Okay, this year is the fourth year of the Golden Dukes. And until now, the reader portion of the contest was in the nomination phase. Then the esteemed judges picked the actual winners. Well, we’re doing it that way again this year. But this year for the first time, you’ll get to vote on who you think should win the Golden Duke in each of this year’s eight categories.
Results so far after the jump … Read More
Today in the Senate, they passed (by unanimous consent) the defense authorization bill that Republicans held up over objections to repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell just two short weeks ago; they passed by a voice vote the 9/11 First Responders Health bill that had been the subject of so much drama and debate; and they passed by a 71-26 vote the START nuclear treaty with Russia despite Republican objections to that as well.
And, for good measure, they are currently voting to confirm Mary Helen Murguia to be a judge in the Ninth Circuit.
Update: At 3:40, they confirmed Murguia.
Sigh. Better crisis communications needed in the right-wing noise machine. Apparently before Haley Barbour recanted his praise for the segregationist White Citizens Councils, Fox News had a rather different take on the story: “Haley Barbour Fends off Left-Wing Racial Smears with Ease.”
President Obama tells The Advocate DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) should go too and says his lawyers are looking at a “range of options.”
Maddow hails Shep Smith for going to town on Republicans opposing 9/11 responders bill.
Can you believe it’s the 4th Annual Golden Dukes already? 4 years of corruption, Crazy and just general betrayals of the public trust. As regular readers know, the Golden Dukes are TPM’s annual award program, named in honor of former, disgraced and now imprisoned former Rep. Randall “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA), whose boffo corruption and bribery scandal in 2005 became the iconic DC corruption story of the early 21st century. So who are this year’s nominees? Click here to see the nominees our judges this year will be choosing from.
And who are the judges? This year our esteemed judges are Rick Hertzberg, Susie Bright , Sara Benincasa, Alex Pareene and TPM alum Andrew Golis.
Now feast your eyes on this year’s contenders.