Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

give me a "woo" give me a "hoo"

"Pirates 'clash with Somali militia' over captive British couple
Militia commander claims his group fought abducters as they were due to hand British couple over to extremists"

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/03/paul-rachel-chandler-somali-pirates

somali militia?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269200

I predict the Pirates in 5.........

You've got to be kidding that he is being careful about expanding government, Banks, Chrysler & GM come to mind...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/us/politics/03year.html?_r=1&th&emc=th

"In Iowa, Second Thoughts on Obama"
WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa — Pauline McAreavy voted for President Obama. From the moment she first saw him two years ago, she was smitten by his speeches and sold on his promise of change. She switched parties to support him in the Iowa caucuses, donated money and opened her home to a pair of young campaign workers.

But by the time she received a fund-raising letter last month from the Democratic National Committee, a sense of disappointment had set in. She returned the solicitation with a handwritten note, saying, “Until I see some progress and he lives up to his promises in Iowa, we will not give one penny.”

“I’m afraid I wasn’t realistic,” Ms. McAreavy, 76, a retired school nurse, said on a recent morning on the deck of her home here in east-central Iowa."

Craig....
the problem with baseball is the same as the problems facing this country....
no leadership on standing up to the big money. If the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig, instituted a team salary cap similar to the one they have in football, smaller markets such as Jack's and Lard's Kansas City Royals would be able to compete. But Selig.... and now just like Obama.... doesn't have the stones to do it. So small markets can't compete with larger ones.... small businesses can't compete with large corporations.... small farms can't compete with farming conglomerates.... the little people just can't compete with the big people.

And so it goes.....

Another W/Obama parallel - candidates will not want the Prez anywhere near them if things keep going this way. I hope he did enjoy the honeymoon period because, just like Helen & Craig wrote in Listen Up, it's over. Happy Super-Duper Tuesday.

rr - Let's just hope the country doesn't end up with a stress fracture from the big standing on the shoulders of the little guys. Class warfare would not be a good thing. We definitely need some gov't intervention because the big guys aren't going to reign themselves in.

I know it's early in the month, but I'd like to nominate Joe Lieberman for the insurance industry's employee-of-the-month.

interesting. tried to link to the link in this article to see the exampled object of scorn but it appeared for only a glimpse. was it fp pre-emptively banning the blasphemers or can the banners reach into fp links?

http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/11/02/islamic_countries_try_to_ban_blasphemy_have_religious_rights_record_of_ill_repute

must have been ole luddite me cause the infidelic cartoons came thru the second time.

quote re proposed bans from article linked above:

Clinton said. "These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse."

"The ethics committee declined to respond to questions about the racial disparity, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus are wary of talking about it on the record. But privately, some black members are outraged — and see in the numbers a worrisome trend in the actions of ethics watchdogs on and off Capitol Hill. "

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091103/pl_politico/29055

mornin'

So this works how? If the Dems do poorly today, it's a terrible sign for the Dems in the 2010 elections, and if the Dems do okay, but split the results with the Reps today, it's a terrible sign for the Dems in the 2010 elections, and if the Dems do well today, it's a terrible sign for the Dems in the 2010 elections? Just want to make sure I have this straight.

blue, I second the nomination and call the question...All in favor respond by saying "Aye," any opposed?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269209

blue, I'm sure that's just a coincidence ..... wait, was that a pig flying south with the geese?

British break up bailed out banks

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/03/AR2009110300352.html?nav=rss_email/components

Now if only we would.

Hear, hear, Blue -- on both counts:

"We definitely need some gov't intervention because the big guys aren't going to reign themselves in."

and

"I know it's early in the month, but I'd like to nominate Joe Lieberman for the insurance industry's employee-of-the-month."

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269202

Bowman

Expanding government for the people who already had the money doesn't count. Expending money to save the middle class seems to be a whole different matter.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269204

fortitude, Renee, fortitude

I see the Phillies have breathed life into their postseason hopes - they could become the 7th 1-3 comeback in Series history.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10308820/World-Series-1-3-Comebacks

But there have been 18 7 game series in the last 50 years - so all you Phillies fans can continue to hope against hope.

