Short answer: not well.
Looks like we won't know final House & Senate for a while, but on the Presidential contest I was way off.
I called 333 electoral votes for Obama. To date he has 364, with Missouri still not known.
I'm still waiting to see final popular vote breakdown, but suspect my guess of 52+% is a tad on the low side.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Back to the real world
Longer-term jobless benefits hit 25-year high
Retailers report steep sales declines in October
Stocks extend decline as economic woes mount
Fidelity to cut nearly 1,300 jobs
A public-service reminder:
The real point of this post is that:
Stop the madness.
Retailers report steep sales declines in October
Stocks extend decline as economic woes mount
Fidelity to cut nearly 1,300 jobs
A public-service reminder:
Secretary Paulson on "Fox News Sunday"This was back when big action may actually have helped. The focus of both discussions, however, was the $150Bn 'stimulus package'... What if we'd gone for a $700Bn 'stimulus package' then, instead of a $700Bn 'bail-out' in September? Who knows?
[Treasury Secretary]PAULSON: Chris, I've got great confidence in our financial market, our financial institutions. Our markets are resilient. They're flexible. Our institutions, our banks and investment banks, are strong.
And I am very confident with the help of the regulators and market participants we're going to work our way through this.
[16 March 2008]
Transcript: Treasury Secretary Paulson on 'FOX News Sunday'
[Treasury Secretary] PAULSON: U.S. economic fundamentals are healthy, unemployment is low, wages are rising, and core inflation is contained.
[27 Jan 2008]
The real point of this post is that:
1. The current mess was foreseeable - at least as far back as Jan 2008, and probably earlier.Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy, doesn't it?
2. Ideology & politics prevented those nominally 'in charge' to take effective action to honestly mitigate effects of what was probably an unavoidable hard stop.
3. These guys are still in charge.
Stop the madness.
What a surprise!
Rice: Mideast peace by year-end no longer possible
Recall, this was to be W's signature achievement before leaving office! ... tho' he didn't get started on it till last November - amid much hoopla: the famed "Annapolis Conference".
How many days till Jan 20, 2009???
Recall, this was to be W's signature achievement before leaving office! ... tho' he didn't get started on it till last November - amid much hoopla: the famed "Annapolis Conference".
How many days till Jan 20, 2009???
From This Modern World
Eight long yearsAs noted in previous post, we have three pretty good case-studies illustrating the failure of "hate, fear, and division" and character assassination as campaign tactics.
... The Republicans tried to win with hate and fear and division, and instead they failed. Spectacularly, definitively, repudiated in a landslide. And you know what I hope, at this moment? That Joe the Plumber becomes a widely-used symbol for all that has been wrong with America. That tv commentators invoke his name as shorthand for the politics of stupidity — “Maybe Joe the Plumber thinks we need to put all the Danish-Americans in internment camps, but no rational person agrees!” — and a heartfelt chuckle is had by all, and no more need be said, so universal is the understanding.
I very much want that to be the legacy of Joe the Plumber.
What to do when the supposed intellectuals of the right - I have in mind William Kristol - embrace Sarah Palin, who has been revealed by Fox News (!) to have believed that Africa is a country, not a continent!
In fact, I honestly hope that Sarah Palin & Joe the Plumber are the future leaders of the Republican Party! To whom will such a party appeal? To the 25% that still think W is doin' a heckuva job! - not to "moderate" Republicans, not to Independents, not to the modern equivalent of "Reagan Democrats", not to George Will... Only to those who believe the antediluvian Eden is a real, physical place.
Now that's the Republican Party I'd like to run against!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
"If the economy hadn't tanked, McCain would've won"
[... but first, I'd like to try to dispel a myth: the U.S. economy did not suddenly fall off a cliff in September. It had been on a downward trajectory for quite a while - this downward trajectory became impossible to ignore in September. Keen observers - Paul Krugman and Atrios among them - had been shouting at the top of their lungs for more than a year about the coming crash. Both Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton recognized at least some of the economic ills last spring.]
Onward.
A common talking-point - particularly among Republican apologists - is that McCain would've won - or at least not lost so badly - had the economy not tanked in September. Who knows, they may be right...
BUT... this serves only to highlight a weakness of the Republican brand: a Republican candidate has no chance to win if the economy is in tatters. Why not? Presumably because Republicans don't know how to fix a broken economy!
There are two other plausible alternative explanations - other than the weakness of the Republican brand... and they are self-reinforcing:
Alternative #1: When the economy tanks, the incumbent Party gets the blame. [The Republicans broke the economy!]
Alternative #2: McCain's economic policy, such at it was, simply extended W's policy - which led to disaster. [McCain proposes to perpetuate the policies that broke the economy!]
Sen. Obama also found himself faced with the very same economic crisis, and with the very same two months left till the election. Why was he not at a disadvantage?
Well - there are Alternatives #1 & #2, above: Obama's not a Republican... and his economic policy - outlined fairly clearly on his campaign website - is not a continuation of W's follies.
Other than that?
Obama seemed calm in response to crisis. McCain seemed unhinged.
A few of the talking heads have noted this, and suggested that it wasn't the economic crisis per se that did in McCain - but rather McCain's response to the crisis that doomed him: first pronouncing the fundamentals of the economy strong, then suspending his campaign, then unsupsending his campaign, then throwing out solution #1, then solution #2... then solution #n - without any apparent serious thought behind any of 'em.
This 'chicken-lacking-head' behavior contrasted markedly with Sen. Obama's universally-acknowledged calmness in the face of crisis.
So, yes - without the economic crisis the electorate may not have seen Sen. McCain's inability to respond calmly to a crisis... and in that sense perhaps it was the economic crisis that doomed his candidacy: the crisis revealed for all the world to see just how poorly McCain handled the challenge it presented!
Have a nice day!
Onward.
A common talking-point - particularly among Republican apologists - is that McCain would've won - or at least not lost so badly - had the economy not tanked in September. Who knows, they may be right...
BUT... this serves only to highlight a weakness of the Republican brand: a Republican candidate has no chance to win if the economy is in tatters. Why not? Presumably because Republicans don't know how to fix a broken economy!
There are two other plausible alternative explanations - other than the weakness of the Republican brand... and they are self-reinforcing:
Alternative #1: When the economy tanks, the incumbent Party gets the blame. [The Republicans broke the economy!]
Alternative #2: McCain's economic policy, such at it was, simply extended W's policy - which led to disaster. [McCain proposes to perpetuate the policies that broke the economy!]
Sen. Obama also found himself faced with the very same economic crisis, and with the very same two months left till the election. Why was he not at a disadvantage?
Well - there are Alternatives #1 & #2, above: Obama's not a Republican... and his economic policy - outlined fairly clearly on his campaign website - is not a continuation of W's follies.
Other than that?
Obama seemed calm in response to crisis. McCain seemed unhinged.
A few of the talking heads have noted this, and suggested that it wasn't the economic crisis per se that did in McCain - but rather McCain's response to the crisis that doomed him: first pronouncing the fundamentals of the economy strong, then suspending his campaign, then unsupsending his campaign, then throwing out solution #1, then solution #2... then solution #n - without any apparent serious thought behind any of 'em.
This 'chicken-lacking-head' behavior contrasted markedly with Sen. Obama's universally-acknowledged calmness in the face of crisis.
So, yes - without the economic crisis the electorate may not have seen Sen. McCain's inability to respond calmly to a crisis... and in that sense perhaps it was the economic crisis that doomed his candidacy: the crisis revealed for all the world to see just how poorly McCain handled the challenge it presented!
Have a nice day!
One reason (among many)? Maybe...
In this post I will call attention to three recent campaigns, and suggest they share something in common.
Campaign #1: U.S. President - McCain (R) v. Obama (D)
I hope there might be a lesson here.
Campaign #1: U.S. President - McCain (R) v. Obama (D)
As many have observed, McCain's campaign was based almost exclusively on attacking Obama's character (occasionally using Obama's policy proposals as a springboard to character attacks; e.g., Obama's tax-policy led almost immediately to McCain labeling Obama a socialist or a communist).Campaign #2: NC Senate - Elizabeth Dole (R) v. Kay Hagan (D)
Obama's negative ads focused on McCain's well-documented association with W's policies & failures. Few, if any, attacked McCain's character.
Obama's campaign also included more than a few positive ads, giving the electorate positive reasons to vote for him.
Obama won.
In the final week of the campaign, Dole launched a vicious & false character attack on Hagan - the infamous "Godless" spot.Campaign #3: NM1 - Darren White (R) v. Martin Heinrich (D)
Dole had led in the polls through mid-September. She was, after all, the incumbent!
After the spots, Hagan surged ahead, eventually upsetting the incumbent Dole.
Both campaigns ran negative ads.In each case the Republican candidate ran a predominantly negative campaign that focused on the Dem candidate's character. "My respected Democratic opponent is an evil person." In each case, this tactic failed miserably.
Heinrich's negative ads focused on White's record as Bernalillo County Sheriff and in previous state government jobs.
White's negative ads were without exception attacks on Heinrich's character ("liar", "law-breaker", "untrustworthy").
White ran NO positive ads - ads that told the electorate why they ought vote for him.
Heinrich DID run positive ads - ads that told the electorate why they ought vote for him.
Heinrich won handily (11% margin).
I hope there might be a lesson here.
Revisiting Cheney's endorsement (a very convoluted conspiracy theory!)
I note that Candidate Obama was quick to seize on Cheney's last-minute endorsement of Sen. McCain, producing a very effective TV spot based on the endorsement within 24 hours.
I note further than Cheney is politically astute, and therefore would almost certainly have anticipated Candidate Obama's use of the endorsement.
In those final few days, the race seemed to be tightening. Perhaps Cheney feared a McCain come-from-behind victory, and was doing his level best to ensure that Obama won.
But why?
Whichever Candidate ended up the President-elect, he would face a huge mess - W's mess. Perhaps Cheney feared that a McCain administration would be unable or unwilling to clean up the mess - perhaps would even make the mess worse (given McCain's emphasis on balancing the budget, it is possible he'd have worsened the economic crisis!). This failure would practically guarantee the demise of the Republican brand in 2012.
Cheney's solution: get Obama elected! Now it'll be President Obama and the Dems held accountable for not cleaning up W's mess by 2012! - creating an opening for a Republican resurgence!
This is, of course, entirely speculative... but it fits the facts quite neatly. (Why, after all, did Cheney endorse McCain the Saturday before the election???)
Have a nice day.
I note further than Cheney is politically astute, and therefore would almost certainly have anticipated Candidate Obama's use of the endorsement.
In those final few days, the race seemed to be tightening. Perhaps Cheney feared a McCain come-from-behind victory, and was doing his level best to ensure that Obama won.
But why?
Whichever Candidate ended up the President-elect, he would face a huge mess - W's mess. Perhaps Cheney feared that a McCain administration would be unable or unwilling to clean up the mess - perhaps would even make the mess worse (given McCain's emphasis on balancing the budget, it is possible he'd have worsened the economic crisis!). This failure would practically guarantee the demise of the Republican brand in 2012.
Cheney's solution: get Obama elected! Now it'll be President Obama and the Dems held accountable for not cleaning up W's mess by 2012! - creating an opening for a Republican resurgence!
This is, of course, entirely speculative... but it fits the facts quite neatly. (Why, after all, did Cheney endorse McCain the Saturday before the election???)
Have a nice day.
Using David Brooks as a compass
On tonight's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer Shields & Brooks discussed the election and the challenges facing President-elect Obama.
One exchange in particular caught my ear.
The set-up:
That's good enough for me: If David Brooks thinks you should be a gradualist, go the opposite direction - do the 1933 FDR thing!
Brooks has been lost for much of this election cycle. In praising Sen. McCain, he relates anecdotes told by most Senators of unpleasant encounters with McCain in which McCain wags his finger in their faces, yells at them... then apologizes an hour or so later.
A minute later, Brooks reveals that a President has no time for reflection - his day is filled with meetings, and he must be ready to make the decision NOW! - with no opportunity to revisit, rethink, or apologize...
So... just why does Brooks believe that McCain's admittedly mercurial temperament is a good fit in the White House???
[Brooks' comments, paraphrased above, were made during a recent appearance on Charlie Rose; the show charges for transcripts, so I won't be getting one to provide a more accurate rendition of Brooks' remarks!]
As stated above: if David Brooks suggests President Obama proceed cautiously, I believe the best conclusion President-elect Obama can draw is that he ought proceed with all deliberate speed!
