What Could Go Wrong?

Joe Nocera of the Times covers the latest progressive fantasy on campaign finance reform. The gist - the Senator who brought us Sarbanes-Oxley is back with a plan to level the campaign playing field by empowering small donors:

For decades, the answer for those in the campaign finance reform movement had always been to try to limit the amount of money any one person could contribute. Although individual contribution limits per candidate are still on the books, that general approach is clearly not viable in the age of the Roberts court.

So Sarbanes and other reformers began to come at the problem from the opposite direction: magnifying the role of the small donor, rather than trying to diminish the role of the large donor. In February, Sarbanes sponsored a bill that tries to do just that, at least for congressional races.

It has three main components. First is a $50 tax credit per donor per election cycle. Second is a voluntary matching fund system. People who donate up to $150 to a candidate who has agreed to lower contribution limits and the full disclosure of all donations will have that donation matched 6 to 1 with federal funds. If the candidate agrees to take no contributions higher than $150, the match rises to 9 to 1. And finally, it allows candidates to raise additional matching funds in the last 60 days of the election if the candidate feels he needs it to ward off a last-minute advertising blitz. (The bill has disincentives to keep that additional money from being used unless it is really needed.)

“There is a general consensus that the way to go is a multiple matching system,” said Fred Wertheimer, the head of Democracy 21 and one of the grand old men of campaign finance reform. For one thing, it engages small donors in the political process — and gives them an incentive because their money is being maximized. But Sarbanes also likes it for another reason: It forces members of Congress and would-be members of Congress to actively solicit the money — and thus the views — of their constituents.

Eventually Mr. Noccera informs us that this bill has 149 Democratic co-sponsors but only a lone Evil Stupid Republican. I wonder why?

As a starter, the text of the bill includes this puzzle:

Sec. 504. Qualified small dollar contributions described

...

(2) 

The contribution is made by an individual, either directly or through an intermediary or conduit (as described in section 315(a)(8)), who is not otherwise prohibited from making a contribution under this Act.

I am not a campaign finance lawyer (further evidence of a merciful G*d) and there are lots of bills with a Section 315, but the relevant links seems to lead us to this:

(8) For purposes of the limitations imposed by this section, all contributions made by a person, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of a particular candidate, including contributions which are in any way earmarked or otherwise directed through an intermediary or conduit to such candidate, shall be treated as contributions from such person to such candidate. The intermediary or conduit shall report the original source and the intended recipient of such contribution to the Commission and to the intended recipient.

My gloomy Republican reading is that any PAC relying on small donors, with special emphasis on union PACs, can, with a bit of accounting effort, qualify a huge portion of their donations as eligible for a 6 times Federal match. So a union with 1000 members can raise $150,000 directly from its members and their favored candidate will get another $900,000 from the Treasury. Small wonder Dems like it.

That said, there is a bit of a 'careful what you wish for' wrinkle here for progressives to ponder - in the twilight struggle between the wealthy Mr. Bloomberg and the numerous NRA, who benefits from this bill, hmm?

But enough about what's legal! Although we live in a country with no discernible voter fraud (or at least, none discernible to progs) it seems likely that some candidate somewere will engage in some quid-pro-quo fundraising. Supporters will be encouraged to write a check/present a credit card for $150 and get $150 cash back. Or $200 - why not, the campaign can afford it out of the 6-1 matching funds.

The text of the law has some stiff enforcement in Sec. 512 - people have to promise not to do that. Hey, that might work. Or not.

Sec. 512. Qualifying requirements

...

