The Stimulus Recovery Package

Let's talk about the impending Obama recovery.

First, Republicans are opposed to the $825 billion recovery bill; Obama is open to "compromise", which surely amounts to tossing a few fig leaves to the right.

A key part of the controversy - a lot of the "stimulus" won't even be spent until after the economy is projected to be in the early stages of a recovery  (projected by whom, one might wonder?).  Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman tries his hand at economic history and offers assurance that this time, the spending lag won't matter:

It’s not a problem if some or even most of the stimulus arrives after the official recession, as determined by the NBER, is over. Why? Because in modern recessions, unemployment keeps rising long after the NBER has determined, based on things like industrial production, that the recession proper is over. You can see that the need for stimulus doesn’t end with the recession by the simple fact that in each of the last two recessions the Fed continued to cut interest rates long after the official cycle trough. if it’s good enough for the Fed, it’s good enough for fiscal policy.

So what is the right criterion? Actually, I think it’s quite straightforward. The reason we’re talking about fiscal policy is the fact that monetary policy is up against the zero lower bound. Stimulus will still be valuable as long as we’re still up against that bound — which is likely to be the case for a long time.

Again, I think it’s helpful to look at the last two recessions, even though we didn’t hit the zero bound either time. The 1990-1991 recession officially ended in March 1991; but the Fed kept cutting rates, and it didn’t start raising the target rate until Feb. 1992 (sic - should be 1994), 2 years and 11 months later. The 2001 recession officially ended in Nov. 2001; but the Fed kept cutting, and didn’t start raising rates until June 2004, 2 years and 7 months later. This suggests a long window, even after the recession officially ends, before the zero bound stops binding, and hence before the current strong case for fiscal expansion goes away.

My goodness, Krugman's citation of the 1990/91 recession and the low interest rate environment that followed it is amusing.  Let's play a quick word association game:  Rubinomics, Clintonomics, "The Agenda", James Carville reincarnated as the bond market - are any memories of that era coming back?

Please - in his 1993 budget Bill Clinton famously jettisoned some liberal spending plans as part of a deal with Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan under which the Fed would provide low rates if the Administration battled the deficit.  Surely this is not news to a Nobel Laureate?  Unless Obama is poised to become a deficit fighter at the instant of recovery, the 1991 comparison is inapt.

Von at Obsidian Wings provids a longer economic history - following the more serious 1982 recession interest rates headed up almost immediately and in every recession since 1950 except the two cited by Krugman, unemployment fell at the outset of the recovery (that could be a matter of how "recovery" was defined, of course).

Finally, over at The Corner Jim Manzi offers the very prudent observation that what were once emergencies are now baselines.  For example, part of the stimulus recovery package includes an expansion of the food stamp program.  Regardless of how it is currenty budgeted, does anyone expect a future Democratic Congress and President to cut that program?  Obama and his Democratic allies are using this package to build new budgetary baselines that will entrench a permanent expansion of the Federal goverment.  OK, that is the flip side of the Republican page of the playbook where we cut taxes and entrench deficits in order to restrain spending, but still...

[Click for end of thread]

Comments

[kim]

I wonder if Paul has any sense for how corrupting his ideology has been to his economic judgement? He genuflects to his rigid alter, constantly.

Hoo, hoo, I noticed, and almost corrected 'altar', but I like the slip, too.
====================================

[hit and run]

Good morning!

I need a little extra something in my stimulus recovet package this morning.

The second cup of coffee seems not to be enough.

[Mel]

Morning all-

Is this the kind of "stimulus" Chris Matthews was talking about?

[RichatUF]

Mel-

Not quite. Chrissy's tingle was in his leg, this is the tingle you feel when a pick-pocket lifts your wallet.

Hardly any debate and its going to pass. And speaking of the ever growing federal programs, S-CHIP is going to be rediculously expanded to include all manner of non-poor, non-children (but I suppose from Madam Pelosi's perspective we should all be poor children).

