ThinkFast: November 17, 2008
ThinkFast: November 17, 2008
Former Sen. Phil Gramm, who once said subprime loans were “the American dream in action” and declared recently that America has “become a nation of whiners,” has no remorse over pushing deregulation throughout this career. Rejecting “this idea afloat that if you had more regulation you would have fewer mistakes,” Gramm told the New York Times, “The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sarah Palin won’t be the next leader of the Republican party. “I think that she is going to be a significant player,” said Gingrich during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “But she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She’s not going to be the de facto leader.”
On Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of three national parks in Utah. Environmentalists are calling the move a Bush administration “fire sale” for the oil and gas industry, while the National Park Service’s top official in the state said it was “shocking and disturbing.”
According to a new National Association of Business Economists’ poll of 50 professional forecasters, the “U.S. economy is in recession and will contract at a faster pace in the fourth quarter, extending the decline into early 2009 as high unemployment crimps consumer spending.” Preliminary government estimates showed GDP contracted 0.3 percent in the third quarter.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said he would “welcome” and “support” a meeting between President-elect Barack Obama and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il if Obama were to take such a step after taking office.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not rule out running for governor of New York. “I don’t know if I’d be interested in it, but I’ll think about it when the right time comes along,” Giuliani said.
41 percent of Americans believe that the “Secretary of the Treasury will be the Obama administration member who will matter most to the country’s future,” according to a new CNN/Opinion Research poll. By contrast, 25 percent believe the Secretary of State will matter most, while 25 percent believe that the Secretary of Defense will be most important.
On the eve of the election, President-elect Obama wrote a series of letters to federal workers offering “detailed descriptions of how he intends to add muscle to specific government programs, give new power to bureaucrats and roll back some Bush administration policies.”
The U.S. military is now barring “Iraqi interpreters working with American troops in Baghdad from wearing ski masks to disguise themselves, prompting some to resign and others to bare their faces even though they fear it could get them killed.” Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for the U.S. military, simply responded that Iraqis dissatisfied with the policy “can seek alternative employment.”
And finally: An Obama baby boom? Newsweek writes, “In the hours and days since Obama’s victory, many of his exhilarated supporters have been, shall we say, in the mood for love. And though it’s too soon to know for sure, experts aren’t ruling out the possibility of an Obama baby boom — the kind of blip in the national birth rate that often follows a seismic event.” Abbi Whitaker of Reno, NV, for example, said that on election night, she and her husband “managed to down a bottle and a half of wine in celebration and he was all about making an ‘Obama election baby.’”
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“The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
In the same way Bartok is not as bad as he sounds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qi4ezdmO08
November 17th, 2008 at 9:06 amFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sarah Palin won’t be the next leader of the Republican party. “I think that she is going to be a significant player,” said Gingrich during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “But she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She’s not going to be the de facto leader.”
Get yer popcorn ready, TPers -- looks like it's gonna be a Clash of the Titans (in their own minds) over the next couple of years as the repukes burn down their house and try to rebuild it...
November 17th, 2008 at 9:08 amGingrich:
November 17th, 2008 at 9:08 am" Sarah Palin won't be the leader of the Republican Party, in fact , Joe the Plumber is ahead of her.."
who the heck thinks the market has worked better than you think? Who? Phil's wife? look at the 401k, IRA's, your prospect for retirement. Unless you are very wealthy you have to be sickened!!! Or you still can not add 1 plus 1.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:12 am“The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
So, you know, because markets work, stop whining already if your number came up today with the news that Citigroup is chopping another 50k jobs.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:13 amSouth Korean President Lee Myung-bak said he would “welcome” and “support” a meeting between President-elect Barack Obama and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il if Obama were to take such a step after taking office.
Now that no one in the new Obama Administration is calling them names and threatened to blow them back into the Stone Age fruitful negotiations will be much more likely with these nations.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:15 amI caught the rerun of Failin' Palin's interview with Larry King last night. What a train-wreck! That woman is certifiable. I thought Shelly Bachmann was the stupidest person on earth but Sarah seems bent on giving her a run for her money.
