ThinkFast: October 27, 2008
ThinkFast: October 27, 2008
The U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq. Tariq al Hashimi, Iraq’s Sunni vice president said that many Iraqi politicians “view the move as akin to political blackmail.”
President Bush “has remained almost invisible as the Republican figurehead, primarily attending smallish and closed fundraisers in safe GOP areas.” He has raised just over $80 million raised for his party, “about 35 percent less than he raised in 2006.”
The securities industry still has $20 billion to pay in bonuses, Bloomberg reports. “Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, both still on track for profitable years, have set aside about $13 billion for bonuses after three quarters.” Some at Lehman Brothers “will get the same bonus they received a year ago.”
New job data show “the labor market is now the worst it’s been since the two prior recessions in 2001 and the early 1990s.” “One of the starkest indicators is that the number of people who have been unemployed for 27 weeks or more reached two million in September. That’s 21% of the total unemployed, and approaching the prior peaks of about 23% in 2003 and 1992.”
8 days to go: John McCain will be holding rallies in Dayton, OH, and Pottsville, PA, while Sarah Palin campaigns in Fredericksburg and Roanoke, VA. Barack Obama will be giving a “closing argument speech” in Canton, OH, and will then head to a rally in Pittsburgh, PA. Joe Biden will be holding three rallies, in Greenville, NC; Greensboro, NC; and New Port Richey, FL.
“At least 64,000 people from all 50 states and more than 20 other countries have given money to support or oppose a ban on same-sex marriage in California,” the AP reports. Contributions for and against Proposition 8 have surpassed $60 million, which is “a record nationally for a ballot initiative based on a social rather than economic issue.”
More than 50,000 registered Georgia voters have been “flagged” because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information. Situations like Georgia’s are “raising fears of potential vote suppression in crucial swing states” because “lists of people with mismatches are often systematically cut, or ‘purged,’ from voter rolls.”
The Falluja wastewater treatment plant — meant “to be the centerpiece of an effort to rebuild Iraq” — has now cost $100 million and run three years late, according to an Inspector General report. “The project was so poorly conceived that there is no reliable electricity to run pumps and purification tanks, and no money left to connect homes to the main sewer lines, which now run uselessly beneath Falluja’s streets.
And finally: Gather round, Californians. “Project Runway” star Tim Gunn has cut a new ad opposing the marriage equality ban in California. “Over the years, I’ve seen some questionable fashion choices on the runway,” says Gunn. “But I’ve never seen anything as unattractive as the content of Proposition 8.” Watch the ad here.
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You missed the news that a Syrian village was attacked by Team America.
Allegedly, I should add.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:09 amSo, what’s happening to the money the Treasury convinced Congress to give to financial institutions against our will? I’m sure this won’t surprise anyone:
So When Will Banks Give Loans?
“Chase recently received $25 billion in federal funding. What effect will that have on the business side and will it change our strategic lending policy?”
Oct. 17, just four days after JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, agreed to take a $25 billion capital injection courtesy of the United States government, when a JPMorgan employee asked that question. It came toward the end of an employee-only conference call that had been largely devoted to meshing certain divisions of JPMorgan with its new acquisition, Washington Mutual.
Which, of course, it also got thanks to the federal government. Christmas came early at JPMorgan Chase.
The JPMorgan executive who was moderating the employee conference call didn’t hesitate to answer a question that was pretty politically sensitive given the events of the previous few weeks.
Given the way, that is, that Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had decided to use the first installment of the $700 billion bailout money to recapitalize banks instead of buying up their toxic securities, which he had then sold to Congress and the American people as the best and fastest way to get the banks to start making loans again, and help prevent this recession from getting much, much worse.
In point of fact, the dirty little secret of the banking industry is that it has no intention of using the money to make new loans. But this executive was the first insider who’s been indiscreet enough to say it within earshot of a journalist.
(He didn’t mean to, of course, but I obtained the call-in number and listened to a recording.)
“Twenty-five billion dollars is obviously going to help the folks who are struggling more than Chase,” he began. “What we do think it will help us do is perhaps be a little bit more active on the acquisition side or opportunistic side for some banks who are still struggling. And I would not assume that we are done on the acquisition side just because of the Washington Mutual and Bear Stearns mergers. I think there are going to be some great opportunities for us to grow in this environment, and I think we have an opportunity to use that $25 billion in that way and obviously depending on whether recession turns into depression or what happens in the future, you know, we have that as a backstop.”
