One of my brothers is a regional vice president at Wells Fargo Bank in Portland, Oregon. We talked by telephone yesterday and after exchanging views on family and college football I asked him what he thought about pending new regulations on the financial institutions now being offered by President Obama and Congress. "The (proposed) consumer protection agency is a disaster … [Read more...] about Consumer Protection Agency A Goliath In The Making
The Benefits of Ambivalence: Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
Guest post by Peter Henne President Obama's rhetoric in his Nobel acceptance speech was as powerful as ever. Obama pointed to the importance of striving for peace, and attempted to justify the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. But the most significant aspect of Obama's speech may be a precarious balance between acknowledging the sad reality of the world and aspiring towards … [Read more...] about The Benefits of Ambivalence: Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
Bank Regulation
Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Bank Regulation
Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi Attack Causes Italy to Seek to Shut Down Facebook Sites
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is recuperating from an attack after a person under psychiatric treatment threw a statuette at him that smacked him in the face-- and the delighted response by some Facebook site members has caused Italy to seriously explore shutting some sites: Italy’s government will discuss measures to block Web sites that incite violence, … [Read more...] about Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi Attack Causes Italy to Seek to Shut Down Facebook Sites
Boom Goes the Dynamite, errr… Deficit
Call it clever timing or call it desperation. Either way, the taxpayers found an early lump of coal in their Christmas stockings this weekend. With the end of the year approaching, the Senate followed the path set by the House on Thursday and passed a massive, pork laden 1.1 $T spending bill, and now hopes to move forward on upping the federal debt limit by an additional 1.8 … [Read more...] about Boom Goes the Dynamite, errr… Deficit
Health Care Reform’s Final Stand in 2009
Sen. Lieberman is at it again, frustrating the party with which he caucuses: In a surprise setback for Democratic leaders, Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, independent of Connecticut, said on Sunday that he would vote against the health care legislation in its current form. This potentially spells the end of the notion (in 2009 at least ) of expanding Medicare to … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform’s Final Stand in 2009
Are Furloughs Penny Wise But Pound Foolish ?
As many of my readers know I am an attorney and given the condition of the economy a large amount of my practice is bankruptcy. While my clients come from a variety of places I have recently had a number of state of California employees come in to my office. They are coming to me because due to the furloughs imposed by the state they are looking at 15% pay cuts and as you might … [Read more...] about Are Furloughs Penny Wise But Pound Foolish ?
Gorbachev Presses World Leaders to Deliver on Climate: Rossijskaya Gazeta, Russia
Chiding his former colleagues to act and to act now, Mikhail Gorbachev, the last head of state of the USSR, has weighed in on the climate debate with this op-ed published in the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, a newspaper that he partly owns. For Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Gorbachev writes in part: "The latest scientific data on climate change is extremely disturbing. This is the last … [Read more...] about Gorbachev Presses World Leaders to Deliver on Climate: Rossijskaya Gazeta, Russia
Obama: Squaring Idealism and Realism (Guest Voice)
PARIS -- Europeans are coming to terms with the fact that President Obama is not a miracle worker, and with the reality that everything he does is not magic. Oh, yes, most Europeans are still happy Obama is president. They remain fascinated by him and grateful for the direction of his policies. A French diplomatic veteran ticked off all the good news: Obama's pledge to … [Read more...] about Obama: Squaring Idealism and Realism (Guest Voice)
Play A God For One Day
This is kind of a nothing song, but I didn't pick this video for the song, I picked it for the images. This is what happens to children in wartime. Incredibly, there are still people who pretend otherwise. … [Read more...] about Play A God For One Day
A Wicked Old Man
Tony Blair tells BBC that he would have looked for another reason to invade Iraq if the weapons of mass destruction argument had not been available: … [Read more...] about A Wicked Old Man
The Land Mines Obama Won’t Touch (Guest Voice)
The Land Mines Obama Won't Touch by Bill Moyers and Michael Winship Many people are troubled that Barack Obama flew to Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize so soon after escalating the war in Afghanistan. He is now more than doubling the number of troops there when George W. Bush left office. The irony was not lost on the President, and he tried to address it in his … [Read more...] about The Land Mines Obama Won’t Touch (Guest Voice)
I Saw Timmy Dissing Goldman Sachs
Children are both confused and amused when they see their mommy kissing Santa Claus. Some of us in recent days have felt the same watching Tim Geithner, long-time defender of Goldman Sachs and Wall Street generally, publicly taking a very different tack... I Saw Timmy Dissing Goldman Sachs I saw Timmy dissing Goldman Sachs On some prime time talking heads TV He really did … [Read more...] about I Saw Timmy Dissing Goldman Sachs
President Obama Accepts The Peace Prize
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about President Obama Accepts The Peace Prize
Just When You’ve Thought You’ve Heard Of Everything…
Out comes accusations that banks looked the other way while laundering $350 billion of drug money during the height of the financial panic. … [Read more...] about Just When You’ve Thought You’ve Heard Of Everything…
Martha’s Big Adventure: Keep Your Chin Up (Guest Voice)
Martha’s Big Adventure – Keep Your Chin Up by Martha Randolph Carr There’s one last operation for me to get through before the end of 2009 and while you’re reading this one, I’ll be recovering one more time. Ironically, before October of this year I had managed to go 50 years without ever being put under. Lately, I’ve been caught in a surgical loop. As you all know, … [Read more...] about Martha’s Big Adventure: Keep Your Chin Up (Guest Voice)
Duggar Baby Born 3 Months Early
In the past when discussing the Duggar family I've expressed my doubts about the wisdom of having double digit numbers of children and how well the parents can support them. However word that the newest child was born 3 months early is sad to me and I think all of us join together in hoping and praying all will be well. It sounds like a tough road for them … [Read more...] about Duggar Baby Born 3 Months Early
House Passes Sweeping Financial Reform Bill
Naturally, 100 percent of House Republicans voted against the bill: … [Read more...] about House Passes Sweeping Financial Reform Bill
Parker Wins Houston Mayorality
Annise Parker will be the next Mayor of Houston. She will be the first lesbian to serve as mayor of a major American city. She previously served on the City Council and is currently City Controller. … [Read more...] about Parker Wins Houston Mayorality
This Little Light of Mine
Glenn Reynolds has some typical simple-minded snark on why it's so hard to "get things done" in Washington: … [Read more...] about This Little Light of Mine