If these two bimbos are even counted among Little Newtie's "20 or 30 significant party leaders", the republicans might as well pick up their ball and go home.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:15 amfrom my inbox this morning:
Congress Must Debate The Implications Of A Bush Self-Pardon
Many people have been asking us, "Could Bush actually pardon
himself?". Would it be despicable? Sure it would. Would it be
shameless and cowardly? Yes, that and that too. But all those
adjectives fit Bush like O.J.'s glove before it shrunk from being
soaked completely in blood. Which means he is absolutely is planning
on doing it.
And only impeachment could stop it. We need to talk about this. We
need Congress to talk about this. And Congress is in session this
week, so we need you to speak out this week while there is still
time.
Impeach Now Action Page: http://www.usalone.com/impeach_now.php
Tens of thousands of you submitted the action page on this last week.
Do it again. Please speak out again while we still can. There is
already a drum beat in the right wing media calling on Bush to pardon
his whole administration. Only our voices can raise the price of such
action so that there would be real consequences.
We have not given up, and will never give up hope on justice. We will
be taking delivery of another huge shipment of the "Impeach Both!!!"
caps that are still so popular. But this might be the last batch. So
if you want to demonstrate your support for impeachment, please
request yours now from the return page of the action page submission.
Impeach Now Action Page: http://www.usalone.com/impeach_now.php
Will Congress now act? That is not the yardstick of the worth of our
activism. We speak out because we must speak out, whether we are
heeded or not. Let history record that we spoke out until the last
minute to the eternal shame of those who did not. Because when enough
of us speak out at once, the worst thing that can possibly happen is
that we are building the progressive base for the REAL change of the
future.
So Bush most certainly is planning on pardoning himself. And all the
right wing lock down ideologues in the corporate controlled media
will call it "healing". Let's all make nice with war criminals? Shall
we all make nice with the gang rape of our economy, our environment
and our Constitution? We think not.
And one more thing. You know that come January 20th the right wing
will start calling for the impeachment of our new president, over a
endless litany of the most ridiculous of trivial trifles. In fact it
has already started even though he has not even taken office. If they
are so hot on impeaching someone, let them speak out now, when it
truly is called for, or shut the hell up in 65 days.
Please take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed
to be ours, and forward this alert as widely as possible.
If you would like to get alerts like these, you can do so at
http://www.usalone.com/in.htm
Or if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function
at http://www.usalone.com/out.htm
usalone282b:206220
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November 17th, 2008 at 9:16 amAll rights reserved
GRamm: “The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
if by "worked," you mean transferred wealth efficiently from the poor to the wealthy, and recouping assets for the rich from the poor. Worked phuquing BRILLIANTLY!
But then it always does...
November 17th, 2008 at 9:19 amFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Sarah Palin won’t be the next leader of the Republican party. “But she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She’s not going to be the de facto leader.”
Will be interesting to see which megalomaniacs will throw their hats in the ring in order to become the next biggest loser...
Obama hasn't even begun to put his policies in action and he already has the highest rating of any incoming President-elect so far. Even hugher than Ronnie Raygun.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:20 amBush's Base has become more wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. In a free-market society, Social Darwinism predicts, nay mandates, that the rich shall become richer. It is the new Manifest Destiny. And now that the joy ride is coming to an end, it is their God-given right, one might even say - their duty - to extort as much as they can, as fast as they can, from the little people - the American Taxpayer.
So as the $700,000,000,000 finance industry bailout using borrowed funds is distributed, as the auto industry applies for the same, those at the top of the rung enjoy parties like there is no tomorrow (AIG anyone).
The CEO's and their offspring will enjoy the good life, insulated from the economic struggles of the lower 98%. Yes, for them, the untitled Princes and Princesses of America, the markets have worked better than anyone might have thought.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:23 amIn the same way Bartok is not as bad as he sounds.
hawhawhawhawhawhaw! Very good...
November 17th, 2008 at 9:24 amDNFP Says: Will Congress now act?
Nope.
Look at how they are coddling Joe Lieberman.
