Karen DeYoung, associate editor for the WaPo, explains why Obama's apparent meddling in the negotiations between the US and Iraq over the status of US forces [and see UPDATE]:
Falls Church, Va.: Did Obama intrude into negotiations with the Iraqis over the Status of Forces Agreement, as the New York Post is reporting?
washingtonpost.com: Obama Tried to Stall GIs' Iraq Withdrawal (New York Post, Sept. 15)
Karen DeYoung: The NY Post, which published the piece, said that Obama had "demanded" that bilateral agreements with Iraq be delayed until there's a new president here. As I read the comments made by both Iraqi FM Zebari and by Obama, Obama seemed to have the same position as most Democrats (and some Republicans) over the agreements--saying that Congress has the right to examine and approve the agreements (which the Bush administration has rejected) and asking whether it makes sense to negotiate and sign an accord for the next several years when a new administration may want to do something different.
Oh - it's not a problem because Obama meant it and anyway, Obama has the same position as most Democrats. Dare we wonder out loud - are most Democrats nominated as their party's candidate for President? Are most Democrats currently the front-runner to become the next President? Are most Democrats presenting their views to the Iraqi foreign minister while negotiations between the US and Iraq are underway?
It appears, since she has it in quotes, that Ms. DeYoung is hung up on the word "demanded". Well, let's roll the videotape - here is how ABC News quoted Obama's description of his telephone discussion with Zebari (my emphasis, and Fox had the same quote):
"I emphasized to him how encouraged I was by the reductions in violence in Iraq, but also insisted that it is important for us to begin the process of withdrawing U.S. troops, making clear that we have no interest in permanent bases in Iraq, that any negotiations for a Status of Forces agreement or strategic framework agreement should be done in the open and with Congress's authorization, because I believe that it's in the interests of both Iraq and the United States that any such critical negotiations have strong bipartisan support and that they can be sustained through a future administration," Obama told reporters.
Let's flash back to our misspent youths and play the SAT game: Of "insisted", "making clear" and "demanded", which does not belong? Hah! Trick question! If Obama insisted and made clear that Congress needed to be involved and the deal could be delayed, that is the same as demanding it be delayed. Of course, as a mere US Senator he is not in a position to make demands, but as the leading Presidential candidate his words carry more than ordinary weight.
As to why this is A-OK with the WaPo, we eagerly await a sensible explanation. In fact, I insist and demand that we get one - did I make myself clear?
MORE: Yes, my demand and a buck-fifty gets you a cup of coffee, but it was fun typing it. I, of course, am neither a US Senator nor a front-running Presidential candidate. Not yet.
UPDATE: The Times reports the current deal is in jeopardy.
Posted by: Cecil Turner | September 18, 2008 at 04:49 PM
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/general_election_mccain_vs_obama-225.html
Gallup Tracking Obama +4
Rasmussen Tracking Tie
Hotline/FD Tracking Obama +4
Battleground Tracking McCain +2
CBS News/NY Times Obama +5
Quinnipiac Obama +4
Pew Research Tie
Reuters/Zogby Obama +2
Newsweek Tie
Posted by: baked alaska | September 18, 2008 at 05:02 PM
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html
Posted by: baked alaska | September 18, 2008 at 05:05 PM
I saw this too and wondered why the heck it mattered whether he "demanded" or asked really really politely. Either way, he's still negotiating something he has no right to negotiate.
Posted by: Mag K | September 18, 2008 at 05:13 PM
Baked Alaska:
Ok. What do the polls have to do with Obama and Iraq? Just a question.
Posted by: Appalled | September 18, 2008 at 05:16 PM
PDNFTT
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 05:19 PM
OH THIS IS QUITE FUN! I just disappeared half baked with my Acme troll blaster! What a great tool! His effort was wasted on the cut and paste I cant even see his tracks in and out.
Posted by: GMax | September 18, 2008 at 05:27 PM
TTITFSTF
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 05:28 PM
TTITFSTF
Gesündheit.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 18, 2008 at 05:41 PM
from the San Francisco Gate:
This article is exciting to the dem base and is written as a love letter but the author doesn't realize that "being schooled by Chicago politics" isn't exactly "hope and change".
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 05:42 PM
TTITFSTF???
Posted by: Buford Gooch | September 18, 2008 at 05:42 PM
Thanks Chaco. Thanks again for your site. Many friends are into it.