Have a nice day.
p.s. My sense is that conservatives in general & Republicans in particular don't quite get the implications of the 2006 & 2008 elections. We've elected Democrats!... not because we want warmer-and-fuzzier Republicans, but because we want Democrats.
One exchange in particular caught my ear.
The set-up:
DAVID BROOKS: "...there's a debate now in the Democratic Party and in the Obama circles, is it 1933 or is it 1993? In other words, is it 1933? Huge problems, we just have to come out of the box with a full-bore agenda, health care, energy, big programs, just -- we've got this moment. Let's do it all as quickly as we can.Jim Lehrer kindly helped Mr. Brooks pursue this line of inquiry:
Or is it 1993, when Clinton took office, where you have a country a little dubious about big government programs, about a new Democratic Party, and you try to do it step by step. You do SCHIP. You do Earned Income Tax Credit. You do a small tax cut. You do a series of things to build."
JIM LEHRER: "And what clue did you get from Barack Obama's words as to how he's going to do this?"This was just the follow-up Brooks was hoping for:
DAVID BROOKS: "And so I think, if you're thinking in his shoes, you say, "You've got to build. You've got to show people. We're going to give you real practical results right away, but we're not going to give you the big health care plan right away. We may not do the entire energy plan right away, but we're going to build up to -- we're going to show you something practical right away, but we're going to build up to those things."So, David Brooks' advice to Obama is to go slowly, gradually... In the context of the original framing of this discussion: be Bill Clinton in 1993, not FDR in 1933.
[After Landmark Victory, Challenges Begin for Barack Obama]
That's good enough for me: If David Brooks thinks you should be a gradualist, go the opposite direction - do the 1933 FDR thing!
Brooks has been lost for much of this election cycle. In praising Sen. McCain, he relates anecdotes told by most Senators of unpleasant encounters with McCain in which McCain wags his finger in their faces, yells at them... then apologizes an hour or so later.
A minute later, Brooks reveals that a President has no time for reflection - his day is filled with meetings, and he must be ready to make the decision NOW! - with no opportunity to revisit, rethink, or apologize...
So... just why does Brooks believe that McCain's admittedly mercurial temperament is a good fit in the White House???
[Brooks' comments, paraphrased above, were made during a recent appearance on Charlie Rose; the show charges for transcripts, so I won't be getting one to provide a more accurate rendition of Brooks' remarks!]
As stated above: if David Brooks suggests President Obama proceed cautiously, I believe the best conclusion President-elect Obama can draw is that he ought proceed with all deliberate speed!
Have a nice day.
p.s. My sense is that conservatives in general & Republicans in particular don't quite get the implications of the 2006 & 2008 elections. We've elected Democrats!... not because we want warmer-and-fuzzier Republicans, but because we want Democrats.
President George W. Bush surprises
This morning President George W. Bush discussed yesterday's election, and somehow managed a really good speech:
Good morning. Last night, I had a warm conversation with President-elect Barack Obama. I congratulated him and Senator Biden on their impressive victory. I told the President-elect he can count on complete cooperation from my administration as he makes the transition to the White House.Wow! A surprisingly gracious and welcoming speech!
I also spoke to Senator John McCain. I congratulated him on a determined campaign that he and Governor Palin ran. The American people will always be grateful for the lifetime of service John McCain has devoted to this nation. And I know he'll continue to make tremendous contributions to our country.
No matter how they cast their ballots, all Americans can be proud of the history that was made yesterday. Across the country, citizens voted in large numbers. They showed a watching world the vitality of America's democracy, and the strides we have made toward a more perfect union. They chose a President whose journey represents a triumph of the American story -- a testament to hard work, optimism, and faith in the enduring promise of our nation.
Many of our citizens thought they would never live to see that day. This moment is especially uplifting for a generation of Americans who witnessed the struggle for civil rights with their own eyes -- and four decades later see a dream fulfilled.
A long campaign has now ended, and we move forward as one nation. We're embarking on a period of change in Washington, yet there are some things that will not change. The United States government will stay vigilant in meeting its most important responsibility -- protecting the American people. And the world can be certain this commitment will remain steadfast under our next Commander-in-Chief.
There's important work to do in the months ahead, and I will continue to conduct the people's business as long as this office remains in my trust. During this time of transition, I will keep the President-elect fully informed on important decisions. And when the time comes on January the 20th, Laura and I will return home to Texas with treasured memories of our time here -- and with profound gratitude for the honor of serving this amazing country.
It will be a stirring sight to watch President Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their beautiful girls step through the doors of the White House. I know millions of Americans will be overcome with pride at this inspiring moment that so many have awaited so long. I know Senator Obama's beloved mother and grandparents would have been thrilled to watch the child they raised ascend the steps of the Capitol -- and take his oath to uphold the Constitution of the greatest nation on the face of the earth.
Last night I extended an invitation to the President-elect and Mrs. Obama to come to the White House. And Laura and I are looking forward to welcoming them as soon as possible.
Thank you very much.
[President Bush Discusses Presidential Election, 5 Nov 2008]
Okay - it was way cool... BUT!
As previous post suggested, I think it's way cool that the U.S. chose a non-homogeneous (in Obama's case "African-American" seems a bit too convenient & not too accurate) President.
On the other hand, this does not represent the Second Coming. Much of the rhetoric coming out of the media would suggest otherwise:
Let's get real. The U.S. today, Wednesday, 5 Nov 2008, is the same country it was on Monday, 3 Nov 2008.
Here's a slightly more realistic assessment:
Historic? Yep.
Utopia? ... hmmm, maybe not.
On the other hand, this does not represent the Second Coming. Much of the rhetoric coming out of the media would suggest otherwise:
Joe Klein: Obama's Victory Ushers in a New America"Transcendence"???
Essay: Obama's transcendence is beyond race
In Obama's victory, America comes to terms with past
Let's get real. The U.S. today, Wednesday, 5 Nov 2008, is the same country it was on Monday, 3 Nov 2008.
Here's a slightly more realistic assessment:
Great expectations: Obama will have to deliverAs I've noted previously, it'll take both skill and luck to get the U.S. out of W's big hole.
Historic? Yep.
Utopia? ... hmmm, maybe not.
In my lifetime
I was born in 1952.
I don't remember much of this... but I was alive.
Government-enforced racial segregation of public schools.
[Brown v. Board of Education, ruling against "separate but equal" decided in 1954;
Eisenhower deploys National Guard to forceably de-segregate Little Rock High School, 1957;
Alabama Governor George Wallace in his inaugural address pronounces
"White" & "Colored" waiting rooms, drinking fountains, and other public facilities.
[Rosa Parks refuses to move to the back of the bus, 1955;
Civil Rights activists stage lunch-counter sit-ins, 1960;
Boynton v. Virginia Supreme Court decision holds that racial segregation in public transportation was illegal because such segregation violated the Interstate Commerce Act.]
Poll taxes, literacy tests, and other blatantly discriminatory "qualifications" effectively disenfranchise southern blacks.
[Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the United States.]
Martin Luther King assassinated, 1968.
Sen. Barack Hussein Obama elected 44th U.S. President, 2008.
I don't remember much of this... but I was alive.
Government-enforced racial segregation of public schools.
[Brown v. Board of Education, ruling against "separate but equal" decided in 1954;
Eisenhower deploys National Guard to forceably de-segregate Little Rock High School, 1957;
Alabama Governor George Wallace in his inaugural address pronounces
"In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever."... and stood in front of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama on June 11, 1963 to prevent the desegregation of the University of Alabama.]
"White" & "Colored" waiting rooms, drinking fountains, and other public facilities.
[Rosa Parks refuses to move to the back of the bus, 1955;
Civil Rights activists stage lunch-counter sit-ins, 1960;
Boynton v. Virginia Supreme Court decision holds that racial segregation in public transportation was illegal because such segregation violated the Interstate Commerce Act.]
Poll taxes, literacy tests, and other blatantly discriminatory "qualifications" effectively disenfranchise southern blacks.
[Voting Rights Act of 1965 outlawed discriminatory voting practices that had been responsible for the widespread disenfranchisement of African Americans in the United States.]
Martin Luther King assassinated, 1968.
Sen. Barack Hussein Obama elected 44th U.S. President, 2008.
more of W's successful foreign policy
Russia to deploy short-range missiles near Poland
Recall, W and his minions effectively extorted Poland & The Czech Republic into basing a missile defense system on their territory, ostensibly to counter the threat of ballistic missile attack from... IRAN!
The Russians have now responded to yet one more example of W's brilliance.
Way to go, W!
Recall, W and his minions effectively extorted Poland & The Czech Republic into basing a missile defense system on their territory, ostensibly to counter the threat of ballistic missile attack from... IRAN!
The Russians have now responded to yet one more example of W's brilliance.
Way to go, W!
Okay, now what do I do?
At the post-election party last night - the smaller one, with just the Heinrich crowd - I asked several members of the campaign staff what they'd be doing now that the election was over. All had no clear plans beyond, "taking a couple of weeks off".
It then occurred to me that I could ask that same question of myself. What will I do now that the campaign is over?
One staffer provided short-term relief: I've been guaranteed meaningful post-campaign work for at least two weeks. (Apparently this topic had come up in conversation at campaign HQ. They'd decided that it'd be good for me & another volunteer to hang around for a while longer.)
Yeah... but then what? I've at least 2 weeks to answer that!
[Pointless aside: one of my correspondents, and a sometime-reader of AQA, has suggested that I re-enlist in the Army:
Anyway... I don't have to think about re-enlisting in the Army for at least another couple of weeks!
It then occurred to me that I could ask that same question of myself. What will I do now that the campaign is over?
One staffer provided short-term relief: I've been guaranteed meaningful post-campaign work for at least two weeks. (Apparently this topic had come up in conversation at campaign HQ. They'd decided that it'd be good for me & another volunteer to hang around for a while longer.)
Yeah... but then what? I've at least 2 weeks to answer that!
[Pointless aside: one of my correspondents, and a sometime-reader of AQA, has suggested that I re-enlist in the Army:
"I keep telling you: reenlist. If the age limit hasn’t reached you yet, it will soon. You’ve had a qualifying haircut several times in the past few years. Doug Feith is unlikely to return to the Pentagon. Obama has promised some civilian version of the Army that I don’t really understand. There must be some opportunities."I've referenced this correspondent previously, both as member of USMC Reserves, and as one of the most conservative people I know. We've had a running joke about me re-enlisting - particularly in the first few years of the Iraq fiasco, when the military was continually upping the age-limit for prior-service folks to re-up; I repeatedly joked that I half-expected to get a letter informing me that I'd been re-activated.]
Anyway... I don't have to think about re-enlisting in the Army for at least another couple of weeks!
Almost forgot: wrong again!
I confessed that my prediciton of a Halloween surprise didn't quite pan out...
But a less precise version of the grand conspiracy theory would have been validated by an early-November surprise... which, too, did not pan out.
There's a third version of the grand conspiracy theory that covers the next ~2.5 months (see, e.g., comment to this post). If this one doesn't pan out, my grand conspiracy theory will be in tatters. (Right now it's got lots of loose threads and the seams are starting to split.)
But a less precise version of the grand conspiracy theory would have been validated by an early-November surprise... which, too, did not pan out.
There's a third version of the grand conspiracy theory that covers the next ~2.5 months (see, e.g., comment to this post). If this one doesn't pan out, my grand conspiracy theory will be in tatters. (Right now it's got lots of loose threads and the seams are starting to split.)
The talking heads speak!
Seems one of the more common 'explanations' for Obama's victory - cited not only by Fox News, but also by NBC in the person of Tom Brokaw - is that America is a "center right" nation.
I'm pretty sure this isn't the correct conclusion to draw. Recall, just a few days ago, these same folks were suggesting - correctly - that Sen. Obama was one of the most liberal sitting senators, and one of the most liberal Presidential candidates ever. So... we voted for that very liberal candidate because we're a 'center right' nation?
For those of you who accepted my challenge to write your own post-election-day analysis, today is the day to start seeing how well you did.
The best substantive analysis of McCain's loss that I've seen so far is this:
[Note: Jeff Mason's lead paragraph could easily have been written two weeks ago!]
I've yet to see a similarly substantive analysis focusing on "Why Obama Won"... (you know, other than the U.S. is a 'center right' nation!)
Will Fox News continue to slander Prez-elect Obama as a 'Muslim-Commie-Socialist-terrorist with an evil (Christian) preacher'?
Only The Shadow knows!
