As the cables have pretty consistently shown, our foreign policy is increasingly indistinguishable from our business interests. And no matter how often our diplomats describe tepid US support for fostering democracy, it always seem to work out that corporations prefer pliant dictators over real human rights.

The in-the-know types in Washington keep assuring the little people that there’s some secret negotiations on walking back from the budget standoff in Washington, avoiding a government shutdown. Pardon me if I don’t see it happening. It’s true that Republicans are working on a stopgap continuing resolution that would last two weeks, not four like the Democrats want, and would include $10 billion in cuts, unlike the Democratic plan which keeps things at current levels in the short-term. But that leaves the two sides $10 billion apart, with a little over a week to go. Senate Republicans plan to offer this measure as a substitute amendment to the Democrats’ stopgap, but that’s just to draw votes and rail against moderates for “voting against spending cuts.” Absolutely nothing here makes me believe that the continuing resolution won’t run out. I see a lot of posturing but no solution. And to be clear, we’re now talking about $10 billion dollars, in a budget of over $3 trillion, leading to a debilitating shutdown.

Into this environment comes something Sen. Chuck Schumer highlighted today – an analysis from Goldman Sachs showing that the House spending cut plan would significantly inhibit economic growth.

It is time for people in politics to realize that super majority requirements don’t promote compromise or moderation, they mainly just produce gridlock that prevents any action from taking place, therefore protecting the status quo.

We have already heard about JPMorgan’s travails with Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme. A recent report identified JPMorgan as complicit in the Madoff scheme, and potentially liable in a civil lawsuit. According to emails and documents, JPMorgan apparently knew something was amiss with Madoff’s performance figures but never reported the crime to the SEC. Some lawsuits have already been filed. In addition, JPMorgan sold certain derivatives links to Madoff’s returns, giving them a major financial incentive not to disrupt the scam, off of which they profited.

Now we’re learning about how Citi was connected to the Madoff scheme as well, from a report by the same trustee who busted JPMorgan Chase.

The Obama Administration this morning made an abrupt and seismic shift in its legal policy and position on DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act). It is a change that will have far reaching and important ramifications, and already has in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Prop 8 case.

I’m in the plane en route to Madison, Wisconsin (thank you, Gogo In-Flight Internet!), but perhaps I should just rent a car and travel across the Midwest. Because labor fights are occurring across the region.

Last Thursday, I presented evidence that builds a strong case that one of Raymond Davis’ functions when he is in the US is to recruit intelligence agents. On Tuesday, the Express Tribune in Pakistan presented evidence that suggests that Davis also worked as a recruiter of some sort within Pakistan, as well.

Commentators are starting to figure out that the battle over Wisconsin public employee rights, couched by Gov. Scott Walker as an argument over the budget, has nothing to do with the budget. And we’ve discussed that in this space. You have the 200 legislative policy items stuffed into the bill; the cuts to Medicaid and centralizing control of the program in the hands of a Heritage Foundation writer who called for states to drop it; the measure allowing for no-bid contract sales of state-owned heating/cooling/power plants; and on and on

Newt spoke at the University of Pennsylvania last night and a very bright young woman completely pwned him.

So where was all this “fiscally responsible” fighting spirit when it came to paying out $32.6 billion in taxpayer funded banker bonuses?

Well, as Larry Summers said, “we are a country of law.”