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 05:43 PM
The T____ Is Too F___ing S_____ To F___.
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 05:46 PM
We're in the middle of a war in a highly volatile political environment, and Boy Barack waltzes in and ignores the reality on the ground and United States law. How much more arrogant does he have to be before people wake up?
Posted by: matt | September 18, 2008 at 05:47 PM
GMax - It does wonders for your blood pressure, doesn't it?
Bad - TITFF (that is too f'n funny).
Posted by: bgates | September 18, 2008 at 05:53 PM
Hey, it's better than working.
Now if it just paid better than working.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 18, 2008 at 05:56 PM
It Does. Not. Matter. whether Obama was asking or demanding. When the Democrats have been screaming themselves hoarse over Bush's casual approach to the Constitution for years, their laissez-faire attitude toward their own cavalier nominee just drives me up the wall. Is there actually anything Obama could do that they wouldn't excuse? This exceeds the feminists' cynical surrender to Clinton by several orderS of magnitude.
Posted by: JM Hanes | September 18, 2008 at 05:56 PM
NASHVILLE – The son of state Rep. Mike Kernell has been contacted by authorities in connection with a probe into the hacking of personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, Kernell told The Tennessean.
Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, said his 20-year-old son David had been contacted by authorities investigating the hacking of Palin’s personal e-mail account, the newspaper reported on its Web site this afternoon.
The FBI and the Secret Service started a formal investigation Wednesday into the hacking, according to the Associated Press.
David Kernell is a student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
More details as they develop online and in Friday’s News Sentinel.
Posted by: SlimGuy | September 18, 2008 at 05:57 PM
Link, Slim?
PJTV in 2 minutes....
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 18, 2008 at 05:58 PM
We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout? Are you for it or against it? Whats so hard? This guy reminds me more of Jiminy Carter every day.
Posted by: GMax | September 18, 2008 at 05:59 PM
Link
Posted by: SlimGuy | September 18, 2008 at 06:00 PM
GateWay Pundit and Michelle Malkin have the updates.
Posted by: SlimGuy | September 18, 2008 at 06:02 PM
Thanks, I just dropped the name on PJTV.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 18, 2008 at 06:06 PM
GatewayPundit has the most information on the situation it seems.
Posted by: SlimGuy | September 18, 2008 at 06:09 PM
Crossposting this.
Via Wizbang:
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | September 18, 2008 at 06:27 PM
GYLI bgates
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 06:36 PM
Attention BushBOts!
125 days and COUNTING until President Obama puts BUSH, CHENEY and the entire BUSH REGImME on trial for WAR CRIMES!
Looks like Ambassador Wilson will get to see ROVE frog-marched in handcuffs after all!
Posted by: TruthIsHere | September 18, 2008 at 06:48 PM
It's working already...now Sarah is up to 42%
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 06:50 PM
125 days and COUNTING until President Obama puts BUSH, CHENEY and the entire BUSH REGImME on trial for WAR CRIMES!
Looks like Ambassador Wilson will get to see ROVE frog-marched in handcuffs after all!
First he will have to cancel the constitution and the eliminate the judiciary and proclaim himself Dictator of the People's Republic of the USA...I am not saying it can't happen, only that it might take longer than 125 days
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 06:53 PM
Why do nutters spend so much time writing in capital letters? They always look like their hair is on fire !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 07:06 PM
New McCain ad out today. Hot Air has it:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/09/18/mccain-hits-raines-in-new-ad-advice/>McCain hits Raines in new ad, “Advice”
Don't think Obama's numbers will stay up for long if this is the first in a series on Obama's economic advisors.
Posted by: Ranger | September 18, 2008 at 07:08 PM
Certainly the Post would work diligently to understand McCain's point of view if he had done what Obama did.....Oh wait, no they wouldn't and everyone knows it.
Posted by: Mark | September 18, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Truth is where? Joe Wilson threw his lot in with Hillary Clinton. Obama's crew is more likely to indict Wilson than McCain's.
=====================================
Posted by: kim | September 18, 2008 at 07:17 PM
Ranger - that's Franklin Delano Raines. Is it racist of me to use the middle name?
Posted by: bgates | September 18, 2008 at 07:18 PM
Palin has been "disinvited" from attending the anti Iran rally next week after pressure on the organizers. Obama campaign and Hillary said it would be "political" if she was there along with Hillary. Disgraceful. And Obama is no real friend of Israel despite the spin. I hope this bacfires on the Dems.
