ThinkFast: October 2, 2008
ThinkFast: October 2, 2008
House Republicans who scuttled the Wall Street bailout package are reconsidering their opposition. Rep. James Gerlach (R-PA) explained that after his Monday vote against the bill, “phone calls into his office shifted overnight from overwhelming opposition to a bailout to majority support.” As of yesterday, “the calls were 2-to-1 in support of congressional action.”
“In a move suggesting how the credit crisis could disrupt American higher education, Wachovia Bank has limited the access of nearly 1,000 colleges to $9.3 billion the bank has held for them in a short-term investment fund.” In a move that “sent shock waves” among colleges, Wachovia announced Monday it would “limit access to the fund to 10 percent of each college’s account value.”
Earlier this morning, “suicide bombers killed at least 20 people in attacks on two Shi’ite mosques” in Baghdad. “The attacks were the second wave this week during a lengthy public holiday covering observances of the Id al-Fitr feast, which is celebrated at different times by Sunnis and Shi’ites at the end of Ramadan.”
Yesterday at a roundtable discussion in Carboro, NC, Center for American Progress Action Fund Senior Fellow Elizabeth Edwards called Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “truly dangerous to our health-care system.” Edwards’s comments were based on a CAPAF report showing that under McCain, 4.5 million North Carolinians would be at risk of losing their employer-based health coverage.
On the trail today: John McCain holds a town-hall style meeting with women in Denver. Barack Obama will return to Michigan where he will hold rallies in Grand Rapids and East Lansing. Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will debate tonight in St. Louis.
A plan circulated by George Soros to recapitalize the American banking system has received mixed reviews in the Senate. “Soros has also proposed mandating the Treasury Department to provide financing for renegotiating the terms of mortgage-backed securities. This would reduce foreclosures by helping homeowners adjust their mortgages to be more affordable.”
Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, said “he doesn’t yet see progress in large swaths of Afghanistan” yesterday. McKiernan said he needs more troops and other aid “as quickly as possible.”
Yesterday, VECO head Bill Allen testified that he never billed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) for “extensive renovations on his Girdwood, Alaska, home, asserting that although Stevens requested bills for the work, those efforts were little more than political cover.”
“A major shift to renewable energy and efficiency is expected to produce 4.2 million” green jobs over the next three decades, according to a new report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The Center for American Progress recently released a report showing that “a new Green Recovery program that spends $100 billion over two years would create 2 million new jobs.”
Handing President Bush “a significant foreign policy achievement in its final months,” the Senate overwhelmingly approved a nuclear trade deal with India last night. However, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, blasted the deal as a “nonproliferation disaster,” since India has never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
And finally: White House Press Secretary Scott Stanzel has jumped onto Facebook. On Tuesday, AFP reporter Olivier Knox updated his Facebook status message to remark on the bailout: “Olivier just counted, and President Bush has pushed the bailout in 12 of the past 13 days.” Stanzel quickly responded, leaving a message on Knox’s page taking issue with the use of the term “bailout.” “Rescue plan, Mr. Knox,” wrote Stanzel. Knox reported that afterward, “tongue firmly planted in cheek,” he updated his status with the language changed.
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Oy, we are sooo phucked.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:04 amWe wrote to our Representative Betty Sutton (D)- For being the new kid on the block she votes the same way Kucinich votes everytime.
Here is the wonderful e-mail we received after ONE DAY. It makes more sense than the BAILOUT….. This will actually help all of us… What a Novel Idea… Someone who hasn’t been bought out by the Financial Sector yet…
In casting my vote, I rejected the false choice that we either had to immediately pass what I believed to be an unacceptably flawed bailout bill or no bill at all. There were several problems with the bill that led to its failure. It did not provide for strong and independent oversight, strong executive pay restrictions, sensible market regulation or guaranteed assistance to homeowners.
I am committed to working in every way possible on a bill that will effectively respond to the needs of my constituents and our economic crisis in a timely way. To that end, I am working for a solution that will not only get our markets back on track, free up tightened credit streams, but will also stimulate our economy. That is why I support the idea of increasing the FDIC insurance limits and am seeking to have the provisions contained in the jobs stimulus package, which recently passed the House, included as part of our solution.
The jobs stimulus package would cost less than 10% of the amount requested for the Wall Street bailout, but would directly infuse money into our economy and create jobs in our communities. The stimulus bill called for investment in our nation’s infrastructure, extending unemployment benefits, increasing food assistance for struggling families, and would prevent cuts to health insurance and health care services for some of our most vulnerable citizens. Though much of the focus has been on the needs expressed by Wall Street in recent days, I think it is incumbent on Congress and the President to invest in our families and communities. The provisions in the jobs stimulus package would do just that.
Since the Bailout is only going to help 400 of the Richest People in the US-with no oversight on Paulson-which includes More No Bid Contracts, I can’t in all good conscience stand behind something that has No Guarantee of working. We have watchdog groups & most economists warn this may cause more problems & that Congress will be back next year asking for more money. Betty Sutton’s idea and many of the other Democrats that haven’t sold their soul to the Financial Lobbyists-have the first viable alternatative that isn’t going to bailout Wall Street. That is something we could all benefit from…. And after all isn’t that what we elected them for to begin with. Bottomline it’s suppose to be about what is in the best interest of the country and it’s citizens….
