ThinkFast: March 20, 2009
ThinkFast: March 20, 2009
Yesterday the House overwhelmingly (329-93) approved “a near total tax on bonuses paid this year to employees of the American International Group and other firms that have accepted large amounts of federal bailout funds.” Despite questions of legality, members of Congress said the 90 percent tax on bonuses for those making over $250,000 “was the quickest way” to quell Americans’ anger.
“At least 13 companies receiving billions of dollars in bailout money owe more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes,” said Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) yesterday. Lewis, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee’s subcommittee on oversight, said that “two companies owed more than $100 million each.” “This is shameful; it is a disgrace,” said Lewis.
11.2 percent: The 2008 jobless rate for “veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who are 18 and older.” This number rose 5 percent from the previous year and is “significantly higher than the corresponding 8.8% rate for non-veterans in the same age group.”
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) is threatening to “block the confirmation of Christopher Hill as U.S. ambassador to Iraq on the grounds that Mr. Hill misled him in promising to raise human rights in talks with North Korea.” The Cable reported yesterday that Gens. David Petreaus and Ray Odierno, as well as Defense Secretary Bob Gates are “frustrated by the delay in getting a U.S. ambassador confirmed and into place in Iraq.”
Former senator Tom Daschle pens an op-ed in today’s Washington Post, writing, “It was flattering to hear people say that I was somehow essential to health reform. But I always knew that wasn’t true.” Daschle argues that the “unwavering commitment to this issue” from President Obama, the “broad support” from Congress, and the urgency felt by the American public will make sure that reform is enacted.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has “projected deficits far higher than the Obama administration had calculated” for the President’s budget, “possibly as much as $1.6 trillion higher over the next 10 years.” The Congressional Budget Office “is expected to issue a similar assessment today.”
Attorney General Eric Holder issued new guidelines yesterday advising federal agencies to release records and information to the public unless foreseeable harm would result. Holder’s directive fleshes out “President Obama’s order of Jan. 21 to provide more government records to the public under the Freedom of Information Act, whenever their release is not prohibited by another law.”
The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Elena Kagan as U.S. solicitor general by a vote of 61-31. Kagan will be the first woman to hold the job.
Yesterday, U.S. Dictrict Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly blocked a “last-minute rule enacted by President George W. Bush allowing visitors to national parks to carry concealed weapons.” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a ruling that government officials had “‘abdicated their Congressionally-mandated obligation’ to evaluate environmental impacts” of the rule.
And finally: President Obama made headlines last month when he gave a gift of 25 DVDs of American movies to British PM Gordon Brown after Brown visited the White House. But it turns out the DVDs won’t even work. “[W]hen the PM settled down to begin watching them the other night, he found there was a problem. … The films only worked in DVD players made in North America and the words ‘wrong region‘ came up on his screen.”
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Despite questions of legality, members of Congress said the 90 percent tax on bonuses for those making over $250,000 “was the quickest way” to quell Americans’ anger.
“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.” Thomas Jefferson
We should stay pissed off, since it seems to motivate them to actually do their jobs.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:03 am11.2 percent: The 2008 jobless rate for “veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who are 18 and older.”
Another Republican talking point goes down in flames. They don’t really support the troops.
Here’s another statistic that Republicans ignore:
“Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11% of the general adult population”
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-07-homeless-veterans_N.htm
March 20th, 2009 at 9:09 am“But it turns out the DVDs won’t even work.”
__________________________________________________________
oops…
Didn’t somebody on this board raise the question about these DVDs working in Europe?
March 20th, 2009 at 9:12 amNice to see President Obama reaching out diplomatically to Iran.
On the other hand, it appears Israeli soldiers were killing women & children at will in Gaza. Surprised?
And with Cantor voting for the AIG bonus legislation, the ‘Bonerization of America’ has stalled for the moment.
Boner’s due for a crying jag; expect one within the week.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:13 amTGIF!
