banksters

i still think spitzer was wiretapped and framed because he was a threat to the oligarchy.

===

there was a reason the conservatives monitored everything. maybe its tin foil hat territory, maybe its not, but you have to wonder just what the conservatives have on everybody in power that anybody who is progressive or in power has been castrated.

totally agree; castrate or assassinate anyone who threatens the oligarchy's status quo; this explains a lot (adjust tinfoil)

from tonid's HuffPo post on the last thread....

"The new Obama budget will also include a proposal to levy a fee on the country's biggest banks to raise an estimated $90 billion to recover losses from the government's $700 billion financial rescue fund. Those losses are expected to come not from the bank bailouts but from the support extended to General Motors and Chrysler and insurance giant American International Group as well as help provided to homeowners struggling to avoid foreclosures."

Gee, I ain't no economist, but it seems to me bailing out AIG and mortgage holders WAS a bailout of the banks.....

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day...Teach a man to fish and he will probably die of mercury poisoning....

***

EDIT

...well, maybe not so "random" after all....

...it's getting harder to tell where one's consciousness ends and the universal mind begins....

good site. His humility enables him to be in the public eye now much more effectively. I agree Dan...he was framed..

and you can sell him overpriced fishing gear and licenses to fish in the commons.

gonna make some coffee now, can I get anyone a cup
when it's done?

a third cup won't hurt (or is it the fourth? gee i don't even keep count any more)

thanks sandy

talking about the budget.

And I'm off to the doctor.

Later

toniD's Ya Think?

i couldn't find the far side cartoon which shows a man surrounded by dead bodys holding a smoking shotgun. the caption is something like: "next time you get decaf"

hahahahaha! Thanks for the morning giggle, dan.... :)

'splains alot...

New Documentary Recounts Historic 1961 Effort to Challenge Segregated Bus System in the Deep South

The International Civil Rights Center and Museum opens today in Greensboro, North Carolina at the site of the historic 1960 Woolworth’s sit-in. To mark the start of Black History Month, we turn to the story of another group of young people who were inspired by the success of the nonviolent strategy of the Greensboro sit-in. Starting in May of 1961, mixed groups of black and white students began taking interstate buses into the Deep South, risking their lives to challenge segregation. They called themselves the Freedom Riders. White mobs responded with violence. One bus was set on fire with the Freedom Riders. Numerous Freedom Riders were brutally beaten and hospitalized. We speak to Stanley Nelson, the director of the new documentary The Freedom Riders that premiered at Sundance last week. We also speak to two of the original Freedom Riders, Bernard Lafayette and Jim Zwerg.

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/2/1/the_freedom_riders

http://www.lechatnoirboutique.com/prodimages/Coffee%20Mug%20-%20Far%20Si...

spanish speaking dolphins

http://s3.hubimg.com/u/209666_f520.jpg

Submitted by toniD on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:39am.
And I'm off to the doctor.
-----------
...from atop Sears Tower: "Longest journey begin with one podiatric appointment across town."

http://wftda.com/fan-demo-survey/Feb-2010

http://mountainderbygirls.org/tickets.htm

nervous little dogs
Submitted by dan on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 10:53am.
-----------
Many years ago two friends acquired a Sheltie mix. It was black and weighed approximately eight or ten pounds. I later learned that it (he) was named for his long snout and his penchant for racing around. The following conversation occurred when we were introduced. The dog was sitting at my feet, looking up at me adoringly, and vibrating like a Parkinson's patient.

Bait: "What's his name?"

Jim: "Arrow."

Bait: "Should have been 'Quiver'."

Talking Radio Blog, Nov '05

"... Sunday, November 20, 2005

How Clear Channel Saved Air America Radio

Air American Radio launched in April 2004 and immediately fell flat on its face. In less than two months the fledgling liberal network lost its affiliates in Los Angeles and Chicago, started bouncing checks for everything from payroll to studio rentals, and fired their CEO and several other members of top management.

Then something funny happened. While the media, especially the incumbent right wing talk radio pundits, were writing Air America Radio’s obituary, AAR researchers discovered some good news in a ratings report for the networks Portland, OR affiliate. It seems that Clear Channel Communications decided to give AAR a chance on a weak AM stations that it owned in Portland, OR. The station, KPOJ, 620 AM was struggling playing adult standards and generating an average share of less than a buck. Clear Channel decided to give AAR a chance. Afterall, Portland was considered a "liberal" market and there were already three talk radio stations there programming conservative talk radio. Well after one book, KPOJ, improved its average share by 1,000% and Clear Channel took notice.
......"

Talking Radio, Apr '07

(The comment section is most revealing.)

((Group Hugs))

The World Needs More SEDER!!!

He threatened to reveal the Wall Street fiasco, pre-crash.

eek

The World Needs More SEDER!!!

how was that coffee - I made it extra strong for u!

I have to go today to go & help my buddies
partner ( my friend Mike who passed away last
week) she has all sorts of medical issues plus
some substance abuse stuff going on. Mike's cat
"Pity" has not eaten or drank water for over 10
days. Wendy & I r going to go out there & take him
to the vet. He just went down hill after the ambulance
came to take Mike away, I believe that we may have to
put "Pity" down. The whole situation is sad & pisses
me off. The way Mike was treated @ work ( he was a
co-worker of mine) another long story.
But Michael's apt. is like 2 hours west - so it's gonna
be an all day thing. I don't mind though - I would do
anything for my friend Mike. xoxoxo
Ya all have a good day - will check in later with ya
all. Love ya all :)

Ralph Nader received the 2010 Keith Crain/Automotive News Lifetime Achievement Award at the Washington Auto Show last week.

Nader, who was honored for his dedication to consumer safety, accepted the award from Automotive News Editor-in-Chief Keith Crain.

Also in attendance was Joan Claybrook, head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the Carter administration from 1977 to 1981. Claybrook worked with Nader in the 1960s to lobby successfully for passage of the nation's first auto safety laws.

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100201/OEM02/302019...

thanks; I'll send you an email to cheer you up a bit; check your email if you have time before you get on the road

later peeps...

I will :)

Morton Blackwell is the founder of the Leadership Institute. It began in 1979. He is a lifelong Republican and conservative activist. He was Barry Goldwater's youngest elected delegate at the 1964 Republican Convention. He was also a former Reagan White House staffer. The leadership Institutes's annual budget is about 8 million. Its wealthy conservative donors include the Coors-funded Castle Rock Foundation, the F.M. Kirby Foundation, the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and the Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation.

