ThinkFast: April 14, 2009
ThinkFast: April 14, 2009
“Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting” six Bush administration officials regarding “their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo,” Scott Horton reports. “Their decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday.” Prosecutors will also ask that Judge Garzón, who managed the case against Chile’s Augusto Pinochet, step aside.
“President Barack Obama is expected to tap Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison to head the government’s $700 billion financial-rescue program,” the Wall Street Journal reports. Allison, who was a national finance co-chairman for Sen. John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign, would replace Neel Kashkari, a holdover from the Bush administration. Allison has only been running Fannie Mae since September.
Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama “in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd.”
President Obama yesterday announced a series of steps aimed at easing travel, gift and business restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba. The White House said the U.S. will “lift travel and spending restrictions on Americans with family on the island” and would allow U.S. telecommunications companies “to set up shop in Cuba,” a move that “will flood Cuba with information while providing new opportunities for businesses.”
The Obama administration is preparing to drop “a longstanding American insistence that Tehran rapidly shut down nuclear facilities during the early phases of negotiations over its atomic program.” The shift in strategy, which is being discussed with European allies, would be “a sharp break” from the Bush administration approach that demanded that Iran halt its enrichment activities in order to initiate negotiations.
Leaders of the nation’s two major labor federations — AFL-CIO president John Sweeney and Joe Hansen, a leader of the rival Change to Win federation — said yesterday that they “have agreed for the first time to join forces to support an overhaul of the immigration system.” The move “could give President Obama significant support among unions as he revisits the stormy issue in the midst of the recession.”
Former Bush Press Secretary Dana Perino is joining Mark Penn’s public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller, as “chief issues counselor.” Penn called Perino “an extremely skilled practitioner” who had weathered “some incredibly difficult experiences.” Perino joins former Bush aide Karen Hughes, who also works at Penn’s firm.
Amazon.com said yesterday that “an embarrassing and ham-fisted cataloging error” had “caused thousands of books on its site to lose their sales rankings and become harder to find in searches.” Mark Probst — one of the first to notice that sales rankings for gay literature had disappeared — appeared satisfied with Amazon.com’s explanation.
The SEC “is reviewing whether Bank of America broke the law by not telling shareholders about Merrill Lynch’s plan to pay out $3.6bn in bonuses before they voted for a government-backed merger of the two banks.” Federal securities law prohibits institutions from “omitting material facts” regarding the purchase or sale of securities.
And finally: “At Les Stanford Chevrolet Cadillac in Dearborn, they’re fed up with criticism of Detroit automakers and the UAW by Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby,” reports the Detroit Free Press. The dealership is now “running TV and radio ads that feature clips of Shelby making anti-Detroit Three comments. ‘We’re wasting our time trying to keep them alive,’ he is shown saying in one ad. Co-owner Paul Stanford strikes back, asking: ‘I wonder if the good senator would tell us how much Japanese car companies who make cars in his state gave to his campaign?’” Stanford said that he has “received an enthusiastic response for the ads.”
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“Michael Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama “in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd.”
apparently steele didn’t get the “you must respect the president memo”.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:04 amApril 14th, 2009 at 9:06 am
“President Barack Obama is expected to tap Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison to head the government’s $700 billion financial-rescue program,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Jesus. ANOTHER phucking GOPuke?
WTF?
Can’t he find anybody other than GOPuke/Bushevik re-treads?
Why does he persist in naming people who were already part of the problem?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:07 amFormer Bush Press Secretary Dana Perino is joining Mark Penn’s public relations firm, Burson-Marsteller, as “chief issues counselor.” Penn called Perino “an extremely skilled practitioner” who had weathered “some incredibly difficult experiences.” Perino joins former Bush aide Karen Hughes, who also works at Penn’s firm.
This is the kind of thing that reminds folks like me that, though there are individual differences between particular personalities, there is in fact ZERO phuqing difference between the two ‘parties.’
April 14th, 2009 at 9:10 amhopefully the les stanford commericals will go viral and get lots of free play in shelby’s homestate
April 14th, 2009 at 9:11 amPresident Obama yesterday announced a series of steps aimed at easing travel, gift and business restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba.
