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Here’s the Sunday Talking Head line-up. Some interesting choices — see what you think:
C-Span’s Washington Journal: 7:30am – Jim Vandehei, The Politico, Executive Editor; 8am – John Saltsman, Huckabee for President, National Campaign Manager; 8:30am – Eleanor Glynn Kjellman, NH Military Families for Hillary Clinton, Chair; 9:00am – Roy Englert, Attorney, Arguing Case for Kentucky’s Lethal Injection Law; Ty Alper, Attorney, Arguing Case for Death Row Inmates.
ABC’s This Week: Mike Huckabee (R), John Edwards (D), and Mitt Romney (R). Roundtable: Sam Donaldson, Donna Brazile, Cokie Roberts, George Will.
CBS’ Face The Nation: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ).
CNN’s Late Edition: Mike Huckabee (R); Rep. Ron Paul (R), Gov. Bill Richardson (D); Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S.
Fox News Sunday: Mitt Romney (R), Mike Huckabee (R).
NBC’s Meet The Press: Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), Steve McMahon (D), Mike Murphy (R), campaign strategists.
The Chris Matthews Show: Dan Rather HD Net Global Correspondent, Katty Kay BBC Washington Correspondent, Andrea Mitchell NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Patrick Healy New York Times.
CBS’ Sixty Minutes: Roger Clemens; The Executioner – Boston mob triggerman John Martorano; Pakistani President Musharraf.
Today’s gorgeous photograph of a great blue heron at sunset comes to us from Peeance Freeance. Just beautiful, isn’t it?
(H/T Elliott and twolf1.)
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mornin
http://www.sundaybaroque.org/listen/listen.html
John Edwards is really hitting all the notes for this dem
Morning,
Anybody seen Scarecrow this morning?
Astonishing photograph.
Yes, he’s outstanding in his field.
707!
no doubt about that….
The SubPrime crisis was avoidable Alan Abelson of Barron’s the WallStreet Journal’s Saturday paper was reporting on this before Katrina when they interviewed Stephanie Pomboy and she was recommending Gold in the interview and commenting in 2005 about home equity loans.
“More importantly, home-equity loans, where much of the marginal growth in credit has taken place, have slowed dramatically in recent months. The annualized growth slowed from a record high of $150 billion to $70 billion.”
http://www.andongkim.com/artic…..arrons.htm
NJ lawmakers back giving electoral votes to popular vote winner
The Senate voted 21-12 on Thursday to approve legislation delivering the state’s 15 electoral votes for president to the winner of the national popular vote, though the measure could result in the electoral votes going to a candidate opposed by Garden State voters.
Good Morning Christy!
What a gorgeous image to start off the day *s*
MM thanks for your debate take in the last thread, nicely summed!
A nice collection of photographs:
http://www.durhamtownship.com/portfolio/index.php
I love that photo.
Good Morning.
You’re welcome. We’re very fortunate to have such a strong selection of candidates considering the mess that they will be walking into.
It will be hard for Bush and Alan Greenspan to say that they don’t read the WallStreet Journal’s Saturday paper Barron’s, it would almost be like saying they don’t watch Fox News.
As to the payday lenders, they’re enjoying a truly big payday: Their 33,000 storefronts exceed in number the outlets of McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s combined. In 2006 Stephanie was pointing out what a good run payday loan companies had, first gold then payday loans
” The top five payday lenders — America Cash Advance, Cash America, Dollar Financial, EZCORP and ACE Cash — do an aggregate $2.3 billion in revenues; that’s 50% more than they did a scant three years ago. Stephanie muses, though, that perhaps business is too good and “it’s just a matter of time before their embarrassment of riches attracts the attention of the regulators.”
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/…..ts_di.html
So while Bobo Brooks was saying in 2006 that Bush was not getting credit for his economy gold and payday loan companies were doing great and people were worried about a credit crisis.
Although to be fair Stephanie got it very wrong when she suggested going long on Subprime lenders and add to positions at Fannie Mae.
At this point, Stephanie suggests, investors might do worse than to short, and certainly underweight, the stocks of credit-card outfits, while going long subprime lenders; short the shares of regional banks and mortgage brokers and go long or add to positions in Fannie Mae,
Hi TCU,
Re:
But you miss the point. From the perspective of Allan Greenspan and the bankers who profitted in the billions from the securitization of funky home loans the scam was a complete success. You see, after the dot.bomb bubble burst and $7 Trillion disappeared from the stock markets there was a potential for a troubling malaise in the American economy. The answer was to drop the FRB discount rate to 1% and let nature take its course. And nature was directed to drop mortgage rates to unprecedently low rates for a couple of years which had a huge multiplier effect on the home construction, furnishings and appliances industries. It was win-win-win. But it was also a free lunch that could not possibly last.
The fact of the matter is, the banks are now in the business of putting a gun to the heads of sovereign lenders who are in fear of a global recession. It’s a beautiful thing for the bankers. They won’t even miss a year’s worth of bonuses, on average, while they find new and beautiful financial creations to continue the game, albeit with a minor hiccup as about 2 million American families are tossed out of the American dream. But fear not, these were never the designated winners anyway. They were just the designated suckers in this game.
Yes, Alan Abelson may well have predicted the ultimate collapse of the mortgage Ponzi scheme in 2005. Heck, that wouldn’t be remotely oracular. Even I was predicting disaster for the mortgagees back in 2003 when it became obvious to me that the FRB was manufacturing yet another bubble designed to maintain obscene levels of profits for bankers whose endless creativity has produced a continuing cascade of finacial fiascos.
