Joe Wilson: SC Representative's outburst & The 9-year-old

Last night, I looked forward to hearing President Obama's speech to Congress and was apprehensive because I wanted to hear the President outline, very clearly, what he was proposing for Health Care Reform.

I was also very apprehensive regarding how he would be received when he entered the chambers; whether he would be applauded and or hissed at. I was pleased to see and hear that it was the former.

When Obama began to speak, my daughter, all of 9-years-old, turned to me and said, "I'm proud to see President Obama speaking. I hope one day I can see a woman President speaking to Congress." That statement summed up all that we as parents can do, inspire, educate and encourage children to think larger than themselves.

I paid attention to Obama's speech, picking up on the key points that he was proposing to Congress and America about Health Care Reform and encouraging people to read the proposal and listen to what he had to say.

Then, like a ton of bricks, a comment was shouted from the balcony,"You lie!", to which President Obama glared in the comments direction, Vice President looked down and shook his head and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, looked like a deer-in-headlights and blinked profusely.

My daughter turned to me and asked, "What did that person just say?", to which I said I thought the person said, "That's a lie". She immediately said, "That's rude to say to anyone who is speaking, especially the President." Again, an "Aha" moment.

Suffice it to say that I know why Barack Obama is the President of the United States, for he is a better man than I am. With all my patience and understanding that people may not always see eye-to-eye, all my Caribbean, Southern, West Indian and Dutch roots would have not allowed me to let the comment slide. Again, I know now, even more than before, why Barack Obama is the President of the United States.

Yes, South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson immediately apologized for his outburst, but that doesn't change the fact that we expect alot from our children, the future leaders of this country, and yet we have adults that act like children, sometimes.

President Obama has a tough road to travel, but I know he's "Built for It", and for that I'm encouraged.

Pelosi busted for missuse of PAC

Remember when Nancy Pelosi was hot-to-trot about Tom Delay for putting his wife on his campaign committee and the PAC payroll?

The Washington Times reported:

Well, it's being reported today that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid her husband's company, Financial Leasing Services, Inc. some $99k for rent, utilities and accounting fees.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has directed nearly $100,000 from her political action committee to her husband's real estate and investment firm over the past decade, a practice of paying a spouse with political donations that she supported banning last year.

Financial Leasing Services Inc. (FLS), owned by Paul F. Pelosi, has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.

The payments have quadrupled since Mr. Pelosi took over as treasurer of his wife's committee in 2007, Federal Election Commission records show. FLS is on track to take in $48,000 in payments this year alone - eight times as much as it received annually from 2000 to 2005, when the committee was run by another treasurer.

Lawmakers' frequent use of campaign donations to pay relatives emerged as an issue in the 2006 election campaigns, when the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal gave Democrats fodder to criticize Republicans such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and Rep. John T. Doolittle of California for putting their wives on their campaign and PAC payrolls for fundraising work.

Senate vote to take place tomorrow at 9pm EST

Hill sources buzzing. A Senate bailout vote is scheduled tomorrow at 9pm Eastern.

No bill details seen yet.

How it will go down…There will be up to 6 roll call votes on the following items:

(1)Motion to concur on the House message, H.R. 2095, Rail Safety;
(2)a Dorgan amendment relating to H.R. 7081, the U.S. - India Nuclear agreement;
(3)a Bingaman amendment relating to H.R. 7081, the U.S. - India Nuclear agreement;
(4)passage of H.R. 7081, the U.S. - India Nuclear agreement;
(5)a Dodd amendment to H.R. 1424, relating to the bailout package; and
(6)passage of H.R. 1424, the bailout.

Get your fingers dialing:

202-224-3121.

Here's what the structure may look like:

The Senate will call up H.R. 1424, the text of which will be substituted with the economic rescue plan (a Dodd amendment which must have the consent of both the Majority and Minority Leaders). The only other amendment in order will be a Sanders amendment that will be handled by a voice vote.

The bill will be subject to a 60-vote threshold for passage.

UPDATE II: House Republicans are saying the Senate vote tomorrow is the work of bicameral, bipartisan negotiations.

From a House GOP Leadership aide: “The Senate moving forward tomorrow with the economic stability package gets us one step closer to the bill becoming law – and that is a good thing. The decision is a product of bipartisan-bicameral discussions and we believe that changes to the bill will help us garner more support from House Republicans and smooth the bill to passage.”

More news:

Senate leaders have scheduled a vote for Wednesday on the $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan rejected by the House.

Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP Leader Mitch McConnell say, however, that they’re going to add a tax cut package already rejected by the House on Monday.

The bipartisan move caps a day of behind-the-scenes maneuvering on Capitol Hill over what sweeteners to add to the bill to attract votes from House Republicans.

Reid and McConnell’s move may prove popular with Republicans, but it risks a showdown with House leaders insisting that a popular measure extending certain business tax breaks be financed by tax increases elsewhere in the code.

The Senate plan would also raise federal deposit insurance limits to $250,000 from $100,000.