Good morning all.

Morning, eCAHNomics.

Good to know that Stupak will have a primary challenger but it’s a tough district in Michigan. Covers 31 counties in both the U.P and the lower peninsula.

You too Bluetoe2. Anything interesting in your neighborhood? Not much here. Cloudy & rain expected later after nearly a weak of glorious sunny spring weather.

I saw Rachel’s takedown last night. Good job.

“Madow” needs another D. :)

Kucinich is up on democracynow.

Sunny and highs in the upper 50′s. You should have the sun tomorrow. Snow is almost completely melted here. Off to Detroit later this a.m..

On Tuesday, the EU announced that it was banning Wall Street banks from the lucrative government bond business in Europe. They didn’t express official concern or fire off a warning shot. They simply banned Wall Street from financing
government bond deals like the one Goldman Sachs sold to Greece. The Guardian pointed out that Wall Street bond business from European governments has gone down over the last two years. Now the business is gone period. In effect, the EU has labeled Wall Streets business tactics as too dangerous for their governments to handle.

Then on Wednesday, the President of the European Commission said that the EU was considering a ban on government debt speculation through Credit Default Swaps (CDS) President José Manuel Barroso announced that, “the Commission will examine closely the relevance of banning purely speculative naked sales on Credit Default Swaps of sovereign debt.” While not an outright ban, the threat of banning CDS on national debt would be a major loss for the world’s financial speculators, particularly those in the United States and Great Britain.

These two hostile moves toward Wall Street by Europe were discussed by officials in the context of the current Greek debt crisis. Wall Street firm Goldman Sachs has been implicated in helping the Greek government hide the true nature and size of the debt. Discovery of this sleight-of-hand action exacerbated an already challenging crisis.
guardian

We must not be getting our weather from you, as it’s mostly cloudy and/or rain for the next 5 days.

Amy Goodman is going to ask Kucinich about Kos’s attack after the break.

and good morning pups

good….

We’re supposed to get rain and high of 62 today here in NW Indiana. I’m off to Indianapolis later to help my son move.

I was dismayed to learn this morning that “my” rep, Joe Donnelly, is a member of the Stupak gang. Just another disappointment…

OK, let’s do something for Ms Saltonstall. Give, huh? How (links)?

going mortgaging hunting today for the farm

As in the olde Forum Romanum. Stupak is “making a splash” as a “tribune of the Plebes”
I suspect he wants to be a senator, he’s got the hair for it, for sure.
Morning eCAHN, we have snow this lovely morn in Albert’s turkey, NM.
The fronts are coming thru here so fast these last few days, I can actually WATCH them. One day I counted 4-5!( I may have missed one)
Not much in precip, tho, but that’s the desert for ya.

Everyone should read Rayne’s excellent diary about Stupak:

The Bad News: You’re stuck with Stupak

Well, well, well. Calling a crook a crook. Imagine that.

Richest man in the world, Carlos Slim from Mexico, makes 30 million dollars an hour.

Good Morning Blue Texan and Firedogs,

actually caught this segment last night – and yes, Stupak is deserving of all she had to say about him – but I was exasperated by no mention of Leadership’s culpability in this mess. why in the world did they let this punk ass grandstander highjack their marquee legistlation ??? esp since he’d been telegraphing his designs on it for quite some time

srsly, Pete Stark can’t have the Chair he is due, but this meglomaniacal baboon can obstruct til the cows come home ???

see yall later

I guess in the desert you’ll talk any precip you can get. Must be interesting watching the fronts pass. I gather it’s unusual to have so many go thru so quickly?

Stupidpak’s behavior is part of the kabuki of choosing one member at a time to provide a splash in one way or another as cover for what’s really going on. So in this case, Stupidpak is taking attention away from the garbage that is the bill.

You know what the really sad news is, the media in Michigan isn’t even talking about Stupak’s lies. No media outlets are even exposing it. Articles and (wanna be journalists) such as Tim Skubick (skoop’s blog) don’t even report on these matters. They only point out the misgivings, or confusion of the Dems. election races. They don’t talk about or point out people like Hoekestra who endanger troops lives, and his wackiness. The people in Michigan are clueless.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=3&ved=0CAwQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2F2009%2F02%2F06%2Fgop-congressman-breached_n_164809.html&ei=TfGYS9WbFpWwNIzMmHo&usg=AFQjCNEum22imO19cYgaeA-DAruqR-tuZg

Mornin’, BT, pups

Supposed to get some nasty weather over the next few days but at least the temp’s above 60.

Sadlyyes, thanks for that news from the EU. Now if we only get our government to do something about these exotic financial instruments.

It’s great that she’s challenging him, but she shouldn’t reinforce his lies. It’s not about abortion funding, because that’s not in the bill.

I had to reread the piece a couple of times. That last line makes it look like you were saying Rachel Maddow shouldn’t reinforce Stupak’s lies but I see the quote actually came from Connie Saltonstall. Either she needs to be more clear, you need to be more clear or I need to have more coffee. :-)

So you’re pointing this out on the local blogs and writing letters to the editors of the papers, right?

