If Libs Are Unhappy Now...

Per the Politico, liberals progressives are nervous about the current centrist drift of the Obama Administration.  Their guy is backsliding on immediately repealing the Bush tax breaks for "the rich", has appointed a bunch of centrist appeasers to the Cabinet, is positioning himself for victory in Iraq rather than declaring defeat and blaming Bush, and is dropping the windfall profits tax no that Big Oil has foolishly relinquished its iron grip on the market and allowed the price to slide under $50/barrel.  Hard times!

But as hard as they are, wait until Obama tackles health care reform.  His approach included a "pay or play" payroll tax on businesses that did not already provide a health care benefit to their employees.   But wait!  A new payroll tax in the current economy?  No one is so crazy as to get behind a jobs-killer like that right now.  Which means that some parts of the health care package will have to wait.

Well, at least Obama can blame Bush for passing off an economy so weak that Dems were handcuffed on the tax side of their "tax and spend" schemes.  Hard luck.

MORE:  Obama's deputy campaign manager suggests Libs take a breath, hold it, and fall down:

The point I'm making here is that our new president, the Congress and all Americans must come together to solve these problems. This is not a time for the left wing of our Party to draw conclusions about the Cabinet and White House appointments that President-Elect Obama is making. Some believe the appointments generally aren't progressive enough. Having worked with former Senator Obama for the last two years, I can tell you, that isn't the way he thinks and it's not likely the way he will lead. The problems I mentioned above and the many I didn't, suggest that our president surround himself with the most qualified people to address these challenges. After all, he was elected to be the president of all the people - not just those on the left.

As a liberal member of our Party, I hope and expect our new president to address those issues that will benefit the vast majority of Americans first and foremost. That's his job. Over time, there will be many, many issues that come before him. But first let's get our economy moving, bring our troops home safely, fix health care, end climate change and restore our place in the world. What a great president Barack Obama will be if he can work with Congress and the American people to make great strides in these very difficult times.

At least his suggestion is biologically possible...

Comments

[Soylent Red]

First!

And spellcheck is still free.

Back on topic...

I will gladly endure a recession/depression if it means that this knucklehead can't turn my country into Venezuela.

[vinman]

Although I relish the idea of Dems finding themselves handcuffed by an economy 'too weak to tax', history has shown they can (and will) find an excuse to do it anyway. Like their effort to increase the minimum wage regardless of all reasonable objections, it will be America's "Moral Imperative" to fund universal coverage.

[Danube of Thought]

Personally, I'm encouraged. The old beltway saying is that personnel is policy, and historically I think that's been true.

The children got him elected, but he's looking to the grownups for advice and guidance. I suspect we won't be so lucky when it comes to the judiciary, but think how much worse things could have gone.

Any ideas what he'll do about Guantanamo and the guests currently reposing there?

[nonetoday]

The SC just dismissed the case about his eligibility - not because it wasn't valid but because too many people voted for him.

Anyone who mentions it will be called crazy from now on. Nothing matters in this country anymore except money - if you have enough money you can buy elections even if you might not be eligible. The constitution doesn't mean anything - laws don't mean anything.

Unless you're white of course. Then you have to follow the laws but everyone else doesn't.

[Rick Ballard]

Can we start using an "Obama Lied Progs Cried" slogan now? We have more evidence than the progs were able to accumulate in eight years and the dork hasn't even been sworn in.

I dunno if it counts though - if a known liar and thief lies to known liars and thieves does it cancel out to Zero?

[bgates]

first let's get our economy moving, bring our troops home safely, fix health care, end climate change and restore our place in the world.
It's getting easier to bring the troops home every day thanks to Bush, the "climate" seems to be taking care of itself, and as for "restoring our place in the world", how much more beloved can we be than in our new role as Obama's backup band?

[Thomas Collins]

This is great for Zero. He will be able to pursue leftist domestic policies and still claim he is a centrist, because he is not adopting every scheme of the Kucinich/McKinney wing of the party. If I were Zero, I'd be hoping for more flak from the left.

By the way, I am amused by the argument that Zero is reneging on tax increase pledges. If all Zero and the Dem Congress do is let GWB's tax cuts expire, taxes will have been increased.