I'm pretty sure this isn't the correct conclusion to draw. Recall, just a few days ago, these same folks were suggesting - correctly - that Sen. Obama was one of the most liberal sitting senators, and one of the most liberal Presidential candidates ever. So... we voted for that very liberal candidate because we're a 'center right' nation?
For those of you who accepted my challenge to write your own post-election-day analysis, today is the day to start seeing how well you did.
The best substantive analysis of McCain's loss that I've seen so far is this:
ANALYSIS-Why John McCain lost the White HouseThe article addresses each of these themes in detail.
Jeff Mason
Reuters North American News Service
Nov 05, 2008
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Republican John McCain lost Tuesday's presidential election because he could not overcome a hostile economic environment, distance himself from an unpopular president or convince voters he could lead them out of the crisis.
[Note: Jeff Mason's lead paragraph could easily have been written two weeks ago!]
I've yet to see a similarly substantive analysis focusing on "Why Obama Won"... (you know, other than the U.S. is a 'center right' nation!)
Will Fox News continue to slander Prez-elect Obama as a 'Muslim-Commie-Socialist-terrorist with an evil (Christian) preacher'?
Only The Shadow knows!
This headline oughta make W feel all warm & fuzzy!
Obama victory lifts battered U.S. image abroad
Of course, W will never see this headline. That would require either 1) someone in his inner circle show it to him, or 2) he discover it himself while reading the news online.
Somehow neither of these seems very likely.
The rest of us can only hope that this is a harbinger of more good things to come. BUT: President-elect Obama has his work cut out for him - he has a very steep & treacherous path to carve in the side of the hole W has dug!
Have a nice day.
Of course, W will never see this headline. That would require either 1) someone in his inner circle show it to him, or 2) he discover it himself while reading the news online.
Somehow neither of these seems very likely.
The rest of us can only hope that this is a harbinger of more good things to come. BUT: President-elect Obama has his work cut out for him - he has a very steep & treacherous path to carve in the side of the hole W has dug!
Have a nice day.
Oh, yeah - we're still in 2 wars
Karzai says air strike kills 40 in Afghanistan
5 Nov 2008
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday an air strike by coalition forces earlier this week killed some 40 civilians and wounded about 28 in Kandahar province.
Once upon a time I routinely (see, e.g., here, here, here, and here) railed against the Pentagon's addiction to high-tech weapons systems in general, and to air-power in particular. Yes, air-power is great at blowing stuff up... but it is a poor tool for controlling territory or winning hearts & minds.
So long as we view 'success' in terms of 'bad guys killed', we'll rely on air-power. 'Bad guys killed' is a very poor measure of strategic success... particularly in 'unconventional', 'asymmetric' warfare.
This is NOT a new lesson: we bombed the hell out of Vietnam. We lost the war.
Yeah - high-tech weapons are really cool (they really are!)... but they don't win wars. To quote my favorite military philosopher:
Our continuing reliance on air-power in Afghanistan is difficult to understand.
Stop the madness!!!
5 Nov 2008
KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday an air strike by coalition forces earlier this week killed some 40 civilians and wounded about 28 in Kandahar province.
Once upon a time I routinely (see, e.g., here, here, here, and here) railed against the Pentagon's addiction to high-tech weapons systems in general, and to air-power in particular. Yes, air-power is great at blowing stuff up... but it is a poor tool for controlling territory or winning hearts & minds.
So long as we view 'success' in terms of 'bad guys killed', we'll rely on air-power. 'Bad guys killed' is a very poor measure of strategic success... particularly in 'unconventional', 'asymmetric' warfare.
This is NOT a new lesson: we bombed the hell out of Vietnam. We lost the war.
Yeah - high-tech weapons are really cool (they really are!)... but they don't win wars. To quote my favorite military philosopher:
"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of the men who follow and the man who leads that gains the victory."Recall:
"It is the unconquerable soul of man and not the nature of the weapon he uses which insures victory."
"Wars are fought with men, not weapons. It is the spirit of the men who fight, and the spirit of the men who lead, which gains the victory."
"So far as we know, few, if any, victories are traceable to weapons."
[Gen. George S. Patton; all quotations lifted from The Patton Society]
Even after the Pentagon began committing substantial resources to combat IEDs, USA TODAY found, its spending focused mostly on high-tech devices with limited utility. Some silver-bullet solutions, such as microwave beams designed to destroy IEDs before they blew up, never worked.Our military leaders' focus on high-tech solutions to every problem has been counterproductive... and VERY expensive!
[USA Today, 18 Dec 2007]
Our continuing reliance on air-power in Afghanistan is difficult to understand.
Stop the madness!!!
More good news (really) - and this bipartisan
From Politico.com:
Hooray for us!
2008 turnout shatters all recordsThis is what democracy is supposed to look like!
More than 130 million people turned out to vote Tuesday, the most ever to vote in a presidential election.
With ballots still being counted in some precincts into Wednesday morning, an estimated 64 percent of the electorate turned out, making 2008 the highest percentage turnout in generations.
Hooray for us!
Wow!
NM now has an entirely Democratic congressional delegation.
Here are unofficial results from the NM Secretary of State.
I was a tad disappointed... I'd anticipated staying up into the wee hours following the returns (recall - in 2006 the result in NM1 race wasn't known for 2 weeks after election day). As it turned out, the races I cared about - Prez + NM congressional delegation - were called by about 10 p.m.
Will W leave now?
Here are unofficial results from the NM Secretary of State.
I was a tad disappointed... I'd anticipated staying up into the wee hours following the returns (recall - in 2006 the result in NM1 race wasn't known for 2 weeks after election day). As it turned out, the races I cared about - Prez + NM congressional delegation - were called by about 10 p.m.
Will W leave now?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The election in Bernalillo County, Precinct 344
My wife is working for the county as a poll-worker today.
I stopped by to see how it was going after burning out on GOTV phone calls.
There were perhaps a handful of actual voters at the polling site (an elementary school gymnasium). Apparently it's been that way all day.
Early voting seems to have be very effective!!!
Me? I was up at 5:30 a.m. to make her breakfast, help her pack lunch & snacks for her long ordeal. She's holding up so far! (... and is prohibited by law from leaving early!!! - good thing she's holding up.)
I remain cautiously optimistic... but still fearful that all the pre-election polls have deceived me.
Have a nice day...
... and VOTE!
I stopped by to see how it was going after burning out on GOTV phone calls.
There were perhaps a handful of actual voters at the polling site (an elementary school gymnasium). Apparently it's been that way all day.
Early voting seems to have be very effective!!!
Me? I was up at 5:30 a.m. to make her breakfast, help her pack lunch & snacks for her long ordeal. She's holding up so far! (... and is prohibited by law from leaving early!!! - good thing she's holding up.)
I remain cautiously optimistic... but still fearful that all the pre-election polls have deceived me.
Have a nice day...
... and VOTE!
I lied (not a first)
Two hours of phone calls was all I could handle.
(Tho' these were - as the campaign staff had assured me - the easiest calls possible: "Have you voted?" (Yes/No). If 'no': "Please vote... here's your polling place.")
I'm taking a break from GOTV.
Meanwhile: I may be in trouble... Gov Palin did two (2) things today that I applaud:
And VOTE!!!
(Tho' these were - as the campaign staff had assured me - the easiest calls possible: "Have you voted?" (Yes/No). If 'no': "Please vote... here's your polling place.")
I'm taking a break from GOTV.
Meanwhile: I may be in trouble... Gov Palin did two (2) things today that I applaud:
1. From Think ProgressandPalin Goes Rogue, Ignores Press Aides’ Exhortations To End Press Conference
2. [from the same post]Have a nice day...... Palin was asked during the press conference whether she voted for Sen. Ted Stevens. “I am also exercising my right to privacy and I don’t have to tell anyone who I voted for, nobody does, and that’s really cool about America, also,” she said.She got that right! My vote "ain't nobody's business but my own".
And VOTE!!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
final pre-election advice...
I'll be working get-out-the-vote election day... no posting till Wednesday (... and I hope to be gleeful).
Final pre-election advice:
1. VOTE!!!
2. Pay NO attention to exit polls - they are notoriously unreliable.
3. If you plan/hope to celebrate: don't drink & drive.
VOTE!!!
Final pre-election advice:
1. VOTE!!!
2. Pay NO attention to exit polls - they are notoriously unreliable.
3. If you plan/hope to celebrate: don't drink & drive.
VOTE!!!
Likely meaningless, but fun
From Think Progress:
I doubt that this endorsement will turn Wyoming blue, but it is a sign that all is not well with the Republican brand.
Full disclosure: I went to grade school in Casper (Park Elementary), grades 2-5 (well... 2-4 & half-a-year of 5). When I lived there it billed itself as the "Oil Capital of the Rockies" - which, even at the time, was a bit hyperbolic - Denver having the clearer claim... but the oil industry had a significant presence. I believe that presence is no longer, and that ranching & maybe hard-rock mining are dominant industries. Wikipedia suggests that "Casper is a regional center of banking and commerce".
Trivia: Part of John Wayne's 1968 film Hellfighters was filmed near Casper.
Have a nice day.
Today, Vice President Cheney’s hometown newspaper, the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming, endorsed Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) for president. The paper endorsed Bush-Cheney in 2004. Today’s editorial states:I'm pretty sure Casper - Wyoming's 2nd-largest city - isn't a hotbed of elite liberalism.The next occupant of the White House will inherit a national economy that’s collapsing and two wars our nation has been fighting for years, depleting valuable resources we need to fix a multitude of domestic problems. Far too many of our nation’s citizens live paycheck to paycheck, worried about whether they’ll have a job next week or if a medical crisis will bankrupt them.The endorsement comes two days after Cheney campaigned for McCain in Casper. Thus far, at least 50 daily papers have switched from backing Bush in 2004 to supporting Obama.
What America needs most in these troubled times is a president who will move the country in a positive direction. The candidate who is most likely to chart a new course that will lead us to better days is Obama. Moreover, he is the best candidate for Wyoming.
I doubt that this endorsement will turn Wyoming blue, but it is a sign that all is not well with the Republican brand.
Full disclosure: I went to grade school in Casper (Park Elementary), grades 2-5 (well... 2-4 & half-a-year of 5). When I lived there it billed itself as the "Oil Capital of the Rockies" - which, even at the time, was a bit hyperbolic - Denver having the clearer claim... but the oil industry had a significant presence. I believe that presence is no longer, and that ranching & maybe hard-rock mining are dominant industries. Wikipedia suggests that "Casper is a regional center of banking and commerce".
Trivia: Part of John Wayne's 1968 film Hellfighters was filmed near Casper.
Have a nice day.
AQA's election predictions
Before Super Tuesday (my, how long ago that was!) one of my loyal readers suggested that I couldn't be a real blogger if I didn't make election predictions.
Here goes:
Have a nice day.
Here goes:
Electoral College: 333 for ObamaTruly dedicated readers will notice a shocking change from usual practice: other than the "2 Inds", none of the cited integers is prime!
Popular vote: 52.3458% for Obama
Senate [final make-up thereof]: 56 Dems, 42 Reps, 2 Inds
House [final make-up thereof]: 258 Dems, 177 Reps
Have a nice day.
"For he likes to get value for money"
The title is from one of Jack Point's songs in The Yeomen of the Guard by Gilbert & Sullivan.
Regarding the Pentagon's annual budget, I've previously remarked (also here and here):
I note that Sen. Obama captured this sentiment nicely in his interview with Rachel Maddow:
Continued deficit spending is likely in the offing.
To help soften the blow, help sell the public, and perhaps help silence the right-wing 'tax-and-spend' chorus, I suggest ALL Dems adopt Candidate Obama's talking point:
Stop the madness!
Regarding the Pentagon's annual budget, I've previously remarked (also here and here):
U.S. taxpayers don't mind paying taxes if they believe they're getting something for the $$$ spent.It's being ripped off we mostly object to.
I note that Sen. Obama captured this sentiment nicely in his interview with Rachel Maddow:
"One of the most frustrating things over the last eight years has been the ability of George Bush to pile up debt and huge deficits and not have anything to show for it, right?"Assuming for a moment that Sen. Obama is elected our 44th President, getting a grip on the economy is going to be a priority.
Continued deficit spending is likely in the offing.