Read that answer as many times as you want — you are not going to find a single word in there about making loans to help the American economy. On the contrary: at another point in the conference call, the same executive (who I’m not naming because he didn’t know I would be listening in) explained that “loan dollars are down significantly.” He added, “We would think that loan volume will continue to go down as we continue to tighten credit to fully reflect the high cost of pricing on the loan side.” In other words JPMorgan has no intention of turning on the lending spigot.
It is starting to appear as if one of Treasury’s key rationales for the recapitalization program — namely, that it will cause banks to start lending again — is a fig leaf, Treasury’s version of the weapons of mass destruction.
In fact, Treasury wants banks to acquire each other and is using its power to inject capital to force a new and wrenching round of bank consolidation. As Mark Landler reported in The New York Times earlier this week, “the government wants not only to stabilize the industry, but also to reshape it.” Now they tell us.
Indeed, Mr. Landler’s story noted that Treasury would even funnel some of the bailout money to help banks buy other banks. And, in an almost unnoticed move, it recently put in place a new tax break, worth billions to the banking industry, that has only one purpose: to encourage bank mergers. As a tax expert, Robert Willens, put it: “It couldn’t be clearer if they had taken out an ad.”
Friday delivered the first piece of evidence that this is, indeed, the plan. PNC announced that it was purchasing National City, an acquisition that will be greatly aided by the new tax break, which will allow it to immediately deduct any losses on National City’s books.
As part of the deal, it is also tapping the bailout fund for $7.7 billion, giving the government preferred stock in return. At least some of that $7.7 billion would have gone to NatCity if the government had deemed it worth saving. In other words, the government is giving PNC money that might otherwise have gone to NatCity as a reward for taking over NatCity.
I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel as if we’ve been sold a bill of goods.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/business/25nocera.html?_r=1&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&oref=slogin
October 27th, 2008 at 9:10 amAnd if Iraq does not sign the blackmail document by 1 Jan 09, do you think that Bush will withdraw? Not if Chevron says,”No!”
October 27th, 2008 at 9:14 amThe securities industry still has $20 billion to pay in bonuses, Bloomberg reports. “oldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, both still on track for profitable years, have set aside about $13 billion for bonuses after three quarters.” Some at Lehman Brothers “will get the same bonus they received a year ago.”
And we’re giving them $700 billion of our tax dollars for …what? To replenish their coffers after they redistribute the wealth to the wealthy?
October 27th, 2008 at 9:14 amThe U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces
Let them. Get humanitarian aid for the vital services from the UN, and let the US military shut down and leave.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:14 amMcCain States love their federal $$$
Of the 32 states that receive more money back from the federal government than they send to the federal government in taxes, 21 of them are polling ahead for McCain. Here are the amount of federal dollars these McCain states get for every one dollar they pay in taxes.
Mississippi: $2.02
Alaska: $1.84
Louisiana: $1.78
West Virginia: $1.76
North Dakota: $1.68
Alabama: $1.66
South Dakota: $1.53
Kentucky: $1.51
Montana: $1.47
Arkansas: $1.41
Oklahoma: $1.36
South Carolina: $1.35
Tennessee: $1.27
Idaho: $1.21
Arizona: $1.19
Kansas: $1.12
Wyoming: $1.11
Nebraska: $1.10
Utah: $1.07
Indiana: $1.05
Georgia: $1.01
Note: McCain is only ahead in 22 states. The only McCain state that sends more money to the federal government than they get back is Texas.
Howard Stern mocked African-Americans who supported Obama but did not know the issues. Currently 95% of the McCain states feeding off the teat of the government are supporting McCain despite his pledge to reduce the spending from which they benefit.
[Information compiled and sorted from 2005 tax data, and Real Clear politics.]
http://boilingmad.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-states-love-their-federal.html
October 27th, 2008 at 9:15 amSo glad my tax dollars our going to pump up OldManSacks execs.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:17 amThe U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq.
So, just 3 weeks before a new president takes office, Bush would plunge Iraq into chaos.
Worst. President. Ever.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:20 amGeneral Odierno is threatening to shut-off US supplied “services” unless the Maliki administration signs the currently proposed ‘state of forces’ agreement.