I’m all for it. It’s several decades overdue. However, it is wrong to only allow Americans of Cuban descent to travel there. How unfair is that, and is it against the law to racially profile the rest of us and kept us from visiting?
I hope that the “Cuban descent only” discrimination is lifted before the Administration is embarrassed via the courts.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:12 amIt’s about time someone slapped Shelby in his fish mouth for all of the shit he’s been talking about Detroit and the Big Three. Funny how he accused President Obama of wanting to kill jobs because the military budget didn’t include some projects by contractors in his state.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:12 am“Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting” six Bush administration officials regarding “their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo,”
You can run, Bushies, but you can’t hide forever. The World will not forget your fascist regime.
While Hate Radio & Terrorist TV loudly proclaim President Obama is Satan himself, the rest of us will welcome and support any and all investigations into the crooked & self serving Bush cabal.
GO SPAIN!
April 14th, 2009 at 9:15 amPresident Obama is part of a crowd! Impeach now.
Don’t blame America (or accept responsibility even to cover for others), that might lead to change. I mean if Britain and others didn’t buy the cotton, slavery could have ended long before the war. It must be their fault. If Japan hadn’t attacked us we wouldn’t have had to round up American citizens and deny them the very freedoms they left their country for or had always known (or had thought to).
April 14th, 2009 at 9:17 amRepublican National Chairman Michael Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama “in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd.”
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Ah — red meat for the GOP faithful. Apparently, “blame America first” means any attitude other than “rule one is we’re always right — and rule two is if we’re wrong, see rule one”.
I read the Washington Times article to see if they gave any details as to what this mailing actually says. Apparently, the best shots Steele can fire are the rather stale one about Obama supposedly dissing small-town Americans by claiming they “cling to their guns and religion” (apparently this is still a crowd-pleaser with the GOP), and claiming President Obama is “arrogant” because he “boasted his election would be remember as the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal” — no doubt painting Obama as a self-proclaimed reincarnation of God instead of a President who has promised to push for legislation to mitigate global warming.
This is just wildly spun propaganda to get GOP donations. But it’s really kind of pathetic that this is all they’ve got. It should still be enough for the dittohead base, though.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:17 amStarting today, Bob Ney, the former Ohio GOP congressman will be hosting a midday chat show on a right-wing West Virginia radio station, WVLY AM 1370, according to the station’s web site.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:22 amLiddy, North, Colson, and now Ney — once these criminals get out of prison, there is a nice radio studio waiting for them, courtesy of the so-called “librul” media.
Ironically, the Hillary Clinton campaign still owes millions to Mark Penn’s company.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:24 amAnd what’s with that Jesus guy? When something was wrong with Judaism back then he blamed the entrenched, wealthy leaders of the religion and other practitioners. Just playing the blame game. So they changed some money at the Temple… free market, baby!
Or that Eisenhower guy… if schools weren’t equal, don’t blame segregation. It was working fine, all the white students had it fairly good.
/snark
April 14th, 2009 at 9:25 amMicheal Steele just goes back to the Obama bashing he is so fond of because he has nothing else. The policies of his party have failed. That is why the Democrats won in the last two election cycles.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:25 amPenn called Perino “an extremely skilled practitioner” who had weathered “some incredibly difficult experiences.” Perino joins former Bush aide Karen Hughes, who also works at Penn’s firm.
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Geez — doesn’t Mark Penn hire anybody who’s actually skilled at public relations? Or does he think his PR firm can exist by preaching only to the converted?
Karen Hughes would not be my choice for any PR job — Dubya appointed her to improve our standing with ME countries, and she failed miserably. She claimed nobody could do that job, yet President Obama has accomplished more positive PR in that part of the world in the short time he’s been in office than she did during her entire tenure.
Dana Perino would have a hard time selling water in a drought-stricken area. She’s pretty and has a nice smile, but when she tries to put negatives in a positive light, she does so with such absurdity that she can only come across as an unconvincing (but entertaining) liar.
Does Mark Penn even know what the general objective of a PR firm is? Hint: it’s not to sell to people who are already sold.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:27 am“Republican National Chairman Michael Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama “in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd.”