To help soften the blow, help sell the public, and perhaps help silence the right-wing 'tax-and-spend' chorus, I suggest ALL Dems adopt Candidate Obama's talking point:
"One of the most frustrating things over the last eight years has been the ability of George Bush to pile up debt and huge deficits and not have anything to show for it, right?"I'll also point them to Candidate Obama's very next sentence:
"So, if you're going to run deficit spending, then it better be in rebuilding our roads, our bridges, our sewer lines, our water system, laying broadband lines."Digging ourselves out of W's hole may cost $$$... but we're likely to actually get something in return!
Stop the madness!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Ask me Wednesday if I believe this...
From Heath Haussamen's New Mexico Politics blog:
FYI: A related article notes that NM GOPers think NM1 - Heinrich (D) vs White (R) - is the best chance for Republicans to retain at least one Congressional District. I'd have bet on Teague (D) vs (Tinsley) in NM2.
It's gonna be a long couple of days!
Journal polls have Dems leading in all federal racesIt's delightful dream... but I'll wait till the polls close & the votes are counted to celebrate!
Posted 11/02/2008
Democrats, Democrats, Democrats.
Though the election isn’t over, and things could change by Tuesday, that’s the trend revealed by Albuquerque Journal polls of all federal races in New Mexico: Democrats have the edge in every race.
In the presidential race, the Journal poll released today had Barack Obama leading John McCain by eight points, 51 percent to 43 percent. Some 5 percent remained undecided in the survey, which was conducted Tuesday through Thursday.
...
In the U.S. Senate race, the Journal poll had Democrat Tom Udall leading Republican Steve Pearce by 14 points, 53 percent to 39 percent.
In the state’s three U.S. House races, the Journal poll had Democrat Martin Heinrich leading Republican Darren White in the 1st District race by 4 points, 47 percent to 43 percent; Democrat Harry Teague leading Republican Ed Tinsley in the 2nd District race by 4 points, 45 percent to 41 percent; and Democrat Ben Ray Luján leading in a three-way race in the 3rd District race with 51 percent to Republican Dan East’s 23 percent and independent Carol Miller’s 12 percent.
The Journal’s Web site doesn’t include the sample sizes and margins of error for its polls.
FYI: A related article notes that NM GOPers think NM1 - Heinrich (D) vs White (R) - is the best chance for Republicans to retain at least one Congressional District. I'd have bet on Teague (D) vs (Tinsley) in NM2.
It's gonna be a long couple of days!
More economic news
National Debt Soars $500B In Under A Month
1 Nov 2008
NEW YORK (CBS) ― It's the surge you won't hear anyone boast about.
Never before in U.S. history has the national debt increased as much and as rapidly as it has over the past month.
Since September 30, the day the national debt hit the $10-trillion mark for the first time, the government has run up over $500 billion in new debt.
That's more than the federal deficit for the entire 2008 fiscal year, which ended September 30. And it's the most rapid increase in the national debt ever: over half a trillion dollars in less than a month - 23 days to be exact.
I don't envy the next President. Cleaning up after W will NOT be easy.
On the bright side, IF McCain/Palin win and really do make it their policy to balance the budget, things'll be really ugly four years from now!!!
Have a nice day.
1 Nov 2008
NEW YORK (CBS) ― It's the surge you won't hear anyone boast about.
Never before in U.S. history has the national debt increased as much and as rapidly as it has over the past month.
Since September 30, the day the national debt hit the $10-trillion mark for the first time, the government has run up over $500 billion in new debt.
That's more than the federal deficit for the entire 2008 fiscal year, which ended September 30. And it's the most rapid increase in the national debt ever: over half a trillion dollars in less than a month - 23 days to be exact.
I don't envy the next President. Cleaning up after W will NOT be easy.
On the bright side, IF McCain/Palin win and really do make it their policy to balance the budget, things'll be really ugly four years from now!!!
Have a nice day.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Bolivia???
U.S. to suspend Bolivia trade benefits as tensions mount
By Jack Chang, McClatchy Newspapers
Thu, Oct 30, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is poised to suspend lucrative trade benefits to Bolivia in a move that could further worsen tensions between the U.S. and the impoverished South American country.
Is there a country in the world W hasn't pissed off???
["Freedom Fries", anyone?]
Quoting Sen. Obama:
Stop the madness!!!
By Jack Chang, McClatchy Newspapers
Thu, Oct 30, 2008
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is poised to suspend lucrative trade benefits to Bolivia in a move that could further worsen tensions between the U.S. and the impoverished South American country.
Is there a country in the world W hasn't pissed off???
["Freedom Fries", anyone?]
Quoting Sen. Obama:
"... And we know that when it comes to foreign policy, John McCain and Dick Cheney share a common philosophy that thinks that empty bluster from Washington will fix all of our problems... "It's gonna take years to recover from the virus named W. It's infected everything!!!
Stop the madness!!!
Just for fun: Cheney's endorsement
The news today:
Will Cheney's endorsement of McCain be similarly spun?
Cheney really supports Obama, and is publicly endorsing McCain only because he knows that his endorsement of McCain is "the kiss of death"???
Have a nice day.
Cheney endorses McCainLast week, when this story broke:
Al Qaeda-linked Web sites revel in U.S. crisis, pull for McCain...the McCain camp explained that it was really an endorsement of Obama, since al Qaeda certainly realized that their endorsement would be "the kiss of death" for McCain.
Will Cheney's endorsement of McCain be similarly spun?
Cheney really supports Obama, and is publicly endorsing McCain only because he knows that his endorsement of McCain is "the kiss of death"???
Have a nice day.
Someone else has noticed!
As I've noted twice before (here and here), the Government's (and media's) downplaying of recent neo-Nazi plot to kill black students and assassinate Sen. Obama has received scant coverage, and what coverage it has received has differed markedly from previous "domestic terrorism" stories.
Someone else has noticed this oddity. Eric Ward over at Imagine 2050 writes:
Has the Government really learned from past mistakes in which it hyped "terror" cases that later fell apart?
Or does it believe a neo-Nazi plot to kill blacks & assassinate the Dem Prez Candidate just doesn't count as "domestic terrorism"? - You know, since the alleged plotters are white?
Stop the madness.
Someone else has noticed this oddity. Eric Ward over at Imagine 2050 writes:
Response to Obama Murder Plot Says Much about BelongingAgain: why the apparent double-standard?
October 30, 2008 by Eric Ward
... While the public, political pundits, and even some law enforcement officials have been quick to downplay the actions of Cowart and Schlesselman using words such as “unlikely,” “unsophisticated,” and “bizarre”, these individuals are making a case for who they believe is an American. I can’t help but think back to 2006 when seven men who thought they were working with al-Qaida (but in actuality an FBI informant) were arrested in a plot against Chicago’s Sears Tower.
I can’t help but to ask if Coward and Schlesselman had been self-proclaimed Muslims would these same political pundits and law enforcement officials find themselves so blasé? Would the public write it off as “stupid kids who weren’t serious?”
Doubtful.
Has the Government really learned from past mistakes in which it hyped "terror" cases that later fell apart?
Or does it believe a neo-Nazi plot to kill blacks & assassinate the Dem Prez Candidate just doesn't count as "domestic terrorism"? - You know, since the alleged plotters are white?
Stop the madness.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Countering Republican calumnies
The Dems have never been particularly good responding to Republican calumnies.
The longest-running such seems to be, "Dems are tax-and-spend liberals". The easiest counter is to note that "tax-and-spend" makes a lot more sense than "borrow-and-spend", which is the Republicans' budget philosophy.
Still another response is the Steve Greenberg cartoon comparing "Fiscal Conservative" results with "Tax and Spend Liberal" results. [The previous link to this is now dead, but you can view it at Blog: Steve Greenberg's Cartoons ... scroll down!)
The most recent calumny is "the evil of Single-Party Rule": if Obama wins, the Dems will control the Executive and both Houses of Congress - ooh! Scary!!!
How to respond? The ideas below aren't well-formulated, but may provide a beginning.
Have a nice day.
The longest-running such seems to be, "Dems are tax-and-spend liberals". The easiest counter is to note that "tax-and-spend" makes a lot more sense than "borrow-and-spend", which is the Republicans' budget philosophy.
Still another response is the Steve Greenberg cartoon comparing "Fiscal Conservative" results with "Tax and Spend Liberal" results. [The previous link to this is now dead, but you can view it at Blog: Steve Greenberg's Cartoons ... scroll down!)
The most recent calumny is "the evil of Single-Party Rule": if Obama wins, the Dems will control the Executive and both Houses of Congress - ooh! Scary!!!
How to respond? The ideas below aren't well-formulated, but may provide a beginning.
1. Note that it was Republican control of the Executive & both Houses of Congress that got us into our current mess... and that it just might take Dem control to get us out!!!Again, these points are not well-articulated, but I believe they provide a basis on which to construct more convincing arguments to counter the "Single Party Rule"-is-bad Republican talking point.
2. (related to #1) We're facing a lot of very serious crises right now - economic meltdown, bogged down in two possibly unwinnable wars, America's international reputation in shambles.
Now is NOT the time to dither. We need deliberate, consistent policies enacted NOW to get us out of the hole W and his minions have dug us into.
(Maybe when we're out of the hole it would be appropriate to return to so-called "divided government"... but NOT NOW!)
Have a nice day.
More fun with juxtaposition
First we have:
Evidence of a recession piles higher with new data... Followed by:
By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer
31 Oct 2008
WASHINGTON – Evidence of a recession piled ever higher Friday, with new figures showing Americans are spending less and gloomy about the economy, while the government signaled it won't buy stock in the financing arms of auto companies to prop them up. The Commerce Department reported consumer spending dropped a sharp 0.3 percent in September while their incomes, the fuel for future spending, managed only a small 0.2 percent gain.
That followed a report a day earlier that the U.S. economy shrank by 0.3 percent in the third quarter. The accepted definition of a recession is two straight quarters of a shrinking economy.
Chevron 3Q profit soars, yet caution prevailsTo whom does Sen. McCain want to give tax breaks???
By JOHN PORRETTO, AP Energy Writer
Fri Oct 31, 2008
HOUSTON – Chevron on Friday reported the largest quarterly profit in its 129-year corporate history, joining other oil companies reporting stunning third-quarter earnings gains.
T minus 0... my predicted October Surprise didn't happen
In my favor: I named a date & stuck to it!... and now that I've been shown to be full of it, I'm 'fessing up to my ineptitude as a forecaster!
... but we got a (1) bad guy!
Recall, on Sunday, 26 Oct, U.S. Special Forces launched a raid inside Syria, ostensibly to get a bad guy (one! bad guy).
U.S. authorities claim that we did, in fact, get the bad guy.
Hooray!
Now the fallout:
Stop the madness!!!
U.S. authorities claim that we did, in fact, get the bad guy.
Hooray!
Now the fallout:
Syria orders US school, cultural center closedGee, I sure hope that ONE BAD GUY was worth it!
... okay, no big deal - the Syrians close some U.S. offices.
Syrian protests lead U.S. Embassy to close
... do we really need an embassy in Syria?
Syria suspends Iraq security talks
DAMASCUS, Syria, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Syria severed communications with Iraq, suspending bilateral security meetings and has cut back on its border troops, officials said.
Baghdad condemns 'US Syria raid'
Iraq has denounced a raid into Syria at the weekend, saying it does not want its territory to be used as a launch-pad for US attacks on its neighbours.[This at a time we're desperately trying to negotiate a SOFA with our reluctant Iraqi partners!]
Stop the madness!!!
I was being sarcastic!
A few posts ago I mused:
Seems John McCain isn't!
At a campaign rally in Ohio yesterday, McCain declared:
Stop the madness!!!
I'm wondering what cabinet post McCain has in mind for Joe.I was being sarcastic.
Seems John McCain isn't!
At a campaign rally in Ohio yesterday, McCain declared:
"I'm going to Washington and I'm going to bring Joe the Plumber with me!"I was making a funny!
[Reported by The New York Post, 31 Oct 2008]
Stop the madness!!!
What would St. Reagan say???
Former Reagan adviser endorses Obama
From CNN's Adam Levy
31 Oct 2008
(CNN) — Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein told CNN's Fareed Zakaria this week he intends to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Any real psychics/spiritualists out there who'd be willing to ask St. Reagan for his reaction?
From CNN's Adam Levy
31 Oct 2008
(CNN) — Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein told CNN's Fareed Zakaria this week he intends to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Any real psychics/spiritualists out there who'd be willing to ask St. Reagan for his reaction?
