So who's right on the "Gang of 10" energy proposal? From james-richardson, written early yesterday morning:

Conservatives have long had offshore drilling in their sights.  They consider it one of their many fronts in the war against liberals and their envrionmental wackos.... The reason they're pushing for offshore drilling now is because of FISA.  They know they can go around spouting complete lies on these issues and the congressional democrats will still capitulate every single time.  If the Dems gave in on F[I]SA, what else will they give in on?  Make no mistake; there will be more of these before November.

Whatever happened to Colin Powell's Pottery Barn Rule: "You break it, you buy it"?

Iraq's Financial Free Ride May End

By ANNE FLAHERTY

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iraq's financial free ride may be over. After five years, Republicans and Democrats seem to have found common ground on at least one aspect of the war. From the fiercest war foes to the most steadfast Bush supporters, they are looking at Iraq's surging oil income and saying Baghdad should start picking up the tab, particularly for rebuilding hospitals, roads, power lines and the rest of the shattered country.

"I think the American people are growing weary not only of the war, but they are looking at why Baghdad can't pay more of these costs. And the answer is they can," says Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

Ben Nelson, of course, was one of the bright lights who voted to invade Iraq in the first place.

This is just going to be a quick hit and run... I just got back from the Omaha Obama event.

It was standing room only, which was nice to see in this town.

Ben Nelson endorsed Obama which does not bode well for Clinton and the rest of the mainstream machine.

below the fold for the big news...

Tony Raimondo, CEO of Behlen Industries, has indicated that he is about to decide upon entering the race for Nebraska's U.S. Senate seat, the one currently held by Sen. Chuck Hagel. Raimondo, a close personal friend of Sen. Ben Nelson, was actively pursuing the intent to run for the office as a Republican as recently as last fall. The only thing that seems to have made him change his mind was that Nebraska's past Governor, and George W. Bush's past Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Johanns, entered the fray.

In an amazing piece of journalism, Pat Doyle of the Minneapolis Star Tribune researchs and writes about the Minnesota Senate race.  This is a rare occurence at the Strib.  Due to the cutbacks, there aren't enough writers around to thoroughly cover this race, so it doesn't get the coverage and analysis it deserves.   Also, they tend to toss a story to whomever has a few spare moments.  The writer slaps something together without any background knowledge of the race and often provides threadbare or distorted analysis.  

Doyle is the latest writer to be tossed a MN-SEN story which happens to be about the fundraising of the three big campaigns.  Doyle does a good job researching and analyzing the race in a meaningful way.  If Doyle were given the sole assignment of covering this race, I would stop my incessant moaning.

The Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star has quite a story on more of the Bush administrations nefarious dealings. They're calling him "Senator Whistleblower" after he revealed that a percentage of all the earmarks is disappearing into some kind of unaccountable black hole. Could it be the Bushies are funding something with all that secret money that they don't want us to know about? Anyone have any good conspiracy theories?

Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson says Bush administration agencies are “skimming” millions of dollars from congressional earmarks and using the money for undisclosed purposes without statutory authority.

The net result for an earmarked project like the new agricultural research center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln would be the loss of $5 million, or 10 percent, from the multi-year $50 million project “without any authority from Congress to do so,” Nelson said.

He described the process as “outrageous.”

“It’s time to shine a light on the skimming process and uncover what the agencies are spending these secret slush funds on,” the Democratic senator said.

Obama continues picking up key Senate endorsements this week.  This time, it's the conservative leaning Senator from Nebraska, Ben Nelson.  From the Omaha World-Herald:

The endorsement may serve to highlight the Illinois senator's message that he would change the tone in Washington and work with people in both parties.

Nelson, who has the most conservative voting record among Senate Democrats, has worked with Republicans on tax cuts, homeland security and judicial nominations.