Posted by: bio mom | September 18, 2008 at 07:39 PM
The nightly "internals" on the tracking polls the last 3 nights suggest that after bad nights on M and really bad on T, the trend is towards McCain again. Registered voter numbers are always very volatile. That is why rasmussen's likely voter polls are more stable and more likely to show real trends over background noise. Also he tries to adjust to changes in D vs R registration in a better way than most others do. The D to R difference has dropped dramatically in the last month so a lot of polls who publish results obtained by oversampling Dems are probably overestimating the Obama numbers.
Posted by: bio mom | September 18, 2008 at 07:47 PM
It is outrageous...A shonda as we say (disgrace).
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 07:48 PM
Don't vote because 'she's cute'
Posted by: oker | September 18, 2008 at 07:54 PM
That PBS "Poll" is no poll. It's garbage. It can be fed as many times as you want from one IP address.
Posted by: sbw | September 18, 2008 at 07:56 PM
Yes, that is a disgrace. A shonda. Thanks for that lesson.
Posted by: Extraneus | September 18, 2008 at 07:58 PM
"...I am not saying it can't happen, only that it might take longer than 125 days."
And a good deal of ammunition.
Posted by: dave in w-s | September 18, 2008 at 08:06 PM
President Obama has promised to prosecute BUSH, CHENEY and the entire corrupt BUSH CABAL for WAR CRIMES.
By giving aid and comfort to this ILLEGAL REGIME (which was never voted into power - see FLORIDA 2000), clarice, kim and ALL REPUGLICANS are accomplices to WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.
Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!
Posted by: TruthIsHere | September 18, 2008 at 08:12 PM
President Obama has promised to prosecute BUSH, CHENEY and the entire corrupt BUSH CABAL for WAR CRIMES.
By giving aid and comfort to this ILLEGAL REGIME (which was never voted into power - see FLORIDA 2000), clarice, kim and ALL REPUGLICANS are accomplices to WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.
Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!
Posted by: TruthIsHere | September 18, 2008 at 08:12 PM
I think this one should go to Instapundit. Looks like he will have to start a new series: They told me if Obama was elected...
Posted by: Ranger | September 18, 2008 at 08:20 PM
did someone pass gas?
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 08:23 PM
punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal.
Send them to a re-education camp to make me a wallet or a keychain or something.
BUSH = HITLER. CHENEY = SOMETHING worse THAN Hitler! DOOOOM! POWER to THE Obama-Umma!
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 08:25 PM
Gee, tribunals, show trials, intimidation, punishment. Not quite as impressive as ideas, but maybe better than any others they have. At least it would precipitate what this is all apparently coming to, before our kids need to be too involved.
Posted by: Extraneus | September 18, 2008 at 08:25 PM
ROTFL bad!
Posted by: Ann | September 18, 2008 at 08:28 PM
Who's going to visit us all in prison? I hope we have co-ed cells.
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Sugar Rautland, a Chicago socialite, is on with Bill O'Really and is a hoot to listen to. I hope a lot of bitter clingers were watching.
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 08:37 PM
This is the change I've been waiting for? Would it be OK if I just kept waiting?
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 08:37 PM
Humor TruthisHere, if you must, but sooner or later it is only humane to let him/her know that they'll be coming for him long before they get to Bush/Cheney, et al.
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | September 18, 2008 at 08:40 PM
Ann, I didn't know if it was proper to say "fart." So I didn't.
Posted by: bad | September 18, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Well, if I'm going to re-education camp I'm betting you all right now that I can eat 50 hard-boiled eggs.
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 08:46 PM
We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout?
He's trying to figure out what the letters mean.
Posted by: Jane | September 18, 2008 at 08:54 PM
In one hour?
Posted by: hit and run | September 18, 2008 at 08:55 PM
Soylent: LOL.
Sad to read a couple of weeks ago that Newman has only a few weeks to live.
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | September 18, 2008 at 08:56 PM
Hit:
When the Obamessiah child soldiers march me the cooler, I'll need you to toss me my ballglove.
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 08:59 PM
TruthIsHere must be one of the "ambassadors" Obama dispatched to argue with us and get in our faces. Most effective.
Obama mocks McCain in Nevada stops
Posted by: SukieTawdry | September 18, 2008 at 09:03 PM
Hope you don't have any internation travel planned!