Gov. Palin's understanding of the First Amendment
Amendment IGov. Palin apparently interprets this to mean that the press ought not criticize her speech:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
"If [the media] convince enough voters that that is negative campaigning, for me to call Barack Obama out on his associations," Palin told host Chris Plante, "then I don't know what the future of our country would be in terms of First Amendment rights and our ability to ask questions without fear of attacks by the mainstream media."Well, actually, Gov. Palin, the First Amendment protects your right to say whatever you please - without fear of being silenced by the Government... and it also protects the press's right to report what you say and comment on it! - without fear of Government retribution.
[Excerpt from Gov. Palin's interview with radio host Chris Plante, WMAL-AM, posted on Salon.com]
Maybe I'm reading too much into Gov. Palin's words, but to me it sounds like she'd really like to muzzle media criticism of Candidates and - by extension - the Government!
Actually, we - the U.S. - tried this once with The Alien and Sedition Acts, back in 1798.
The Sedition Act (officially An Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes against the United States) made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials. Enacted July 14, 1798, with an expiration date of March 3, 1801.... Tho' I note that this Act applied only to "the government or its officials"... NOT to candidates for elective office!
Stop the madness!!!
Voting on Election Day (4 Nov)
Not sure where you go to vote on Election Day, Tues, 4 Nov?
For AQA readers in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, New Mexico:
VOTE!!!
For AQA readers in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, New Mexico:
Bernalillo County residents:For AQA readers in other locales: Visit the website of your County Clerk. (Google search on, e.g., "Bernalillo County Clerk" works like a charm!)Where do I vote?Valencia County residents:
[site also contains a sample ballot]Where do I vote?Sandoval County residents:VoterViewTorrance County residents:VoterViewNote: the VoterView website is common to Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties; it also works for Bernalillo County.
VOTE!!!
Last day for early voting in NM: Saturday, 1 November
Early voting in Bernalillo County began Saturday, 18 October.
LAST DAY: Saturday, 1 November (tomorrow).
Early voting hours:
LAST DAY: Saturday, 1 November (tomorrow).
Early voting hours:
Tues - Fri, noon - 8 p.m.Early voting sites in Bernalillo County:
Sat, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Paradise Hills Community Center, 5901 Paradise Blvd NWVOTE!!!
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
Don't let this happen! VOTE!!!
McCain camp 'jazzed up' about possible comeback
As I've expressed previously, I am concerned that the talking heads, Republican gurus, and Sarah Palin, all seem to predicate their remarks on the assumption that Sen. McCain has already lost.
He hasn't.
It ain't over till the polls close on Tues, 4 November.
VOTE!!!
As I've expressed previously, I am concerned that the talking heads, Republican gurus, and Sarah Palin, all seem to predicate their remarks on the assumption that Sen. McCain has already lost.
He hasn't.
It ain't over till the polls close on Tues, 4 November.
VOTE!!!
Oh, good: it's almost official now
Economy shrinks in 3Q, signaling recession
Meanwhile: Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever
... and let's not forget the other good news:
Beaten down, American consumers burrow deeper
And the so-called bail-out?
[Note: I've chosen to cite USA Today version of the story, rather than the original from The Washington Post. The reason? WaPo requires registration (free) to read article online - I wanted to make it as easy as possible for AQA readers by not sending you all to WaPo's sing-in/sign-up page.]
The Post notes further (as reported in USA Today) that:
Question: Does U.S. Govt get dividend payments like all other shareholders?
Have a nice day.
Meanwhile: Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever
... and let's not forget the other good news:
Beaten down, American consumers burrow deeper
And the so-called bail-out?
Report: Banks continue paying dividends after receiving bailout moneyPaying dividends??? 52% of the bail-out money??? Ah, yes - our MBA President at work!
"... "The 33 banks signed up so far plan to pay shareholders about $7 billion this quarter," the paper adds. "Companies generally try to pay consistent dividends and, at the present pace, those dividends will consume 52% of the Treasury's investment over the initial three-year term."
[Note: I've chosen to cite USA Today version of the story, rather than the original from The Washington Post. The reason? WaPo requires registration (free) to read article online - I wanted to make it as easy as possible for AQA readers by not sending you all to WaPo's sing-in/sign-up page.]
The Post notes further (as reported in USA Today) that:
"... The Treasury's approach contrasts with decisions by foreign governments, including Britain and Germany, to require banks that accept public investments to suspend dividend payments until the government is repaid."W's wisdom.
Question: Does U.S. Govt get dividend payments like all other shareholders?
Have a nice day.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
McCain won't fund basic science
Watching AC360 - a clip of McCain at campaign rally promising to veto any budget with earmarks, including (he's happy to point out) money to study bear DNA.
Gov. Palin previously ridiculed fruit fly research.
Without government funding of basic science, the U.S. pretty much loses whatever edge it has in the global marketplace.
Yeah - it's easy to ridicule any specific scientific study. (Can you believe it? We're paying hard-earned taxpayer dollars to study fruit flies!!!)...
Where do these folks think medical advances originate?
Basic physics research led to development of nuclear weapons - I'm not sure this a great example of the inherent value of the technology resulting from basic scientific research, but it does help make the case that basic science drives technological progress.
Go ahead, John: turn us into a country of Luddites.
This'll delight your base of "intelligent design" advocates!
Stop the madness!!!
p.s. No - I do not mean to imply that the ONLY value of basic science is its potential to lead to technological/economic advantage... but that is certainly ONE of the values of basic science!
Gov. Palin previously ridiculed fruit fly research.
Without government funding of basic science, the U.S. pretty much loses whatever edge it has in the global marketplace.
Yeah - it's easy to ridicule any specific scientific study. (Can you believe it? We're paying hard-earned taxpayer dollars to study fruit flies!!!)...
Where do these folks think medical advances originate?
Basic physics research led to development of nuclear weapons - I'm not sure this a great example of the inherent value of the technology resulting from basic scientific research, but it does help make the case that basic science drives technological progress.
Go ahead, John: turn us into a country of Luddites.
This'll delight your base of "intelligent design" advocates!
Stop the madness!!!
p.s. No - I do not mean to imply that the ONLY value of basic science is its potential to lead to technological/economic advantage... but that is certainly ONE of the values of basic science!
G&S in modern popular culture!
Countdown with Keith Olbermann's Oddball segment tonight featured a clip from The Family Guy that included a parody of Ko-Ko's "I've got a little list" from Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado.
Will this be sufficient to spark a nation-wide G&S revival???
Will this be sufficient to spark a nation-wide G&S revival???
Joe disses McCain...
Joe the Plumber didn't show up at a McCain rally... at which McCain introduced him. "Where's Joe?" Oops.
I'm wondering what cabinet post McCain has in mind for Joe.
Stop the madness!!!
I'm wondering what cabinet post McCain has in mind for Joe.
Stop the madness!!!
What a surprise!
Analysis: Bush foreign-policy goals largely unmet
... BUT: he did get to "finish" Daddy's war in Iraq!
Stop the madness!!!
... BUT: he did get to "finish" Daddy's war in Iraq!
Stop the madness!!!
"Battleground states": NM loses out!
Not all that long ago - perhaps last spring - when the Electoral College discussion began, NM was counted among the key battleground states in the Prez election.
As the campaign played out, sadly, we lost that distinction. A number of factors contributed to putting NM in Obama's favor a while ago.
Yes, the candidates still show up here - both were in town last Saturday. But, the media don't pay us much mind.
I think the talking heads could have fun discussing the possibility that NM will be entirely blue this time around: Obama for Prez, Udall for Senate, Heinrich in NM1, Teague in NM2, Lujan in NM3. An historic first!
As the campaign played out, sadly, we lost that distinction. A number of factors contributed to putting NM in Obama's favor a while ago.
Yes, the candidates still show up here - both were in town last Saturday. But, the media don't pay us much mind.
I think the talking heads could have fun discussing the possibility that NM will be entirely blue this time around: Obama for Prez, Udall for Senate, Heinrich in NM1, Teague in NM2, Lujan in NM3. An historic first!
Hope #2 realized: DoJ ignores W's latest request (...maybe)
Ohio Vote-Challenge Effort Hits Another Roadblock
By Ian Urbina
The Caucus: The New York Times Politics Blog
29 Oct 2008
The Department of Justice will not require Ohio to disclose the names of voters whose registration applications did not match other government databases, according to two people familiar with discussions between state and federal lawyers.
The source is a NYT politics blog, so this may not be the last word... but it's still encouraging.
Given that there has not been a positive response to W from DoJ in the several days since he made his request, I'm hopeful that a real news story will confirm the report shortly.
If the reporting continues to emphasize what appear to be low-level "discussions" within DoJ, the suggestion is that folks will have decided to simply ignore W's request - not even bothering to formally respond to their putative boss.
I'm really hoping that this is how it in fact plays out. Mukasey doesn't issue a statement, DoJ doesn't issue a formal reply... rather, DoJ simply and straight-forwardly publicly ignores W.
Have a nice day.
By Ian Urbina
The Caucus: The New York Times Politics Blog
29 Oct 2008
The Department of Justice will not require Ohio to disclose the names of voters whose registration applications did not match other government databases, according to two people familiar with discussions between state and federal lawyers.
The source is a NYT politics blog, so this may not be the last word... but it's still encouraging.
Given that there has not been a positive response to W from DoJ in the several days since he made his request, I'm hopeful that a real news story will confirm the report shortly.
If the reporting continues to emphasize what appear to be low-level "discussions" within DoJ, the suggestion is that folks will have decided to simply ignore W's request - not even bothering to formally respond to their putative boss.
I'm really hoping that this is how it in fact plays out. Mukasey doesn't issue a statement, DoJ doesn't issue a formal reply... rather, DoJ simply and straight-forwardly publicly ignores W.
Have a nice day.
Bragging...
(... tho', to be honest, I'm probably not the only source of this brilliant idea.)
For many moons I have advocated that all Dem candidates, from County Dog Catcher to Congress to Senate to President, simply run on W's record... and make your respected Republican opponent run on W's record.
Apparently this simple strategy is paying off:
For many moons I have advocated that all Dem candidates, from County Dog Catcher to Congress to Senate to President, simply run on W's record... and make your respected Republican opponent run on W's record.
Apparently this simple strategy is paying off:
"... The apparent McCain drag on congressional races comes as voters increasingly cast blame on Bush and Republicans for the crumbling economy and at a time when the GOP's national party committees have little financial resources to defend an increasing number of House and Senate seats that are in jeopardy.See how easy that was!
[McCain's Troubles Afflicting Other Races, The Washington Post, 29 Oct 2008]
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Missed Obama's 30 minutes...
... not a matter of principle: I was at rehearsal.
Current TV chatter anticipates joint appearance: Obama with Bill Clinton.
I've seen no coverage/commentary on Obama's 30 minutes.
How was it?
Current TV chatter anticipates joint appearance: Obama with Bill Clinton.
I've seen no coverage/commentary on Obama's 30 minutes.
How was it?
Phillies win series, 4-1
Delayed Game 5 at last completed: Philadelphia 4, Tampa Bay 3.
I'll cheer for the AL champ again next year.
I'll cheer for the AL champ again next year.
T minus 2 and counting
... and I've started to wonder: What will I do if, in fact, there is a terrorist attack on the U.S. on Halloween???
The appropriate tone: ridicule
From HuffPost:
... Responding to charges that his economic policies were socialistic in nature, the Democratic nominee ridiculed his opponent for resorting to trivialities and distractions.As I've noted previously, ridicule can be a powerful rhetorical tool!"Now, because he knows that his economic theories don't work, he's been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately he's called me a socialist for wanting to roll-back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don't know what's next. By the end of the week he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich."
Thank you, Margaret Carlson (transcript)
Countdown with Keith Olbermann, transcript, 28 Oct 2008:
Olbermann: "... Would this schism be there on January 20th next year for a President McCain and Vice President Palin?"It's about time this point was made! Thank you, Margaret Carlson!!!
Carlson: "Well, victory tends to heal a lot of wounds. However, if the White House were run the way the campaign were run, that would be very bad for the country."
"Any given Sunday"
I'm concerned watching the talking heads: all seem to believe that McCain has lost already.
He hasn't.
It's a week too early to celebrate.
Both pro and college football teams underperform the point-spread every weekend - with heavy favorites losing not just to the spread, but losing the game.
Tonight's Rachel Maddow show featured an amusing, extended football metaphor. Rachel began by noting that football was a game of statistics: time of possession, yards passing, yards rushing, number of turnovers... BUT: that the only thing that matters at the end of the game is the final score.
A team can dominate another statistically and still lose.
