Craig and Helen Thomas on MSNBC "Morning Joe" (10/19)
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Apparently Craig is going to call in to Joe & Mika's WABC radio show sometime in the next hour.
You can listen live at wabcradio.com. Since there's about a two minute delay I guess it's almost live.
We had a great time meeting with Craig and his family on Saturday and I'm looking forward to seeing him and Helen again tonight at the book launch party.
Just back from dropping my daughter off at work and was just about to exit the WABC broadcast when I heard Joe say Craig was coming up. Figured I'd hang in a little longer.
My guess is that this must have come up quickly, and that's why Craig didn't have an announcement posted. I felt he and Helen had a good appearance on Morning Joe, but not enough was said about what's in the book.
Excellent interview!
Rez and Jenny are coming over shortly and then we're off to lunch. Had a great time last night just hanging out and shooting the shit. Jenny is a delight and wish she would join the TM gang!
Late response to x-rep.....you wanna hold onto the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn? The only way the Dodgers could have left Brooklyn was if another went to the west coast with them. That other team was the NY Giants. And the Angels are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They apparently renounced their home city.
It's Monday. All the political news is hanging in mid air somewhere in committee. There are no shiny objects floating through the air. Nothin blond and buxom has died, ..... And those who have died in the middle east are being studiously ignored.
They should have stuck with California Angels. Particularly when any Dodger fan immediately hates them and roots for any other team whenever they have the gall to say Los Angeles Angels.
"[A]lmost every country in the region is now actively re-considering its criminalization approach to drug policy. Even a modest willingness on the part of the U.S. government to pursue or even tolerate alternative approaches could play a major role in accelerating that process, as countries in virtually every region of the world have long been coerced by Washington to maintain strict criminalization approaches and to embrace the destructive Drug War model."
HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET Tuesday
Universal Care, No Public Option - The debate on healthcare reform centers on the controversial 'public option' -- the creation of a government-run health insurance program to help achieve universal coverage. But one country has discovered a way to provide insurance for all with private companies. How do they do it?
Jamie, there are some important news items. Guess the Fed demanding the deficit should go down, Iran's top covert operation general blown up with 40 others, ptiched battles in Pakistan and Afghanistan's election debated, talk of permanent unemployment etc. is significant news. Maybe media is tired and not the stories themselves.......
Yanks leading 1 to O.
No news? Check out Slate today. Hitchen's makes a good point on Iran. Imagine Obama bitching about the results of the Healthcare Bill as he is over Banking compensation. The idea is to write good bills. Slate has another article on the result of the present bill in increasing insurance companies likely dropping certain treatments from coverage. There is a growing number of people warning of either increasing costs or lowered coverage. Now that would be political suicide....
This is how Belgium does it. There are very tight controls on the Insurance companies and health care is mandatory for everyone with basic coverage being the same for everyone and negotiated by the government. In addition there are supplementary policies. Cost is currently 7.38 per cent of salary and half is paid by the employer.
Max I read all of those. What I meant is that there is no real significant coverage of any of these items in our News broadcast media which seems to drive traffic here a great deal.
" talk of permanent unemployment etc"
This is actually the scariest item simply because (1) most of manufacturing in the US has become non existent (2) Population increase with lower and lower education levels means unnecessary people with very few low skilled, labor intensive jobs available. (3) Middle class incomes stagnant in order to compete with developing world salaries. (4) Largest employer is now government and/or government contracts a great deal of which is "make work" just to maintain the illusion of almost full employment. (5) Women are becoming the major breadwinners and men haven't yet picked up the slack of raising families (all sorts of problems from this one)
"And it always has been. After all, he’s got a majority in Congress and the presidency. You can’t get more power at your disposal than that.
Yesterday, before the White House had the chance to send their people to the Sunday shows to dismiss the public option and its importance, I was purposefully pitching it on Washington Journal, saying simply that if Pres. Obama wants it all he has to do is have Harry Reid put it in the final bill. That he’s decided to abdicate his leadership role is becoming apparent:
Late last night the New York Times filed the report saying Obama’s decided to side with insurance companies over what a majority of the American people want.
The White House will not commit to health care legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal, advisers said Sunday.
President Barack Obama will not demand that a final bill include a government-run plan as a way of driving down costs through competition, though that’s his preference, they said. …"
President Barack Obama will not demand that a final bill include a government-run plan as a way of driving down costs through competition, though that’s his preference, they said. If he wants any hope at all of not having to relocate he will side with us.
If the real Senators went back to Washington, then Washington would 'have' 3 teams. When the fake Senators franchise struck out for ever, many fans swithched their devotions to the Orioles. The point is that the Twin Cities would have none, and the Capital would have an overabundance. We wouldn't allow it unless the Saints came back from Chicago, where they've been held prisoner for about 110 years.
I guess it's fair that the real Senators are playing under the Twins moniker, 'cuz Washington stole Duluth, Minnesota's beloved Eskimoes and force them to play under the ridiculous moniker Redskins.
Corey, I remember the Dodger & Giants move. It was horrible. Few people besides me cared greatly about the Giants defection, but Brooklyn was in love with its Trolley Dodgers, and the town remains heartbroken to this day.
I wish this had some significance, but b-ball like all pro sports is merely an overpriced amusement, and a venue for gambling.
"Last January, as I understand it, the White House promised Big Pharma, big insurance, and the American Medical Association the moral equivalent of what Joel Halderman allegedly demanded of David Letterman: hush money. The groups agreed to stay silent or even be supportive of healthcare reform, as long as they were paid off.
But now that it's time to collect, the bill is larger than the White House expected, and it's going to fall like an avalanche on middle class Americans in coming years. That could mean an ugly 2012 election (read Sarah Palin)."
I figure that the Congress and Prez will do the right thing on health insurance, and that all the anguished rumor mongering will turn out to be fictions. Until they actually betray me, I won't accuse them of betraying me.
Americans Care More About Having Public Option than Gaining Snowe’s Vote
By: Jon Walker Monday October 19, 2009 4:00 pm
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that Americans dramatically prefer a Democratic-votes-only bill with a public option compared to bipartisan bill without one:
Since it is so slow here I figure I will post this
Sent electronically on Sunday October 18, 2009 to The Office of Public Engagement, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), and Representative Kathy Castor.
On Friday, October 16, 2009, it was reported that Florida's unemployment rate hit 11 percent, the highest it's been since 1975. A report the day before showed that the $334.6 million in federal contracts awarded through the federal stimulus package created 1,635 Florida jobs. In spite of the jobs created the number of jobless in Florida also topped a record 1 million in September. The jobs created eased Florida's jobless by 0.1635 percent, considered by many to be a drop in the bucket. The eight (8) month old stimulus package IS NOT WORKING!
The administration's inept economic team is he!! bent on helping Wall Street to the detriment of the American People. The Congress and the Administration coddle the big banks and shaft the U. S. manufactures that employs the middle class. The administration forced the labor unions of GM and Chrysler to renegotiate contracts while allowing the big banks to pay exorbitant bonuses because they had contracts. Congress chastised the automakers for using corporate jets to attend congressional hearings but never asked the big banks about their use of corporate jets for hearings and lunch with the President. That is a double standard!
The Federal Reserve even permitted the big Investment Banks to be classified as Commercial Banks in order to receive Fed aid and oversight. We have seen the aid pour out to the former Investment Banks but sure do NOT see any oversight by the Fed. The Treasury and the Federal Reserve even helped to reduce competition in the Global Investment Banking area with the demise of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch. It looks like Goldman Sachs and the big banks are actually running the government.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW) went over $10,000 this past week. In news articles, economists are saying that the markets are ‘Irrationally Exuberant’ about the economy. The DOW was has increased in value by 155 percent since its March low. The US Banks have increase in value by 366 percent since there 52 week lows. The big five (5) banks (Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS)) have increase in value by 444 percent since there 52 week lows. The greatest increase is Bank of America at 680 percent and the least is J.P. Morgan Chase at 308 percent.
No wonder the big banks, which cause this huge mess, with the help of Uncle Sam, in the first place, are doing so well. They are borrowing money from Uncle Sam for virtually nothing and then loaning it at a 300-400-basis-point margin. That should be very profitable! The government has committed $11 trillion and actually invested $2.8 trillion, that’s with a "T" in various programs.
As it turns out Goldman Sachs tops the list of financial institutions the Fed paid on behalf of AIG with taxpayer money. Of the original $85 billion AIG bailout loan, Goldman Sachs received $12.9 billion, the largest amount. Banks that bought credit-default swaps or traded securities with AIG got $22.4 billion in collateral, $27.1 billion in payments from a U.S. entity to retire the derivatives, and $43.7 billion tied to the securities-lending program. States led by California and Virginia got $12.1 billion tied to guaranteed investment contracts.
The economy is not doing nearly as well as the banks. Consumers and small businesses have trouble getting loans. Banks are increasing fees and interest rates, which they can borrow from Uncle Sam for virtually nothing, increasing credit card payments and decreasing credit limits. That tends to stymie consumers and small businesses. Besides the National Unemployment Rate rising to 9.8 percent and Florida's at 11 percent there is a lot more unpleasant news. As long as unemployment continues to climb foreclosure and bankruptcy filings will increase.
In Louisville, KY, the area where I was born and raised, at General Electric's Appliance Park, 10,000 people applied for 90 factory jobs. That is a BIG PROBLEM!
These were reported in just the past week:
o Apartment Glut Expands,
o September retail sales fall 1.5 percent post Clunkers,
o U.S. Foreclosure Filings Jump 23% to Record in Third Quarter,
o U.S. Michigan Sentiment Index Decreased to 69.4,
o Dollar Falls to $1.49, Lowest Against the EURO since 08/08/2008,
o Oil Rises to $78.67 per Barrel, Highest since 10/14/2008.
The Treasury and the Federal Reserve give only lip service to a strong dollar. The weak dollar helps the big oil and big international corporations. With a weak dollar the price of oil and gas goes up as does the cost of imported goods and raw materials. This increases inflation! Congress and the administration help big business and hurt the American People.