I'd rather see Hillary Clinton as Senate Majority Leader so she can get national health care going.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:24 amThe Republicans have, for some time now, built their party on enriching the rich, catering to Wall Street, and providing enough circuses to the LIVs to keep them in the fold. That's where Sarah Palin comes in -- to keep the LIVs dazzled and entertained.
Any Republican with an ounce of sense realizes that Palin isn't leadership material for the party, and I doubt any of the party heads would feel comfortable with her setting their mission and vision. But they don't want to set her aside completely, because they need her for window dressing.
What the Republicans need to realize is that merely tweaking this model slightly isn't going to solve their problems. They need to do extensive remodeling to ensure their party's survival.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:25 amMolly,
LIV?
November 17th, 2008 at 9:28 ammisshusseinmolly Says:
Palin isnt leadership material for a Girl Scout Troop
November 17th, 2008 at 9:29 amIf Bush does issue pardons for war crimes, that will clear the last hurdle for international jurisdiction.
It would be worth flying to The Hague to watch the trials....
November 17th, 2008 at 9:29 amOn Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of three national parks in Utah.
_____________________________________________________
Hey, Bushco only has a couple of months left, and Dubya realizes he hasn't trashed everything yet.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:30 amEnvironmentalists are calling the move a Bush administration “fire sale” for the oil and gas industry while the National Park Service’s top official in the state said it was “shocking and disturbing.”
I hope that one of the first thing the Obama Administration does is to pass a "Use it or lose it" bill for the oil industry. Forbid any future land leasing until they have used the land they already have and put a time limit on how long they can sit on the land without drilling. Then he needs to cancel all the leases issued in the last year before he took office.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:35 amAccording to a new National Association of Business Economists’ poll of 50 professional forecasters, “[t]he U.S. economy is in recession and will contract at a faster pace in the fourth quarter, extending the decline into early 2009 as high unemployment crimps consumer spending.”
Duh...
November 17th, 2008 at 9:35 amFormer House Speaker Newt Gingrich said his current wife won’t be his last. “I think that she has been a significant trophy wife,” said Gingrich during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “But she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 trophy wives. She’s not going to be the de facto wife. The beautiful thing about republicanism is that you can super-size whatever you want: your bellies, your SUVs, your homes, your portions at Mickey Ds, and now your families. The anti-family liberals don't give you multiple families from which to choose.”
November 17th, 2008 at 9:36 amBriseadh na Faire Says
November 17th, 2008 at 9:28 am
LIV?
________________________________________________________
Low Information Voter. The people who don't take it upon themselves to educate themselves on political, economic, and government matters, and suck up whatever they are spoon-fed by the GOP. Because even rich people who benefit by laissez-faire economic policies only get one vote per person, the party depends on the "God, guns, and gays" crowd to be viable. And that's Sarah's department.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:37 amOn the eve of the election, President-elect Obama wrote a series of letters to federal workers...
Obama is really going to have his work cut out for him ferreting out the nest of vipers Bush is leaving behind.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:38 amPalin represents the "social conservative" movement - those "fundamentalist 'christians'" who want to use Big Government to impose their religious views on the entire country, and then to use America's military power to impose their will on the entire world.
While they may rail against "One World Order" they seek it, under their banner of Christ. They are not a force to be taken lightly - they have all the markings of a cult, and all the fervor of a religious fanatic. They will do anything, say anything, to achieve their ends, fully believing that their cause is God's cause.
I urge everyone to listen carefully when Sarah Palin speaks. Her language is not our language, but it is crafted to convey a message to those who consider themselves "believers." If we do not listen and understand, it will be to our own peril. She's recruiting a new kind of army, one that will follow blindly in an "us against them" war. Ration, reason and logic will not deter her followers; only Light.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:38 amLt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for the U.S. military, simply responded that Iraqis dissatisfied with the policy “can seek alternative employment.”
In other words they don't care of these people who are working with our government may be identified and killed. Nice...
November 17th, 2008 at 9:39 amFormer New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not rule out running for governor of New York.
____________________________________________________________
He might after the clouds of delusion clear up -- if they do. The problem he would have getting elected NY Governor is that most of New York state's population is concentrated in the metro NYC area, and he's not too popular there.