I suppose that would include the Fullaja sewage plant which is three-times over budget, three years behind schedule, doesn’t have sufficient electricity to function, isn’t connected to any homes and has run out of money.
http://tinyurl.com/6o5fqy
The report by Special Inspector General Stuart Bowen does point out that the Iraqi government has contributed to the failure of the project, so either way Odierno appears to be threatening to deny Iraqis ‘services’ (clean water, reliable electricity etc) that aren’t provided anyway.
The only thing I can think of that Odierno can really withhold, is armed security. If the SOF isn’t signed and if the UN ‘mandate’ isn’t renewed this month the US forces will surely ‘officially’ become the illegal occupying force they always were.
It seems to me the Bush administration has, by its various actions and inactions over the past five years, brought about this situation. I’d suggest Odierno try “blackmailing” the Bush administration instead of Maliki.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:21 amThere are a couple of dozen proven cases of people voting fraudulently, but there are thousands upon thousands of documented cases of legitimate voters being “purged” of their right to vote. The same companies who’s ATMs never lose track of a penny can’t make a machine that can reliably keep track of votes.
American democracy ain’t what it’s cracked up to be sometimes.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:22 amAnd in other news, gun sales are surging as fears of Democratic control of government increase:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27393833/
Although I don’t think this is because the people who are buying these guns are afraid of totalitarianism (although that might be motivating a few of them), but many are afraid that Democrats running things will mean stricter controls on guns.
Regardless, it appears that Obama’s statement about people “clinging to guns” in uncertain times — a comment that has been widely criticized and exploited by the Republicans — appears to be coming true.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:24 amThe U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S.
Well, since the Iraqi’s know that Obama will start bringing our troops home early next year, exactly why would they care?
January 20 can’t come soon enough. It will finally be an end to our national nightmare.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:28 amBullsmith Says
October 27th, 2008 at 9:22 am
There are a couple of dozen proven cases of people voting fraudulently, but there are thousands upon thousands of documented cases of legitimate voters being “purged” of their right to vote.
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There’s an old saying that the difference between a Democrat and a Republican is that a Democrat will pay 100 welfare cheats to make sure one legitimately starving family is fed, and a Republican will starve 100 families to deny one welfare cheat.
It appears that Republicans will also disenfranchise many, many legitimate voters to catch one fraudulent voter — as long as the ones they are disenfranchising are Democrats, of course.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:29 amThe U.S. military has “warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq.” Tariq al Hashimi, Iraq’s Sunni vice president said “[m]any Iraqi politicians view the move as akin to political blackmail.”
I’m assuming this “warning” is coming out of the White House, though delivered by the U.S. military. And yes, it certainly sounds like blackmail. It may just backfire as well and be just the “wake up call” the Iraqi government needs to get on with governing their country by reconciling their competing groups. Instead of jockeying for power, the individual groups holding any measure of it need to work together if they are to be able to be truly soveriegn.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:29 amPalin’s RNC Shopping Spree Violates McCain-Feingold Act
SEC. 313. USE OF CONTRIBUTED AMOUNTS FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.
(a) PERMITTED USES-
…
(b) PROHIBITED USE-
(1) IN GENERAL- A contribution or donation described in subsection (a) shall not be converted by any person to personal use.
(2) CONVERSION- For the purposes of paragraph (1), a contribution or donation shall be considered to be converted to personal use if the contribution or amount is used to fulfill any commitment, obligation, or expense of a person that would exist irrespective of the candidate’s election campaign or individual’s duties as a holder of Federal office, including–
(A) a home mortgage, rent, or utility payment;
(B) a clothing purchase;
(C) a noncampaign-related automobile expense;
(D) a country club membership;
(E) a vacation or other noncampaign-related trip;
(F) a household food item;
(G) a tuition payment;
(H) admission to a sporting event, concert, theater, or other form of entertainment not associated with an election campaign; and
(I) dues, fees, and other payments to a health club or recreational facility.’
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h107-2356
October 27th, 2008 at 9:32 amIolair Says: “So, just 3 weeks before a new president takes office, Bush would plunge Iraq into chaos.”
The chaos has already begun.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:32 amI have often stated in the past that when Cheney (reminding everyone who pulls the Bush puppet’s strings) and his goons go down, they will wreak havoc as they do.
As the corporate execs bail out over Dubai and the Caribbean, swinging ever so blithely under their golden parachutes, the shredders will be smoking as evidence of the corruption, pillaging and plundering of America disappears into the landfill.
re #11 – I’ve received a phone message from the RNC to the effect that Obama will take away their Second Amendment rights.