Please do something for the American People instead of the big corporation!
There has been talk of a CIT takeover to invest money in small business since the government won't do it, then private money will. At this point just a rumor, but it could well be that there is a bush back against the unholy alliance between government and corporations in order to save the American economy.
"...a bush back against the unholy alliance between government and corporations"
What a good way to put that Jamie. And what a nice thought to think there could 'possibly' be a chance of investing more money in small businesses.
Icahn offers to underwrite $6 billion loan to CIT
"He also hopes to change the company's board of directors......We're the largest creditor and we think it's egregious what's going on over there," Icahn told Reuters in a phone interview. "This company belongs to the bondholders, and these guys are buying votes with the idea of
If a true Populist/Progressive movement takes hold, it could get really interesting. There is a checkered history dating back to the late 1800s involving xenophobia and prejudice, but underneath it all is a possible coalition of people who simply want minimal framework from their government
Jobs
Education
Healthcare
public safety
Those are not unreasonable demands of a government. Get out of the way, let me work, educate my children, make a doctor available if I need one and don't let the guns go off on my street. I'll take care of the rest.
If the right wing populists and the left wing progressives ever form a strong common cause alliance, the Congress Critters' well heeled corporate supported lifestyle could be in trouble.
"... a possible coalition of people who simply want minimal framework from their government
Jobs
Education
Healthcare
public safety
Those are not unreasonable demands of a government"
Jamie, I love what you're saying tonight! Just the thought of it is so uplifting. The idea of those two groups coming together, bonding 'because' of those things that they have in common, a common goal... well, I don't think there'd be any stopping them - as long as they have strong leadership.
Thanks for reminding us of how crazy this republican Depression is. I stood guard at an overflow homeless shelter a few nights ago. For 8 years this system had 2 congregations or schools host homeless families for a month. Last Summer they expanded to 3 congregations or schools, a 50% leap in beds, and all the sites were immediately filled to capacity. This system takes in only parents with children. Most homeless people are women and children. The largest demographic group of homeless people is children.
Potholes Aplenty got in front of the news cameras at the beginning of the last biennium & proposed ending homelessness. Then he spent the rest of the year preventing the legislature from ending homelessness. However, he got the messge out that he is kinder and gentler and that was HIS great need at the time. Last Spring he stripped poor people of their state assisted health insurance, because his present great need is to play to the cruelest wing of the republican base.
The cure for homelessness is housing. It is that simple.
That is the hard part. Getting one branch to set aside its prejudices and getting the other side to set aside its need to have everything for everybody..
Most human beings only want hope and opportunity. Take that away from them and they get vicious, angry, and start tearing at each other rather than those depriving them of those basic needs. The problem is recognizing the programs that supply those two items: Hope & Opportunity
Jamie, I agree, but I think that Hope & Opportunity come 'from' fulfilling our basic needs first. They don't come from a promise.
And in this particular instance, what you said is right on: "Health care and jobs could be the the catalysts". That common goal would bring the two sides together. And if they could achieve what they set out to do, or at least be heard, then that would provide the 'Hope & Opportunity you're talking about.
At this point, most people know that things will never be right, until we fulfill our most basic needs: Jobs and Health Care.
Agree. Most families have three generations. The people in the middle are getting hurt. They are trying to ease their parents out while bringing their children up. All they want is a job to pay the bills and bills that make sense.
Anything that government does that does not ease that situation is nothing but a conribution to greed and privilege.
In my opinion, hope and opportunity are the fruits of human development. Human development is governments' most important work. Everything else ought to support that work, including Defense and other Security systems. W/O development and the positive emotions and physical improvements that it creates, everything else, especially defense and security, fall apart.
Per exemplum, imagine a society of Libertarians (a nice marketing tag for anti-social anarchists and selfish sociopaths) picking up their puny AK 47s and Uzis to protect only their own property from an outside invader. In a couple of weeks they'd have been liduidated by a the enemy. The key to preventing such an occurence is to develop a feeling of belonging and unity - even among the anarchistic citizens of the nation.
The homeless class deserves development, and it is in the best long term interest of the ruling class to do so, lest said ruling class gets an up close and personal lesson in suicide bombings and IEDs.
Anaheim Angels ??? What's in a name ? Washington National by any other name would stink as bad.
If LA doesn't want to take any luster from a great team just across the county line, they are crazy. Besides, Gene Autry was a nice man who had kind things to say about reindeer with birth defects.
imus is right about TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE by steinbeck......if you havent read it, pick one up today......one hell of a book about america and how one man travelled the country in a pick-up camper and indirectly may have led to charles kuralt's plum gig............
In Monterey, on the California coast, Sweet Thursday is what they call the day after Lousy Wednesday, which is one of those days that is just naturally bad
"new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that Americans dramatically prefer a Democratic-votes-only bill with a public option compared to bipartisan bill without one"
kgc, thanks for posting that. is there a recent poll out there on whether employers would prefer universal coverage? imho it would make business life easier without the hassle of figuring in a costly health benefits package for every employee. no time wasted procuring, maintaining records etc. ( and if anything like state and local gov'ts, uc would save them about 1/3 in personnel costs). what's with the chambers of commerce that they can't see the savings potential of universal coverage?
craig, what's the relationship of the resident fox reporter with the other embedded journalists at 1600 penn? or is there even one there? hmmm a fox in the white house.
Good question sturg - I only know that I hear the guys who want to sell the stuff to us tell us that gold's inflation adjusted value is still below its all time high - which tells me that if you bought it back then it hasn't been such a great investment - but Mrs. P still likes the way it looks :)
Good question Sturge, damn if I know.
What's going on around here- where has everyone been? Think Ed is driving home today and Rez just called from Logan, but still seemed pretty quiet around here.
Fox has reporters in the WH gaggle. I don't know what their personal relationships are like with the other reporters. OSH really liked Major Garrett when she met him when he was covering the President's vacation.
Every time I hear about inflated gold prices I think of all my jeweler friends.
They are having a really tough time.... their materials costs for their products are sky high and sales are way down. My scarves are moving very slowly also.... but I haven't had to outlay a quarter to half a million dollars in inventory costs.
I can afford to sit on my stuff for awhile.
MoJo has been dancing around a great Molly Ivins quote all morning without giving the lovely lady credit at least for publicizing it:
"As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office. "
Here is a great deal more of Molly being pithy and impertinent. Darn. I miss that woman:
Craig and Helen spent most of three hours last night at the signing table while the rest of us visited with his mom and dad and about five hundred others who worked their way through the rooms at the residence of the Lebanese Ambassador.
My daughter and I missed the first forty-five minutes but hung around until almost closing time visiting, with Blue in Dallas and other folks we had met at Craig's house. For me it was a great weekend, and Sea is right I'll be dropping my daughter off for work then heading north to New York State in a few minutes.
"...I haven't had to outlay a quarter to half a million dollars in inventory costs."
Which I assume would be one hell of a lot of yarn?? I had a friend way back when who was a custom jeweler who sort fo specialized in gold and silver. I wonder how he's doing - probably using a lot more silver than gold these days.
In the middle 80s when gold was in a pre-spike period, I bought gold ADRs, specifically Goldfields of South Africa. I made a shameful amount of money.
I would never buy gold itself, unless as a coin to carry around in my pocket. But, I'd rather have one of those great big silver dollars of yore.
Bit of trivia. The Rep of Panama uses American money as its official currency calling them Balboas rather than dollars. Back when we were there in the 70s, they had a 5 dollar/balboa coin that was like a massive silver dollar. Dumb me never bought any because I thought they were so impractical.
"The basic Medicare premium will shoot up next year by 15 percent, to $110.50 a month, federal officials said Monday.
Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, on his way to a meeting Monday to discuss health care legislation.
Prescriptions Blog
A blog from The New York Times that tracks the health care debate as it unfolds.
The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system.
About 12 million people, or 27 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, will have to pay higher premiums or have the additional amounts paid on their behalf. The other 73 percent will be shielded from the increase because, under federal law, their Medicare premiums cannot go up more than the increase in their Social Security benefits, and Social Security officials announced last week that there would be no increase in benefits in 2010 because inflation had been extremely low."
"The headlines that ran side by side on the front page of Saturday’s New York Times summed up, inadvertently, the terrible fix that we’ve allowed our country to fall into.
The lead headline, in the upper right-hand corner, said: “U.S. Deficit Rises to $1.4 Trillion; Biggest Since ’45.”
The headline next to it said: “Bailout Helps Revive Banks, And Bonuses.”
We’ve spent the last few decades shoveling money at the rich like there was no tomorrow. We abandoned the poor, put an economic stranglehold on the middle class and all but bankrupted the federal government — while giving the banks and megacorporations and the rest of the swells at the top of the economic pyramid just about everything they’ve wanted."
I've always thought that gold, diamonds and oil would be good investments considering how slowly any new deposits of them are discovered - that and the fact that good old Mom produces them a whole lot more slowly than we use them. If I had invested in them I probably wouldn't be worried about how in hell I'm ever going to retire and mess about in boats.
"The White House has authorized a leak investigation following a string of stories mostly in the Washington Post, according to two administration sources."
Whatever the source and Jesse was a good one for quotables, the sad thing is that nothing has changed.
She's only been gone less than three years, but it is still disheartening reading through the four pages I linked that so many of her quotes are still totally applicable.
kgc, and the more they vote for what they're paid, the more money they're paid and the more money insures more years of voting for what they're paid to vote and so it goes.
IF CQ is correct, conventional wisdom is out the window - it's way early, but CQ projects 1 Rep pickup with 7 races currently tossups in the Senate and 4 dem pickups to 1 Rep pickup, with 3 races tossups in the House. Now who are those pundits who are predicting huge Rep gains next year? And what orifice are they pulling those projections out of?
Ed- sounds like a fine night! I imagine you really enjoyed meeting Craig's Mom & Dad, they are adorable. Thank you SO much for getting the books for us, you are a SWEETHEART.