Sorry, Steele – I blame republican neocons first.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:28 amRespecting the president only applies when a Repugniscum is in office if one believes Michael Steele — and it is further emphasized if that repug is an illiterate, incompetent, rich ne-er-do-well politician whose White House aides were the most corrupt since Watergate.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:28 am“Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting” six Bush administration officials regarding “their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo,”
Viva Espana! (Hope I spelled that right). It’s about time someone stood up and called these criminals out.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:29 amCheney, Bush, you’re next. These weasels will rat you out in a heartbeat to save their own chicken asses.
Michael Steele is starting to sound just like Dick Cheney with a touch of Sarah Palin mixed in. Apparently that dead-end path is the direction the Republican Party is headed. Now, how stupid can that be for the party of blind ambition?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:29 am“Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting” six Bush administration officials regarding “their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo,” Scott Horton reports.
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Cross Spain off the list of places where Bush (or any of his Bushbots) can safely visit during his post-presidency. As this list shrinks to nothing, does this mean we’re stuck with him?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:31 amWhat in the hell is Michael Steele’s job anyway? I am beginning to think he is seriously deluded as to his “real” place in the political scene.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:33 amColeman has become ‘The Norm’ among the GOP.
He’s gone through 3 teams of lawyers, each one at a much higher fee base. He’s obstructed the rightful election winner from taking office, all with the ‘blessings’ of the GOP / RNC. He sued to reject absentee ballots, then his team sued again to recount them. After recounting, he’s appealing the 3 judge panel’s decision to the MN Supreme Court. If that doesn’t work, he’ll appeal to the SCOTUS.
Indeed, Norm is the Norm for the GOP.
If the tables were reversed, you’d now be hearing Hate Radio & Terrorist TV screaming bloody murder that Franken is doing a disservice to our Country. But, as you all now…
IOKIYAR
April 14th, 2009 at 9:33 amIt is obvious that these PR people have no real values, just the values of whomever gives them the gold to support the “golden rule.” If you start with carville-matalin and move on to daschle’s family, gebhart, and now hughes and perino, you see the incest of political PR.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:33 amWhat’s PUMA for “I told you so”?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:33 amRepublican National Chairman Michael Steele has launched a direct attack on President Obama “in a new mass mailing, accusing the president of being part of the ‘blame America first’ crowd.”
Michael Steele doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to carry Obama’s jock strap.
I nominate him for today’s Dumas award.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:35 amsomeone wiser than I once said:
Now, it seems to me that President Obama is following this Man’s advise. Why is it, then, that NeoChristian Evangelicals, who make up what is left of the Republican Party, find fault in Obama for doing so?
Perhaps if that guy some 2000 years ago had been called “Joe the Carpenter” they would have listened to what He said.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:37 amPenn called Perino “an extremely skilled practitioner” who had weathered “some incredibly difficult experiences.”
Yes, her advice on the Cuban Missile crisis was invaluable.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:38 amI wonder how much (if any) Obama has to do with Spain behind the scenes? If I was the bush thugs, I think I would be worried about that.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:38 amPresident Obama yesterday announced a series of steps aimed at easing travel, gift and business restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba.
__________________________________________________________
A step in the right direction and long overdue.
John Rosemond, a “spare the rod and spoil the child” type of child psychologist, once had a reader write to him with a problem — spanking her child wasn’t altering his poor behavior. Even though Rosemond is a spanking advocate, he responded that if spanking wasn’t working, she should quit doing it.
For fifty years, the United States has been trying to spank Cuba, and it hasn’t worked. It’s time we finally admit that approach has been ineffective.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:38 amI wonder how much (if any) Obama has to do with Spain behind the scenes? If I was the bush thugs, I think I would be worried about that.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:38 amPresident Obama yesterday announced a series of steps aimed at easing travel, gift and business restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba.
__________________________________________________________
A step in the right direction and long overdue.
John Rosemond, a “spare the rod and spoil the child” type of child psychologist, once had a reader write to him with a problem — spanking her child wasn’t altering his poor behavior. Even though Rosemond is a spanking advocate, he responded that if spanking wasn’t working, she should quit doing it.
For fifty years, the United States has been trying to spank Cuba, and it hasn’t worked. It’s time we finally admit that approach has been ineffective.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:40 amThe Ed Show had MN Gov. Pawlenty on last night. Ed asked him what the GOP plan for health care was.