[PD]

But first let's ... end climate change...

That's a tough order, given the existing of day and night, and seasons.

[bgates]

Even the economy is "moving", though direction is paramount. Something that should have occurred to the 53% who voted in "change"....

[clarice]

bgates,tc--exactly--all he has to do is sit back and manipulate the press some more ala Kennedy..
DoT, Ditto on Gitmo--check what I posted on the other thread..the worst yeggs just pled guilty so that dilemma is finito...

He rides again!

[nonetoday]

There was an article yesterday about real estate agents saying people from Chicago are starting to buy expensive homes - they wouldn't say who this but I'm trying to figure it out. Who would have a few million in cash ready to buy a home in this economy? And why were the SS involved? I thought they were only for the President. Any idea who this is?

"On Wednesday, Jim Bell, a broker who deals in some of the city’s most expensive enclaves, said he had just given a tour of a six-bedroom Spanish-style house on California Street in the exclusive Kalorama neighborhood — for the wife of a very important soon-to-be Washington official.
"I can’t tell you who it was," Mr. Bell said conspiratorially. "But it was a $3-million showing. For someone coming in from Chicago."

He continued: "Their advance people have already been inside the house twice. Two different groups." (The second group, he said, was the Secret Service.)

[Rick Ballard]

PD,

Controlling the climate is a delicate process consisting of applying the most regressive type of tax imaginable - Air Taxes - to those already choking from their new FICO collars. Zero is going to cut CO2 emissions by strangling the poor. Obviously, that's not going to actually change the real climate but it will make things a bit nicer in Hyde Park.

[clarice]

Emanuel's wife? I believe she has so far remained in Chiacgo.

[Soylent Red]

I dunno if it counts though - if a known liar and thief lies to known liars and thieves does it cancel out to Zero?

Is this some kind of New Math word problem?

our new role as Obama's backup band

I don't know about that. I think we are merely the audience. The press is the backup band.

More appropriately, the chorus, emitting the dithyrambs to embellish the Actor's presentation and explain the action to the audience.

[clarice]

Anyway, it is the big ka-ching time in D.C.Lots of dopes are spending a fortune on house rentals; purchasing expensive clothing etc. They have no idea who awful inauguration balls are. I'm getting out of town then myself.

I don't even think there's a limo left and I don't think even they will be able to cut thru the traffic and traffic barriers.

The law has been changed allowing bars and restaurants to stay opn 24 hours to deal with the anticipated demand.
It will be godawful.

[clarice]

My son thinks I'm stupid for not renting out our house then--the rental fees are staggering, but who wants anyone that dumb staying in your house? Not I.

[DrJ]

Clarice, how long before the inauguration do things get congested? I will be in the DC area the week before; the agency has not given me authorization to travel yet. I am getting nervous.

[clarice]

Steve Gilbert keeps noting that the obama plan is identical to that of the CPUSA.

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/obamas-program-mirrors-the-cpusas

Justone of those quirky coincidences, I'm sure.

[clarice]

DrJ, I don't know. They are anticipating 4-5 million people will be attending. That is so much more than ususal and most of these people have never been to one before so i can't gauge that.

You might try staying in a near suburb next to a metro stop if you're concerned and are coming a week beforehand.

[DrJ]

Thanks, Clarice. I will be in Arlington, and will indeed stay close to the Metro. I'll probably stay at the FDIC, but it is expensive. Unless it fills up.

[nonetoday]

clarice: I thought it was Emanuel also. There aren't many people who can pay cash for an expensive home right now. I'm really surprised by the people on his campaign - they just don't seem very smart sometimes. If you're worried about the security of your family then it might be a good idea to make sure the person showing you the home doesn't tell a newspapers what neighborhood and street it's on.

Is there anyone keeping track of the $750 million donations they received? I wonder if someone "borrowed" some of that cash to buy a home.

[Neo]

suggests Libs take a breath, hold it

This may become "The One's" solution to AGW as well.

[Neo]

The current "Panic of 2008" has been compared to the disaster of 9/11 but so far there isn't a blue ribbon commission looking into the cause. Why not ?