Patd-it was a lot of fun, think we all got a pretty good buzz going and surprise surprise started talking politics and most surprising everyone survived! It was a pretty stormy night, blowing and raining sideways, so we hunkered down nice and warm in front of my pellet stove. I have to admit I was surprised at how calm they were on the boat. The seas were easily 10 feet, the boat was rocking and rolling and there were some pretty loud bangs on the hull. I found Rez and Jenny upstairs and hauled them down to my car and served them witches brew for fortification :)
there was a report a few days ago, maybe on CNN, that talked about those "gold buyers that adv on TV." Turns out they are not a good a deal if you want to sell your gold. It is better to go to your local jeweler to sell. who'da thought?
HD, my memory being poor to begin with and getting worse almost daily, I seem to recall seeing something somewherwe (is that vague enough?) that said that the Cash for Golds and the like pay you about 20% of what the gold is actually worth - at least I seem to remember something like that...
Make no mistake: there are some Liberals that support this bias and I would ask Obama which station other than FOX points this out on a regular basis? Has this President even told the American people that the Palestinian side at the table is presently engaged in fighting itself and refuses to even acknowledge Israel's right to exist? The last time I looked Hamas started the last war with salvos of missiles and then commited numerous Human Rights violations including using children as shields. A show of hands here of the moral equivalency between the free government of Israel and those of Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the Sudan which murders hundreds of thousands....
As I said, with Dunn calling Mao one of her two favorite political philosophers, the WH isn't going to win their campaign against FOX.
Perhaps Obama would prefer a public that had no idea of Wright, Ayers (did he write Dreams of my Father?), Rezko, let alone replay his campaign quotes on transparency, bringing the battle to Pakistan and Afghanistan, closing Gitmo, preventing Iran from getting a bomb, being Israel's best friend, etc....
Maybe when the immigration debate surfaces they will review his past record and Obama will call it a campaign of disinformation.
Purple-in-Tampa is a male not a female! I was a registered Republican and a moderate for 40 years. Now I am a Florida “No Party Affiliation” or independent. The Republican Party now just a bunch a crazies!
How exactly does the article on the NYTimes Opinion page relate to your post of How Screwed Up The Obama Admin Is? Do you only listen and watch Fox Snooze now?
And barring anything dramatic, this is why the pundits are wrong about the midterms. Even those who might be inclined to vote Republican don't want to because the party has lost its mind.
HD, forget it - Max has now crossed over to become a citizen of birther land, and doesn't need anything more substantial than Fox's speculations to crticize everything Obama.
That said, Bernstein is a voice who deserves to be listened to and considered.
What post of how screwed up the Obama administation is? Are you awake or still sleeping? You know there is an in between state.
NYT article by a guy who led the group he is attacking is not from FOX, yet he and FOX point out the same thing. Fancy that. But Maybe Obama thinks that this gentleman and FOX only have opinions on the subject and no hard facts. Really? When tapes show Hamas firing missiles from UN buildings and schools the world still laughs.
Didn't Obama agree to a no-fly in Sudan when battling Hillary? Didn't he talk about televising the Congressional and administration negotiating with corporations involved in Healthcare? So perhaps FOX, Human Rights Watch and the administration all have a need for accountability and your partisan take ain't gonna get us there......
You would like to just tune out the facts that don't fit your narrative. NOw let's guess which network would have a problem with the following: Pelosi makes one bill without a public option trillions of dollars and another with the option much cheaper in order to push Blue Dogs into voting for the latter. On what planet is this "negotiating"? If at the end of the day we do not lowers premium costs, keep quality and availability high without increasing the deficit which uesterday the Fed warned us about again, then this is really smoke and mirrors. If Fox plays any role in keeping the debate honest (and we would have had a bill months ago had Blue Dogs nor resisted). then they contribute. Where they or other media groups are wrong, others should counter. That is what debate and the Press is about and to pretend many networks are not Left leaning, is simply BS.
okay, I did my part is stirring things up. Have fun, work calls.
Now that is fair and balanced NP. You are what you accuse ohers to be. I'm a birther now? You know NP, it was speculation about Wright until journalists dug deeper. You don't want to dig where disturbing facts may lie. WSJ backs up claims of Franks and the Fed involvement in the Housing crisis despite the wrong numbers by Moore. You can call Republicans racists and watch maher every Friday. Good for you. I bet Franks doesn't like FOX either. FOX was pushing for two years the reality the NIE REPORT of 2007 was wrong. I blasted the administrations's verification effort in Healthcare and the WH blinked. It questione Obama's mad rush to Stimulus and found no resistriction on what Banks could pay themselves.
You can paint me with your FOX brush NP, but it doesn't make me their groupie. Keep it up and watch the Independent numbers turn. You should be a bit embarrassed with a response worthy of an elementary school student.
I guess it takes a gut instinct to sense fraud. The minute I saw that ballon, I knew it was a hoax. Some times even shows like Wife Swap sheds some light on truth...
"It blasted the administrations's verification effort in Healthcare and the WH blinked. It questioned Obama's mad rush to Stimulus and found no restriction on what Banks could pay themselves."
"Maybe when the immigration debate surfaces they will review his past record and Obama will call it a campaign of disinformation." Of what record were you speaking? His position on immigration? If so, forgive me, for I have sinned.
OK, lessee - I don't watch Fox because they only dig where their political agenda tells them to and present lies as truth. You may not be their groupie, but you're the closest thing they've got here. Republicans are racists, but I haven't watched Maher in months, and when I used to watch him, it was more for the humor than the commentary - and never on Friday evening. I don't trust the WSJ because their agenda is to unfetter capitalism, but I've never seen a Michael Moore movie. Contrary to the wailingand gnashing of Fox, the stimulus has had some positive effect, as did TARP - and now it's time to clean up the mess left in TARP's wake.
My painting you with a FOX brush will have no effect on the independent numbers (see PiT as an example) - Republican insanity and hatred for all Americans who are not wealthy will drive independent voters much more effectively than anything I could ever do.
And I don't find the concept of surreality shows like Wife Swap to be entertaining, and certainly not informative enough to watch one - and have never done so - but I did tag the balloon hoax as BS before the damn thing ever made it to the ground.
Yes, the US is now under pressure to rewrite the 2007 NIE - based on info that the spy community has now. I'm trying to remember what the Obama admin. had to do with that assessment.
"Another US intelligence official noted that although officials were not "ready to declare the findings invalid," the fact that the previous report only covered the 2003-2007 timeframe, begs the need for a new assessment.
"Citing the findings of more than 16 US spy agencies, the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate overturned earlier conclusions on Tehran's nuclear activities of two years ago, asserting with "high confidence" the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear program.
"Israeli leaders reacted in shock and anger to the publication of the report, which disputed their long-standing claims of "an Iranian nuclear threat".
"Tel Aviv, which reportedly houses an arsenal of some 200 nuclear warheads, views Tehran's nuclear program as a mortal threat.
"Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities out of existence, but the release of the report significantly weakened their drive for war."
Every coin has two sides, doesn't it? Unlike you, I understand that the truth is usually somewhere between the positions of the two sides shown.
"The [Robert Wood Johnson] foundation's September poll found that about one-third of Americans said they were worried about losing current coverage, a slight increase from 29 percent who reported such concerns the previous month.
"Indeed, the share of Americans who say they're worried about losing coverage in the next 12 months has gone up by 11 percentage points since the health care debate began in the spring."
I wonder if the fact that the no. of Americans concerned about losing their health coverage has anything to do with the fact that the inclusion of a public option in healthcare reform is gaining support.
"I wonder if the fact that the no. of Americans concerned about losing their health coverage IS INCREASING has anything to do with the fact that the inclusion of a public option in healthcare reform is gaining support."
Well in looks like the recession is over for the Wealthy. I think that a tax increase on the Wealthy would hurt the economy now and sure would help the deficit.
I propose the following for married taxpayer filing jointly and having taxable incomes as follows:
Income, Tax Rate
$250,000 to $499,999 40%
$500,000 to $999,999 45%
$1,000,000 to $5,000,000 50%
Over $5,000,000 55%
That is still a lot less than when Ronald Reagan became President.
Also close the tax loopholes and the use of off shore accounts. If they want to move to another country, good, they may pay more.
Exclusion Amount for the Estate Tax would be $5,000,000 with a maximum rate of 55%. The 118 wealthiest families will just have to pay up.
All income amounts will be adjusted for inflation.
Reset the Alternative Minimum Tax for married taxpayer filing jointly with taxable incomes of over $500,000 and this time adjusted for inflation.
The Capital Gains Tax should be 5% up to $100,000, 10% up to $250,000, 25% up to $500,000 and 40% over 500,000. That should upset Wall Street.
Okay, New Pogo declares Republicans are racists. Now we all know. We also know that Republicans hate all Americans who are not wealthy. Of course Republicans want all poor sick people to die quickly. New Pogo, perhaps you should start your own reality show.
"Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities out of existence, but the release of the report significantly weakened their drive for war." Gee, Israel's "drive for war". New Pogo, you are exactly what the NYT article is talking about despite your lip service to the op-ed piece. You show why the NEI report was invented in 2007 in the first place. It was designed to stop any threat of military strike to Iran. As Hitchens points out yesterday at Slate, you would prefer to deal with Iran after they have a bomb, or not at all. Maybe Israel shouldn't have hit Saddam's reactor. In any case, polls indicate more than 60% of Americans share this "drive for war" with Israel in favoring military force to prevent an Iranian bomb.
The NEI Report was used by Democrats to hammer Bush despite experts including those in Europe calling it a farce. But your narrative won't let certain facts mess up your dinner table. It was right then but wrong now. FOX showing evidence refutung the report was called warmongering at the time. It wasn't about facts. it was all about politics and that is what you would impose as a media filter: silencing news that goes against the storyline. Thank God, someone prevented Pelosi from making her first stab at Healthcare our undoing. Hey, I don't mind New Pogo, you can use me as your FOX surrogate. I have a great new reality show: Brain swap where opposing political parental units swap with their counterparts. Now that would be interesting. I bet I know which pair would be more civil.
