ThinkFast: April 21, 2009
ThinkFast: April 21, 2009
Congress is launching the “mother of all climate weeks” today, where 54 witnesses will “testify on climate change legislation in three full days before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.” Among the witnesses set to testify are former Vice President Al Gore, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
The debate over health care reform is intensifying as liberals are warning their Democratic allies to resist caving. Recently, more than 70 House Democrats “warned party leaders that they will not support a broad health reform bill that does not offer consumers a government-sponsored policy, and two unions withdrew from a high-profile health coalition because it would not endorse a public plan.”
A new poll released yesterday found that 67 percent of Cuban-Americans “now support the removal of all restrictions for travel to Cuba, an 18-point increase from three years ago, when the same question was asked.” Despite the community’s “reputation for loyalty to Republicans, the poll found widespread approval for Mr. Obama,” with 67 percent having a favorable or somewhat favorable opinion.
“House leaders in both parties were publicly mum” in the wake of a CQ report yesterday alleging that Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) “engaged in a quid pro quo with a suspected Israeli agent to advance her stature in Congress.” Further, “the Republican messaging machine, usually quick to churn out e-mails alerting reporters to every alleged ethical misstep by a Congressional Democrat, stayed silent on the news.”
Three Bush administration lawyers who signed the OLC torture memos — John Yoo, Jay Bybee, and Steven Bradbury — “are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work.” The office has the “power to recommend disbarment or other professional penalties or, less likely, to refer cases for criminal prosecution.”
As of 8 am ET this morning, more than 3,000 of you have taken action to urge the House Judiciary Committee to begin impeachment hearings against Jay Bybee. Please join our campaign by clicking here.
CongressDaily reports that, “despite criticism of earmarks by House Republican leaders during completion of the FY09 appropriations process,” many are still requesting them. Reps. Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and Bill Young (R-FL) are among those in the Republican leadership still asking for and receiving millions in earmarks.
Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for the “speedy release” of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who has been convicted of spying by a court in Tehran. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi has agreed to take up Saberi’s defense, and the head of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, has spoken out calling for a fair trial.
On Thursday, President Obama will meet with credit card executives “to tell them to support strict measures that curb lending abuses or face the wrath of angry consumers and a determined Congress.” Lawmakers are launching efforts “to crack down on credit card companies for such practices as arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances…and charging interest on debt that was paid on time.”
A TARP watchdog report said “the Treasury should take steps to better manage its financial-rescue effort so that taxpayer dollars are safeguarded and programs are more fraud-resistant, accountable and transparent.” The report also said the total bailout price tag could reach $3 trillion “when Federal Reserve loans, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. guarantees and private money are factored in.”
And finally: George W. Bush has “gone from commander-in-chief to chief pooper-scooper.” Speaking to an audience in China on Saturday, Bush recounted how he recently took his beloved Scottish terrier Barney on a walk — and brought along his own baggies to clean up the mess. “I was picking up what I had been dodging for eight years,” Bush said, “scoring laughs” from the crowd.
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About the pooper-scooper in chief,
you are what you eat.
Good morning, campers.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:04 am“On Thursday, President Obama will meet with credit card executives “to tell them to support strict measures that curb lending abuses or face the wrath of angry consumers and a determined Congress.” Lawmakers are launching efforts “to crack down on credit card companies for such practices as arbitrarily raising interest rates on existing balances…and charging interest on debt that was paid on time.”
The President and Congress needs to throttle these companies and their predatory activities. They’re way out of control.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:05 am“Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) “engaged in a quid pro quo with a suspected Israeli agent to advance her stature in Congress.” Further, “the Republican messaging machine, usually quick to churn out e-mails alerting reporters to every alleged ethical misstep by a Congressional Democrat, stayed silent on the news.”
Dominos, anyone?
April 21st, 2009 at 9:07 amEmail sent to TP this morning
Hi,
I have been participating on your blog since 2007 and even wrote a book based on this participation. I have never received any compensation nor pushed for it since I have been posting on your blog.
Yesterday, I made an extremely personal and sentimental posting about my Mother’s funeral only to discover at the end of the day that you’d deleted this commentary. The reason I keep returning to your blog is simply because you never deleted posts and are always tolerant of every point of view. Has that policy changed? Does a commenter only sound good if they crow over issues the only way YOU want them to crow about them? Does racism still mean anything to Thinkprogress? Is thinkprogress also embarrassed about hard issues in the world?