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:05 amIt’s called astroturf. Marketing firms hire people to do this.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 amYesterday, VECO head Bill Allen testified that he never billed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) for “extensive renovations on his Girdwood, Alaska, home, asserting that although Stevens requested bills for the work, those efforts were little more than political cover.”
Hey Ted,
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 amI wonder if Bill Veco will renovate your jail cell? Hmmm, I wonder…
No no no! We must trust Henry Paulson!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 amAlejandro Says:
“phone calls into his office shifted overnight from overwhelming opposition to a bailout to majority support.”
It’s called astroturf. Marketing firms hire people to do this.
I too got a chuckle over the reports of the change in calls to more positive. Like I said to Schumer’s office, “What happended, the calls went from 500 to 1 against to 200 to 1 against, so it technically IS more “positive.”
We are sooo phucked.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:12 amThe Depression is coming and $700 billion is going to the wrong place to stop it. Trickle down does not work!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 amBears repeating: NOT “Bailout” — this is WELFARE for Wall Street.
And, no, the American voters did NOT change their minds overnight, you great buffoon of a politician. … tell ya, what, though…. send ME some of them lobby people with gifts and cash and sweedish massage teams, and maybe, if they work hard enough at it, I just might change my mind on this Welfare for Wall Street program. Until then — NO to Wall Street WELFARE!!!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 amHowever, there are a lot of families and people who need help with their finances, with their mortgages, with their astronomical CREDIT debt (why does ANYONE think that we need MORE over-priced credit? — yes, loans and all, but that is only a small fraction of the “credit” they refer to — in fact, they only tout the student loans (and use them as a loaded gun to our heads) because it is the one kind of credit most everyone agrees with), etc. Soooo…. why don’t we “rescue” or “bailout” all of these taxpaying people? Oh, wait, they like to call that welfare and socialism when helping the PEOPLE. A little fascism or communism is the new rage on Capitol Hill these days. The New America: Corporate Overlords propped up on the backs of “we the people”.
@*&^@#**&^ %^%@^ $$@&^@% ()&@^(!&^%#& &&&!&6(#( !!!!!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:22 amAlejandro and Alecto,
I don’t think it is even astroturf. I think it is just a lie. No one will ask for his phone logs. The is pure perception management.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 amSo when the Democratic majority attempts once again to pass the SCHIP bill next year will they rename it the “Rescue the Children Bill”? I’m sure all those republicans will jump on board this bill if it’s called a “rescue” riiiggghhhttt?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 am**Sorry for this long post. I decided to cut and paste the entire op-ed piece. This commentary reflects everything I have felt about this $hit hole situation the middle class/poor find themselves in once again. Senator Byron Dorgan (who voted against the banking “reform bill in 1999) said yesterday on Ed Schultz that once again we are bailing out these “banksters” without doing anything to reform the practices that got us here in the first place. Depending on who you listen to, some economists think we are making this crisis worse not better. I guess time will tell.
101 ways to get rich without doing anything socially useful
By William Blum
Online Journal Guest Writer
Why do we have this thing called a “financial crisis”? Why have we had such a crisis periodically ever since the United States was created? What changes occur or what happens each time to bring on the crisis? Do we forget how to make things that people need? Do the factories burn down? Are our tools lost? Do the blueprints disappear? Do we run out of people to work in the factories and offices? Are all the services that people need for a happy life so well taken care of that there’s hardly any more need for the services? In other words: What changes take place in the real world to cause the crisis? Nothing, necessarily. The crisis is usually caused by changes in the make-believe world of financial capitalism.
All these grown men playing their boys’ games. They create an assortment of financial entities, documents, and packages that go by names like hedge funds, derivatives, collateralized debt obligations, index funds, credit default swaps, structured investment vehicles, subprime mortgages, and dozens of other exotic monetary vehicles. They create all manner of commercial pieces of paper, of no known real or inherent value, backed up by few if any standards. Then they sell these various pieces of paper to the public and to each other. They slice and dice mortgages into arcane and risky instruments, then bundle them together, and sell the packages to those higher up in the pyramid scheme. And some of those engaged in this Wild West buying and selling become millionaires. Some become billionaires. They get Christmas bonuses greater than what most Americans earn the entire year. Is all this not remarkable?
And much of the buying is not done with the buyer’s own money, but with borrowed funds; “leveraged,” they call it. The pieces of paper sometimes represent commodities, but the actual commodities are not seen, may not even exist; if the seller demanded the buyer’s own funds, or the buyer wanted to see the goods, the whole transaction would freeze. They sell “long,” expecting the price to rise; they sell “short,” expecting the price to fall; they sell “naked short,” which means they neither possess nor own what they’re selling; a name for each gimmick. They take ever-greater risks buying and selling increasingly esoteric pieces of paper. It’s a glorified Las Vegas, casino capitalism.
