By: twolf1 Friday January 2, 2009 4:59 am

Happy Friday everyone!

Here’s a brief rundown of what’s happening in the news on the second morning of 2009:

Gaza death toll climbs to 414 as Israel continues air raids. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vows to use "iron fist" against Hamas.
Israel allows some foreigners to leave Gaza — possibly an ominous sign of an impending ground invasion. Palestinian Islamists vow revenge.
Nine Muslim passengers were kicked off an airplane at ~~Washington~~ Reagan National Airport after making "suspicious" remarks. AirTran officials refused to rebook them even after the FBI had cleared them of any wrongdoing.
Paulson partially blames emerging markets for the current credit crisis. "A lot more needs to be learned about global imbalances."
No settlement reached after Russia cut off gas supply to Ukraine.
Josh Bolten and Stephen Hadley reflect on their time serving under Bush.
Scientists say that the decline of coral growth in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a warning sign of bigger changes yet to come.
A witness that was sent home from the Ted Stevens trial has died.
Who wants Guantanamo detainees? Apparently not Australia or United Kingdom.

Spotlight 42 Comments

42 Responses to “Morning Swim”

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 5:04 am

Nine Muslim passengers were kicked off an airplane at Washington Reagan National Airport after making “suspicious” remarks. AirTran officials refused to rebook them even after the FBI had cleared them of any wrongdoing.

I guess we haven’t gotten very far since 9-11

Waccamaw January 2nd, 2009 at 5:07 am

In response to Elliott @ 1

Well, we’ve come “very far” indeed………if you classify “reverse” as a direction. ;-)

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:07 am

Bank of America absorbed Merrill Lynch yesterday. Wells Fargo also absorbed Wachovia. Look for fees at the 2 megabanks to increase shortly. We’ll be back to Wachovia’s idea of paying to do business with a live teller soon. Thank goodness for credit unions.

foothillsmike January 2nd, 2009 at 5:07 am

Josh Bolten and Stephen Hadley reflect on their time serving under Bush

Please pass the koolaid
435 hrs & 53 min

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:09 am

17 an’ a hook.

Bilbo January 2nd, 2009 at 5:18 am

In response to Elliott @ 1

Nine Muslim passengers were kicked off an airplane at Washington Reagan National Airport after making “suspicious” remarks.

Apparently, the “suspicious” remark was, “Wow, the jets are right next to my window”.

And the AirTran spokes-scum has the gall to say,

“At the end of the day, people got on and made comments they shouldn’t have made on the airplane, and other people heard them,” Hutcheson said. “Other people heard them, misconstrued them. It just so happened these people were of Muslim faith and appearance. It escalated, it got out of hand and everyone took precautions.”

I’m sure that if they men hadn’t been wearing beards and the women headscarves they would have been treated in the same way for making this “suspicious” remark.

Disgusting.

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:22 am

In response to Bilbo @ 6

AirTran and Southwest have gotten into the habit of removing Muslim passengers from their aircraft. The next rationale will be, “He/she looked at me in an evil manner.”

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 5:26 am

twolf, is that Harry Reid in the video?

twolf1 January 2nd, 2009 at 5:26 am

In response to Elliott @ 8

No, it’s Hairy Reid.

OhioPuppy January 2nd, 2009 at 5:28 am

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert vows to use “iron fist” against Hamas.

Luke Cage unavailable for comment.

Waccamaw January 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 am

In response to SouthernDragon @ 3

Thank goodness for credit unions.

Amen, brother! Listening to Washington Journal right now with a speaker on union organizing, the word “union” attached to “credit” suddenly hit me in the face.

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 5:30 am

In response to twolf1 @ 9

LOL!

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:33 am

In response to Waccamaw @ 11

This is a great time for union organizing. It is possible for unions to make pension plans for workers that are well run and will benefit all workers. Add single payer health care to the mix and workers can control more of the production in our country.

eCAHNomics January 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 am

Boy that WaPo article on Hadley & Bolton is a fluff piece of the highest order.

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:37 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 14

WaPo at it’s finest.

twolf1 January 2nd, 2009 at 5:43 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 14

I especially liked the ending:

Bolten said another of his goals when he took over was to try to get the country to see the likable boss he and other aides saw in private, convinced that would boost Bush’s popularity. “I failed miserably,” he conceded. “Maybe in the beginning of the sixth year of a presidency, that’s a quixotic task. . . . But everybody who has actual personal exposure to the president, almost everybody, appreciates what a good leader he is, how smart he is and, especially, how humane he is.”

Hadley invoked Bush’s 2000 campaign theme in summing up the president’s personal qualities. “He has got this great compassion which was not just a slogan, ‘compassionate conservative.’ It is who he is. It is one of the great things he brought to this office,” Hadley concluded. “This is the one thing that just drives me crazy, that somehow this is an arrogant administration, an arrogant president running an arrogant policy. This guy — one thing he is not is arrogant.”