Pawlenty rambled on about digital medical records & effeciency.
Not once did he mention the non-insured, the poor or those with coverage, but denied due to ‘pre-existing’ conditions.
Pawlenty’s new budget actually contains millions in corporate tax breaks while eliminating thousands from State medical eligibility. Same shit, different day.
Pawlenty is the ‘new face’ of the Republic Party. Same as the old face, I would submit.
‘Living With Less in the Land of Pawlenty’
April 14th, 2009 at 9:40 amI note that the Washington Times quotes Steele ‘quoting’ Obama but doesn’t provide Obama’s actual words –a sin of omission that serves Steele’s misrepresentation and purpose (and the Washington Times, too).
It’s just another example of assassination by a thousand cuts. At this rate it’s going to be a million cuts, by 2010!
April 14th, 2009 at 9:40 amSPAIN HAS THE BALLS TO GO AFTER 5 FROM THE BUSH ERA? SHUCKS… WISH IT WAS BUSH HIMSELF AND CHENEY. GOOD LUCK SPAIN!!!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS UNRAVELS.
MIKE STEELE IS JUST DESPERATE FOR GOP ATTENTION, HE’S NOT LEAST THREAT….YAWNING. WHY IS THAT HE ALWAYS TAKES THINGS INTO HIS OWN HANDS WHEN HE IS REJECTED BY HIS OWN PARTY MEMBERS JUST TO PROVE A POINT?
April 14th, 2009 at 9:42 amZimzone Says
April 14th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Pawlenty rambled on about digital medical records & effeciency.
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Did Pawlenty mention anything about doing away with malpractice suits? One of the big talking points with the neocon version of health care reform is that if we eliminated malpractice awards (so what if they cut the wrong leg off?), the health care system would be just fine. Never mind that jury awards in malpractice cases (and any resulting increases in malpractice insurance costs) are but a tiny percentage of health care costs — the profits made by insurance greedheads run much higher.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:50 ammisscoleopteramolly Says: For fifty years, the United States has been trying to spank Cuba, and it hasn’t worked. It’s time we finally admit that approach has been ineffective.
Most interesting is that Cuba has managed to survive without the level of support and subsidy it had when the Soviet Union existed.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:51 amAND, why the hell, despite the embargo, has the US paid rent on Gitmo to Cuba, year in and year out?
Briseadh na Firefly Says
April 14th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Perhaps if that guy some 2000 years ago had been called “Joe the Carpenter” they would have listened to what He said.
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Only if “Joe the Carpenter” told them what they wanted to hear and reinforced their prejudices. One of the reasons why the actual words of Jesus Christ don’t get as much fanfare as manufactured wars on Christmas is that Jesus told people to change their attitudes and they way they lived. And most people don’t want to hear anything that inconvenient.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:55 amSorry for the double post at 29 and 31 — have NO idea how that happened.
April 14th, 2009 at 9:56 amSpanish prosecutors ….
After the investigations determine that they are indeed criminals and arrest warrants are issued for them if they step on Spanish soil:
April 14th, 2009 at 9:59 amThe people of this country need to round them up as ‘enemy combatants’ and ’secretly’ under the cloak of night, fly their a$$es over there and dump them in the middle of Madrid.
In their jammies.
misscoleopteramolly Says:
Zimzone Says:
Pawlenty rambled on about digital medical records & effeciency.
Did Pawlenty mention anything about doing away with malpractice suits?
Good morning.
No, not on Ed’s show. That would have been ironic, given the fact he’s supporting what ‘The Norm’s’ lawyers are attempting.
In fact, Coleman’s lawyers uttered this gem…‘no votes left behind’.
Sound familiar?
Republics only have issues with lawyers when they’re not representing Republics.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:02 amIt’s about time we start to make changes towards opening relations with Cuba. I have never been, but I have had family go and bring back pictures, and I have flown over the island, and from what I have seen it is extremely beautiful. There is lots of potential there as well as South Florida consider they are only 90 miles apart. In this economic down turn we should do more to open relations to increase Florida’s travel and tourism industry.
