ThinkFast: March 31, 2009
ThinkFast: March 31, 2009
66 percent: President Obama’s approval rating, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Forty-two percent of the public believes the country is on the “right track,” the “highest percentage saying so in five years and marks a sharp turnabout from last fall, when as many as nine in 10 said the country was heading in the wrong direction.”
Business Forward, a new trade group founded by several Democratic consultants, is providing business lobbyists an opportunity to court key White House staffers. “Some business trade association representatives see Business Forward as an invention of the White House to create a fissure within the business community, which typically leans Republican.”
As President Obama leaves for the G20 summit in London today, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said there is only “a very small gap” between the United States and Europe on “how to make the [global financial] system more robust and stable.” Geithner told the Financial Times regulation would be a sovereign issue, rejecting the idea of a global systemic risk regulator.
The Justice Department announced yesterday that it has decided to release a detainee from Guantanamo Bay named Dr. Ayman Saeed Abdullah Batarfi. Batarfi, “a Yemeni doctor who the Bush administration once claimed had taken part in an anthrax program of Al Qaeda,” will be released to “an appropriate destination country.” He is the second detainee released by the Obama administration.
Today, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) will “unveil draft legislation to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions by 20 percent,” with the ultimate goal being to reduce emissions to “83 percent below 2005 levels by 2050.” The draft “will be missing crucial details for a cap-and-trade program, including how emission credits would be either given to businesses or sold to them via auction.” Yglesias explains why auctions are preferable.
Residents in upstate New York’s 20th’s congressional district will pick the successor to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today in a race between Republican Jim Tedisco and Democrat Scott Murphy. The race is “tight.” President Obama has endorsed Murphy, and Vice President Biden has recorded a radio ad for him.
“Nearly 70 percent of the Pentagon’s 96 largest weapons programs were over budget last year, for a combined total of $296 billion more than the original estimates,” the Government Accountability Office reported yesterday. The auditing agency also found that “the programs were behind schedule by an average of 22 months, up from 21 months last year and 18 months in 2003.”
MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and CNBC’s Suze Orman were honored last weekend for supporting and promoting equal rights for the LGBT community. They were honorees at the 20th annual Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Media Awards.
And finally: Do the personalities on the Fox Business Network have the skills to be rock stars? David Asman, Cody Willard, and others joined together this past weekend to play “Learning to Fly” by the Foo Fighters. Watch their performance here.
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66 Percent approval
can ya dig it? I knew that you could!
March 31st, 2009 at 9:02 amHow much money has O’Slime ball given to the foundation?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:07 amThe Nazi Socialist Liberal Fascist Hate-machine Pacifist Dictatorial Marxist Progressive Communist Left-Wing Stalinist Homosexual Athiest Democrat Satanist Anti-Gun Vegan Abortionist Welfare Queen Tin-Foil Hat Wearing Elitist Secular Insect Desiring to Spread the Wealth and Hug Islamic Extremists Cabal (known by the pithy acronym: NSLFHMPDMPCLWSHADSAGVAWTFHWESICDTSTWAHIEC) shall now come to order.
First on the agenda…. Ummmm… could some of you stop eating your mates so we can conduct this meeting?….. hey! You ants put that buffet table down, you can have the leftovers after the meeting…. Could someone prod the chrysthalis, it’s snoring… (oh, why oh why did it have to be bugs?……)
March 31st, 2009 at 9:09 amI’m still wondering when Obama is going to think about the workers and retirees from the auto industry. One large auto supplier has been allowed to drop the health care they were carrying because they are now bankrupt. I believe it is Delphi. We are begging the bankers to take our money and give it away to redeem 100% of losses by other banks and institutions, and Summers says that contracts are the law. This is very in line with Klein’s Shock Doctrine and what happens to the little guys vs. the upper economic class.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:10 amGood morning, campers.
Nearly 70% of the Pentagon’s 96 largest weapons programs wereover budget. THIS is WHY we need to CUT THE DOD BUDGET IN HALF!
BTW: Libural media my ass! GMA had BRILLO O’LEILLY on this morn, interviewed by Cokie Roberts. I quickly turned the channel.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:11 amThis morning (it may have been on before this) I saw that Congress is seriously discussing (not yet into debate) doing something about the college football national championship being determined by playoff. What was it that cantor was getting on Obama about?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:16 amBusiness Forward, a new trade group founded by several Democratic consultants, is providing business lobbyists an opportunity to court key White House staffers.
Lobbying is government by bribery, and should be completely illegal.
Actually, perhaps not “completely” — it is acceptable to TALK to elected officials, if allowed to, but it unacceptable to offer ANYTHING (including golfing while talking, or dinner, or anything at all — to offer ANYTHING while asking for action is bribery).