House Ethics Committee Members

Democrats
Zoe Lofgren, Chair, California
Ben Chandler, Kentucky
G.K. Butterfield, North Carolina
Kathy Castor, Florida
Peter Welch, Vermont

Republicans
Jo Bonner, Ranking Republican Member, Alabama
Mike Conaway, Texas
Charles Dent, Pennsylvania
Gregg Harper, Mississippi
Michael McCaul, Texas

Renee, I believe that the owners would have to approve of a salary cap - I don't see it.

Jack, watch BRK today--sure to be exciting.

Bowman, the prospect of having been left with only Ford as the US automaker sends fear into my core. Every Ford I've ever owned, including the ones my Dad owned, was a piece of crap.

Jamie, I think Kathy Castor is Betty Castor's daughter. The mom was a fine public servant. I really hoped that she would win the senate seat back when, but it wasn't in the cards.

I hope daughter is as strong as mom was.

Flatus

I was surprised by the geographic imbalance in the committee. 7 out of 10 from the south, 2 from the east and only the chair from California. No midwest no southwest no northwest. I don't know if this is a problem or not without looking at the membership of all committees for comparison, but it does seem a little wonky.

Boner has no idea how not to be an idiot.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/boehner-regrets-scozzafav_n_343370.html

What a lilly livered chicken sheister. If he had spent less time tanning and more time speaking up on support of her against the extremists who drove Scozzafava from the race, he wouldn't have to act as if he had buyer's remorse.

Craig, Liz Sidoti has a slightly different take on the import of today's elections.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/02/election-day-2009-guide-w_n_341907.html

She rightly points out that the scism in the Repg party will exist tomorrow regardless of what happens in the 3 "races with national implications" today.

"So even if political winds start blowing harder behind them and even if they can capitalize on Democratic missteps, Republicans still will have a long way to go over the next year because of their party's own fundamental problems – divisions over the path forward, the lack of a national leader and a shrinking base in a changing nation.

"The GOP would overcome none of those hurdles should Republican Bob McDonnell win the Virginia governor's race, Chris Christie emerge victorious in the New Jersey governor's contest, or conservative Doug Hoffman triumph in a hotly contested special congressional election in upstate New York."

Flatus, Sturg .....

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/joe-wilson-says-obama-has-put-the-lives-of-americans-at-risk-due-to-h1n1-vaccine-shortage.php

Joe Wilson, did he attend community college with Palin and skip the day irony was covered in EH 101?

Pogo....
yup.... the baseball owners would have to approve..... and Obama has to work with the Senate and the House....

but leadership from the President and the Commissioner still carry an awful lot of weight.....

Craig...

I should receive my book by the 7th of this month. Twenty dollars and change includes the price of shipping and handling for new hard cover copy of Helen and your book.

Have a great day.

Craig - Your view and preception of spending must be from the left as Barack and the New Government is BIG SPENDERS....

You need to add more options in your summary...

Right - pot, kettle, black. Zero net jobs created in 8 years, economy losing jobs at a rate of 700,000 per month after those 8 years and the largest expansion of government in history. In Pingland, money = government. Does money also = speech? I want to be sure I can distinguish the 2 parties based on your definition.

pot holes a plenty was on Morning Load today and he would not answer the question is he is glad Sen Snow is a Republican. Minnesota must be proud of him. The consensus was that he is running for President.

Obama of course can be tagged with the label 'big spender,' (as could the Bush-Cheney administration before him). Government spending was vastly expanded during the Bush-Cheney years (prescription drug coverage for medicare, two wars, expanded federal bureaucracy) and the deficit was made much worse by huge tax cuts which did not grow federal revenues as they claimed they would.

But, yes, Obama is a big spender. Most of those expenditures, though, have been focused on preventing a national and world-wide financial collapse. Without the TARP and other bailout programs, it is likely we would be in the midst of a world-wide depression right now, the likes of which no one born after 1941 has experienced.

Leaving Obama's political philosophy aside (whatever that might be) to NOT have spent the money to prevent a depression would have been catastrophically irresponsible.

Pogo... Agree - Complacent Bush, Fat Cat's that called them selves Republicans-
Film at 11 on the backlash that has been building.

Maybe Real Change will be here soon?

Live from 33K feet flying from Chicago... seems the only time I have to catch up with all of yall now.

Boy Howdy
Independents must be the dumbest people on the face of the earth or have the shortest memory and attention spans.

We are just trying to recover from 8 years of gooper madness.
I blame the media for their inappropriate and often inaccurate reporting on the issues.

Ping, you're on one of the internet enabled planes? coo-el. Actually, just poking at you re: Pingland - I'm well aware that you are an equal opportunity critic of government spending.

