Benedict,Boehner and Chavez have left the Building

** Housecleaning: The Violence against Women Act did eventually pass the House when Boehner broke the Hastert rule for the second time this year.

    The immigration reform bill is getting massaged but still is alive.

    There are at least four separate gun safety laws in process in the Senate.

     The finger-pointing over sequestration continues and will depending how thinks they can benefit.

     Rand Paul should be congratulated because he actually pulled off a 19 hour "talking filibuster", which only shows up McConnell's constant use of the non-verbal kind.

    After Harry Reid's so-called "filibuster reform" the GOP has filibustered Chuck Hagel's nomination,an Obama nominee for the Second Circuit Court, and the Democratic bill to curtail the excesses of the sequestration.

     Ruth Bader Ginsberg said she is going to stay on the Supreme Court another two years.

     The históric Voting Act is jeopardized by the Supreme Court, which is thinking of ruling it unconstitutional because the South has changed. Say what?

     The Obama Administration did submit briefs against DOMA and Prop 18 to the Supreme Court. 

     House Republicans went into recess the day sequestration hit. They also went into recess when Snowpocalypse didn't hit yesterday.

    President Obama hosted 12 Republican Senators in his new strategy to woo Republicans to act sensibly. Today, he is supposed to have lunch with Paul Ryan, who wants to raise the age for Medicare after promising House colleagues he wouldn't.

    North Korea has threatened to nuke the United States and create a sea of fire. How about one last Shock and Awe for old times' sake? The UN unanimously passed a US-UN resolution for tighter sanctions on North Korea. Dennis Rodman says that all President Obama has to do is pick up the phone and talk basketball with the young North Korean leader. You know--it would probably work.

     Pope Benedict is no more. Pressured by sex abuse scandals, Vatican bank scandals and internal Vatican sexcapades, he stepped down. The American Right claims that President Obama and George Soros are conspiring to make an African Pope. Of course, both Africans are more reactionary than Benedict but the story is too cool to pass by.

     Hugo Chavez is still dead. Venezuela is plunged into chaos as the government poorly handled his health crisis from the beginning. The Vice President accused the United States of giving him cancer and expelled the American ambassador.

      The Syrian opposition is holding local elections to take control of municipalities in the country. John Kerry met with the opposition in Italy and promised American non-lethal aid, while Britain and Gulf States are providing lethal aid. The Iranian government claims Assad will run again in 2014. The big losers in this conflict are Hezbollah,the Syrian government and Tehran. And, of course, the Syrian people who have more than 1 million refugees. The Russians have decided to step up military assistance to Iraq in a bid to salvage a base outside the country.

        The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights is under siege by Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil. These countries are trying to promote a change to the IACHR's mandate, which would gut its effectiveness. For all its faults,the IACHR has been one of the most effective supporters of human rights throughout the hemisphere--whether it was under Pinochet's Chile, Castro's Cuba, and the United States.

        Speaking of retirement, Raul Castro hinted he may not serve a full six term as President of Cuba,pointing the way to the post-Castro period.

        Bibi Netanyahu has not successfully formed a new government coalition and time is running out as President Obama is about to visit.

        Much to the chagrin of people trying to prevent further climate change, I believe the Keystone Pipeline will be approved, even though it will create only 35 permanent new jobs in the United States.

        The past two weeks have seen cat fights break out among conservatives about the direction of the Republican Party. The web is filled with excellent piece debating this. This morning Craig Shirley wrote a piece against Jeb Bush and why CPAC continues to be looney-tunes in their search for a new Ronald Reagan.

       The Washington Post and others are suggesting that President Obama is aiming for the 2014 elections to win back the House and thwart GOP obstructionism. Even Nate the Great Silver knows this is nuts. The Democrats don't have a chance at taking back the House until the next census in 2020. The Democrats "won" the house in the last election by over 1.5 million votes but because of gerrymandering only picked up a few seats. Why believe it will be different?

       SPL issued its new "Hate" group survey which showed that "Patriotic" Groups have risen dramatically this past year because of the President's re-election.

       The war against women continues in full force. Virginia is still contemplating making "abortion" clinics follow the new guidelines for new hospitals, which would put them out of business. States are just bursting with new anti-abortion legislation and personhood bills. House Republicans want to investigate Planned Parenthood. The Texas GOP eliminated healthcare provisions for women but did a "Big Whoops" and restored them after dissent from women Republicans.

        Ignore the 2016 speculation. On the GOP side, it is not going to be Ryan,Rubio,Rand because Senators and House members only win every generation and the Senator this time was President Obama. Look toward the Mid-West for a Governor because of the desperate need for Republicans not to look so Southern. On the Democratic side, I am still skeptical about a Hillary run. Cuomo,maybe and a Westerner.