C'mon, folks. That was a joke . . . right? I mean, I hope it was. (OTOH, if not, it's even funnier.)
Posted by: Cecil Turner | September 18, 2008 at 09:04 PM
Cecil: I have a friend named Michael Murphy, no middle name. He travels with his job and is constantly flying. About 7 or 8 mo. ago, he started getting flagged as being on the "no fly list." Apparently there is another Michael Murphy who is on the list.
He told me that after months of annoyance and delays, he finally got smart and when he buys his tickets he lists his name as Michael NMI Murphy and since then has had no problems at all.
And we think there is a sound system of checks in place.
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | September 18, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Obama email hacked.
(Via AmericanDigest.org)
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | September 18, 2008 at 09:12 PM
I want a cell with Soylent and Hit..If I'm going to be starved and beaten I want it to be with someone (s) who make me laugh a lot.
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 09:14 PM
Heh, Charlie. Though the "Mom" entry thows it off...replace that one with Scarlett Johansson, perhaps.
Posted by: hit and run | September 18, 2008 at 09:17 PM
We are three days into a financial meltdown of epic proportions and the toad still has no position on the AIG bailout?
He's trying to figure out what the letters mean.
His handlers are furiously loading them in the teleprompter now after he made a complete ass of himself yesterday except in the minds of geniuses like TruthIsElsewhere. I'd really like to see his Columbia transcript because any time this guy ad-libs he sounds as dumb as a plank.
Posted by: Captain Hate | September 18, 2008 at 09:18 PM
And if I'm going to be stuck in a cell with someone who's going to make me laugh, I want to be **thwacked**
Posted by: hit and run | September 18, 2008 at 09:18 PM
"WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal."
These trials will be brought to you by the same people who vociferously object to the Guantanamo military trials for terrorists, no doubt.
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 09:21 PM
"The McCain campaign has cited the proximity of Alaska to Russia as evidence of her international experience.
Hagel scoffed at that notion.
"I think they ought to be just honest about it and stop the nonsense about, 'I look out my window and I see Russia and so therefore I know something about Russia,'" he said. "That kind of thing is insulting to the American people.""
http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10435997
Then he makes a salient Bush conncection......."Washington experience isn't the only kind of experience, Hagel said, and he noted that many White House occupants have been governors with no time inside the Beltway."
Yeah. That outsider from Texas was sure a winner on all fronts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Posted by: Semanticleo | September 18, 2008 at 09:22 PM
Michael NMI Murphy
Good thinking. They're probably looking for Michael NME Murphy.
Nobody belongs on a list like that except America's NME's.
Posted by: bgates | September 18, 2008 at 09:23 PM
"WAR CRIMES and will be punished in due time by an appropriate People's Tribunal."
Read vincent bugliosi's book "The prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder".
It's available at bookstores eeverywhere.
Posted by: Semanticleo | September 18, 2008 at 09:24 PM
Ben - using private information stolen by the same people who vociferously object to listening in on Pakistan-to-Pakistan cell phone calls on civil liberties grounds.
Posted by: bgates | September 18, 2008 at 09:24 PM
The American part, in particular throws him. Maurice Greenberg, was kicked out of AIG by Spitzer on one his 'torchlight vendettas' masquerading as an anti corruption crusade; lesser men stepped in, the jokers at CNBC's Squawk Box, I think, was having a jolly old time of it; thinking their so brave, have they checked their own portfolios; hope they get a chance to burn their certificates for fuel. The tracker on "Is Larry King Alive" saids 'Worse crisis since the 30s" are they @#$@#%#%& crazing; 'If this goes on', as Heinlein might have put it, it might add up to the '87 crash, but lets get real here. Are we at the post modern point where words have no relation to reality? I really want to know.
There is something distressing though about the leading financial firms, being forced to liquidate themselves, then being picked up 'for a song' by other firms; Stearns, Lehman, Countrywide, et al; when theprevious
denial of capital, suddenly is rebuffed after the govt extends its bailout. Is it likely that there really is no value left in these companies; if not why are we treating them this way. Who has the wherewithal to be able to liquidate sizable stakes in said companies or force others into this lemming march; it sounds like something from a bad James Bond film, yet Soros doesn't have the pull to carry it out.
Posted by: ian cormac | September 18, 2008 at 09:25 PM
Hmmmm....Ace:
I hope TruthIsHere doesn't have any international travel soon.
