Lack of imagination (2)

An earlier post today commented on Greenspan's lack of imagination, and suggested that while Fed Chairman he had discounted the risk of really bad things happening.

Here's a repost from long ago providing documentation of these sentiments:

Note: the current mess was to some extent anticipated by a near-deified expert, Alan Greenspan:

The apparent froth in housing markets appears to have interacted with evolving practices in mortgage markets. The increase in the prevalence of interest-only loans and the introduction of more-exotic forms of adjustable-rate mortgages are developments of particular concern. To be sure, these financing vehicles have their appropriate uses. But some households may be employing these instruments to purchase homes that would otherwise be unaffordable, and consequently their use could be adding to pressures in the housing market. Moreover, these contracts may leave some mortgagors vulnerable to adverse events. It is important that lenders fully appreciate the risk that some households may have trouble meeting monthly payments as interest rates and the macroeconomic climate change.
[Testimony of Chairman Alan Greenspan
Federal Reserve Board's semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress
Before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives
July 20, 2005]

Alas, he somewhat undermined the doom-and-gloom picture in his very next paragraph:

The U.S. economy has weathered such episodes before without experiencing significant declines in the national average level of home prices. Nevertheless, we certainly cannot rule out declines in home prices, especially in some local markets. If declines were to occur, they likely would be accompanied by some economic stress, though the macroeconomic implications need not be substantial. Nationwide banking and widespread securitization of mortgages make financial intermediation less likely to be impaired than it was in some previous episodes of regional house-price correction. Moreover, a decline in the national housing price level would need to be substantial to trigger a significant rise in foreclosures, because the vast majority of homeowners have built up substantial equity in their homes despite large mortgage-market-financed withdrawals of home equity in recent years.

So, although we "cannot rule out" bad things happening, it's best to pretend that they won't... after all, "a decline in the national housing price level would need to be substantial to trigger a significant rise in foreclosures", and we know that's just not going to happen!

It's fun to be able to exploit my psychic abilities by simply reposting some previous bit of brilliant commentary!

I note today that "widespread securitization of mortgages" in fact did NOT "make financial intermediation less likely to be impaired", but is, in fact, a cause of the crisis we now face.
No one really understood the technical details of this "widespread securitization", not even the demi-god Greenspan.
As it turns out, it was just exactly this unregulated "widespread securitization of mortgages" that has cratered the U.S. financial system!

Stop the madness!

Are we appeasing Iran?

Bush intends to establish U.S. diplomatic outpost in Iran
By Warren P. Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers
23 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration will announce in mid-November, after the presidential election, that it intends to establish the first U.S. diplomatic presence in Iran since the 1979-81 hostage crisis, according to senior Bush administration officials.

Will Fox News, William Kristol, and the rest of the conservative establishment shout, "Appeasement!"???

W still scrambles to rescue something for his legacy.
His much-heralded mid-East peace initiative, announced earlier this year amid much hoopla at Annapolis summit, seems to have come to naught.
There's some chance that recent negotiations with N. Korea will bear fruit - a bit on the "too little, too late" side... after W deliberately, vocally walked away from negotiations in his first months in office, 7.5 years ago.

He must be getting desperate to even entertain the idea of a diplomatic mission to Tehran.

Meanwhile, Gitmo is still a festering wound in the side of America's international reputation.

Have a nice day.

Lack of imagination

Greenspan "shocked" at credit system breakdown
By Mark Felsenthal Mark Felsenthal
23 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told Congress on Thursday he is "shocked" at the breakdown in U.S. credit markets and said he was "partially" wrong to resist regulation of some securities.

Despite concerns he had in 2005 that risks were being underestimated by investors, "this crisis, however, has turned out to be much broader than anything I could have imagined," Greenspan said in remarks prepared for delivery to the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Is lack of imagination a Republican trait?

Note: in previous testimony before Congress as Fed Chair, Greenspan acknowledged that if things went south, it could be very bad... but discounted this as an extremely unlikely possibility. I've noted before that most of us facing very bad but very unlikely possibilities buy insurance to mitigate the bad outcomes should they, in fact, occur! In the present case, "insurance" was available in the form of increased regulation, perhaps requiring more substantial cash reserves, perhaps limiting certain types of trades,... I'm not a financial or regulatory expert, but I'm pretty sure that some regulatory limits on the deified 'free-market' would have mitigated some of the bad things we are now experiencing.

Yes - it would have cost something... all insurance costs something. But the main costs would have been borne by the folks being regulated - they'd not have been able to play quite so freely. As it has turned out, without this regulatory insurance, it's costing a lot! - and the costs are being borne by the Government.

Stop the madness!

Filene's basement

Prediction: the Dow will head south later today, Thurs, 23 Oct.

The source of my psychic abilities (if such they be):

Asia stocks at 4-year low as global economy slows
By Kevin Plumberg Kevin Plumberg – 23 Oct 2008
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Asian stocks fell to a 4-year low on Thursday on growing fears emerging market weakness will prolong a global recession and depress corporate earnings, pushing the yen to a 6-year high against the euro.

The Filene's reference: Filene's is a dept store in Boston, known for its free-market bargain basement.

Warren Buffett & I are both advising buying.

T-minus 8 and counting

Maybe Hezbollah won't be the alleged perpetrator:

“If Al Qaeda carries out a big operation against American interests this act will be support of McCain because it will push the Americans deliberately to vote for McCain so that he takes revenge for them against Al Qaeda. Al-Qaeda then will succeed in exhausting America till its last year in it.”
[Al Qaeda-linked Web site backs McCain as president, Detroit Free Press, 22 Oct 2008]

Okay: I'm willing to accept a presumed al Qaeda attack on 31 Oct 2008 as confirming my insane conspiracy theory.

... tho' I am betting that such an attack would not lead to a McCain victory, but rather to a suspension of the election!

Please remember: you heard it here first!

"Pulling a 'Bulworth'": a public service

Tonight on CNN's Hardball with Chris Matthews, MSNBC political analyst Chuck Todd wondered if the Republican candidates "were pulling a 'Bulworth'".

For those of you as ignorant of popular culture as I, here's the reference:

Bulworth: 1998 film starring Warren Beatty & Halle Berry

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia's plot summary:
"... A veteran Senate Democrat, Bulworth is losing his bid for re-election to a fiery young opponent.
...
Tired with the state of affairs and politics in general, he then contracts to have himself assassinated within two days' time. Here, Bulworth takes a major turn, politically and personally. Knowing his time left on earth is short, he begins speaking his mind freely at public events and in the presence of the C-SPAN film crew following his campaign. His frank, potentially offensive remarks make him an instant media darling and re-energize his campaign.
[Wikipedia entry, >Bulworth]

I'm guessing that Chuck Todd's reference was to the highlighted section above... perhaps also suggesting that the Republican candidates were both "tired with the state of affairs and politics in general".
(I'm guessing, again, that Chuck Todd was NOT suggesting that either Sen. McCain or Gov. Palin was planning to have him or herself assassinated!)

Have a nice day.

On the campaign trail (NM1)

First of three televised debates held tonight between Dem. Martin Heinrich & Rep. Darren White, on KOB TV-4.
I didn't watch (WS, Game 1).

Public service: upcoming debates

KNME TV-5, 7 p.m., Thurs, 23 Oct
KOAT Channel 7, 4 p.m., Sunday, 26 Oct

Not televised:
Congregation Albert, Sun, 9:30 a.m., 26 Oct.
3800 Louisiana NE
Albuquerque
[note: tickets may be required; I'll post info when I get it!]

In other news: Three of us started and finished a 1000-piece mailing today - pretty much 5 hours of uninterrupted folding/stuffing/sealing.

Less than 2 weeks till the election.
I sure hope we know results - at least for NM1 - when the polls close.
(In 2006 it was more than a week before final tabulation was completed - a very close race. Dem candidate lost by about 800 votes out of 200,000 cast!)

Have a nice day.

World Series, Game 1: Phillies 3, Rays 2

I'm pulling for the Rays.

[pointless aside: I think managers get way too clever with late-inning relief pitching!]

equal time

Lots of mindless chatter regarding:

Al Qaeda-linked Web sites revel in U.S. crisis, pull for McCain
By Joby Warrick and Karen DeYoung | The Washington Post
October 22, 2008
... "Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election," said a commentary posted Monday on the jihadist Web site al-Hesbah, which is closely linked to the terrorist group. It said the Arizona Republican would continue the "failing march of his predecessor," President Bush.

Does anyone care?

Well... Just in case: I claim equal time!
Al Qaeda in Albuquerque endorses Sen. Barack Hussein Obama!
Why?

Because Sen. Barack Hussein Obama will NOT follow W's failed policies:
- policies that have directly contributed to the resurgence of al Qaeda in the wake of our Iraq fiasco;
- policies that have weakened America's economy;
- policies that have strained to the breaking-point America's military.

Sen. Barack Hussein Obama offers the country a change from the past eight years of Republican mis-rule, and a message of hope for the future.

... What's more: Sen. Barack Hussein Obama does not resort to fear to advance his candidacy, and is unlikely to resort to fear to advance his policies once President.