These pieces of paper can be so complex that many of those buying and selling them do not fully understand them; no problem, they just resell the pieces of paper to someone else at a higher price, even when one or both parties know that the paper, while pretending to be payable debt, is virtually worthless. The government, even when it tries to moderately regulate this Monopoly board, can at times also be confused by the complexities of the pieces of paper, compounded by the less-than-transparent practices that envelop the transactions; a potpourri including speculation, manipulation, fraud. Billionaire financier Warren Buffett has called the pieces of paper “weapons of mass financial destruction.”
The boys of finance have been playing their games for years, and so at each stage of the process there are insurance policies allowing the players to hedge their bets; they insure, and they re-insure; hopefully covering themselves against the many risks of the game, often knowing that they’re trading in questionable debts; the giant corporation AIG, a major player in the insurance game, has just been taken over by the federal government. And with each transaction, at each level, someone earns a commission or a fee. There are also other firms whose purpose in life is to go around rating various players and their pieces of paper and their credit worthiness and giving seals of approval which are relied upon by investors. Some of these rating firms, we’re now learning, have been surprisingly incompetent, when not simply dishonest
President Roosevelt, confronted in the 1930s with similar players, called them “banksters.”
It’s all built on faith, as fragile as the religious kind, the belief that something is worth something because it comes with a piece of paper with reassuring words and numbers written on it, because it’s traded, rated, and insured, because someone will sell it and someone will buy it. The same market psychology, the same herd mentality, that went into constructing this house of cards built on pillars of greed can cause the house to collapse in a heap. But the Monopoly players keep their bonuses, and bow out with multimillion-dollar golden parachutes; while tent cities are springing up all over America.
Is this any way to run a society of human beings?
And the government is in the process of trying to bail out these reckless traders, these parasites, rescuing them and their system from their own nonsense. With our money; without a major restructuring of the Alice-in-Wonderland rules of the financial games, without instituting the toughest of regulations, oversight, and transparency, and with no guarantee that the spoiled-little-brat Masters of the Universe will act in any way other than their own narrow self interest, the rest of us be damned.
Capitalism is the theory that the worst people, acting from their worst motives, will somehow produce the most good.
There is perhaps some consolation. The libertarian and neoconservative true believers will have a harder time selling their snake oil of privatization of Social Security or any other social program. Government regulation of matters vital to the public’s welfare may be taken more seriously. We may hear less of that old bromide that markets are inherently self-correcting. It may even give a boost to the idea of national health insurance.
And the libertarians and neoconservatives are hurting and defensive, albeit not yet admitting to any newfound wisdom. A Washington Post interview with some true believers at the Cato Institute, where Ayn Rand’s picture prominently hangs, produced these quotations: “Too much regulation got us where we are” . . .”The biggest emotion we’re feeling right now is frustration that the media narrative is that this is a crisis of the free market, a crisis of capitalism, a crisis of under-regulation. In fact it’s a crisis of subsidization and intervention.” . . .”Capitalism without losses is like religion without hell.” [Washington Post. September 25, 2008]
And just think: Cuba has been tormented without mercy for 50 years because it refuses to live under such a financial system.
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_3818.shtml
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:27 amYesterday, VECO head Bill Allen testified that he never billed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) for “extensive renovations on his Girdwood, Alaska, home, asserting that although Stevens requested bills for the work, those efforts were little more than political cover.”
I wonder what kind of a deal Allen got for flipping on Stevens. Personally I don’t care because we don’t need crooks like Stevens in our legislature. Also, his conviction might discourage other legislators from doing what he did.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:31 amFeinstein to 85,000 Callers: “You’re Confused”
During this evening’s Senate vote, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) took the podium to explain her position on the proposed bailout package. In her statement, she explains that she received 91,000 calls and emails, with 85,000 of them opposed to the measure. Even armed with the knowledge that 93% of her constituents passionate enough to contact her office pleaded for her to vote “nay”, she votes in favor of the bill, claiming that “there is a great deal of confusion out there” and these people “don’t understand” the situation.
In a representative democracy such as ours, one might suppose that our elected officials would have at least taken the opinions of their constituents into consideration, especially when it is as overwhelmingly one-sided.
Are 85,000 people “confused”? or maybe just the one?
What are we left with if the people’s opinion is disregarded and instead our representatives decide what is “best” for us?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:33 amDoc Rock Says:
Trickle down does not work!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:15 am
The correct term is Tinkle down. ;)
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 am#
#
“Freedom Rebel Says:
We wrote to our Representative Betty Sutton (D)- For being the new kid on the block she votes the same way Kucinich votes everytime.