As of today, Obama's January endorsements include:

Senator John Kerry

Senator Bill Bradley

Senator Tim Johnson

Representative George Miller

Arizona Governor Janet Napolatino

SEIU Nevada

Culinary Workers Union Nevada

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle

That is a pretty impressive list.  Contrast that with Hillary's endorsements in January:

January 2008
1/12 Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy Endorses Hillary Clinton for President  
1/11 American Samoa Governor Tulafono Endorses Clinton  
1/11 Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi Endorses Hillary Clinton for President  
1/10 Hillary Gains 4 New SC Endorsements Following Iowa Caucus  
1/10 Henry Cisneros and Edward Romero Endorse Hillary for President  
1/10 State Senator Bob Coffin Endorses Clinton  
1/9 Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Endorses Clinton  
1/9 Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner Endorses Clinton  
1/9 Clinton Campaign Announces Endorsement of Former Missouri Governor Warren Hearnes and First Lady Betty Hearnes  
1/6 Former Biden Supporter State Representative Bill Hatch Endorses Senator Clinton for President  
1/6 Former Biden Supporter State Representative Jim Webber Endorses Senator Clinton for President  
1/5 EL Mundo Endorses Hillary Clinton for President  
1/5 McClintock, Domenech Endorse Hillary Clinton  
1/4 Clinton Campaign Announces Endorsements of Virginia Delegates Adam Ebbin and Jennifer McClellan  
1/4 Clinton Campaign Announces Over 125 Additional Members to Georgia Campaign Leadership  
1/4 Clinton Campaign Announces Endorsement of Former North Dakota Governor and First Lady, George and Jane Sinner  
1/1 New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Endorses Clinton  

I'd say Obama is winning the endorsement war in these crucial final weeks.  Hillary's list is longer, but I don't believe the former Governor from Missouri (1965-1973) has quite the influence he once had.  The question is, will the endorsements matter to voters?  We'll see soon enough.  

Lifelong Republican, and very recently registered "Democrat," Tony Raimondo, the Chairman of Behlen Manufacturing has hired DINO Ben Nelson's pal, Paul Johnson, to organize a run as a candidate for NE-SEN.

Johnson, who has managed successful Democratic campaigns in Nebraska for Sen. Ben Nelson and former Sen. Bob Kerrey, has agreed to help him organize a campaign, Raimondo confirmed Wednesday.

Here's the original article from the Lincoln Journal Star Article

Section 6 of the Nebraska Democratic Party Bylaws specifically states: ". . .the name of no such person should be placed upon the primary ballot of the Democratic Party as a candidate for nomination, election or preferential vote in any state or county primary election if such person has announced his/her intention of being a candidate for public office on the ticket of any other than the Democratic Party."

Yesterday, twenty-one Democratic senators' joined their Republican brethren and voted to hand George Bush another blank check for Iraq.  Why?  Because if you ignore the fact that every benchmark laid out by Bush has failed, we're winning.  And with only forty or so soldiers dying in Iraq every month, what better way to support the troops than voting to keep them there indefinitely? Well, not all of the troops, because just since that Magical September, 45 soldiers from these Democratic senators' home states have died.  And when these senators defend their vote, will they remember those men and women?  

Senators Lincoln and Pryor, remember:

Thomas Martin:   It was just devastating. It's the news that hits you in the gut and makes you want to sit down and cry when you hear it.

 James Doster:  Just two weeks ago, 6-year-old Kathryn Doster was excitedly counting the days until her father, Army Sgt. 1st Class James Doster, 37, would get a short reprieve from the war in Iraq to come home for a visit.

 David Watson:  What a fine young man he was...a handsome man, and big beautiful eyes and always had something to say to cheer you up.

Michael Yarbrough:  He was on his third tour of duty and was scheduled to return home in November...

Kevin Bewley:  It hurts. I mean he was an all around good guy.

Matthew Reece:  It seemed things had been going well lately, and with the end of our deployment nearing, a lot of us had felt that we would ride the rest of the deployment out without incident.

Nathan Thacker:  Thacker's sister, Sabrina Black, says her brother was an excellent man -- and that she'd do anything to have him back.

Senator Salazar, remember:

Dane Balcon:  I was so devastated, and I still am. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same.

Senator Bill Nelson, remember:

John Mele:  He was a really great soldier, and the absolute greatest husband and father.

Jason Koutroubas:  He was glad he had the night shift because it was cooler and darker then, and he felt safer.  He said there were a lot of sandstorms too, and he missed trees.

Adam Snyder:  Fran Frazer...heard her son had been hurt...He had been badly burned...When she called to check his condition the next morning, a man came on the line. "We're sorry to inform you ..."When they told me he died, honestly, I was almost relieved he didn't have to suffer. There was a sense of relief that he died apparently quickly."