KGC - The key is a return of a different type of gooper .... so much different.

Interesting - Barack did not bring any change to DC... And seems he is trying to get more then change out of our pockets !!

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269232

Northwest?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/03/AR2009110300153.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Uhhh, how about voting the bill to the floor? Strike while the iron is hot, as they say.

KGC - The key is a return of a different type of gooper .... so much different. Ping

Gee Ping they look the same to me...who are you talking about?

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269216

Spruce up that attitude, Pogo, and you can join us in front of Independence Hall.

KGC - The key is a return of a different type of gooper .... so much different.

Interesting - Barack did not bring any change to DC... And seems he is trying to get more then change out of our pockets !!

KGC....
yesterday while driving home from my parents place, I heard an interesting tidbit on NPR. Someone was interviewing a Congressman..... the interview had already started and they didn't repeat his name or state.... said Congressman was mad as hell at the way the media portrayed the town hall meetings on healthcare reform that took place this past summer. The Cman said his town hall meeting consisted of polite and thoughtful questions. He said most Cmen's meetings were like his.... but the media chose to portray only the most contentious ones..... thereby making it look like there was major objections to healthcare reform in this country when in fact, such was not the case.

RR

There was a poll a few weeks ago and 70% if the folks supported a public option. Why hasn't there been more reporting on the activities of the health care lobbyists and their big bucks --talk about big spenders!

Haven't had any new zins lately? How about you?

KGC... Appearance on the outside is one thing

For good compare and contrast look at the Fl race for Senate -
Old time fat cat Charlie Crist - vs the new Marco Rubio - Bigger difference between these two vs Crist vs current Republicans or Dems...

Can you say MARCO - POLO,,,

Marco --- Rubio !!

Government grows faster under republicans, pong, as you well know : the Number 1 : Lincoln set the trend.

In the last 50 years :
1. george herbert walker bush
2. gerry ford
3. george bush junior
4. ronald reagan
5. LBJ
6. richard nixon
7. John Kennedy
8. Dwight Eisenhower
9. James Carter
10. William Clinton : negative growth of government

By the way -- I love Grooper on the Wood Grill.. Maybe a light sauce with some fresh vegies!!

Getting ready to land.. then back to the crazy work world.
Best to all

KGC....
nope.... just been drinking the good old standbys lately....

the media is chasing after ratings...... lobbyists make boring subjects....
but people outside of town hall meetings touting guns.... much more exciting to report on....

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269239

Flatus, I doubt that I'd be anything more than an object of ridicule with my NYY cap on. :-D

xr, that list can't be right - I know it can't because the goopers keep saying that Clinton and Carter were big spending democrats and Obama is just the third in that line of big spenders. ;-)

Joe, the spending by Obama is on a whole new level and we haven't even gotten to the healthcare bill yet. The latest CBO estimates for Pelosi's brainchild tops $1.2 trillon with more stuff being added on as we speak. In addition to the spending, media has a blind eye for additional costs reform generates such as increased premiums or new taxes. Is it wise to pay more than $200,000 for each job saved or created by the Stimulus? Look at the toxic mortages and refinacing numbers. Look at the the health of government aided autos as opposed to Ford. Spending is a big term. There is much in the new taxes, reform and spending that go either help or hurt. Many Democrats don't seem to care and the ones that do are often labeled as traitors. If Gallop is right, then a minority is trying to convince America they represent the majority. Such convictions don't survive elections, do they? Independents have given their vote once already. Bush is no longer relevant, except as a marker of results in foreign policy. Can't say Iraq, Afganistan, Yemen, Syria, Iran. NK Pakistan, Gaza, Somalia, Sudan, Mexico are doing better now than under Bush. Unfortunately, Obama's spending here is linked to foreign policy to the extent it reflects sound judgements, real vetting, positive results. Of course, lots of money can forstall economic downturns. I see little changed systemically that portends longer term positive trends. But I am hoping. Not sure that is enough however....

So there are two concerns. One is the spending, the idea government can create and empower the drivers of the economy. The second concern is that much of the spending and reform is designed to redistribute weath and power, reward ideology rather than stimulate and reform the engine of prosperity. If recent polls are correct, there are far more conservatives than uber Liberals. The Independents are tracking to the right. This has little to do with Hannity or Rush.