I would appreciate some feedback hopefully now that I have revealed my true identity in the commentary that you have chosen to delete. Or is there another reason why you are blocking my commentary from your site?
I look forward to a reasonable explanation. Thank you very much for your time and have a wondrous day!
I write under the pseudonym of “James Saville Row”.
Kind Regards,
-Larry Martin
Ample Care LLC
LMartin@amplecare.com
http://www.amplecare.com
Take Care. Ample Care.
http://publisher.amplecare.com (SAN: 856-8146)
(A subsidiary of Ample Care LLC) presents:
Gene X Portraits of a Liberal Blogger
April 21st, 2009 at 9:08 am“I was picking up what I had been dodging for eight years,” Bush said
No, GDumbya. You weren’t dodging poop for eight years . . . you were producing it. There were more people following you around with baggies than were trailing the mounted police patrol in the Fourth of July parade.
We have a new administration that is still spending half its time dodging the loaves you pinched for those eight disastrous years.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:10 amcaption…
The reincarnation of Sen. Inhofe of Oklahoma was spotted today amid the shrinking Arctic ice pack.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:11 amKudos.
On the other hand, how absurd is it that Democrats have to push other Democrats to do what most of us want them to do? The system continues to fail.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:13 amMoveOn is sending a petition to AG Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the torture program.
Link is here to add your name.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:14 am“House leaders in both parties were publicly mum” in the wake of a CQ report yesterday alleging that Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) “engaged in a quid pro quo with a suspected Israeli agent to advance her stature in Congress.”
Publicly Mum & Strangely Silent – Does that mean there’s many more scurrying behind the walls?
April 21st, 2009 at 9:18 amhanshiro the antlion Says:
MoveOn is sending a petition to AG Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the torture program.
Link is here to add your name.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:14 am
__________
Done, thank you.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:23 amhanshiro, thanks for the link, I went and signed right away.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:23 amRep. Jane Harman (D-CA) “engaged in a quid pro quo with a suspected Israeli agent to advance her stature in Congress.
Wasn’t Harmon the Dem who the Bushies claimed ‘knew all about NSA wiretapping’? Well, no wonder she knew about it.
Harmon & Di-Fi bear close scrutiny. They spend more time enhancing Israel’s positioning & bargaining power than they do on American domestic issues.
Meanwhile, Republicans are doing the ‘Cockroach dance’, scurrying to dark corners to avoid the sunlight in hopes they don’t see their names on the front page of the NYT.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:26 amI hope Obama’s meeting with credit card issuers has significant impact. Just this month, I received letters from both Bank of America and Chase raising the interest rates on my cards by an additional 6%. This despite the fact that I had made, the previous month, a payment of over $5,000 to B of A, and a larger than usual payment to Chase. I have a FICO score of 763 (top score is 800), never missed nor was late on any payment on those or any other account with anyone. I could opt out of the interest rate charges, but in the case of Chase, they would then cancel my account completely. I would continue to pay the balance off. With B of A, you can opt out of the increase, they will not cancel the card, but if you use it, the increase will apply regardless of your prior opting out. These are increases on existing balances, except for those offered under promotional rates. Their reason? “The state of the economy.” Let’s see…B of A received $45-$50 billion in bailout funds. I’m not sure about Chase, though they certainly received plenty. I quite expect both card holders to also reduce my credit line, which will definitely hurt my FICO score. There are hundreds of complaints on the internet about the practices of both credit card issuers.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:29 amwindancer,
Great point.
Credit card companies are completely out of control.
Some time back, only the Mafia & strong arm protection rackets charged 25% interest.
Now, credit card entities want 30%! Think about it…what was once only black market interest rates are being surpassed by ‘legitimate’ companies.
Corporate greed is killing America & the World. Predatory vultures swoop down into your account & take whatever they please. Have you ever tried to read ‘rate adjustment’ notices? They deliberately use legalese to obscure content & message. Congress needs to hammer them…right now.
It’s completely unacceptable to continue allowing these financial vultures the latitude to rape your earnings.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:34 amFritz Says:
The President and Congress needs to throttle these companies and their predatory activities. They’re way out of control.
‘Tis the problem in my mind. Maybe I am missing something, but this financial/credit industry seems to be the hallmark of an oligopoly. Anit-trust laws are designed and should be used to reign in these companies, as opposed to creating a new layer of regulation. If anti-trust regulation is not enforced, what the heck good is a new layer of regulation with loop-holes for the savy large companies and campaign donators?