Fear not, the crisis we see with the subprime meltdown is nothing compared with what the central bankers are now stuggling against. The utter lockup of the credit markets could occur at any time. This is the meaning the recent flurry of sovereign loans to commercial banks. This is something worth knowing more about.
***
For those with a taste for “hair’s on fire” style gonzo journalism about the dismal science, let me recommend the Mogambo Guru. He’s sure to make you squirm a bit in your seat, if you are a sentient being.
http://www.dailyreckoning.com/…..oGuru.html
Beautiful photo to wake up to this morning, Christy. Thank you! ;-)
Good morning Christy and Firepups.
That picture is spectacular, fiery and so serene. Kudos.
Yes the healthcare crisis was avoidable, just like $100.00 barrel oil….. Interesting take on Healthcare reform. Ties Massaschusetts and California together. Please note the list or organizations in Cali? How many are tax exempt public charities? The same thing has taken place in Massachusetts. I wonder if people can see through this charade.
“The common denominator is expanding and entrenching the role of the insurance giants who are largely responsible for the current morass by transforming our nation’s health from a system that delivers care to one that has become a funnel for higher profits, usually made by denying care.It’s time to stop expecting the insurers and the market will solve a crisis that continues to financially benefit them.”
http://www.guaranteedhealthcar…..omment-592
http://www.guaranteedhealthcar…..th-reform.
The importance of what is taking place is being ignored and obsured…. Now the government mandates health insurance while doing nothing about the escalating cost, using the taxe code to achieve compliance.. while most entities in the process enjoy tax exempt status, except for , the taxpayer? What a deal for America. Just like $100.00 barrel “Executive Oil” Our leaders have done a fine job of protecting America with sound economic policies over a 50 years period…..
Good morning all. Beautiful photograph as well as those at the durahamtowship site. It’s a little deflating to those of us who work in oil paint and watercolor.
speaking of health care plans
the City of SF was challenged by the sleasy a-swipes of the Restaurant Association and in the 9th District Court of Appeals..the judges made fun of the restaurant owners and it is likely the city’s health plan will stand.
Rich with a nice little wrap-up.
Could somebody explain the link thing? It used to be simple, now I need to know VB to use it ;)
I admire people who work in paint. I can never mix the color correctly or apply it to the surface in any sort of manner that looks good.
Straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Who knew that Mike Huckabee could even spell Foreign Affairs, let alone get them to print Mike’s folksy advice on how “America needs to be a good neighbor“
Bush will try and blame Democrats for the state of the economy in his State of the Union Address and then demand more tax cuts. As if his party had not already given him everything that he asked for as far as tax cuts they don’t work. Alan Greenspan gave Bush the Subprime housing bubble to juice the economy temporarily and at great future cost which we are only starting to see the effects of now.
The Democrats can give into Bush again for all I care, because any change in the economy now will likely take 6 months to be noticed by regular people. Which would make the bad decisions Bush makes now our own November Surprise.
But if Obama and Hilary do not want to be the next Jimmy Carter who gets stuck cleaning up G.W’s mess they will stop Bush now in the Senate. It’s time to see if our candidates have any foresight or understanding of the economy.
On a Personal note I like Jimmy Carter (higher MPG for cars money for alternative energy) but I think that he got blamed for the economic problems that other people caused.
Type in the words that you want the link to say, for example an article headline. Select what you just typed, choose the chain link icon and the dialogue box appears that you paste the the url into.
Good morning all. I guess we are all debated out, but I did want to report that the MSM are saying that Romney took the greatest no. of hits. And if you missed them, on DKos there is a wonderful summary of the Repub. Debate by a nine-year old. See if you can guess who Wrinkles, Sarge, Carrot Face, Oily and more are before you get to the bottom. his summing up statement, who won the Repub debate is worth the price of you internet provider’s fee. It is on the recommended list.
not as beautiful as the Blue heron, but a nice way to start the day.
Which starts here in a serious deadline way. Visit you all tonight.
Thank You.
Re:
What I’m doing here is to type my text that I want to hyperlink from, then hilight the text with the cursor and finally to click on the chain-link symbol in between to the double-parens symbol and the non-functional (on this puter) ABC spell check symbol.
Clear as mud? HTH :)
Frank Rich today on the phenom that is Obama and Huckabee
PeteCo, thanks for steering us to this column!
(((Christy!)))
I’ve noticed that Huckabee is a ‘Jesus’ Christian, as opposed to a ‘Wrathful God’ Christian. He’s going to collect up a lot of Lost Sheep, imho, when the full Depravity of Bush’s Secret Torture Program causes the rank and file Goopers to recoil in Fear.
Romney? Guiliani? They have it in them, imvho, to order Torture, just like Bush.
But Not Huckabee.
The More Bush’s stock falls with the Goopers, the better Huckabee looks as a safe harbor from incoherent violence and hateful aggression.
You’re welcome.
That’s great.
Remember when George Bush campaigned on (drumroll)….”a more humble foreign policy.”
If Ghouliani gets the nod, it’ll be All Torture, All The Time. For Everyone.
Kinder, Gentler fascism.
George Crosstalk Conservative Bush never met a phrase he couldn’t corrupt.
And
Love your beautiful picture selection, Christy! There is something about those sun’s comin’ up it’s gonna be a great day colors that just inspires.
testing
Thanks, MM.
