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Nope, nothing to worry about here…
The good news is that it looks like the Senate has agreed on a stimulus bill that can pass. The bad news is that it’s been watered down by about $140 billion. What got cut? This is probably a pretty good early indication:
Eliminations:
Head Start, Education for the Disadvantaged, School improvement, Child Nutrition, Firefighters, Transportation Security Administration, Coast Guard, Prisons, COPS Hiring, Violence Against Women, NASA, NSF, Western Area Power Administration, CDC, Food Stamps
*****************************
Reductions:
Public Transit $3.4 billion, School Construction $60 billion
But wait, it gets better:
Increases:
Defense operations and procurement, STAG Grants, Brownfields, Additional transportation funding
So… more money for Defense (‘cuz they’re always last in line when money gets handed out, poor bastards), at the expense of children and the poor. Fantastic. Not only is this a failure of basic humanity, it’s a failure of economics as well. For all the Republicans’ and conservative Democrats’ wailing about all the "wasteful" and "un-stimulative" spending in the bill, none of them see any problem with the $300 billion in tax cuts, despite the fact that they’re roughly one-fifth as effective as those food stamp increases that just got whacked.
These cuts to the stimulus aren’t economics, they’re conservative politics: "You don’t want the government taking your hard-earned money and giving it to Those People, do you? It should be given to the corporations so they can create more jobs!" These wankers would rather let us spiral into another Depression than give kids and poor people even a fraction of the compassion they gave the pirates and clowns who got us into this mess.
Look at the graph. Jobs are Wile E. Coyoting off the cliff, and after eight years of letting Bush throw money away on Iraq and upper-bracket tax cuts, Republicans and Connecticut-For-Liebermans decide that now is the time to suddenly care about fiscal responsibility again. Just like I predicted when Obama helped push through the Wall Street bailout. America’s well-being be damned, Republicans just want to make sure everyone knows their place, right to the bitter end.
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Unanimous consent by the republicans will hold the vote up until Monday? I just heard that on Maddow’s show.
Sheesh.
Probably the only way to get a substantive bipartisan spending bill passed would be to start another war.
Glenzilla and Jay Rosen on Moyers. It’s on now where I’m at.
As for the “stimulus” hard to figure who’s getting stimulated.
War is Teh Awesome. Everyone loves war.
and of course they decided to do this after Teddy got on a plane to come back to deecee? I hope he hasn’t left yet.
The Republicans are probably frantically trying to figure out how to trigger another seizure.
Invade Arizona and save us from the new governor and her puppet masters!!
As I waxed EPU: Waitabloodyfrickinminute. If only 2-3 Repubs will vote for it, why the hell did they amend the bill to make it more palatable for the Repubs??!!? The House error all over again.
FIX IT BEFORE YA VOTE IT,DOODS.
Diaper Dave must have some short-selling planned against the DOW index on Monday morning, because his unanimous consent delay until Monday just killed the market. Someone needs to say that.
And stop calling a haircut! It’s kids’ education, damnit!@
Maybe we should award a no-bid contract to Halliburton to hire every unemployed American to
rebuildwreck our crumbling infrastructure.I thought of that too, RevDeb. Leave it to the republicans to make EVERYONE suffer! Gawd I hate them. I really do. Words can’t express how I’m really feeling. I think it’s time to protest the RNC for all it’s worth.
eli, it was half-assed to begin with. sounds like the compromise takes it to a whole new level.
I don’t think I can stand to watch this anymore.
This stimulus bill isn’t nearly enough of a corporate tax giveaway! It’s completely worthless!
Joan Walsh sez Senate Democrats have tied their own hands with the stupid filibuster rules.
Please, President Barry: Show up and use this as A Teaching Moment to cement the sepulchral R’s into their richly deserved IGNORE coffins forever!
From now on, we need to be calling republicans to bitch and complain about THEIR MESS THEY CREATED. Yes, Reid & Pelosi are pitiful, but the republicans are an abomination to our country’s well-being!
Digg it.
Can we get a picket crowd outside Vitter’s place tonight, all wearing diapers?
Like I said, I agree they shouldn’t pass this version — I just like the idea of the heaping of ignominy on Diaper Dave.
Now more than ever, I think this is the best solution.
ROTFLMAO!
That sounds fun. Wish I could be there.
Obama should have promised the Returds that he will let the Wall St CEOs raise their salaries even higher and deduct the cost of hookers from their taxes. Vitter would go for that.
BarbinMD has the Cliff Notes
Good idea, I usually only wear a diaper because I’m lazy.
I agree. The Republican set records in the last session.
Speaking of Hooker Vitter, the Godlman Sacks Madam is scheduled to be on 20/20 tonite.
Eeeeeee-ooooooooooooo!
Democrats are vulnerable to blackmail because they care about legislation and governing. So when Republicans hold a gun to the head of the law-making process, they break down and give up what they should have been fighting for. Modern Republicans are essentially nihilists so they are can’t be blackmailed. At some point Harry Reid is going to have to grow a pair and call their bluff. Or someone with a pair is going to have to take his place. If fecklessness were fatal, he’d be lying in state.
Glenzilla and Rosen are great demystifying the beltway pundits and groupthink. Do tune in to Moyers whenever it comes on where you are at.
Where is the compromise bill posted that everyone has such a negative reaction to?
Or playing astronaut.