You have said that some stimulus was needed and I agree. The vast sums of money however were not so targeted. There was a bunch of pork. Much was "reward" and the lack of regulation reform and transparency was strange given the campaign rhetoric. I think the money could have been better targeted and the Fed picture is so clouded with talking points, it is hard to get to the real truth regarding the structural health of our economy.

Last, I would suggest that going for a base which is far fewer in number than conservatives is a pllitical mistakes as most of these budgets can easily be reversed by another administration. While Democrats mock Kritstol, and rightly so, it is strange Democrats can apply reason to themselves. With foreign affairs an escalating mess, the economy which will be impacted by healthcare, cap and trade and bad immigration reform, the administration risks losing their majority no matter how loud the Left screams.

In fact, the best thing Democrats have going for them is the Right's self-defeating rudderlessness. Even with the GOP is the dumps, Obama is facing a strong opposition. Shouldn't that be a warning? I would call this first year a victory of any sort. Next year could be terrible and the realism Obama displays domestically may very well indicate the realism he displays abroad.

There is only one suit in Obama's closet he hasn't tried wearing yet. Let's hope that by the time he sees the need to done it, it won't appear too disingenuous and the people to divided to care......

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8340096.stm

Hamas' and Iran's answer to Clinton. The flow of weapons increases to Hizb'Allah, Syria, Yemeni militants, Afghanistan. And here's a good one. Obama promised Russia it would push through a S-400 air defense sale to the Saudis is they with held the S-300 to Iran (and we pull out BMD from Eastern Europe for sanction help against Iran). Reagan had the Saudis promise not to put F-15s near Israel. They put them there anyway. The won't even promise not to put the S-400 near Israel, so Netanyahu is forced to sink the deal. Such are the moves going on, rarely reported. I was surprised Hillary was forced into a few retractions yesterday. AP used the following words: "Clinton eases praise of Israel in light of Arab concerns". Now that is funny. Not too many newspapers pointed out the diplomatic failure that happened in Afghanistan. I guess Obama felt is was a good time to go to Burma as the Press released the story on North Korea converting plutonium rods into weapon usable material.

I have a good suggestion. Push Russia to sell the S-400 to South Korea so we can back-engineer a counter system. Maybe even a system to Israel and Japan. Hell, maybe Poland could use such technology.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269241

Renee, yes, I'm sure they were - I assume his staff recorded those THMs...

I got a look & a listen to Doug Hoffman over the weekend .

That boy is like some weird cloning experiment gone horribly wrong .

They were going for a frog , and came up with a toady.

Max,

I won't match you for words, but my bottom line is this:

Would be have been better off if McCain/Palin had been elected?

I say decidedly no. Obama has had his share if mis-steps, and I certainly do not agree with all of his policies, either domestic or foreign, but on balance, better him than McCain and a continuation of the Bush legacy.

Here'sone of your new Republicans, Ping....

http://www.georgehutchins.com/

This is a pretty thoughtful piece on what is happening in Virgina.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/11/03/what-happened-in-virginia/

Mr. Horsedooty,

Thanks for spreading using 'Potholes Aplenty'. No man was ever more deserving of such a name.

Early in 2001, dick cheney came to MN to interview both norm coleman and Potholes Aplenty, in order to determine which one he would force upon the local republicans as their nominee for US Senator. coleman won the opportunity to be cheney's lapdog for 6 years, being less of a Christian Right type and more of a neo-con.

Potholes, proudly paraded his apostacy from Catholicism to Protestantism, and felt very comfortable mingling among the ceiling scratcher crowd of the Living Word and other Pentacostalish and Gospel of Wealth churches. This seemed beyond norm. who is a quasi-Jew married to a Pius XII style Catholic, as it is for the Orthodox Mammonist, dick cheney. The upshot was that cheney relegated Potholes to running for the MN governorship.

A long succession of DFL gubernatorial campaign managers have held that if you calmly give the voters all the facts, and rationally state your superior qualifications, they will elect you. This was the case in the 2002 gubernatorial race, and as had been the case for a decade the DFL gubernatorial managers' election strategy went down in flames.

A strategically smarter campaign DFL candidate face Potholes in 2006. But this fellow was prosecuting a highly charged and emotional lawsuit while running. At this inopportune moment, the DFL candidate lost his temper and cussed in court. He had a history of being a cusser. He lost the election primarily because that boyishly good-looking devil, Potholes Aplenty, was always smilling and upbeat, and never swore. Potholes' voice was also more melifluous. And of course everyone forgot that the I35 bridge fell down after the Potholes Admin had postponed major maintenance it.