“But you miss the point. From the perspective of Allan Greenspan and the bankers who profitted in the billions from the securitization of funky home loans the scam was a complete success.”
I perhaps should focus more on how criminal and self serving these actions were. But what kind of loser can only make money by cheating other people out of their money?
Build a good business, sell product, and investors should run to your door. War profiteering, Insider no compete deals, intentionally creating economic bubbles is a Pump and Dump scheme as well as a Ponzi scheme.
But making a legal case on these matters is beyond my abilities.
I know that you, me and many people here thought that Bush’s economic plan had no clothes predicting that was easy.
But still we have GOP talking heads trying to create public support for economic positions that so far have only brought us ruin.
Which is why I am trying to do some push back against their lies.
You’re welcome solai. I find this new way easier.
Huckabee is a ‘Jesus’ Christian, as opposed to a ‘Wrathful God’ Christian. He’s going to collect up a lot of Lost Sheep, imho, when the full Depravity of Bush’s Secret Torture Program causes the rank and file Goopers to recoil in Fear.
Romney? Guiliani? They have it in them, imvho, to order Torture, just like Bush.
But Not Huckabee.
The More Bush’s stock falls with the Goopers, the better Huckabee looks as a safe harbor from incoherent violence and hateful aggression.
You are right, save for one caveat. We are dealing with appearances. We don’t know the depth of one’s soul in the way that Dubya could look into the eyes of Putin and tell he is a good man. /s IOW, its all theatre. But, you are right that the appearance of the conditions you describe do exist. Your point is valid, but don’t forget Hucks attack ad on Slick Romney – Huck accused that Romney didn’t kill enough convicts. Personally, I believe that Huck would steal the pennies off a dead man’s eyes, but that’s beside the point.
Re:
Indeed I do. And I also remember reading Molly Ivin’s wonderful biography “Shrub” about the same time. Which basically alerted me to the horrors ahead for the nation should we be so dumb as to elect the sociopathic Governor of Texas to the White House. Frankly, I was a bit shrill on some of the bulletin boards of that era, telling people that the devil was about to descend on the White House and the smell of sulphur was going to oppress us.
One of my fondest memories of that badinage was getting a couple Bush women (i.e. GOP loyalists) to get mad as wet hens when I posed this question to the forum:
“Who is the biggest welfare queen/whore in America today?” Why, Barbara Bush, of course. She’s got more government pensions, contracts and special side deals flowing into her’s and her family’s coffers than any other woman in America!
I wonder what a look at the Bill Frist style *cough* blind investment trusts
will show about every GOPer from Bushie on down to Mark Foley. Did the Bushies trade like they believed in Bush’s economy or perhaps they traded ahead of insider information on the economy.
Drive by for now. Lot’s of snow on the ground at Alta and another foot or expected during the next 24 hours. I’m off to stretch class for now but shall return. I’m just delighted that the lodge’s wireless works in my room this year, on my new computer. Couldn’t get it to work with the old one & had to hang out in the business center to get connected. Great improvement.
“Who is the biggest welfare queen/whore in America today?” Why, Barbara Bush, of course. She’s got more government pensions, contracts and special side deals flowing into her’s and her family’s coffers than any other woman in America!
Great quote wish I wrote it do you have any links or facts backing this up?
I am not doubting you I just want a good laugh:)
Sitting through the Republican portion of the debate last night was painful for me, and although I believe Huckabuck is a nut, he came across as the most human of the lot of ‘em.
Ron Paul had a shot at it but got ridiculed so much by the other I think he lost his credibility. Seemed to me they were trying to discredit him like the Dems did over Kucinich’s UFO remark.
Republican ideaology dictates that Public education be dismantled and destroyed forever. One way to help to push it over the cliff, would be to invest the Florida Teachers’ Pension fund in the tanking Enron company. JEB did exactly that.
This is good news I can’t recall all the times I went to work sick with a handfull of tissues to cook at some fast food joint. Flu season is not the time to eat out.
I live in Texas and knew what a tinhorn moron he was. But I had no appreciation of how malevolent Cheney was or the influence of the neocons. I simply thought we would have to get through four years of embarrassment and ineffectual government.
I do believe I just heard McCain say to Russert that he met with an Al Qaeda type recently and asked him how they succeeded, and they said…
WTF?
Re:
Steve Schwartzman, chairman of the Blackstone Group increased his net worth by well over #1 Billion last year. He paid no income tax. His organization is involved in corporate restructurings, i.e. firing thousands of loyal long term employees and stripping them of their pensions and benefits as well as ending their careers. Republican. Winner.
Mitt Romney, worth $500 Million. Made his money on similar “rationalization” schemes that ruined a lot of people’s futures. His family is secure. Republican. Winner.
Henry Kravis, infamous partner in KKR, Kolberg, Kravis and Roberts. His vast fortune is acquired by employing the money in pension funds to destroy on-going American businesses with harsh restructurings. The butt of a Brave New Films Campaign. Hardly ever has a tax burden because of extremely complex tax avoidance strategies. Republican. Winner.
So who are these “losers” you’re talking about. In today’s fast paces world of predatory capitalism, the more sociopathic you are, the more you hurt others, the more likely your GOP peers are going to label you a WINNER!
Epiphany Sunday. Some symbolism in that for the times?
Frank Rich alludes to something that I think is under the radar of the noses of the Beltway crowd, too. People want change, yes, but they also don’t want us going any further off the precipice now. There’s still work to be done to not just change the presidency in a year, but to stop the current course before it gets any worse. I blogged about this in my Saturday “column” [is there an I-word for something that’s more column than blog? but I digress]…and I think that’s part of the whole change phenomenon.