You have to question the patriotism of Sam Brownback and his ilk who are playing Repugnant political games while Iraq is burning!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:13 amYesterday the House overwhelmingly (329-93) approved “a near total tax on bonuses paid this year to employees of the American International Group…
At first I thought that this was a really bad idea, because it is clearly unconstitutional. But after listening to Countdown last night, it appears that Nancy Pelosi has pulled off a real punk job on the Republicant’s. I’m sure that she knew this wasn’t going to pass constitutional muster, but what she did was get 90 Republicant’s, including Eric Cantor, to vote for the biggest tax increase in history! The Democrats can have a field day with this one. They can also accuse the remainder of the Republicant’s for voting to allow the AIG employees to keep the bonuses.
I will still never forgive Nancy Pelosi for having taken impeachment off the table, but I think she’s doing a great job now.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:14 amSen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, has “projected deficits far higher than the Obama administration had calculated” for the President’s budget, “possibly as much as $1.6 trillion higher over the next 10 years.” The Congressional Budget Office “is expected to issue a similar assessment today.”
This annoys me, because, as always, it’s short-sighted to look at this as either Obama’s, or as if there’s some alternative to cleaning up the last Administrations mess.
It also ignores that OPbama has another 7 years and 10 months to counter-balance this with deficit reduction so that it not only pays for itself, but part of Bush’s spending spree for war and destruction.
Releasing these numbers out of context makes it look like there was an alternative. Yet, no one has offered one that’s even remotely realistic or viable.
Sheesh!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:15 amThe Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) worked well until Bush broke it. We own the government and have every right to know what it is doing with our taxes and to us except in specifically spelled out cases in the act!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:16 am“At least 13 companies receiving billions of dollars in bailout money owe more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes,” said Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) yesterday.
The government needs to file criminal charges against the company executive who signed a contract stating that all their taxes were paid. I heard that was one of the only conditions that Bush/Paulson put on their bailout give-aways.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:16 amSen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) is threatening to “block the confirmation of Christopher Hill
Ok, nuke him. It is absolutely ridiculous that one Senator can block anything. That is a rule that needs to be nuked for sure. I can’t remember in the whole time Bush and the Republican’t congress were in control where one Democrat ever blocked anything.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:18 am“Despite questions of legality, members of Congress said the 90 percent tax on bonuses for those making over $250,000 “was the quickest way” to quell Americans’ anger.”
That’s what has worked so well every time so far… get it done quick. Every issue raised in the past decade has required we flail about and take the first answer offered to us regardless of quality, oversight, justice, and what is best overall for the nation and the world.
It’s not like the originator of the phrase “Haste makes Waste” was a founding father or anything…
Congratulations, we are a fast-food society that now has a fast-food government. Bon Appetit.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:19 amThe Congressional Budget Office report today is expected to reflect a worsening deficit outlook in part because economic conditions have deteriorated in the two months since the administration set its budget assumptions.
This is the important part. The Republicant’s will try to say that President Obama was cooking his books and making rosy projections, but the truth is the above quote.
I am getting really pissed at these Blue Dog Senators. Why don’t they just quit the Democratic party and become Republicant’s, because that’s how they are acting.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:21 amunbelievable Says:
We should stay pissed off, since it seems to motivate them to actually do their jobs.
I agree with the exception of them doing something that is clearly unconstitutional. Didn’t we get enough of that with the Bush Administration?
March 20th, 2009 at 9:25 amSo what was the point of passing a bill for taxation of bonuses IF the bill is going to die in the Senate because of the constitutionality of bill?
Quite honestly I was happy to see something put into to place to put the squelch on these bonuses now I feel disappointed. It was all for show? It was just to get Republicans to vote on a tax increase? How about doing something to REALLY address this issue.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:27 amI can’t wait to hear the right wing complaints that this ‘international incident’ is an ‘embarassment’ or a ‘diplomatic catastrophe’.
Im gonna go on a wing-nut scavenger hunt.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:27 amAt least 13 companies receiving billions of dollars in bailout money owe more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes,”
Ummmm. IRS?….
hello?….
anyone actually working in the IRS?….
hello?…..
Can I just forego paying my taxes for awhile without any reprocussions or garnishing of my paycheck?
March 20th, 2009 at 9:28 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says: I agree with the exception of them doing something that is clearly unconstitutional. Didn’t we get enough of that with the Bush Administration?
