Obama lays it down - read the last paragraph.

At House Democratic Meeting, Obama Rallies His Allies
By Paul Kane
Appearing before an unusually unified House Democratic caucus, President Obama tonight linked passage of a budget resolution later this week to securing momentum for the more critical legislative fights ahead such as health care reform.

Obama told the lawmakers, gathered in the auditorium of the new, $620 million Capitol Visitors Center, that winning by a large margin on the nonbinding budget resolution was key to Democratic unity on the bigger issues. "I need your vote in passing the budget. If we do that, we will create a sense of momentum that will allow us to do health care reform and education," Obama said, according to the notes of a Democrat in attendance.

Scheduled more than a week ago, the meeting was meant to be a rallying point for House Democrats in advance of the vote on the budget resolution. That measure appeared to be in doubt as conservative Democrats balked at the soaring deficits in Obama's original proposal and Rust Belt Democrats fretted the inclusion of special fast-track rules -- so-called "reconciliation" rules -- for climate change legislation to be considered later this year. But party leaders provided reconciliation for only health care and education legislation, and they cut $150 billion from Obama's fiscal year 2010 proposal. These moves lined up many votes from a group of fiscally conservative Democrats in the Blue Dog Coalition.

With the fate of the budget resolution no longer in doubt, the event served as a pep rally for the tougher legislative battles ahead. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) presented Obama with the U.S. flag that flew over the Capitol the night of Feb. 24, when he made his first appearance before a joint session of Congress.

"We are a united caucus, and we are especially united behind this president," Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) told reporters afterward.

Obama used the audience with his staunchest allies to assure them that he is aware of their concerns, fielding such parochial questions as funding for beach replenishment, farm subsidies and additional federal cash to help local fire fighters. His last meeting with House Democrats, at their annual retreat in Williamsburg, came at a tense time -- a group of moderate Senate Democrats worked with a trio of Republicans to slash more than $100 billion from the stimulus legislation. The more liberal House has still not forgotten the move, part of a simmering feud with Democrats from the so-called upper chamber.

The quick meeting -- lasting less than 40 minutes, including a 25-minute question-and-answer session -- offered moments demonstrating the White House's keen attention to wayward Democrats. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), a staunch advocate for more spending on infrastructure projects such as bridges and highways, pleaded for more funding in those areas.

Without any reminder, Obama took note of DeFazio's vote against the stimulus legislation.

"I know you think we need more for [infrastructure] because you voted against it," Obama said, according to the attendee's notes. "Don't think we're not keeping score, brother."

Goodness Gracious

First off, I don't even really like meat. I do not like anything that even resembles an animal. Chicken wings are out, bone-in rib eye, very out, anything with skin, or ligaments, very very out. I became a quasi-vegetarian in China last fall because I was not going anywhere near the duck beak.

But a new burger place called Good Stuff Eatery went in on the Hill at Penn and 3rd a while ago, and I finally gave in and went in for lunch.

It is something else. They have a very simple menu. You get a burger, one size, pretty much one way, with a variety of toppings and sauces. They have four wedge salads and a handful of milkshakes. Everything is fresh and oh so tasty.

If you haven't been there, definitely go. Even if burgers aren't really your thing. They are a good source of protein, eh?!

My Snowy Lament.

I am stuck in D.C. while there is snow falling on Powder Mountain.

Not only do I receive the daily powder updates, I get calls from my Snowboarding Yoda from the mountain about how much fun he is having rolling around in all the fluffy stuff. I have resigned myself that I will not ride any more this season, but I did get some good time on the mountain over the Christmas break, so I guess I'll check the box for the 2008/2009 season and call it square.

Still, it's rather painful to know there is powder on the mountain and I can't slide down it. Oh well, I guess I'll always have the webcam of the parking lot.

My Snowboarding Yoda, in an effort to be helpful (I guess) sent me a little pamphlet on powder tips. Figured I'd share for any of you who are in Utah (or anywhere else there is powder and a mountain) and can ride.

Powder tips from the snow pros

Focus on a soft light stance to enable flow from turn to turn.
Keep your weight centered; this will allow you to ride all day without rear leg burn.
Use more base and less edge to shape your turns. feel the pressure build as you tip your board up.
Initiate turns slightly more rotation of the lower body.
Take care not to counter-rotate with your upper body.
Momentum is important in powder because you're traveling through the snow rather than over the snow. Try to avoid breaks in rhythm such as sideslips and speed checks.
Maintain your rhythm.
Eat french fries and hot chocoalte for lunch.

Ok, I made that last one up.

Brain Floss

I have to write a page and a half on the differences between Marxism and Hegelian philosophy.

If I even REMEMBERED what Hegelian philosophy was, it would be nice.

Honestly, I must have been asleep when we talked about this in class, and clearly I did not do the reading. I'm not sure I can fake a page and a half...

Thought I'd share.

Oh, and the answer to last week's brain floss is... You'd probably rather live under an authoritarian regime. Totalitarian regimes get in your underpants and tell you how to live your life (think present day North Korea). Authoritarian regimes, as long as you don't challenge their power, let you be (think Franco's Spain).

Cheers.