And then you enter the no brains zone and try to push numbers that would suggest this country isn't basically split between Liberals and Conservatives. Maybe this is an arm of FOX: http://people-press.org/
New Pogo, you only show how bias you are and that you distort the spectrum of facts to cater to your narrative. Using your definitions I'm a birther and Rush lover, how foxish of you....
Oh and immigration? Obama tried to prevent verification of workplace laws in the Amnesty Bill. Fortunately he was caught trying to do the same thing with Healthcare, but Wilson blew that cover in a rude way. There are also other contradictory statements, but then there is always FOX to point them out. Despite the Becks and Hannities, it is in the interest of discourse for some media to distribute thousands of new items that obviously goes against the grain of the present Liberal meme. Here's one that I doubt you'll find at MSNBC or Maher:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568524,00.html?test=latestnews This administrations effort in human rights so far is laughable. We have Dunn praising Mao and the WH blasting leaks on Darfur. We don't even have a WH statement on the huge Chinese oil deal in Guinea.
I am sorry for my mistake. I think that I confused you with BlueINDallas. I hope you won't hold it against me.
I wasn't a republican nearly as long as you were. In the 60s and 70s I had a strong anarchist streak that I now understand as selfishness. The siren song of 'personal liberty' led me to vote for frauds who actually wanted an imperialistic police state, like the evil rudy boschwitz.
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Comments
Apparently Craig is going to call in to Joe & Mika's WABC radio show sometime in the next hour.
You can listen live at wabcradio.com. Since there's about a two minute delay I guess it's almost live.
We had a great time meeting with Craig and his family on Saturday and I'm looking forward to seeing him and Helen again tonight at the book launch party.
Posted by: EdVB
| October 19, 2009 10:56 AM
Thanks for the ed's up!!
Posted by: oldseahag
| October 19, 2009 10:57 AM
going on WABC around 11:05a i think. oh, that's in 3 min., better call them
Posted by: craigcrawford.myopenid.com
| October 19, 2009 11:02 AM
Hi Sea,
Just back from dropping my daughter off at work and was just about to exit the WABC broadcast when I heard Joe say Craig was coming up. Figured I'd hang in a little longer.
My guess is that this must have come up quickly, and that's why Craig didn't have an announcement posted. I felt he and Helen had a good appearance on Morning Joe, but not enough was said about what's in the book.
Posted by: EdVB
| October 19, 2009 11:06 AM
Excellent interview!
Rez and Jenny are coming over shortly and then we're off to lunch. Had a great time last night just hanging out and shooting the shit. Jenny is a delight and wish she would join the TM gang!
Posted by: oldseahag
| October 19, 2009 11:08 AM
I see another slow day here at TM.
Oh well, lunch time.
Later.
Posted by: anon-paranoid
| October 19, 2009 12:29 PM
Anon
It's not slow, It's dead.
Jack
Posted by: whskyjack
| October 19, 2009 1:59 PM
There must be a technical problem some where along the way. Either that or everyone decided to finish reading Listen Up, Mr. President today.
Posted by: EdVB
| October 19, 2009 2:07 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/trail-mix-party-time.html#comment-266936
Yankees and Dodgers can't play against each other for a pennant: they're in different leagues.
Posted by: dark-lord-bloggingham.myopenid.com
| October 19, 2009 2:46 PM
DL
I know that. I was talking about the World Series for the Yankees. Plus I just hate them in principle.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 3:04 PM
Late response to x-rep.....you wanna hold onto the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn? The only way the Dodgers could have left Brooklyn was if another went to the west coast with them. That other team was the NY Giants. And the Angels are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They apparently renounced their home city.
Posted by: Corey
| October 19, 2009 3:16 PM
As I said. The ANAHEIM Angels keep trying to say they are the Los Angeles team, but it is a lie I tell you. A big fat lie.
Los Angeles is the Dodgers and only the Dodgers.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 3:27 PM
It's Monday. All the political news is hanging in mid air somewhere in committee. There are no shiny objects floating through the air. Nothin blond and buxom has died, ..... And those who have died in the middle east are being studiously ignored.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 3:32 PM
When Gene Autrey started the Angels they were called Los Angeles and I believe they shared the Dodger Stadium for awhile..
In later years they were California, Anaheim, and again Los Angeles..I imagine someone thinks marketing is the key.
They need to make a decision and stick with it!
Posted by: Oregon Democrat
| October 19, 2009 3:33 PM
Angels history
http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/anaca/angels.html
They should have stuck with California Angels. Particularly when any Dodger fan immediately hates them and roots for any other team whenever they have the gall to say Los Angeles Angels.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 3:41 PM
"They need to make a decision and stick with it!"
od, sounds like a move to d.c. would be next. with that history they'll fit right in.
Posted by: patd
| October 19, 2009 3:47 PM
"There are no shiny objects floating through the air."
jamie, would a not so shiney shot down us drone qualify?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8314983.stm
Posted by: patd
| October 19, 2009 3:54 PM
It would be nice to have the Senators back.
Of course the theme song would be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKzurXU0Ewg
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 3:58 PM
"[A]lmost every country in the region is now actively re-considering its criminalization approach to drug policy. Even a modest willingness on the part of the U.S. government to pursue or even tolerate alternative approaches could play a major role in accelerating that process, as countries in virtually every region of the world have long been coerced by Washington to maintain strict criminalization approaches and to embrace the destructive Drug War model."
http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/10/19/is_obama_winding_down_the_war_on_drugs
Posted by: patd
| October 19, 2009 4:01 PM
Ben Schott's work in today's Times is another special item by him:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/09/08/opinion/20091019_opart.html
I especially like the Turkmenistan order depicted at the bottom left corner of the illustration.
Posted by: Flatus
| October 19, 2009 4:33 PM
In case anyone is bored with Earth, scientists have discovered 32 new planets
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/10/091019-32-new-planets-found.html
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 4:33 PM
http://www.space.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?pic=091016-lcross-zoom-02.jpg&cap=A+plume+erupted+from+the+lunar+surface+just+after+impact+by+the+spacecraft+and+was+captured+by+a+camera+aboard+LCROSS.+Credit%3A+NASA.
Here you go Jamie. The plume from the moon.
And Craig, Obama is not going to win a battle with Fox.
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 19, 2009 4:48 PM
There's A Rep for That
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_IAN081P8I
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 5:03 PM
This might be a worthwhile watch:
HDNet World Report, 9 pm ET Tuesday
Universal Care, No Public Option - The debate on healthcare reform centers on the controversial 'public option' -- the creation of a government-run health insurance program to help achieve universal coverage. But one country has discovered a way to provide insurance for all with private companies. How do they do it?
Posted by: Flatus
| October 19, 2009 5:03 PM
Jamie, there are some important news items. Guess the Fed demanding the deficit should go down, Iran's top covert operation general blown up with 40 others, ptiched battles in Pakistan and Afghanistan's election debated, talk of permanent unemployment etc. is significant news. Maybe media is tired and not the stories themselves.......
Yanks leading 1 to O.
No news? Check out Slate today. Hitchen's makes a good point on Iran. Imagine Obama bitching about the results of the Healthcare Bill as he is over Banking compensation. The idea is to write good bills. Slate has another article on the result of the present bill in increasing insurance companies likely dropping certain treatments from coverage. There is a growing number of people warning of either increasing costs or lowered coverage. Now that would be political suicide....
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 19, 2009 5:09 PM
Flatus
This is how Belgium does it. There are very tight controls on the Insurance companies and health care is mandatory for everyone with basic coverage being the same for everyone and negotiated by the government. In addition there are supplementary policies. Cost is currently 7.38 per cent of salary and half is paid by the employer.
http://www.justlanded.com/english/Belgium/Belgium-Guide/Health/Health-Insurance
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 5:11 PM
Max I read all of those. What I meant is that there is no real significant coverage of any of these items in our News broadcast media which seems to drive traffic here a great deal.
" talk of permanent unemployment etc"
This is actually the scariest item simply because (1) most of manufacturing in the US has become non existent (2) Population increase with lower and lower education levels means unnecessary people with very few low skilled, labor intensive jobs available. (3) Middle class incomes stagnant in order to compete with developing world salaries. (4) Largest employer is now government and/or government contracts a great deal of which is "make work" just to maintain the illusion of almost full employment. (5) Women are becoming the major breadwinners and men haven't yet picked up the slack of raising families (all sorts of problems from this one)
It aint gonna get better.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 6:00 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266966
Flatus
The ages of Man speech from Shakespeare has always been one of my favorites, but I agree living to 109 even in Turkmenestan seems like a good idea.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 6:22 PM
...Angels have been the consistently better team in the last 10 years.
Posted by: dark-lord-bloggingham.myopenid.com
| October 19, 2009 6:34 PM
http://www.taylormarsh.com/2009/10/19/on-public-option-its-up-to-obama/
Oh Man,
Slow here,where did everyone go?
"On Public Option, It’s Up to Obama"
"And it always has been. After all, he’s got a majority in Congress and the presidency. You can’t get more power at your disposal than that.
Yesterday, before the White House had the chance to send their people to the Sunday shows to dismiss the public option and its importance, I was purposefully pitching it on Washington Journal, saying simply that if Pres. Obama wants it all he has to do is have Harry Reid put it in the final bill. That he’s decided to abdicate his leadership role is becoming apparent:
Late last night the New York Times filed the report saying Obama’s decided to side with insurance companies over what a majority of the American people want.
The White House will not commit to health care legislation that would cap insurance premiums or tax benefits, taking a wait-and-see approach as congressional negotiators seek a deal, advisers said Sunday.
President Barack Obama will not demand that a final bill include a government-run plan as a way of driving down costs through competition, though that’s his preference, they said. …"
Posted by: tonyb39
| October 19, 2009 6:35 PM
President Barack Obama will not demand that a final bill include a government-run plan as a way of driving down costs through competition, though that’s his preference, they said. If he wants any hope at all of not having to relocate he will side with us.