I realize it wasn’t a great plan, but am willing to look at the big picture, as sort of a first step toward taking back our power. We learned a valuable lesson yesterday. On Monday we got mad and by Thursday they had pretty largely tried to stop us from being mad.
We really need to notice the cause and effect of us getting mad. After all, it’s why France has one of the best health care systems in the world, college education for all, and a host of other ‘people-first’ benefits that we do not.
Over time, they’ll learn to make better choices.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:30 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I agree with the exception of them doing something that is clearly unconstitutional. Didn’t we get enough of that with the Bush Administration?
March 20th, 2009 at 9:25 am
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I don’t see what’s unconstitutional about it – Congress is just altering the details of a deal it made with a private sector company. If it was constitutional to give them the bailout money, it should be constitutional to stipulate how it’s used, and to demand repayment of portions that were misused.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:36 amdeebaser Says:
Im gonna go on a wing-nut scavenger hunt.
I’ll give it a shot, but NOT in ‘troll-ese’.
That DVD embarrassment on our nation is an international crisis that could have been avoided, except for the incompetence of president Obama. This is a diplomatic catastrophe of epic proportions that will endanger the relationship we have with our staunchest ally in the war on terror. This was an insult to europe, and makes it look like we are all tied to our corporations and their american products. It is like the president is forcing the PM to have to buy an american DVD player, probably because the president has stock in a DVD maufacturing company, along with the other dems. If clinton hadn’t helped out the dvd manufacturers we wouldn’t have this issue. And barney frank was instrumental in the selection of those dvds. And Beelzebub and Azmodeus. And its all the dems fault, the world will burn because the republicans are in the minority even though there are mostly republicans everywhere, they were just unfairly cheated of their proper rulership positions.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:38 amCageyCretin Says:
If clinton hadn’t helped out the dvd manufacturers we wouldn’t have this issue. And barney frank was instrumental in the selection of those dvds.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:38 am
_____________
It appears that ou’ve completely forgotten to blame Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and George Soros for this.
Troll attempt FAILED!
March 20th, 2009 at 9:40 amhussein toasterhead Says:
It appears that ou’ve completely forgotten to blame Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and George Soros for this.
Troll attempt FAILED!
I hang my head in shame. I am not paying attention. I will go flog myself with a handful of wet spaghetti until I repent.
I’ll be back after the flogging.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:43 amccokz Says: Furthermore its been the fuk Carter who got toppled by the moolahs and not Reagan. If Obama goes on like this, Ill really get angry at this guy
Uh, go read some real History. It was Rumsfeld who derailed hostage negotiations with Iran until after the 1980 election, to favor Reagan. Republicans can never win without cheating.
If Obama talks to Iran, it will be the right thing to do.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:44 amIs Connecticut ready to do an extreme Senator makeover?
Dodds, I hope the $300,000 in AIG donations were well spent…
unless you have to give that back, too.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:47 amaquarius2 Says:
So what was the point of passing a bill for taxation of bonuses IF the bill is going to die in the Senate because of the constitutionality of bill?
Because Nancy Pelosi got 90 Republicant’s, including Eric Cantor, to vote for the biggest tax increase in history. The Democrats are going to have a field day with it. They can even accuse the Republicant’s who voted against the bill of “voting to allow the AIG bonuses to stand”. They probably won’t do that, but they can if they want. That’s what the Republicant’s would do if the tables were turned.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:47 amhussein toasterhead Says:
I don’t see what’s unconstitutional about it
“Article I, section 10, clause 1 of the Constitution provides that no state shall pass any ex post facto law; Article I, section 9, clause 3 imposes the same prohibition upon the federal government.”
And I heard last night something quoted out of tax law, but I don’t remember what it was.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:52 amBilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
“Article I, section 10, clause 1 of the Constitution provides that no state shall pass any ex post facto law; Article I, section 9, clause 3 imposes the same prohibition upon the federal government.”
March 20th, 2009 at 9:52 am
________
Right, but ex post facto refers specifically to criminal law. Congress and state legislatures can’t criminalize something that happened in the past and then prosecute for it.