Fear and Smear is the name of the game.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:33 amMore than 50,000 registered Georgia voters have been “flagged” because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information.
If this has just happened recently, then Obama’s lawyers need to get on it because it is illegal to do things like this after 90 days before an election.
God I hope that Obama pushes through a law mandating vote by mail. That will end all this BS of purging voters because of a typo or because they didn’t use their middle initial when they registered to vote.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:33 amSenate race here in MN found Hillary & Nancy Pelosi both in the State to support Franken & one other Rep. candidate.
Meanwhile, Norm Coleman brought in Rudy Ghouliani.Norm, is that all you’ve got? Franken now has a 5-6 point lead.
Bachmann, the screaming, insane hag, is scrambling to offset her ‘anti-american’ statements, but her opponent has actually posted his first poll lead. Add the fact that the RNC pulled it’s funding for her and things are shaping up nicely for her immediate demise.
McCain still thinks that lying about Obama is a winning strategy. As noted above, voter disqualifications are on the rise. The RNC will use every dirty trick in it’s toolbox, but I don’t believe they’ve accurately gauged the ‘youth vote’. Young voters apparently favor Obama 2:1.
It should be an interesting week…
October 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am#Hussein McCain Says:
So glad my tax dollars our going to pump up OldManSacks execs.
What do you expect? That’s Paulson’s company. He isn’t going to let them “suffer”.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:36 amThere are a couple of dozen proven cases of people voting fraudulently…
I’m not even sure that’s true. Remember the 28 cases of fraudulent voting that New Mexico was touting? Well, it turns out not to be true. Surprise…surprise.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:38 am“The U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1…..”
Total bullshit. As if the whole U.S. presence would vaporize at the snap of fingers. Without some controlling “agreement” with Iraq, every second of the last 8 years is pointless jacks**t. The Shrub accomplished nothing. He can’t even hand over Iraq to OilCo at the end of his diseased tenure.
The Iraqis are fools if they sign this crap and if they do, it will be because Maliki knows he won’t stay in his own position if the U.S. blows him off.
The Shrub admin is throwing another tantrum. It’s all they know how to do. If this “agreement” is so great, why all the arm twisting? Shruby and Maliki both need to go and leave no “agreements” behind.
You’re running out of time Shruby. Work faster. Threat level RED-RED-RED. Your B.S. is struggling to remain relevant. Failing B.S. alert! Failing B.S. alert!
What a total disaster ShrubCo has been.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:39 amThe U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1
I need an explanation. Military operations, it’s been clear that Iraqis want us out, but what are “other vital services”? Just what would Iraqis be missing out on after everything they’ve lost, thanks to our invasion?
October 27th, 2008 at 9:48 amWhy did the NSA classify ‘public’ report on wiretaps?
When Congress passed a landmark electronic-spying bill last summer, the measure included a key provision that ordered the inspectors general of U.S. intelligence agencies to produce the first-ever public report on President Bush’s warrantless-surveillance program.
The report isn’t due until next July—long after Bush leaves office. But when the inspectors general recently submitted their first “interim” report to Congress under the measure, it wasn’t made public. Instead, the brief document, written by CIA inspector general John Helgerson, was marked classified—a move that has drawn a stiff protest from House Intelligence Committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes.
In an Oct. 10 letter, Reyes complained to Helgerson (who is coordinating the review by 16 different inspectors general) for submitting a secret interim report when Congress envisioned a document that could be shared with the public. The letter essentially said, “Here’s what the law says, please explain why you’re not following the law,” Courtney Littig, a spokeswoman for the House Intelligence Committee, tells NEWSWEEK.
snip…
At the time, Obama was attacked by liberal bloggers for reversing his position on one of the most controversial provisions in the bill: a section, strongly backed by the White House, that granted blanket immunity to telecommunications companies facing lawsuits for participating in what critics charged was an illegal program. But Obama pointed to the mandate for a public report as a reason he was finally prepared to back the measure—even though it would squash lawsuits that could have led to a public airing of the extent of warrantless spying conduct by the administration. “The Inspectors General report provides a real mechanism for accountability and should not be discounted,” Obama wrote in a statement posted on his Web site on July 3. “It will allow a close look at past misconduct without hurdles that would exist in federal court because of classification issues.”