Posted by: buford.myopenid.com
| October 19, 2009 6:50 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266977
Buford,
Sure hope he ends up siding with us? I just keep reading so many things on Liberal blogs that don't look good..Damn,i don't get Obama...
Posted by: tonyb39
| October 19, 2009 6:54 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266968
A. sometimes you don't have to win
B. maybe it's a feint......
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 6:59 PM
C. or....just another brick in the wall.......the gop appear to be preparing to imbibe the amontillado......
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 7:00 PM
If the real Senators went back to Washington, then Washington would 'have' 3 teams. When the fake Senators franchise struck out for ever, many fans swithched their devotions to the Orioles. The point is that the Twin Cities would have none, and the Capital would have an overabundance. We wouldn't allow it unless the Saints came back from Chicago, where they've been held prisoner for about 110 years.
I guess it's fair that the real Senators are playing under the Twins moniker, 'cuz Washington stole Duluth, Minnesota's beloved Eskimoes and force them to play under the ridiculous moniker Redskins.
Corey, I remember the Dodger & Giants move. It was horrible. Few people besides me cared greatly about the Giants defection, but Brooklyn was in love with its Trolley Dodgers, and the town remains heartbroken to this day.
I wish this had some significance, but b-ball like all pro sports is merely an overpriced amusement, and a venue for gambling.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 19, 2009 7:01 PM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/lessons-from-letterman-in_b_325557.html
"Lessons From Letterman in Health Reform"
"Last January, as I understand it, the White House promised Big Pharma, big insurance, and the American Medical Association the moral equivalent of what Joel Halderman allegedly demanded of David Letterman: hush money. The groups agreed to stay silent or even be supportive of healthcare reform, as long as they were paid off.
But now that it's time to collect, the bill is larger than the White House expected, and it's going to fall like an avalanche on middle class Americans in coming years. That could mean an ugly 2012 election (read Sarah Palin)."
Posted by: tonyb39
| October 19, 2009 7:03 PM
I figure that the Congress and Prez will do the right thing on health insurance, and that all the anguished rumor mongering will turn out to be fictions. Until they actually betray me, I won't accuse them of betraying me.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 19, 2009 7:10 PM
Feds to stop prosecuting medical marijuana users
By DEVLIN BARRETT, Associated Press Writer
Monday, October 19, 2009
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/18/national/w193042D27.DTL#ixzz0UQWVV8Fe
Well that's something.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 19, 2009 7:19 PM
New John Mayer for KGC. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZwVjys2bQI
Posted by: Corey
| October 19, 2009 7:22 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266981
those Washington Senators are now called the Texas Rangers.
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| October 19, 2009 7:38 PM
disregard my comment about the Texas Rangers and the Washington Senators. The Twins were in place a full 10 years before the Rangers.
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| October 19, 2009 7:42 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266986
Corey
Thanks for the song...I could be a John Mayer fan.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 19, 2009 7:47 PM
Americans Care More About Having Public Option than Gaining Snowe’s Vote
By: Jon Walker Monday October 19, 2009 4:00 pm
A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that Americans dramatically prefer a Democratic-votes-only bill with a public option compared to bipartisan bill without one:
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/10/19/americans-care-more-about-having-public-option-than-gaining-snowes-vote/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101902451.html
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 19, 2009 7:58 PM
pres ghw bush called maddow and olberman "sick puppies".......lol...........with that brood he raised.........
ha
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 8:06 PM
Since it is so slow here I figure I will post this
Sent electronically on Sunday October 18, 2009 to The Office of Public Engagement, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL), Senator George LeMieux (R-FL), and Representative Kathy Castor.
On Friday, October 16, 2009, it was reported that Florida's unemployment rate hit 11 percent, the highest it's been since 1975. A report the day before showed that the $334.6 million in federal contracts awarded through the federal stimulus package created 1,635 Florida jobs. In spite of the jobs created the number of jobless in Florida also topped a record 1 million in September. The jobs created eased Florida's jobless by 0.1635 percent, considered by many to be a drop in the bucket. The eight (8) month old stimulus package IS NOT WORKING!
The administration's inept economic team is he!! bent on helping Wall Street to the detriment of the American People. The Congress and the Administration coddle the big banks and shaft the U. S. manufactures that employs the middle class. The administration forced the labor unions of GM and Chrysler to renegotiate contracts while allowing the big banks to pay exorbitant bonuses because they had contracts. Congress chastised the automakers for using corporate jets to attend congressional hearings but never asked the big banks about their use of corporate jets for hearings and lunch with the President. That is a double standard!
The Federal Reserve even permitted the big Investment Banks to be classified as Commercial Banks in order to receive Fed aid and oversight. We have seen the aid pour out to the former Investment Banks but sure do NOT see any oversight by the Fed. The Treasury and the Federal Reserve even helped to reduce competition in the Global Investment Banking area with the demise of Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch. It looks like Goldman Sachs and the big banks are actually running the government.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW) went over $10,000 this past week. In news articles, economists are saying that the markets are ‘Irrationally Exuberant’ about the economy. The DOW was has increased in value by 155 percent since its March low. The US Banks have increase in value by 366 percent since there 52 week lows. The big five (5) banks (Bank of America (BAC), Citigroup (C), Goldman Sachs (GS), J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM), and Morgan Stanley (MS)) have increase in value by 444 percent since there 52 week lows. The greatest increase is Bank of America at 680 percent and the least is J.P. Morgan Chase at 308 percent.
No wonder the big banks, which cause this huge mess, with the help of Uncle Sam, in the first place, are doing so well. They are borrowing money from Uncle Sam for virtually nothing and then loaning it at a 300-400-basis-point margin. That should be very profitable! The government has committed $11 trillion and actually invested $2.8 trillion, that’s with a "T" in various programs.
As it turns out Goldman Sachs tops the list of financial institutions the Fed paid on behalf of AIG with taxpayer money. Of the original $85 billion AIG bailout loan, Goldman Sachs received $12.9 billion, the largest amount. Banks that bought credit-default swaps or traded securities with AIG got $22.4 billion in collateral, $27.1 billion in payments from a U.S. entity to retire the derivatives, and $43.7 billion tied to the securities-lending program. States led by California and Virginia got $12.1 billion tied to guaranteed investment contracts.
The economy is not doing nearly as well as the banks. Consumers and small businesses have trouble getting loans. Banks are increasing fees and interest rates, which they can borrow from Uncle Sam for virtually nothing, increasing credit card payments and decreasing credit limits. That tends to stymie consumers and small businesses. Besides the National Unemployment Rate rising to 9.8 percent and Florida's at 11 percent there is a lot more unpleasant news. As long as unemployment continues to climb foreclosure and bankruptcy filings will increase.
In Louisville, KY, the area where I was born and raised, at General Electric's Appliance Park, 10,000 people applied for 90 factory jobs. That is a BIG PROBLEM!
These were reported in just the past week:
o Apartment Glut Expands,
o September retail sales fall 1.5 percent post Clunkers,
o U.S. Foreclosure Filings Jump 23% to Record in Third Quarter,
o U.S. Michigan Sentiment Index Decreased to 69.4,
o Dollar Falls to $1.49, Lowest Against the EURO since 08/08/2008,
o Oil Rises to $78.67 per Barrel, Highest since 10/14/2008.
The Treasury and the Federal Reserve give only lip service to a strong dollar. The weak dollar helps the big oil and big international corporations. With a weak dollar the price of oil and gas goes up as does the cost of imported goods and raw materials. This increases inflation! Congress and the administration help big business and hurt the American People.
Please do something for the American People instead of the big corporation!
Respectfully,
Posted by: Purple-in-Tampa
| October 19, 2009 8:20 PM
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/issuecartoons/2009/10/26/cartoons_20091019
we can't all work for goldman sachs........
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 8:24 PM
sturg I love it.
Posted by: Purple-in-Tampa
| October 19, 2009 8:43 PM
"Well that's something."
KGC, It's more than something. It's a beginning.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-266992
Solar, What do you think of Purples post? Well said, huh?
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 8:43 PM
the lads played well
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cj6zHzTumE&feature=related
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 8:44 PM
There has been talk of a CIT takeover to invest money in small business since the government won't do it, then private money will. At this point just a rumor, but it could well be that there is a bush back against the unholy alliance between government and corporations in order to save the American economy.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 8:56 PM
"...a bush back against the unholy alliance between government and corporations"
What a good way to put that Jamie. And what a nice thought to think there could 'possibly' be a chance of investing more money in small businesses.
Icahn offers to underwrite $6 billion loan to CIT
"He also hopes to change the company's board of directors......We're the largest creditor and we think it's egregious what's going on over there," Icahn told Reuters in a phone interview. "This company belongs to the bondholders, and these guys are buying votes with the idea of
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 9:06 PM
staying in control ..." http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091019/bs_nm/us_cit_icahn_6
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 9:07 PM
high and mighty organ donor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_aNqUaoNuQ&feature=rec-HM-fresh+div
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 9:14 PM
Hey Mr Ping........how's that recall of Mr. Grayson working out for you?
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 19, 2009 9:18 PM
If a true Populist/Progressive movement takes hold, it could get really interesting. There is a checkered history dating back to the late 1800s involving xenophobia and prejudice, but underneath it all is a possible coalition of people who simply want minimal framework from their government
Jobs
Education
Healthcare
public safety
Those are not unreasonable demands of a government. Get out of the way, let me work, educate my children, make a doctor available if I need one and don't let the guns go off on my street. I'll take care of the rest.
If the right wing populists and the left wing progressives ever form a strong common cause alliance, the Congress Critters' well heeled corporate supported lifestyle could be in trouble.
Health care and jobs could be the the catalysts
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 9:22 PM
Now that was cute
http://www.congressmanwithguts.com/
This website name had never been taken until Alan Grayson took it.