This, however, is imposing a tax on money that was given out by the government – essentially modifying a legal contract between the government and a private entity. That would seem to make it a civil issue, not a criminal one.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:59 amAIG is suing the US Government that owns 80% of this insurance company. They are allowed to use bailout money for this lawsuit. The nerve of some people. Where’s the guillotine.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:05 amhttp://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/business/20aig.html
Cats r Flyfishn Says: AIG is suing the US Government that owns 80% of this insurance company. They are allowed to use bailout money for this lawsuit. The nerve of some people. Where’s the guillotine.
All Congress has to do is pass another law that forbids them from doing that… LOL
Greedy bastards.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:12 amNr 29. hussein toasterhead Says
But didn’t the FISA law that passed last year give ex post facto coverage to the communications companies who violated warrantless wire tapping laws?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:14 amPersonally, I would have preferred that Congress and/or the Treasury Department had prevailed upon Liddy to convert the bonuses from cash payment to the award of restricted stock.
There may well be good cause to retain these supposedly “essential” employees; however, there is no compelling reason to spill scarce cash on them. As taxpayers, all Americans have alot of skin in the game with AIG so that it can get healthy and pay back the loan we have extended to it. There’s no reason that these “bonussed” employees shouldn’t have to wait for their money via restricted stock. That seems totally fair to me.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:20 amDaschle’s a dick.
The only kind of health-care reform that would make a difference for PEOPLE is single-payer.
Any and every other alternative is a failure, for the people, from the very beginning, but an ENORMOUS victory for the parasites in the insurance ‘industry.’
March 20th, 2009 at 10:26 amDid Bush ever apologize for insulting the sunglasses wearing blind reporter who asked him a question at a press conference?
All of us make mistakes, say things that can be hurtful. The responsible and caring adults among us own up to,apologize for, and make restitution for those mistakes. President Obama is one of those adults.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:31 amHighPlainsJoker Says:
Nr 29. hussein toasterhead Says
But didn’t the FISA law that passed last year give ex post facto coverage to the communications companies who violated warrantless wire tapping laws?
March 20th, 2009 at 10:14 am
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Yes, and that immunity protected them from lawsuits. It didn’t give them immunity from criminal prosecution. So it wasn’t an ex post facto law.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:31 amwatchdog Says:
Obama wants citizenship for ‘law-abiding illegals’
At a town hall meeting, Obama renewed his support for comprehensive reform, including a possible path to citizenship for “law-abiding” people who entered the country illegally
________
Whoohoo! Good to see this administration taking a humane approach to immigration.
May be moot, of course, since undocumented workers are fleeing this country in droves to escape our economic collapse…
March 20th, 2009 at 10:35 amI think the question about the 90% tax is whether it violates the restriction against Bills of Attainder.
This is a law targeting a specific group of people and imposing a penalty against them (although it may not explicitly be called a penalty). I would argue it definatly violates the spirit of the restriction against Bills of Attainder.
The money should never have been given to AIG to begin with.
Later,
March 20th, 2009 at 10:39 amRegarding the DVD issue (and also the Special Olympics quote), all I have to say is, what would have been your reaction if it had been George W. Bush who had done this?
Is the DVD flap an utter disaster for Obama? No, but it shows a lack of thoughtfulness on his part, esp. as compared to the gifts that the British Prime Minister had given him.
And as for the Special Olympics quote, well, if only they’d let him bring his teleprompter on the stage, this would never have happened.
Later,
March 20th, 2009 at 10:45 amCicero Says:
I think the question about the 90% tax is whether it violates the restriction against Bills of Attainder.
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We went thru this last night. You’re entitled to your opinion, and that’s all it is… your opinion. If the AIG employees so taxed want to go to court, let ‘em.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:48 amwatchdog Says:
How does this make any sense? Reward law-abiding Illegal aliens with citizenship.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:48 am
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It takes them out of the shadows of legal limbo, prevents them from being abused by unscrupulous employers, allows the government to collect income tax on their employment, and doesn’t disrupt the industries and businesses that rely on them.
And it’s the humane thing to do.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:51 amwatchdog Says:
How does this make any sense? Reward law-abiding Illegal aliens with citizenship.