Asked for comment, Michael Ortiz, a spokesman for Obama, said: “Senator Obama continues to believe that the public deserves to know that there is accountability and oversight of the surveillance program and urges that a nonclassified report from the IG be made available to Congress.” But a U.S. intelligence community official, who asked not to be identified, talking about sensitive matters, insisted there was no intent on the part of Helgerson or the other inspectors general to ignore the congressional requirement for a public report on the surveillance program. The official said the National Security Agency—which conducted the warrantless surveillance—was still reviewing the material in the interim report in an effort to see what can be declassified. “This is simply the first step. The review is not over by any means,” the official said.
Sources familiar with the interim report said there is nothing all that sensitive about it. The document merely outlines the “scope” of the review that the inspectors general plan to conduct in preparation for the final report due next July.
As for the demands for a preservation order, the official said: “Directives have been issued to preserve records relating to this surveillance program. But, as Congress is aware, intelligence community inspectors general have clearly defined authorities. Those authorities don’t, as a rule, extend to giving orders to the White House.”
Read it all on Newsweek
**Everything is a secret. Everything is classified. Eight years of this and “sternly” worded letters, committe hearings, court orders, subpoenas, and preservation orders have certainly done us a lot of good. I wonder how much more they are going to dish out before the election? I am really not feeling very good about Nov. 4th either with all of the $hit they have in place to steal another. Jim Ward on Stephanie Miller this morning agrees and says all corporate media will blame it on is “the Bradley effect.” Brace yourself – it’s going to get really ugly.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:48 amIn a just world, this would be the end of the Republican party forever.
Half can join the Libertarians, the other half can start a new party: the Theocrats.
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October 27th, 2008 at 9:50 amBecome a Fan, help my band:
http://www.reverbnation.com/ere
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More than 50,000 registered Georgia voters have been “flagged” because of a computer mismatch in their personal identification information.
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OK, I’ve got a dumb question. It’s fairly obvious that if the Republicans are going to steal this election, they have a HUGE job ahead of them to accomplish this.
So why are they wasting their time and resources attempting to steal a state they already have? Have they truly become this confused and disoriented?
October 27th, 2008 at 9:52 amBoy, 8, shot to death in Mass. gun show accident
The Associated Press – 1 hour ago
WESTFIELD, Mass. (AP) – An 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while firing an Uzi submachine gun under adult supervision at a gun fair.
well, at least there was “adult supervision”…
how sad…
October 27th, 2008 at 9:52 amDoc Rock Says:
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And if Iraq does not sign the blackmail document by 1 Jan 09,
I say we invade!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:54 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
So why are they wasting their time and resources attempting to steal a state they already have? Have they truly become this confused and disoriented?
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I’m surprised you even feel a need to ask this.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:59 am[...]
The Westfield Sportsman’s Club was hosting its annual “Great New England Pumpkin Shoot” during the weekend, police said. Officials from the club could not be reached.
Information on the club’s website explained participants did not need a permit or license and would be accompanied on the range by a certified instructor.
The event was organized by C.O.P. Firearms & Training, an Amherst company which, according to its website, organizes machine gun shoots throughout New England. Officials from that group also could not be reached.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/27/boy_8_dies_after_accidental_shooting_at_gun_club/
what fun!
October 27th, 2008 at 9:59 amI don’t know about you, but I’m starting to feel as if we’ve been sold a bill of goods.
At least two problems – First, Treasury guidelines did not make the use of the recapitalization of these banks mandated for lending purposes. Secondly, where did that tax break come from? Was it in the legislation? Or did Treasury somehow make this ruling (which they Constitutionally cannot do?) Combine that with the set-asides for bonuses, and we have a criminal enterprise at work here. The U.S. taxpayer was more than sold a bill of goods….we have been robbed!
October 27th, 2008 at 10:01 amunbelievable Says:
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Palin’s RNC Shopping Spree Violates McCain-Feingold Act
The McCain-Feingold Act is sexist!
October 27th, 2008 at 10:03 amSpy Fears: Twitter Terrorists, Cell Phone Jihadists
October 27th, 2008 at 10:05 amABC News – 2 hours ago
By NOAH SHACHTMAN Could Twitter become terrorists’ newest killer app? A draft Army intelligence report, making its way through spy circles, thinks the miniature messaging software could be used as an effective tool for coordinating militant attacks.