Here is the wonderful e-mail we received after ONE DAY. It makes more sense than the BAILOUT….. This will actually help all of us… What a Novel Idea… Someone who hasn’t been bought out by the Financial Sector yet…”
I’ll make you a deal. I’ll trade you my Rep(rahall, WV) also a dem, for your rep. Plus I’ll throw in $2.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:38 amrahall ALWAYS votes with pelosi. It’s like his nose is tuck there. If that deal doesn’t work for you, I’ll also throw in rockefeller. The letters I get from him basically say he knows more than me about the issues and I should believe him. WHY? He was one of the SADDAM HAS WMD crowd.
The bailout (welfare for the rich) is insane. People now want it? Those who have a SECOND HOME can get protection in bankruptcy court; those whose primary homes are threatened get no protection. Once this legislation is passed, there will not be anything further done which will help those who lose their primary homes; it will be “too costly.” There MAY be some help for the average people, but don’t count on it.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 am**Good morning (??) FR. ;-( Why should they start listening now? How many other issues have we had our opinions completely ignored? FISA? Iraq? Impeachment? Health care? They (particularly Feinstein) continue to listen to the lobbyists lined up at their doors and tell us what they are doing is “for our own good.” Talk about patronizing elitism.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 am“phone calls into his office shifted overnight from overwhelming opposition to a bailout to majority support.”
Yeah, you’d call too if your 401k had a Wall Street Smith & Wesson held to its head.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 am“Soros has also proposed mandating the Treasury Department to provide financing for renegotiating the terms of mortgage-backed securities. This would reduce foreclosures by helping homeowners adjust their mortgages to be more affordable.”
Oh, shit, we wouldn’t want to do anything like helping Main Street out of the mess they’re in due to predatory lending, now would we?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 am“In a move suggesting how the credit crisis could disrupt American higher education, Wachovia Bank has limited the access of nearly 1,000 colleges to $9.3 billion the bank has held for them in a short-term investment fund.” In a move that “sent shock waves” among colleges, Wachovia announced Monday it would “limit access to the fund to 10 percent of each college’s account value.”
WONDERFUL! I like this Permanent Republican Majority Plan B.
Step 1: Yank capital from Higher Ed and leave the masses uneducated.
Step 2: Play on the masses’ newly-minted ignorance by having them vote for Jeb Bush and John Bush and all other Bushes blessed to us by Darryl’s best friend.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 amI have come to the conclusion that the stringent rules of tonight’s debate are for the protection of Joe Biden. It seems that the rules will keep him from directly engaging palin which will keep him from looking as though he is dissing her or her positions. She can say whatever silly thing she wants to say and all he has to do is stand there and maybe shrug his shoulders. palin’s words, the late night programs, and SNL and Tina Fey will do all that needs to be done to comment on her performance.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:51 amVECO head Bill Allen testified that he never billed Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) for “extensive renovations on his Girdwood, Alaska, home, asserting that although Stevens requested bills for the work, those efforts were little more than political cover.”
Yeah, Billy Boy, send (wink, grin) me those effing bills, you know by next, oh, say decade or so, will ya?(Nod, harrumph).
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 amIn a move suggesting how the credit crisis could disrupt American higher education, Wachovia Bank has limited the access of nearly 1,000 colleges to $9.3 billion the bank has held for them in a short-term investment fund.” In a move that “sent shock waves” among colleges, Wachovia announced Monday it would “limit access to the fund to 10 percent of each college’s account value.
Oh shit…
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am#16 bonzo 1958 Says:
“Freedom Rebel Says:
We wrote to our Representative Betty Sutton (D)- For being the new kid on the block she votes the same way Kucinich votes everytime.
Here is the wonderful e-mail we received after ONE DAY. It makes more sense than the BAILOUT….. This will actually help all of us… What a Novel Idea… Someone who hasn’t been bought out by the Financial Sector yet…”
I’ll make you a deal. I’ll trade you my Rep(rahall, WV) also a dem, for your rep. Plus I’ll throw in $2.
rahall ALWAYS votes with pelosi. It’s like his nose is tuck there. If that deal doesn’t work for you, I’ll also throw in rockefeller. The letters I get from him basically say he knows more than me about the issues and I should believe him. WHY? He was one of the SADDAM HAS WMD crowd.
bonzo good morning :) LMAO, I’m sorry…. I look at it this way, up north in Ohio, we have Kucinich, Marcy Kapture & Betty, to offset Boner, Schmidt, & Steve Chabot of course from the Cinni & Columbus area… I can’t afford to lose her with those Three Major As@holes in the Southern Part of my state that are always getting news coverage and giving my state a bad rep. I wish I could afford the loss, maybe after this election. Hopefully those three can kiss their seats good-bye, here’s for thinking positive and good thoughts…
Have a good day bonzo 1958 !!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:54 amSen. Biden, how would you like your Steaklin, medium rare or well done?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:56 amMeanwhile, back at electoral-vote.com, Obama has stretched his lead out to 338-185-15 tossups, similar to 538.com, who has Obama 336-202.
Sorry Trolls. (I don’t know if I mean that like an adjective or a verb).
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:56 amMornin FR!~ Nice stuff as usual! Morning Z!
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:57 amIs that loan disaster gonna affect you, Z?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 amA plan circulated by (!!!!!) George Soros (!!!!!) to recapitalize the American banking system has received mixed reviews in the Senate.