Donnie Dixon:  Dessie Dixon was overcome with emotion and still mourns her son, who was killed this month serving in Iraq. "At least he is home, and I am thankful for that," she said.

Marius Ferrero:  When I came in and saw these two military guys I said, 'Oh my God, it can't be. It can't be my son,' she said. "It was him."

Christopher Poole Jr.:  They think they're going for a purpose, and things change.  They need to bring our kids home. I feel for anybody at this point who has a child there.

Donald Valentine III:  The Valentine family has sacrificed; everybody feels it.

Daniel McCall:  He was a happy-go-lucky kid. And the thing I remember about him is that he could run forever and run fast.

Joseph Landry III: When he set his mind on something, he would do anything in his power to achieve it. He was not the fastest runner, but he would never quit the race.

Brandon Thorsen:  He enjoyed hunting deer and hogs, flat fishing, and golf with his father. Anything outdoor, that was us.

Senators Akaka and Inouye, remember:

Alexander Gagalac:  "For the past 13 months, I have been living in a place that time forgot- Iraq" read Hewe. "I can't wait to be home with family and friends."

Senator Bayh, remember:

Ryan Woodward:  Woodward was very outgoing and was known for always trying his hardest. He was also a jokester.

Timothy McGovern:  He loved his family and he loved leading soldiers. He was a son, a brother, a leader of soldiers in combat, a patriot and a friend to many.

Johnathan Lahmann:  He was a great kid, good listener, good learner, real sharp, real nice young man.

Nicholas Patterson:  He had been married just shy of nine months. When he was called away to war for the second time, he quickly married his high school sweetheart...

Shayna Schnell:  She passed away just nine days before her 20th birthday.

Kenneth Booker:  Booker’s mother...learned of her son’s death Thursday, the same day she had mailed a Christmas package to him. That package includes a note stating that since he couldn’t be home for Christmas, Christmas was coming to him.

Senator Landrieu, remember:

Jarred Fontenot:  He was our rock - able to take on the problems of a big company and never break.

Senator Mikulski, remember:

Ari Brown-Weeks:  It seemed like no matter what I would talk about, he would always slip in a comment about how much he loved his wife.

Robin Towns Sr.:  Staff Sgt. Robin L. Towns Sr., was serving his ninth day in Iraq when a bomb exploded under his Humvee and ended his life.

Towns, a 52-year-old father of six from Upper Marlboro, was killed Wednesday.

Senator Levin, remember:

Todd Motley:  He was one of those students that stuck out in your mind because Todd showed resilience that I haven't seen in a long time.

Jason Lee:  Lee was the life of any party, said another, but he was also an intelligent man who had the gift to make complicated topics understandable, especially in science.

Casey Mason:  He would always say he was going to run for president, and he'd tell me how he planned to change things.

Senators Baucus and Tester, remember:

Daren Smith:  Pvt. Daren Smith became the sixth soldier or Marine from Helena to die in the Iraq war since it began more than four years ago.

Yance Gray:  Gray and Mora were among seven soldiers...who wrote the op-ed piece that...called the prospects of U.S. success "far-fetched" and said the progress being reported was being "offset by failures elsewhere."

Senator McCaskill, remember:

Austin Pratt:  Austin Pratt came from a big family, loved baseball and didn’t know an enemy.

Joel Murray:  He loved music, riding four-wheelers, and going "muddin" in his pick-up.

Thomas Crowell:  He was hoping to retire in seven months and possibly get a corporate security job.

Bob Casey, remember:

David Wieger:  He will be greatly missed! He would have been so proud to know that you all were there for him.

Adam Chitjian:  A Philadelphia native due to end his second tour of duty in Iraq next month died Thursday.

David Cooper:  Sgt. 1st Class David A. Cooper Jr. loved to play computer and video games and a spirited round of poker.

Senator Tim Johnson, remember:

Zachary Tomczak:  "He was just a phenomenal person," said Tomczak's father, Blaise. "As far as the military, he took that very serious. He didn't talk too much about things, but you could tell he was pretty serious about it."

This was Tomczak's fourth tour of Iraq, his father said.

Senator Rockefeller, remember:

Jason Marchand:  He left behind a wife, a mom, two brothers, and his 6 year old daughter Savannah.