[Soylent Red]

Zero phones in on the (historic) Glorious Workers' Revolt of 2008.

Salient quotes from the article:

"These workers deserve their wages, deserve fair notice, deserve health security," Jackson said. "This may be the beginning of long struggle of worker resistance finally."

Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers union that represents the workers, said the company told the union that Bank of America has canceled its financing. The bank had said in a statement that it wasn't responsible for Republic's financial obligations to its employees.

One of the factory's workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an $1,800 monthly house payment.

[Jane]

OT: I have a really dumb question, which I need to answer before my radio show tomorrow and I'm too busy to figure it out. SO if someone knows off the top of his or her head...

Assuming I can phrase it correctly. Dick maintains that the foreign auto companies down south were made possible as a result of federal spending and earmarks. I know tax incentives were involved. His point was that we have to bail out Detroit because we have already bailed out the foreign dealers, and I'm trying to figure out what precisely he is calling a "bail-out".

Anyway, does anyone remember those negotiations? Long shot I know.

[Jane]

Soylent,

Something rubs me the wrong way about giving BOA funds to ease credit to their customers, and BOA promptly refusing to do so.

Altho "deserve" is not a word I would use.

[Soylent Red]

Jane:

Why then aren't the union lawyers and Rainbow/PUSH lining up to do battle with BOA?

Republic doesn't have the money to meet its obligations. In any sane economy that would mean bankruptcy. This is forcing them to shop for credit in order to pay off union demands. That, IMO, is BS.

Yes BOA is showing bad faith by not using the money for what they said they would use it for (one more reason NOT to bail out the Detroit Three), but still, letting Republic re-organize or fold does more to discourage unions killing the goose that laid the golden egg than forcing companies to bankroll union demands on credit.

[Jane]

Republic doesn't have the money to meet its obligations. In any sane economy that would mean bankruptcy.

If that is true, I agree with you, altho someone reported that they were re-opening in IOWA. I forget about the fact that credit has been widely available for the non-credit worthy, a concept that really escapes me.

[PeterUK]

But first let's ... end climate change...

[Rick Ballard]

"Dick maintains that the foreign auto companies down south were made possible as a result of federal spending and earmarks."

Dick's a real prog isn't he? Locales and states which desired assembly plants offered local and sometimes state tax incentives as lures. If some of the incentives involved municipal improvements requiring the issuance of bonds then an argument can be made (typically by a prog) that the Fed's subsidized a portion of the incentive.

Healthy companies which don't rely upon public money to survive don't like Blue Hells very much wrt plant siting. They also don't trust Blue Hell governments to keep their words even when they dangle incentives. SR's cite above illustrates why locating in a Blue Hell isn't the smartest move a company can make - unless it has rented all the progressives in the area. Even then the risk is pretty high - who expects a progressive to keep a promise or honor a contract?

[Jane]

Rick,

I thought it was state lured, and I heard the senator from the state (can't remember which one or who) saying essentially the same thing.

And I'm seriously considering putting Mark Sanford on the mudwrestling list for coming out against every single bail-out.

Thank you. I figured someone would have the clue I lost.

[Soylent Red]

BTW Jane...

When are you starting your podcasts? And where will they be available?

[sylvia]

Well that was one of the many possibilities I considered and wrote about here before. I wondered what would happen once Obama was finally free from a lifetime of kissing Ayers' butt. I wrote that maybe Obama would turn into a Republican. Looks like that may be the one that came true.

[Jane]

Soylent,

I've asked for the recording device required ($34.95 at Walmart) for Christmas. Hopefully it will come with people who can show me how to use it. So as soon as I get it I will start.

Someone here offered to host it, but I also have a rarely used blog where I may post it. I'll let you know.

[Rick Ballard]

Jane,

I'd slap him with passage of the "progressive" Wagner Act as being the cause of death for ZombieMotors. It was the rape and pillage of the owners who provided the capital for this magnificent complex by the UAW and Steelworkers, aided by Congressional lice, which ensured their ultimate demise.

Theft, destruction and death are always the "fruit" of progressive promises.