Not only has the Leadership Institute spawn the likes of the recently arrested James O’Keefe and past graduates Jeff Gannon, Mark Sanchez and Karl Rove Grover Norquist, and Mitch McConnell, but it also appears to be the home of the Republican Party. Here lies the problem. The Leadership Institute is registered a non-partisan, non profit 501(c)(3) organization. Take a look at its board members. They are all Republicans. Unless something as changed since 2005, this appears to be a very partisan group.

BOARD MEMBERS:
Their website touts a "Bi-Partisan Congressional Advisory Board" although the posted list (last updated 2005) contains only Republicans.

Location:
Arlington, VA

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for
Robert Aderholt Politician 22-Jul-1965 Congressman, Alabama 4th

Todd Akin Politician 5-Jul-1947 Congressman, Missouri 2nd

Wayne Allard Politician 2-Dec-1943 US Senator from Colorado

George Allen Politician 8-Mar-1952 US Senator from Virginia, 2001-07

Spencer Bachus Politician 28-Dec-1947 Congressman, Alabama 6th

Roscoe Bartlett Politician 3-Jun-1926 Congressman, Maryland 6th

Joe Barton Politician 15-Sep-1949 Congressman, Texas 6th

Rob Bishop Politician 13-Jul-1951 Congressman, Utah 1st

Marsha Blackburn Politician 6-Jun-1952 Congresswoman, Tennessee 7th

Morton C. Blackwell Activist 16-Nov-1939 Influential conservative activist

Roy Blunt Politician 10-Jan-1950 Congressman, Missouri 7th

John Boehner Politician 17-Nov-1949 House Majority Leader

Henry Bonilla Politician 2-Jan-1954 Congressman from Texas, 1993-2007

John Boozman Politician 10-Dec-1950 Congressman, Arkansas 3rd

Kevin Brady Politician 11-Apr-1955 Congressman, Texas 8th

Sam Brownback Politician 12-Sep-1956 US Senator from Kansas

Richard Burr Politician 30-Nov-1955 US Senator from North Carolina

Dan Burton Politician 21-Jun-1938 Congressman, Indiana 5th

Chris Cannon Politician 20-Oct-1950 Congressman from Utah, 1997-2009

Amanda B. Carpenter Journalist 1984 Washington Times columnist

Saxby Chambliss Politician 10-Nov-1943 US Senator from Georgia

Tom Coburn Politician 14-Mar-1948 US Senator from Oklahoma

Barbara Comstock Government c. 1959 Republican opposition research expert

John Cornyn Politician 2-Feb-1952 US Senator from Texas

Larry Craig Politician 20-Jul-1945 US Senator from Idaho

Michael Crapo Politician 20-May-1951 US Senator from Idaho

Barbara Cubin Politician 30-Nov-1946 Congresswoman from Wyoming, 1995-2009

John Culberson Politician 24-Aug-1956 Congressman, Texas 7th

Tom DeLay Politician 8-Apr-1947 Indicted ex-House Majority Leader

Jim DeMint Politician 2-Sep-1951 US Senator from South Carolina

John Doolittle Politician 30-Oct-1950 Congressman from California, 1991-2009

Thelma Drake Politician 20-Nov-1949 Congresswoman from Virginia, 2005-09

David Dreier Politician 5-Jul-1952 Congressman, California 26th

John Duncan Politician 21-Jul-1947 Congressman, Tennessee 2nd

Phil English Politician 20-Jun-1956 Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1995-2009

John Ensign Politician 25-Mar-1958 US Senator from Nevada

Randy Forbes Politician 17-Feb-1952 Congressman, Virginia 4th

Bill Frist Politician 22-Feb-1952 US Senate Majority Leader, 2003-07

Scott Garrett Politician 9-Jul-1959 Congressman, New Jersey 5th

Virgil Goode Politician 17-Oct-1946 Congressman from Virginia, 1997-2009

Bob Goodlatte Politician 22-Sep-1952 Congressman, Virginia 6th

Chuck Grassley Politician 17-Sep-1933 US Senator from Iowa

Mark Green Politician 1-Jun-1960 US Ambassador to Tanzania

Gil Gutknecht Politician 20-Mar-1951 Congressman, Minnesota 1st

Ralph Hall Politician 3-May-1923 Congressman, Texas 4th

Melissa Hart Politician 4-Apr-1962 Congresswoman from Pennsylvania, 2001-07

Dennis Hastert Politician 2-Jan-1942 Speaker of the House, 1999-2006

Orrin Hatch Politician 22-Mar-1934 US Senator from Utah

J. D. Hayworth Politician 12-Jul-1958 Congressman from Arizona, 1995-2007

Wally Herger Politician 20-May-1945 Congressman, California 2nd

Pete Hoekstra Politician 30-Oct-1953 Congressman, Michigan 2nd

Kenny Hulshof Politician 22-May-1958 Congressman from Missouri, 1997-2009

Duncan Hunter Politician 31-May-1948 Congressman from California, 1981-2009

Henry Hyde Politician 18-Apr-1924 29-Nov-2007 Congressman from Illinois, 1975-2007

James Inhofe Politician 17-Nov-1934 US Senator from Oklahoma

Ernest Istook Politician 11-Feb-1950 Congressman from Oklahoma, 1993-2007

Walter B. Jones Politician 10-Feb-1943 Congressman, North Carolina 3rd

Peter D. Keisler Government 13-Oct-1960 Co-Founder, Federalist Society

Pete King Politician 5-Apr-1944 Congressman, New York 3rd

Steve King Politician 28-May-1949 Congressman, Iowa 5th

Jack Kingston Politician 24-Apr-1955 Congressman, Georgia 1st

Mark Kirk Politician 15-Sep-1959 Congressman, Illinois 10th

Jon Kyl Politician 25-Apr-1942 US Senator from Arizona

Ron Lewis Politician 14-Sep-1946 Congressman from
Kentucky, 1994-2009

Trent Lott Politician 9-Oct-1941 US Senator from Mississippi, 1989-2007

Donald Manzullo Politician 24-Mar-1944 Congressman, Illinois 16th

Mitch McConnell Politician 20-Feb-1942 US Senator from Kentucky

Jim McCrery Politician 18-Sep-1949 Congressman from Louisiana, 1989-2009

Larry McDonald Politician 1-Apr-1935 1-Sep-1983 Congressman from Georgia, 1975-83

