The paper from Northwestern University Political scientists Benjamin Page and Lawrence Jacobs is quite interesting, if you’re interested in this topic it’s worth reading. America Speaks created an artificial “fish bowl” of faux-public opinion, narrowed the range of options, and then touted the results as more “deliberative” than a poll. This is flawed political science, and it’s good to see that community recognize it.

Michael talks about Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez and the “anonymous senior administration official” who trashed labor after they opposed the anti-labor Blanche Lincoln in Arkansas. As Michael notes, labor has given $15.8 million to DSCC candidates since 2006, and DSCC chief Menendez says he nonetheless expects that financial support to continue.

After going to one of the AmericaSpeaks community conversations Saturday, I’m even more confident that the deficit crisis being promoted by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, AmericaSpeaks, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and the Obama Administration, as well of much the world’s global elite is a fantasy. There is no truth to it, and it is a dangerous fantasy, because if one believes it, then that can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The austerity they recommend for the long-term can make the slow growth and difficult times they project come true. It can catch us all in a nightmare of their making. The “reasoning” behind their fantasy is simple enough.

Many reports on the late Robert Byrd’s long career as a US Senator are pointing out that Byrd literally wrote the book on Senate rules and history. And while it is true that Byrd did write the quintessential four-part history of the chamber, his real importance comes from the fact that it was Byrd himself who rewrote Senate rules and precedent.

Paul Krugman fears we’re headed towards another Long Depression, and European and other G-20 leaders are collectively herding themselves like lemmings towards the clifts of insanity, by promising to cut spending and reduce demand in the middle of a global recession.

As always, the right remains a paragon of class.

Volunteer labor can carry you only so far. We’ve achieved almost 2/3 of our goal to raise $50,000 by the end of June, money we will use to pay the writers, moderators, editors and technical people who work hard to produce FDL every day. And I’m asking for your help today to push us over the top.

We have only until Wednesday night to meet the rest of our goal. Can you please chip in $20 right now?

I can’t believe how muted the response has been to a Supreme Court nomination. It’s been the most invisible one I can remember in my lifetime. Obviously there have been other major issues that have cropped up and overshadowed the nomination, but Kagan seems to have a knack to be so inoffensive and low-profile as to engender almost no response.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd passed away last evening at the age of 92. A fellow West Virginian remembers his service.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein appears to be saying that the principle of real Congressional oversight is worth nothing more than a conversation with the President.