Note: "al Qaeda in Albuquerque" is NOT affiliated with Osama bin Laden's similarly-named organization!

Stop the madness!

politics be painful

I tune in to MSNBC, CNN, maybe a network newscast... to learn the NEWS.
What do I find instead? "McCain said...", "Palin said...", "Obama said..."
Sometimes there's a variant: "McCain spokesman said..."
OR - even more irritating - I find some Brilliant Political Analyst opining on just what it means (or meant) that "McCain said..."

... and then there are the polls.

I'm pretty sure the world has not stopped to watch our Presidental Campaign.
Where's the beef?... you know, the NEWS?

Have a nice day.

McCain fires Palin! Hires Lieberman!! Suspends campaign!!!

McCain fires Palin, Taps Lieberman
Swordfish1543, SNS correspondent
21 Oct 2008
Sen. John McCain announced late this evening that he had asked for Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation as VP, and that he'd "reached across the aisle" to Sen. Joseph Lieberman to replace Palin as his running mate.
McCain noted that, "Joe knows the difference between Sunnis and Shiites, and was alive during the Cuban Missile Crisis."

Nah - I made that up.

Will it find it's way into the discussion?

I doubt it... but I can hope!

Bay Buchanan is crazy!

Certifiable.

apologies for reposting material not my own...

... but some folks get paid to write eloquent rhetoric.
I'm not one of 'em.
The screenwriters of The American President, on the other hand...

Here goes: excerpts from President Andrew Shepard's speech, The American President:

"... America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours." You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms.

Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.
..."

THAT is the America I learned in 8th-grade Civics!!!

G&S and the economy (honest!)

Visitors to AQA may notice that The Gilbert & Sullivan Archive is listed as one of my favorites.

One of my correspondents (an old Army bud) forwarded the following:

(To the tune of "Here's a Howdy-Do", from the Mikado)

Here’s a how-de-do!
If I bail out you,
All the other firms will follow,
Till the federal bank is hollow.
If I bail out you!
If I bail out you!

Was the Quant jock smart?
Pulled mortgages apart,
Rearranged them willy-nilly,
Turning B’s to A’s, that’s silly.
Why’d they ever start?
Were they really smart?

What did Shiller say,
Long before today?
“We are in a housing bubble,
Subprime credit swaps are trouble,”
That’s what Shiller said.
He could look ahead.

Here’s the guy from Bear
In his underwear,
Nothing left inside his closet,
Nothing earned for a deposit,
Do we really care?
Here’s the guy from Bear.

Where’s the S.E.C.?
Setting markets free!
Let all the banks self regulate,
The profit motives really great,
So said the S.E.C.,
Who led the S.E.C.?

Morgan may be next!
Now we’re all perplexed.
No more money in the budget,
What the hell, we’ll have to fudge it.
Let our children pay,
That’s what we all say!

Here’s a how-de-do!
If I bail out you,
Our taxpayers will be hurtin’,
That we know for good and certain.
Here’s a how-de-do!
Here’s a how-de-do!

Sometime now long ago I opined that an appropriate Gilbert & Sullivan or Tom Lehrer quotation could be found to match just about any situation.

I was right!
... well... okay - this isn't really G&S, but I'll count plausible parodies!

Stop the madness!!!

Another of W's successes!

Russia, Iran and Qatar discuss forming gas cartel
By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press Writer Nasser Karimi, Associated Press Writer
Tue Oct 21, 2008
TEHRAN, Iran – Russia, Iran and Qatar made the first serious moves Tuesday toward forming an OPEC-style cartel on natural gas, raising concerns that Moscow could boost its influence over energy markets spanning from Europe to South Asia.

The litany of W's "accomplishments" is simply flabbergasting!

Recall: Qatar is location of CentCom communiques during Iraq invasion. They aren't - or, at any rate - weren't our enemies!

We won't talk to Iran?
No problem - the Russians will!!!
Ah, yes. I almost forgot:

"I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straight forward and trustworthy and we had a very good dialogue.

I was able to get a sense of his soul."
[Bush and Putin: Best of friends]

Stop the madness.

A long, desultory post: my beliefs, my fears

Note: this post has been delayed a day or so, awaiting the Hardball transcript.
I want to get the quotation right!
'Hardball with Chris Matthews' for Friday October 17, 2008:

[Minnesota Congresswoman Michele] BACHMANN: What I would say—what I would say is that the news media should do a penetrating expose and take a look. I wish they would. I wish the American media would take a great look at the views of the people in Congress and find out, are they pro-America or anti-America?

Followed closely by...

[N.C. Congressman Robin] Hayes: "... liberals hate real Americans that work and achieve and believe in God."

Me? My bona fides:

Enlisted in U.S. Army, voluntarily, April, 1975.
Honorable Discharge.
Registered to vote, 1971.
Voted in every Presidential election from 1972 forward.
(note: I voted for McGovern in 1972 - I've moved to the Left since then!)
Filed Federal & state income tax annually, 1974-2007.
Retired from Fortune 100 company.

I consider myself an American.
Not only an American, but a loyal and patriotic American!

What I know of government, and much of what I know about America, I learned in public schools. My knowledge of government? - pretty much limited to 8th-grade Civics class (thank you, Miss Helen Giffert!).

Required reading in 10th-grade U.S. History class: Masters of Deceit, by J. Edgar Hoover.

I am extremely distressed to hear our elected Representatives espouse the opinion that, as a self-confessed liberal, I am anti-American.

The implication seems to be that if I question my Government, if I suggest that just maybe things could be a little different - perhaps a little better - then I hate my country.

I sing in a church choir - and have for the past 12 years.

I am voting straight-ticket Democratic this time around - perhaps the first time in my political life I have done so (I frequently have voted in protest for meaningless 3rd-party candidates, at all levels).
Why?
Because I am afraid of the Republicans!
They believe that I am anti-American!
They believe that I hate America, MY country!!!

Do I care what Sarah Palin's wardrobe costs?
No!
Do I care that Sarah Palin none-too-subtly insinuates that Sen. Obama is a terrorist?
YES!!!

My vision of America is shaped by texts memorized in Miss Giffert's 8th-grade Civics class:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."
[Declaration of Independence]

"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
...
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
[The Gettysburg Address, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania;November 19, 1863]

"... Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
[The New Colossus, Emma Lazarus]

Stop the madness!!!

On the campaign trail

Day 2 getting a mailing out.

I got a paper-cut... folding!
If anyone can explain to me how this is possible, I'd be happy to learn!

The power of a C&L reference

About a week ago I self-promoted to Mike's Blog Roundup over at Crooks and Liars.

I repeated the self-promotion on Sunday, 20 Oct.
Apparently this flood of self-promotion was too much for Mike Finnigan to ignore!
Yesterday, AQA got a mention in his "Off the beaten path" section.
The result?

I had 376 visits yesterday!

My typical readership? Something less than 20 visits/day.

Will any of these folks return? Who knows?
... BUT: it was fun!

Returning the favor: visit Crooks and Liars.

Have a nice day.

The Vice-Presidency and the Senate

Q: Brandon Garcia wants to know, “What does the Vice President do?”
PALIN: That’s something that Piper would ask me! …
[T]hey’re in charge of the U.S. Senate so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes that will make life better for Brandon and his family and his classroom.
[Palin: Vice President “In Charge of” the Senate (!?!), Jackson Free Press, 21 Oct 2008]

Our first Vice-President, John Adams, tried this. As Joseph J. Ellis reminds us in Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation:

During his eight years in office Adams cast more tie-breaking votes - at least thirty-one and perhaps as many as thirty-eight - than any subsequent vice president in American history...
But after Adams's initial fling at participating in the debates,

the members of the Senate decided that the vice president was not permitted to speak.

"It is to be sure a punishment to hear other men talk free hours every day," Adams wrote to Abigail, "and not be at liberty to talk at all myself, especially as more than half I hear appears to me very young, inconsiderate, and inexperienced."
[Founding Brothers, page 166]

From Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate) we learn that:

Holding the least understood, most ridiculed, and most often ignored constitutional office in the federal government, American vice presidents have included some remarkable individuals.
...
Under the original code of Senate rules, the presiding officer exercised great power over the conduct of the body's proceedings. Rule XVI provided that "every question of order shall be decided by the President [of the Senate], without debate; but if there be a doubt in his mind, he may call for a sense of the Senate." Thus, contrary to later practice, the presiding officer was the sole judge of proper procedure and his rulings could not be turned aside by the full Senate without his assent.

The first two vice presidents, Adams and Jefferson, did much to shape the nature of the office, setting precedents that were followed by others. During most of the nineteenth century, the degree of influence and the role played within the Senate depended chiefly on the personality and inclinations of the individual involved. Some had great parliamentary skill and presided well, while others found the task boring, were incapable of maintaining order, or chose to spend most of their time away from Washington, leaving the duty to a president pro tempore. Some made an effort to preside fairly, while others used their position to promote the political agenda of the administration.

During the twentieth century, the role of the vice president has evolved into more of an executive branch position. Now, the vice president is usually seen as an integral part of a president's administration and presides over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions or when a tie-breaking vote may be needed. Yet, even though the nature of the job has changed, it is still greatly affected by the personality and skills of the individual incumbent.
[Reprinted from:
Mark O. Hatfield, with the Senate Historical Office,
Vice Presidents of the United States, 1789-1993,
Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1997, pp. xiii-xxiii.]