An amusing semi-personal story... well, actually, an amusing personal story related by a friend & former colleague of mine:
(warning: this is one of my "remembered quotations", so I may not get the details quite right).
VOTE!!!
p.s. full-disclosure: friend & former colleague Mark is one of my conservative friends... and one of two with whom I manage to conduct civil political discussions.
p.p.s. Lee Corso - ESPN sports commentator - got it right:
He hasn't.
It's a week too early to celebrate.
Both pro and college football teams underperform the point-spread every weekend - with heavy favorites losing not just to the spread, but losing the game.
Tonight's Rachel Maddow show featured an amusing, extended football metaphor. Rachel began by noting that football was a game of statistics: time of possession, yards passing, yards rushing, number of turnovers... BUT: that the only thing that matters at the end of the game is the final score.
A team can dominate another statistically and still lose.
An amusing semi-personal story... well, actually, an amusing personal story related by a friend & former colleague of mine:
(warning: this is one of my "remembered quotations", so I may not get the details quite right).
Statistician colleague Mark wrote his Master's thesis on college basketball, attempting to develop a model to pick winners based on game stats.Folks - it's about a week too soon to celebrate.
His surprising finding? The single most predictive statistic was which team scored the most points!
VOTE!!!
p.s. full-disclosure: friend & former colleague Mark is one of my conservative friends... and one of two with whom I manage to conduct civil political discussions.
p.p.s. Lee Corso - ESPN sports commentator - got it right:
When asked what what it would take for OU to beat Mizzou in last year's Big 12 Championship game:"Oklahoma's gonna have to outscore 'em!"
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Waiting for the transcript... hint: Thank you, Margaret Carlson
Tonight on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Margaret Carlson said it:
[a remembered quotation, almost certainly not accurate; I'll call it a paraphrase]: If John McCain runs the White House like he's run his campaign, the country's in trouble.Transcript should be available tomorrow - I'll post the accurate quotation when it is available.
How is this bad?
McCain Calls Obama ‘Barack the Wealth Spreader’
I'm sorry, but I don't get it.
How is being a "wealth-spreader" bad???
If McCain advertised himself as a "wealth-spreader", who knows - maybe I'd give him a second look.
I'm ready for this election to be over!!!
I'm sorry, but I don't get it.
How is being a "wealth-spreader" bad???
If McCain advertised himself as a "wealth-spreader", who knows - maybe I'd give him a second look.
I'm ready for this election to be over!!!
Very different coverage from past episodes...
Authorities say skinhead plot wasn't fully formed
By WOODY BAIRD and ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writers Woody Baird And Andrew Demillo, Associated Press Writers
28 Oct 2008
BELLS, Tenn. – Two white supremacists charged with plotting to behead blacks across the country and assassinate Barack Obama while wearing white top hats and tuxes were likely too disorganized to carry out the plot, authorities said, and their planning was riddled with blunders.
Where was this judicious, cautious skepticism when pathetic human-being Jose Padilla was arrested for plotting a radioactive "dirty bomb" attack? No - Padilla was a clear & present danger, and had to be locked away - without trial, without recourse to judicial review.
Are neo-Nazi skinheads less of a threat than pseudo-Islamists?
Where was this skepticism when this story broke?:
Will the next high-profile arrest of a domestic terror cell involving Arabs and/or Muslims be accompanied by such qualifying, disarming considerations - you know, admissions & caveats that the folks in question just might not have the capability to really do anything?
Or is this simply a convenient double-standard? (Heck, if we lock up the skinheads, what happens to the Republican base?... Okay - that remark was out of line, but why this sudden caution on the part of the Government when confronted with domestic terrorists???)
Recall, the folks who really did blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 were native-born, white Americans!!!
Have a nice day.
By WOODY BAIRD and ANDREW DeMILLO, Associated Press Writers Woody Baird And Andrew Demillo, Associated Press Writers
28 Oct 2008
BELLS, Tenn. – Two white supremacists charged with plotting to behead blacks across the country and assassinate Barack Obama while wearing white top hats and tuxes were likely too disorganized to carry out the plot, authorities said, and their planning was riddled with blunders.
Where was this judicious, cautious skepticism when pathetic human-being Jose Padilla was arrested for plotting a radioactive "dirty bomb" attack? No - Padilla was a clear & present danger, and had to be locked away - without trial, without recourse to judicial review.
Are neo-Nazi skinheads less of a threat than pseudo-Islamists?
Where was this skepticism when this story broke?:
4 Men Accused of Plot to Blow Up Kennedy Airport Terminals and Fuel LinesThis one was all over the cable networks, all day long. My 90-year-old mother was terrified!... This was in June, 2007 - presumably well after the post-9/11 national hysteria had subsided.
Will the next high-profile arrest of a domestic terror cell involving Arabs and/or Muslims be accompanied by such qualifying, disarming considerations - you know, admissions & caveats that the folks in question just might not have the capability to really do anything?
Or is this simply a convenient double-standard? (Heck, if we lock up the skinheads, what happens to the Republican base?... Okay - that remark was out of line, but why this sudden caution on the part of the Government when confronted with domestic terrorists???)
Recall, the folks who really did blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995 were native-born, white Americans!!!
Have a nice day.
Good news! (... I wonder why...)
Guantanamo man tortured into confessing: U.S. judge
By Jane Sutton Jane Sutton
28 Oct 2008
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) – A young Guantanamo prisoner's confession to Afghan police was obtained through torture and cannot be used as evidence in his trial on charges of wounding U.S. soldiers with a grenade, a judge in the U.S. war crimes court ruled on Tuesday.
...
The military prosecutor in the case quit last month, alleging the U.S. government was suppressing evidence that cast doubt on Jawad's guilt. And a U.S. general who supervised the prosecutors was reassigned after fellow officers accused him of pushing for charges in the Jawad case prematurely because he felt it would excite the interest of U.S. citizens.
Note: The judge is Army Col. Stephen Henley, sitting on a Military Tribunal. This is not not some leftie-Pinko Fed judge.
I'm delighted with the ruling... but am wondering, "Why?"
A couple of answers present themselves:
1. As we've seen before, the JAG Corps really does seem to care about the law - regardless of what their current political masters might want.
2. These guys are just a little concerned that they might be held complicit in some future war-crimes trial!
The two answers are not mutually exclusive.
Hooray for Army Colonel Stephen Henley!
p.s. Recall: Gitmo houses ONLY 'the baddest of the bad'!!!
By Jane Sutton Jane Sutton
28 Oct 2008
GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba (Reuters) – A young Guantanamo prisoner's confession to Afghan police was obtained through torture and cannot be used as evidence in his trial on charges of wounding U.S. soldiers with a grenade, a judge in the U.S. war crimes court ruled on Tuesday.
...
The military prosecutor in the case quit last month, alleging the U.S. government was suppressing evidence that cast doubt on Jawad's guilt. And a U.S. general who supervised the prosecutors was reassigned after fellow officers accused him of pushing for charges in the Jawad case prematurely because he felt it would excite the interest of U.S. citizens.
Note: The judge is Army Col. Stephen Henley, sitting on a Military Tribunal. This is not not some leftie-Pinko Fed judge.
I'm delighted with the ruling... but am wondering, "Why?"
A couple of answers present themselves:
1. As we've seen before, the JAG Corps really does seem to care about the law - regardless of what their current political masters might want.
2. These guys are just a little concerned that they might be held complicit in some future war-crimes trial!
The two answers are not mutually exclusive.
Hooray for Army Colonel Stephen Henley!
p.s. Recall: Gitmo houses ONLY 'the baddest of the bad'!!!
Seventy-six years ago today!
A fun read:
Much of it could be lifted with little change and attributed to Sen. McCain, with few folks the wiser.
For what it's worth: the specific economic policies discussed by Hoover in this address bear little resemblance to those being discussed today. Quite a bit of space is devoted to tariffs. The issuance of paper money, not backed by specie, is another concern.
Enjoy!
"... I stated that this depression had exposed many weaknesses in our economic system. It has shown much wrongdoing. There has been exploitation and abuse of financial power. These weaknesses must be corrected, and that wrongdoing must be punished. We will continue to reform such abuses and correct such wrongdoing as falls within the powers of the Federal Government.Warning: the entire address is very long, and is a quite detailed polemic against FDR.
Furthermore, the American people must have protection from insecure banking through a stronger banking system. They must have relief from conditions which permit the credit machinery of the country being made available without adequate check for wholesale speculation in securities, with its ruinous consequences to millions of our citizens and to our national economy. This the Federal Reserve System by its present constitution has proven incapable of bringing about. I recommended to the Congress the sane reform of our banking laws. The Democratic House of Representatives did not see fit to pass that legislation in the last session, but we shall persist until it has been accomplished.
...
My only comment on this occasion is that if I receive a mandate from the American people in this election, I shall be able not only to force upon this Democratic House real economies, but I shall be able to stop further raids by the Democratic Party on the Treasury of the United States.
...
I also, likewise at Cleveland, gave an extended exposition of the measures and policies which we have in action and propose for labor and employment. I am in hopes that these statements may be carefully considered, and our time is too short this evening to go into those items in detail although I hope to take them up again in this campaign.
...
[Address in Indianapolis, Indiana, Herbert Hoover, 28 Oct 1932... 76 years ago today!]
Much of it could be lifted with little change and attributed to Sen. McCain, with few folks the wiser.
For what it's worth: the specific economic policies discussed by Hoover in this address bear little resemblance to those being discussed today. Quite a bit of space is devoted to tariffs. The issuance of paper money, not backed by specie, is another concern.
Enjoy!
This is almost funny
Our MBA President at work:
As I've noted previously, W doesn't believe in contracts that actually work - you know, with clearly articulated 'deliverables' and enforcement clauses.
I'm curious: just exactly how is W "serving notice"???
Again: our MBA President at work!
Stop the madness!!!
White House tells banks to stop hoarding moneyNow, my understanding is that when British Government recently gave money to British banks, there was a clause in the agreement obligating the banks to use the money for loans.
WASHINGTON – An impatient White House is serving notice on banks receiving billions of dollars in federal help to quit hoarding the money and start making more loans.
As I've noted previously, W doesn't believe in contracts that actually work - you know, with clearly articulated 'deliverables' and enforcement clauses.
I'm curious: just exactly how is W "serving notice"???
Again: our MBA President at work!
Stop the madness!!!
Overlooked (by me) good news
I'd have lost big had I been betting on oil & gasoline futures!
Gasoline at cheapest price since March 2007
Oil slides below $63 as recession worry dominates
[... ignore for the moment the cloud surrounding this silver lining: "... as recession worry dominates".]
Will cheaper gas be enough to rescue Detroit?
... Nah - it'll just confirm for the Big 3 that they've been right all along to bet on SUVs!]
Gasoline at cheapest price since March 2007
Oil slides below $63 as recession worry dominates
[... ignore for the moment the cloud surrounding this silver lining: "... as recession worry dominates".]
Will cheaper gas be enough to rescue Detroit?
... Nah - it'll just confirm for the Big 3 that they've been right all along to bet on SUVs!]
I wish others would ask this question.
If John McCain can't control Palin now, what's going to happen if he becomes president?
Unfortunately, this question was raised on the progressive blog, AMERICAblog, read only by us fellow-travelers.
Why aren't the prominent talking heads on cable asking this question?
I alluded to this in an earlier post:
Unfortunately, this question was raised on the progressive blog, AMERICAblog, read only by us fellow-travelers.
Why aren't the prominent talking heads on cable asking this question?
I alluded to this in an earlier post:
In an appearance on The Colbert Report, David Gergen suggested that,This point still strikes me as embarrassingly obvious. Why have the talking heads not picked up on it?"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.Somehow this point was lost on "the best political team on television".
If this is a harbinger of his governing style, it foretells an interesting McCain presidency!
Hooray for David Gergen!
On AC360:
Gergen also presented another nice talking point for the Dems to use in response to "Obama wants to redistribute the wealth... he's a Commie!":
Yes, Senator McCain, let's talk about the redistribution of wealth in America!!!
David Gergen: "... So I think that these arguments are -- you know, some of them get so carried away that they don't recognize the realities of what we've been going through in public policy and the big arguments about why the wealth over the last 30 years has been redistributed. It's been redistributed upwards.Thank you!
...
As we grow, the top 1 percent is getting a disproportionate share."