I think it makes sense to bring Rachel Maddow down to the House & Senate to gather up the neocons and have them sit on the floor in a circle, so Rachel can explain to them the current economic situation.
hilarious. you’re almost as funny as eli @15
Turn on Moyers..The guests are great….Rosen very original, innovative
how long do we have to live through the dems’ Stockholm syndrome?
Maybe we can chip in to get them some therapy.
Anyone think this is being held up because Obama wants his 80 votes?
no.
My diaper makes me look fat. You all will have to dim your torches a bit. And keep the pitchforks pointed at the ground. Wouldn’t want anything accidentally caught on a tine.
Would she have the patience to do that? Might take many years and lotsa crayons.
And here they sit. Man, I think the D’s got played… yes, AGAIN… because now that the “compromise” has been larded with the preposterous tax cuts… and the R’s won’t vote for it anyway… and the people will tell the D’s that they shouldn’t vote for it either cause it sucks… so now the D’s are about to be in the position of having to take out the tax cuts… which the R’s will then use as a talking point against the D’s going forward. Oy gefilte.
Over and over and over again the D’s disappoint so deeply…
Bad stimulus + No bank nationalization = depression in 18 months
The republics really, really don’t care about the spending. They spent like drunken sailors (no offense, sailors, save McCrazy) for so long, it’s second nature to them. This is all about politics, re-elections and saving face in light of their huge defeat and dim horizon.
Hmm, a jerk circle.
So, wot giffs?
Bob in HI
ah, but that was yesterday’s bad stimulus. today it’s a new and improved extra-bad stimulus
The republics are deliberately collaborating in the triggering of The Even Greater Depression. It’s treason.
glennzilla and jay rosen are really, really good tonight on bill moyers.
EPU’d:
Reid kissing McCain’s butt made me think of this Anderson Cooper quote during Katrina.:
Can we cut the bullshit, please and save this country?
We have the stupidest government. The closer you pay attention, the worse it looks. And when it attracts attention, it looks even worse.
Whatever happened to “elections have consequences” anyway?
Greenwald talking about an angry website during the campaign…noting its power.
Jane Hamsher…this graph is so dramati. What a clear statement. In the face an economy in free fall they should have a $2 Trillion bill to buck up a $15 Trillion economy just in the USA… that is a 13% shot in the economy. The safety net that was cut…food stamps would have bolstered AG industry. The loss of the education package means more techer layoffs…people who get less for their education and time and effort than any worker group. The grid infrastructure is essential to alternative energy.
This bill has been gutted to a large extent. But taking food out of the mouths of children is immoral.
They kept the funding for religious schools? Vouchers? Republicans aerevermin.
And still silence at the Senate “quorum call.” What deals are being made this very moment?
The Dems never really disappoint me, because my expectations are SO low. Despite that, I reserve some faint hope that one day they’ll get their act together and do some good governing. Ain’t gonna happen today, though.
How will we know when we’ve moved from recession into depression? What’s the technical distinction? I know that a recession is something like two consecutive retractions in GDP and some other mumbo-jumbo; what’s a depression? Not the Great kind, just regular family-sized.
if a glennzilla and a Jay shout from the top of their lungs in the forest will anyone hear them?
doubtful.
Yes, they were excellent. But the villagers aren’t watching nor will they bother to.
that has been my experience.
imo, jay and glenn were talking to us – not the villagers.
Freaking Republicans are like the Water Conservation Unit of your local Fire Department, trying to buck up your spirits and lecturing you tendentiously on water conservation while your house is burning down . . .
Treason is tough to prove, but they are definitely adhering to their mantra: All’s fair in love (read:lust), war (read:ethnic cleansing) and politics (read:favorite hobby).
they can and do talk to us any old time. We don’t need to hear them. We get it.
The Democrats in Congress are a slightly less dreadful group of people than the Republicans. If they weren’t they’d have made this a worthwhile bill and stuck to their guns. They have the power to control the legislative agenda in both houses. Instead, we’re getting something that can only be called half-assed if you’re really charitable.
p.s. glenn is going to be in boston tomorrow. don’t think i can go though :(
An Ec prof told me there is no formal definition or metric for what a Depression is. Of course this was over beers and sushi at the Tokyo airport, so…
The Tumulus Bill: where good ideas get buried. Somebody’s bound to be making mounds…
Rachel’s on a tare tonight. It’s about time some one is.
One last try. What specifically is everyone here so angry/despondent about? Am I the only one who hasn’t seen the final bill?
this was the very first time i’ve ever heard glenn speak approvingly of street action. very very different than the conversations i had with him prior to the 2006 elections.
I agree and telling us to get with it, make noise, make Obama fulfill his dream, etc.
more please? (for those of us wo cable tv)
Rachel wore her lucky socks on Wednesday night! Love that. I hope Rachel wears her lucky socks everyday for the next 8-100 years. ;-)
From Wonkette today: David Vitter Goes ‘Full Wingnut’ On Senate Floor
OMG. Rachel reports that the 2010 census will be taken out of the commerce dept and be under the control of the WH. Tell me again why PBO appointed Gregg as Commerce Secy?
Hate to quote Reagan, but….”When your friend loses his job, it’s a recession. When you lose yours, it’s a depression”
That’s the problem – what they have to say needs to get beyond folks like us. Being on PBS helps a bit, but I bet not too many non-libruls were watching Moyers.
Well we know the Dems don’t like Almond Joys. Almond Joy’s got nuts.
this is much, much worse an organizing environment than during the build up to the iraq war.
