Rush Holt Up and Coming

I recently read a list of 10 up and coming politicians to keep an eye on. It included all the regulars like Michele Bachmann and Darrel Issa. I think it should have also included Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey's 12th district. Lately, Holt has been finding his voice and getting some national attention. First, he spoke out against the Social Security payroll tax holiday:

Much has been discussed about the effect that the proposed tax-cut compromise between President Obama and Congressional Republicans would have on long-term debt and much has been discussed about how many jobs the proposed agreement would generate and when. Overall, although it would reduce the money withheld from an average American's paycheck in 2011, it ultimately would increase the burden shifted onto that average American's back for funding our government. Probably the greatest damaging effect, though, would result from the 2 percent reduction in payroll tax, an ingredient injected late in the negotiations last week.

The provision puts in jeopardy the long-term survival of Social Security - a centerpiece program that has been popular, efficient, and effective for 75 years. Sixty-four percent of seniors - nearly 22 million Americans - depend on Social Security for most of their livelihood. In 1935 most seniors lived below the poverty line, a fact hard to believe since Social Security has changed that. Also 16 million others - not in their retirement years - surviving spouses and children and people with disabilities depend on Social Security.

Now, Holt is speaking out on Peter King's plan to hold extensive hearings on Muslims:

Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), the former chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel, said he is troubled by Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) plan to hold hearings on the radicalization of Muslim-Americans.

"I feel like my friend Peter has gone way beyond what is called for there, and I do intend to talk to him about it," Holt told TPM of King's plan.

Holt's comments to TPM came after a Brennan Center panel held Tuesday to release the center's comprehensive study of the rules that govern the FBI's authority over domestic intelligence. The rules, approved by former Attorney General Michael Mukasey in 2008, are considerably more lax than previous incarnations, vastly expand the FBI's investigatory discretion and limit oversight, the report argues.

Emily Berman, the author of the Brennan Center report, recommends that the FBI be banned from using certain investigative techniques unless there is some basis in fact to suspect wrongdoing; that agents be required to use the least intrusive investigative technique that is likely to prove effective; and that agents be banned from improperly considering race, religion, ethnicity, national origin or First-Amendment-protected activity in investigative decisions.

Holt told the audience that profiling is "lazy thinking" and mentioned that many provisions of the Patriot Act are up for renewal next month

Holt's possibilities in New Jersey are interesting. Senator Menendez appears safe for reelection but is not really the most popular politician around. I cannot see him not running for reelection, and winning, when his term is up in 2012. The other New Jersey senator, Frank Lautenberg, is a healthy 86 years old, making him the oldest member of the US Senate. When his 5th nonconsecutive term ends in 2014, I'd like to see him retire so Rush could take over. I think that election may be on his radar too.