Kagan hearings begin

As the confirmation hearings for Elena Kagan began in the Senate with Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions drilling Kagan on the restrictions she placed on the military as her time as Harvard Law School Dean. After Sessions South Carolina Republicans Lindsey Graham made it clear that Kagans liberal up bringing and activism during her life does not disqualify her for the Supreme Court. Its interesting to see the tact that Republican Senators are taking with Kagan they are not wholeheartedly attacking even Texas Senator John Cornyn said that her history with the military needed more inquiry in the hearings but thats about it. Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein had issue with Kagan saying that a ruling that is only a day old is settled law. Kagan will be grilled continuously about her military position but other than that its hard to see any other real bumps in the road Kagan will be easily confirmed.

Barton is an Idiot

Texas Rep. Joe Barton is an idiot and if the democrats use his comments and they will it could cost the GOP major momentum. Being a Texas house member Rep. Barton is going to be more friendly to big oil but apologizing to BP's CEO is insanely out of step. Barton should be replaced as ranking member of the energy committee and should be made to help clean up the mess in the gulf. Comments like this is exactly the out of touch feeling that voters are feeling from their representatives. The GOP does not need the this kind of distraction at the moment looking even more friendly towards business than the republicans generally do. With the gulf crisis and voters attitudes towards corporations this is not something that any republican running this cycle needs to be tied to Joe Barton.

The mood

Many feel that the public is in a bad mood and they would more than likely to be right. With voters tossing out two incumbent Senators and a party switching Congressman in Northern Alabama the mood amongst any voters is not sympathetic. What does this mean exactly for all incumbents generally if you keep the race local your in good shape as several congressional special elections have shown. however before people believe we are going to have a whole new Congress lets understand the numbers. In 2006 when democrats capitalized on the voters being angry at George W. Bush and took control of both houses of Congress with large majorities in those houses. Only 14% of incumbents lost in 2006, yes thats right the giant democratic wave of 2006 gave 86% of the incumbents their seats back. So just because the mood in the country is currently against incumbents, the truth is that the vast majority will be re-elected.