The bill has not been publicized, but if you follow my second link, you’ll see that it’s from an internal memo from the Collins/Nelson team, accounting for about $80 billion in cuts. So if anything, the actual bill might be a little worse than what’s listed above.
Tweety also reporting that the bill is about 42% tax cuts now.
She’s ripping Rs shred from shred. Calling them out on “bull-pucky.”
Eli listed the areas where the $140B is to be cut in his post above. I saw it on C&L. I don’t know if the bill is in the public sphere yet. Dunno.
Ah, Balrog. You’re needed over in the senate chambers. The Republicans and Blue Dogs need a good lashing.
Bob in HI
See here. on page 2 it says depression is when real GDP goes down 10% or more. We’re on the way it would seem to me.
Now Rachel’s on Solis. Ideological battle.
I liked the part where all the Republicans were freaking out about the president’s unlawful power grab for partisan political gain.
Perilously close to Mel Brooks’ immortal “Tragedy is when I get a papercut, comedy is when you fall in an open manhole and die.”
Solis the most ideogolical battle of the year, bigger than the stimulus bill. AFCA.
excellent, thank you!
Nothing freaks out Rs more than more unions. Think back to auto bailout fight.
Fiasco.
It’s a mystery.
They just couldn’t have predicted as power-grabs are so foreign to them. /s
Unions are ready to fight back, but what about Ds?
Heh. My Q exactly.
It’s coming up in 1/2 an hour here – right now, “Now,”, with David Brancaccio (the show Moyers got tossed off during the horrible evil whatzizname PBS chair’s era).
It’s showing the “ripple effect” of foreclosures. Wish I knew more people were watching.
But, hey – here’s the point – Memphis (and other cities) are going to SUE the big banks that ruined the mortgages!!!
Where can I go to sign on to help the Plaintiffs?
Projecting their faults on others comes early in the GOP playbook.
They have *always* been opposed to unchecked presidential powers.
What happened with SEIU in California? It was distressing to see SEIU members having to picket because of the furlough. Arnold’s team needs to take a furlough before the union members. Someone dropped the ball in Cali.
Good point, we haven’t seen it. But fwiw, Tweety said it’s 40% tax cuts, 60% spending. Add that to the fact that the dems didn’t force a filibuster. If there is any time they should have been bold, this is it. And, who the fuck wanted a compromise bill authored by Liberliar.
Finally, nothing mentioned has been bold enough, according to Krugman et al. so looks like we’re basically fucked.
and today all the automakers reported record losses. The Republicans were saying it was just the U.S. unionized auto companies that were in trouble. I’m confused.
Don’t know about CA. Just reporting.
“Always” as in since Jan. 20?
Heads up, Senators returning.
I thought maybe you had a tie to the union biz.
Think back to Ronnie RayGun! IIRC he broke the flight controllers Union… Are the skies really safer ??
We needed FDR, and we got Gerald Ford.
eCAHN, what will putting the 2010 census under the control of the White House do? Just curious. As far as Gregg goes, I have no idea why Obama would want a guy who was a jackboot licker to George Bush’s policies and who is 1 degree removed from the Abramoff scandal!
You are, of course, not confused. You forgot the snark tag. Autos are one of the most cyclical industries in the economy, being the ultimate postponable consumer spending item. It’s not union wages that did the U.S. industry in (and you’ll never find me defending U.S. industry management), but the cycle. But you knew that.
If the bill really is 42% tax cuts, and the R’s won’t vote for it, then the D’s shouldn’t either since the only reason the tax cuts are there is to get the R’s votes. It’s so simple.
They’ve just changed their strategy. Haven’t you heard of parents who force their kids to chain-smoke a bunch of cigarettes so they’ll never want to smoke again?
Didn’t work.
As long as Reid and Pelosi are in charge nothing will ever be done by the Dems. Their leadership or the lack there of is what is wrong with any real progress being made in this Admin.
With her superhuman sense of timing, she should be conducting a symphony.
Palin Makes Personal Appeal To Obama For Alaska Pipeline
Quite the contrary. I was a Wall St. economist. Heh.
Here’s a start.
This half-assed “stimulus package” is tantamount to fighting a forest fire with a water pistol
Whew! Vitter just had enough time to change his diaper. They probably had to spray air freshener in the Senate Cahmber.
I can’t see *why* Republicans wouldn’t vote for it. It’s full of yummy tax cuts, the icky poor-people-and-kids stuff has been slashed, and it won’t deprive Rush of his fondest wish, to see Obama and America fail.
And yet…
nothing gets by you eCAHNomics. A stellar light on the lake.
Voting amendments next, sez Harry.
They’re frantically trying to figure out if there’s any chance it might work…
Is there no place for the optimistic any more? I feel like a troll for hoping for the best.
Who’s that speaking?
After the landing on the Hudson (union pilot), one can’t fault ATC. Did you hear the recording? Truly spectalularly heroic on all parts.
A specific event, however, does not exonerate the system. I don’t know enuf about the particulars to opine, but I pick up from the ethers that heros are in short supply and close calls are common.
Equipping firefighters with water pistols has been removed from the stimulus bill. Cost cutting, doncha know…
Their gonna vote, 2 minutes each.
join the club
Troll, Balrog, whatever…
I like Marcy Kaptur’s suggestion. If foreclosed on—squat, ie. stay there and demand they produce the note. Since so many of the mortgages have been sliced and diced into packages and pieces, there may be no legal way to produce the note.