I suspect this kind of coyness from Giuliani is just to keep himself in the news. What he really needs to do is just go away.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:40 amMcWars Says: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said his current wife won’t be his last.
That's hilarious!
And, probably true. Though I can't imagine what woman would be willing to marry Newt Gingrich. I suppose that is why Conservatives teach their daughters to only value themselves in terms of men and babies - that way it doesn't matter which one and even ugly Republicans get families.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:42 amMcWars Says
November 17th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said his current wife won’t be his last. “I think that she has been a significant trophy wife,” said Gingrich during an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “But she’s going to be one of 20 or 30 trophy wives. She’s not going to be the de facto wife. The beautiful thing about republicanism is that you can super-size whatever you want: your bellies, your SUVs, your homes, your portions at Mickey Ds, and now your families. The anti-family liberals don’t give you multiple families from which to choose.”
______________________________________________________________
Oh, come now. Did Newtie really say this? It's hilarious, but it also sounds like something from the Onion or SNL.
If you have a link, I'd love to read about it. Thanks!
November 17th, 2008 at 9:42 amGeorges final F.U. farewell address.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:44 amRejecting “this idea afloat that if you had more regulation you would have fewer mistakes,” Gramm told the New York Times, “The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
What Briseadh na Faire said.
Of course he rejects the notion of fewer mistakes, in this climate well-connected people can skirt laws and have their army of lawyers get them off the hook. There's little incentive to go ethical. Boy, how Ken Lay and Skilling are the exception to the rule.
$1600 bucks, huh. zzzZZZZzzz -- I'm sorry, were you pretending to care about the tax payer, crypt keeper #49399, because under republican management, for every $1600 they get back they are on the hook for thousands more thanks to your war deficits and $700,000,000,000 WS bailout.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:48 am"Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for the U.S. military, simply responded that Iraqis dissatisfied with the policy “can seek alternative employment.”"
The Pentagon got its troop deal with the Iraqi government.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:54 am3 more years. It's open season on everyone now.
misshusseinmolly Says:
Oh, come now. Did Newtie really say this? It’s hilarious, but it also sounds like something from the Onion or SNL.
If you have a link, I’d love to read about it. Thanks!
Unfortunately, miss molly, this is linked straight from my own warped mind. Annotating warped minds is not something the Modern Language Association has taught me as of yet.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:59 amThe original quote is from Mark Twain, that Richard Wagner's music is better than it sounds.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:00 am"On Election Day, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced a Dec. 19 auction of more than 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels alongside or within view of three national parks in Utah. Environmentalists are calling the move a Bush administration “fire sale” for the oil and gas industry while the National Park Service’s top official in the state said it was “shocking and disturbing.”
Is this leasing the parcels or actually selling them? After reading Greg Palast I get really nervous hearing about government sales such as this.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:00 amThis summer I read two books that took place in the middle ages -- it reads like the playbook for the republicans. Very wealthy kings, earls and lords, trampling the little people, who are forced to work all their lives to keep the wealthy satisfied.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:01 amBetween those two books, I read "The Shock Doctrine" -- my opinion of the republican party, their Friedman "trickle down" economics, the Phill Gramms, the Newts, the Norquists, GWB, and the whole GOP is so low now that I would like to see them all flushed down the bathtub drain.
Gramm told the New York Times, “The markets have worked better than you might have thought.”
Because soon, we'll be able to make the Amero your standard currency. And if there is any profit to be made in the transition, we will keep that as well. We will be taking no questions today, thank you very much, and may God bless.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:05 amunbelievable Says:
That’s hilarious!
And, probably true. Though I can’t imagine what woman would be willing to marry Newt Gingrich. I suppose that is why Conservatives teach their daughters to only value themselves in terms of men and babies - that way it doesn’t matter which one and even ugly Republicans get families.
Thanks, unb! Good morning. Would you say a good sign of women valuing themselves beyond men and babies (as in, not heading straight to the kitchen from high school), is their exploding attendance at colleges and universities? You're a college lecturer (correct title?), I'd like more of an understanding of the sociological dynamic of women in higher education.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:06 amHow is it that no one seems to realize that PHIL GRAMM is the main person behind the economic catastrophe we face today?
