Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse voted against confirmation of Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, but the way he did it won't make him eligible for a profile in courage award.
After the Democratic leadership had salted away the votes to confirm Bernanke _ which the White House wanted_ Whitehouse announced his opposition.
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted without opposition to approve the nomination of Rhode Island Superior Court Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First District. The move was praised by Rhode Island Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse.
Two Page One stories leap from the dead-tree edition this week.
First was the story stating that Vincent A. ``Buddy'' Cianci, the former Providence Mayor and current talk show scold, is going to tun for office. The story was little more than talk-show palaver, which Cianci himself confirmed. ``I'm not running,'' Cianci said with a knowing smile when asked about the report.
And why should he? The well-compensated radio talker has his perfect job - a little state's biggest chops-buster.
A bevy of leading Democrats have stepped up to sharply criticize Governor Carcieri for his veto of legislation allowing domestic partners to make funeral arrangements for their loved ones.
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is maintaining a high profile in calling for members of the past presidential administration to be held accountable for US-sanctioned torture.
Via Talking Points Memo:
The iconic image of a New England Town Meeting was painted by Norman Rockwell in his World-War II-era Freedom of Speech illustration. The 1943 painting, inspired by a Vermont town meeting, shows a plainly-clothed working man speaking up while his white collar neighbors look on.
The working fellow delivered an unpopular opinion, but no one objected to his remarks.
As expected, both Rhode Island Democratic U.S. Senators, Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse voted to confirm Sonia Sotomayor as the new U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Just 9 Republicans joined all the Senate Democrats in approving Sotomayor, who will become the natin's first Latina high court justice when she is sworn in tomorrow.
US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse continues to get a lot of national attention, particularly for a freshman. He attributes this largely to his committee assignments, including a temporary spot on Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committe, which today passed the healthcare reform effort.
Here's some of what Whitehouse had to say, in a news release:
In a Senate floor speech this afternoon, Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse defended Judge Sonia Sotomayor from attacks by conservative Republicans.
"Critics of Judge Sotomayor's confirmation have unleashed an avalanche of innuendo meant to weaken the case for her confirmation,'' said Whitehouse. "These criticisms began among the right-wing talking heads, but unfortunately some of them are now voiced by my Republican colleagues here on the floor.
Comedian Al Franken's victory in the disputed Minnesota U.S. Senate race means that Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse will be leaving the Senate committee that deals with health-care legislation.
Whitehouse was given a temporary seat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee in May while the close Minnesota Senate race between Democrat Franken and Republican incumbent Norm Coleman was tied up in recounts and court appeals.