Twitter the new tool of terrorists? CNET News
Twitter May Be Al-Qaeda’s New Tool of Terror eFluxMedia
VentureBeat – dBTechno – FOXNews – KARK
all 65 news articles »
http://news.google.com/?ncl=1262042394&hl=en&topic=t
Dumb_Hussein_Fox Says:
You missed the news that a Syrian village was attacked by Team America.
Allegedly, I should add.
October 27th, 2008 at 9:09 am
_________
Ooops! What a terrible faux pas! Guess they won’t be accepting renditionees from US anytime soon, eh?
October 27th, 2008 at 10:06 amA lot of wingnuts (i.,e, aging white males) are talking about fleeing the country. But they can’t find anyplace that will let them keep their guns. Their brains are short-circuiting.
The Mess We’re In:
October 27th, 2008 at 10:09 amhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiBWkNFtrEg
Perry logan Says:
A lot of wingnuts (i.,e, aging white males) are talking about fleeing the country. But they can’t find anyplace that will let them keep their guns.
_________
Two words for all them frightened, gun-totin’ young’uns… Alaska…
October 27th, 2008 at 10:13 amPerry logan Says:
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A lot of wingnuts (i.,e, aging white males) are talking about fleeing the country. But they can’t find anyplace that will let them keep their guns.
How about Iraq?
October 27th, 2008 at 10:14 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
And in other news, gun sales are surging as fears of Democratic control of government increase:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27393833/
Although I don’t think this is because the people who are buying these guns are afraid of totalitarianism (although that might be motivating a few of them), but many are afraid that Democrats running things will mean stricter controls on guns.
Regardless, it appears that Obama’s statement about people “clinging to guns” in uncertain times — a comment that has been widely criticized and exploited by the Republicans — appears to be coming true.
=============================================================
Speaking of gun control, look what happened in my neighboring town.
Disgusting.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:15 amBritish talks with Syria in disarray after US military raid
October 27th, 2008 at 10:17 amTimes Online – 42 minutes ago
Britain and Syria cancelled a planned joint press conference of their foreign ministers in London today as the fall-out continued over an American military raid into Syrian territory that left eight civilians dead.
The problem with the wingers is that, while us screamin’ hatin’ hard lefties can be told to go to Cuba or North Korea or France, there’s no place for these bozos to go.
(Except the Republic of Alaska, of course.)
October 27th, 2008 at 10:25 ampbg Says:
The problem with the wingers is that [...] there’s no place for these bozos to go.
(Except the Republic of Alaska, of course.)
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Don’t forget airport restrooms… they’ll even run into their elected officials there.
BTW, it’s the People’s Republic of Alaska, pbg… ya know, w/ the State-mandated Yearly Oil Welfare Check handouts, due to the Higher Taxes on Oil Companies… ah yes… beautiful Nome… the Moscow of North America.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:32 amThe Falluja wastewater treatment plant — meant “to be the centerpiece of an effort to rebuild Iraq” — has now cost $100 million and run three years late, according to an Inspector General report. “The project was so poorly conceived that there is no reliable electricity to run pumps and purification tanks, and no money left to connect homes to the main sewer lines, which now run uselessly beneath Falluja’s streets.
Bechtel? Can you spell Boondoggle?
October 27th, 2008 at 10:42 amThe case of Troy Davis in Georgia has been skipped. The last I heard he was scheduled for execution today at 7:00 PM.
The case of the ex-prosecuter from Chicago who has been arrested for torture has also been skipped.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:43 amI see the compassionate conservative side of Bush is rearing it’s ugly head again. Play by my rules or I will take my ball and go home. Nice!
October 27th, 2008 at 10:54 amI heard yesterday that the city with the highest gasoline prices in the US is Anchorage, Alaska. Why?
October 27th, 2008 at 10:56 am“Falluja waste water treatment plant” sounds like a job for “Joe the Plumber”.
October 27th, 2008 at 10:58 amBody found in SUV, unknown if it’s Hudson’s nephew
Police searching for Jennifer Hudson’s missing 7-year-old nephew found the body of a young black boy in an SUV Monday. There was no confirmation on the identity of the body.
Hudson’s nephew, Julian King, hasn’t been seen since Friday, when Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death in their home. Police issued an Amber Alert for Julian, who lived in the home, and were looking for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban.
The body was found in a white SUV on the city’s West Side Monday. It was towed away with the body still inside. Police refused to comment.