And finally, from the U.S. Constitution:

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no vote, unless they be equally divided.
[U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 3]

Note: I'd hoped to beat Keith Olbermann to the punch on this one, but lost!
[BUT: I do have references other than the U.S. Constitution!]

Have a nice day.

Preparing my public

Loyal readers:
This blog was begun as an avenue to vent my continual anger at W and his minions.

As the 2008 election approaches, I doubt - despite my insane conspiracy theory - that I'll have W to kick around much longer.

When Sen. Obama is chosen by the Electoral College, I'll have nothing else to bitch about.

At that point, I anticipate winding down this blog.
Who knows? Maybe I'll find myself compelled to continue writing anti-Administration polemics... but I doubt it.

Prepare yourself.

Back to basics.

I've recently found myself engrossed by politics.
That was NOT the original intent of this blog.

As stated on left-hand banner, the original intent was to, "Restore the U.S. Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land!"

What would I prefer to see the campaigns debate?

"We the people of the United States, in order to

form a more perfect union,
establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare,

and

secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

There's plenty of wiggle-room here.

Honest people, espousing honest positions, can honestly disagree on the best ways by which to attain these ends... but I'd prefer every candidate, from county dog-catcher on up, start from the premise that these six (6) simple aims are our aims.

These six simple aims ought be the basis of all political discussion.
How ought we attain them?

Have a nice day.

What does this mean?

Momentum building for new economy-boosting package

"Economy-boosting package"???

Hmmm... wonder if I'll get a tax rebate?
... or perhaps a check from the govt for... what, $50,000???
That'd be nice.

What happened to "balance the budget"? Isn't W a fiscal conservative?

Once upon a time I harped on the $600,000,000,000 we've squandered in Iraq. Now? Heck - that looks like a bargain compared to what's quickly becoming $$$ measured in trillions for economic relief!!!

Could someone please explain to me why anyone is voting for McCain???

Stop the madness!!!

On the campaign trail (2)

Back at Campaign Headquarters today - helping with a mailing.
I've probably mentioned this before:
there are 5 basic tasks associated with preparing a mailing:

stamp
address
fold
stuff
seal

Most of my day was spent on task #2: address.

Peel off pre-printed label; affix to envelope.

At one point I took a break, and contributed to task #3: fold!
Fold letter; insert contribution envelope.

There were 4-6 of us working on this. I arrived at about 11:30 a.m. and left at 4:30.
One fellow worked from 10 to 4.

We completed about 2/3 of a 1300-piece mailing.
Rumor was that others would be showing up after work to complete the project.

Tomorrow?
Back to Campaign Headquarters to work on two more mailings!
(Maybe I'll get to stuff!!!)

Have a nice day.

On the campaign trail (1)

I attended a campaign event last week - the second such I've attended since june.

This one? B-day party for The Candidate, held at O'Neills pub, complete with bluegrass music.
As the campaign manager noted: if we can't get people to show up for beer & music, we're in bad shape.

O'Neills being an Irish pub, I drank Guinness.
(note: I'm not a big fan of Guinness... but O'Neills is an Irish pub!)

After the obligatory 2 pints, I headed home.

The music - several different bands featured - was wonderful.

"Happy Birthday, Martin!"

Blast from the past (2)

0% tax rate:

If your respected opponent attempts to label you as a “tax and spend liberal”, point to our ballooning deficit, and suggest that “tax and spend” is a somewhat more responsible policy than “borrow and spend.” Use some homey examples to illustrate your point. (e.g., “How would you counsel an alcoholic who takes out a second mortgage on his house to pay for booze?”)

If s/he presses the point, suggest a 0% tax rate. Argue that if lower taxes are uniformly good, then no taxes ought to be perfect. Ask him/er why s/he does not advocate no taxes. What ought be funded? How does s/he propose to pay for it? [Note: the “no taxes” idea might appeal to the Grover Norquist wing of the Republican party – don’t worry: they’re not going to vote for you – the Democrat – under any circumstances!]

There are tons of statistics out there strongly suggesting W’s policies have been a boon to Big Biz and a disaster for the rest of us. Use ‘em! [easy ones: gas prices, 2003 vs today; oil prices 2003 vs today.]

(Yep - I'm recycling & self-referencing... it's easy!)

Blast from the past (1)

Recall:

"THE PRESIDENT: They will try to hide, they will try to avoid the United States and our allies - but we're not going to let them. They run to the hills; they find holes to get in. And we will do whatever it takes to smoke them out and get them running, and we'll get them."
[President Urges Readiness and Patience, Remarks by the President, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Attorney General John Ashcroft; Camp David; Thurmont, Maryland; 15 Sep 2001]

[Mullah] Omar: I am considering two promises. One is the promise of God, the other is that of Bush. The promise of God is that my land is vast. If you start a journey on God's path, you can reside anywhere on this earth and will be protected... The promise of Bush is that there is no place on earth where you can hide that I cannot find you. We will see which one of these two promises is fulfilled."
[Mullah Omar - in his own words, The Guardian, Wednesday September 26 2001]

Given the following, I'm betting on Mullah Omar:

Official: 30 killed in Taliban bus attack in Afghanistan
CNN, 19 Oct 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan officials say Taliban militants have killed about 30 Afghans after stopping a bus on a highway and taking the passengers hostage.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi says 31 people were killed in the attack in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, a dangerous region just west of Kandahar city.

Azimi says six of the dead were beheaded.

Stop the madness!!!

Let's talk about the re-distribution of wealth.

Sen. McCain has been very vocal lambasting Sen. Obama's tax plan as a "redistribution of wealth".

Let's look at the data for a moment.

Since 1981 - spear-headed by Reagan's "trickle-down" economic theories, wealth has been redistributed.
In 1981, median household income was $40,573. In 2006 (latest figure available), it was $48,201. (Both cited in 2006 dollars).
This represents an 18.8% increase over 25 years.
In 1981, the 95th percentile of household incomes was $117,419. In 2006 (again, latest figure available), it was $174,012. (Both cited in 2006 dollars).
This represents a 48.2% increase over 25 years.

The rich have been getting richer relative to the median!

So, yes - let's talk about the redistribution of wealth in America!

Wow - it's a good thing we went after Saddam!

Okay - that heading is a bit too flippant an intro for the following:

Official: 30 killed in Taliban bus attack in Afghanistan
CNN, 19 Oct 2008
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- Afghan officials say Taliban militants have killed about 30 Afghans after stopping a bus on a highway and taking the passengers hostage.

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi says 31 people were killed in the attack in the Maiwand district of Kandahar province, a dangerous region just west of Kandahar city.

Azimi says six of the dead were beheaded.

Pretty gruesome.

Folks, we're now losing two wars - one of which is actually directly related to the 9/11 attacks.
Osama bin Laden is still a free man.
Mullah Omar is still a free man.
The Taliban are sufficiently resurgent to operate openly and brazenly within Afghanistan - stopping a bus to execute the passengers.

Stop the madness!!!

This is fun!

Pity poor John McCain.
Today on Fox News:

MCCAIN: Of course. It was a package that had to be enacted because the economy was about to go into the tank.
...
If we don't turn — the housing market was the catalyst — the greed and excess, and Fannie Mae and Freddie, which some of us proposed legislation to rein in — the Democrats were in charge of Congress for most six — for the last couple of years, and they did not act, and so — and Senator Obama did not act.
[Transcript: John McCain on 'FOX News Sunday', 19 Oct 2008]

And what do we learn today about Freddie & Fannie?

AP IMPACT: Mortgage firm arranged stealth campaign
By PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
19 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON – Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.

To quote a Miller Beer ad:

It doesn't get any better than this!

Those of you who've been paying attention will recognize that McCain's latest Fox interview is consistent with his repeated diagnosis of the problem:
Freddie & Fannie are the culprits! If only the Dems had agreed to regulate 'em, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Again, those of you who've been paying attention will recognize that Freddie & Fannie may be emblematic of the problem, but they ain't the cause... and it was the Republicans' fervent faith in de-regulation that contributed to both the little-"s" sin of not more stringently regulating Freddie & Fannie, and the the big-"S" Sin of not regulating anything at all that led us into this ditch.

"The market is perfect" and "regulation is bad" are Republican mantras.
McCain's attempts to pin this on the Dems are pathetic!

Stop the madness!!!

p.s. ... and if Sen. McCain's diagnosis of current economic meltdown is that it's all due to Freddie & Fannie, what does that say about his ability to seriously address anything resembling a serious solution?

Powell's endorsement - just a snippet

As everyone who cares knows by now, Gen. Colin Powell today endorsed Sen. Obama on "Meet the Press".
Gen. Powell gave a number of reasons.
I'm going to draw attention to a teeny little bit, an almost inconsequential bit, sandwiched in between much else that Gen. Powell had to say:

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president?
['Meet the Press' transcript for Oct. 19, 2008]

Gen. Powell nailed it, and did what Sen. McCain has been unable to do: distinguish the correct answer from the really right answer.