AAAAAAHHHH!!!! (trembling) So..So..So..So..Soros! Hold me, trolls!!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 amRUCerious Says:
Meanwhile, back at electoral-vote.com, Obama has stretched his lead out to 338-185-15 tossups, similar to 538.com, who has Obama 336-202.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:56 am
______
True, but at least three of the big states – Ohio, Virginia, and Florida – are practically toss-ups. They’re blue by 2-3% – well within range of being decided by caging and flipping.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 amThe Senate passed the Wall St Welfare Bill.
The majority of Senators are multi millionares.
Do you really think this legislation will help YOU?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:05 amhttp://www.democracynow.org
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:06 amOkay, let me try this again. I love getting moderated!!! /sarc off David Sirota wrote a great oped blog in the Huffington Post. It is pretty long but quite good about what has been going on these past few weeks. Here is one interesting paragraph from the post:
Though House Democrats spent yesterday claiming that the original Paulson plan was amended to include stronger protections for taxpayers (CEO pay limits, aid for homeowners, equity stakes in financial houses for taxpayers, etc.), the Treasury Department was simultaneously holding a secret conference call with Wall Street analysts explaining how those new provisions were specifically written to be unenforceable (you can listen to the conference call here).
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 amhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/turning-a-wall-street-giv_b_130831.html
#18 And the beat goes on Says:
Freedom Rebel Says:
In a representative democracy such as ours, one might suppose that our elected officials would have at least taken the opinions of their constituents into consideration, especially when it is as overwhelmingly one-sided.
Are 85,000 people “confused”? or maybe just the one?
What are we left with if the people’s opinion is disregarded and instead our representatives decide what is “best” for us?
**Good morning (??) FR. ;-( Why should they start listening now? How many other issues have we had our opinions completely ignored? FISA? Iraq? Impeachment? Health care? They (particularly Feinstein) continue to listen to the lobbyists lined up at their doors and tell us what they are doing is “for our own good.” Talk about patronizing elitism.
Good Morning :) I don’t think she is going to fair well in her next election bid considering the number of phone calls…. I agree, she is a patronizing jerk that needs to be voted out of office.. I know I certainly won’t miss her.. She and many others in Congress, I agree, have completely dropped the ball on every major issue. It’s gotten to the point I have almost completely lost my sense of humor because my anger at them is usually at a raging boil… I’m a person who wakes up happy every morning then I read the headlines and it’s OMG now what have they done wrong.
It makes you wonder how any of them dress themselves without a handler, since they are completely incompetent of getting anything of importance accomplished.. I know this is by design but still, it is so frustrating.
Great to see you as always, I hope you are on the mend !!!!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 amRUCerious Says:
Is that loan disaster gonna affect you, Z?
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 am
Good morning, RUC. :-)
I’ll know as soon as I can talk to financial aid. I would really love to stay in school…
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 amSomebody throw me a rope! I am sinking in the TP holes of moderation. All I did was link to a Huff Post blog by David Sirota! WTF?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:10 amGood Morning RUC :) Good to see you…. and Thanks!!!
Good Morning Zooey :) Have a great day at school….
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:11 amJohn McCain was on “Morning Joe” today to talk mostly about the bailout bill. His answers were, as usual, discombobulated as he ranted about Washington (as if he hasn’t served in D.C. for 26 years.) When pressed as to why he voted for the bailout package given all his ranting and complaining, McCain responded “This bill is putting us on the brink of economic disaster.” Does McCain even know that he voted for the bailout bill?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 amGood morning, Freb. :)
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:16 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
Somebody throw me a rope! I am sinking in the TP holes of moderation. All I did was link to a Huff Post blog by David Sirota! WTF?
Did you use the dreaded a n a l ysis or a n a l yst words?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:19 amIf there are 8.9 million North Carolinians, 1.4 million are currently uninsured, 4.5 million are in danger of losing their coverage, that leaves 3 million covered (somewhat). And we only spend at least twice as much per capita (including those with NOTHING) as every other developed country in the world who does not have one single citizen without full coverage. Ain’t our for-profit system great?!?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 amwhat is it with that word?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:22 amMorning Zooey, sounds like you are counting on WatchOverYa Bank. :-(
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 amTP must have a filter that catches the word a n a l. WP isn’t all that discriminating, so any word with that combination of letters gets caught in moderation.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 amI sometimes forget and say an_logy.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 amSo, what will Sarah bring to the stage tonight?
1) The Gender Card?
2) The Race Card?
3) The God Will Guide Me Card?
4) The Oh Freaking Boo-Hoo Card?
5) The Why Are You Picking On Me Card?
6) All of the above?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 amKeith Says:
Morning Zooey, sounds like you are counting on WatchOverYa Bank. :-(
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:24 am
I don’t know what bank holds UI’s loans, but I’ll be finding out. I really don’t want to be surprised in January — not in the financial aid department anyway. ;)
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 amI say 7) the eastern elitists who look down on Joe Sixpack card.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 amOops, good morning, Keith!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 amAll of the above, celtic, plus a couple of Hey! wanna know how I fricassee my moose?