Everything we’ve heard would have to be completely wrong for this to end well.
Either that, or some serious magic has to happen in committee.
I am angry that Susan Collins and Ben Nelson, along with Lieberman, Landrieu and Spectre, appear to have removed Food Stamps, Head Start and Education stimulus spending, along with state grants in aid, from the stimulus bill while adding barely stimulative defense spending. The “moderate” faction seems to have carved out a false bipartisan fetish that ruined the bill just enough for it not to work, without attracting enough GOP votes to make it not just a Democratic disaster.
This seems to have moved the ratio of tax cuts to actual stimulative spending to 42-58, which is way out of whack for a real stimulus.
No one has seen the bill, which is why Diaper Dave wants to wait until Monday to pass a bill.
Ha! I witnessed that in my youth. My brothers were green for days.
Leahy not happy about something about privacy in one of the amendments. Treads on SJC turf.
Before the quorom call, why did we only hear from repubs?
This half-assed “stimulus package” is tantamount to fighting a forest fire
with a water pistolby trying to piss on it!There fixed it.
thank you
It’s perfect! It’s a crappy bill that Obama and the Democrats own!
Mission accomplished!
leahy up – apparently the compromise includes a change to the privacy provision that was written by the judiciary committee.
Maddow is racking Da Bomb Khan.
He broke out of Made-off jail on papers from Pakistan.
Hmmmm, mayne a predator is not so bad a thing. No I do not want to send Jack Baur after him but selling nukes to Kim Ill for profit… sounds like he is even worse than the thugs we have on our soil.
Here is a compromise, go with the world court and have back-to-back trails of Bush/Dick & Khan.
People have been saying that about Reid and Pelosi for the last 2 years and yet there they are and here we are.
Isn’t Diaper Dave’s a barbecue chain? No wait, I’m thinking of Famous Dave’s.
That’s about the health IT part, Enzi has the change.
This half-assed “stimulus package” is tantamount to fighting a forest fire
with a water pistolby trying to piss onitus!*Now* it’s fixed.
Zero respect for anyone who takes food out of the mouth of the poor, help from the sick, and our future via education. HELLo WTF.
a 22 would do
Now Albright is talking shit about how we can shove missles up Russia’s ass and they better STFU.
Just got this in an e-mail from Americans for the Arts:
Stupid people.
We’re in for a long 4 years if this is what we have to look forward to.
The census issue is that it costs more to record minorities than others. If you don’t fund census, a Gregg anathema, then minorities don’t get counted. The federal govt financial consequences are significant. There’s data on how much a single uncounted person costs the local area in terms of both fed govt aid and US congress reps. I used to know a NYC copr counsel who argued the case (and lost) before the SCOTUS twice, to use estimation (more accurate) rather than direct count (less accurate).
To be a nasty scofflaw and as a test case, I did not respond to 2000 census in both my residences. Absolutely no consequences. No one came to my door to find out why I had not turned in my forms. That is a perfect example of why direct counting is bullshit.
The Senators have obviously spent the last hour horse-trading on the amendments. And are not quite done, finishing it up on the floor.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that.
“No one has seen the bill, which is why Diaper Dave wants to wait until Monday to pass a bill.”
Nice excuse, Diaper Dave.
He has a scheduled appointment back in his district with his personal trainer or something like that.
Bingo. And if Jack were caught I think he would take the fall. With Bush he would say “when the president does it… that means its not illegal”.
I believe that the Democrats have the “leadership” they want.
I.e., wimps who won’t force them to take any tough, principled stands, and who will support them unconditionally no matter how treacherous they are.
I have confidence that Obama will learn from his mistakes. House and Senate Dems… not so much.
…ummm assuming he were real (not sure if I am talking about Bush or 24…was Bush real… did that all happen…we shall see what Obama does)
Remember. We are a nation of idiots led by clowns.
Because Harry Reid allocates floor time, and he likes GOPs best?
All this shit will go to House-Senate conference so there is a chance some stuff will get stuck back in.
Heh. I came here to escape Republicans hating on the bill 24×7. Guess I took a wrong turn.
Tax cuts or tax refunds! Enron not only avoided paying taxes, they actually were getting tax refunds, generously supplied by taxpayers. From 2002,
It’s especially infuriating because even if you *hate* kids and poor people, helping them is still better stimulus than giving tax breaks to rich people and corporations.
It’s kind of like the torture debate – is it better to argue that it’s immoral, or that it’s ineffective? I say, both.
Who could have predicted that a Mormon might be a DINO?
Bingo. Or other stuff taken out. It’s a crapshoot.
wait till they crank it up on Obama
Oh yes, that makes more sense. Just hope it’s the clowns in Congress that approach the flames with their own privates in hand. Was going to use a more “colorful” term for “privates” but out of respect for that august body known as the Senate thought otherwise.
POST:
So… more money for Defense (’cuz they’re always last in line when money gets handed out, poor bastards),
Bingo, though some poor people do rise through the ranks of MICC (powell).
As shown with the details this is still the formula.
Keynsian is not dicredited, but MICC Keynsian is.
Close 300 – 700 bases, stop stuffing missles up other countres butts, and stop arming the planet. Spend on EDU.
Because those people don’t deserve jobs, or homes?
What the fuck is up with the Democrats? Why do they even let idiocy like that get the floor? Majority Leaders like LBJ, Mike Mansfield, and even George Mitchell must cower at Harry’s cravenness.
But it is a bit weird that he’s a boxer who hates to fight.