[MayBee]

GM and the others have had their share of tax breaks too, Jane:

GM tax break package is state's biggest since '93
Posted by Steven Overly July 29, 2008 17:46PM
Categories: Autos, Economic development, Manufacturing

GM employees got their first glimpse of the Cruze earlier this month in a broadcast featuring Chief Executive Rick Wagoner, but the company wants to keep the car under wraps until it debuts in Paris later this year.
The $82 million tax credit awarded to General Motors Corp. on Monday is the largest given by Ohio in at least 15 years.

An Ohio Department of Development database of tax credit records since 1993 shows the amount significantly eclipses the next highest tax credit -- last December's $44.4 million tax break for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

Kristin Dziczek, a senior project manager at Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Center for Automotive Research, said she considers the GM package to be "darn cheap" compared to the benefit it will bring the region.

Monday August 25, 2008, 9:00 PM

FLINT, Michigan -- The Volt is coming to town.

General Motors was granted four tax breaks during Monday's City Council meeting, likely cementing the construction of a new plant for a gas engine for the battery-powered Chevy Volt.

Construction of the Flint plant would begin in 2008 and would be completed by 2010, according to a presentation by GM officials.

The Volt is expected to be sold to the public in 2010.

The battery-powered Volt would go about 40 miles on its battery charge, and then a small gasoline engine, likely to be built in Flint, would keep the vehicle powered while it recharges.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A bill giving a five-year property tax break to General Motors was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Frank Keating.

The measure, by Sen. Dave Herbert, D-Midwest City, unanimously passed the Senate and House last week.

Sponsors said it is hoped the bill will provide incentives for GM to proceed with a multimillion-dollar retooling of its Oklahoma City assembly plant.

The bill qualifies the GM plant for a property tax exemption on the proposed improvements. Officials estimate GM will reap about $40 million in tax savings over five years.

That's just a start.

[Jane]

Maybee, Rick, thanks.

You guys constantly amaze me.

[MayBee]

GM also had been lobbying for a tax refund for consumers who buy its Chevy Volt, because the price tag will be too high.

Automotive News | May 26, 2008 - 12:01 am EST

DETROIT — General Motors expects its gasoline-electric Chevrolet Volt to come to market in 2010 priced close to $40,000, say sources close to the project.

That’s pricey compared with rivals such as the Toyota Prius hybrid, but taxpayers may help lower that sticker.

GM is lobbying Congress to create tax credits benefiting "extended-range electric vehicles" such as the plug-in Volt, says GM spokesman Greg Martin. "We need to make sure the legislative language does include extended-range electric vehicles."

And federal tax breaks have helped the consumer pay for all hybrids, both foreign and domestic.
The Prius lost this benefit when they began selling so many.

[PDinDetroit]

I dunno if it counts though - if a known liar and thief lies to known liars and thieves does it cancel out to Zero?

Old Adage: Two Wrongs don't make a Right.

[bgates]

Locales and states which desired assembly plants offered local and sometimes state tax incentives as lures.
I bet I know the answer, but I'll ask anyway: Did places like South Carolina and Indiana extend these lures exclusively to foreign companies, or would they have been willing to open American-owned manufacturing facilities in their states?

Jane, I'd like you to ask Dick (since I don't have a prog of my own) whether in addition to being too big to fail, he thinks Detroit is too big to shrink. Ending certain lines of cars will produce a smaller version of the economic dislocation the specter of which is being used to frighten people into supporting the bailout. Surely he's not so heartless as to think we could allow GM to get into a position where it had to lay somebody off?

[matt]

Jane;

The Feds had little to do with the incentives offered to oyota, BMW, Mercedes, etc down south. The local and state governments, however, were vying for the factories because of the jobs and boost to the local economies.

Some of the tax rebate offers, free land, tax holidays for 10-20 years, worker training programs, etc amounted to billions of dollars. But this has little to do with the federal government. It's the car companies playing one state off against another.

[matt]

until the car companies and government directly address the issue of the union work rules, pay, and retirement/retiree benefits, the albatross will continue to drag GM, Ford, and Chrysler down.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Anyone who mentions it will be called crazy from now on. Nothing matters in this country anymore except money - if you have enough money you can buy elections even if you might not be eligible. The constitution doesn't mean anything - laws don't mean anything.