MISSING - REWARD

A donkey from where???

Someone asked me the other day how it was to be 'in charge'. Politically - as in the White House, and both houses of Congress. I thought about it for a minute and said, 'I don't know. I've never been in charge before.'

I used to have to almost apologize for being a democrat.

I'm a democrat from Utah, which is kind of a joke. Not that there are not other democrats from Utah, but when I say that I am a d from Utah, I don't think I've ever had anything other than a comment about how rare/unique/odd/crazy I am. Followed by - wow, they must miss you....

But now 'I' am in charge. 'I' can pass laws and the President will actually sign them. 'I' can do whatever 'I' want with bill language and if 'I' can get enough folks behind it, it just goes through - just like that. I am a lot more popular now than I ever was in the minority. (Realizing of course, that people don't like me because I'm funny.)

It's very random.

I think that I'll get used to the power and figure out how to really start doing some good things...right about the time when the d's go a step too far and the Rs take back control. Because if you think you are in a good/bad place now, just wait until the next election.

work

So.

I like my job.

And thus, as a general rule I do not blog about it.

However, just a little commentary. It is my busy season. The federal budget has been submitted to the Hill in a skeleton outline and we are awaiting the meat (good solid numbers etc). So I went to class tonight an hour and a half late because I had to rip off the tackle of some public affairs officer who really wasn't being all that helpful, and I had just had enough. I I emailed his bosses bosses boss. Did the trick.

So I went to class, late, and that was fun until about 9:30. I had myself a healthy dinner of Mac & Cheese and started on my take home test...

I just did an outline of projects for work that is sort of due Thursday at noon, but really due tomorrow at noon.

And to make it all super fun, my blackberry was blinking about 20 minutes ago, so I checked it because I am up and working. And it was someone else who was up and working so we actually had a pretty good little strategy session about all the mess we have to do tomorow... here at 12:54 in the morning.

It's sort of a mess.

And I'm getting up in the morning to be at an Army breakfast at 6:30 to hear the first (and only) female 4 star general speak... because you can't miss the first (and only) female 4 star general.

if not Democracy, what?

If you had your choice between living under an authoritarian regime or a totalitarianism regime, which would you choose and why?

One short paragraph should be sufficient. Feel free to pick/use your country/regime of choice as an example.

Come on, floss your brain a little.

;)

Laundry

My washing machine broke a few weeks ago. Yep, I've been wearing dirty clothes for 3 weeks.

Kidding.

Actually, I've been making weekly trips to hang out at the laundromat. And you know what, it's not so bad. My dryer still works so I just schlep all of my clothes to the 'mat, put them all in 2 or 3 machines and poof - 26 minutes later all of my clothes are clean.

"But Bunny, why don't you just get a new washing machine" I know you are saying. Yeah, that would be great, but my washer and dryer are in a little room on the first floor that from what I can tell was made after the washer and dryer were installed. It's sort of a problem. I'm not sure how to get either machine out without doing some serious damage to the door frame and then some.

So until I figure that out, or breakdown and redo the second floor bathroom where I think a brand new stackable washer/dryer would fit just perfectly, I'm stuck at the 'mat.

There are worse things in the world.

Who knew - JFK & the Mormon Cabal

What would Karl do?

So my professor yelled at a guy tonight for checking his blackberry during class.

REALLY yelled.

As in your father is super mad at you for crashing the family car into a retaining wall, yelled.

I have never been yelled at like that before - EVER.

Turns out the guy, a hill staffer, was on call because his boss was having a town hall. His Chief of Staff emailed him a question. You CAN'T not answer an email from your boss/COS. At least not an email like that.

We were talking about Socialism, Fascism,
Communism, Marxism, Trotskyism and the Bolshevik so my professor was particularly animated generally. I thought it was part of the lecture for about 5 seconds.

But nope, he was telling the kid that 'if he had something better to do, he should do it'.

I wanted to pipe up and say, 'look man, you are pontificating about Karl Marx'. Dude is trying to do his job - you know, the job that pays his mortgage and feeds his kids???

Anyway, if he would have yelled at me, I probably would have told him to F off.

Not so good for the grade point average, me thinks.

Stick it

I drive a stick.

I have driven a stick since I learned to drive. I enjoy actually driving a car, as opposed to having the car drive me. Truth be told, I think people who drive automatic cars are just a little wussy. Sorry - everyone is entitled to their opinions.

I learned on a Toyota when I was babysitting at about 16. I would drive the two kids around the neighborhoods of Ogden and practice stopping at stop signs. One of the kids has downsydrome and apparently I was a pretty bad driver because when John's mom came home he would jerk back and forth and say 'Karla (not sure why he ever called me Karla btw) -- bam bam ug!'. Thanks John.

I was driving home the other night and stalled my Jeep.

eh?!

Just for the record, I haven't done that in a really long time. It's probably the fact that I just sort of balance between in gear and out of gear. There is nothing so fun as going from 1st to neutral, to 1st to neutral, stop sign after stop sign after stop sign...

So, I'm not sure what the point of all this is, just that I killed my car and I wasn't on a hill or anything.

Thought I'd share.

You're welcome.