I really tried to not add my two cents to the Obama / Leno after-action report but I have to inject one thought into the maelstrom of pundit activity... did anyone else notice that Obama never really answered a question? He sounded good and said most of the right things but when push came to shove President Obama punted the ball away. The biggest example: Leno asked … [Read more...] about Fluff and Circumstance
Why The Toxic Asset Program Is Such A Waste Of Money, And A Way Forward
Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism has details on the newest version of the "give banks taxpayer money with no strings attached" program. I'll simply excerpt her conclusion: "Dear God, the Administration really thinks the public is full of idiots. But there are so many components to the program, and a lot of moving parts in each, they no doubt expect everyone's eyes to glaze … [Read more...] about Why The Toxic Asset Program Is Such A Waste Of Money, And A Way Forward
Gallup Poll: Optimism About Economy At 20 Month High
Controversies about AIG bonuses, the projected mind-bogging deficit, and President Barack Obama's budget may be all the rage but a new Gallup Poll finds that optimism about the economy is now at a 20th month high. The big question: when will American consumers start showing this feeling in spending? Public optimism about the U.S. economy -- although still scarce, with only … [Read more...] about Gallup Poll: Optimism About Economy At 20 Month High
A Start For Stimulus Show-and-Tell
State by state, the Recovery Scoreboard is lighting up with projects to be funded by some of the $787 billion Congress passed last month to get the economy moving again. Just keeping track of the money, let alone spending it wisely, is going to be a monumental job as governors appoint overseeing groups and, in some cases, "czars" to make sure the money is not fraudulently or … [Read more...] about A Start For Stimulus Show-and-Tell
Sabato’s Crystal Ball – STATEHOUSE ROCK: 36 Governorships on the Chopping Block in 2010
Part Two of Three of Larry J. Sabato on STATEHOUSE ROCK: 36 Governorships on the Chopping Block in 2010 Last week the Crystal Ball conducted a historical overview of gubernatorial midterm elections in the past sixty years. Now we'll continue our initial analysis of the statehouse battles to come by assessing the situation in each of the 36 states hosting a contest for … [Read more...] about Sabato’s Crystal Ball – STATEHOUSE ROCK: 36 Governorships on the Chopping Block in 2010
Populism, AIG and the Crossing of a New Threshold
Much of the populist rancor up to now over everything from AIG bonuses to shady securitization schemes to bailout bonanzas has taken the form of media ranting. Whether it's Rick Santelli on the right or Jon Stewart on the left, the public outrage over various shades of corporate and governmental malfeasance in this economic crisis has been limited to the realm of late night … [Read more...] about Populism, AIG and the Crossing of a New Threshold
Postal Service To Offer Early Retirements And Slash 3,000 Jobs
If you're looking for good news about the economy, this news is enough to make you "go Postal:" The U.S. Postal Service will be cutting more than 3,000 jobs and offering nearly a quarter of its work force early retirement as part of its efforts to streamline operations amid the worsening economy, the agency said Friday. Among the job cuts are 1,400 district administrative … [Read more...] about Postal Service To Offer Early Retirements And Slash 3,000 Jobs
Why I Want Obama to Be Successful
I just finished taking a course, Classics 401, at the Lancaster branch campus of Ohio University. The topic, daily life in ancient Rome, is one that I knew little about, quite honestly, and because I believe that Christ's life, death, and resurrection happened while his Judean homeland was a province of the Roman Empire, will help me in my preaching and teaching. The final … [Read more...] about Why I Want Obama to Be Successful
Apple, AT&T Sued for False 3G Claims
I pay the extortionate $10 per month charge even though 3G service isn't offered anywhere within 30 miles of me. I don't complain both because I assume it's an early-adopter fee and because when I am in 3G areas the speed is so slow and the battery drain so fast that I don't even want it. But the guy's got a point: [Filed in the United States District Court, District of New … [Read more...] about Apple, AT&T Sued for False 3G Claims
Around the World, Politicians Have Learned from Nixon: Semana of Colombia
The movie Frost/Nixon has opened in Bogota Colombia, and according to Antonio Caballero of the newspaper Semana, it is a reminder of the political lessons that the career of Richard Nixon has taught generations of politicians around the world who look to get away with wrongdoing. Caballero writes in part: "In Bogotá they're showing a film entitled Frost/Nixon about the … [Read more...] about Around the World, Politicians Have Learned from Nixon: Semana of Colombia