Oh, come on. We've seen a birth certificate copy and we've seen a certification from the Secretary of State of Hawai'i that Obama was really born in Hawai'i. So we don't have a lot of reason to think he wasn't native born in the most constrained sense.

But even if he'd been born in Kenya, he still was born of an American mother who clearly intended to remain a citizen --- she had several chances to be a citizen of somewhere else, and as far as we know never showed any sign of doing otherwise. (No, marrying an Indonesian doesn't count on its own.) So the argument that he was not "native born" in that context depends upon the technicality of his mother's age. Just as with McCain's birth in the Canal Zone, this was never likely to be applied that restrictively.

It is possible that the birth certificate has something embarrassing on it: his name wasn't registered as "Obama" but under Mom's maiden name, his religion was shown as "islam" (I can't recall right now if Hawai'i had a "religion" slot then), or his race was shown as "white". None of those are disqualifiers; at this point, after the election, all they could do is be embarrassing. So the SCOTUS is saying "we're not going to take this case just to embarrass the elected President."

[Charlie (Colorado)]

That's a tough order, given the existing of day and night, and seasons.

Actually, there's nothing easier: all you have to do is declare that the cooling trend shows their programs are being effective. Expect this announcement in about 2011, or early in 2010 if it looks like the election is going badly.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

Something rubs me the wrong way about giving BOA funds to ease credit to their customers, and BOA promptly refusing to do so.

Quantification error, there, Jane. Just because BofA took the money doesn't --- or shouldn't --- mean they must extend credit to any risk, no matter how bad. In fact, it's very nearly a theorem that unless they were forced NOT to tighten their standards, and I think we agreed they needed to tighten credit standards, there will be SOME companies who used to get credit who wouldn't now.

[Jane]

Charlie,

I certainly agree with that. As I said before I often forget that banks were lending to anyone for any reason for a long time.

Jane, I'd like you to ask Dick (since I don't have a prog of my own) whether in addition to being too big to fail, he thinks Detroit is too big to shrink.

Well I'll try. I'm not so sure he is all that pro-bailout, more pro devil's advocate. I'm pretty sure he is not in the tank for labor.

[MayBee]

Also, Federal Tax breaks for small business owners gave a huge benefit to buyers (and therefore makers) of SUVs. As we all know, the US automakers owned the SUV market, so while the benefit wasn't exclusively for the Big 3, it helped the Big 3 more.

The environmentalists hated this tax break, and have worked to get it eliminated.

[nonetoday]

If this was any other candidate I wouldn't think was anything important - but this is a person who has gone out of his way to make sure people are allowed to know about his past, people who knew him, his college records, his medical records, he Senate records, all the clients at his law firm - yet we're supposed to have faith in this person that he is honest.

I realize there might be information on the BC he doesn't want people to know about that has nothing to do with his citizenship but he could have the courts seal the records after they had someone WHO DOES NOT WORK FOR HIM verify the BC is authentic.

But I'm wasting my time trying to get people to understand why so many Americans are upset about this - I have never done anything illegal, always paid my taxes, never asked the government for money when I was unemployed even if it meant working minimum wage jobs until something better came along, never done anything dishonest ever.

I'm so disgusted with my government right now that I refuse to pay taxes anymore. I will lie or do anything I have to but I won't pay federal taxes in this country anymore. I will give that money to local fire and police departments because obviously those are important but I will not pay federal taxes.

This government doesn't represent honesty and laws anymore - it represents corrupt immoral thugs who buy elections.

[glasater]

Charlie--great to hear from you and I did send a few folks I know your "ragweed" story--funny beyond belief!

As far as the climate is concerned, I am cautioned by what happened in China last January. It could happen here.

Surber's final comment sums it up well:

I feel sorry for China. There’s not much I can do, except to point out that this bad storm in China shows once again that what man does not know about this planet far outweighs what man knows.

[Neo]

Help is on the way ?

[DER]

You don't have to be born in Hawaii to be Hawaiian. The court judged other than he was born in Hawaii. There's natives too.