Gergen also presented another nice talking point for the Dems to use in response to "Obama wants to redistribute the wealth... he's a Commie!":
"Now, one of the most effective popular programs we've had in the last three decades. It's called the earned income tax credit. It's a program whereby, if you're a working person, a working couple and you're below the poverty line, the government will actually give you money. That's a redistributed program. It's a program which takes money from the upper classes and gives it to the lower -- to the working poor.Again, thank you!!!
Now who started that program? The earned income tax credit? Ronald Reagan. It was one of the -- it was an achievement of the Reagan administration that Bill Clinton then built on.
Yes, Senator McCain, let's talk about the redistribution of wealth in America!!!
A gentle reminder: VOTE!!!
Full-disclosure: I support
Regardless of who YOU support, I urge you to VOTE!!!
Early voting in Bernalillo County began Saturday, 18 October.
Early voting hours:
The only poll that counts is on Tues, 4 November.
To quote a well-known philosopher, "It ain't over till it's over!"
VOTE!!!
President: Sen. Barack Hussein ObamaI of course believe my candidates are the only rational choices, and that anyone who believes otherwise is an idiot... BUT!!!...
Senator: Tom Udall
NM1: Martin Heinrich
Regardless of who YOU support, I urge you to VOTE!!!
Early voting in Bernalillo County began Saturday, 18 October.
Early voting hours:
Tues - Fri, noon - 8 p.m.Early voting sites in Bernalillo County:
Sat, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Paradise Hills Community Center, 5901 Paradise Blvd NWVOTE!!!
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
The only poll that counts is on Tues, 4 November.
To quote a well-known philosopher, "It ain't over till it's over!"
VOTE!!!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Something in this story NOT found in others
Feds disrupt alleged plot targeting Obama
First: I'm glad local & federal law-enforecment disrupted the plot and arrested the plotters.
But... the point of this post: the accompanying story includes a detail not found in, for example, the initial story about the Miami Six, or the initial story about the Ft. Dix Five.
The detail?:
I don't know if this means that the Government is becoming more critical of evidence, more cautious about making inflammatory accusations (these would be good things); or if White Supremacists targeting a Presidential Candidate are simply less sexy, less terrifying than dubious plots to blow up the Sears Tower.
The full-blown plot - involving plans to kill black students before going after Candidate Obama - is hair-raising.
I sure hope the Government doesn't decide to downplay the threat by characterizing the plotters as simply skinhead losers.
[I note that Jose Padilla - a very obvious 'loser' - was treated VERY SERIOUSLY by the Government: held incommunicado, in solitary confinement, for years before SCOTUS finally ruled in his favor.]
If this case is NOT reported by the Government as one of domestic terrorism, something is slightly screwy.
First: I'm glad local & federal law-enforecment disrupted the plot and arrested the plotters.
But... the point of this post: the accompanying story includes a detail not found in, for example, the initial story about the Miami Six, or the initial story about the Ft. Dix Five.
The detail?:
"Whether or not they had the capability or the wherewithal to carry out an attack remains to be seen," [Secret Service spokesman Eric Zahren] said.In previous high-profile domestic-terrorism arrests, the Government presented the threats as real and imminent, and described the plotters as fully capable of carrying out their plots. There were no circumspect statements suggesting that maybe the plotters hadn't the capability to carry out their plans.
I don't know if this means that the Government is becoming more critical of evidence, more cautious about making inflammatory accusations (these would be good things); or if White Supremacists targeting a Presidential Candidate are simply less sexy, less terrifying than dubious plots to blow up the Sears Tower.
The full-blown plot - involving plans to kill black students before going after Candidate Obama - is hair-raising.
I sure hope the Government doesn't decide to downplay the threat by characterizing the plotters as simply skinhead losers.
[I note that Jose Padilla - a very obvious 'loser' - was treated VERY SERIOUSLY by the Government: held incommunicado, in solitary confinement, for years before SCOTUS finally ruled in his favor.]
If this case is NOT reported by the Government as one of domestic terrorism, something is slightly screwy.
Why are they so afraid???
Why are they so afraid?
Yes - I understand that the point of a political campaign is to win the election... BUT: the rhetoric on the McCain/Republican side is so over-the-top, and so disconnected from reality, that it begs this question:
The Republican Party of Pennsylvania sends email to Jewish voters insinuating that an Obama victory would lead to another Kristallnacht.What is it about the prospect of an Obama Presidency that terrifies these folks?
McCain's Pennsylvania campaign jumps on & hypes the soon-to-be-revealed-as-hoax story of scary black man assaulting a College Republican McCain volunteer.
Gov. Palin insinuates that Obama is a terrorist.
More recently, Gov. Palin insinuates that Obama is a Marxist in the Stalinist mold.
William Kristol has devoted at least two of his NYT Op-Ed columns to, "What McCain needs to do to win".
Gen. Powell reveals that senior Republicans continue to identify Obama as a Muslim.
Rush Limbaugh continues to peddle the "scary black man" story - not about the hoax, but about Obama himself.
Fox News continues to air all calumnies indiscriminately: Obama's a Commie, a Socialist, a Muslim, a terrorist.
Yes - I understand that the point of a political campaign is to win the election... BUT: the rhetoric on the McCain/Republican side is so over-the-top, and so disconnected from reality, that it begs this question:
What is it that scares them so much?I don't know the answer.
Why is Obama so terrifying to them?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Words we can understand
Other woes makes foreclosure crisis hard to break
By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Business Writer Alan Zibel, Ap Business Writer – Sun Oct 26, 2008
WASHINGTON – Each day from July through September, more than 2,700 Americans lost their homes in foreclosure.
That number, up from 1,200 a day a year ago, is a sign that the mortgage industry and government programs have done little to help troubled homeowners.
Have a nice day.
By ALAN ZIBEL, AP Business Writer Alan Zibel, Ap Business Writer – Sun Oct 26, 2008
WASHINGTON – Each day from July through September, more than 2,700 Americans lost their homes in foreclosure.
That number, up from 1,200 a day a year ago, is a sign that the mortgage industry and government programs have done little to help troubled homeowners.
Have a nice day.
Let's talk some more about wealth redistribution
From that Pinko rag, The Wall Street Journal:
Stop the madness!!!
p.s. The WSJ article cited above was linked from a post over at DailyKos: Wall Street. Main Street. Why No Mention of Side Streets and Alleys? .
Warning: there are, like, real statistics in the DailyKos post! - stuff like "Gini coefficients", and graphs... just to warn you.
Income-Inequality Gap WidensYes, Senator McCain, let us talk about the redistribution of wealth in America!
Boom in Financial Markets Parallels Rise in Share For Wealthiest Americans
12 Oct 2007
... The wealthiest 1% of Americans earned 21.2% of all income in 2005, according to new data from the Internal Revenue Service. That is up sharply from 19% in 2004, and surpasses the previous high of 20.8% set in 2000, at the peak of the previous bull market in stocks.
The bottom 50% earned 12.8% of all income, down from 13.4% in 2004 and a bit less than their 13% share in 2000.
[note: the date is correct - the article is a year old... I'm not sure Murdoch's WSJ would countenance such left-wing reporting!]
Stop the madness!!!
p.s. The WSJ article cited above was linked from a post over at DailyKos: Wall Street. Main Street. Why No Mention of Side Streets and Alleys? .
Warning: there are, like, real statistics in the DailyKos post! - stuff like "Gini coefficients", and graphs... just to warn you.
Personal resolve - Game 4!
Game 4 of the World Series is starting.
I'm walking away from online news & blogs till it's over.
FYI:
Game 3: Phillies 5, Rays 4.
... with a very bizarre 9th-inning finish!
I'm walking away from online news & blogs till it's over.
FYI:
Game 3: Phillies 5, Rays 4.
... with a very bizarre 9th-inning finish!
Why does this not sound good?
US special forces launch rare attack inside Syria
By ALBERT AJI, Associated Press Writer Albert Aji,
Associated Press Writer
26 Oct 2008
DAMASCUS, Syria – U.S. military helicopters launched an extremely rare attack Sunday on Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."
A U.S. military official said the raid by special forces targeted the foreign fighter network that travels through Syria into Iraq. The Americans have been unable to shut the network down in the area because Syria was out of the military's reach.
The flourishing Iraqi democracy was supposed to stabilize the region, wasn't it? Or did I miss something.
Exactly how are we helping stabilize the region - let alone winning friends - by launching military strike against Syria???
Can you spell "C-A-M-B-O-D-I-A"? Expanding the war into Cambodia & Laos was Nixon's "secret plan" to end our ill-fated Vietnam engagement.
Just out of curiosity, did we even TRY to work with the Syrians to help close the porous border?
Stop the madness!!!
By ALBERT AJI, Associated Press Writer Albert Aji,
Associated Press Writer
26 Oct 2008
DAMASCUS, Syria – U.S. military helicopters launched an extremely rare attack Sunday on Syrian territory close to the border with Iraq, killing eight people in a strike the government in Damascus condemned as "serious aggression."
A U.S. military official said the raid by special forces targeted the foreign fighter network that travels through Syria into Iraq. The Americans have been unable to shut the network down in the area because Syria was out of the military's reach.
The flourishing Iraqi democracy was supposed to stabilize the region, wasn't it? Or did I miss something.
Exactly how are we helping stabilize the region - let alone winning friends - by launching military strike against Syria???
Can you spell "C-A-M-B-O-D-I-A"? Expanding the war into Cambodia & Laos was Nixon's "secret plan" to end our ill-fated Vietnam engagement.
Just out of curiosity, did we even TRY to work with the Syrians to help close the porous border?
Stop the madness!!!
Yes, W lives in a banana republic
I'd sort of hoped W would be happy just to hold his little economic summit and then go away quietly.
No such luck:
Apparently W still regards DoJ as his personal political hit squad.
Will DoJ comply with his request???
... stay tuned!
(This is almost as much fun as an old Saturday morning serial: "Will Flash escape? Will Ming the Merciless incinerate Planet Earth?... Tune in next week!!!")
Hope # 1 being unrealized (that would be the hope expressed in lead sentence, above - about W leaving quietly), I now must content myself with Hope # 2:
"I'm sorry, Mr. President, but for the Department of Justice to interfere in State elections at this time would be inappropriate."
Stop the madness!!!
No such luck:
Bush calls for Ohio voter probeThis after SCOTUS ruled against the Ohio Republican Party:
WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- President George W. Bush has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the status of 200,000 newly registered Ohio voters, the White House said.
"... The U.S. Supreme Court last week dismissed a case brought by the Ohio Republican Party in the matter."[note: this is the Roberts/Alito/Scalia SCOTUS - not some unAmer'cun librul SCOTUS - you know, like when Rehnquist was Chief Justice!]
Apparently W still regards DoJ as his personal political hit squad.
Will DoJ comply with his request???
... stay tuned!
(This is almost as much fun as an old Saturday morning serial: "Will Flash escape? Will Ming the Merciless incinerate Planet Earth?... Tune in next week!!!")
Hope # 1 being unrealized (that would be the hope expressed in lead sentence, above - about W leaving quietly), I now must content myself with Hope # 2:
Maybe Mukasey will remember that what was left of his predecessor's reputation was destroyed by Alberto's involvement in similar shenanigans back in 2006.Mukasey could even be polite about it:
"I'm sorry, Mr. President, but for the Department of Justice to interfere in State elections at this time would be inappropriate."
Stop the madness!!!
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Huh?
I've been trying to limit my Palin-related comments... but this statement is just weird!
Did I miss something?
Has Sen. Obama said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"?
A point I've tried to make before: the only folks who have meaningfully participated in our recent economic growth are the upper 5% of income-earners. These are the folks whose taxes Sen. Obama wants to raise. The U.S. economy has been good to them - the upper 1% have seen their incomes grow 175% over 25 years, even tho' the economy grew only 112%. Republican tax-policies have been very good to them.
The rest of Palin's diatribe - the bits about collective ownership, government making decisions for us, losing our freedom???
What is she talking about???
Which Major Party wants to decide for every woman that her pregnancy must be carried to term?
Which Major Party wants to decide for all of us whom we can and cannot marry?
These sound like pretty personal family decisions to me!
Yes, there is one Major Party that wants to make these decisions for us... but it's not the Dems!
As for losing our freedom - has Gov. Palin read, or even heard of, the so-called Patriot Act? You know, the legislation that allows the President to declare HER an enemy combatant and detain her without recourse to judicial review? The one that DoJ has repeatedly affirmed makes the Bill of Rights a "quaint, historical document"??? The one beloved of W and his minions because they know better than us how best to protect our freedoms???
