Capt. Sully: No Need For Junk-Touching

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger has weighed in on airport junk-touching: Don’t do it.

On CNN’s American Morning Tuesday, anchor Kiran Chetry asked Sullenberger what he thinks of the pat down policy, paraphrasing John Tyner’s concerns this way: “I don’t want anybody but my wife and maybe my doctor touching me in the places these people are touching me.”

Sully, by the way, can land a passenger jet in a river without so much as getting a passenger wet, but he couldn’t stop the TSA from hand searching his own wife during a recent trip. (Hands off Mrs. Sully, you goons!) “She …

Freshman GOP Rep Who Ran Against Health Care Annoyed He Can’t Get Government Health Care Right Away

Andy Harris, a Republican anesthesiologist from Maryland, defeated Rep. Frank Kratovil by running against health care reform. But when Harris showed up for orientation, he made a big deal about having to wait a month for his government-subsidized health care to kick in.

“He stood up and asked the two ladies who were answering questions why it had to take so long, what he would do without 28 days of health care,” said a congressional staffer who saw the exchange. The benefits session, held behind closed doors, drew about 250 freshman members, staffers and family members to the Capitol Visitors …

Rep. Charlie Rangel Found Guilty Of Ethics Violations

Harlem Congressman Charlies Rangel was convicted by the House of Representatives on 11 of 13 counts of ethics violations.

The panel will recommend a punishment, then the full ethics panel will have to convene a sanctions hearing to decide whether to agree to the recommended censure or determine another punishment. Serious sanctions — including formal reprimand, censure or expulsion — require a vote on the House floor. Expulsion requires a two-thirds vote, while a reprimand, which Rangel refused to agree to in July, or a censure would need just a simple majority.

Among the charges:

…improperly using his office to …

Frum Challenges The Republicans

by Stuart Shapiro

David Frum has a long and insightful piece on the challenges ahead for the Republican Party as it shares in the responsibility of governance for the next two years.  He lists several lessons for Republicans.  If they can just absorb the first one, things may go better these next two years than I expect:

Too often, conservatives dupe themselves. They wrap themselves in closed information systems based upon pretend information. In this closed information system, banks can collapse without injuring the rest of the economy, tax cuts always pay for themselves and Congressional earmarks cause the federal …

Obama Polls Ahead Of Likely 2012 GOP Challengers

A Politico poll shows that President Obama outpolls the likely competition for the 2012 presidential race. (via Political Wire)

[while it] shows President Obama trailing a generic Republican opponent for reelection, 40% to 37%, he comes out at least 6 points ahead when matched up with likely Republican contenders Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, Mike Huckabee and Haley Barbour.

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Does The TSA Need To See Any Junk At All, Ever?

John Tyner, the man who told the TSA in San Diego, ” If you touch my junk, I’m gonna have you arrested,” did not echo the sentiments of most Americans, according to a new CBS poll that shows 81% support full body scans. However, as Nate Silver points out, that’s probably because most people haven’t been subjected to it yet.

In general, surveying Americans on issues related to airport security is problematic because most Americans fly rarely, if ever. A Gallup poll conducted in 2008, for instance, found that just 44 percent of Americans reported having flown at least once …

Sarah Palin May Love Alaska More Than Alaska Loves Her

Sarah Palin waxes poetic about the state she abandoned governing, and the residents of the state may not like that she didn’t finish her job. Palin polls poorly in her home state when it comes to assessing the popularity of Republicans who might run for president.

In Alaska the big story is Sarah Palin’s strength- or more precisely lack thereof- only 15% of her home state Republicans say she’s their pick to be President, putting her behind Huckabee at 17% and Gingrich and Romney at 16%. When you see that lack of support for Palin in the state Joe Miller’s …

Number Of Studies That Show Repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Won’t Hurt Military: 23

Jonathan Capehart has the count.  There have now been 23 reports that show repealing the policy of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell will not be harmful.

Aaron Belkin, the director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told me via e-mail yesterday. “Twenty two studies, including military studies, have found that gays don’t hurt the military. The forthcoming DOD study is #23.” The time for studying is over. It’s time to end don’t ask don’t tell.

Can we settle it now?…

Rush Limbaugh Always Sees Race When The Politician Is Black

Given the number of comments about Barack Obama’s race, it’s not surprising that another black Democratic leader has Rush Limbaugh playing the race card. Limbaugh believes that James Clyburn, current House Majority Whip, will continue in a leadership position as Assistant Leader. To Limbaugh that can only mean one thing: affirmative action or, in his words, “They’re supposed to lay down and let the black guy have it because of affirmative action.”  Not that he earned it, of course.

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On Monday’s Radio Show…

• Political consultant Doug Schoen tells Alan why he believes that to be a great president, Obama should not seek reelection.

• Georgia megachurch Bishop Jim Swilley explains why he recently announced to his congregation that he is gay.

• “If you touch my junk…” Alan weighs in on one traveler’s act of resistance against airport screening procedures.…

Poll Shows Only 17% Think Election Was Mandate For Republicans

A CNN Poll clearly shows that the midterm election was no mandate for the out-of-power party. (via Greg Sargent)

As you know, as a result of the election which was held earlier this month, the Republicans will control the U.S. House of Representatives. Do you think the Republican victories in the House races are more of a mandate for Republican policies or more a rejection of Democratic policies?

Mandate for Republicans 17%

Rejection of Democrats 70%

Just 33% say Republicans will do a better job running Congress, while 65% says they’ll do worse or make no difference.…