the two of them would return the State Department to its preeminent role in foreign policy. In the second, she would gather around her a coterie of loyalist advisers (like Maggie Williams or Cheryl Mills) and, in the event of inevitable disputes between the White House and Foggy Bottom, there would be leaks from each side about how stupid and incompetent the other was. See: George Bush and Colin Powell. See: Abraham Lincoln and Seward Chase (at treasury). In this scenario, the running dispute would fan the embers of the bitter primary, and divide Democrats once more. The fact is, there ARE limits to the Team of Rivals storyline.

Many of you here derided the second scenario. But some of the initial rhetoric — including from the afore-mentioned Williams and Mills — was not promising.

However, I am very happy to say that Clinton’s testimony today (what little I have been able to see and read of it) has dispelled my fears. I never doubted that Hillary had the native ability and talent to be a great SoS. But I was apprehensive as to whether her loyalists would make trouble. That does not seems to be happening. Which is extremely comforting.

Just remember the feeling you have today, and please build up that resevoir of goodwill. Because I promise you the day will come when Obama and Clinton will have differences, and those differences will be leaked. And some of you will be hopping mad about the disrespect Obama allegedly showed Clinton by not taking her advice. And it will be then that you will need to reflect on the entire context: this day, and what seems to be a fantastic working relationship.

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/chu-confirmation-update-answering-for-past-statements/

I never understood that concept. If the next four years go poorly, I would assume a Republican would win no matter who ran as a Democrat. Did people think that HRC was going to try to sabotage Obama? I guess the media saw the Senate and House completely roll over for Bush for six years, and figured that anything short of that is opposition.

I had to stop listening to them as part of my stress reduction… I just get snippets here and there.