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Seeing as it was the right’s beloved Ronald Reagan who first encouraged illegals to come here and take jobs, one would think righties are happy w/ the result.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:53 amThe tonedeaf repugniscum are not hearing the American public’s expressed disgust with their obstructionism.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:57 amFrom the filibuster to just saying “no” the repugs are losing ground — I am happy for that, even as I am dismayed with the result of their tactics.
Time for them to start acting like adults who do not have the majority for the next four years, and instead, help to fix America — the one that Bush&Co and their party practically destroyed.
Did President Obama indicate that he just wanted to give the illegal immigrants citizenship or that he wanted to promote them going through a process for them to EARN citizenship? Some self-appointed watchdogs distort what is proposed.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:59 amwatchdog Says:
So in this case the law doesn’t matter because you think it’s the humane thing to do? For some reason I thought we were nation of laws.
____________
Think of it in the same light as Bush commuting Libby’s sentence.
Scooter had his day in court. Scotty was legally, rightfully convicted, and Bush SAW FIT to intervene and commute Libby’s sentence. See?
Or compare it to Bush REFUSING to sack anyone involved in the Valerie Plame outing after he stalwartly said he would.
Or to the number of legitimately issued subpoenas Bush Admin members blew off..
Or to Bush’s AG saying, “Just because a law has been broken, it doesn’t mean a crime has been committed”
See? We are a nation of laws, after all.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:03 amPatrioticLiberalChristian Says:
Some self-appointed watchdogs distort what is proposed.
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There’s always the chance that some self-appointed watchdogs really don’t know what they’re talking about, too.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:04 amwatchdog Says:
So in this case the law doesn’t matter because you think it’s the humane thing to do? For some reason I thought we were nation of laws.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:55 am
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Indeed we are, and sometimes those laws are poorly-constructed and need to be changed.
I suppose you think Rosa Parks should’ve shut her mouth and moved to the back of the bus, right? It was the law, after all…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:06 amThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
Seeing as it was the right’s beloved Ronald Reagan who first encouraged illegals to come here and take jobs, one would think righties are happy w/ the result.
March 20th, 2009 at 10:53 am
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Technically, that was FDR, who invited Mexican laborers to come and work under the Bracero Program. Just sayin…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:10 amFrom Lexington, KY:
Five Clay County officials, including the circuit court judge, the county clerk, and election officers were arrested Thursday after they were indicted on federal charges accusing them of using corrupt tactics to obtain political power and personal gain.
The 10-count indictment, unsealed Thursday, accused the defendants of a conspiracy from March 2002 until November 2006 that violated the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). RICO is a federal statute that prosecutors use to combat organized crime. The defendants were also indicted for extortion, mail fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy to injure voters’ rights and conspiracy to commit voter fraud.
According to the indictment, these alleged criminal actions affected the outcome of federal, local, and state primary and general elections in 2002, 2004, and 2006.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:16 amIf we truly were, bush would be in jail. Next.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:18 amwatchdog Says:
Bush did it, Bush did it, so its ok. That’s the way we justified things as kindergarteners, so why not apply it to adult life.
__________
Are you comparing Bush and his admin to kindergartners now?
Pretty harsh judgement of the man, watchdog.
Of course, if illegals constituted such a serious problem. you would think the GOOP would have dealt w/ the problem convincingly when they had TOTAL control of the govt fro a while there, huh?
Ooopsie… I guess THEIR RICH BACKERS wouldn’t have liked that too much, huh?
Another problem to dump off on the next admin?
And what about that Ronnie Reagan? He set the ball rolling back in the 80’s, no? Props where props are due, swatchie.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:22 amwatchdog Says:
Then why do you support amnesty?
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Sorry, swatchie, but this doesn’t make any sense.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:23 amwatchdog Says:
Then why do you support amnesty?
___________
Sorry, swatchie, but this doesn’t make any sense.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:24 amswatchie, tell us what should be happening. We’ve heard you cry and whine but we want to hear your IDEAS, do you have any. We saw the results of your old ideas, got anything new?
March 20th, 2009 at 11:26 amYour kindergardener mentality doesn’t seem to understand that TARP was done by bush under threat of martial law and that he approved the bonuses. Obama hasn’t handed out the other half and has stated that it will come with much more oversight.