That brings us to today. Potholes is well practised in the art of looking good and speaking well in all venues, and of winning people with his smiley good looks, and sweet words. He makes promises thst he has no intention of pursuing, knowing that there is always a Big Ugly Frog that will provide a distraction from his 'do nothing' record.

Thought for the day :
" Faith goes out through the window when beauty comes in at the door. "

Joe, Max is being misleading again - only counting the expense side of the ledger of the CBO analysis and ignoring the revenue side. CBO has analyzed all the bills that are pending - here's a link to the analyses. Of course it is difficult to say where he got the $1.2 T figure since he gives NO indication of the same.

http://www.cbo.gov/costestimates/health.cfm

Provide links to support your assertions, Max. JHC.

And Joe, you are right about the TRP & Recovery Act expenditures - they rescued the economy from the inertia that it had toward the edge of the abyss. Any other action would have been catastrophic.

L*nch

Healthcare reform is likely to cement his place in history, along with the Iraq withdrawal and the massive stimulus which broke the back of the Great Recession, so he has already accomplished a great deal in his first year. Today's results are really rather insignificant.

Mr Xrepublican,

I owe you for the nick name of Potholes APlenty. I had never heard it until you used it here. Thank you for that.

xrep - You've put your finger on it. The GOoPers believe in subsidizing corporate welfare queens.

I just can't believe how spineless the Dems have been. It's like they're afraid of their own power.

jamie - Ethics committee members list - interesting. While investigating members is not racist, it does have that stenchd. And, I a hard time believing that they are the only ones who need to be under full investigation.

cajun - If McCain/Palin had won, I doubt I would get much sleep at night because I would stay awake to pray for McCain's good health.

Greetings Bob H,

I guess the 'H' in your screen name is for hyperbole; and, it takes a whole bunch of that to make your comment anywhere close to where he's taking us.

Mr Xrepublican,

I owe you for the nick name of Potholes APlenty. I had never heard it until you used it here. Thank you for that.

Posted by: yo soy Horsedooty! Author Profile Page | November 3, 2009 12:36 PM

And we all owe you,Senor Dooty, for morning load!

Max,

Twice you've said 'more than $200,000 per job created.' How did you derive that figure? I'm not disputing you, but just would like to know what figures you are using.

CJ, Max,

No matter what the 'cost', why not treat it like any other capital investment by evaluating all the cash flows ultimately flowing from the job? By doing that, we can better come to grips with the actual 'cost' of the job.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269231

What Joe said

Plus
The last quarter GDP was +3.5% half of that was a direct result of government spending. I suspect that even more was an indirect result of government spending.
Think things are bad now, think what they would be like if we took Pings and Max's worries to heart.

Like I've repeatedly said. The house is burning down, Ping and Max are worried about the water bill.

Jack

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/as-gop-holds-up-unemploym_n_343828.html

The party of NOPE shows their concern for people pushed into unemployment by the current economic climate by delying passage of the UE benefits extension. Reprehensible.

Flatus,

You're right, of course. I did what I promised myself not to do by rising to Max's bait of throwing out data that is designed to incite rather than inform.

Amen to that. Hooray for Dooty On Duty !

So, pong doesn't like big government. I can't think of anything Bigger Britches, Bigger Brother, more intrusive, and more onerous than the republican assertion that Big Government has a compelling, nay, over-riding interest in managing every uterus in the country. Whether one is anti-abortion or not, one has to admit that the republicans want every uterus in the country nationalized, so every female is a breeding slave of the Mega State.

Ya, ayn rand woulda loved that.

Joe, off the top of my head CNN several times mentioned $230,000. I will check a bit later after work, but Politico and Slate both had articles quoting those numbers. If the actual jobs saved or created are lower in number as many suspect, then this cost per job goes up. If I am right about this, wow. Wouldn't you say?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_L%C3%A9vi-Strauss

Levi-Strauss died. It is worth noting that that the critics Wiki mentions don't counter other supportive and serious scientific work as well as explain how the notions he advocated have spilled into the memetic branch of evolutionary study as well as the latest research exposing the depth of our common genetic behavior. Certainly, Campbell showed the ubiquitousness of the Hero Myth. It is quite possible that universal patterns of thought manifest themselves differently given locally isolated linguistic memes and culture. While language is universal, subtle changes in the initial conditions of various populations may have lead to different archetypes and symbols, but much of the "structure" could be quite common and the "intent" and process the same..