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:43 am

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 5:45 am

In response to twolf1 @ 16

These guys are blinded by the aura they built around their fearless leader.

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 5:51 am

In response to SouthernDragon @ 18

they are blind, that’s for sure …

tw3k January 2nd, 2009 at 5:53 am

In response to twolf1 @ 16

Ah, nothing like seeing the world through bush coloured glasses.

eCAHNomics January 2nd, 2009 at 5:55 am

Heh. Victory in our time. It took me only 15 minutes to find my allen wrenches, but I finally found them in the 2nd to last place to look in my garage, after looking everywhere in my basement. Now my portable computer stand is all tightened up and I am set for 2009!

tw3k January 2nd, 2009 at 5:56 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 21

sweet.

Happy New Year all you Fire-in-the-belly-dogs!

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 5:58 am

In response to tw3k @ 22

Happy New Year to you there

tw3k January 2nd, 2009 at 6:01 am

In response to Elliott @ 23

y ty ee

eCAHNomics January 2nd, 2009 at 6:02 am

Oh phew, I’m so relieved that Mrs. Clinton is soon to be in charge of Palestine-Israel diplomacy. Surely everyone in the ME will shortly be safe and living in peace. /s

I can hardly wait for the disinformation in the next segment of WJ on the State Dept.

SanderO January 2nd, 2009 at 6:04 am

In response to SouthernDragon @ 3

I suspect that people will begin to move away from the big banks and use debit cards / cash back as opposed to atms for cash to avoid the idiot ATM fees.

Talk with your wallet.

SanderO January 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 25

WOW we gonna see some hill work in the ME. This will be her stepping stone to hell.

WarOnWarOff January 2nd, 2009 at 6:05 am

In response to OhioPuppy @ 10

“Iron Fist” is how Hitler’s rise to power was described.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Leo_Snyder

How appropriate.

tw3k January 2nd, 2009 at 6:06 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 25

Hey eCAN, are you in the city? If so want to grab a cup of coffee some time?

Beerfart Liberal January 2nd, 2009 at 6:06 am

thought Australia was taking some of the Gitmo crew. Guess not.

eCAHNomics January 2nd, 2009 at 6:09 am

In response to tw3k @ 29

I’ve been spending most of my time in the country.

I should arrange a city meetup sometime soon in the city. Don’t think I have your email. Do you have mine? If so send me yours, if not, I’ll post mine.

tw3k January 2nd, 2009 at 6:11 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 31

I’ll be in the city until the 16th. :D

tw3k dot net AT gmail dot com

RevBev January 2nd, 2009 at 6:14 am

In response to SouthernDragon @ 7

What is your source about Southwest?

Good Morning, Sorry I missed you earlier….and yes, it is going to be 80 degrees here (TX) for today, then colder tonight. I can live with 80 and smile.

Doesn’t the coverage from Bolten, et al, remind us again of the delusional years we have been experiencing…Hope for the future, please.

Elliott January 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 am

Cyber-Security Cash Cow, Anyone?
Christy’s up

eCAHNomics January 2nd, 2009 at 6:16 am

In response to tw3k @ 32

You have mail.

ironranger January 2nd, 2009 at 6:20 am

The “trapped dog” vid above makes me think of our Dems in Congress for some reason.

nomolos January 2nd, 2009 at 6:27 am

In response to eCAHNomics @ 14

I think there ought to have been some sort of warning about not drinking hot tea while reading and really it has to be read on an empty stomach. What a bunch of bloody twits, do they honestly think that people will believe that twaddle?

NIce on the litany of nasties from twolfUno huh.

barbara January 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 am

This MN Swede believes it’s time for an all-encompassing gesture as we endure 18 more days of Current Occupant and Darth.

SouthernDragon January 2nd, 2009 at 6:28 am

In response to RevBev @ 33

Mornin’. Drive by on the way out.

A number of incidents at Tampa International reported in the local news. They’ve gotten quite the rep here for treating passengers of all types shitty. A number of lawsuits have been filed against them here.

Colour me gone. *poof* (stole that from mfi)

Namaste

RevBev January 2nd, 2009 at 6:32 am

Yep, Barbara. Less that 3 weeks…can we wait? And maybe the big celebration will also include one for MN. Looking good, isn’t it?

bobh January 2nd, 2009 at 7:45 am

Justice Roberts is bellyaching about judicial pay. Isn’t that a strong argument for not giving the Supreme Court anything? That maybe, just maybe, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas might find the private sector attractive?

acquarius74 January 2nd, 2009 at 8:31 am

I opened the DIGG.

Sorry but the comments are closed on this post

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