Buck McKeon Politician 9-Sep-1938 Congressman, California 25th

Jeff Miller Politician 27-Jun-1959 Congressman, Florida 1st

Sue Myrick Politician 1-Aug-1941 Congresswoman, North Carolina 9th

Randy Neugebauer Politician 24-Dec-1949 Congressman, Texas 19th

Butch Otter Politician 3-May-1942 Governor of Idaho

Ron Paul Politician 20-Aug-1935 Congressman, Texas 14th

Steve Pearce Politician 24-Aug-1947 Congressman from New Mexico, 2003-09

Mike Pence Politician 7-Jun-1959 Congressman, Indiana 6th

John Peterson Politician 25-Dec-1938 Congressman from Pennsylvania, 1997-2007

Chip Pickering Politician 10-Aug-1963 Congressman from Mississippi, 1997-2009

Joseph R. Pitts Politician 10-Oct-1939 Congressman, Pennsylvania 16th

Richard Pombo Politician 8-Jan-1961 Congressman from California, 1993-2007

George Radanovich Politician 20-Jun-1955 Congressman, California 19th

Dana Rohrabacher Politician 21-Jun-1947 Congressman, California 46th

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Politician 15-Jul-1952 Congresswoman, Florida 18th

Ed Royce Politician 12-Oct-1951 Congressman, California 40th

Jim Ryun Politician 29-Apr-1947 Congressman, Kansas 2nd

Rick Santorum Politician 10-May-1958 US Senator from
Pennsylvania, 1995-2007

Pete Sessions Politician 22-Mar-1955 Congressman, Texas 32nd

John Shadegg Politician 22-Oct-1949 Congressman, Arizona 3rd

John Shimkus Politician 21-Feb-1958 Congressman, Illinois 19th

Mike Simpson Politician 8-Sep-1950 Congressman, Idaho 2nd

Lamar Smith Politician 19-Nov-1947 Congressman, Texas 21st

Mark Souder Politician 18-Jul-1950 Congressman, Indiana 3rd

Cliff Stearns Politician 16-Apr-1941 Congressman, Florida 6th

Steve Stockman Politician 14-Nov-1956 Congressman from Texas, 1995-97

John Sullivan Politician 1-Jan-1965 Congressman, Oklahoma 1st

John Sweeney Politician 9-Aug-1955 Congressman, New York 20th

Jim Talent Politician 18-Oct-1956 US Senator from Missouri

Tom Tancredo Politician 20-Dec-1945 Congressman from Colorado, 1999-2009

Charles Taylor Politician 23-Jan-1941 Congressman from North Carolina, 1991-2007

Lee Terry Politician 29-Jan-1962 Congressman, Nebraska 2nd

Todd Tiahrt Politician 15-Jun-1951 Congressman, Kansas 4th

David Vitter Politician 3-May-1961 US Senator from Louisiana

Zach Wamp Politician 28-Oct-1957 Congressman, Tennessee 3rd

Dave Weldon Politician 31-Aug-1953 Congressman from Florida, 1995-2009

Ed Whitfield Politician 25-May-1943 Congressman, Kentucky 1st

Joe Wilson Politician 31-Jul-1947 Congressman, South Carolina 2nd

Frank Wolf Politician 30-Jan-1939 Congressman, Virginia 10th

http://www.nndb.com/org/798/000122432/

Didn't Sam Seder hate Elliot Spitzer?

Calling him a bully..bye bye scumbag?

The Supreme Court decision passed by the court’s Gang of Five was heard via contorted machinations and what was the purpose of going through all that trouble? In my view, all that effort was not primarily about freeing Business Corporations; I agree with Thom Hartmann that these Business Corporations already had plenty of unethical yet legal ways to corrupt our political system, elections and government.

The import of the recent corporate personhood ruling by the Supreme Court was devised to allow Religious Corporations to insert themselves fully into our government and politics — and finally UNDO Separation of Church and State. This is the undiscovered territory that will now be settled in any challege to churches preaching politics from the pulpits and bankrolling ballot measures like California’s anti-gay marriage Proposition 8. Beware. Completely freeing the radical fundamentalists religious groups to dominate politics and government is a new and frightening development, and goes hand-in-hand with the THEOCRATIC goals of the Dominionists and The Family.

White House budget would kill $38.8B in tax breaks for oil, gas and coal Updated at 12:15 PM

Source: The Hill

White House budget would kill $38.8B in tax breaks for oil, gas and coal
By Ben Geman - 02/01/10 09:52 AM ET

The White House calls for the end of nearly $40 billion in tax beaks for oil, gas and coal companies in its budget proposal released on Monday.

The tax effort is sure to prompt outcry from industry groups, who have long argued that ending the subsidies will stymie investments in domestic energy production.

The fiscal year 2011 budget plan calls for repealing $38.8 billion worth of tax breaks for oil, natural gas and coal companies over a decade, according to the White House.

Obama’s first budget plan a year ago called for cutting $31.5 billion in oil-and-gas industry incentives, including a repeal of the industry’s ability to claim a lucrative domestic manufacturing tax break.

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/78991-white-house-budget-re...

toniD's Ya Think?

"And we know he will be executed."

Does this mean the Obama Adm. is against trying everyone in a FAIR Justice System? Why should GIBBS make prejudicial statements like this??? Let the Judicial System PROVE it works. Why mess it up by swaying the jury pool???

Stupid.

Krugman calls FOX News reporting 'deliberate misinformation'. Ailes shocked

toniD's Ya Think?

Iran, China Threats Lead U.S. Military to Draw Up New Air-Sea Battle Plan

Source: BLOOMBERG

By Viola Gienger and Tony Capaccio

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. military is drawing up a new air-sea battle plan in response to threats such as China’s persistent military build-up and Iran’s possession of advanced weapons, according to the Pentagon’s latest strategy review.

The Air Force and Navy are seeking more effective ways of ensuring continued access to the western Pacific and countering potential threats to American bases and personnel, according to the Quadrennial Defense Review that was released today along with the Pentagon’s proposed budget for fiscal 2011.

The joint Air Force-Navy plan would combine the strengths of each service to conduct long-range strikes that could utilize a new generation of bombers, a new cruise missile and drones launched from aircraft carriers. The Navy also is increasing funding to develop an unmanned underwater vehicle, according to the report.

The battle plan is among a range of new initiatives outlined in the review, which is conducted every four years to revise U.S. military strategy for the coming decade or more. The new report places top priority on the fights in Afghanistan and Iraq and against terrorist threats elsewhere, while also preparing for future threats.

“This is truly a wartime QDR,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote in a cover letter for the report. “For the first time, it places the current conflicts at the top of our budgeting, policy and program priorities.”

Two-War Capability

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aFtW5qhYwWSg&pos=9

toniD's Ya Think?

Boehner: (agrees with Pelosi?) Pentagon Should Be Part Of Spending Freeze Updated at 12:15 PM

Source: Talking Points Memo

Boehner: Pentagon Should Be Part Of Spending Freeze
Rachel Slajda | February 1, 2010, 9:45AM

House Minority Leader John Boehner said Sunday that defense spending should not be exempt from President Obama's proposed spending freeze.

