Krugman’s great this morning on the Town Hall Mobs. Sad to say, his concluding words are painfully on target:

. . . right now Mr. Obama’s backers seem to lack all conviction, perhaps because the prosaic reality of his administration isn’t living up to their dreams of transformation. Meanwhile, the angry right is filled with a passionate intensity.

And if Mr. Obama can’t recapture some of the passion of 2008, can’t inspire his supporters to stand up and be heard, health care reform may well fail.

[Actually, my favorite part of the piece was what followed Krugman’s words, added by an editor at the end of the column: “David Brooks is off today.”]

From Spencer

Well, the Nazis were against big business, they hated big business, and of course we all know they were opposed to Jewish capitalism…

– Rush Limbaugh, August 6, 2009

Rushbo is now biting the wealthy media hand that’s feeding him. Bye Rushbo.

As long as the advertisers are makin’ money Rush ain’t goin’ anywhere.

I have to say, the erratic Chris Matthews did an exceptionally fine job in that clip.

Good morning.

About what you’d expect if you paid attention to Obama’s campaign.

Disagree. The advertisers draw the line on anti-Semitic flourishes.

BT asks, “Why are we still there, exactly?”

The deaths bring to 11 the number of American troops killed in Afghanistan so far in August, on the heels of what was the worst month for Western and U.S. troop fatalities since the conflict began in 2001. Forty-three American military personnel died in July.

Answer: Because we are morally diseased.

LOL. Money is the most powerful trump card they’ve got. They might piss and moan a little but as long as the money keeps coming they’ll do nothing.

I wonder if Limbaugh’s screeners would allow any mention of I.G. Farben, Krupp, Messerschmidt, Focke-Wulf, and the host of other giant businesses upon whom Hitler relied, and many of which still exist.

Eric Margolis on antiwar.com argues that the rapid increases in troops requested by McChrystal are signs of panic. There’s something going on there that we don’t know.

And if Mr. Obama can’t recapture some of the passion of 2008, can’t inspire his supporters to stand up and be heard, health care reform may well fail.

My bold and I wonder if he wants to. With his sellout to Big Pharma I see a continuation of corporatist policies. Profit Over People.

Just a reminder…freedom and democracy are pushin’ up the daisies. We should chip in a buy a head stone.

Russian invasion of Afghanistan Redux. We lost 5 more yesterday.

You forgot to mention IBM.

The administration is not living up to the dreams of transformation

is the key part, I think.

Krugman is right. I really believed that Obama would go after the war criminals, and to me that is key. I can’t get too excited about people who are passive on that issue.

Thanks for the link.

the subservience of the State Department to the Pentagon in foreign policy

Houston, we have a problem.

If the transformation is into a corporate state I’d say the administration is doing swimingly. So would the corporate masters.

You still thought that after his continuously said he didn’t want to turn policy differences into crimes, that he wasn’t to move forward, and after he caved on FISA?

The military took over U.S. foreign policy during the Truman Administration.

Added on edit: It was because of nukes. There is little possibility of civilian control of the military once nukes become a weapon of choice. When nukes are on a hair trigger, it’s the military that makes the decision, and they let the prez know what it is so he can turn the key.

At last, a journalist that is finally willing to call the Republicans and their minions for what they are.

O’s in a difficult situation. If he ignores the war crimes, the war criminals continue to plot their next move. If he he goes after them, he gets rubbed out like JFK.

What to do?

July nonfarm payrolls down 247,000, unemployment rate little changed at 9.4%, upward revision of 43,000 in prior two months. Better than expected.

David Broder is off everyday.

I’d imagine those 247,000 would have a different take.

I’ve heard you say that before. Are you saying that Kennan’s containment policy was dictated by the Sec. of Defense Forrestal or that Dean Acheson was controlled by the DOD?

Well, the additional 350,000 who might have been laid off if it were earlier months, but who weren’t, should also be considered.

Of course, it’s still bad news, but every data piece provides new information.

Weather is gorgeous so I’m off to prune trees. Be well.

Yes, I did. Torture is so BASIC, and he appears that we wants to change our standing in the world. Can’t be done without prosecuting war criminals.

Disappointed that the pruning took precedence. Would have liked to learn the response.

Yeah, Obama has misplayed healthcare reform, ramping up in Afghanistan, a weak economic team and a willingness to allow war criminals to walk the streets and boardrooms. His emphasis on bipartisanship is laughable today. Unlike FDR he has proven unwilling to take on entrenched and powerful interests in the name of the American public. He must now see himself as a member of the plutocracy. And Rush isn’t going anywhere, not when there’s money to be made.

He could step aside and let a special commission / prosecutor decide the next steps. O can see let the chips fall where they may. We are a nation of Laws and then get an old school republican as the special prosecutor, if he can find one who is not corrupted… like William Cohen???

I’m off to sail – we have a NW breeze and I am sailing east.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

I will always love and miss you, Gigi. Now, along with your sisters, you’re whole and in your prime again.

US KIA Irak: 4330

US KIA Afghanistan: 772

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

Good news on the labor front – guess the stock market is going to plummet

Your remarks help explain why this is occurring.

I’ve come to look forward to your cheery take to top off the morning.

SD, First I’ve heard of your news…I am sorry. With thoughts of peace for you both. B

Unfortunately, that would be enough to cause the rubout order to be written.

FDR constantly refereed policy differences within his administation. Some of brain trusters, like Moley, stalked out and became Republicans. There was continuous conflict between Hopkins and Ickies. Neither side won permanantly. It is recognized the FDR himself went back to more conservative taxation/spending policies in 1937 and caused a new dip in recovery. Vice President Wallace left with supporters from the more distant left.

FDR did have more reliable public support, because the Depression had much greater, more impact on lives than the current recession has to date. On other, more progressive issues, FDR was subsequently criticised for lack of action on civil rights. Such issues as gays in the military or same sex marriage weren’t in public view. The Depression and WWII had the effect of marvelously focusing public attention.

Some of brain trusters, like Moley, stalked out and became Republicans.

With the implosion of the Rethug party, the reverse of that is occurring now, to the detriment of the Democratic party.

SD left you a message on one of yesterday’s threads that said the vet had just called and said xrays showed she had cancer in her stomach. That was the first I’d heard. Very sad. I lost 3 of my pets recently, and I have another that I don’t expect to last much longer. So sorry for SD.

Loved this at the bottom of Krugman’s column:

David Brooks is off today.

…er, and every other day, even the days that there is a Brooks column.

The Republican Party was ineffective as hell during FDR period. FDR was elected for four terms. Check the followings of Hoover, Landon, Wilkie, and Dewey.

As I read it, a number are arguing that the Democratic Party should also fall apart, the nation collapse, and then, somehow, progressives will be able to form a new nation where all will live happily. It seems to me that the collapse part is far more likely than the idealistic reconstruction part, and most of us would not live to see the end of the bloodshed and hardship. Therefore, I don’t take the talk lightly and consider the thinking immature, but the talk dangerous.

Ann, Thanks for that…I had missed his post, which I also appreciate. So sad…and sorry for the ones you miss as well. It is such a venture to love these precious critters….who will break your heart when times go bad. I know SD loves his and gives such good care. Thank you again for your note. B

The only defense against dire outcomes is for the reasonable and well-informed to stay the course.

Thanks for the video post BT. Great swimming this AM. Thanks!