Says something about our government doesn't it.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 9:25 PM
"... a possible coalition of people who simply want minimal framework from their government
Jobs
Education
Healthcare
public safety
Those are not unreasonable demands of a government"
Jamie, I love what you're saying tonight! Just the thought of it is so uplifting. The idea of those two groups coming together, bonding 'because' of those things that they have in common, a common goal... well, I don't think there'd be any stopping them - as long as they have strong leadership.
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 9:31 PM
Ms Tampa @ 8:20 pm : "Apartment Glut Expands"
As homelessness reaches record levels !
Thanks for reminding us of how crazy this republican Depression is. I stood guard at an overflow homeless shelter a few nights ago. For 8 years this system had 2 congregations or schools host homeless families for a month. Last Summer they expanded to 3 congregations or schools, a 50% leap in beds, and all the sites were immediately filled to capacity. This system takes in only parents with children. Most homeless people are women and children. The largest demographic group of homeless people is children.
Potholes Aplenty got in front of the news cameras at the beginning of the last biennium & proposed ending homelessness. Then he spent the rest of the year preventing the legislature from ending homelessness. However, he got the messge out that he is kinder and gentler and that was HIS great need at the time. Last Spring he stripped poor people of their state assisted health insurance, because his present great need is to play to the cruelest wing of the republican base.
The cure for homelessness is housing. It is that simple.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 19, 2009 9:38 PM
Here's Alan Grayson on Bill Maher
On Health Care and very good stuff.
http://www.graysonforcongress.com/
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 9:39 PM
Chloe,
That is the hard part. Getting one branch to set aside its prejudices and getting the other side to set aside its need to have everything for everybody..
Most human beings only want hope and opportunity. Take that away from them and they get vicious, angry, and start tearing at each other rather than those depriving them of those basic needs. The problem is recognizing the programs that supply those two items: Hope & Opportunity
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 9:44 PM
Wahoo!!! Bottom of the 5th.
3 to 2 DODGERS
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 9:46 PM
Jamie, I agree, but I think that Hope & Opportunity come 'from' fulfilling our basic needs first. They don't come from a promise.
And in this particular instance, what you said is right on: "Health care and jobs could be the the catalysts". That common goal would bring the two sides together. And if they could achieve what they set out to do, or at least be heard, then that would provide the 'Hope & Opportunity you're talking about.
At this point, most people know that things will never be right, until we fulfill our most basic needs: Jobs and Health Care.
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 9:54 PM
Chloe
Agree. Most families have three generations. The people in the middle are getting hurt. They are trying to ease their parents out while bringing their children up. All they want is a job to pay the bills and bills that make sense.
Anything that government does that does not ease that situation is nothing but a conribution to greed and privilege.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 9:58 PM
That's it for me tonight. Be good to each other on the night shift.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 19, 2009 10:00 PM
Night Jamie... I'm out of here too.
Florida's unemployment rate jumps to 11 percent; Tampa Bay area hits 11.7
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/floridas-unemployment-rate-jumps-to-11-percent-tampa-bay-area-hits-117/1044494
California unemployment rate remains at 12.2 percent
http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_13576885?source=rss
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 10:04 PM
.. just have to drop this off:
Lard had some very positive news on his blog today, and is getting back much of the energy he lost.
SAME TIME TOMORROW
http://seanholton.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/todays-top-story/#comment-655
Posted by: chloe
| October 19, 2009 10:21 PM
In my opinion, hope and opportunity are the fruits of human development. Human development is governments' most important work. Everything else ought to support that work, including Defense and other Security systems. W/O development and the positive emotions and physical improvements that it creates, everything else, especially defense and security, fall apart.
Per exemplum, imagine a society of Libertarians (a nice marketing tag for anti-social anarchists and selfish sociopaths) picking up their puny AK 47s and Uzis to protect only their own property from an outside invader. In a couple of weeks they'd have been liduidated by a the enemy. The key to preventing such an occurence is to develop a feeling of belonging and unity - even among the anarchistic citizens of the nation.
The homeless class deserves development, and it is in the best long term interest of the ruling class to do so, lest said ruling class gets an up close and personal lesson in suicide bombings and IEDs.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 19, 2009 10:38 PM
Anaheim Angels ??? What's in a name ? Washington National by any other name would stink as bad.
If LA doesn't want to take any luster from a great team just across the county line, they are crazy. Besides, Gene Autry was a nice man who had kind things to say about reindeer with birth defects.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 19, 2009 10:43 PM
The very late, and heavily edited "This Day In History " -
1812 Napoleon begins his retreat from Moscow
"If you're going to invade Russia, be sure and take your heavy coat "
Colorado Bob
Posted by: Colorado Bob
| October 19, 2009 10:54 PM
One more nugget from Oct. 19th -
1765 Stamp Act Congress met in NY, wrote decl of rights & liberties
1781 Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown at 2 PM; Revolutionary War ends
Bookends
Posted by: Colorado Bob
| October 19, 2009 10:57 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267017
That was a good story C-Bob, even if we did fill in the blanks ourselves.
Posted by: ivygreen.myopenid.com
| October 19, 2009 11:55 PM
Oh, ho ho...it's magic!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iiryJwvDtc&fmt=18
Posted by: dark-lord-bloggingham.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 12:57 AM
It is so quiet this time of night..most of the posters seem to be in bed..
Posted by: Oregon Democrat
| October 20, 2009 2:50 AM
and the sound of the internets could be heard murmuring softly in the background: pocketa pocketa pocketa.......
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 4:32 AM
ahhhh, america.......the miss california organization wants their boobs back......
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 5:51 AM
imus is right about TRAVELS WITH CHARLIE by steinbeck......if you havent read it, pick one up today......one hell of a book about america and how one man travelled the country in a pick-up camper and indirectly may have led to charles kuralt's plum gig............
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 5:56 AM
another favorite: sweet thursday
In Monterey, on the California coast, Sweet Thursday is what they call the day after Lousy Wednesday, which is one of those days that is just naturally bad
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 6:04 AM
"new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that Americans dramatically prefer a Democratic-votes-only bill with a public option compared to bipartisan bill without one"
kgc, thanks for posting that. is there a recent poll out there on whether employers would prefer universal coverage? imho it would make business life easier without the hassle of figuring in a costly health benefits package for every employee. no time wasted procuring, maintaining records etc. ( and if anything like state and local gov'ts, uc would save them about 1/3 in personnel costs). what's with the chambers of commerce that they can't see the savings potential of universal coverage?
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 7:12 AM
craig, what's the relationship of the resident fox reporter with the other embedded journalists at 1600 penn? or is there even one there? hmmm a fox in the white house.
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 7:20 AM
Fox news: Everybody knows.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5e1oaen-M
in re. whitehouse pointing out fox's cheshire grin mika agrees with option C. Another brick in the wall.
the gop are licking their lips in anticipation of the glorious amontillado..........
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 7:30 AM
when the price of gold gets so high, who's buying it and why?
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 7:52 AM
mornin'
Good question sturg - I only know that I hear the guys who want to sell the stuff to us tell us that gold's inflation adjusted value is still below its all time high - which tells me that if you bought it back then it hasn't been such a great investment - but Mrs. P still likes the way it looks :)
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 8:03 AM
Good question Sturge, damn if I know.
What's going on around here- where has everyone been? Think Ed is driving home today and Rez just called from Logan, but still seemed pretty quiet around here.
Posted by: oldseahag
| October 20, 2009 8:05 AM
Lester "Roadhog" Moran and the Caddilac Cowboys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvSMsn6bwLs
some nice west virginia fellers, i think
Posted by: sturgeone
| October 20, 2009 8:08 AM
patd
Fox has reporters in the WH gaggle. I don't know what their personal relationships are like with the other reporters. OSH really liked Major Garrett when she met him when he was covering the President's vacation.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 20, 2009 8:10 AM
"pretty quiet around here"
sea, keeping the noise down to let our gracious host get some beauty sleep. helen's been keeping him up late at all these book parties.
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 8:12 AM
sea, must have been fun hoisting a few with rez during a nor'easter. he sounded impressed.
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 8:15 AM
Every time I hear about inflated gold prices I think of all my jeweler friends.
They are having a really tough time.... their materials costs for their products are sky high and sales are way down. My scarves are moving very slowly also.... but I haven't had to outlay a quarter to half a million dollars in inventory costs.
I can afford to sit on my stuff for awhile.
Posted by: RebelliousRenee
| October 20, 2009 8:19 AM
MoJo has been dancing around a great Molly Ivins quote all morning without giving the lovely lady credit at least for publicizing it:
"As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can't drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against 'em anyway, you don't belong in office. "
Here is a great deal more of Molly being pithy and impertinent. Darn. I miss that woman:
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/quotes/a/molly_ivins.htm
Posted by: Jamie
| October 20, 2009 8:22 AM
Craig and Helen spent most of three hours last night at the signing table while the rest of us visited with his mom and dad and about five hundred others who worked their way through the rooms at the residence of the Lebanese Ambassador.
My daughter and I missed the first forty-five minutes but hung around until almost closing time visiting, with Blue in Dallas and other folks we had met at Craig's house. For me it was a great weekend, and Sea is right I'll be dropping my daughter off for work then heading north to New York State in a few minutes.
Posted by: EdVB
| October 20, 2009 8:24 AM
"...I haven't had to outlay a quarter to half a million dollars in inventory costs."
Which I assume would be one hell of a lot of yarn?? I had a friend way back when who was a custom jeweler who sort fo specialized in gold and silver. I wonder how he's doing - probably using a lot more silver than gold these days.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 8:24 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267030
In the middle 80s when gold was in a pre-spike period, I bought gold ADRs, specifically Goldfields of South Africa. I made a shameful amount of money.
I would never buy gold itself, unless as a coin to carry around in my pocket. But, I'd rather have one of those great big silver dollars of yore.
Bit of trivia. The Rep of Panama uses American money as its official currency calling them Balboas rather than dollars. Back when we were there in the 70s, they had a 5 dollar/balboa coin that was like a massive silver dollar. Dumb me never bought any because I thought they were so impractical.