"I think the president's proposal on freezing non-security domestic spending is a good first step, but it's only $15 billion for each of the next three years," Boehner said on Meet The Press.

I think we can do much better than that. I don't think any agency of the federal government should be exempt from rooting out wasteful spending or unnecessary spending. And I, frankly, I would agree with it at the Pentagon. There's got to be wasteful spending there, unnecessary spending there. It all ought to be eliminated, and we should be going through this budget line by line and, and asking the question, is this spending worth having to borrow money that our kids and grandkids are going to have to pay back? That's the real question. And if we went through the budget line by line like that, I think there's a lot more spending that we could cut.

Obama has proposed freezing non-defense discretionary spending for the next three years, which should save $250 billion from the national deficit over the next 10 years, according to the New York Times. But the Pentagon -- as well as some non-defense areas such as the Department of Education, Medicaid and Medicare -- is exempt from the freeze.

Boehner apparently agrees with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who last week said the defense budget "should not be exempted" from the freeze.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/boehner-pentagon-should...

toniD's Ya Think?

(Henry) Paulson says he was scared and clueless during Lehman collapse Updated at 11:06 AM

Source: Chicago Trib

Henry Paulson, the former U.S. Treasury Department secretary, just said in a CNBC interview that in the midst of the Lehman Brothers collapse he had no idea what to do and was so afraid he excused himself from an emergency meeting on the matter and called his wife.

"I'm scared," he said he told his wife on a cell phone, while appearing to the others in the meeting that he was making a business telephone call. "I didn't know what to do."

He asked his wife to pray for him. "Then, I put on my armor and went back into the room and acted like I knew what to do."

Paulson's just written a new book, "On the Brink," in which he recalls the details of the weekend when he dealt with the Lehman collapse.

More shocking, is Paulson's contention that prior to the collapse, neither he nor other administration officials had any idea how housing debt was structured in various Wall Street creations. Paulson has said that he discovered all of this in the midst of the crisis. Prior to the collapse, his department had done a study of housing and concluded there was no problem. The study left out the esoteric financial structures that turned out to be a disaster.

Now, there are two things that must be done, said Paulson. "We need one systemic regulator" and "we need resolution authority so no institution is too big to fail."

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/marksjarvis_on_money/2010/02/paulson...

toniD's Ya Think?

Obama Puts Money to Close GTMO in the Afghanistan War Supplemental

"So the budget is out. But where’s the roughly $150 million needed for the Obama administration to buy the Thomson Correction Center from Illinois? That’s the necessary step for closing Guantanamo Bay this year, as the administration desires: Without the money to buy Thomson, the government has nowhere to transfer the remaining Guantanamo detainees, so the prison stays open and everyone’s unhappy except for conservatives who want to keep the place running. But for the first time in this very flawed process, the Obama administration is showing signs of playing hardball. The money to close the facility is in next year’s Afghanistan war supplemental."

"this machine kills fascists"

sheesh, didn't you watch any westerns when you were growing up. shirley you're familiar with the phrase:

we'll give you a fair trial and then we'll hang ya

===

we have nine years of pent up frustration over a terrorist attack that killed 3000 people. a tremendous effort was expended to cover up and whitewash everything about the attack (no tin foil needed until you start coming up with reasons why). do you seriously think anyone is going to come out and suggest that KSM isn't guilty?

CREW calls on Obama/Congress not to attend National Prayer Day used by cult-like group as recruiting tool
by John Aravosis (DC) on 2/01/2010 01:35:00 PM

I've heard about this National Prayer Day ever since I arrived in DC over two decades ago. I did not know, however, that the group that was running it some creepy secretive arch-religious cult-like organization whose hands were in, among other things, Uganda's recent "kill the gays" legislation.

CREW explains:

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) urged President Obama and all members of Congress not to attend this year’s National Prayer Breakfast, scheduled for February 4, 2010. The breakfast, designed to appear as if government-sanctioned, actually serves as a meeting and recruiting event for the shadowy Fellowship Foundation.

The Fellowship, also known as “The Foundation” and “The Family,” is run by Doug Coe, a spiritual advisor to past government officials who uses the organization to push his unorthodox brand of Christianity within government circles. The Fellowship operates the infamous C Street House, a congressional residence and meeting place on Capitol Hill that has been a frequent haunt of some ethically challenged elected officials, including Sens. John Ensign (R-NV) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) and former-Rep. and now-Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC).

The organization operates under an intense veil of secrecy, staying largely out of the public eye and hiding its donors’ identities. The Fellowship has used its government clout to facilitate backdoor meetings between U.S. and foreign officials, improperly claimed tax exempt status for the C Street House, and has persuaded members of Congress, including Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) to conduct Fellowship-sanctioned evangelizing while traveling at taxpayer expense. Members of the Fellowship also have been involved with legislation in Uganda calling for the death penalty for gays.

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, said, “The National Prayer Breakfast uses the suggested imprimatur of the elected leaders who attend to give the Fellowship greater credibility and facilitate its networking and fundraising.” Sloan continued, “The president and members of Congress should not legitimatize this cult-like group – the head of which has praised the organizing abilities of Hitler and Bin Laden – by attending the breakfast.”

http://www.americablog.com/2010/02/crew-calls-on-obamacongress-not-to.ht...

toniD's Ya Think?

i don't recall sam calling spitzer a scumbug; i would find that surprising, even though he might have used that language for somebody else f'sure

Good and Boring
By PAUL KRUGMAN

In times of crisis, good news is no news. Iceland’s meltdown made headlines; the remarkable stability of Canada’s banks, not so much.

Yet as the world’s attention shifts from financial rescue to financial reform, the quiet success stories deserve at least as much attention as the spectacular failures. We need to learn from those countries that evidently did it right. And leading that list is our neighbor to the north. Right now, Canada is a very important role model.

Yes, I know, Canada is supposed to be dull. The New Republic famously pronounced “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” (from a Times Op-Ed column in the ’80s) the world’s most boring headline. But I’ve always considered Canada fascinating, precisely because it’s similar to the United States in many but not all ways. The point is that when Canadian and U.S. experience diverge, it’s a very good bet that policy differences, rather than differences in culture or economic structure, are responsible for that divergence.

And anyway, when it comes to banking, boring is good.

First, some background. Over the past decade the United States and Canada faced the same global environment. Both were confronted with the same flood of cheap goods and cheap money from Asia. Economists in both countries cheerfully declared that the era of severe recessions was over.

But when things fell apart, the consequences were very different here and there. In the United States, mortgage defaults soared, some major financial institutions collapsed, and others survived only thanks to huge government bailouts. In Canada, none of that happened. What did the Canadians do differently?

