Clinton Backs Romanoff in Colorado Senate Primary

Bill Clinton has parted ways with the White House and has announced his support for Andrew Romanoff in Colorado's US Senate primary. President Obama has endorsed incumbent Michael Bennett, who was appointed to the seat after Ken Salazar resigned to become Secretary of the Interior. Romanoff says that President Obama offerred him a job in order to keep him out of the primary.

Daily Kos Suing Its Former Pollster

Daily Kos is suing Research 2000, its former pollster. Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas made the announcement on the liberal blog today.

According to Moulitsas, several statistics experts examined poll data compiled by Research 2000, and these individuals concluded that the results were fabricated. Moulitsas says that Research 2000 defrauded Daily Kos.

Dissenting Justice has also criticized Research 2000 poll results. For example, in February 2010, Daily Kos/Research 2000 produced a survey that purports to demonstrate extremism among Republicans. The results, however, are flawed in several respects. See Major Flaw with Daily Kos Poll on Republican Ideology: No Context.

Conservative Bloggers Claim NRA Issues Gag Order on Kagan

Several conservative bloggers claim that the National Rifle Association has ordered its board members not to discuss the nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Kagan has not really expressed a public view on many issues. While this likely makes her confirmation an easy task, it also troubles many liberals and conservatives.

Because Kagan is probably the "best" nominee that conservatives can expect (short of an openly conservative pick), many conservative organizations will probably avoid a big fight and hope for the best. Perhaps this explains the NRA stance (if the reports are accurate).

Liberal groups are really the ones that should worry the most. Kagan could end up being more moderate or conservative than liberal (like former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor). No one really knows how she will operate as a judge.

Kagan Hearings Prediction: Very Bland

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan begin today. I have one prediction regarding the hearings: they will be very bland.

Kagan has a thin trail of scholarship, and her work for the Clinton administration apparently did not include much written analysis. Accordingly, it is difficult to determine her political views. This will make it difficult for Republicans to brand her as a "judicial activist," although undoubtedly they will try.

I doubt that any Democrats will seriously challenge Kagan in any substantive way, and if she faces tough questions from either side, she will probably give answers that reveal very little about her ideology. So, if you are making popcorn for the hearings, add lots of butter and prepare a strong drink.

Senator Robert Byrd Has Died at 92

Senator Robert Byrd has died at the age of 92. The New York Times has an extensive obituary.

Mexico Files an Amicus Brief Urging Court to Find AZ Immigration Law Unconstitutional

Mexico has filed an amicus brief urging a federal court to invalidate SB1070, a controversial Arizona immigration law. The New York law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf filed the brief on behalf of Mexico. Mexico says that it seeks to protect the interest of its citizens who travel abroad and to prevent an erosion in US-Mexico relations. It its within the discretion of the judge whether or not to consider papers filed by nonparties.

This fairly routine development (filing an amicus brief) has become much more dramatic due to several misleading articles (like this one on Fox News), which state that Mexico has "joined" the litigation challenging the law or that Mexico has filed "a suit" against Arizona. These reports are misleading and untrue. An amicus brief is not a lawsuit. A party filing an amicus brief does not "join" the lawsuit.

Who Gets Second Chances in the US

Eliot Spitzer, once shamed into retiring from his position as Governor of New York due to a prostitution scandal, is valiantly returning to co-host a primetime CNN program with Kathleen Parker. I am a fan of giving people second (and third and fourth. . .) chances. Nonetheless, I am always struck by the way in which our society distributes second chances and how social privileges allow people to land well after a fall. I wonder where the "prostitute" is today.