Posted by: Flatus
| October 20, 2009 8:32 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/policy/20health.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Good Morning all..
"Basic Medicare Premium to Rise 15% Next Year"
"The basic Medicare premium will shoot up next year by 15 percent, to $110.50 a month, federal officials said Monday.
Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the Finance Committee, on his way to a meeting Monday to discuss health care legislation.
Prescriptions Blog
A blog from The New York Times that tracks the health care debate as it unfolds.
The increase means that monthly premiums would top $100 for the first time, a stark indication of the rise in medical costs that is driving the debate in Congress about a broad overhaul of the health care system.
About 12 million people, or 27 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, will have to pay higher premiums or have the additional amounts paid on their behalf. The other 73 percent will be shielded from the increase because, under federal law, their Medicare premiums cannot go up more than the increase in their Social Security benefits, and Social Security officials announced last week that there would be no increase in benefits in 2010 because inflation had been extremely low."
Posted by: tonyb39
| October 20, 2009 8:35 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/opinion/20herbert.html?th&emc=th
"Safety Nets for the Rich"
"The headlines that ran side by side on the front page of Saturday’s New York Times summed up, inadvertently, the terrible fix that we’ve allowed our country to fall into.
The lead headline, in the upper right-hand corner, said: “U.S. Deficit Rises to $1.4 Trillion; Biggest Since ’45.”
The headline next to it said: “Bailout Helps Revive Banks, And Bonuses.”
We’ve spent the last few decades shoveling money at the rich like there was no tomorrow. We abandoned the poor, put an economic stranglehold on the middle class and all but bankrupted the federal government — while giving the banks and megacorporations and the rest of the swells at the top of the economic pyramid just about everything they’ve wanted."
Posted by: tonyb39
| October 20, 2009 8:43 AM
Always happy to give Molly Ivins a shout-out. Will never call Shrub anything but...BUT
that quote originated with Jess Unruh
“If you can’t take their money…and vote against them, you don’t belong in the legislature”
"If you can’t take their money, drink their whiskey, screw their women, and vote against ‘em anyway, you don’t belong in the Legislature” is a quote by Molly Ivins (1944-2007) that’s often attributed to Texas politics. It was first used by Jesse Unruh (1922-1987) in California politics in the 1970s. Unruh was talking then about lobbyists.
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/if_you_cant_take_their_moneyand_vote_against_them_you_dont_belong_in_the_le/
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 20, 2009 8:43 AM
I've always thought that gold, diamonds and oil would be good investments considering how slowly any new deposits of them are discovered - that and the fact that good old Mom produces them a whole lot more slowly than we use them. If I had invested in them I probably wouldn't be worried about how in hell I'm ever going to retire and mess about in boats.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 8:50 AM
called in the plumbers yet?
"The White House has authorized a leak investigation following a string of stories mostly in the Washington Post, according to two administration sources."
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 8:52 AM
KGC
Whatever the source and Jesse was a good one for quotables, the sad thing is that nothing has changed.
She's only been gone less than three years, but it is still disheartening reading through the four pages I linked that so many of her quotes are still totally applicable.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 20, 2009 8:59 AM
Jamie
I wish it was true that they took the money and voted against them but they take the money and vote with the lobbyists....
A gooper assemblyman in Cal just resigned for screwing a lobbyist and then bragging about it....on an open mike.
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 20, 2009 9:01 AM
"they take the money and vote with the lobbyists"
kgc, and the more they vote for what they're paid, the more money they're paid and the more money insures more years of voting for what they're paid to vote and so it goes.
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 9:12 AM
Posted by: patd Author Profile Page | October 20, 2009 9:12 AM
the cycle of democracy yikes!
what happened to change?
Posted by: Katherine Graham Cracker
| October 20, 2009 9:25 AM
I just went and looked at the CQ analyses of the upcoming 2010 Senate and House races.
http://innovation.cqpolitics.com/atlas/house2010_rr
http://innovation.cqpolitics.com/senate2010_map
IF CQ is correct, conventional wisdom is out the window - it's way early, but CQ projects 1 Rep pickup with 7 races currently tossups in the Senate and 4 dem pickups to 1 Rep pickup, with 3 races tossups in the House. Now who are those pundits who are predicting huge Rep gains next year? And what orifice are they pulling those projections out of?
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 9:28 AM
"And what orifice are they pulling those projections out of?"
give me an A... give me an S... another S... give me an E... give me an S....
what's that spell?.... asses... louder please.... ASSES...
Posted by: RebelliousRenee
| October 20, 2009 9:34 AM
Ed- sounds like a fine night! I imagine you really enjoyed meeting Craig's Mom & Dad, they are adorable. Thank you SO much for getting the books for us, you are a SWEETHEART.
Patd-it was a lot of fun, think we all got a pretty good buzz going and surprise surprise started talking politics and most surprising everyone survived! It was a pretty stormy night, blowing and raining sideways, so we hunkered down nice and warm in front of my pellet stove. I have to admit I was surprised at how calm they were on the boat. The seas were easily 10 feet, the boat was rocking and rolling and there were some pretty loud bangs on the hull. I found Rez and Jenny upstairs and hauled them down to my car and served them witches brew for fortification :)
Posted by: oldseahag
| October 20, 2009 9:41 AM
Nothing like a good old cheer for the visiting team...
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 9:41 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267029
there was a report a few days ago, maybe on CNN, that talked about those "gold buyers that adv on TV." Turns out they are not a good a deal if you want to sell your gold. It is better to go to your local jeweler to sell. who'da thought?
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| October 20, 2009 9:52 AM
HD, my memory being poor to begin with and getting worse almost daily, I seem to recall seeing something somewherwe (is that vague enough?) that said that the Cash for Golds and the like pay you about 20% of what the gold is actually worth - at least I seem to remember something like that...
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 10:06 AM
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/opinion/20bernstein.html?_r=1
Make no mistake: there are some Liberals that support this bias and I would ask Obama which station other than FOX points this out on a regular basis? Has this President even told the American people that the Palestinian side at the table is presently engaged in fighting itself and refuses to even acknowledge Israel's right to exist? The last time I looked Hamas started the last war with salvos of missiles and then commited numerous Human Rights violations including using children as shields. A show of hands here of the moral equivalency between the free government of Israel and those of Hamas, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and the Sudan which murders hundreds of thousands....
As I said, with Dunn calling Mao one of her two favorite political philosophers, the WH isn't going to win their campaign against FOX.
Perhaps Obama would prefer a public that had no idea of Wright, Ayers (did he write Dreams of my Father?), Rezko, let alone replay his campaign quotes on transparency, bringing the battle to Pakistan and Afghanistan, closing Gitmo, preventing Iran from getting a bomb, being Israel's best friend, etc....
Maybe when the immigration debate surfaces they will review his past record and Obama will call it a campaign of disinformation.
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 20, 2009 10:07 AM
pogo, how about a fight song to go along with that renee's "give me an A" cheer?
cheer cheer for old derriere
you bring the whisky
i'll bring the beer
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 10:15 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267005
xrepublican,
Purple-in-Tampa is a male not a female! I was a registered Republican and a moderate for 40 years. Now I am a Florida “No Party Affiliation” or independent. The Republican Party now just a bunch a crazies!
Posted by: Purple-in-Tampa
| October 20, 2009 10:15 AM
Max,
How exactly does the article on the NYTimes Opinion page relate to your post of How Screwed Up The Obama Admin Is? Do you only listen and watch Fox Snooze now?
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| October 20, 2009 10:22 AM
uighur the world
"The US Supreme Court has said it will consider the case of Guantanamo Bay detainees who remain in custody even though they are not thought a threat."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8316833.stm
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 10:31 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267058
And barring anything dramatic, this is why the pundits are wrong about the midterms. Even those who might be inclined to vote Republican don't want to because the party has lost its mind.
Posted by: Jamie
| October 20, 2009 10:34 AM
HD, forget it - Max has now crossed over to become a citizen of birther land, and doesn't need anything more substantial than Fox's speculations to crticize everything Obama.
That said, Bernstein is a voice who deserves to be listened to and considered.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 10:37 AM
another fight song:
i'm a rambling flack
from off the track
and a beck of a provocateur
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 10:38 AM
What post of how screwed up the Obama administation is? Are you awake or still sleeping? You know there is an in between state.
NYT article by a guy who led the group he is attacking is not from FOX, yet he and FOX point out the same thing. Fancy that. But Maybe Obama thinks that this gentleman and FOX only have opinions on the subject and no hard facts. Really? When tapes show Hamas firing missiles from UN buildings and schools the world still laughs.
Didn't Obama agree to a no-fly in Sudan when battling Hillary? Didn't he talk about televising the Congressional and administration negotiating with corporations involved in Healthcare? So perhaps FOX, Human Rights Watch and the administration all have a need for accountability and your partisan take ain't gonna get us there......
You would like to just tune out the facts that don't fit your narrative. NOw let's guess which network would have a problem with the following: Pelosi makes one bill without a public option trillions of dollars and another with the option much cheaper in order to push Blue Dogs into voting for the latter. On what planet is this "negotiating"? If at the end of the day we do not lowers premium costs, keep quality and availability high without increasing the deficit which uesterday the Fed warned us about again, then this is really smoke and mirrors. If Fox plays any role in keeping the debate honest (and we would have had a bill months ago had Blue Dogs nor resisted). then they contribute. Where they or other media groups are wrong, others should counter. That is what debate and the Press is about and to pretend many networks are not Left leaning, is simply BS.
okay, I did my part is stirring things up. Have fun, work calls.
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 20, 2009 10:42 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267063
better last line:
a beck uva profligateer
Posted by: patd
| October 20, 2009 10:49 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267062
Now that is fair and balanced NP. You are what you accuse ohers to be. I'm a birther now? You know NP, it was speculation about Wright until journalists dug deeper. You don't want to dig where disturbing facts may lie. WSJ backs up claims of Franks and the Fed involvement in the Housing crisis despite the wrong numbers by Moore. You can call Republicans racists and watch maher every Friday. Good for you. I bet Franks doesn't like FOX either. FOX was pushing for two years the reality the NIE REPORT of 2007 was wrong. I blasted the administrations's verification effort in Healthcare and the WH blinked. It questione Obama's mad rush to Stimulus and found no resistriction on what Banks could pay themselves.