Yes, there is one Major Party seeking to redistribute our wealth and restrict our freedoms... but it's NOT the Dems!
Stop the madness!!!
"See, under a big government, more tax agenda, what you thought was yours would really start belonging to somebody else, to everybody else. If you thought your income, your property, your inventory, your investments were, were yours, they would really collectively belong to everybody.Huh???
...
And government kind of moving into the role as the other half of our family, making decisions for us. Now, they do this in other countries where the people are not free."
["Palin rallying voters in Iowa", reported by CNN; quotation lifted from HuffPost]
Did I miss something?
Has Sen. Obama said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs"?
A point I've tried to make before: the only folks who have meaningfully participated in our recent economic growth are the upper 5% of income-earners. These are the folks whose taxes Sen. Obama wants to raise. The U.S. economy has been good to them - the upper 1% have seen their incomes grow 175% over 25 years, even tho' the economy grew only 112%. Republican tax-policies have been very good to them.
The rest of Palin's diatribe - the bits about collective ownership, government making decisions for us, losing our freedom???
What is she talking about???
Which Major Party wants to decide for every woman that her pregnancy must be carried to term?
Which Major Party wants to decide for all of us whom we can and cannot marry?
These sound like pretty personal family decisions to me!
Yes, there is one Major Party that wants to make these decisions for us... but it's not the Dems!
As for losing our freedom - has Gov. Palin read, or even heard of, the so-called Patriot Act? You know, the legislation that allows the President to declare HER an enemy combatant and detain her without recourse to judicial review? The one that DoJ has repeatedly affirmed makes the Bill of Rights a "quaint, historical document"??? The one beloved of W and his minions because they know better than us how best to protect our freedoms???
Yes, there is one Major Party seeking to redistribute our wealth and restrict our freedoms... but it's NOT the Dems!
Stop the madness!!!
Success in Iraq: political reconciliation achieved!
Iraq's prime minister won't sign U.S. troop deal
By Roy Gutman, McClatchy Newspapers Roy Gutman,
Mcclatchy Newspapers – Fri Oct 24, 2008
BAGHDAD — Fearing political division in the parliament and the country at large, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki won't sign the just-completed agreement on the status of U.S. troops in Iraq , a leading lawmaker said on Friday.
This followed by
(Wait a sec!... We haven't heard from the Kurds!)
The surge worked!
Can we leave now?
Note: the Iraqis don't want us there any longer!
Stop the madness!!!
By Roy Gutman, McClatchy Newspapers Roy Gutman,
Mcclatchy Newspapers – Fri Oct 24, 2008
BAGHDAD — Fearing political division in the parliament and the country at large, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki won't sign the just-completed agreement on the status of U.S. troops in Iraq , a leading lawmaker said on Friday.
This followed by
Iraqi party suspends ties with U.S. over raidAnd, not to be left out,
Sat Oct 25, 2008
BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq's biggest Sunni Arab political party suspended all dealings with U.S. civilian and military personnel on Saturday after U.S. and Iraqi forces carried out a raid in which a man was killed.
Shiites in Basra protest US-Iraqi pactLast week, our creation, Moqtada al Sadr, got in the act:
By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer Sameer N. Yacoub, Associated Press Writer
– Sat Oct 25, 2008
BAGHDAD – About 300 Shiites rallied Saturday in the southern city of Basra against a security pact being negotiated that allows U.S. troops to stay in Iraq for three more years.
Muqtada al-Sadr urges rejection of US-Iraqi pactI'd say we've achieved the goal of "political reconciliation": All major players have now rejected the recently negotiated SOFA: the Shiites (both in the South & in Baghdad), the Sunnis, and the Iraqi Government.
By HAMZA HENDAWI, Associated Press Writer Hamza Hendawi,
Associated Press Writer –
Sat Oct 18, 2008
BAGHDAD – Anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr urged Iraq's parliament to reject a pact that would extend U.S. presence in Iraq for three years as tens of thousands of his followers marched through Baghdad's streets Saturday to reinforce that demand.
(Wait a sec!... We haven't heard from the Kurds!)
The surge worked!
Can we leave now?
Note: the Iraqis don't want us there any longer!
Stop the madness!!!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Okay: Let's talk about the re-distribution of wealth
First, from Onefly over at Outta the Cornfield:
The top 1% of households!
Yes, Senator McCain - LET us talk about the re-distribution of wealth!
Stop the madness!!!
Inequality in major U.S. cities rivals Africa: U.N.And now for some dull but informative statistics:
Thu Oct 23, 2008
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Major U.S. cities including New York, Washington, Atlanta and New Orleans have levels of economic inequality that rival cities in Africa, according to a U.N. report published on Thursday.
GDP:So - who got that 112% increase reflected in GDP growth?
1979: $6052.9Bn (constant 2006 dollars)
2005: $12,857.7Bn (constant 2006 dollars)
% increase: 112%
Median household income:
1979: $42,606 (constant 2006 dollars)
2005: $47,845 (constant 2006 dollars)
% increase: 12%
95%-ile household income:
1979: $121,287 (constant 2006 dollars)
2005: $174,012 (constant 2006 dollars)
% increase: 41%
[numbers above from U.S. Census Bureau]
(I'm unable to find Census Bureau source for 99%-ile, but Wikipedia article Income inequality in the United States, provides the following:)
99%-ile household income:
% increase, 1979-2005: 175%
The top 1% of households!
Yes, Senator McCain - LET us talk about the re-distribution of wealth!
Stop the madness!!!
A contest (sorry, no prizes)
Pretend you're a brilliant political analyst.
Write your post-election analyses today!
You'll need at least 2 (tho' there are many permutations available):
Scenario #1: Sen. Barack Obama wins.
The permutations? Throw in Senate & House results.
... Actually, the only interesting pair of alternatives seems to be
Have a nice day.
p.s. If you'd care to share your brilliance, feel free to post a comment... all entries must be dated 3 Nov or earlier to be considered for the non-existent prizes.
Write your post-election analyses today!
You'll need at least 2 (tho' there are many permutations available):
Scenario #1: Sen. Barack Obama wins.
What were the dominant factors leading to his victory?Scenario #2: Sen. John McCain wins.
What were the dominant factors leading to his victory?Remember - you're writing for a vast television audience who will hang on your every word!
The permutations? Throw in Senate & House results.
... Actually, the only interesting pair of alternatives seems to be
Dems pick up enough for 60+, filibuster-proof majorityversus
Dems fail to pick up enough for 60+ filibuster-proof majority.You are competing with the real talking-heads: come Wed, 5 Nov, how well do your analyses stack up against what the brilliant minds are really saying?
Have a nice day.
p.s. If you'd care to share your brilliance, feel free to post a comment... all entries must be dated 3 Nov or earlier to be considered for the non-existent prizes.
Breaking news: at least some 9/11 hijackers were NOT terrorists!
From Think Progress (note: I looked for a transcript on NBC News website, without success):
Only the hijackers that flew American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon were really terrorists!!!
Simply amazing!
Recall: Republicans are the folks who abhor moral relativism.
Stop the madness!!!
In her interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said that Bill Ayers is “no question” a terrorist because he sought to destroy the U.S. Capitol and the Pentagon. Palin, however, refused to apply the same label to abortion clinic bombers:By this standard, at least some of the 9/11 hijackers were NOT terrorists!Q: Is an abortion clinic bomber a terrorist, under this definition, governor?
PALIN: (Sigh). There’s no question that Bill Ayers via his own admittance was one who sought to destroy our U.S. Capitol and our Pentagon. That is a domestic terrorist. There’s no question there. Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that uh, it would be unacceptable. I don’t know if you’re going to use the word terrorist there.
At 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 was flown into the World Trade Center's North Tower, followed by United Airlines Flight 175 which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.The WTC towers were NOT U.S. Government buildings - the only folks harmed were "innocent Americans" and non-governmental facilities.
Only the hijackers that flew American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon were really terrorists!!!
Simply amazing!
Recall: Republicans are the folks who abhor moral relativism.
Stop the madness!!!
Roller-coaster? ... bad analogy!
Roller-coasters have UPS as well as downs...
Our economy?
Thanks, W!
Thanks, John!!
As McCain is quick to remind us - the unemployed don't pay taxes, so Obama can't lower their taxes!!!
... well, actually: the unemployed DO pay taxes: gas, food, clothing... if you buy any of these, you pay taxes.
Meanwhile:
Recall, our economy is 70% consumer spending. When consumers don't spend??? We're about to find out.
Have a nice day.
Our economy?
Job losses accelerating, and the worst is aheadThis is looking to be a long, ugly time for America.
By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER, AP Economics Writer Christopher S. Rugaber, Ap Economics Writer – Thu Oct 23,2008
WASHINGTON – Unemployment claims, already well into recession territory, are rising even faster than expected, leading economists to warn Thursday that the worst is yet to come.
Thanks, W!
Thanks, John!!
As McCain is quick to remind us - the unemployed don't pay taxes, so Obama can't lower their taxes!!!
... well, actually: the unemployed DO pay taxes: gas, food, clothing... if you buy any of these, you pay taxes.
Meanwhile:
US dollar falls to 95.32 yen, lowest in 13 yearsJapanese products just got more expensive.
Recall, our economy is 70% consumer spending. When consumers don't spend??? We're about to find out.
Have a nice day.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Deep thought
Maybe I'd get more attention if I relabeled myself as,
"Russ-the-retired-statistician".FYI: C&L bounce has been holding - AQA has been getting ~40 visits/day since the mention on Mike's Blog Roundup.
Au contraire, Mr. Greenspan!
Blast from the past (yep - I'm self-referencing & reposting again!)
If we've learned nothing from 1929 and today, it really ought to be that "market self-regulation" does not exist.
Maybe it did in some long-gone fantasy-world: the small self-sufficient village, where many small consumers shopped at many small suppliers, and everyone knew Mary the Milkmaid and Dan the Dairyman.
Adam Smith's basic model was out of date when he wrote The Wealth of Nations. As a recent headline put it:
In today's global economy, dominated in almost all sectors by very few key players (I'm betting most of you can name the big auto companies, and count 'em on 10 fingers!), "market self-regulation" does NOT exist!
Stop the madness!
Greenspan sees many casualties from crisisMe? I'm hoping the term "self-regulation" is henceforth and forevermore ridiculed as oxymoronic - the butt of jokes, like "military intelligence".
Mon Mar 17, 2008
LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - There will be many casualties from the unfolding financial market crisis, which will lead to a large-scale overhaul of international banking regulations, codes and risk management, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said.
...
He added, however, that he hoped one of the casualties from the worst U.S. financial crisis since World War Two would not be the spirit of broad self-regulation within financial markets.
If we've learned nothing from 1929 and today, it really ought to be that "market self-regulation" does not exist.
Maybe it did in some long-gone fantasy-world: the small self-sufficient village, where many small consumers shopped at many small suppliers, and everyone knew Mary the Milkmaid and Dan the Dairyman.
Adam Smith's basic model was out of date when he wrote The Wealth of Nations. As a recent headline put it:
The Invisible Hand Gets Ready to Smack America SillyThe Depression-era regulatory structures worked so well that Saint Reagan determined to destroy them - and succeeded.
In today's global economy, dominated in almost all sectors by very few key players (I'm betting most of you can name the big auto companies, and count 'em on 10 fingers!), "market self-regulation" does NOT exist!
Stop the madness!
I was wrong (not a first)
The Dow closed up 172 today.
About 18 hours ago I predicted a drop.
Again: AQA may NOT be your best source for financial advice!
About 18 hours ago I predicted a drop.
Again: AQA may NOT be your best source for financial advice!
Fun headlines to juxtapose
McCain says Obama will 'say anything' to win
EXCLUSIVE: McCain lambastes Bush yearsI believe it's Rachel Maddow who has pointed out the psychological meaning of "projection", and its relationship to McCain's campaign:
In psychology, psychological projection (or projection bias) is a defense mechanism in which one attributes one’s own unacceptable or unwanted thoughts or/and emotions to others.And, yes... at some point I do intend to return to more relevant commentary!
[Wikipedia entry, Psychological projection]
In the meantime, in my unofficial role as advisor to the Obama campaign, I suggest the following use of McCain's own words:
Sen. McCain accuses me of 'saying anything to win'.Have a nice day.
Meanwhile, while Sen. McCain has publicly bragged about supporting President Bush more than 90% of the time, today he decides it's time to lambaste the Bush years.
John, I'm proud of my record.
Why are you running away from yours?
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