An interesting thinker who made it to 100. Bravo..

Joe, it's a Repug talking point.

http://mediamatters.org/research/200901230010

It's intent is to mislead with simplistic analysis.

Flatus
A couple of months ago I took my first round of profits from my Ford stock and decided to buy a railroad stock. I thought about Burlington Northern but went with CSX instead.
Today I get the best of both worlds not only is the BRK stock up but the CSX jumped 7% too

Jack

Pogo,

That's what I thought. It would be like taking the total cost of the Iraq war and dividing it by the number of troops there and saying that's how much it costs to support each soldier.

max doesn't care about spending as long as it is spending to make war on and occupy Iran, and as long as we buy 'manned' spacecraft to go to Mars and manned fighters to defeat the menace of the redChinese air force.

If it's about space travel or killing makes is all in favor of budget busting expenditures.

I don't understand the comments. This was a poorly designed stimulus that selected targeted. No where did I say a stimulus was not in order. Hell, let's say the stimulus has lower the global temperature as well and saved every American's job. Let's look past the pork and pretend this rebuilds our grid, our worn out bridges, solves out energy problem and renews our Auto manufacturing. Has small business really been helped. Is manufacturing returning? Exaggeration Joe. Expectations that are more likely met with anger. You can cherry pick all you like, but perhaps I am like a Raven than a baiting conservative...lol. (see Levi-Strauss)

Is was not a study in smart, comprehensive bipartisan engineering of economic growth and reform. I never said no to government intervention. We are certainly intervening in Afghanistan. I did not see the deliberative process for spending however, like Obama is applying to that worn torn country.

And let's not lose sight of my overall claim and prediction: There are far more conservatives and capitalists than the uber Liberals. Bush failed to understand the politics of governance. I suggest the Democrats don't make the same mistake. Only the more Liberal or more conservative would call this pragamatism and focus on the most important goals, a shout from the GOP peanut gallery.

Resistance is often NOT futile.

Sorry, that 'makes' is supposed to be 'max'.

Mistaqkes wure maid~

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269272

I appreciate your desire to be my unpaid Press Secretary, but X, you're fired. The first requirement for being my spokesperson would be to get my views right and you obviously fail to meet that bar. However, were you to present my views correctly, I would consider keeping you on.

" Ping and Max are worried about the water bill. "

Jack -
We're running out of water as well -

Hard Lessons From Oil Industry May Help Address Burgeoning Groundwater Crisis

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Hard_Lessons_From_Oil_Industry_May_Help_Address_Burgeoning_Groundwater_Crisis_999.html

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269271

Joe, exactly. The figures came from McConnell, then were picked up and repeated by Fox, and now, by Max, who is now trying to backfill.

I will agree with Max that Levi-Strauss was an important anthropologist, particularly in the area of myth considering the discussion of the same his work generated among anthropologists. Plus, he designed som really good jeans. ;-)

Yes, I have3 been unfair to maxtrue, for he has repeatedly talked about the need to rebuild our infrastructure, and yes, he is correct tht the Stimulus Bill would have been better spent in other areas.

Only those jobs saved/created by the Stimulus on which money was expended were reported. This amounts to only half of the Stimulus. The report did not count the number of jobs created/saved by the tax cut part of the Bill. This gives us an opportunity to see which creates/saves jobs more efficiently, fiscal or monetary policy.

Max,

"Liberal...Democrat." Well, I'm neither. I do know something about economics, though, and while your criticism of the stimulus package(s) have some validity, the more important point is that a the major aims of the stimulus were to a: stabilize the credit markets (which it did) and b: to get more money flowing within the economy (which it did and keeps on doing). Exactly what projects were funded were actually of secondary importance. While it would be good to fund projects that had long term beneficial impact, like improving the electric grid or building new bridges where needed, just getting the money circulating was even more important, and was the key to avoiding economic panic and depression. The general public simply has no idea how close we came to a global meltdown.

I also give credit to the Bush administration, who started the ball rolling, and worked with the Democrats in Congress to get the first bailouts passed. Hank Paulson was not a Democrat. And even Alan Greenspan admits that his life-long construct of how economic markets work was fatally flawed.