You can paint me with your FOX brush NP, but it doesn't make me their groupie. Keep it up and watch the Independent numbers turn. You should be a bit embarrassed with a response worthy of an elementary school student.
I guess it takes a gut instinct to sense fraud. The minute I saw that ballon, I knew it was a hoax. Some times even shows like Wife Swap sheds some light on truth...
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 20, 2009 10:55 AM
"It blasted the administrations's verification effort in Healthcare and the WH blinked. It questioned Obama's mad rush to Stimulus and found no restriction on what Banks could pay themselves."
typos....
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 20, 2009 10:57 AM
8 + 8 = Octostupidity & George Stephanpolous runs the White House gauntlet, and appears this morning on Imus in the Morning.
Seal Hunter, is back blogging on, You Have To Be This Tall To Go On This Ride.
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/10/8-8-octostupidity-george-stephanopoulus.html
Octomom, really lit, Hunts with Club's fuse :)
Posted by: Ree
| October 20, 2009 11:05 AM
283=>2920<*****
Posted by: oldseahag
| October 20, 2009 11:13 AM
"Maybe when the immigration debate surfaces they will review his past record and Obama will call it a campaign of disinformation." Of what record were you speaking? His position on immigration? If so, forgive me, for I have sinned.
OK, lessee - I don't watch Fox because they only dig where their political agenda tells them to and present lies as truth. You may not be their groupie, but you're the closest thing they've got here. Republicans are racists, but I haven't watched Maher in months, and when I used to watch him, it was more for the humor than the commentary - and never on Friday evening. I don't trust the WSJ because their agenda is to unfetter capitalism, but I've never seen a Michael Moore movie. Contrary to the wailingand gnashing of Fox, the stimulus has had some positive effect, as did TARP - and now it's time to clean up the mess left in TARP's wake.
My painting you with a FOX brush will have no effect on the independent numbers (see PiT as an example) - Republican insanity and hatred for all Americans who are not wealthy will drive independent voters much more effectively than anything I could ever do.
And I don't find the concept of surreality shows like Wife Swap to be entertaining, and certainly not informative enough to watch one - and have never done so - but I did tag the balloon hoax as BS before the damn thing ever made it to the ground.
Yes, the US is now under pressure to rewrite the 2007 NIE - based on info that the spy community has now. I'm trying to remember what the Obama admin. had to do with that assessment.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=108921§ionid=3510203
"Another US intelligence official noted that although officials were not "ready to declare the findings invalid," the fact that the previous report only covered the 2003-2007 timeframe, begs the need for a new assessment.
"Citing the findings of more than 16 US spy agencies, the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate overturned earlier conclusions on Tehran's nuclear activities of two years ago, asserting with "high confidence" the non-diversion of Iran's nuclear program.
"Israeli leaders reacted in shock and anger to the publication of the report, which disputed their long-standing claims of "an Iranian nuclear threat".
"Tel Aviv, which reportedly houses an arsenal of some 200 nuclear warheads, views Tehran's nuclear program as a mortal threat.
"Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities out of existence, but the release of the report significantly weakened their drive for war."
Every coin has two sides, doesn't it? Unlike you, I understand that the truth is usually somewhere between the positions of the two sides shown.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:30 AM
Gee, can I take credit for this?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/fewer-people-identify-as_n_326971.html
"Only 20 percent of respondents identified themselves as Republicans -- the lowest number since the paper starting asking the question in 1983."
If so, I'll paint like crazy.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:42 AM
Bob, if you''re lurking - a little astronomical eye candy for you.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/16/astronomers-shocked-the-e_n_323712.html
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:44 AM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267071
Sure go ahead and take credit. When you start to paint either use the large rollers or certainly no smaller that a 4" paint brush. :)
Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty!
| October 20, 2009 11:45 AM
HD, LOL.
OK, back to the issues -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/20/americans-increasingly-wo_n_326965.html
"The [Robert Wood Johnson] foundation's September poll found that about one-third of Americans said they were worried about losing current coverage, a slight increase from 29 percent who reported such concerns the previous month.
"Indeed, the share of Americans who say they're worried about losing coverage in the next 12 months has gone up by 11 percentage points since the health care debate began in the spring."
I wonder if the fact that the no. of Americans concerned about losing their health coverage has anything to do with the fact that the inclusion of a public option in healthcare reform is gaining support.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:52 AM
"I wonder if the fact that the no. of Americans concerned about losing their health coverage IS INCREASING has anything to do with the fact that the inclusion of a public option in healthcare reform is gaining support."
Sorry - I left a couple of words out.
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:54 AM
(hey, solar, wanna buy LUNCH?)
Posted by: newpogo.myopenid.com
| October 20, 2009 11:55 AM
Republicans for Rape -
http://www.republicansforrape.org/legislators/
Posted by: Colorado Bob
| October 20, 2009 11:59 AM
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aHx9ytuwJJ6Y
Wealthy U.S. Shoppers Boost Spending 29%, Survey Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a25cbLmExCXs
Wall Street 40% Bonus Jump Feeds Spending on $43 Steaks, $4 Million Co-Ops
Well in looks like the recession is over for the Wealthy. I think that a tax increase on the Wealthy would hurt the economy now and sure would help the deficit.
I propose the following for married taxpayer filing jointly and having taxable incomes as follows:
Income, Tax Rate
$250,000 to $499,999 40%
$500,000 to $999,999 45%
$1,000,000 to $5,000,000 50%
Over $5,000,000 55%
That is still a lot less than when Ronald Reagan became President.
Also close the tax loopholes and the use of off shore accounts. If they want to move to another country, good, they may pay more.
Exclusion Amount for the Estate Tax would be $5,000,000 with a maximum rate of 55%. The 118 wealthiest families will just have to pay up.
All income amounts will be adjusted for inflation.
Reset the Alternative Minimum Tax for married taxpayer filing jointly with taxable incomes of over $500,000 and this time adjusted for inflation.
The Capital Gains Tax should be 5% up to $100,000, 10% up to $250,000, 25% up to $500,000 and 40% over 500,000. That should upset Wall Street.
Posted by: Purple-in-Tampa
| October 20, 2009 12:03 PM
A little typo, should read:
I think that a tax increase on the Wealthy would not hurt the economy now and sure would help the deficit.
Posted by: Purple-in-Tampa
| October 20, 2009 12:07 PM
New Thread
Posted by: chloe
| October 20, 2009 12:16 PM
Okay, New Pogo declares Republicans are racists. Now we all know. We also know that Republicans hate all Americans who are not wealthy. Of course Republicans want all poor sick people to die quickly. New Pogo, perhaps you should start your own reality show.
"Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities out of existence, but the release of the report significantly weakened their drive for war." Gee, Israel's "drive for war". New Pogo, you are exactly what the NYT article is talking about despite your lip service to the op-ed piece. You show why the NEI report was invented in 2007 in the first place. It was designed to stop any threat of military strike to Iran. As Hitchens points out yesterday at Slate, you would prefer to deal with Iran after they have a bomb, or not at all. Maybe Israel shouldn't have hit Saddam's reactor. In any case, polls indicate more than 60% of Americans share this "drive for war" with Israel in favoring military force to prevent an Iranian bomb.
The NEI Report was used by Democrats to hammer Bush despite experts including those in Europe calling it a farce. But your narrative won't let certain facts mess up your dinner table. It was right then but wrong now. FOX showing evidence refutung the report was called warmongering at the time. It wasn't about facts. it was all about politics and that is what you would impose as a media filter: silencing news that goes against the storyline. Thank God, someone prevented Pelosi from making her first stab at Healthcare our undoing. Hey, I don't mind New Pogo, you can use me as your FOX surrogate. I have a great new reality show: Brain swap where opposing political parental units swap with their counterparts. Now that would be interesting. I bet I know which pair would be more civil.
And then you enter the no brains zone and try to push numbers that would suggest this country isn't basically split between Liberals and Conservatives. Maybe this is an arm of FOX: http://people-press.org/
And next you would have us think only Healthcare is exempt from Anti-trust laws...LOL Maybe we need some other national baseball league: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/10/striking-out-on-antitrust/
New Pogo, you only show how bias you are and that you distort the spectrum of facts to cater to your narrative. Using your definitions I'm a birther and Rush lover, how foxish of you....
Oh and immigration? Obama tried to prevent verification of workplace laws in the Amnesty Bill. Fortunately he was caught trying to do the same thing with Healthcare, but Wilson blew that cover in a rude way. There are also other contradictory statements, but then there is always FOX to point them out. Despite the Becks and Hannities, it is in the interest of discourse for some media to distribute thousands of new items that obviously goes against the grain of the present Liberal meme. Here's one that I doubt you'll find at MSNBC or Maher:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,568524,00.html?test=latestnews This administrations effort in human rights so far is laughable. We have Dunn praising Mao and the WH blasting leaks on Darfur. We don't even have a WH statement on the huge Chinese oil deal in Guinea.
Posted by: maxtrue
| October 20, 2009 12:32 PM
NEW THREAD
Posted by: Jamie
| October 20, 2009 12:41 PM
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/10/white-house-fox-hunt.html#comment-267050
If there is no truly universal healthcare reform this year, Democrats will be shown the door in a major way.
Posted by: Flatus
| October 20, 2009 1:34 PM
MR. Tampa,
I am sorry for my mistake. I think that I confused you with BlueINDallas. I hope you won't hold it against me.
I wasn't a republican nearly as long as you were. In the 60s and 70s I had a strong anarchist streak that I now understand as selfishness. The siren song of 'personal liberty' led me to vote for frauds who actually wanted an imperialistic police state, like the evil rudy boschwitz.
Posted by: xrepublican
| October 20, 2009 2:27 PM
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