Word: democratizer
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...they might get tense, gently patting the table like she might a nervous dog. Though the questioning grew pointed a couple of times, it never became argumentative or acrimonious. Republicans must have blinked (and probably hoped their conservative base wasn't listening) when Senator Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat known for his bare-knuckle partisan tactics, expressed his gratitude. "I would like to first thank my Republican colleagues. I think the questioning has been strong, but respectful," Schumer said, with just a hint of a smile, before taking his turn to lob softballs at Sotomayor. (See pictures of Judge...
...controversy over physician-owned hospitals isn't actually new. Representative Pete Stark, a Democrat from California, began a crusade against doctor conflicts of interest more than two decades ago, and successfully got legislation passed in 1989 that prohibited doctors from, among other things, having a financial stake in labs that performed tests for their patients. The Stark Law, as it became known, has been strengthened over the years to include more facilities and apply to Medicare and Medicaid payments. But the loophole allowing for doctor-owned specialty hospitals has remained open despite repeated attempts to close it. Now that...
...Something else might have been eating at Palin too. Call it boredom or impatience: Juneau must seem awfully small compared with the national stage. A state representative from Anchorage, Democrat Mike Doogan, recalls the traditional opening of the legislature on a January day - the same day Obama was sworn in as President. Doogan was chosen to pay a ceremonial visit to the governor to announce that the session had begun. Dressed in his best suit, with a plastic iris in his lapel, he waited in Palin's office as she finished a meeting. "She wasn't particularly happy...
...Palin has spent a lot of time saying no. She fought to reject federal stimulus money, even though Alaska's legislature is expected to override her final veto of 3% of the funds intended for Alaska. She also spent a great deal of effort trying to keep a Democratic representative from taking a vacant state senate seat. Juneau representative Beth Kerttula, a former Palin ally on energy issues, made the mistake of going on national TV and saying that Palin wasn't ready for higher office. Over the space of six weeks, Palin not only rejected Kerttula but every Democrat...
...speaking engagements; politicians of Palin's stature get as much as $50,000 a pop. "I don't think Sarah Palin is a politician. I don't think she wants to be a politician. I think she wants to be an inspirational leader," says representative Mike Doogan, an Anchorage Democrat. "She has the opportunity to make a drop-dead amount of money in the next 18 months." Without resigning, she might have been looking at more than $1 million in legal fees over her remaining 16 months in office. Now she's looking at an unlimited, and very green, horizon...