April 21st, 2009 at 9:34 amhanshiro, thanks for the link…done…Blessings
April 21st, 2009 at 9:46 amHow twisted is not having a public plan in health care reform?
Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt has a compromise proposal that has the government contracting the public plan to private health insurers. The problem is Reinhardt sits on the board of AmeriGroup, an insurance company that provides 11 states CHIP, Medicaid, Medicaid expansion, and Medicare Advantage plans. He controls 144,000 shares of stock and made $226,000 in AmeriGroup board compensation.
Uwe served on the board of Triad Hospitals alongside Nancy-Ann DeParle. Reinhardt made $2.3 million on the sale while Nancy-Ann grossed $1.4 million.
Regarding the compromise public plan, Nancy-Ann is interested in Dr. Reinhardt’s proposal. They sit on the board of Boston Scientific and Legacy Hospital Partners. Birds of a feather…
April 21st, 2009 at 9:47 amWitch1 Says:
hanshiro, thanks for the link…done…
I echo the thanks and have also signed.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:48 am“I was picking up what I had been dodging for eight years,” Bush said
Hunh, and I thought he was making shit up as he went along. Go figure.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:49 amThanks, hanshiro. I signed the petition.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:49 amWhatever happened to usury laws? I suppose they must have gone the way of regulations.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:51 am67 percent of Cubans approve of removing travel restrictions to Cuba, leaving 33 percent who don’t approve.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:51 amI’m betting that the 33 percenters are fans of die-hard FoxNews, BushCheney and Astroturf tea parties.
Die hard Fox news,Bush/Cheney lovers are going to bring the downfall of this nation.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:53 amI can’t believe the coverage today of Cheney’s latest diatribe against Obama. Who else gives a sh!t about what that lying demonic traitor thinks — but all the networks are giving him coverage.
If the government is paying for increased health care coverage, it seems simple for that same government to provide the insurance function, especially when they have that capability.
The Obama administration continues the Clinton-Bush practice of contracting out to the private sector. Public-private partnerships are the solution in the financial recovery and infrastructure development.
The private sector proved its ability to crap on citizens, while pressing the gas on greed and leverage. Guess who gets to bail them out?
Private insurance companies, like AIG, want to benefit disproportionately again. If this White House and Congress can’t get a basic public plan option, America is a Corporatocracy.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:53 amGood morning LIBERALS
April 21st, 2009 at 9:53 amThe Republican silence on the Jane Harman/AIPAC/FBI matter speaks volumes for the power of AIPAC. It could have been virtally any of them on that wiretap – plus a lot of Dems, like DiFi.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:54 amZimzone Says:
Some time back, only the Mafia & strong arm protection rackets charged 25% interest.
Now, credit card entities want 30%! Think about it…what was once only black market interest rates are being surpassed by ‘legitimate’ companies.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
___________
And what’s just as bad is that their lending practices are starting to look more and more like their credit practices. The fact is, banks make a lot more profit from student loans that fall behind than loans that are paid off on time, after late fees and penalties and interest hikes.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:55 amMany thanks, petition signed
“are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work.” The office has the “power to recommend disbarment or other professional penalties or, less likely, to refer cases for criminal prosecution.”
They’ve just got to be trembling even thinking about the potential of ‘professional penalties’, whew.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:01 amHere’s the thing though Mr. Holder. If you really want to cover this up and put it to bed once and for all, here’s what you do:
Start an investigation, subpoena them, then they can just ignore the subpoenas and it’s game over. Then you all look like you’ve givin’ it the ‘ol college try but your friends remain fat & happy.
Bush didn’t dodge poop, he slung it like a monkey.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:04 am” John Yoo, Jay Bybee, and Steven Bradbury — “are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work”
Ooooh, I see sternly written letters forthcoming!
April 21st, 2009 at 10:06 amHaving spent the majority of my career in health care-related areas, I can guarantee that any public-private plan will fail abysmally. The best example any of us have is the Medicare Prescription bill (Medicare Part D). A bill written by and for the benefit of health insurance and pharma companies. (I worked for one of the world’s largest pharma companies at that time and know this for a fact.) As long as the profit motive is operable in health care, costs will continue to escalate and the quality of care will continue to decline. The American people deserve to have the option of a totally public plan, if they so choose.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:06 amGet out of my life, public health care!