I alluded to this previously, noting that Sen. McCain's robocalls may contain narrowly "truthful" claims... but are NOT "honest"... and that Sen. McCain seems unable to distinguish between these two concepts.

Gen. Powell's "really right" answer to the supposed Muslim slur is perfect. What if Obama were Muslim? So what???

Recall - just a few days ago, Senators McCain and Obama appeared at a charity dinner in honor of Alfred E. Smith - the first Catholic to run for President. Al Smith's Catholicism was an issue, and contributed to his defeat at the polls. Similarly, John Kennedy's Catholicism was an issue which he confronted directly in his Address to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a speech that has become a model of modern political rhetoric.

When will it be okay for an American Muslim to run for President?

I note that Gen. Powell's inclusive vision of America is far-removed from what the McCain campaign in particular, and the Republican Party in general seem to espouse... and that Gen. Powell's inclusive vision is much more in line with what the Framers had in mind:

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the members of the several state legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several states, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
[U.S. Constitution, Article VI]

Stop the madness!

meanwhile: Iraqi govt asserts its independence

Shiite bloc holds off OK to US-Iraq security pact
By ROBERT H. REID and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writers
19 Oct 2008
BAGHDAD – Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's ruling Shiite coalition withheld support Sunday for the proposed security pact that would keep U.S. troops here for three more years, dealing a setback to American hopes of a speedy approval of the agreement.

Just a reminder: The U.N. mandate under with U.S. forces in Iraq currently operate expires in December.
Without a SOFA in place, the U.S. will have no legal authority to keep troops in Iraq.

Interesting.

Stop the madness!

Rays 3, Bosox 1...

... Tampa Bay wins ALCS, 4 games to 3.

Why does this NOT inspire confidence?

Bush will host world leaders at economic summit

Recall: W is the guy with the anti-Midas touch.
Whatever he touches turns to feces.

Until reality was simply too starkly insistent to ignore, he insisted that the economy was just hunky-dory.

Now he wants to calm our fears by promising to solve the problems he and his policies created???

Um... sorry, W - maybe you should wait till the grownups are seated in the Oval Office.
This might be a really good time to take a vacation down in Crawford.

pointless, but fun!

The Invisible Hand Gets Ready to Smack America Silly

The Adam Smith reference is what drew me to this headline from FireDogLake.

Yeah - I know this is an obscure reference, and smacks of 'elitism' - but it's a lot of fun anyway!

Have a nice day.

The appropriate tone: mocking

Biden mocks Palin, says entire nation is patriotic

No, I didn't read the article, but the headline caught my eye:

Biden mocks Palin

As I've suggested before (here, and here... and other places: search blog for "ridicule" and "mock")... anyway, as I was saying: As I've suggested before: ridicule and mockery are the appropriate tones to adopt when challenging the opponent.

In the past I've advocated this tone with reference to W and his minions.

Today, I advocate this tone of ridicule and mockery when addressing Sen. McCain.
The previously posted reference to Shakespeare attempts this attitude.

Our opponents are not serious people.
They - McCain & Palin - deserve to be mocked.

Stop the madness!

All Shakespeare, all the time

Recall Antony's speech from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar:

"And Brutus is an honourable man."

I've referenced this previously, here, and here.

The point of this post? To emphasize the specific tactic I'd really like to see Sen. Obama and his campaign adopt in response to the slurs:

"Senator McCain's campaign insinuates that I am in league with terrorists.
And Senator McCain is an honourable man.

Senator McCain's campaign hints that I am un-American.
But Senator McCain is an honourable man.

Yes, Senator McCain's campaign has sunk to character assassination, knowing that they can't win on the issues...
And, sure, Senator McCain is an honourable man."

Yes, I've posted this before... but previously it was featured as a postscript.

Today, now, I'd like to emphasize this approach as a direct response to, for example, McCain's highly-publicized robocalls equating Sen. Obama with domestic terrorists.

Have a nice day.

Ayers and the talking heads (the last, i promise!)

Why don't the talking heads ever pursue this line of questioning?

"Bill Ayers is a Distinguished Professor and University Scholar at the University of Illinois, Chicago. If you're accusing Sen. Obama of 'palling around with terrorists', are you also, by implication, accusing the entire faculty of the University of Illinois, Chicago, of 'palling around with terrorists'?"

"Has Bill Ayers ever been convicted of any crimes in a U.S. court? What happened to 'innocent until proven guilty'?"

By focusing on "... but Obama was 8-yrs-old" when Ayers was a mad bomber, they do nothing to question the basic tactic of "guilt by association".

Okay. I'll shut up now.

more of my insanity...

McCain excuses his "association" with G. Gordon Liddy by asserting that Liddy "has paid his debt to society".

This made me curious about former domestic terrorist, Bill Ayers.
Has he ever been tried for his crimes? Has he served time?

No.
Bill Ayers turned himself in to authorities in 1980.
Federal charges had since been dropped due to prosecutorial misconduct.

He has never been convicted of a crime. G. Gordon Liddy has.

He is currently a Distinguished Professor & University Scholar at the University of Illinois, Chicago.
Would McCain characterize all members of the faculty of the University as folks who "pal around with terrorists"?

[all info on Ayers from Wikipedia, Bill Ayers.]

If I were insane...

My robocall:

"Hello, I'm calling on behalf of Al Qaeda in Albuquerque.
Did you know that John McCain associated exclusively with Communists from 1967 to 1973?
Did you know that when John McCain was given an opportunity to sever this association in 1968, he refused?
That's right - when given the choice, John McCain preferred to continue his association with Communists rather than return to the United States."

The claims made in this insane "robocall" are TRUE.
(Yes - John McCain did associate exclusively with North Vietnamese Communists from Oct 1967 to March 1973.
Yes - John McCain did refuse release in 1968.)
Are the claims honest? NO!!!

There is a distinction to be made between "truthful" and "honest".

John McCain doesn't seem to get the difference.
(But, John McCain is an honorable man!)

Public service: early voting

Early voting in Bernalillo County begins tomorrow, Saturday, 18 October.

Me? Weird as it may sound, I actually enjoy standing in line with my neighbors on election day. It makes me feel both patriotic & neighborly!

But... for those of you who'd prefer to avoid the possible election-day delays, here's a list of early voting sites:

Paradise Hills Community Center, 5901 Paradise Blvd NW
Los Ranchos Villa, 6601 4th St NW, Stes A, B, & C
Coors Plaza, 3200 Coors Blvd NW, Ste A
Integrity Plaza, 1512 Wyoming Blvd NE, Stes F & G
Plaza Paseo Del Norte, 9231 Coors blvd NW, Ste R8
Siesta Hills Shopping Center, 5407 Gibson Blvd SE
Del Norte Shopping Center, 7120 Wyoming Blvd NE, Ste 16
Market Center East, 11110 Lomas Blvd NE, Ste E4
98th & Center Shopping Center, 120 98th St NW, Ste B5
Goff Plaza, 1720 Bridge Blvd SW, Ste G
Daskalos Shopping Center, 5339 & 5339A Menaul Blvd NE
Juan Tabo Plaza, 11012 Montgomery Blvd NE
CNM - South Valley Campus, 5816 Isleta Blvd SW
University of New Mexico, Student Union Building
Tijeras City Hall, 12 Camino Municipal

Note: a canvasser for Obama suggested that, if voting is electronic, "straight-ticket" voting is being discouraged. I'm guessing there is some known or suspected glitch in the machines.
It's more fun to vote candidate-by-candidate, race-by-race, anyway!!!

Have a nice day.

I'm as guilty as the rest: "financial" vs "economic" crisis?

"Our nation is dealing with a serious financial crisis."
[President Bush, President Bush Discusses the Economy, 17 Oct 2008]

I, too, have frequently referred to current situation as a "financial crisis".
I'm thinking this is misleading at best, and a serious mis-diagnosis at worst.

The term "financial crisis" focuses our attention on Wall Street, the stock markets, and the credit crunch. These, undoubtedly, all deserve our attention.
BUT... the problems run deeper. Unemployment is rising. The single largest asset owned by most folks has actually declined in value - not just "on paper", but for real! Your house - my house - isn't worth today what it was a year ago.
Recent disruptions in delivery of gasoline to southeastern states suggest serious problems with our basic infrastructure.

I think it time we all dropped the phrase "financial crisis" from our lexicon, and replaced it with "economic crisis."

Have a nice day.

Chicago Tribune endorses... Obama!: a first

Tribune endorsement: Barack Obama for president
"... On Nov. 4 we're going to elect a president to lead us through a perilous time and restore in us a common sense of national purpose.

The strongest candidate to do that is Sen. Barack Obama. The Tribune is proud to endorse him today for president of the United States.
...
This endorsement makes some history for the Chicago Tribune. This is the first time the newspaper has endorsed the Democratic Party's nominee for president.
...
It may have seemed audacious for Obama to start his campaign in Springfield, invoking Lincoln. We think, given the opportunity to hold this nation's most powerful office, he will prove it wasn't so audacious after all. We are proud to add Barack Obama's name to Lincoln's in the list of people the Tribune has endorsed for president of the United States."