LOL! but you are right!
Naw, don’t worry, we all have to go to sleep sometime and will feel better in the morning. It is just disheartening to watch this farce go on.
I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if it turns out the Republicans are just yanking the Dems chain and when the time comes, every one of them votes against the bill.
Maybe you will see Moyers…a discussion about Lincoln’s strong character of compassion for people is their situations..Great example given.
Listen to the jackels laugh in the background.
Yall west coast caught up in time and space yet? KO is back on and I missed it the first time.
Oh, I can answer that!: The House Republicans are the political arm of The Ruling Class. Unfortunately, so is the majority of the Senate (both parties).
Next question?
hiya Raven!
v glad to hear you think i’m wrong. all i know is that i had no problem 6 years ago getting $3K up front to reserve a bus to dc or filling it and having to turn away more than enough to fill a second bus. for the feb 15 trip to nyc i only helped, but it was 4 buses. i was going to meetings almost every day and sometimes two (late night meetings at the colleges after the early post dinner meetings were over). we had a walkout and a teachin and weekly actions and all kinds of different things. nothing like it now.
I was away for a bit. There is no standard definition for a depression, but I think most people would agree that it is a recession plus a deflationary spiral.
Maybe his strategy is the rope-a-dope. Only works if the opponent eventually gets tired of hitting you.
Lotsa thrown bouts in Nevada in his time, don’t you imagine?
Hi Teddy, g’night. Keep up the fire.
I could use the help. But I have to say if I could take out Khan I would without pause. Spreading nukes is pure evil.
Yes, I agree. I’ve seen those bundled “mortgage-backed securities,” twenty years ago in the S&L debacle.
It’ll take ‘em forever to find the docs.
And apparently they often don’t even try, having gotten used to getting no opposition and courts paying no attention.
Did you read the case referred to the same day, maybe same thread, that the Kaptur squatting proposal was discussed here? (I’ll look for it, just a few days ago)
Anyway, it’s short, worth a read, not so legalese-y – the judge essentially reams the bank’s counsel for not even bothering to produce any of the necessary documents, and expecting the judge to rule for them.
Hey Raven. Long time.
Daddy O was NOT happy yesterday, was he?
He’s South Side. He won’t lay down.
If PBO really wanted the bill passed pronto, he would go to the Senate chamber and sit in the gallery until they got it done.
Hey, Carolyn Maloney on cspan 1, first thing out of her mouth was to quote Paul Krugman that the bill isn’t big enough.
I vaguely remember some comedian mocking the Democrats’ fighting style several years ago. Something along the lines of “I’ll let this guy keep hitting me in the face and hope that eventually he trips and knocks himself out.”
Send Biden, he can go back to the club and blow hard.
OT: I think PBO makes Obama sound like little thing.Dunno perhaps POBAMA or POTUS.
This just in.
Guy on Fox news said they got the swimming pool stuff out of the bill.
Redx
Nope. I’m watching Stone’s W.
Short version for the ignorant?
Ha, all along I thought we elected Huey P Newton. Now it turns out he’s just another oreo owned by the man.
[Mod Note; let’s refrain from terms that are considered racist by many here. Thanks.]
In look, text, and timber Obama is going back to his campaign style (KO calls it as I am pretty sure Jane did earlier today).
lol
Please tell how it is.
Wondering if I should netfilx it to see him choke on a pretzel.
but, i gotta hand it to them – it worked in november. the only problem was that the country got screwed by the Rs in the meantime.
Too intimidating. I wouldn’t have wanted shrub to do that.
She’s mine. Has been pretty good in current circumstances, but Ds still suffer from too-dumb-to-live syndrome. When I heard her on cnbc around noon, she sounded half-way articulate, but needed much more hard punching talking points.
Greenwald and Rosen and Moyers up – Oh, I love this – first thing, getting to the “heart” of why Daschle’s appointment aroused such rage – and why the media missed it.
Ooh, this is good. Gotta pay attention.
Definitely intimidating. He should do it only when he really needs it. And as I say, I don’t want the 42% tax cuts version of the bill to pass anyway.
So showing some dummass R’s sputing nonsense. Obama with his new marketing style and speeches on the Stim.
Wolfie as the first guest still pushing that its gonna be a done deal (not sur sure the last format).
The “bi-part” deal is supposed to be 730b or whatever – if it has an increase in % of tax cuts I will say shove it up their ***.
Wolfie says R’s “ARE GOING TO LOSE”. Main reason – R goven’as.
NPR was saying Obama is going out to talk to po’ Americans today and tomorrow so they have a media strat now – so what they gonna do with it (give a few 100 billion to rich folk, and a few 100 billion to fed unions, or help us all).
The good news is cutting the funding for the Western Area Power Administration part of this.
That was a good scene, but actually less important than a lot of other scenes. Yes. Netflix it.
It’s kind of amazing, in a barf in your mouth kind of way. Stone did an amazing job. Or, should I say the writer(s)
Keep the tums handy, tho.
Actors playing Cheney, Condi are amazing.
Be thankful you haven’t had to be here for Blago Theater. What a f’in joke! See, Blago ain’t South Side and it shows. :)
I’ve talked with Rep. Sestak about it. It’s one thing that we actually agree about—the package is much too small to do what needs to be done. He’ll vote for something bigger. Sadly I don’t think there are enough of them on the same page.