[RichatUF]

rediculously->ridiculously

coffee√ full
spell√ on

[Jimmy's Attack Rabbit]

The GOP tax cut stimulus need not "entrench deficits" if the GOP also proposes accessing the $40 trillion of domestic oil in the ground.

[clarice]

Good morning,JOM!
Yesterday's real assignment was cracking type pads end of thread/meshuga pagination carp. We--did it/ I think it was Boris actually who is the WE. Maybe it was Cecil. Oh, well, whoever--WE did it.

Today's assignment is harder, how to close open tags that doesn't require more work by TM or a ban on html.

After that, a philosophical discussion on why corporations pay people who cannot bring complaints up to management or fix probelms created by their own idiotic changes in software programs to simply keep writing back sweet nothings to complainants.

[DrJ]

I've been away, but after the Typepad pagination nonsense stated. It sounds like there was a resolution yesterday.

Was there? If so, what was it?

[RichatUF]

From the article:

Krugman says, "Every economics textbook — mine too! — warns that stimulus based on public spending has a habit of peaking much too late..."

AND

"It’s not a problem if some or even most of the stimulus arrives after the official recession, as determined by the NBER, is over."

And since Obama's economic team the NBER "declared" this recession based on peak employment only, the other numbers were flat or peaked in 08Q2, shouldn't this recession end when employment recovers to 07Q4 levels? It is also nice to know that Krugman's economics textbook doesn't matter.

[RichatUF]

and I really goofed the thread

[RichatUF]

And since Obama's economic team the NBER "declared" this recession based on peak employment only, the other numbers were flat or peaked in 08Q2, shouldn't this recession end when employment recovers to 07Q4 levels? It is also nice to know that Krugman's economics textbook doesn't matter.

[Jane]

Wow - everything is crossed out. I guess this is the Wednesday typepad surprise.

[DrJ]

Ah, I see the issue about open tags. I didn't understand the comment earlier -- what we had before was not that bad...

[Jane]

Rich,

You goofed up EVERYTHING! Think of it as power!

[Extraneus]

END OF THREAD

[ahem]

[RichatUF]

DrJ-

Good to see you back.

Was there? If so, what was it?

Sort of, this link should take you to the end of the thread on a multi-page comment thread. It was hashed outon the threads below. No answer on pagination though the comments are now 50/page.

[RichatUF]

Is the thread still crossed out?

I can't believe I did this.

[Sue]

Join in fellow JOMers. Hot Air and Malkin are raising the call your congressperson flag. Let's help light up the switchboard!

[DrJ]

Rich, the link didn't work. Which thread?

If we are now up to 50 comments per page, that a good start.

[Captain Hate]

What a wonderful piece of software (POS) this is.

[RichatUF]

DrJ-

Since I goofed the thread, I'm worried to say the link will work once the thread reaches 50+ comments, but it should.

Look at the bottom of Tom's post here
___________

Re: my goofing the open strike tag. Could it be that since TypePad indexes comments even and odd, the tag only closes when it finds its match in the even or odd table? (ie: even numbered comment has open tag, next evened numbered comment with the closing tag match closes the tag?) Is that even english?

[Extraneus]

Hey, are the Republicans growing a backbone? Might be good since their brains haven't quite impressed too much lately.

I wonder where we'd be if Bush hadn't proposed bailouts but had just said "We need to cut taxes immediately to stimulate growth, and if we don't do it right away we're looking at a major recession and serious hardship." What would Obama be doing right now? Instead, Bush and many Republicans invited the nose into the tent, and now they're trying to negotiate over whether the tail stays outside.

Emmanuel was right about not wasting an opportunity.

[clarice]

Interestingly, there are no strike outs visible on IE..You can close an open tag on that system but no other.
Do you suppose a mad programmer worked this thing out?

[Porchlight]

Yes, switch to IE if you want to see the thread w/o strikethrough. So dumb that it only works on IE, but there you have it.

[Extraneus]

I guess we can assume the pogrammer was using IE, then. That might be worth knowing.

I see strikeouts in the Posted by: lines in Firefox3, but not in IE7. Nothing in the posts themselves on either browser.