Posted by: hit and run | September 18, 2008 at 09:25 PM
And if I'm going to be stuck in a cell with someone who's going to make me laugh, I want to be **thwacked**
Um hit? That's not the kind of prison movie we're talking about here...
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 09:27 PM
"Yeah. That outsider from Texas was sure a winner on all fronts,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"
Not all fronts, but many. I still thank my lucky stars we did not get Gore or Kerry. I think Gore's commission to determine who was responsible for 9/11 would have been winding down about now, and Gore would be announcing "strong censure at the UN of the Taliban".
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 09:27 PM
"Is it likely that there really is no value left in these companies; if not why are we treating them this way. Who has the wherewithal to be able to liquidate sizable stakes in said companies or force others into this lemming march;"
Yeah. They have assets. The problem is the negatives outweigh the positives. This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive.
Posted by: Semanticleo | September 18, 2008 at 09:29 PM
"using private information stolen by the same people who vociferously object to listening in on Pakistan-to-Pakistan cell phone calls on civil liberties grounds"
Yeah, I am sure the person who hacked Palin's email was one of those very upset at eavesdropping on terrorists.
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 09:30 PM
algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive
Only in Assclownistan, and there its called trickonometry.
Posted by: boris | September 18, 2008 at 09:35 PM
"This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive."
Wow, now that's really clever.....and original too. Semanticleo's comments are both clever and original. The only problem is that the clever comments are not original, and the original comments are not clever.
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 09:35 PM
This ain't algebra, where a negative plus a negative equals a positive.
?
Posted by: Barney Frank | September 18, 2008 at 09:36 PM
I think cleo better sue his math teacher.
Posted by: Barney Frank | September 18, 2008 at 09:38 PM
Ya know, in the Barack Hussein campaign, I feel like I'm seeing the most dishonest, double dealing, treacherous charachter American politics has ever seen. What a Zit on the American polity.
Posted by: Pofarmer | September 18, 2008 at 09:39 PM
The troll from Assclownistan only studied imaginary numbers which trolls use to count their children.
Posted by: boris | September 18, 2008 at 09:39 PM
I never did understand New Math...
Posted by: Soylent Red | September 18, 2008 at 09:43 PM
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book7/bk7i15/bk7_15i1.htm
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 09:44 PM
Just got in so haven't read the above comments. Big news today here in Alaska on all the Talk shows is that tomorrow, Sarah's husband and the others having received supeoneas to testify tomorrow in the Troopergate/Tasergate Controversy, will refuse to appear in court as ordered. They are refusing to after being advised not to by the State Attorney General. Their non-appearance tomorrow, according to the Talk Show Talking Heads, means they are subject to fines, 30 days in jail, and charges of Contempt, however, that stuff supposedly can only occur if the State Legislature reconvenes and so orders it. As it stands, the State Legislature is out of session until 10 January, so the result will be well after the National Election on 4 November. Callers are divided on this whole mess between wanting all the facts on the table ASAP, versus, not letting Prosecutor Branchflower, friend of Monegan and no-fan of Sarah, present his report 4 days before the National Election.
Posted by: Daddy | September 18, 2008 at 09:44 PM
"The troll from Assclownistan only studied imaginary numbers which trolls use to count their children."
I blame Bush's educational policies.
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 09:45 PM
http://www.cimt.plymouth.ac.uk/projects/mepres/book7/bk7i15/bk7_15i1.htm>nice charts to print and use if your fingers aren't enough
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 09:47 PM
okey dokey, this is completely off topic but i'm hopeful someone steers me in the right direction. is the following about right:
clinton admin packs fannie mae and freddie mac with dem operatives, basically warehousing them there where they can make big fat pay checks and contribute to the party.
dem controlled fannie mae and freddie mac (government sponsored entities) then push decreased lending rules to appease 'community activist' such as ACORN and to keep Congressional Black Caucus happy. they block bush's proposed reforms in 2003 and block mccain's proposed reforms in 2005.
i'm trying to keep up folks, but it's complicated! is that about right?
if it is, i think it would be really interesting to see how much money was contributed by the clinton appointees AND their hires.
Posted by: bubarooni | September 18, 2008 at 09:48 PM
Did anyone else watch the rest of the Palin interview on Hannity?
Wow, again, what a breath of fresh air. I am so looking forward to her debate with the gasbag. Hoorah!!
Posted by: Ann | September 18, 2008 at 09:48 PM
Thanks for the report, Daddy.
