What is called "moderation" in the Beltway has proven unpopular in the country. In his column today, E.J. Dionne elides this point:

On health care, months of delay in a futile quest for Republican support got the Democrats the worst of all worlds. The media gave them no credit for reaching out to the other side but did blame them for an ugly, gridlocked process. The demands of moderate Democrats for concessions [. . .] made the process look even seamier. [. . .] Nobody wants to admit that on health care the moderates won all the big fights. [. . .]

And if the Republicans refuse to cooperate, this will not mean that the bill isn't moderate. It will mean only that Republicans refuse to vote for a moderate bill. But if all the media talk about the "failure of moderation" is nonsense, this doesn't get liberals or Obama off the hook.

(Emphasis supplied.) 2009 was a year of "moderate" governance. And no one except the Beltway liked it. That is the political reality.

Speaking for me only

[I]f it is realism that we need, how about this for "realism": Fifteen months ago, America elected the most compellingly progressive president in fifty years. It also elected the largest Democratic majority in the House and Senate in more than a generation. Yet practically every major reform that this young president has promised is now stalled in Congress. [. . .] Loyalists, of course, blame all this on the crazy Republicans. [. . .] The defeats of the past year were not forced on this president by Republicans alone. [. . . MORE . . .]

Bump and Update: Shaun White wins the gold medal for the men's half-pipe. He still had another run to go, and he topped his victory lap with a Double McTwist 1260, two flips with three spins,finishing with a 48.4. (He also created the Double Cork.)

The 23 year old, who earns more than $10 million a year, perfected the move, which he created, at his own private half-pipe near Copper Mountain, accessible only by helicopter or snowmobile. Red Bull paid $500,000 to build it. It's at 11,000 feet above sea level and has a 600-foot foam pit so he won't get hurt while trying out new moves. What an amazing athlete, and he's done so much for the sport. [More...]

Mohammed Zazi, father of Najibullah Zazi, was put back on bail and electronic home monitoring today. He'll be returning home to Denver.

As part of a deal reached in federal court in Brooklyn, Mohammed Wali Zazi must post $50,000 bond signed by his wife and daughter and secured by $20,000 cash. He also will be subject to electronic monitoring when he returns to his home in suburban Denver, possibly as early as Friday.

Zazi was on bail in Denver where he was charged with making false statements to the FBI, when he was arrested due to a charge being filed in the Eastern District of New York charging him with conspiracy to obstruct justice.

He was transferred to New York while in custody of the Marshals and at his first appearance, ordered detained. But as I noted here, the Judge agreed to re-evaluate once his lawyer had time to prepare a proper bond package.

Was it really necessary for the EDNY to request him detained in the first place and make him spend 16 days in custody? I don't think so. Bond is not supposed to be withheld as a form of punishment. But at least it came out right in the end.

Tomorrow and Friday, the Department of Justice is holding a symposium on indigent defense, Looking Back, Looking Forward, 2000-2010. Here is the agenda. (pdf). It really is well-rounded, and includes participants from the defense and judiciary as well as prosecution.

Attorney General Eric Holder and other officials from the Department of Justice will convene a symposium about Indigent Defense on Thursday, February 18, 2010, and Friday, February 19, 2010, with representatives from the adult and juvenile indigent defense community, including defenders, key policymakers, and practitioners from across the country.

Attorney General Eric Holder will give the keynote address. It's taking place at the Renaissance Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. and media passes are available.

Former Illinois Senator George Ryan, 76, serving a 78 month prison sentence, is seeking clemency (not a pardon) from President Barack Obama.

Lura Lynn Ryan, who has a terminal lung disease, said she is on oxygen 24 hours a day. Ryan, in federal prison in Indiana for more than two years, also has health problems, including kidney disease and infected teeth, said former Gov. Jim Thompson, who is representing Ryan.

..."There's nothing to be gained by keeping him another five years," Thompson said today. "He's already been punished, they are penniless and Mrs. Ryan has a very life-threatening illness. We're not asking for a pardon, just a release."

How great would it be to have John Mellencamp, champion of the farmer and the little guy, in the U.S. Senate? There's a grass roots effort underway in Indiana to draft him.

Above is a video I took of him singing "Our Country" at a John Edwards event during the Iowa caucuses in December, 2007.

I hope he says yes. Maybe it's finally time to rock the vote for real. [More...]

Ben Nelson:

Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) has raised the concern that a shortage in customer demand could render the tax break useless. “There’s a question of whether that puts the cart before the horse,” said Nelson. “If I don’t have enough customers for my product, hiring more people is not going to help and tax credits are not going to be to my advantage.”

True enough Senator Nelson. That is a very compelling reason to shelve the tax cut formula and to increase government spending targetted to increasing aggregate demand. This is why the mindless Republican/Blue Dog approach to stimulus and job creation should be a nonstarter. It is also an explanation of what was flawed in the stimulus bill last year - too much non-stimulative tax cuts, not enough stimulative government spending.

Speaking for me only

Busy day.

This is an Open Thread.

Good TV ratings for the Vancouver Olympics.

WaPo:

Americans of both parties overwhelmingly oppose a Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and unions to spend as much as they want on political campaigns, and most favor new limits on such spending, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Eight in 10 poll respondents say they oppose the high court's Jan. 21 decision to allow unfettered corporate political spending, with 65 percent "strongly" opposed. Nearly as many backed congressional action to curb the ruling, with 72 percent in favor of reinstating limits.

[. . .] Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and other Republican lawmakers have praised the ruling as a victory for free speech and have signaled their intent to oppose any legislation intended to blunt the impact of the court's decision.

This issue can be a political tip of the spear for Democrats if they choose to feature a populist message for the 2010 elections. Financial reform, job creation and other Main Street initiatives could help Dems turn their fortunes around. This requires not listening to silly people like Evan Bayh and Mark Halperin though.

Speaking for me only

Decisions...American Idol or the Olympics? And I still have "24" and Damages to watch from last night.

What's on your minds tonight? This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Larimer County, Colorado has agreed to pay Tim Masters $4.1 million for the ten years he spent in prison, wrongfully accused and convicted of murder.

Masters was 15 when Fort Collins, Colorado, police began investigating him in the murder of 37-year-old Peggy Hettrick, who was found murdered and sexually mutilated in a field near Masters' family home. He was convicted largely on circumstantial evidence and the testimony of an expert witness who said he fit the profile of a sexual predator.

Two prosecutors, Terrence Gilmore and Jolene Blair, were found to have withheld exculpatory evidence. Both are now judges, and opposed the settlement, saying they didn't have a chance to defend themselves. [More...]