ThinkFast: November 20, 2008
ThinkFast: November 20, 2008
Politico reports that President-elect Obama has chosen Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Napolitano is a border governor who “brings law-and-order experience from her stint as the Grand Canyon State’s first female attorney general.”
A Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a South Texas federal detention center. “Presiding Judge Manuel Banales said Wednesday he will allow them to waive arraignment or have their attorneys present rather than appear in person at the hearing.”
In the past week, the Bush administration “has adopted several hot-button regulatory changes long sought by business groups.” The changes include “new rules that open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land, allow truckers to drive for longer periods, and add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.”
Antiwar groups “are increasingly concerned at signs that Barack Obama’s national security team will be dominated” by hawkish appointees who favored the Iraq war. “Obama ran his campaign around the idea the war was not legitimate, but it sends a very different message when you bring in people who supported the war from the beginning,” said Iraq Veterans Against the War Executive Director Kelly Dougherty.
Relations between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are “in tatters,” Roll call reports. Republicans say that the “sudden deterioration in relations…is a direct result of what they view as an overly aggressive Democratic effort to unseat McConnell.”
The health insurance industry’s two major trade associations said yesterday “would support a health care overhaul requiring insurers to accept all customers, regardless of illness or disability. But in return, the industry said, Congress should require all Americans to have coverage.”
The stock market suffered “another terrible day” yesterday, dropping below 8,000 points for the first time since 2003. “New-home starts in October were the lowest since at least 1959,” and the “consumer price index plummeted by the most since that series of monthly data was started in 1947, as the economy slowed so abruptly that companies had to slash prices to sell products.”
On the first day of Minnesota’s election recount, Democrat Al Franken gained a net of 43 votes. FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver writes that Sen. Norm Coleman “had a lead of 215 voters over Franken in Minnesota’s certified, pre-recount tally; that margin is now 172 votes.” A state judge also granted Franken access to the “rosters of disqualified absentee voters…to determine if they were properly rejected in the counting of ballots.”
And finally: Yesterday, the Hill asked Senate Democrats their thoughts on the outgoing Vice President Cheney. Sen. Carl Levin said that he is “colder, more aloof” than previous vice presidents. Sen. Harry Reid noted his disagreements with Cheney: “I’m trying to think of something I agree with; I haven’t found it yet.” Asked about his relationship with Cheney four years after the vice president infamously told him to “Go f—k yourself,” Sen. Patrick Leahy said, “I love him.” He later clarified: “That’s a joke.”
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“Presiding Judge Manuel Banales said Wednesday he will allow them (Cheney, Gonzales) to waive arraignment or have their attorneys present rather than appear in person at the hearing.”
"...the vice president infamously told him to “Go f—k yourself...”
That says it all.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:07 amGood morning, campers.
To outgoing VP 5-deferment Dickhead, GO CHENEY YOURSELF!
Thanks, I feel better now.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:09 amTP: Why would my comment be in moderation when I merely quoted your own post? Do we have a "do as we say, not as we do" situation here?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:10 amCrusty; TP DOES have a 'do as we say, not as I do" program. I used the SAME word they did on the thread of topic, and they moderated my post. The moderation was removed after I fired off another post pointing out that I used the same word they used as their headline, and called them out as hypocrites.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:13 amWhy do we need a health insurance industry? Its sole function is to have healthy premium payers subsidize the sick or injured, AND to make a profit for its shareholders. This layer of profit merely adds a layer of costs to healthcare which does not improve care at all. Indeed, it provides a motive to deny care so as to improve profits.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:15 amIt's time for congress to begin representing the interests of Americans. Whatever "balance of power" that used to exist between the branches of government is gone. It is not in our interest for the President to be able to change significant issues without the approval of congress who created the law and/or rules in the first place.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:15 amIsn't it a little early to be eating your own boys?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:15 amThe changes include “new rules that open the way for commercial development of oil shale on federal land, allow truckers to drive for longer periods, and add certain restrictions on employee time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.”
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Ah -- the Bushco government: not of the people, not by the people, not for the people. In fact, let's see how much more we can SCREW the people before January 20.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:16 amGood morning chaps!
November 20th, 2008 at 9:16 amThe republicans are upset because the Democrats tried to unseat Mitch McConnell? After they broke precedent and threw everything they had to get Tom Daschle out? So turnabout isn't fair play when it happens to them. Typical.
Wonder how they feel about their 'constitutional option' now?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:17 amThis is Bush's idea of a smooth transition of power? Reid and Pelosi, you want to give the Country and the World a Christmas present? Impeach Bush and Cheney now!
November 20th, 2008 at 9:18 amA Texas judge has set a Friday arraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, and others named in indictments accusing them of responsibility for prisoner abuse in a South Texas federal detention center.
