Late Night Strike...and an NHL Update!

A couple more things happened since I posted The Daily Strike, so I wanted to give you all a quick update.

The House has appointed its conferees for the stimulus conference. The Democrats will be Charlie Rangel, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, David Obey, chair of Appropriations, and Henry Waxman, chair of Energy and Commerce. The Republicans are Dave Camp, ranking member on Ways and Means, and Jerry Lewis, ranking member on appropriations.

Thank God Obama took the lead in selling this plan, because we CERTAINLY don't want Rangel, Obey and Waxman to be the face of this bill. They are all emblems of the old guard, especially Obey and Rangel, who both gave excruciatingly dull endorsements of the package on the House floor today.

The House also voted to table (or kill) a resolution calling for Rangel to be removed as chair of the Ways and Means committee. The resolution was offered as a question of privilege (a motion dealing with the safety or integrity of the House that has precedence over all other budiness) by Rep. John Carter of Texas. The Republicans' futile attempt to embarrass Rangel was killed by a vote of 242-157 with 16 voting "Present" (basically abstaining). All votes to kill were Democratic, except for Republican Reps. Jones (NC), King (NY) (standing up for his fellow Noo Yawker?), good old Ron Paul (TX), Rohrabacher (CA) and Young (AK).

Finally, a shout out to the San Jose Sharks, the best hockey team in the Western Conference, for beating the Boston Bruins, the NHL's top team, on the road!! The Sharks are the Strike's pride and joy, and the bane of Lady Strike's existence.