(b) Requirements relating to receipt of qualified small dollar contribution

Each qualified small dollar contribution—

(1) may be made by means of a personal check, money order, debit card, credit card, electronic payment account, or any other method deemed appropriate by the Commission;

(2) shall be accompanied by a signed statement (or, in the case of a contribution made online or through other electronic means, an electronic equivalent) containing—

(A) the contributor’s name and the contributor's address in the State in which the primary residence of the contributor is located, and

(B) an oath declaring that the contributor—

(i) understands that the purpose of the contribution is to show support for the candidate so that the candidate may qualify for financing under this title,

(ii) is making the contribution in his or her own name and from his or her own funds,

(iii) has made the contribution willingly, and

(iv) has not received any thing of value in return for the contribution; 

This seems like a good moment to deplore the racism and insensitivity of the bill's sponsors. In defiance of common sense and public opinion the Democratic Party is united around the idea that certain ethnic groups are incapable of organizing their life to the point of getting a Voter ID card. Yet now small donors must have a bank account or credit/debit card? What's up with that? When did money stop talking, and what happened to Annuit Coeptis?

I assume that will be fixed later.

Comments

[Jim Eagle]

Remembering the Dam Busters

/via Insty

[Miss Marple]

narciso, I see it is by Ron Brownstein, who showed up years ago to get the feel of what conservatives thought (on Free Republic).

I talked to him for a couple of days, then realized he was simply doing fancy trolling.

[Man Tran back home]

BoE,

As an old gear head, the crowning touch to our house project was a mahogany and stainless pivot entry that I engine turned. About 6000 hand polished spots. Like a lot of things, it was fun doing once, but wouldn't want to make a living at it.

[rich@gmu]

>>>I wouldn't dare be so ribald myself.

Posted by: Beasts of England | May 17, 2014 at 07:32 PM<<<

the things I learn here.

...and I think I found an advert for the perfect job (apply or not apply, decisions, decisions). one minor problem. it is in Hollywood California.

yikes!!!

[Jane]

You might have the honor of peeing in the adjacent urinal from Bill Parcells, as I had last year.

I can promise you, if I live to be 100, that will never happen to me.

Anonamom, I have a hard time imagining a religious argument carrying the day in MA. Actually I have a hard time imagining a constitutional argument winning in MA.

[DrJ]

rich, UCLA is next door to Hollywood (sorta) so you have options if you go for and get the job. Once you start paying taxes, you count as in-state.

[daddy]

From Narciso's Russia today link:

I get the impression this hashtag business just took an unexpected turn.

[rich@gmu]

DrJ-

tempting me. not sure my undistinguished background would get me into ucla though.

[narciso]

Does anybody how they plan to pull this off;

http://careers.nationaljournal.com/jobs/senior-communications-officer-washinton-district-of-columbia-20005-64283348-d

is it just marketing of unicorn dust,

[Jane]

Hey Hit, are you falling down on the job? (Or is it tomorrow?)

Happy Birthday Glasater!!!

We love you!

[Miss Marple]

daddy, I think you are right!

Hashtag diplomacy cannot disappear quick enough to suit me. It is totally embarrassing.

[Miss Marple]

narciso, For the degree, experience, and skills that job requires, I hope they are offering about $200,000 per year.

[narciso]

Well the impression is the important part;

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/tim-graham/2014/05/17/politico-ruins-gop-womans-final-weekend-senate-primary-stalking-claims-p

[daddy]

Richard Fernandez (Wretchard) give us his opinion of the Modi Election in India: White And Black Hats

He also adds a few comments to the thread and I thought this one was interesting:

The problem with both foreign policy paradigms described below is that it incentivizes craziness and penalizes reasonableness. And when you incentivize something you get more of it.

And this may be the ultimate problem in India. For years you could deal with Pakistan's terror attacks on Indian soil by urging New Delhi to back off. Did they kill a bunch of guys in Mumbai? Back off. They had a built in safety-valve. With Modi in office it is going to be harder to get India to back off.

Reading Wretchard on a regular basis makes me wonder if the Editors of our MSM rags are aware of how much talent is out here in the Blogosphere, or if they have ear plugs jammed into their ears and are desperately trying to pretend we don't exist.

[DrJ]

rich, if not UCLA, you could pay more and get less at USC. It too is not too far from Hollywood.