It wasn’t interest rate policy. Many commentators have blamed the Federal Reserve for the financial crisis, claiming that the Fed created a disastrous bubble by keeping interest rates too low for too long. But Canadian interest rates have tracked U.S. rates quite closely, so it seems that low rates aren’t enough by themselves to produce a financial crisis.

Canada’s experience also seems to refute the view, forcefully pushed by Paul Volcker, the formidable former Fed chairman, that the roots of our crisis lay in the scale and scope of our financial institutions — in the existence of banks that were “too big to fail.” For in Canada essentially all the banks are too big to fail: just five banking groups dominate the financial scene.

On the other hand, Canada’s experience does seem to support the views of people like Elizabeth Warren, the head of the Congressional panel overseeing the bank bailout, who place much of the blame for the crisis on failure to protect consumers from deceptive lending. Canada has an independent Financial Consumer Agency, and it has sharply restricted subprime-type lending.

Above all, Canada’s experience seems to support those who say that the way to keep banking safe is to keep it boring — that is, to limit the extent to which banks can take on risk. The United States used to have a boring banking system, but Reagan-era deregulation made things dangerously interesting. Canada, by contrast, has maintained a happy tedium.

More specifically, Canada has been much stricter about limiting banks’ leverage, the extent to which they can rely on borrowed funds. It has also limited the process of securitization, in which banks package and resell claims on their loans outstanding — a process that was supposed to help banks reduce their risk by spreading it, but has turned out in practice to be a way for banks to make ever-bigger wagers with other people’s money.

There’s no question that in recent years these restrictions meant fewer opportunities for bankers to come up with clever ideas than would have been available if Canada had emulated America’s deregulatory zeal. But that, it turns out, was all to the good.

So what are the chances that the United States will learn from Canada’s success?

Actually, the financial reform bill that the House of Representatives passed in December would significantly Canadianize the U.S. system. It would create an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency, it would establish limits on leverage, and it would limit securitization by requiring that lenders hold on to some of their loans.

But prospects for a comparable bill getting the 60 votes now needed to push anything through the Senate are doubtful. Republicans are clearly dead set against any significant financial reform — not a single Republican voted for the House bill — and some Democrats are ambivalent, too.

So there’s a good chance that we’ll do nothing, or nothing much, to prevent future banking crises. But it won’t be because we don’t know what to do: we’ve got a clear example of how to keep banking safe sitting right next door.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/opinion/01krugman.html?em=&pagewanted=...

toniD's Ya Think?

Poll: Most states remain blue

Despite strong Republican performances in recent off-year elections, most states still favor Democratic candidates, according to a new survey by Gallup.

The compiled results of Gallup’s year-long polling of more than 353,849 adults in all 50 states last year and the District of Columbia, found that far more states are safe havens for Democrats than for the GOP.

Democrats can count 24 states solidly in their column, according to Gallup, as they have more than a 10 percentage point party affiliation advantage there. Another 10 can be counted as “lean” Democratic, with a 5 percentage point advantage.

Republicans, meanwhile, can only point to four “solid” states and only one state leaning Republican.

Gallup identified 12 states as competitive with no clear advantage for either party.

Democrats have lost some ground nationally as 49 percent of those polled said they “lean” Democratic, compared to 52 percent who said the same in 2008. The share of Republican-leaning voters, meanwhile, has only nudged up 1 percentage point, from 40 percent to 41 percent.

Only 2 states have gone from the “solid” or “lean” Democratic column to “competitive.” And Republicans have not added a state to their columns.

“Despite the modest shift toward a decreased affiliation with the Democratic Party and an increased affiliation with the Republican Party in 2009 compared to 2008, the United States remained a Democratically oriented nation last year,” said Gallup pollster Jeffrey Jones.

The District of Columbia remains the strongest Democratic territory, with a 66 percentage point advantage for the party.

The other nine most Democratic states are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maryland, Vermont, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Delaware. Each of the top 10 Democratic states had more than a 22 percentage point party affiliation advantage for the Democrats.

The 10 most Republican states are Wyoming, Utah, Alaska, Idaho, Alabama, Montana, Nebraska, Mississippi, Texas, North Dakota and Kansas. Only Wyoming, Utah, Alaska and Idaho favor Republicans by at least double digits in party affiliation.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32310.html

toniD's Ya Think?

I am shocked to see how ugly Ailes is; never saw him so upclose sitting next to more normal looking Krugman; just your typical republican fat pig; the looks just an extension of their ugly souls

Feral beagles
terrorize Long Island
Residents of eastern Long Island must be asking what they could have done to deserve a plague of rogue Snoopys.

http://www.newser.com/story/79751/feral-beagles-terrorize-long-island.ht...

toniD's Ya Think?

Crowley gets Sunday show; line-up change

With John King heading to 7 p.m., the “State of the Union” anchor announced today that it’ll be his last week hosting the network’s Sunday show, and that his replacement will be senior political correspondent Candy Crowley.

Crowley, according to a release, takes over next week from 9 to 10 am, marking a change in the length of marathon Sunday show.

Amidst changes in the Washington bureau, I reported last Tuesday that Crowley was the internal favorite to replace King, following a search that included network executives speaking to CNN staffers Gloria Borger and Ed Henry, along with outside candidate Gwen Ifill.

I also reported then that “State of the Union” could be changed from the four-hour block of programming, and indeed, it will be. According to the release, The Sunday show will now run from 9 to 10 am, with Fareed Zakaria’s "GPS" at 10 am. Howard Kurtz’s “Reliable Sources” will air at 11 am. An updated “State of the Union” will air at noon.

That move isn’t a surprise considering that the four-hour block made it tough for viewers to know when the best time was to tune in. Now, Crowley will interview newsmakers first thing, perhaps a better way to compete for attention against the traditional Sunday shows.

“Candy’s rare combination of shrewd insight and healthy irreverence for the games politicians play has made her one of the most honored political journalists and a cult figure among CNN viewers,” network president Jon Klein said in a statement. “Every Sunday she’ll translate Washington-speak into plain English that every American can understand, as she has been doing better than any reporter on the beat for decades.”

“To me, Sunday morning is a sweet spot—a weekly meeting place to bring the hopes, worries and questions of everyday Americans I talk with along the campaign trail to the people I talk with in the Corridors of Power,” Crowley said. “Add to those conversations, interviews with A-team experts and international heavyweights making sense of global issues and what you have is interesting, relevant information. I can’t wait.”

King launched the Sunday show last January, and used it as a platform to not only speak with political leaders and pundits, but also travel to all 50 states.