Read the entire story
**This has been such a sad story. Finding a child’s body is devastating enough but if it does turn out to be Hudson’s nephew it will just add to an already tragic story.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:00 amAnd the beat goes on Says:
October 27th, 2008 at 11:04 am**Everything is a secret. Everything is classified. Eight years of this and “sternly” worded letters, committe
hearings, court orders, subpoenas, and preservation orders have certainly done us a lot of good. I wonder how much more they are going to dish out before the election? I am really not feeling very good about Nov. 4th either with all of the $hit they have in place to steal another. Jim Ward on Stephanie Miller this morning agrees and says all corporate media will blame it on is “the Bradley effect.” Brace yourself – it’s going to get really ugly.
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Perhaps guaranteeing a victory on MTP yesterday by McCain was a fruedian slip of the tongue?
The Syrian attack was confirmed by a U.S. official.
“A US official, in confirming the raid, said the attack targeted elements of a robust foreign fighter logistics network and that due to Syrian inaction the US was now “taking matters into our own hands.”
October 27th, 2008 at 11:18 amGun sales surging? Have to protect that money in the mattress…
October 27th, 2008 at 11:19 amOT, sorry…Any new’s on the where about’s of heir cheney.? Has he moved to Dubi already.?..Hummmm…Blessings
October 27th, 2008 at 11:48 amThe end is near! I cannot make another phone call and I have email-related Proposition 8 correlated carpal tunnel syndrome. I cannot wait for this whole thing to be over with.
The funny thing is that the nitwits in California will file a new ballot amendment if they lose on 8 and – before you know it – the ground game will begin anew in Iowa for 2012.
October 27th, 2008 at 11:59 am> “Falluja waste water treatment plant”
> sounds like a job for “Joe the Plumber”.
If Joe got a job working for halliburton he
October 27th, 2008 at 12:01 pmwouldnt need to get a liscense AND he’d probably
make enough to qualify for one of mccain’s fantasy tax cuts
clusterphuck-FLAGGED!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:12 pmJust curious…does anyone here NOT think that Jihadis use Syria as a transit point to enter Iraq? Is there a huge difference between attacking a terrorist hub in Syria and a terrorist hub in Waziristan? If so, I am not seeing it.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:27 pmKeltoi is right!! Bomb Egypt now!! Oh, and Lebanon too!!
October 27th, 2008 at 12:41 pmThe U.S. military has warned Iraq that it will shut down military operations and other vital services throughout the country on Jan. 1 if the Iraqi government doesn’t agree to a new agreement on the status of U.S. forces or a renewed United Nations mandate for the American mission in Iraq.
Great. Keep creating new enemies so we can invade them over and over again thus keeping the Corporate-Militarist Complex in business in perpetuity…Sounds like a plan…
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October 27th, 2008 at 2:23 pmKeltoi Says:
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Just curious…does anyone here NOT think that Jihadis use Syria as a transit point to enter Iraq? Is there a huge difference between attacking a terrorist hub in Syria and a terrorist hub in Waziristan? If so, I am not seeing it.
Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain branded Barack Obama “naive,” in a pre-emptive strike designed to paint his possible Democratic White House rival as a national security novice.
McCain zeroed in on a speech by Obama in August in which he said he would be prepared to strike Al-Qaeda on Pakistani territory if Islamabad would not respond to actionable intelligence.
http://rawstory.com/news/afp/McCain_jabs_Obama_as_naive_on_Pakis_02202008.html
October 27th, 2008 at 2:56 pmshoeless Says:
Presumptive Republican nominee John McCain branded Barack Obama “naive,” in a pre-emptive strike designed to paint his possible Democratic White House rival as a national security novice.
McCain zeroed in on a speech by Obama in August in which he said he would be prepared to strike Al-Qaeda on Pakistani territory if Islamabad would not respond to actionable intelligence.
Which I always thought was very dumb of McCain. If he plans to kill Bin Laden, it is definitely going to involve a strike of some sort in Pakistans tribal area. But this action in Syria is exactly the same concept (there is a story coming across the line about who the target was, more info forthcoming hopefully).
October 27th, 2008 at 3:06 pmThe main difference is, before the invasion of Iraq, there was no al Qaeda in either Syria or Iraq. Let’s not blame the Syrians for a problem created by the Bush cabal.
October 27th, 2008 at 3:53 pm