Sigh. Swimming pools are bad./
Kids use them, adults use them, they offer working folks a place to cool off in the summer – and building them creates jobs!!! Staffing them creates jobs! Many of them for teen-agers, the group with the highest unemployment. Building and maintaining requiraes buying concrete and pool chemicals, etc., etc.
HOW did swimming pools get ranked as “wasteful spending?”
Did none of these folks grow up seeing “wpa” AND “CCC” impressed in the concrete of sidewalks, and the cornerstones of buildings like I did?
Half my university’s buildings, I think were built by the WPA. A magnificent limestone auditorium, and sculpture in the circle in front of it. Something for generations to enjoy. Built by Franklin Roosevelt’s WPA.
What the f—k is WRONG with these people????? Ranting…
I’m thankful I haven’t been there for “the almighty hawk blowin down Michigan Avenue like a razor blade” (L Rawls, Dead End Street)
I’d like to see Obama scold the Senate for not being serious about the economic crisis and refuse to sign it, but I think he’d rather sign a bad bill than possibly come away with nothing.
Is that snark or serious? Is that company bad? It doesn’t qualify as infrastructure repair/building?
KO, #2: Torture Chamber
Kitt Bond shaking and trying to get a backtrack, will Panetta re-tract…. YES I WOULD. It was for questioning not torture.
Kitt: That was all Liberal Blog shit, follow the fucking club rules.
Hmmm… I got an idea, who about an investigation trial and where it leads. Or again throw it to World Court and we could have a double-header with Khan.
Was it “liberal blog”… KO, no it was whitehouse.gov….guest
TURLEY
again killing babies on orders is not a defense.
BAM. “MY LORD”.
Wow! Haven’t thought about that in years. Thanks!
As an aside, I love Lou Rawls.
I worry that they make him look “stupid” do they make him realize he is clearly stealing multiple Trillions of dollars and killing 100’s of thousands or perhaps millions of people?
KO. Turly – could NOT BELIVE he retracted the statements since it WAS MADE BY OUR OFFICIALS. “It’s part of the greaet shame that we thought this administation could partially lift…”. KO. Yes we did not think they were on a vacation to the Roman baths or whatever and not to get beat up to get false information to go to false war.
Shrub couldn’t go; former members only have floor privileges.
Dead End Street
g’night fer sure
Better: Let Diaper Dave hold it up, have The Prez use that time to take it to the people, make the D’s withdraw this version and re-introduce a fixed bill, then vote that. Let the R’s vote against that one, since they’re saying only 2-3 of ‘em will vote for this one anyway even though it has everything they asked for!
KO. “Turly…if you are worried then I am worried.”
The Authority oversees the western power grid.
We didn’t get to watch Glen on Moyers tonight. Moyers is always on at 10 p.m. here in Louisville and was listed on our cable guide as being on at 10. Tonight, for some reason they aired NOW @ 10, no Moyers. I don’t know if they switched NOW and Moyers just for tonight and didn’t bother to tell anyone or if they just didn’t air Moyers at all? It’s real irritating because we really wanted to watch it tonight. I guess we will have to watch it online.
Countdown commercial:
Clean Coal. OBAMA “yes we can, yes we can”. “~ clean coal will save the world and create 5 million jobs”.
Change we can believe in.
PBS, here in Indianapolis, has conveniently slotted Moyers for 2:00 A.M.
So I guess I can watch The Biggest Loser or something without being interrupted by anything so inane as policy discussion.
Ah, glad to hear it. I actually gave him some money (being an ex-Pennsylvanian) when he ran – was an Act Blue candidate, I think.
Oh my God. The mission accomplished scene is on…
Seriously, CNN or ?? just said Women love this war. It’s simple.
Fairytale we can’t believe in, more like. “Clean coal” == oxymoron.
So it was snark? Surely they are exactly who we want to get money, arent’ they?
Want a shovel ready project?
I had power out with 15 F temps for 6 days. And I have a dead tree literally hanging over the power lines right now. another dead trunk next to it.
Last year coming out of Boston @ 2:30pm with a moderate snow storm… it took 6 hours to drive 43 miles to the border of NH.
Gordon Ramsey needs to come here and get these f’er straight.
Oh, and one of the kids got walking pnemonia off that storm and hastle.
Imagine 2x or 4x the trees and limbs down? We be dead.
Makes ya wonder why humans ever settled outside of the tropical lattitudes.
Amendment fails.
Oh my gosh, more money for defense? We need another McCaskill shout out, “these people are nuts”.
That’s Conrad amd #501.
Really good perspective…recession 5% GDP loss Deppression 10% GDP loss
The big danger is an extended resession of a decade.
Got the numbers for the GDP by year? This economy is around $15 Trillion.
The impact to groups like inner city blacks is already depression…so certain groups like single parents are closer to sepression. Homeless families and pepersons ling in vehicles are better of than pedestrian homeless or cold climate homeless versus moderate climate.;Do we get unemployment extension with this bill? If you are not in the work force you get no help. 50 million strong at the poverty level.
LOL – to your last line.
The rest, not so much. These power failures that can’t be repaired for days or weeks ought to be extremely alarming to the power that be. We can’t live a 21st century life without working power everywhere.
He was originally a Blue America candidate but got taken off the page when he made some bad votes—really bad votes, one of them was last summer’s FISA but there was a bad one or two before that. Ergo this is why it’s good that we agree about something! I gave him lots of grief over the FISA vote. Perhaps some day he’ll regret that vote. Time will tell.
The movie follows the story….has he realized this? Yet?
