Deal or no deal? Though using that TV show name has now become trite when referring to emergency bailout talks in Washington between the White House, Congressional leaders, and presidential candidates Republican Sen. John McCain and Barack Obama, it's the best description of news reports about the day of high political drama. Or would the real TV title of the day be … [Read more...] about Contradictory Views On State Of White House Congress Wall Street Financial Bailout Proposal Talks
JP Morgan Buys Washington Mutual
UPDATE: It now appears that Washington Mutual was actually closed by the government because regulators felt it was unsound and it was then sold to Morgan. According to news reports customers withdrew $ 20 billion in deposits over the past week. One of the other shoes has dropped as JP Morgan buys out Washington Mutual for a reported price of $ 1.9 billion. It looks to be a … [Read more...] about JP Morgan Buys Washington Mutual
Bailout Stalled: Cynicism Understandable, But Conservative Anger is Real
The skepticism of fellow The Moderate Voice blogger Polimom is understandable. All the pieces are in place for John McCain to, sometime tomorrow, be portrayed as the hero who brokered a resolution to the financial crisis acceptable to The White House, Congressional Democrats, and recalcitrant conservative Congressional Republicans. It seems so pat, so obvious, and it just might … [Read more...] about Bailout Stalled: Cynicism Understandable, But Conservative Anger is Real
McCain: Please Don’t Watch the Palin-Couric Interview (Updated)
Some liberal bloggers have been floating the idea that McCain's "suspend the campaign" stunt was really basically an elaborate attempt to distract people from Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric that began running last night. Now, I initially dismissed this as paranoia and still don't think it is even close to the primary reason for McCain's actions. But the more I … [Read more...] about McCain: Please Don’t Watch the Palin-Couric Interview (Updated)
Economic Fallout: Hugh Hefner Urged To Axe Mansion Playboy Bunnies
Playboy publishing giant Hugh Hefner is being urged to lay off the Playboy bunnies. In an employer sense, that is. His experts are saying that even the Playboy empire feels the crunch and that he needs to get rid of some of the bunnies on his staff. And since this is related to Hefner's image, the question is whether laying off the bunnies will make Hefner a big … [Read more...] about Economic Fallout: Hugh Hefner Urged To Axe Mansion Playboy Bunnies
No such thing as coincidence…
As Jazz noted earlier, there's a truly jaw-dropping amount of political game-playing going on right now around this bail-out. And I agree with him; Mr. Straight Talk Express is setting a whole new standard for the genre. But the bail-out shenanigans are starting to look like an elaborately staged play to my cynical eyes. Is it coincidence that the Republicans are balking … [Read more...] about No such thing as coincidence…
Israeli Peace Activist Lightly Wounded in Bombing
An Israeli peace activist was lightly wounded in an apparent assassination attempt that police believe was carried out by far-right Jewish terrorists. Police are raising protection for members of the group Peace Now after flyers at the scene offered a 1.1 million shekel bounty for anyone who killed a member of the organization. More background and information can be found here. … [Read more...] about Israeli Peace Activist Lightly Wounded in Bombing
Liberal Is A Conservative Mugged By Wall Street
RJ Matson, Roll Call … [Read more...] about Liberal Is A Conservative Mugged By Wall Street
Debates and Debacles: Obama vs. McCain
We are now getting word that there will be something happening in Mississippi tomorrow night, even if it's only a town hall hosted by Barack Obama rather than the long-awaited first debate. Allow me to take a step back from the ongoing battles and crisis scenarios to simply say the following: both of these campaigns are (sadly) taking the current economic panic and trying their … [Read more...] about Debates and Debacles: Obama vs. McCain
John McCain, Cliff Jumper
The thing about a political stunt, I told my son last night, is that if you get away with it, it's no longer a stunt. It's bold leadership...keeping in mind that the first mark of a leader is that she or he has followers. John McCain suspended his campaign yesterday, attempting to at least project an image of leadership, if not enacting its substance. Is anybody … [Read more...] about John McCain, Cliff Jumper
‘An Evangelical Voters Guide, Six Weeks Out’