Traditional hubby: Off to work, honey! What’s in your plans today?
Traditional wifey: Have an appointment with HCA at 9AM.
Traditional hubby: Hmm … sorry, sweet cheeks, but I’m reading in my liberal, underwater newspaper that HCA is boarding their local clinic for greener pastures. Don’t take it personal, it’s just business!
Traditional wifey: Oh well, I love the free markets too much to be bothered by this pesky lump. Besides, that leaves more time for my monogamous relationship with you!
Traditional hubby: Speak for yourself, honey!
April 21st, 2009 at 10:06 am“I was picking up what I had been dodging for eight years,” Bush said…
Here’s hoping dog crap isn’t the only thing that applies to.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:09 amMarie Says:
Die hard Fox news, Bush/Cheney lovers are going to bring the downfall of this nation.
Mission accomplished.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:09 amtranslate says:
phuck off shit-for-brains.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:10 amThree Bush administration lawyers who signed the OLC torture memos — John Yoo, Jay Bybee, and Steven Bradbury — “are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work.” The office has the “power to recommend disbarment or other professional penalties or, less likely, to refer cases for criminal prosecution.”
“Sharply critical of their work”??
[sarcasm]Ooooooo, they’re in big trouble now! They’re going to get such a tongue-lashing and wrist-slapping for being such bad, bad boys.[/sarcasm]
Puh-leeeeeeze! Talk is cheap. Does anyone seriously believe that these men, who were willing to go as far as officially authorizing and sanctioning torture, are going to care that someone from the Justice Department is criticizing them? Big deal! These men knowingly chose to violate the ethics of their profession largely for their own benefit, which shows that they’re unfit to continue in that profession. Disbarring them ought to be a given, not merely an option.
And finally: George W. Bush has “gone from commander-in-chief to chief pooper-scooper.” Speaking to an audience in China on Saturday, Bush recounted how he recently took his beloved Scottish terrier Barney on a walk — and brought along his own baggies to clean up the mess. “I was picking up what I had been dodging for eight years,” Bush said, “scoring laughs” from the crowd.
Oh, har-de-frickin’-har. That man is just so-o-o-o funny — NOT!!!
Is it any accident that Bush was on the other side of the world when he came out with that one? I very much doubt it. If he’d tried that with an audience here in the States, he’d probably have gotten boos — not laughs.
Then again, note that this news item rather conveniently glosses over how much laughter was provoked by Bush’s lame and pathetic attempt at humor — and also doesn’t clarify whether the audience were laughing at Bush’s so-called joke, or laughing at him for being such an utterly contemptible little man.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:11 am32. translate to neoconish Says: Get out of my life, public health care!
Traditional hubby: Off to work, honey! What’s in your plans today?
Traditional wifey: Have an appointment with HCA at 9AM.
Traditional hubby: Hmm … sorry, sweet cheeks, but I’m reading in my liberal, underwater newspaper that HCA is boarding their local clinic for greener pastures. Don’t take it personal, it’s just business!
She’d probably have been triple-billed anyway…
April 21st, 2009 at 10:12 amHCA made a profit of $7.4B, 1st quarter, I believe.
Many small businesses blame taxes while never mentioning their health care costs.
If America went public on health care, those same businesses could afford to hire more workers.
Health care isn’t just a benefit, it’s an economic piece to this fiscal puzzle.
Big Oil. Big Pharma. Big Insurers. Big Banks.
Why is corporate citizenship more important than yours?
April 21st, 2009 at 10:13 amBig banks: Open a government checking account now and receive a $25,000,000,000 opening deposit!
For the rest of you, $25. Terms and Conditions apply.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:13 amAgain, transbate to neoconish proves once again CONservatives have no idea about humor.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:14 amNONE.
I’d ask you to translate, neoconish, but I don’t read cuneiform.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:15 amwinddancer Says:
I hope Obama’s meeting with credit card issuers has significant impact. Just this month, I received letters from both Bank of America and Chase raising the interest rates on my cards by an additional 6%.
Interesting. Same thing happened to me except it was CapitalOne that raised my interest rate by 8% points for no reason–I too have a very good credit rating. So I switched to using my dormant Bank of America card, stopped using and paid off the CapitalOne card. Now I wait to see what BofA does on that card, currently at 7.9%.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:15 amDRxJapanese Beetle Says:
Again, transbate to neoconish proves once again CONservatives have no idea about humor.