Certificates for children born out of State. (a) Upon application of an adult or the legal parents of a minor child, the director of health shall issue a birth certificate for such adult or minor, provided that proof has been submitted to the director of health that the legal parents of such individual while living without the Territory or State of Hawaii had declared the Territory or State of Hawaii as their legal residence for at least one year immediately preceding the birth or adoption of such child.

LHE

[bad]

LOL Neo. I hadn't seen that in a long time. A draw indeed....

[Pagar]

Spending a million of so (of OPMs), to avoid embassassment over people seeing one's real birth certificate does not give me any confidence that any thing such a person does makes sense. But when one's only friends are people who know how to build nail bombs, or ones who collect money for other people to build nail bombs, I didn't expect much anyway.

Not one doctor, nurse, janitor, no one to the best of my knowledge, has stepped forward and said, I was there that day when Obama was born. Why?
My daughter was born in Hawaii in the same time frame and I guarentee there are records that prove it. Why doesn't Obama have any?

I think Nonetoday has said what a great many Americans feel, Thanks.

[Semanticleo]

"progressives are nervous about the current centrist drift of the Obama Administration.'

'Nervous' more accurately describes the Plausible Denialists who prattle Madrassa!
Muslim! Socialist! Tax and spend Liberal, but
the Straw is becoming more scarce, driving up the price on hay, and forcing the tanking of the baling wire commodities market.

But we gotta keep that traffic up......

Open threads aren't enough.

Editor-in-Chief to Cub Reporter; "Great Caesar's Ghost, Olson, if you can't find any News, make some up!!!"

[PeterUK]

"Muslim! Socialist! Tax and spend Liberal".

Could be.The bottom line is Obama a closed book,nobody seems to know what the man in charge of the nuclear arsenal is a complete unknown quantity.
Have to admire your confidence Septic,the man hasn't taken office or even done anything yet and here you are sucking his toes. "Yesth Mathster".

[RichatUF]

PeterUK-

The bottom line is Obama a closed book...

Which is saying something, seeing as how Obama has written two "autobiographies".

[Soylent Red]

That's not a toe, PUK.

[rrpjr]

"First... let's end climate change."

If you listen to these people just long enough (and it usually isn't that long) you always come to line like this and you're reminded again of their idiocy. When they were out of power, it was perverse sport; now it's just depressing.

[bad]

Speaking of making up news, here is the New York Times:

The truth is that Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had been chafing to attack Iraq before Sept. 11, 2001. They justified that unnecessary war using intelligence reports that they knew or should have known to be faulty.

Will Obama be held to the standard of "knowing or should know intellegence reports to be false"? We could save a fortune on intelligence budgets by eliminating the entire intelligence community since the president knows or should know these things.

LUN

[Pagar]

"Which is saying something, seeing as how Obama has written two "autobiographies".

Both of which told anyone who would listen that The last person in the world who should be in charge of America is the person who wrote those books.

[narciso]

"Ah Semantic the bride at every wedding,the corpse at every funeral," havent' you heard is an overvalued commodity. We don't put too much stock in this birth certificate theory, but we'd like confirmation from something other than the 'fight the smears' site. Inventing the news is what was masterfully done to Sarah, by your side
re; rape kits, belief in creationism, denying her pregnancy, accusing her as a book burner, inciting assasinationsattempts as Charlie Martin can attest. There was no accusation, vile enough, no insinuation base enough that was not hurled at her. So don't cry crocodile tears over your guy's exposure in the media. You think you stopped
her progress, you just made her eventual triumph all that more likely. It's dissapointing when some one you've admired for a long while, like Stanley Crouch, gets taken in by the press spin about Sarah calling her 'a pretty face, with not much in the way of accomplishment' the complete opposite of the facts, but that's just sad for him.

Mind you, he has been less dissapointing in many of his appointments than I expected from his record. Shoving Biden into the glass case was a welcome acknowledgement of what we already knew. Hillary was probably the best he could have picked out of an unsatisfactory lot. Gates was a good choice,
so was Richardson, Napolitano,seriously. Holder, a rank embarassment to any sense of dignity the Department might hold.
Ironically, progressives saw this same record that they tried to hide from the electorate; and were encouraged to expect more than has delivered yet. That's been our brief chortle at your side's expense.
We shall see who is right.