I suppose given that Dems are only attentive to assclown maneuvers that they will reconvene early or something.
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 09:49 PM
Barney,
Can you figure out what Paulsen and Bernanke are up to? It looks like the Dems are lined up, nodding.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | September 18, 2008 at 09:52 PM
http://minx.cc/?post=273792>Ace has put out the call for an election lawyer for something medium sized big.
If you know someone, give him a shout out.
Posted by: Sue | September 18, 2008 at 09:55 PM
Hey Sue, see other thread...
Posted by: hit and run | September 18, 2008 at 09:56 PM
McCain /Palin are assembling an anti-election fraud team.Go to their site and ask them to recommend one of their volunteers. If that doesn't work, have ace get back to me.
**********
Who'd have think this? "LOS ANGELES (AP) - Home sales in California surged 13.6 percent in August as a flood of foreclosures drove down prices.
The figures released Thursday by MDA DataQuick showed 37,988 new and preowned homes were sold statewide last month, up 13.6 percent from August 2007 but down 3.8 percent from July.
The firm said 46.9 percent of all homes sold last month were foreclosed properties.
That helped send the statewide median home price plunging 35.3 percent to $301,000 during the year ended in August.
Most of the foreclosed homes were located in inland regions that have taken the worst hits during the housing crisis.
"It's the counties that have these large pockets of distressed properties where prices have plummeted," MDA "
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D939E5SO0&show_article=1>Cal home sales surge
Posted by: clarice | September 18, 2008 at 09:58 PM
Hit,
Good job.
Posted by: Sue | September 18, 2008 at 09:58 PM
Daddy: When did a court get involved? I thought the subpoenas were issued by the faux legislative investigative panel, which as I understand it, doesn't even have jurisdiction. Doesn't the Personnel Board already have all the documents, etc. (the relevant emails are online) and aren't they the body with jurisdiction.
Also, I thought I read that the AG quashed those subpoenas.
Posted by: Sara (Pal2Pal) | September 18, 2008 at 10:00 PM
Where's the potential case?
Posted by: Jim Rhoads aka Vnjagvet | September 18, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Rick-
Can you figure out what Paulsen and Bernanke are up to? It looks like the Dems are lined up, nodding.
Dude. Watch the presser-don't know what he told them but it seems to have sobered everyone in congress up.
Posted by: RichatUF | September 18, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Rick,
Don't know much other than it apparently will be shaped to move from the current ad hoc and reactive, institution based maneuvers to a systemic asset based solution.
This is what I suggested a couple of days ago when I said they either needed to step back and let the chips fall where they may or go all in, ala the RTC.
But as I also pointed out the RTC got its assets for free so was pretty much guaranteed a profit.
They're going to have to buy these assets and I'm assuming they aren't going to be offering much. Where else are the holders of bad debt going to turn? Gonna be a lot of upfront money but if they hold them judiciously and sell them off over time they should be able to make a profit or break even. Who could sell to them and how it would be priced or structured is above my pay grade.
I do know what Pelosi and Reid are up to. Paulson and Reid just tossed them a life preserver. If the meltdown had continued I'm convinced Barry (and the Dems who were set to recess) was going to get increasingly stuck with the stink of this thing. McCain and Palin are just getting back on message. Pelosi and Reid will make nice with the dopey Repubs to make a deal and then turn right around and claim they just rescued us from McCain/Bush's disaster. And the real Barney Frank will be right there with em. McCain needs to start innoculating on that angle right now.
Of course whether this plan will actually work is another slightly important question as well. Those who think they're playing aces now may be chumps in a month.
Posted by: Barney Frank | September 18, 2008 at 10:10 PM
From ABC....hmmmmmm, how can this be used....
"ABC News' Jennifer Parker reports: Former President Bill Clinton has largely kept himself out of the public eye since his wife lost the Democratic primary to Barack Obama.
However in a rare television interview tonight, the former president called Republican presidential candidate John McCain "a great man" and praised GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin as an "instinctively effective candidate."
On a day when Obama sought to convince voters that he's best able to handle the economic crisis, the former president said it was his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., who gave today "the most detailed position."
In an interview with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, Clinton, who has tried to put to rest rumors of tensions between himself and Obama said, "I've never concealed my admiration and affection for Sen. McCain. I think he's a great man."
Posted by: ben | September 18, 2008 at 10:14 PM