NONE.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:14 am
____________
I can’t tell if it’s a conservative trying to play a liberal playing a conservative, or a liberal trying to play a conservative playing a liberal.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:18 amDid anyone see the interview with Michael Isikoff last night on Rachel Maddow ?
April 21st, 2009 at 10:20 amDid he really say the AG was leaning toward appointing a special prosecutor ?
Not that I think he would know that for sure, but hey, I’m searching for a glimmer of hope on this issue.
Oh, snap…
TPM Reader DP:
April 21st, 2009 at 10:20 am
“I can’t tell if it’s a conservative trying to play a liberal playing a conservative, or a liberal trying to play a conservative playing a liberal.”
Whatever it is, it’s mostly playing with itself.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:21 amnoseeum Says:
Whatever it is, it’s mostly playing with itself.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:21 am
_________
Oh, snap…
April 21st, 2009 at 10:22 amDRxJapanese Beetle Says:
Again, transbate to neoconish proves once again CONservatives have no idea about humor.
It’s tough to make everybody laugh, especially those who take themselves a little too seriously.
**Truthiness burn**
April 21st, 2009 at 10:24 am47. chiroptera toasterhead Says: Oh, snap…
“Son of a b¡tch… He stole my line.”
~Sean (Good Will Hunting)
April 21st, 2009 at 10:37 amtranslate to neoconish Says:
Actually its just hard for people as stupid as YOU to make people laugh. See you THINK you are clever but you are just stupid and pathetic
April 21st, 2009 at 10:44 amEugene, my favorite freedom fryer, if you would have taken more time to laugh during the greatest presidency in humankind, with its gracious approach and sprinkled humor, you, too, could be a happy American.
April 21st, 2009 at 10:56 am51. translate to neoconish Says:…with its gracious approach and sprinkled humor, you, too, could be a happy American.
Translation: When the bush administration creeps up and pees on you, try to enjoy it…
April 21st, 2009 at 11:01 amranslate to neoconish Says:
Comedy Central has now been informed of your stupid-shit, humorless site.
Can you say “copyright infringement”?
Better look it up, retard.
April 21st, 2009 at 11:33 amNO MORE FOR-PROFIT INSURANCE. PERIOD. There IS not healthCARE if profits are involved.
I cannot believe that “the greatest country on Earth” is so screwed up. Freaking greedy Republican’s make me want to go all Steven Segal on their a$$es. I do not recognize my own country these days. How did we manage to get it so wrong? What happened to my country?
April 21st, 2009 at 1:05 pmwatchdog Says:
——————————————————————————–
No Kidding, One in Three Children Are Smarter Than watchdod
April 21st, 2009 at 1:43 pmtranslate to neoconish Says:
You have no idea how much I laugh. I LOVE to laugh at people as stupid as you. That doesnt mean you are clever. I just like to laugh at pathetic morons like YOU. You TRY to annoy us but all that comes across is how pathetic you are. That is unintentionally funny your attempts at jokes on the other hand are just as stupid as YOU are.
April 21st, 2009 at 2:01 pmwatchdog Says:
All your post shows is how stupid you are and how much more you care about corporate profits than the Human Race. Burry your head in the sand and PRETEND that the scientists are making all this up because you are a coward. We dont care. Tell YOUR children whatever you want. I think reality is a good idea. You prefer your delusional fantasies. C’est la vie
April 21st, 2009 at 2:05 pmAh, like telling them there is such a thing as God… or that Republicans have their best interests at heart…
Nothing bogus about climate change. Would you like to buy my house? It’s only 10′ above sea level, and we’re thinking of moving…
April 21st, 2009 at 4:40 pmWatchdog, tell the children that we have been facing the threat of planetary death for quite some time, and that President Obama and many educated, informed, and dedicated people are working on the problems of nuclear arms reduction and global climate change. The children should learn at a young age that ignoring problems doesn’t make them go away and that the threats we pose to the ecosystems we rely on are indeed frightening.
April 21st, 2009 at 9:36 pmU.S. to create cybersecurity military command: report
The Obama administration plans to create a new military command to focus on Pentagon computer networks and offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing current and former officials.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE53L0G720090422
April 22nd, 2009 at 12:24 am