That's the title of a useful post written by Asbury Theological Seminary professor, Ben Witherington, on his blog. It may surprise those fed on a regular diet of wrong impressions created by some who claim to speak for all evangelicals or disinformation spooned out by some in the media regarding evangelicals, other Christians, and all theists. Witherington's advice breaks … [Read more...] about ‘An Evangelical Voters Guide, Six Weeks Out’
Obama to Appear on TV from Mississippi McCain or No
Just hours before President Bush was to host Obama and McCain at the White House for a how-to on clearing obstacles, Barney says an agreement has been reached: "There really isn't much of a deadlock to break," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. Meantime, Media Matters reports that after Meredith Vieira claimed "political … [Read more...] about Obama to Appear on TV from Mississippi McCain or No
Sir Paul is Performing in Tel Aviv
Jerusalem Post: McCartney's concert kicks off in TA Over 40,000 were in attendance when former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney's concert kicked off in Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park Thursday night with "Hello Goodbye." McCartney greeted over 40,000 eager fans in attendance with a hearty "Shana Tova." … [Read more...] about Sir Paul is Performing in Tel Aviv
Palin Takes (4!) Questions from Press Corps for First Time
She's growing bolder: Sarah Palin took questions from her traveling press corps Thursday for the first time since being tapped as John McCain's running mate. Speaking to a small pool of reporters following a visit to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, Palin made a statement and then answered four questions, addressing the war on terror, the re-election bids of Alaska Sen. Ted … [Read more...] about Palin Takes (4!) Questions from Press Corps for First Time
A Higher-Ed Version of Homeschooling
The Chronicle: Who needs college credit when you have a makeshift diploma from a superstar professor? David Wiley taught an online course at Utah State University last fall and let anyone fully participate, even if they weren’t enrolled. In the end, five people the registrar had never heard of joined discussions with the 15 or so regular students and got papers graded by … [Read more...] about A Higher-Ed Version of Homeschooling
MySpace Music launches
MySpace Music launched today. Michael Arrington: Basically, everyone who controls rights to music is part of the new venture. MySpace Music allows users to stream virtually any song ever published for free. Users can also create playlists that contain up to 100 songs and share them with others. Any song can also be downloaded in non-DRM MP3 format, for a fee, from Amazon’s … [Read more...] about MySpace Music launches
Presidential Reality TV
The two most recent occupants of the Oval Office were in prime time last night, while aspirants to succeed them prepared to go to the White House today in a bizarre interactive TV reality show that will affect the financial survival of millions of Americans. George W. Bush, who was voted off the island two years ago but refused to leave, looked voters in the eye and talked … [Read more...] about Presidential Reality TV
Hanson’s Truth to the Masses on Economic Crisis
Every now and then you read something that (to borrow two tired clichés) cuts through the clutter and calls a spade a spade. Victor Davis Hanson offers such a read this morning at RCP. Granted, I don't agree with everything Hanson posits in this piece (e.g., his suggestion that 40% of the population "should stick to renting") -- but, on balance, his essay is a good wake-up … [Read more...] about Hanson’s Truth to the Masses on Economic Crisis
FDR’s First Fireside Chat: The Banking Crisis
First 5 minutes of a 13 minute, 42 second speech delivered on March 12, 1933. History Matters has the full transcript: When President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933, one in four Americans was out of work nationally, but in some cities and some industries unemployment was well over 50 percent. Equally troubling were the bank panics. Between 1929 and 1931, 4,000 … [Read more...] about FDR’s First Fireside Chat: The Banking Crisis
The Staggering Cynicism Of John McCain
The familiar frat boy smirk was absent when George Bush went before the nation last night to cry wolf. The man speaking from the White House had recently managed the feat of polling disapproval ratings lower than Richard Nixon during the week before he resigned, while the people objecting most vociferously to the $700 billion taxpayer-funded bailout plan being engineered by … [Read more...] about The Staggering Cynicism Of John McCain