Mr. President: Less is More
A bit of unsolicited advice for President Obama: Reduce your number of public appearances. Even before his turn on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, when he committed the first gaffe I remember coming from his mouth since he became a national figure in 2004, the President was at risk of being overexposed to the point of becoming background noise. Mr. Obama is personally … [Read more...] about Mr. President: Less is More
Obama to Deliver Three Commencement Addresses
So far... President Barack Obama will deliver the commencement address at three colleges in May, including the U.S. Naval Academy. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that Obama will speak at Arizona State University on May 13, Notre Dame on May 17 and the U.S. Naval Academy on May 22. Presidents typically deliver a speech to graduating students at 1 of the … [Read more...] about Obama to Deliver Three Commencement Addresses
Why U.S. Spurned ‘Spoiled Brat’ Colombians for Brazil: El Tiempo of Colombia
In Bogota, the exchange of recriminations is in high gear over who's responsible for blowing Colombia's valued strategic relationship with the United States. Claudia López of Colombia's El Tiempo writes in part: "As President Lula de Silva of Brazil meets face-to-face to discuss global and Latin American politics with President Obama at the White House, Colombian Vice … [Read more...] about Why U.S. Spurned ‘Spoiled Brat’ Colombians for Brazil: El Tiempo of Colombia
Will Geithner Be Obama’s Ensign Ricky ?
As those who read me with any regularity will know I often season my postings with Star Trek references and today is no different. For those not familiar with the term, Ensign Ricky is a reference that goes back to the original Star Trek series from the 1960's. We would regularly see scenes where 4 of the main characters beamed down to a hostile planet accompanied by one guy … [Read more...] about Will Geithner Be Obama’s Ensign Ricky ?
AIG & The Joys Of Suing Thyself
AIG is suing the government for $306 million in tax refunds. But since the government owns 80 percent of AIG, the company is in essence suing itself. At first this struck me as being not so much a piece of financial news as a plot line for "The Twilight Zone." But the more I thought about it, the more appealing was the idea of suing thyself... The Joys Of Suing … [Read more...] about AIG & The Joys Of Suing Thyself
Nix Those Presidential Gaffes And Customs
There was less tsk tsking than I suspected after President Obama's comparison of himself to that of a Special Olympics participant when it comes to his bowling prowess. Obama uttered the remark mocking himself on Jay Leno's "Tonight Show" Thursday. Even so, he apologized today to the head of the Special Olympics program. We still live in a politically correct world and … [Read more...] about Nix Those Presidential Gaffes And Customs
AIG and the Drawbacks of Populism
Matthew Yglesias has a post up that Andrew Sullivan links to (approvingly it would seem given the context?) that adds to the articulated outrage of millions of Americans over the AIG bonuses, If the folks running Citigroup and Bank of America and AIG were good at their jobs, we wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. That’s the point. But they weren’t good. They … [Read more...] about AIG and the Drawbacks of Populism
The Netherlands Switching to English at its Universities—a Good Thing?
Except for in the Netherlands, in the Flemish part of Belgium---the Dutch spoken there is referred to as Flemish---and in a few of the former Dutch colonies, such as Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles, Dutch is not generally spoken anywhere else in the world. (Dutch is also the "parent" language of a couple other languages, such as Afrikaans in South Africa.) The … [Read more...] about The Netherlands Switching to English at its Universities—a Good Thing?
The Big Casino
I'm a regular follower of Chris Matthews' "Hardball" show on MSNBC and learned over the years that he occasionally zeroes in on a political concept that deserves merit. On Thursday's show Matthews outlined a tactic to bypass the Senate's filibuster rules in which the Obama administration could present its entire domestic programs under the umbrella of a budget … [Read more...] about The Big Casino
Warning To Those Who Twitter
Be careful if you use some of a famous journalist's Twitters your blog or you could get dropped. After you read the link: actually, Jake Trapper predicted exactly what is in fact happening. … [Read more...] about Warning To Those Who Twitter