Which might serve notice to some Congresscritters about their current strategerie of obstruction and enabling….you listenin’, “moderate” Republicans? Experience, incumbency ain’t gonna save you this time….
I predict the levee’s going to break totally on the Republicans this year at every level. Harruuuuummmmmph, will go have my blue-berry topped oatmeal now.
*sigh*–MTP is on now in my vicinity, but I just can’t summon anything to tune it in…sorry, no early bird reports this Sunday.
Congratulations to Huckleberry for the best imitation of the 2000 Humble Foreign Policy Guy. This type of folksy, hip, compassionate Christian made Chris Matthews swoon
with a serious crush 7 years ago. Huckleberry does have more charm, which he will use to destroy science and murder moslems.
Doesn’t that lineup seem (R) heavy?
predatory capitalism oooohhhhhhhhhhh, good one.
Charlie Gibson’s defense of the Bush tax cuts for the rich was pathetic. With a certain 7 figure salary his class loyalty was laid bare. Not only is the problem in Congress, the Executive, and judicial branches but in the traditional media as well. I look forward to the day when candidates begin to question and aggressively turn the tables on these elitist hit men for the status quo.
See insider dealing Enron gave tons of cash to Bush.
The GOP could not be more wrong about public school my dad the son of an immigrant went to the Chicago Public schools got a good job and then moved us to the burbs.
You first need an education and then a job to move up.
Re:
I’ve just done a back of the envelope calculation. Barbara is just one degree of separation from her husband’s pension, her son Jeb’s Florida pension and within a year George, Jr. pension. Plus full time Secret Service protection, plus full time forever offices supplied by the Federal government, plus free flights on government aircraft, plus other staff, plus other stuff. She’s the Queen Bee, and don’t you forget it! Because you are paying for it. Or maybe your kids will be stuck with the bill.
Why would anyone ridicule Ron Paul? He’s a serious candidate!
“Huckabuck is a nut, he came across as the most human of the lot of ‘em.”
Christians like Huckabee are seductive: people are drawn in by the “God loves you and so do we” frame, but after entrance find out that means “If you give us 10% of your pre-tax income and live as we tell you God wants you to… .”
*shivers* evil dressed warm and fuzzy
I’ve always viewed the attack on the public school system as an attack on the ability of anyone except the rich to improve their social and economic standards. I think the growth of the middle class really began to take place after adoption of widespread public education.
Morning all — having coffee here, and waiting for the cinnamon rolls to get out of the oven. It rained overnight and we lost the last of our snow. Much happier birdies on the feeders this morning…
Parasites are winners but if we let too many parasites feed off of our society they will kill US the host organism or leave us weak and enfeebled compared to what we once were.
A smart parasite does not sicken or kill the host, a smarter parasite provides something of value to help the host thrive and of course spread more parasites.
What video game did they steal the music from for that video?
I agree completely!
Re:
Hmm, seems to me you might have it backwards. While I’m a registered Democrat, I’m deeply impressed with Ron Paul and his stalwart defense of the Constitution and his persistent attack on the wasteful and frankly criminal military in this country.
This might turn you into a Paul supporter. At least it moved me further into agreement with the Paul REVOLUTION! I like that concept better than a lame “Department of Peace”.
The only thing wrong with Ron Paul’s message is that too many blockheads aren’t listening to his wise words.
Wow, the launch of a giant phallic symbol with a kid squatting and watching. Gives me chills.
When Jane posted it last week, somebody commented that it was from Final Fantasy, which makes it even funnier. The concept of editing appears to be lost on whoever made this video.
I was wondering more about her degree of separation from all the questionable loot her family made Savings and loan bailout for Neil, Bush 1’s cut of Iran Contra profits, Bush 2’s no bid contracts to friends, Enron rewarding Bush for letting them jack up power rates in California.
I’m sorry I should have said corporate Welfare Queen.
Re:
We’re getting very close to a full-stop panic on the part of the punditocracy. Charlie Gibson isn’t the only Village playboy who is beginning to act annoyingly like the schoolyard bully he is. David Sirota write eloquently about the increasing loss of their grip on reality that Village scribblers are suffering.
A pretty reliable gauge of Establishment fear is how far away from factual reality its chief spokesmen stray at election time. With economic populism now driving both the Democratic and Republican presidential contests, professional political pontificators in Washington are attacking candidates for being crazed and angry – when in fact their own rhetoric shows it is the pundits who are the angriest of all. An uprising is on – one against the hostile takeover of our government by Big Money interests. And inside the walls of the Washington palace, the ELITE are FREAKING OUT…
website…>
Charlies Gibson who was proud to admit on the Ipus show that he was too stupid to cover the Libby trial…the issues are just too complicated to understand he mused
Sorry, I can’t buy that. Ron Paul and Iran are a case of a broken clock being right twice a day. If, like libertarians, you believe that government has no role in promoting the general welfare, you’ll be right foreign adventures, gay marriage, and a few other things. You’ll be wrong, in my opinion, on any program where government attempts to maintain equal opportunity, ranging from public education to interstate highways. Ron Paul has been running for various public offices, including the Presidency, for decades. It’s only Iraq which caused more than a few people to listen to anything he has to say.
The only thing wrong with Ron Paul’s message is the Racism
Correction: Iran should read Iraq.