/* ducks */

[daddy]

Hi Miss Marple!

Sorry I missed swashbuckling at the Athenaeum with you, good beers, and Long Short John Silver!

[BB Key]

CH , Terps vs Irish for the third time this year in the NCAA semi finals in mens lax , Any chance you guys will renig on the B10

[daddy]

.

Right click, s'il vows plait.

[jimmyk on iPhone]

My proposal for campaign funding limits, which might even be Constitutional, is that they only apply to incumbents. So by winning you basically agree to accept limited funds if you run for reelection, which both helps to reduce the corruption of donations to current office holders, and offsets the inherent advantage of incumbency.

And I'm sure that I could count the votes that proposal would get on one hand.

[Danube on iPad]

For many years I have heard it said that Arnold Palmer got more ass than a toilet seat.

[daddy]

Grrrr **s'il vous plait.**

Pardon my French:)

[daddy]

I have heard it said that Arnold Palmer got more ass than a toilet seat.

[Miss Marple]

daddy,

Not much swashbuckling going on with 25 girls and 2 boys playing the parts.

Girls don't sword fight well without training. They (quite rightly) are afraid they will get hurt. So they wave the swords around like fairy wands and shout "Eek."

And Squire Trelawny shouldn't wear a mini skirt.

[Jim Eagle]

daddy,

Let me know your upcoming schedule since we are in Europe - all over the place - end of May through July 2nd.

[narciso]

the problem that Hertzberg refuses to consider, we don't want your opinion on something, we need the facts, the New Yorker has been notoriously lax to be charitable with those, when I link the Daily Beast, it's pieces like Lake on US policy in Russia, and other places,
not another wallowing in Sterlingphobia,

[DrJ]

Off.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Jane:
Hey Hit, are you falling down on the job? (Or is it tomorrow?)

The answer to both of your questions is no.

[Danube on iPad]

I solved the Bob Costas problem thusly: I recorded the event, waited until I knew the race had been run, then turned it on and fast-forwarded to "they're off!" I didn't hear more than ten words from the annoying, didactic dwarf.

[narciso]

Like this detail here;

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/05/16/u-s-waited-months-to-send-ukraine-spare-tires.html

[Miss Marple]

Danube, I didn't turn it on until I saw the reminder here.

By then, he had disappeared from the screen.

Took my grandson to North Carolina to visit friends last fall. Costas came on talking Redskins football, and grandson got a lesson on how much Costas is hated.

"He has ruined the Olympics! We hate him!"

Ha! He learned his grandma has friends as outspoken as me!

[daddy]

Hi Jack,

I looked at Frederick's Blog Itinerary and I think that I miss you guys all around. I have 2 more days here in Paris, and next month I get a 97 hour long layover starting 27 June, just outside Cambridge, so I've been wondering if I should rent a car and re-do Hadrian's Wall, or head south and do Darwin's Down House in Kent, and maybe some London stuff or the Greenwich Observatory. I'm on the next to last Aubrey/Maturin book, so I'd actually enjoy doing a tour of their hangouts in London.

Over here it's 03:15 am, so I'm thinking that if I can motivate I'll try to get over to one of these Guided Walking Tours later this morning:

Sun 18 10.30am Village Montmartre
Sun 18 10.30am The Paris Flea Market See 4 May. Small group tour, please reserve. Price 25€. Sun 18 2.30pm The Marais Circuit 2
Sun 18 3pm Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Left Bank Writers

The Montmartre one says this: The Village of Montmartre 10.30am On this picturesque walk you will discover old winding streets, the
vineyard, artists' studios (Renoir, Lautrec, Van Gogh) quiet gardens, historic cabarets, the place-du-Tertre with its artists and the Sacré Coeur Basilica. Meet at metro Abbesses (use the elevator, the station is deep!)

Weather here has been great, clear skies and mid 60's.

[narciso]

Happy birthday, glasater,

now what exactly are you implying daddy?

[Miss Marple]

Good night, everyone!