Big on the George and Poppy story. And his misguided (???) religious weird ass relationship with, oh, I don’t know.
That would depend on what projects are being proposed.
As to other person comment toward the Western Power Authority being snark, I am not sure. There might be some proposals or past actions that person opposed.
Dodd amendment on foreclosure remediation passes on voice vote.
We have many advantages – but something big would knock us on our ass. And I seen one two many winters. Least I am climatized…just to the wrong climate.
Voting now on Grassley amendment on apportioning Medicaid increases equally to all states, rather than proportionally by population I guess.
Can’t do cold. Gonna have to retire to a very very small hut in Hawaii, I think.
Is there any place to read the amendment, or can someone outline it?
We needed about 300 teams from 20 states to come to NE to help us. Why… cuz power Corps can’t afford (and dont care to afford) the people to maintain stuff, or respond to disaseter.
Obama can you hear me?
I don’t think anybody really knows what the text of any of this stuff is at this point. Distressingly reminiscent of the PATRIOT Act vote.
hehehe.
KO: BALE-O
Christina Bale going off on wanting to fire some set worker and Bill-O yelling the fuck at his producer.
“Stay off the fucking set man, seriously you and me are fucking done. . proffesionally”.
D, I finally saw Revolutionary Road today? Did you finish the book?
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Oh, yes. Not so feel good, huh?
OT
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29028406/
Who is that Cornyn has his arm around — Whitehouse?
Ah, not Cornyn, sorry.
Yep, I was interested in the parts that felt like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia wolf?” Then sort of uncertain about the end.
Grassley amendment fails 49/47.
Why are they voting on amendments they know won’t pass?
Hard to say how different the movie is from the book.
Still, not as big a tragedy as the movie I’m watching now – W, by Oliver Stone.
Ah, geez.
Porkfight show? For the folks back home?
Besides Franken, which 3 Senators aren’t voting?
Voting on Cantwell amendment.
I really did not need to see that; I had seen enough!! 20/20 about to have the NY prostitute story.
Excellent question. Didn’t follow the roll call. Selise, are you here?
Gregg is one; did Kennedy get there?
Who does 20/20 and do I need to watch that?
Who is the Chair tonight?
just back now… don’t know about this vote but earlier today it was gregg and kennedy (gregg presumably to match kennedy’s absence). not roll call votes for this evening have been posted yet, but probably will be soon. here is the link:
http://www.senate.gov/legislat….._111_1.htm
is that what you wanted?
It’s serious. Building more mega-transmission lines cements in the old model of centralized energy production, rather than de-centralized energy, conservation, and more home and community small-scale projects. It enables the placement of very damaging remote-sited industrial wind and solar facilities in critical sage grouse, desert tortoise and other habitats. Despite all the spin and propaganda surrounding huge new utility corridors and transmission lines, there are many downsides. Like keeping us all under the thumb of price gouging and manipulation by mega-corporations and Enron type actors …
You are perfect as always, thank and bless you.
ABC…there was talk here earlier about the story…the woman arrested and a little black book full of NY exec’s; not a pretty story.
Heard Kennedy in the first vote but not this last vote so maybe he isn’t there.
OK, how about a War on the Republican party? Or a War on their stupidity? Hw about a War on Rush Windbag and right wing radio? I’ve got it, we can have a war against any stimulus for states that had Right Wing Senators (CFL and Nelson’s included), who forced concessions for shit like tax cuts! Tax cuts, My god, I work 60-80 hours a week and see a lot of my check go in taxes, but I’d be happy to pay more–now that I no longer pay to a government I hated with every fiber of my being! Waking up to paying more to this government would be worth it, if we actually helped Americans and not the Wankers who got us in this shit pile!
I meant I heard the name Kennedy called, not that I heard the Senator speak.
Kennedy’s definitely not there.
First Cantwell amd passes, yeas 80+.
Thanks. I see your point. Sorry I didn’t see this earlier – my laptop keeps overheating and shutting down. sigh.
Max Bacus withdrawing a couple amds, Kyl’s tiny brain can’t handle doing it out of order.
Why you, you… patriot.
OMG Diaper Dave up with No Money To ACORN amd, Wotta dick.
Dick Durbin rockin’ for ACORN. Good on Dick.
julia is a couple flights up
vitter up railing against acorn for massive voter fraud.
have i mentioned recently how much i hate vitter?
durbin is speaking up for acorn. good work in over a hundred cities, post-katrina work.
good for durbin.
Voting on Vitter amd.
Should we take the loveblog upstairs or keep on here?
Oh, that’s not good. My last laptop died when that happened, you might want to make sure you’ve got everything backed up…
Different time zone. But, I’m having trouble keeping up…I wanted to watch Bill Moyer. Not on here ’till 9. Back to the Senate Floor, I guess.
lol. owe you a drink.
This whole process is a sham. What a bunch of pampered and priviledged plutocrats
Oh, I’m sure we’re even in the long run…
I think I’d rather watch sausage being made.
Ugh. local news – after getting past the obligatory murder and indecent exposure stories, a piece on the stimulus vote!
Who is the only speaker both seen and heard in a clip? Two guesses – no, not Huckelberry – the LOSER of the 2008 election, stating flatly that the bill is pork and won’t create jobs.
Next story – several city of san Antonio projects the city is hoping to get stimulus money for – including building efficiency. Isn’t that already out of the bill?
I don’t know if there is any hope for our country without better media.