And that’s just the way the corporate media in Michigan want to keep the public, clueless. Skubik fancies himself as a real political insider but commentary is all “horse race” and “gotcha” journalism.

Does he have comments on his online version? If so, how do they run?

Rachel Maddow and her crew over at MSNBC just don’t get it. Congress is on the course of pushing an agenda that is “economy-crushing, debt-building, government-growing, recession-stretching boondoggles that will burden future generations with higher costs, higher taxes and fewer opportunities.” Harry Reids, Hometown Newspaper
We do not want European Health Care. Insurance companies need regulation, yes, more competition, portablility, protect cancellation of policies for “pre-existing” conditions, and get the attorney’s out of the system. Fair tort reform.

I never bother to read his online version. Occasionally watching his local PBS political program “Off the Record” is all I can tolerate. I should check it out, however, to see what kind of feedback he’s getting. Emptywheel has been on his program a couple of times although not recently. I don’t think she played the “game” the way he would have preferred.

Or provide some feedback yourself. Hint hint.

That’s the ticket!

With links. Even if they don’t provide for hyperlinks, you can still put in the url.

Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool.

US KIA Irak: 4,382

US KIA Afghanistan: 1,017

Iraki and Afghan casualties: estimates vary to over 1.5M

US MBS 2010: 8,556 and counting

Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.

Namaste

i would have loved to seen this kind of democratic obstruction between 2000-2008.

two wars, trillion dollar tax cuts, oh you know the list….why didn’t we?

I seem to recall some pretty big protest marches.

But I presume you’re asking about the pols, and the short version is spineless Ds, or corp Ds, or power hungry Ds, or whatever motive you want to ascribe to them.

The votes taken in both Houses during those years will provide part of an answer. The neoliberals had no problem following the lead of the neocons. That hasn’t changed.

By way of review then:

Stupak’s obstructionism is bad.

Kucinich’s opposition is good.

Boehner’s obstructionism and opposition is bad.

As I understand it, the key factor is their motivation, rather than the actual effect of their tactics.

Here’s one link for Tim Skubick’s Michigan political commentary program “Off the Record”

http://wkar.org/offtherecord/

Looks to me like his out would be his primary beat is state, not national, politics, although that doesn’t preclude him from weighing in on the subject. Seein’s how Stupak is from MI an’ all.

Colour me gone.

New post up top…

Rachel Maddow and her crew over at MSNBC just don’t get it.

To say the least. Their current project is smearing Eric Massa on the half hour. This is, of course, pure Obama. Real Democrats don’t smear Democrats.

So, Rachel and Obama are not “real Democrats.” Massa and you apparently are.

I think it is really about time for those who call themselves “progressive” or “liberal”, unless you are a Blue Dog, to recognize that Obama, Rachel, Schultz, and many of the rest of them, are, by definition not progressive or liberal.

This gang continues to talk about the Al Queda firecracker underwear Boogiemen, with no mention of what Kucinich outlined CLEARLY in the House yesterday, that the AFghanistan war is about, and always has been about, a EurAsian pipeline. And, to many who have done the research, money laundering of poppymoney by big banks. What is going on there TO THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN, is akin to what happened to the American Indians. Watching it happen and looking the other way. Progressives do not and would not support a false war like this.

This gang DOES talk every day, like immature schoolkids, about who they perceive is “their opposition”… so much so that we now have heroes, like Palin, Beck and Rush and others, to the level of exposure they now enjoy.

Real progressives don’t support pre-emptive wars, occupations, drone-bombings, white phosphorus incinerations of children, incarceration without due process, torture or defending those who did it.

They also don’t support corporate bailouts and never supported Wall Street, since their inception in the early 1900′s. They don’t support spying by the government or CIA goon squads. They don’t support false flag incidents and spoke out against them constantly.

The DO support public health care and NOT subsidizing crooks and backbreaking premiums.

So, unless you are re-defining the word, Obama and this gang are not progressive at all. What are they? I do not think they know, outside of getting attention on their shows. Obama, however, is another story. I think he is somewhere between a Blue Dog and a Republican, if you just look at the policies.

Kudos to Firedog for keeping the best balance I have seen so far in not becoming a shill. The blogs that have become shills will have an uncertain future, eventually, like Air America, as Obama and gang are more exposed and unsuccessful.

Lets just talk straight like during the Bush years. Because of these shills we will probably be entering Cheneyland again soon. But that also will pass…

I could care less who stops this steaming pile. As long as it happens.

Get the attorneys out of the system? You’ve got to be kidding.
Wait until they take the wrong kidney out, bud.