Fifteen men on a dead man's chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of milk!

Honestly, they sang that because God forbid we mention rum!

Night!

[daddy]

All's I'm saying Narciso, is that there used to be something Arnie's wife did to make him putt better:)

[Jim Eagle]

daddy,

Go to London. Do Greenwich the home of modern navigation scicence then the HMS Belfast. At Darwin's Down House in Kent is the outline of an old lawn tennis court one of the oldest in the country. Back in the 1870-1890's most lawn tennis courts were on private estates. They used portable tennis posts and nets - set them up for company and tea:)

Don't sit for a potrait in Montmarte - there all the same and look nothing like you. But do go to Sacré-Coure just to sit and cool off in the presence of the Lord.

[narciso]

I see, well then,

meanwhile they seem to be unleashing Southern fried Squirrel!

http://www.redstate.com/2014/05/17/breaking-people-read-blogs-in-mississippi-nrsc-blames-chris-mcdaniel-for-mississippi-literacy/

[narciso]

well it does match his predecessor, Henry Cisneros, about 20 years ago, there are also some parallels to Andrew Cuomo;

http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/05/mayor-of-san-antonio-one-heartbeat-away-from-the-presidency/

[Captain Hate on the iPad]

I've mentioned here before that two of my buds went to school with Arnie's love child. I think he's spent as much quality time with her as Shakedown Jackson has with his. In Arnie's defense he never went on national television promising to do so; nor was a confirmed deadbeat on support payments.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Since Jane wants to jump the gun, im going to give some hints. glasater and TC share a birthday. And as a hint only Jane probably knows without googling, it's a day before the Resident Lesbian.

There's also a JOM wife and a JOM child who share RL's birthday, but I'm not spoiling everything.

I won't play WRKTJOMS with those, though. WRKTJOMS has been cancelled due to low participation.

[rich@gmu]

narciso-

thanks for that. wonder if my comments over here would count.

[sbw]

MM, sorry for the delayed reply. My wife gave the graduate degree commencement speech at Utica College today, so no blogging, and busting with pride. She knocked it out of the park.

sbw, Who wrote that and where can I find it?

MM, I'm afraid I did, in Individuals, Journalism, and Society. Essays available at Amazon.

I am fascinated because I see that despite all known cause-effect relationships, our nation seems to be willfully walking down a path of self-destruction.

Some are willfully walking us, to be sure, but they may not believe self-destruction is around the corner. Those being walked aren't really conscious of it, and that is the failure that comes from schooling instead of educating. But then, this generation of teachers was schooled, too. Consciousness is something we think we have all the time, but don’t.

I am therefore led to believe that either history IS chaotic, or that we are under some sort of divine punishment.

There are other choices. We negotiate our way through life using a brain that has evolved by the luck of the draw. No wonder it isn't very good. But it is the best we have to work with.

We do need an epiphany so that more people realize it is up to them to start using their brains to the best of our abilities.

[narciso]

this fellow was looking down on Handel's GED,
but his grasp of economics is a little weak;

http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2014/05/13/david-perdue-and-the-reality-of-increasing-federal-revenue/

[Jeff Dobbs]

Worst tournament ever. Already on the hill (next loss and I'm out).

I blame the s.o.b. who put that new tip on my cue. If I catch him he's getting his arse kicked.

[Happy, happy, joy, joy Ignatz]

How come in the first two pics Arnie is 3 inches shorter than Kate and in the last one he's 3 inches taller, especially since they're both supposed to be 5'10"?

[glasater]

My birthday mate is none other than JOM's Thomas Collins and am privileged to share the day. But I have no problems celebrating early:-)

I think FB gets some of the info wrong somehow because the personal information - as much as I wanted to share - got really messed up and I've tried to correct it many times but it won't let me.

Argh!

