Noam Scheiber has a great piece in The New Republic on the undue influence of Washington pollsters on Democratic campaigns. The upshot is that the party message is enforced from the mothership in Washington through the complex set of relationships between well-connected Democratic polling firms, the party election committees, the regionals, and the campaign committees. In 2002, the polling-derived message was almost certainly flawed and snuffed out any local issues where Democratic candidates would have otherwise found traction. Significantly, the Republican infrastructure has no such polling "inner circle" and candidates are therefore more flexible on campaign strategy. It's sharp thinking and a worthwhile concern, but blaming the Democratic polling machine for flaccid policy doesn't make me feel any better.

It appears that Senator Zell Miller (D-GA) is set to endorse Bush's tax cut today. For those that know Senator Miller, this is not a surprise. He's an aberration in the system, alongside Senators Chafee and Hatch, whose party affiliation has precious little to do with his voting habits. Republicans will try to make hay from this, and be met with a shrug from everyone else.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) condemned the assertion by Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) that Japanese-Americans were interred for their own safety during World War II. These remarks were weeks ago, and the two had met behind closed doors to talk it out. Honda's been waiting for the Republican leadership to do something about this guy, like strip him of his chairmanship of the House subcommittee on domestic security. The leadership hasn't moved, so Honda's calling them out.

The new budget is out. Afghanistan was utterly forgotten.

If we're lucky, a bill re-introduced by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) would make information from the Congressional Research Service available to the public. The CRS performs timely research on pending legislative issues, and is publically funded. Unfortunately, you have to buy its research at $30 a pop through third parties. On the recommendation of a Project on Government Oversight report, these two fine Senators want to make all the CRS material available online.

The GAO has decided not to pursue its appeal to the Walker v. Cheney decision. The result? The Executive doesn't have to tell you anything if it doesn't want to, thanks very much. Why did the GAO give up? Lack of Congressional support. Find out how your Rep and Senators stood on this.

The Washington, DC publication The Hill has confirmed that former conservative radio talk-show host and now Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel was the head of, and continues to own part interest in, the company that owns the company that installed, programmed, and largely ran the voting machines that were used by most of the citizens of Nebraska. As reported in: http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0131-01.htm

You'd think Congressional leaders would have learned their lesson. Alas, Rep. Howard Coble, R-N.C., head of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security endorsed the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. What's worse? Rep. Sue Myrick R-N.C. In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, she candidly disclosed her concern for US readiness against terrorism: "You know, and this can be misconstrued, but honest to goodness (husband) Ed and I for years, for 20 years, have been saying,'You know, look at who runs all the convenience stores across the country.' Every little town you go into, you know?" I choose to not misconstrue that, and interpret it as another example of the racist freakshow that is the Republican leadership. [UPDATE: Fri Feb 7 02:23:18 EST 2003: I neglected to mention the whitewashed lawnjockey.