March 31st, 2009 at 9:17 ammust go — be back.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:19 amDo the personalities on the Fox Business Network have the skills to be rock stars?
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Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I don’t have the ability to watch videos here at work. Will somebody let me know if this is worth watching?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:23 am“highest percentage saying so in five years and marks a sharp turnabout from last fall, when as many as nine in 10 said the country was heading in the wrong direction.”
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Oh, what a difference an election makes…
March 31st, 2009 at 9:25 amThe draft “will be missing crucial details for a cap-and-trade program, including how emission credits would be either given to businesses or sold to them via auction.”
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I think everybody wants a sustainable environment, clean air, clean water, plenty of energy, and a curtailment of global warming. But God forbid anybody suggest we be inconvenienced in any way to achieve these things!
/snark off
March 31st, 2009 at 9:29 amCageyCretin Says:
Actually, perhaps not “completely” — it is acceptable to TALK to elected officials, if allowed to, but it unacceptable to offer ANYTHING (including golfing while talking, or dinner, or anything at all — to offer ANYTHING while asking for action is bribery).
March 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am
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And that’s already illegal. Members of Congress cannot accept gifts or services from lobbyists.
Now there’s still the legal bribery of campaign contributions, but it’ll take large-scale reform of the election system to fix that.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:30 amWaitaminnit — the Pentagon weapons programs are over budget AND behind schedule? Who’s running these programs — corporate CEOs?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:31 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
I think everybody wants a sustainable environment, clean air, clean water, plenty of energy, and a curtailment of global warming.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:29 am
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I think the coal industry would take issue with your blanket assumption.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:34 amHere’s a bit more on the Pentagon’s always-late, always-overpriced debacle. The source was Reuters, I believe.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:37 am
MissMolly if you don’t mind my asking…
coleoptera? I haven’t had coffee yet and am confused.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:38 amCageyCretin Says
March 31st, 2009 at 9:17 am
Actually, perhaps not “completely” — it is acceptable to TALK to elected officials, if allowed to, but it unacceptable to offer ANYTHING (including golfing while talking, or dinner, or anything at all — to offer ANYTHING while asking for action is bribery).
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Talking to elected officials is not only acceptable, it’s a right. What galls me is the “access” thing — which is clearly not fair. The fact that we have groups like Business Forward to enable access for interested parties signals something wrong with the system (and it’s not just Democrats — the GOP has plenty of these groups, too).
I’m sure Business Forward doesn’t provide their services for free, as they need to stay in business. Therefore, if you want access to somebody in government, you basically have to pay a fee to an intermediary to get you access? WTF? This may not be illegal, and it may not fall into the conventional definition of bribery, but the end result is the same. Only the people and parties with money get access.
Don’t get me wrong — in a system that typically leans Republican, I’m glad to see an organization like Business Forward join the festivities. But can I say that the whole system sucks?
March 31st, 2009 at 9:39 amdeebaser Says
March 31st, 2009 at 9:38 am
coleoptera? I haven’t had coffee yet and am confused.
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After you’ve had your coffee, it’s an easy wikipedia lookup. Coleoptera is the order of insects with sheathed wings — such as beetles, ladybugs, Egyptian scarabs, etc.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:42 amAfghanistan’s President, Hamid Karzai, has signed a law which “legalises” rape, women’s groups and the United Nations warn. Critics claim the president helped rush the bill through parliament in a bid to appease Islamic fundamentalists ahead of elections in August.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:48 amIn a massive blow for women’s rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman’s right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.
MSNBC will continue airing Keith Olbermann’s talk show twice each weeknight in prime time, putting on indefinite hold a search for a new 10 p.m. program.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:53 amThat time slot has attracted attention ever since MSNBC chief executive Phil Griffin suggested earlier this year he was on the lookout for a new show. Fans of the Internet show “The Young Turks” and of Air America’s Sam Seder have openly campaigned for their favorites.
misscoleopteramolly Says:
deebaser Says
March 31st, 2009 at 9:38 am
coleoptera? I haven’t had coffee yet and am confused.
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After you’ve had your coffee, it’s an easy wikipedia lookup. Coleoptera is the order of insects with sheathed wings — such as beetles, ladybugs, Egyptian scarabs, etc.
Also, Pete Best.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:53 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I don’t have the ability to watch videos here at work. Will somebody let me know if this is worth watching?
Miss Molly: save your time, especially if you like the real Foo Fighters — “The FBN Specials” as Huckabee (on bass guitar) calls them are pretty lame and butcher a great song.
What’s funny, however, is hearing Huckabee introduce the song which he says he “just learned today”. Not only is that quite obvious, but I wonder if ihis little ultra-conservative pea brain understands that the Foo Fighters were founded by Dave Grohl (born and raised in my old home town of Springfield, VA, I might add), formerly of Nirvana, a band which Huckabee would likely consider the spawn of Satan?