[clarice]

Re Blago, Legal Insurrection notes the difference in the tapes and the reading of the transcripts, the thinness of the Prosecution;s claims, etc..Looks like another lawyer is catching on to Fitz' games:
http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2009/01/blagojevich-trial-day-2-gun-that-didnt.html?showComment=1233155760000#c7588507491814910086>Go Blago

[Ranger]

Emmanuel was right about not wasting an opportunity.

Posted by: Extraneus | January 28, 2009 at 09:58 AM

Given that we have Emmanuel on tape publicly saying that, I have no idea why the Rs don't just stand up and say this package is simply the Ds in congress doing just that, exploiting the economic hardship of every day Americans to pay off their politically connected friends.

The WSJ is saying that only 12% of the bill is actual stimulus spending. The Rs should go to Obama and say they will support a bill that has only that 12% in it. Anything more is just Dem exploitation of the suffering of average Americans.

[clarice]

Yes, Ranger!!Insty also asks what happened to all that money recently appropriated for infrastructure improvement..

[DrJ]

Man, what a mess Typepad has become.

I too see all the strikeout mess: the line that has the poster and the time stamp is struck through. For someone like TCO that would be fine, but not for all of us!

I also see stikethoughs in all of the lines below and including "Post a comment," including the Preview and Post buttons. Just weird.

Does no one at Typepad test their product on multiple browsers before releasing it? Even the most raw of Internet start-ups do that -- it is just SOP.

Using IE is not an option, since it does not run on my computer.

At least it seems to do no damage other than to the visuals.

[DrJ]

The WSJ is saying that only 12% of the bill is actual stimulus spending.

What I see of Obama so far is that he is extremely cynical. He has said nothing new yet, nor really changed many of Bush's policies, yet the press treats his "acts" like they are brand new. Taranto commented on the same thing. Ethics reform? No real change. Gitmo? No real change (though that remains to be seen). Stimulus? Only for the Matthews democrats, so that they can tingle.

Change we can believe in!

[clarice]

End of thread helper:
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/01/the-stimulus-recovery-package.html?%20cid=x>Hit Me

Another thing about using the end of thread helper--you do get the real last post which since the new improved carpola i could get only some time after it was posted making dialogue virtually impossible.

[Sue]

I hope no one is here commenting because they are driving the switchboard operator crazy. Call your congressperson and tell them no. Hell no. We don't need no freakin' stimulus.

[Extraneus]

Given that we have Emmanuel on tape publicly saying that, I have no idea why the Rs don't just stand up and say this package is simply the Ds in congress doing just that, exploiting the economic hardship of every day Americans to pay off their politically connected friends.

I think the reason is that they don't want to go after Obama. If they could frame it as Pelosi's stimulus package, or Reid's simulus package, they could attack it, but they can't, and they're afraid to come out against Obama, especially by accusing him of doing what he's actually doing.

They have to get over the fear of opposing Obama, and doing so the way Democrats do -- by questioning his motives. Anything else is just a green eye-shade discussion that makes peoples' eyes glaze over.

"You mean I'll get a $600 check? Sweet!"

[Sue]

And, if you don't feel like bugging your congressperson, but the DNCC. http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html>Rush has responded to their petition to obtain names, addresses and such from potential voters for 2010, or as they call it, Rush to Judgment.

[Jane]

Clarice,

I need to send you an email it the address with your last name?

[Amused bystander]

They need tpo frame Obama as a socialist.

Just one week of this crap and they will be fine.

The GOP need to start acting like men.

The country hangs in the balance.

They need to just stop caring what the media says. They have lost two elections doing this.

Get Palin out there. Rudy. Fred.
At the very least it will break this paralysis.

[clarice]

Jane, that gmail account is the one I rarely look at but I'll catch it..The one with the intitials only is my most used acct.

[clarice]

Heh, I just noticed that Rush is calling this Obama's "War on Prosperity".

[MayBee]

If they could frame it as Pelosi's stimulus package, or Reid's simulus package, they could attack it, but they can't,

I saw them trying this yesterday on Hardball. Chris Matthews actually gave them a fair hearing.
They are smart to not go after Obama, and there is really no reason to. I hated the way the Dems made everything personal against Bush.

