There’s a huge run that Republicans and ConservaDems are going to make at cutting Social Security benefits. The Republicans because they’ve had a woody to undo the New Deal since it started, and ConservaDems from the Blue Dogs and New Dems (of which Himes is a member) as a way to take the heat off themselves for voting for a bunch of blank check bailouts so they can look “fiscally responsible” in 2010.

I was on Top Line with Rick Klein and David Chalian yesterday, who expressed a lot of interest in the ad hoc left/right online effort to stop the $108 billion bailout of European banks from going through yesterday. Couple of things worth noting: People are saying five Republicans crossed over, but that’s a deceptive figure. [...]

There have been persistent rumors locally — rumors referenced by Dan Feidt at Politics in Minnesota — that the Supreme Court will be handing down a ruling in the Coleman appeal sometime today. My own particular source for this allegedly got the information simply by asking a person quite close to the case.

Well, she promised a statement.   Now we know.

Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) made some very encouraging activist noises while being interviewed by Rachel Maddow this evening. She said that she too is impatient, but said she’ll go to the big LGBT DNC gala next week in order to convey the urgency of passing her Domestic Partners bill for Federal employees, as well as repealing DOMA.

Getting bills to the President’s desk for him to sign is the most important step for the Congress.

How very interesting: President Obama this evening singled out U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., for praise for his vote on the war supplemental spending bill Tuesday after Cohen was savaged all day in the progressive and anti-war blogosphere. "Congressman Cohen is a leader in the United States Congress and a strong voice for the people [...]

Sen. Kay Hagen (D-NC) Stan at Blue NC: I’ve not much to say except to point you to this diary by NYCEVE on DKos. I am stunned that Senator Hagan would take this stance. I called Hagan’s office and whoever answered said Senator Hagan hadn’t yet decided whether or not to support a public option. [...]

I spoke with Jude McCartin, Press Secretary for Jeff Bingaman, who indicates that Senator Bingaman as a member of the HELP Committee supports a “strong public option.”

Healthcare reform advocates have been watching the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee and wondering why no public option component has been forthcoming — despite assurances that it would appear by Tuesday. Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) According to a source with direct knowledge of what is happening on the HELP Committee, the problem [...]