When I recently spoke to King, he said that the next host will put their own stamp on "State of the Union." That might be easier considering that Michelle Jaconi, the show's executive producer, will head to King's new still-unnamed program, allowing Crowley to select her own EP.

Crowley, a favorite in the Washington bureau, has been with the network since 1987. According to the release, she's covered the presidential campaigns of Pat Buchanan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Howard Dean, Bob Dole, Jesse Jackson, Edward Kennedy, John Kerry, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, among others." She's reported for television from every national politcal convention since Jimmy Carter's.

She'll take over the gig at a precarious moment, as critics are quick to say that the old Sunday show model -- or perhaps just the usual assortment of guests -- is out of date in today's new media world. That said, others contend that the idea of a politically astute host grilling a public official doesn't go out of style, evident in the fact that "Meet the Press" remains the longest running show on television.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0110/Crowley_gets_SOTU_jo...

toniD's Ya Think?

Submitted by dan on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 3:16pm.
sheesh, didn't you watch any westerns when you were growing up. shirley you're familiar with the phrase:

we'll give you a fair trial and then we'll hang ya

===

we have nine years of pent up frustration over a terrorist attack that killed 3000 people. a tremendous effort was expended to cover up and whitewash everything about the attack (no tin foil needed until you start coming up with reasons why). do you seriously think anyone is going to come out and suggest that KSM isn't guilty?

»
========================
========================

Is that too unique a way to use that log jam of frustrated energy?

Sure could use to get to the bottom of 9/11; sure could use the information that would be gained by Following the Money....yes?

Submitted by toniD on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 2:59pm.
...More shocking, is Paulson's contention that prior to the collapse, neither he nor other administration officials had any idea how housing debt was structured in various Wall Street creations. Paulson has said that he discovered all of this in the midst of the crisis. Prior to the collapse, his department had done a study of housing and concluded there was no problem...
----------------
This is not shocking to anyone who has followed the debacle in the aftermath. Save for one female journalist (whose name escapes me, but she was not even a Street-savvy journalist...she was merely following a trail) and one whistle-blowing trader with a Greek name (Google it, I'm too lazy), NO ONE had an overview of the lambyrinth of mortgage derivitives that were created in a quest for new ways to make a buck.

The housing bubble was obvious to some analysts but they assumed that the mortgage structure beneath it was well-documented and unchanged from previous years.

The same is true of the "credit card" economy that fueled consumerism and the GDP with personal debt: The birth of plastic credit created something that grew very big and very bad in baby steps over many years.

The problem is that no regulatory group exists that can track and analyze the sudden or remarkable growth of existing investment instruments, or red flag the sudden appearances of new investment instruments. It would require savvy people and clever software to sift through the millions of investments occurring around the globe daily, and to link the trends together month-to-month and year-to-year.

If such oversight exists, the second problem is empowering somebody to say "No!" within a short time frame. The "free market" folks will scream that legitimate profit-producing ideas are being quashed. The valid response is to say that we can afford to lose a few profitable ideas in the effort to prevent harm to our society or economic meltdown.

The U.S. market and, indeed, the global market is never going to crash because a few derivatives or credit vehicles or widgets are outlawed along the way.

I'm pretty sure he called him a bully for pressing ahead with certain prosecutions...and pretty much stated he got his just desserts...I'm almost 99% sure...and one of the few times I totally disagreed with his summation...

You might be interested in hearing today's Fresh Air broadcast about a new book "The Quants". The author and Ed Thorp are both interviewed.
----------
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123209339

'The Quants': It Pays To Know Your Wall Street Math

In 1962, Ed Thorp became every gambler's favorite mathematician when he published the first mathematically proven method for beating the dealer at blackjack.

Thorp's work revolutionized the game. But he went further: In 1967, Thorp devised a system that uses math and computers to predict the future of the stock market. His hedge funds and his personal portfolio have been profitable ever since...

Volcker rule unlikely to move forward in Senate, lawmakers say

By PK Semler in Washington

A proposal by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker to limit bank’s proprietary trading will be either be dropped or significantly modified in the Senate, lawmakers and staffers told dealReporter.

Senate Banking Committee ranking member Richard Shelby (R-AL) said he opposes the so-called Volcker rule and the Obama administration’s call to levy a USD 90bn tax on banks. His comments come as House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) predicted the proposals outlined by President Obama could be law within six months.

Speaking to this news service on Thursday, Shelby said if Democrats push forward with the proposals they risk unravelling much of the bipartisan support already reached regarding the passage of financial regulatory reform in the Senate. Shelby said that the Obama administration risks losing Republican support for the bill if they begin to “politicise” the issue.

However, Shelby said he expects to hold a meeting with Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) regarding the way forward on regulatory reform in two weeks time. A Democratic banking committee staffer confirmed that the meeting between Dodd and Shelby will be critical as Dodd needs to determine the level of bipartisan agreement and the timing of bringing the bill through committee and on the Senate floor.

With the election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate, the Democrats no longer have the necessary 60 votes to force through a Regulatory Reform package, and any bill will need at least some Republican support to pass. A Dodd staffer said the senator is likely to quietly drop or modify many of the recommendations in the Volcker rule to ensure Republican support for regulatory reform.

The Democratic staffer said there is an ongoing debate among members of the banking committee about whether the Volcker rule would effectively push risk out of regulated markets and thus ultimately create more risk to the financial system.

Dodd told this news service on Thursday that the banking committee will begin mark-up of the financial regulatory bill in the near future and his committee will hold a committee meeting on the Volcker Amendment on Tuesday with Volcker and a follow-up hearing on Thursday.

Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat on the banking committee from Virginia, also said he has concerns regarding elements of the Volcker rule, many of which are already being dealt with by the committee. He said that one of the problems is in the definition of what constitutes proprietary trading and that regulators should be more proactive in determining what constitutes excessive risk taking by financial players.

Warner also said that the prospective Senate version of the Kanjorski amendment passed by the House also includes using capital adequacy standards to reign in excessive risk taking by financial institutions and that such an approach gives regulators greater flexibility.

A Democrat committee staffer said the Senate committee is loathe to include statutory capital adequacy standards included in the House bill and that such standards should be determing by regulators.

House Financial Services Subcommittee Chairman Paul Kanjorski told this news service he is only 80% to 85% in agreement with the Volcker rule and that many issues raised by Volcker are already included in his amendment passed by the House.

Warner blamed much of the political storm connected to regulatory reform on bankers. He called Goldman Sachs’s proposal to lend USD 500m to small businesses over a five-year period derisory, and said banks need to come out in front of the issue regarding compensation.