__________________________________________________________
CHENEY: So?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:20 amIn the past week, the Bush administration “has adopted several hot-button regulatory changes long sought by business groups.”
Like Sherman in Georgia, Bush is going to leave nothing but scorched earth and rubble in his wake. I would expect nothing less from such a morally upright, patriotic leader.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:26 amIn the past week, the Bush administration “has adopted several hot-button regulatory changes long sought by business groups.”
All this crap isn't going to help his legacy much. I guess that's why he's doing it, because he knows his legacy is already shot. This is just one more thing that Obama is going to have to undo when he takes office.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:26 amarraignment for Vice President Dick Cheney
What beautiful words these are in the same sentence. Here's hoping we see more of this in the future.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:27 amAntiwar groups “are increasingly concerned at signs that Barack Obama’s national security team will be dominated” by hawkish appointees who favored the Iraq war.
Gawd, I am getting really sick of this. The man hasn't even taken office yet and there is this constant drumbeat of criticism. Why don't these people wait and see what he does with the people he has hired. It would be very difficult for him to find experienced people who didn't favor the war in the beginning. It's whether or not they feel that way now that matters.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:29 amBriseadh... yeah, the reports a couple of weeks ago about how cooperative the Bush admin was being seemed totally out of character, and now we are seeing what BS it really was/is.
In addition to the item above, the Bush Syndicate is also gutting environmental and wildlife protections and actively entrenching loyalists in important agency admin positions with just three months to go, just to make things more difficult ( and maybe to scrub as much as possible from the records? ).
November 20th, 2008 at 9:30 amI guess that’s why he’s doing it, because he knows his legacy is already shot.
Typo alert: you misspelled the last word. Understandable, since i and o are next to each other on the keyboard...
November 20th, 2008 at 9:30 amRelations between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are “in tatters,” Roll call reports.
Too bad so sad. Reid should tell McConnell to piss off. Then he should adopt the same attitude towards McConnell as McConnell had towards the Democrats when they were in power. Reid should not allow anything that has to do with the Republicans to even come to the floor. That's how the Republicans treated the Democrats for 6 years.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:32 amAntiwar groups “are increasingly concerned at signs that Barack Obama’s national security team will be dominated” by hawkish appointees who favored the Iraq war.
Gawd, I am getting really sick of this. The man hasn’t even taken office yet and there is this constant drumbeat of criticism.
I'm just surprised no one has called for his impeachment yet.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:34 amThe health insurance industry’s two major trade associations said yesterday “would support a health care overhaul requiring insurers to accept all customers, regardless of illness or disability. But in return, the industry said, Congress should require all Americans to have coverage.”
Interesting. So the insurance industry sees the handwriting on the wall (their oncoming extinction) and NOW they decide to play fair and be reasonable. Sorry folks, you had your chance and all you did was rip us off.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:34 amRepublicans say that the “sudden deterioration in relations…is a direct result of what they view as an overly aggressive Democratic effort to unseat McConnell.”
This from the party that aggressively - and successfully - worked to unseat Tom Daschle.
Such goddamn crybabies. And hypocrites. Will be such tremendous karma when Daschle puts some kick-ass healthcare reform onto the agenda.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:35 amBush is the "plunderer in chief." The number and scope of "new regulations" that this administration is pushing through at the last minute (but early enough to ensure enormous difficulty in being able to reverse them) is simply business as usual. And as far as I'm concerned, much of the blame for this damage lies at the feet of Pelosi and Hoyer by taking impeachment off the table back in 2006.
Regarding the health care industries "support" of changes, they cannot be trusted. They will cooperate just enough to be able to literally write any new legislation themselves. Same thing happened with the Medicare Drug law to cover senior for presciptions. They were opposed at first, but then got inside and basically wrote the legislation. As long as these industries are allowed to operate as for-profit companies, nothing is going to change.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:38 amBilbo, actually the health industry did what they were legally required to do: maximize shareholder profits. The mistake lie in creating a health insurance industry in the first place. Also a mistake: tying health care to having a job. It should be a fundamental right.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:39 amBriseadh na Faire Says:
Bilbo, actually the health industry did what they were legally required to do: maximize shareholder profits. The mistake lie in creating a health insurance industry in the first place. Also a mistake: tying health care to having a job. It should be a fundamental right.
You are so right. It has always bothered me that we are the only industrialized nation that considers health insurance to be a privilege and not a right.
I am very glad to see that Obama isn't going to go "incremental" on us and is going straight for universal coverage. I would like to see them do what Kuchinich was proposing which is to put all Americans on Medicare and revamp Medicare so that it pays doctors and hospitals what their services are worth.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:42 amInteresting story in the NYT about Raymond Kelly, police commissioner in New York City. I think this guy was being considered for Secy. of Homeland Security by the incoming Obama administration at one time. Hopefully, he's been ruled out permanently.