IRT Barbara Bush, let’s not forget her infamous contribution to the Hurricane Katrina charity that stipulated that the money go to her son’s educational software company.
Has Romney’s remark about if 47 million Americans don’t buy health insurance, it’s their own fault? That one brought me up out of my chair.
Ron Paul’s position regarding womens’ reproductive rights and his rhetoric regarding the dismantlement of social services is a huge turn off to progressives. His isolationist-styled meme is somewhat appreciated. Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.
Sorry:
Has Romney’s remark about if 47 million Americans don’t buy health insurance, it’s their own fault? rec’d any comment?
That one brought me up out of my chair.
George McGovern rocks!
Re:
I’m a huge fan of author Chalmers Johnson. His position is that the American Empire is already in decline. You can certainly see the signs of it. The U.S. Treasury is clearly in huge trouble with hyperinflation the most likely way that the greedheads at the FRB will see fit to use to destroy the middle class, end pension guarantees, stiff our sovereign bondholders and utterly discredit this nation. Then again, we certainly have enough residual strengths in agriculture, resource extraction, energy production and some remnant manufacturing that we won’t go kaput like the Mongol Empire of the Soviet Union. We’re more likely to go the route of Britain as it lost its Empire after the First World War and eased into a ripe old shopkeeper’s existence by the 1950s. And we’ll have plenty of wars to help the historians make a living by writing about ridiculous new campaigns that will be even more ruinous to our finances than the insanely wasteful Iraq adventure.
Oh, it’ll be an interesting era before the U.S.’s megalomaniacal nationalistic pretensions are finally put to rest.
So I just noticed something funny. Since the Boston TV stations reach into New Hampshire, we’ve been inundated here with campaign commercials for several weeks. I just now saw the first Ron Paul commercial. I’ve seen commercials for all the other major candidates (except Huckabee and Giuliani) dozens of times. These two I understand–Huckabee has no money, and Giuliani has written NH off.
But Paul is raising huge quantities of dollars–is he planning to spend them? I would think there are very few states as receptive to his libertarian message as one with a license plate reading “Live Free or Die”, and few places where the media return per dollar is quite so high. (A solid second or third place finish for Paul would be much cheaper, and do lot a more for him now, than anything that money could buy in Florida). His first NH commercials run 2 days before the primaries?
What’s Paul waiting for?
Oh, there’s a lot more wrong with it than that. I really need to dig up the (recent) quote where he was asked about corporate regulation and said he believed that corporations should be allowed to do whatever they want. I think it’s a much harder case to wriggle out of than the racism, since it’s pretty much a core part of his philosophy.
Babs don’t wanna pay no stinkin death tax. You know the inheritance tax that was designed to prevent the re-establishment of Dynasties? The extremely wealthy Rethugs hate that idea – they love their own dynasties. Right Babs?
I want bigger government I want more food inspectors to crack down on food from China and America. I want public schools to help regular people get ahead in life. Private schools gave us Bush.
I think racism would doom Ron Paul. I think that he is right about ending the war. I like that he is at least talking about the problems that we have with the economy even though I disagree with him on some points.
I think if the GOP had any sense Ron Paul would just on his antiwar stance would be the toughest GOPer to beat. But if he goes third party against the GOP well he hasn’t brought anyone new to the GOP. As compared to the Dems who had record numbers turn out in Iowa. Obama, Hilary and Edwards all had more votes than Huckabee the GOP winner.
So a third party move by Ron Paul would split off the 30%er vote and give us a huge win.
The guy is clearly a dangerous lunatic, and those misguided enough to give him any credence need to be appraised of his positions. I’d appreciate any links that highlight his extremism. What these fools don’t seem to understand is that if you dismantle government, the inevitable end result looks like the Sudan.
You know which feature I miss most? “Qoute this comment”. I know it was hell on the servers but it made this site unique. And it added imensely to the conversational flow. Can we get it back? Pretty Please?
Heh, heh! They simplified it! They cut out one unnecessary step. Now, instead of asking if what you’ve highlighted was what you want, you simply highlight the words that will lead to the link, hit the link icon, paste the address (or type the address) into the box, and voila, link accomplished. It’s true. Try it; it works!
Thanks, I got it. For a while I felt like I was trying to write script in VB. Overthinking it.
Re:
Frankly, I’ve looked into this and I don’t like the hate I’m reading on Daily Kos and other politically correct websites.
One of my pet peeves is that so many so-called “liberals” can be so damn narrow minded.
Let’s face facts. Ron Paul is never going to be President. But he is certainly a valiant crusader for preserving civil liberties, for rationalizing our foreign policy and for general self-reliance, all of which I think need a lot more emphasis in America today.
The petty attacks on him for supposed evils are simply undignified and underhanded.
There is a certain nobility to Ron Paul’s conception of the nation. I’m not sure I can say the same about some erstwhile “liberals” who seem to have misunderstood what this nation is all about. I’ve attended far too many Democratic Party Central Committee meetings where I’m forced to endure complainer after complainer whining about what entitlement they should be getting from the big teat in the sky called government. Frankly, these people appall me. Just not quite as much as the corporate welfare whores who control the GOP.
Wow, this sounds like good news for the WGA.
I find it fairly simple to copy and paste the part of a comment I want to “quote” and reply to.
There must be a reason the powers that be took away the “quote this comment”, yeah?
Georgie is gonna broker some peace in the Middle East this week! Here he is getting ready to leave:
http://whitenoiseinsanity.word…..5yyunu.jpg
(a picture from my archives and not a blog post) Yessiree! The Big Baby is on a mission!
