Posts by Jonathan E. Kaplan

While Rep. Jim Ramstad’s name has been floated as a possible choice for “drug czar” in the administration of Barack Obama, the retiring nine-term congressman has apparently set his sights on another job, head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration — and the Republican has enlisted Democrats, notably Sen. Edward Kennedy and Reps. Patrick Kennedy and Pete Stark, to lobby on his behalf.

Although his name has been floated to become Barack Obama’s “drug czar,” Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad’s allies have approached senior members of Obama’s transition team on his behalf to become the next Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration administrator instead.

As Republican charges of “fraud” and Democratic claims of “voter suppression” have escalated in the home stretch of the presidential campaign, liberal activists have started blasting Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign’s “voter protection effort” for not doing enough to ensure that all Democratic votes will get counted on Election Day.

House Democratic leaders have been working hard on behalf of Democratic challengers, showering them with money and personal attention to expand their majority and to curry favor with future colleagues. Here in Minnesota, Ashwin Madia is the beneficiary of their campaigning.

John McCain’s attempt to magnify allegations of voter registration fraud could mitigate the impact of a Barack Obama victory and deter black Democrats from turning out to vote in future elections.

Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) and his allies have seized on the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, ACORN, which has worked to register more than 100,000 lower-income and minority voters. Some of the registrations have been faked and investigations are underway in some key states.

Until six weeks ago, MInnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann was best known for displays of curious behavior and odd comments. But she’s becoming an increasingly visible spokesperson for the GOP and conservative ideals, frequently appearing on Fox News and at events like the Republican National Convention. While her ascent in Minnesota politics mirrored the rise of other like-minded George W. Bush Republicans, what’s surprising is that she is prospering while so many of her fellow travelers have lost credibility and popularity.

A day after watching the U.S. House of Representatives kill a $700 billion financial package as the stock market dropped more than 700 points, voters continued to vent their rage toward Washington.

But fewer of them did than in the days preceding the vote, and more of them encouraged lawmakers to support the package—or simply to do something.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) introduced legislation today to bar political parties from challenging the eligibility of voters whose homes have been foreclosed.

U.S. Reps. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) and Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) won passage of legislation requiring health insurance companies to cover mental illnesses just as they cover physical ailments. The House on Tuesday approved the Sen. Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act by a vote of 376 to 47.