[Danube on iPad]

This is George Will at his very, very finest. He captures the past 50 years exactly as I saw them, and throughout that period I felt strongly that the effects would be exactly what we have seen. I believe the chance of curing this cancer is precisely zero.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-f-will-the-slow-decline-of-america-since-lbj-launched-the-great-society/2014/05/16/21f70a8c-dc5c-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions

What is far, far more discouraging is that there is a very large chunk of the American citizenry who are not troubled at all by any of this, and indeed are quite pleased that it has occurred.

This used to be a great country.

[Danube on iPad]

This is George Will at his very, very finest. He captures the past 50 years exactly as I saw them, and throughout that period I felt strongly that the effects would be exactly what we have seen. I believe the chance of curing this cancer is precisely zero.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-f-will-the-slow-decline-of-america-since-lbj-launched-the-great-society/2014/05/16/21f70a8c-dc5c-11e3-b745-87d39690c5c0_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions

What is far, far more discouraging is that there is a very large chunk of the American citizenry who are not troubled at all by any of this, and indeed are quite pleased that it has occurred.

This used to be a great country.

[Thomas Collins]

Happy pre-Birthday, glasater!

[narciso]

The problem is sbw, if one has no knowledge, say of the Ixtoc spill in the Gulf, thirty some years before the DeepWater Horizon, or the horrible Hurricane of '38, then Sandy does seem catastrophic, if one only goes by emotional response of an almost pavlovian nature, now thecolumnist who wrote the snarkworthy column happens to be Latina, but another reporter, Fred Grimm, is a white Southerner, Caputo is of Italian background, they all responded to Rubio's 'heresy' in the same way.

[sbw]

Narciso, as rse warns, history is not part of Common Core history because Common Core history hasn't been invented yet.

Instead, "History" is imbedded in English Language Arts as a nebulous feeling kind of thing, untethered to actual events. That’s because knowing isn't as important as feeling that something matters.

History, to this generation, is what politicians say it is . . . and who is to tell people different.

Over the precipice, we are. . . almost.

[Happy, happy, joy, joy Ignatz]

The most discouraging thing about Will's incontrovertible column is the willfully retarded comment by "auguasticas" first up, at least when I read the column, blaming Reagan somehow for the breakup of black families and illegitimacy.

The left is both intrinsically stupid and willfully blind; the invincible combo which has laid innocent bodies up like cord wood across the globe for the last 100 years and never seems to tire of the task.

And of course virtually every carefully stacked corpse is from the very classes the smirking dunces claim to love.

[Jane on Ipad]

TC,

Happy early birthday to you too!

[glasater]

Happy pre-Birthday to you Thomas Collins and what a wonderful present you received also from your son's graduation.

Great picture of this on FB!

So many of us have spent the best part of ten years together on this blog. I feel like we've grown up together like classmates or family.
Sharing joy and sorrow alike.

I haven't commented much since the MF Global bankruptcy just because life interfered and my little free-lance photography business kept me busy at the computer but no time for responses.

Jane and Janet have been just stalwart friends along with Clarice, Ann, Sue and CCal. We got into a little trouble I think for being the "girl gang" a couple of years ago when we really didn't mean to by offending another commentator whom I do miss in this forum.

Anyway as Janet says..."lots of love to you all" :-)

[narciso]

And Language Arts is further bisected, at the pre-college level, into reading, which is remedial, and English which is more Advanced,
history is subsumed into social studies a pastiche without form or substance, a parade of race, gender, sexual orientation,

[Gus]

Ignatz, LIBS CAN'T BE WRONG. They are wired to think they are smarter and their motives are pure. To prove it, they LIE CONSTANTLY and blame everything except themselves for each of their MASSIVE failures.

[jimmyk]

Happy Birthday (5 minutes early) to TC and glasater, and congrats, TC, on the graduation.

Speaking of graduations, this is a pretty good sendup of recent events:

http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-05-15/dear-class-of-2014-thanks-for-not-disinviting-me

[rich@gmu]

happy birthday glasater!!!!!

hope it turns out great.