WASHINGTON — An effort by the New York Police Department to get broader latitude to eavesdrop on terrorism suspects has run into sharp resistance from the Justice Department in a bitter struggle that has left the police commissioner and the attorney general accusing each other of putting the public at risk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/washington/20terror.html?_r=1&hp
November 20th, 2008 at 9:44 amUncle Ho,
Thanks, I feel better knowing I am not alone. I suppose the "f" filter is a good thing, particularly if the comment is allowed after moderation.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 amBachmann claimed last night on Hannity that misconstrued reporting on her claiming Obama had 'anti-american' views was just an urban legend. Of course, she didn't want to see the actual video of her saying this.
Never underestimate the power of denial. MN voters in her district that support her should have their heads examined. Pelosi should call for censure on this bag of hair.
On a more positive note and as noted above, Franken gained 20% on Coleman in the first day of the Senatorial vote recount.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:45 amBilbo: "It would be very difficult for him to find experienced people who didn’t favor the war in the beginning. It’s whether or not they feel that way now that matters."
Indeed. And Obama ( and everyone else ) continued to fund the occupation and the fighting ( including the mercenaries) without any meaningful oversight.
The 2002 vote was a resolution to permit the use of force, it was not a declaration of war or an authorization to invade as it is commonly described---though of course that's really a semantic argument. Obama and a handful of others saw what it really meant and were public about it.
The influence of "hawks" will depend on the 'strength' of the President and other cabinet members.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:49 amObama is not a puppet and he's clearly setting up a diverse administration which will mean a broad distribution of power and influence, not a concentration as occurred with the neocons and Bush.
Gates SHOULD go ASAP in my opinion but Obama will need him for a while for pragmatic reasons.
The people that voted for her and Lieberman should be deported.
November 20th, 2008 at 9:50 amRelations between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are “in tatters,” Roll call reports. Republicans say that the “sudden deterioration in relations…is a direct result of what they view as an overly aggressive Democratic effort to unseat McConnell.”
I see several posters have already dealt with this bit of the Republican Culture of Victimization™.
Let me echo their sentiments:
the party that sent its Majority Leader from Tennessee to campaign in South Dakota against the opposition leader is now whining about an "overly aggressive" effort to unseat McConnell?
Someone call the Waaaaaaaaaahhhhmbulance.
What constitutes an "overly aggressive" campaign for Republicans, anyway? Not the claim that an opponent holds "anti-American views". Obviously, comparing a candidate to Hitler doesn't count, nor does morphing the face a decorated triple-amputee into that of a terrorist. So where is the line drawn for these guys?
And what did Democrats do to Mitch McConnell that was beyond these tactics?
November 20th, 2008 at 9:57 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
What beautiful words these are in the same sentence. Here’s hoping we see more of this in the future.
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Indeed... indeed... along w/ such other equally mellifluous words as "prosecute" or "convict" or "incarcerate"...
November 20th, 2008 at 9:59 amimpeachcheneythenbush...
Yeah I sent The NYT NYPD story to TP as a tip, BUT it's not the "feud" that's interesting, nor Kelly's possible future.
Instead its about FISA and domestic spying.
In short Kelly was asking to circumvent the FISA rules to permit tapping of public communications systems just as Bush did with the Telecoms.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:00 amMukasey balked, saying Kelly's proposal would be illegal!
Mukasey would have to concede therefore that Bush's multiple circumvention of FISA were and are illegal also, yet he's done nothing about that.
On a happier note, oil is headed under $50/barrel this am!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:01 amThere is a lot of talk about defeating joLIE in 2012. I think that is a nonstarter. He will retire rather than run again, and he will move on to lobbying or something similar. He knows that he will probably lose so there is no point in working hard in a losing cause.
Now that Obama is in and we are going to see lots of change in our government, isn't it time for Sibel Edmonds to be unmuzzled and heard by both Congress and the President? What is the point of keeping her shut down except to protect the guilty who are highly placed?
Isn't it funny that NYC and DoJ are battling over warrentless wiretapping? Which one is the good side? Is this just a question of DoJ not wanting any competition? I really can't figure out what is going on.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:14 amPolitico reports that President-elect Obama has chosen Gov. Janet Napolitano (D-AZ) to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Napolitano
Funny, I got excoriated by Bilbo & Wayne for citing a Dashcle bio on Politico. I guess TP will soon quote Drudge or redstate.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:19 amAnyone know what was going on at the G-20 yesterday? Entering the stage, Bush never extended his hand to shake, nor did anyone else extend a handshake to him. He walked in with his head down, and arms down.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:29 amIt was so obvious because those who preceded him and those who followed him were all mutually greeted cordially.
Either Bush is a real pariah, or a real a$$ -- or both.