Financial Services Modernization Act Opens Doors for Banks
Why is anyone still listening to Phil Gramm?
November 17th, 2008 at 10:23 amCheney's henchman F. Chase Hutto III is likely behind Selma Sierra and the Bureau of Land Management's move to give away pristine land at fire sale prices to big oil/gas.
Bush made the appointment in early October. Acting Assistant Director of Energy Chase Hutto works fast.
Bush continues his Corporafornication to the very end.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:28 amRejecting “this idea afloat that if you had more regulation you would have fewer mistakes,” Gramm told the New York Times
Straw Man Alert.
Gram, like most right-wingers caught on the wrong side of history, tries to reframe the question. The position that regulation is needed does not come from a belief that "fewer mistakes" would be made, Phil. It comes from a belief that those mistakes would be less damaging if fraud were prevented and risk were limited by statute to a manageable level.
What a tool.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:31 amPhil Gramm is also the Vice Chair of a firm with 19,000 high dollar tax cheating clients. A whistleblower came forward in 2005 and UBS execs did nothing. The question is what Phil knew and when he knew it?
November 17th, 2008 at 10:36 am#38 shoeless says
How is it that no one seems to realize that PHIL GRAMM is the main person behind the economic catastrophe we face today?
One often thinks that their own sh!t doesn't stink - so it is with the republican party and the media which they own.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:38 amMcWars Says: Thanks, unb! Good morning. Would you say a good sign of women valuing themselves beyond men and babies (as in, not heading straight to the kitchen from high school), is their exploding attendance at colleges and universities? You’re a college lecturer (correct title?), I’d like more of an understanding of the sociological dynamic of women in higher education.
Excellent point. There are more women in college than men. Significantly more in black and Latino populations than white, interestingly enough. Further proof that America is a more left-of-center country :). Although there are still those Conservative daughters in college looking for their MRS degree...
I teach at a technical college, where the female population is much smaller than in traditional liberal arts colleges, so my perspective is probably skewed. I have noticed, however, that the women in my classes are generally more driven than the men, in general. They seem to be more interested in learning, rather than the men who seem more interested in making more money...
November 17th, 2008 at 11:36 amIn case anyone here is applying for Team Obama:
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9120298&intsrc=news_ts_head
Applicants for jobs in the Obama administration are being asked to provide copies of e-mail and text messages, as well as links to blog posts and to Facebook and other social networking profile pages that could embarrass Obama, according to an article in yesterday's New York Times.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:10 pmFormer New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not rule out running for governor of New York. “I don’t know if I’d be interested in it, but I’ll think about it when the right time comes along,” Giuliani said.
You can stop thinking about it now, Rudy. The right time will never come along. On your "signature qualification", you exercised plenty of poor judgment where issues of security are concerned, and we, the people of New York, know that you are a sham. Have a nice life.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:12 pmWayne A. Schneider Says:
On your “signature qualification”, you exercised plenty of poor judgment where issues of security are concerned, and we, the people of New York, know that you are a sham.
__________
Yeah, but he just looks so smashing in an evening gown w/ pearls...
November 17th, 2008 at 12:30 pmFormer New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani did not rule out running for governor of New York. “I don’t know if I’d be interested in it, but I’ll think about it when the right time comes along,” Giuliani said.
Giuliani gains ground against Paterson in governor's race in ...
New York Daily News - 1 hour ago
BY KENNETH LOVETT ALBANY - Rudy Giuliani, who says he will consider a 2010 run for governor, picked up ground against Gov. Paterson, a new poll shows.
that was quick...
November 17th, 2008 at 3:13 pmkaty,
If Rudy is (somehow) doing well in polls against David Patterson, it's only because the people haven't been reminded lately of what a scumbag he truly is, and nobody is out campaigning for Governor in 2010 yet. Once the race officially gets under way, look for Rudy's reputation to be deservedly trashed unmercilessly. I will repeat myself (and I remind Rudy Giuliani that the truth is a defense against libel): Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is a scumbag. He will never honestly get elected Governor of New York State. Not while I breathe.
November 17th, 2008 at 5:55 pm