Note: the ellipses ("...") leave out a LOT.
Read the full endorsement!

Psychic powers return (or, "even a blind pig...")

Once upon a time I bragged of my apparent psychic powers: posting comments that later turned up in the news as real events or real people's policy proposals.

Yesterday I hinted that you'd be a fool to accept my economic advice.
Today I have cause to reconsider that opinion.

Last Thursday I published Free financial advice (worth every penny), suggesting a "buy low, sell high" market strategy, and advising that now or not-too-distant future might be a good bet for "low".
Today's NYT Op-Ed page features "Buy American. I am", by Warren E. Buffett, with the boxed summary

"History suggests that this is a smart time to invest in U.S. equities.

You heard it here first!

Also on today's NYT Op-Ed page is Paul Krugman's column, "Lets Get Fiscal", suggesting that balancing the budget is the wrong approach to getting us out of current mess, and that investing in infrastructure might not be such a bad idea.

"... It's politically fashionable to rant against government spending and demand fiscal responsibility. But right now, increased government spending is just what the doctor ordered, and concerns about the budget deficit should be put on hold.
...
And this is also a good time to engage in some serious infrastructure spending, which the country badly needs in any case."

Again: you heard it here first!

"you can't put a value on human life"
"... the cost of McCain's mortgage plan would employ 6Mn Americans - perhaps employ them doing something useful, like rebuilding our infrastructure. - Gainfully employ 'em!!! Make 'em useful citizens... which might not be such a bad thing after the economy has shed 750,000 jobs since Jan!!!"

and

Balanced budget???
"... We're facing an economic meltdown.
Restricting government spending to balance the budget is NOT the Rx.
(I believe someone has referred to this prescription as "neo-Hooverism.")

Senator Obama has acknowledged this - if not tonight, at least in a previous campaign speech. He suggested government-funded public works projects to rebuild the nation's infrastructure."

Yes, indeed: I do have psychic powers...
(... and maybe you should pay attention to my economic comments!)

a bit unnerving...

A few posts back I mentioned "neo-Hooverism".
I thought that maybe I ought to find a reliable reference, so hit Google.

Somewhat surprisingly, this site was among the hits on the 2nd page of results.

... and, no, I've not found what I sought.

Why not to take your economic cues from me (1 reason among many)

Oil closed below $70/bbl.
I paid less than $3/gal for gas yesterday.

I would've lost my shirt in the oil futures market.

... of course, I'll continue to say stupid things - I'm not proud!

Hmmm... I suppose this could be awkward...

My very conservative friend suggests that, if I don't usually watch the debates, I'll never know if Sen. Obama has adopted my brilliant advice:

"For example, last night he may have given a brilliant answer on Ayers, then said, ‘and I’d like to thank my al queda colleague in New Mexico for suggesting this…’"

McCain wins! ... hands down!!!

Sen. McCain & Sen. Obama both appeared at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial dinner tonight, to deliver humorous speeches.

McCain is a much better comedian than Obama.
His material was superior - that might be only a function of his writers.
BUT: his delivery was spot-on!!!
(Obama, by contrast, seemed ill-at-ease telling a joke.)

Both were appropriately self-deprecating, and both took what seemed to be good-natured digs at the other.

I'm pretty sure the vid will be replayed on CNN & MSNBC... and probably find its way to some accessible web address. Look for it.

Again: McCain wins this minor competition hands down!!!

Story I didn't read! (... intriguing headline!)

Sheriff: Family cremated mom on BBQ, kept benefits

The debate ain't the election: VOTE!!!

To use what is now an obsolete and difficult-to-understand metaphor:
I'm beginning to sound like a broken record.

... BUT: the debate is NOT the election.

The only poll that counts is held Tuesday, 4 November 2008.

VOTE!!!

Hunter Thompson lives!!!

Fear and loathing over economy spreads

Not many of us can claim to have coined a long-lasting popular-culture catch-phrase.
Hunter Thompson's "Fear and Loathing" is now ours!!!

Balanced budget???

Moderator Bob Shieffer questioned the candidates about balancing the budget.

Has no one read Keynes???

We're facing an economic meltdown.
Restricting government spending to balance the budget is NOT the Rx.
(I believe someone has referred to this prescription as "neo-Hooverism.")

Senator Obama has acknowledged this - if not tonight, at least in a previous campaign speech. He suggested government-funded public works projects to rebuild the nation's infrastructure.
I'm sad that he didn't pursue this during tonight's debate.

A past CEO of the Fortune 100 company for which I once worked used to preach, "spending our way out of the recession." The idea was to be ready for boom times again with really great products for the resurgent market. As a rule, it worked. (Note: on very many policies I thought this particular CEO was a virus from which the company would be lucky to recover, but on this point I couldn't argue with him.) In the 20+ years I was with the company, it never experienced a losing quarter!!! (... and this success was real - not dependent on funny accounting!)

Balance the budget? Now? Today???
You've got to be kidding!

Stop the madness!!!

Snake-oil salesman

Snake-oil

Snake oil is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain. However, the most common usage of the phrase is as a derogatory term for compounds offered as medicines which implies that they are fake, fraudulent, quackish, or ineffective. The expression is also applied metaphorically to any product with exaggerated marketing but questionable or unverifiable quality.

In addition, I'll cite another fun book (I think I use "delightful" a bit too much as a descriptor of the books I recommend):

The Golden Age of Quackery
by Stewart H. Holbrook

"Snake-oil" has become the generic term for an ineffective nostrum, particularly one that cures "whatever ails you"... and in fact is probably good for you whether you're ill or not!

Long-lost history:
Back in January I posted, Do they have any other ideas???, detailing the then-Republican-contenders' economic proposals. This was back when all were happy to aver that the U.S. economy was robust, healthy and growing.

Their universal prescription to maintain this health and growth?
(You'll never guess!):
Tax cuts!!!

Now that the Republican candidate has acknowledged that maybe the economic picture isn't all that rosy, what's his prescription?
(You'll never guess!):
Tax cuts!!!

Folks, when "tax cuts" is THE solution for the economy in all cases - whether it's in dire straits or robust & healthy - then we all oughta be saying, "Hmmmm".

... and, for what it's worth, the folks that are selling us "tax cuts" oughta be labelled as snake-oil salesmen!!!

Just a thought.

Have a nice day.

Why I am not a politician (and another book recommendation!)

I was at rehearsal during the debate tonight.
... also during what turned out to be the final game of the NLCS.

I am, however, breaking with tradition, and watching the re-run of the debate in its entirety.

Senator Obama passed up a good number of opportunities to get nasty - in his polite way.
Instead, he continually sought to bring the discussion "back to basics" (an erstwhile slogan of the Fortune 100 company for which I once worked).

In doing so, he accepted the premise of a delightful not-so-little book: Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion, by Jay Heinrichs.
[Note: this book is in print, and available from Amazon at the link above!]

The premise? That the point of debate and argument is not to score points, but to get people to do what you want them to!
On this criterion, it seems to me that Sen. Obama 'won' - presenting himself as a "Presidential" presidential candidate, and perhaps convincing at least some of the "undecideds" to vote for him on 4 November.

Me? I would have gone for scoring points!... again: "Why I am not a politician!"

Please - regardless of your political preferences: VOTE!!!

The anti-Midas touch [updated with Shakespeare]

Intelligence report: U.S. antiterror ally Pakistan 'on the edge'
By Jonathan S. Landay and John Walcott, McClatchy Newspapers
Tue Oct 14, 2008
WASHINGTON — A growing al Qaida -backed insurgency, combined with the Pakistani army's reluctance to launch an all-out crackdown, political infighting and energy and food shortages are plunging America's key ally in the war on terror deeper into turmoil and violence, says a soon-to-be completed U.S. intelligence assessment.

This is just the latest in the continuing litany of W's failures.
Pakistan was/is our best bud in the GWOT. After seven (7) years of close engagement with us, they're "plunging... deeper into turmoil and violence."

The folks that brought you Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and militant de-regulation: These are the folks we now must trust to rescue our financial system.
Why am I less than optimistic?

If, during tonight's much-hyped third debate, Obama pulled a Palin and refused to answer the questions, but instead took the opportunity to simply recite the long list of Republican failures over the past eight years, he'd make his case for change without much effort.

If/when McCain brings up Ayers, use ridicule:

"Our country is facing the worst economic crisis in three generations.
Our key ally, Pakistan, is plunging ever-deeper into turmoil and violence.
Our moral leadership has been undermined by the horrors of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.

Facing these challenges, Senator McCain wants you to dwell on my passing association with Bill Ayers - Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois, Chicago.

My friends, our country has serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them."

That wasn't too difficult, was it?

Stop the madness!

p.s. ... and this might be the right opportunity to crib from Shakespeare:

"Senator McCain's campaign insinuates that I am in league with terrorists.
And Senator McCain is an honourable man.

Senator McCain's campaign hints that I am un-American.
But Senator McCain is an honourable man.

Yes, Senator McCain's campaign has sunk to character assassination, knowing that they can't win on the issues...
And, sure, Senator McCain is an honourable man."