"Iran Said to Have Nuclear Fuel for One Weapon"-NYT
'Iran already has enough nuclear material for one atomic weapon'-Jerusalem Post
November 20th, 2008 at 10:33 amOh for the love of GOD TP, I fu(king QUOTE your headline and get moderated...I know others have already brought this up...
ANYWAY:
TP left something out of the bit about Cheney's indictment…
There is a reason why they are being allowed to appear 'via counsel' on friday.
It seems the Prosecutor who brought the charges against Cheney has, for lack of a better word, disappeared. He did not show up to the first part of the hearing.
Why am I not surprised.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ news/ Cheneys_lawyer_files_motion_to_quash_indictment.html
November 20th, 2008 at 10:34 am Recommend (0) | Report Abuse
Apparently the Prosecutor who brought the charges against Cheney has, for lack of a better word, disappeared.
Why am I not surprised.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ news/ Cheneys_lawyer_files_motion_to_quash_indictment.html
November 20th, 2008 at 10:36 amand now my link is screwed up...sigh...more coffee needed.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/Cheneys_lawyer_files_motion_to_quash_indictment.html
November 20th, 2008 at 10:37 am#13 Red Pill says:
Bush is going to leave nothing but scorched earth and rubble in his wake. I would expect nothing less from such a morally upright, patriotic leader.
Isn't that somewhat like Sadam burning the Kuwaiti oilfields as he withdrew?
November 20th, 2008 at 10:42 am#39 Thanks for the link. Interesting story!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:48 amCheney deserves to be in prison, but investing in a mutual fund that invests in for-profit prisons is a tenuous link.
Even Jon Stewart pilloried the case last night, along with some great digs on the VP.
While a kidnapping or renditioning of the DA would be Cheney level nefarious, the man could also be in mental health crisis. Time and decent reporting will give us the answers.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:57 amThanks TP for posting the story from the LA Times it gives me hope that you will remain a force for the progressive movement rather than what many posters here seem to want,a propaganda mouth piece for the "official" democratic party and it's newest rock star .
November 20th, 2008 at 11:04 amWhen W. was elected ,the blogosphere was in it's infancy, as he leaves office it is a force to be reckoned with , much to the chagrin of the cheerleaders of both parties.
You sound just like a republican troll.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:08 amTake away Dick Chain...eeeee's get out of jail free card !!!
November 20th, 2008 at 11:09 amJustice an idea whose time has come !
Relations between Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are “in tatters,”
Typical cry-babies, passive-aggressive, bullying twits: They like to dish it out, but can't take it.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:33 amGMAC applied for bank holding company status to get access to TARP capital purchase funds. Taxpayers will be investors alongside Cerberus Capital Management, headed by ex-Treasury Chief John Snow.
This is on top of yesterday's story of $153 million going to BPFH, a Carlyle Group affiliate.
TARP money is going to help private equity, supposedly with billions on the sidelines waiting for valuations to come down.
In other words, taxpayers hold up the flagging firms they own, while the vultures lurk for new victims.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:40 amCOB posts 1 & 3, and Uncle Ho post 4:
I've got to give TP the benefit of the doubt here. I really doubt that TP went out and wrote its own code for flagging posts for moderation. My guess is they pulled one "off the shelf".
Some of these can be edited for the word list (if you take the trouble and techie time to learn) and some you "get what you get".
November 20th, 2008 at 12:07 pmMaple; We are merely pointing out that TP uses certain words when posting the topic, and when WE use those same words on the SAME thread, we get moderated. A bit unfair, no? Not to mention it reeks of self-righteous hypocrasy(a Rethuglic party trait).
November 20th, 2008 at 12:54 pm"CHANGE"... another 'slogan' you can sell over and over again...
November 20th, 2008 at 1:58 pmFear over ran Wall Street in the NYSE's final hour. Markets ended down over 444 points.
Hank Paulson's speech didn't help. Business pundits have vilified his talk as looking in a rear view mirror.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:50 pmWarren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway's CDS reached 500. In other words people are thinking the previously unthinkable.
System risk is back.
November 20th, 2008 at 4:52 pmMarie Says:
Anyone know what was going on at the G-20 yesterday? Entering the stage, Bush never extended his hand to shake, nor did anyone else extend a handshake to him. He walked in with his head down, and arms down.
It was so obvious because those who preceded him and those who followed him were all mutually greeted cordially.
Either Bush is a real pariah, or a real a$$ — or both.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:29 am Recommend (2) | Report Abuse
But, sadly, he got what he wanted: a lite agreement, where no great oversight and legislation measures "tie" the marvelous (big snark) performance of "full capitalism". He wants to f#ck the world until his very last day in the Oval O(ri)ffice.
November 20th, 2008 at 6:57 pm