Actually what you discuss was one of the two alternatives Maddow/Dean/myself and others have pushed – single payer as one way to go, or non-profit health “insurance” companies that are fiercely regulated right down to premiums charged, coverage offered, with regulation of service providers as to fee charged for individual services (this is the only way – as shown by Singapore – to make a “health savings account” system work, or to maintain a national budget for health care work to give good health outcomes at a reasonable price – so they still get that increase in life span of 3 years compared to the resulting life span from the US style heath payment system). The rationing by wealth that is the US system of health care of course continues to exist in all countries, but it is interesting how the rich are so small a group that their better health care does not really affect the national statistics. Heck even the rants against employment based payment systems fall because of the existence of such systems in other countries that fiercely regulate their non-profit health “insurance” companies.

You say “We do not want European Health Care” but Both approaches exist in the EU – so I do not understand what you are saying.

StuPak is a political action committee for stupid people, actually.

“This gang continues to talk about the Al Queda firecracker underwear Boogiemen, with no mention of what Kucinich outlined CLEARLY in the House yesterday, that the AFghanistan war is about, and always has been about, a EurAsian pipeline. And, to many who have done the research, money laundering of poppymoney by big banks. What is going on there TO THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN, is akin to what happened to the American Indians. Watching it happen and looking the other way. Progressives do not and would not support a false war like this.”

You will like Jesse Ventura’s new book on what is really happening – the conspiracies – mostly for oil and more defense spending and bank profits from hiding dirty money – http://www.amazon.com/American-Conspiracies-Dirty-Government-Tells/dp/160239802X/ref=sr_1_1/189-4381936-0367267?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268328154&sr=8-1

There are only a few things that I believe I really know and understand via extremely high level and reliable input – but when Jesse hits those items his tale is extremely close to what I “know” as truth.

As to Ed Schultz – who I do not like – I find his change to progressive as “real” as anyone else’s. As to Rachel – who I do like – I find her presentation choices transparent – she works hard to not dump on Obama – but I also do not find the facts presented to be “errors” in interpretation as asserted by Bob Somerby (who I also like).

The thing I love most about Rachel (and the list is quite long) is that she calls liars liars.

If you know anything at all about “Mainstream” journalism, then you know that editors NEVER want to use that word. They would rather sell their wives and children into slavery than call a liar a liar.

The thing I love most about Rachel (and the list is quite long) is that she calls liars liars.

If you know anything at all about “Mainstream” journalism, then you know that editors NEVER want to use that word. They would rather sell their wives and children into slavery than call a liar a liar.

Digging a little deeper, don’t you believe that editors make that choice for financial reasons, such as cutting off access to the liars?

Liars (I believe) on the TV make for good ratings.

I do enjoy Jesse, but the truth about the Afghanistan war was presented on national television from the House of Representatives by a distinguished representative. Hardly a conspiracy theory. It reminded me of the time Senator Byrd was the only one, st the beginning, standing up against Bush. I believe he was the only one.

Yet Ed Schultz has denounced any other argument except the Al Queda boogiemen. Vehemently. Maddow spends quite a bit of time talking about the fake reasons we went there. In between laughing at her own “jokes”.

These people do not want truth. They want ratings. Far worse are people that follow them, thinking they are somehow refreshing. I don’t know how much more evidence one needs that these people follow Obama and all of his indefensible positions, while calling himself “progressive”. I really hate liars.

Put it this way, Rachel and Ed have no problems arguing with right wingers on their shows. And the same with the blogs. This way they can avoid their own party calling them out for being compromisers and deniers. And, that is why you see THEM calling out other Democrats who favor the public option, albeit under various reasons. I’ve lost all respect for both. And remember, they will only continue to get their marginal ratings while Obama is drama. AFter that, good luck. Its “Air America time” for them, I think.

That is also why, I think, that Fox’s ratings are so up. People just want to hear both sides. Most people make up their own minds and take the cajoling from these two as bullying.

Life is often a lot more complex than we’d like. It sometimes makes for inconvenient judgments.

Bart Stupak, whom we rightly revile for his anti-abortion obstructionism, was one of the few (65) members of the House of Representatives who voted in favor of Kucinich’s resolution to terminate the AfPak war.

Rachel’s show did not even cover that issue yesterday. Will she cover it today? Nor did Olbermann, nor Ed.

I feel the same way about Stupak and, in a way, about Massa. And I am totally impressed with his tenacity. And I respect his position on many things.

I’m not a fan of abortion nor am I willing to give up the right to choose for women that was so fought for. We have an understanding that works right now. But Bart is right about the fact that this entire bill is a cocktail of tax dollars mixed up with private dollars, all the way through. That is why they can USE THE IRS to come after people. Otherwise, not so easy. Nice arrangement.

As I said before, can’t remember if it was here or not. I remember Ed Schultz in 2003 or 4 trolling around late at night on the Florida airwaves trying to sound like a republican. Berating people for wanting help after the hurricanes (no doubt trying to get a “rise”), which he did. And Rachel, what can you say, Air America? What a joke that station was. Who was that guy, Lionel? hehe.

I think the progressive agenda has always been the same, since the turn of the century (even earlier) when women suffragettes were beaten in the streets by cops. It was always anti-(pre-emptive war), against false flag incidents (commonly known) and against the censorship and secrecy that surrounded the wars of their time.

This group of progressives is a new invention.