Warner said he is proposing that US banks set up a USD 1trn fund to invest in US infrastructure projects as a way to avoid the USD 90bn bank levy. A staffer said that Warner is not calling for the banks to place USD 1trn in cash, but to raise such an amount through leverage.
...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/76c55844-0f4b-11df-8a19-00144feabdc0,dwp_uuid=...

toniD's Ya Think?

Have to go set up the polling place for tomorrow's election.
Luckily it is in the meeting room of my apartment complex so I don't have to drive.

Later

toniD's Ya Think?

Friend told me at length about this book and his book review was engrossing, and I feel moved to pass on some of the info.

The book is--

Operation Last Chance: One Man's Quest to Bring Nazi Criminals to Justice by Efraim Zuroff, Chief Nazi Hunter, Simon Wiesenthal Center (copyright 2008, 2009, Palgrave/Macmillan, ISBN:978-0-230-61730-8)

The book goes over the history of what happened to the Jews in Europe at the hands of Nazis and Nazi collaborators and the work to research and record the individuals responsible and bring them to justice. The books is broken down by country where the events happened, and countries to which perpetrators of atrocities immigrated. The author covers previous work as well the work he has been a part of.

The book is shocking, of course, because the Holocaust is always shocking. In addition, the book reveals several additional shocking aspects faced in the post-Holocaust efforts to bring Nazis to justice:

o The ease with which Nazis immigrated to many countries, including Britain, Australia and the U.S.

o The lack of cooperation, stonewalling and refusal to capture and prosecute Nazi war criminals by many nations

o The official refusal of countries to admit that atrocities happened in their countries

o The numbers of victims killed in huge massacres that occurred outside the death camps -- in forests, cities, rural areas

o Due to this lack of cooperation, only a handful of Nazi/collaborator perpetrators have been brought to trial

o The Nazi points of view that led to the Holocaust are not dying with the aging Nazis of WWII, but appear in aspects of the Neo-Nazis today

I never realized how Nazis and collaborators have escaped justice with the aid of those in positions of power in government.

odd
Submitted by thereasonist on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 2:24pm.
Didn't Sam Seder hate Elliot Spitzer?
Calling him a bully..bye bye scumbag?
http://www.samsedershow.com/node/5632#comment-393060

no, reasonist, i don't think so
new Submitted by mire on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 3:24pm.
i don't recall sam calling spitzer a scumbug; i would find that surprising, even though he might have used that language for somebody else f'sure
http://www.samsedershow.com/node/5632#comment-393073

Mire...
Submitted by thereasonist on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 4:10pm.
I'm pretty sure he called him a bully for pressing ahead with certain prosecutions...and pretty much stated he got his just desserts...I'm almost 99% sure...and one of the few times I totally disagreed with his summation...
http://www.samsedershow.com/node/5632#comment-393081

Seder on Sundays 3-16-08 during which he talks about the Spitzer news event. I am listening to the program now and will let you know if he makes some sort of comment to that effect. Gee, its GREAT TO HEAR HIM. :O (((((SAM))))))

If somebody can tell me how to upload the mp3 file I'd be glad to do so.

Also, Sam filled in for Thom Hartmann and addresses the issue on March 11, 2008. I don't think I downloaded that show or at least can't find it in my computer.
Sam on Ring of Fire addressing Spitzer's return--albeit to political commentary.
http://www.ringoffireradio.com/BlogEngine/?tag=/sex

I am leaning toward Mire's recollection.

Oooooo Sam just laid out ranting fool caller Lou on the oppression of Palestinians.

and he will eat for a day,

because by tomorrow he will have forgotten how.

~`ordinary's just not good enough today - olp`~
Jamesbenet

Blue Roots Radio

Teach a Nigerian to phish
and he'll email for years

He's talking about the California state legislator who has introduced a bill to legislate for Jesus, to make a law to protect the will of God, to give churches the protection of law to discriminate against those seeking marriage....

Karel -- listen live online 3pm to 6pm Pacific--

http://www.green960.com/pages/karel.html

can read the same books over and over again and not know it...

http://www.presstv.com/detail.aspx?id=117557&sectionid=351020201

and ready to go. We've got 3 Dem judges and 2 repub judges this time.

The polls open at 6 AM, I have to be there at 5 AM.

Primaries usually aren't as busy as regular elections so it's going to be a long day of just sitting there.

I don't think I'll do primaries anymore.

toniD's Ya Think?

ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN {or anyone} - IS CRIMINAL and should be judged accordingly!
re: Alice on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 6:51pm.
/|\)0(

I rec'd an email today from ChangeCongress.org urgently requesting everyone to contact their reps to push for passage of the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826/S. 752).

Not only do this, but pass it around.

Tell your representatives to work to pass the Fair Elections Now Act

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the nation will deliver a harsh blow to the "global arrogance" on this year's anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

"The Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race, which was trapped in the dead ends of materialism," Ahmadinejad said during a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

"If the Islamic Revolution had not occurred, liberalism and Marxism would have crushed all human dignity in their power-seeking and money-grubbing claws. Nothing would have remained of human and spiritual principles," he added.

Ahmadinejad said that in the three decades of its history, the Islamic Revolution had inspired some great developments in the world.

The Iranian president made the remarks as the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution approaches.

Iranians are expected to pour into the streets on February 11 to celebrate the occasion in public rallies across the country, as they have done annually over the past three decades.

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117545&sectionid=351020101

a cryptic threat by Ahmadinejad to the global powers.

toniD's Ya Think?

Obama Seeks $1.9 Trillion Tax Rise on Rich, Business

Source: Bloomberg

Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) -- The Obama administration wants to increase taxes on Americans earning more than $200,000 by almost $970 billion over the next decade and take in an additional $400 billion from businesses even as it retooled a proposed crackdown on international tax-avoidance techniques.

The budget released today would reinstate 10-year-old income tax rates of 36 percent and 39.6 percent for single Americans earning more than $200,000 and joint filers who make more than $250,000 as part of a broad $1.9 trillion tax increase proposal. It proposes to eliminate preferences for oil and gas companies, life-insurance products, executives of investment partnerships and U.S.-based companies that operate overseas.

“The administration proposes to restore balance to the tax code by providing tax cuts to working families, returning to the pre-2001 ordinary income tax rates for families making more than a quarter of a million dollars a year, closing loopholes, and eliminating subsidies to special interests,” the budget says.

In all, Obama proposed $143.4 billion in new tax cuts for individuals who earn under $200,000. While the budget sets out $93.5 billion in gross tax reductions for businesses, overall they would face a net tax increase.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aGJUjvI.Bdw8&pos=1

toniD's Ya Think?