*note I am a Florida resident*
April 14th, 2009 at 10:12 am“Spanish prosecutors have decided to press forward with a criminal investigation targeting” six Bush administration officials regarding “their role in the torture of five Spanish citizens held at Guantánamo,” Scott Horton reports.
george y los bandidos del neocon son una deshonra a América. Gracias de España, por hacer lo que no puede América.
Saludo España!
April 14th, 2009 at 10:15 amYeah, but to a neocon, that’s the same thing as blaming America, doncha know.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:20 amHughes and Perino: Pay for Bush level Performance
Karen Hughes was charged with improving the perception of the U.S. in the Muslim world. She failed miserably. That landed her a high paying job at Burston-Marsteller.
Dana Perino played dumber than a stump most of her Press Secretary time. While she didn’t lie as often as Scotty McClellan, she rarely answered the people’s questions. That landed Dana a high paying job at Burston-Marstellar.
Mark Penn, Democratic operative, works for Burston-Marsteller.
Yesterday, Hanshiro educated us that Burston-Marsteller is part of WPP, which also owns the Dewey Square Group.
Recall Tom Daschle worked at Akin, Gump alongside Bob Dole and Tom Scully. Money brings the red and blue team together. We have greedership and bleedership, but an appalling lack of leadership.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:21 amSpanish prosecutors ….
tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock tick tock …
April 14th, 2009 at 10:31 amEsta solo un poco mundo …. no ?
April 14th, 2009 at 10:37 amComo se dice tick tock en Castellano ?
………….JUSTICIA !
“President Barack Obama is expected to tap Fannie Mae Chief Executive Herb Allison to head the government’s $700 billion financial-rescue program,”
In other news, Joseph Hazelwood is awarded a full captains job piloting oil tankers off of the coast of Somalia.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:49 amHanshiro: you have an A for your effort :)
Freeman: Tic Tac… the time is coming.
April 14th, 2009 at 10:58 amRepugnican’ts offer baseless protests
Taxes won’t reach Ronald Reagan levels until 2011. That requires tax protests, “Tea Parties”. (It’s a bone to corporations which want lower taxes)
“Drill Here, Drill Now” occurred while demand for gasoline imploded, yet prices soared to over $4 a gallon. They wanted more supply, when supply was ample, yet prices behaved inelastically. (More taxpayer sponsoered corporafornication for the big oils)
The strategy is to turn a nonissue into a mass movement that helps America’s corporatocracy.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:22 amSi perot mas rapido por favor .
April 14th, 2009 at 11:23 amtokin librul Says: Jesus. ANOTHER phucking GOPuke?
WTF?
Can’t he find anybody other than GOPuke/Bushevik re-treads?
What concerns me even more is the way Obama is seemingly embracing and refusing to give up on some of Bush’s more disturbing policies…
Illegal wiretaps, Now Obama’s Justice department is arguing along the same lines that Bush’s did. If you were illegally spied on, you can’t sue! WTF!
Last night on Rachel’s show it was shown that now the Obama administration is embracing the Friday news dumb and the Bagram prisons. WTF!!!
What’s next? Torture is Okay too?!?!? Seriously, WTF!!!
I’m mad as hell. This is not the change I voted for! I seriously doubt any of you all are Ok with it either.
Something must be done to get this administration to grasp that The Crimes committed under the last administration must be brought to light and they must never happen again!
April 14th, 2009 at 11:30 amTheRadicalRightisRadicallyWrong Says:
I’m mad as hell. This is not the change I voted for! I seriously doubt any of you all are Ok with it either.
I’m right there with ya!!!
April 14th, 2009 at 11:38 amSteele’s ginormous ego has him obsessed with Obama. I’m starting to think that Steele tinks HE belongs in the White House —or perhaps he thinks he is as viable an option as Obama for president.
That’s laughable of course. The guy is a loony tune.
April 14th, 2009 at 11:59 am*
“President Barack Obama is expected to tap Fannie”
Yes. Yes he is.
/sorry
April 14th, 2009 at 1:18 pmAfter delaying a deposit for 1 day on me, raping me of over $300 in NSF fees, and refusing to negotiate…
April 14th, 2009 at 2:27 pmBoA and it’s shareholders can all rot in the cesspool they created. I don’t care, fix your own problems now.
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April 18th, 2009 at 5:34 amsac ekimi