But Pelosi larded up this bill and worked on it without allowing ANY Republican input.
She is a worthy target for Republicans, and there is the added bonus that the bill her people wrote is actually horrible.

[MayBee]

Rich- Typepad should pay you for finding this particular bug.

Here's what they need to fix (assuming they want to keep pagination)
- Close tags in Firefox
- last and first page options in addition to arrows
- restore the ability to click on a "recent comment" commenter's name and get directly to that comment

Those are all features they took away for no good reason.

[Uncle BigBad]

Try this

Place the strike-through code in front of your user name, then again after it.

[Uncle BigBad]

Never mind.

[Danube of Thought]

The case for no stimulus at all: LUN.

Q's re the typepad nightmare:

(1) What is a "tag?"

(2) Does someone have to post the "Hit Me" link somewhere on the first page of every new thread?

[MayBee]

DoT- the tags are the symbols you use when you italicize or bold something.

[Rick Ballard]

"We don't need no freakin' stimulus."

How are the Democrats to support their nonproductive clients without additional spending? Jim Manzi links to a decent paper which shows how little stimulation was actually provided by last years tax rebate. It confirms the wholly unsurprising point that the productive will tend to pay off debt and save in the face of uncertainty while the nonproductive will spend the money of the productive with great alacrity. One out of three tax cut dollars went to spending - not particularly effective given the run up in gas prices which occurred at the same time.

Russell Roberts is scoring the Mankiw/Schiller debate but he's using "confidence" where I would use "trust". You really can't climb to any level of confidence if you have no trust in the foundation. The foundation of the economy is composed of the shared ethical and moral system within the major institutions, bound together by the impartial and indifferent administration of justice.

It ain't there no more and nothing the Congressional Clown Caucus does is going to affect that fact. They're a symptom of the disease, not the cure.

Krugman is going to look a bigger fool than he actually is (hard as that is to believe) if unemployment sails right through 10% without a pause. There is no reason for it not to now - companies need profits and cutting deadwood payroll is a very good way to achieve a decent quarterly number. The Boomers within five years of retirement make a lovely target for managers handed an order to reduce staff by 15%.

What fun!

[Enlightened]

Bwahahhhah...The Anti Rush petition is being completely jacked by Rush supporters.

Is the left that stupid? Really that stupid? How many times will the be outwitted by Rush, and handed their head on a plate, before they just leave him alone?

The comments are hilarious! I left one pro-Rush with a fake name and e-mail address....

This is almost as good as Harry Reid's Letter.....

And a good morning to all!

[Extraneus]

I saw them trying this yesterday on Hardball.

I've been reading about that, but they can't argue the basic idea without taking Obama on. Details they can blame on Pelosi, and Obama will give them a fig leaf to resolve their consciences, but they can't argue the basic idea of it with her. He's already pinned his legacy on it, as you've already pointed out.

[clarice]

DoT it's more convenient if it's on the front page, but I'll put one here on this thread in case it gets longer
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2009/01/the-stimulus-recovery-package.html?cid=x>Hit me

I'd explain to you how to do this but I know you'd just find it frustrating.

[glasater]

I do believe the problem of closing tags lies with Firefox since it doesn't appear with Safari or a very old version of Netscape.

Occasionally I deal with a newsroom that uses Firefox for their browsing needs and seen the problems involved.
For example--if a Firefox user in the newsroom wants to download a .jpg image to be used in the newspaper, it automatically "zips" the file or truncates the extension name which causes no end of problems because the other software does not know what to do with the file.

[Jane]

I keep going back to post 911 when President Bush told everyone to go shopping. (And I will never forget the mockery that ensued.)

Obama needs to tell everyone to go shopping, because what appears to me to be causing all this pain is the lack of confidence. I share it.

But first he must pay back his buddies. Country first? Not on a bet.

[Jane]

We appear to have lost the strike-thru. I think it is funny that it even went thru the arrows on the bottom of the page.

Rich, behave yourself!