Plan to oust Saddam drawn up two years before the invasion Updated at 4:24 PM

Source: Independent UK

Secret document signalled support for Iraqi dissidents and promised aid, oil and trade deals in return for regime change

A secret plan to foster an internal coup against Saddam Hussein was drawn up by the Government two years before the invasion of Iraq, The Independent can reveal.

Whitehall officials drafted the "contract with the Iraqi people" as a way of signalling to dissenters in Iraq that an overthrow of Saddam would be supported by Britain. It promised aid, oil contracts, debt cancellations and trade deals once the dictator had been removed. Tony Blair's team saw it as a way of creating regime change in Iraq even before the 9/11 attack on New York.

The document, headed "confidential UK/US eyes", was finalised on 11 June 2001 and approved by ministers. It has not been published by the Iraq inquiry but a copy has been obtained by The Independent and can be revealed for the first time today. It states: "We want to work with an Iraq which respects the rights of its people, lives at peace with its neighbours and which observes international law.

...

Ed Davey, the Foreign Affairs spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said the document called into question Mr Blair's evidence and should have been made public before his hearing on Friday. "A plan to back Iraqis seeking to oust Saddam may have been far less damaging and certainly more legal than what happened. Yet it shows that Blair's intent was always for regime change from an early stage and before 9/11," he said. "Yet again, it seems that critical documents have not been declassified, hampering the questioning of Blair and others."

* Tony Blair is to be recalled by the Chilcot Inquiry to give further evidence, according to The Guardian. It claims that Mr Blair will be questioned in both public and in private after the panel raised concerns that his evidence relating to the legality of the invasion conflicted with that given by the former Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/plan-to-oust-saddam-drawn-...

toniD's Ya Think?

Submitted by maggiesboy on Mon, 02/01/2010 - 7:36pm.
Not only do this, but pass it around.
-------------
Bait: "What is sex with chlamydia, Alex?

maggiesboy: "Who's Chlamydia?"

Bait: "Anybody's."

maggiesboy: "I woulda gone with 'The Tattooed Lady'."

[singing together]: "Chlamydia, Chlamydia, have you seen Chlamydia? Chlamydia the TAT-tooed LAY-deeee."

Bait: "You're flat."

maggiesboy: "You ain't exactly Mae West neither."

Bait: "That's it for us, folks..."

maggiesboy: "...don't forget to tip your waitresses..."

Bait: "...and annoy cent."

maggiesboy: "Hey, that's not part of the act."

Bait: "I have outside obligations."

Thank You, Justice Alito

Posted on Jan 31, 2010
By E.J. Dionne

Watch: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/thank_you_justice_a...

The nation owes a substantial debt to Justice Samuel Alito for his display of unhappiness over President Barack Obama’s criticisms of the Supreme Court’s recent legislation—excuse me, decision—opening our electoral system to a new torrent of corporate money.

Alito’s inability to restrain himself during the State of the Union address brought to wide attention a truth that too many have tried to ignore: The Supreme Court is now dominated by a highly politicized conservative majority intent on working its will, even if that means ignoring precedents and the wishes of the elected branches of government.

Obama called the court on this, and Alito shook his head and apparently mouthed “Not true.” His was the honest reaction of a judicial activist who believes he has the obligation to impose his version of right reason on the rest of us.

The controversy also exposed the impressive capacity of the conservative judicial revolutionaries to live by double standards without apology. ...........(more)

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/thank_you_justice_alito_20100131/?ln

toniD's Ya Think?

Good things coming!

"this machine kills fascists"

I tried to access the YouTube Q and A with Obama today. YouTube kept giving me a blank screen that would do nothing.

Tonight I tried to access a recording of the Q and A. All I can find are clips.

Clearly I am doing everything wrong and nothing right. Any ideas?

toniD's Ya Think?

Its videos are top notch

"this machine kills fascists"

Schumer's Approval Plunges in New York
A new Marist Poll in New York finds Sen. Chuck Schumer's (D-NY) "once rock solid approval rating has taken a slide. For the first time in nearly nine years, Schumer's approval rating has fallen below 50%."

Just 47% of registered voters statewide report Schumer is doing either an excellent or good job in office, while 31% rate the job he is doing as fair and 17% view him as performing poorly.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/21-schumer-approval-rating-at-lowest-level-...

toniD's Ya Think?

The Acme Full Body Condom

Gillibrand Stays Ahead of Ford
The latest Marist Poll in New York finds Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) leading Harold Ford (D) among likely Democratic primary voters, 44% to 27%.

http://maristpoll.marist.edu/21-does-ma-spell-trouble-for-ny-dems/

As Chuck Todd tweets, it's probably not a big enough lead to keep Ford out of the race.

http://twitter.com/chucktodd/status/8507135058

Double digit lead isn't enough? Come on Chuckie, he'll never make it in NY. Who's the bigger idiot? Ford or Chuckie?

toniD's Ya Think?

Palin Used PAC Money to Buy Books
Sarah Palin "has been using her political action committee to buy up thousands of copies of her book, Going Rogue, in order to mail copies of the memoir to her donors," ABC News reports.

The former Alaska governor had her PAC spend more than $63,000 on what her reports describe as "books for fundraising donor fulfillment."

The Hotline notes Palin's PAC spent more money buying copies of her book than it gave in contributions to political candidates.

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/01/palin_used_pac_money_to_buy...

toniD's Ya Think?

Why It's So Hard to Cut Unemployment
Though the economy grew at a 5.7% annualized rate last quarter, the AP reports that economic growth "would have to equal 5% for all of 2010 just to lower the average jobless rate for the year by 1 percentage point."

"And economists don't think that's possible."

"Most analysts say economic activity will slow to 2.5% or 3% growth for the current quarter as the benefits fade from government stimulus efforts and from companies drawing down less of their stockpiles. That's why the Federal Reserve and outside economists think it will take until around the middle of the decade to lower the double-digit jobless rate to a more normal 5 or 6%."

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/02/01/why_its_so_hard_to_cut_unem...

toniD's Ya Think?

http://samsedershow.com/node/5633

"this machine kills fascists"

Big box retailer Target has already won accolades from greens for being out front in stocking sustainable fashion and phasing out toxic PVC plastics from products. Now, the Minnesota-based company has announced that it has eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen and smoked seafood offerings in its stores nationwide.
This announcement includes Target-owned brands -- Archer Farms and Market Pantry -- as well as national brands. According to a press release, all salmon sold under Target-owned brands will now be wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Sushi featuring farm-raised salmon will be wild-caught salmon by the end of 2010. "In consultation with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Target is taking this important step to ensure that its salmon offerings are sourced in a sustainable way that helps to preserve abundance, species health and doesn't harm local habitats," according to the release.

Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/target-farmed-sal...