Benjamin Tiffner:  In 1996, Benjamin Tiffner was nominated by Sen. Robert Byrd to the U.S. Military Academy.

Senator Webb, remember:

David Lambert:  When it gets quiet around here...that’s when you start to realize it.

Mason Lewis:  People who didn't know Mason missed out.  He was just such a wonderful man.

Derek Banks:  He kept saying he was scared this time. "I might not come back. I may not come back."

So when these Senators' explain their vote by saying progress is on the march, ask them if they remember the men and women who continue to die everyday for George Bush's war and for their capitulation.    

The terrain for the US Senate race to replace Hagel remains uncertain. Ben Nelson has been urging his Republican friend Tony Raimondo to switch parties and run as a Dem. Meanwhile, Scott Kleeb is still considering the run.

Kleeb has a lot to think about, but some time to decide, at least until the end of this week, when Raimondo has to make a decision about switching parties. Both of Nebraska's party chairs are currently trying to claim Raimondo:

Democratic chairman Achelpohl said Raimondo "thinks like a Democrat on a number of issues."

"There’ll be the issue of party switching that will be raised by some, and I think that’s pretty unavoidable," Achelpohl said. But "in my mind, (Raimondo) is really a Democrat. I think he’s a Republican in name only."
....

[GOP chair] Quandahl said Raimondo’s Republican ties are undeniable.

"He’s been a big supporter of the party for as long as anybody can remember," he said.

Raimondo himself says he's a moderate, which is somewhat hard to believe, given he was considered for an appointment by the Bush administration. He's given no further clue about his intentions. Should he decide to run as a Dem, given the support he has from Nelson and apparently from the state party chair, he could be a formidable primary opponent. So, Kleeb has to consider carefully the potential future costs of crossing Nelson and the state party.

He is still considering his options, and he released a video today to thank supporters in the Draft Kleeb effort.

(H/T ptmflbcs.)

There was plenty of blame to go around for the confirmation of the Mukasey nomination. This was a blatant failure of leadership by Senator Harry Reid for failing to mobilize opposition to an extremist who could not define what torture was. There was a blatant failure of leadership by the Presidential candidates for their failure to lead on the nomination as well. And what was especially sad about the latter is that Dennis Kucinich showed stronger leadership on his quixotic quest to put impeachment on the table than Dodd, Clinton, Obama, or Biden showed on the Mukasey cavein. We will deal with these issues later. But first, we will deal with the "Democrats" who caved in on this issue and who made excuses for why torture shoule be a matter for debate.

When I was in Vietnam so many years ago (artillery) I sometimes wondered what I would do if I thought I was going to be captured. Stories of torture and atrocity were common place and I wondered whether or not I could withstand such things.  It never came to that, but there were times I was pretty scared.  

I've read the accounts of many who were captured and tortured.  While I know the hope of returning to their loved ones and home sustained those brave soldiers, I also know somewhere in their minds they were also comforted and rebelliously sustained knowing they held the high moral ground and that their captors would someday be punished for their crimes.

The Geneva Conventions said all you have to give is name, rank, and serial #.  And that's what many did.  They paid dearly....but their heads were held high.  

Once again, it seems that certain "Democrats" in the Senate do not get the message -- we did not elect them to cut deals with the Bush administration and be all nice and "bipartisan." The lie that we somehow have to be "bipartisan" is The Big Lie that is being promoted by David Broder and the rest of the Very Important People in Washington who think that their word is law because they are Very Important People.

Democrats were elected so that they could take a stand for what is right, not what the Bush administration or the Very Important People want. Dianne Feinstein is now FOX News' favorite Democrat; and she played a key role in confirming Southwick. You can vote for her potential replacement here. Here are the rest of the cowards and sell-outs who voted for cloture against Southwick:

There were 31 "Democratic" Senators who voted to cave in on Iran. First of all, it is important to recognize what this bill is and isn't. The bill is not the equivalent of the AUMF against Iraq; some of the most objectionable language in that regard was taken out. In that sense, our victory in the Senate has already had an impact in that we are a restraining influence against the Bush administration.

It looks for all the world like former Justice Department evildoer Hans Von Spakovsky will slip through and land his share of Wingnut Welfare: a paycheck from the Federal Election Commission.