First Media matters doesn't say all those people who made these claims are Rebublicans, nor does Media Matter refute the claim:

"SUMMARY: Numerous media figures have asserted that the proposed stimulus package supported by President Barack Obama would amount to spending at least $223,000 for every job created, echoing a press release issued by the Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee. But by calculating the per-job cost by dividing the estimated total cost of the stimulus package by the estimated number of jobs created -- and thus suggesting that the sole purpose of that package is to create jobs -- these media figures ignored other tangible benefits stemming from the package, such as infrastructure improvements and education, health, and public safety investments."

It is true that these jobs largely cost what they do. If new studies shows fewer jobs also slashed by defense cuts, the price will go up. Modifying this number by positive results hasn't even been applied yet, has it? The lowering per job is Speculative, isn't it?

The question is to determine the extent these jobs produce results that lower future costs and thus lower the initial labor investment. But that is exactly what was not vetted. And which jobs and projects were selected? When it comes to healthcare Democrats have avoided the CBO projection of INCREASED Premiums. On one issue we closed the contect and in others we broaden it to future savings? There are tons of projects that could improve our future. Since it is the tax payer who produces these funds or must pay the debt, what choice did we have? Who determined the amount and scope? And does the stimulus figure in interest payments as you would all like to subtract future results?

Given the huge cost per job, I was stating the objection to how these funds were released as well as the funds for banking and to fix the housing crisis. Don'y you think debt will wipe out some of Media Matter's savings speculations? Nothing Media Matters says above changes the validity of the objection or the truth that at the moment the US government has paid a lot per job. Who's job? How many for how long? What project relative to our nations biggest problems. What positive results in Detroit?

And again, I did not object to government intervention, did I?

max, U R funny.

Max, the entire idea of preventing a major collapse of an economy depends on the treasury tossing money everywhere it can hoping that most of it will be spent. It doesn't really matter that it is spent well, just that it's spent.

That's Keynes simplified. I'm a Keynesian because no other alternative has been shown to work.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269278

You have been rehired X. Now don't make me look bad when I'm not here or I won't pay you your nonexistent paycheck.

If you must, refer to my pro-active internationalism as "somewhat hawkish" though "driven by realism and human rights", not world domination.

You could be a fine spokesperson....

"Healthcare reform is likely to cement his place in history"

if that reform is nothing but a reformatting then that cement will end up in his politcal shoes.

bob h, greetings and apologies for not properly attributing that cement quote above to you.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269282

Flatus the amounts are amazing. Such an amount should be smartly dropped more so because it doesn't matter that much as you say, unless the savings down the road come from increased security, better healthcare workers, improved energy transmission, etc. etc. A massive tax break could have "stimuluated". I once linked the thousands of bridges and infrastructure that didn't get any stimulus. To ignore the small business sector and manufacturing also isn't smart, but I understand Joe's points and to a degree, agree with them. Still, for many the credit crunch isn't over, not their housing nightmares. We certainly don't seem concerned that the offenders both home buyers and Wall Street weren't punished.

How you can say a few trillion we must pay on the debt on after leveraging ourselves to China is astounding. I do understand the point you were making. I guess I'm simply the flip side to that coin.

Work calls....and X do a good job. I expect you enhance my brilliance not tarnish it so I sound like an old penny upon my return........Do not use Gibbs as a guide. I expect an intellectual and typogenic advocacy showing dignity and respect to all critics.........

If we are going to talk about the entire Stimulus package, the reported cost per job will be lower when the tax break part of the Stimulus is reported.

If the tax break part of the Stimulus is as efficient as the expenditure half was, the cost per job saved/created will obviously be the same, and thus the cost per job of the total Stimulus will have been $111,500. If tax breaks are not as efficient as job growers, the cost will be more; If they are more efficient, the cost per job will be less.

Max, the amounts per capita aren't amazing.

Amazing amounts are the bonuses being paid on Wall Street.

Vallejo, California is bankrupt and today they are attempting to join 40 other cities already taxing text messages....good thing pre-teens and teens don't vote.

BTW, I don't remember hearing of any jobs saved/created from the republicans 2006 Stimulus, the bribe given John and Jane Q. Public that was supposed to save their Congressional majority.

If I remember correctly, that massive Treasury printing had no effect on the economy, it just borrowed the grandkids.

maxtrue,

I'd never accuse you of favoring world domination. You probably aren't even into leather goods.