Oh, the irony…
March 31st, 2009 at 9:54 amCageycretin @ #4
I lol’d
March 31st, 2009 at 9:57 amHopefully Cap & Trade on CO2 will be as successful as it was for SO2.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:58 amO/T: I’m thinking of a Celebrity Deathmatch meets CSpan meets March Madness tournament, and I’m wondering how the brackets should be formed? Majority leader vs. a Jr. Republican Senator? Minority Whip vs. a mid-level committee chair? I would like to see Ted Kennedy head-butt Mitch McConnell, but there’s no way they would meet in the first round. I need to think this through…any suggestions are welcome.
March 31st, 2009 at 9:59 amOne addition to the program I’d like to see is the ability for corporations to pay private individuals to leave their forests fallow in exchange for carbon offsets. I can think of many of my neighbors here in rural Kentucky that would benefit from such a program.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:00 amTweedster Says:
I have a suggestion – Melee weapons only. Pool cues, flails, switchblade knives, broken bottles, swords, spears, chainsaws, etc.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:08 amAhhh… i thought it was some Norm Coleman reference that went way over my head. so yeah… o’reilly called us insects so peoples are doing the insect ‘hussein’ thing….got it… yeah im pretty much a life sciences ‘C’ student…
Thanks for the heads up. :)
March 31st, 2009 at 10:08 amSurprise! Israeli military finds Israeli military innocent of war crimes!
http://www.democracynow.org
March 31st, 2009 at 10:11 amGood call Acid!!
March 31st, 2009 at 10:20 ammisscoleopteramolly Says:
Waitaminnit — the Pentagon weapons programs are over budget AND behind schedule? Who’s running these programs — corporate CEOs?
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No… left-over Republicans…
March 31st, 2009 at 10:26 amTP spun the Business Forward piece in Bush level fashion. It’s K Street restarted with “White House support.” I expected something more challenging.
The method is bad. We’re back to saying “the end is more important than the means.”
People are tired of purchased influence. Business Forward is just that.
Read the Hill piece. I commented on it.
March 31st, 2009 at 10:48 am66 Percent approval
can ya dig it? I knew that you could!
This from the society that loves reality TV? Yeah.. sure… I dig it… no problem.
We’re not heading in the right direction yet…. just a less wrong direction.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:20 amRantingTommy Says:
66 Percent approval
can ya dig it? I knew that you could!
Wait a minute here, that can’t be right. The right wing trolls are saying that his numbers are plummeting. What’s going on here? Could it be that the trolls are lying?
March 31st, 2009 at 11:38 amNearly 70 percent of the Pentagon’s 96 largest weapons programs were over budget last year, for a combined total of $296 billion more than the original estimates,” the Government Accountability Office reported yesterday.
That’s pretty much what you get when you give out cost-plus no bid contracts to your cronies. I wonder if we will ever know how much money the right wing machine stole from us in the last 8 years.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:43 amDr. Moth Matt Says:
O’Racist advises UPS to “wise up”
I got a very nice return e-mail from UPS yesterday after I sent them one congratulating them on having the courage to take a stand on Billo.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:45 amTweedster Says:
I need to think this through…any suggestions are welcome.
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When I for one can assure you, I’m SOOOO TOTALLY on board w/ this idea!!!!
Just one stipulation… the winners HAVE to eat what they kill…
No more of this death for sport’s sake. Let’s get SERIOUS here.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:50 amI also recieved a nice e-mail from UPS. Oreilly`s feeling the heat. Lets hope it continues.
March 31st, 2009 at 11:56 amInteresting, Geithner switched from global financial regulation to sovereign. It seems France’s Nicholas Sarkozy wants serious financial regulation of the global big money boys. That’s a hoot, as his half brother is a big dog in Carlyle’s financial investment division.
Geithner won’t let it happen. Not when The Carlyle Group’s David Rubenstein and Arthur Levitt chair reform efforts. The PEU boys will ensure a mostly hands off form of regulation. Tim’s sovereign shift keeps the global shadow bankers safe.
March 31st, 2009 at 3:29 pmA depressing read, but it explains keeping bank executive contracts while busting auto unions:
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200905/imf-advice
The crash has laid bare many unpleasant truths about the United States. One of the most alarming, says a former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, is that the finance industry has effectively captured our government—a state of affairs that more typically describes emerging markets, and is at the center of many emerging-market crises. If the IMF’s staff could speak freely about the U.S., it would tell us what it tells all countries in this situation: recovery will fail unless we break the financial oligarchy that is blocking essential reform. And if we are to prevent a true depression, we’re running out of time.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:41 pm