As to the KSM, and other sentences, the scale of the crime would mandate death; if planning 3,000 deaths, doesn't earn the death penalty, I don't know what does. This are very special circumstances, that demand such consideration. They'll probably get life at Ft. Leavenworth, SuperMax, orPelican
Bay. Which raises the prospect of additional
terrorist acts in order to free or exchange them for other hostages. One recalls the December '98 PDB was premised on such a operation to free Sheik Rahman.

[Rick Ballard]

Has anyone seen a list of Zero's Promises to Progs? I think that Pofarmer? did a compendium of lies but I'm thinking more of his "immediate withdrawal" type of BS.

Pagar,

Do you actually feel justified in saying that Zero wrote Dreams From My Sperm Donor? If there were a "with" or "as translated by" Bill Ayers appended then one could say "two books". I suppose it would be correct to say "was bribed with payments for" two books. He probably dictated one book so Audacity might qualify as "written". The quality is certainly low enough.

[PeterUK]

Can not Obama be rejected on the grounds that he is not the person the voters voted for?

[RichatUF]

Pager-

You can say it again. Someone who would write this:

"Of course, not all my conversations in immigrant communities follow this easy pattern. In the wake of 9/11, my meetings with Arab and Pakistani Americans, for example, have a more urgent quality, for the stories of detentions and FBI questioning and hard stares from neighbors have shaken their sense of security and belonging. They have been reminded that the history of immigration in this country has a dark underbelly; they need specific reassurances that their citizenship really means something, that America has learned the right lessons from the Japanese internments during World War II, and that I will stand with them should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." p.261, Audacity

shouldn't be President.

I hope the MTV generation will be satisfied.

[glasater]

Shoving Biden into the glass case was a welcome acknowledgement of what we already knew.

Just wonderful Narciso!!

[kim]

After the first couple of notes, the fat lady was hooked into the wings. Wrotnowski's been distributed for conference.
====================================

[bad]

the fat lady was hooked into the wings.

Hillary prefers "pleasingly plump"...

[clarice]

bad quoting the NYT:"They justified that unnecessary war using intelligence reports that they knew or should have known to be faulty."

Say you only knew what you read in the NYT, why would you know that the intel reports were false?

RichUF, I assumed he was talking about Rezko when he wrote about Arab immigrants being beset by the feds.

[glasater]

Heh--my comment was booted fromThe Supreme Court Decides Not to Overturn the Election.
I was trying to be polite--didn't call him Zero or anything. I just asked why the guy would spend the best part of a million dollars to divert attention from the BC situation.

.

[bad]

Reading the NYT for information rather than amusement demonstrates lack of intelligence.

[bad]

Say you only knew what you read in the NYT, why would you know that the intel reports were false?

They're going bankrupt, they have no time for facts.

[RichatUF]

narciso-

I will disagree with you re: Gov. Richardson. I don't think Obama could have found a more money-grubbing fixer in all of DC. Remember on his watch, the Chinese were able to loot the Department of Energy. While he was US Ambassador to the UN, he had an ineffective meeting with the Taliban (April 1998) and Iraq and the UN hit the gas on looting the Oil for Food program. Richardson at Commerce (and Hillary at State) is an open invitation for foreign policy to be rented out to the highest paying of the most loathsome.

[clarice]

Pulitzer is now expanding its prizes to cover online only publications. In line with its history, I suppose that means Democratic Underground and Kos will make it to the winner's circle.

[bad]

Suuly is ready for his close-up.

[Hillary]

Amazing how fast the Israeli lobby got to Barack Obama by making him appoint her as Sec of State........unreal

[bad]

**sully*

[PeterUK]

And darlin', darlin' stand by me
Oh stand by me
Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, oh stand, stand by me...

Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me
Oh stand by me
Whoa stand now, oh stand, stand by me...
*fade*

[Pagar]

Rick, My wording in my previous post was intended to say - who ever wrote those books,(meaning that I could not be sure who wrote those books). However, I like your: - "it would be correct to say "was bribed with payments for" two books" and will hereafter attempt to use your well turned wording, if you don't mind.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Is there any truth to the rumor that the young women of DC are waiting for Richardson's return with great anticipation?