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 amHeh. I just did a test.
Right now, my comment containing only the word c a n a l, is in moderation.
That’s a pretty dumb filter, TP. :D
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 amZooey, if you only had billions in toxic debt, we could bail you out.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 amMarie, it isn’t likely he’s coherent at this point. Desperate, yes, coherent, not so much.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:29 amwhile c a n a l gets moderation I can say all sorts of nasty stuff that doesn’t. It is all so silly.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:30 amZooey,
I thought you’d relate to this line from an email I just received from my brother
“For me it’s that “Wisconsin” soccer mom voice that kills me — like nails on a chalkboard.”
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:31 amgummitch Says:
Did you use the dreaded a n a l ysis or a n a l yst words?
**No, but I did link to Sirota’s post that provided evidence of dubious origins that Paulson told OMG…Yes, Wall Street A n a lysts that the bail out was written in such a way that he still gets unlimited powers. THANK YOU GUMMITCH!!! Here is the link if anyone is interested. The link to the “conversation” is near the top.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/turning-a-wall-street-giv_b_130831.html
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:46 amThe campaigns for president seem exhaustive and the 2+ years of hustling for a 4 year job often seems like overkill. Many people complain about it.
But, it does serve at least a couple of purposes.
First, the amount of time in the spotlight is a very thorough vetting for arguably the most important job.
Additionally, and maybe more importantly, it’s a vehicle to find a national consensus on major issues.
As candidates are campaigning, they’re making statements and being asked about their positions. That information is widely disseminated and the public reacts to them.
When a candidate says something that disagrees with the general public sentiment, the negative reactions generally cause a moderation of that particular candidate’s view (and possibly the collective view) or even an all out retraction. Viewpoints that are more agreeable are rewarded with better pole numbers and solidification as consensus.
In the process, people deliberate more about the issues, come to a better understanding, and communicate more of what they want.
I’m not sure that debate would be as energized without the exhaustive competition for the Presidency as a platform.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 amor maybe it is a waste of time, because most people are just watching ‘American Idol’.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:48 amWhy would an. be vulgar? That’s like nasal.
Most of these people have no idea how to govern. They treat this like any other job, grow their money and relationships before retirement. If anything it should be a volunteer position with strict taxes on income over $400,000 and possible conflicts of interest, though they can get healthcare for life and full scholarships for their family, etc.
In accounting, those with oversight should be independent of their client. Legislators, mostly, are not.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 amWe the People have not changed our minds on the bailout.
What I don’t get is this. If the original 3 page bill was so bad, then why not re-write it to be a good bill? If they can add 454 pages to the original bill, then they had plenty of time to re-write a new and improved one.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 amZimzone Says:
The Senate passed the Wall St Welfare Bill.
The majority of Senators are multi millionares.
Do you really think this legislation will help YOU?
My $.02? It’s worse than the House bill, written to prevent the resurgence of the middle class.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:57 amsinge. I like the idea of the leadership being voluntary, as long as those people would be financially secure. But, you can obviously make plenty of money on the side, if you have the reigns to power. The jeopardy is that, those that would ‘volunteer’ would only focus more on using the reigns to line their pockets. And use the fact that they are ‘pro bono’ as an excuse to do it.
I would argue the other way. Pay the leadership ten times what they make today.
5 million dollars a year for each of them. Make the jobs so lucrative that the most talented among us would want them. Make the jobs, so lucrative that those in leadership wouldn’t take the risk of ethics violations that might jeopardize them. Make them so lucrative that the financial temptation for corruption abates.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:03 amSoon $2.00 will be worth your $.02.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 ambackup Says:
First, the amount of time in the spotlight is a very thorough vetting for arguably the most important job.
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How… how… contradictory on your part.
Back when Palin first appeared on the stage in a blaze of glory, you kept insisting we compare her experience to Obama’s, and that Obama was no more qualified to be president than she was to be Vice President. And when some of us, like me, made the very point that you stress above, that by campaigning for moths and months and running in primary after primary, Obama had indeed been vetted publicly, you ignored it completely and kept supporting Palin, even though she had been selected on a whim (apparently) and never did go thru the “very thorough vetting process” you now speak of so highly.
How… how truly inconsistent and self-serving…
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:05 amBackup,
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:07 amThat is why they were given such great pensions and health care in the first place. That was the same argument. See how well that turned out? I don’t think there is any amount these greed whores would be happy with if they thought they could get more. Seriously.
Oh wait, did I respond to a troll? Logic won’t work. Sheesh, I’m losing it.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:09 amunbelievable Says:
——————————————————————————–
We the People have not changed our minds on the bailout.
What I don’t get is this. If the original 3 page bill was so bad, then why not re-write it to be a good bill? If they can add 454 pages to the original bill, then they had plenty of time to re-write a new and improved one.