[Extraneus]

Hey, here's an interesting post from TypePad's site. They closed comments pretty quickly, but it appears these features (and problems) have been in beta for at least 15 months.

[RichatUF]

Maybee-

Typepad should pay you for finding this particular bug.

It's all my fault. Sorry Tom! No more using strike for me, and I'm pretty good at closing tags:(

If Tom comes by, I had a question about the comment thread but don't want to do it because it might really screw it up more than I already have.

[jimmyk]

Apparently there is money for ACORN in the bill.

The lagging unemployment argument is ridiculous. Just because employment is the last thing to recover, it doesn't mean that the recession isn't over. The fact that the Fed kept cutting rates only shows that the Fed isn't particularly good at recognizing the end of a recession either.

[MayBee]

Obama needs to tell everyone to go shopping, because what appears to me to be causing all this pain is the lack of confidence. I share it.

I agree.
Not that it would be fair, but I say the government should let everybody deduct their credit card interest from their taxes, pay off a bunch of bad mortgages, and tell us to go shopping again. Then tighten up the rules around issuing new credit cards and mortgages.

But according to Barney Frank, he doesn't want people to go shopping because they'll just buy a bunch of stuff made in China.
And the Dems don't want to reduce taxes because they think people will just save the money.
ISTM people will be willing to spend again only when they feel they can save a little too.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Boehner said yesterday that Obama told the Congresscritters during his meeting with Repubs that he had no “pride of authorship” in the so-called stimulus bill. This is a Pelosi-Reid concoction.

[DrJ]

I do believe the problem of closing tags lies with Firefox

Maybe that's gecko-based browsers. I usually use Epiphany, and it gives the strike-through problem. It is *not* Firefox, though it does use the same rendering engine (namely, gecko). Galeon too is gecko-based, and suffers similarly.

Opera seems to be immune.

[Neo]

Exactly what was the Nobel thinking when they chose this clown ?

[MayBee]

Neo- they were thinking "thanks for the big donation, George Soros"

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

if a Firefox user in the newsroom wants to download a .jpg image to be used in the newspaper, it automatically "zips" the file or truncates the extension

I've been using Firefox since it came out and I've never seen the problem as described above.

[DrJ]

Me neither, Sara.

[Neo]

Wouldn't it all work better if they made all spending tax deductible ? .. or better yet tax exempt.

I know it takes all the joy out the hands of government idiots, but if they are afraid it will just be saved, let them write off just spending. Best of all, it would all occur in the next few weeks .. months ..

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

OT: FYI, Iraq is getting ready for new elections.

[clarice]

Actualy I miscredited the work around--Bill in AZ figured it out.

[clarice]

I remember when you could deduct interest payments on credit cards, larger amounts of interest m paayments on mortgages and school loan interest. Maybe the feds should consider that as a way to reduce the debt load and get people buying again.

[Rocco]

It's time for our party to position itself for the mid terms. And this stimulus recovery package could be the springboard to success in the future. History could repeat.

[MayBee]

clarice- I remember, too. I know they did away with those deductions because high income earners could deduct huge amounts.
But it seems to me in the current circumstances it would be a fantastic fix.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

If you are on Twitter, you can go to http://tweetcongress.org and find all members of House/Senate who are on Twitter. Surprisingly almost all of them will follow you back if you follow them.

[Danube of Thought]

There's a piece in the Washington Times (sorry, no link) pointing out the loopholes in the closure of the CIA "black" sites.

And a second lobbyist rears his head.

It's starting to look more and more like all hat and no cattle.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Sorry forgot the link, here is the story:

Via Jerusalem Post:

Voting stations are open across Iraq in places such as military camps and government offices for the first ballots of this week's provincial elections.

The election to choose governing councils in most of Iraq's provinces is scheduled for Saturday.

But special voting began Wednesday for Iraqis needed on duty for election day such as security forces and government officials. Iraqis held in detention also were expected to take part in the early voting.

US and Iraqi authorities hope the election will open the political process to more groups and further erode support for extremist networks. The voting is also being closely watched by Washington as it weighs how fast to withdraw American forces.