Von Spakovsky's nomination has been red-flagged for months, since revelations regarding his role in voter suppression schemes, approval of racially discriminatory redistricting schemes, and other transgressions came to light. Von Spakovsky's reward for permanently perverting the electoral system on behalf of the Bush "administration?" A cushy seat with the nation's elections watchdogs. Brilliantly played!

So, you already know where this is going, right? Senate Democrats aren't going to stop his nomination.

Why not?

Well, one suggestion has been that there's some kind of a dealbetween Democrats and Republicans -- specifically to accept Von Spakovsky in exchange for a preferred Democratic nominee -- but I believe the reason is much more mundane than that.

In today's Senate Rules committee session, which met to consider the nominations, Republicans were pulling out all the procedural stops to get this done:

During the Rule Committee’s executive meeting Wednesday, Feinstein originally said she wanted to vote on each nominee separately, as opposed to considering all four nominees together in one vote, as the committee has done in the past. Republicans on the panel objected, arguing that the move breaks all known committee precedent on moving FEC nominations.

"The precedent is very clear," said Sen. Bob Bennett (Utah), the ranking Republican on the panel. "Nominations to the FEC have always been reported en bloc and in pairs."

But Feinstein said committee rules governing FEC nominations allow only for passing nominations that have unanimous consent, which her objection would prevent. After about a half-hour of negotiation, Feinstein and Bennett agreed to pass all of the nominations without recommendation.

See that? Republicans sought to prevent a separate vote on Von Spakovsky, instead saying that all four pending nominations to the FEC had to be voted on together. FEC nominations are made in equal numbers at the suggestions of both parties. In this case, two Democrats and two Republicans. Feinstein wanted to consider each nominee separately, but Republicans said it was all or none.

Bottom line: the nominations now go to the floor for a full Senate vote. Von Spakovsky has passed the first hurdle.

Now, couldn't Feinstein have forced the issue? Couldn't she have held a vote on whether or not they should consider the nominees together or separately? Sure. But the Rules committee is divided 10-9 in favor of Democrats. And guess what?

You'll never guess!

This morning's result: faced with the defection of a Democrat on the committee, later revealed to be Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE), Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) chose to agree to send all four nominees, two Democrats and two Republicans, to the floor without recommendation.

Ah, Ben! Ben, Ben, Ben. What are we going to do with you?

So what's next? The floor vote. And how will that be handled?

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who was on hand to back up Bennett’s assertions about Senate precedent, said he would not tolerate any attempt to separate von Spakovsky’s nomination from the three other FEC nominations on the Senate floor.

"None of these nominees will move across the Senate unless they move together," he said. "The view has always been that the Democrats pick the Democrat candidates and Republicans pick the Republicans."

Yes, Republicans will presumably filibuster the nominations -- all of the nominations -- if the Senate tries to take an Upperdownvote^TM on Von Spakovsky.

And why will that work?

Because the failure to roll over for the Republicans will leave us with four vacancies on the FEC heading into a presidential election year. And Democrats don't want to be "responsible" for that. Heavens, no! (Even though the biggest knock going against the FEC is that they don't do anything, anyway.)

So, the reasoning goes, it's better to put Von Spakovsky in cold storage at the FEC and let him live on Wingnut Welfare (at taxpayer expense, as all the best welfare is). After all, it's not like he's still at the Justice Department, where he could do real damage. It's just the FEC. During a presidential election year. Which was important enough five seconds ago, as I recall, to justify this whole thing, but appears to have lost its importance toward the end of this paragraph.

What was I saying, again?

Nebraska's Ben Nelson is not what you'd call the most liberal Democrat in the Senate.  In fact, he is the least likely of any Democrat in the Senate to vote with the Democratic caucus.  So, given how some otherwise much more outspoken Democrats have essentially caved on whether the surge is "working," or have shown that they completely fail to understand what "working" should look like, he's not the guy you'd expect to be saying what needs to be said here.  But he is:

While the Bush administration may argue its surge of additional combat troops is showing some military success, Nelson said, it is not leading to the political accommodation required for peace and stability.

"It's very difficult to see what reducing violence in Baghdad has achieved," he told his weekly telephone news conference from Washington.

Without Iraqi progress in achieving a political settlement and national stability, Nelson said, it's hard to argue that U.S. policy is succeeding.