Two fun headlines to juxtapose

McCain seeks to recharge candidacy at final debate
Cheney has electric shock to fix abnormal heartbeat

head in the sand

... that is a self-description.

I don't watch Fox News.
I don't read conservative blogs.
The only 'conservative' viewpoint I get is from William Kristol & David Brooks, in their NYT columns.

The people I hang out with all either work for Heinrich's congressional campaign, or are involved in local theater - hardly a right-wing crowd.

I sure hope my inattentiveness hasn't completely blinded me to what's really going on in the world!

VOTE!!!

"We've got 'em just where we want 'em!"

After noting that he's down 6% in recent polls, Sen. McCain declared of the opposition, "We've got 'em just where we want 'em."

TV's talking heads scoffed.
Not me!

Recall: the media - MSM & non-traditional - wrote off John McCain in July 2007. Coverage of his campaign noted that he was now forced to carry his own bags. His fund-raising ability was questioned.
Phoenix-like, he rose from the ashes.

The very worst thing Obama supporters can do at this moment is become complacent.
The only poll that counts is 4 Nov.
Until the Electoral College selects Obama, McCain is a viable threat.

There are plenty of reasons to ridicule McCain and his policies... but I'd hold back from ridiculing his campaign.

Have a nice day.

"Whac-a Mole": the regional game

Official: Afghanistan suffering from Iraqi gains
By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer
14 Oct 2008
KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. military successes in Iraq have forced sophisticated and well-trained insurgents to pour into Afghanistan instead, part of the reason violence has spiked in Afghanistan, the Afghan defense minister said Tuesday.

John McCain once characterized the U.S.'s military strategy in Iraq as "Whac-a-mole": we sweep Samarra, the bad guys pop up in Mosul; we sweep Mosul, the bad guys pop up in Tikrit; repeat.

Seems we've now enlarged the playing area: the bad guys the surge chased out of Iraq are now popping up in Afghanistan.

Do we have a regional strategy?
[... personally, I'm not inclined to bet too much that we do!]

Stop the madness!!!

Wow: from FireDogLake

Obama’s Challenge to End the Borrow and Shop Era
By: Scarecrow Monday October 13, 2008
Barack Obama added four new proposals to his economic package today, but then said something you don’t usually hear in the final days of a campaign. He told his supporters the nation had lived beyond its means and we had to change that. It marked the end of an era.

During a televised debate in 2006 NM1 campaign, Dem. candidate Patricia Madrid was challenged by incumbent Republican Heather Wilson to guarantee that she - Madrid - wouldn't raise taxes when she got to Washington. Madrid stared, doe-eyed, into the camera for a full minute.
Wilson replayed this embarassment over and over in her TV spots for the rest of the campaign.

Free advice to Dems: if your respected Republican opponent tries to tar you as a "tax-and-spend" liberal, here's your response:

"Tax and spend" is a lot more fiscally responsible than "borrow and spend", which has been the Republican mantra for the past eight years!!!

I've suggested this response, and more, previously.

Don't let your respected Republican opponent define the battle-field:
Take it too 'em!!!

Just for fun

Candidate Obama's speech-writers could do worse:

The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
[Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act 3, scene II]

Again: just for fun!

Polls, polls, polls: a gentle reminder

Lots of polls show Sen. Obama extending his lead.

Gentle reminder:

The only poll that counts is on Tuesday, 4 November.
VOTE!

Paul Krugman wins Nobel in Economics

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2008
"for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity"

Wow!... and here I thought he was just an informed thorn-in-the-side to W & McCain!

"I have no comment on anything, to anybody."

... Sen. McCain's policy adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, quoted in today's NYT.

Also in today's NYT: William Kristol calls on McCain to fire his campaign. This is not one of my usual mis-remembered paraphrases:

"It's time for John McCain to fire his campaign."
[William Kristol, "Fire the Campaign", NYT, 13 Oct 2008]

My, my!

In an appearance on The Colbert Report, David Gergen suggested that,

"The months of the campaign are your first governing months."

This was picked up by Anderson Cooper on AC360. The ensuing discussion missed what is to me the obvious point:

McCain is unable or unwilling to control his campaign.
If this is a harbinger of his governing style, it foretells an interesting McCain presidency!

Somehow this point was lost on "the best political team on television".

Transcript of Sen. Clinton's remarks

A friend (and occasional reader of AQA) provides the following link to transcript of Sen. Clinton's remarks at "Obama for America" rally in Scranton, PA:

Transcript of Bill and Hillary Clinton in Scranton Sunday

The paragraph I mangled is this:

"But to President Bush and John McCain, middle class families sinking into debt are invisible. We can help Americans losing their houses. But we can only do it by if we make sure the Republicans lose the White House come November. Now when this crisis finally hit Wall Street and big financial firms came calling, well suddenly, oh my goodness, President Bush and John McCain and the Republican base snapped to attention. A big bank is going to fail - well bail it out. A big financial firm is going to fail - well, bail it out. A big insurance company is going to fail – why, bail it out."

Go to the transcript to read her remarks in full - a passionate, pointed, issues-based attack on failed Republican policies, + a passionate, pointed, issues-based call to arms for Dems... well worth the read.

T minus 18... and counting

[Pointless mathematical aside:] Today is 13 Oct.
My "T for Terror" prediction is for Halloween, 31 Oct.
Note: "13" and "31" represent transposed digits.
Whenever such a pair is presented, the difference between them is a multiple of 9... in fact, 9 x (larger digit - smaller digit).
Thus: 31 - 13 = 18 = 9 x (3-1) = 9 x 2.
Now you know.

Okay - that's not the point of this post.
The point is that someone else has noticed Cheney's absence:

"In recent weeks, Vice President Cheney has virtually disappeared from the public spotlight since last month’s economic collapse.
...
Cheney’s absence is puzzling considering his major role in crafting economic policy during the first term."
[Cheney Biographer: VP Would Certainly See Bailout As Opportunity To Reinforce Unitary Executive, Think Progress, 11 Oct 2008]

What's Cheney up to???

Plotting the October surprise!

a project

All:
I've been completely floored - in a bad way - by DCCC negative ads targeting Darren White in NM1.

My experience - such as it is - suggests that these are not particularly effective. (If viewer mutes the ads, they look for all the world like ads FOR Darren White!!! - White's name is mentioned - both printed and pronounced - frequently.)

I note that Romero's two (2) failed campaigns against Wilson, and Madrid's single failed campaign against Wilson were rife with "Heather is bad" TV spots... that didn't really work!

My experience - in this instance I'll take a bit more credit, based on 20+ years selling unpopular statistics to engineers - is that selling requires more than just creating a need ("Heather is bad"; "Darren is bad").
It also requires providing a solution... in this case,
"Martin Heinrich is G-d's gift to the electorate!!!"

To combat the evil DCCC influence, I hope to produce a 15-second TV spot promoting Heinrich. I propose to run it on a single channel, one time. (I can't afford any more than this... and am not sure I can afford even this!!!)

The spot:

Picture of Martin & his wife (lifted from campaign website)
Title-over-picture: "Martin Heinrich: Democrat for Congress"
[I voice the words... trust me, I have a wonderful speaking voice!]
Fade to black, with words: "Martin Heinrich: the Congressman New Mexicans deserve!"
[again with me voicing the words]

I've inquired of KOB just exactly how much a 15-second spot would cost.

Help needed:
1. I think I can produce this with Windows Media (I've already got the video part - haven't quite figured out how to do the audio, but it can't be all that hard.)
BUT: if anyone out there has experience/expertise and would like to help - I'll be happy to accept the technical assistance!!!

2. $$$
At this point I've no idea what 15 seconds of airtime costs.
As a retiree, I'm not wealthy.
When I learn the $$$ involved, I'll let y'all know... and start begging.

I'd like to run the spot during 6 o'clock news on Halloween - one station only.

[for what it's worth: if this is semi-affordable, I also have a 15-second pro-Obama spot in mind... but let me not get ahead of myself!]

FL 51, LSU 21

Since I've lost my $$$ interest in NFL, I pay attention mostly to NCAA.

I've no particularly compelling reason for this, but I really detest LSU!
Florida 51, LSU 21 was a delightful game!

more "confession is good for the soul"

I voted for McGovern in '72.

I've moved to the Left since then.

"Experience" and mathematics

When I was a 25-year-old graduate student in mathematics, one of my professors confided in me: "If you're not a mathematician by now, you'll never be!"

Not exactly encouraging words, but true.

Newton, Euler, Gauss, Galois... all made their marks in their early 20s.
True, Newton, Euler, & Gauss all continued productive mathematical lives till they died (Galois died at age 21 - killed in a duel).
BUT - all had established their reputations while young.

Most of us have formed our opinions - political and other - well before we reach age 30.
Greenspan??? His defining period as an economist was during the inflationary late '60s, early '70s of the last century.
Yes - his Fed policies kept inflation controlled through the growth years of the '90s... but he seriously underestimated the dotcom boom, and kept interest rates high for at least 3 quarters into the following recession of 2001.

He learned Econ 101 under Friedman: the free-market can do no wrong.
Tho' he admitted that there were risks of a housing bubble, he discounted those risks.

"If declines were to occur, they likely would be accompanied by some economic stress, though the macroeconomic implications need not be substantial."

