Friday, June 12, 2009
Breaking News / Woods Morning Roundup: Senate Republicans Cave on Budget; the Governor Is Such a Meanie!
Posted by Jeff Woods on Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 7:12 AM
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It took all of 24 hours for Senate Republicans to surrender. Taking blunt criticism from the governor over their budget-cutting plan, they fold like an accordion and restore funding for the Haywood County megasite and the solar plant. They're calling it a "clarifying amendment." Right. It was all a big misunderstanding. Finance Committee chair Randy McNally says "right now" they're still cutting higher education construction projects. Senate GOP leader Mark Norris objects to the governor calling the plan stupid:
"It's not nice to resort to name calling. I know he's upset that we just didn't take what he gave us and rubber stamp it. He has said that he wants us to put our mark on it. That is what we are doing, but it's still his budget."House Speaker Kent Williams says the House will present its approach to budget cuts next week and criticizes Senate Republicans for rushing out their additional cuts.
"The administration has been working on the budget for five months, and the Senate comes up with this in one week? ... We can't curl up in a ball and just wait for things to get better. I think we have to be aggressive."See Erik Schelzig ... Andy Sher ... Tom Humphrey ... Rick Locker ... Cara Kumari. GM wants $200 million or more to save Spring Hill. To the governor, GM says: "Tell me how big of a check you're going to write." ... Herenton makes it official: He's running against Cohen in the "clash of titans." ... Is the Ford clan siding with Cohen? Jackson Baker comments:
[S]ources close to the mayor are now reporting that not only is Herenton determined to run, he will attempt to do so in the same guise as in his first mayoral run in 1991 -- as a surrogate for the entire black community of Memphis. And so tired of the mayoralty and of his city's problems is he that he has given some friends the impression that he yearns for the opportunity to make Washington his primary residence. The news of Harold Ford Sr.'s decision to host two Cohen fundraisers makes it less likely that Herenton will be able to do so, at least in an official capacity.
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