[narciso]

this is what passes for even handedness:

http://20committee.com/2014/05/17/ideology-is-making-america-stupid/

[Gus]

Narciso, the RIGHT just won't accept the LEFT'S experts! You know experts like Obama.

[rich@gmu]

and Tom Collins. Happy Birthday if it is your birthday.

[narciso]

Happy birthday, Don Tomas

[rich@gmu]

...got the resume, cover letter, and other requirements for that CA job over the fence.

this calls for a beer and some "Screenwriter's Blues" Soul Coughing ... it looks to be such a good match I won't hear from them. Or I will and the rate will be about 10/hr.

...you are listening to los angles ...

[daddy]

Iggy,

I can't make sense of hardly any of the comments at George Wills column. They are a complete mess of lies and obfuscation. I feel stupider having spent time over there just trying to figure them out.

[rich@gmu]

great comment glasater at 1130.

[rich@gmu]

should be doing something other than commenting at JOM at 105 am on a sunday morning ...

later all.

[narciso]

Might as well be conversational Klingon or Omicronian, daddy

[glasater]

Thanks rich. You're my fav but shshhhhh... don't tell the others :-)

[daddy]

Excellent link JimmyK at 11:55. Enjoyed that bunches!

[JiB]

Clarice's Pieces hits a grand slam and wins the triple crown.

[Every Progressive's Worst Nightmare]

@ 7:33 pm - Classy. No wonder this site has dried up.

[pagar]

JiB has said it well! Clarice's Pieces is her best yet.

[Jim Eagle]

In case you missed it: California Chrome wins the Preakness.

He'll have his work cut out for him at the Belmont, longest race of them all. But still its the best chance for a Triple Crown in years.

[clarice]

Thanks. Happy birthday Glasater and Thomas Collins!

Now, where did we put the cake and champagne?

[Jane]

I hate to tell you this - I really screwed up and as always Hit was Purrrrfect!

TC and Glasater's b-days are Monday - so cool it today!

Sorry about that!

[James D.]

Fantastic pieces, Clarice! And HB, Glasater & TC!

[Skoot]

Great column, Clarice.

[Jim Eagle]

Here he is, this year's MVP according to Soccer Magazine:)

[Jane]

WOw! Go Frederick!

[Miss Marple]

Oh, look. The 9/11 Museum has a gift shop.

http://nypost.com/2014/05/18/outrage-over-911-museum-gift-shops-crass-souvenirs/

[narciso]

Well a magazine, can't be wrong, JiB, congratulations,Frederick and great pieces, Clarice

[henry]

Early HB to glasater and TC!

Wonderful, yet scary pieces this morning.

[Miss Marple]

http://nypost.com/2014/05/17/a-night-at-the-deserted-blacklisted-beverly-hills-hotel/

Wherein we find that this is also being driven because they are non-union. Do read the entire thing.

[Jim Eagle]

Happy Birthday to glasater and Tom Collins. Enjoy!

[Marlene]

Wonderful, Clarice. Jane,the dinner we attended last night was a Rotary District Conference event. The district covers central/western Maine and eastern Quebec,so many French speaking Rotarians were in attendance. The polio exhibit was interesting,there was an iron lung on display. What a terrible contraption. I'm waiting to hear if my bid on six bottles of red wine won the silent auction. :)

[MarkO]

Another piece of good work, Clarice. Well said.

It is either happy birthday or happy un-birthday to TC and Glasater. I wish both to both.

[sbw]

Narciso, what a tedious read that 20committee thing was.

Certainly didn't move the conversation forward.

[Miss Marple]

Now they want "trigger warnings" on literary classics.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/us/warning-the-literary-canon-could-make-students-squirm.html?referrer=

[sbw]

Clarice, I'm surprised that "Pinch" and "Bouquet" haven’t tapped you to replace David Brooks.

[Bori]

MM,
They could always replace the curriculum with approved Children's stories of rainbows and unicorns so that nobody would be offended.