Jefferson didn’t push for free press
privilegesrights so they could talk about murders and show the makeshift memorials, or the squirrel on water skis, or the markdowns at the Stock Show and Rodeo.Uh-oh, I feel a rant coming on, and I know I’m ranting to the choir (to mix a metaphor), so I’ll stop.
Are you in an alliterative mood tonight? :)
Moyers is completely worth watching; first part is current about Obama,etc. Second part about Lincoln. Enjoy.
Yep, it’s later here…I hope we are about to get some good news. G’night
Well, I do technical standards committees as my day job so this is exciting by comparison
Sad, ain’t it?
Wow, Byrd in wheelchair.
Thanks – this is the NEW hard drive!
Back everything up and blow out on the bottom, stick a tookpick in by the fan so it don’t go around in circles when you blow it out.
yep. don’t think i can watch any more tonight…. don’t even really know why i’m watching.
night all.
oh, and hmmm, maybe we could just take turns getting rounds?
P.S. The media part was an interesting piece of the Moyers discussion. Some talk about why someone like Amy Goodman not included, and good comments about all the new options with technology, direct communication.
How am I able to stay up for Senate Votes, Bill Moyers, And also get up early enough for Pull Up A Chair?
C’mon…….Sorry, I know I’m whining.
It would be an honor. See ya around the hobo campfire at FDL Hooverville in about a year, I guess, if this bill’s any indication… and very sweet dreams to ye.
blow out on the bottom, stick a tookpick in by the fan
Huh? You mean literally blow out, like a match? (I dunno much about the hardware). I don’t quite understand, but am willing to try.
I do have a chill mat underneatyh (2 fans) and a small table fan just behind the laptop.
What I meant to say was blessed and sweet dreams.
You too, Selise.
What a hearty crown we have here.
Greenwald and Rosen that the MSM is a culture to the establishment…not liberal or conservative just putting out what they view as “The Message”.
I look at the ownership of radio and TV and see neocons that have a ideological standard within which they work,
Change couls occur accordding to Greenwald and Rosen if the Obama supporters push on him to deliver the promises he made to them. He has they say run up against the village insiders who defend the ststus quo…so change is not so doable.
Obama’s deal making or trading is not effective he is giving away the agenda he ran on to get cooperation from the establishment.
Greenwald says that it will take street demonstraions by the forces of discontent to move the media and the village. That does not seem likely.
So pretty rhetoric will get you elected but will not move your agenda.
The MSM is the third rail of politics.
Yeah, I loved that. It was almost like hearing my favorite blogs out loud on tv.
It sounded almost like stating the obvious – to us DFH’s. But of course, it’s never heard in the mainstream. Bless Bill Moyers for bringing them on and treating them like “serious” people.
Vitter amd on ACORN fails, 51/45. “Take that, Fuckwad” says The Sweetie on the couch next to me.
Another one bites the dust.
Harry up — main vote Monday, debate tomorrow 11-3, nothin’ Sunday.
Hmm. Just checking out the PBS blog on the Moyers show – I wonder who writes that?
The synopsis of Glenn’s and Jay’s comments waters down what they said in the usual way “the press may have preconceived notions”
I didn’t hear anything conditional from either one. This is a mischaracterization.
Then, there’s the usual balancing deemed essential:
, quoting some ABC hack and Mark Halperin.
I don’t remember Moyers bringing them up on-air.
Sigh. This written piece is a perfect example of establishment media writing, supposedly “balanced.”
Discussion of Bunning amd 531 starting now.
Voting Bunning amd 531 now.
I use the a vacume hose.
Aaaah. Okay, I’ll give it a shot.
Bunning amd 531 fails, 55/41.
Discussing Wyden amd 468, exec pay limits, now.
Wyden amd 468, exec pay limits, passes on voice vote.
Thune amd 538 being discussed now.
Change in olans — Now Harry says tomorrow 12-3pm is for debate, then start again 1:00pm Monday for debate til 5:30p, cloture at 5:30p, vote at 6:00pm Monday, then conference immediately.
Here’s a video on how to clean a laptop. He used a can or compressed air.
OK, voting Thume amd now.
It’s fun talking to myself…
Here’s a video on how to clean a laptop. A can of compressed air was used.
Sorry I forgot the link in the other post.
http://firedoglake.com/2009/02…..s/#Respond
Crap I must be tired. Sorry. I copied FDL. Here’s the correct link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related
Link takes me back here.
See 315.
Sorry, I posted FDL link. Here’s the link on how to clean a laptop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..re=related
Man that took a long time.
Thune amd simply giving away all, yes all of the stimulus money in the form of individual tax rebates, for approximately no discernible reason, fails 61/35 .
I think the amendment that buys everyone a pony instead is up next.
If the Republicans weren’t so irresponsible it could be set at 70 votes to override and there would be no problem. They just won’t let Democracy work and it shows they’re not fit to govern.
Just listen to a bunch of ‘centrists’ and McCain Republicans talk for a while and think about how they are trying to undermine the recovery of our economy and you’ll become Depressed.
In that event it will fail and John McCain can laugh at Obama. Is that what the Dems want? Of course the whole wrangling around on amendments and private deal-making has just made the bill worse, so if it did pass it might not work and then the Repubs could (again) laugh at Obama.
We must make sure the bill actually will work. Bipartisanship should not be a higher priority. It can’t be!
With Franken in the Senate and Judd Gregg offering support to his Administration, we could have told them to stuff it.