Go play now, wash your face.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:32 amwatchdog Says:
My new idea is, follow the law on the books. It makes sense.
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Ya mean, like BotchCo did, w/ those endless signing statements? How many? Something like 1100, many of them never made public?
That sort of respect for the rule of law?
March 20th, 2009 at 11:33 amerm…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:33 amIt’s funny to watch the righties squirm and suddenly without warning become law abiding citizens and they are also suddenly fiscally responsible…..yeah, right.
You just need to find a job and relax. The long national nightmare is over.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:35 amwatchdog-
We on the left really hate it when you guys on the right bring up immigration… it makes us look really bad to white males in late middle age, we can’t afford to lose that shrinking and increasingly irrelevant demographic!
Please stop talking about it so we don’t have to talk about our rational and humane immigration policies and how we Latinos and women are increasingly voting Democratic… we hate mentioning your parties ever shrinking ‘base’ every second post… please don’t make us talk about how bad you guys are at addressing real issues like immigration, the economy and security… please don’t continue to reduce them to sound bites like ‘amnesty’ and ‘tax-evaders!’ and ‘close the border!’ fit for AM radio…
we don’t know what to do with that… heh.
Oh, can you tell me how the ACLU posting people’s rights on buses in Sequim is evil again? I love that one…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:38 amoops… I’m not Latino or a Woman but the above post makes it look like I am… insert ‘have’ between we and Latinos…
March 20th, 2009 at 11:41 amwatchdog Says:
Hahahahahaha!! Rich backers like AIG and Tropicana?
________________
Naaah… I was thinking more along the lines of Walmart…
http://usliberals.about.com/od/immigration/a/IllegalImmi_2.htm
Part 3 – US Employers Routinely Hire Illegal Immigrants, With Little Penalty
In March 2005, Wal-Mart, a company with $285 billion in annual sales. was fined $11 million for having untold hundreds of illegal immigrants nationwide clean its stores.
“The federal government boasts it’s the largest of its kind. But for Wal-Mart, it amounts to a rounding error—and no admittance of wrongdoing since it claims it didn’t know its contractors hired the illegals” wrote the Christian Science Monitor on March 28, 2005.
“If it weren’t so easy for illegals and employers to skirt worker ID verification, the settlement’s requirement that Wal-Mart also improve hiring controls might have a ripple effect in corporate America. but the piddling fine will hardly deter businesses from hiring cheap labor from a pool of illegals that’s surged by 23 percent since 2000….But enforcement is pathetically inadequate, especially since 9/11.”
________________
Or mebbe Tyson Foods…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyson_Foods
Employment of undocumented immigrants
In 2001, Tyson was charged with conspiracy to smuggle undocumented workers to work on its production lines. Tyson plant managers arranged for delivery of illegal workers with undercover immigration officials. Prosecutors alleged that the conspiracy to import workers dates back to 1994 when plant managers began to find it difficult to fill positions with legal workers. Of the six managers who were indicted, two accepted plea bargain deals, and one committed suicide one month after being charged. In March 2003, a federal jury acquitted Tyson of having knowingly hired illegal immigrants.[15][16]
In May 2006, Tyson suspended operations at nine plants during a nationwide day of immigration demonstrations citing expected lack of workers.[17]
In October 2006, a federal judge granted class-action status to a lawsuit brought by Tyson employees who allege that Tyson’s practice of hiring illegal immigrants depresses wages 10-30%. The suit further contends that the company violated federal racketeering laws by conspiring with National Council of La Raza and League of United Latin American Countries not to question the employment applications of anyone with a Hispanic surname.[18][19][20]
[edit]
Chairman John Tyson is a practicing Christian.
That John… sure living up to his Christian ideals, huh?
March 20th, 2009 at 11:42 amwatchdog, I use to mock your posts because they rarely contained your own ideas, only cut and pastes. I apologize for that. I now see why.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:51 amOnce again, this makes no sense and you spell breaking with an ea. We aren’t putting on the brakes.