For goodness sake!

[clarice]

Thanks, SBW. I do think they pump brain killing gases into the office of whomever serves as the resident "conservative".

[Happy, happy, joy, joy Ignatz]

--MM,
They could always replace the curriculum with approved Children's stories of rainbows and unicorns so that nobody would be offended.

For goodness sake!

Posted by: Bori | May 18, 2014 at 10:41 AM-

I believe this is the 50th anniversary year of the Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley.
You've come a long way, baby.

[Rick B]

Reading today's Pieces in conjunction with TM's piece on the absolutely futile attempt by Sarbanes to leverage the power of union thugs while musing on Reid's pathetic attempts to warn off other oligarchs with his Koch raving should bring at least quiet smiles in anticipation of November. Toss in Holder's threats to TBTF banks to extort "green shoots" economic forecasts and GM's frantic channel stuffing to avoid heavier penalties for past sins to get the full flavor of life in the reign of BOzo the First and Last Emperor of the Hashtag.

I hope Clarice is correct about the Wisconsin law thugs being at risk of losing license and liberty. The lawfare nonsense isn't going to stop until penalties are exacted in full.

[Happy, happy, joy, joy Ignatz]

James Pethokoukis with a simple way to avoid TBTF and help the economy at the same time.
Huge downside is it would reduce DC's power over events and allow free citizens to act freely.

[Jeff Dobbs]

One of our neighbors has arranged to have Mark Walker, one of the GOP candidates for NC-6, to come to our clubhouse on Tuesday. Walker came in second place in the primary and is now in a run-off with the top vote-getter Phil Berger

Pictured: not Phil Berger,
but Bergermeister Meisterberger

Berger won with 15K votes to Walker's 11K, with another 17K votes split among 7 other candidates.

Walker is best known as the director of the annual Christmas program at Lawndale Baptist Church, where he was an associate pastor.

Should be interesting.

[narciso]

Much of Carlos Slim's scratchpad is agonizing even from folks who 'mean well' like Douthat, who forget the history behind the Iraq War, two regional wars in the span of a decade, but occasionally there are some gems, Gretchen Morgenstern, (sic) dissects Grunwald's apologia for Turbo Tim, with a sharp unicorn horn, William Broad, a science writer, who cowrote much of the Wen Ho Lee series, shows us the point of the Crimean offensive was not Russian nationalism but filthy dirty Black Sea crude, you can highlight any of those two, TM, because pin the tail on Flathead, gets a little tiring

[Jane]

the dinner we attended last night was a Rotary District Conference event.

I wonder if they are all the same weekend. Ours was also this weekend, but most in my club boycott because they insist on having it at the same place every year.

[Jane]

Hope you won the wine.

[Jim Rhoads f/k/a vnjagvet]

After catching up this morning, I am hopelessly confused. Is today or Monday the birthday of glasater and TC? Hit? Hit?

I am not confused after reading Clarice this am, though. Years ago, when I first began studying politics, there was a hoary old phrase we learned that was probably older than the country: "Money talks and bull@@it walks". Apparently nothing has changed much. From the facts revealed in today's Pieces, the political money scene is still being run like a gigantic hedge fund. Even now, unsurprisingly, most "corporate money" bets significant amounts on both parties so as to not be left out of the spoils. Just fulfilling their fiduciary duties to their stockholders, doncha know.

[glasater]

James Freeman reviews Tim Geithner's book "Stress Test" http://online.wsj.com/articles/book-review-stress-test-by-timothy-f-geithner-1399844566?tesla=y&mg=reno64-wsj in the WSJ this past week.

Freeman saves his harshest criticism of Geithner for the WSJ Editorial Report which is a half hour show featured on Fox News' weekend programing and always try to watch.

[narciso]

You see why they sent Sorkin to interview Turbo Tim, that doorstop he produced, generated little heat, which insure he wouldn't 'find the pony;

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/18/business/geithner-staying-on-script.html?_r=0