What’s the with the California Raisin line-up on ALL the Sunday shows?
The Oligarchy Strikes Back?
-G
GregB, you cracked me up last night. Your humor is needed…everyday! Remember that. It’s your daily homework from now until election day. ;-)
FRB? “like the Mongol Empire of the Soviet Union. ” The Mongols were great free trade, paper currency, the Soviet Union though was and is now an oil driven empire just like in the 70’s when oil prices were also high and we all worried about the Soviets higher oil prices are making Russia strong again.
If peak oil theory is real then we will have a problem with Russia again.
Especially if we don’t work to cut our dependence on oil.
The free market has let Ford and GM have decades to prepare for higher oil prices. Given the situation in the Middle East nobody can say that they thought low oil prices would last forever, another war was bound to break out.
Either Ford and GM start producing Hybrids or they will go out of business. Or government can get involved and in the national interest force them.
Right on cue “Azzam the American” levels threats at George Dubs….
‘See how brave George is!’
-G
Fond memories of how the Republicans mocked Bill Clinton’s Middle East peace efforts
during his last year in office.
Yeah, that GOPocalypse was low hanging fruit.
I’ll keep it up just for you.
-G
Remember how ‘desperate’ Bill was!
Oh these people.
-G
LMAO! Well, the Big Baby is on it!
Reliable Sources host gives guest [Dickerson?] opportunity to discourse on the way press covers candidates–or fails to cover them. Dickerson does major mea culpa on getting the Huckleberry story wrong, insulting the folks in Arkansas…mentions who’s up who’s down, who’s written off, who’s….well and my, my aren’t we surprised…the name John Edwards never comes to mind.
Media puppets still intact to the corporatocracy fingers…
But then there’s the Bloomberg factor. Will he or won’t he? And if he does, what then??
35 years ago attempts where made to address these issues. Executive oil and its bedfellows won. This is why we are in the f*cking mess we are in!
Natural Selection Corporate T(r)eason and “Executive Oil”
Keep US addicted to OIL Walk a mile for a camel or cross an ocean for a barrel of oil. Instilled needs by corporate design, brainwashed minds…
You mean aside from the fact that it eats up an enormous amount of bandwidth?
Broder will need a change of clothing.
Re:
I’m 100% in favor of isolationism. If I am correct, in 1935 the United States maintained military bases in fewer than one dozen foreign nations. Sure, we were the most outrageously interventionist bastards imaginable in Latin America, but we had only the Philipines bases in Asia, none in Africa and none in Europe. This was the age when retired Lt. General Smedley Butler wrote his famous book, “War is A Racket“. Funny thing is, it still is today.
In the 1930s the vast preponderance of Americans wanted nothing to do with the madness of European wars. Only Presidents and military men looking cynically at their career opportunities were promoting war. One of the largest NGOs of the era was “America First“, which had a strict view about isolationism being in the best interest of the nation. And oh how the militarists of that day hated America First, just like George Bush hates CodePINK today.
And where are we at today? We have over 700 military bases in over 120 nations. And we dare to delude ourselves that we are “not an empire(TM)”. What a joke. Of course we are an empire. The sad thing about our incompetence though is that we may be the first empire in history to completely fail to steal enough from the victim nations we’re attempting to loot to put any money back in the nation’s treasury. The Republicans are working so many scams, so many tax angles and so much outright fraud that they are simply draining the nation to pay for George’s Folly in the Land of the Two Rivers. What fools Americans are to put up with the utter incompetence of a thief like George Bush who is completely ungrateful to the people of this nation who are offering up blood, sweat, tears and treasure to George’s army of treacherous, lecherous cronies who are enjoying their ex-pat fortunes beyond the reach of the nation’s tax collectors. What a profoundly idiotic situation this nation finds itself in.
I found this comment over at CQ Politics. One viewers reaction to rhe repubs mocking Ron Paul:
Jeez, this might take a while;
“But he is certainly a valiant crusader for preserving civil liberties”, Except when he votes against the re-authorising the voting rights act of 1965.
“One of my pet peeves is that so many so-called “liberals” can be so damn narrow minded.”
Yes, it is narrow-minded to find statements like “By encouraging Americans to adopt a group mentality,” (Paul) writes, “the advocates of so-called ‘diversity’ actually perpetuate racism. Their intense focus on race is inherently racist, because it views individuals only as members of racial groups.” offensive.
I could go on and on. Go back and read all of this and follow the links. If 20% of all the sources cited are accurate, that’s more than enough to consign Paul and his buddies in Stormfront to the dustbin of obscurity, where they belong.
*707* allan!
Noticed somewhere this morning that Obama and Edwards teamed up on The Hillster. If they pair up officially . . . . just askin’.
BTW, in Minnesota (my Wobegon state), a special election last week found a relatively long-shot Dem defeating a long-time Republican pol. This gives the Dems a veto-proof majority in the state Senate. A consummation devoutly to be wish’d with our Repug gov. Message: This is possible! And essential in U.S. Congress.
The levee is cracking already….
CNN announcing it will re-broadcast the ABC debate tonight.
The Robert A. Taft Club, a group headed by a man with a network of racist connections, has announced that a U.S. congressman, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), will address the group this Thursday at a restaurant in Arlington, Va.