"In that context," the Democratic senator said, "I don't think the surge has worked."

He points to failure on congressional benchmarks, the lack of oil-revenue sharing, and the lack of provincial elections as signs of the ongoing failure to make political progress in Iraq.

Dave Sund at New Nebraska Network says:

I haven't exactly been Ben Nelson's biggest fan in the world, but he generally has a pretty good idea of where Nebraskans are on an issue, and I think that's one of the reasons why he's so popular.

--snip--

Nelson's evolution on Iraq has been interesting to watch, because I think it presents a window into Nebraskans' opinions on the war in Iraq. My own personal experience in 2006 was that people in Nebraska had just about had enough of the war in Iraq. Nelson didn't say much of anything about the war during the campaign - he didn't have to with an opponent like Pete Ricketts. But since the new Congress began, he has been outspoken in trying to build bipartisan support to change course in Iraq.

And what does Ben Nelson's "pretty good idea of where Nebraskans are" on Iraq say?

Most Americans, he said, are asking "when will our troops come home."

If Nelson gets that, his colleagues in more liberal states should damn well get it, be willing to say straight out that the surge is not working, and exercise some leadership in getting those troops home.

The quick shift in the Senate from Iraq to higher education means that we have a short time frame to weigh in on the Senate version of the College Cost Reduction Act, which passed in the House last week.

The Senate version is S. 1762, the Higher Education Access Act. According to Congressopedia, the legislation would:

• Eliminate the Pell Grant "tuition sensitivity" provision that could negatively affect award amounts for students attending low-cost institutions.
• Establish a new grant program for low-income, Pell eligible students in addition to the current Pell grant program.
• Eliminate the three-year limitation on the period for which certain members of the armed forces may receive deferments on the interest on their student loans. It also extends this deferment period to cover 180 days after such a member of the armed forces is demobilized.
• Change part of the definition of economic hardship from if one is working full-time and making less than 100 percent of the poverty level for a family of two to if one is working full-time and is making lass than 150% of the poverty level for his family size.
• Create a new loan forgiveness plan through the Direct Loan program for public service employees.
• Increase the family income level under which a student is automatically eligible for the maximum Pell grant from $20,000 to $30,000.
• Eliminate the question on the FAFSA asking applicants whether they have been convicted of drug possession while receiving federal student assistance. It would not eliminate the penalty rendering such students ineligible, but would prohibit this question from being asked on the FAFSA.
• Carry out a pilot program to establish a mechanism for the auction of all eligible PLUS loans. Eligible PLUS loans are loans made to parents of dependent students.
• Provide $10,000,000 for fiscal year (fy) 2008 to pay for the estimated increased cost in the Pell program for award year 2007-2008 resulting from the amendments made by sections 603 and 604.

Senator Kennedy discussed the student loan provisions at length yesterday in his diary.

There's one proposed amendment to look out for, sponsored by Sen. Nelson (D-NE) and Richard Burr (R-NC) which was just introduced and is being debated on the Senate floor right now. Unfortunately, this amendment is a big gift to the student loan industry, which lost big when the House slashed the subsidies the industry receives on loans. Industry lobbyists are pushing the Senate hard to restore those subsidies, and the Nelson/Burr amendment is their vehicle.

The amendment  would reduce funding for by something like $4.2 billion for the amount of money that the Senate bill would devote to students receiving the maximum Pell Grant. The neediest students would lose out on an average of $300 in increased scholarship aid. The lending industry doesn't need the protection of the Nelson/Burr amendment. It's doing just fine.

Call your Senators and ask them to vote for the Higher Education Access Act, S. 1762, but to vote "no" on the Nelson/Burr amendment (no bill number yet, stress Nelson/Burr). The Capitol switchboard number is (202) 224-3121.

Update: You can find more info on S. 1762 here, at the Democratic Policy Committee site.

Following up on Michael Connery's diary.

The US Senate is debating Senate Bill 1762, The Higher Education Access Act (PDF) which would cut excessive subsidies from banks and provide much-needed relief for college students and their families by raising the amount of federal grant aid available, particularly for the neediest students. It is good to see Congress focusing on real issues facing colleges, students and their families. But apparently when it comes to helping students go to college, some Senators aren't so willing to listen to the American public--perhaps a lack of sleep?