No, you didn't object to government intervention - you suggested that it was too expensive per job created. The problem is that the underlying analysis is embarassingly stupid and simplistic,(I need to correct the source - it was from the House Appropriations Repugs and bandied about by Boner, not McConnell), completely ignoring the Obey report that accompanied the resolution that became the bill and assuming that jobs creation was the ONLY outcome inteded by the bill.

And it wasn't the CBO that predicted increased premiums - that was the study commissioned by the insurance industry, the study that was disavowed as limited by their assignment by its own authors. In fact, YOU criticized the CBO at the time for not including that in its analysis.

And MM did not project any savings; it pointed out that there were other substantive benefits from the stimulus funds and that the sole purpose of the money was not jobs creation. See the Obey report for more detail).

You should really try reading things before you comment on them as if you know what they say.

But now I've got to go mulch leaves while it is sunny, dry and tolerably mild.

btw, $90 billion was inteneded to go to infrastructure improvement (Roads, bridges, Transit & waterways) and $275 B to economic recovery tax cuts.

XR, you have your work cut out for yyou.

The fact that the massive money waste under babybush and the added bailouts and Stimulus under President Obama taken together have barely jacked up interest rates, should demonstrate just how deep and how nasty this republican Depression is.

Still, we aren't likely to have a 2006 style Christmas for at least another year or 2.

Not me, Pogo, I retired last week. The phone wasn't ringing anyway, so what the hell.

My republican Depression began in the late Summer & early Fall of 2006. I had hardly any business that season and since. So, last week I decided to officially become an old man, opening up a position in which some young person can starve while waiting for the phone to ring. I'd call myself a philanthropist, if Uncle Sam wasn't going to send me Soc. Sec. checks.

Posted by: maxtrue | November 3, 2009 3:02 PM :
"X do a good job. I expect you enhance my brilliance not tarnish it so I sound like an old penny upon my return........Do not use Gibbs as a guide. I expect an intellectual and typogenic advocacy showing dignity and respect to all critics...."

Surely, you jest.

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2009/11/obama-prepares-for-the-worst.html#comment-269295

Congrats on the retirement!!

X-R

Enjoy yourself! You earned it. I see a lot of people retiring due to Shrubbian Economics and many will live less well. It is a good thing the best things in life are free.

Xrep....
I hoist a glass of old vine Zinfandel and toast in honor of your retirement, sir....
Congrats!

I'm watching Wolf Blitzer and is reporting only 42% approval for the way Pres. Obama is handling healthcare.

They interpret this to mean people don't support comprehensive reform.

They neglect to recognize that a not insignificant amount of the disapproval comes from those who feel the President isn't being strong enough in this fight.

If asked, I would say I disapprove of Obama regarding this issue, but it would be because I don't think he is enough of a fighter for this issue.

XR,

welcome to the old farts club. I been a member for about 3 years now. Just remember though, when you are retired there are now days off and no vacation days. You are just retired.

Have any of the elections been called yet?

Just cruised by MSNBC
Tweety hosting Elliott Spitzer and the Bigot Buchanan

could not change the channel fast enough...Buchanan must have some memory issues. I don't see how he can spew this crap and still show his face.

Congrats x! I'm hoisting a glass of pinot in your honor, enjoy your new found freedom!

I recently retired from teaching. I love having time to do all the things I like such as working on campaigns.

I miss teaching and will start substituting in January.

OD...
then I hoist a glass of old vine Zinfandel and toast in honor of your retirement as well, sir.....
Congrats!

and I agree on your sentiments regarding Obama and healthcare reform.....
I too think most disapprove of his handling of it because he isn't really fighting for much reform....

NEW THREAD

Craig,

I usually don't disagree with you, but I don't think it is the spending that is worrying Independents. It is the perception that the money is being spent on the worng things. They are seeing trillions go out for war and wall street without making any changes in their lives. Their retirement funds have been depleted, many of the smaller banks have been taken over, the feeling is that DC is some foreign country that doesn't really give a damn about the 50 states they are supposed to serve.

Greed is Good has come crashing around their ears and they blame everything in power not just Obama. If they blame him at all is is that "Yes We Can" seems to have become, "We might get around to it eventually".

XR

You will love retirement, but you will find that you have never worked harder in your life ... it's just that you get to do stuff you want to do and take naps when you aren't doing it.

NEW THREAD

Thank you Renee..