The Taft Club is led by Marcus Epstein, who serves as the executive director of both white nationalist Pat Buchanan’s The American Cause and the Team America PAC, which is run by Buchanan’s sister, Bay Buchanan. Epstein writes for the anti-immigrant hate site vdare.com and he advocates for white supremacist organizations. He is especially fond of American Renaissance — a white supremacist journal that has suggested that blacks have “psychopathic personalities” — and attends the journal’s biannual conferences. In 2006, Epstein invited the head of American Renaissance’s parent organization, Jared Taylor, to speak to the Taft Club on the issue of “Race and Conservatism.”
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2…..faces.html
Its kind of hard to sell Ron Paul when he gives talks to white supremacy groups. Being politically correct would be to be quiet about this issue.
People are people judge them by their actions and ideas not because they are part of a certain group. Groups that dismiss people for no other reason than they belong to a certain group are the exception because they want to take away the rights and freedom’s that they enjoy from other people.
Its funny to watch GOPers attack immigration when Mitts lawn gets cut by immigrants, its funny to see MSM talking heads preach about immigration and then go out to eat steaks that were slaughtered at meatpacking plants by immigrants . Served to them and cooked at restaurants by immigrants, and the salad and fruit plates were picked by immigrants.
How many GOPers invest in companies that they know hire immigrants, like WallMart?
I’m all for cutting military bases around the world first and then in the states. I don’t think we need a Great Lakes naval base to protect us from Canada anymore.
What a crock! The man wants to get rid of the Dept. of Education, and many others, the IRS, the income tax (possibly to be replaced by sales taxes, which are harder to deal with as you get poorer) because it’s called a consumer tax, and has a lot of other crackpot policies he recommends. He has several things that I like among these more wacky ideas, but I will not vote for a president simply because he understands the Constitution (we all should!) or because he advocates legalizing marijuana. This guy is a protectionist, some say an isolationist, and won’t do much for our foreign policy or anything else, as far as I can tell. I think on balance he would also turn our society on it’s ear as much a GWB has. I want change, but not his brand. (I believe he thinks government should get out of the business of protecting us from bad meat or toys because it’s not a proper function of government? It’s a function of the “free market!” How do you like them apples!)
EPU’d again. I read Frank Rich’s article in which he barely mentions Edwards and says nothing about the media blackout on him or the vast outspending that Obama and Clinton did over his spending. It’s disappointing for all the good points he did make to do the same blackout as the rest of the media on Edwards. Here’s the story on that media blackout.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo…..142/431084
Just saw McCain on MTP explain what he really meant by saying we might be in Iraq 100 years. He needed to clarify that while we’d be there, our people wouldn’t be dying-the Iraqis qould be doing that. We’d just be there. Like in Japan and Germany. People believe this guy’s bullshit because you have two governors rumim’ against him who know zip – and one of ‘em seems proud of it.
Paul’s personal biography and adherence to his principles seem admirable and criticism often has an unwarranted nastiness. However, I believe Paul’s libertarianism became unjust and impractacle with the industrial revolution. Ultimately, I think a democratic government is the only force which can maintain any possiblity of equal opportunity to a descent standard of living. Anything else is essentially social darwinism.
If you’ve ever played the game Risk, it’s fun for about 45 minutes. After someone gains the upperhand. It goes on forever with no real chance of anyone else winning. Unless government ensures equal opportunity and hope, ultimately the only resort for hopeless masses is revolution.
Oh my
I just heard John Edwards make news. He said he’d not quit, that he’d be there through the convention
Go John!!!!
Bloomberg is a businessman so I’m sure he will steal GOP votes they like businessmen, but in a down economy how many Dems will want another businessman? The only way he can take our votes is if the Center Dems allow him to out Left them on the issues. Which in some areas at least is Ron Paul’s plan.
I think you missed what I was referring to. Ray Duray @ 68 said “The only thing wrong with Ron Paul’s message is that too many blockheads aren’t listening to his wise words.”
I think Paul and those who support him are wankers, basically. I don’t support any of his positions. He’s a nasty little fascist prick. Am I making myself clear?
To clarify further, the link I posted in that comment goes to multiple other links highlighting everything that’s wrong with Paul. The fact that he has documented connections with known racist organisations was just a jumping off point.
Jeez. That’s embarrassing. I give myself a D on spelling and punctuation and shut up for the day.
At the rate they’re pumping spent uranium shells in the great Lakes, I would not be so sure about that!;-)
Re:
Hey, well that sounds might white of those Iraqis. Real stand-up fall-down-dead kinda guys.
Re:
OK, then. So you are in favor of the Iraq War? Just sayin’… cause Ron Paul is mostly known for his opposition to that war, y’know.
I would also like to clarify. I did not mean my comment to be a personal affront to PeteCO, but it was meant to apply to several other posts that tried to show Ron Paul in a very favorable light, like he might be a serious consideration. I referred to Pete’s comment strictly because of the words
I thought they would give a great opportunity to rail against some of the other things I found wrong with Paul’s message.
RayDuray is the one who seems fixated on Paul’s value as a really good candidate. I hope not too many others will be fooled into believing the quack. And I’m sorry PeteCO, I didn’t mean to insult your intelligence.
It looks like McCain may be suffering a loss of Indy votes that are heading towards Sen. Obama.
Love it.
It’ll leave McCain and Romney in a death match in South Carolina.
Obama just picked up the endorsements of Bill Bradley and former VA Gov. Doug Wilder.
-G
Thank you, I appreciate it.