Does the word "insurance" mean anything to these folks???

More recently, Greenspan opined that financial derivatives pretty much removed all risk from the market... well, not quite: if things go south, bad things'll happen, but that eventuality is extremely unlikely.
Again, does the word "insurance" mean anything???

[aside: I don't anticipate an auto accident anytime soon... BUT: I do purchase auto insurance!!!]

When the "market" is dominated by a few huge players, Adam Smith has nothing to say. Have our economic gurus learned nothing from Ricardo, Marx, Veblen, and Keynes??? The "market" in its present incarnation bears very little resemblance to Adam Smith's pin factory!!!

For what it's worth: a delightful little book informs most of my economic knowledge:

Robert L. Heilbroner's
The Worldly Philosophers

Like most of my recommended books, this one, too, is out of print.

Outta the Cornfield: loyal reader, deserves traffic!!!

Loyal reader Outta the Cornfield does a LOT BETTER job than I referencing lesser-trafficked blogs... like AQA!!!

(He references AQA fairly frequently, so I may be biased...)

Anyway - give Outta the Cornfield a look - you just might like what you see!!!... and you just might find another point of view or two.

A Republican shill speaks...

Again, I believe it was on MSNBC's "Race for the White House"...
This time, a Republican shill (sorry - I don't recall who) attacking Sen. Obama. BUT - not for 'palling around with terrorists'!

No, they've become more sophisticated (maybe it helped that McCain has tried to distance himself from direct attacks on Obama's character).
The dig this time? Sen. Obama's lack of experience... (to some extent this mirrors Sen. McCain's own "who is Barack Obama?" insinuations, but is tamer and more to the point.)

Experience? As I've noted previously, experience ain't all it's cracked up to be.
The extremely experienced Cheney/Rumsfeld/Wolfowitz team got us into Iraq.
W's experience as a Harvard MBA, oil-patch player, and businessman doesn't seem to have equipped him to understand Econ 101.

Tangential aside: regarding Econ 101. Yes, ideas do have consequences. Let's hope that Friedman & Greenspan - in their religious free-market advocacy - have now been discredited.
Yes - Government Regulation DOES have a role to play in a modern economy!!!

"Race for the White House" (I think...)

I believe it was on MSNBC's "Race for the White House with David Gregory" that I today saw Sen. Clinton deliver a very good speech on the failed Republican economic policies.

Among the gems (paraphrased): "When it was the individual home-buyer who faced foreclosure, the Republicans were happy to 'let the market decide'. When the big banks, brokerage houses, and insurers came begging for relief, the Republicans declared a state of emergency."
[Again: this is paraphrased, almost certainly not even close to verbatim accurate... but I'm willing to bet fair amount of $$$ that the point coincides accurately with Sen. Clinton's actual words.]

If you've a chance to watch the speech as Sen. Clinton in fact delivered it, please do! - it was a doozy!!! (... I wish Sen. Obama were so direct!!!)
[I'll see if I can find a transcript... ]

Confession is good for the soul...

Loyal readers may have noticed: my resolve to pay no attention to Prez campaign has pretty much evaporated.

That said, next few posts (now above) will mention a couple of Prez campaign comments - one referencing Sen. Clinton (hooray!!!), one referencing a 'new' Republican tactic against Sen. Obama.

On the bright side!

As G7 gurus huddle, trying to come up with a plausible plan to prevent further economic meltdown, I am comforted by a simple thought:

Paul Wolfowitz is no longer at the World Bank.

I take comfort in such small pleasures.

Meanwhile, over there...

Two stories of life in Iraq catch my eye:

War-weary Saddam victims miss his iron rule
By Mohammed Abbas
Sat Oct 11, 2008
DUJAIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein was hanged for killing 148 Shi'ite men and boys in Dujail in 1982. But today, some people in this town on the Tigris say they miss life under the Iraqi dictator because they felt more secure.

Official: 3,000 Christians flee Iraq's Mosul
By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER, Associated Press Writer
Sat Oct 11, 2008
BAGHDAD - Hundreds of terrified Christian families have fled Mosul to escape extremist attacks that have increased despite months of U.S. and Iraqi military operations to secure the northern Iraqi city, political and religious officials said Saturday.

Some 3,000 Christians have fled the city over the past week alone in a "major displacement," said Duraid Mohammed Kashmoula, the governor of northern Iraq's Ninevah province...

Winning hearts and minds.

Heckuva job, W!!!

Stop the madness.

Barack HUSSEIN Obama

Unlike a fair number of "progressive" commentators, I have no problem with McCain's surrogates emphasizing Sen. Obama's middle name: HUSSEIN.

When Sen. Obama takes the Presidential oath of office next Jan, we'll be routinely treated to headlines featuring the middle name - let's get used to it!!!

Rather, I AM distressed that Sen. Obama hasn't stepped up to put an end to this silliness:

"We're facing the biggest financial crisis in a generation, and my respected Republican opponent is trying to scare you with my middle name!!!"

... There are any number of variations on this theme Candidate Obama could play.

If Candidate Obama were feeling particularly vicious, he could follow up, "... they're trying to scare you with my middle name", with something along the lines of...

"Over the past 8 years our Republican leaders have relentlessly used FEAR to justify the most disastrous policies in our history...

They - the Republicans, including my respected Republican opponent - have nothing else to sell: only FEAR!

I believe we - Americans - are better and stronger than that... that is why my campaign has consistently offered hope for the future..."

... again, I'm not Candidate Obama's speech-writer, but I do wish someone on his staff would suggest this tactical response to the fear-mongering invocation of what is, after all, the Candidate's name!

Have a nice day.

Where's the bottom???

A very quick, back-of-the-envelope computation suggests that since the '70s, the largest percentage decline in DJIA has been just under 50% from previous peak.

Using this as a guideline, the bottom would seem to be around 6000.
We're at 8500 today.

The 50% bottom is the WORST since 1970.

The range seems to be 25% to 50%. (Again, these are very hasty, eye-balled figures!!!)
If you bet on 40%, that'd represent about 7000.
30%? About 8000.

This guidance has been provided FREE OF CHARGE... and is worth every penny!!!

Free financial advice (worth every penny!)

Dow plunges 679 for 6th triple-digit loss in a row

For those of you with liquid assets...
Wait another week or so, then invest heavily in U.S. markets.
Pick companies that make real stuff (NOT financials!!! Who can say what they'll be doing anytime soon???).

The market recovered after 1929 - it'll do so again.
The bottom can't be too far away.
Another week or so of triple-digit losses outta chase out the lemmings.

[Well... maybe I should re-think those statements. Who knows where the bottom is??? If I knew, I wouldn't tell you!!! ... BUT - even if triple-digit losses continue for another week, and you buy, and then triple-digit losses continue for ANOTHER week... well - this can't go on forever!!! In a month - after the election - folks'll probably have come to their senses... and if not, you'll not be the only broke folks on your block!]

Buy low, sell high. This advice is focused on the "buy low" timing.

Have a nice day.

T minus 22 and counting

... no particularly relevant news today.

I'll note that Cheney has been remarkably absent from the stage.
Where is he?
Ah! Plotting the attack!!!

Phillies 3, Dodgers 2

Confession: my interest in NLCS is pretty much non-existent... the only NL team I care about is the Cubbies, and they folded magnificently against LAD in the NLDS.

That said: I REALLY don't like the LAD, and am cheering for Philadelphia in NLCS.

... but my heart is with AL - and, to tell the truth, either team will get my support in the World Series.

Panic in the streets

Fed slashes interest rates, but stocks lose again
By JEANNINE AVERSA, AP Economics Writer
8 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON - Wall Street bounced higher and lower Wednesday trying to make up its mind about an unprecedented coordinated interest rate cut by central banks around the world. In the end it settled on a familiar feeling — fear — and plunged again.

The Federal Reserve, desperately trying to jump-start the lending that keeps the U.S. economy moving, dropped its closely watched federal funds rate to 1.5 percent. The cut from 2 percent took the rate to its lowest level in more than four years.

... a 1/2-point reduction in fed funds rate.

"They're panicking out there right now, I can feel it."
[Billy Ray Valentine, Trading Places (1983)]

Have a nice day.

T minus 23 and counting

Latest semi-relevant news:

Hezbollah arms smugglers captured in Iraq
KUT, Iraq, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Key members of an alleged Hezbollah criminal network accused of smuggling Iranian explosives into Iraq have been captured, military officials say.

In a statement, a spokesman for the U.S.-led Multi-National Forces in Iraq said a "notorious" smuggler from the Iranian-affiliated Hezbollah Islamist militant group had been detained Tuesday in Kut, about 90 miles southeast of Baghdad, KUNA, the Kuwait News Agency, reported.

What with the worldwide economic meltdown this hasn't received much notice... but it is a conveniently timed resurrection of the "Hezbollah bad" narrative that supports my delusional conspiracy theory.

Have a nice day.

clarification: "Household-ize" everything

A post below advocated montezing everything.
This wasn't quite right.
$700,000,000,000 is monetized already.