[PD]

"Say you only knew what you read in the NYT, why would you know that the intel reports were false?

They're going bankrupt, they have no time for facts."

Heh. Did they have time when they weren't going bankrupt?

[bad]

Speaking of Hillary, she seems to enjoy a good grope done in fun, although I'm shocked Bill hasn't punched someone in the nose to defend her honor... LUN

[RichatUF]

I assumed he was talking about Rezko when he wrote about Arab immigrants being beset by the feds.

That makes it all better;) Can't be sending his "friends" to jail. That passage in his book is ridiculous regardless-those detained were here illegaly; "Arabs and Pakistanis" were running front operations for terror groups all over the US (Pakistani jewelry kiosks were the more creative I rememeber); and he includes the always at the ready Japanese internment palate cleanser.

So if a 9/11 scale terror attack happens on his watch we can expect CAIR running the investigation, ACLU to right the ship of the intelligence community and getting to "the root causes", and Obama to make a tour of the Muslim world to surrender to every group with a grievance and a gun. Should be fun, but it won't stop any other terrorist attacks.

[kim]

www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/nation/12/07/1207bushinside.html
===================================

[kim]

That's supposed to end in 1207bushinside.html

About Bush's legacy and Rove's book. Mentions Plame.
=====================================

[kim]

H/t to qs on the Ayers thread at Polipundit, which is also fun to read for a slugfest. Shameless self-promotion.
==========================

[bad]

Kim's link LUN

[kim]

Much gracious, bad.
=============

[clarice]

Trouble right here in Foggy Bottom..

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_campaignplus/20081209/ap_ca/clinton_state_department_11>Rice

[jorod]

Get rid of Congress.

[Ralph L]

MayBee, I believe they passed a $7500 tax credit for the Volt. The foreign car makers are all in right-to-work states, surprise!
It was the Reagan administration that got them to move operations here with "voluntary" restrictions on imports. That also pushed them to move up-market (Lexus, etc.), which has hurt the Big 3 in the long run more than losing small car sales.

[bgates]

Say you only knew what you read in the NYT
Attempting to do so put me in mind of this old book. Makes me think Pinch should be called "Point".

Narciso - not sure what Richardson brings to Commerce, other than a deep familiarity with the anti-trust exemption owing to his time in the big leagues. Every job he's ever had has been in government or a result of his time in government. Even if you go back a generation....
Never mind.
You wouldn't believe what his dad did for a living.

[clarice]

Rove is quite right--there was such outrage when it was thought he leaked Plame's name. When years later it was known that it was Armitage, no problem from anyone...(except us, of course).

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

We have to work up a story where we can use Lard Butts At Foggy Bottom as the title.

[bad]

Good grief bgates. What a small, incestuous world.

[centralcal]

I was busy, busy at work today and way behind on this thread, but a shout out to Clarice . . .

My cookbook - Itlian Regional Cooking by Ada Boni - arrived today in absolutely excellent condition!!! For only 3 bucks (shipping cost more than the book - snicker).

Can't wait to explore it.

Additional snickers, to Clarice for the DU and KOS pulitzer predictions! (which I only saw as I was scrolling down to post this.)

[kim]

Broad minds at Foggy Bottom.
====================

[clarice]

Rick---

The protocol office had rarely been in such a dither, and they were used to dealing with exceedingly dicey situations. True they usually involved foreign dignitaries and this one was purely domestic. Still making sure that the paths of the incoming Secretary of State and her purported colleague the nominee for the US Ambassadorship to the UN never crossed as they made their "courtesy call" on the outgoing Secretary was a new and particularly challenging assignment for the office.

[clarice]

Amazon used books deal is always fantastic and the best way to get out of print books I know of.

[bad]

I'm no Hillary fan but would cheer loudly were she to kick some Susan Rice a**.

[PD]

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama failed to give a straight answer when asked on a U.S. talkshow on Sunday whether he had managed to quit smoking.

Wouldn't give a straight answer? Unbelievable. Must be the first time ever.

Sheesh. His answer (LUN) is a classic of talking out of both sides of his mouth.