No, I’m supporting Obama,who is also against the war. I see in your comment at 108 that you seem to be arguing that isolationism is always a good thing, including the example of WW2. Do you really think things would have been better for the US if the Soviet Union had defeated the Germans, overrun all of Europe, taken control of Britain’s colonial possessions, and captured Werhner Von Braun and Heisenberg?
Not so much.
They succeeded because Bush FBI, Bush Condi, and Cheny -Addington, of course Bush and Rudy 912 were asleep at the switch. Rudy 912 not only sacrificiced firemen by not correlating radio frequeci but he was warned that NYFD was infiltrated and AQ had building plans to the inferiorlly built WTC. No NYC sky scrapers are being built that way now.
CIA was atually deliverering good intelligence,and Cheney was modding it to meet his specifications which were a disaster.
Bush’s insipidly stupid reading of “The Little Goat” after being informed that this county was under attack, and the FAAs incompetent response were a metaphor for why this government failed.
McCain has known that for years.
saw a very good talk by an author name of Zubin , author of Energy Victory, today on cspan2 and he talked about how we won ww2 because we had gas for trucks, planes, tanks, etc. while the germans didin’t after we blew their supplies up. literally the germans ran out of gas. i’d never heard that before. thought it was interesting.
the book sounded interesting. he’s all about mandating cars that use any fuell and then letting the market provide various alcohol based fuels. total independence from oil. he says that’s the only way to defeat terrorists. liked the guy’s philosophy, a scientist.
Yeah, but McCain’s point included the Al Qaeda guy answered that they succeeded because of Abu Ghraib and something else I can’t remember. My point was, how could he have met recently with an Al Qaeda guy?
Morning.
He looked very good in the debate last night, but…
I have to Grin so *g*–Cokie Roberts was turned into a recalcitrant intransigent Republican after 911.
He won’t be able to overcome the Obama surge. It’s the surge that’s working, the one in Iraq that your Democratic Congress will NEVER do anything about is the failure politically, and actually on the ground. The MADI army has simply rested, biding their time.
All of the Edwards hopefuls, and the still Hillary hopefuls are ignoring a very real sociological phenomenon. The vast majority of voters are not at all like firepups. Sophistication is one word to use. They are not the committed, well read, steeped in politics and history for years, very engaged campaign watchers. They aren’t political junkies. Firepups are the poster child for political junkies, and I mean that in a good sense.
So momentum matters hugely for the bell shaped curve of peoples that are going to decide these contests (some caucuses, most primaries) that are going to rain down through Super Tuesday February 5.
When that avanlanch kicks in, most of the bellshaped curve is not going to be thinking individually with the components in the equation that you and the rest of the firepups will be, many of whom are active workers for a candidate like John Edwards.
The sociologist Roger Watts, at Columbia University calls this “cumulative advantage” phenomenon. The bell shaped curve starts thinking “Hey–all these people can’t be wrong.”
It’s already palpably evident in the MSM and the talking heads on the Sunday Morning shows; I’m watching it on Tweety Mathews this second. I’m not a fan of most talking heads or mainstream media because they are so frigging short sighted normally on issues like the Iraq war, and particularly Congress and they never understand or get how the federal court system works, or the impact of say 240 Bush appointees which you have in your lap already.
But this phenomenon has started. And what you will be saying very soon, is that you hope your man Edwards will accept VP to Obama– a decision he will be confronting very soon.
Hillary people are beginning to switch their allegiance to Obama, and some of the bellshaped curve who would have voted for Edwards, and certainly not firepups who are for him, will be switching to Obama as well.
Note that Tweetie Bird Mathews’ talking heads are already picking Obama 12-0. That’s my phenomenon working. This is early and they’re already drinking the “cumulative advantage–hey all those people can’t be wrong” Koolaid.
I took your point. I don’t know who McCain claims to have met with. I respect what you said, but could he have meant an AQ expert?
The Bushies and CIA have probably met with some Taliban in Pakistan, in addition to trying to infiltrate them there and in Afghanistan.
The Bush effort in Pakistan has been a failure along with his spending billions of your dollars.
I don’t know, I’m not sure if I misheard or just misread what I thought he said. Guess I’ll just have to wait until they have the transcripts up or watch MTP again to see if I just blew the quote in my mind. Sometimes when you’re listening with one ear, and you’re here with the other part of your concentration, what you’re hearing can easily get a little distorted. I was hoping someone else watched and could verify, but no one bit, so…
Ann-
It’s interesting. Later, I’ll try to run it down also if I can and get back to yu.
Ann–
I dvr’d MTP and between getting my dog to the doggie park (3 football fields big that are fenced), and cking out the football playoffs I’ll try to watch too.
When Russett got onto the subject of staying in Iraq for 100 years my blood began to boil. St. McCain said, well we’ve been in Japan for sixty years and have bases all around the world. My question has been and still is, why are we in Japan, Germany and other countries when they don’t have bases in our country? What purpose does it serve draining our dollars from being put to better use here in America? This is exactly the point Ron Paul made yesterday while the rest of his fellow R’pubs snickered and made faces.
Why throw billions away if not trillions over the years into countries acting as the worlds policeman? Just doesn’t make sense, when those dollars could be put to better use here at home in areas like education and rebuiding a crumbling infrastructure.
But as usual, the MSM never really gets around to asking aything other than soft ball questions and not holding a politicians feet to the fire.
Explain the FAA incompetent response. Having been an ATCS for 36 years, I’m not sure what you see as FAA incompentence.
Here is exactly what was said from the transcripts:
My question is, does that make sense; does it ring of truth?