March 20th, 2009 at 11:53 amhussein toasterhead Says:
This, however, is imposing a tax on money that was given out by the government – essentially modifying a legal contract between the government and a private entity. That would seem to make it a civil issue, not a criminal one.
Ok, I’ll ask you this. Do you really think this is a good idea even if it were to be found legal? Don’t you think it smacks of something that George Bush would do? If we pass a precedent like this, what’s to stop a future George Bush from using the tax law to punish people he doesn’t like?
I still say it’s bad policy and setting a bad precedent. I really don’t want the Obama Administration to start bending the law to suit his purposes any more than I liked seeing Bush do it.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:15 pmwatchdog Says:
Bush did it, Bush did it, so its ok. That’s the way we justified things as kindergarteners, so why not apply it to adult life.
Said with a straight face by someone whose class of clowns blamed everything on Clinton during the Bush Administration.
The difference, though, is that Bush really did do it. In the case of AIG, Bush and Paulson signed a bailout contract with AIG specifically allowing the bonuses.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:20 pmSomewhat OT,
Geithner worked under Paulson, under whose leadership this debacle reached its height — Bernanke was Fed Chair for the past few years. Summers was in charge during the Clinton “good years.”
March 20th, 2009 at 12:22 pmIf Obama had NOT kept some experienced people at Treasury and the Fed, would the outcry against them be any less today? If Obama had brought in an entirely new team, their ideas and solutions would be condemned by the grandstanding RNC as well.
watchdog Says:
So in this case the law doesn’t matter because you think it’s the humane thing to do? For some reason I thought we were nation of laws.
We were until George Bush came along.
But getting back to your view on immigration. With your views, it sounds to me like you would like to see all the corporations who hire undocumented workers to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law for doing something that is illegal. Is that right?
March 20th, 2009 at 12:23 pmThank you Mr. Holder! Welcome to this brave new era of transparency.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:23 pmhussein toasterhead Says:
Right, but ex post facto refers specifically to criminal law. Congress and state legislatures can’t criminalize something that happened in the past and then prosecute for it.
Please cite where in the constitution it says that this article applies only to criminal law? Here’s the definition of ex post facto:
It seems to me that last part would make it apply to a law that affected a legal contract previously written.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pmwatchdog Says:
You’re the one supporting Obama’s idea of rewarding illegal aliens for not braking the law.
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I dunno. Gimme some specifics.
How is Obama’s amnesty plan different from Bush’s?
March 20th, 2009 at 12:27 pmWhy does President Obama hate people with disabilities?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090320/ap_on_en_tv/obama_special_olympics
I’m kidding. It was a gaffe, but a small gaffe in an otherwise outstanding performance on the Tonight Show:
http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-Tonight-Show-With-Jay-Leno/4514/1066542780/Barack-chats-with-Jay/videos?cmpid=FCST_hpcover032009_obama
I think Obama did a fantastic job of communicating (without a prompter) the situation with the bonuses at AIG. He was also optimistic and effective at communicating his intention to make prudent decisions today that will eventually ensure better times.
His perfomance was pretty much a 10. Check it out, if you haven’t seen it.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:35 pmAwwwwww… the puppy pooed all over this thread. You guys and gals have puppy poo all over your shoes.
Ick.
And the rule of law is simple: if it benefits republicans to support the law they will; if it will harm republicans to support the law they won’t. And history supports this quite clearly, going back at least to Nixon.
When Bush was emperor the response was a variant of, “When you learn how to win elections you can…blah, blah, blah….”
Now that we’ve “learned how to win elections”, they drop the last half of the sentence and change it with, “You can’t because…”.
Children who were given guns. Bad idea.
March 20th, 2009 at 12:49 pmI’ve become more open to the idea of stimulus (mostly from listening to ralph and others, here). I don’t like the idea of going into more debt, but I believe that either FDR’s government programs or WWII ended the Great Depression. Either way, that sounds like government spending and not free markets that were being exercised when the Depression ended. (whether the debt is worth it or not, or whether the economy would have cycled back on it’s own, are different questions).
If we are going to spend more money to help fix the economy, don’t we need more people to oversee it?
I have the feeling that there are more lawyers scouring over my insurance policies than there are people overseeing the stimulus bills.