**They have no intention to “improve” this garbage they call a bailout…oops rescue bill. Lobbyists are doing their job and doing everything they can to get all of the free money they can. There is no way this will “fix” anything and all it will do extend the time it will take for us to settle into a depression of enormous magnitude. I am betting this will happen AFTER January 2009 so the repukes can blame the dems for the mess and Newt can begin his 2012 presidential campaign.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 amI suggested keeping an open mind.
She has stumbled in the past 3 weeks and I question her capacity to be the Vice President.
I’m still keeping an open mind, but unless she somehow rallies with a very strong performance tonite, with near flawless performance until the election, I’ll vote Obama, in large part due to her selection as McCain’s VP.
You make a good point that maybe the vetting process for VP candidates should/could be longer.
But, the scrutiny Palin has gotten in the short time has served it’s purpose.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 amGood morning Bluedahlia — I’m begging the House to to scrap the Senate bill.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 amBackup says: ….Pay the leadership ten times what they make today…..
Hmmmm… interesting…. let’s see how well that has worked in the private sector…. you’re right: there are no CEO’s and senior management who get paid unbelievable amounts of money who conduct unethical or illegal activities to FURTHER line their pockets, are there?… brilliant plan. Just like the Wall Street WELFARE plan: throw more money at the problem instead of creating and enforcing laws and regulations to solve the fundamental issues. Just brilliant….
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:15 amBluedahlia Says:
That is why they were given such great pensions and health care in the first place.
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EXACTLY. And look at what we get for our money… John “Cry Me A River” bOOOner? Apart from that, perhaps the real problem is the cost of running for office. Weren’t almost all of the our currently elected senators multi-millionaires BEFORE they got into office? At the very least, a hefty % are.
Perhaps the real answer is publicly funded elections w/ limits on spending. No more fundraising. That, and stripping corporations of their “rights” as citizens.
Isn’t that why some judges are appointed for life, and not elected… so they can’t be punished for making unpopular, but correct decisions?
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:19 ambackup Says:
But, the scrutiny Palin has gotten in the short time has served it’s purpose.
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Tee hee… it certainly has… just as I said it would, and even quicker than I thought.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 amGood Morning all,…Good post’s…..Well, once again we were screwed. Next stop the house and my bet is they will fold, give the hen house once again to all the fox’s after all most of the plump chicken’s on both side’s are in the pocket’s of the super rich and feed on the ground pecking away at their own particuler peice’s of corn along with the crap they drop….Any one here ever owned chicken’s.? If you have you will remember the fat and healthy one’s will peck to death the sick one’s..We the people are treated like the sick chicken’s and all the fat asses are taking us down on every front possible..
I wrote so many email’s, signed so many patition’s and made so many call’s in the last almost 8 year’s it is sickening and rarely even got a response, when I got a responce from my so called rep’s it was condecending and full of superiority “I know best” statement’s….I made terrible mistake’s voting the ass hole’s in to begin with..Unlike them I take responsability for my action’s..
Fixing this mess to help the retirement account’s, mortgage’s and other worth while issues without giving the bulk of it to the already rich would of been a much better idea….After reading all the crap they did and even piled more on I am sick of this entire mess…With the exception of a very few this is a repeat of the FISA mess….
While all these leache’s are sucking the life out of our country me and million’s of other’s are adjusting our paultry income’s just to afford the basic need’s of food, heating, insurance’s and repair on our old vehicle’s, if indeed we are able to afford a set of wheel’s….Student’s are scrambling for loan’s and the really poor are living in tent citie’s and under bridge’s…..And then there is the war and dieing that is killing off our best and as many over there as the bush regime can support all side’s to accomplish…..Damn
I am mad as hell and the bottom line is there is no party for the people anymore just one extension of the well to do over the extreme rich…Time for the pitch fork’s I reckon….Blessings to you all as you go about your day…
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 amAnd the beat goes on Says: **They have no intention to “improve” this garbage they call a bailout…
Yeah, I know. It was a rhetorical question meant to point out that they think we are stupid enough to believe they couldn’t write the bill they wanted, but had enough time to add another 434 pages of garbage to make it worse.
The Democrats really had the upper hand here after the House bill failed. They could have written the right bill, and it would have passed because Bush was desperate. Instead, they’ve shown themeselves to be only two shades of gray to the left of the Republicans on a million shade grey scale.
I used to joke about moving to Canada or Europe, but now, I’m seriously considering it even if Obama wins.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:31 amMe to Unbelievable, me to….Blessings
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 amRepublic. It has effected my thinking, but it’s not over in terms of the public. I’m still interested in what will happen tonight thru the election.
Many here predicted that Palin was a poor choice on the part of McCain. That looks more likely.
But, they also predicted that her baby wasn’t really hers, she was banning books in Alaska, Troopergate was on par with Watergate and that she would be replaced before the convention.
She would have to seriously rally, but I wouldn’t start choosing paint colors yet.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 ambackup Says: I’m still keeping an open mind, but unless she somehow rallies with a very strong performance tonite, with near flawless performance until the election, I’ll vote Obama, in large part due to her selection as McCain’s VP.