[Soylent Red]

Voting stations are open across Iraq in places such as military camps and government offices for the first ballots of this week's provincial elections.

Brought to you by those "war criminals" Bush and Cheney.

[clarice]

Re DoT's comment--\
(1) After announcing new rules to bar hiring of Lobbyists, tax chiseler Geithner's first act was to waive the rule so he could hire a lobbyist as his deputy.
(2)The lloophole in the secret detentions ban is that the CIA can still set this up for temporary use.

All P.R. hooey.
No change.

[Thomas Collins]

The GOP voting against the Obama/Pelosi/Reid/Emmanuel fraud bill ("fraud" being an appropriate term for legislation that is promoted as an economic recovery or stimulus package by those who have full knowledge that the recovery/stimulus mantra is a pretext for a goodie/pork bill) is not enough. If the GOP were truly a responsible opposition party, the GOP Senate and House leaders would publicly support an alternative bill that cut marginal tax rates, provided funds for toxic asset purchases and set up some sort of resolution trust type scheme for the banking system, and the Senate GOPers would filibuster the Dem bill until the provisions not directly related to shoring up the financial system and cutting taxes were eliminated. If the current GOP leadership is too afraid of Obama to do this, they deserve nothing but scorn.

We have gone from folks who risked their lives and livelihood to take on the King of England in the 18th century to folks who are intimidated in the 21st century by community organizer/Harvard Bore Review chief.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

I have discovered in the last couple of weeks that if I want more unbiased reporting, I have to go to the foreign press. They are fawning over Obama. In fact, I get the impression his actions so far are not being all that well received. Not that you would know that from our American MSM.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

They are NOT fawning...

[Chris]

Interesting that Krugman sees the Fed as omniscient and having no responsibility for the bubbles which followed their loose monetary policy. Good grief!

So what if a trillion (give or take a couple hundred billion) dollars enters the economy AFTER the recession is over? No problem. Inflation? Not to worry. Budget baselines permanently ratcheted up? It's a feature, not a bug.

[clarice]

TC--If the Reps in Congress showed some backbone on this, I bet others could pressure on the blue dogs without whom there is no Dem majority in Congress. And it is a stroke of genius to call this the Pelosi-Reid bill.We all know hoe quick O is to throw people under the bus when they become inconvenient.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

I saw early this AM on the news that there are houses in Detroit selling for $1.00.

[sbwaters]

A comment made simply to hurry us to the next segment of the thread to rid us of the Typhus strikes.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

He's talking about the interest.

Exposed: Speaker Pelosi’s Secret $347 Billion Program
Michael G. Franc

It starts out at the relatively modest level of $700 million in 2009, but rises inexorably thereafter—to $4.1 billion in 2010, $11.1 billion in 2011, $22.0 billion in 2012, $31.9 billion in 2013, $37.5 billion in 2014, $42.1 billion in 2015, until it reaches $53.6 billion in 2019.

We’re talking about the interest charges that will be required to finance the $825 billion cost of the debt bill. We learned this today in a letter that Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas W. Elmendorf sent to the senior Republican on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

Here is the relevant part:

Under CBO’s current economic assumptions and assuming that none of the direct budgetary effects of H.R. 1 are offset by future legislation, CBO estimates that the government’s interest costs would increase by $0.7 billion in fiscal year 2009 and by a total of $347 billion over the 2009-2019 period.

So when you hear politicians talk about the $825 billion ten-year cost of this legislation, keep in mind that it masks these unavoidable interest costs, bringing the total ten-year cost to at least $1,172,000,000,000.00.

The debt that gives rise to $53.6 billion in interest costs in 2019 alone, moreover, will not magically disappear in 2020 or beyond. Thus, the real cost of the debt bill will grow and compound over the years so long as that debt remains unpaid.

[MayBee]

(2)The lloophole in the secret detentions ban is that the CIA can still set this up for temporary use.

Ha ha ha.
Didn't we all guess that would be the case when we were discussing Dana Priest's gushing?

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Obama's first 100 hours.