The advice should have been: "household-ize" everything:

Express all U.S. budget figures in terms of median income households (median household income is about $50,000/year).
$700,000,000,000 equates to 14,000,000 households.

This seems a decent metric to help us ordinary folks understand exactly what's involved in a $700,000,000,000 rescue plan.

"you can't put a value on a human life"

Sure you can!!!

It's done every day - it's called "life insurance".

... I'm on a roll - here goes:

Advice to Dems: monetize everything.

That $440,000 the AIG execs spent on a weekend retreat would support more than 8 median-income families for a year!!!

For a weekend!
Let's say it was a 4-day weekend... If we annualize that, it's 803 median-income families for a year!

When every government decision favors big biz, at the expense of every other constituency, something is wrong.

Monetize EVERYTHING.
Express EVERY Republican decision in terms $$$.

What's Iraq cost?
More than $300 for every man, woman, and child in the U.S. per year.

What's the $7Bn bailout cost?
More than $2,000 for every man, woman, and child in the U.S.

As previously noted, the cost of McCain's mortgage plan would employ 6Mn Americans - perhaps employ them doing something useful, like rebuilding our infrastructure. - Gainfully employ 'em!!! Make 'em useful citizens... which might not be such a bad thing after the economy has shed 750,000 jobs since Jan!!!

Even folks in Kansas ought to understand real $$$.

Stop the madness!!!

$300,000,000,000

McCain tonight proposed to buy up & renegotiate bad mortgages...
The figure cited by pundits is $300,000,000,000.

For $300,000,000,000 we could employ 6,000,000 people at the median income of $50,000.

... maybe to rebuild infrastructure? bridges, highways, refineries, ports (port security?), libraries, schools??? I believe $50,000 is greater than average starting salary for teachers.

The arithmetic is pretty easy:

$300,000,000,000 divided by $50,000 is 6,000,000.
Six million.
Six million employed Americans.

Any takers?

Sort of like FDR's WPA???

Would Republicans support this welfare plan?
(They just voted for $700,000,000,000 "rescue" plan for Wall Street!... this represents 14,000,000 [14 million] Americans employed at median income of $50,000!!!)

this just ain't right!!!

AIG execs' retreat after bailout angers lawmakers
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer
7 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON - Days after it got a federal bailout, American International Group Inc. spent $440,000 on a posh California retreat for its executives, complete with spa treatments, banquets and golf outings, according to lawmakers investigating the company's meltdown.

I've nothing to say.
Not even a snide remark comes to mind.

"Plutocracy", anyone???

Yes, the rich are different than you & me.

Is it time for a real revolution???

"A little revolution now and then is a good thing; the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
[Thomas Jefferson (1787)]

Stop the madness!!!

Our shame

AP Exclusive: Documents say detainee near insanity
By PAMELA HESS, Associated Press Writer
7 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON - A U.S. military officer warned Pentagon officials that an American detainee was being driven nearly insane by months of punishing isolation and sensory deprivation in a U.S. military brig, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

While the treatment of prisoners at detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and in Afghanistan and Iraq have long been the subject of human rights complaints and court scrutiny, the documents shed new light on how two American citizens and a legal U.S. resident were treated in military jails inside the United States.

The Bush administration ordered the men to be held in military jails as "enemy combatants" for years of interrogations without criminal charges, which would not have been allowed in civilian jails.

"... two American citizens and a legal U.S. resident were treated in military jails inside the United States."

In our name.

We've allowed W and his minions to destroy our country, in our name!

Stop the madness!

returning to the Heinrich campaign...

For a number of reasons, I've been absent from the Heinrich campaign for several weeks.

Today I returned. I assembled campaign buttons.

It was good to see folks again, and I'll be returning more consistently. (I left some database work behind... I'll pick it up eventually.)

Tomorrow? Probably more button assembling... + helping with a mailer in the p.m.

I've been less than thrilled with NM1 TV spots - both Heinrich & White seem concerned less with vision, more with attacks.

My vision? Very simple:

"We the people of the United States, in order to

form a more perfect union,
establish justice,
insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defense,
promote the general welfare,

and

secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Again, the only poll that matters is conducted on Tuesday, 4 November.

VOTE!!!

The Debate

I followed form tonight & did not watch the debate.
On the other hand, I've been flipping from PBS to CNN to MSNBC for post-debate commentary.

Big news: the instant polls show Obama won the debate.

So what???

The debate is NOT the election.

The only poll that matters is Tuesday, 4 November.

VOTE!!!

T minus 24 and counting

Another option, from commenter p.m. prescott:

"I think they'll let the election play itself out. The time for the Coup d'tat will be in December or early January if McCain loses. That's when Bushco will either stage an attack then call a special session of congress to give away all powers (Hitler burning the Reichstag) or start bombing Iran, or both."

... not an implausible alternative, but I'm committed to Halloween.

T (for "terror") minus 25 and counting...

I've several times predicted an "October surprise", in the form of a "terrorist" attack on U.S. soil in October... orchestrated by Cheney, but plausibly attributed to Hezbollah.

A while back I set the date: 31 October (Halloween).

Well - unlike other prognosticators, I'm willing to check my forecasts against reality, and invite my faithful readers to join me in my "countdown to terror."

note: the story-line was first developed in Nov, 2007. Outline:

W and his minions have done everything possible to expand Presidential Power.

They're not idiots: they've no intention of bequeathing expanded Executive Power to Democratic successors.

To keep - and further expand - expanded Executive Power, they'll orchestrate "terror" attack, adjourn Congress (there's a dubious Constitutional provision to support this), and cancel elections till the "national emergency" has passed.

Today is 6 October. 25 days to go!

(Yes, I am delusional.)

One erstwhile Republican's response...

My very best friend - a devoted Repubican - watched the VP debate and had this to report:

Whatever my reservations were before the debate, I no longer have any question about who'll get my vote.

Obama.

It was not Gov. Palin's style that sealed the deal, it was the few policy specifics she offered, particularly regarding McCain's proposals for healthcare "reform".

Watching "The Situation Room"...

... Sarah Palin goes after Obama for past association with Bill Ayers.
A sheriff in Florida emphasizes Obama's middle name - "Hussein".

If I were Barack Hussein Obama, I'd confront these smears head-on:

"Our country is facing the worst financial crisis since 1929, and my respected Republican opponent is trying to scare you with my middle name!

For what it's worth, one of our most respected WWII Generals shares the same name as the leader of the Taliban, Mullah Omar... Was General Omar Bradley a secret Muslim terrorist?

We are in the sixth year of a disastrous war in Iraq, with no end in sight, and my respected Republican opponent reminds you that I sat on an advisory board with Bill Ayers. Never mind that Governor Palin's husband once pledged his allegiance to the Alaska Independence Party, which advocates Alaska's secession from the Union.

It was gratifying to see Senator McCain suspend his campaign to deal with the current financial crisis. The failed economic policies that he has supported for his entire career are, after all, to blame for this crisis - it's about time he at least pretended to take responsibility for cleaning up the mess he helped create.

My fellow Americans, your next President faces enormous challenges; challenges resulting from the failed policies of Republican rule. Of course my respected Republican opponent wants to distract you with side-shows. He would prefer you forget who got us into this predicament. America is a great country which can prevail in these challenging times... but a new direction a needed. The same failed policies that got us here will not get us out.

$600,000,000,000 squandered in Iraq.
$700,000,000,000 to rescue the Republican's unregulated financial system.
Osama bin Laden - the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks - still at large.

Friends, we can't afford another four years of Republican rule!

One popular definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect different results.

It's time for a change!"

I'd probably swipe a few lines from the movie, The American President as well:

"We have serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And whatever your particular problem is, I promise you [John McCain] is not the least bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things, and two things only: making you afraid of it, and telling you who's to blame for it. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections."

Of course, I'm not Obama's speech-writer.

Have a nice day.

they weep...

... it's been somewhat amusing watching the liberal pundits respond to Palin's debate performance.

All were pretty much counting on her crashing & burning.
She didn't.

Now they're trying really hard to interpret her performance as... well, is "bump & fizzle" a lesser version of "crash & burn"?

... from the clips I've seen, there were just a few too many "ya betcha"s for my taste, but otherwise she seemed competent, if not exactly vice-presidential.

Have a nice day.

Supreme Court decisions...

Other than Roe v. Wade, Sarah Palin could name no Supreme Court decision with which she disagreed.

I am not a Supreme Court scholar, but I can, off the top of my head, think of two decisions which I am happy have now been overturned:

Dred Scott v. Sandford ... was a decision by the United States Supreme Court that ruled that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves, or their descendants — whether or not they were slaves—could never be citizens of the United States, and that the United States Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories.

Plessy v. Ferguson ... is a landmark United States Supreme Court decision in the jurisprudence of the United States, upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation even in public accommodations (particularly railroads), under the doctrine of "separate but equal".
[Wikipedia entries]

Charles Houston spent his career building the legal foundation on which to overturn Plessy v. Ferguson, eventually leading to Brown v. Board of Education.

Have a nice day.

A brief reminder...

I've been watching MSNBC & CNN - both feature lots of polls...

A gentle reminder:

The only poll that counts is on Tuesday, 4 November.
VOTE!!!