But why? Keeping an open mind is only good when it comes to viable options, like the choice between going to Italy or France on vacation. Having a mud pit in the back of your cousin Johnny’s backyard as a vacation choice isn’t even worth consideration…
I’m more qualified to be VP than Sarah Palin simply due to the fact that I have more functional brain cells. She’s just not worth any further consideration.
By the way, toniht isn’t even adebate. She gets a question, which she answers, and we move on. No one gets to challenge to respond to her answers. She gets no rebuttal questions, and Biden cannot really comment on her answers. That’s an interview, not a debate.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 amWitch1 Says: I wrote so many email’s, signed so many patition’s and made so many call’s in the last almost 8 year’s it is sickening and rarely even got a response, when I got a responce from my so called rep’s it was condecending and full of superiority “I know best” statement’s….I made terrible mistake’s voting the ass hole’s in to begin with..Unlike them I take responsability for my action’s..
I feel your pain – from personal experience…
I think we can officially call it:
10/01/2008 – the day the United States of America died.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:38 ambackup Says: But, they also predicted that her baby wasn’t really hers, she was banning books in Alaska, Troopergate was on par with Watergate and that she would be replaced before the convention.
We didn’t ‘predict’, we questioned. It’s what people of logic do when something seems fishy. And it turns out that our instincts about Palin were right in general. Don’t discount that because a couple of liberals were wrong about her being replaced.
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:41 amunbelievable Says:
We didn’t ‘predict’, we questioned. It’s what people of logic do when something seems fishy. And it turns out that our instincts about Palin were right in general. Don’t discount that because a couple of liberals were wrong about her being replaced.
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Apart from our instincts being right about Palin, which they were, there’s also what this choice tells us about McCain (what a feckless old man he really is…) and the utter gall and cynicism of the GOOP in general, that thinking all they had to do to reverse an 8 year slide called “President Botch” was run an ex-beauty queen out there and they’d be back on top just like that.
Don’t forget, Limbaugh was touting Sarah as a Veep months ago. Sheesh, is McCain running for POTUS, or Rush? Who made this choice?
Cheap tricks, huh?
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:48 amPalin is an “ex-beauty queen”? I thought that she was an “ex-beauty queen RUNNER UP”?
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:55 amUnbelievable….You and I can have a debate on the day America died, since we agree on so much…My theory is….It has been an induced cancer, started by evil cheney 30 yeqr’s ago, slowly gaining momentum untill he got the wooden head into office in 2000…The cancer was fed with more cancer cell’s and no med’s untill the last 2 year’s….Two year’s ago nurse palosi and gurney patroll reid ran interference for evil cheney and fast forwarded the war money dump and the final killing spree….There are a lot of other name’s I could add but my brain has been poached by these monster’s and I have to rest to fix it…LOL..Have a good day…Blessings
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 amCageyCretin Says:
Palin is an “ex-beauty queen”? I thought that she was an “ex-beauty queen RUNNER UP”?
Wasn’t she Miss Wasilla or some equivalent?
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:58 amunbelievable Says:
But why? Keeping an open mind is only good when it comes to viable options, like the choice between going to Italy or France on vacation. Having a mud pit in the back of your cousin Johnny’s backyard as a vacation choice isn’t even worth consideration…
There you go. I was struggling to craft a similar response, even if it is a complete waste of time. Anyone who still has hope that Palin is remotely qualified for VP has simply not been paying attention.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:01 pmgummitch Says:
Wasn’t she Miss Wasilla or some equivalent?
Oh. Could be. My bad, if so.
I did see some footage this morning of her on some stage in her swimsuit…. ummmm… I was willing to give her benefit of MILF doubt, but after seeing her in a bathing suit… not so much. Thanks, but no thanks.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:03 pmgummitch Says:
CageyCretin Says:
Palin is an “ex-beauty queen”? I thought that she was an “ex-beauty queen RUNNER UP”?
Wasn’t she Miss Wasilla or some equivalent?
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CageyCretin is right. Sarah was only RUNNER-UP to Miss Wasilla…
Picky… picky… picky…
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
CageyCretin is right. Sarah was only RUNNER-UP to Miss Wasilla…
Picky… picky… picky…
Nope. She was Miss Wasilla and second runner-up to Miss Alaska.
Pick that!
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:07 pmAnd the average voter out here in Amerka is concerned what she was runner up or winner of in the past because.?….Reading her bio. in polatic’s, relegion and wildlife killing was enough to make me ill, not to mention her terrible shrill voice, like fingernail’s on a blackboard..Pretty is as pretty doe’s and in my book she is one ugly biotch…Blessings
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:38 pmThe NRA & Consul Energy teamed up to shoot an anti-Obama ad, but coal miners would have none of it:
http://arisfreedomswitch.blogspot.com/2008/10/this-candidate-sponsored-by.html
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:55 pmWachovia announced Monday it would “limit access to the fund to 10 percent of each college’s account value.”
Can you say ex-tor-tion?
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:29 pm