Does Tim Geithner have enough help at Treasury? Is the Congress giving enough focus to these expenditures?
A trillion dollars is apparently a lot of money.
A stack of one dollar bills would span 1/4 the distance to the moon. I think that’s a stack 60,000 miles high. That’s a lot.
I don’t have the source, but for perspective a million seconds ago was last week, a billion seconds ago was when Nixon resigned and a trillion seconds ago was 30,000 b.c.
People don’t like when their money is wasted. If we are going to be making decisions on the scale of the trillions now being used for stimulus, don’t we need more people for oversight?
How many people do we have at Treasury working on this and how many should we have?
March 20th, 2009 at 1:07 pmWell, backup is here with his great big BUT. *sigh*
Jeebers, thanks for letting us know that a trillion is a really big number.
Next…
March 20th, 2009 at 1:50 pmZooey. you think those at Treasury are currently equipped to manage trillions of dollars of stimulus?
In an atmosphere where legislators are signing bills they aren’t reading and approving legislation where executives at failed companies are given tax payer funded bonuses, I suggest we question whether Geithner could use some help keeping track of the money.
What’s your take? Everything’s okay?
March 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pmU.N. panel says world should ditch dollar
U.N. panel will next week recommend that the world ditch the dollar as its reserve currency in favor of a shared basket of currencies, a member of the panel said on Wednesday, adding to pressure on the dollar.
Currency specialist Avinash Persaud, a member of the panel of experts, told a Reuters Funds Summit in Luxembourg that the proposal was to create something like the old Ecu, or European currency unit, that was a hard-traded, weighted basket.
Persaud, chairman of consultants Intelligence Capital and a former currency chief at JPMorgan, said the recommendation would be one of a number delivered to the United Nations on March 25 by the U.N. Commission of Experts on International Financial Reform.
Third world monetary policy has consequences. The printing presses are smoking…
March 20th, 2009 at 2:26 pm2. Dr. Hussein Matt Says: The latest cover of the New Yorker features “OctoRush”
Dr. Hussein, I know this is supossed to be humorous. But somehow the idea of bringing in a new generation of Rush, much less 8 of them, seems far from funny !
:-)
March 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pmObama’s in a difficult position, although it may take spending to stimulate the economy, he’s getting pressure from our creditors (China) not to devalue the dollar:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/14/china-us-econom
March 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pmBad link. Sorry. Hope this is better:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/14/china-us-economy
March 20th, 2009 at 2:35 pmFrom the link:
March 20th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
The New Yorker was kind to Rush. It could’ve been Oxycontin-Rush
March 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pmDr.HusseinMatt, the NYT noted the timing of the two tapes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/world/middleeast/21iran.html?hp
Good cop/bad cop? Obama is obviously the good cop. Peres is the Israeli hammer.
March 20th, 2009 at 3:24 pmAw, is no one going to play with backup today?
March 20th, 2009 at 3:28 pmWatchdog. A taste of private insurance:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/01/waiting.room.death/index.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19207050/
And don’t forget about all the times Americans go into a hospital for a routine procedure and end up getting the MRSA virus and dying!
Oh, but you’re concerned about free insurance. Doesn’t matter if we pay for it or it’s free: HOSPITALS ARE TICKING TIME BOMBS OF BACTERIA AND INCOMPETENCE.
March 20th, 2009 at 7:18 pm______
Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
I can’t remember in the whole time Bush and the Republican’t congress were in control where one Democrat ever blocked anything.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:18 am
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Not even one? How quickly we forget. Politicians count on memories like that. Here are a couple of examples. There are others if one cares to search. ;)
And Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., has already blocked the planned nomination of Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., to the federal appeals court for California and eight other Western states.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/nj/taylor2001-05-17.htm
“…the nomination of one, Susan Black, a trial judge in Miami who would move on to an appeals court position, is being held up by Senator Richard C. Shelby, Democrat of Alabama, who has done so openly.”
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/07/14/us/4-women-delayed-in-rise-to-bench.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FPeople%2FS%2FSotomayor%2C%20Sonia
March 20th, 2009 at 8:32 pmyes, yes, give those money back .
March 20th, 2009 at 8:37 pm