A bit of humor.

[narciso]

And yet another strategy from our "Fearless Leader"; Poland and Ukraine, you're on your own,'myfriends':http://closingvelocity.typepad.com/closing_velocity/2009/01/breaking-moscow-rolls-obama-euro-missile-defense-apparently-shelved.html He'll spend money on programs that clearly won't work, but something for 'defense of the realm' as they would say in your country, PeterUK, that goes by the wayside, because we can't anger the Russian bear, who's enabling the Persian Lion, to build nuclear weapons, and target all those who won't yield under sharia law. That idiotic Columbia U, piece, unearthed by Cahill, really didn't reassure me at all.
I don't like to wax apocalyptic, but it seems the scenario in "the Spike" about a Russian sympathetic administration in the White House, seems eerily prophetic now.
First closing Gitmo, than encouraging the chieftains of the Middle East to dictate to us, shutting down the defenses for Eastern Europe, open ended talks with Iran. All the while, settling us with a debt ridden 'stimulus package' what would make Alexander
Tyler, scream out from the grave. I shudder to think what's coming up tomorrow, much less next week.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Just trying to brighten up your morning on a day sure to end badly.

A Couple of Formers Yuck it Up (Video)

[hit and run]

Holder makes it through the judiciary committee by the skin of his teeth on a harrowingly close vote of . . . 17 to 2.

(for Sue, Cornyn was one of the 2 to vote no, fwiw)

[Bill in AZ]

Actualy I miscredited the work around--Bill in AZ figured it out.

Extraneous did the heavy lifting - I just moved it along. Sure wish Typepad would take some ownership here.

Then again, maybe they have had to lay off, pull back, etc like everyone else. This is probably just a small example of what we get to look forward to in all aspects of life under President Zero. Wait until the equivalent of "TypePad" happens at your doctors office or hospital.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Narciso: You can always sign up for the mailing list or make a donation to brighten your day.

New: Sarah Palin’s Official PAC

[matt]

they've run the country into the ground fiscally, and they're trying to get away with this. Well, maybe the dems are even dumber than they appear to be. Sooner or later people are going to wake up and realize they've been taken by the biggest bunch of crooks in history.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

BillAZ: Did you see the article the other day saying that the incoming Obamaphiles are stymied by the White House computers and email system? Apparently they are all Mac users and don't know what to do with Windows XP and they claim the Outlook servers crash, but Outlook doesn't have servers. I figure someone in the WH crashed the whole system so there was no incoming or outgoing email for a whole day.

[Sue]

Hit,

I heard that on local radio. Don't care. Not enough to undo voting yes for a tax cheat.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

I found the computer problems story particularly ironic given how the left carried on over a couple of Rove emails that they expected to be produced instantly. Wonder how long it would take this new crew to reclaim some old emails if they can't even figure out how to send or receive one.

[Bill in AZ]

BillAZ: Did you see the article the other day saying that the incoming Obamaphiles are stymied by the White House computers and email system?

I also saw some whining about the White House not having upgraded to Vista. Now there is something they could really hose up. It's pretty telling that a number of computer manufacturers who sell Vista bundled also include a coupon to "downgrade" to XP.

[clarice]

Sara, that thought occurred to me too when I read of the email problem. Should we all travel over to firefoglake and the other sites that were certain lost emails or incomplete records were proof Rove was destroying valuable evidence? LOL

[Old Lurker]

Sara: "I saw early this AM on the news that there are houses in Detroit selling for $1.00."

And they might still be overpriced at that...

[Chris]

Anyone remember when the left was going balistic over a fire in the executive office building? They were certain Cheney had set it to destroy evidence.

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

Via Drudge:

$335,000,000 FOR STD PREVENTION IN ECONOMIC STIMULUS BILL

[Pal2Pal (Sara)]

BillAZ: I've been using Vista for over a year and have never had a problem with it. In fact, to me it is far superior to, which seems really clinky when I have to go in and help the kids fix something on our other XP computer. I hear how bad Vista is supposed to be from those who have not switched, but I've never heard why it is supposed to be so bad.